Divisions, demonstrations over proposed Shariah courts amendments in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian parliamentarians are divided as controversial amendments that would strengthen Shariah courts and pave the way for an Islamic penal code in the state of Kelantan are expected to be tabled on Thursday (Nov 24).

Malaysia practices a dual-track legal system, where certain cases involving Muslims, such as family disputes, are dealt with by Islamic courts.

However, Islamist party PAS president Hadi Awang’s private members’ Bill would amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act to give the courts more power- including potentially doling out punishments under Islamic law such as stoning and amputations for criminal cases which currently fall under the secular Penal Code.

This would then pave the way for an Islamic criminal code in Kelantan for Muslims.

The push to implement “hudud” law has been a divisive topic in Malaysia, which has prided itself on being a moderate Muslim-majority nation.

Ruling coalition Barisan Nasional’s component parties, including the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress, have vocally opposed the implementation of hudud law while the former opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat fell apart last year largely because of disagreements between Chinese-majority DAP and PAS over its hudud push.

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s UMNO party has taken advantage of the fall out, actively forging closer ties with PAS including by helping fast track the tabling of these amendments in the lower house.

This has been viewed as a move to strengthen its Malay Muslim support base after a trend of declining support from ethnic minority voters in the past two general elections.

However, UMNO risks alienating its fellow Barisan Nasional component party members if it continues to back PAS’s push for these amendments.

AMENDMENTS TO AMENDMENTS?

In a potential compromise, however, it is speculated that Mr Hadi’s Bill will be tabled but with amendments that would more clearly define limits to the punishments that can be imposed by the courts.

On Tuesday, UMNO vice president and deputy prime minister Zahid Hadi held a briefing with Muslim MPs across the political divide about the proposed amendments, without the entire BN supporting the bill.

The bill needs the votes of non-UMNO and non-PAS MPs to pass with 112 votes needed to get a simple majority in the lower house. UMNO and PAS MPs combined only make up 102 votes.

However, even if tabled, these amendments are unlikely to be debated in this parliament session, which ends on Thursday.

“MUSLIM MPS MUST SUPPORT THIS BILL”

https://twitter.com/SumishaCNA/status/801597141655269376

Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, representatives of Muslim NGOs, including what appeared to be religious school students, demonstrated outside parliament to urge Muslim MPs to support the amendments as it was their obligation as followers of Islam.

They threatened to publicly identify any Muslim who did not, pledging to campaign against them in the next general election.

They also wanted to get a message across to non-Muslims that the amendments had nothing to do with them and was simply to strengthen the Shariah courts.

– CNA/mn