KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — As Malaysia looks for a firm answer to the divisive issue of hudud, a federal minister today urged Malaysians to be patient and give Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak more time to deliberate on the matter.

Minister of Housing, Urban Wellbeing and Local Government Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said Najib needed more time to properly consult all stakeholders before making a stand on an issue that is highly sensitive.

“He is a wise PM because he wants to listen to all views… give him time and latitude to make a decision because he wants to take into consideration all views,” he told reporters after meeting youths at MCA’s dialogue on moderation here.

Earlier in the conference Rahman said as of now, Malaysians seeking clarification on whether or not Putrajaya supports the implementation of hudud in Kelantan or anywhere else should look at the government’s past stand on the matter.

“By default the position of the government then was that it does not believe hudud is suitable at the moment until the prime minister issues a statement,” Rahman said.

The Kota Belud MP revealed that Najib had already discussed the matter with his Cabinet members but did not say when the prime minister is expected to issue a statement on the matter.

“Maybe in a few more days,” Rahman said when asked for a timeline.

Barisan Nasional’s (BN) national leadership has yet to declare its official stand on hudud although its lawmakers from Kelantan Umno had last week supported PAS’s amendments to a Kelantan enactment meant to prepare the state for the implementation of the Islamic penal code.

Before the amendments were passed, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang served notice to Parliament on another set of amendments, this time to Act 355 or the Shariah Court’s (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, which his party wants changed in order to allow Kelantan to carry out hudud.

But with PKR and DAP’s rejection, PAS, which only has 21 MPs in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, will need to rely on all of Umno’s 88 MPs, as well as more votes from other non-Muslim BN parties in order to get a simple majority for the Bill to be passed.

BN was initially rumoured to issue a statement sometime this week on its formal position on hudud but has yet to do so.

On Tuesday, DAP pilloried Hadi for his party’s hudud push, saying it will no longer work with him even as it vowed to remain in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact.

The DAP’s central executive committee that met on Monday night accused Hadi of cooperating with Umno on hudud, in violation of the pact’s common consensus and Common Policy Framework.

The decision will prevent the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council from carrying out any policy decision as a consensus agreement is required, but will leave the state administrations of Selangor and Penang undisturbed.