Terengganu Menteri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang announced today that the state Syariah Criminal Enactment (Hudud and Qisas) will be gazetted next month and enforced immediately.

According to a Bernama report, the PAS president said the enactment which was passed by the state assembly last year had received the royal assent from Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.

He added that the enactment would be gazetted before Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad retires at the end of next month.

"The enactment is in the process of being gazetted, God Willing, it will be gazetted in October," he said.

The enactment was passed by the state assembly on July 8 last year after receiving 28 out of 32 votes.

PAS has 28 seats in the state assembly. The four opposition seats are held by Umno representatives, three of whom abstained from voting while the fourth was not in the room during the vote count.

Controversial law

The bill criminalises theft, robbery, extramarital sex, liquor consumption, apostasy and armed rebellion. However, two controversial provisions calling for lashing or death by stoning for a woman who makes a false rape accusation, were deleted.

Despite the latest development, the federal government could still block the law under its constitutional powers.

Federal law currently restricts syariah courts from imposing sentences exceeding three years' jail, RM5,000 fine or six strokes of the rotan.

In 1993, PAS tried to impose Syariah criminal laws in neighbouring Kelantan, which it also controls, but the move was vetoed by the federal government.

On the enforcement of the law, Abdul Hadi said the courts, prosecution and enforcers would be the main elements in the implementation of the enactment.

New appointments

He said the state government was restructuring the courts, including making new appointments and training syariah judges in foreign countries on the implementation of the law.

He said syariah high court judges would be appointed from among the experienced ones.

The menteri besar added that the police would be vested with powers to investigate and assist the People's Consultative Committee in carrying out operations while the syariah high court will determine the offences.

Abdul Hadi said the state government was prepared to explain to the police if it was deemed necessary by the authorities.