Former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin will be charged tomorrow under Section 119 of the Selangor Islamic Administration Enactment for delivering a religious talk without authorisation.

According to Syarie lawyer, Akhbardin Abdul Kader, the charge should not affect Asri's career or reputation as an ustaz , as his credentials are not dubious.

"This is a technical offence and his qualifications cannot be questioned. The fact that he is still writing his column in Utusan Malaysia as usual, shows that his views are still very much appreciated," he said.

NONE He said that this is a minor offence and that, even if Asri is found guilty, he can still apply for tauliah (authorisation) in future.

As a possible line of defence, Asri could claim that he does not need tauliah as he was speaking at a private event and was therefore not subject to state authorisation, added the lawyer.

Should Asri be convicted, he faces a maximum fine of RM3,000 or not more than two years' imprisonment, or both.

He was arrested two weeks ago for holding a religious discourse at a private residence in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, leading to a storm of protest across the political divide

Impact on future applications

Noorasnita Maktar, the assistant senior director of the Jais enforcement division, confirmed that the charge against Asri would not jeopardise any future application he makes for tauliah , although there is no guarantee it will be approved by the Authorisation Panel.

NONE Asked about criteria for approval, she said applicants should have basic religious knowledge.

"They will still have to go through a series of interviews conducted by the panel. A prior criminal conviction could deter approval," she added.

Under the enactment, anyone seeking to give religious speeches or teaching is required to apply for authorisation.

However, exceptions are provided under Section 2 to those given exemption by the state and those giving religious speeches in their own home and to their own family.