Zaid, PKR in new row over hudud
KUALA LUMPUR: A fresh row on Islamic issues is taking root between PKR and DAP, following Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s attacks on Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is said to be afraid to speak on hudud issues.
Zaid’s scathing Twitter thread yesterday was met with rebuke by PKR Youth deputy chief Dr Afif Bahardin, who said as a “socalled democrat”, the DAP member should realise the many views of Muslims on the issue.
The issue of hudud reemerged after DAP members claimed that Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) would serve as a backdoor to hudud.
Afif defended his boss and said Dr Wan Azizah was not at all afraid to speak on the issue.
“To say or even imply that Dr Wan Azizah is afraid to speak on hudud or Islamic issues is wrong.
“She has made a stand on the matter, together with party de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, that anything concerning Act 355 and other matters should be referred to the select committee.
“As a so-called democrat, Zaid should know that there are various views on the issue, and he should listen and understand the situation well,” Afif said when contacted.
Yesterday, Zaid, a former minister, extended his criticism to Muslim leaders in the Pakatan Harapan pact, save for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Muslim leaders in Pakatan (with the exception of Tun) are always afraid to answer questions about hudud.
“Wan Azizah is just one of them,” Zaid said in a tweet.
He was commenting on Dr Wan Azizah’s interview with Al Jazeera journalist Mehdi Hasan, who had probed her stance on hudud and her position as a “proxy” for husband and PKR de facto leader Anwar.
Her response to the hudud question in the interview, which aired on Al Jazeera, include the following: “Hudud is not implemented unless all the things that are supposed to be in line with justice are there”; “as a Muslim, you have to accept it as God’s laws”; “implementation is different”; and, a clarification that she is not in a “position as an ulama to talk about it”.
Zaid, who is known to be a proponent of secular laws, also tweeted that religious laws would not ensure freedom of choice.
“If you want to be the leader of a multi-religious country, you must be willing to defend secular institutions and laws.
“Only a secular country can ensure freedom and personal choice, and religious laws do not,” Zaid said in another tweet.
To this, Afif said it was known that Zaid was never really in favour of empowering syariah courts.
“We can see this from his tweets, and his opinions on the matter.”