Thursday, November 13, 2003
Malaysia rejects plan to turn country into Islamic state
Associated Press Kuala Lumpur, November 13
A plan to turn Muslim-dominated but secular Malaysia into an Islamic state was condemned on Thursday by both the government and opposition allies of the fundamentalist party that put it forward.
Government ministers said that the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party's plan - which includes strict Islamic laws that would punish criminals with amputation and stoning, and a ban on non-Muslims being prime minister - was a political stunt that would drive away foreign investors.
The Islamic party's coalition partner distanced itself from the plan, warning it would sow division among Malaysia's ethnic groups and hand ammunition to the government in the lead up to elections expected early next year.
Abdul Hadi Awang, the leader of the Islamic party known as PAS, launched the long-awaited plan on Wednesday, saying it was a guide to "how our society can be redeemed and reconstructed." He promised that Malaysia's multicultural, multiethnic society would be preserved, but the Constitution would be amended to place Islam at the centre of government.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's United Malays National Organisation is PAS's main rival for Malay Muslim votes, but relies on support from parties based in Malaysia's large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities to form the ruling coalition.
© Hindustan Times Ltd. 2003.