Ipoh: The Perak government, through the State Syariah Judicial Department, is committed to making syariah courts more accessible and people-friendly by providing more efficient and faster legal services.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad emphasized that each syariah court building in Perak is designed to house both the Syariah Lower Court and the Syariah High Court under one roof. This approach simplifies court-related matters for the public, optimizes resource use, and enhances the efficiency of syariah justice administration by providing complete facilities, including registrars and courtrooms for all three courts.
Saarani mentioned that the three courts include the Syariah Lower Court, the Syariah High Court, and the Syariah Appeal Court. The state government's efforts extend beyond providing facilities, as continuous improvements are being made to upgrade old buildings, facilities, and equipment, aligning with the latest technological developments. These measures aim to make the syariah courts more approachable and build public confidence in syariah judicial services in Perak.
During a question-and-answer session at the State Legislative Assembly, Saarani responded to Salina Samsudin (BN-Behrang), who inquired about steps taken by the state government to enhance the accessibility of syariah judicial services. Saarani also addressed divorce-related cases, stating that in 2023 only 0.2 per cent of such cases were unresolved, with 23 pending out of 12,501 cases monitored under the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for case resolution. The percentage dropped further in 2024, with only 0.01 per cent, or 10 cases, unresolved out of 13,373 cases. In 2025, 36 cases were placed under KPI monitoring, and by June 2025, 50 per cent of these cases were resolved, leaving 18 still in progress.
Saarani provided these details in response to an original question by Rahim Ismail (PN-Changkat Jering) about addressing the backlog of cases in the Syariah Court and initiatives to expedite the process and reduce the burden of backlog cases.