I was in Bayview Hotel in Batu Feringghi, Penang when I chanced upon the local daily, The New Sunday Times declaring on its front page No to Hudud. Hudud, by the way, refers to Islamic law which cites theft, highway robbery,illegal sexual intercourse (zina), false accusation of zina, drinking alcohol and apostasy including blasphemy as offenses which need to be punished. Punishments include capital punishments by sword or crucifixion (for highway robbery with homicide), by stoning (for zina' when the offenders are mature, married Muslims), amputation of hands or feet (for theft and highway robbery without homicide) and flogging with a varying number of strokes (for drinking and zina when the offenders are unmarried or not Muslims, and false accusations of zina). If one is familiar with the pañca-sikkhāpada, that is the Buddhist five precepts:Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi.Adinnādānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi, Kāmesumicchācāra veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi, Musāvādā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyām, Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi- I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life, I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given, I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct, I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech,I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness, one would think that the offences in Hudud are mostly in accordance with the Buddhist precepts, except perhaps for apostasy and blasphemy, too if one does not consider the latter a form of false speech. While the the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing (inset), tells non-Muslims to support Hudud in Kelantan, saying though that it should be implemented for Muslims only, it has seemed all so quiet among the Buddhist circle. I suppose that should not be because of indifference or a nod of approval for crimes. The law of Karma may be there to deal with the breaking of the precepts but if some people choose to punish criminals with harsh punishment, would that strike fear into the hearts of the innocents? Would the innocents then vote for a Yes to Crimes?
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