KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) Whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan today said the coalition's MPs will propose a private member’s Bill to amend the Federal Constitution, aiming to enhance and empower Shariah institutions and laws.
Takiyuddin, who is also the Kota Baru MP, said the move was decided during a three-hour meeting between committees that was held this morning following the recent Federal Court decision declaring 16 out of 18 Kelantan state provisions unconstitutional.
“Today we hold a roundtable conference to discuss measures to strengthen and empower Shariah laws as well as Shariah courts in the country. As a result of this discussion, four things have been decided.
“We decided that our MPs from PN will bring a private members' Bill that will propose constitutional amendments towards strengthening and empowering the Shariah laws and the institutions of the Shariah courts in Malaysia,” he said in a press conference streamed online.
Takiyuddin said the meeting also decided to prepare a memorandum of proposal to be submitted to the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) on the strengthening of Shariah laws.
“The suggestion includes that the composition of MKI members consists of representatives of state governments to discuss the topic,” he said.
In its pursuit to enhance and empower Shariah in Malaysia, Takiyuddin said PN will also establish four action committees.
The four action committees will be on the study and preparation of legal documentation chaired by lawyer Yusfarizal Yusof, strategic communications (Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari), mobilisation of defending the Shariah (Kelantan State Assembly speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah) and cross-party concerted action (Bagan Serai MP Datuk Idris Ahmad).
He added that the meeting decided to hold a Shariah laws enhancement convention that will be hosted by the Kelantan government on February 24 in the state.
“We will be organising a convention on the strengthening of Shariah law in Malaysia which will be hosted by the Kelantan state government on February 24, 2024 in the state of Kelantan.
“The participants will be represented by representatives of the religious departments of the states, civil and sharia law practitioners, scholars, as well as government officials. In this convention, the presentation of papers by Shariah and civil legal experts will be held,” he said.
The Federal Court had on Friday declared that 16 out of 18 provisions of Kelantan’s Shariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019 were invalid, as the Kelantan state legislative assembly had overstepped its powers or had no powers to make such laws.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin had then described the day as “Black Friday” as the decision, he claimed, has questioned the integrity of the Sultan of Kelantan.
In response to Takiyuddin, former religious affairs minister Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa had advised PAS to not mislead its followers and the Muslim community about the decision.
The Department of Shariah Judiciary Malaysia also said the decision was made solely because the provisions exceeded the jurisdiction granted to the state legislative body, and actions contrary to Islamic law still constitute an offence under Shariah law.
Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who led a nine-member panel of judges, also stressed that the challenge cannot be construed as blasphemy since the laws had been mandated by the state legislative assembly and not Allah.
