YOURSAY ‘Umno will have no choice but to follow PKR on hudud.’

 

PKR will not support hudud bill in Parliament

Ablastine: The hudud issue is actually a blessing in disguise for Pakatan Rakyat. This is because if PAS is to remain in Pakatan, they will demand that only PAS candidates contest in certain seats in the next election.

 

They will certainly lose most of these seats because no opposition voter is going to vote them in and later witness them going over to Umno when the time is right for them. They will waste these Pakatan seats.

 

Now hudud forces PAS to show its hand and effectively split from Pakatan. But how many Malays actually want hudud to be the law of the land for them? It may just be a minority.

 

Once Umno and PAS join hands on this, it will only drive a great number of Malays who are not keen on hudud to PKR, strengthening PKR substantially with more Malay votes at the expense of PAS and perhaps even Umno.

 

It is much easier to manage a coalition between DAP and PKR than to have PAS in it.

 

Ferdtan: Now with the confirmation of PKR not supporting hudud, Umno will have no choice but to follow suit. PKR has called Umno’s bluff.

 

Therefore, you can be sure the private member’s bill will be killed off unceremoniously by the Umno’s parliament speaker by not allowing it to be debated, sparing the blushes of Umno leaders.

 

Now it looks like this hudud ambush by PAS, obviously with the support of Umno, can be considered as a non-starter. PAS will be the biggest loser in this affair.

 

Its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, has single-highhandedly killed off all the support of non-Muslims for the party. PAS has lost its credibility and in the next election, even the moderates in the party will not survive as the non-Muslims will not vote for them again.

 

Kangkung: I am glad PKR understands the multiracial and multireligious make-up of our nation. Since PAS is now firmly in Umno's hands, it is time PKR and DAP put their foot down and sever all ties with the Islamic party.

 

Not Confused: It’s good that common sense has prevailed in PKR. Whilst the bill only affects the downtrodden masses in Kelantan, the whole concept of this pernicious legislation is to give power to perverted individuals, allowing them to exercise their blood lust in maiming and killing Malaysian citizens in the most cruel and mediaeval manner.

 

If they think that implementing such vile and despicable sentences on criminals is going to stop such activities, they will be sorely wrong.

SteveOh: What other choice does PKR have? When I read of the punishment meted out to those found guilty of theft, I couldn't imagine how anyone in his or her right mind can support the chopping off of a hand or foot in contemporary society.

 

Perhaps in a bygone era or in still barbarous places, but definitely not in progressive Malaysia. How then does the one crippled by such a punishment earn an honest living? Whither compassion? Is that justice?

 

No, God is not that cruel and neither should those who profess to know him. Hudud in that way can never be from God. It can never be acceptable in Malaysia.

 

PKR is right in its decision and the fair-minded and sensible and truly righteous citizens will back them all the way.

 

David Dass: I suppose it was inevitable given what has been happening in the world today that this day of reckoning would come.

 

Unfortunately Umno, which stood for moderation in Islamic matters and was the party primarily involved in the drafting of the Federal Constitution has radically altered its position as far as the Kelantan vote was concerned.

 

I surprised me to see Kelantan Umno chief Mustapa Mohamed and veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah both supporting hudud for Kelantan. Does this mean that they also support hudud for the rest of the country?

 

Was this change of position purely a tactical move to break up Pakatan? If it was, then they have probably succeeded but what does this mean for the country?

 

Will MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the other component parties from Sabah and Sarawak support hudud for the entire country? Thus far Gerakan and MCA have objected to hudud but focused their blame on PKR for failing to keep PAS in check.

 

But with PKR's statement it is clear that they should now look elsewhere. Will they fall in line or will they maintain their stance even if it means leaving BN?

 

It is clear that it is no more possible to choose the short-term solution for 'expedience' for this decision will set the nation on a course that will not be reversible.

 

The non-Muslims should not think that this is a Muslim problem and the Muslims should not think that this is a non-Muslim problem.

 

Let us not pretend. We are setting the country back to a place it never was. Few countries in the world have hudud. And none are democracies.

 

Kim Quek: It is good that PKR has emphatically made its stand crystal clear, so that no one should misjudge or miscalculate on its intention and policy.

 

The most fundamental principle of our founding fathers that this country should be a secular state as embodied in the federal constitution - founded on equality and justice and the principles of democracy - must be honoured and upheld at all costs.

In this constitution, and in the context of the Malaysian society, there is certainly no place for the introduction of the hudud jurisdiction.

 

And proponents of hudud should further realise that, in this multiracial, multireligious country where the economy is heavily dependent on foreign investment and critically supported by foreign trade, hudud will not only cause fatal societal damage, but will bring disastrous consequences to the economy.

 

Citizen No.26: It takes great courage for Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her top leadership to make their stand for the good of the country. Bravo.

 

And please find the strength to excise PAS from Pakatan so that PKR, DAP and the third force can effectively prepare for the next GE without any more surprises and betrayal by the ulama in PAS.

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