Press Release: Bar Council urges Government to move swiftly
Tuesday, 28 April 2009 05:54pm
The Bar Council welcomes the Cabinet directive that children should not be converted from their original religion without the joint consent of both parents.
The Bar Council has consistently maintained that a converting spouse must resolve and continue to fulfil all his/her obligations to the family, including his/her children, spouse and parents, under the civil law, as that is the law under which the marriage was contracted. This must be done with the least disruption possible to the lives of children, whose welfare must be paramount.
The Bar Council however cautions that Cabinet directives are but policy statements that require amendments to the law for their full realisation. The relevant legislation must be immediately amended in order to fully implement this directive without further delay. We are optimistic that the resolution of this thorny issue will be a precursor to the resolution of other complex issues that arise when a family member converts, ranging from guardianship and custody, maintenance of spouse and children, inheritance by children, spouse and parents of a deceased convert’s estate and burial rites to nominations and assignments of insurance policies.
We are confident that the implementation of this policy will not diminish nor affect Islam, and its position under the Federal Constitution, in any way. The directive will go a long way towards reducing part of the acrimony within families and communities over hurried and hushed conversions of children by one parent, which often occurs following the breakdown of a marriage. As such, this initiative will clarify an area of law that is currently contested, and will promote greater harmony and respect among our multi-ethic and multi-religious society.
The Government’s commitment to protect the integrity of the family and well-being of individual family members, particularly children, deserves the support of all Malaysians. The Bar Council reiterates its support and readiness to assist the Government in realising this commitment. The Government must exhibit the necessary political will to implement this Cabinet directive swiftly.
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Talk on Intellectual Property Law (10 Feb 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, the talk on “Intellectual Property Law” will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 10 Feb 2012 (Friday). The talk will feature Bahari Yeow Tien Hong. Click on the link above for more details.
The Case of the Missing Penang Lawyer: Charity Treasure Hunt 2012 (12 Feb 2012) Organised by the Penang Bar Committee Social Subcommittee in aid of the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM), this event will take place at Straits Quay, Penang, on 12 Feb 2012 (Sunday). Deadline for registration is 6 Feb 2012 (Monday). Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings (21 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, the seminar on “The Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings”, featuring Sanjeev Kumar Rasiah, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 21 Feb 2012 (Tuesday). Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Conveyancing (24 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar featuring Jeremiah R Gurusamy will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 24 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Mediation Skills Training Course (29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012) Organised by Bar Council, the Mediation Skills Training Course will take place at 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, at Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012 (Wednesday to Sunday). Deadline for registration and payment is 17 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Talk on “Land Fraud: An Australian Perspective” (13 Mar 2012) Organised by IGIL, GSGSG and UUM COLGIS, this free talk featuring Quintin George Rozario of Delta Law, Brisbane, Australia, will take place at 9:00 am, at Dewan Seminar A, Pusat Konvensyen, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, on 13 Mar 2012 (Tuesday). To RSVP, contact Mr Abutt (04-928 4397; abutt@uum.edu.my).
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The Bar Council welcomes the Cabinet directive that children should not be converted from their original religion without the joint consent of 
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Circular No 019/2012: Change of Address for Pejabat Pengarah Tanah dan Galian Wilayah Persekutuan
