Kelantan PAS welcomed the statement by Prime Minister Najib Razak this week that the federal government has never rejected or prevented the implementation of hudud, the Islamic penal code.

Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said Najib's statement was a positive development and would pave the way for the state to implement hudud.

He hoped it would also facilitate the state government to table the motion on the Private Member's Bill on hudud at the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

The statement also gave PAS the assurance that Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers in Parliament, especially from Umno, would support the motion, he said after opening Medan Ilmu at the Lilbanat Darulnaim Orphanage in Banggol Judah, Machang, yesterday.

On Thursday, Najib said the federal government had never rejected hudud as the divine law, but many issues and obstacles needed to be addressed before the Islamic law could be implemented in this country.

The Kelantan PAS government is hoping that the motion on the hudud Bill will be approved to allow for the implementation of the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (2) 1993 in the state by December, the latest.

- Bernama