For the young, the old and even the wheelchair-bound who gathered there, the demand for more power to the shariah courts was seen as a religious cause they could not ignore.

“We are tired, but we don’t regret coming here one bit as long as Act 355 is passed,” Mohd Fakrul Razi told FMT.

The youth from Kedah was talking about the proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as Act 355, tabled by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang last year.

The bill seeks to increase the maximum penalties for shariah offences and will provide for the enhancements of jail terms up to 30 years instead of three, fines up to RM100,000 instead of RM5,000 and 100 strokes of the cane instead of the current six.

PAS held the rally today to prove that many backed the controversial bill, which has sparked intense debate among politicians and activists.

A supporter who introduced himself as Abdul Fattah said today’s rally was unlike those organised by electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 and the Red Shirts movement.

“Our cause is more important than theirs because ours is for religion,” he said.

While the majority were Malay Muslims, there were also non-Muslims who turned up for the rally today.

A rally goer who wish to be known only as Subramaniam was there to support the bill, unperturbed by fears that the amended law could eventually have an impact on non-Muslims like himself – fears that PAS have consistently rubbished.

For him, the passing of the bill meant a guarantee of peace in Malaysia, even if the law applied only to Muslims.

“If we, as non-Muslims support the bill, why not other Muslims? Today’s rally is not about Islam but the future of our nation.”