KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Committee Studying Issues Related to the Competence of the State Legislative Assemblies to Enact Islamic Laws is expected to present their report within six months to a year.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar said the report will be presented to the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia and the Conference of Rulers.
He said the report will entail the committee's findings and recommendations for a comprehensive resolution to the issues regarding the competence of state assemblies to enact Islamic laws and the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts as provided under Item 1, List II — State List and Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
"Following the Nik Elin Zurina case decision, the special committee... will continue its investigation and examine issues related to the competence of the state legislative assemblies to enact Islamic laws and the jurisdiction of Syariah Courts as provided under Item 1, List II — State List, Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
"To ensure a comprehensive study, all issues involving conflicts of jurisdiction between Syariah Courts and civil courts will also be scrutinised in detail.
"This special committee will prepare a report on the study's findings and present recommendations for a comprehensive resolution to the issues.
"The report will be presented to the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia and the Conference of Rulers within six months or no later than one year," he told the New Straits Times.
The 11-member special committee was set up following a decree from the sultan of Selangor during the 70th National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs.
The special committee held its first meeting at the Putrajaya Islamic Complex on Dec 5, discussing the terms of reference of the special committee and outlining the directions for conducting the studies on jurisdictional conflict issues.
Chaired by former chief justice Tun Zaki Azmi, the committee includes judges, religious council members, legal experts and academics.
The other 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 and 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 president Musa Awang and syariah lawyer Dr Zulgarnain Lukman.