KUALA KANGSAR POLLS PAS has challenged both the BN and Parti Amanah Negara candidates in Kuala Kangsar to state their respective stands on the amendments sought by their president Abdul Hadi Awang's Private Member’s Bill.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man speaking in Kuala Kangsar last night said BN's Mastura Mohd Yazid and Amanah's Ahmad Termizi Ramli should make their stand known now.

The amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, or Act 355, is said to be aimed at strengthening the power of the syariah court, but will effectively remove federal obstacles to implementing hudud in Kelantan.

PAS Kuala Kangsar candidate Najihatussalehah Ahmad yesterday declared she will vote for the bill in Parliament if she wins.

Following this, Tuan Ibrahim said, "the voters need to know what their stands on the bill are," adding the voters were waiting for their responses.

He claimed PAS's research has shown 83 percent of Malay respondents agreed with the bill.

"If these candidates fail to convince the voters, then voters should vote for PAS' candidate," he said.

Tuan Ibrahim reiterated the party's claims the bill has nothing to do with the Chinese as it concerns Islamic laws.

Najihatussalehah yesterday said as a Muslim, she had an obligation to support the effort to strengthen the syariah court.

BN fast tracked bill

Hadi's bill on Act 355 was again tabled in Parliament on May 26, the last day of the sitting, after having been skipped in the previous two sittings

Umno minister Azalina Othman Said surprised the House by moving a motion to bring the bill forward, claiming she was instructed by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to do so.

Following the outcry, PAS and Hadi repeatedly told the people that the bill had nothing to do with hudud's implementation.

The bill, if passed in Parliament, will allow Kelantan to implement hudud partially as the syariah court will then be allowed to impose all the hudud penalties except the death sentence.

Currently, the syariah court’s powers limit it to imposing a maximum three years’ jail sentence, RM5,000 fine and six strokes of the cane.

Critics of the parliamentary manoeuvre claim it is an election strategy for the twin by-elections in Sungai Bear and Kuala Kangsar.