Fatwa (religious decree) on "wang ihsan" (special payment) is not required now as the people are able to judge the legitimacy of the management and distribution of the fund.

State Mufti Syeikh Abdul Halim Abdul Kadir Abdul said he would reserve his ruling over the use of the money by recipients of the wang ihsan as the matter was still ambiguous.

He said it could not be ascertained of the credibility and religious authority of Pas leaders which had labelled wang ihsan as haram could not be ascertained.

"Only if the Pas president, its deputy or other senior party leaders have actually categorised wang ihsan as `haram' (prohibited by Islam) will the religious authority issue an official fatwa.

"A fatwa can only be issued after all the considerations concerning wang ihsan, including the root of the problem, are taken into account.

"At this stage, there is no need to issue any fatwa on wang ihsan," he said when asked on a report that Pas leaders had labelled the money as haram.

State Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Idris Jusoh was quoted as saying that there was accusation hurled at the Government by Pas leaders had described the wang ihsan as haram during in their ceramah.

Syeikh Abdul Halim said people were able to assess whether wang ihsan was haram or not as the original approach of payment through the State Government had been changed through the wang ihsan programme.

"The wang ihsan is not managed by a body elected by the people as it was practised previously where the elected State Government administered the money," he said.

Therefore, he said the current approach in the distribution of the money had veered from the old practice which was based on an agreement.

"Such approach may become haram because there is also an element of injustice," he said.