Jamil: Govt wants Syariah community sentences

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is studying the private member’s bill by Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (Pas-Marang) to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the government wanted to include community sentences as part of the punishment for Syariah offenders.

In a written reply to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh), he said under the existing law, Syariah courts could impose a maximum imprisonment of three years, a maximum fine of RM5,000, whipping of not more than six strokes, or any combination of these punishments.

Kok had asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to state whether the cabinet had discussed the private bill by Hadi.

In May, Hadi submitted a motion to table amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

The bill by the Pas president seeks to amend Section 2 of the act to replace existing provisions on the subject of the Syariah court’s criminal

FOR ABDUL RAHMAN

jurisdiction and to allow several categories of punishments to be served.

Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) had proposed an alternative private member’s bill to parliament recently as an option to Hadi’s motion on Act 355.

PAN’s move was criticised by Gerakan Youth, which claimed that it did not rule out the possibility of hudud implementation.

Its deputy youth chief, Andy Yong Kim Seng, yesterday described the Pas off-shoot party’s motion as a “double whammy” to the private member’s bill, other than being “ambiguous”, “self-serving” and “uncalled for”.

He claimed that PAN was mooting a committee to propose additional heavier punishments for both criminal and civil cases, apart from the three existing penalties under Act 355.

“PAN’s action did not serve the right purpose to resolve the issue, but only complicates the situation with another self-serving motion that carries similar risks as Pas’s private member’s bill,” said Yong.