Friday August 31, 2012

Hadi: DAP cannot stop us

PETALING JAYA: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has strongly upheld his party's hudud agenda in the face of opposition from a Pakatan Rakyat partner.

He said DAP had no authority to compel PAS to forgo its hudud agenda.

“DAP has no power to stop PAS from expressing its right just as PAS cannot stop DAP from objecting to hudud,” he added in a statement yesterday.

Hadi said PAS had stood by its principles when DAP aired its views during open dialogues.

“PAS can collaborate on matters of common interest without imposing its views on others.

“We can give and take on some matters, but will not budge on others,” Hadi said.

He said PAS would not give up its struggle to uphold Islamic laws, adding that the Malacca sultanate centuries ago had imposed syariah laws on Muslims and customary laws on non-Muslims.

Stressing that hudud would not be forced on non-Muslims, Hadi said it was clearly a “seasonal issue” that popped up in the run-up to elections.

DAP newcomer Datuk Aspan Alias, a former Umno leader, said DAP had not officially objected to hudud.

“DAP respects the aim of PAS to implement hudud,” he added in his blog.

Aspan said hudud should not be a barrier to collaboration among Pakatan parties.

He added that DAP chairman Karpal Singh could object to hudud because he was not a Muslim.

Meanwhile, MCA Publicity Bureau deputy chairman Loh Seng Kok called on Pakatan leaders to issue a joint statement declaring their decision on hudud law once and for all and “stop confusing the Chinese community”.

He noted that Hadi had stated that implementing hudud was the responsibility of all Muslims while DAP had told the Chinese community that the Islamic law issue was merely being stirred up by MCA.

Loh said DAP members should stop deceiving themselves and hiding behind the Pakatan common policy framework Buku Jingga on the issue of hudud.

More News