Open-ended vs. close-ended democracy?
pas
Cerai, sebat dan hudud
Asam Pedas Oleh Norhayati Kaprawi
PASANGAN yang bercerai “tanpa sebab munasabah” akan dipenjara atau disebat. Begitulah cadangan kerajaan PAS Kelantan. Haruskah kita terkejut apabila cadangan sedemikian datang dari orang-orang yang obses tentang pelaksanaan hukuman hudud? Dari dulu lagi, mereka sudah proaktif membuat draf undang-undang bagi melaksanakan hudud. Namun, apakah mereka telah proaktif dalam membuat kajian dan kertas cadangan misalannya bagaimana […]
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: De-politicising hudud
By Deborah Loh
HUDUD. One is either for or against its implementation in Malaysia – or so the prevailing political discourse goes. But what are we missing in between? Have proponents of hudud adequately justified their position, and how they would apply the Islamic penal code in today’s society? Can those who oppose it ever imagine a human […]
Whose hudud?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IF we were to believe everything the politicians are saying about hudud, we would come to three conclusions. One, that implementing the punishments prescribed under hudud is divine law that no Muslim can question, and hence is inevitable. Two, that hudud cannot be implemented in Malaysia because of the Federal Constitution and our multi-cultural composition. […]
Insulting Muslims 101
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
HOW does one insult Islam in Malaysia? And how does one insult Muslims in Malaysia? Over the past few years and increasingly over the past months, the state, politicians and pressure groups like Perkasa have demonstrated just how to do either one or both. For the most part, these incidents are an insult to Muslims […]
Muslims serving alcohol: Ban or no ban?
By Nick ChooTHE Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ)’s recent ruling disallowing businesses that serve alcohol from hiring Muslims has raised many questions. Is it a law? A guideline? Just advice? Has it been rescinded? Who enacted the law that the ruling is based on? Why wasn’t it enforced before? And why the furore now?
Galas: The old story of development politics
By Gan Pei Ling
BARISAN Nasional (BN) won big in both the Batu Sapi and Galas by-elections on 4 Nov 2010. In Galas, BN beat PAS with a 1,190-vote majority and won 12 out of the 13 polling districts. PAS only managed to retain its stronghold in Sungai Terah with a reduced majority of 258 compared to 510 in […]
The many forms of vote-buying
By Gan Pei Ling
ARE transportation reimbursements, alms for the poor, land titles and welfare allocations given during a by-election just different forms of inducement? Even PAS is not exempt from the very thing it accuses the Barisan Nasional of. Perhaps the only difference is which party the Election Commission dismisses.
Chinese Malaysians in Galas
By Gan Pei Ling
ONE thing many were waiting to see from the recent Galas by-election was whether Chinese Malaysians would continue supporting Pakatan Rakyat (PR). After all, that has largely been the trend for this ethnic group in almost all by-elections since the 2008 general election. It was not to be. In fact, Chinese Malaysian support for Barisan […]
Poverty and politics: The Orang Asli vote in Galas
By Gan Pei Ling
ORANG Asli votes are seen together with the Chinese Malaysian votes as capable of determining the Galas by-election results on 4 Nov 2010. But unlike the Chinese, the Orang Asli are likely to pose a tough challenge to the PAS campaign. With close to 1,900 registered voters in the Galas constituency, they make up around […]
