Ensure the word ‘Islam’ not used arbitrarily to benefit any party, says Selangor Ruler

PETALING JAYA: Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah says that the word “Islam” should not be used arbitrarily for the benefit and interests of any individual or organisation.

In a post on the Selangor Royal Office offical Facebook page Thursday (June 19), His Royal Highness also expressed his agreement with the contents of a statement by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) expressing “disappointment” over the Federal Court’s decision that SIS Forum, being a company, could not be subject to a fatwa issued by Mais.

“His Royal Highness is in agreement with the contents of the statement issued today by Mais concerning this latest decision.

“His Royal Highness emphasises that the misuse of the word “Islam” in the name and publications of SIS Forum (Malaysia) could cause confusion among the Muslim community.

“In light of the Federal Court’s decision, His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor, as the head of Islam in Selangor, urges that SIS Forum (Malaysia) cease using the term “Sisters in Islam” in any form of publication on any platform associated with the company, so that the word “Islam” is not arbitrarily used for the benefit and interests of the organisation,” the post said.

Earlier Thursday, the Federal Court, in a 3-1 majority decision, held that the SIS Forum, being a company, could not be subjected to the fatwa issued by Mais, as only individuals professing Islam, not companies, fall under its purview.

The panel, led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, also ruled that the move to ban SIS publications or block their online platforms went beyond the jurisdiction of state religious authorities and should instead fall under federal laws governing media and communications.

However, the court upheld the core of the fatwa, which declares liberalism and religious pluralism as deviant teachings in Islam, meaning it remains enforceable against individuals.