PKR wants Hadi to explain content of Bill before making a stand

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang needs to hold a briefing to explain the content of his Bill so that PKR will be able to weigh in on it.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said her party would not be able to make a stand on the amendments sought unless details were given.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should assure that there would be no breach of the Federal Constitution, she told Sin Chew Daily.

DAP opposes Hadi’s Bill because it is contrary to the Federal Consti­tution.

DAP deputy secretary-general Dr P. Rama­samy said there was no guarantee that the provisions would not be extended to non-Muslims.

“They are saying this is for Muslims only. What guarantee can they give that it will not be used on others? This is a multiracial country. I don’t think we can accept this,” he said.

“The punishment is not in tandem with international norms. I have always believed that we cannot have two laws in a country.”

DAP has 37 MPs nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Kelantan government has urged non-Muslim MPs not to oppose the Private Member’s Bill.

Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah called on non-Muslim MPs to help their Muslim counterparts achieve the goal.

“The state is thankful to the Federal Government for this. I hope Muslim MPs will support the move and that non-Muslim MPs will not oppose it,” he added.

Mohd Amar, who is a PAS vice-president and Kelantan hudud law technical committee chairman, said if all went according to plan, Syariah Court judges would be elevated to be on par with their civil court peers.

Terengganu state assemblymen are all for the Bill. Most of them are hoping for the Bill to go through after it is tabled for the second time with some tweaking while calling for all Muslim and non-Muslim MPs not to oppose it.

Ajil assemblyman Ghazali Taib said that the assemblymen in Terengganu had no objection as the population of the state was more than 95% Muslims.