UMNO deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has called for swift action to resolve any issues that could potentially create “an unstable situation” following yesterday’s (Feb 9) Federal Court ruling on the Kelantan Syariah enactment, adding that his party will continue to support any effort to resolve any anomalies in the law.
However, he refuted claims that yesterday’s (Feb 9) Federal Court decision that nullified 16 Kelantan Syariah criminal provisions was an attack on Islam or the Syariah legal system.
“The decision made yesterday has nothing to do with diminishing the Federal Court, nor does it undermine the power or status of the Shariah courts or Islam itself.
“It is more an issue of technicality, relating to the fact that the state enactment in Kelantan overlaps with what is already established in civil (federal) law,” he told reporters at the MCA Chinese New Year open house at Wisma MCA.
He also said UMNO will ask relevant stakeholders, including the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and Religious Affairs Minister Senator Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, to look into a suggestion to amend the Federal Constitution to empower Syariah laws.
“Regarding the suggestion to amend the Constitution… we will ask Jakim, the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, and other relevant stakeholders to look into whether there is a need to do that.
“This is so that the incident won’t happen again because it will only tarnish the image of our judiciary or the Syariah legal system.
“Whereas the (court decision) yesterday had nothing to do with undermining the status or power of the (syariah) courts.” – Feb 10, 2024
Main photo credit: Bernama
