Despite being at opposing ends of the political pendulum, both men insist they will push for hudud laws once they come into power

By Wong Choon Mei | Isnin, 22 Disember 2008 | suaraKeAdilan

Both Umno Youth Chief aspirant Khairy Jamaluddin and PAS vice president Husam Musa said they would push for the introduction of hudud - Islamic law that regulates the bounds of acceptable behaviour and the punishments for serious crimes - once they come into power.

The comments have spurred DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang to take to task his Pakatan Rakyat colleague Husam.

Lim was also afraid Husam’s comments would turn away the crucial Chinese vote in the upcoming Kuala Terengganu by-election.

“Hukum hudud is not Pakatan Rakyat policy and it is for Husam to clarify what he actually said,” veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang wrote in his blog today.

“If unclarified, Husam’s statement would create unease, anxiety and opposition not only among the 11% of the Chinese voters in the critical Kuala Terengganu by-election on Jan 17 but also among both Malay and non-Malay voters whether in Terengganu or the rest of Malaysia.”

Nevertheless, in the case of the KT seat, Lim may have less to worry about.

“What’s the difference there for the Chinese in KT. It is not just Husam but also Khairy who wants hudud,” said a political watcher.

The hudud remarks were made during a forum-cum-debate entitled Malaysian Political Reformation.

“I give the guarantee that we will carry it out,” said Husam. “Why must hudud laws be the agenda of PAS when all Muslims must be responsible for them?”

Khairy wants hudud

Husam’s forthrightness led Associate Prof Mohd Agus - also participating in the forum - to ask Khairy point-blankly if he would push for hudud law if he became Umno Youth chief.

Khairy, the 32-year old son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said he would.

Many in the audience were taken aback by his answer.

“It contrasted against his earlier remarks about multi-racialism and how important it was for Malaysians to shift to a new paradigm. With Husam, well, PAS and DAP have never been hypocritical about their opposing stands,” said a spectator who declined to be identified.

Khairy, who had voiced support for a strong two-coalition system, had said : “”In fact, the BN has even amended the Universities and University Colleges Act 1987 to provide greater autonomy to the universities in adopting decisions pertaining to management and administration.

“All these clearly depict the strength of the BN government in championing the interests of the people although the number of its elected representatives may be short of the two-third majority in the Dewan Rakyat.”

But the UUCA amendments pushed through Parliament earlier this month had drawn heavy fire from student bodies and civil groups alike, who said the Act restricted their intellectual development.

Khairy himself had stood up in Parliament to urge the government to let undergraduates take part in politics.

Perhaps political maturity, rather than opportunistic and random bickering, may carry the day for the Chinese at Kuala Terengganu.

Said opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang: “DAP’s stand on the secular character of Malaysian nation and state as agreed in the social contract by our forefathers when Merdeka was achieved 51 years ago remains consistent and unchanged.”