Nancy: No need to expand Shariah court powers

Federal minister upholds Sarawak stand and warns of conflict with Constitution and human rights.

KUCHING: Federal minister Nancy Shukri has stood firm against expanding the punitive powers of state Shariah courts as being unconstitutional and a potential violation of human rights.

Current laws were sufficient to deter crime, said Nancy, whose portfolio as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department covers legal affairs.

“I have to consistently stay with the Sarawak leaders and the state government’s decision that we are not going to support that sort of proposal, whether they call it hudud or not,” she told reporters here today after attending Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s supreme council meeting.

“We already have sufficient Shariah law. There is no need to have a new one, or to increase what we already have, which we don’t really even implement it,” she said.

She said there was a possibility of conflict with the Federal Constitution, especially with regards to human rights.

While Shariah was under state jurisdiction, Islamic authorities in Sarawak must give consideration to the state’s multi-ethnic, multi-religious nature.

Nancy, who is Batang Sadong MP, saw no need to increase punitive measures on Sarawak Muslims from the current limit of six strokes.

Telang Usan state assemblyman Dennis Ngau thanked PBB chairman Adenan Satem, who is Sarawak chief minister, for making a stand against imposing hudud Islamic criminal penalties.

“As a Christian, and representing the Christian community, we support what Adenan has said.” He praised Adenan for understanding Sarawak’s diverse background. “It has been the way we live in Sarawak,” said Ngau, a Christian from the minority Orang Ulu group.

Christians form 46 percent of Sarawak’s population, according to the 2010 census.