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Students protest against child marriage outside the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur November 13, 2018. — Picture by Hari Anggara KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — 543 child marriages, including applications, were recorded in Malaysia from the first nine months of this year, with Sarawak being the state with the highest reported figures, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has said. In a written parliamentary reply yesterday, the ministry said the Syariah Judiciary Department Malaysia’s (JKSM) records for Muslim couples showed that there were 520 applications for underage marriages recorded from early January to September 2020, with the highest number of such cases recorded in Sarawak (83 cases), followed by Kelantan (80 cases) and Sabah (63 cases). The ministry however did not say how many of these applications were approved, and did not provide the number of child marriage applications by Muslims for other states. As for non-Muslim couples, the ministry said the National Registration Department’s (NRD) records showed 23 underage marriages recorded in the same January to September 2020 period, with the highest in Sarawak (seven cases), followed by Selangor (six cases). Again, the ministry did not provide the number of child marriages among non-Muslims for the other states. The ministry appeared to indicate possible gaps and deficiencies in Malaysia’s official child marriage statistics, noting: “As you know, data on underage marriage recorded by various agencies differ in definitions and have different age ranges, including non-Muslim customary marriages not recorded by the NRD.” “In relation to that, the latest data that can provide an accurate picture about marriages as a whole under the age of 18 is 2018 data based on statistics from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. “In 2018, a total of 1,856 children were involved in marriages under the age of 18, with 1,674 of Bumiputera ethnicity, 100 of Chinese ethnicity, 20 of Indian ethnicity, and 62 from other ethnicities,” the ministry said in its parliamentary reply. The ministry was replying to Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto, who had asked for the child marriage statisics in both the civil and Shariah courts since January 2020 and their locations, as well as the progressin government’s efforts to curb child marriages and towards the seven states in Malaysia that disagreed with fixing the minimum age for marriage at 18. Previously, the ministry had on August 16, 2018 in the Dewan Rakyat said that JKSM’s records showed that there were 5,362 applications for marriages below the age of 18 for Muslim couples from 2013 to 2017, while the NRD’s records showed 2,367 marriages below the age of 18 for non-Muslim couples from 2013 to 2017. What the ministry is doing about child marriages Referring to the five-year National Strategy Plan in Handling the Causes of Child Marriage which the ministry had launched in January 2020, the ministry yesterday told Kasthuri that the implementation of the plan is monitored by a steering committee chaired by the ministry’s secretary-general, with the steering committee also enabling continued cooperation between the ministry and the related agencies in handling the causes of child marriage. With the steering committee to carry out its functions during the plan’s five-year period of 2020 to 2025, the ministry said this steering committee is also required to meet twice a year and had met on August 24. As for the states which have resisted fixing the lowest age that one can be married at 18, the ministry yesterday said: “Since Malaysia is composed of a mutliracial society which has different customs, cultures and religions, therefore talks and engagement sessions with the relevant experts including child experts, culture experts and Syarie experts still have to be conducted to ensure views from all are taken into account in the fixing of the minimum age of marriage at 18 years old, especially in states that have yet to agree.” Previously, in a November 17 written parliamentary reply to Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the ministry had also said that the fixing of the minimum age of marriage is also subject to the powers of the state Islamic religious councils. The ministry had also said then that the August 24 meeting was intended to monitor the progress in the programmes and actions for each of the national plan’s strategy, and said the ministry had also prepared a communications strategy plan and a comprehensive advocacy programme for the national plan. In that reply, the ministry said it was committed to continue efforts to tackle child marriages, stating that it was holding on to the principle that children should be given a chance to realise their full potential, in line with Malaysia’s obligation to the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child. “Marriage at a young age contravenes with the principle of child development and should be avoided as it can affect the child’s rights to education, reproductive health, emotional and mental health,” the ministry had said. Which are the seven states refusing to revise laws? In a parliamentary reply on November 19, 2019, the ministry said only Selangor had changed its state laws to fix the minimum marriage age at 18 and that the Federal Territories was in the process of doing so, while the five states of Penang, Sabah, Johor, Melaka and Perak had agreed to do so, while seven states (Sarawak, Pahang, Terengganu, Perlis, Negri Sembilan, Kedah and Kelantan) do not agree with amending the related laws. As for marriage laws relating to non-Muslims, ministry had in the November 2019 reply said that the Home Ministry said there was “no need” to change the minimum marriage age in the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, as the existing law there already provided for the minimum marriage age for both male and female at 18, but with exceptions allowing girls aged 16 and 17 to marry if permitted by a state’s chief minister or menteri besar. Sumber: Malay Mail

Ketua Hakim Syarie, Datuk Dr Mohd Naim Mokhtar. – Foto Google KUALA LUMPUR: Umat Islam yang mempunyai kemusykilan berkaitan undang-undang syariah dinasihat supaya memanfaatkan Pusat Khidmat Nasihat Guaman Syarie PGSM (Khidmat PGSM). Khidmat PGSM adalah platform rundingan guaman syariah dalam talian diperkenal Persatuan Peguam Syarie Malaysia (PGSM) berikutan kekangan akibat pandemik COVID-19. Ketua Hakim Syarie, Datuk Dr Mohd Naim Mokhtar, berkata platform itu bertujuan membantu masyarakat Islam mendapatkan khidmat nasihat secara percuma daripada peguam syarie dalam kalangan ahli PGSM di seluruh negara. Beliau yang juga Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah (JKSM) berkata, Khidmat PGSM dapat membantu peguam syarie yang juga ahli PGSM menghadapi situasi pandemik COVID-19 dan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) atau PKP Bersyarat (PKPB). Sehubungan itu katanya, pelanggan terutamanya dalam daerah terbabit dengan PKPB akan berhubung secara terus dengan firma berdaftar bersama Khidmat PGSM bagi menetapkan temu janji rundingan, pada tarikh dan masa sesuai. “Masyarakat tidak perlu merentas negeri atau daerah untuk mendapatkan khidmat nasihat guaman syarie, dan boleh berhubung terus firma berdaftar dengan Khidmat PGSM, untuk menetapkan temujanji bagi mendapatkan khidmat nasihat guaman syarie. “Jika pelanggan mendapatkan khidmat nasihat itu bersetuju membawa kesnya ke Mahkamah Syariah, fi guaman syarie bagi mewakili pelanggan berkenaan adalah berpatutan berdasarkan persetujuan bertulis antara pelanggan atau anak guam dengan panel peguam syarie terbabit,” katanya berucap merasmikan Majlis Pelancaran Khidmat PGSM secara dalam talian yang turut dihadiri Presiden PGSM, Musa Awang di sini, hari ini. Musa berkata, khidmat PGSM tercetus berikutan isu membabitkan tuntutan ke Mahkamah Syariah masih berterusan sepanjang PKPP atau PKPB dikuatkuasakan. Katanya, PGSM sebelum ini, ada melancarkan program khidmat rundingan guaman syariah dalam talian pada April lalu, yang masih diteruskan sehingga kini tetapi ia adalah terhad. “Daripada situlah tercetusnya idea mewujudkan pusat Khidmat PGSM bagi memberi peluang kepada pihak terbabit mendapatkan nasihat perundangan syariah secara bersemuka, daripada peguam syarie bertauliah. “Firma dipilih sebagai Pusat Khidmat PGSM dilengkapi bilik rundingan bagi tujuan khidmat nasihat, serta mematuhi prosedur operasi standard (SOP) ditetapkan Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN). “Masyarakat yang mahu menggunakan perkhidmatan Khidmat PGSM boleh melayari laman sesawang https://khidmatspgsm.blogspot.com,” katanya. Sumber: Berita Harian

Continuous improvements will boost the image of Shariah judicial and legal institutions in dealing with complex cases by RAHIMI YUNUS / pic by RAZAK GHAZALI SHARIAH courts in the country must prioritise the use of new technology in the time of Covid-19 to provide services and serve justice effectively as required by the religion, Prime Minister (PM) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (picture; centre) said. “I believe continuous improvements will boost the image of Shariah judicial and legal institutions in dealing with cases that are increasingly complex and challenging, as well as fulfilling the needs of the Muslim community as a whole,” Muhyiddin said at the 2020 Nusantara Syariah Law and Judiciary Conference launch in Sepang, Selangor, yesterday. He added that the Perikatan Nasional government is committed to supporting efforts to uphold the dignity of the Shariah law and judiciary in Malaysia, including enhancing Shariah courts’ jurisdiction and appointment of Syarie judges. According to Shariah Judiciary Department (JKSM) DG and Syarie Chief Judge Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, cases in Shariah courts have consistently increased over 100,000 cases in every five years. From 2014 to 2018, 616,707 cases were filed in Shariah courts, said Mohd Na’im during his opening remark at the conference. He said JKSM has recommended several measures to enhance the status of the Syarie chief judge and Syarie judges across the country as stated in a proposal paper presented on Feb 6 this year. Among the recommendations are a JKSM restructuring through an establishment of a Shariah judicial commission to separate the power between the judiciary, legislature and executive; coordination and standardisation of laws throughout Malaysia; establishment of Court of Appeal at the federal level; and extension of the jurisdiction in criminal and civil. Meanwhile, the PM said efforts rolled out by the government to fight the Covid-19 pandemic is guided by the “Maqasid Shariah”, or objectives of Shariah principles. This concept provides a framework in finding solutions to protect human interests, while complying with God’s will, mainly to protect the five elements namely faith or religion (hifzu al-din), life (hifzu al-nafs), lineage (hifzu al-nasb), intellect (hifzu al-aql) and property (hifzu al-mal). For example, Muhyiddin said the decision to implement the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19 is in tandem with the protection of life principle. He added that the need to reopen mosques and surau, as well as allowing congregational prayers under new norms, is balanced between the protection of faith and protection of life principles. “In the spirit of ‘Malaysia Prihatin’ (Malaysia Cares), the government has taken proactive measures to implement several phases of the MCO. “To date, we are still in the Recovery MCO to preserve the protection of safety and lives of the people from Covid-19 threats,” he said. The 2020 Nusantara Shariah Law and Judiciary Conference was attended by some 580 participants among Shariah officers in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore. With a theme to cultivate Maqasid Shariah applications in Shariah judicial and legal systems under the new normal, the conference seeked to improve Shariah judicial services delivery amid the pandemic based on experiences gathered by regional countries. Sumber: The Malaysian Reserve

MUHYIDDIN Yassin (duduk, tengah) merakam kenangan bersama sebahagian Hakim Mahkamah Syariah pada Majlis Perasmian Persidangan Kehakiman dan Perundangan Syariah Nusantara Tahun 2020 di Putrajaya hari ini. Turut kelihatan, Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama), Datuk Dr. Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (duduk, enam dari kiri) dan Mohd. Na’im Mokhtar (duduk, enam dari kanan). – FAISOL MUSTAFA PUTRAJAYA: Kes-kes di Mahkamah Syariah di negara ini menunjukkan peningkatan yang konsisten melebihi 100,000 kes bagi setiap lima tahun.  Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia (JKSM), Datuk Mohd. Na’im Mokhtar berkata, bagi tahun 2014 hingga 2018 sahaja, kes-kes yang difailkan di Mahkamah Syariah seluruh negara berjumlah 616,707 kes. Beliau berkata, berdasarkan statistik berkenaan, ia menjadi sandaran kepada JKSM agar terus berusaha gigih bagi mencapai maqasid syariah dan maqasid qadhaiyyah dalam menyalurkan perkhidmatan yang terbaik kepada masyarakat. Menurut beliau, dalam tempoh 22 tahun penubuhan JKSM, pelbagai kejayaan telah ditempa antaranya ialah pewujudan jawatan Hakim Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah di peringkat Persekutuan bagi tujuan mendengar kes rayuan di negeri-negeri selain penyelarasan akta atau enakmen di seluruh negara mulai tahun 2000. “Bagi tahun 2019, JKSM menduduki ranking pertama dalam kluster perundangan dan kehakiman bagi pencapaian kluster terbaik agensi-agensi agama.  “Di peringkat antarabangsa pula, World Justice Project yang menjalankan kajian berhubung Rule of Law Index (RLI) pada tahun 2018 mendapati bahawa institusi kehakiman, ketelusan keadilan, hak asasi, keterbukaan kerajaan menyumbang kepada kedudukan Malaysia di tempat ke-53 daripada 113 negara di seluruh dunia, yang mana Malaysia merupakan antara lima negara Islam terbaik di dunia.  “Pada tahun 2019, kedudukan Malaysia meningkat ke tangga ke-51 daripada 126 buah negara, dan seterusnya pada tahun ini meningkat ke tangga 47 daripada 128 buah negara dengan Malaysia merupakan negara Islam kedua terbaik di seluruh dunia,” katanya. Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap dalam majlis perasmian Persidangan Kehakiman dan Perundangan Syariah Nusantara 2020 yang dirasmikan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, di sini semalam. Mengulas lanjut, Mohd. Na’im berkata, kajian ilmiah yang dilakukan oleh Gutman dan Voigt terhadap institusi kehakiman di negara-negara Islam menerusi Islamic State Index (ISI) pula memberikan skala 3.602 daripada markah maksimum 4.0 bagi Malaysia.  Katanya, penilaian yang dilakukan tersebut adalah dengan meneliti keislaman sesuatu negara, yang diukur mengikut jumlah penduduk, peruntukan Perlembagaan mengenai Islam dan keanggotaannya di dalam Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam (OIC).  Dalam pada itu, beliau berkata, JKSM telah mengemukakan beberapa saranan bagi menaik taraf status Ketua Hakim Syarie dan Hakim Syarie di seluruh negara antaranya ialah  penstrukturan semula jabatan itu dengan menzahirkan aspek pengasingan kuasa di antara badan kehakiman dan pentadbiran perundangan melalui pewujudan Suruhanjaya Kehakiman Syariah.   “Penjenamaan JKSM sebagai sebuah jabatan yang menguruskan hal ehwal pengurusan melibatkan perundangan syariah turut dicadangkan selain mengkaji semula kadar emolumen bagi para hakim syariah dengan pewujudan Akta Saraan Hakim Syarie yang khusus,” katanya. – UTUSAN Sumber: Utusan

SULTAN Sharafuddin (dua dari kiri) bersama penerima watikah di Istana Bukit Kayangan, Shah Alam hari ini. SHAH ALAM: Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah hari ini berkenaan menyerahkan watikah pelantikan kepada empat orang Hakim Syarie sebagai anggota Panel Tetap Hakim Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah Selangor dalam satu istiadat di Istana Bukit Kayangan di sini hari ini. Mereka yang dilantik ialah Ketua Pengarah merangkap Ketua Hakim Syarie Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia (JKSM), Datuk Dr. Mohd. Na’im Mokhtar dan Hakim Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah JKSM, Mohd. Amran Mat Zain. Pelantikan itu selaras dengan Subseksyen 57(1) Enakmen Pentadbiran Agama Islam (Negeri Selangor) 2003 itu berkuatkuasa pada 25 Ogos 2020 hingga 24 Ogos 2023. Selain itu, turut dilantik ialah Datuk Mohamad Shakir Abdul Hamid dan Othman Ibrahim berkuat kuasa pada 4 Mei 2020 hingga 3 Mei 2023. Pada istiadat tersebut juga, sembilan orang Hakim Mahkamah Rendah Syariah turut menerima watikah pelantikan iaitu Muhamad Hisyam Zakaria, Salmi Amalia Jamil, Nor Faiz Afsal Abu Bakar, Fairus Jaafar, ‘Afif Sofiuddin Abd. Ghani, Ahmad Faizal Tahiron, Muhammad Mustaqim  Darus, Siti Nazratul Ain Sulaiman dan Mohd. Fakhrurrazi Mahamad. Sementara, Nur Afiqah Ismail dan Nurnazliya Zakaria turut dilantik sebagai pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah. Kesemua pelantikan itu dibuat selaras dengan Subseksyen 59(1) dan Seksyen 60 Enakmen Pentadbiran Agama Islam (Negeri Selangor) 2003. Watikah pelantikan turut diserahkan kepada Zakaria Jamil sebagai Timbalan Pendaftar Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah Selangor dan tiga Penolong Pendaftar Mahkamah Rendah Syariah melibatkan Siti Salmiah Ismail, Syahrul Syafie Hariths dan Ramizah Razali. Yang turut hadir dalam istiadat tersebut ialah Menteri Besar Selangor, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Ketua Hakim Syarie Selangor, Datuk Mohammad Adib Husain dan Pengarah Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor, Mohd. Shahzihan Ahmad.-UTUSAN Sumber: Utusan

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama), Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri. – Foto BERNAMA KUALA LUMPUR: Dakwaan menyatakan undang-undang Islam boleh memecahbelahkan keharmonian masyarakat majmuk di negara ini adalah tidak berasas sama sekali, kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama), Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri. Zulkifli berkata jika rakyat pelbagai kaum dan agama dapat memahami serta menghayati Perlembagaan Persekutuan serta sistem perundangan Islam di Malaysia, kerajaan yakin perundangan Islam bukanlah suatu isu yang sensitif. “Undang-undang Islam itu sendiri, sifatnya inklusif dan progresif yang sesuai dengan peredaran masa. “Ini kerana prinsip-prinsipnya bersifat menyantuni semua kaum dan golongan masyarakat sama ada orang Islam dan orang bukan Islam,” katanya ketika menggulung perbahasan usul menjunjung kasih titah Yang di-Pertuan Agong di Dewan Negara di sini, hari ini. Hukuman dalam Islam juga, katanya, bersifat mendidik, bukan untuk menghukum semata-mata, justeru, adalah tidak berasas sama sekali dakwaan bahawa undang-undang Islam boleh memecahbelahkan keharmonian masyarakat majmuk. Sementara itu Zulkifli mengakui berlaku ketidakharmonian serta pertindihan antara dua sistem perundangan yang diamalkan oleh negara iaitu perundangan sivil dan syariah. Beliau berkata sehubungan itu kerajaan sentiasa mencari jalan penyelesaian terbaik untuk mengharmonikan perundangan sivil dan syariah tanpa prejudis. Zulkifli berkata namun perkara yang paling utama adalah kedua-dua sistem perundangan ini bertujuan untuk mencari, memberi dan mencapai keadilan. “Apabila matlamat ini jelas, maka usaha untuk mengharmonikan kedua-dua sistem perundangan ini akan menjadi lebih mudah,” katanya. Beliau berkata antara usaha yang sedang giat dijalankan oleh Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) dan Jabatan Kehakiman Syariah Malaysia (JKSM) dalam usaha memperkasakan mahkamah syariah termasuklah cadangan peningkatan peringkat mahkamah syariah, pindaan undang-undang substantif dan undang-undang prosedur. – BERNAMA Sumber: BH Online