Kelantan assembly unanimously approves shariah law amendments

The Kelantan legislative assembly has unanimously approved amendments to its shariah criminal enactment, eliminating 16 provisions deemed unconstitutional by the Federal Court in February 2024. Deputy Menteri Besar Fadzli Hassan introduced the Syariah Criminal Offences (Kelantan) Bill 2026, which underwent a six-man debate before receiving a clean pass.

The bill, consisting of nine parts, 62 clauses, and one schedule, incorporates significant improvements to aspects like daily prayers, restorative punishment, whipping as punishment, and compound mechanisms. Menteri Besar Nassuruddin Daud emphasized that the bill preserves the essence of the 2019 enactments. Earlier, on February 9, 2024, the Federal Court ruled 8-1 against the Kelantan assembly's authority to enact these provisions, citing their violation of federal criminal law jurisdiction.