Adjustments to Hadi's Bill expected

PETALING JAYA: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is expected to make further adjustments to the Private Member's Bill for proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.

Kuala Nerus PAS MP Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali said he was confident that the motion, which will be tabled for the second time, would be debated and put to vote on the same day.

He revealed that the adjustment would involve increasing penalties that can be meted out by Syariah courts, but with limits on maximum punishments.

He said this was requested by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom during a briefing with Muslim lawmakers on Hadi's Bill on Tuesday.

"Everyone in the meeting agreed that there was need to empower the Syariah courts and a limit to the maximum punishments," he told the press outside the Parliament building on Wednesday.

He said the amendments only covered offences such as pre-marital sex, intoxication and falsely accusing a person of illicit sex (zina).

He said what would be amended were proposals to increase jail terms from three years up to 30 years; increase of fines from RM5,000 up to RM100,000 and increased caning from six to 100 lashes.

However, Khairuddin emphasised that the lashes under Syariah law differed from civil law.

"Hundred lashes under Syariah law are equivalent to one lash under civil law. One Syariah lash is more of a tap, like how you tap your children," he explained.

Although Khairuddin expressed confidence that Hadi's Bill would be debated, it is likely that it will be deferred to the next Parliament session in March.

When approached by reporters in Parliament, Hadi did not say if his Bill would be tabled on Wednesday.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow," was all he said before leaving the building.

 Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had previously said that the Bill would be read out a second time this week to include several tweaks to the Bill he read out for the first time in the previous sitting.