PAS can join the Bersih rally but not the RUU355 rally
(MMO) – MCA is wary of PAS’s planned rally on proposed amendments to Act 355 because of concerns that the protest will pit Muslims against non-Muslims, Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said today.
The MCA religious harmony bureau chairman told Umno minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who recently said that MCA should not oppose the PAS rally scheduled on February 18, that the Islamist party’s demonstration could undermine public peace and harmony.
“What guarantees can PAS assure that the rally will not be incited into an emotional fervour with political frenzy against opponents of PAS hudud enactments?” Ti said in a statement.
“At no time is MCA against Islam. On the contrary, MCA always respects Islam as the religion of the federation as granted in the Federal Constitution. Nevertheless, any legislations or long term intentions which intend to derail the Federal Constitution, the supreme law of the law, MCA will oppose them,” he added.
PAS announced last Saturday that it would organise a rally on February 18 in Kuala Lumpur in support of proposed amendments to Act 355, or the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.
In November last year, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang read his motion for the amended version of his private member’s Bill to amend Act 355 in a bid to expand the punitive powers of the Shariah courts, but he deferred it to the next time Parliament convenes this year.
The latest version of Hadi’s Bill aims to expand the punishments that Shariah courts can currently mete out from three years’ jail, six strokes of the cane and RM5,000 fines to 30 years’ imprisonment, 100 strokes, and RM100,000 fines.
“Nazri, who as both a lawyer and a lawmaker himself should know better that the proposed tweaks to the Shariah Court Bill, which formally enables implementation of state hudud enactments, will reduce the testimony weightage of non-Muslims and women including Muslim women, thereby contravening Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which ensures equality before the law,” said Ti.
“We are not objecting against PAS’ right to hold a gathering. We are objecting against the subject matter of the gathering, which we believe can cause division in the nation. Furthermore, we are merely challenging the legality and constitutionality of the move to allow PAS hudud to be enforceable via an amendment to Act 355,” he added.
Okay for PAS to join the Bersih rally but not the RUU355 rally
