Umno minister Nazri Abdul Aziz is clearly "confused" when he said it is stupid to discuss the implementation of the hudud due to the law’s unconstitutionality, PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar said.

Mahfuz says the implementation only requires an amendment to the Syariah Courts Act 1965 (Act 355), which needs backing of the majority of the House.

"Clearly Nazri (right) , as a member of cabinet, is confused or was not informed on the steps taken by PAS and the Kelantan government to ensure the legality of the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II (Amendment 2015) 1993 [...]

"This has been agreed upon by the National Hudud Technical Committee involving members of the federal and Kelantan governments and by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom.

"As a minister and senior politician, Nazri should have obtained information from Jamil Khir first so he doesn’t look out of touch," Mahfuz said in a statement.

The federal constitution states that criminal justice falls under federal jurisdiction, but the Syariah Court is under state jurisdiction.

Act 355 limits state syariah laws from handing down punishments exceeding three years' jail, RM5,000 fine and six strokes of the rotan.

Punishments under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II (Amendment 2015) 1993 include death and amputation.

'PM chaired meeting'

Mahfuz said that since Act 355 is a federal law, the federal government should be the one tabling the amendment.

"Sadly, as per Jamil Khir’s reply in Parliament (yesterday), the federal government still fails to do so even though the Federal Islamic Affairs Meeting on Dec 15, 2014 chaired by the prime minister himself agreed that Act 355 should be amended," he said.

Mahfuz Omar, who is Pokok Sena MP, was ejected from the House last week after repeatedly trying to ask Jamil Khir as to why the government did not follow on was agreed upon in the technical committee.

Jamil Khir told the House the government did not bring the proposed hudud amendments to the Conference of Rulers.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang earlier this month submitted a private member’s bill seeking the amendment, but has yet to hear back from the Dewan Rakyat speaker on this.

BN has not made a public stand on how it will vote on the hudud, although it held a meeting on this on March 19, the same day the Kelantan amending bill was passed.

MCA and Gerakan, who have seven and two MPs respectively have been vocal against the hudud but Umno MPs who hold 88 seats are at odds with each other about it.

PAS' decision to push for the hudud without Pakatan Rakyat buy in has prompted DAP to cut ties with Hadi.

In a statement today, PAS' Dewan Ulama said PAS has since 1990 attempted to engage hudud opponents in intellectual discourse.

However, its information chief Khairuddin Aman Razali (left) said these critics refuse to see the light.

As such, the Kuala Nerus MP said, now is the time for PAS to stop talking and act on the matter.

"Let's not trust others continue our struggle. Those who want to help are welcomed but it is fine if they don't [...]

"We don't force them to agree, in fact, we respect their right to disagree. But our struggle and work to spread the mission continues," he said in a statement.

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