DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has slammed MCA and Gerakan ministers for not objecting to plans to set up a parallel Syariah Federal Court during Friday's cabinet meeting.

This is despite the proposal coming from a cabinet member, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom, he said in a statement today.

“MCA and Gerakan ministers should explain why they have not raised any objection at Friday’s cabinet meeting to the unconstitutional proposal to set up a Syariah Federal Court with the same powers as the civil Federal Court.

“MCA and Gerakan ministers, as well as other cabiner members, were remiss in their constitutional oath ad political responsibilities in failing to object to such a proposal at Friday’s Cabinet meeting and to demand that all federal government involvement in such an unconstitutional development to be halted immediately,” he said.

Lim said MCA and Gerakan have instead delegated their lower rung leadership to raise the matter in Parliament and state assemblies even though they are aware it would fall on deaf ears.

“The right and proper place for such objections to be raised in the cabinet on Friday,” he said.

On Friday, MCA religious harmony bureau chairperson Ti Lian Ker warned that a Syariah Federal Court may infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.

Lim said the setting up of a Syariah Federal Court parallel to the present civil Federal Court, which is the highest judicial body in the country, goes against the basic structure of the federal constitution.

“It is the constitution and not the syariah that  is the litmus test of constitutionality,” he said.

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