Selangor DAP: Trio has no intent on 'interfering'
Published: Jan 9, 2014 8:37 AM | Updated: Jan 9, 2014 10:02 AM
Selangor DAP has defended its three state assemblypersons who suggested that a law barring the use of certain terms by non-Muslims be amended.
Selangor DAP has defended its three state assemblypersons who suggested that a law barring the use of certain terms by non-Muslims be amended.
State DAP chief Tony Pua told Malaysiakini that every state assemblyperson has the right to raise matters of importance on any law or decision made by the state government.
He was responding to a Malaysiakini article quoting his PAS counterpart Khalid Samad (left), who said the proposal by the three lawmakers amounted to "interference" in Muslim affairs.
Pua said that he "respectfully disagrees" with Khalid.
"Every state assemblyperson has every right to raise matters of importance on laws or decisions made by the state government regardless of race and religion.
"As a Malaysian elected representative, I would be abdicating my responsibilities if I were just to confine my scope of law-making to 'Chinese affairs'.
"The Malaysia we want to see is when a Chinese can fight for the rights of the Malays, the Malays can stand up for the Hindus - just as Khalid himself has done - and the Indians can uphold the interests of the Chinese," said Pua.
He added that in this particular instance, the three lawmakers were "certainly not attempting" to interfere with Islamic affairs as the law in question is the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment.
"Hence it was certainly about non-Islamic religions," he emphasised.
Protecting non-Muslims
Pua added that the three lawmakers had also attached a caveat to their suggestion by promising that their proposed amendment will "ensure that Muslims continue to be protected from propagation, while ensuring that the rights of non-Muslims are protected as enshrined in the Federal Constitution".
In view of the trio's intentions to uphold the Federal Constitution, Pua argued that this cannot be construed as an "interference".
Three state lawmakers - Yeo Bee Yin (Damansara Utama) (right), R Rajiv (Bukit Gasing) and Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku) - had issued a statement on Jan 3 with their proposal, made in view of the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) headquarters.
Three hundred copies of the Bible in the Malay language and 10 copies of the Bible in the Iban language were confiscated while two of BSM officials were arrested during the raid.
Jais said that the raid was in accordance with the enactment, while BSM claims they did not violate any laws.
BSM also claims that Jais has no jurisdiction over non-Muslims and thus the arrests were unlawful.
Pua said that the circumstances had shown that the three state assemblypersons were not attempting to "interfere" on Islamic matters but to defend the rights of non-Muslims to practice their faith in their preferred tongues.
He reiterated his earlier statement that Selangor DAP will seek a meeting with its allies PKR and PAS soon to arrive at a consensus position to safeguard the interest of all religions in the state.
State DAP chief Tony Pua told Malaysiakini that every state assemblyperson has the right to raise matters of importance on any law or decision made by the state government.
He was responding to a Malaysiakini article quoting his PAS counterpart Khalid Samad (left), who said the proposal by the three lawmakers amounted to "interference" in Muslim affairs.Pua said that he "respectfully disagrees" with Khalid.
"Every state assemblyperson has every right to raise matters of importance on laws or decisions made by the state government regardless of race and religion.
"As a Malaysian elected representative, I would be abdicating my responsibilities if I were just to confine my scope of law-making to 'Chinese affairs'.
"The Malaysia we want to see is when a Chinese can fight for the rights of the Malays, the Malays can stand up for the Hindus - just as Khalid himself has done - and the Indians can uphold the interests of the Chinese," said Pua.
He added that in this particular instance, the three lawmakers were "certainly not attempting" to interfere with Islamic affairs as the law in question is the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment.
"Hence it was certainly about non-Islamic religions," he emphasised.
Protecting non-Muslims
Pua added that the three lawmakers had also attached a caveat to their suggestion by promising that their proposed amendment will "ensure that Muslims continue to be protected from propagation, while ensuring that the rights of non-Muslims are protected as enshrined in the Federal Constitution".
In view of the trio's intentions to uphold the Federal Constitution, Pua argued that this cannot be construed as an "interference".
Three state lawmakers - Yeo Bee Yin (Damansara Utama) (right), R Rajiv (Bukit Gasing) and Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku) - had issued a statement on Jan 3 with their proposal, made in view of the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) headquarters.Three hundred copies of the Bible in the Malay language and 10 copies of the Bible in the Iban language were confiscated while two of BSM officials were arrested during the raid.
Jais said that the raid was in accordance with the enactment, while BSM claims they did not violate any laws.
BSM also claims that Jais has no jurisdiction over non-Muslims and thus the arrests were unlawful.
Pua said that the circumstances had shown that the three state assemblypersons were not attempting to "interfere" on Islamic matters but to defend the rights of non-Muslims to practice their faith in their preferred tongues.
He reiterated his earlier statement that Selangor DAP will seek a meeting with its allies PKR and PAS soon to arrive at a consensus position to safeguard the interest of all religions in the state.
View Comments0