Since PAS is not a member of the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition, holding snap polls in Selangor will be risky, according to Amanah communications director Khalid Samad.

"The problem is PAS. Because of PAS, we can't be sure that we can achieve our goal (of retaining Selangor in the snap polls).

"We have to do some numbers crunching first," he told a press conference at the Amanah headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Yesterday, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang had suggested that snap polls be held in Selangor in response to the redelineation exercise by the Election Commission.

However, Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali later ruled out the need for snap polls in the state, explaining that he cannot betray the mandate given by the people of Selangor during the last general election.

Amanah also reiterated their calls for PAS to explain their proposed amendments to Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as Act 355.

"We asked to be given an explanation on Sept 6, but until now there has been no explanation," Khalid said.

They have four questions they want PAS, specifically PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, to answer:

  1. What is to be strengthened?
     
  2. Why replace the entire Section 2 of the Act?
     
  3. Why does Section 2(a) not state the limit and type of punishments?
     
  4. What are the effects of these amendments to the syariah courts?

'We don't understand them'

Hadi's draft Private Member's Bill, seeks to replace in total Section 2 of Act 355 and insert an additional Section 2A.

"It's not that we don't support (the amendments), it's that we don't understand them," Khalid said.

As they had previously asked Hadi to explain the same things in another press conference on Sept 6, Khalid said maybe Hadi has not seen their questions yet.

That is why this time, Amanah will also be sending a letter to the PAS headquarters addressed to the party's secretary-general as well as the president.

Amanah is also giving Hadi until the end of this month to answer their questions although Khalid conceded that if it doesn't happen, "the world will still go on".

Act 355 now restricts syariah courts to dole out punishments of up to three years in jail, six strokes of the rotan and maximum fine of RM5,000.

If passed, Hadi's Bill would allow the syariah courts to mete out other punishments, including those defined in the Islamic Penal Code.

Amanah had previously been accused of objecting to the proposed amendments under the influence of its Pakatan Harapan coalition partners, particularly the DAP.