Both sides in Sabah agree to say no

KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional and opposition parties are sticking to their objections against PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill to enhance penalties in the Syariah courts.

MPs from Barisan components such as Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and the Opposition, including Parti Warisan Sabah, said the Bill should not proceed at Parliament at all.

There are 25 MPs from Sabah.

PBS president and Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said their four MPs would vote against the Bill while Parti Warisan deputy president Darrel Leiking said he and president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal were taking a similar stand as well.

“Anything to do with religion should be handled within the religion itself. Otherwise, it will cause conflict, in this case between civil and syariah law,” Pairin said.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Teo Chee Kang said the extent of sentencing power that Hadi’s Bill sought to enhance for Syariah Court was not justifiable.

He said Syariah Court’s jurisdiction was only limited to family and succession laws as provided for in the Federal Constitution.

Religion was a major issue in Sabah and Sarawak when the idea of the Federation of Malaysia was mooted before 1963, he said.

“Had our forefathers known this was the direction Malaysia would be heading, Sabah and Sarawak would not have agreed to be part of the federation.

“All MPs must not see this as a matter of religion but a matter of upholding our Constitution and defending the dignity of Malaysia as a nation,” Teo added.

Darrel said Malaysians should see from the experience in PAS-ruled Kelantan where the imposition of syariah law meant women hair stylists could not accept male clients.

“It is a divisive Bill for Malaysians and Malaysia as a nation,” he said.

Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup however said that the Parliamentary Select Ccommittee would allow views from all stakeholders before the amendments are made.

“It’s the best approach as it will give the opportunity for all stakeholders, particularly non-Muslims and lawmakers from Sabah and Sarawak, to give their views,” he said.

Kurup, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of unity, expressed confidence that debates on the Bill will be deferred to the next Parliament sitting.

“This will allow the Deputy Prime Minister to bring the proposed amendments to the Government so it can set up the PSC.

“We hope that it will not be debated tomorrow (Thursday),” he said.

Amanah MP Khalid Samad claimed that the move by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid indicated close cooperation between PAS and the Federal Government.

“The Deputy Prime Minister called the meeting in his personal capacity. Why the need to do that when it is just a Private Member’s Bill?

“If the Federal Government agrees to the amendments, why doesn’t it carry the Bill to the Dewan Rakyat?” he asked.

He said Amanah would wait for the final draft of the Bill before making a stand.

“Hopefully, we will be able to see the amended Bill tomorrow morning (today),” he said.