Muktamar will reinforce PAS' determination to implement hudud - Analysts

The 2015 PAS Assembly (muktamar) in June will reinforce the determination of the party to implement hudud, according to analysts.

Despite the increasingly strong opposition from their ally DAP on the hudud move, they were of the opinion PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would continue to get the trust of party members to lead PAS to make the implementation of the Islamic law a success.

PAS Research Centre operations director, Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki said the attacks of DAP leaders against PAS clearly showed the party had plans to control PAS via the election at the muktamar.

He said DAP was striving to weed out PAS leaders who dared to say 'no' to DAP, which is strongly opposing hudud.

Meanwhile, Universiti Utara Malaysia College of Law, Government and International Studies senior lecturer and political analyst, Dr Kamarul Zaman Yusoff, said the DAP attacks were seen as aimed at blocking PAS' struggle to implement hudud.

He said DAP wants PAS leaders who were pro-DAP to win in the election during the muktamar.

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"The perception of society on the election this time is the collision between those wanting to uphold Islam and the group wanting to uphold secularism in this country.

"I don't see how the 2015 PAS Assembly will ease the party's struggle to implement hudud, but on the other hand it will beef up their determination," he said.

Kamarul Zaman said he saw the ulama (religious scholars), who were the backbone of PAS' struggles all these while, would also win big.

"I see the pro-DAP group suffering a debilitating defeat to those who uphold the leadership of ulama at the coming muktamar," he said.

READ: PAS leadership crisis worsens

The 2015 PAS Assembly will take place in Kuala Selangor, Selangor from June 4-6.

DAP's attacks on PAS escalated after Abdul Hadi's decision to table a Private Member's Bill on the implementation of hudud in the Dewan Rakyat.

Abdul Hadi did so after the Kelantan State Government tabled the Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 (Amendment 2015), which was approved by the Kelantan State Assembly on March 19. The move was also supported by all elected representatives from UMNO.

Although the shariah criminal code is only applicable to adult Muslims and not on non-Muslims, DAP was very disgruntled and party adviser Lim Kit Siang, in a talk in Kota Baru on May 10, appeared to be dictating to PAS on how to implement the Islamic law.

Kit Siang's action was lambasted by the PAS ulama.

"The wave of attacks of the DAP leaders on the PAS president and hudud resulted in the 'Erdogan' team now finding it increasingly difficult to garner solid support at the coming PAS election," Kamarul Zaman added.