Much talk about hudud, but not on corruption?

“Your rulers are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves a bribe and chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, nor does the widow’s plea come before them.”

Such was the kind of warning given by prophets of old towards any rogue nation. It clearly shows how corruption has been viewed as a big sin since time immemorial.

Against this backdrop, I have a few questions to ask on why, while much talk has recently centred around the hudud laws, little is being said by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang about punishment for the corrupt.

Will the hands and legs of a corrupt person be chopped off? If someone steals RM100 because he has to feed his family, would a man driven by greed be punished more when he has stolen billions of ringgit?

Why keep mum about corruption?

As an Islamist party, I am sure PAS knows where in the Quran are the verses against corruption and bribery, but why has Hadi not even talked against it?

So far, the only person who has spoken up against bribery is deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. Why is the president of PAS not even condemning the scandals that have hit the country?

PAS should kick-start an anti-corruption campaign to educate the Muslims in this country that corruption should be punished. At least in Indonesia, after the Suharto regime collapsed, there is more talk about fighting corruption.

In Malaysia, since the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal was raised, Hadi has not even said even a word against the scandal. I find this very suspicious, so I do not understand why PAS members in their political struggle against a corrupt regime can still accept their party president’s position.

It is the corrupt who are stealing billions of ringgit in broad daylight. How does Hadi propose to deal with such people?

If someone like Zunar, in his latest book ‘Rob and Roll in Bolehland’, could see through the story told by Najib Abdul Razak about a supposedly generous Saudi Arab prince donating RM2.6 billion into his personal bank accounts, why can’t Hadi see it?

Even another local artist going by the nickname JOCA knows how to differentiate between what is real corruption and selective persecution.

Is Hadi even bothered by the billions that have been siphoned out of the country and laundered overseas, and part of the money was used to pay off debts at casinos? The stepson of Prime Minister Najib, Riza Aziz, was named in the expose by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) as being one of the people found gambling away funds allegedly siphoned from 1MDB.

Four witnesses

Is Hadi even concerned that this country is becoming a rogue nation in the eyes of the world? I shake my head in disbelief when I read his response after the expose by the DOJ recently when he said there must be four witnesses to the crime.

Why is Hadi keeping quiet about 1MDB scandal? This is a question that PAS spiritual adviser Haron Din should investigate further.

Hadi asked for four witnesses against the Malaysian Official 1, yet he is ignoring the fact that the DOJ which investigated the money trail comprised more than the four senior government officials who stood before the whole world with the outcome of their investigations.

Their credibility is worth more than Hadi’s own reputation. Hadi is only revered by PAS members, and his name has become problematic amongst Pakatan supporters in Malaysia, but these four senior government officials have their reputation at stake worldwide.

They were willing to uphold justice, and they stayed clear-sighted in calling a spade a spade. When the time comes, they will name the Malaysian Official 1.

Those who fear God will not condone bribery and corruption, because they know that a curse is on those who accept a bribe and even willing to strike down an innocent person. Eventually, the long arms of the law will catch up with those who are in the corridors of power - those who are corrupt, and those who seek to protect the corrupt.

Hadi, in his push for hudud law, should show that he is serious about the issues of corruption in this country by including the penalties for someone caught taking a bribe.

I am very sure that the holy Quran will have many verses to deal with the problem of corruption in this country; therefore, not to include it into the hudud law would be simply hypocritical of the PAS president.

We know that a wicked man receives bribes and he is willing to pervert the ways of justice. Certainly, PAS and Hadi would not condone corruption. If they are serious about hudud, they should include the punishment against anyone who is corrupt.

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STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.