GE13: For some, economy, education matter more than hudud

by Chen Shaua Fui, fz.com

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  Voters says they're more concerned about the economy of the country rather than the seemingly hot election issue of PAS' intention to implement hudud law.

IPOH (May 1): "Are you afraid of the hudud law?" This question was posed to a group of Chinese "uncles" who were sitting by the Kuala Kangsar riverside. 

And their reply? "This is just frying cold rice." 

 

"Frying cold rice" is a Chinese expression to describe a situation where issues that have long died off are played up again.

 

For this group of middle-aged Chinese men, hudud law is of no concern as it applies to only Muslims and in their words they are "more than happy to see those who took bribes or are convicted of corruption get their hands chopped off".

 

The six of them are friends who had gathered to exchange political observations. Five are voters of Kuala Kangsar, and one of them is voting in Padang Rengas. All declined to give their names.

 

A 20-minute chat with them revealed that they are more concerned about the economy of the country rather than the seemingly hot election issue of  PAS' intention to implement hudud law should it take over the federal administration.

 

MCA has been playing up the hudud issue over the past few years, and had repeatedly claimed that its rival DAP is helping PAS to implement the law which will ultimately affect non-Muslims in the country.

 

"How can we continue to vote for people who can't even manage the economy properly? We have deficit every year. We must do something now, or else it will get worse," says an "uncle" in a white polo T-shirt, who opined that Malaysia's economic performance "is getting worse".

 

Another "uncle" chipped in with an analogy, "If your company manager keeps making losses for your company, do you still want him to work for you?"

 

When it was time to go to the PAS ceramah held at Arena Kuala Kangsar, where PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would be addressing the crowd, one of them said he came to listen to the talk and wanted to donate money to the party.

 

Moving to Hulu Kinta, an Indian voter was asked the same question. "Are you afraid of the hudud law?" He instinctively said "No."

 

A four-time voter in Bukit Gantang who lives and works in Hulu Kinta, Muthusamy(he declined to give his full name) said the issue has been played up since he was a teenager, but until now, it is yet to be implemented.

 

"This is not going to work. See, Kelantan also not implementing it yet. If PAS is going to implement it, they (would have) long implemented it in Kelantan," he told fz.com.

 

Kelantan had passed the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Enactment (hudud) 1993, although it was not implemented due to concerns of conflict with federal laws.

 

He said Indians are more concerned about education and job opportunities because not many Indians can pursue higher education, and there is a lack of job opportunities in the state.

 

He also claimed that the government did not treat all the communities equally, and as a result, Indians were deprived of the chance to pursue further studies. 

 

Obviously, for these non-Muslim voters, there are matters that far outweigh hudud law - that which are affecting their daily lives now rather than one which is yet or may not happen.