Threat of legal action against Terengganu police chief over hudud law
The Terengganu PAS Youth movement may take legal action against the state police chief who last week said that the police would not help enforce the Syariah Criminal Offences (Hudud and Qisas) Enactment.
The movement's chairperson Muhyidin Abdul Rashid said this after handing over a memorandum of protest at the state contingent police headquarters in Kuala Terengganu this morning.
Muhyidin said police chief Othman Talib's statement on Wednesday could be prejudicial to any court decision on the hudud law.
"Let the court decide first. Furthermore, the police chief cannot make statements because he only implements what has been decided," the Youth leader was quoted as saying by Bernama .
"We will study the statement from various angles before proceeding with the necessary action."
The memorandum was handed over to Head of Public Order and Traffic Department, Abd Ghafar Rajab.
The three-page document expressed the movement's disappointment with Othman's statement, which it described as having the potential to have repercussions for the country's legal system.
Directive to state police
Othman had reportedly said that Terengganu police could not assist in the implementation of hudud law because it contradicted provisions in the Federal Constitution. In addition, he had been ordered not to assist the state authorities in enforcing the hudud law.
He said laws passed by Parliament supersede any state-level enactments and that criminal and security manners are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai had also been quoted as saying that the police force was governed by federal laws and could not be part of state-approved criminal legislation.
On Thursday, the Federal Court granted leave to a lawyer to apply for a declaration to nullify the hudud law passed in 1993 in Kelantan, another PAS-controlled state in the east coast.
The enactment, which criminalises theft, robbery, extramarital sex, liquor consumption, apostasy and armed rebellion, is awaiting the assent of the state ruler.
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