KUANTAN: The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has called on Malaysians to respect Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution which provides that the civil courts cannot interfere with the Syariah court.

Jakim director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said failure to abide by the provision could lead to confusion.

"The provision on the matter is clear. It is there and other courts cannot discuss matters related to Islamic law. But, because it has been requested, let's wait for the appeal by the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council.

"As the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom had said prior to this, the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council and those from other states will intervene in the appeal proceedings later," Othman said when met after attending a national level Quran and Islamic personal obligation gathering in Kuantan, Friday.

Othman was asked to comment on the recent decision of the Court of Appeal which declared Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal Enactment (Negeri Sembilan) 1992 as invalid under the Constitution because it discriminated against Muslim men who suffered from a condition known as gender identity disorder. - Bernama