KUALA LUMPUR: A special committee certified by the Council of Rulers needs to be established immediately, taking into account the current situation involving legal challenges due to the overlapping powers of the state and federal legislatures.
President of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Malaysia (PPMM) Muhamad Hisham Marzuki said this initiative need to be implemented immediately, considering that previously there were 157 recommendations for implementation that had been detailed by a Supreme Committee of the Islamic Affairs Institution at the Federal Level.
“In fact, this matter has cropped up for a long time and has been identified to propose appropriate amendments in the existing law,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Muhamad Hisham said PPMM expressed its appreciation for the government’s efforts to strengthen its position in resolving the matter completely and comprehensively.
“PPMM also fully supports efforts to strengthen the powers of the Syariah Court through the committee which consists of experts in various backgrounds in the field of law, including Syariah,” he said.
On Nov 21, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government agreed to establish a special committee which was certified by the Council of Rulers in an effort to raise the dignity of the Syariah Court.
Anwar said the committee will examine and discuss with the mufti and all relevant parties to get views so that there are regulations that can be implemented to increase the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court.
“PPMM continues to fully support efforts towards resolving the issue of overlapping jurisdiction between the states and the Federation and is committed to ensuring that the principles of the Federal Constitution is maintained in order to preserve peace and harmony of Malaysians,” he said. – BERNAMA
