KUALA LUMPUR: Pas' Private Member's Bill tabled in Parliament is not meant to introduce hudud law in Kelantan but only to expand the range of punishments that can be imposed in the Syariah Courts.
The Malay Mail Online today quoted Hadi as saying that it was merely trying to “uplift” the status of the Syariah Court and blamed the DAP’s “fear” in creating controversy surrounding his Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.
“This is not a hudud Bill. Many people do not understand that.
“What I see is there is an agenda by DAP to try and portray Islam in a bad light. They are afraid these laws will get good response from non-Muslims,” he reportedly told a press conference after announcing PAS's candidate for the Sungai Besar by-election last night.
The Bill seeks to empower Syariah courts to enforce punishments ― except for the death penalty ― provided in laws for Islamic offences listed under state jurisdiction in the Federal Constitution, without elaborating on the nature of the punishments.
Syariah Court punishments are currently limited to jail terms not exceeding three years, or whipping of not more than six strokes, or fines of not more than RM5,000.
It was put forward in Parliament Thursday, only for Hadi to ask for the Bill to be deferred to the next parliamentary meeting in October.
BN’s component parties MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong have threatened to quit their Cabinet positions if the bill were to be passed and implemented.
MCA and Gerakan, together with MIC and SUPP yesterday criticised Hadi’s Bill, saying that it contravened Article 8 of the Federal Constitution on equality before the law.
Hadi had said that his proposed legal amendments only seek to increase the ambit of the Syariah Court to mete out punishments such as caning.
The Marang MP said many other hudud punishments, which include stoning and amputations, under the Islamic criminal law were not enabled by these suggested amendments.
“This does not cover or enable all the hudud and qazaf punishments,” he said.
“Qazaf” refers to the false accusation of illicit sex.
“This is a matter concerning Muslims. Non-Muslims have nothing to do with this,” Hadi said.
He claimed that the opposition to such laws shows Islam is “not free” in the country.