In an interview with FMT, Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa said the priority now was educating Muslim society which seemed to be “obsessed” with hudud.
“They think that hudud is the need of shariah. If only Amanah can educate the people that hudud is not really necessary, and explain why, I think the party can go to greater heights,” he said.
Farouk however, questioned whether Amanah, which is barely a year old, had the “strength” to educate Muslim society on the matter.
“If they put maqasid shariah (higher objectives of the shariah) as one of their objectives, but insist on implementing shariah laws, they are no different than PAS,” said Farouk, who is also a senior lecturer at Monash University, Sunway.
He urged Amanah to emulate Tunisia’s Ennahda party, or Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which are seen as two moderate and democratic Muslim parties.
“What Amanah needs to do to remain relevant in the future is not to package itself as the second generation of an Islamist political party, but brand itself as a Muslim democrat.
He said the maqasid shariah slogan often bandied about by Amanah leaders would not suffice.
“This is because maqasid itself refers to justice, and by implementing hudud, the question arises whether we can be just to everyone,” he said, adding that studies had shown that more injustice happens in countries that implement hudud.
He cited the case of Brunei, where its ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah himself, is exempted form hudud rule.
“The Sultan of Brunei ‘can do no wrong’, whether in his personal capacity, or in his administration, and is free from any form of punishment.”