Abang Johari reaffirms Adenan’s stand on Hudud

KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg has reaffirmed his predecessor the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s stand on Hudud.

Abang Johari said Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) will oppose the implementation of Hudud law.

“As far as we are concerned, this is our stand that we will not support Hudud law. That was what Tok Nan wanted and that stand still stands.

“We are now here and we will do the same thing because we have to take into consideration our constitutional requirement and the situation in Sarawak,” he said in a press conference at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.

Abang Johari was asked to respond to a call by state PKR chairman Baru Bian for him to make a public affirmation on the stand made by his predecessor on Hudud.

In Nov last year, Adenan reiterated the state’s stance against the implementation of hudud law.

However, Adenan said the state government would not make a decision on the amendment tio the Syariah Courts Act (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act355) for the time being, pending the outcome of a select committee on the amendment of the Act before making any decision whether to support or oppose it.

When prompted that Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan and Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had openly declared that they would support the Act 355 amendment Bill, Abang Johari said: “I don’t know because I didn’t read their statements. But as far as we are concerned, no Hudud law in Sarawak.”

Despite Tiong who is the president of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party ( SPDP) and Mawan, who is BN-friendly MP declaring that they would support the Bill, the majority of Sarawak BN leaders had objected to the Bill to amend Act 355.