KUALA LUMPUR – Kelantan’s newly formed special committee for its shariah criminal code enactment, established to review 16 provisions annulled by the Federal Court last month, will convene after Ramadan.
Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohamed Fadzli Hassan said that the appointed committee members will gather to examine and discuss the relevant issues.
“We have recently established the special committee for the defence of the shariah criminal code enactment and appointed its members. We will assess the current situation regarding this matter.
“So far, the committee members have yet to convene due to the fasting month, possibly after Ramadan,” he said, as reported by the media after a donation ceremony in Kota Bharu yesterday evening.
This comes after the Federal Court annulled 16 shariah offences under the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code (I) 2019 on February 9.
The eight-judge panel, chaired by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, made the decision after allowing a petition submitted by lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid and her daughter, Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman.
Tengku Maimun said in the panel’s judgement that the court allowed the petition because the state legislative assembly enacted laws it did not have the authority to enact.
However, the panel ruled that two other provisions of offences were valid.
The decision was reached through a majority judgement of 8-1, with Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli dissenting.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Fadzli urged the people of Kelantan to perform the solat hajat (prayer of need) and to pray due to the drought affecting the state.
“Previously, we performed the solat hajat during prolonged droughts, and God willing, we will do it again because in Islam, solat hajat is an effort,” he said.
Before that, he also announced that there would be no bonus for civil servants in Kelantan for the upcoming Hari Raya celebrations.
He explained that this was because the special RM2,000 financial aid for Kelantan civil servants had been given last November by Menteri Besdar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud, which was considered a “Hari Raya bonus”.
“The aid was distributed last month, quite close to the Aidilfitri date, and could be used by civil servants for the festivities,” he said.
“We highly value civil servants just like the federal government does. If the economic situation improves, God willing, the government may consider other assistance initiatives after this,” he said. – March 27, 2024