KUCHING, 28 Jan 2009: The new Perlis mufti, Sarawak Islamic Religious Department principal assistant director Dr Juanda Jaya, said his appointment was proof of clear national integration among the states of Malaysia.
Juanda, 37, said Perlis was not unknown to him as he had in the past received many invitations from the state government for Islamic programmes there besides being taken abroad by the state government.
“My appointment as the Perlis mufti is proof of integration as before many religious leaders were invited from the peninsular to Sabah and Sarawak and now we are invited to the peninsular,” he told Bernama at his office here today.
Juanda, 37, will report for duty in February.
He said his appointment letter as Perlis mufti was received at the end of November last year but his appointment had to be delayed as he had to perform the ‘haj’ and settle several matters related to his move to Perlis.
He said with his five years of experience as Sarawak Islamic Religious Department principal assistant director he would not face any difficulty to perform well not only for the residents of Perlis but for the country.
He said as the first Sarawakian to be appointed as state mufti outside Sarawak it was an honour for all Sarawakians by the Raja of Perlis.
Juanda was among six candidates whose names were forwarded to the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, as mufti to replace Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin who vacated the position on 30 Nov last year.
Juanda had studied in the Al-Azhar University in Egypt from 1991 till 1995. — Bernama
