KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — The Kelantan state government has allocated RM1 million to set up infrastructure for the implementation of its hudud enactment and RM1.3 million for a new Shariah prosecution department.

The allocations were made during the announcement of the state’s 2017 budget themed "Kelantan is harmonious for Islam”, Malay news portal Sinar Online reported today.

"This is the first effort of the like in Malaysia and God willing, after this, we will see a division of Shariah law enforcement from Jaheik so that it can be a separate department,” Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob was quoted saying, referring to the Kelantan Islamic Affairs Department by its initials in Malay.

The PAS state government’s budget allocations come even as party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is trying to push through a private member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as Act 355, to allow heavier punishments for shariah offences. The Bill, however, doesn’t specify the intended punishments.

Shariah court punishments are currently limited to jail terms not exceeding three years, whipping of not more than six strokes, or fines of not more than RM5,000.

The Kelantan state legislative assembly passed in March 2015 amendments to the Shariah Criminal Code II, which was first introduced in the state in 1993, to pave way for the implementation of hudud.

Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said then that the state was seeking amendments to Act 355 so that it can mete out hudud punishments for at least four of the offences listed under the state’s Shariah Criminal Code: adultery (zina), sodomy (liwat), apostasy (murtad), and alcohol consumption.

Mohd Amar told Malay Mail Online in 2014 that under the Islamic criminal justice system comprising "hudud” law ― which covers six offences: apostasy, illicit sexual relations, alcohol consumption, making unproven accusations of illicit sex, theft and robbery ― as well as "qisas” ― which covers murder and causing hurt, apostasy, adultery and murder are punishable by death.

Adulterers are subject to death by stoning while Muslims convicted of theft will have their hand amputated.

Proponents of amendments to Act 355, however, have recently claimed that the move was to strengthen the Shariah courts, not to implement hudud.