Kelantan to brief PAS leadership one day before special hudud assembly sitting

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — The Kelantan government plans to brief PAS’ national leadership on its hudud plans this Sunday, just one day before it pushes for amendments to the state’s Shahriah enactment at the special assembly sitting.

Malay Mail Online understands that the briefing was only scheduled following complaints that even the party’s central leadership was unaware of Kelantan’s planned hudud amendments, which has drawn criticism and condemnation from some allies within Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

It is also currently unclear as to whether the briefing will continue as planned as Kelantan continues to face chronic flooding, which has forced the evacuation of thousands of people in the east coast state.

“The plan for the briefing right now is tentative… I mean it hasn’t been cancelled, but the flood crisis is also an issue which PAS is giving top priority to right now.

“But so far, there has been no instruction to cancel the briefing,” PAS information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who also sits on the Islamist party’s central committee said that he was informed of the briefing about “four or five days ago”.

“I was told that a representative from the Kelantan government would be present to brief us on the planned amendments,” he told Malay Mail Online.

The PAS leader said he was made to understand that the briefing would be held at the PAS headquarters.

Suhaizan Kaiat, the party’s youth chief, however, said he was unsure whether the briefing would still carry on as planned due to the fact that a lot of PAS leaders are currently assisting relief efforts in all the states affected the by flood crisis.

“Many of them are on the ground, and the flood situation is still there... so we are not sure whether there will be time for this briefing.

“A lot of party programmes have had to be rescheduled or cancelled following the on-going flood crisis,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Yesterday, Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said that chronic flooding in Kelantan could force the state government to reschedule a special assembly sitting this Monday to amend its hudud enactment.

The Panchor assemblyman noted that most areas in Kota Baru, the state’s capital, are hit by floods but said the situation is still manageable compared to other districts in Kelantan.

“We have to wait and see first,” Mohd Amar told Malay Mail Online when asked if the Kelantan government was planning to delay the sitting due to the worsening flood situation.

The special assembly sitting next Monday is meant to table and pass amendments to the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II.

The move is in preparation for PAS’ plan to table in Parliament a private member’s bill to amend the Federal Constitution, which would subsequently allow Kelantan to implement hudud law in the state.

This is despite vocal resistance from PAS’ allies in PR. The stand-off has led to predictions from politicians within that pact that the controversy could potentially cause a break-up.

Some from the DAP have even called for PAS to leave PR while one suggested the pact halt co-operation with the Islamist party since it was going ahead with preparations to enforce hudud in Kelantan in the face of vehement opposition.

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.