Which do you fear more? Hudud or Islamic State?

I was motivated to write this piece by a news portal reader who wrote this comment:
“Malaysians. You choose. DAP works with PAS. MCA works with Umno. So, what’s the difference? The difference is that the MCA is always selling out the Chinese. MCA supports BN-Umno's declaration of Malaysia as an Islamic state. But DAP only harps on Hudud which only affect Muslims, not Malaysia. Anything beyond this are all just fears and speculations. You fear Hudud but don't fear Islamic state? What a load of garbage by BN supporters!”
He or she makes a lot of common sense. We can argue all we want until the cows (Oops! Did I say anything wrong?) come home over hudud and Islamic state and will never reach a consensus because Malaysia is a multi-racial country.
There is much logic and common sense in what the reader wrote.
MCA supports Barisan Nasional (BN)-Umno’s declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic state. Okay. Malaysia is an Islamic state.
Doesn’t a real 100% Islamic state include hudud, an Islamic criminal law?

Wise up, guys
So, you have it. Are non-Muslims in Malaysia still free from hudud under Umno, the dominant force in BN? And, deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said he is Malay first, Malaysian second and that Malaysia is not yet ready for hudud. This means, Muhyiddin and Umno will implement hudud when the time is right.
Malaysians, wise up. There is no difference in hudud whether under the BN or Pakatan. Hudud is hudud. It is a criminal law for Muslims.
So, logically it does not affect non-Muslims. To express fear or otherwise is just speculation and will lead Malaysians nowhere.
But, Muhyiddin’s stand is more dangerous to 1Malaysia than anything else if one is to assess his statement very, very carefully.
Questions to ask
Ponder and answer the following questions related to Muhyiddin and Umno yourself:
> “I am Malay first, Malaysian second” – isn’t he a racist? Shouldn’t the DPM and PM-in-waiting be a Malaysian instead of a racist? Has PAS ever called others pendatang? PAS champions Islam, not race. Race and religion are two very different matters;
> “ … Malaysia is not yet ready for hudud” – when is ready? (My reading is that Umno will be ready to implement hudud when it has two-thirds control of Parliament. This also applies to PAS);
> Compare DAP in Pakatan Rakyat and MCA in BN; which is more subservient or subdued in the two coalitions?
For the past year, many sensitive religious and race issues have been engineered by Umno to split Malaysians so that the Malays will only support Umno. PAS and PKR have publicly come to the defence of non-Muslims and Malaysians in general when an issue spun by Umno got too hot and ridiculous, while all other BN component parties had remained mum. You don’t agree?
Actions and facts do not lie. Fabrications cannot stand because they don’t have backbones to support.

Jackson Ng is a Retired Journalist and reads Malaysia Chronicle