KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) will organise a series of demonstrations to protest a family's constitutional challenge against certain provisions within the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code.
Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the protests will take place in three different places, including Terengganu (Nov 16), Kelantan (Nov 18) and a munajat gathering at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on Nov 20.
"PN views the challenge made against the Syariah courts with great seriousness, even during the case of Iki Putra before this (in 2021)," he said during a press conference in Parliament, today.
Meanwhile, Tuan Ibrahim said several NGO representatives have also submitted a memorandum to the opposition today in urging the government to establish a special committee to resolve the crisis towards powers given to the state legislative assembly in enacting provisions related to Syariah criminal offences for Muslims.
He also emphasised that the legal aspects of Islam were closely related to faith and could not be compromised by any parties.
"In a parliamentary session previously, Kota Bharu (Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan) raised an important issue, requesting that the Religious Affairs Minister intervene in the case proceedings.
"This is because the case implications are important for the Syariah law in the country (as to how it operates).
"(And) if it (the court ruling) is allowed, certain jurisdiction under the Syariah courts' could be erased."
In 2022, Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid, a lawyer born in Kelantan and her daughter, Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman filed a constitutional challenge against 20 provisions contained in the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019.
They utilised Article 4(4) of the Federal Constitution to approach the Federal Court directly, listing the Kelantan state government as the respondent.
The duo contended that the power to legislate on criminal matters belongs exclusively to parliament, with state assemblies only given the right to enact laws concerning the Islamic faith.
The duo had also filed the case directly with the Federal Court, which agreed to hear the constitutional challenge.