PUTRAJAYA, Feb 15 — All parties are urged to accept Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s decree to respect the Federal Court’s ruling on Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid’s case and that the Federal Constitution is upheld as the supreme law of the country.

Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the Special Committee to Study the Competence of the State Legislative Assembly in Enacting Islamic Laws has always been provided ample space to study issues related to the assemblies’ competence and the the Syariah Court’s jurisdiction as provided under Item 1 of the States List, the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.

He said all of the suggestions by the special committee, which is chaired by former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Tun Azmi, will be submitted to the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) and then presented to the Council of Rulers to be fine-tuned and their consent.

"All parties are urged to remain calm and not carry out any provocations that could lead to public concern while waiting for the suggestions from the special committee,” he said in a statement here today.

Earlier today, Sultan Sharafuddin, who chaired the 71st MKI meeting also stressed on the importance to look for a solution to overcome any matters arising by studying methods to expand the state legislative assemblies’ competency to enact Shariah criminal law in the framework set out by the Federal Constitution.

His decree was related to the Federal Court’s February 9 decision declaring 16 provisions under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment 2019 null and void.

Mohd Na’im added that the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) accepted Sultan Sharafuddin’s decree that every difference in opinion needed to be resolved deliberatively and done in a spirit of celebrating differences of opinion in a knowledgeable and prudent manner. — Bernama