The Shah Alam Syariah appeal court today allowed the application by former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin to appeal against the transfer of his case on teaching-without-permission from the lower to the Syariah High Court.

A panel of three judges consisting of  Ibrahim Lembut, Aidi Mokhtar and Md Yusup Che Teh unanimously made the decision on grounds that it involved the law related to public interest.

Earlier on April 28 this year, the Syariah High Court had allowed the application by the Chief Syarie prosecutor Abdul Shukor Abdul Hamid to move the case against Mohd Asri from the Gombak Timur lower syariah court to the Syariah High Court in Shah Alam.   

Md Yusup, when reading the decision, said the appellant, represented by Kamar Ainiah Kamaaruzzaman, was given 14 days from today to file his appeal.

Md Yusup said the court was satisfied with the application as it was justified particularly on issues of the chief prosecutor's authority to transfer the case giving an impact on the applicant and for future cases.

Mohd Asri pleaded not guilty in Gombak Timur syariah court on Nov 18 last year to the charge of conducting Islamic teaching without permission at a house in Lorong 2C, Taman Seri Ukay, Ampang between 8.10pm and 9.45pm on Nov 1, 2009.

- Bernama