‘A big misunderstanding’
THE STAR
KUALA LUMPUR: There was a “misunderstanding” over the nature of the Private Member’s Bill tabled by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in Parliament, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said the proposed Bill was not about hudud.
“We have told our friends in Barisan Nasional that it was a big misunderstanding when Abdul Hadi brought in the Bill.
“They see it as hudud laws as he is closely related to the hudud issue,” Najib told a press conference yesterday after the Umno Supreme Council meeting.
He said the proposed Bill was on reforming the caning punishment meted out by the Syariah Court.
“It’s about enhanced punishment. From six times caning, it has been proposed that the number will depend on the crime committed,” he said, adding that as the proposed Bill touched upon the Syariah Court, it would only involve Muslims in the country.
Najib said the caning punishment would not be severe.
“In Islam, the caning method will not cause injury due to the limits on how the caning is carried out,” he said.
He said that the proposed Bill would not touch upon non-Muslims in Malaysia and that Umno would listen to its component parties’ views on the matter.
“If we want to amend the laws, of course we need to rely on the consensus of all of BN.
“This is a principle we hold on to so whatever we do we must think about the good of the country as a whole,” he said.
He said the proposed Bill would also need to go through many stages before it could be implemented.
“It doesn’t mean that the Bill will be easily implemented because it needs the permission of the state Islamic Department and the Conference of Rulers as well as a law amendment by Parliament,” he said.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia had on Thursday allowed a government motion to expedite Abdul Hadi’s Bill for debate.
It was reported that the Bill had sought to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 to empower the Islamic courts to impose any punishment allowed by Syariah law except the death sentence.
After the Bill was tabled, Abdul Hadi proposed that it be debated at the next meeting of the Dewan Rakyat in October.
The unexpected tabling of the Bill prompted strong opposition from MCA and other Barisan component parties
Four stand against hudud
United stand: MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai speaking at the press conference on the Hudud Bill at his ministry in Putrajaya. With him are (from left) MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker, Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, SUPP deputy president Datuk Seri Richard Riot, MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan and MIC vice-president Datuk T. Mohan.
PUTRAJAYA: Four Barisan Nasional component parties have made it clear that they cannot support “any Bill which is vague, uncertain and which can lend itself to great inconsistency, injustice and inequality in its application to Malaysians of any community.”
The four are MCA, MIC, Gerakan and SUPP.
“A cornerstone of unity and harmony amongst the various ethnic groups and creeds for a country such as Malaysia must be anchored on fairness, equality, consistency and uniformity of laws and this must extend to the enforcement of such laws and the form of punishment,” said the four component parties in a joint press statement.
MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai read out the joint statement in a press conference held after the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday.
Liow said the parties were disappointed that the controversial Bill was pushed forward.
He added the decision to expedite the Private Member’s Bill on the amendment of Syariah Court laws was not discussed among Barisan Nasional parties.
“We are saddened by the current events where the PAS MP for Marang Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill was permitted to be tabled for debate by elevating it above government matters.
“We are also disappointed by the fact that this matter was not discussed within the Cabinet or the Barisan Nasional supreme council,” said Liow.
He was flanked by Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, SUPP deputy president Datuk Seri Richard Riot, MIC vice-president Datuk T. Mohan (representing party president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, who is in Geneva), MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan and MCA religious harmony bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker.
Liow said he had raised the matter in yesterday’s Cabinet meeting and stressed that the Bill went against the Federal Constitution.
He said the Bill seeks to remove the “3-6-5 Safeguards” from the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.
The “3-6-5 Safeguards” provide that any offence punishable under the Syariah Courts is limited to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years, or whipping of not more than six strokes, or fine of not more than RM5,000.
“This is in the interest of the consistency and uniformity with our laws.
“What Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill is attempting to do right now is to dismantle all of these. If the Bill in its current form is passed, it is against the spirit of the Constitution,” said Liow.
He said by removing the “3-6-5 Safeguards”, the authorities can enact any form of punishment, except the death penalty.
“While Hadi has told us he will not impose the death penalty, he has not told us what he will impose.
“From what we know, these could be the forms of punishment under hudud, such as public whipping or flogging, amputation and possibly long-term imprisonment,” he said.
Liow added that having two sets of laws for the same offences was a contravention of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which provides that punishment must embody some form of equality and consistency.
BESTFBKL:
We wonder if The PAS President is on the same page as PM as his statement infers totally the opposite infering that he was presenting the Hudud Bill. PM needs to clarify with PAS the stand of the government as the three videos clearly shows PAS believed they were tabling the Hudud motion
BESTFBKL:
We wonder if The PAS President is on the same page as PM as his statement infers totally the opposite infering that he was presenting the Hudud Bill. PM needs to clarify with PAS the stand of the government as the three videos clearly shows PAS believed they were tabling the Hudud motion
