KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 9): The high-level panel on the Federal Institutions of Islam will meet for five months before presenting its report to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V in the first week of January 2019.

Its chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said the report would include the findings and overall assessment as well as recommendations for the management of Islamic affairs.

“In the early stages, 102 institutions relating to Islamic affairs at the Federal level will be called to give their views and present their memoranda on management and administration,” he said.

Ahmad Sarji was speaking at the first press conference held after the appointment of the seven members of the panel at the Office of the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal here today.

He said the information gathered from all the institutions would be go into five clusters comprising the syariah and legal sector, finance and economy, management, education and dakwah (preaching).

He said the process of gathering the data would involve relevant parties from among academicians, politicians, associations, non-governmental bodies and the media as well as representatives of certain departments in the States, muftis and the public.

Ahmad Sarji also said the views of the non-Muslim community would be welcomed, adding that the panel would hold closed-door meetings.

“Any memoranda sent to the panel will be classified as confidential and not allowed to be distributed to the public,” he said.

Earlier, seven members of the panel received their letters of appointment from the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad who is acting as the secretary of the panel.

The deputy chairman is Datuk Dr Afifi al-Akiti who is a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

Other members are the former rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia Professor Tan Sri Dr Mohd Kamal Hassan; former Mufti of Johor Datuk Nooh Gadot; and former director-general of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz.

The panel also has representatives from Sabah and Sarawak, namely the Sabah Law and Native Affairs Minister Datuk Aidi Moktar and the Sarawak Assistant Minister for Utilities (Rural Electricity) Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.