Syariah Bill: Unhappy BN leaders should just resign - UMNO Youth

Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders who are unhappy with the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016 should just resign, said UMNO Youth exco member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah.

He said such leaders did not understand the issue.

"What is the problem of certain party presidents in BN with the Bill to the extent they are threatening to resign? If they want to resign, then just resign," he told Astro AWANI.

"Maybe they have forgotten that the Federal Constitution had clearly stated that Islam is the federal religion. Maybe they have forgotten that they have undertaken the oath to protect the Constitution," he said.

MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong and MIC's Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam had announced that they would resign their Cabinet post if the Bill was passed.

Their announcement was made following the move by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to table the private member's Bill in Parliament last Thursday.

Yesterday, PAS vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the proposed amendments was to enhance the Syariah Courts, adding that the Bill only covered the Muslims.

READ: Syariah Bill proposes to enhance syariah courts READ: 'I will resign from Cabinet if hudud is implemented' - MIC president

He said those who spoke against or criticised the Bill did not understand why it was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

The Syariah Criminal Code II 1993, better known as the hudud, qisas and takzir laws, was not implemented for more than 20 years due to legal constraints.