THE issue of corruption must be resolved holistically, fairly and without any element of tyranny.
Under such circumstances, Marang MP Tan Sri Hadi Awang insisted that Islam places the importance on the accused being properly tried until the trial is completed.
“There is an interesting story in the Islamic history that an improper management of project had occurred during the time of the Prophet and the Khulafa al-Rasyidin,” the PAS president told the debate on the Half-Term Review of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12 MP) in the Dewan Rakyaton Wednesday (Sept 13).
“I want to mention the case of Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh who ordered a non-Muslim (orthodox Christian) architect to manage the construction of a mosque in Istanbul according to the plan desired by his majesty the king.
“Suddenly he sketched in an incorrect way and the construction went wrong. The sultan was very angry and ordered the punishment by cutting off his (the architect’s) hand which is a cruel and wrong law.
“So, he (the architect) complained to a famous judge in Istanbul while making a confession. This indicates that there is a division of power in the Islamic government system. This already happened in Islam even before the West.
“Upon weighing these two matters, the judge summoned the sultan to be tried in court according to the law of qisas for an unjust and cruel act. This is an example of the concept of separation of power in Islam.”
Elaborating further, Hadi who is also the Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy president said in accordance with the qisas law, the right of punishment for the sultan is to have his hand cut instead while the right of forgiveness is accorded to the victims instead of the kings or the pardons board.
“The right of qisas forgiveness is given to those who were oppressed regardless if they remain silent while at the same time the victim stands to be compensated until his death which could serve as a better option than to cut off the sultan’s hand,” he pointed out.
“This incident clearly shows that there is no such decision of discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) in the Islamic judiciary.”
Hadi further lamented that many quarters have continued to disagree with his views.
“When I mentioned this matter in relation to the Pardons Board, someone lodged a police report against me; in fact, many police reports have been filed against me till I’ve to meet up with the police so frequently. I’ve even lost count how many times already I did so.” – Sept 15, 2023
