Under the pretext to seek clarification from me, Sukri stood up to raise a subject I had not touched on in my speech on the 2000 budget, asking whether I agreed with PAS' intention to form an islamic state and implement the Hudud laws.
The answer was obvious as the DAP had said many a time, both inside and outside Parliament, that we do not support an Islamic state for a plural society like Malaysia, but all Sukri wanted was to gain some cheap publicity from the interruption.
I refused to allow Sukri to hijack the debate from what I was focussing on, namely corruption in high political places, the double standards of Anti-Corruption Agency and Barisan Nasional leaders in demanding full investigations into Murad’s statutory declaration against Anwar Ibrahim while no action or even concern was shown in the case of Anwar’s four police reports naming names about corruption in high political places in government.
I told Sukri that I am prepared to discuss the issue of Islamic state
and hudud laws with him as well as with any other Barisan Nasional
leader, but I will not allow him to hijack the debate and dictate what
I should talk about in my speech in Parliament on budget 2000.
I am prepared to discuss with Shukri, Hadi and all other PAS,
UMNO, MCA and Gerakan Ministers and MPs on the issue of Islamic State
and hudud laws at a place and time which is agreeable to all concerned
- and if they are interested, I am prepared to arrange for such a discussion
in Parliament in the current budget meeting.
(2/11/99)