Hudud: PR agrees to disagree, maintains unity

Harakahdaily

Sep 29: Pakatan Rakyat yesterday decided to 'agree to disagree’ on matters pertaining to the implementation of the Islamic deterrent punishment for serious crimes, or hudud, saying it respected both PAS and DAP's positions on the matter. STILL WITH ONE VOICE ... Top leaders of Pakatan Rakyat after the meeting After a three-hour meeting, the coalition issued a joint statement to respect the hudud enactments by PAS governments in Kelantan and Terengganu which predate the coalition. “The meeting acknowledges and respects the differences among parties in Pakatan Rakyat as a democratic alliance, including PAS’s position on the implementation of the Shariah law. "The meeting also acknowledges the Kelantan’s Shariah Criminal Enactment 1993 and Terengganu’s Shariah Enactment in 2003 which existed before Pakatan Rakyat was born. PKR and PAS respect the different stand taken by DAP in this matter,” said the statement. Speaking to the press later, parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said the implementation of hudud would require  amendment to the Federal Constitution. “The (Kelantan) government is here, (state exco) Takiyuddin (Hassan) explained the Kelantan position and the requirement for (the state enactment's) enforcement is an amendment to the Federal Constitution,” he said. On whether PR would implement hudud if it wrests power at the Federal level, Anwar said there was no such consensus. “We will not be dragged into the desperate politics of UMNO-BN to create a wedge between us," he said.