‘Don’t give two thirds majority to BN or PR’

Calling Malaysia a secular state, an activist said that Malaysia could be turned into a theocratic state if any of the coalition were given too much power the the Parliament.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are urged not to give neither the Barisan Nasional (BN) nor Pakatan Rakyat a two thirds majority in the Parliament to ensure Malaysia remains a secular state.

“Malaysia can be turned into an Islamic with two thirds majority. So, please do not give two thirds majority to any coalition, regardless whether they are BN or Pakatan,” said Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) chairman Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa, at a forum held by the Bar Council.

The forum was titled “How Secular is our constitution?”

Recently, the government received brickbats from various NGOs and BN MPs on the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013, which allows unilateral conversion of a child should one parent converts to Islam.

But on Wednesday, controversial Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria defended the Bill saying the proposed legislation was only formalising a standard practice which was agreed upon “since Merdeka Day”.

He also alleged that the Bill was being used by certain quarters to incite hatred towards the Muslim community.

The government subsequently withdrew the Bill citing the matter needed further study.

Ahmad Farouk said that based on historical facts, the Reid Commission drafted a secular constitution for the then-Malaya as people in power during that era envisioned a secular country.

“The report also stated that they should be no discrimination based on race, religion and creed,” he said.

Citing court cases, Ahmad Farouk cited the case of Che Omar Che Soh vs Public Prosecutor in 1988, where then-Lord President Salleh Abas ruled that Malaysia is a secular state.

“He ruled that laws need not conform to Islamic principles,” said Ahmad, adding that Islamic laws were only meant for to administer Muslim family issues.

Training his guns against the government, Ahmad Farouk criticised the religious authorities for attempting to regulate on how one manages religion.

“How can there be only one version of Islam – the Jakim and Jais style?” he asked, in regards to the government’s move to restrict the practise of Islam based on other denominations.

Civil rights and shariah lawyer Nizam Bashir Abdul Kareem also concurred with Ahmad Farouk’s assessment, saying Malaysia is a secular nation.

“Article 74(2) of the Federal Constitution states that the states have power over Islamic matters but 74(3) clearly underlines it is subject to conditions and restrictions,” said Nizam.

Among the conditions are that legislations should not override a person’s fundamental liberties such as freedom of expression.

Nizam added,” The civil liberties guaranteed under the Federal Constitution does not go against what is detailed in the Al-Quran.”