State tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the Mufti (Federal Territories) Bill 2024 (Mufti Bill), as stated in its name, would only affect the federal territories, not Sarawak and Sabah.

He reiterated that Islamic law falls under the jurisdiction of the respective states, The Borneo Post reported.

“Why are these NGOs getting excited over the bill, saying that it will Islamise Sarawak and Sabah?

“It is not applicable to Sarawak and Sabah, why comment about it?” he was quoted as saying.

Last week, 14 NGOs based in Sarawak and Sabah claimed that the bill would turn Malaysia into an Islamic state overnight. They alleged that the bill violated the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and represented a direct attack on the secular system in the country.

However, government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said the bill contains provisions that are almost the same as a 20-year-old Sabah enactment on the powers of the state mufti.

He said that, despite this state enactment, there had been no change in the religious practices or freedom of religion for non-Muslims in Sabah.

The mufti bill is expected to be tabled for debate in the Dewan Rakyat this month.

Women’s rights group Sisters in Islam previously said the proposed law provides unchecked power to religious authorities, while lawyer-activist Latheefa Koya claimed it would empower the government, through the mufti, to control or police every aspect of life of Muslims in Malaysia.

Latheefa also said the bill would, in effect, create two chief authorities on Islamic affairs in the federal territories – the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who is the constitutional head of Islam in the federal territories and states without a sultan, as well as the mufti.