News Bar News/Berita Badan Peguam Bar: All public forums should be allowed 
| Bar: All public forums should be allowed |
|
|
|
| Friday, 18 August 2006 08:05am | |
|
© The Sun (Used by permission) PETALING JAYA: Public forums or discussions by any party, including Article 11, should be allowed to be held, said Bar Council president Yeo Yang Poh. "Our position has always been that discussions and dialogues should be allowed. It doesn't matter who they are," he said, in response to two Islamic groups that held their forums recently despite the prime minister's remark on such public events. Yeo said Article 11, a coalition of 13 organisations including the Bar Council, should be allowed to continue holding its nationwide forums on constitutional religious rights. Last month (July 2006), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said public discussions on religious issues should stop to avoid causing tension in the multi-religious society. Islamic groups had protested Article 11's forums in Penang and Johor Baru, alleging that the coalition was "challenging" Islam. Article 11 has denied the allegation. Women's Development Collective (WDC) executive director Maria Chin Abdullah said there should not be double standards in prohibiting one group from speaking up but allowing others to do so. Everyone should have the freedom to engage with the dialogues and forums of their choice, she said. "Freedom of expression should not be conducted in a violent manner," she added. Two talks on Islam and the "challenges" it faces took place in Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur last weekend. A day before the forums, Home Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad reportedly said the prime minister's call for a halt to public discussions of religious issues applied to all groups, including Muslim organisations. Comments (1)
 Write comment
You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Circular No 102/2012: Mahkamah Sesyen/Majistret Kajang Moving to Kompleks Mahkamah Kajang
Yalah we all know that freedon of speech is for eveyone. We also know that Pak Lah said no more public discussions on religious issues. So it was obyed and all Article 11 forums were stopped. But then the Islamic group defied the orders and went ahead with their forum. So what now? Nothinglah as i can see. Any punishment for the Islamic group? No?
Oklah so then the Article 11 forums can go on what?
This is the reality. This has always been the double standard in Malaysia. Nothing has changed over the years.