Sarawak’s position in the Federation of Malaysia must be taken to an international forum for adjudication on grounds of “misrepresentation and fraud” if Malaysia is held to be an Islamic state, Sarawak PKR said today.
“If Malaysia is indeed an Islamic state, I will propose to the Sarawak government that our case be taken to an international forum for adjudication.
“For now, I ask that parliamentarians from Sarawak and Sabah take a stand on this and be heard in and out of Parliament,” Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said today.
“The Federal Constitution and secular status must be safeguarded for the sake of our future generations,” he said in reference to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic Affairs Jamil Khir Baharom’s declaration that Malaysia is not a secular state.
Jamil (left) said in replyingto Oscar Ling Chai Yew (DAP-Sibu) in Parliament yesterday that Malaysia is not a secular state due to the special provision of Islam in the framework of the Federal Constitution.
Baru, who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyperson, said: “It is necessary to point out to Jamil Khir that while he was picking out various provisions in the Federal Constitution to support his claim, he carelessly overlooked Article 4, which declares: ‘This constitution is the supreme law of the federation…’
“This point alone should be enough to erase any doubt in any confused person’s mind. Article 4 does not state that syariah is the supreme law of the federation. The three branches of government, i.e. the legislative, executive and judiciary, are subject to the constitution and not to syariah law.
“The rights of the citizens are derived from the constitution and not from syariah. In their oaths of office, the prime minister and all members of Parliament, and the members of the judiciary, pledge to ‘preserve, protect and defend’ the constitution, not syariah law. The supremacy of the constitution puts paid to any notion of Malaysia being an Islamic state.”
'Sarawakians, others too, completely fed up'
Baru said Sarawakians, and possibly many other Malaysians as well, were completely fed up with the inane statements emanating from the mouths of tragically vacuous politicians and officials in Peninsular Malaysia, day by day.
Within the space of one week, he said, the bigoted Selangor Islamic religious authorities announced their desire to dispose of the illegally seized copies of the Bible; a half-baked convert ‘academician’ berated Christians for building a large church; and an uninformed minister gave the unpleasant news that Malaysia is an Islamic state.
He added: “If the Malayan political, social and religious landscape in 1961 had been what it currently is in Peninsular Malaysia, I have no doubt that Sarawakians would never have agreed to be part of the federation.
“The Malaysia Agreement would not have seen the light of day as Sarawakians would never have agreed to partner a country where arrogant racists and religious bigots are allowed to spout their unsavoury propaganda while an emasculated leadership cowers in the corner.”
Baru then called on Jamil Khir to explain to Sarawakians the position of their state in his imaginary Islamic state, adding that Sarawakians would not accept the unilateral changing of the contractual terms of the Malaysia Agreement by one party.
Urging Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to make a stand to correct the wrongs that have been done, Baru said Najib could well be accused of promoting bigotry and allowing extremists to grow even bolder with their outrageous claims if he did not act.
“If Malaysia is indeed an Islamic state, I will propose to the Sarawak government that our case be taken to an international forum for adjudication.
“For now, I ask that parliamentarians from Sarawak and Sabah take a stand on this and be heard in and out of Parliament,” Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said today.
“The Federal Constitution and secular status must be safeguarded for the sake of our future generations,” he said in reference to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic Affairs Jamil Khir Baharom’s declaration that Malaysia is not a secular state.
Jamil (left) said in replyingto Oscar Ling Chai Yew (DAP-Sibu) in Parliament yesterday that Malaysia is not a secular state due to the special provision of Islam in the framework of the Federal Constitution.Baru, who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyperson, said: “It is necessary to point out to Jamil Khir that while he was picking out various provisions in the Federal Constitution to support his claim, he carelessly overlooked Article 4, which declares: ‘This constitution is the supreme law of the federation…’
“This point alone should be enough to erase any doubt in any confused person’s mind. Article 4 does not state that syariah is the supreme law of the federation. The three branches of government, i.e. the legislative, executive and judiciary, are subject to the constitution and not to syariah law.
“The rights of the citizens are derived from the constitution and not from syariah. In their oaths of office, the prime minister and all members of Parliament, and the members of the judiciary, pledge to ‘preserve, protect and defend’ the constitution, not syariah law. The supremacy of the constitution puts paid to any notion of Malaysia being an Islamic state.”
'Sarawakians, others too, completely fed up'
Baru said Sarawakians, and possibly many other Malaysians as well, were completely fed up with the inane statements emanating from the mouths of tragically vacuous politicians and officials in Peninsular Malaysia, day by day.
Within the space of one week, he said, the bigoted Selangor Islamic religious authorities announced their desire to dispose of the illegally seized copies of the Bible; a half-baked convert ‘academician’ berated Christians for building a large church; and an uninformed minister gave the unpleasant news that Malaysia is an Islamic state.He added: “If the Malayan political, social and religious landscape in 1961 had been what it currently is in Peninsular Malaysia, I have no doubt that Sarawakians would never have agreed to be part of the federation.
“The Malaysia Agreement would not have seen the light of day as Sarawakians would never have agreed to partner a country where arrogant racists and religious bigots are allowed to spout their unsavoury propaganda while an emasculated leadership cowers in the corner.”
Baru then called on Jamil Khir to explain to Sarawakians the position of their state in his imaginary Islamic state, adding that Sarawakians would not accept the unilateral changing of the contractual terms of the Malaysia Agreement by one party.
Urging Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to make a stand to correct the wrongs that have been done, Baru said Najib could well be accused of promoting bigotry and allowing extremists to grow even bolder with their outrageous claims if he did not act.
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