The remarks by Datuk Husam Musa, vice-president of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) is likely to be a hot issue in the crucial by-election in Terengganu just weeks away.

His comments also raised afresh Internet debate on the long-cherished plan by PAS to implement the hudud laws in Malaysia.

While Mr Husam did not say what he meant by implementing hudud, the Islamic criminal laws are understood to mean they will have provisions to chop off the hands of thieves and stone adulterers.

Mr Husam spoke about the PAS plans for hudud law in a debate last Saturday evening in Kelantan's capital, with Umno Youth's deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

'We do want to implement hudud but this was blocked by Umno. If Umno fell (in elections), God willing, we can implement hudud. I want to give you the guarantee that we will do it,' Mr Husam was quoted as saying by Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia daily yesterday.

PAS is part of the three-party PR alliance with Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Anwar Ibrahim's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

The DAP has disassociated itself from the comments.

'The hudud law is not Pakatan Rakyat policy and it is for Husam to clarify what he actually said,' DAP's veteran leader Lim Kit Siang wrote in his blog.

Politicians from the governing Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition jumped on Mr Husam's comments to attack the opposition.

Said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak: 'This is an old story ...it is nothing new. They have not implemented the hudud laws in Kelantan and Terengganu but at every election they raise it as an issue.'

Bloggers and Internet postings said the remarks by the PAS No. 3 could lead to a swing away from Chinese voters in the Kuala Terengganu by-election. The seat was held narrowly by BN, with Malay voters seen as about evenly split between PAS and BN.

Nomination day is on Jan 6 and polling on Jan 17.

Wrote popular blogger aisehman: 'It is a bit rich for PAS to keep on harping on its 'vision' of an Islamic state...knowing full well that it will not be able to get enough votes to be in the position to actually put in place such a state.'

Said one Internet posting: 'I am disappointed with Husam for saying this but then what else should I expect? He is still a true blue PAS member after all.'

Mr Husam said yesterday that hudud may be delayed when PR comes into power as implementation needs agreement from DAP and PKR, according to a multilateral agreement signed in August.

BERNAMA, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK