We refer to your comments in the Malay Mail on Nov 25, 2016, to the effect that the proposed bill by PAS president Abdul Haid Awang only deals with enhanced punishments and has nothing to do with implementing hudud.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

What is the aim of the Hadi’s bill?

It is clearly to empower states like Kelantan to be able to impose higher punishments. Hadi seeks these punishments to be raised to 30 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the rotan.

Now, let us look at the Syariah Law Enactment passed by the State Legislature of Kelantan known as “Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II (1993) (2015).

The Kelantan State Enactment provides for the following hudud offences:

(i) Hudud (Fixed punishments). The offences included are theft, robbery, adultery, false accusation of adultery, sodomy, intoxication (these are all hudud offences).

Thus, if the Hadi’s bill is passed, it will enable the Kelantan State to implement its Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II (1993) (2015) Enactment, which provides for the above hudud offences.

Whether we call it hudud bill, or Hadi’s bill, or Act 355 or an Act to enhance punishments, the end result is the same, i.e. to empower states like Kelantan to be able to implement hudud offences.

It appears labels are being changed as a marketing strategy.

Therefore, Tiong King Sing, please answer the above clearly whether Hadi’s bill will enable hudud offences.

In addition, Hadi’s bill will also infringe the Federal Constitution.

JAGIR SINGH is vice-president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hindusim, Sikhism and Taoism.