ABDUL Hadi Awang should brace for massive resistance from Anwar Ibrahim and other Pakatan Harapan leaders if he attempts to push forward his controversial hudud agenda.

The PAS leader’s signature bill to enhance the shariah criminal code was encouraged by former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno, with the PAS president given unprecedented minutes in Parliament and column space in mainstream media to make his sales pitch for what is known as Act 355 or RUU 355.

His chief point was that non-Muslims should not feel threatened by the proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act as the enhanced punishment under the Islamic penal code known as hudud would only apply to Muslims.

But critics didn’t accept his assurance, believing that the proposed legislation would introduce hudud laws through the back door.

In an interview with Malaysia Decides on Thursday, Anwar said he opposed Hadi’s private member’s bill because if it became law, Malaysia would land in the same situation as Indonesia, where enforcement of shariah law in Aceh ‎had raised concerns over the future of the rest of the country.

“You are not for Islam but you are for shariah. Look at the Indonesian experience. You are trying to break the country. What is your priority?” Anwar said. 

PAS retained control of Kelantan, captured Terengganu and surprised many pundits by winning 18 parliamentary seats in GE14. Given his party’s strong showing and with the support of 54 Umno MPs, Hadi may attempt to put his bill back in the federal legislature.

And given PAS and Umno’s combined representation of the Malay-Muslim vote, Pakatan Harapan’s component parties may have to tread carefully as the opposition to Hadi’s bill.

DAP remains opposed to hudud but its national organising secretary and Seremban MP Anthony Loke diplomatically said it was up to the government and parliamentary procedures to decide whether or not to allow debate on the bill.

“Our position remains the same. Any MP is free to submit any motion but it is up to the government of the day to consider it or not,” said Loke, the new transport minister.

Parliamentary practice gives government bills priority over private members’ bills. Most times, such bills will be listed on the order paper but are rarely tabled, let alone debated.

Hadi first tabled a private member’s bill to amend RUU 355 in May 2016. A debate on the bill has not been held, although Kota Baru PAS MP Takiyuddin Hassan was allowed to speak in support of it in the Dewan Rakyat.

The bill was deferred to subsequent parliamentary sittings. It again appeared on the Dewan Rakyat order paper in the April sitting but it was not broached in Parliament, which was soon afterwards dissolved.

Bersatu’s strategic bureau chief Dr Rais Hussein did not dismiss the bill outright but said the focus should not be solely on heavier penalties but on strengthening the shariah system as a whole.

“We need to look at the entire realm of RUU355, the infrastructure that includes the structure, those who manage the court process which includes the investigators, the prosecutors and the judges. 

“The punishments must not be disproportionate to the crime committed and there must be check and balance in the sentencing process without arbitrary powers to the judges given the huge increase in the punishments,” he told Malaysia Decides. – May 20, 2018.