‘Umno support on hudud not sign of unity gov’t’ 
MalaysiaKini.com
Mar 16, 2015     

Umno Kelantan working with the PAS state government to pass the upcoming hudud enactment does not imply the makings of a unity government.

PAS vice-president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said this today calling for Pakatan Rakyat partners DAP and PKR not to let the issue break the coalition up.

“It’s not as if when Umno states its support for the state enactment, that means it is a sign that Umno will join with PAS.

“That’s because this (hudud) matter is required of Muslims, all must be in the same mind in terms of acceptance and belief, and it must be supported,” he said in a statement on his Facebook.

Tuan Ibrahim (left) gave the example of general agreement between Pakatan leaders and former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the growing 1Malaysia Development
Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

“When Mahathir attacks 1MDB just as we attack Prime Minister Najib Razak, do we then conclude that Mahathir will join Pakatan?” he asked.

He maintained that Umno remains their common “enemy” regardless of the agreement on hudud.

“There will be things that will be common values, and there will be things that we will differ on.

“Umno-BN remains our common enemy,” he said.

'Don't break up Pakatan'

He urged Pakatan partners to support the enactment and avoid breaking up the opposition coalition, adding the Islamic penal code “has nothing to do with non-Muslims”.

“After all, it is being done through a democratic process that is our common struggle,” he added.

Yesterday, DAP supreme Lim Kit Siang (right) warned that Umno’s support of Kelantan’s hudud enactment was simply a ploy to court PAS into a unity government and abandon the opposition.

Lim said Umno’s only goal in this was to break up Umno’s largest threat to survival, Pakatan, as the long-running ruling party was facing the prospects of political demise.

The DAP veteran also warned his rivals MCA and Gerakan of the consequences of Umno's move, which he said may open the floodgates to hudud implementation in other states.

PAS Kelantan will table the Islamic enactment to pave the way for hudud implementation this Wednesday at the state assembly, despite DAP’s objections.

DAP: Threat's won't work

Meanwhile DAP national legal bureau chairperson Gobind Singh Deo in response said his party will not be intimidated by threats of a coalition breakup into supporting Kelantan's hudud move.

"Let us make no mistake. DAP will not be cowed by nor give in to threats, be it by Tuan Ibrahim or anyone else more so when it comes to matters of principle such as our stand against the implementation of hudud.

"What PAS proposes to do is squarely against the common policy framework of Pakatan Rakyat.

"This goes against the essence of Pakatan Rakyat. It is dishonourable. It cannot and must not be allowed to happen," said the Puchong MP (left) in a statement today..

"It also now through this threat, seeks to force not only PKR and DAP, but everyone to accept it," he added.

He said if PAS were to proceed with the tabling of the bill despite acknowledging the damage it could do to the opposition pact, then " it is clear that they are bent towards this".

"If that be the case, then I say, so be it," said Gobind, reiterating DAP will not support implementation of hudud, "Be it in Kelantan or anywhere else in Malaysia for reasons I have alluded to many times before.".

"This is the official stand of the DAP and it remains."

PAS Kelantan has repeatedly stressed they needed to push the hudud agenda for their political survival.

Ironically, a Merdeka survey released today indicated that 81 percent of Malay-Muslim respondents were not favourable with the Islamic party focussing on hudud when more pressing issues such as the serious annual floods in the East Coast need to be solved.

It follows a survey in April 2014 that revealed that a majority (58 percent) of Malay respondents felt the country is not ready for hudud implementation.

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