The Kelantan State Legislative Assembly today passed into law the controversial and hotly-debated hudud law, intended to impose strict Islamic punishments on Muslims in the state.
The amendments, proposed for the existing Syariah Criminal Code 1993, were passed at 12.05pm after more than two hours of deliberations and debate by four state assemblyman and two winding-up speeches, including one by Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob.
The MB said during his speech that the passing of the state law was a historic moment for Kelantan, as it received the support of all state lawmakers, including the PAS-led state government’s rivals from UMNO.
“Our journey has been a long one fraught with many obstacles. Today, we are a step further in making hudud a reality in Kelantan.
“It will take another journey through Parliament to reach our final destination. Whether it is passed or not is the will of Allah,” he said, as quoted by The Star Online‘s Syed Azhar.
The hudud law will likely drive a wedge into the Federal Opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, of which PAS is a member. DAP has vociferously opposed its tabling, and PKR has claimed PAS acted against coalition consensus in proposing more than what it promised to amend in the existing law.
Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar later said the Kelantan government would try to get the Bill passed in Parliament as soon as possible.
“Since the Parliament meeting is on-going, we plan to rush both Bills to be tabled by a PAS MP to get the final nod for hudud to be practised in Kelantan,” he said.
More on CoconutsKL:
PAS’s push for hudud strains Opposition’s unity
FLAME ON: Malaysian social media reacts to Kelantan’s hudud law
Photo: The Malaysian Insider
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