KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The government is finalising plans to set up a Federal Syariah Prosecution Department (JPSM) to strengthen the coordination, efficiency, and professionalism of Islamic prosecutions nationwide.

The proposal is currently being prepared as a Cabinet memorandum and, once approved, will be brought to the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs and eventually to the Conference of Rulers for final endorsement, Sinar Harian reported.

“The establishment of JPSM aims to ensure uniformity in Syariah prosecution operations without undermining the autonomy and powers of the states as provided under the Federal Constitution. A meeting will also be held soon with the Ministry of Finance, Public Service Department, and Prime Minister’s Department to discuss technical issues of this proposal in greater detail,” Zulkifli Hasan, then minister in charge of Islamic affairs, was quoted as saying during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He explained that all states except Sabah have already fully separated Syariah prosecution functions from their respective state Islamic Religious Departments. 

He added that the federal government has also held roundtable discussions with state religious authorities and state secretaries to discuss the proposed department.

The department will act as a federal coordinating and reference body, focusing on criminal Syariah law, administration, training, competence, and professionalism, while respecting state powers and autonomy.

Zulkifli added that the new department would also help centralise Syariah prosecution data and statistics nationwide, streamline procedures, and provide guidance from the chief Syariah prosecutor to reduce case backlogs.

He noted that the performance of Syariah courts has improved, with thousands of cases under the Islamic Family Law Act and the Syariah Criminal Offences Act resolved more efficiently in recent years, particularly in the Federal Territories.

According to the minster, most states have expressed agreement in principle with the establishment of JPSM, though details of implementation are still being worked out to ensure mutual benefits and to protect the independence, integrity, and credibility of the prosecution institution.