PAS: Act 355 amendment will soon reach 'the desired conclusion'

 

After a long campaign to introduce the hudud law, PAS indicated that its efforts to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) to enable the implementation of hudud will soon have a happy ending.

Kelantan PAS deputy commissioner III Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said a minister has informed the party of this matter.

“We have reached stage 15 out of 24, and God willing, I have received news from a minister that the Act 355 amendment will soon reach the conclusion that we desire,” Mohamed Fadzli (centre in photo, above) said.

The Kelantan exco member said PAS has often been mocked for no longer being seen as outspoken, compared to when the party was in the opposition.

He said PAS held rallies in the past to lobby for the Act 355 amendment bill because it was then out of government and out of power.

“Yes, what we could do as an opposition party is to hold rallies.

“Now, as a government, we no longer need to hold rallies because we are in power.

“When in power, we also hold the minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) post, and we see even wider powers,” he said.

Mohamed Fadzli said this at a forum in Kota Bharu yesterday, when answering a question from a member of the audience.

He was present as a panellist alongside Prime Minister’s Department special task officer Nurhafilah Musa.

According to Mohamed Fadzli, the federal government is currently trying to harmonise syariah law and civil law.

He said there are many changes that need to be made, apart from Act 355.

“We find that qisas (retribution in kind) and takzir (discretion-based judgement) are already in Malaysian law, within state criminal enactments as well as the Penal Code.

“What is left is to make improvements to the penalties so that these are in line with Islam, that’s all… not something so alien.

“Why did it become so alien? Because, for too long, we have hung onto laws inherited from the West to the point we have forgotten ourselves,” said the Temangan assemblyperson.

---

Meanwhile, Nurhafilah said the federal government needs to be prepared in every aspect before the Act 355 amendment bill is passed in the Dewan Rakyat, lest Kelantan would be left in dismay.

“The government is quite close. actually, so if we (state governments) are not ready, we’re afraid the people will hijack it halfway and everyone will be disappointed.

“If people scheme to see Islam fall, then we must work harder to have strategies to uphold Islam,” she said.

Nurhafilah (on right in photo at the top) added that the government wants to ensure that all MPs would agree with the amendment when it is tabled.

“That’s because it is not just about hudud, the issue is the empowerment of Syariah courts.

“So, Act 355 is not merely a political struggle, but the struggle of Muslims who love Islam and to ensure the Syariah Court’s position is strengthened,” she said. - Mkini