Kuala lumpur:<Text>

Details on the establishment of the Malaysian Syariah Prosecution Department (JPSM) at the federal level are currently being finalised and will be submitted to the Cabinet for policy approval in the near future. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr. Zulkifli Hasan announced these developments while addressing the Dewan Rakyat.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, once policy approval is obtained, the proposal will be tabled at the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI), before being presented to the Conference of Rulers for royal consent. Dr. Zulkifli emphasized that the establishment of the JPSM aims to serve as a specialised entity and reference centre for syariah crime prosecutions at the federal level. It will also coordinate and standardise the implementation of syariah prosecutions nationwide, ensuring that the autonomy and powers of the states are maintained as per the Federal Constitution.

T he announcement was made in response to a question from Dr. Ahmad Fakhruddin Fakhrurazi (PN-Kuala Kedah) regarding the government's readiness to establish a Federal Syariah Prosecution Department Act. This act aims to ensure that the Islamic prosecution function is robust and independent, similar to the Attorney-General's Chambers. Dr. Zulkifli highlighted that 13 states and the Federal Territories have already fully separated the syariah prosecution function from their respective state Islamic religious departments, with Sabah in the final stage of establishing its department.

In response to a supplementary question from Ahmad Fakhruddin regarding the backlog of syariah criminal cases, Dr. Zulkifli noted that there have been positive developments in case management within the syariah courts from 2019 to 2025. These improvements include enhanced efficiency in the registration and disposal of cases, attributed to administrative enhancements and better coordination of existing systems.</P&g t;