He said if the rakyat could understand the amendments, why not the MPs.
“It’s been two to three years and we have been explaining it.
“If MPs do not understand, (I feel) they are worse than the rakyat. The rakyat understand. Is that why it (shariah bill) was postponed to give the explanation?
“We had postponed it twice to explain to them. Even if we postpone it for the next 10 years, they will still say they do not understand,” he said at Parliament today.
He was asked to respond to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri who said BN would have supported the bill if more details were provided in the bill.
He, however, said the government’s decision will not weaken the spirit of PAS to push for the bill.
Yesterday, Najib had said the government had called off plans to take over and table the private member’s bill after taking into account the consensus of the BN coalition parties.
The BN chairman said Act 355 will remain a private member’s bill and if it is presented in the Dewan Rakyat, it will depend on the speaker’s instructions.
Nik Abduh said PAS was now hoping the speaker would allow the bill to be tabled in Parliament as was promised earlier.
“I feel Umno failed to explain the bill to their component parties. BN (as a whole) needs consensus. It is right for BN not to take up the bill. But it does not affect our stand.”
The bill to amend Act 355 to increase the maximum punishments for shariah offences was first tabled last year by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Hadi had sought to increase the maximum punishment to 30 years’ jail, 100 lashes of the cane and RM100,000 fine.
Shariah punishments are currently capped at three years’ jail, six strokes of the cane and RM5,000 fine.
Later, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the federal government would take over and table the bill.
Along with those in the opposition, BN component parties had strenuously objected to the bill, which some had interpreted as a way to introduce hudud law in Malaysia.