Now that PAS has gone public that it will table amendments in Parliament to enable the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, all eyes are trained on how Muslim MPs would vote.

One such MP - DAP’s Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari - is making his stand clear: he is voting ‘no’.

Zairil’s nay is based on both his party’s stand on the matter, as well as his personal position.

"I would not vote for the hudud bill. I am bound by the party stand," he told Malaysiakini .

As far as the personal is concerned, for Zairil, the hudud enactment doesn't fit in Malaysian society, which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious.    

"Even if it was my personal stand, I will not vote for the syariah enactment (to be able to be implemented) in Kelantan as it's not a very well-mooted bill and doesn't suit the Malaysian context," he added.

When asked to clarify whether he will vote to oppose or abstain, Zairil said: “It depends on the party’s instruction and strategy. At the end of the day, I will not vote for it.”

Stand under scrutiny

The first-term lawmaker is one of two Muslim parliamentarians from DAP. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz ( right ), the other MP, is not reachable at the moment.

Their position came under scrutiny after Gerakan demanded DAP and PKR Muslim MPs to make a clear stand how they would vote should the amendment be tabled in Parliament.

PKR has 16 Muslim MPs in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.

Muslim MPs make up 61 percent - or 136 seats - in the Dewan, and should all of them vote in support, it is enough to obtain a simple majority to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

The Act currently limits punishments imposed by the syariah court to no more than three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to RM5,000, and six strokes of rotan for certain offences.

Removing the limits will allow the syariah court to mete out some - but not all - of the punishments under Kelantan's hudud enactment, which among others, include stoning to death and up to 80 lashings.

However, some constitutional experts have argued that it would require a constitutional amendment to allow hudud to be implemented.

DAP has consistently opposed Kelantan's hudud implementation, stressing it is against Pakatan Rakyat's consensus and common policy.