Pro-reform group G25 has rebutted claims by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that the Private Member's Bill submitted by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has nothing to do with enabling the implementation of hudud (Islamic penal code).
“We G25 members cannot accept the prime minister’s statement in his May 27 press conference that the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendement) Bill 2016, also known as Hadi’s Bill, has nothing to do with hudud,” it said in a statement today.
While the group admitted that technically the Bill does not say anything about hudud, it seeks to allow the Syariah Courts to impose a wider range of punishments, sans the death penalty.
Punishments may even include punishments like 100 lashes for sex out of wedlock, or amputation of arms for theft. Both are punishments as prescribed by hudud.
Najib had claimed on May 27 that Hadi’s Bill was only to strengthen the Syariah Courts and was not focused on implementing hudud.
Unlike Najib’s explanation, G25 argued that Hadi’s Bill cannot be looked at in isolation, but must be taken into context with the background that the PAS-led state of Kelantan already has a state hudud enactment in place.
However, the state cannot execute the punishments for hudud offences as the Syariah Courts are still bound by limitations in punishments as prescribed by Act 355, or the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdictions) Act.
G25 contended that Hadi’s Bill, if passed, will not only allow Kelantan to implement hudud, but also make it possible for any other states to pass their own hudud enactment and implement the same, or even worse punishments.
The group argued that the correlation between Hadi’s Bill and hudud can be seen in the words spoken by none other than Najib’s deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi himself.
As reported in the media, Zahid had said that Hadi’s Bill is not meant to create new laws but to allow the Syariah Courts to implement hudud law in Kelantan.
Furthermore, G25 noted that Kelantan Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob also urged all Muslim MPs to vote for Hadi’s Bill, as it would allow the state to implement hudud.
G25 also voiced its unreserved opposition to Hadi’s Bill, claiming that it would lead to implementation of hudud which it believes is unsuited to Malaysia’s multicultural society and goes against the principle of equality before the law enshrined in the Federal Constitution, as Muslims will be subject to both hudud and the Penal Code.
While acknowledging that Islam is the religion of the federation, the group argued that as far as the constitution is concerned, without the part about official religion, Malaysia is set up to be secular in system.
G25 also urged Malaysians to reject Hadi’s Bill and any attempt to implement laws that can disturb harmony in the land.
On May 26, the motion to table Hadi’s Bill was brought before the Dewan Rakyat, after the government’s unprecedented move to set aside its business in the House to allow for the motion to be tabled.
However, the motion to table the bill was not voted on as Hadi had requested that the debate on the motion be postponed until the next sitting.
Hadi’s ‘Hudud Bill’ is not Islamic, says Dr M
