Anwar: Pakatan will not implement hudud law

(The Edge) -- The Pakatan Rakyat opposition will not implement hudud laws as called for by PAS because it is not in line with the common policies of the coalition, the Federal Consitution and their Orange Book agenda, said Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said the Pakatan leadership respected PAS’ stand on the issue but at the same time accepted the views of the DAP, which opposed hudud laws, Bernama reports.

“We cannot deny the right of any party to voice out what it wants, but we are bound by a common framework and the Federal consititution,” he told a press conference after chairing a meeting of Pakatan Rakyat’s leadership council at PAS’ headquarters here on Wednesday
night.

Also present were DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, DAP chairman Karpal Singh, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The meeting was called following PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s controversial remarks that the party would implement hudud laws if prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would propose amendments to the federal constitution to allow these laws. Nik Aziz was responding to a challenge from former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for PAS to implement hudud laws in Kelantan as PAS had claimed that Mahathir had blocked its implementation when he was prime minister.

Asked to comment on Nik Aziz’s statement, Anwar had supported the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, saying that it would not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims. He later clarified that the view he expressed was his personal opinion. Following this, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had pointed out that hudud was not part of Pakatan’s common policy.