The proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 may still face hurdles even if passed by Parliament, according to former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim.

Mohd Sheriff said if the proposed amendment is implemented, it could run afoul of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.

“If there is hudud, it would be implemented at the state level, because the administration (of religious matters) is under state jurisdiction.

“When each state metes out different punishments, the people will be exposed to different forms of justice.

“This is against Article 8,” he said at a speech at the annual Malaysia Freedom Summit organised by the Institute for Leadership and Development Studies in Petaling Jaya today...