KOTA BARU: The federal-level technical committee to study whether hudud can be enforced in Kelantan will consist of politically non-partisan experts inclusive of those with Islamic legal knowledge.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said this would allay doubts from the public that their findings would be politically influenced.
He said this after delivering a speech at a programme for imam, religious teachers and mosque committee members in Kelantan. Also present was Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, who attended the event at Balai Islam in Lundang yesterday.
The setting up of the committee follows a plan by the Kelantan government to table a private member's bill in Parliament to facilitate hudud enforcement in the state.
Jamil Khir said the Federal Government would not interfere to allow its members freedom to tackle issues based on their expertise.
"They still have to abide by certain rules and work within the scope of the committee pertaining to the issue," he said, adding that the Kelantan government had been informed about the committee and several meetings had already been held outside the media spotlight to avoid eliciting unnecessary negative comments.
He said two main issues that would be of focus were establishing proper procedures before tabling the bill to parliament or whether consent from the Rulers' Council had to be sought.
Suggestions will also be made on whether there is a need to make amendments to the existing law, to either add or retract certain provisions before hudud can be enforced.
Earlier, Jamil Khir presented the menteri besar with a mock cheque for RM68.5 million to pay for the allowances of imam, takmir (religious) teachers and mosque committee members in the state.
