Be brave and reject hudud, Zaid tells Pakatan

Voters who want hudud would choose PAS anyway, says former law minister

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim wants Pakatan Harapan to show courage in protecting the secular Constitition.

“Hudud cannot be part of that,” Zaid told FMT today in response to Pakatan Harapan’s vague stance on hudud, the penal code under syariah law.

The hudud issue drove a wedge between former Pakatan Rakyat partners PAS and the DAP last year, causing the collapse of the opposition alliance when PAS attempted to seek a constitutional amendment empowering the Kelantan state government to enforce hudud penalties.

Yesterday, PKR, the DAP and Amanah, a splinter group of former PAS members sealed their new opposition alliance Pakatan Harapan with a formal agreement and declaring their stand on the democratic process.

Zaid, however, pointed out the contradiction.

“You cannot say that you’re defending democracy, fundamental rights and the constitution but at the same time, you say you are unsure about hudud. It’s a contradiction,” he pointed out.

Although he could understand the coalition’s worries that Malay voters would flee, Zaid added that Pakatan Harapan need not fear that prospect.

“Malay voters who wanted hudud would have voted for PAS anyway. So I don’t know why Pakatan are unsure,” he said. “They are afraid that the Malays will misunderstand them, but I don’t think the Malays will retaliate, you just have to explain to them.”

Pakatan has also been challenged by the Gerakan, whose Law and Human Rights Bureau chairman Baljit Singh said the opposition coalition must state their stand, and that voters had the right to know the opposition’s common stand regarding Syariah law.

Baljit described the formation of Pakatan Harapan as a deliberate attempt to cover up differences and their failure to achieve consensus.