Source: www.persecution.org
Date: September 3, 2024
Malaysia (International Christian Concern) — The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has expressed concern over plans to station Islamic Development Department (Jakim) officers in every government department. MCCBCHST argues that this move could be unconstitutional and may infringe upon the fundamental rights guaranteed to all Malaysians.
While MCCBCHST supports Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, which designates Islam as the religion of the federation, it contends that Jakim’s involvement in aligning government policies with Islamic principles exceeds the constitutional interpretation of Islam as defined by the courts. According to MCCBCHST, Jakim’s role should be limited to matters related to “rituals and ceremonies” in the public sphere.
This stance is based on the 1988 Supreme Court judgment in the case of Che Omar bin Che Soh v. Public Prosecutor, which defined Islam under Article 3 as pertaining only to “rituals and ceremonies.” This interpretation has been upheld in subsequent Federal Court decisions, including Indira Gandhi a/p Mutho v. Pengarah Jabatan Agama Islam Perak & 2 others (2018), Iki Putra Bin Mubarak v. Kerajaan Negeri Selangor & Anor (2021), and Nik Elin Zurina Binti Nik Abdul Rashid Anor v. Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan (2024).
MCCBCHST issued this statement in response to an August 13 report in The Daily Express, where David Ong, vice-president of Sabah’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), raised concerns about the potential placement of Jakim officers in every government department to ensure decisions align with Islamic principles.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for Christians and religious minorities in Malaysia to have their rights to worship protected by the Malaysian government.