IPOH: Workload in the courts can be eased when more individuals refrain from committing sins, said the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah.

He said it was unfortunate that many people were now not afraid to commit sins, where even those who had committed various crimes used the court to right their wrongs by continuing to lie, despite taking the oath to tell the truth.

"Often, when brought to justice, people who committed sins for various excuses and come up with various arguments to deny their actions.

"They are willing to pay high legal fees, which is often funded from money obtained through crime or proceeds from unlawful act," he added.

He said this in conjunction with the presentation of appointment letters to Syariah court judges in the state and members of the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) here today.

Sultan Nazrin said what was happening today gave the impression that there were still many Muslims who did not fully embrace the teachings of Islam.

He said crime could not be reduced by having more enforcement officers, courts and prisons, but the problem could be effectively addressed by inculcating Islamic values and practicing them.

"Cheating, stealing, smuggling, breach of trust, corruption and evading from paying taxes are among criminal acts against organisations, companies or the government.

"In committing these criminal acts, they also committed sins against the stakeholders of the related entities, whether they are shareholders, company owners or citizens of a country," he said.

At the event, Sultan Nazrin presented the appointment letters to 14 recipients, comprising three Syariah Supreme Court judges, five Syariah Court of Appeal judges, a Syariah High Court judge and the Chief Registrar of the Syariah Supreme Court.

The sultan also presented the letters of appointment to Wan Mohammad Afiq Wan Arisfatillah and Ezatul Farita Rohawi as MAIPk members to represent the youth in the council.

"The youths should be given the trust to be active participants, to be on the frontline, to rejuvenate programmes organised by the council by injecting new dynamism.

"The young people should be brought closer, their voice should be heard, their views understood and their presence should be recognised," he added.

-- BERNAMA