SELANGOR TEST: Amend law, sack JAIS, don't let non-Muslims be SITTING DUCKS for Umno bullies

KUALA LUMPUR - Three Selangor lawmakers have proposed amending the state's religious law so as to make clear the authority and scope of the various religious bodies following Thursday's shock raid of the Bible Society by the Selangor Islamic department or JAIS.

However, clarifying or plugging up the legal loopholes is not good enough.

A deterrent action must be carried out or Malaysia and Selangor will dwindle into a 'free-for-all' anarchy where any wild idea promoted by Prime Minister Najib Razak's Umno party is immediately carried out without fear of repercussions.

This is because the culprits know they will be protected by a very biased police force and sad to say, a very partisan judiciary.

Is Selangor a state governed by law and order or by hooliganism and racism

As such, if JAIS does indeed fall under the control of the Selangor state government, Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim must show leadership and sack all those complicit in yesterday's raid.

This is not an emotional or impulsive reaction. Very simply put, the Pakatan Rakyat state government must show how it is different from the Umno-BN leadership.

Khalid and team must prove they govern by law and order. They must ensure that Selangor continues to stay a safe and peaceful state and if any one breaks the law or creates public disorder, that party must be punished without fear or favor.

If Khalid cannot do it, then he must resign as the Mentri Besar. If he does not, then the Pakatan Rakyat top leadership must replace him.

Don't use the Sultan as an excuse, work harder, work smarter, work braver

At no time must Khalid be allowed to hide behind the Sultan's authority. Even if JAIS is under the Sultan's control, as chief minister it is Khalid's duty to make sure that all the people resident in the state including the minorities are safe from marauding bullies.

The same applies for all Pakatan Rakyat Muslim elected representatives. They should not be allowed to hide behind the throne, knowing they can always offer the convenient excuse that it is the Sultan's call, while making no effort to help the minorities at all.

Selangor reps must work harder, draw up better laws, come up with real and action-oriented programs to mobilize and help the minorities defend themselves against a ruthless federal government determined to sell off all their rights just to cling to power.

Don't let the non-Muslims be sitting ducks for Umno bullies

The non-Muslims voted overwhelmingly for the Pakatan Rakyat in the 13th general election. Don't fail them now. Don't let them be sitting ducks for Umno bullies.

Help them to keep their dignity and self-respect - this is merely their basic human right and Pakatan's fundamental promise of a just and fair society for all.

Appended below is the proposal made by the 3 assemblymen. It is a good suggestion to resolve the crisis. In fact, it is an essential step that must be taken out because the 'fine print' is currently too ambiguous.

The law in Selangor and everywhere in Malaysia must rightfully reflect justice, fairness and the spirit of the Federal Constitution.

And to nip in the bud more outbreaks of Umno-instigated Muslim hooliganism, the JAIS culprits must be publicly punished too.

Proposal by 3 ADUNs to make clear the state law

We will propose to amend the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 in the next state assembly sitting to ensure that Muslims continue to be protected from propagation, while ensuring that the rights of non-Muslims are protected as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

We were shocked by the unprecedented Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) action yesterday, raiding the Bible Society of Malaysia for bibles containing the words “Allah”. JAIS has acted in the name of enforcing the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988, which was passed under the Barisan Nasional regime.

Firstly, we would like to remind JAIS that Selangor Non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1988 only applies to control and restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religious doctrines and beliefs among the Muslims. It shall in no way be used to restrict anyone from practicing and professing their own religions in their preferred language.

JAIS reckless action serves as a wake up call for us to seek a review of subsection 9 of Selangor Non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1988, which states that a person commits an offence if he (a) in any published writing; or (b) in any public speech or statement; or (c) in any speech or statement address to any gatherings or persons; or (d) in any speech or statement which is published or broadcast and which at the time of its making he knew or ought reasonably to have known would be published or broadcast, uses the word “Allah” or 34 other Arabic words including Hadith, Syariah, Kalifah, Fatwa, Alhamdulillah, Insyaallah etc to express and or describe any fact, belief, idea, concept, act, activity, matter or thing of or pertaining to any non-Islamic religion.

This section clearly contradicts Article 11 (1) & Article 11 (3) of the Federal Constitution, which provide every Malaysian the right to profess, practice and manage his or her own religion. As such this section should be amended to ensure that extreme groups will not act against persons of other faiths at their own convenience. The enactment must be consistent with the Federal Constitution which states under Article 11(4) that “State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam”, but does not allow for curtailing the rights of non-Muslims in the manner which they practice their own faith.

We seek the support of all Selangor lawmakers to vote for an amendment to the Selangor Non- Islamic Religions Enactment 1988 in the spirit of the Federal Constitution to ensure that the rights of all Malaysians are given equal protection under the law, as conceived by our forefathers.

We must not let the extremists in our midst to dictate the state and national agenda to the extent that the minorities are victimized unjustly. Let us take a bold step of change and lead Malaysia towards a bright future – a Malaysia for all Malaysians, based on the principle of equality, human rights and justice.

Yeo Bee Yin, ADUN for Damansara Utama

Rajiv Rishyakaran, ADUN for Bukit Gasing

Lau Weng San, ADUN for Kampung Tunku