Karpal maintains DAP’s stand on hudud

Karpal maintains DAP’s stand on hudud

By Opalyn Mok
April 24, 2013

GEORGE TOWN, April 24 ― DAP’s earlier choice to use the PAS logo did not mean the party now agreed to hudud laws being imposed in Malaysia, said party national chairman Karpal Singh.

“PAS allowing us to use their party logo does not mean we have shifted our stand on the establishment of Islamic state or hudud laws,” he said in a press conference at his elections operations centre today.
Karpal (picture) said Malaysia is not an Islamic state but secular, pointing to a landmark decision on the issue by the Federal Court in 1988.

“The introduction of hudud to the legal system would mean one system but two laws, which is impossible to impose,” said the incumbent Bukit Gelugor MP popularly known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”.

He was responding to PAS deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din’s statement that the Islamist party was confident its Pakatan Rakyat ally will accept hudud law because it was willing to contest using the PAS logo.

Two days before nominations, DAP was in an uproar when the Registrar of Societies (RoS) issued a notice to the party stating that it did not recognise the central executive committee line-up elected in the party elections last December.

This led DAP to fear that the authorisation forms by its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng would not be recognised, effectively preventing party candidates from being able to contest under the rocket symbol.
The PR allies then held emergency meetings, during which agreements were made for DAP to use the PAS logo in peninsula Malaysia or the PKR logo in East Malaysia.

This became moot when RoS issued a letter on the night before nominations stating DAP could still use its logo for the elections this May 5. All DAP candidates’ nominations forms were accepted without any problems.

“Although PAS has said hudud is only for Muslims, the implementation of two systems will cause conflicts and chaos,” Karpal reiterated.

As an example, Karpal said that if a non-Muslim and a Muslim were to be jointly charged for the same crime under the Penal code and hudud system respectively,  it would be impossible to have a trial.

He pointed out that the Federal Constitution also does not provide for an Islamic state.

“If PAS wants to amend the Federal Constitution, DAP or PKR will not allow it,” he said.

“I don’t think PAS would insist on amending the Federal Constitution,” he added.