Even as Islamic political parties and governments in various countries struggle to implement Shariah laws in their respective spheres of influence, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) stands out: It controls two of the country’s 13 states – Kelantan and Terengganu – where Islamic laws are practised and even dinar and dirham are in public use. The party is now pushing for the implementation of hudud in one state as it implements Islamic tourism in the other. SYED KHALID HUSAIN highlights some key features of PAS’s rule in the twin states.
A signboard pointing to different counters (Kaunters) for men (Lelaki) and women (Perempuan) at a shopping centre in Kota Bharu. The Kelantan city, which is known as the Islamic capital of Malaysia, has always been different from the rest of the country.
It’s Friday afternoon and all shops, restaurants and offices in the city are closed as people have gone for Juma’a prayers or back to their homes. Friday marks the start of the weekend here, unlike in other parts of the country where the weekend starts on Saturday.
Most Muslim women and even girls as young as six here wear hijab (headscarf), which is also mandatory in certain employment sectors in the state whose capital this city is. Hypermarkets and shopping malls have separate queues for men and women, and all signboards in the city display translations in Jawi, an Arabic alphabet for writing Malay, the national language.
Kelantan first launched its gold dinars and silver dirhams in September 2006, and issued a newer design for its coins in August 2010.
Welcome to Kota Bharu, the capital of Malaysia’s north-eastern state of Kelantan bordering the Muslim southern Thailand. Kelantan in the north-east and its neighbouring state Terengganu on the east coast of Malaysia have, since the country’s independence in 1957, mostly been governed by an Islamic political party, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Islamic Party of Malaysia or PAS). The party was formed in 1951 with the objective to establish an Islamic state on the basis of the Quranic requisite of al-amr bi-l-ma’rūf wa-n-nahy ‘ani-l-munkar (enjoining what is right and forbidding what is reprehensible).
Kedah, a third state in Malaysia’s north-west, had also been ruled by PAS for several years. The three states, which have a total population of five million out of the country’s 32 million, together cover more than two-thirds of Peninsular or West Malaysia.
Kelantan is almost synonymous with PAS as the state has been under its rule for longer periods than neighbouring Terengganu. PAS has ruled Kelantan twice (1959-1977 and 1990-present), Terengganu three times (1959-1962, 1999-2004 and May 2018-present) and Kedah (2008-2013). The party’s electoral base is in Malaysia’s rural and conservative north but in last May’s general election, it increased its tally in the 222-member federal Parliament from 13 to 18. It has elected MPs or state assembly members in eight of the country’s 13 states.
Ties with Muslim Brotherhood
PAS has maintained close ties with Egypt’s Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood) since the 1940s when its founders were exposed to Ikhwan’s ideas and teachings while studying in Cairo. Ikhwan on its part regards PAS as a model for a successful Muslim political party.
In November 2014, a PAS delegation led by its president Abdul Hadi Awang made a goodwill visit to the headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in New Delhi. In an interaction with Jamaat leaders and eminent intellectuals of the Muslim community, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang appreciated Jamaat’s social and religious activities.
PAS has some one million members. Its general assembly (Mu’tamar) elects the party’s president, deputy president, three vice-presidents and a Central Working Committee. The assembly is held annually, but elections are held biennially. Mr Awang has been PAS’s president since 2002. Harakah is the party’s official newspaper.
Shari’ah laws
Kelantan is the first Malaysian state to introduce gold dinar and silver dirham as a currency for people to shop and the first state to approve public caning for Shari’ah offenders in July 2017. In March 2015, the Kelantan assembly unanimously passed amendments to the Shari’ah Criminal Code approving hudud (Islamic penal law) for Shari’ah offenders in the state. PAS now needs the support of other parties in Parliament before it can implement hudud.
Unlike most of Malaysia, Kelantan already has strict Shari’ah laws in place including a ban on nightclubs, gambling, rock concerts and cinemas. It is also trying to expand the powers of Islamic courts over criminal matters and considering by-laws such as fining Muslim men who repeatedly miss Juma’a prayers.
The party has imposed social strictures such as single-sex queues in supermarkets and separate public benches for men and women, and limited entertainment centres to prohibit “salacious behaviour”. PAS maintains that these steps were essential to promote Islam and put an end to immoral behaviour among the Muslim population.
Although Islamic law is followed throughout Malaysia, it is usually restricted to personal and family issues. Islam is declared as the state religion, but the country has secularism indoctrinated in its constitution. But in Kelantan, Islam is the centre for most of the state’s nearly two million people.
Kota Bahru, which is known as the Islamic capital of Malaysia, has always been different from the rest of the country. “Kelantan is not like Kuala Lumpur,” a resident told a reporter, referring to the country’s vibrant and bustling capital city. “This is the Islamic city so we have to set an example of Islam for other places.” Another said: “Hudud is compulsory. If it is implemented, we will accept it with an open heart.”
The Kelantan government said in January this year that it would study ways of adopting Qatar’s implementation of hudud and allocate US$250,000 to research how best to implement hudud.
PAS’s push for hudud has caused upheaval in the multi-ethnic, religiously diverse nation. The Chinese, one of Malaysia’s three main races – the other two being Malays and Indians – want the status quo of the country’s legal system.
Quranic currency
Kelantan first launched its gold dinars and silver dirhams in September 2006, and issued a newer design for its coins in August 2010. The state government issued some half a million US dollar worth of gold dinar and silver dirham coins for people to use them as an alternative currency to shop in Kelantan. The gold dinar can be purchased in five denominations – ½ dinar, one dinar, two dinar, five dinar and eight dinar coins.
Half of the salary to state employees in Kelantan is given in dinar and dirham, the only currency that is mentioned in the Holy Quran and was used by Muslims until the modern banking came into existence.
The idea of using gold dinar as currency in international trade was first floated by Dr Mahathir Mohammed in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, during his first term as prime minister. “It is important that the trading in gold dinar be seriously implemented,” Dr Mahathir had said in an interview with this writer in December 2004.
Islamic tourism
The PAS-led government in Terengganu is planning measures to develop the state’s Islamic tourism, said the state’s chief minister, Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. He said the term “Islamic tourism” was misunderstood by certain quarters, but assured that in time it would be accepted. “Islam is not contradictory to the tourism industry but serves as a reference that helps with reasoning between what we can and cannot do.”
“We need to consider the sensitivities of the people. Although Terengganu is about 95 per cent Malay Muslim, we need to understand one another to live harmoniously,” he remarked.
[The writer can be reached at [email protected]]