PKR won’t support PAS’ hudud bill

PETALING JAYA: PKR will not support PAS’ Private Member’s Bills on the enforcement of hudud in Kelantan.

PKR’s political bureau said in a statement yesterday the party’s decision not to support the Bills was taken after discussing the matter during the bureau’s meeting on Friday night.

The party insisted that PAS had not fully informed other the Pakatan Rakyat component parties of the proposed Bills.

“We were not informed of the content of the Private Member’s Bills.

“The Bills were proposed (by PAS) unilaterally without informing the other component parties of Pakatan Rakyat and the proposal contravenes the decision made during the meeting between the leaders of Pakatan Rakyat on February 8,” read the statement.

The statement was signed by party leaders Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Azmin Ali, Nurul Izzah Anwar, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, Rafizi Ramli, Zuraida Kamaruddin and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

PKR clarified that the party would stick to its position of not supporting the Private Member’s Bills if they are related to the amendments of the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code II 1993.

“PKR will stand by its original position that we will not support the Bills based on the principles of Fiqh Al-Awlawiyyat, Maslahat Ummah dan Maqasid Syariah,” said the party.

PKR also urged Umno and Barisan Nasional to make a stand on PAS’ Private Member’s Bills.

“According to the rules of Dewan Rakyat (Parliament), any Private Member’s Bill can only be tabled in the house with the consent of the Government. The amendments to Kelantan’s Syariah Criminal Code 1993 were passed by the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The vote was passed unanimously by 44 assemblymen comprising 31 from PAS, 12 from Umno and one from PKR.