Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is in denial over the discrimination and injustice of the Islamic Family Laws (Federal Territories) (Amendment) 2005 Act, claimed a women's group today.

"The minister now appears to be turning back from her previously uncompromising stand in protecting the rights of women and children on this issue," said the Joint Action Group on Gender Equality (JAG).

In a press statement, the group said Shahrizat herself had claimed she had more objections to the 'flawed' bill than women's non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and that these would be raised with the cabinet.

"JAG wishes to remind the minister that on the day the women senators were forced to vote against their conscience to support the bill, the minister herself was in Parliament and assured the senators and women's groups that the cabinet had agreed to amend the unjust provisions in the bill, after passage by Parliament."

JAG, a coalition of seven women's groups, was responding to Shahrizat's defence of the Act yesterday at a press conference at her office.

Grey areas

Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had ordered the Act's gazetting to be put on hold after women's groups raised an outcry upon it being passed last December by the Senate.

At the press conference held jointly with the Attorney-General's Chambers, however, Shahrizat came out in defence of the Act and said the controversy was due merely to "different interpretations" of the laws.

She said the current Act was a vast improvement on the differing Syariah laws found in various states and it would protect Muslim women and children. She attributed the controversy to certain group's 'poisoned' understanding and interpretation of the laws.

JAG, however, urged the minister to address women's grievances with the Act instead of glossing over them as being 'grey areas' and looking for those who had 'poisoned' women's understanding of the Act.

"The minister's allegations that 'certain NGOs' have poisoned the minds of women is to underestimate the intelligence of the women senators who scrutinised the bill and all women who can read for themselves what the bill stated and what it meant to their interests and sense of fair play."

Open debate

JAG also denied Shahrizat's claim that the Act was the result of a four-year discussion between the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim), her ministry, and other bodies and individuals.

"Between 2002 and until the law was submitted to Parliament, the minister and her officials raised no disagreement to the objections and concerns raised in the 42-page memorandum submitted by Sisters in Islam on behalf of JAG," it said.

"It was on the basis of that memorandum that the ministry negotiated with Jakim for amendments to be made, to no avail," it added.

Saying it looked forward to an 'open debate' on the issue with the minister, JAG urged Shahrizat to pay attention to the issues raised.

"When members of the public have demonstrated confidence in the ministry by directly communicating their concerns about the bill, we are looking for the minister to pay attention.

"This is where the minister has an important duty as a representative of the people in our country's democratic process."