KUCHING: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Patinggi Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has given the assurance that PAS president and Marang MP Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill seeking amendments to the Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 in Parliament yesterday is not about the implementation of hudud law in the country.
He pointed out that the Bill only requested for the Syariah Court to be elevated to a higher level.
“No hudud law is going to be introduced. There is no debate and no voting (in Parliament regarding the Private Member’s Bill). So don’t jump the gun (on hudud),” Zahid told a news conference at the Chief Minister’s Office at the State Legislative Assembly complex here yesterday.
He further clarified that Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill was to amend the existing law on Syariah Court.
“This is not about the hudud law. It’s just about amending the existing law. The first amendment was made in 1984. We would also like to stress here that the law is not about dualism – Syariah Court and Civil Court. The Syariah Court will not take over any power of the Civil Court. And it will not affect non-Muslims,” he stressed.
Zahid, who is also Home Minister, pointed out that Hadi was only seeking to upgrade the status of the Syariah Court which is currently lower than the Civil Court such as in terms of the scheme of service.
“For example, judges at the Civil Court have higher salary scale, so the amendment is to get the approval of the Public Service Commission (SPA) to improve the scheme of service of the Syariah Court judges. As such, I would like to appeal to the Muslim community to understand this amendment, even though they may be from various political parties,” he explained.
He assured non-Muslims that if there was any contradiction to the Federal Constitution, the government would take steps to correct it.
“What’s important is that there is no contradiction from the amendment. Today is only about the Private Member’s Bill,” he said.
He further explained that there was no question of voting for or against the Private Member’s Bill seeking amendment to the Syariah Court Act 1965 as the matter did not arise yet.
He said even if the motion was approved in Parliament, there would not be any debate on it because any amendment of legislation came under the jurisdiction of the government.
Clearing the air further, Zahid disclosed that the Prime Minister would form a Select Committee comprising all party presidents of BN component parties soon to discuss the matter further.
Among those present at the press conference were Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, Minister of Public Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom and Minister of Local Government Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian.