Malaysia's PAS Proposes New Sharia Amendments Ahead of General Election

In 2024, the country’s apex court ruled that 16 provisions in an earlier raft of amendments to the northern state’s sharia law were unconstitutional as the offences – ranging from sodomy to incest and intoxication – overlapped with common law, the latter of which takes precedence in criminal cases.

The latest amendments work around certain points raised by the federal court. For example, they replace specific descriptions of sexual acts such as sodomy with broader terminology to say that Muslims are prohibited from using their limbs or intimate parts for sexual purposes that run contrary to Islamic law.

But a successful implementation of the new amendments by PAS is less important than ensuring its target audience knows it has strived to broaden sharia law ahead of the next general election, according to analysts.

“PAS knows that Islamic sharia law cannot be implemented by the state as long as the Malaysian constitution is not amended,” said Mazlan Ali, a political analyst with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.