Survey findings prove hudud too complicated to implement

18 Jul 2014

Survey findings prove hudud too complicated to implement

7:33 pm ngheans No comments

Survey findings prove hudud too complicated to implement now, DAP, PKR reps say

BY MELISSA CHIJULY 19, 2014

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/survey-findings-prove-hudud-too-complicated-to-implement-now-dap-pkr-reps-s?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.nvsuBYNt.dpuf

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — The recent survey showing that Malaysians are not ready for hudud is a reflection of reality, DAP and PKR lawmakers said, even as their political allies in Kelantan PAS continue to insist the law should be implemented in the east coast state.

The lawmakers told The Malay Mail Online that the controversial law has to be discussed extensively before it is even considered for implementation, citing the impracticality of enforcing it in a multi-racial society like Malaysia.

“It’s not surprising at all the results of this poll and I think generally, reflects also on what is going on today.

“This shows Malaysians are mature enough to understand hudud is complicated one requires much more discussion and thought before trying to implement it and this is even before considering the legality of it,” DAP’s Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari said.

A new survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center found that nearly three in five Malaysians think the country is not prepared to implement the controversial law.

A total of 59 per cent of the Malaysians polled shared the sentiment, said the survey, with 58 per cent of Malays believing so.

This compared favourably to 59 per cent of Chinese and 61 per cent of Indians who gave the same response.

Just 25 per cent of respondents — and 30 per cent of Malays — believed that Malaysia is ready to introduce hudud now.

The survey polled 1,009 voters in Peninsula Malaysia via telephone in their preferred language between April 12 and 21 this year.

Zairil also said that the law, which is based on scriptures, cannot just be implemented in its entirety without first looking at its suitability in the current day and age.

“I think this requires a lot more discussion, and discourse but also in the larger scale of what Shariah is all about, which is fundamentally about social justice.

“The question is whether any of God’s law can be interpreted and implemented in a just manner,” he said.

PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli pointed out that although the majority Malays support hudud — 71 per cent, according to the survey — there is still a “great deal of anxiety and misunderstanding” over the law.

“I think hudud continues to present a different level of dilemma and understanding to the Malaysian electorate.

“This is where I think in a political perspective, focusing on issues that can bring about change takes higher priority for Pakatan than I think engaging in a continuous debate on hudud, not because hudud is not important or that people flatly reject hudud, but I think a lot of discourse have to take place first,” he said.

Rafizi added that there are also questions about the practicality of implementing hudud, such as which government agencies would be involved, as well as proper education on the Islamic law.

“I think all these practical issues that leads to a misunderstanding or doubts on whether or not hudud can be implemented should be managed and deliberated objectively,” he said.

He pointed out that two-thirds of Parliament, or 144 MPs have to agree to amend the Constitution in order to implement the law.

“We have 134 Muslim MPs and unless the 10 non-Muslims agree, for that to happen, there is also the issue of awareness and education on hudud,” he said.

He added that there might not be support from Umno, saying he suspects its members were “never serious about hudud” and have only been using it as a political ploy to distract Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

DAP’s Serdang MP Dr Ong Kian Ming said those in support of hudud should take heed of the survey findings as they were indicative of how difficult it would be to implement it in multi-racial Malaysia.

“The fact that this survey shows majority of people don’t think it is suitable for hudud, I think should be good basis for the different parties both in BN and Pakatan to consider very carefully whether they wanna amend laws to implement hudud.

“DAP definitely rejects any amendment to any law to implement hudud and other parties should take note of this finding,” he said.

Ong said Malays in Muslim-majority states like Kelantan and Terengganu could think the country is ready because of the lack of non-Muslims where they live, but the same could not be said for the rest of the country.

“But we cannot look at hudud on a state-by-state basis because laws are being amended at the federal level. We need to look at the suitability on a national level,” he said.

In Islamic jurisprudence, “hudud” covers crimes such as theft, robbery, adultery, rape and sodomy. Punishments for the crimes are severe, including amputation, flogging and death by stoning.

The debate over hudud is raging once more in Malaysia after PAS made known its plan to enforce the Islamic criminal law in Kelantan state which it has governed since 1990.

The news then led to baiting between the Islamist party and rival Umno over the controversial bid to amend the country’s laws to allow the introduction of hudud.

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