SHAH ALAM, Aug 4 — The Selangor State Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed the State Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026, which aims to strengthen and clarify the existing constitutional position of Islam and the Syariah judiciary in Selangor.
All 52 state assemblymen present voted in support of the bill.
The amendments to the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor 1959 required a two-thirds majority support.
Yesterday, when tabling the Bill, state executive councillor for Islamic affairs and innovation culture Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah said the constitutional amendments would explicitly provide that Islam in Selangor is practised according to the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah doctrine.
The Bill also introduces a new chapter on the Syariah judiciary to elevate the status of the Syariah Courts as a state judicial institution.
He said the amendments do not introduce new religious policies, but instead clarify and strengthen existing practices rooted in Selangor’s history, laws, and administration of Islam.
Under the amendments, a four-tier Syariah court structure will be introduced, comprising the Syariah Supreme Court, the Syariah Court of Appeal, the High Syariah Court, and the Lower Syariah Court.
It is intended to provide a more comprehensive mechanism for appeals and reviews, especially for complex cases involving Islamic law, public interest, and jurisdictional disputes.
Fahmi also denied that the amendments will affect non-Muslims, noting that the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts will continue to apply only to Muslims.
He clarified that the amendments were intended to strengthen the position of the Syariah Courts as Selangor's judicial institution against future legal challenges, rather than to create new powers.
