PAS Muslimat wants Umno leaders to consider studying Syariah law further to avoid committing additional blunders in interpreting the Islamic criminal code enacted in Kelantan and Terengganu.

Information chief Senator Siti Zailah Mohd Yusof said the Umno leaders' lack of basic understanding of Syariah law and the concept of Islam as the way of life has resulted in their 'whimsical' interpretations that have caused confusion among Muslims.

"Before they declare themselves champions of Muslim households, they should first make the effort to pursue Islamic studies at a tertiary institution to ensure that they really understand (the issues) and gain (the relevant) knowledge," she said in a statement.

She was referring to recent comments by Umno Kelantan deputy chief Zaid Ibrahim and Puteri Umno chief Azalina Othman Said.

The two - who are lawyers by profession - had condemned the PAS-led governments of Kelantan and Terengganu for loopholes in the Syariah criminal code. They claimed these permit a husband to sodomise his wife.

Last week, Zaid questioned sections 16 and 17 of the code which states that sodomy "is an offence consisting of carnal intercourse between a male and another male or a female other than his wife, performed against the order of nature, that is through the anus".

Azalina followed suit in claiming that the two states do not respect the rights of women in that the punishment is too lenient for husbands who sodomise their wives.

These allegations have been denied by PAS leaders, who saw this as an attempt to smear the party's credibility.

'Knowledge lacking'

Siti Zailah also urged Muslim women not to be fooled by "ignorant leaders", saying any dispute over Islamic legal provisions must be properly discussed at length based on the Quran, Hadith (traditions of the Prophet) and consultations with ulamak (religious scholars).

"It is unfortunate that we have such leaders who claim that Malaysia is an Islamic country and at the same time, attempt to speak on Islamic rules and laws when they have little knowledge of Islamic studies. This is like an accountant questioning a surgeon about practical procedures of surgery," she said.

She explained that the disputed sections on sodomy do not automatically give any husband the right to sodomise his wife.

"It explains that the hudud law is not applicable to a husband who is still legally married to the woman - which means that if there is an allegation of sodomy, he must be tried under Ta'zir (man-made laws) and not under hudud," she said.

'Belated criticism'

Muslimat central committee member Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said there was nothing genuine in Umno criticism of the law, and that it was a political gimmick which had nothing to do with protecting the rights of women.

"Why raise the issue now, almost 10 years after the code was enacted? It shows that he (Zaid) is not sincere and merely wants to politicise the issue, nothing more. There is no genuine sincerity to resolve the issue," she said when contacted.

She said such statements only showed Zaid's own weakness on the issue and that the lawyer had failed to read the provisions together with other provisions in the Syariah criminal code.

"It order to make a correct interpretation, one cannot look at the particular sections in a restrictive manner. These cannot be read separately, but in harmony with the whole Islamic constitution. Islamic laws is not just for punishment, it's about justice and doing what is right," she said.

She said that the criminal code is not the only avenue for a wife to seek justice, since Islamic family law also protects the rights of married women.

"If the wife is sodomised by her husband with force, there is an avenue for her to seek justice through the family court. In Islam, marriage is a partnership. So, if a husband sodomises or rapes his wife, then there is something wrong with their marriage," she added.

"When there is no more partnership, the marriage becomes irreconcilable. Some women feel that lodging a police report will not do them or their families any good. (They feel) it is better for them to immediately seek a divorce. So you do have other avenues to seek justice..not just criminal laws."