KUCHING: The Federal Court will decide on Tuesday (Feb 27) whether the Syariah Court in Sarawak has jurisdiction over apostasy or conversions out of Islam. They named the Sarawak State Islamic Department director, Sarawak Islamic Council, National Registration Department director-general and state government as respondents. He said the matter of apostasy or conversion out of Islam should be expressly provided in the Syariah Court Ordinance in order for the Syariah Court to have jurisdiction over the matter. "The respondents' argument is that the Majlis Islam Sarawak Ordinance 2001 has provisions on conversion into Islam. Deputy state attorney-general Saferi Ali and legal officer Hisyamudin Roslan appeared for the director of Sarawak State Islamic Department, Sarawak Islamic Council and state government while senior federal counsels Shamsul Bolhassan and Leo Saga appeared for director-general of National Registration Department.

Source: The Star February 26, 2018 07:30 UTC