Unilateral conversion: 'Court did what Parliament, cabinet was afraid to do'

Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran describes today's landmark Federal Court on unilateral conversion decision as fantastic, adding the court did what Parliament did not have the backbone to do in amending to the Law Reform Act 1976.

After nine years of "battle", Kulasegaran said it is the judiciary who stepped up to the plate in resolving the dispute on unilateral conversion of children.

In its decision this morning, the apex court ruled that the religious conversion of children would require the consent of both parents, thus bringing to end the long-running tussle between M Indira Gandhi and her convert husband Ridhuan Abdullah who had converted their children to Islam.

"It cannot be one person or spouse to determine the religion of a child. I have a lot of reservations when Parliament did not have the backbone and (the government) did not introduce the legislation to the amendment of the Law Reform Act as was discussed since 2009.

"Finally and surprisingly, the Federal Court gave a decision today which the elected representatives of this country had failed to give. Najib had promised to review the Act but stopped short of providing the right amendment saying he needs a two-thirds majority (in Parliament).

Kulasegaran asked who advised Najib on the two-thirds majority rule, saying it was a political ploy by Najib to win the hearts and minds of the Malays while saying something else to the non-Malay ground.

[More to follow]

-Mkini