He said Penang’s fatwas are brought to the state executive council only for “notification” purposes before it was sent to the state legal adviser’s office to be “reworded”.
“Currently, fatwas decided are brought to the state executive council by the state secretary and later brought to the state legal adviser.
“The state legal adviser would then adjust the arrangement of the words and it would later be sent to Istana Negara for assent.
“After assent, the state secretary would bring the fatwa back to the state legal adviser’s office to be gazetted,” Salim said today.
Yesterday, Penang PAS chief Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff claimed the state government was vetting fatwas in the state executive council chaired by the chief minister.
He said in normal circumstances, all fatwas would go straight to the King for assent, as per all states without a monarch.
At the same press conference, state PAS Youth chief Hafnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden claimed Penang’s fatwas were subject to the scrutiny of the state executive council due to “effects on the general populace”, among others.
Hafnan said this was based on an explanation made by a state executive councillor in charge of religious affairs, Abdul Malik Abul Kassim in a state Fatwa Committee meeting.
Hafnan, who is a former member of the state Fatwa Committee, also claimed the state executive council had “put on hold” several fatwas, adding that such a move was demeaning to the institution of the Fatwa Committee.