The passing of the hudud bill by the Kelantan state assembly yesterday demonstrates the state's disregard for the Federal Constitution, the Bar Council said today.

Council chairperson Steven Thiru said the country’s constitution was secular, under which Muslims and non-Muslims must be treated equally under the law.

"The Syariah Criminal Code (II) (1993) 2015 Enactment goes against the secular structure of our Federal Constitution.

"(It) does not envisage a theocratic Islamic state, or a parallel criminal justice system where Muslims and non-Muslims are subjected to unequal treatment before the law," Thiru ( left ) said in his first written statement as the head of the Bar Council.

He added that it was not what Malaysia's founding fathers had in mind when they framed the constitution.

Citing several clashes between the Syariah Criminal Code and the constitution and other federal laws, including the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, Thiru said the Kelantan hudud bill should be repealed.

"The Malaysian Bar calls upon the Kelantan state assembly to respect and abide by the Federal Constitution, and repeal the Syariah Criminal Code (II) (1993) 2015 Enactment immediately," he said.

However, PAS has already submitted a notice to table a Private Member's Bill in the current session of Parliament 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 the rotan for certain offences.

Removing the limits would allow the syariah court to mete out punishments according to Kelantan's hudud legislation, which among others, includes stoning to death and up to 80 lashings for offences under syariah law.