Author:
Publication: BBC News
Date: November 12, 2003
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3263785.stm
Malaysia's main opposition party,
the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), has unveiled its plans for an Islamic
state, ahead of elections expected within a year.
The document includes plans for
implementing strict Islamic Sharia law, but also commits the party to ending
restrictive internal security laws.
PAS has said that non-Muslims would
not be answerable to Sharia law.
The Islamic code includes such punishment
as amputations and stoning.
The party leader Abdul Hadi Awang
said that his party offered the alternative to Western-style democracy,
which had led only to "endemic social decadences and rampant injustices".
He said PAS would amend the federal
constitution to create an Islamic state, if it wins power in the next election,
which Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is expected to call in early 2004.
PAS controls two out of Malaysia's
13 states, and under its rule gambling is banned, as is dancing and public
consumption of alcohol by non-Muslims.
Men and women use separate checkouts
at supermarkets.
But the precedence of federal over
state law has prevented PAS from introducing Sharia law in these areas.
The government has characterised
PAS as a Malaysian version of the hardline Islamic Taleban regime, which
used to be in power in Afghanistan.
But PAS is keen to play down allegations
that it is extremist.
In an interview with the BBC's East
Asia Today programme, the Secretary General of PAS, Nasharuddin Mat Isa,
said: " I don't think this is something that is going to shock society
at large... as far as Sharia law is concerned, it is only going to be implemented
to Muslims, non-Muslims will not be forced to be under this law."
There has been speculation that
the Islamist platform of PAS could cause a rift in the opposition front.
Tian Chua, Vice President of the
National Justice Party, who are opposition allies of PAS, described the
unveiling of the plan for an Islamic state as "untimely".
"Our concern is public perception
in a situation where the media is very much controlled by the government,"
he told East Asia Today.
A Chinese-based opposition party,
the Democratic Action Party, pulled out of the alliance in protest at PAS
policies in 2001.
Observers say there is little chance
that PAS would win the upcoming elections against the government of the
new Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi.
He took over leadership of the governing
United Malays National Organisation, when Dr Mahathir Mohamad retired at
the end of October.
