APRIL 15 — Despite the wide criticism of the police for their refusal to act on the Seremban child abduction case, and calls for the resignation of the Inspector General of Police ( IGP), Home Minister Datuk Zahid Hamidi yesterday declared his backing for the IGP.

“What has been stated by the inspector-general of police is an official stance of the Home Ministry,” Zahid told journalists in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Zahid’s stand should not come as a surprise as I had said in February that he should take up tutorials on law after he said that there was nothing for the police to investigate on the slap threat made against me by the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs”.

I wish to ask Zahid and the IGP what will be their response to this question posed by many netizens — is it acceptable if Deepa snatches her son back from her ex-husband?

Zahid has said that the IGP’s stand is the Home Ministry’s official stance. Is there such a thing as a ministry’s stance and a government’s stance?

When two Cabinet ministers take different views, what is the government’s stand?

Three days ago, former de facto law minister Datuk Nazri Aziz criticised the IGP’s inaction, saying that the case was clear-cut kidnapping.

“The High Court judge’s ruling was correct. The police shouldn’t allow him to get away with kidnapping the child,” he said.

Another former law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim also criticised the police.

“To say they respect both court orders and therefore will do nothing is irresponsible, and this leaves a negative perception of them,” he was quoted as saying.

The Prime Minister must not remain silent and must immediately declare the government’s stand on the abduction issue.

The Cabinet made a fair decision in April 2009 when it decided that children be raised in the “common religion at the time of marriage” should one of their parents convert.

Najib should let Malaysians know if he is still committed to this decision, and if so, when will his government make the necessary changes to the law to bring about a permanent solution to the issue of unilateral conversions.

*This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.