Waqf Board reconstituted; League State Vice President Mayin Haji to be chairman

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Waqf Board has been reconstituted by the state government. M.C. Mayin Haji, the State Vice-President of the Muslim League, will serve as the new Chairman. The reconstituted board consists of nine members. Musthafal Faizy, who was expelled from the Samastha Mushawara, was selected as a board member.

Kurukkoli Moideen will serve as the representative of the MLAs. This reconstitution has taken place while a case filed by the former Chairman, Hamsa, is still pending before the High Court.

The state government had previously decided to dissolve the Waqf Board following allegations that many of its members lacked the requisite qualifications as per the regulations. It is understood that a High Court injunction—which barred the current Board from making policy-level decisions—also factored into this move.

The matter of appointing two non-Muslim members will be decided in accordance with the verdict of a case currently pending before the Supreme Court. It was Left government that appointed K.S. Hamsa as Chairman this past March. Although the Board still has four and a half years remaining in its term, the government informed the High Court that a reorganisation was necessary.

Furthermore, the government was displeased with Board member Muthawalli Ummer Faizy Mukkam for openly expressing his pro-Left leanings.