“Mr. Yap, there’s a lot of talk about the implementing of hudud,” I ask.”What are your views?” Abutting on one wall, the air-conditioner hums and releases the fragrance of rose from a packet of air-freshener hanging from its vents.
Yap leans back on his chair. “Of course, I’m against hudud. Not only because it will affect my business but the country’s image will drop in the international spotlight. I foresee mandatory public caning for Muslim women arrested for adultery, pre-marital sex, for not wearing tudong and for consuming alcohol. There’ll also be mandatory public whipping for Muslim men arrested for consuming alcohol and for having sex with prostitutes.”
“But won’t that be good to curb the evils of society?”
“There are two sides to the coin, Ewe.” He leans forward, takes a gold letter opener and starts to finger it. “Child marriages will also thrive. Scores of dirty Chinese old men will embrace Islam to marry underage Muslim girls. You think that’s good?” He makes a face. “That’s akin to legitimizing child rape.” He replaces the letter opener back in its container, opens a right side drawer and takes out a cigar. “Professionals will also be affected. Male doctors will be barred from treating female patients. Female doctors will do a roaring business because they're fewer." He lights a fifty-ringgit note with a match and brings the flame to his cigar, clamped tight between his lips. “Male hairdressers will be barred from styling women’s hair.” The cigar dances between his lips as he talks. “Thousands of male hairdressers trained in London, Milan and New York will have to close their salons. Society will turn topsy-turvy.”
“Yah, maybe Muslim nurses will no longer be allowed to care for male patients.”
“Exactly! I remember when Taliban controlled Afghanistan, it was mandatory for Muslim men to keep beards or face public whipping. If that law is implemented here, a new business will be spawned.”
“What?”
“Retailing fake beards! Muslim men who don’t want to have facial hair will wear a fake beard when they go out.”
“So what? Hudud doesn’t apply to non-Muslims, I heard.”
Yap wags a finger. “That’s what they say only.” He jerks his chin upward. “Do you trust them? Gradually, hudud laws will evolve to affect the non-Muslims. Later, there will be mandatory jail for non-Muslims arrested for playing mahjong and card games. New prisons will need to be built to accommodate the fast-swelling number of offenders.” He blows a plume of smoke upward and flashes a wry grin. "Maybe my hostesses have to wear burqa in future." He pulls out a photo from under his desktop calendar. "See this? Sexy GROs in burqa showing their legs." I look at the photo (pix below) and my eyes widen in surprise. "It's a nightclub in a Middle East country," Yap adds. "This thing can happen here!" He thumps the table with his fist.
“Are our politicians doing enough to prevent implementing hudud?”
“The person who made the famous statement ‘Hudud will only be implemented over my dead body’ has died. Anyone who reads the newspaper should know the hypocrites who’ve been keeping quiet on hudud.” He shakes his head and grimaces. “At the end of the day, Malaysia may get blacklisted by America’s Financial Action Task Force. Once Malaysia is labelled as ‘pariah nation’, we face international isolation and collapse of our economy.”
/end
My Latest Novel
ISBN (Paperback): 978-981-4423-84-4
ISBN (ebook): 978-981-4423-85-4
Publisher: Monsoon Books, Singapore
Link: monsoonbooks.com.sg
Available from Popular Bookstore, Kinokuniya and MPH (both store and online) and Select Books Singapore ( selectbooks.com.sg).
ebook version will be available soon.
/end
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