Jakim cannot issue statements on muzakarah council decisions, says Selangor sultan

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

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

The sultan also said that Jakim only serves as the secretariat for the Muzakarah Committee and MKI.

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

“It should be noted that the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs) 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,” Sultan Sharafuddin said.

He also said that 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, 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 obtained the consent of the Conference of Rulers on Jan 4 last year.

“Full details of the decision of the muzakarah can be referred through a statement issued by the chairman of the Muzakarah Committee yesterday (April 8).”

Earlier, chairman of the MKI Muzakarah Committee Wan Zahidi Wan Teh said the Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah al-Aliyyah Syeikh Nazim al-Haqqani was allowed to 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 shariah, or uruf (social tradition).