The Barisan Alternative -  the most ambitious attempt in 44 years to create a Malaysian political centre to rally all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, on the common cause of justice, freedom, democracy and good governance – has been destroyed by the hudud and qisas enactment


Speech 
- Perak DAP forum on “Constitutional Crisis – 929 Declaration and the Hudud/Qisas Enactment” 
by Lim Kit Siang

(Ipoh, Sunday): Parti Keadilan Nasional supreme council member, Dr. Lee Boon Chye said yesterday that PAS’ hudud and the Islamic state concept were stumbling blocks to the party’s chances of getting Chinese votes in the Pendang and Anak Bukit by-elections. (New Sunday Times). 

Lee said that although efforts were made to explain these issues to Chinese voters, the fears could not be allayed. 

He said it was also difficult because “the Barisan Nasional progapanda stoked these fears” and “portrayed negative images of PAS’ Islamic state and the hudud”. 

Lee said PAS had to find ways to tackle both issues among the Chinese if it hoped to contest in states like Selangor and the Federal Territory. 

Another Keadilan leader, its vice president Azmin Ali, said that the Barisan Alternative had to “try harder” to explain these issues to both the Malays and non-Malays even before the next general election, given the Barisan Nasional’s media control and strong machinery. 

The diagnosis of the Keadilan leaders as to why PAS failed to attract Chinese support in the recent Pendang and Anak Bukit by-elections in Kedah was spot-on, but the cure that they have administered – “better explanations” – could not be more inappropriate. 

Keadilan leaders should realize that the issue is not whether the Barisan Alternative component parties could come up with “better explanations” to sell PAS’ hudud and Islamic state concept to the Chinese, non-Malays and non-Muslims, but whether Barisan Alternative component parties can realize that PAS’ hudud and Islamic state concept have destroyed the 1999 Barisan Nasional Common Manifesto “Towards A Just Malaysia” which contained the implicit exclusion of an Islamic State or any hudud and qisas enactment! 

The challenge before Keadilan and Barisan Alternative is not how to find more effective explanations to sell PAS’ hudud and Islamic State to the Chinese, non-Malays and non-Muslims, but for all Barisan Alternative component parties, including PAS, to honour and return to the 1999 BA Common Manifesto which impliedly excluded an Islamic State or any hudud and qisas enactment. 

I am not  suggesting, for instance, that the PAS Terengganu State Assembly “un-pass” the Syariah Criminal Offences (Hudud and Qisas) Bill, although it goes against the Federal Constitution, violates human rights, discriminates against women, flouts widespread objections from the civil society, destroys the 1999  Barisan Alternative Common Manifesto and would pressure UMNO to compete with PAS to out-Islam each other which is detrimental to orderly development of Malaysia’s plural society. 

What the Terengganu Mentri Besar and Acting PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang should do is to give an undertaking that PAS would not take the hudud and qisas bill one step further, and would withhold the bill from presenting to the Terengganu Sultan for royal assent, unless there is national multi-racial and multi-religious consensus. 

Instead of thinking how PAS can more effectively “tackle” both issues and sell them to the Chinese, Keadilan leaders should make a clear and unequivocal stand to ask PAS to give such an undertaking not to pursue the hudud and qisas bill any further.

The Barisan Alternative was the most ambitious attempt in Malaysian politics in 44 years to create a Malaysian political centre to rally all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, on the common cause of justice, freedom, democracy and good governance. 

It is most unfortunate that this most ambitious attempt to create the Malaysian political centre has been destroyed by the two PAS issues of hudud and Islamic state – and the greatest challenge now is how to rebuild the political centre in Malaysia,  which is presently best symbolized in the campaign to defend and uphold the 1957 Merdeka Constitution, the “social contract” and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement that Islam is the official religion but Malaysia is not an Islamic state, whether UMNO Islamic State or PAS Islamic State.

(21/7/2002)


*Lim Kit Siang - DAP National Chairman