KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has criticised hudud, the Islamic penal code PAS wants to implement that imposes “Taliban-style” punishments like decapitation and stoning, a report said.
The former prime minister told The Australian that Malaysia was “sliding towards” more conservative Islamic principles, even as activists reportedly said raids by the religious police have been increasing.
“He wants to be a moderate for the world, but domestically he agrees with these extreme so-called sharia laws,” Dr Mahathir was quoted saying in the Australian paper, referring to the prime minister and Umno president.
To implement hudud in Kelantan, PAS is seeking to amend the Shariah Courts Act (Criminal Jurisdiction) 1965 or Act 355, which currently only allows the Shariah courts to mete out punishments limited to RM3,000 fines, five years’ jail and six strokes of caning.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang submitted a private member’s Bill in Parliament last year to seek the amendment of Act 355, but was unable to have it debated ostensibly due to a lack of time.
In his opening speech at the Umno general assembly last December, Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak extended a hand of friendship to PAS after the Islamist party exited its alliance with the DAP and PKR from the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat.
