KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — A key multi religious body said today it fully backs the call for open discourse on the supremacy of the Federal Constitution in the country as stated in an open letter to the government written by a group of 25 influential Malays.

The Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said in a statement it fully endorsed the open letter and went on to highlight several points made in the open letter

“We agree with the concerns expressed by them relating to the current situation,” the body said.

Among the points it highlighted was the assertion that religious bodies were acting beyond their jurisdiction, Fatwas which violate the Federal Constitution and supremacist NGOs which are quick to attack dissenting voices as anti-Islam.

The organisation called for open debate within the framework of the Federal Constitution.

In a strongly-worded open letter earlier this month, the group of 25 influential Malays called on the federal government to review Shariah criminal offences and assert the supremacy of the Federal Constitution over Islamic state laws in the country.

The group, dominated by some of the country’s most senior-ranking civil servants who have since retired from duty, expressed its dismay over the unresolved disputes on the position and application of Islamic laws in Malaysia, which it said reflects a “serious breakdown” of the division of powers between the federal authority and the states.