THE country is getting more Islamised and the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 also known as RUU355 is among the factors tearing the unity of the country, said a religious expert.

Daozhang Tan Hoe Chieow who is also the president of Federation of Taoist Malaysia, said if the proposed amendment on RUU355 was passed in parliament, it would affect Muslims and non-Muslims.

He said if the proposed bill was passed, the government would have to raise the shariah’s court criminal jurisdiction to an imprisonment for a term of 30 years, fine of RM100,000 and 100 strikes of whipping.

“This is why we are opposing (RUU355). It’s not because we are interfering in the matters of Islamic shariah but this is seen as the first step towards Malaysia becoming an Islamic state.

“That will affect all Malaysians,” said Tan at a forum by G25 at Ideal Convention Centre in Shah Alam today.

He said what bothered him is that there were Muslims saying those of other religion should not interfere in the matter as non-Muslims obtained their Malaysian citizenship from them.

“After sixty years as a citizen I believe all Malaysians fought for independence and we are here as equals.

“We should not be made to feel we are second class. This new trend is quite alarming,” he said.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang made history in April last year when he became the first opposition MP to be allowed to table a private member’s bill in the Dewan Rakyat.

However speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia halted the debate on the motion and ended the sitting right after PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru) seconded the motion.

On Islamisation in the country, Tan said Malaysia was different in the past as everyone was united and there were seldom issues involving religion.

He also cited a few examples occurred in the country that such as the issue involving M. Indira Gandhi and the amendment to Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016 which was withdrawn.

On August 7, the government withdrew the LRA which was scheduled for its second reading after being tabled for the first time in November 2016.

On the same day it was withdrawn, Azalina Othman Said said in a statement the new bill would be tabled without Clause 88A.

She said the fresh amendments would also be in line with the courts’ decisions on the interpretation of the Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution, which states that the religion of a person under the age of 18 shall be decided by his parent or a guardian.

The bill was then passed on August 10 minus Clause 88A, which drew criticism among opposition leaders.

The proposed amendment to the LRA was drafted following several custodial battles involving Muslim and non-Muslim parents, including Indira’s and her former husband, K. Pathmanathan, who converted to Islam.

Pathmanathan converted all three of their children to Islam without Indira’s knowledge and was then given custody of the children by the Shariah court.

But another judgment by the Ipoh High Court granted Indira the custody of the children,
Indira then got custody of her older two children but the youngest was snatched by her former husband. – January 27, 2018.