Let’s talk about the law-making process of the so-called hudud bill 355.
Hadi Awang is now given an opportunity (thanks to BN) to table his motion early next week at position no.4.
Since Hadi Awang is not part of the BN government, he is a “private member” of Parliament, and therefore can only present his amendments to Act 355 via a MOTION.
Sometime next week, Hadi will most probably read out his MOTION in Parliament.
Then the floor will be open to debate his MOTION. This is not a debate to pass a law. BUT it is a debate on Hadi’s MOTION.
After the debate, there will be a vote on who supports or opposes the MOTION.
If Hadi has more support at this stage, the MOTION will then land on the table of the BN government’s representative on Islamic matters. That representative is none other than Minister Jamil Khir from the Prime Minister’s Department.
Once the MOTION lands on Jamil’s table, he will then take instructions from Najib as Prime Minister on how to proceed.
At this crucial point, Najib can no longer hide and claim that this is a PAS or Hadi Awang initiative. At this point, it is Najib who has to take full responsibility to push for hudud.
His dangerous political game in the past few months has allowed Hadi Awang to push the hudud agenda. But this will come to an end at this point. It will no longer be Hadi Awang’s bill. At this point, it will become Najib Razak’s hudud bill.
If Najib agrees to table the hudud bill, he will then proceed to table it for second and third reading and a final vote is made thereafter.
If Najib wins, then the 355 hudud amendments will become law.
If Najib does not table the bill, then his romance with Hadi Awang will surely come to an abrupt end.
What will happen next week will have profound political and socio-economic impact. What is most worrying, is the willingness of those in power to play the hudud card, in an attempt to stay in power at all costs.