KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 9): Democracy may equate to the rule by the majority
but it also provides safeguards for the rights of minority groups, said Federal
Constitutional expert and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) law lecturer Prof Dr
Shad Saleem Faruqi.
Speaking at the discussion, “When Faith Meets Law”, during the Bar Council’s
Festival of Rights, Shad shared his thoughts with the 200 lawyers, members of
the public and activists who participated in today’s event to celebrate
International Human Rights Day tomorrow (Monday).
He said that while it was difficult for different parties to agree on human
rights issues, it remained crucial that these rights were respected.
“This includes respect for people’s right to autonomy. People have the right to
be wrong and I think the law should not necessarily interfere with the wrongness
unless it is harmful to people,” he said.
“And there are lesser punitive ways of correcting misconduct than putting people
in jail,” he said.
Malaysian Hindu Sangam representative Datuk A. Vaithialingam
highlighted the grievances faced by the Hindus, including the recent demolition
of the Sri Maha Mariaman temple in Shah Alam.
“The present law for Hindus is good but its implementation is questionable,” he
said.
“The Hindu Sangam has problems accommodating these requests [for the relocation
of temples] as the community regards the temple sites as sacrosanct.
“In the Shah Alam case, there was no satisfactory notice for the act,” he said.
He added that the Hindus also faced problems with religious conversions.
Malaysian Christian Federation chairman Bishop Paul Tan said law and religion
were intimately linked in efforts to uphold justice, despite each having its
respective domain.
“Laws must not infringe on the rights of [people] who profess different faiths
and in dispute, we should go back to the source – the Federal Constitution –
through the right channels,” he said.
The half-day festival at the Bar Council building also featured poetry-reading,
performances by artists and children’s activities.
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Workshop on Financial Planning (18 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this workshop will take place at 10:00 am, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 18 May 2012 (Friday). The workshop will be conducted by Chooi Kim Ying. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on an Introduction to the Industrial Relations Act (23 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 23 May 2012 (Wednesday). The seminar will be conducted by Wong Keat Ching. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Tax Issues in Financial Transactions (25 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar, featuring S Saravana Kumar, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Conference on Competition Law (31 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council with the support of LexisNexis, this conference will take place at 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, on 31 May 2012 (Thursday). For more details or to register, please contact Vilashini Vijayan (03-2050 2095; vila@malaysianbar.org.my). Click on the link above for more details.
News 
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 9): Democracy may equate to the rule by the majority
but it also provides safeguards for the rights of minority groups, said Federal
Constitutional expert and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) law lecturer Prof Dr
Shad Saleem Faruqi.
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Circular No 102/2012: Mahkamah Sesyen/Majistret Kajang Moving to Kompleks Mahkamah Kajang
