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KUALA LUMPUR: The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) has expressed concern over the recent decision of the Court of Appeal urging a non-Muslim to bring her case to the Syariah court.
Its executive committee chairman Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing said in a statement that the federation viewed the decision with great concern as it had urged a non-Muslim to submit to the jurisdiction of the Syariah court.
“It is troubling to note that what is clearly stated in the Federal Constitution – that the Syariah courts shall have jurisdiction only over persons professing the religion of Islam – is now being extended by the court’s decision to include non-Muslims,” he said.
This was in reference to the Court of Appeal decision on March 13, which dismissed R. Subashini’s appeal to stop her Muslim-convert husband T. Saravanan @ Muhammad Shafi Abdullah from going to the Syariah court to dissolve their civil marriage and convert their children to Islam without her permission.
In the majority decision by the three-man panel, Court of Appeal Justices Suriyadi Halim Omar and Hasan Lah dismissed the appeal while Justice Gopal Sri Ram dissented.
Tan said that while the CFM respected the Federal Constitution to be the supreme law of the country, it must guarantee the rights of all non-Muslim citizens.
“Decisions like this impact negatively on the social fabric of Malaysia. We therefore call on all elected MPs to do everything within their means to defend our Constitution and to safeguard the rights of non-Muslim citizens to find remedy and justice in the civil courts in matters pertaining to civil rights and liberty,” he said.
CFM was the latest to express its concern over the issue.
Bar Council chairman S. Ambiga was recently quoted as saying that the Syariah court should have jurisdiction only on Muslims.
The All Women’s Action Society described the verdict as “disturbing” while the Women’s Aid Organisation called it “confusing and raised alarm bells”.
The Court of Appeal judgement can be obtained on the Malaysian Bar website at www.malaysianbar.org.my or the judiciary website at www.kehakiman.gov.my.
