YOURSAY 'Good job Anwar on the two-term proposal for PM, no downsizing of the civil service and the separation of PM and finance minister's posts.'

Anwar: Hudud has no place in Pakatan policy

your sayCala: I like what I read from Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's statement. His speech in Subang Jaya brought out two clear concepts - apply ‘minoritarianism' on hudud law and the size of civil service.

To be fair, although far from being ideal, Anwar is seen doing his best under the current socio-economic and political environment. By saying that the minority need not fear of meeting hudud law is to assure them that ‘minoritarianism' will be enforced on matters of religion (and I suppose language).

The 1,300,000 strong civil servants are the vote bank nobody can ignore realistically. To try to reduce it is showing political immaturity. This issue of ‘path dependency' of institutional persistency needs to be solved over the medium term.

On the whole, I must say Anwar has done well in his pre-GE preparations.

Proarte: Anwar's lack of principle and using hudud as a political bargaining chip to make himself relevant is simply disgusting and immoral.

Since when did hudud become a life and death issue for the Malays? It was made a mantra by PAS over the years in a game of Islamic 'one-upmanship', knowing full well it went against the constitution and could not be implemented.

When the controversy exploded recently with PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat flouting the Pakatan Rakyat consensus and saying he would implement hudud regardless of whether it was approved by Parliament, Anwar rather shockingly supported him in a calculated move to make himself politically relevant as 'mediator' between PAS and DAP.

If he is true to his supposed faith then the Quran should be supreme and hudud should not 'negotiable' and replaced with 'Buku Jingga'. Now in a flip-flop he says hudud will not be Pakatan policy - for now at least.

Ghkok: I find no inconsistency in Anwar's stand on hudud. Anwar says "as a Muslim, he accepts the Quran, which stipulates the hudud". That's his personal belief. He has got every right to hold to his belief. Who are we to question that?

He also says that Pakatan policy is based on consensus, and hudud is not part of that consensus. And he is saying that in his capacity as a Pakatan leader. Again, no inconsistency.

It's also democratic of him to subjugate his personal belief to the overriding consensus position of Pakatan. It's like US President Barack Obama saying that he's personally anti-abortion but he respects the Democratic Party's pro-abortion stand. It's very common in matured democracies.

And so, it is not inconsistent for Nik Aziz to want to implement hudud as it is the personal belief of Nik Aziz as well as the official stand of PAS. DAP has every right to oppose hudud - it is official party position as well as personal beliefs of party members.

That's the reality of Malaysia.

Jeremy Tankh: Very well said, Ghkok. There is no need to fight over hudud if you all are evaluating Anwar as a potential PM

Just ask ourselves these questions: who else can rally and unite an opposition front strong enough to challenge the ruling BN? Isn't having a choice (two-party system) better than no choice (just BN for 52 years)?

Which other PM or potential PM has suggested limiting the PM's tenure to two terms? If the Umno PM is not corrupt, why hold on to the Finance Ministry as well? Where is the check and balance?

Isn't the disagreements in hudud a clear indication that democracy is very much alive in Pakatan unlike BN, where even Umno members are not allowed to speak up against the leadership, not to mention component parties like MCA and MIC?

Progressive: Anwar should be commended for a forthright and honest answer to some difficult questions. Let us not be sidelined by Nik Aziz's posturing on hudud in Kelantan.

Even Nik Aziz has said that hudud is only for the Muslims. Why then are the non-Muslims alarmed. If this is what the entire Muslim community want, who are we to oppose it? Let's get real here for a moment please.

Why fear apparitions and shadows? Good job Anwar on the two-term proposal for PM, no downsizing of the civil service and separation of PM and finance minister's posts. That's the way to go.

Anonymous_4030: So the Pakatan leader talks about consensus, but behind Anwar's back PAS leaders are going around fooling the Malay electorates saying that they will implement hudud when in reality they know well that it is impossible.

What consensus is Anwar talking about when Kelantan has just set up a technical committee on hudud? What a big joke. And after two decades, Nik Aziz finally thought about implementing hudud. Must be because of the elections.

VP Biden: The best statement to come out from Anwar is the two-term PM and having a separate Finance Ministry. This is what democracy and the rakyat demand. Now go forth and conquer the Parliament. Right-thinking Malaysians are with Pakatan.

Regnskog: "Asked whether the premiership could be held by a Chinese, Anwar skirted the question by asking, ‘Is it a necessary question? If I answer 'yes', it would become the headline of Utusan Malaysia; if I said 'no', it would become the headline of Chinese dailies.

"‘So my answer is: the current consensus of Pakatan is that Anwar will be the next prime minister,' said a smiling Anwar as the audience clapped in approval."

This is how a brilliant leader should answer to a ‘trapped question'.


'Anwar as PM will be a puppet of PAS'

SusahKes: You know Chua Jr (Labis MP Chua Tee Yong), there is a button in the Malaysiakini comment section, where we are allowed to report in ‘abuse'. I'd like to press that button, and report you in for abusing our intelligence.

For a politician, and the son of a politician at that, I'd hoped that you would stop spinning the broken record like your dad does - creating imaginary bogeymen just to spook voters away from Pakatan.

On one side of the ring, Umno hollers that PAS will be swallowed up by DAP; on another side, MCA screams that DAP or Anwar will be PAS' puppets.

I mean, just how stupid are you? Couldn't you or daddy come up with a better political strategy? Don't father and son think that voters have already wised up to Umno-BN's antics?

Jiminy Qrikert: I thought Umno said Anwar is a puppet of DAP? No? And Umno also said PAS is being led by the nose by DAP? No?

So, if Anwar is a puppet of PAS, and PAS is being led by the nose by DAP, therefore Anwar is a puppet of DAP. Yes?

Aziz Kader: I respect the comments from Labis MP because he makes assumption based his own experience with Umno. MCA is after all a puppet of Umno.

 

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