The government has been urged to state its stance on the Private Member's Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) instead of "passing the buck" to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

DAP parliamentary whip Anthony Loke pointed out that a Private Member's Bill can only be allowed to be debated if the government gives way, since all government businesses are prioritised under the Standing Order.

"Unless the government gives way, there is no way for private bills including (PAS president) Abdul Hadi Awang's bill, to be debated in the House. So the government must state its stand clearly.

"Don't use the speaker as a shield. The speaker has no power to decide if the bill will be debated or not without the government's help," Loke told reporters in the Parliament building today.

This, the Seremban MP added, is because all government bills would be prioritised if the government did not want to give priority to Hadi's bill.

Following the BN supreme council's decision that the government would not take over and table the bill, Loke confirmed that opposition leaders will be meeting the speaker to ask about the status of the bill.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the announcement last night said that it was up to the speaker to decide whether to allow the bill to be tabled or otherwise.

Meanwhile, if the government does support the bill, Loke said, it must state its stance clearly to end the polemics.

"Why should you allow this to happen and become a polemic of society that divides Muslims and non-Muslims because of your own political interests?

"Even with the BN supreme council deciding not to take over the bill, that doesn't mean that it will not be debated," he pointed out.

Commenting further on the status of the bill, Loke said it showed how Umno was playing a "political game".

"It is a game to grab the position by breaking up the opposition.

"PAS should know now that it is being kicked around by Umno, like a football. It does not admit that, but there is no assurance that the bill will be passed," he added.

Polemics on the issue saddening

Meanwhile, Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) also urged the government to give an explanation on its stance on the matter.

"This explanation is important to improve the government's image, which is seen to have purposely used religious sentiments for mere political interests," Abim secretary-general Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said in a statement today.

Polemics on the issue, he added, was particularly saddening after efforts to uphold the syariah courts were tainted due to the public's fear following "irresponsible actions" by certain quarters.

"We are always open to any quarters wanting to uphold the position of the syariah courts, but it needs to be sincere and followed by discussions among all parties.

"Therefore, Abim repeats the demand that the government gives comprehensive explanation to all Muslims if they really want to uphold the position of syariah courts."

Previously, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the government was looking to take over the bill, to the dismay of BN component parties, many of whom are opposed to it.

The motion to table the bill to amend Act 355 was first tabled by Hadi in last year's parliamentary sitting. While the tabling was allowed, the debate and voting for the motion were delayed until this sitting at Hadi's own request.

The bill seeks to increase the penalties that the syariah courts can mete out, as well as expand its criminal jurisdiction over Muslims in criminal offences.

Some say this will allow states like Kelantan, with existing hudud or Islamic penal code legislation, to enforce harsher punishments and for more offences to be included, as previously they were bound by restrictions in Act 355.