Malaysia needs interfaith act, not faith crime act

'What we need is legislation that actually encourages dialogue and brings religions together - not laws that will further set them apart.'

Deputy minister: Make it a crime to convert Muslims

Anak Malaysia Muda: An Umno deputy Minister has proposed that a 'Faith Crime Act' (Akta Jenayah Akidah) be enacted to criminalise any action to proselytise Muslims.

I agree to this proposal but it should apply to all religions in Malaysia and not one single religion - no religion should have the right to proselytise anyone from any other religion.

Danny Lazaroo: This is an unconstitutional and irrational idea.

Unconstitutional because freedom of religion is enshrined in the constitution. Irrational for a few dozen others reasons, like how there would then be double standards in how different religions are treated, and this kind of sentiment will only spread further religious intolerance and discord.

What we need is legislation that actually encourages dialogue and brings religions together - not laws that will further set them apart.

The biggest thing for me though, is the illogical idea that someone converts another to a religion. Religion is a personal choice - people convert themselves, in that they choose to embrace a new way of understanding God and life.

We're talking about personal attitudes and viewpoints. And if you want to start arresting and prosecuting people for their thoughts/beliefs, then Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi, that makes you worse than a Nazi.

MCA, now is your chance to put your money where your mouth is. MCA, via Theng Book, has slammed Pakatan Rakyat MPs for not speaking up for the people. Well, now an MP from your political master, Umno, is calling for legislation that will legalise religious persecution, and this is definitely not what those who elected you want.

Are you going to speak out against this Umno MP? Do you dare go against your political masters, even though it is what the people who elected you will want you to do?

Geronimo: All the non-Umno component parties of the BN have better speak up now or be held accountable for the rest of your miserable lives. If such a bill is tabled, you must stand up and reject it. You can't have the cake and eat it too.

Gerard Samuel Vijayan: Such a law cannot offend Article 8 of the federal constitution - which means it will also be an offence for Muslims to convert non-Muslims as being done at present with the Orang Asli, and the Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, and poor Indians in the estates.

Lover Boy: Come to think of it it is fair to have such a law. However, I would like a law also to be enacted that those non-Muslims who are converted to Muslim should declare publicly that they are Muslims and that this conversion of 'saudara baru' be widely publicised in the newspapers.

Another law to be enacted that conversion made in other countries by Malaysians must be registered in Malaysia. Why? We do not want cases of grave snatching and heartache dispute when families fight over the bodies thinking that they are Hindu or Christians. Please also add in that you must not, and cannot, convert a child who is a minor.

Azizi Khan: I would agree only if we enforce capital punishment on any individuals who are selling/handing out permanent resident and/or citizenship to illegal immigrants in return for votes.

In addition, any Muslim who is officially or unofficially uses religion to damage relationship with non-Muslims including preaching in mosques must be punished with capital punishment. Fair?

DontPlayGod: We have people from the 'superior race' who are actually thinking and acting like idiots. They think along the lines like, "what I can do to you, you cannot do to me". This is their sense of justice and being holy.

Example: A non-Malay company must employ at least 30 percent Malays for their workforce, but a Malay company need not employ a single non-Malay in their workforce. The Muslims can convert a non-Muslim into Islam, but a non-Muslim cannot convert a Muslim to say, Christianity, Buddhism, or Hinduism.

Is this what Islam and being Malay all about? Is this their sense of justice and fairness all about? So how do the Muslim Malays expect the non-Muslims to respect them, or look up to them? How do you become a towering Malay with such attitudes?

Md Imraz Muhammed Ikhbal: Converting Muslims to become 'munafiqs' is even more rampant in this country as I see too many nowadays amongst the "supposedly Malay Muslims".

That should be of far greater concern and chauvinistic racist bigots the likes of Umno, Utusan Malaysia, Perkasa and many other Muslims NGOs should first be slammed behind bars for desecrating the beautiful name of Islam.

Muak: The Malays in this country pay 'zakat' (alms) and this is deductible from their income tax. But this 'zakat' does not go to the state. It goes to Islamic organisations and are used for 'Islamic' purposes only.

The non-Malays pay taxes and this money is used by the state for various purposes, including funding Islamic activities. So are the non-Malays (pendatangs) in this country helping to fund the country's development as well as Islamic activities?

Mamak Bendahara: It is obvious that the Jais raid is part of the overall strategy to recapture Selangor. Umno and BN will do anything to win back Selangor.
Artchan: Actually it is very insulting to be a Muslim, when we have these so-called leaders fearing every Muslim will become apostate if they read a bible or enter a church. Is their faith so weak?

As ex-Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said, if going to a church compound can suddenly make you Christian, then PM Najib Razak would have been apostate now as he had set foot in Vatican.

Umno has no political capital, so the only way they can hope is to spread fear among the people.

Quigonbond: With the general elections coming, ministers have to start showing their relevance to the 'cause', which in Umno parlance means ultra-racism and religious bigotry.

Some have chosen to do it earlier, like Information Minister Rais Yatim and his Bersih communist agenda, but others have only woken up to the fact and are beginning to mobilise.

Anyone else want to say something really stupid about this matter? Why, maybe Umno can make it their election manifesto. Let's have a Anti-Conversion Act.

JBGUY: Religion is a personal issue between a person and his God. Compulsion or coercion will never reap good results. You cannot force anyone to believe in a god that he does not have faith in. Only in Malaysia, you have such stupidity and fools suggesting laws of that nature.

David Dass: Freedom of worship has as its corollary freedom of conscience. One cannot legislate religious belief. We already have laws that prohibit the dissemination of non-Muslim religions among Muslims. That is as far as you can go.

The courts have ruled that a Muslim cannot give up his or her faith except in exceptional circumstances to be determined by the Shariah Court. To do anything more is to send us backwards.

Raw: Once a person gives up his religion, it does not matter to him anymore what the religion or the law says. Religion is largely a matter of personal conviction.

Man-made law may keep someone as a believer of a faith only on paper. The law cannot win his spirit nor can it help to deepen his faith. - Malaysiakini