PETALING JAYA, Nov 4 ― Obsessing over red-herrings such as the hudud Islamic penal code does little to improve Malaysia, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said today when urging Muslim democrats to collaborate on social and economic reforms instead.

The veteran lawmaker said both Muslim democrats and social democrats, such as his party, share the same values and can work hand in hand to face the challenges of modern society: good governance, rule of law, free and fair elections and socio-economic justice.

“Rather than being obsessed with the issue of amputating limbs, perhaps it is more productive for us to discuss socio-economic policies,” the DAP Parliamentary Leader said while addressing the World Forum for Muslim Democrats here, referring to a punishment under hudud.

Lim said the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) has resorted to authoritarianism and pandering to right-wing elements in a “misguided” attempt to recapture votes.

He then compared this to the federal opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that is bidding to introduce reforms.

Besides DAP, PR consists of allies PKR and Islamist party PAS, which is sometimes at loggerheads with DAP over its insistence to implement the strict and controversial Islamic penal law.

“Here in Malaysia, whether we are socialist democrats, Muslim democrats or democrats of any other denomination, our challenge is in addressing the people’s core issues ― economic deprivation and political suppression.

“Hence, instead of focusing on red herrings in the sphere of identity politics, it is critical for us to proffer solutions that would uphold good governance, rule of law, free and fair elections and socio-economic justice,” Lim added.

In democratic reforms, Lim said PR must focus on ensuring personal freedoms, especially freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, as well as to uphold human rights and the rule of law.

In addition, it must tackle social justice issues by increasing access to jobs, housing, public transport, medical care and education, said the Gelang Patah MP.

Lim added the PR must also promote political and cultural pluralism, especially in respecting the rights of minorities in this country.

“It is now more important than ever to fight this bigotry and oppression through championing the values of freedom, equality and solidarity. These are universal human values, not only for social democrats ... but also for Muslim democrats, whose ideological foundations are derived from Quranic values,” he said.

The DAP MP pointed out to the Tunisian Islamist party Ennahda led by Rachid Ghannouchi as an example of a progressive idea for an Islamic state, which he said is a “civil one based on justice, equality, human rights and democracy, where the state not only protects freedom of belief but also freedom of conscience”.

The two-day forum ending today was jointly-organised by Japan’s Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Indonesia’s Habibie Center, Turkey’s Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research, and Malaysia’s Institut Kajian Dasar.

Among others, the forum claimed to “moderate and ameliorate the negative voices of intolerance, extremism and exclusivism with the voices of moderation, tolerance, understanding and inclusivism”.