Najib vows no hudud, but his hypocrisy may drive Malay votes away, say pundits

In a move that directly contradicted his deputy, Prime Minister Najib Razak has vowed to block any attempts to enforce hudud, a part of the Islamic law code, hoping to win the favour of the non-Muslims in the country.

According to Najib, who is on a roadshow to Perak ahead of snap polls that are widely expected in November, the government could not allow its implementation as it had to be realistic about the current situation. He did not elaborate what he meant by that.

But it looks like Najib may have miscalculated. Pakatan Rakyat leaders said Najib's haste in chasing for the non-Malay vote may backfire with the Muslim community.

"I am not sure if the majority of Muslims support hudud but a very large number does. And all of them know hudud is actually part of the Islamic code. When they see Najib and Muhyiddin and MCA and Gerakan scrambling to gain from the issue, it is very clear to them these leaders have political motives. It will erode Najib's credibility with the Malays," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

Indifference

Even with the non-Muslims, Najib's latest decision may be treated with indifference. Most realize that Syariah law is already widely practiced in Malaysia and yet it does not extend to non-Muslims.

Hudud is the arm of Muslim law that pertains to 6 criminal prosecutions. It is feared because it prescribes punishment that includes stoning to death, the amputation of limbs and whipping. The 6 hudud crimes are theft, highway robbery, illegal sexual intercourse, false accusations of zina or adultlery, drinking alcohol and apostasy.

In fact, Christian groups have said there is nothing wrong with PAS implementing hudud in Kelantan as long as it is guaranteed that non-Muslims will not be affected.

“I say it's time to allow Muslims in Kelantan, if they so desire, to implement shariah only for them and with that the hudud enactments provided non-Muslims are exempt from its implementation,” said Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing,president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia.

Crossfire

Indeed, Najib and his BN coalition may find themselves trapped in a crossfire of their own making. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had swung the other way, declaring that Umno was fully supportive of hudud but it was not yet time to implement such a law in Malaysia.

MCA president Chua Soi Lek even threatened to pull out of BN if hudud was implemented. Gerakan also protested.

"The only thing that shines through is their political insincerity. It is also interesting to see the reaction within Umno between the Muhyiddin and Najib camps," PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle.

- Malaysia Chronicle