DAP: Why are PAS and BN working together for hudud?

DAP MPs question the decision by BN lawmakers to seemingly push the Private Member's Bill which paves the way for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP lawmakers today questioned the apparent cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS in allowing the Islamist party to table a Private Member’s Bill that paves the way for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan.

Prior to this, confusion reigned in Parliament when PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill, to amend Act 355 of the Federal Constitution, was unexpectedly brought forward.

The bill was meant to amend syariah courts’ jurisdiction to allow it to mete out hudud sentences.

It would also pave the way for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan, a goal which PAS had long fought for.

DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng was “shocked” to see that BN and PAS had displayed some form of cooperation.

“Why did BN facilitate this bill?”

Lim maintained that DAP does not support the motion, saying that it goes against the Constitution.

He also pointed out that BN’s component parties, such as MCA, MIC and even SUPP, had previously said that they would leave the ruling coalition if BN supported the Hudud Bill.

“We are not anti-Islam or anti-Shariah. But if the Constitution is not maintained, it will affect our country’s future.

“Are the component parties going to resign as they said they would? They disagreed before this, but now they agree.
We want to know why BN changed its mind,” Lim told reporters outside the Dewan Rakyat today.

DAP lawyer Gobind Singh, who was also present at the press conference, said the Bill was poorly drafted.

Pointing out that Section 2 of the Bill allows any sentence besides death under Syariah law to be passed, Gobind echoed Lim’s remarks and said that DAP was completely against it.

Meanwhile, Bukit Bendera DAP MP Zairil Khir Johari echoed his colleague’s sentiments, saying that it was a clear sign there was some kind of cooperation between BN and PAS.

He also questioned Hadi’s decision to suddenly postpone the reading to the next parliamentary session.

“What Hadi did makes no sense and raises a lot of questions. Why did Hadi not go on with it (bill), especially when all the PAS MPs were already there?

“This is obviously a political ploy and not an honest effort to achieve PAS’ self-claimed main goal,” Zairil said in a statement.