'More Islamic than thou' little resonance in East Msia

East Malaysians baffled by hudud squabble

East Malaysians do not share peninsular Malaysians' paranoia regarding religious matters. Sabah and Sarawak both have sizeable non-Muslim populations: 74 percent in Sarawak and perhaps 36 percent in Sabah.

In both states, Islam has prospered over the centuries, with no bloodshed and virtually no animosity.

I'm firm about hudud laws: Nik Aziz

Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said today it did not matter to him if the DAP wanted to quit the Pakatan coalition if PAS were to go ahead with its plans to implement hudud laws and turn Malaysia into a fully Islamic state, should it come into power.

"I am firm about this, implementing hudud laws has been talked about for some 50 years and is not something new. There has been endless dialogues on it.

"DAP had previously pulled out from the opposition pact Angakatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU) because of this (implementing hudud laws). If now they want to do the same (pull out from the Pakatan coalition because of hudud laws, that is their problem," he told reporters after attending a civic function at Pusat Tarbiyah Islamiah Kelantan (Putik) here today.

Top Catholic bishop tells non-Muslims to support hudud in Kelantan

A top Catholic bishop has thrown his support for the implementation of the Islamic criminal laws stipulating deterrent punishment on serious crimes, or hudud, in Kelantan, provided non-Muslims were given "a cast-iron guarantee that it will not be implemented on us".

In comments on the issue sparked by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's challenge to Kelantan Menteri Besar Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, said it was wise for non-Muslims not to oppose such laws among Muslims "if they so desire".