Politicians must also share the blame for last Saturday's demonstration outside the Bar Council office in Kuala Lumpur, said its former chairperson Param Cumaraswamy.

param cumaraswamy In a statement today, the former United Nations special rapporteur said that protestors could not have been so bold if it was not for some politicians' statements in the media.

"The home minister (Syed Hamid Albar) was even reported to have said that the Bar Council should bear the consequences if it went on with the forum.

convertion forum protest 090807 big crowd "One would have expected these same politicians, in this day and time, to prevail upon the extremists groups for tolerance and understanding.

"Religious tolerance can only be nurtured by dialogue and understanding," said Param.

He said politicians should take the lead and be seen as encouraging such dialogue in the process of educating the citizenry.

"Instead they continue to sacrifice these fundamentals for political expediency."

Promoting religious tolerance

The seasoned lawyer also argued that the government had a role in promoting religious tolerance.

"After 51 years of independence and being a sovereign state and being currently in the UN Human Rights Council and now taking the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the government's role in promoting religious tolerance domestically is not only dismal but shameful going by the events of last Saturday.

convertion forum protest 090807 gpms (left) pekida (right) "Being a multi-racial, religious and lingual state, Malaysia today could be a shining example to other nations on inter-ethnic and religious tolerance," he said.

"We are sadly not so. Malaysia's human development in this area is most disheartening," said Param.

The police's inaction on Saturday did not go unnoticed either.

"The conduct of the police last Saturday once again demonstrates the continued deterioration of the integrity and credibility of the Malaysian police," said Param.

The Bar Council's forum entitled "Conversion to Islam: Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution" was marred by mobs of angry protestors.

The forum was cut short after the demonstrators threatened to storm the Bar Council office.