Hadi’s the disease, and GE14 the cure

YOURSAY | 'Crime rate is not related to religion, but the ability of those in power to govern.'

Crime is the disease, hudud is the only cure, says Hadi

Appum: Delving deeper into this issue, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, of course diabetes is a disease. But what is the cause of it? It could be genetic but mostly it's due to lack of proper health care and education by the person concerned.

In other words go to the root cause of the disease. Solve the problem from there. In stealing and crime, are you solving them from the roots? Chopping hands and stoning people to death will not stop a desperately poor and hungry man from stealing.

If your social-economic and political programmes have taken care of society as a whole, there will be less crime, with civil laws dealing with hardcore criminals. There are many reasons for criminal acts, but severe punishment is not the solution.

Look at Japan and Singapore, is the crime rate the biggest problem in those countries? Is hudud only concerned about stealing, adultery, and misbehaviour? There are more important socio-economic issues that society needs to address, in order to live happily and contentedly. We don't need added fear to suppress the people.

Freedom: Hadi, what a warped analogy. The doctor requires the consent of the patient before he can perform amputation. Do these words exist in your vocabulary - forgiveness, repentance, mercy, compassion?

Cmfoo: Unbelievable - Hadi's sense of humanity is lost in his political one-upmanship using religion. Amputation by doctor is done out of necessity to save a life when all other medical options have failed.

Cutting the limbs of a perfectly healthy person just because he steals, is downright barbaric and lacks humanity. Social ills can be dealt with continuous education, support, counselling and where necessary, jail time.

Anonymous #44199885: Such a stupid comparison. There is a significant difference – a doctor amputates the limb of the diabetic to save life, unlike hudud, where the limb is amputated to shame, humiliate and take "life" away.

Anonymous #40538199: Singapore is without hudud and yet the crime rate seems to be lower than Malaysia. The crime rate is high in Kelantan - a state governed by PAS. But in other states not governed by PAS, the crime rate seems to be relatively lower.

So the crime rate doesn't seem to be related to what religion is practised by those in power, but rather, related directly to the ability or failure, of those in power to govern.

Anonymous_1371516473: Crime comes when there is greed and inequality. Without addressing them, crimes will always be committed. No law can control it, if the fundamental issues are not addressed.

Maplesyrup: Why do people steal? Because they are poor. Why do people rape? Because they are not taught to respect others and value their own dignity and family. Hudud is not what is needed.

Anticonmen: Give all citizens a good, quality education, and equal opportunities, plus policies to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth. There will be no need for anyone to commit crimes except those who are entrusted to manage, but are greedy.

What we need are men and women politicians of any race, who are educated, knowledgeable, truthful, honest and who can use facts, evidence, reason, logic, and an understanding of science, management, rule of law and economics, to provide leadership.

Quigonbond: Hadi, you are way off the track. The only way to lower crime is to empower people to do what their talents allow them to do.

This is through proper education, backed by a system that encourages honesty, hard work, innovation, and fair play so that Malaysia becomes a land of opportunity, instead of a land of political and religious oppression.

What we need is a good education system, good governance and respect for the rakyat. If you are really religious, you don't have to wear your religion on your sleeve. You don't even dare to debate what kind of evidence would be required to prove hudud crimes - you have no right to push through a Bill that allows unfettered state power to impose worse than corporal punishments.

Kawak: Hadi, are you living in the Stone Age? Now, the act of stealing can be made so complex that the culprits can get away from having their limbs cut. Are not the acts of corruption and abuse of power by political and government officials not considered stealing taxpayers' money under hudud?

These thieves get off scot-free while a man who steals from a shop, get his hand chopped off. Where is the justice?

Kamaapo: Hadi, corruption is the root to many of our major social cancers. It weakens law enforcement. Hence a drastic rise in crimes now. Any effective cure against corruption and stealing of public monies in your modified version of hudud?

Couldn't be bothered about these many matters of public interest? How to reduce real crimes then? Your hudud is pure political expediency. Many know that.

Yours and My Malaysia: Hadi, stealing is a crime created by the imbalance in society wealth, and its generation and distribution. It is a society disease.

Society has to be cured and that won't be by chopping off the hand of a thief. Has stealing stopped in any of the countries that has hudud and that chops off the hands of thieves? I don't know, but Hadi, please tell me.

Senior: In the modern day, the method is rehabilitation, not punishment.

Bluemountains: Hadi will receive tremendous support if he is able to use hudud on the 1MDB thieves. Catch the thieves and have their hands cut off. But, will that happen? Usually the rich and the powerful get away scot-free - only the weak and the poor become victims.

Kuasa Rakyat: Infection is due to physical disease and a doctor would never amputate a leg if there is another cure. Crime is not a physical disease and amputation of the limbs, a physical act, is never a cure for a mental and social ailment. This is never God's way. Crime is cured by the restoration and changing of the mind/heart.

Richard-D: What is Hadi's position on financial fraud by Muslim businessmen on overcharging, or breach of contract that causes financial loss? Will he amputate their hands as well? Of course not. Only the poor will be penalised.

Anonymous_1421406986: I can only speak for myself for being a better human being based on my home grounding. We were taught three basic but simple things (a) being disciplined and respectful (b) be responsible to oneself, family and community and (c) to think good of ourselves and others, discounting race and religion.

We were taught more by our parents than our religion. Though coming from a humble background my parents taught us the importance of hard work, commitment to work and honest living.

Religion merely confirmed what my parents taught us. My siblings are well established today and we continue to honour our family tradition.

If only parents can act responsibly, there is no need for these heavy-handed laws using God as a proxy. Today, Kelantan exports its youngsters to other states to work. The state government has not brought in economic richness but keeps talking of religion and hudud laws.Soon the entire country will be doing the same thing, stricken by poverty and lack of economic leadership. Hudud is not the cure.

Norman Fernandez: The Scandinavian countries, and many European countries like Ireland and Switzerland and closer to home, Singapore, have very low levels of crime. There is no need for hudud but good policing and an honest criminal justice system. Now, compare that with countries that have implemented hudud.

SAM98: Hadi is the disease and soon the cure will come in the form of GE14! -Mkini