How Hadi’s Bill went from hudud to ‘upgrading’ the Shariah courts
(MMO) – Hadi insisted in May that his private member’s Bill aims to expand the range of punishments the Shariah courts can impose, and was not meant to introduce hudud law in Kelantan. But it has not always been that way.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s motion for his private member’s Bill to enhance the Shariah courts’ powers is the fourth item in Parliament’s Order Paper for today.
It seeks to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as Act 355, to empower Islamic courts to enforce any punishment ― except for the death penalty ― provided in Shariah laws for Islamic offences listed under state jurisdiction in the Federal Constitution.
Shariah court punishments are currently limited to jail terms not exceeding three years, whipping of not more than six strokes, or fines of not more than RM5,000.
Hadi insisted in May that his private member’s Bill aims to expand the range of punishments the Shariah courts can impose, and was not meant to introduce hudud law in Kelantan.
But it has not always been that way.
In May, after the Bill was expedited by Putrajaya, PAS Youth chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz wrote in PAS mouthpiece Harakah that amending Act 355 will ultimately pave the way to implement Quranic laws in Malaysia.
“Act 355 is a prison against implementing the true Islamic Shariah laws. The laws bow down to the Federal Constitution, whose powers exceed the sovereignty of Quran and the Prophet’s teachings. It is obviously against Islam. It is an obvious idolatry.
“Amending it will break the chains that bind,” Nik Abduh said, referring to the same Act that Hadi’s Bill seeks to amend.
Here is a timeline of how amending Act 355 turned from one of the steps in implementing the controversial Islamic penal code, to ostensibly a resolution to strengthen the Shariah courts:
