Say No To Alcohol - Alcohol Destroys Family and Community - Alcohol is Narakasuran
Powered by MaxBlogPress  

Tag Archive 'Syariah Law'

Nov 20 2008

Should Syariah and Civil laws merge?



There’s suggestion by retired Chief Justice:

On Nov 6, retired Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad said he foresaw that the combination of the two courts would harmonise common law and principles in dealing with issues of conflicting laws and jurisdiction during his lecture at the Harvard Law School in the United States.

This is comment from Syariah Court Judge and Syariah Judicial Department director-general Datuk Ibrahim Lembut:

Islam will defend everybody. The impression that merging the two court systems will override the rights of the non-Muslims is wrong, he said.

Syariah laws and Islam will think of every religion and race, he told reporters after attending the International Seminar on Comparative Law at Marriott Hotel here yesterday.

However, we still have a long way to go before we can merge the two court systems although we have held talks between civil and Syariah lawyers on the possibility of harmonising the laws, he said, adding that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had also given his views on the matter during the meeting.

Ibrahim said some civil lawyers attending such talks had refused to even consider harmonising the laws between the two systems.

He was commenting on a statement by MCA legal bureau chairman Datuk Leong Tang Chong that any merger would subject non-Muslims to Syariah jurisdiction on all legal matters, including inter-faith cases relating to marriage and divorce.

What do you think?

I think rather than merging both sets of laws, there should be some sort of bridge to link them both. Why should one be tried under a religious law which one does not profess to be part of? I think this idea may be construed as part of a long term strategy to Islamise the country. nearly 50 percent of the country’s population are not Muslims. Thus it is not wise to impose a law that does not relate to them in any way.

It would be better to study the overlapping laws, holes, and gray areas between two laws and clear them up. No one likes to see spouses make use of laws to manipulate children, nor do public like to read that families fighting over properties of the deceased, or bodies being snatched by religious department officers.

For those cases involving marriages being dissolved due to one party converting, then the marriage dissolution should follow civil law. Clear the slate, each person go on his own way. This is only natural as the marriage was done under civil law. So, BEFORE the person want to convert, divorce first.

Same goes for . Those who are married must start fresh by divorcing their spouses and declaring their assets which are divided accordingly. For those who are single, the next-of-kin must acknowledge that he/she has been informed of the impending . NOTE that its not an approval, but an acknowledgment so that family members are aware BEFORE , and not after. The next-of-kin then knows that the body of the convert will end up in Muslim graveyard. No confusion.

For me, the problem is clear. Issues only arise when a party converts. Solve the problem at the root. Setup up proper documentation and procedures.

Your religion onto you … my religion unto mine ….

Popularity: 1% [?]

No responses yet

Aug 13 2008

Rare interview with Subashini



Malaysiakini published a telephone and face-to-face interview with R , the wife of the convert who also converted their eldest son and planned to convert the second son. She denies reports about her converting, saying that someone pretended to be her and called Malaysiakini via handphone and also sent email - both which belong to her!

Anyway, if she converts for the sake of the children, no one can stop it. Who wants to be separated from their kids? However, it will be a big insult for Islam for creating a situation that forces a mother to convert.

By the way, I’m curious that Saravanan still keeps his name which signifies Lord Muruga. Is it not heresy?

The rest of the interview below:

Following a widely-publicised and emotionally-charged legal battle which had stretched for two years, R has finally decided to break her silence albeit with a little mystery thrown into the concoction.

The Hindu wife of a Muslim convert spoke to Malaysiakini yesterday, her first interview with the media since going to court over her marriage and custody of her children.

For safety reasons, had kept a low profile despite her highly publicised case as issues pertaining to religion are considered controversial and sensitive in this country.

The courtroom drama started when her husband T Saravanan, a businessman, converted to Islam in May 2006 along with their eldest son, Dharvin Joshua, aged 5.

Saravanan, who assumed the name Muhammad Shafi Saravanan Abdullah, then launched proceedings in the Syariah Court for a divorce as well as custody of their second son, Sharvin, 3.

fought her case right up to the land’s highest court late last year.

Her case was however thrown out on technical grounds, despite having secured a minor victory in the landmark judgment.

Her meeting with Malaysiakini yesterday came amid mysterious phone calls and an email from a woman who had identified herself as ‘’.

But the ‘real’ denied making calls or sent out an email on the matter.

In a telephone conversation with Malaysiakini on Monday, the ‘other’ revealed that she had patched up with her husband and could now visit her eldest son on a regular basis.

She also stated that she intended to convert to Islam soon so that the family could be together once again, adding that she would instruct her lawyers to withdraw all of her court actions.

The telephone conversation was later followed by an email, furnishing more details.

In her email, the ‘other’ said she had been in contact with her husband five months ago and was “happy at the moment” that she could be with her two sons and her husband.

“Can anybody be in my shoes and describe how happy I am? Or at least tell me, can money or fame bring you happiness?

“I carried both my sons for nine months and how can I just let anyone take away my babies from me? They are the only priceless wealth that I have and will have forever.

“My prayers and support from everyone have showed me a result but it depends how some individuals accept this but as for me, I’m honest and clear with my decision.

“I have built back my palace and I wouldn’t want it to be demolished,” read the email.

However, when met at her lawyer K Shanmuga’s office in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, the ‘real’ denied that she had telephoned Malaysiakini or sent the email.

But there was another twist.

The ‘real’ confirmed that the phone number and email address used by the ‘other’ were indeed hers.

The phone number was a newly registered mobile number but she had stopped using the email account, which was registered under her second son’s name.

“This email was definitely not from me,” responded when shown a copy of the message.

Clad in a pink baju kurung (Malay traditional attire) and wearing a red pottu (Hindu marking) on her forehead, the 30-year-old company secretary was in the dark as to who would have impersonated her.

“I don’t have (Malaysiakini’s) number, I don’t know who to contact, I don’t have Malaysiakini’s email address.

“I don’t know who is using my name. I don’t know who (did it), I don’t want to point (fingers) at anyone,” she said.

At the brief meeting, - who declined to be photograped - also refused to speak on the record over the current status of her marriage and her children.

“Not at the moment,” she replied with a smile when asked about this.

Later, her lawyer Shanmuga (left) said he had not received any instruction from his client to withdraw the legal actions.

“The Shah Alam High Court is scheduled to hear (’s) application for leave to quash the of (eldest son) Dharvin on Aug 21,” said the lawyer.

“The Attorney-General’s Chambers is objecting to the application, stating that the applicant has to go to a syariah court,” he added.

The matter would be heard before judicial commissioner Mariana Yahya.

To another question, the lawyer said he had not received any instruction from to file a fresh application for divorce in the civil court after a similar application was ruled “premature and invalid” by the Federal Court in its landmark ruling last year.

At the time, the court rejected ’s divorce petition - which sought maintenance and custody of her children - on technical grounds over the date of her petition which was within three months of her husband’s date.

According to the law, the petition should be filed three months after the date but ’s application was filed about two weeks before the three-month period expired. The divorce petition was thus deemed null and void.

Nevertheless, she could file a fresh petition to seek the divorce.

In the same judgment, secured a minor victory as the Federal Court ruled that the syariah courts cannot dissolve a civil marriage.

The highest court ruled, in a 2-1 decision, that Saravanan could seek remedies in the syariah courts but cannot compel to do the same because she was a non-Muslim.

However, the court did not make clear the issue concerning the custody of the children as it also ruled that both the husband and wife could initiate custody proceedings in their respective jurisdictions.

Other articles related to and problem can be searched in this blog.

Popularity: 2% [?]

2 responses so far

Aug 11 2008

HINDRAF press statement on forum attack



 

135-3 KEMAYAN SQUARE

 

70200 SEREMBAN

 

NEGERI SEMBILAN.

 

 

PRESS STATEMENT 11TH AUGUST 2008

 

 

 

 

BAR COUNCIL FORUM - CLEAR EVIDENCE OF AUTHORITARIAN STATE

 

POLICE COLLUDED WITH PROTESTERS – AN INSULT TO ARTICLE 10 OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

 

 

 

STATEMENT BY HOME MINISTER SYED HAMID IRRESPONSIBLE.

 

 

The latest fiasco on the Malaysian Bar Council forum on “ to Islam” clearly indicates that our ruling government practices authoritarian policies where the elected representatives and police are used to suppress civil liberties and freedom of expression in the pretext of security and public order.

 

 

The ruling government and its agents, ie police were at their best to exercise their authority to allow the by the muslim mobs to incite racial sentiments and storm into the forum and slander, humiliate and insult the non-Malays.

 

 

strongly condemns the veiled threat by Home Minister to the Bar Council that “he hoped that the Bar Council got the message that “there are certain things that are out of bounds for public discussion, even if held in a private place.” It is the duty of the country to protect its citizens who have gathered to discuss a legitimate concern of its community (under article 10 of the Federal Constitution) but to come up with such threats (especially) by the minister is most irresponsible and insults the intelligence of Malaysians.

 

 

Four (4) members of were arrested in a rainy day for creating an awareness of their cause in the recent CPA conference on 7th August 2008 but here you have over 300 protesters behaving aggressively, carrying inciting banners and storming into the Bar Council forum raising uncalled racial sentiments against fellow non-Malay Malaysians without fear and protected by the Royal Police Force. The statement by Home Minister appear to be condoning such “violent” behaviour and supporting hooliganism and claims he has not received any complaints of threat to National Security or disturbance to public order is utter rubbish and nonsensical.  

 

 

Such double standards is only prevalent in an authoritarian state where any issues that concerns the public and freedom of thought for egalitarianism is suppressed and oppressed to serve the interest of the majority Malay muslim.

 

 

There is no actual racial issue in Malaysia, it is only incited and seeded  into the public to create a scenario that best serves an authoritarian state to serve its own agenda against the goodwill and humanity for the Malaysian society that have co-existed irrespective of their color, race, religion and creed.

 

P. Moorthy

 

Chairman

 

Currently in London

Popularity: 1% [?]

No responses yet

Next »

This blog is nominated for: Best SocioPolitical Blog Most Popular Male Blogger
Read more...