(Bernama) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today addressed the issue that PAS is keen on pursuing its aim to implement hudud laws in Malaysia.

He said PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali had mentioned that hudud may not be part of the Pakatan coalition’s Buku Jingga (Orange Book) agenda and that this did not mean PAS would drop that idea.

“Hudud can only be applied in an Islamic state. It cannot be implemented in a secular state like Malaysia. A secular state like Malaysia must, of necessity, have secular laws.

“This was decided as far back as at 1988 when former Lord President of the Federal (later Supreme) Court of Malaysia Tun Salleh Abas ruled that the country was governed by secular law which meant Malaysia was a secular state,” Karpal Singh said in a statement here, today.

Karpal Singh noted that PAS president, Abdul Hadi Awang, himself had said last year that the Quran did not provide for an Islamic state but a welfare state.

“This pronouncement should have put to rest PAS’ long-term objective to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State,” he added.