MCA respects Islam’s status as laid down in Constitution, says bureau

(The Star) – The MCA respects Islam as the official religion of the federation as stated in the Federal Constitution, said party political education bureau head Gan Ping Sieu.

He said the MCA had not at any time questioned Islam as the official religion of the federation, in particular its application for ceremonial purposes in official functions.

“The party stands by the various provisions regarding the sanctity of Islam in the many state constitutions,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Gan said this in response to a statement by Malaysian Syarie Lawyers Association president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar in a Malay newspaper on March 11.

He said the party bureau was disappointed that Zainul Rijal had misconstrued the context of the party’s position, and erroneously accused MCA of undermining Islam.

On the disputes involving muallafs (Muslim converts) and their non-converting spouses, Gan said it was the party’s stand that civil laws must prevail as the marriages were contracted by these laws and the converts must fulfil their obligations pursuant to Section 51 of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976.

He said it was the constitutional right of the parent or guardian to determine the religion of a child.

Gan said a child’s religion should remain status quo in any dispute until he or she reaches the age of 18.

The bureau was also seeking a clarification as to the accurate Bahasa Malaysia term for “parent” which is the plural form according to Kamus Dewan, and how it was mysteriously amended from ibubapa to ibu atau bapa (mother or father).