KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 – The recently amended Sedition Act will effectively shut down the debate on hudud and its suitability in Malaysia, MCA’s Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said. The party’s Religious Harmony Bureau chairman said this in response to one of the amendments, which was passed early on Friday, criminalising actions that would create religious and racial hostility. Ti, however, stressed that such discussions should be allowed to take place to achieve a better understanding of the core teachings of the different religions.
There were many people, he argued, be it politicians or religious leaders who were playing the religious card to push their own agenda, thus distorting the “true teachings” of religions. “Therefore there should be more space and time given for a through objective discussion to promote religious understanding, tolerance and harmony, particularly in our multi-religious society,” he told. Ti went on to point out that up till today many questions and issues regarding hudud had been left unanswered.
He, however, agreed that due to the sensitive nature of religion in the country, there was a need for some form of control to ensure social media was not abused to belittle and insult any religion. Hudud has come under the limelight again after the PAS-led Kelantan government passed the amendments of the state’s Syariah Criminal Code in March. PAS is now attempting to get the bill passed in Parliament before hudud could be implemented in Kelantan.
