DAP's consistent opposition to Hudud is clear

DAP’s consistent opposition to hudud is clear but Malaysians will determine which is more extremist – UMNO that wants to impose hudud on all including non-Muslims or PAS that wants to implement hudud only on Muslims. DAP’s co-operation with PAS under PR is principled in not just agreeing to disagree on hudud but also that any future PR Federal government is not about implementing an Islamic state or hudud.

This is clearly spelt out in the common policy signed by all 3 parties in PR which makes no mention of an Islamic state nor of implementing hudud. For that reason MCA and Gerakan’s attempts to put words of Islamic state and hudud into PR’s common policy when it is simply not there, is not only dishonest but also irresponsible.

How irresponsible both MCA and Gerakan are in playing this double-faced sandiwara can be seen that their press statements attacking DAP for supporting PAS hudud are rarely published in the Malay press controlled by UMNO. For instance Chinese papers give extensive full page coverage these last few days to MCA and Gerakan’s attacks on DAP on the question of hudud but not a single word is printed in the Malay papers.

Let me state that DAP supports Islam as the religion of Malaysia and that all races and non-Muslims enjoys the fundamental constitutional rights of freedom of religion. Unfortunately this constitutional right of freedom of religion by non-Muslims is not respected by UMNO, which has taken an extremist approach banning the use of the word “Allah” amongst non-Muslim and the Christian bible. In contrast PAS has taken the more englightened approach that there should be no such ban as the word “Allah” has been permitted to be used by non-Muslims for thousands of years, even in the Middle-East by non-Muslims, without any prohibition.

Further BN governments and institutions have destroyed Hindu temples from Selangor before 2008 to the present BN-controlled Penang Port Sdn Bhd chaired by an UMNO Assemblyman earlier this year. In contrast PR state governments have allocated funding and land to non-Muslim religious places of worship, the latest achievement being the completion of the largest Murugan temple outside India in Penang, which was stalled for 10 years under the previous BN government.

By trying to link DAP’s support to hudud when there is none, both MCA and Gerakan is like a “culprit hurling the accusation first” by trying to cover-up UMNO leaders’ support for hudud for all that is to be imposed even on non-Muslims. Johor Umno’s Kemelah state assemblyman Ayub Rahmat called for Johor to become the first state to implement “true hudud law”, which would differ from PAS’s version because UMNO’s “true hudud law” would be non-discriminatory as it would be imposed on non-Muslims. Not only did Penang State Opposition Leader Dato Azhar Ibrahim but the Kepala Batas Wanita UMNO Division also passed a resolution supporting hudud for all.

In other words, UMNO is more extreme in wanting to implement hudud for all on non-Muslims as compared to PAS who wants to see hudud implemented only on Muslims. I do not see top Gerakan leaders attacking UMNO leaders nor MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek using the same remarks of “political eunuchs” on UMNO. Why has MCA nor Gerakan not left BN because of UMNO leaders open support for hudud for all?

DAP and PAS can and should co-operate for the future of Malaysians on common principles that unites us as compared to continue to benefit BN by allowing these differences to divide us. Despite these differences, both DAP and PAS have a common stand in fighting corruption and abuse of power as well as establishing integrity in leadership focusing on competency, accountability and transparency.

We agree on a welfare state to protect the poor, destitute, sick and those who neeed help. Most important of all both parties must bring hope to Malaysians that there can be unity in diversity in that our commonalities are stronger than our differences to give equal opportunity that enables Malaysians to live with dignity.

Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 2^nd August 2012