Bill prompts strong opposition from Barisan

Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on May 26 tabled a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, which will expand the range of punishments in the syariah courts.

It caught everyone by surprise when the Bill, listed as Item 14 in the day’s Order Papers, leaped over other items to be tabled.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said moved the motion for the Bill to be debated and was seconded by Deputy Works Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Raashid Shirlin.

The debate was then on hold because Abdul Hadi requested that it be deferred to the next parliamentary meeting.

The Bill could pave the way towards the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.

Abdul Hadi had tried twice before to table his Bill in the Dewan Rakyat since 2015 but failed.

The unexpected tabling of the Bill prompted strong opposition from MCA and other Barisan component parties.

Hadi’s Bill seeks to primarily remove the safeguards referred to the “3-6-5 Safeguards” from the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, otherwise known as Act 355.

The “3-6-5 Safeguards” provides that any offence punishable under the Syariah Courts is limited to an imprisonment term of not more than three years, whipping of not more than six strokes and a fine of not more than RM5,000.

Barisan Nasional coalition parties including MCA, MIC, Gerakan and component parties from Sabah and Sarawak, as well as component parties from the Opposition, have strongly opposed to the tabling of the Hadi’s Bill, saying that it contravenes the Federal Consitution as the country cannot have dual or parallel criminal justice system.