Hadi accuses 'mastermind' of blocking Act 355 bill

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has claimed there is a mastermind who is trying to stop the tabling of his private member's bill from becoming reality, according to Berita Harian today.

“We will face any obstacles whatsoever (to push for the bill to be tabled), and we know who the ones who are posing the obstacles are," the Malay daily reported him saying.

However he did not elaborate on the matter or the individual's identity.

The PAS president said the party will persevere with its stand to table the amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdictions) Act, or Act 355, in Parliament, after BN decided not to table it in an about turn this week.

Hadi said the decision to table and debate his bill now rests with the Dewan speaker.

“According to the standing orders, (the private member's bill on) Act 355 can be tabled and debated after government matters.

“However the government can give the opportunity for it to be tabled at any time," Berita Harian reported him saying after delivering a talk at Masjid Rusila in Marang last night.

'Non-Muslims must respect constitution'

The PAS president urged all Muslim MPs to support his bill and non- Muslim MPs to respect the federal constitution.

“The federal constitution says this is a matter related to Islam only,” he was reported as saying.

Today, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi indicated government matters will be taking precedence in the current parliamentary sitting.

“We will leave it to the speaker to allow the tabling (of the bill) after all government business has concluded.

“That means on the last day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting on April 6, after all government business has concluded, only then (would) private member’s bills (be tabled),” said Zahid, adding he is confident the bill would not come up for a vote at this sitting.

The bill was originally conceived after Kelantan passed its hudud enactment in 2015, as a move to remove federal obstacles to the state's implementation of the Islamic penal code.

Najib last year ordered the motion on the bill to be moved up the order paper, to the surprise of BN component parties who are vehemently opposed to hudud.

Subsequently he announced at the Umno general assembly last November the government would take over the tabling of Hadi's bill, a move which was suddenly aborted on Wednesday night.- Mkini