The Sarawak state government under its new Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg continues to stand firm in opposing the hudud law from coming to Sarawak.

“I want to make it clear that hudud is not applicable to Sarawak and I share the same stand made by the late Tok Nan (former Sarawak chief minister Adenan Satem).

“We are having the same stand but this bill is syariah and not hudud. But even it is syariah we expressed our concern because the penalty emitted from this bill to me is discriminatory between Muslims and non-Muslims under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, so that is my concern and I am expressing my concern on that,” he said.

He told reporters this after witnessing a Memorandum of Understanding between Sarawak Energy Bhd and Sarawak Forestry Corporation in Kuching today.

Asked whether BN component parties in Sarawak should vote for the proposed amendment to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (also known as Act 355), he said it would depend on the outcome of the recent meeting between the prime minister and BN component leaders.

Abang Johari said he only attended the first meeting but was in China during the second meeting and delegated it to his deputy Douglas Uggah to attend the second meeting.

- Bernama