JOHOR BARU: Following the recent ruling by the Federal Court on Kelantan syariah criminal law, Johor will be conducting a comprehensive study on the matter. Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi deemed this necessary to ensure that any decisions made at the state level do not conflict with the federal level.
He stated that Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had commented on the issue and Johor Umno is in agreement with his stance. However, at the state level, Ghazi emphasized the need for careful consideration of the Federal Court’s decision to avoid any conflicts between state and federal matters.
Addressing the sensitivity of the issue, Ghazi said, “This is a very sensitive matter, so it needs to be studied very carefully,” during a press conference after chairing the Johor Umno meeting held at its headquarters on Feb 11.
The Federal Court’s ruling on Feb 9 declared 16 provisions of the Kelantan syariah criminal law as unconstitutional. In a majority 8-1 decision, the apex court granted the application by Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman, who challenged 18 provisions under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment 2019.
Kelantan-born lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman lodged their challenge on May 25 last year at the Federal Court via Article 4(4) of the Federal Constitution, naming the Kelantan state government as the respondent.
