Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's call to postpone the proposed interfaith commission will not deter its organisers from proceeding with their plan to meet the premier and submit the 'will of civil society'.

Steering committee chairperson Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said the course of action as decided by the participants of a national conference on the commission last week, "remains unchanged".

"The decision to table the draft bill is ultimately is for the government to decide. When the PM spoke about postponement of the idea, I take it as indicative of the government's position," he said when contacted today.

"On our part, we have completed the conference and issued the plenary statement. The next course of action primarily is to transmit the conclusion to him.

"We will send it to him since he has given his assurance of looking at the document once it is presented," he added.

Arouse uneasiness

On Saturday, national news agency Bernama quoted Abdullah calling for the proposed interfaith commission to be deferred following criticisms from Muslim-based non-governmental organisations, political parties and individuals. He suggested more interfaith dialogues instead.

Yesterday, the prime minister was quoted as "advising" proponents against raising contentious issues which could "arouse uneasiness among multi-religious Malaysians".

Detractors have condemned the move for an interfaith commission as anti-Islam and accused proponents of using the platform of dialogue as a guise to undermine Islamic teachings and Muslims in Malaysia.

When asked, Malik Imtiaz said Abdullah's statements had not pre-empted the initiative's objectives.

"I respect the PM's views and can understand the concerns he has raised, but as was emphasised repeatedly, the process of dialogue must continue.

"(Putting aside the proposed commission), the conference itself was an opportunity to dialogue," he added.

He said concerns over inciting religious feelings must cut across the board and apply to everyone.

"In characterising an initiative to be something other than what it is, is also inflammatory," he added.

The conference was attended by more than 200 representatives from over 50 religious, political and civil society bodies. The rest comprised law lecturers, law students and graduates, academics and observers.

Although the conference was boycotted by mainstream Muslim groups and individuals, representatives from Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Forum Iqra, Jabatan Agama Islam Kelantan and Sisters in Islam, and a number of Muslim individuals were present.

Severely misunderstood

Malik Imtiaz also regretted that the initiative has been severely misunderstood.

"There appears to be a grave misunderstanding as to the objective and purpose of the proposed commission when such fears are totally unfounded.

"There is this thinking that the proposed body is intended to be a supervisory body over all religions, which is a complete misunderstanding. Nothing could be further from the truth," he explained.

He maintained that the move is "purely to look at how best to articulate the individual's right to a happy, fulfilled and secure existence in Malaysia".

"The proposed body can only do this by way of recommendations."

Despite the raging dissent, the human rights advocate was confident that once the government sees the documents - the plenary statement, draft bill and conclusions - it will understand that there was nothing sensitive about the initiative.

"If it was otherwise (sensitive), I'm sure the leaders of other religions or faiths would have disagreed and would not have attended the conference."

He also refuted criticisms that the proposed body was mainly about apostasy.

Malik Imtiaz re-emphasised the point that the proposed commission "could not in any way give validity to changes of faith other than as already set out in the Federal Constitution".

"It is not about apostasy at all. If critics feel the issue of apostasy cannot be raised, why are they not concerned when it is raised in the courts?

"Going by their own logic, no one should be able to talk abt it at all," he noted.

Citing the unfairness of the criticisms against the conference organisers and participants, he said
they were all involved "out of a feeling of national pride and patriotism.

"It was their commitment to the Malaysian way of life. I'm very saddened to note that these people have come under fire for doing what any patriotic citizen would do."

Open mind

He believes the best way to fully appreciate the proponents' intentions is to read the conference material and fully understand the purpose and objective of the initiative.

"While much has been said about the criticisms and concerns over the initiative, nothing much has been said as to whether those criticisms and concerns are well-founded.

"A meaningful interfaith discourse can only be achieved if everyone is willing to keep an open mind, and of course, by respecting religious tenets as they stand."

Noting the significance of the national conference, Malik Imtiaz said this was the first time civil society had come together "in such strength and on such a basis"

"The results are meaningful because they are indicative of where we stand as Malaysians... and that cannot be underrated," he said.

He added that the initiative was based on the Vision 2020 blueprint, the Rukunegara and the constitutional guarantee of equality for all Malaysians.