[UPDATED] Over 1,000 gather for Gerakan Selamatkan Syariah rally in Putrajaya

PUTRAJAYA – The Gerakan Selamatkan Syariah rally, which kicked off in front of the Palace of Justice (PoJ) here this morning, drew more than 1,000 participants.

The crowd, spotted as early as 8am, was seen performing the solat hajat en masse in the areas surrounding the PoJ.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan and vice-president Datuk Seri Idris Ahmad, Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud, as well as former Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa, were among the leaders spotted at the rally at 8.45am.  

It is learnt that several PAS leaders are scheduled to give speeches before PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s supposed arrival and subsequent address to the crowd.

The rally comes amidst a constitutional challenge brought by lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid and her daughter, Tengku Yasmin Natasha Tengku Abdul Rahman, against the PAS-led Kelantan government at the Federal Court, here, today.

By 9.40am, the crowd has swelled to roughly 1,500 people as more PAS and Bersatu leaders were spotted at the rally.

Despite the sweltering heat, participants continued to listen to the PAS and PN leaders’ speeches atop a lorry that was being used as a makeshift stage.

Addressing the crowd, Takiyuddin expressed hope that the Federal Court would reject the application made by Nik Elin Zurina and Tengku Yasmin Nastasha.

PN secretary-general, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin urged Muslims to stand up and defend shariah law in Malaysia, besides wanting it to become the main law in this country.

PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that this will not be the first rally that it will conduct should there be threats to shariah law.

“What is happening today is the effort of the liberals to undermine the stability and Islamic law

“We pray that the lawyers and judges make the right decision and that Islam will continue to be dignified in the country,” Tuan Ibrahim said.

The rally eventually dispersed at 11am amidst chants of “Allahuakbar” and “takbir”.

Hadi who was supposed to attend the rally failed to turn up due to undisclosed reasons.

PAS had previously characterised the case as an attack on Islam, condemning Nik Elin for allegedly undermining the faith through the suit. 

Counsels Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Surendra Anath represent the mother-daughter duo, while Datuk Kamaruzaman Muhammad Arif appears for the Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department.

The hearing will be held before a nine-member panel of judges, with Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat presiding over the panel. 

The case, initiated on May 25 last year, challenges the constitutionality of 20 provisions under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019. 

Nik Elin and her daughter seek a declaration from the Federal Court to nullify these provisions, arguing their similarity to existing provisions under federal lists and offences under the Penal Code.

The suit, filed under Article 128(1)(a) of the federal constitution, pertains to the competency of any legislature to make laws and falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the apex court. 

On September 30, the mother-daughter duo invoked Article 4(4) of the federal constitution, and the Federal Court granted them leave to commence the suit.

The contested shariah provisions include Section 13 (selling or giving away a child to a non-Muslim or morally reprehensible Muslim), Section 14 (sodomy), Sections 16 and 17 (sexual intercourse with a corpse and with a non-human), as well as Section 42 (abuse of halal label and connotation). 

Other members of the panel include Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Amar Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, Court of Appeal judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli, and Federal Court judge Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan. 

Joining them are Federal Court judges Datuk Mari Lim Thiam Suan, Datuk Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal, Datuk Nordin Hassan, and Datuk Abu Bakar Jais. – November 20, 2023