In a statement today, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) said this was needed to prevent “causing further anxiety” among Malaysians.
De facto law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had said yesterday there were no proposals for such a law, and the matter had not been brought to the Cabinet yet.
However, MCCBCHST said his statement “clearly contradicts” that of deputy minister in the prime minister’s department (religious affairs) Ahmad Marzuk Shaary, who reportedly said enacting such a law was part of the federal government’s plans to strengthen shariah laws.
“The MCCBCHST calls upon the prime minister to clarify the issue before it causes further anxiety among our citizens,” it said in a statement.
The council also stressed that Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution gave every person the right to profess and practise their religion subject to Article 11(4), which restricts the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.
The statement was endorsed by the council’s president and Malaysian Gurdwaras Council head Sardar Jagir Singh, Federation of Taoist Associations Malaysia’s Dao Zhang Tan Hoe Chieow, Malaysia Hindu Sangam’s RS Mohan Shan, Christian Federation of Malaysia’s Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim and Malaysian Buddhist Association’s Venerable Sing Kan.
On Monday, Harakah Daily reported Ahmad Marzuk as saying that the proposed law was part of the government’s “empowerment plan”, which would involve 11 legislative steps, including four new laws and seven amendments.
Other new pieces of legislation proposed included a Wakaf Bill, a Mufti Bill and a Shariah Court Bill, which would be introduced over the next five years according to the plan.
Amendments to the controversial Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 are also part of the plan, Ahmad Marzuk was quoted as saying.
Islamic laws and the Islamic penal code come under the jurisdiction of state governments but are handled by the federal government in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
Wan Junaidi had clarified that with religion coming under the purview of states, the federal government cannot arbitrarily introduce laws as proposed by Ahmad Marzuk.
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