PARLIAMENT PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's controversial Private Member’s Bill on hudud has reappeared on the parliamentary order paper, on the last day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

This is despite PAS’ determination to field its candidates in the twin by-election in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar next month.

Both parliamentary seats have more than 30 percent non-Malay voters.

The bill, listed as item No 15 , is the last matter on the order paper, which means it may not likely be tabled.

Hadi, the Marang MP, introduced the bill in two successive sittings, on Apr 7 and June 17, 2015 respectively. But his motion was not debated in the House in both sessions.

The bill seeks to amend a federal law, the Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, to pave way for the implementation of hudud law in Kelantan and other states.

At present, the Act limits the Syariah Court to imposing a maximum sentence of three years’ jail, a maximum fine of RM5,000 and six lashes of the cane. This is known commonly known as the 3:5:6 rule.

The present federal law is the last obstacle to Kelantan’s hudud implementation, passed at state level last year by a unanimous house of a majority PAS and Umno assemblypersons.

After decades of being frustrated in its move to implement the Islamic penal code, PAS Kelantan revived its plans last year after Putrajaya helped by forming a joint technical committee to study the matter.

In the bill, Hadi seeks amendments to allow the Syariah Court to impose the hudud penalties stipulated under syariah law, except for the death sentence.

Hadi's bill would not only allow Kelantan to finally implement hudud, but will also open the gates to the other states to do so.