JUNE 5 — Much has been written about hudud in recent weeks. In many of the writings, one would find such words as theocratic state, authoritarian, infringement on individual as well as women’s rights, moral policing and even barbaric. Modern Saudi Arabia and Iran have often been quoted as examples of Islamic states ruled by religious authorities; never mind that some practices in these countries are far removed from the true teachings of Islam.

In Saudi Arabia, any voice of opposition to the government is suppressed with such laws as The Press and Publications Law. Such a practice is un-Islamic. On the contrary, a true Islamic state would allow for dissent and differences in opinions. In Islam, any citizen has the right to voice dissatisfaction to the government when she sees that the government is unfair or does not serve for the best interest of the people. Similarly, the much publicised banning of women from driving is not an Islamic teaching. It does not help that Saudi Arabia is the guardian of two holy sites where millions of Muslims perform their pilgrimage each year. The country is well regarded by many Islamic countries and the world Muslim population.

Iran has also been regularly quoted as a Islamic State even though the Shia sets of beliefs and practices are fundamentally different from the Sunnis which are practiced in majority Islamic countries. The Iranian government probably has one of the worst track records for peace. It is a strong supporter of the current Syrian regime which had killed more than 100,000 of its own people in the on-going civil war. Any right-minded Muslim would know that such a government that promotes violence and crimes against fellow human beings, Muslims or otherwise, is un-Islamic

Unfortunately, public perceptions about Islam and hudud have been shaped against this background.

Back home, the hudud issue is of national interest as it affects all Malaysians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. After winning the general election in 1990, the Kelantan state government has been attempting to implement the hudud laws. The issue has been a topic of hot discussion for political leaders. We understand that hudud cannot be implemented in Kelantan as various processes are required including approval at the Federal Government level. There is also a question regarding the legitimacy of implementing hudud within the framework of the Federal Constitution. Many also feel that hudud is not suitable in pluralistic Malaysia.

Since then, Malaysians have been going through several general elections with hudud issue being raised in one way or another. One would imagine that after more than 20 years, the country would have progressed very far in the hudud issue, at least through mature debates if not for the actual implementation. Unfortunately, this is not the case, at least not what we see in the media even though the political climate has changed dramatically since the early nineties.

It is interesting to note that the hudud issue is probably the most popular and controversial topic in modern Malaysian politics despite the fact that it does not lead the country to anywhere better after such a long time. It is not surprising then if many Malaysians believed that the issue is merely raised for political gains. There is a saying that politics is a game of perception. If one were to study the hudud debates in Malaysia over the years, it would not be surprising if the findings show that the Malaysian public perception has been successfully shaped to achieve the agenda of certain groups.

While some politicians are benefitting from the hudud issue, Malaysians from all walks of life continue to face many problems including rising cost of living, increasing crimes, social ills, unaffordable housing and child abuse. These issues affect the day-to-day life of all Malaysians. High cost of living continues to burden city dwellers. People feel less safe and many residential areas chose to implement gated and guarded communities to minimise robberies and petty crimes. In urban areas, many people find it difficult to own a house. 

*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.