Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) has been scheduled to be tabled at the first meeting of the Thirteenth Parliament of Malaysia in 2017.

It is imperative for Members of Parliament to take a stand and summon the courage to vote ‘no’ against any version of Hadi’s bill. If passed, this measure will provide religious authorities with unprecedented power to administer severe punishments onto those they deem guilty of a religious or moral offence. It will drastically change the way justice is administered in this country.

Simply being Muslim should not provide the state or religious authorities with a licence to discriminate, marginalise or inflict religious tyranny upon other Muslims. We are all equal citizens of this country. We are entitled to equal treatment and protection under the law. The Federal Constitution provides that guarantee.

To the Members of Parliament who are Muslims, we urge you to be present during the debate of this motion and vote ‘no’. This proposed law has always been Hadi’s law. It is not God’s law.

Hadi continues to be silent on the justification, rationale or reasoning for his proposed enhanced Shariah penalties. All we hear from the champions of this bill is that more severe punishments will somehow solve today’s social, economic and moral problems. What this bill will do instead is to jeopardise the safety, security and harmony of this country and her people. We have seen what happens in other countries.

Despite the theatrics and rhetoric heard over the past few months, Hadi has always stayed true to his objective. He has maintained his intent to work towards turning Malaysia into an Islamic state and impose conservative and stricter Islamic rule, not just for Muslims, but for all. He must clearly state whether this recent reversal to an earlier version of his bill is accidental or intentional. Either way, the bill remains unjust and must be rejected.

Not taking a stand or voting ‘yes’ means that Members of Parliament are betraying the trust that Malaysians have given to them to retain Malaysia’s multicultural and moderate identity. Our MPs are supposed to speak and represent all members of Malaysian society, not just those who shout the loudest and threaten the most.

We ask that Malaysians continue to visit and call their MPs, refer to the #YBUndiApa scoreboard and see the ‘Have you seen your MP’ posters on the Bebas Facebook page to find out what their Yang Berhormat’s position is on this Act 355 amendment.

Together, we must make a clear stand against Hadi’s bill which could turn Malaysia into a nation of extreme moral policing, bigotry and intolerance.

AZRUL MOHD KHALIB is a spokesperson for Bebas, a movement that upholds equality, opposes racial discrimination and advocates for religious freedom in Malaysia.