DAP welcomes the statement made by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that Islamic morality by-laws implemented by the Kota Bharu Municipal Council are not meant to be expanded and implemented on non-Muslims. Hadi was referring to the municipal summons imposed on hair-dressing shops in Kota Baru against hair-dressers who serve customers of the opposite sex, even though both are non-Muslims.
DAP welcomes such reassurances following active communication by DAP leaders over the past few days with the PAS leadership culminating in an informal meeting yesterday in Parliament House. The DAP CEC at its CEC meeting last night considers the reaffirmation by PAS that it views seriously the concerns of non-Muslim and that implementation of laws based on Islamic principles must not be forcibly imposed on non-Muslims as a positive step that will serve to reinforce Pakatan Rakyat’s commitment towards justice for all and the moderation of PAS in upholding freedom of religion.
Unlike UMNO which wants to impose Islamic laws on non-Muslims, PAS has taken a more enlightened position in wanting to apply Islamic laws only on Muslims. Further PAS has taken the moderate position of allowing the use of the word Allah in the Bible as compared to UMNO which is trying to ban it.
For this reason, DAP hopes that the summons issued on non-Muslim hairdressers serving non-Muslims of the opposite sex will be cancelled as soon as possible and the necessary revisions made in the by-laws so as not to include non-Muslims. Newspapers today quoted both the Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat as saying that there was an oversight by the authorities in not considering the consequences of syariah-based by-laws on non-Muslims and Kelantan EXCO member Mohd Fadzil Hassan as saying the Kelantan government would hold a discussion on the controversial ruling with non-Muslim community representatives and business operators.
The readiness of the Kelantan PAS state government to admit to an oversight is a stark contrast to the stubborn refusal by UMNO to admit to mistakes made such as UMNO’s revocation of funding for Sekolah Agama Rakyat after losses suffered in the 1999 general elections. Funding was only given out by the PR state government annually to Sekolah Agama Rakyat and other Chinese, Tamil and missionary schools after PR won 5 states in the 2008 general elections.
LIM GUAN ENG
民主行动党兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2012年11月28日在吉隆坡发表声明：
伊斯兰党重申伊斯兰律法不会实施在非穆斯林身上，这将更加坚定民联所许下迈向全民正义的承诺，而伊斯兰党也继续开明的坚持宗教自由的理念。
民主行动党欢迎伊斯兰党主席哈迪阿旺关于吉兰丹哥打峇鲁市政局无意将伊斯兰道德律法的任何条文，扩展及实施到非穆斯林身上。哈迪是针对哥打峇鲁市政局开罚单给为异性理发的理发院，即使双方都非穆斯林一事发表谈话。
过去几天，行动党积极与伊斯兰党领袖沟通，最终在昨天的国会大厦进行一项非正式会议之后，行动党非常欢迎获得了伊斯兰党上述的保证。在昨晚进行的行动党中委会中，对于伊斯兰党重申非常关注非穆斯林及认为伊斯兰律法不可以强制性施行在非穆斯林身上，中委会认为是一项正确之道，这将更加坚定民联迈向全民正义的承诺，而伊斯兰党也继续开明的坚持宗教自由的理念。
与要将伊斯兰法实施在非穆斯林身上的巫统所不同的是，伊斯兰党已采取了比较开明的立场，也既是伊斯兰法只实施在非穆斯林身上而已。再说，伊斯兰党在“阿拉”字眼的课题上，采取了比巫统更中庸的的立场，允许圣经使用“阿拉”字眼，而不像巫统般企图禁止他人使用“阿拉”字眼。
基于这个原因，民主行动党希望，在非穆斯林为异性非穆斯林理发所发出的罚单，能够尽速被撤消，并修改有关的条例，以将非穆斯林排除在条例之外。今日的报章引述了吉兰丹州务大臣拿督斯里聂阿兹说，执法当局在加诸于非穆斯林身上的伊斯兰条例上确有所疏忽，而丹州行政议员莫哈末法斯哈山也说，吉兰丹州政府将会与非穆斯林社团代表及商业业者展开对话，以讨论有关引起争议的条例。
吉兰丹的伊斯兰党州政府准备承认他们的疏忽，与巫统顽固否认他们所犯下的错误，形成了鲜明的对比。巫统在1999年大选失意之后，就收回了所有发给人民宗教学校的拨款。一直到2008年大选，当民联成功赢取5州的政权之后，我们才重启这个年度制度化拨款给人民宗教学校，还有华校、淡米尔校及教会学校。
林冠英