PAS MUKTAMAR | PAS Youth hopes that amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, known simply as Act 355, will be tabled in the upcoming Dewan Rakyat sitting.

The next sitting is slated to run from Nov 2 to Dec 15.

Speaking during the PAS Youth muktamar (general assembly), party wing chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin (above) said he had communicated this aspiration to de facto Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri in a July 28 meeting.

He had mooted amending Act 355 as one of the five ways to push PAS Youth to the fore of the political landscape.

“I stressed that Act 355 should be tabled and discussed during the next Dewan Rakyat sitting,” he said in Kota Bharu this morning.

Amending Act 355 is often used by PAS as a rallying point for its supporters.

Colloquially referred to as the “Hudud bill”, it is deemed controversial as it could pave the way for the Islamic penal code to be partially implemented in Kelantan. The PAS-governed state already has an enactment to the effect.

Back in May 2016, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang proposed a private member’s bill to amend the act to remove limits on punishments but this was rejected by the then BN administration.

He later proposed a revised version of the Bill where penalties were to be capped at 30 years jail, a RM100,000 fine, and 100 strokes of the rotan.

The current limits are three years jail, a RM5,000 fine, and six strokes.

Despite being tabled in 2017, the Bill has never been debated after the Dewan Rakyat postponed it several times.

Now in the federal government, PAS is under pressure to ensure the Bill is passed.

During the last Dewan Rakyat sitting, Zulkifli hoped that Act 355 would be amended in his lifetime but noted that due process needed to be followed.

His deputy Ahmad Marzuk Shaary similarly said that any amendments must be in line with the Federal Constitution.

Tabung Haji RCI, transgender rehab

During his speech, Khairil shared that he proposed a module and experts for “holistic tarbiyah (education) and rehabilitation” programmes for transgender people during his meeting with Zulkifli.

“PAS Youth represents Muafakat Nasional Youth in stressing that the government expedites the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the Tabung Haji issue.

“PAS Youth also calls for more serious and comprehensive attention to be given to dakwah (evangelism) efforts and Muslim welfare in Sabah and Sarawak,” he added.

Zulkifli previously said that Perikatan Nasional was considering the need for an RCI into the alleged mismanagement of Tabung Haji funds. - Mkini