Kelantan royals not exempt from hudud, PAS MP claims

(Malay Mail Online) – All Muslims in Kelantan including its royal family will be subject to hudud if the Islamic penal law is implemented in the state, a PAS MP claimed today.

Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohammad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz said that there would be no double standards in the implementation of hudud in the state, as the law focused on justice regardless of social background.

“If you are a Muslim, and you commit an offence in Kelantan, you will be subjected to hudud.

“No exceptions,” he told reporters when met at the Parliament lobby.

Royalty in Malaysia had legal immunity from prosecution until this was removed during the 1993 constitutional crisis, but while they are no longer immune, they are tried in a Special Court specifically for the class.

Among the criticisms of hudud is that the law would not be applied equally on offenders of different classes such as the royalty.

Nik Abduh did not explain how hudud would be applied to the state’s royalty if the law is implemented.

On March 19, PAS-ruled Kelantan passed key amendments to its Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 in a move to enable the eventual implementation of hudud in the Malay-majority east coast state.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang last week served notice to Parliament on the proposed Bill but BN’s law minister Datuk Nancy Shukri said it may not make it into the order paper for the current session as there are many others on the schedule.

With DAP and PKR’s rejection, PAS and its 21 MPs in the lower House must rely on all of Umno’s MPs plus more from other non-Muslim parties in order to get a simple majority of 112 votes to get the Bill passed.