Based on one of the most important objectives of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy to achieve intellectual convergence and knowledge integration among the respected jurists of Islamic schools of thought, and coordination between fatwa bodies, jurisprudential bodies and Islamic councils inside and outside the Muslim world, and considering what the Islamic Affairs Department (Jakeem) does in terms of coordination, development and supervision tasks of the Islamic affairs at the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, 7 Shawwal 1442 corresponding to May 19, 2021, in the office of the Minister of Religious Affairs in the Prime Minister’s office in the city of Petrajaya, Malaysia. The department was represented in the signing of the memorandum by His Excellency Dr. Dato ‘Sri Zulkifil Mohamad Al-Bakri, Minister of Religious Affairs, and His Excellency Professor Dato’ Abdul Aziz bin Yusuf, Director General of the Department, and the Academy was represented by His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, the Secretary General.

Following the completion of the signing ceremony, His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Sano stated that this memorandum represents a general framework for close cooperation and serious coordination between the two sides, especially in the field of joint organization of conferences and seminars, holding discussion sessions, preparing, publishing and translating scientific research and studies, as well as exchanging scientific and coordination visits and meetings between the two sides on the one hand, and between the Academy and the National Council for Ifta on the other hand. His Excellency also clarified that specialized working committees from both sides will immediately start implementing the articles of the MoU in an orderly and coordinated manner.