ISLAMIC justice does not at all give any privilege or exception to anyone who commits a wrongdoing, be it yourself, close friends, family members or parents, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said today.

The king said the principle of Islamic justice does not allow any form of injustice, including to those unliked, besides also upholding justice without favouritism, which was practised successfully and raised the dignity of Islam during the time of Prophet Muhammad.

“The principle of justice that is transparent also succeeds in developing a just, fair and prosperous society. The principle of justice according to Islam is upholding God’s trust.

“Based on the same principle, shariah courts must also be wise in using discretionary powers and to be always fair to all parties when sentencing, especially those involving family cases.

“If the law is not implemented consistently and fairly, justice will certainly not be achieved as the philosophy behind the enactment of a law would have been tainted, and as a result, the disadvantaged party would end up being victimised by those in power,” he said at the opening of the Pahang Shariah Court Complex in Kuantan today.

Construction of the court complex began on June 22, 2015, with a cost of RM44.8 million and was completed on September 23, 2021.

Al-Sultan Abdullah also said that the power to punish and pardon should not be used arbitrarily because it will be held accountable in the afterlife.

In addition, the king also reminded shariah judges to ensure cases are handled fairly and for judgments not to be delayed, besides calling on court officials and shariah lawyers to also facilitate the smooth running of court proceedings.

His Majesty also expressed hope that the concept of ‘diyat’, or financial compensation to the kin of victims, that he had proposed over the past few years can be studied and implemented nationwide.

“I would also like to ask shariah judges to conduct a detailed study on punishments in the form of community service because there are offences that are not so serious, this should be considered so that they can serve the community… which can be resolved with discretion,” the king said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah expressed hope the new court complex will provide helpful services to the community in addition to conveying and developing the teachings of Islam and improving the country’s Shariah court institution. – Bernama, September 5, 2022.