SHAH ALAM: Hudud has never been part of Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) common policy framework, PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali said, in a reminder that such issues should be discussed first by the coalition’s presidential council.

The Selangor menteri besar told reporters yesterday that PR had agreed their common policies, covering social and economic issues, took precedence over the Islamic criminal law.

“Hudud is not a PR common policy. No proposals were brought to Parliament. It was never discussed in the PR presidential council,” said Azmin.

“PR will focus on issues included in the Maqassid Syariah, or the highest objectives of the Syariah, which are economic, social and safety issues. The big issues that must be resolved according to Islam.

“This has been agreed among the major clerics of the world, not just the country. This is the stand we have taken not just today, but several years ago,” Mohamed Azmin said.

The PAS-led Kelantan government is to hold a special sitting of its legislative assembly on Dec 29 to amend its Islamic enactments.

Once passed, this will pave the way for PAS to table a private member’s bill in Parliament to implement the Islamic penal code in the state.

The bill will need a simple majority of 112 lawmakers supporting it in order for it to be passed and can be tabled once the Kelantan assembly passes the amendment to its Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II.

On Monday, PAS Selangor information chief Zaidy Abdul Talib said PKR should support the Kelantan government’s efforts to implement hudud as the party’s leadership were Malays.

He said PAS should not follow in DAP’s footsteps and reject hudud as the majority of the party’s members were non-Malays.

“For the non-Malays, we cannot force them. But for the Malays, there is an obligation to accept it.

“We must believe, there is a religious obligation. If we reject it, we are committing a sin.

“Therefore, from the Islamic point of view, PKR must support PAS,” said Zaidy, who is the exco member for infrastructure, public facilities and agriculture in Selangor.

Asked about Zaidy’s comments, Mohamed Azmin said the proposal was the view of a mature senior party leader although all decisions should be tied to Pakatan Rakyat’s policies.

The menteri besar said hudud was not a new issue raised by PAS as it had been previously discussed by senior PR leaders before. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 24, 2014.