Malaysian minority ministers retract call for review of religious laws
By VIJAY JOSHI
Associated Press Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Cabinet ministers from Malaysia's ethnic minorities have retracted a memo seeking a review of laws affecting religious minorities, after the unprecedented request sparked an uproar in the ruling Malay Muslim party.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who criticized the ministers for making the request in writing instead of raising it in a Cabinet meeting, said Saturday night they agreed to withdraw the document on his advice.
"People felt they shouldn't have done it in the first place. Now those who submitted the memorandum have retracted it. So it is over," Abdullah told reporters.
The withdrawal of the memorandum, submitted to Abdullah on Wednesday, sent a clear message that his United Malays National Organization party, which dominates Malaysia's coalition government, would brook no insubordination from minority Indian and Chinese parties.
Behind the unease in UMNO is the fear that any display of disaffection in the Cabinet will upset the racial and religious harmony that the multiethnic country has enjoyed almost unbroken for more than four decades.
The matter should be discussed in a family spirit, otherwise "it could give the impression that the Malaysian Cabinet is divided between Muslims and non-Muslims," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said.
The memorandum had sought a review of Article 121(A) of the Constitution, which says civil courts have no jurisdiction over the Islamic Sharia Court system in the Muslim-majority country. The memo also asked for changes to laws on religious conversions, which appear to favor Muslims.
It was signed by nine of the 10 ministers in the Cabinet of Indian, Chinese and indigenous tribal descent. The 10th minister was out of the country. The 10 represent the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian religions.
On Friday, Abdullah rejected any amendment of Article 121(A) but said ambiguous laws on religion will be reviewed.
Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting, the head of the Malaysian Chinese Association party, said the ministers did not intend to pressure the government but make known the concerns of non-Muslims.
But "as advised by the P.M., submitting the memo is procedurally inappropriate. Following his advice, we have withdrawn the memo," he said in a statement.
Malays comprise 60 percent of the country's 26 million people, and dominate politics and the government. The Indian and Chinese parties are given a share of the government, but have rarely questioned UMNO's policies.
The nation has been caught in a controversy over minority rights since last month, when a Hindu-born soldier, Maniam Moorthy, was buried as a Muslim by Islamic authorities who claimed he had converted to Islam without informing his family.
The Sharia Court ruled in favor of the Islamic authorities and refused to hear an appeal by Moorthy's widow because she is not a Muslim. The civil High Court also rejected the widow's plea, saying it has no jurisdiction over a Sharia Court decision because of the constitution.
Maximus Ongkili, another minister, said the memorandum was only a collation of views of various minority groups on plugging the legal loophole exposed by the Moorthy case.
"The ministers felt that rather than giving our views individually on the various proposals, it would be more constructive and neater to forward the submission under a joint cover note," Ongkili was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama.