The heavy downpour over the past few days failed to snuff out the flames of those partaking in a month-long vigil in front of the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

For the past nine evenings, the size of the crowd has varied between 50 to 100 individuals from different faiths.

Met last night, Rev Wong Kim Kong, who led the vigil, said that on some nights those present have to use umbrellas to fulfill the daily 20 minute vigil.

"It shows the people's commitment towards this cause," he added

The cause is to create awareness that non-Muslims have no legal recourse over decisions made by the Syariah Courts.

Organised by the Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism (MCCBCHS), the vigil followed the High Court's refusal to overturn a Syariah court decision which declared deceased Everest climber M Moorthy a Muslim.

They are also hoping to attract the attention of the authorities and hoping that the situation could be remedied, even if by amending the federal constitution.

Better way

On Thursday, businessman Syed Akbar Ali, 45, said it was his first time at the vigil. He believes that there must be a better way for non-Muslims to solve disputes with the Syariah courts.

"These problems are bound to crop up in a plural country like Malaysia, as in other countries. I'm sure we can study how they other (Muslim) countries like Egypt and Turkey deal with such issues," he told malaysiakini.

He added that religion is meant to solve people's problems and not create them.

He also noted that the large turnout at the vigils shows that many individuals are unhappy with the present situation.

Meanwhile, business consultant Richard Yeoh, 52, another first timer at the vigil, said that he was confident that the month-long vigil will be fulfilled due to the positive response thus far.

Asked if he had told his friends about it, Yeoh (left) said he spoke to a few and they were receptive to the idea but were unable to attend due to other commitments.

The vigil usually begins at 8pm but due to the present rainy spell, it usually gets underway after the rain subsides.

Those wishing attend the vigil are advised to drive towards Dataran Merdeka via Jalan Bangsar. The venue is located on the building opposite the Malaysian Historical Museum.