KOTA BARU: KELANTAN mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad has defended the state government’s plan to use professionals instead of doctors to amputate limbs for convicted offenders under the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II, or hudud.
He said in countries which practised syariah law, amputations were carried out by professionals and not doctors.
“Of course, it will be better if doctors can carry it out, as they are properly trained. However, doctors are bound by their profession’s code of ethics and regulations. At the same time, if others are trained for the job, they can also do it.”
Shukri was commenting on a statement by Datuk Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan, the deputy chairman of the state technical committee on the Syariah Criminal Code II Enactment, who had said that a recent muzakarah (discussion) had proposed that doctors would not be suitable to conduct the amputations.
Other proposals had included the sentence be carried out at a well-equipped facility set up by the state government and not hospitals.
Shukri said more discussions should be held before the implementation of the law in Kelantan, as there were many more issues yet to be resolved.
“For example, should amputation be carried out on an offender who is the only wage earner for a family of five or six?”
Another issue, he said, was whether the police should be involved in enforcing hudud, as it was a state law.
He said the intention of introducing hudud was to show the beauty of Islam and should not have adverse effects on society.
Meanwhile, DAP and PKR leaders yesterday remained evasive when asked about the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.
DAP Klang member of parliament Charles Santiago said the party was firmly against hudud and that it had not held any discussion regarding hudud implementation.
“We are firmly against hudud and therefore cannot make any comments,” he said.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua said that the recommendations brought up in the muzakarah were premature, adding that it was up to the muzakarah participants to discuss the various issues and recommendations raised while they were still in its infancy.
“PKR as a party has no formal position with regards to hudud law being implemented in Kelantan at the moment, as matters are still being discussed and has not even been presented to the state executive council yet,” he said.
Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan said medical doctors and hospitals should not be involved in conducting amputations under hudud as they were bound by their professional code of ethics and regulations.
“Doctors are apolitical and cannot conduct amputations under hudud, as it is against our medical ethics. A doctor's aim is to do no harm, but to save patients.” Additional reporting by Raymund Wong