Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah opening a conference in Kuching on Monday (Oct 14). - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has reassured Sarawakians that the proposed Mufti Bill (Federal Territories) 2024 will not be applicable in the state.
The state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister clarified that the law, if passed in Parliament, would only affect the Federal Territories.
"In Malaysia, Islamic law is governed by the states. This Federal Territories Bill does not apply to Sabah and Sarawak," he stated on Monday (Oct 14) during a conference on rural development and entrepreneurship.
Abdul Karim noted that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Sarawak were unnecessarily concerned about the Bill.
"If it's not applicable to Sarawak, why comment on it?" he asked, pointing out that the Bill has not yet been passed.
On Friday (Oct 11), 14 groups from Sabah and Sarawak claimed the Bill could turn Malaysia into an Islamic state overnight.
They also argued that the Bill violated the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and posed a direct threat to the country's secular system.
The Bill is set to be tabled for a second and third reading in the current Parliament session.
