Two PAS lawmakers made a final plea to their Pakatan Rakyat ally PKR not to let the Syariah Criminal Code amendments in Kelantan tomorrow by the PAS-led Kelantan state government, cause the coalition's break-up.

 

In spite of stern insistence by the DAP, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad confirmed that there might not be enough time for PAS to go back to its allies to make any last minute changes to the proposed amendments, less than 24 hours before it is tabled in the Kelantan state assembly.

 

Tumpat MP Kamaruddin Jaafar was also at the press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

"It is only an amendment. Why the fuss (kecoh)?" Khalid asked.

He maintained that the amendment does not constitute to an implementation of hudud, but instead only attempts to make a "bad hudud" into a "good hudud".

Khalid said politics and the people of Kelantan were unique and thus only the Kelantan people could judge whether the state government's move was a fair one.

'Situation in Kelantan is unique'

"The situation in Kelantan is so unique that even Umno is supporting these amendments," he said.

"We urge Pakatan to understand the uniqueness of the situation in Kelantan," he added.

Khalid said when Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom proposed that the state tables a Private Member's Bill to push for hudud, PAS had "no choice" but take it as "the ball was in our court".

He said that the objections of DAP and PKR to the PAS move might have stemmed from "pressure by the MCA and Gerakan, and understandably so".

"What DAP is asking is for the state government to do the amendments, clause by clause, instead of tabling it as a whole bill. But our view is that it would be too complicated if we do it like that," Khalid said.

He said that if the hudud enactment is eventually implemented in Kelantan, it will only take place with the support of all Umno lawmakers in Parliament.

"But PKR and DAP have categorically stated they will not vote in favour of the bill if it is brought to the Parliament," he said.

He also refused to speculate on what would happen in the future if the Private Member's Bill is tabled in the Parliament.

"We will cross the bridge when we get there," he said.