Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties other than UMNO should state their stand on PAS’s proposed hudud bill, even before studying and scrutinising it, given the historical fact that Sabah (and Sarawak, even Singapore) did not jointly form Federation of Malaysia, to be a part of a theocratic federation. The 1963 deal was categorically for a secular federation.
The statement by state BN secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, has shown the unmaking of a Sabahan leader. It is regardless whether BN parties in Sabah were still in the dark or not, over the contents of the PAS’s private member bill, which if passed in Parliament, would allow the Kelantan government to enforce the controversial Islamic criminal law in the state.
It is about the principle of federalism. It is important to hold that Malaysia was formed as a secular federation in 1963 and Hudud law at state level is unconstitutional unless the entire federal arrangement is renegotiated. Hence, it is grossly incorrect and inappropriate for a matter of such paramount importance to be dealt with by the Federal Parliament voting on a Private Member’s Bill or even by any State Legislature.
Thus, BN component parties in Sabah should jointly say no to state level Hudud law, as demonstrated by Liberal Democratic Party’s president Teo Chee Kang and Party Bersatu Sabah’s chairman Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan. I also urge both Teo and Pairin to tell Dahlan that, Sabah BN component parties other than UMNO are needless to study the content of Hudud law as principally it’s unconstitutional.
I hope an inclusive and consensual method is applied to deal with the Hudud issue. A majoritarian approach that hopes to push this through by getting all the Muslim MPs to vote for it will be disastrous to Malaysia even if the intention is noble. Malaysia, which formed in 1963, is meant to be home for all Malaysians and all decisions that affect all should be taken in consensual and consociational ways.