Royal inspection: Sultan Sallehuddin (third from left) walking by the guard of honour at the opening of the Kedah legislative assembly at Wisma Darul Aman in Alor Setar. — Bernama
ALOR SETAR: The Sultan of Kedah, Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah has urged the government to review the structure of syariah courts, including their hierarchical system, to provide more space for justice.
His Highness also called on the government to improve the position of syariah court judges to be on par with the system used in civil courts.
“Syariah courts are the torch of justice for Islam, which is the official religion of this state. Therefore, I want syariah courts to become a significant institution commensurate with the position of Islam in this state.
“As an enhancement measure, the establishment of syariah courts should be enshrined in the laws of the constitution of Kedah, just as civil courts are mentioned in the Federal Constitution,” he said during the opening of the Kedah state legislative assembly.
Sultan Sallehuddin also wants the state government to cooperate with the Federal Government to restructure the padi production and market ecosystem to provide a fair return to farmers, rather than only benefitting downstream players.
His Highness said the fate of farmers, “the real powerhouse” of the rice sector, should be given serious attention because of their meagre income, reported Bernama.
“Without expanding existing rice fields, the state government needs to consider appropriate measures to increase rice productivity in the state. The obvious solution is the use of technology,” His Highness said while urging for technology empowerment at all stages of the rice production chain.
His Highness also said the government must collaborate with the private sector to provide high-quality agricultural technology services at affordable prices.
