KUALA LUMPUR: An 11-member special committee has been set up to study the competencies of the state legislative assembly in enacting Islamic laws.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar said the special committee was formed based on a decree from the Selangor Sultan during the 70th National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs.
"This special committee is responsible for studying issues related to the competencies of the state legislative assembly in enacting Islamic laws and the jurisdiction of Syariah Courts as provided for under Article 1, State List, Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
"Establishing this special committee is one of the government's efforts and commitments to resolve conflicts of jurisdiction between the Federal and State authorities to elevate and strengthen Syariah legislation and the Syariah judicial system in the country," he said in a statement today.
The special committee chaired their very first meeting at Putrajaya Islamic Complex today, discussing the terms of reference of the special committee and outlining the directions for conducting the studies on jurisdictional conflict issues.
The special committee comprises 11 members, including judges, religious council members, legal experts, and academics, and is led by former Chief Justice Datuk Seri Zaki Tun Azmi as the chairman.
The 11 members include former Federal Court judge Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh, Selangor Islamic Religious Council member Datuk Salehuddin Saidin, Melaka Syariah Court Chief Judge Datuk Mohd Nadzri Abdul Rahman, Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) Syariah and Legal Harmony Division chief Datuk Anas Ahmad Zakie, AGC Civil Division I deputy chief Shamsul Bolhassan.
Others are International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Law Faculty Dean Professor Dr Farid Sufian Shuaib, IIUM Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation Associate Professor Datuk Wan Ahmad Fauzi Hashim @ Wan Husain, AGC Constitutional Research Division Research Unit 1 Chief Azirul Liza Abdullah, Malaysian Syariah Lawyers Association (PGSM) President Musa Awang and Syariah Lawyer Dr Zulgarnain Lukman.