KUALA LUMPUR: Umno firmly rejects the appointment of non-Muslim experts in the Committee to Study the Powers of the Shariah Court, describing the proposal by Beruas member of parliament, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, as "out of touch with reality."
Umno secretary-general, Datuk Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, explained that this assertion is in line with the Federal Constitution, and the proposal by the DAP representative would only spark unnecessary controversy.
Furthermore, he said, the Shariah Court is specifically for Muslims, and the process of improving and elevating it, since Umno led the previous government, has always been implemented gradually, taking into account the scope of powers allowed by the Federal Constitution.
Moreover, he emphasised that throughout the process of upgrading the Shariah Court, which includes aspects of administration, competence, emoluments, and salaries of judges and officials, as well as the form and level of punishment stipulated under the court's jurisdiction, it has never infringed upon or violated the rights of non-Muslim citizens.
"This is also in line with the provisions of Article 3 of the Federal Constitution and the absolute authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Council of Malay Rulers as the preservers and protectors of the sanctity of Islam as the federal religion, while recognising the freedom of other religions to be practised in this country.
"Therefore, trust and confidence should be given to the Council of Malay Rulers in determining the panel that will constitute the committee in the future. Surely, Their Majesties, the Malay Rulers are very wise and will certainly take into account all aspects, including the powers provided by the Federal Constitution in approving the terms of reference for the committee," he said in a statement via his Facebook page, last night.
Earlier, the media reported that the government was advised to appoint experts from non-Muslim communities to assist the Special Committee to Study the Competence of the State Legislative Assembly in Enacting Islamic Laws established earlier this month.
Koo Ham was quoted as saying that this step is to consider the views of non-Muslims before any changes to the law are made.
He also reminded that the constitution was formed taking into account the interests of all groups, so any changes affecting ethnicities and religions must be discussed comprehensively to avoid conflicts.
In further comments, Asyraf Wajdi emphasised that any findings from the committee will surely be presented to the Council of Malay Rulers after examining all aspects related to the constitution.
"Moreover, if there are any proposals involving amendments to laws or the constitution, the process will certainly involve non-Muslim members of parliament who have the power to discuss, support, amend, or reject proposals related to the enactment of laws or the constitution," he said.