The warning by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan that non Muslims should stay out of PAS’s proposed amendments to Syariah law or face resistance on proposed amendments to stop the unilateral conversion of children to Islam is totally shocking, extreme, unacceptable and irresponsible.
His “tit for tat” statement shows that PAS has totally abandoned its own slogan of “PAS for All” (PAS Untuk Semua).
However, the grave mistake PAS is committing nevertheless is its view and stand that non Muslims is interfering with the rights of Muslims and making it difficult for PAS.
It shows that till today either PAS still does not understand why non Muslims do not support Hadi Awang’s private member’s Bill or PAS is bent on wanting to play the religious care for its political interest.
Why has it not understood the concern, reasons and rationale raised by the non Muslims till today?
Why has PAS made the issue into one as Muslims versus non Muslims when this is the not case at all?
Let me reiterate that DAP will not compromise on our position to firmly and uncompromisingly defend and uphold the constitutional principles of a secular democratic Malaysia with Islam as the official religion of the nation.
Takiyuddin may have forgotten what Hadi Awang once said about Islamic law which will finally affect the non Muslims but many Malaysians have not.
In his statement issued a few days ago, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has in a statement said the following:-
Hadi’s statement that his private member’s bill motion is no concern of the non-Muslims is both misguided and unfortunate, and one only needs to refer to his speech in the Terengganu State Assembly in July 2002 that Islamic laws will eventually cover non-Muslims.
He made it very clear that the hudud and qisas laws spelt out by PAS in the Terengganu Syariah Criminal Offences (Hudud and Qisas) Enactment will be imposed even on non-Muslism in the state “when every citizen understands them”.
Speaking at the winding-up of the two-day debate in the Terengganu State Assembly on the Enactment, he said:
“For now, it will apply to only Muslims but when the time comes, the hudud and qisas laws will be extended to all non-Muslims.”
Takiyuddin should understand and accept the fact that non Muslims have every right as citizens of this country to be concerned about and opposed to Hadi’s private member’s Bill.