Malay nationalist group Perkasa challenged the presidents of
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) non-Muslim component parties to resign from the
government immediately if they disagreed with the Shariah Court (Criminal
Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016.
Chairman of the non-government organisation’s Islamic
affairs bureau Dr Amini Amir Abdullah warned, “Any threat to the Malaysian
government on Islamic matters is an insult and disrespect to the sovereignty of
the Yang Di-Pertua Agong as the head of Islam and the country’s paramount
leader apart from misunderstanding the position of Islam as the religion of the
federation”.
He singled out MCA’s Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Gerakan’s
Datuk Mah Siew Keong and MIC’s Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam, and denounced their
resignation pledges as a “threat to the Malaysian government”.
“Perkasa welcomes anyone who doesn’t respect Muslim rights
and Islam as the religion of the federation to resign from the government.
“Only those who respect the foundation of the Federal
Constitution and the majority need be in government,” he said in a statement.
All three BN leaders expressed opposition to the Bill
proposed by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that was sped up for
tabling in the Dewan Rakyat last Thursday, insisting that is unconstitutional
and volunteered their resignation from government if the proposed legislation
is passed.
Liow is transport minister, Mah is minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department and Dr Subramaniam is health minister.
Amini accused the trio of meddling with Islamic matters as
none of them were Muslim, reiterating remarks by PAS and some Umno leaders who
argued that the Bill only sought to enhance the Shariah Court’s powers to
prescribe stiffer punishments on Islamic offences.
He also suggested that MCA and Gerakan were conspiring with
federal opposition DAP to stop the Shariah Bill’s passage through Parliament,
which he alleged to be for the benefit of Muslims.
“Perkasa hopes Datuk Seri Najib Razak will remain firm on
the Shariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016,” he added.
The proposed amendment to the Shariah Courts Act, also known
as Act 355, has split lawmakers on both sides along religious lines.
Despite the government’s move to expedite the Bill through the
Dewan Rakyat, its proposer Hadi has asked to defer tabling the motion to the
next parliamentary meeting in October.
Source -malaymail online-
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