Three DAP assemblypersons are urging that the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 be amended to protect the rights of all Malaysians.

They urged this in a statement today, saying the amendments they hope to see are to continue to protect Muslims from propagation by other religions and ensure that the enactment is in line with the spirit of the federal constitution.

The three assemblypersons Yeo Bee Yin, (Damansara Utama, right ), Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing) and Lau Weng San (Kampung Tunku) also hope that the other state assemblypersons will support the amendment, which they plan to table at the next sitting of the state assembly.

“We seek support from all Selangor lawmakers to vote for an amendment to the enactment in the spirit of the federal constitution to ensure that the rights of all Malaysians are given equal protection under the law as conceived by our forefathers.

Shocked by Jais raid

“We must not let extremists in our midst to dictate the state and national agenda to the extent that the minorities are victimised unjustly.

“Let us take a bold step of change and lead Malaysia towards a bright future – a Malaysia for all Malaysians, based on the principle of equality, human rights and justice,” Yeo, Rajiv and Lau said in their joint statement.

They said that they were shocked by the action of the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) in raiding the Bible Society of Malaysia yesterday to enforcing the enactment that was passed by the BN regime.

They went on to remind Jais that the enactment only applied to the control and restriction of propagation of non-Islamic religious doctrines and beliefs to Muslims.

The three DAP state lawmakers said the law must, in no way, be used to restrict peoples of faiths other than Islam from practising and professing their own religions in their own preferred language.

Describing the action of Jais as reckless, Yeo, Rajiv and Lau said it serves as a wake up call for all to review Section 9 of the Selangor non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1988, which states that a person commits an offence for the use of the word Allah or 34 other Arabic words that include hadith, khalifah, syariah, fatwa, alhamdulillah and insya'allah, if they:

  • Publish these words in writing; or
  • Make them in a public speech or statement be it in any gathering or in a broadcast.
The three assemblypersons said this section clearly contradicted Article 11(1) and Article 11(3) of the federal constitution, which provide every Malaysian the right to profess, practise and manage his or her own religion.

Hence, they said, the section should be amended to ensure extreme groups would not act against persons of other faiths at their own convenience.

“The enactment must be consistent with the federal constitution, where under Article 11(4) says state law, and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.

“However, it does not allow for curtailing the rights of non-Muslims in the manner which they practise,” Yeo, Rajiv and Lau emphasised in their statement.