KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — Kelantan can expect to be overrun by paedophiles once the PAS-led government implements hudud law there as the Islamic penal code dismisses the need for scientific evidence to prove crimes like zina (sex outside marriage), Datuk Noor Farida Arif warned today.

Noor Farida, a spokesman for the group of influential Malays dubbed G25, said PAS’s push for the12th century Islamic criminal justice system is a “great disservice” to its Malay Muslim constituents.

“They Insist that only way to prove zina, is four male witnesses of good character witnessing the penetration,” she said.

She said without requiring scientific evidence to prove such crimes, the law would be open to abuse.

“This doesn’t make sense... PAS leaders travel on aeroplanes and drive cars but will not accept scientific medical evidence.

“If hudud is going to be imposed all paedophiles will flock to Kelantan.

“Although I’m a practising Muslim, I would not want to live under the hudud law,” she said.

She was responding to a question from an audience, who commented that hudud, which is defined in the Quran as God’s law, is beyond question.

Speaking at the forum during the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) fifth anniversary celebration, Noor Farida however, countered that ill-prepared “uztaz kampung” or village preachers have misrepresented the religious law.

“But many progressive Muslim scholars are of the opinion that there are many conditions that have to be met before hudud is implemented.

“We must have an equitable society where the disparity between the rich and the poor is not as great... here, even among the ranks of the Malays, there is a gap,” she said.

Noor Farida added that it was contrary to the teaching of Islam if one is restricted from seeking out knowledge.

In April last year, PAS renewed its intention to table two private member’s bills to amend federal laws blocking the implementation of its 1993 state enactment Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II.

But PAS is facing unyielding resistance from its Pakatan Rakyat partners, PKR and DAP, and has said it hopes to get Umno MPs backing in order to get the bills approved.

The Islamist party will need a simple majority of 112 votes for this.

In Islamic jurisprudence, “hudud” covers crimes such as theft, robbery, adultery and sodomy.

Punishments for the crimes are severe, including amputation, flogging and death by stoning.