PUTRAJAYA: Selangor Umno liaison committee chief Tan Sri Noh Omar today questioned why the opposition and several ex-Umno leaders are making a fuss over the proposed move to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as RUU355.

“”Why now? It is not new? Why didn’t DAP protest when RUU355 was tabled to be amended in the 1980s?

“It is merely politics. Please stop politicising the matter. This is an issue related to the Muslims and let the Muslims settle it,” he told reporters after the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry’s monthly assembly today.

Malaysian Islamic Strategic Research Institute (Iksim) had previously said that the move to amend RUU355, by empowering the Syariah courts to mete out tougher penalties, was to uphold the wellbeing of the ‘ummah’.

Iksim said the proposed amendment should be perceived as a deterrent for Muslims to commit any wrongdoings.

The RUU355 polemics taken up by certain quarters had given the impression that there were efforts to make sure Muslims would continue to transgress against the values of Islam that seemed to benefit those in the “sin” industry.

Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) media adviser Tuan Asmawi Tuan Umar was quoted as saying that some Muslims had even belittled the small amount of fine they had to pay for khalwat (close proximity) offence.