KUCHING, Oct 17 — The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) said today it is not possible to make Malaysia a full-fledged Islamic state, refuting remarks made by an Umno leader.
The Barisan Nasional component party’s secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting said that such a change will require radical amendments to many provisions of the Federal Constitution such as two-thirds majorities in both Houses, consent of the Conference of Rulers and consent of the Governors of both Sarawak and Sabah.
“SUPP and the majority of Sarawakians will also never agree to convert Malaysia into an Islamic state because it is not in our best interest,” he said when responding to comments made by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki three days ago.
Ting, who is also the Piasau state assemblyman, reminded Asyraf that when Sarawak and Sabah agreed to the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the founding leaders of the two Borneo states made it very clear during the negotiation that Malaysia would be a secular state.
“Therefore, many safeguards were put in place in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and eventually into the Federal Constitution to make sure that the federal government cannot alter our principal safeguards in regards to religion without the consent from our State Legislative Assembly,” he stressed.
Ting also urged Umno ministers and deputy ministers to be cautious and moderate when expressing their views, particularly on sensitive issues such as religion, race and culture.
He said Sarawak, despite having people of different religions and races, is blessed because there are no issues on religion, race, religion, race and culture.
Asyraf, speaking as panellist in a Kelantan-level programme in Kota Baru on October 13, had said that the Barisan Nasional was not shirking its responsibility to make Malaysia an Islamic state.
