Those campaigning against moral policing have been warned by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang that their action is against the Federal Constitution.

"It is devoid of positive implications other than promoting chaos among the Muslim community," he said in a statement today.

He also expressed his concern on the memorandum issued by 50 non-governmental organisations and 200 individuals recently which states that "the state's role in defining and controlling the morality of its citizens and its use of punitive religious and municipal laws".

"This memorandum is viewed as efforts to repeal the provisions in the Syariah and municipal laws and (such act) has potential to provoke chaos.

"PAS would like to remind all parties that Article 9 of the constitution clearly states that the Syariah enactments are under the jurisdiction of the state which puts the Malay Sultans as the keepers and custodians of Islam," he said.

Hadi also viewed with concern that the memorandum was not only supported by the parliamentary caucus on human rights but also ministers.

"I call on the government to seriously consider the negative implications that would surface if the memorandum is supported as it would have a direct impact on the people's religious and social values which could be devastating considering the current moral decay among youth and increasing crime rate," he said.

He also urged the NGOs and individuals concerned to review their campaign which clearly contradicts the constitution that allows the practice of certain aspects of Islamic laws and moral principles among Muslims.

"While PAS is ever willing to dialogue with any groups on issues of the concept of civil society relating to moral policing in Islam, we will not compromise our stand to defend Islam which is already sidelined in the constitution."

Flawed conception

Several Umno and Gerakan parliamentarians approved the memorandum when the group went to Parliament last week. Among the more notable ones were Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Dr Rais Yatim and Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said.

On Jan 20, about 100 Muslims, including scores of women, were detained by the Federal Territory Religious Department (Jawi) following a raid on a popular entertainment outlet in Kuala Lumpur.

The matter made headlines after those detained accused the Jawi officers of making lewd remarks and even preventing one female detainee from using the toilet.

Keadilan Youth vice chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin agreed with the sentiments of the PAS president, saying that the present campaigning against moral policing is based on a flawed and misguided conception of personal and public morality.

"While we affirm our commitment to fundamental individual liberties - which include but not limited to one's right to privacy and freedom of speech and expression - we hold the view that, in one's public life, prudent judgement should be exercised in balancing personal with public morality," he said in a statement.

He said while the application of exercising personal morality is best left to an individual conscience and belief, the state and the civil society have collective responsibility to uphold public morality.

Speaking on the same issue, senior Syariah lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah told malaysiakini that omitting Islamic teachings on public morality as opposed to private morality is akin to depriving the religion of an important pillar.

"You take away that part (teachings on public morality) and you will eventually destroy Islam as a whole."

He argued that if religion is one reason why people fear committing crimes, then there is all the more reason to strengthen that religious basis of law rather than weaken it.