The Shah Alam Syariah High Court today postponed the hearing of a case involving former Perlis mufti Mohd Azri Zainul Abidin pending the settlement of an appeal in the Syariah Appeal Court.

Judge Abu Zaky Mohammad postponed the hearing pending the outcome of Mohd Asri's appeal against the Shah Alam Syariah High Court decision allowing the case to be transferred from the Gombak Timur Syariah Lower Court to the Shah Alam Syariah High Court.

The judge allowed an application by Mohd Asri's counsel, Kamar Ainiah Kamaruzzaman, for the postponement, which was not objected to by Selangor syariah chief prosecutor Abdul Shukor Abdul Hamid when the case came up for mention today.

Abdul Shukor applied to the court to impose bail of RM1,000 with one surety on Mohd Asri.

However, Kamar Ainiah sought her client's release with two sureties without any bail sum, saying the bail sum was only to ensure that the accused attended court.

She also said that Mohd Asri was a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Judge Abu Zaky allowed Mohd Asri's release with two sureties without any bail sum.

On Nov 18 last year, Mohd Asri pleaded not guilty in the Gombak Timur Syariah Lower Court to a charge of teaching Islam without accreditation at a house at Lorong 2C, Taman Seri Ukay, Ampang, between 8.10pm and 9.45pm on Nov 1 last year.

He was charged under Section 119 (1) of the Selangor Islamic Religious Administration Enactment 2003 which provides for a fine of up to RM3,000 or a maximum jail term of two years or both upon conviction.

- Bernama