PERMATANG PAUH: Pakatan Rakyat leaders in PAS and PKR have repeatedly stressed that their ties have been mended over the hudud issue, as the Islamist party launched its Permatang Pauh by-election machinery.

PAS’ Permatang Pauh division chief Omar Hassan said they had “agreed to disagree on Muslim PKR leaders who reject hudud”.

“Sudah selesai (already resolved),” said Omar, who had several days ago declared that it would stick to its decision to demand an apology and retraction, fuelling talk of a boycott by PAS of the by-election.

“The Majlis Syura Ulama has instructed us to get ready and help Pakatan in the campaign,” he told a press conference after the launching of its election machinery yesterday.

The division had created a stir with its motion demanding a public apology and a retraction of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s statement on PKR’s position on the Islamic penal code. PKR had rejected hudud and said it is not suitable for implementation at this present time in Malaysia.

Wan Azizah is defending the PKR seat against Barisan Nasional’s Suhaimi Sabudin, PRM’s Azman Shah Othman and independent candidate Salleh Isahak. Polling is on May 7.

Last Friday, the division met with Wan Azizah, her deputy Mohamed Azmin Ali and PAS deputy president and Penang PAS commissioner Mohamad Sabu and state deputy commissioner Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

Mohamad Sabu reiterated that the matter had been resolved, adding that it was common for people to have different views.

Wan Azizah and DAP Wanita national chief Chong Eng attended the launch. Both leaders had left the ceremony before the press conference to attend another event, but Chong told the media that DAP’s stand on hudud has been clear all along, but it is early to talk about it when nobody is sure how it would be implemented.

“Dr Wan Azizah explained to me that PKR is not against hudud but the party is concerned about its implementation. That has to be discussed.

“To me, this is not something immediate. It is not something like corruption, the goods and services tax (GST) or the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) scandal that are already happening,” she said.

However in Pasir Mas, PAS deputy head Datuk Ahmad Yakob said the Rompin and Permatang Pauh by-elections would be used by PAS as a platform to explain to the people the implementation of the hudud law in Kelantan.

Ahmad, the Kelantan Menteri Besar, said PAS’ intention to promote the Islamic law during the campaign in the two by-elections was not opposed by PKR and DAP.

“In both by-elections, we want to promote syariah law, besides touching on the GST issue,” he told reporters yesterday.

PKR secretary-general Mohd Rafizi Ramli had earlier said it was not relevant to raise hudud during the by-election.

The hudud issue, which hurt ties in the Pakatan coalition, resurfaced after the PAS-led Kelantan government passed its hudud amendments to the Syariah Criminal Code II Enactment in the state legislative assembly last month.

Following that, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang tabled a Private Member’s Bill in the Dewan Rakyat to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, to pave the way for certain categories under the hudud to be implemented in Kelantan. The bill is scheduled to be debated in the coming sitting. — The Malaysian Insider/Bernama

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on April 27, 2015.