Inter-religion relationship in M’sia at all-time low, says DAP Sabah

Chan

KOTA KINABALU: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sabah secretary Chan Foong Hin on Tuesday raised his concern at how the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) had, in its recent 75th annual general assembly, taken a regressive step in pushing for the amendment of the Federal Constitution to strengthen Syariah law and also to introduce a Control and Restriction on the Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions Bill.

“How can a political party which is part of the ruling coalition in control of both the Sabah Government and the Federal Government make such a call? Non-Muslims in Sabah have been living in harmony with Muslims in the state without the need for such laws, what more an amendment to the Constitution of Malaysia to restrict freedom of religion?” said Chan.

Chan, who is also Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament, said that he wholly agrees with United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) which stated recently that a renegotiation of the federal set-up for Malaysia may be in the cards if such a move goes ahead.

“To amend our Malaysian Constitution into something which is unlike what our country’s founding fathers intended would be a grave betrayal to them. It is imperative for Umno leaders like Zahid to have a read on the Cobbold Commission Report and the Report of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) on the Proposed Federation, and he will realise that freedom of religion is one of the main pillars in the founding of this beloved Federation of Malaysia. Restriction of religion, including propagation, has no part at all in it!” said Chan.

He said that while Umno wished to appeal to its right-wing allies and members in Muafakat Nasional, it has to look forward, not backwards, failing which its 75 years of history will remain merely an obscure part in Malaysia’s history textbook.

“There should be no restrictions on the freedom of religion, period,” said Chan.

He then challenged Umno Sabah leaders such as Bung Moktar Radin to state their stand as to whether they are agreeable to pawn the right to freedom of religion that all Sabahans have been enjoying all these years since Sabah became part of Malaysia in 1963 in return for a pittance.

“Will Bung Moktar and Mohamad Alamin as two Umno Members of Parliament from Sabah declare their support for such an amendment to the Federal Constitution? I hereby challenge them to make their stand clear so that voters can make an informed decision whether they are to be trusted to represent the interest of Sabahans vis-à-vis having Shariah Law being inscribed into the Federal Constitution,” said Chan.

He said that while the Malaysian Federal Constitution is a living document and can be amended by two-thirds supermajority in the Dewan Rakyat, all Sabahan MPs should not slide down the slippery slope sacrificing the larger State’s rights.

“Even though the argument is that non-Muslims won’t be affected, it is not entirely true. In Sabah itself we also have Native Customary Laws and the Mahkamah Anak Negeri to regulate such laws. Besides that, we have seen many cases of dispute when Shariah Law is involved, like for example dispute in child custody by a non-Muslim mother, dispute in distribution of assets of a deceased where the parents are non-Muslim.”

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