Plan to standardise syariah criminal laws approved

A plan to standardise syariah criminal laws in the country has been approved by the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) during their meeting on Thursday.

At present, each state has its own set of syariah criminal laws with differing punishments for different offences.

"For example, there are certain offences which carry the punishment of whipping in some states, but not in other states.

"This inconsistency, among others, causes injustice especially to the accused, the prosecution and those involved in a syariah criminal case," read a statement from the office of de facto Islamic Affairs Minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

The statement states that a draft model of standardised syariah criminal laws will be formulated through amendments to existing provisions and new additions to the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territories) Act 1997, taking into account syariah laws in other states.

The draft will be presented to the other states for feedback and their agreement. If agreed to, the statement states that the draft can be the basis for the states to formulate a uniform syariah law.

Currently, the only form of federal oversight on state syariah criminal laws is the  Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, better known as Act 355.

Act 355 limits penalties that can be meted out for syariah offences to three years' imprisonment, an RM5,000 fine or six strokes of the cane.

PAS had previously pushed for this to be increased to 30 years' jail, an RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the cane, but efforts to amend the law fizzled out following the change of government last year.