KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — Any religious ruling or fatwa regarding the controversial Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) will be decided by the Conference of Rulers next month, Putrajaya said today.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar stated that a paper on the matter will be presented to the Malay Rulers after discussions by the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) scheduled for tomorrow.

"We are forming a discussion committee comprising all the muftis in Malaysia. A special paper regarding GISB will be presented, and this committee will decide on the matter. We will wait for the committee to convene until Thursday,” he told reporters after an event here.

"Jakim is preparing the necessary documents. After the committee reaches a decision, it will be brought to the National Council for Islamic Affairs, chaired by Sultan Nazrin Shah, and subsequently presented to the Conference of Rulers in October,” he added, referring to the Perak ruler who is currently chairing the MKI.

On Friday, Perlis became the first state to decree in a fatwa that the beliefs and teachings of GISBH is deviant.

However, other states were more reluctant, saying they would instead defer to the MKI.

Yesterday, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) said items seized during the fourth phase of Op Global could serve as supporting evidence in determining the faith status GISBH followers.

Its director-general Datin Hakimah Mohd Yusoff said this evidence would form the basis of a report to be discussed and decided in the MKI meeting tomorrow.