If PAS hudud enactments are not meant to be enforced on non-Muslims, then record it in writing !
28 November 2012
Press statement by MCA Youth Deputy Chief Dato' Dr Mah Hang Soon
If PAS hudud enactments are not meant to be enforced on non-Muslims, then record it in writing !
In a difficult position: Shoppers walking outside one of the unisex salons in KB Mall.
After one week of public outrage over the summons slapped by the Kota Bharu Municipal Council (MPKB) on a hair salon owner due to a female Chinese hair dresser giving a male client a haircut, PAS President Dato' Seri Hadi Awang attempts to sooth lost votes with an opaque press statement which read that "PAS believes the Kelantan state government did not mean to expand the implementation of any allocation related to Islamic moral laws on the non-Muslims (The Malaysian Insider, 27 November 2012)."
To prevent any hiccups or power abuse by local council and state enforcement officers, and to avoid confusion once and for all, the PAS state government should clearly define and insert into each and every one of their state by-laws, enactments, gazettes that the regulations do not apply to non-Muslims. On non-Muslim matters, civil laws should be applied devoid of any religious penal codes based on PAS hudud enactments.
Training should also be provided to the law enforcement officers as to who the regulations should be imposed upon.
Authorities can still take advantage of vague explanation because it's not the law
Hadi Awang's statement is only verbal, announced in Parliament and not etched in stone. His play of semantics fails to give a solid position. Why does he say "PAS believes the Kelantan state government did not mean …." ? To solve all confusion, why not just straightforwardly record that "Implementation of any allocation related to PAS hudud enactments are not meant for non-Muslims" ?
Hadi's dilute clarification further leaves room open for the authorities to act on their whims and fancies based on their interpretation of that moment i.e. when in the mood, the full fledge of the law will be implemented on non-Muslims with crackdown, raids and fines. When in better moods, the authorities will allow flexibility.
Non-Muslim Kelantanese and Kedahans should not be subject to living in anxiety as to when enforcement officers will be draconian or lenient based on their moods of the day.
Hadi from Terengganu replies the position & not the Kelantan Menteri Basar Nik Aziz
I am also perplexed as to why it had to take one week of public outcry to elicit a response from the PAS President. This issue involves state by-laws from Kelantan. The most appropriate wakil rakyat to explain should be from the Menteri Besar himself Dato' Seri Nik Aziz at the state assembly or immediately to the media corp when news first broke.
As a Parliamentarian, why didn't Hadi Awang himself read the press statement but left it to his vice president Salahuddin Ayub? As PAS President, he himself should read that statement in the Dewan Rakyat since Nik Aziz is not a member of Parliament. Is this cowardice on Hadi Awang's part in wake of public furore?
Dato' Dr Mah Hang Soon
MCA Youth National Deputy Chairman
MCA Youth Perak Chairman
State Assemblymen for Chenderiang
Perak Executive Councillor for Health, Local Government and Environment
-MCA online-
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