Hadi Mca Candidate Against Act 355 Bill Is Personal Pas Works With Party

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TG PIAI POLLS | PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today downplayed BN's Tanjung Piai candidate Wee Jeck Seng's opposition to the Islamist party's bid to amend Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as Act 355, that would allow the partial implementation of hudud
Hadi, whose party has backed Wee in the by-election, said it was only a personal opinion
"That is a personal opinion. We work with the party," he said
Hadi did not mention whether he was referring to Wee's party MCA or Umno

While PAS does not have an official pact with MCA, it is in an alliance with Umno through the Muafakat Nasional and has therefore adopted a friendly approach to Umno's BN allies
Before the general election, PAS had tabled a private member's bill to amend Act 355, which garnered support from Umno when it was in the government
The motion proposes that the maximum punishments be increased from three years’ imprisonment, RM5,000 fine, and six strokes of the rotan, to 10 years’ imprisonment, RM100,000 fine, and 100 strokes of the rotan
The increased punishment will allow states to impose punishment for certain offences that are consistent with hudud
The move was seen as manoeuvring to put Muslim MPs in Pakatan Harapan in a difficult position but it also causes friction within BN where the non-Muslim parties, including MCA and MIC as well as East Malaysia-based parties, objected to the bill
The bill was not revived after BN was defeated in the general election and PAS failed to gain substantial parliamentary seats after going it alone
Wee (above), when interviewed in Tanjung Piai today, said MCA's position is consistent against the Act 355 bill but said it was now a matter of the past
He will be facing Bersatu's Karmaine Sardini, who will try to defend the parliamentary seat after its incumbent Bersatu MP Md Farid Md Rafik passed away from a heart attack in September
Four other candidates will vie for the seat, namely Berjasa's Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz, Gerakan's Wendy Subramaniam and independent candidates Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar
Even though Berjasa is supposed to be a PAS ally under the Gagasan Sejahtera alliance which also includes Ikatan, PAS has snubbed the party
"We do not agree with him (Berjasa) contesting but that is up to him," said Hadi, who is also the Marang MP
Asked what will happen to Gagasan Sejahtera, he said: "We will review it from time to time"
Hadi reiterated that PAS will mobilise its supporters to support MCA and BN. - Mkini

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