JOHOR BARU: Fatwa in Johor can only be set and decided upon by the fatwa committee, says state Islamic religious affairs committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid.
He added that the committee was established according to Clause 46 of the Islamic Religious Administration Enactment (Johor State) 2003.
"A fatwa can be made and decided whether it is by order of Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar and at the will of the committee itself, or at the request of any person made through a letter addressed to the state mufti as outlined in Clause 47 of the Enactment.
"The method and making of fatwa should be solely in accordance with the provisions of Clause 48 of the same Enactment.
"No one or any party in Johor, either personally or on behalf of any organisation, is qualified and entitled and empowered to set, issue or announce any law in religious affairs, other than according to the provisions in the Islamic Religious Administration (Johor) 2003," he said in a statement here on Tuesday (Sept 5).
Mohd Fared advised all parties to always maintain decency and unity among Muslims and the whole community in Johor.
He said no statement that is divisive and misleading should be made.
"Islam in Johor remains dignified and even its legislation is encouraged with expansion through continuous preaching under the patronage of His Majesty as the head of Islamic religion in the state," he added.
On Saturday (Sept 2), Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that it was "haram" or forbidden in Islam to vote for Pakatan Harapan's Pulai candidate Suhaizan Kayat.
His use of the term was slammed by leaders from Pakatan and Barisan Nasional.
Muhyiddin, who is the former prime minister and Bersatu president, made the statement while campaigning in Taman Kempas, a largely middle-class Malay neighbourhood near here.
