Religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar said the laws involved included the Syariah Courts Act, the Syariah Judicial Appointment Commission Act and the Syariah Judges Remuneration Act, and that the government is also considering a special retirement scheme for shariah judges.

He said the government is working through the shariah judiciary department to set up the Malaysian Shariah Judiciary Commission under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

“A detailed study is being carried out by a drafting committee to ensure the implementation is in line with state jurisdictions and the existing legal structure,” Bernama reported him as saying when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2026 at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Na’im said proposed amendments under the Syariah Judges Remuneration Act included raising the retirement age for shariah judges from 60 to 66 years.

“Until the new Act is introduced at the federal level, shariah judges are still governed by the existing public service retirement law, which sets the retirement age at 60,” he said.

On the structure of the shariah judiciary, he said the government is also studying the establishment of a new court level – the Shariah Supreme Court, as already implemented in Perak and Sabah.

“God willing, this proposal will be included in the Syariah Courts Bill, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament next year. One of the main amendments will create another court level above the Shariah Court of Appeal for the federal territories,” he said.