PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth has called for parity between syariah and civil courts, following the recent striking down of 16 provisions under the Kelantan syariah enactment by the apex court.
To achieve this goal, the wing's leader, Dr Akmal Saleh, has urged MPs from both sides of the political spectrum to file a motion to amend the Federal Constitution.
However, he did not specify the nature of the amendment, although he claimed that the proposal would receive support from the majority of Malay and Muslim MPs.
In a Facebook post, Akmal stressed the need to empower shariah courts.
He pointed out that before British colonisation, several Malayan states had their own laws based on Islamic principles, such as the Malacca Laws introduced by Sultan Muhammad Shah in the 15th century, the 99 Laws of Perak, and the Undang-undang Terengganu.
Yesterday, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan urged prompt action to address any issues that could lead to instability, following the Federal Court's ruling on the Kelantan syariah enactment.
He stated that the party would continue to support efforts to resolve inconsistencies in the law.
On Friday, the Federal Court invalidated 16 provisions in the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019, deeming them unconstitutional.
Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat noted that the state assembly lacked the authority to enact certain shariah criminal offenses as they fell under federal jurisdiction.