IPOH: Any amendments to the Syariah criminal enactments in the state must first receive consent from the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.
State speaker, Datuk Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid said the amendment concerned matters related to Islamic religious affairs which are under the authority and discretion of the state Sultan.
He said before the proposed amendment was brought to the state assembly sitting, Sultan Nazrin's approval was necessary before it was discussed in a special committee under the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) and then presented at the MAIPk Conference.
Mohammad Zahir said at the state assembly sitting level, the matter would be examined by the Special Committee to Review Perak State Enactments (Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Bagi Mengkaji Enakmen-enakmen Negeri Perak) before the related provisions are made through the sitting.
"We take a cue from there based on the state constitution. So we must get approval from Sultan Nazrin first before the committee in MAIPk starts discussing and the results of the discussion are presented in the MAIPk conference.
"It must go through Your Majesty's approval first and indeed this is what is provided for in the constitution (Perak Darul Ridzuan Government Constitution). The results of the MAIPk conference will only be submitted to the state assembly sitting," he said.
Mohammad Zahir said this during a press conference on the state's 15th assembly sitting at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here, today.
Earlier, Mohammad Zahir said there were no urgent motions submitted by state assemblymen throughout the sitting which is expected to convene from Feb 23 to Feb 29.
He added that Sultan Nazrin would open the state assembly sitting at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here and would deliver his royal address.
On Feb 9, the Federal Court ruled that 16 out of 18 provisions under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment were unconstitutional.
Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the legislative powers of the federal and state governments had been determined by the constitution in the Federal List and state list.
She said neither Parliament nor state legislative bodies could enact laws beyond their list.
The constitutional challenge was initiated by Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid, a lawyer born in Kelantan, and her daughter, Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman, on May 25, 2022.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Zahir also called for all parties to pray for the health of Kuala Sepetang assemblyman, Ahmad Man (Perikatan Nasional), who recently completed heart bypass surgery at the National Heart Institute (IJN) yesterday.
"We take the opportunity to pray together for the Kuala Sepetang assemblyman who underwent bypass surgery at IJN yesterday so that he recovers quickly," he said.
