KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — Gerakan Youth today warned PAS that it will apply for an injunction to prevent the Islamist party from seeking to remove the legal safeguards against hudud, if the party presses ahead with its controversial plan.
Speaking in a press conference at PAS headquarter after delivering to legal notices to the party, Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said implementing the Islamic penal code would trigger a constitutional crisis in the country.
“There’s no provision in the Federal Constitution for the implementation of hudud laws. Hudud laws was never agreed when Malaysia was formed,” Tan said.
“This would lead to a constitutional crisis in our country.”
Tan added that his wing had put together a team of legal experts to analyse the Federal Constitution in relation to the Islamic penal code.
“I am a lawyer myself, but I need a second opinion on what action to take,” he said, adding that further announcements will be made by the team.
PAS announced plans this month to introduce two private members’ bills in Parliament to remove safeguards in the constitution that bar it from enforcing the Shariah Criminal Enactment 1993 it passed in Kelantan.
In Islamic jurisprudence, “hudud” covers crimes such as theft, robbery, adultery, rape and sodomy. Punishments for the crimes are severe, including amputation, flogging and death by stoning.
