When Aminullah Usman ran for Wali kota or mayor of Banda Aceh, one of his campaign promises was to reopen cinema halls shut down in 2003, when strict shariah laws were implemented in the province of Aceh.

And the 59-year-old won, beating incumbent Illiza Saaduddin Djamal in the Feb 15 polls.

This is not to say Aminullah won because of his cinema hall promise. There were other election pledges in his manifesto, which I do not intend to go into here.

Although he is seen to be a “moderate” compared to his opponent, I think it is right to say he is not about to overturn the shariah law provisions already in place. Not anytime soon at least.

In fact, he has vowed to uphold “Islamic principles” and is looking forward to foster closer ties with religious groups and Islamic schools in the province.

Still, his promise to reopen cinema halls is a talking point in Aceh’s capital city, among the general public, local media and political observers, I was told.

Many do not know when he will make good his promise. However, the new mayor is expected to “go easy” on some aspects of shariah law, for instance, sentences meted out for “intimacy” and other “vices”. Among others, citizens of Aceh face flogging, or should I say, caning, for offences ranging from gambling, consuming alcohol, sex outside marriage and gay sex.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say the people of Aceh are rejecting strict Islamic laws in voting for Aminullah. But the thing is this — some media folks there tell me implementing shariah laws was “not the original agenda”.

This, despite the ulama wanting an Islamic administration. Even the Free Aceh Movement or GAM (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) was more nationalist than religious.

Some media people claim strict shariah law was “offered” by Jakarta to ease the conflict in Aceh during peace negotiations. (GAM’s armed struggle began in 1976 and only ended in 2000 when the then Indonesian president Gus Dur granted Aceh partial autonomy.

Perhaps the shariah law element was Jakarta’s way of giving Aceh what it thought the province wanted, that is, an Islamic administration. But in reality, according to the local media, the people of Aceh wanted “kesejahteraan”. In short, they have always sought security, prosperity and well-being.

Hence, now, it is said that people in Aceh are fed up that religion is being used for politics and feel the focus should be on other pressing issues, with development high on the list.

Many are angry that despite the province being rich in natural resources, including oil and natural gas, the people have been left wanting, so I was told. They face disruption of water and electricity supply, even in Banda Aceh, indicating things are not right.

I was also told that many feel strict shariah law “tidak bersahabat dengan pelaburan”, Bahasa Indonesia for “not investment-friendly”.

In a nutshell, what they are saying is that while they are staunch Muslims, priority must be on “kesejahteraan Aceh” and not on just meting out sentences to people who indulge in “vices”, so to speak.

Islam, they say is not merely about punishment — and that is coming from a place where Muslims make up 99% of the population.

Which brings me to our beloved country, where efforts are being made to increase the punishment for offences deemed sinful under Islam. Need we be reminded that although Muslims make up the majority of the population, ours is a multi-religious and multiracial society?

And despite the proponents of “enhancing the shariah court” (read, amending Act 355, PAS and Umno) saying it is not about “hudud” and will not affect non-Muslims,many are still sceptical. I, for one, have always believed it is more about politics than religion.

Yes, as a nation, we have come a long way, but should we be satisfied and rest on our laurels, considering the current state of affairs and the challenges that lie ahead ?

There are priorities surely.  And we must get it right. Right ?

Mohsin Abdullah, now a freelancer, is a veteran journalist. He was formerly executive producer at The Edge TV.

Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.

P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's AppStore and Androids' Google Play.