The Malay Rulers have assented to the establishment of a high-level panel on the federal institutions of Islam aimed at improving these institutions.

The Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, Syed Danial Syed Ahmad, said in a statement today that the high-level panel would have five members, headed by its chairperson Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid and Orang Kaya-Kaya Imam Paduka Tuan (Perak) Afifi al-Akiti as the deputy chairperson.

The other three members are Mohd Kamal Hassan, Nooh Gadot and Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz.

All five were appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, with the consent of the other Malay Rulers who met at the Pre-Council of the 249th Conference of Rulers on July 10 this year.

Syed Danial said the functions of the panel would be to review the administration of Islamic institutions at the federal level, the basis for setting up these institutions, their jurisdictions, and the effectiveness of these institutions, including the legal and judicial Syariah agencies at the federal level.

The Office of the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal will be the secretariat of the panel.

“To carry out its mandate, the panel will receive memoranda and will invite submissions from relevant stakeholders. It will also welcome views from the general public.

“The setting up of this panel is in keeping with the position of Islam as provided for in Article 3 of the Federal Constitution. This effort preserves and respects the principle underlying such matters and the establishment jurisdiction and powers that are vested with the Malay Rulers as the heads of Islam in their states,” he said.

He said it was also appropriate that these institutions undergo improvement so as to protect the religion of Islam, as well as promote the universal values of Islam in the country.

The panel would submit its recommendations to the Conference of Rulers in the effort to improve the institutions of Islam and their administration at the federal level, and to ensure they were on the right track, he said.

-- Bernama