PKR holds balance on hudud bill
PKR’s Muslim MPs hold the key should the PAS draft private member’s Bill come to a vote in the Dewan Rakyat.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Parti Keadilan Rakyat, which holds the balance of votes to decide if hudud criminal justice becomes law, will meet on Monday to discuss the plan by PAS to table a private member’s Bill in Parliament.
The meeting would take place at the official residence of the Selangor Menteri Besar, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar was quoted as saying in a media report.
The party is expected to issue a statement after the meeting.
In the face of the current heated exchanges between political parties and others about the Bill, Nurul Izzah called for a measured response and more informed discussion.
“There is so much fear being created because you are equating a draft bill with god’s law. There’s so much fear being struck into the hearts of the non-Muslims,” she told the Malaysian Insider.
She called for more involvement by Muslim groups such as Abim, the Islamic youth movement, and Ikram, the Muslim outreach movement.
PKR’s Muslim MPs hold the key should the PAS draft private member’s Bill come to a vote in the Dewan Rakyat. The Bill will enable Kelantan to impose Islamic criminal punishment under the state’s power over Islamic law, but requires approval from Parliament as the criminal justice system is a federal matter.
PAS has 21 MPs, Umno 87 Muslim MPs and PKR 16 Muslims among its 29 MPs. A simple majority of 112 votes is needed for the private member’s Bill to be adopted.
