PUTRAJAYA, July 4 — The standardisation and co-ordination of Shariah laws nationwide is expected to be able to be realised at the end of next year, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

Talking to the media after attending a Department of Shariah Judiciary Malaysia (DSJM) Aidilfitri Open House here today, he said that a progress of 40 per cent had been achieved in the effort or roadmap to achieve the aspiration.

‘’We are in the process of standardising the Shariah criminal enactment nationwide because today everybody knows that the punishments for the same offences differ from state to state. This is not good to show justice in Islam,’’ he said.

In this regard, he said DSJM and the legal division of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) had been asked to implement a co-ordination and standardisation by using the Federal Territories Act 1993 as a model.

Mujahid said that the Council of Rulers had in principle agreed with the move by DSJM to standardise the Shariah criminal laws in the country.

Mujahid said that he would meet with the states’ executive councillors responsible for religious affairs to discuss the matter.

‘’We will also look at the state enactments and will adopt them if we see that they are the best, but the bottom line is that all will eventually be the same and co-ordinated,’’ he said.

Mujahid also said that the study on the punishments under the Shariah criminal laws was being done so that the punishments meted out were more rehabilitative in nature.

‘’Today the punishments are punitive in nature because the judges have no choice because they only have caning and jail. If they take the approach to free with a good behaviour bond, it is not provided under the allocation.

‘’Since the philosophy is not just to punish people...syarie judges can use punishments which are rehabilitative in nature such as good behaviour bond, community service,’’ he said. — Bernama