Hadi: We will amend Constitution

Hadi: We will amend Constitution

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Federal Constitution will be amended and Islam will no longer be the official religion as it will be changed to "Islam is Addin (way of life)" if Pakatan Rakyat comes into power, said Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

"In the world today, people know two ways to describe the faith: one is what is adopted by the West by calling it a religion, which denotes the spiritual relationship between human and God, without mentioning it as a way of life.He said the word "religion" to describe Islam in the Constitution did not do justice to the faith.

"The second option is by calling it Addin, the way of life, which is more apt as it includes everything, from the spiritual to all other aspects of life."

Hadi said this after launching the Terengganu Pas Youth annual meeting in Kampung Kubang Lembek, Manir here yesterday.

"It is not right to say Islam is a religion, the right way is to describe it as Addin, a way of life."

Hadi said Islam's position as a way of life instead of just a religion could be seen when the Quran was used to formulate international law in The Hague.

"For example, the law regarding political asylum was mentioned in the  Quran. It shows that Islam is more than a mere religion."

The  Federal Constitution came up when Hadi questioned reporters' freedom in reporting events about the opposition.

"Do you accept the situation now where you don't have freedom?"

When the New Straits Times countered that although everyone would want freedom, it would have to be within the law and the Constitution, Hadi questioned whether the laws were just.

When the New Straits Times suggested that any law that followed the Constitution should be followed, Hadi dismissed the Constitution as something drafted by the Reid Commission, which did not have  a single Muslim in it.

"My question is, in Malaysia, which is higher? Islam or the Constitution? Can Islam cancel out the Constitution? However, the Constitution would still be applicable if the word 'religion' is replaced with 'Addin'."

He added that the amendment would be made if Pakatan Rakyat came into power.

"Yes, we will amend it and Islam will become Addin, not religion."

Religion had always been a sensitive issue within Pakatan, and this matter could create further rifts between the Islamic party and its ally, DAP.

It all started when Pas proposed the idea of implementing hudud, or making Malaysia  an Islamic state, which  DAP objects.

Its chairman, Karpal Singh, argued that the Constitution provided for a secular nation, with Islam as the official religion.

Karpal had even said "over my dead body" when the  Islamic state was forwarded by Pas.