PUTRAJAYA, Oct 9 — Former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said he will be supporting PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill on Shariah.
The independent Bandar Tun Razak MP said he saw no harm in supporting the Bill to strengthen the Shariah courts, claiming it is an unbiased law.
“Oh yes (I support). I think the concept of Shariah is based on fairness.
“Even people who do not believe that hudud is good to be implemented, but the important part is [it’s] not hudud. It is the fairness to Muslim and non-Muslims alike,” Khalid told reporters after attending a PAS function here today.
Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill, which seeks to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, is set to be debated in the upcoming Parliament meeting this month.
Khalid, a former PKR politician, added that the proposed amendment will not harm non-Muslims and if there are any red flags, they can be resolved amicably.
“I do not think this law will infringe the right of the non-Muslims. It will create fairness. If the law is not fair, we should work together to make it fair,” Khalid explained.
Hadi first tabled the private member’s Bill in May during the last Parliament meeting seeking to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, also known as Act 355.
The Bill aims to empower Shariah courts to enforce punishments ― except for the death penalty ― provided in Shariah laws for Islamic offences listed under state jurisdiction in the Federal Constitution.
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.
