Marina: Hudud or not, I’m staying

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir

PETALING JAYA: Daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hates to live in Malaysia if hudud were to be implemented. But she would not give the proponents of PAS’ version of hudud the satisfaction of seeing her leave the country.

“I cannot live in a country where people want to cut off hands ... or stone people to death. I will stay and fight. I will not give them the satisfaction of seeing me get out of their way,” said Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir .

Marina said she had met Iranian women living in exile for 30 years and they were bitter.

“I do not want to live in exile feeling bitter,” she said.

She met the women during a United Nations women’s conference in Beijing in 1995. She said they felt strongly about keeping religion out of everything.

Hudud law is currently practised by countries such as Saudi Arabia. Punishments including beheading or crucifixion for apostasy or murder, death by stoning for adultery and amputation of hands or feet for theft.

In Malaysia, Kelantan took the first step towards implementing hudud law in the state when amendments to Kelantan’s Syariah Criminal Code was passed unanimously by the state legislative assembly on March 19.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has submitted a Private Member’s Bill to Parliament in effort to remove the legal obstacles that prevent the implementation hudud law in Kelantan.