Malaysian States Standardize Shari`ah Laws

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Twelve of the country’s 13 states have approved the standardisation of five Shari`ah laws, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department told the House of Representatives on Thursday, April 14.

“The Conference of Rulers has agreed to recommend uniformity of the five laws,” Dr. Abdullah Md Zin told a parliamentary question-and-answer session, reported Bernama news agency.

He added that nearly 90 % of the legal procedures to standardise the five laws, including Shyariah (Shari`ah) Criminal Offences Act and Shyariah Criminal Procedure Act, have been completed.

“After the laws have been studied and fine-tuned, they will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat (for approval),” he added.

When all the laws were approved by Parliament, it would become an Act for the Federal Territory, the country’s thirteenth state, and an enactment to the state administration after they were passed by the respective state assemblies, the official said.

Dr Abdullah underlined that all states have recently promised Prime Minister, in his capacity as the National Islamic Religious Council Chairman, to adopt the laws.

He stressed that the standardisation of the laws was not an easy job as it took the government several years to implement.

“The government cannot act hastily in enforcing Islamic laws.”

Reviewing Hudud

In a related development, the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) is studying the Syariah Criminal Offence laws in the state of Terengganu, The Star Online reported on Wednesday, April 13.

State Islam Hadhari Development Committee Chairman Wan Mohd Wan Hassan said Ikim would decide whether the laws, gazetted by the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) state government in 2003, could be implemented and whether they were comprehensive.

Asked, during a session of the state assembly, why the state government had not consulted its legal adviser or attorney-general, he said “it is better to seek outside expert help from those who conduct studies on such matters”.

PAS proposed that hudud (prescribed Islamic penalties) laws be imposed only on Muslims in states where they are in a large majority.

Passed by the state assembly in July 2002, the enactment received the royal assent of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin two months later.

The laws, which only apply to Muslims, introduced Shari`ah punishments for theft, robbery, illicit sex, including incest and sodomy, false accusations of illicit sex, liquor consumption and apostasy, The Star said.