Aziz Bari sceptical of end to unilateral child conversions

He cites Umno-led Perlis government’s recent decision to allow unilateral child conversions as an example.

(FMT) – The government may fail in its bid to amend the Federal Constitution to put a stop to unilateral child conversions, says constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari.

He explained this was so because the government needed to secure a two-thirds majority, or 148 votes in Parliament before any amendment could be made to the constitution.

However Barisan Nasional (BN) only has 132 MPs and even with support from the opposition, it would still need to convince all of its own lawmakers to agree to the proposed amendments.

This is the biggest challenge for the BN-led government, added Aziz.

“The government can’t even handle much simpler problems on the proposed amendment to the shariah courts’ powers.

“And that doesn’t require two-thirds majority support in parliament,” he said in a statement today.

Aziz was referring to PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

While Umno appeared to be in support of Hadi’s bill, all three of its coalition partners – MCA, MIC, and Gerakan – have publicly objected to it.

Aziz was also sceptical of Umno’s ability to keep its members in check, citing the Umno-led Perlis government’s recent decision to allow unilateral child conversion as an example.

“So that is the problem with Azalina’s statement on the possible amendment to Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution,” he said in reference to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said.

Yesterday, Azalina said the cabinet had agreed to amend the said Article and change the term “parent” to “parents” which would then require both parents to consent before a child could be converted to Islam.

Azalina was also leading the move to introduce the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016 for this purpose.

Aziz however urged Umno to be consistent on the matter rather than “having its ministers paying lip service to pacify the non-Muslims, but at the same time failing to keep their own backyard in order”.

” I think even Islamic law does not approve of the unilateral conversion of minors as it is against the notion of religious freedom espoused by the religion,” he said.