MIRI: The Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) wants all parties not to jump to conclusion over the proposed amendment to enhance the syariah courts’ jurisdiction tabled at the Dewan Rakyat recently.
SPDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the Private Member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act tabled by Marang MP and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on May 26 should not be a subject of baseless speculations without giving Hadi the chance to give detailed explaination on the proposed amendments.
“He (Hadi) still needs to table the bill for further readings, if the members in the house found the amendments are against the interests of the Muslims or it is imposed on non-muslims, definitely the house will not allow the bill to be passed,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Tiong said as long as the bill fell within the ambit of the country’s constitution then it should be given the right to be heard and debated at the Dewan Rakyat before being approved or rejected.
As for the allegation that Umno supported hudud implementation by giving Hadi’s proposal a greenlight, he dismissed such accusation as the amendment had nothing to do with hudud.
“I don’t think Umno is quietly working together with PAS to support hudud,” he added.
So far SPDP, one of the state BN component parties, is the only multiracial BN component party that had yet to reject the proposed amendment despite four BN parties namely MCA, MIC, SUPP and Gerakan having rejected it.
In a joint statement recently the four leaders from the parties namely MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, MIC president Datuk Seri S Subramaniam, SUPP Deputy President Datuk Seri Richard Riot and Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong claimed that if the bill was passed it would be against the federal constitution. — Bernama