Jakim: All must respect Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution

(Bernama) – The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) wants all to respect Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution which provides that the civil court cannot interfere in the syariah court.

Its director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said failure to abide by the provision could cause confusions in society when a court decision was made.

“The provision on the matter is clear. It is there and other courts cannot discuss matters related to Islamic law. But, because it has been requested, let’s wait for the appeal by the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council.

“As the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom had said prior to this, the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council and those from other states will intervene in the appeal proceedings later,” he said when met after attending a national level Quran and Islamic personal obligation gathering here, yesterday.

He said this when asked to comment on the decision of the Appeals Court on Friday which declared Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal Enactment (Negeri Sembilan) 1992 as invalid under the constitution because it discriminated against Muslim men who suffered from a condition known as gender identity disorder.