PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has likened stealing to a disease that can only amputation of limbs under hudud law can cure.

Using the analogy of diabetes, he questioned why nobody criticises doctors for committing an act of cruelty when they amputate to cure the patients.

He told this to some 300 at a Malay majority housing area at Rancangan Perumahan Awam 4 (RPA4), Kuala Kangar on the eve of twin by-election nomination last night.

"The amputation of hands that is feared by the people, is in fact God's mercy to cure the human disease, as stealing is a bad community disease," he said.

"To steal someone’s hard earned property, just like that, you can’t, this is a disease," he stressed.

"The scabies of a diabetes patient person will spread to the other limbs without his or her leg being amputated. So the doctor is committed to save the patients' other limbs by amputating (the infected leg)," he said.

"Here nobody questions if the doctors have committed an act of cruelty, " he added.

"To amputate a hand is to scare the thief, because no other laws can cure the disease of stealing except amputation of limbs," he claimed.

‘Prisons training ground for theft’

Hadi said thieves would steal again once released from prison, claiming prisons are where thieves master their skills, as they (thieves) would meet and learn from one another.

Moreover, he claimed that a thief’s family – their spouse and children – would become thieves as well and ultimately cause social ills.

Hadi, however, claimed amputation as stipulated under hudud law would not be applied easily due to strict conditions.

He implied that Act 355 or Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, which he sought to amend with his Private Member’s Bill, would not allow amputation of limbs to be implemented.

The amendments are merely meant to enhance the status of the syariah court, he stressed.

He repeated claims the matter only concerns Muslim generally, and therefore DAP has no business in opposing the bill.

Hadi, who is Marang MP, also expressed his puzzlement with Amanah, which he claimed seems to oppose the bill.

He, however, said the two parties have until October to prepare their debate in opposing the bill, to which PAS will soon respond.

Bill ‘for all states’

When met later, Hadi declined to respond to Umno minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, who yesterday joked Kelantan needs the bill as the PAS-led state has plenty of crime as compared to other states.

"I don't want to entertain (him). This is not only for Kelantan, but for Perak too...for all," he told Malaysiakini.

"I don't need to answer this," said Hadi.

Nazri, who is Padang Rengas MP, hails from Perak.

The minister claimed Kelantan wants to implement harsher syariah laws because the Muslims there are not afraid of existing punishments.

The hudud issue returned to the spotlight after a motion by Hadi to table his bill to increase the syariah courts’ punishments limit was fast tracked on the final day of Parliament.

The amendments sought are necessary to allow for the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.

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