Long way to go for amendments

PETALING JAYA: There is still a long way to go before the actual amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 sees the light of day.

A source who declined to be named said the move by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was merely to move up the controversial Private Member’s Bill among all other motions listed in the Parliament’s Order Paper on Thursday.

In the next Parliament meeting, said the official, Abdul Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill will merely be listed in the ‘Orders of the day and motion’.

“There will be other orders and motions as well, it will follow the sequence. However, you need to understand that the Government’s order of the day comes first,” said the source.

Referring to Standing Order 15 (1) the source said Abdul Hadi’s turn will only come when the Government’s business was completed.

The source said Abdul Hadi had exercised his rights under Standing Order 15 (5) which reads: “A Private Member’s motion which has been moved but not disposed of at a meeting of the House shall, upon due notice given by the mover for continuance thereof at a subsequent meeting, take precedence at such subsequent meeting over other Private Member’s motions.”

This means the first reading of the Private Member’s Bill was not completed, added the source.

“In the next Parliament meeting, Hadi can only table it if it is allowed by the Speaker, and only after Government orders and business was done.

“He can then table it and it will be debated.

“If the House approves it with a simple majority, only then the Private Member’s Bill is deemed to have gone through the first reading and will be given to the relevant Minister to prepare a motion which enables the second reading to be continued under Standing Order 49 (4) and 49 (5).

“After that, the Government will draft the amendments to the Bill. Once the Government has drafted the amendments, then the Government has to table it. It still has a very long way to go,” added the source.

The source said should Abdul Hadi withdraw the Private Member’s Bill, then he would have to notify the Parliament Secretary and Speaker. The motion to withdraw the Private Member’s Bill will then be read in the House and will either be passed or rejected via voice vote.

The next Parliament meeting will begin on October 17 and will sit for 25 days. The tabling of the 2017 Budget will take place on Oct 21 and after which, lawmakers will begin the policy stage debates on the Budget from Oct 24 to Oct 31.

Ministers will reply to the issues brought by MPs during the policy stage debates from Nov 1 to Nov 7. Lawmakers will then continue with the committee stage debates on Nov 8 onwards and will have Ministers responding to their queries.

The Budget is expected to be passed on Nov 22, which leaves only two days for other Bills and other Government businesses to be tabled and debated.

The Parliament sitting is scheduled to end on Nov 24.