Mahiaddin, stop bulls****ing! Are you for or against unilateral conversions?

What about Pas and Umno, are you any better?

P Ramakrishnan, Aliran

It must have come as a great shock to many when Perikatan Nasional chairman Mahiaddin Yasin declared: “We haven’t taken any position yet (on the unilateral conversion of children).

“We will have to really look into every aspect from the point of view of the Federal Constitution, the law and whatnot,” he told reporters after meeting members of the Chinese community in Bukit Gambir town on 2 March 2022.

Mahiaddin, the Bersatu president, acknowledged it was “a sensitive matter” and said the PN leadership needed to “properly” discuss what position the coalition should take.

The controversial issue of the unilateral conversion of children is not something new but has been raging for many years even before 2018 – ever since 2009, when the recalcitrant former husband of Indira Gandhi unilaterally converted his children after embracing Islam.

There has been a lot of debate and discussion over the last 13 years, including an appalling High Court decision that gave custody of the three children to her husband, despite Indira Gandhi not consenting to the conversion.

In 2018, after nine agonising years, the Federal Court in a landmark ruling put an end to this unfair and unjust conversion by upholding that the consent of both parents was needed for the conversion of any child under 18 to another religion. This was in line with the Federal Constitution.

The Federal Court – the highest court in the land – settled this issue once and for all. Following this ruling, the government policy is that there should be no more unilateral conversion of children. The rule has clearly stated that unilateral conversions are null and void and unquestionably wrong.

With all this having taken place, how could Mahiaddin in all honesty claim “we haven’t taken any position yet (on unilateral conversions)”.

His ridiculous position – “We will have to really look into every aspect from the point of view of the Federal Constitution, the law and whatnot” – bears the stench of prevarication.

What nonsense is he talking about? What point of the “Federal Constitution, the law and whatnot” does he have to study before stating his stand on unilateral conversions?

Is he that dumb that it had not sunk into him that the Federal Court had cited the Federal Constitution to rule that such conversions without the consent of the other spouse are legally and morally wrong. The law is clear on this: no more unilateral conversions. So no more bulls****ing, Muhyiddin!

So what is there for Mahiaddin to ponder over and look into in order to arrive at a decision on this matter? At this point in time, the only option left to him is either to agree with the decision of the highest court in the land or side with the Perlis mufti and ignore this decision. There is no other choice for him!

Now what about Pas and Umno? What is your position on this controversial issue? Do you accept the Federal Court’s decision or not? You are required to state your position in Johor so that the voters will know what you stand for.

Will Pas and Umno have the courage and the integrity to state your stands clearly?

Dear Johoreans, you must demand their stand on this issue: though settled by the court, there are elements which stubbornly refuse to face reality to the point of dishonestly prevaricating or equivocating!