Floods subside, yet hudud nightmare still haunts

By P Ramasamy
Malaysiakini
Jan 3, 2015

ADUN SPEAKS On Monday Dec 29, 2014, the PAS government in Kelantan had wanted to introduce amendments to the Syariah Criminal Code 1993 – or in other words, pave the way for the introduction of hudud law.

Following this, there would be a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to be passed before the hudud law is enforced by both the federal and state agencies. PAS hopes that its 21 MPs and other Malay Muslim MPs will vote for this bill to become law. All that is required is a simple majority of 112 members’ support in Parliament.

PAS’ proposal to the introduction of the amendments in the Kelantan state assembly has created serious issues within the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. DAP has vehemently opposed hudud, and has threatened that its introduction would spell the end of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

PKR, while not wanting to oppose hudud on religious grounds, had maintained that hudud is not part of the common framework of understanding between the three parties within the opposition coalition.

Umno – by enticing PAS to proceed with the Private Member’s Bill in Parliament – might succeed in the splitting the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, its formidable political opponent. Whether Umno members will support the bill in Parliament is not certain, but it certainly raises questions about the role of Islam in Malaysia and its effects on the multi-racial population.

PAS is pushing for the implementation of hudud because it is an Islamic political party and it has made promises to the electorate during successive elections. But beyond this, the move to push hudud must be seen from a broad political, social and economic context.

PAS – despite its past popularity as an Islamic party, especially in the east coast states – has systematically failed to deliver social and economic goods to its population, especially in a state like Kelantan, its home base.

Although PAS has a long presence as a dominant political force in Kelantan, it has not really brought major investments to create development and employment in the state. In the past, thousands of Kelantanese have to migrate to other states in the peninsula or even to Singapore, in search for better economic opportunities.

PAS’ poor record in Kelantan

Beyond the usual Islamic rhetoric, PAS has a very poor record in managing the Kelantan administration. Thousands of acres of virgin forests have been cleared for rubber and oil palm plantations with disastrous consequences for the environment.

It does not come as a surprise that the floods in recent days have hit Kelantan severely. Unmanaged deforestation can, to a large extent, explain the severity of the flood situation in the state.

But alas, PAS leaders drowned in religious knowledge are unable, or even unwilling, to take up responsibilities that might be termed as un-Islamic. In many ways, the argument in favour of hudud and the lack of political and social space to debate the matter, has allowed PAS a free hand to pursue the matter, irrespective of its implications to its friends in Pakatan Rakyat and the Malaysian population.

PAS might think of hudud as its fundamental weapon to weaken Umno and the infidels, but then most religious obscurantists often fail to learn valuable lessons from history.

There is a remote possibility that PAS might be able to introduce the amendments on Monday, and there is even a possibility that the Private Member’s Bill might be passed in Parliament. By this time, PAS would have to assume the major responsibility for destroying Pakatan Rakyat, a political alternative that was formed after decades of political independence.

On a more ominous note, the success of hudud might be a pyrrhic victory for PAS, but then who will the main beneficiary of this political debacle? Will this be Umno and BN?

It is not too late for PAS to re-think the question of hudud, especially at this critical time when thousands of Malay Muslims are suffering from the ravages of floods. While religion is important in moderating the excesses of material development and for people to have faith in their life, economic and development opportunities are also important.

Right now, floods have hit Malay Muslims severely in the east coast states of the peninsula, and those affected need shelter, food and water. Let us not dwell too much on technical and political arrangements, let us focus on the dire needs of human beings.

P RAMASAMY is Perai assemblyperson and Penang deputy chief minister II.