By Ramon Navaratnam

Just like millions of Malaysian nationalists, I am deeply concerned about the outcome of tomorrow’s (June 8) crucial Barisan Nasional meeting to consider the hudud issue.

The leaders of the BN coalition, led by Umno, will preside over the vital meeting to resolve the wide split in views within BN over the private member’s bill that was permitted by Umno to be tabled for debate, over and above important government business.

Most people, and especially moderate Malaysians of all races and religions, now ask: “Why this unholy haste?”

Was it all for narrow political expediency, even at the expense of national cohesion and unity?

Obviously, the hudud issue is religious and political in nature, even racial. That is why it is so emotional and has to be resolved satisfactorily by the ruling BN, which is duty bound to look after the interests of all Malaysians.

This sacred duty is absolutely essential in order to genuinely protect and promote national cohesion and unity.

Now the burning question on the minds of moderate Malaysians is whether Umno and BN leaders will have the courage, conviction and wisdom to arrive at a fair and reasonable consensus at the worrisome meeting tomorrow.

Will BN leaders follow the rich tradition, established by our founding fathers, of having full consultations and sincere political will to develop consensus?

Or will the Umno leadership ignore the determined rejection of stealthy, creeping hudud in the country by all its major non-Malay BN partners and go its own way?

Malaysians are wondering whether justice, fairness and righteousness will prevail at the watershed meeting and, thus, strengthen the hitherto successful coalition or whether it will result in a weakening, even destruction, of BN?

We all hope that BN’s traditional spirit of compromise and conciliation will stand out as its continued hallmark.

We hope and pray that all Malaysians will be able to celebrate goodwill, understanding and mutual respect, as taught by our great religions and in the spirit of the government’s promotion of wasatiyah (moderation).

Suggestions:

In the spirit of wasatiyah, I would like to offer some suggestions for a BN compromise, which could include the following considerations:

1) Withdraw the Hadi Awang bill;

2) BN, especially Umno, should harness all its resources to reject the Hadi bill;

3) Amend the proposed bill to enable the Hadi bill to incorporate all the current Penal Code punishments and penalties, without any elements of the harsh and even brutal hudud elements of ancient times.

The outcome of tomorrow’s BN meeting will show all Malaysians, and the world at large, whether Malaysia is to move forward into the light of national cohesion and unity, with peace and progress, or slide into the dark ages of decline and disintegration.

Therefore, like millions of moderate and progressive Malaysians, I humbly appeal to the BN, and especially Umno leaders, to save the day for Malaysia and all true Malaysians for now and the future.

Ramon Navaratnam is chairman of the Asli Centre of Public Policy Studies.

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