KUALA LUMPUR (July 11): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim Thursday said that the details related to the Mufti (Federal Territories) Bill will be referred to the Conference of Rulers, possibly next week.

He said that for now, the Bill is still under discussion by experts in the field.

“We are still discussing and listening to expert views...there are no disputes regarding the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah and reference to Syafie, Hanafi, Maliki or Hambali (schools of thought) and other opinions.

“The details are being discussed and I leave it to the experts,” he told reporters after attending the Global Madani Forum 2024 themed ‘Catalysing the Next Civilisational Revival’ here.

The two-day forum was also attended by Religious Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.

On another development, Anwar did not rule out the element of bribery as the reason why the effort to eradicate prostitution in the capital is still unsuccessful, even though enforcement actions are often implemented.

However, he said the government under his leadership had taken drastic measures to combat the activity since last year, including instructions given to the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh.

“I believe that if there is a prostitution den or a gambling den, there must be elements of bribery,” he said, adding that such immoral activities have existed for far too long.

Anwar said this in response to the claim that prostitution activities in Kuala Lumpur still could not be eradicated while Indonesia managed to close down the Dolly red-light district in Surabaya, purportedly the biggest in Southeast Asia.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/node/718668