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Dompok: UPKO lawmakers will insist that the Bill be withdrawn
Bernard Dompok: The present Bill appears to contravene the Federal Constitution and runs counter to the Government’s transformation plans
By Alexander Chen
PENAMPANG: The Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 which was tabled in Parliament last Wednesday has drawn the ire of former UPKO lawmaker, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
“I am surprised and disappointed that this Bill has been approved by Cabinet for tabling at Parliament,” he said in a brief statement to the Borneo Insider Saturday.
He added: “The present Bill appears to contravene the Federal Constitution and runs counter to the Government’s transformation plans especially the 1Malaysia concept of acceptance, inclusiveness and moderation.”
Dompok, the Upko President and former Penampang MP said he had actually asked for the withdrawal of a paper on this Bill from
Cabinet discussion before the 13th general election.
“A few months ago I asked for its withdrawal as I felt that an earlier cabinet decision on the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 should instead be implemented,” he said.
“The cabinet paper was withdrawn, and I am therefore surprised that it is now in Parliament.”
Bishop Tan: Mala fide of the framers of the amendments
Dompok said UPKO lawmakers will insist that the Bill be withdrawn from Parliament and a full discussion by the Barisan National on this and related religious issues be initiated before any Bill is presented to Parliament.
Flagrant violation of equality
The Bill has drawn all-round criticism.
Roman Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing described the proposed amendments to the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) on the conversion of minors as a “flagrant violation of the equality of persons’ provisions of the federal constitution”.
The amendments, tabled in Parliament earlier this week, by dint of the use of the word ‘parent’ instead of ‘parents’, makes it legal for a father or a mother, or guardian, to convert children below the age of 18 to a religion of proprietary choice.
Bishop Paul Tan wondered if there was not an element of diabolism in the intent of the framers of the amendment who he said knew that the word ‘parent’ can also be construed as a collective noun like ‘crowd’, and hence, when push comes to shove, they could limit its meaning to one of the two progenitors – father or mother – or a guardian.
“This shows the mala fide of the framers of the amendments,” he argued.
“I understand this amendment contravenes a decision by the cabinet announced on April 23, 2009 that a single parent cannot convert a minor,” said the head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka-Johor diocese.
“If so, this would not be the first time that the cabinet is overridden by civil service functionaries – the main drivers of creeping Islamisation in this country,” charged the Jesuit-trained prelate.
Christopher: The amendment is “unconstitutional”
He also suggested that the proposed amendment clearly violates this commitment to gender equality so that the way those signatories vote on this bill would be a test of whether they will match deed to word.
Bishop Paul Tan warned that the vote on the bill will be a litmus test of the fidelity to the Federal Constitution of legislators elected to Malaysia’s 13th Parliament.
UnconstitutionalThe MCA has meanwhile slammed the “stealthy” tabling of the amendment in the Federal Territories Islamic law related to child conversion, as “shocking” as it impinges on the rights of non-Muslims.
“I am shocked to learn that the government is tabling the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill as it contains controversial provisions that affects the constitutional and religious rights of the non-Muslim,” said MCA vice president Gan Ping Sieu in a press statement. yesterday.
“This will seriously and irredeemably affect the religious harmony and national unity of our country,” he said.
Malaysian Bar Council president Christopher Leong also argued that the amendment was “unconstitutional” as the federal constitution provides that such words in contention refer to the plural.
Leong cited Article 160 and the eleventh schedule of the federal constitution that expressly provides that all words appearing in the federal constitution which are stated in one gender also include the other gender, and all words in the singular also include the plural.
MIC has echoed its BN partner MCA in expressing “shock” over the bill related to child conversion laws, saying it is “unacceptable” and that they had not been consulted on the matter.
MIC national treasurer Jaspal Singh had this to say: “Clearly there was not a process of consultation with all relevant parties; otherwise we would have pointed out the unfairness of this particular clause,” he said in a statement today.
Jaspal said the law could be abused by angry spouses to convert a child as a form of revenge.
“Conversion could also be done to unfairly gain custody of the children, because surely the Syariah Court will grant custody to the Muslim parent,” he added.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT BREACHES THE 20 POINT AGREEMENT CLAUSE 1
ReplyDeleteThe importance of the Religion question is seen by the fact that it was the first Point of the 20 Points.
"Point 1: Religion
While there was no objection to Islam being the national religion of Malaysia there should be no State religion in North Borneo, and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to North Borneo".
Sabahans if you want to insist on your rights this is where you begin.
Why are you all not looking into your enshrined rights which are supposedly incorporated in the Malayan constitution after 1963?
If not in there then they CHEATED you.
Hala tuju parti, agar senantiasa inklusif perlu melakukan peremajaan sesuai dengan perkembangan politik tanah air.
ReplyDeleteKetua-ketua cawangan yang telah berumur, apatah lagi kurang celik dengan pengunaan media baru, dan kurang peka terhadap perkembangan politik tanah air, perlu memberi ruang kepada generasi penerus yang sesuai dan mempunyai ketokohan.
ReplyDeleteHasil usaha mereka harus dikenang. Peluang juga harus diberi kepada generasi muda yang berbakat juga.
DeleteDiharapkan, sekurang-kurangnya 60 peratus daripada seluruh cawangan Umno di negara ini, diketuai oleh generasi penerus dan demikian juga di peringkat bahagian.
ReplyDeletePRU-14, bukan lagi pilihanraya konvensional, akan tetapi lebih kepada perang isu dan alam maya. Kegagalan menguasainya, akan berakibat fatal kepada kelangsungan parti, kerana sejarah membuktikan, bahawa parti yang tidak bergerak sesuai dengan perkembangan zaman akan kecundang.
ReplyDeleteDi dunia, untuk sementara hanya Umno yang berusia lebih setengah abad belum kehilangan kuasa. Parti Kongres di India, Golkar di Indonesia dan LDP di Jepun kehilangan kuasa. Parti kongres India dan LDP masih bernasib baik kerana dapat memerintah semula, akan tetapi Golkar sehingga kini belum lagi menguasai politik Indonesia sepertimana era Soeharto.
ReplyDeleteKalau Umno tidak mahu tercatat dalam sejarah, maka perlu mengambil iktibar kepada kejatuhan parti-parti yang disebutkan itu.
ReplyDeleteUmno perlu menjalankan transformasi total, bukan sahaja daripada segi pendekatan perlembagaannya, juga pendekatan para pemimpinnya.
ReplyDeletePersepsi kalau mahu cepat kaya, maka jadilah pemimpin Umno, perlu dikikis, dan jadikan slogan kalau mahu memertabatkan bangsa, agama dan negara maka jadilah pemimpin Umno.
ReplyDeleteKalau berkehendakan pembelaan, maka sertailah Umno, kalau mahu didengar pendapat maka sertailah Umno, kalau mahu hubungan antara pemimpin dan ahli bagaikan aur dan tebing, maka sertailah Umno. Semangat ini kena ada pada setiap pemimpin dalam umno, kerana Umno hanya sebuah wadah, yang mencorakkannya adalah pemimpin dan ahlinya.
ReplyDelete“Just wait for the minister to mention it in Parliament. It is something we will not have to worry about any more”
ReplyDeleteShe said this when asked about the Bill after attending a high-level panel meeting on drug policy and public health yesterday.
ReplyDeletePoliticians from both sides of the divide, civil society groups and the public have described Section 107(b) of the Bill, which allows a minor to be converted with the consent of only one parent, as unconstitutional.
ReplyDeleteThe Bill was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday. If passed by both Houses of Parliament next month, the Bill will repeal the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993.
ReplyDeleteSeparately, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Government would be fair to other religions when making amendments to the Bill.
ReplyDeleteSikap berat sebelah atau diskriminasi harus dielakkan.
Delete“There will be few amendments to the Bill in tandem with demands by other religions.
ReplyDelete“We also have to respect the role of a parent and we can’t force children to follow either the mother or the father who has converted,” he said after opening the Sekolah Izzudin Shah alumni annual general meeting yesterday.
ReplyDeleteJika mereka sudah dewasa, sudah pasti boleh buat keputusan sendiri.
DeleteIn George Town, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the matter had been discussed extensively in the Cabinet following a case in Seremban in early June where a 29-year-old Hindu mother claimed that her estranged husband converted their two children, aged five and eight, to Islam without her knowledge in April.
ReplyDelete“The Cabinet is clear that there must be fairness and justice for everyone, including non-Muslims, particularly when one parent converts.
ReplyDelete“It’s not just about the religion of the child but also custody, alimony and protection for the child,” said Dr Subramaniam after launching the Penang Free School Homecoming Carnival yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe then de facto law minister and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had said that the Cabinet’s decision was made following M. Indira Gandhi’s case where her three children, aged 12, 11 and one, were allegedly converted to Islam by her husband without her consent.
ReplyDeleteMalaysian Consultative Council Of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, in a statement, objected to some of the provisions, which it said affected the rights of non-Muslims, created social injustice and went against the spirit of the Federal Constitution.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, an online portal reported PAS’ Kamarudin Jaafar as saying that the Islamist party would treat the Bill carefully, noting that it would affect the lives of all citizens in the country.
ReplyDelete“PAS will discuss it and make our stand known. The party has not yet made a definite decision on the Bill,” he said.
ReplyDeleteKami menantikan perkembangan selanjutnya.
DeleteUNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT BREACHES THE 20 POINT AGREEMENT CLAUSE 1
ReplyDeleteThe importance of the Religion question is seen by the fact that it was the first Point of the 20 Points.
"Point 1: Religion
While there was no objection to Islam being the national religion of Malaysia there should be no State religion in North Borneo, and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to North Borneo".
Sabahans if you want to insist on your rights this is where you begin.
Why are you all not looking into your enshrined rights which are supposedly incorporated in the Malayan constitution after 1963?
If not in there then they CHEATED you.
Ketua Pembangkang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Pulau Pinang Datuk Jahara Abdul Hamid menegaskan tidak timbul isu perjuangan mengikut kaum dalam Barisan Nasional (BN) kerana wakilnya bersuara bagi seluruh masyarakat.
ReplyDeleteSehubungan itu, katanya, semua 10 wakil rakyat Umno yang menjadi suara BN Pulau Pinang dalam sidang DUN negeri berkenaan akan melakukan yang terbaik untuk bersuara bagi kepentingan semua kaum.
ReplyDelete"Kita akan bangkitkan isu dan perjuangkan nasib semua kaum di negeri ini, bukan sahaja Melayu tetapi juga masalah orang Cina dan India akan diketengahkan di DUN," katanya.
ReplyDeleteApakah Lim Guan Eng akan menjawab persoalan besar tentang 'demokrasi mati di DUN karajaan DAP Pulau Pinang? Atau beliau menikus mendiam diri apabila sesuatu isu dilihat tidak menguntungkan politik beliau?
ReplyDeleteLangkah untuk tidak mengadakan sesi soal jawab pada hari pertama persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Pulau Pinang hari ini mengundang rasa tidak puas hati di kalangan pemimpin Barisan Nasional negeri.
ReplyDeleteMenyifatkan tindakan Speaker DUN Pulau Pinang itu seolah-olah memberi hukuman mati kepada sistem demokrasi, Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Jahara Hamid berkata keputusan itu menunjukkan DUN enggan bertanggungjawab untuk memberi jawapan kepada rakyat berlandaskan ketelusan.
ReplyDeleteSesi soal jawab pada semua persidangan DUN dan Dewan Rakyat merupakan amalan setiap kali persidangan berlangsung. Sesi itu memberi peluang kepada wakil rakyat mengajukan soalan-soalan yang dibangkitkan rakyat untuk dijawab pihak kerajaan.
ReplyDeleteIni sesuatu yang amat mendukacitakan, untuk pertama kalinya DUN mencipta sejarah apabila tidak memberi laluan kepada sesi soal jawab atas alasan kekangan masa, soal jawab adalah peranan penting dalam demokrasi, sistem ini telah dibentuk sebagai peraturan dalam aturan mesyuarat.
ReplyDeletePerkembangan seperti ini seolah-olah sebagai hukuman maut atau mati kepada sistem demokrasi akibat keangkuhan kuasa mutlak yang ada pada kerajaan negeri
ReplyDeleteLaw memberitahu bahawa persidangan DUN masih sah walaupun tidak memberi laluan kepada sesi soal jawab akibat kekangan masa.
ReplyDeleteJahara berkata sebagai sebuah kerajaan yang mengamalkan akauntabiliti, adalah penting bagi DUN untuk mengembalikan sesi soal jawab kerana ia merupakan kepentingan awam dan sebagai menghormati sistem demokrasi.
ReplyDeleteBantahan terhadap keputusan untuk tidak memberi laluan kepada sesi soal jawab itu turut disokong Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) yang menegaskan bahawa sesi itu penting kerana rakyat perlu tahu tindakan kerajaan terhadap permasalahan yang dibangkitkan mereka.
ReplyDeleteSaya memang tidak puas hati kerana tidak ada sesi soal jawab, jangan jadikan kekangan masa sebagai alasan untuk kita tidak buat sesi soal jawab, kita boleh buat
ReplyDeletePersidangan pagi ini turut menyaksikan pertikaman lidah antara ketua pembangkang dengan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Datuk Keramat) yang mahu Jahara menarik balik kenyataan 'demokrasi telah maut' ketika Jahara mempersoalkan keputusan yang dibuat Speaker.
ReplyDeleteSuasana itu dapat ditenangkan oleh Speaker dan persidangan diteruskan dengan membahaskan ucapan Yang Dipertua Negeri Pulau Pinang Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas tanpa memberi laluan kepada sesi soal jawab
ReplyDeleteSehari dua ini, parlimen dan media begitu rancak dengan isu 20 akaun luar negara yang didakwa milik Anwar Ibrahim. Ramai di antara pengamal media baru telah mengkritik, bukan kerana pendedahan tersebut tetapi cerita itu sudah berkumandang di dalam blog-blog dan media sosial yang lain sejak tahun lepas tetapi tidak diketengahkan oleh sesiapa. Saved
ReplyDeleteDan sekarang, isu ini meletup semula. Yang terbaru ialah kenyataan Liang Teck Meng yang menegaskan tidak akan menarik balik atau memohon maaf berhubung kenyataannya di Dewan Rakyat semalam mengenai Anwar Ibrahim yang didakwa memiliki 20 akaun bank yang berpangkalan di luar negara, termasuk Israel.
ReplyDeleteSaya hanya minta siasat, kalau tidak ada (dakwaan tidak betul), Usaha merujuk saya ke jawatankuasa khas jelas mahu menghalang kerajaan daripada melakukan siasatan sewajarnya
ReplyDeletePersoalan besar sekarang, apakah tidak ada yang mahu mengungkit kembali cerita bekas penolong Gabenor Bank Negara, Datuk Abdul Murad Khalid yang bersedia memberikan kerjasama kepada pihak berkuasa jika dikehendaki berhubung dengan pengendalian akaun sejumlah RM3 bilion yang beliau percaya melibatkan Anwar Ibrahim.
ReplyDeleteAbdul Murad dalam satu kenyataan yang diperoleh Bernama, mengesahkan bahawa beliau pernah membuat akuan bersumpah pada 1999 berhubung dengan pengendalian akaun-akaun itu.
ReplyDeleteDalam pendedahannya pada kira-kira 13 tahun lalu itu, Abdul Murad dilaporkan mendakwa Anwar mengawal sebanyak 20 akaun induk membabitkan aset, saham dan wang yang keseluruhannya bernilai lebih RM3 bilion.
ReplyDeletePelbagai pihak terutamanya di kalangan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dilaporkan mendesak Anwar memberi penjelasan berhubung dakwaan Abdul Murad itu.
ReplyDeleteUnited Sabah Borneo Murut Organization (BORNEO) president Datuk Dr Bernard S Maraat described the state cabinet line-up of old and new faces as good for the people and the state.
ReplyDelete“It is the best line-up because it involves all areas in the state and all races.
ReplyDelete“Congratulations to the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman,” the former Pensiangan member of parliament told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
Recalling the achievements of the management and administration in the last five years, Maraat said Musa is one of the best chief executive officers (CEO) who had led the state economy to continually rise with financial reserves reaching billions of ringgit.
ReplyDeleteRecalling the achievements of the management and administration in the last five years, Maraat said Musa is one of the best chief executive officers (CEO) who had led the state economy to continually rise with financial reserves reaching billions of ringgit.
ReplyDelete“I am confident that under the leadership of Musa more investors will come to invest in the state, providing economic and job opportunities to the people,” he said.
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of BORNEO and the people here, he wished the Chief Minister would continue to develop the state in all sectors.
ReplyDeleteTo him, the Prime Minister has chosen the right leader to lead this state.
“Musa is the best Chief Minister ever and smart to select the capability of his cabinet line-up. And to those who have been appointed, they must do their job to the best of their ability,” he said.
ReplyDeleteMaraat also hoped the interior would continue to develop under the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) with the additional appointments of a full minister and assistant minister holding important positions.
ReplyDeleteHe said they were Rural Development Minister Datuk Radin Malleh and Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Infrastructure Development, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, he said there are three assistant ministers, namely Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin as assistant minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Haji Sairin Karno, assistant minister of Agriculture and Food Industry and Datuk Bobbey Ahfang Suan, assistant minister of Infrastructure Development.
ReplyDelete“I am confident of their ability to develop the interior in the next five years,” he said.
In addition, he said there are three assistant ministers, namely Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin as assistant minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Haji Sairin Karno, assistant minister of Agriculture and Food Industry and Datuk Bobbey Ahfang Suan, assistant minister of Infrastructure Development.
ReplyDelete“I am confident of their ability to develop the interior in the next five years,” he said.