Tens of thousands of Malaysians rallied in the capital on Saturday to support the adoption of an Islamic penal code.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has thrown his weight behind the contentious bill, which seeks to incorporate parts of the Islamic penal code, or “hudud,” into Malaysia’s existing Islamic legal system.
Najib is hoping to burnish his credentials in order to boost his chances in national elections that must be held by August 2018.
Critics of the bill warn that it could pave the way for full implementation of “hudud,” which prescribes punishments such as amputations and stoning, and disrupt the fabric of Malaysia’s multi-cultural and multi-religious society.
“(The adoption) will only exacerbate the unequal treatment of Muslims and non-Muslims before the law,” said Bebas, an NGO that organized a smaller counter-rally.
No official figures were available on how many people attended Saturday’s peaceful support rally in Kuala Lumpur, but estimates were in the tens of thousands.
Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, deputy president of Parti Islam-se Malaysia (PAS), one of its organizers, said 100,000 people were expected to attend.
The PAS presented the bill in Parliament last year but later withdrew it in order to fine tune the legislation. It is now expected to be reintroduced in the next parliamentary session, in March.
Najib backed the bill despite the anger of members of his own United Malay National Organization (UMNO) ruling coalition.
Presidents of three parties representing the Chinese and Indian ethnic groups in Najib’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition have threatened to quit their Cabinet posts if the bill passes.
For decades, PAS has been pushing for Malaysia to adopt “hudud” in the northeastern state of Kelantan that is governed by the party, arguing that it is the responsibility of the country’s Malay-Muslim majority to support Islamic law.

Source: Arab News