PKR Muslim MPs undecided on PAS’s hudud bill
(The Malaysian Insider) – PKR’s Muslim MPs have refused to say whether they will vote against a private member’s bill to be tabled in Parliament by PAS which would pave the way for hudud to be enforced in Kelantan.
PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli said the party would only make a stand on the issue once it sees a draft of the bill.
“It is premature for me to comment on this. If there is a draft of the bill, we want to see it first. Then we will bring the matter up for discussion at the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council.”
Rafizi said he respected Kelantan PAS’s right to proceed with their state assembly sitting, adding that PR will discuss how to respond to the proposed bill.
“I do not want to jump the gun on this. We want to methodically deal with this at the national level, just like how we did so in the past,” said Rafizi, who is also Pandan MP.
The 18 Muslim MPs in PKR and DAP have been dubbed the “magic 18” by Gerakan secretary-general Liang Teck Meng, who urged them to vote against the private member’s bill to be tabled by PAS in the Parliament.
PKR has 16 Muslim MPs, while two of DAP’s 37 MPs are Muslims.
The private member’s bill will need a simple majority of 112 MPs supporting it in order for it to be passed. The bill can be tabled once the Kelantan state assembly passes amendments to its Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II, which it plans to do at a special sitting on December 29.
Umno has 88 MPs, of which all, with the exception of deputy speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee, are Muslims.
PAS holds 21 seats in Parliament and their combined force would still be short of four seats for the bill to pass.
DAP’s Zairil Khir Johari today responded to Liang’s suggestion by noting that the party has consistently opposed hudud law for Malaysia.
