KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 ― Taking offence to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's criticism of Kelantan Umno's backing of the hudud law, a senior lawmaker with the party’s state chapter accused his former president of taking sides with the wrong political entity.

Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad, who was formerly Kelantan Opposition Leader, demanded that Dr Mahathir explain why he preferred Umno's cooperation with non-Muslim parties like MCA and MIC when the Malay nationalist party should be forging ties with Islamist PAS instead.

He said such an alliance would be for the sake of Malay-Muslim unity and to enable the implementation of “God's law” in the state.

“I want to ask Tun Dr Mahathir, why does he hate PAS so much? Why are you trying to split Muslims apart?

“Personally, I like and prefer PAS to MCA or MIC,” Md Alwi told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

The Kok Lanas assemblyman said the souring of ties between Umno and PAS became “most apparent” during Dr Mahathir's tenure as prime minister.

“Last time, Umno and PAS did not fight. During Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn's time, it was not so bad.

“Things got worse during Dr Mahathir's time, dia cucuk-cucuk jadikan api (he stoked the flames of enmity between Umno and PAS),” Md Alwi added.

He also accused Dr Mahathir for being ignorant of PAS's hudud agenda in Kelantan, and the state Umno chapter's support of the plan.

“Its not hudud per se, PAS worded it like that, but it is merely enhancing the jurisdiction of the Shariah courts... so of course it only applies to Muslims.

“Its a step towards the right path... PAS is doing something good, so Umno in Kelantan supports this,” Md Alwi stressed.

In a blog post on Wednesday, Dr Mahathir said he was shocked to learn that Kelantan Umno had helped PAS vote through amendments to the state's enactment on hudud when it was clear the Islamist party's intentions were purely political.

The veteran statesman said he hopes the party's state chapter understands the repercussions of its decision to back the law, which he insisted was un-Islamic.

“PAS's hudud is not Islam’s hudud because it is extremely unfair, when the al-Quran demands justice when meting punishments.”

Dr Mahathir also said it is unfair to punish Muslims by way of amputation and death by stoning when non-Muslims are given lighter sentences for similar crimes.

The Kelantan state assembly approved the Shariah Criminal Code (II) (1993) 2015 Enactment on March 19 with 31 votes from PAS lawmakers supported by 12 from Umno.

PAS also submitted a Private Member’s Bill to Parliament to remove the legal obstacles that prevent the enforcement of hudud in Kelantan, which requires bipartisan support from Umno and others to pass.

The Bill could not make it into the august House’s April agenda, however, and will have to be tabled in the coming May sitting.