Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia deputy president Dr Jamali Wagiman said the ministerial-level medical bio-ethics advisory board board should comprise religious experts, obstetricians, and specialists in infectious diseases, psychiatry and bio-ethics.

He said the committee should set best-practice guidelines by collective decision-making “and thus acknowledge the roles of both experts in medicine and religion”.

Dr Jamali said the decision-making process would be safer and more just to mother and foetus, other than avoiding unilateral decisions which could be seen as conflicting between medical practice and syariah rules.

He said any decision on abortion in the case of pregnant women infected by Zika should not be hastily implemented to avoid misunderstanding and injustice to the patient and foetus.

The association also proposed that parents tested positive for Zika, or those staying in areas infected by the Zika virus, to use contraceptives or plan their pregnancies.

“Such methods conform to the concept of Tanzim an-Nasl (planning of progeny) which is judged permissible in Islam. It’s more natural and parenting friendly and capable of avoiding unnecessary abortions,” he added.

Prior to this, Federal Territories Mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri was quoted as saying that Muslim women could abort their pregnancies if they were infected by the Zika virus to avoid adverse effects on the lives of their families or the baby itself.

Health Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said he accepted the views of the Federal Territories Mufti on abortion for mothers infected with Zika, but expressed the need for the matter to be discussed by the National Fatwa Council.