UMNO is untrustworthy, says a senior PAS leader, after its president, and Prime Minister Najib Razak, went back on his word to adopt the Islamist party’s private member’s bill that would have enhanced punishments for shariah offences.



“This is proof that Umno cannot be relied on to defend Islam. They are not even brave enough to table RUU355,” said an incensed and disappointed PAS vice-president Iskandar Abdul Samad.



On December 2, 2016, Najib said the government would take over the bill, first tabled by PAS president and Marang MP Abdul Hadi Awang.



The bill, known by its Bahasa Malaysia acronym RUU355, was to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) Bill, which capped punishments for shariah offences at a three-year jail term, RM5,000 fine and six lashes of the cane.



In the latest version of the bill, shariah punishments have been enhanced to a maximum 30 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 lashes.



On March 29, Najib said the government will not be adopting RUU355 and that it would remain a private member’s bill.



This means is likely to be pushed back down the agenda of the current Dewan Rakyat sitting which ends on April 6.



In responding to the development, Iskandar said this has been the weakest BN administration in history.



“To all you Umno members, what are you waiting for?” said Iskandar in a Facebook posting.



Selangor PAS Youth information chief Ahmad Hakimi Othman said Umno’s rejection of RUU 355 would have negative consequences.



“The decision goes against the proposal by the Deputy Prime Minister (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi),” Ahmad Hakimi wrote on PAS mouth piece Harakahdaily.



On March 18, Zahid said the BN government would table RUU355 as its own in the first Dewan Rakyat sitting of the year, which runs until April 6.



Zahid’s proposal had been supported by PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, who felt that it should have been taken up by the government all along.



“Maybe this is a chance to replace Najib if the threats by MCA, MIC and Gerakan cannot be ignored?



“Will this lead to another purge in Umno?” Hakimi wrote, referring to BN’s non-Malay component party members who had been protesting against Hadi’s bill since 2015.



Return to the opposition’s fold



This latest setback sparks the question as to whether PAS will now seek closer ties with its former opposition party allies after it was burned by Najib and Umno.



For political analyst Mohamad Hisomuddin Bakar, this was unlikely as PAS would not want to lose face after repeatedly stating that it would no longer work with Pakatan Harapan parties, DAP and Amanah.



To save face, PAS will stay with the third opposition bloc that it formed called Gagasan Sejahtera, said Hisomuddin of the think-tank Ilham Centre.



“For me, this is president Hadi’s failure in terms of approach and strategy and he should take responsibility for this by resigning as president at the upcoming PAS assembly (in April).”



Hadi, however, is likely to still get the support of a majority of PAS members to remain as president, said Hisomuddin.



RUU355 has been PAS’ trump card since the 2013 general election and it has seen leaders, such as Hadi, seek warmer ties with their traditional nemesis, Umno, in order to get it passed as law.



Hadi had even declined a meeting with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad last month for fear of angering Najib, whose help he needed to see RUU355 passed, said Hisomuddin.



“PAS has lost its main policy initiative after BN snubbed it. Now it needs something new to ensure its political survival.



“Though the bill can still be introduced as a private member’s bill, it won’t go far as the speaker’s power is controlled by Umno and BN,” said Hisomuddin. – March 31, 2017.