Karpal Singh and Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat during good times
Full text of Karpal's Press Statement:
"The outburst by Kelantan Menteri Besar, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, that he would not back down from the objective of setting up an Islamic State as it had been the pillar of PAS’ struggles since the party’s inception in 1951, is contrary to the resolution adopted by PAS at its muktamar this year that the party would give up its objective to create an Islamic state in Malaysia and instead strive towards the setting up a welfare state. It is difficult to understand why Nik Aziz has in such a short period of time forgotten that resolution. He should not take leave of his senses.
I am surprised at Nik Aziz descending to provocative language, for no rhyme or reason, by now saying that the DAP could choose to leave the opposition grouping if it objected to PAS’ plan to set up an Islamic state and unnecessarily alluding to PAS’ experience in parting ways with the DAP in the 1990’s over the same issue.
It is difficult to understand why Nik Abdul Aziz is unnecessarily supplying canon-fodder to the Barisan Nasional with a general election in the offing. I would have thought the issue relating to Islamic state had been laid to rest irrevocably with the resolution adopted by the PAS muktamar held this year.
The DAP will not detract from its opposition to the setting up of an Islamic state as a matter of principle. I have said it many a time, and now repeat, that provisions in the Federal Constitution militate against the country being an Islamic state.
In 1998, the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court, in delivering the judgment of a 5-man bench, had occasion to rule that the country was governed by secular laws which clearly meant the country was a secular state because a country governed by secular law could not be an Islamic state. Further, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn are on public record in saying the country was not an Islamic state.
I am amused by the statement by MCA president, Chua Soi Lek, ‘If UMNO were ever to implement hudud, MCA will never be a part of it’. It is surprising that when Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, as Prime Minister, in 2001 publicly proclaimed that the country was already an Islamic state, there was not even a whimper from the MCA or any other non-Muslim party in the Barisan Nasional against that stand.
It is idle for Chua Soi Lek to flex his muscles now by stating that the MCA will leave Barisan if UMNO were to implement hudud law. Chua Soi Lek’s attempts to be the champion of non-Muslims in the country are futile. The MCA was rejected by the people in the last general election for its unashamed subservience to UMNO. The coming general election will drive the last nail in its coffin".