Instead, he said the fatwa (edict) issued by the Selangor Fatwa Council Committee during its meeting on June 26-27, 2006, had only listed certain limits and scopes.

Among others, it stated that women must not be appointed as syariah judges in cases involving hudud and qisas.

“That means women syariah judges can still be appointed for Mal (non-criminal) cases, such as involving family property, marital issues and faraid determination,” he said in a statement here Friday.

Mohamad Adzib said this in response to the remark by Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil on Wednesday urging state fatwa councils to reassess their decisions on the appointment of women syariah judges.

Shahrizat was referring to a statement by chief syarie judge Dr Ibrahim Lembut, who reportedly said that inconsistency in decisions by state fatwa councils despite the ruling of the National Fatwa Council, had hindered the appointment of women judges.

– BERNAMA