Syariah enforcement officers get a boost

The state government will increase the number of syariah enforcement officers next year to empower Islamic religious departments and bodies.

State Syariah Implementation, Education and Higher Education Committee chairman Datuk Satipul Bahri Mamat said the measure was taken as the existing enforcement officers were insufficient to cover the duties in Terengganu.

“So far, we have 85 officers – 62 men and 23 women.

“It is indeed a small number and can no longer accommodate the state’s population, which has reached 1.2 million people, plus the addition of a new district, Kuala Nerus,” he said at the State Legislative Assembly sitting at Wisma Darul Iman, here, yesterday.

He was replying to a question from Hilmi Harun (Pas-manir) regarding the number of syariah enforcement officers in each district.

Satipul Bahri also said the state government would increase the number of volunteers to assist syariah enforcement officers in carrying out their tasks.

He added that the list of volunteers had been submitted to the Terengganu Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council for approval.