It is not wrong for PAS to hold “political negotiations” with others aimed at giving more powers to the syariah courts.
Its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic) said political negotiations with the Federal Government are permissible if done in furtherance of Islam.
“It is not wrong for negotiations to be held between members of the Muslim community.
“By this token, it is not wrong for us to hold political negotiations at the government level,” he said when debating the 2017 Budget speech in Parliament Wednesday.
He said such negotiations are commonplace, such as those held between state and federal government officers in Kelantan.
“If the Penang state government can hold discussions with the Federal Government on highway and bridge projects, is it wrong for us to negotiate with the federal authorities?” he questioned.
Earlier, Abdul Hadi said he has no right to dictate how lawmakers should vote if his Private Members’ Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 comes up for vote.
“It is not for me to say if they should vote in support of the Bill or not or to abstain.
“It is up to the lawmakers to decide because this is what democratic principles are about,” he said when asked by Ng Wei Aik (DAP-Tanjong) if lawmakers in Sabah and Sarawak will be forced to support the Bill.
Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS-Kota Baru), who was allowed to speak by Hadi Awang, reminded lawmakers that the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act was tabled for amendments in 1965 and 1984 and passed without any debates.
“When the Act was tabled for amendments in 1965, even Lee Kwan Yew did not debate it,” he said, adding that it was former minister in charge of the judiciary Datuk Dr James Ongkili who supported the amendments when tabled in the Dewan Negara in 1984.
He assured lawmakers that the proposed amendments are not aimed at implementing hudud but merely to increase the powers of syariah courts.
Abdul Hadi tabled his Bill on May 26 but postponed it for debate at the present Parliament meeting.
His Bill was listed as Number 7 on Parliament’s Order Papers but has been sidelined to make way for Government Bills and matters since Oct 17.-thestaronline
