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• Bar Council goes ahead with talks on syariah law

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will not hesitate to take action if anyone gathered at or near the Bar Council because of its forum on conversion to Islam.

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman said police would be on full alert and advised people not to hold gatherings there.

He said this was meant for those who were against the forum and those who supported it.

ACP Zulkarnain said police will not close any roads leading into the area but police personnel will be stationed in the areas where the gathering is expected to take place.

Several non-government organisations and a political party have called for demonstrations to be held to protest against the council’s public forum.

“As normal procedure, we will have our light strike force (LSF) and the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel on standby in the area,” he said.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the council would have to face the consequences as it had been warned against holding the forum.

“The police will be prepared to face any outcome in the interest of maintaining public order,” he said of the demonstrations by groups who were against the forum.

Leaders meanwhile continued to criticise the council for going ahead with the forum.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the Internal Security Act (ISA) ought to be used if the continued questioning of Article 121 of the Federal Constitution resulted in racial tension.

Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin said the council should test the patience of the Malays and Muslims.

“Do not fan racial and religious issues to create tension and friction among the groups,” he said.

Women’s Development and Social Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the forum might do more harm than the benefits which were intended.

She said Wanita Umno disagreed with the forum, adding that sensitive issues should not be made the subject of any public forum especially when the perimeters were not properly defined.

“The Bar Council, as a responsible professional body, should have the maturity to deal with such issues in a more responsible, sensitive and tactful manner so as to preserve the peace and harmony enjoyed by all,” she said.

PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the forum on conversion to Islam should be held in closed-doors to allay fears given its sensitivities.

He said a closed-door forum would still allow people to express themselves without the discussion being seen as too provocative.

“I will personally advise that if they are to proceed, they should have a closed forum and then have engagement with those who have expressed concern,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

Bar Council goes ahead with talks on syariah law

PETALING JAYA: The Bar Council’s forum on conversion to Islam will proceed today as planned despite criticisms and calls for it to be held as a closed-door session.

In a statement yesterday, Bar Council vice-chairman Ragunath Kesavan reiterated that their concern was to address the issues of laws facing families caught between the separate jurisdictions of civil and syariah laws.

“We recognise and respect Article 121(1A). However, there is a strong viewpoint that it is unjust to compel anyone to be subjected to laws and courts that are based on a religion that they do not profess, and this viewpoint must be addressed.

Article 121 (1A) confers syariah jurisdiction over Muslims on syariah courts.

Although open to everyone, Ragunath said they were taking the necessary precautions to ensure that the dialogue took place in a controlled and constructive manner, by holding it in a closed setting and by requiring participants to register for the event.

Various quarters had expressed concern over the forum, including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who said an open forum could cause those with differing views to become emotional.

PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat also questioned the Bar Council’s move while a group of non-governmental organisations had submitted a memorandum to the Bar Council yesterday stating that such forum would offend the feelings of Muslims.

“The forum is not about conversion per se, as the Bar Council endorses the absolute right of individuals to embrace Islam. Instead, the forum will address the ancillary issues that arise from such situations and will emphasise the need for laws and a judicial system that protects everyone equally,” he added.

Meanwhile, two speakers out of the five scheduled to speak at the forum have pulled out from the event.

The two are former syariah judge and Federal Territory Islamic Department prosecutor Dr Mohd Naim Mokhtar and the Institute of Islamic Understanding’s Centre for Syariah Laws and Political Science director Dr Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad.

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