PAS chief tables Act 355 after disturbance by opposition

KUALA LUMPUR: PA S president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang finally tabled a motion on the Syariah Courts ( Criminal Jurisdiction)(Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday despite “interference” by some members of the opposition.

The action of the opposition who raised several matters with Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, had delayed the move for about 30 minutes, before the Marang Member of Parliament could table the motion as a Private Member’s bill.

The amendment proposed, among others, was to boost the power of the Syariah Court to mete out jail up to 30 years, maximum fi ne up to RM100,000 and canings up to 100 lashes.

Currently, the Syariah Court is only empowered to impose jail up to three years, fi ne up to RM5,000 and six strokes of the cane.

The government, prior to this, aspired to take over the tabling of the bill but decided against it due to the Barisan Nasional ( BN) spirit of consensus.

Earlier, several opposition members stood in the early session of the tabling including DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang ( DAPGelang Patah) who asked for a clarification from the Speaker why a motion submitted for a Private Member’s Bill had been rejected

After Pandikar Amin had given his explanation, Lee Boon Chye ( PKR- Gopeng) stood up to ask whether the meeting yesterday was deliberately arranged to enable Abdul Hadi to table the bill.

Gobind Singh Deo ( DAPPuchong) queried whether the same regulations to bar debates in Dewan Rakyat on the 1MDB issue was applicable on the amendment of RUU 355 after Pandikar Amin was reported to have received an originating summons notice on the ban which was submitted by Muhammad Tawfik Ismail.

On the matter, Pandikar Amin stressed that Parliament was supreme in formulating law and no party could question this role.

“The duty of the court is whether a RUU approved in Parliament is constitutional or not, Parliament is supreme as far as enacting law, you cannot stop it,” he said.

Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan ( PAS-Kota Bharu) who stood up to comment on the same issue, said submitting an originating summons to the defendent or respondent could not be regarded as a court order.

“In this matter, Tan Sri, as Dewan Rakyat Speaker only at this level received an originating summons which Tan Sri has himself not answered,” he said.

After several disturbances, Pandikar Amin directed Abdul Hadi to continue his tabling and stressed that political issues should not be brought into Parliament and warned that whoever stood up would be ordered out of the sitting.