KOTA BARU, June 4 — The Kelantan government is drafting the new Syariah Court Administration Bill (RUU) which will replace the Administration of the Syariah Court Enactment (Kelantan State) 1982.

State Islamic Development, Dakwah, Information and Regional Relations Committee chairman Mohd Asri Mat Daud said the draft amendment had also been presented at the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) meeting.

He said the meeting also decided to establish a working committee especially to review the formulation of the draft proposals.

"The proposed Bill is also more comprehensive. Therefore, the drafting of the Bill is still at the stage of detailed study by the legal division of the Kelantan State Secretary’s Office,” he said.

Mohd Asri said this in response to a question from Zameri Mat Nawang (PAS-Jelawat) during the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly sitting at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim today,

Elaborating further, Mohd Asri said this opens up space and guarantees the implementation of justice in syariah cases through the judicial institution of the Syariah Court comparable to the judicial institution of the Civil Court.

"The survey in question relates to the need for four or five levels of court taking into account the implementation in other states from the aspects of policy or future planning by the federal government for the process of standardisation and empowerment of Syariah Courts in Malaysia.

"The increase is to ensure that the opportunity of appeals of syariah cases is two-fold that is an appeal to the Syariah Appeal Court and then to the Syariah Main Court as the highest court after the Syariah Appeal Court,” he said.

Meanwhile, in reply to a question from Dr Hafidzah Mustakim (Amanah-Kota Lama) regarding coordination with the syariah judicial committee at the federal level, Mohd Asri said the state government is always in contact and cooperates with the government in this matter. — Bernama