Marzuk step closer to the bowl, yours' shorter than you had imagined

Marzuk should be mindful not to ‘overstep’ jurisdiction, says Patriot

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Marzuk Shaary should have been mindful not to overstep his jurisdiction in making comments about syariah laws still in the pipeline, said the veterans’ group National Patriot Association.

Patriot president Mohd Arshad Raji said Marzuk appears to have done so by giving the impression he was ignorant of the role of the Malay Rulers in matters concerning religion.

“By making such statements he seemingly sends out an impression that he is overzealous and insensitive to our nation’s multi-religious social fabric. He also gives the impression that he is seemingly ignorant of the role and responsibility of our rulers as the heads of matters concerning Islam.

“Marzuk needs to be reminded that he has overstepped his responsibilities because Islam is under the jurisdiction of the Malay Rulers as is clearly enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“Hence, Patriot would like to seek an answer from the deputy minister whether the proposals he proclaimed had been in the very first place, tabled before the Malay Rulers for their consent,” he said in a statement yesterday.

If the due process was flawed, he said Marzuk should retract his statement and apologise for the concerns that arose following his statement, particularly those of non-Islamic faiths.

Marzuk had recently said the government plans to draft four new syariah laws, including the controversial Control and Restriction on the Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions Bill though its contents are still unknown.

Soon after, de facto Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar clarified on Tuesday that the proposed laws have yet to be brought to the cabinet.

In addition, he said all states must consent to those laws before they could be brought to Parliament since religious matters come under the jurisdiction of state governments.

For the record, most states already have laws regulating the propagation of non-Muslim religions, but Sarawak, Sabah and Penang do not have one.

Meanwhile, Arshad questioned the need to introduce the new law, given that the constitution provides for religious freedom while simultaneously enshrines Islam as the religion of the federation.

He asserted that Islam is not under threat by other faiths in Malaysia, and perception of the contrary is created by politicians for their own political advancement.

If Islam is indeed under threat, then it raises the question of what had gone wrong with Islamic institutions in the country given that they are well-funded, and the rulers have played their roles well in protecting and nurturing the Islamic faith.

“Although Islam is recognised and accepted by all Malaysians as the official religion of the state, it does not give anyone the licence to impose punitive restrictions on the religious practices of other faiths.

“In fact, the wisdom of our Malay, Muslim Rulers all through the centuries and post-independence period ensured that there were no restrictions - political or otherwise and in any form whatsoever - imposed upon the religious practices of other faiths in their respective states.

“Such tolerance and respect shown and sustained all through the decades, right to this moment in our nation’s precious history serves as the hallmark of every true Malay Muslim ruler and therefore it must never be jeopardised or pawned for any political advancements,” he added.