Umno's Kemelah state assemblyperson Ayub Rahmat has proposed that hudud law be implemented in Johor for all races.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Ayub said he wanted to see Johor to be the first state to implement "true hudud law" which he said differed from PAS' version of the religious law.

The critical difference with PAS's hudud law legislated in Kelantan, he said, was that there would be no discrimination as it would have to cover all races in the state.

"The Syariah Criminal Code (II) 1993 State of Kelantan does not reflect the true requirements of Islam. it creates discrimination in terms of execution (among Muslims and non-Muslims)," Ayub (left) said.

Kelantan had adopted the law in 1993, three years after PAS captured the state but provisions in the federal constitution prevented its enforcement.

Ayub, who made the proposal on June 20, during the fifth sitting of the Johor state assembly said implementing such a move at the national level would require amendments to the federal constitution.

The crucial move now, he said, is to start on the steps to help non-Muslims understand the implementation of hudud law in Johor, which PAS had failed to do.

This, he added, had enabled other ethnic groups to accept hudud law during the reign of Prophet Muhammad.

Challenge issued to PAS

Ayub then threw down the gauntlet to PAS to back this proposal if it was sincere about upholding Islam.

"When Umno talks about hudud, PAS should lend support as well," he said.

The proposal comes as Pakatan Rakyat begins a concerted campaign to break the stranglehold of the BN in the southern state seen as the last bastion of the ruling coalition in peninsular Malaysia.

Pakatan Rakyat's top guns have in the last months criss-crossed Johor in the hope of improving its electoral performance there which saw the opposition winning only one parliamentary seat out of 26 and six state seats out of the 56 contested in the last polls.