Kelantan Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob has described opponents of a Bill to amend the Syariah Criminal Code (II) Enactment 1993 as " golongan yang tidak beriman (heathens)".

In tabling the Bill at the Kelantan state assembly today, he said critics had claimed that the enactment was "cruel and inhumane".

"This is a wild allegation by the heathens," he said.

Ahmad also assured that the law would not be applied on non-Muslims.

"I would like to clarify that this enactment can only be enforced on Muslims - the mukalaf (accountable ones) who violate the enactment in this state.

"This means, the law cannot be applied on non-Muslims," he stressed.

He added that hudud could not be enforced on non-Muslims even if they wanted to.

The menteri besar also stressed that implementing hudud in the state had nothing to do with politics, as alleged by certain quarters.

“It is related with taking care of amanah (trust) given by Allah,” he said.

When debating the Bill later, PAS Tawang assemblyperson Hassan Mohamood ( left ), who gave his support for the Bill, pointed out that implementing hudud was one of the demands and obligations determined by Allah to all (Muslim) leaders.

“It is the responsibility of all leaders to implement hudud,” he said.

He added that they wanted to practice hudud just like how they had practised other aspects of Islamic teachings such as praying and going for haj.

“Non-Muslims practice their teachings, pray to their gods. So why are non-Muslims against the implementation of hudud?” he asked.

The Tawang assemblyperson added that some of the reasons why the state government had planned to implement hudud was to “free themselves from foreign laws”.

“How can we, as Muslims, practice teachings which are not Islamic?”

Commenting on one of the major obstacles in implementing hudud, Hassan lamented that this was due to the attitude of leaders in the country.

“Just look at the goods and services tax (GST). They have no problems in implementing that.”

This was echoed by his party colleague Melor assemblyperson Dr Md Yusnan Yusof, who said that hudud could not be implemented in the state earlier due to the lack of political will on the part of the country’s leaders.

“But looking at Umno’s reaction today, it’s proof of our unity on the matter,” he said.

Umno’s Kok Lanas assemblyperson Md Alwi Che Ahmad had earlier given his support over the implementation of hudud, and even choked up on tears on a number of times due to being “overwhelmed”.