Act 355 is every Malaysian’s business, says MCA Penampang Women chief

PENAMPANG: Every single citizen of this country, regardless of their race and religion, has a right to oppose to any attempt which would essentially transform Malaysia from a Constitutionallyguaranteed secular state into an Islamic state, said MCA Women Penampang chief Judy Hiew.

She pointed out that this is the very principle which MCA based upon when its Sabah deputy chairman Datuk Francis Goh proposed that a referendum should be held for the Muslim community, to ascertain if they are really in favour of the proposed amendments to RUU355 (Act 355), or not.

Judy was responding to Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) Kepayan chief coordinator Pritchard Gumbaris’ recent statement that Goh’s proposal is not only dangerous but portrays total disrespect towards the Malaysia Agreement 1963 as well the IGC reports (annexed to MA63) which led to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.

She also finds Gumbaris’ remark that “it is not the nonMuslims’ business to question the existing Hudud or Syariah law because it will not affect them”, a misguided and naïve one.

“How could Gumbaris be so certain that Hudud or Syariah law will not affect the non Muslims when they hold every secular idea and practice as anathema to the interpretation of Islam? For example, the recent uproar over the sale of pig bristle paint brush, or segregating public toilets into Muslim and non-Muslim, which should not have happened in the first place.

“It’s not surprising that there are many non-Muslims in the country like Gumbaris who are ignorant of exactly what this bill (Act 355) entails, that if passed in the Parliament, it poses to erode the already decaying secular foundations of this country,” she said.

She then reminded that even the retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof had during his recent talk at University Malaya said that although the amendments to RUU355 that PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang put before parliament in last November are constitutional – he nonetheless has reservations about them because he fears abuse.

Judy further reminded that Goh’s proposal for referendum on Act 355 was also prompted by feedback from many Muslim friends who are not in favour of the proposed amendments to the said Act, but dared not to speak up for fear of being framed as a “kafir “(infidel).

She added that even Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin had recently challenged Hadi to a debate on the said issue, while outspoken Muslim lawyeractivist Siti Kasim urged the non-Muslims to get involved, as it (proposed amendments to Act 355) is going to affect the “fabric of our society”.