Muftis meeting with Hadi better than debate, says PAS info chief

It is better for muftis from all states to meet with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on planned amendment to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) instead of a one-on-one debate, said a party leader.

Thus, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan said a debate between Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and Hadi was unnecessary.

"The objective is so that the muftis get a direct explanation from the person responsible for bringing the private member's bill to amend Act 355, and then have a dialogue and simultaneously streamline the understanding, decisions, and actions of the muftis in Malaysia," Nasrudin said in a statement today.

Yesterday Mohd Asri said he was prepared to debate with Hadi on the amendments if the latter was agreeable to it.

This was after PAS Ulama information chief Khairuddin Aman Razali said any mufti who did not see the amendments as religiously compulsory should have their head "knocked".

Khairuddin and Asri had met this morning at the latter's home, and the mufti said they had a cordial discussion about each other's views.

The Perlis mufti had previously said that amendments to Act 355 were not a priority, as there were other more pressing issues plaguing Muslims.

Hadi is seeking to raise the punishment cap for syariah offences to 30 years' jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the cane instead.

The current syariah punishment cap is three years’ imprisonment, RM5,000 fine and six strokes of the cane.- Mkini