Hadi tables Hudud bill

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pix) today tabled a Private Member's Bill in the Dewan Rakyat pertaining to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016.
The Marang MP said the Bill sought to amend Section 2 of the Act to state that the Syariah Courts will have jurisdiction over Muslims, and in the case of offences on matters listed in Item 1 of the State List under the ninth schedule of Federal Laws.
He said it was also to include Section 2A, which states that in the conduct of criminal law under Section 2A, the Syariah Courts have the right to impose penalties allowed by Syariah laws related to offences listed in the said section, in addition to the death penalty.
Abdul Hadi then proposed, under Rule 15(5), that the Bill be debated at the next meeting of the Dewan Rakyat.
Met at the lobby later, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng questioned the government's decision to prioritise the private member's bill on Hudud over government matters in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said this was a clear sign of collaboration between Pas and Umno and asked if it's related to the impending Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.
This shows that there is some form of cooperation between Pas and Umno. I don't know if this is related to the by-elections," Guan Eng told a press conference in Parliament's lobby.
Regardless, the Bagan MP who is also the Penang Chief Minister, said, this is definitely a political ploy to further divide an already fractured Opposition.
Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said the party will vehemently oppose the bill during the next parliament sitting as it is unconstitutional.
Amanah communications director Khalid Samad also questioned why was the bill pushed forward but not debated.
Khalid said the bill could have been submitted and pushed forward by the government during the next parliament sitting, with the only difference being the by-elections would have been over.
PKR vice-president N. Surendran noted that the government had only pushed forward the first reading of the bill and it remains to be seen if they will do the same for the second reading and debate.
Minister in Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said he was taken aback by the government's decision to prioritise the bill.
However, Kurup said, the postponed second reading and debate will give the government time to prepare.