Jakim cannot make statements on MKI decisions: Selangor sultan

SHAH ALAM – Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said today that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) cannot issue any statement on decisions made by the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI).

Sultan Sharafuddin, who is the MKI chairman, said that the issuance of any statement regarding such matters comes under the jurisdiction of the committee chairman, MKI, and the Conference of Rulers.

The sultan said Jakim only serves as the secretariat for the committee and MKI.

“In this regard, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs) and his deputy cannot issue any statement on decisions made by the Muzakarah Committee.

“It should be noted that the minister and his deputy are not members of MKI or the Muzakarah Committee. Therefore, they cannot interfere in any decision of the Muzakarah Committee and MKI,” said Sultan Sharafuddin.

His Highness said only the chairman of the Muzakarah Committee can make presentations to the Conference of Rulers for consent.

“After obtaining the consent of the Conference of Rulers, the implementation of the decision of the muzakarah is left to the consideration and decision of the Islamic religious authorities of each state,” the sultan said.

On the Tarekat Naqsyabandiah al-Aliyyah Sheikh Nazim al-Haqgani, Sultan Sharafuddin said the decision of the muzakarah was consented to by the Conference of Rulers on Jan 4 last year.

 “Full details of the decision of the muzakarah can be referred to through a statement issued by the chairman of the Muzakarah Committee yesterday.”

Earlier, Muzakarah Committee chairman Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh said Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah al-Aliyyah Syeikh Nazim al-Haqqani may be practised in the country as decided at the 117th meeting of the MKI Muzakarah Committee in 2020.

He said the tarekat is allowed to be practised by its followers as long as it does not go against the beliefs of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah and syariah, as well as uruf (social tradition). – Bernama, April 9, 2022