KUALA LUMPUR – The special committee that has been set up to study the competencies of the state legislative assembly in enacting Islamic laws would include opposition leaders to strengthen the consulting platform and advocacy body of the shariah court.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the committee’s involvement will include seeking the perspectives of ulama, muftis, and academicians.
“This committee will also engage opposition leaders. I want the committee to be open to hearing the views of anyone who wishes to present their opinions without obstruction.
“Allow the committee to consider all perspectives, make decisions, and submit their views, and we will scrutinise them from a constitutional standpoint based on the Attorney-General’s Chambers view.
“Then we will take it to the Conference of Rulers and then to the cabinet, as the cabinet is responsible for deciding whether to bring it to Parliament,” he said when met by the media after launching the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council carnival today.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, said the special committee plays a distinct role compared to the enforcement division of the religious department in each respective state.
He said that the enforcement divisions in the states, responsible for carrying out punishment for shariah offences, should operate independently, free from any political or executive influence, enabling them to make decisions without external pressure.
“The enforcement unit currently operates within the framework of the Islamic religious department in each state, functioning as one of its units or divisions.
“So the enforcement agency’s role is the same as that of the police, particularly in enforcing offences under the Penal Code and laws established by Parliament.
“To strengthen the shariah judicial system, it is recommended that the enforcement unit or division, under the executive authority of the state’s Islamic religious department, be established independently. This measure aims to ensure that investigations into single complaints of committed offences remain uninfluenced by executive authorities, creating an entity capable of autonomous decision-making free from political influence,” he said.
In December last year, former chief justice Tun Zaki Tun Azmi assumed the role of the Special Committee chairman tasked with reviewing the competence of the state legislative assembly in enacting Islamic law.
This committee is made up of Tun Zaki Tun Azmi and ten other individuals. – February 18, 2024