Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan said the committee members were competent and experienced in the field of constitutional law.

“They will look into the matter as objectively as possible. Their expertise will transcend their ethnicity and faith,” he told FMT.

Syahredzan’s comments came after his colleague Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham suggested appointing non-Muslim constitutional experts to the committee reviewing the jurisdiction of shariah courts as per the Federal Constitution.

Ngeh’s proposal was met with disagreement from Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Duzuki who argued that it was “not rooted in reality” and could cause unwanted controversy in the country.

Agreeing with Asyraf, Syahredzan said the main issue revolved around the conflict of jurisdiction between federal and state laws regarding shariah law, specifically for individuals professing the religion of Islam.

“From this perspective, the examination by the committee will be confined to matters pertaining to persons professing the religion of Islam and not, at least at this juncture, touching on the rights of non-Muslims,” he said.

He added that the committee’s recommendations were not binding on the Cabinet, and further engagement sessions are expected before any recommendations are implemented.

“As such, we should allow the committee to continue with its mandated task since we all agree that the issue of this apparent jurisdictional conflict between the federation and the states must be resolved conclusively,” he said.