With Sultan’s backing, Kelantan says confident of pushing through hudud plans
(Malay Mail Online) – Kelantan is confident no one will oppose its plans to implement hudud law in the state after the Sultan of Kelantan himself expressed support towards the state government’s plans.
The Kelantan government plans to table amendments to the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II 1993 at the state legislative assembly this Wednesday as well as the tabling of a private members’ bill on the same matter in Parliament sometime this month.
Sinar Harian Online reported Sultan Muhammad V as saying he was in support of the tabling of the private members’ bill and hoped it will facilitate the Kelantan government’s plans to implement hudud law.
“I have been made to understand that the Kelantan government plans to bring a private members bill in Parliament to amend Act 355 of Section 76A1 of the Federal Constitution to allow the state government to implement the Shariah Criminal Code in Kelantan.
“With the support of all parties, may this effort become a success, insyaAllah,” The Kelantan Sultan was quoted saying in his speech at the opening of the Kelantan state legislative assembly this morning.
Kelantan deputy mentri besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the Sultan’s speech would spur on PAS’ efforts to enforce the controversial Islamic law, and that all state lawmakers should support the tabling of the proposed amendments this Wednesday.
“With his Highness’ decree we are in higher spirits, we hope to get 100 per cent support from all those who attend (the state legislative assembly),” he was quoted in the same Sinar Harian report as saying.
The Kelantan PAS government reportedly plans to proceed with tabling amendments to the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II 1993 at the state legislative assembly this Wednesday, despite repeated objections from its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners DAP and PKR.
Details of the proposed amendments, however, have not been made public nor did the PAS-led state administration share copies of the bill with their PR partners until last week.
When the draft was shared last Thursday, the PR presidential council told PAS to “reconsider” its amendments, with one DAP man telling the Islamist party that the proposed changes were entirely a new piece of legislation instead of minor updates to the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II 1993 as previously claimed.
The DAP lawmaker, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo also said DAP will continue to reject hudud as it was “impractical and against Pakatan’s common policy framework.”
Yesterday, however, Mohd Amar said the state will proceed with tabling the proposed changes this week and will not revise the draft as requested by the PR presidential council.
