Hudud not part of Pakatan’s common policy, says Azmin

PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali says social and economic issues had precedence over hudud. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, December 23, 2014.

Hudud has never been part of Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) common policy framework, PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali said today, in a reminder that such issues should be discussed first by the coalition's presidential council.

The Selangor menteri besar told reporters today that PR had agreed that their common policies, which covered social and economic issues, took precedence over the Islamic criminal law.

"Hudud is not a PR common policy. No proposals were brought to Parliament. It was never discussed in the PR Presidential Council," said Azmin.

"PR will focus on issues included in the Maqassid Shariah, or the highest objectives of the Shariah, which are economic, social and safety issues. The big issues that must be resolved according to Islam.

"This has been agreed among the major clerics of the world, not just the country. This is the stand we have taken not just today, but several years ago."

The PAS-led Kelantan government is to hold a special sitting of its legislative assembly on December 29 to amend its Islamic enactments.

Once passed, this will pave the way for PAS to table a private member's bill in Parliament to implement the Islamic penal code in the state.

The bill will need a simple majority of 112 lawmakers supporting it in order for it to be passed and can be tabled once the Kelantan assembly passes the amendment to its Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II.

- TMI