“Not taking a stand or voting ‘yes’ means that Members of Parliament are betraying the trust that Malaysians have given to them to retain Malaysia’s multicultural and moderate identity,” said Azrul Mohd Khalib of Bebas, the group which organised a protest to counter PAS’s recent pro-shariah rally in Kuala Lumpur.

Azrul urged Malaysians to contact their MPs to know their position on the bill, set for debate during the new Parliament session which begins next week.

The bill, first tabled by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang last year, seeks to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, seen as precursor to PAS’s efforts to introduce hudud, the Islamic criminal punishment, in Kelantan.

The bill, when passed, would allow an increase in the current jail term from three to 30 years, a fine of up to RM100,000 and up to 100 strokes of the cane.

PAS leaders have in the past said it was Muslims’ right to be governed by God’s laws.

A PAS leader recently denied Muslim MPs were being intimidated or forced into supporting the bill.

“They should actually vote in favour of (the bill). But we cannot force them,” PAS central working committee member Mohamed Fadzli Hassan told FMT recently, adding that Muslims must support hudud, the Islamic criminal punishment, “because it is a law from God”.

But Azrul said the bill was “Hadi Awang’s law”.

“It is not God’s law,” he added. “Hadi continues to be silent on the justification, rationale or reasoning for his proposed enhanced Shariah penalties.”

He challenged MPs to “summon the courage to reject any version of the bill, saying it would undermine the administration of justice in the country.

“All we hear from the champions of this bill is that more severe punishments will somehow solve today’s social, economic and moral problems. What this bill will do instead is to jeopardise the safety, security and harmony of this country and her people,” said Azrul.