GEORGE TOWN, May 9 — Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) has not reached a consensus on rolling out hudud and never will, its chief Teng Chang Yeow said today even as its Umno coalition partner opens its door to talk with rival PAS on the controversial Islamic penal code.

Teng, who is from Gerakan, added that the 13-party coalition is also unlikely to ever agree at the federal level to carrying out the strict Islamic criminal law that prescribes the amputation of limbs and death by stoning for convicted thieves and adulterers.

“I can tell upfront that we will not be able to achieve a consensus on this issue,” he told reporters here.

However, he said the issue had not been raised for discussion at the state BN meetings.

The Islamic penal law has become a hot button issue in recent weeks after PAS made known its intention to put forward two private members’ bills in Parliament to implement hudud in Kelantan.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has said the Islamic penal laws is unconstitutional.

Lim also said Penang will not have hudud and challenged the state opposition BN to declare its stand on the matter.

Two of BN’s Chinese majority parties, MCA and Gerakan, have also voiced their opposition to hudud.

Teng said Penang BN will support the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government if they show their actual stand on the hudud issue.

He accused the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government of being contradictory over its stand on hudud.

“He said hudud will not be implemented in Penang,” Teng said, referring to Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, before adding, “But the Penang Religious Affairs Council had said it supported the Islamic penal law. So, what is the state government’s actual stand?”

The Gerakan leader pointed out that Penang’s state secretary, the state legal advisor and also the state executive council for Islamic religious affairs Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim all sat on the state Islamic council, which he insisted meant the state government was indirectly supportive of hudud.

“If he wants to ask for Penang BN’s stand, why doesn’t he tell what is the Penang PR’s stand on hudud?” Teng asked.

In an immediate response, Lim said the state Islamic council (Mainpp) is not a state agency and was not under the state government’s purview.

“The Mainpp president is appointed by the Yang diPertuan Agong and Mainpp is under the purview of the King, not the state,” Lim said.