KUALA LUMPUR, August 8 — A group of women NGOs today reminded Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari that the unanimous Federal Court decision on the unilateral conversion of minors to Islam supersedes any state law.
In a press statement today, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) said that the Federal Court’s ruling on the matter must be upheld as it pertains to the Federal Constitution.
“Time and again, we have seen families broken down as a result of unilateral conversions, with children having to pay the ultimate price for their parents’ fall outs. The Federal Court decision was made on the basis that the most paramount concern is the welfare and interest of the child.
“Allowing unilateral conversion would remove the right of one parent in relation to the interest of his or her own child. As parents, issues of fundamental importance such as religion should be decided together, or at least discussed and informed,” said the group.
The umbrella women’s activist group pointed out that in some cases, conversion to Islam has been used in order to gain access to the Shariah Court system to obtain a divorce and custody of children, while denying the right of the non-Muslim parent to participate in the decision.
This itself runs contrary to Islamic teachings, it claimed.
News emerged yesterday that Amirudin would meet state Pakatan Harapan leaders today over the proposed amendment that has caused disagreement within the pact.
It is understood that the Selangor mentri besar had wanted to push through an amendment to state laws that would remove the requirement for both parents’ consent to convert a minor to Islam and reduce this to either that of the father or mother.
The alleged Selangor proposal for unilateral conversion would contravene the Federal Court ruling in the case of Hindu mother M. Indira Gandhi that clarified the wording of the Federal Constitution on the topic.
Amid a brewing controversy over the issue in Selangor, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also vowed to defend Selangor state Speaker Ng Suee Lim who was criticised for blocking a state Bill that allegedly sought to amend an enactment and allow unilateral conversions.
JAG consists of 14 women’s group which are: All Women’s Action Society (AWAM), Association of Women Lawyers (AWL), Foreign Spouses Support Group (FSSG), Justice for Sisters (JFS), Knowledge and Rights with Young People Through Safer Spaces (KRYSS), Perak Women for Women (PWW), Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER), Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS), Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (SAWO), Sisters in Islam (SIS), Tenaganita, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and Women’s Centre for Change (WCC).
