Ku Li: Hadi took wrong route to bring hudud bill

Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah believes that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang may have taken the wrong route in pushing for hudud.

Tengku Razaleigh, who is Gua Musang MP, said the amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 should have been presented to the Conference of Rulers before being submitted to Parliament.

This is because the bill should be discussed at state level and receive assent from the Conference of Rulers, he added.

"It cannot be brought to Parliament. Parliament is not the place.

"It should be dealt with at state level. Otherwise, it is unconstitutional because religion is the rulers' jurisdiction.

"Matters under the rulers' jurisdiction must go through the state level, for discussion between the state Islamic affairs councils and the respective state rulers," Tengku Razaleigh said when met at the Dewan Rakyat lobby today.

Hadi's private member's bill is fourth in the order paper, with debate expected to take place tomorrow.  Hadi is the MP for Marang.

The bill proposes amendments to the act which would expand Syariah court powers to mete out punishments which are more than three years jail, RM5,000 fine and six lashes of the whip.

If passed, it will pave the way for the implementation of hudud in Kelantan and Terengganu - where the state legislative assemblies have passed the hudud enactment.