Anifah welcomes govt’s decision not to table Hadi’s bill

Foreign minister himself is opposed to the shariah act amendments, saying it could affect the peace and harmony of Sabah.

PETALING JAYA: Foreign Minister Anifah Aman welcomes Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement that the government will not be taking over and tabling the private member’s bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act.

“The announcement will surely allay the fears of those who had concerns over the implications of the bill,” he told FMT.

Anifah, who is Kimanis MP, had previously voiced his opposition to the amendments, saying it could affect the peace and harmony in Sabah.

He said Najib’s announcement reaffirmed the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) commitment to the spirit of consensus within the coalition.

“More importantly, to Sabahans and Sarawakians, it shows the BN is committed to respecting and honouring the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.”

“I am confident that the BN government will continue to push policies that reflect our aspirations of moderation and that ensure justice and fairness for all Malaysians.”

Last night, Najib announced that the government was abandoning plans to take over and table the private member’s bill which was first tabled last year by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

The bill is aimed at increasing the maximum punishments for shariah offences to 30 years’ jail, 100 lashes of the cane, and RM100,000 for fines.

Not long back, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the federal government would take over and table the bill.

Apart from those in the opposition that have vehemently objected to the bill, several BN component parties objected to the bill as well, which some interpreted as a way to introduce hudud law in Malaysia. -FMT