The Muslim Lawyers Association (PPMM) today threw its weight behind the Selangor Islamic Religious Authority (Jais), stating that the religious authority is not bound to the state government and does not need to answer to politicians.

"It is important that legal due process is allowed to be carried out fairly and it is not the responsibility of Jais to clarify every fact to everyone including politicians as it may affect its investigation and eventual prosecution.

"If Jais plans to charge, then the burden to disclose all evidence by Jais will be in court," its secretary-general Abdul Halim Bahari said in a statement.

He stressed that Jais comes under the purview of the sultan and has never been a prerogative of politicians, and this fact must be respected.

"PPMM stresses that in the matters of Islamic affairs, no one should interfere, particularly when coming out with statements that bring confusion and are insulting towards Islam and Islamic institutions.

"PPMM calls on all parties, particularly political leaders, to be more responsible in their comments on this issue," he said.

NONEThe legal body also emphasised that Jais’ raid on a HIV/Aids fundraiser dinner attended by some Muslims at Dream Centre last Thursday, a premises of the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC), was legal.

"Section 9 of the Syariah Criminal Procedure (Selangor) 2003 provides for individuals to relay information to religious authorities or police if they are aware of any intent to commit a crime.

"Section 57 of the same enactment also provides for religious authorities to send their officials to the place of alleged crime being committed to investigate the facts and circumstances of the case and take any appropriate action to discover the said offender," Abdul Halim added.

It concluded that these laws is evidence that Jais had acted within its powers during the raid.    

The statement comes after Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said that he will look at Jais’ report and hold a discussion with the Sultan over the raid as well as plans by PAS to meet with the state Islamic authority and DUMC.

Jais had claimed that they has evidence of proselytisation amongst Muslim attendees during a dinner event by HIV/Aids support group Komuniti Harapan on DUMC’s premises.

However, former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin called on Jais to stop its knee-jerk reaction, accusing it of failling to help its fellow Muslim, causing them to resort to help from other religious communities.

Echoing this, the Malaysian Syariah Lawyers Association called on the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and Baitumal - a zakat institution for Muslims - to improve its welfare distribution so that they do not need to rely on help from churches.

"JKM and Baitumal must review its method in collecting data on the poor community and improve its method in distributing welfare so that the Muslim community will not be left out and eventually be convinced by certain parties to receive aid from churches.

"If there is evidence that the church has persuaded Muslims to receive its help, then PGSM considers this as an attempt to proselytise and Selangor’s Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment must be enforced," its deputy president Musa Awang said.

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