PAS denies it did nothing about RUU355 while in govt

“You were part of the government for three years, what happened to RUU355?”

(FMT) – PAS has denied claims it did nothing when it was in government to pass a bill that would increase penalties for shariah offences.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the bill, popularly known as RUU355, was discussed at Cabinet meetings of the previous two administrations several times.

Tuan Ibrahim was the environment and water minister in the governments of Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said preparations to table the controversial bill had been in their “final stages”.

“Religious affairs minister Idris Ahmad was in the process (of tabling the Bill) and we were told it would be tabled,” he told FMT, in response to a veiled jab at the party by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Speaking at the PKR congress last month, Anwar, who is also the party’s president, questioned the achievements of the former governments in regards to the bill.

“You were part of the government for three years, what happened to RUU355?” he said.

Last month, religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar said the RUU355 amendment bill will be brought to the Cabinet for a final decision. He said his ministry is preparing a Cabinet paper.

The bill aims to increase the jurisdiction of the shariah courts and punishments meted out for shariah criminal offences.

It was to have been tabled last October but lapsed when Parliament was dissolved.

Tuan Ibrahim said PAS was prepared to cooperate fully with the current government to ensure the bill is passed.