Hudud: Now Hadi offers help to Terengganu

PAS assembly members will back an Umno-led state government move to enforce Islamic criminal law, he says

KUALA TERENGGANU: With hudud in Kelantan still hanging in the balance, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has announced backing for neighbouring Terengganu’s Umno-led government in bringing about the Islamic criminal code.

Speaking in Kuala Berang on Saturday, Hadi said the Umno-led government could expect full support from the 15 PAS members of the state assembly, according to news reports.

Hadi said the state government needs to explain the hudud issue first to the public, including non-Muslims.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman had been quoted as saying that the state government had no problem in implementing hudud provided the public, especially non-Muslims, understood the Islamic law.

Hadi said that PAS agreed with Ahmad Razif in explaining hudud especially to non-Muslims before it is enforced.

PAS was willing to work with Barisan Nasional on Islamic jurisprudence, he said.

Hadi’s campaign for enforcing hudud in Kelantan, resulted in an amendment to state Syariah law being passed by the state assembly earlier this year with the support of Umno members of the state assembly.

An amendment to the federal constitution is needed before hudud may be enforced, and Hadi’s tabling of a private member’s Bill for the amendment caused the DAP to sever ties with Hadi, although not with PAS, its partner in Pakatan Rakyat.

However, the PAS general assembly adopted a motion to end relationships with the DAP itself earlier this month, causing DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to call an end to the Pakatan Rakyat partnership.