PR’s survival should not be held hostage by one man who can publicly declare his absolute right to betray both DAP and PKR, blithely break his promises as and when he likes and unilaterally violates the PR consensus and common policy framework by working with UMNO. PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang unilateral decision to table a private members’ bill to allow the implementation of hudud laws in the current Parliament sitting which ends on April 9, is a final act of treachery by him in breaching the PR consensus agreed to by him personally during the PR Leadership Council meeting on 8 February 2015.
Hadi’s response of this act of treachery is shocking in that he disclaims any responsibility by indirectly implying that he had the right to betray the DAP and the promises he made in PR because DAP had done the same against PAS by bringing up the local government elections issue in Penang. Hadi’s feelings of the so-called betrayal about DAP pressing for local government election is clearly an afterthought because it was made two years later. Unlike Hadi who failed to even discuss with the PR leadership, I had personally called up PKR and PAS leaders, including Hadi himself, two years ago about implementing local government election in Penang.
If Hadi was indeed betrayed, why then did neither Hadi nor a single PAS leader protested or objected 2 years ago to the implementation of local government election? This is a deceitful act by Hadi to manufacture out of nothing an excuse to justify his betrayal of DAP and PR by serving a notice to Parliament on March 18, to implement hudud on Muslims in Kelantan by amending Act 355, which is the shariah court’s (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.
The hudud laws in Kelantan was only passed unanimously by the Kelantan State Assembly on 19 March 2015. By serving notice even before the bill was passed shows that Hadi has again broken his promise made personally by him during the 8 February meeting that any attempt to move a private member’s bill would be first discussed by the PR leadership council.
Hadi even twisted a Joint Statement of the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council of 28th September 2011 to justify his act of treachery claiming that DAP, via its adviser Lim Kit Siang, had signed that “agreed to disagree” about the implementation of hudud penalties under syariah law. Let me remind Hadi that the joint PR statement in 2011 merely acknowledged that the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Enactment 1993 and the Terengganu Syariah Criminal Enactment 2003 were passed before the formation of Pakatan Rakya in 2008.
However, Hadi should not forget that PR adopted the clear position that while it was unreasonable to require PAS to abandon their agenda, the three PR component parties would give priority to the PR Common Policy Framework and that all policies involving PR and their implementation must have the agreement of all three parties. That was the reason why all top PAS leaders from 2008 until the 2013 general elections, including the late Allayarham Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat, did not pursue the implementation of hudud laws because hudud was not in the list of PR priorities to restore freedom and justice, establish good governance and forge national unity among Malaysians.
DAP firmly opposes the implementation of hudud laws not because it is Islamic, but because hudud is unconstitutional and contrary to our Federal Constitution. That the implementation of hudud is unconstitutional has even been admitted by UMNO leaders past and present ass well as affirmed by the highest court in the land.
No One Is Questioning Hadi’s Individual Democratic Right To Table A Private Members’ Bill On Hudud In Parliament, But He Should Then Not Have Joined PR But Go On His Own.
Hadi had also tried to distract attention from his act of treachery against PR by claiming that he is only exercising his democratic right to table the private members bill on hudud laws in Parliament. No one his questioning Hadi’s individual democratic right to do so, but where is the right of PR to expect honesty and trust in its dealings from Hadi? If Hadi is honourable and honest about his intentions to surreptitiously pursue the implementation of hudud laws in violation and defiance of the PR consensus he himself had agreed to, then he should not have joined PR but go on his own.
The issue is now not merely about hudud laws or even Hadi’s support for hudud, but Hadi’s betrayal of the PR consensus not to implement hudud except under the conditions of getting the consent of all 3 PR parties under the PR platform based on consensus, mutual trust and respect. Hadi had obviously failed to secure such a consent from PR. In defending PAS violation of the PR Common Policy Framework and PR Leadership Council decisions, Hadi has now said that PAS vision is not just 2020 but “the afterlife”.
Clearly, Hadi has betrayed not only PR but also betrayed and angered those voters who supported on PAS not on the basis of implementing hudud but to replace BN with a PR government that fights corruption, pursue justice, freedom and democracy. Is Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang aware that he is now seen as a Trojan horse for UMNO by helping to threaten the break-up of PR by destroying PR’s carefully built-up consensus since 2008, based on keeping one’s word, mutual trust and respect that had gained the majority support of 52% of voters in the last general elections?