PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today that Umno supported hudud laws in principle as they are part and parcel of Islam but stressed that Malaysia was not ready for such laws to be enacted.
The deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president said there was a need to spread information about hudud laws so that the people understood what they meant before the ruling party could even think of implementing them.
“This has been our stance from long ago,” he told reporters here after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting on pricing and supply.
“Morever, in the context of a multi-racial and multi-religious society, we should spread that knowledge widely before we can reach a stage where we think it’s time but I don’t believe we’re there yet.”
Muhyiddin explained that Muslims could not reject “the reality” that hudud laws were an integral part of their faith but stressed that the party disagreed with opposition parties PAS and PKR that now was the time to introduce hudud.
“The issue here is not the laws (hukum), it is a question of the implementation of hudud,” he said.
“Please bear in mind that this is the most important aspect in which, as far as we’re concerned, Umno differs from Pakatan Rakyat (PR).”
He added that if Kelantan Mentri Besar and PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat felt it was time to introduce hudud laws in Kelantan, it was up to him to do so.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today backed the introduction of hudud in the east coast state, which he assured would not infringe on non-Muslims’ rights.
“For now, in general, in principle, I believe this can be implemented. Looking at the specific areas, and there is clear guarantee that there is administration of justice.
“It does not in any way infringe on the rights of non-Muslims,” he told reporters outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court earlier today.
But the PKR de facto leader also stressed that PR had not discussed the matter and that this was only his personal opinion.
Nik Aziz has dismissed as laughable suggestions that Kelantan could implement such laws now that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad - a staunch opponent of hudud - was no longer prime minister.
The PAS spiritual leader instead challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to withdraw any objections Putrajaya has to PAS’s longstanding plans to enact hudud laws in the state.
