Paedophiles will overrun Kelantan if archaic hudud is implemented

Paedophiles will overrun Kelantan if it implements hudud as the Islamic law is open to abuse and rejects using scientific evidence to prove crime, says a spokesperson for the group of eminent Malays, or G25.

Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin said since it would be difficult to prove crimes like adultery, rape of children and adults will abound.

"This is the nature of PAS's hudud," she said.

Farida said Kelantan's hudud rejected the use of scientific methods such as DNA testing and fingerprints, instead requiring the evidence of four witnesses of the alleged crime.

"They are using evidence used in the 12th century to prove adultery, pushing out scientific methods.

"They are asserting that is the only way to prove the crime of adultery, which does not make sense," she said, adding that PAS leaders travelled in cars and planes but did not want to accept scientific evidence.

She added that Prophet Muhammad had also told his people about the importance of acquiring knowledge.

"The Prophet said that we should go in search of knowledge even up to China.

"If hudud is implemented in Kelantan, paedophiles will abound in the state,” she said.

Farida added that the structure of society was not suitable for the implementation of hudud.

She said Islamic scholars were of the view that many conditions needed to be fulfilled before the Islamic law can be introduced.

"We need a just society, a smaller gap between the rich and the poor. But here, even among the Malays, there is a divide.

"The problem is that the ustaz in the villages are spreading the message that hudud is God's law which cannot be questioned," she said at a forum on economic freedom and globalisation today.

The forum was organised by think tank Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs.

PAS's plan to implement hudud in Kelantan has been strongly opposed by its Pakatan Rakyat coalition partner DAP.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday urged PAS to table the proposed amendments to the Shariah Criminal Code Enactment 11 at the Pakatan presidential council meeting tomorrow before taking it to Parliament.

But Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob responded by saying that the Islamic enactment could only be tabled at the state assembly sitting or Parliament as it is under embargo.

"However, we have discussed at the technical committee state, which included legal experts, lecturers and NGOs including parties within Pakatan.

"So this Sunday, we cannot table the enactment, the next stop is Parliament," he said after the Friday sermon in Kota Baru.