Letters - Disquiet over Hadi’s bill

"HADI tables hudud bill" (News, May 27) refers. We have read and heard statements that the private member's bill will not affect non-Muslims.
The key concerns are about its legal and constitutional aspects. If hudud is implemented, it will affect all Malaysians including non-Muslims. There will be inequality of laws and this is clearly disallowed by the Federal Constitution.
More importantly the supreme law does not allow other legislations to encroach into the offences provided in the federal law ie Penal Code. Offences and punishments such as rape, theft are covered in the Penal Code.
So the bill though it seems to enlarge the jurisdiction of the syariah court is actually a colour-able legislation to allow hudud to be implemented through the back door.
What if a victim in a rape case is a non-Muslim and the rapist is a Muslim, which law applies? If the rapist is a non-Muslim; will there be justice?
Same goes for theft or robbery, do we expect non-Muslim victims to lodge a report with authorities handling Islamic affairs and subsequently subject to the syariah court?
Insurance laws will never recognise hudud, so for personal injury claims in a road accident, the non-Muslim insured will not be covered if the other party is a Muslim and sues under the enactment.
Andy Yong
National Deputy Youth Chief
Gerakan