SIS to appeal court decision in fatwa case

PETALING JAYA: Sisters in Islam (SIS) says it will file an appeal against the Court of Appeal decision which upheld a High Court ruling that civil courts have no jurisdiction to decide on the fatwa issued by Selangor religious authorities labelling them as deviants.

Here is their statement in full:

Court of Appeal decision in SIS Fatwa Case

Sisters in Islam (SIS) is gravely disappointed with the majority decision from the Court of Appeal today which affirmed the August 2019 High Court ruling against the company. In that decision, the High Court ruled that the civil courts have no jurisdiction to decide on the case and that SIS should instead head to the Syariah courts to challenge the fatwa. The judge, in this case, cited that Section 66(A) of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 provides that the Selangor Syariah High Court can hear judicial reviews.

SIS filed an appeal against this judgement in September 2020, and also applied a petition to the Federal Court to challenge the constitutionality of the said Section 66(A). In February 2022, the Federal Court unanimously declared that Section 66(A) of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 which grants the state's Syariah High Court powers of judicial review is void and invalid.

SIS agrees with the dissenting judge that the court was bound by the Federal Court decision on SIS Forum (Malaysia) and a Federal Court case before that.

The Federal Court stated that, "...the word 'profess' in its natural and ordinary meaning suggests a declaration of faith which is something an artificial or juridical person is incapable of doing (Kesultanan Pahang v Sathask Realty Sdn Bhd [1998] 2 MLJ 513)."

The dissenting judge in the Court of Appeal's findings today, YA Datuk M. Gunalan, reiterated and upheld the decision of the Federal Court in 2022 that the fatwas can only be issued and applied to persons who profess the religion of Islam and SIS as an organisation, certainly could not profess the religion as such.

Based on the oral grounds delivered, SIS is particularly concerned that the majority decision of the Court of Appeal appears to not follow the precedent made at the Federal Court.

The basis and arguments raised by SIS in this fatwa case have always been on the grounds of the Federal Constitution and the extent to which relevant authorities had the mandate to make state

laws and grant powers to state-level authorities that are in clear contravention of the Federal Constitution.

The Federal Court for SIS Forum (Malaysia) in 2022, stated, "Thus, simply put, if the vires of any fatwa or the conduct of the Fatwa Committee is challenged purely on the basis of constitutional or statutory compliance, then it is a matter for the Civil Courts."

SIS will be filing an appeal at the Federal Court.

SIS was founded 35 years ago to address the experiences of Muslim women in the Syariah Courts and their challenges in obtaining their rights under Islamic Family Law. SIS as an organisation undertakes to speak on these issues because many Muslim women have limited avenues, knowledge and courage to have their voices heard.

SIS has been serving Muslim women and men in Malaysia and overseas on their rights in the family and on the processes and procedures of the Syariah Courts through our legal helpline and services, Telenisa, which is in its 20th year of operations this year.

In 2021, during the movement control order, 75% of Telenisa's clients were from the B40 as compared to 60% in 2020. Overall, SIS has served over 15,000 clients from Malaysia and abroad. There are still major issues to be resolved for Muslim women in Malaysia, specifically for Muslim women in the family.