Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that Malaysia is an Islamic state despite the absence of hudud law.

“There is no inconsistency in the claim that Malaysia is an Islamic state. It may not say so in the constitution or in its name. But in its beliefs and practices it is Islamic.”

“Most states which claim to be Islamic do not apply hudud laws. They apply the syariah for most things involving family and social affairs and practices,” he explained on his blog, Chedet.

Tun Mahathir has been criticised for his anti-hudud stand that appeared to have contradicted his previous declaration of Malaysia as an Islamic state.

“If we do not apply hudud laws, it is not because we reject it, but because we are enjoined to uphold justice.”

He went on to explain that hudud enforcement in Malaysia will cause injustice towards Muslims, as non-Muslims will not be subjected to the same punishments for crimes committed.

“In multi-religious Malaysia, applying the hudud laws to Muslims and not to non-Muslims would cause injustice to Muslims. In the interest of upholding Islamic justice for all we have not implemented hudud laws.”

“To cut off the hands of Muslims for stealing while non-Muslim thieves would only get two months jail cannot be regarded as just. The sentence must be the same for both.”

On the other hand, he said that implementing hudud on non-Muslims will cause disorder in the country.

“If we cut the hands of non-Muslims in order to be just we may bring about chaos and havoc in the country. Allah does not like people who cause chaos and havoc in society.”

“In not applying hudud laws in Malaysia we are truly adhering to the teachings of Islam. Our claim to be an Islamic country is therefore valid.”

He reiterated that he is not wrong in calling Malaysia an Islamic state.

“When I claimed that Malaysia is an Islamic country I was comparing it with those Islamic countries whose application of Islamic laws and injunctions appear to be less rigid.”

He added that some 50 states in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) do not have the same constitutions or laws to qualify as Islamic.

“Islam allows for some looseness or differences of interpretation so that Islam can be practiced under different circumstances and in different parts of the world at different periods in history.”

He reaffirmed that Malaysia never declared itself to be a secular state in its constitution.

“It is because we respect all religions and their believers. Secular states ban religions.

"In Islam there is no compulsion. Islam acknowledges the existence of non-believers and specifically enjoin upon us Muslims to accept that we pray (and do things) our own way while non-believers pray and do things their way.”