According to Sinar Harian, Takiyuddin said the party’s deputy spiritual adviser, Ahmad Yaakob, was filling in Haron’s position for the time being.

“Outsiders cannot be appointed and as of now, there is no urgent need because the acting spiritual adviser is already there.

“The appointment of the spiritual adviser and deputy must go through the Syura Ulama Council meeting when there are 15 members.

“Now there are 14 people and one more may be appointed.

“They will meet and it will be up to the Syura Council who it wants to appoint,” Takiyuddin was reported to have said.

Haron passed away on Sept 16 at the Stanford University Hospital in the United States. He had previously undergone several treatments for heart complications.

Haron, who held a Master’s degree and a doctorate in shariah from Ain Shams University in Egypt, was appointed the Islamist party’s spiritual leader in March last year to replace the late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

He had written several books on Islam and Islamic jurisprudence, including hudud, and sat on various shariah and fatwa panels at CIMB, Bank Negara, Securities Commission and the Perlis Fatwa Advisory Panel.