00:00Prime Minister Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim told the media to refer any questions on the much-anticipated
00:13Mufti Federal Territories Bill to the Religious Affairs Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.
00:19The Minister, Datuk Dr Mohamad Naim Mokhtar, is expected to table the Bill for a second
00:25and third reading in Parliament on Monday, despite concerns raised by several groups.
00:30Anwar was asked about the Bill after launching the LawAsia conference held in Kuala Lumpur
00:34on Sunday.
00:36The Bill aims to provide a definition for Ahli Sunnah wal-Jamaah, which has a theology
00:41based on the Al-Asyairah and Al-Maturidiyah teachings.
00:45Fourteen groups based in Sarawak and Sabah claim that the Bill will violate the Malaysia
00:50Agreement of 1963 and represent a direct attack on the country's secular system.
00:57Other groups also raised their reservations about the Bill being unconstitutional.
01:02Communications Minister Fahmy Fadzil said the Bill will not expand the powers of the
01:06Mufti, but instead, it will ensure that the jurisdiction of the Mufti is more orderly
01:12and clear, thus preventing any disputes over actions taken by the Mufti.
01:17He said Dr. Muhammad Naeem informed him that almost all the articles and clauses contained
01:23in the Bill are nearly identical to the Sabah Fatwa enactment passed in 2004 concerning
01:30the Sabah Mufti.
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