Sabah BN leaders against hudud

“Any attempt to turn Malaysia into a theocratic state defies the fundamental that Malaysia is a built on a wide diversity of ethnicity, cultures and religions.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s lead BN component parties and the opposition are on the same page over the hudud issue.

Both sides have voiced strong objections to PAS’ attempt to table a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to impose hudud laws in Kelantan. PAS has until June to table its bills in parliament.

Already peninsular based MCA and Gerakan have said their MPs will vote against the bill.

In a rare assertion, Sabah BN’s biggest native-majority partner Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has come out opposing hudud.

Deputy president Maximus Ongkili said while the hudud law only applied to Muslims, it would “if enforced dictate the lifestyles of everyone”.

Speaking at his Tandek division elections yesterday, Ongkili said: “Hudud law may only apply to Muslims but its enforcement would dictate the lifestyles of everyone, including non-Muslims.

“We oppose PAS’ plans to impose hudud in Kelantan.”

Ongkili, who is also federal Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister is the first Sabah federal minister to break ranks on the issue.

He urged fellow BN parliamentarians parties to make a strong stand against the issue for the sake of Malaysia.

Sabah and Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) have collectively 48 MPs. Of this 19 are non-Muslim MPs.

Last Friday Sabah’s Chinese majority LDP also said it rejected hudud.

LDP president Teo Chee Kang said imposition of hudud will shatter the very fundamentals on which Malaysia was built on.

“Any attempt to turn Malaysia into a theocratic state defies the fundamental that Malaysia is a built on a wide diversity of ethnicity, cultures and religions.

“LDP vehemently opposes the tabling of the said Bill in Parliament,” he said.

Thus far five BN component parties – PBS, LDP, MCA, Gerakan and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) – have rejected the hudud.

Upholding Karpal’s stand on hudud

Meanwhile across the divide Sabah PKR, which incidentally is divided on the issue as is Sabah Umno, said it was against the implementation of Islamic law.

“Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia under the Malaysian Agreement 1963 with the understanding that the Federal Constitution is supreme and it should remain rightly so.

“Passing a bill such as hudud would provide the opportunity for the same thing to be emulated in other states,” said the PKR deputy secretary general Darrel Leiking.

Leiking, who is also Penampang MP, cited Brunei as an example.

“Take our neighbour, Brunei, for example, which is implementing the hudud law. Muslims and non-Muslims there have a separate dress code guideline to adhere.

“This shows that even if non-Muslims do not need to comply completely with the hudud law, their basic rights will still be impeached even if claims are made that they won’t be affected,” he said.

Sabah DAP has also expressed its objection.

Its chairman Jimmy Wong said the party would uphold the spirit of the late Karpal Singh to reject hudud’s implementation in the country.

“If we were able to pull out of Barisan Alternative in 2001 over irreconcilable differences over the Islamic state issues, we would be able to do it again.

“I guarantee that there will be no compromise on standing firm on our principles. In a worse case scenario, DAP will choose to leave the PR coalition.”

FMT Borneo Plus