Lodge police report over forced conversions

MCA leader urges those allegedly forced to convert into Islam in a university seminar to go to the police.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu today urged victims of forced conversion to lodge police report as it was against the spirit of Islam.

“It is disrespecting Islam because conversion into Islam is done wholeheartedly,” he said.

“In each religion’s denomination, it is believed that faith is a right, but in a multiracial country, we should respect each others’ beliefs and faiths,” said Gan, who is also MCA’s Syariah Law and Policy Implementation Bureau chairman.

“Christian-bashing is unnecessary and could create disunity. In fact, I would condemn such action,” he said at a press conference held at the party headquarters this morning.

He was responding to claims that several Christians were forced to convert into Islam at a local university earlier this week.

The conversion had allegedly taken place during a seminar in UiTM on Islam and Christianity on Tuesday.

It was also reported that one of the invited speakers at the seminar had outlined 10 reasons as to why Christians should convert to Islam. While another speaker had praised Malaysia for banning the ‘Allah’ word from being used by the non-Muslims.

Gan said Malaysia as a multi-religious nation should share values and cultural knowledge of all religions while respecting each others beliefs and faiths.

“Even though the believers may think that their faith was more superior but they should respect others’ faith as that was how the country was founded, ” he added.

On another matter, Gan blamed PAS for the recent decision by the Umno-led Terengganu government to have a women-only waterfalls in the popular tourist spot Tasik Kenyir.

Gan said PAS had inculcated the gender-based segmentation culture during its rule of Terengganu.

State Menteri Besar Ahmad Said had said the decision was made based on demands from female tourists from West Asia.