Hudud Not Suitable Yet In Malaysia, Says Asri

The hudud law is not yet suitable for implementation in this country as the situation is inconducive, hence it is not proper for any quarters to blame another for not implementing it, said former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.

If implemented in such a situation, he said, it would create injustice to all parties in Malaysia's plural society.

"If a law is enacted in the name of Islam but fails to bring justice to people, then it is not a ruling that Allah enjoins although it is based on religious evidence to support it," he told reporters after presenting a working paper at a national-level syariah law seminar in conjunction with Kelantan's Hududullah Day celebration in Kota Bharu today.

The one-day seminar was declared open by Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

However, Mohd Asri said, what was important now was to create that conducive situation, like making the people understand hudud and other preparations before this law could be implemented.

"The situation in our country at the moment is not conducive to implement hudud, and in this context, we cannot blame anyone," he said.

Hudud is Islamic law stating the bounds of acceptable behaviour and the punishments for serious crimes that include theft, robbery, fornication, false accusation of adultery, drinking alcohol, blasphemy and apostasy.

In his working paper titled 'Hudud: Perception, situation and effectiveness', Mohd Asri says hudud is not the basis for nationhood in Islam, but ensuring justice for the people based on Quranic principles and hadith as well as preventing things that can endanger or adversely affect people.

"Hudud is just a mechanism for tackling crime and can be implemented if all the conditions are met and the situation, conducive.

"In Islam, reducing crime is just not through meting out punishments, but early prevention through justice for all and taking care of the people's welfare," he says.