Vocal Muslim women NGO Sisters in Islam (SIS) is frustrated that its community programme in Sungai Bakap to raise awareness on legal reforms was abruptedly cancelled by its assemblyperson.

The NGO was further disappointed to note that 'religion continues to be politicised' by politicians from both sides of the divide.

SIS legal and advocacy programme officer Nazreen Nizam said her team was told that the three-day programme had to be cancelled because the PKR Sungai Bakap representative, Makhtar Sapee, was not happy with it.

The event titled ' Bengkel Kesedaran Komuniti Terhadap Undang-Undang Keluarga Islam ' (Workshop on Islamic Family Law) was supposed to begin on Wednesday, but Nazreen said she was only told about the cancellation on Tuesday evening.

"We were already in Penang by then and were prepared to attend the sessions but were told at the last minute that the YB was not happy with it," she said when met in Penang.

"Of course we are frustrated... this programme was confirmed about one-and-a-half months ago," she said about the event for which around 35 were expected.

The event is targetted at Muslim women at the grassroots level and is part of SIS's programme to call for reforms to gender discriminatory Syariah laws.

Fearing education through community interaction

The sessions, said Nazreen, would also be a forum to share experiences, learn from each other and discuss best practices in other Muslim countries to see if those laws which are more favourable to Malaysian women could be implemented here.

SIS representatives have been to Perak, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan and plans are in place to conduct the programme in other states as well this year.

"Penang was like the easiest to confirm in the first place and yet this could happen," said a disappointed Nazreen.

"We are not coming here to speak about religion. So why is the YB being so defensive? she asked.

"The laws are discriminatory towards women. Some quarters just do not want to admit it," she added.

Officially known in 1990, SIS has attracted criticism from Muslim groups, including Jakim (Islamic Development Department), ulamas and political parties like PAS.

abim lodges polis report against sis There had been attempts to get the NGO banned and the word 'Islam' dropped from its name.

On March 22 last year, the Malaysian Assembly of Mosque Youths filed a lawsuit against SIS, questioning the use of the word "Islam" in the NGO's website and publications.

Anvil, hammer, bring them on

SIS, however, has remained unperturbed by the challenges and continues to advocate for law reforms and speak out against unfair treatment and judgments against Muslim women.

Last year, the NGO spoke out strongly against the caning of Muslim women, urging the government to review the punishment under Shariah criminal offences as it violates international human rights principles.

Meanwhile, Nazreen reiterated that SIS representatives were not planning to discuss the scholarship or theology part of Islam, but focus more on the country's public policy toward Muslim women at its forum.

She added that if existing discriminatory laws were reformed, it may be more advantageous to men, saying firmly that "religion should not be politicised".

Nazreen explained that SIS was not merely promoting its own agenda by reaching out to engage with the community.

"Not everyone has access to their legal rights. That's why we want to share their stories... actually we found out through our regular training sessions that there are problems on the ground, that is why we are here," she said.

She added that there was no point in them to just sit in Kuala Lumpur or go to Parliament. "We try to engage the community so we can learn from each other... if we are not wanted, we should hear it from the women themselves."

When contacted, Makhtar admitted that he had stopped the NGO from conducting their programme in Sungai Bakap.

The reason for his decision: "The NGO's name - Sisters in Islam - is too controversial".

He said if SIS did not use its name as one of the organisers for the event, the sessions would be allowed to continue.

"But the name itself raises questions," he said, adding he was not concerned about Umno causing trouble over the matter or disrupting the programme.

"Umno supports SIS but PAS and PKR do not accept them. We have to be careful. Our participants themselves were raising questions when they came to know that SIS would be conducting the programme," he added.