Kelantan to go ahead with hudud

By Sulaiman Jaafar, NST

KOTA BARU: Kelantan is ready to implement hudud without getting the approval from the Federal Government.

However, Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said yesterday that it would take some time before this could be realised.

Nik Aziz, who is Pas spiritual adviser, said a special committee would be formed soon to ensure that the process of implementation was done smoothly.

“The committee will undertake the task of how to gazette (the laws), the appointment of judges and various other matters while all technical matters will be undertaken by officers.

“It cannot be done quickly although we have been giving courses each year to our officers,” he said after his weekly religious talk at the state Pas headquarters here.

Nik Aziz has been adamant in pushing for Islamic law despite objection from many quarters.

The Kelantan state assembly passed the Syariah Criminal Code enactment (hudud) in 1993 but it has not been implemented.

He said the state had been advised by constitutional lawyers that it did not need the approval of the Federal Government for the implementation of Islamic law as it was under the state sultan. 

Of late, there have been arguments within the opposition coalition on the implementation of hudud.

The opposition leadership meeting last month on the issue ended in a stalemate.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, after the meeting, said that while the opposition grouping respected Pas’ initiative and aspiration, all parties had yet to reach a consensus on the implementation of hudud.

Prior to the meeting, Pas and DAP were involved in a widely publicised debate over the proposed implementation of the Islamic criminal law in Pas-led Kelantan.

A few days later, Nik Aziz said he was praying hard for the opposition to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament as this would then pave the way for the implementation of hudud.