Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin today likened the Malaysian Islamic Development Department's (Jakim) support for hudud law to the agency being entrapped in the political ploy between Umno and PAS.

“If at all Jakim supports this move (hudud), it should have not openly stated it as there is no sincerity on both PAS and Umno’s side as they are in a political rivalry to seek for the support of the people in Kelantan.

“Jakim’s support is driven by its disappointment without thinking about Umno’s dignity and the political as well as social impact that would be faced by BN,” he penned in his blog today.

Earlier today, the Malaysian Insider had reported that Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha supported the bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom had agreed to it.

To this, Zainuddin, or better known as Zam ( pix above ), said Jakim should not take into consideration Khir’s approval of hudud as the “final stand of the BN government” on the matter.

Zam opined that Jakim as a government religious institution should be “free from being caught up in dirty political games” between parties.

Taking a jibe at current Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Zam pointed out that under former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s iron fisted rule, the question of implementing hudud did not arise at all.

'People confused'

“Under Mahathir, on the principle of a multiracial community, Umno opposed hudud. However under Najib, the people have become confused. Najib’s liberalism is now obscured by hudud,” the Umno veteran wrote.

The PAS-led Kelantan state government in March went ahead and tabled amendments to the state's Syariah Criminal Code 1993 Enactment, despite objections from its Pakatan Rakyat allies DAP and PKR.

The amendments were unanimously passed ( pix, above ).

A private member's bill was also tabled by the Islamist party’s president Abdul Hadi Awang during the last Parliament sitting.

However, the bill was last on the order paper and did not see the light of day.

The bill sought to amend the federal Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 which would then allow Kelantan to fully implement hudud law after amending its state law earlier.