No privileges, exceptions in Islamic justice, says Agong

Islamic justice does not give privileges or exceptions to anyone who commits a wrongdoing, be it the persons themselves, their close friends, family members or parents, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said today. 

He said the principle of Islamic justice does not allow any form of injustice, including to those unliked, and upholds justice without favouritism as was practised and which raised the dignity of Islam during the time of Prophet Muhammad.

"The principle of justice that is transparent also succeeds in developing a just, fair and prosperous society. The principle of justice according to Islam is upholding God's trust.

"Based on the same principle, shariah courts must also be wise in using discretionary powers and in always being fair to all parties when sentencing, especially those involving family cases.

"If the law is not implemented consistently and fairly, justice will certainly not be achieved as the philosophy behind the enactment of a law would have been tainted, and as a result, the disadvantaged party would end up being victimised by those in power," the king said when officiating the opening of the Pahang Shariah Court Complex in Kuantan today. 
 
Construction of the court complex, officially named Kompleks Syariah Al-Sultan Abdullah, began on June 22, 2015 with a cost of RM44.75 million. It was completed on Sept 23, 2021. 

Sultan Abdullah also said that the power to punish and pardon should not be used arbitrarily as there would be an accounting for this in the afterlife. 

He also reminded shariah judges to ensure that cases are handled fairly and for judgments not to be delayed, besides calling on court officials and shariah lawyers to facilitate the smooth running of court proceedings. 

Sultan Abdullah also expressed hope that the concept of "diyat" or financial compensation to the kin of victims that he had proposed over the past few years could be studied and implemented in Pahang, and the country in general. 

"I would also like to ask shariah judges to conduct a detailed study on punishments in the form of community service because there are offences that are not so serious. This should be considered so that they can serve the community… which can be resolved with discretion," he said.