Federal Constitution supreme law, says SUPP

KUCHING: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) said in a statement yesterday that the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of this land.

SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said SUPP therefore disagreed with the views of some scholars that state Islamic laws are within the autonomous powers of a state.

“No state laws or state Islamic laws can contravene the provisions in the Federal Constitution,” said the Minister of Local Government.

“The Federal Constitution is not only supreme, it defines Malaysian society. If a state can simply amend any Islamic laws contravening the Constitution, this will cause grave conflicts and confusion as to the definition of Malaysia established since 1963 from state to state.”

Dr Sim was responding to the Perlis state government’s amendment of the state’s Islamic enactment to allow for unilateral conversion of a non-Muslim child to Islam by a newly-converted Muslim parent without the consent of the non-converted parent.

SUPP fully supports the state government’s efforts in amending both Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution and Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 to allow a child’s religious conversion with consent of both parents.

“This not only resolves the long outstanding issues of child conversion that has haunted our country, it also once again upholds the 1963 spirit of Malaysia,” he stressed.

On Thursday, the Perlis Legislative Assembly passed amendments to the Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2016.

Under Section 117, the phrase ‘father and mother or guardian’ in Malay was changed to ‘father or mother or guardian’ to give consent for children under 18 to be converted to Islam.

The enactment also freed the state religious authorities from following the National Fatwa Council and the only fatwa issued by the state would be binding.