SHAH ALAM – Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has called on states that have not joined the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs to respond to the invitation and officially become members of the council’s ‘musyawarah’ (deliberation) platform.
Sultan Sharafuddin, who is also the council’s chairman, said that the council is an institution approved by the Conference of Rulers.
“The primary members of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs are representatives from states that have a significant role in coordinating Islamic affairs,” said the ruler at the 70th Meeting of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs, held at Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, here, today.
Also present was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is the council’s deputy chairman.
Although there have been achievements from council discussions, there are still unresolved issues that demand the participants actively engage in producing valuable insights and solutions, Sultan Sharafuddin added.
In another development, the Selangor ruler noted that certain groups are openly sharing their views related to the disagreements on various sensitive matters that should be addressed by the council. These include the method for determining the start of Ramadan and the sighting of the Syawal moon.
“I am disappointed by this situation because, while they claim their intention is to strengthen their arguments, why does it cast doubt on the expertise of knowledgeable muftis in astronomy and lead to decisions that do not align with what has been agreed upon?
“This will certainly cause confusion among Muslims and could eventually lead to division,” he said.
In order to avoid confusion in the future, Sultan Sharafuddin advised that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) establish a clear decision regarding the method for determining the beginning of Ramadan and confirming the sighting of the Syawal moon using ‘ru’yah’ (vision) and ‘hisab’ (calculation).
Sultan Sharafuddin also suggested that Jakim propose a comprehensive policy and procedure for registering private tahfiz institutions to be implemented in every state. – August 28, 2023