A group representing Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Taoists today launched a week of special prayers to spread awareness on the importance of maintaining freedom of religion in the country.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) president Chee Peck Kiat said they seek divine help to impress upon the leaders of the government and judiciary to uphold the Federal Constitution.

"The only resolution I can think of to the issue is (engaging in) prayers so that the leadership and the judges will be more enlightened (and be moved by their) moral conscience to interpret the Constitution accordance to what is in it rather than interpreting it according to (their religious beliefs)," he said.

Chee, who also heads one of the country's three major Buddhist organisations, was speaking at a press conference held at the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.

During the week-long the prayers, 'statements of concern' will be read to the congregations followed by prayers for the restoration of religious freedom.

It was triggered by the March 13 Court of Appeal's dismissal of a bid by a Hindu woman, R Subashini, to stop her recently-converted husband Muhammad Shafi from bringing divorce proceedings to the Syariah Court.

She was told by justices Suriyadi Halim Omar and Hassan Lah who made the majority 2-1 decision to take her case before the Syariah Court. Justice Gopal Sri Ram dissented.

It was also held in the landmark ruling that Shafi could apply to the Islamic court to convert his under-aged children without permission from the non-Muslim spouse.

Subashini has since been granted an interim injunction by the appellate court restraining her husband from converting their second child and pursuing his claims in the Syariah Court.

Rectify the situation

However, Chee said this does not detract from the seriousness of the original decision and the need for Malaysians irrespective of their religion to voice their grievances against this 'injustice' through the proper and peaceful channels.

"As the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the country, a person of one religion should not be made subject to laws of and governance by another religion," he added.

Another MCCBCHST member, Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, said Christians will "pray, worship, and implore God's help and assistance for direction."

Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) general secretary Hermen Shastri said the event coincides with Holy Week wherein Christians are to remember the "suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

He said all churches in Malaysia will hold prayers in remembrance of those whose religious freedoms have suffered "because of the decisions that have been made by the courts."

"We will also pray that the leaders of the government will be moved by their conscience in order to institute change to rectify the situation that has arisen (so that) the supreme law of the land is the Constitution," he added.

Malaysian Hindu Sanggam president A Vaithilingam said the first collective prayers at Hindu temples will be held at the Sri Surendra Raja Perumal Temple in Klang, where Subashini lives.