The private member's bill to be tabled by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in Parliament will confine hudud punishment in Kelantan to caning, claimed party vice-president Husam Musa.

 

He said the punishable crimes in the proposed Islamic penal code are ‘zina’ (premarital sex), drinking alcohol, and ‘qazaf’ (accusing someone of zina).

 

"(The private member's bill) will limit offences under the Kelantan Syariah Crimes Enactment. Not everything in the enactment can be implemented when the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act is amended (in Parliament).

 

"(So) the punishment (for the three crimes) is just caning. There will be no chopping off hands and so on," Husam told journalists at a public forum in Shah Alam last night.

Currently, syariah courts are allowed to impose sentences of no more than three years in jail, a fine or six strokes of canning. PAS wants to increase the lashings to up to 100 strokes.

 

According to him, the bill will exclude punishment for crimes already listed under the Penal Code, such as sodomy and theft.

 

"(The other hudud punishments) remain in the enactment, but we can't implement them," he said, referring to stoning, amputation of hands and feet, and even crucifixion.

                                                           

Ties between DAP and PAS - two allies in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition - are at breaking point after the Kelantan state assembly passed amendments to Kelantan's Syariah Criminal Code 1993 last Thursday.

 

In order for Kelantan to implement hudud in the state, PAS will need to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act in Parliament which Abdul Hadi plans to do through a private member's bill in the coming months.

 

DAP has since cut off ties with Abdul Hadi, while the party's Sarawak branch has quit Pakatan altogether.

 

"Many people don't understand about the proposals contained in the PAS president's private member's bill... many people have not looked at it,” said Husam.

 

"I'm confident that when an explanation has been given, those who have been worried (about hudud) will worry no more.”

 

PAS leaders in the dark

 

Husam however conceded that PAS leaders did not get a briefing on their president's private member's bill.

 

He only found out about the details of the bill when he met Abdul Hadi after Friday prayers yesterday.

 

Meanwhile, Husam urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to make clear his stand on hudud soon.

 

Nevertheless, the PAS vice-president stressed that even if the two bitter rivals agree on hudud, it does not mean the Islamic party will work with Umno.

 

"The PM's delayed response can be read as a political agenda to woo PAS to be with Umno and BN.

 

"But with 1Malaysia Development Berhad (financial scandal)... you (Umno) can't neutralise this... we (PAS) can't forget this issue just because you want to support us (on hudud)," he said.

 

"We can work on (amending) the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, but we can't work (together) on governance issues.”