KUALA LUMPUR (June 19): The Federal Court’s decision to allow an appeal by Sisters in Islam (SIS, registered as SIS Forum Malaysia) against a fatwa issued by the Selangor Fatwa Committee, which had declared the women’s rights group deviant from Islamic teachings, will be studied to ensure that the standing and authority of the fatwa institution remain safeguarded in the long term.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar said that fatwas continue to play an important role in guiding Muslims on current issues that require shariah guidance.

"As the minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of religious affairs, I respect the principle of the rule of law and judicial decisions made by the Federal Court as the highest judicial institution in the country's legal system.

"Therefore, close cooperation between the judicial, legislative and religious authorities is very important so that the function and authority of the fatwa institution remains respected within the framework of our country's constitutional system," he said in a statement on Thursday.

The government, he said, would ensure that the administration of Islamic affairs in Malaysia is carried out fairly and based on the principles of shura, knowledge and the country's laws.

“At the same time, the Madani government will continue to uphold and defend the position of Islamic religious institutions in line with Article 3 of the Federal Constitution, which provides that Islam is the religion of the Federation,” said Mohd Na'im.

The Federal Court on Thursday allowed the appeal by SIS and its co-founder Zainah Mahfoozah Anwar, in their legal challenge against a fatwa issued in 2014 by the Selangor Fatwa Committee declaring the organisation to have deviated from Islamic teachings.

A four-judge panel led by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat in a 3-1 majority decision set aside the fatwa, insofar as it applied to companies and institutions.