Thursday January 12, 2006
Groups laud Pak Lah’s stand on conversion
PETALING JAYA: Various quarters have welcomed Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s assurance that matters related to religious conversion would be spelt out clearly to avoid confusion and dissatisfaction.
MCA Youth leader Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the Prime Minister's stand on the matter reflected his sincerity in looking after the well-being of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
“We feel that the Prime Minister’s intervention is crucial in this matter, particularly in grey areas touching on the rights of non-Muslims,” said Liow, who is also the MP for Bentong.
Liow noted that the recent decision by the High Court on the case of the late Mount Everest climber Sjn M. Moorthy had resulted in a lot of dissatisfaction, particularly among non-Muslims.
The High Court had ruled on Dec 28 that it would not disturb the declaration that Moorthy was a Muslim as the matter was under the purview of the syariah court.
Moorthy's widow S. Kaliammal, 30, had sought a declaration in the civil court to bury her late husband whom she said was a Hindu who had practised the Hindu way of life.
The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM), the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) and the Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) also welcomed Abdullah's statement.
CCM secretary-general Dr Herman Shastri said serious consideration should be given to Article 121 (1) A of the Constitution, which had blurred the lines of jurisdiction between the Civil and Syariah courts in its present interpretation.
“Civil courts should be seen to protect and uphold justice of citizens with regard to fundamental liberties guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. In no way should a judge abdicate responsibility in hearing the case of one who seeks to exercise the right to be heard in court,” said Dr Shastri.
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