DAP, PKR and PAS central committees must take firm action against Kelantan PAS if they decide to ignore the decision made by the Pakatan leadership council and table the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II (1993) 2015 in this week’s state assembly sitting.

 

DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke ( left ) said Kelantan PAS had taken everyone by surprise by presenting a whole new bill instead of a few minor amendments as originally stated.

 

“In a meeting chaired by PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Kedah state representative Takiyuddin Hassan had presented the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II (1993) 2015 with 71 clauses and four schedules.

 

“This came as a shock to DAP and PKR representatives, because it was not an amendment to the Syariah criminal code but rather an entirely new draft that covers every aspect of the bill,” he said in a statement today.

 

He added any tabling of bills must receive the consultation and consensus of the Pakatan council above all.

 

Loke, who is also Seremban MP said in the council meeting on Feb 8 with Pakatan’s leadership last chaired by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Kelantan deputy menteri besar Nik Amar Nik Abdullah reported that the state would only make a few minor amendments to the criminal code first passed in the 90s.

 

According to Loke, PAS president Hadi Awang at the meeting agreed to present the draft bill once more in a months' time.

 

‘Kelantan deliberately misled Pakatan’

 

“(Upon viewing the revision) PKR and DAP reps protested that it wasn't an amendment,  but instead it was a new bill altogether.

 

“This showed that Nik Amar was being insincere and had deliberately misled Pakatan's leadership council on Feb 8,” Loke said.

 

PAS Kelantan must explain to the masses why an enactment that was already passed in 1993 needs to be presented once again in 2015, he said.

 

“Does this mean that the Syariah criminal code did not exist this whole time?” he asked.

 

He said DAP stands firm on its views that it does not support the implementation of hudud as it contradicts the federal constitution.

 

“So why is PAS Kelantan so hastily trying to implement it and fall into Umno's trap of breaking up the coalition?” he asked.

 

If Kelantan decides to table the new bill this Wednesday, March 18 during the assembly sitting, it would mean PAS Kelantan has violated the trust given to PAS within the Pakatan framework, he said.

 

He called on the Pakatan leadership to take stern action if PAS Kelantan refuses to back down and insists on tabling the new syariah bill.