KUALA LUMPUR: The Private Member’s Bill motion to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) was listed in yesterday’s order paper of the Dewan Rakyat.
The notice of the motion tabled by PAS president and Marang Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was listed as the seventh item in the meeting order.
The bill seeks to amend Section 2 of the Act to replace the words ‘imprisonment for a term exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or more than six strokes’ with the words ‘imprisonment exceeding 30 years or a fine of RM100,000 or 100 strokes as administered in accordance with the Syariah criminal procedure’.
The Islamic law now provides for an imprisonment not exceeding three years, a fine of up to RM5,000 and a maximum of six strokes.
There are 39 motions listed in the Dewan Rakyat’s order paper for the 5th session of 13th parliamentary sitting.
The proposal to amend Act 355 was first brought to the Dewan Rakyat in May 2016 and the motion was again read by Abdul Hadi on Nov 24 last year.
The Dewan Rakyat will sit for 20 days until April 7 while the Senate will sit from April 17 to 27. — Bernama