Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 22^nd August 2010: 

DAP stand on Malaysia as a secular state constant and consistent - hudud laws and Islamic state are not Pakatan Rakyat policies

Questions have again been raised about the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat policies on hudud laws and Malaysia as an Islamic State.

DAP's stand on Malaysia as a secular state has always been constant and consistent.

Hudud laws and Islamic state are not Pakatan Rakyat policies. This is why there is no mention of these issues in the Pakatan Rakyat common platform unveiled at the Pakatan Rakyat Convention in Shah Alam on 19th December last year.

In the section on "Transparent and Genuine Democracy", Pakatan Rakyat made the pledge to:

"Defend the Federal Constitution, Islam as the religion of the Federation while other religions can be practiced peacefully anywhere in the country and protecting the special position of the Malays and the indigenous peoples anywhere including Sabah and Sarawak, and the legitimate interests of other races in accordance to Article 153."

In the section on "Religion", Pakatan Rakyat made the following commitment:

"Religion

Religion and other beliefs practiced by Malaysians should form the basis of unity that is founded on good universal values. Malaysians have almost fallen into the boiling pot of discord and tension that was caused by manipulation of religious differences. This should not happen in a genuinely democratic Malaysia, with Islam occupying a special position whilst the rights of other religions are guaranteed.

Pakatan Rakyat vows to:

1. Defend the position of Islam as the religion of the Federation and guarantee freedom of religion for every Malaysian.

2. Organise dialogues and consultations between cultures and religion in order to strengthen the understanding between them.

3. Set up a comprehensive mechanism to provide just resolution to cases which involve the overlap of civil and Syariah laws, including a Royal Commission to deeply study all the relevant issues.

4. Strengthen the management of Islamic institutions such as Baitul Mal and Tabung Haji to ensure that they are administered effectively and efficiently to achieve their objectives.

5. Ensure suitable areas for places of worship and burial grounds for all religions."

Hudud laws and Islamic state are not policies of Pakatan Rakyat as any policy change would need the agreement of all three component parties and there is no such consensus in Pakatan Rakyat on hudud laws and Islamic state.

Strangely enough, who is on record as supporting an Islamic State as advocated by the last three Prime Ministers, Tun Dr. Mahathir, Tun Abdullah and Datuk Seri Najib Razak - completely in contradiction to the clearly expressed public positions of the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn that Malaysia was founded as a secular nation and not an Islamic State?

It is the leaderships of the MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and the other Barisan Nasional component parties who were ever-ready to give unquestioned support to the declarations by the last three Prime Ministers, beginning with Mahathir's "929 Declaration" that Malaysia is an Islamic state on Sept. 29, 2001, who should be repudiating their past positions instead of trying to pull the wool over the people's eyes.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor