Terengganu passes an enactment related to witchcraft, shamanism

KUALA TERENGGANU - The Terengganu State Assembly on Thursday approved the amendment of the 2022 Terengganu Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) Enactment to strengthen the implementation of Syariah law in the state.

The Terengganu's Syariah Implementation, Education and Higher education exco, Datuk Satiful Bahri Mamat, said the amendment was aimed at improving the 2001 Terengganu Syariah Criminal Offences (Takzir) Enactment which includes an additional four new sections and 21 amendments to the existing sections.

He explained that the four new sections involve the addition of Section 3A (shamanism and witchcraft), 29A ( a woman who gets pregnant or who gives birth to a child outside wedlock), 33A (a female person posing as a man) and 36A (preparation for sodomy).

"Several additions and amendments have been made in accordance with the current times "We are trying to take advantage of the time here by maximising the sentence based on the provision of 356 which is three years in prison, a fine of RM5,000 and six strokes," he told reporters at a press conference after the state assembly meeting here on Thursday.

According to Satiful, the amendments were timely given that it was enacted 20 years ago and the last amendments were made was in 2016 involving only five sections.

Commenting on Section 3A (shamanism and witchcraft), Satiful said, the Terengganu Religious Affairs Department (JHEAT) has set up a coordinating committee to monitor the matter.

"The establishment of the unit is to ensure that Muslims who wish to get alternative treatment do so without contradicting Islamic laws.

"The same goes for the punishment of a female person posing as a man. The existing enactment only covered that of a male person posing as a woman only. That's why we added the section to cover females because the trend of females posing as a men has been more prevalent lately," he said.

Satiful said that the enforcement of the new enactments will begin to be implemented after the approval of the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.

"We hope that with the amendments made to this enactment, it will be able to ensure the good morals of muslims in this state in line with the characteristics of what the state represents." he said