The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has denied giving the thumbs up to the government’s draft amendments to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 (LRA).

The interfaith group’s deputy president RS Mohan Shan told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today that the draft amendments are rumoured to be tabled in the cabinet tomorrow, and the draft had supposedly been agreed upon by the MCCBCHST.

The amendments are meant to resolve child custody disputes arising from unilateral conversions, but Mohan said the MCCBCHST has yet to see the proposed amendments.

“Until today, we haven’t seen the draft amendment on that, therefore we can’t agree without seeing the draft,” he told a press conference.

Meanwhile, MCCBCHST secretary-general Prematilaka Serisena said the government should not keep stakeholders in the dark on any proposed legal amendments and speak about the draft in general terms.

He urged the government to halt the tabling of the draft LRA amendments until further consultation has taken place on the text of the draft amendments.

If the leaders of various religious organisations find it favourable to all - including the converting and non-converting spouses - then the draft amendments would receive the groups’ blessings to go ahead, he said.

“You cannot hide it in this manner. You cannot do this. This is not right.

“And then you’d say that MCCBCHST has agreed. Yes, we had discussions. We had discussions in the air, but we never had substantive amendments placed in front of us.

“So that is what the MCCBCHST called this press conference for – to tell the general public that we had not seen the bill, therefore we cannot give our consent. Period,” he said.

In 2009, the government had said that matrimonial disputes arising from civil marriages ought to be resolved in the civil court, and that legal amendments would be made to reflect that.

In the past, the civil courts and Syariah courts had issued contradicting child custody awards, when one spouse unilaterally converts himself and the children into Islam and file for divorce.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had said that the amendment bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat during its October session, while de facto law minister Azalina Othman told reporters on Sept 1 that the draft has already been completed and will be tabled in the cabinet ‘soon’.