State Islamic development, dakwah, information and regional relations committee chairman Asri Mat Daud said the draft amendment had also been presented at a Kelantan Islamic and Malay Customs Council meeting.

He said the meeting also decided to establish a working committee, especially to review the formulation of the draft proposals.

“The proposed bill is also more comprehensive. Therefore, the drafting of the bill is still at the stage of detailed study by the legal division of the Kelantan state secretary’s office,” he said.

Asri was responding to a question from Zameri Mat Nawang (PAS-Jelawat) during the Kelantan state legislative assembly sitting at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim today.

Asri said this would open up space and guarantee the implementation of justice in shariah cases through the judicial institution of the shariah courts, comparable to the judicial institution of the civil courts.

“The survey in question relates to the need for four or five levels of court, taking into account the implementation in other states from the aspects of policy or future planning by the federal government for the process of standardisation and empowerment of shariah courts in Malaysia.

“The increase is to ensure that the opportunity for appeals of shariah cases is two-fold, that is an appeal to the shariah appeals court and then to the shariah main court as the highest court after the shariah appeals court,” he said.

Responding to a question from Hafidzah Mustakim (Amanah-Kota Lama) on coordination with the shariah judicial committee at the federal level, Asri said the state government was always in contact and cooperation with the government.