The Article 11 coalition is seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to clear up accusations linking its public forums on constitutional rights to a proposed advisory body on interfaith matters. Abdullah himself shot down the controversial Inter-Faith Commission (IFC) initiative on Feb 26 last year.

Yesterday, he ordered all discussions on the constitutional status of Islam to stop immediately for fear of fanning religious sentiments. In a joint statement today, the coalition said it will take note of Abdullah’s concerns in planning future activities. (We) will seek a meeting with (him) to request further information about his concerns regarding the coalition’s activities and to provide clarification on the misconception that links (us) with the IFC. The coalition members will meet soon and will carefully consider his advice in its discussions of future plans, read the statement. The group comprising 13 local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has a declared commitment to uphold citizens’ fundamental rights. The Article 11 road show has been fiercely opposed by Muslim NGOs, which saw the Penang leg aborted shortly after it started. Police kept the situation under control during a similar attempt in Johor Baru last Saturday.

 

The group is planning further public forums in other cities. Expressing concern over Abdullah’s gag order, the group reiterated that its discussions on the constitutional freedom of religion was unrelated to the IFC proposal. We are very concerned that (Abdullah’s) statement to halt the public forums is based on the widespread but mistaken belief that the coalition’s activities are aimed at reviving the initiative to establish an IFC, said the group. We want to take this opportunity to clarify that the forums entitled Federal Constitution: Protection for All’ are in no way related with the IFC initiative. The group explained that the forums focused on the rights and guarantees of citizens under the supreme law of the country. The forums are also intended to highlight the concerns of civil society resulting from the plight of various individuals who are unable to obtain legal redress and who suffer as a result of the current jurisdictional uncertainty in the courts. There is no discussion about the IFC in any of the public forums or other activities.

 

Gag order criticised Meanwhile, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairperson P Waytha Moorthy described Abdullah’s directive as another form of government-engineered propaganda to stop open and liberal discussion on the subject of faith and religion. He said every multi-religious society would give rise to peculiar problems which would naturally require immense patience, understanding and tolerance. Where is tolerance when such open and liberal interfaith discussions are branded as sensitive and rocking the cradle of harmony? The government’s conduct reflects serious contradiction, he said in an e-mailed statement. Every democracy must freely allow open discussion, freedom of assembly and freedom to worship. In Malaysia, such rights and freedom are embedded in the Federal Constitution. He said the inability to openly discuss sensitive’ issues reflected the immaturity and lack of education and confidence. He also blamed Malay nationalism for the present uprising, citing education materials that are filtered and concocted to fundamentally suit that objective. Who is to be blamed? The government presently does not share broad and liberal discussions. Why? Waytha Moorthy also questioned the government’s unwillingness to openly discuss the effect and implications of Article 11 and 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution, the issue of embracement and renunciation of Islam, and the role of the syariah courts and whether they have usurped the powers of the secular courts. He said that even if the issues are discussed, it would be done behind closed doors. Waytha Moorthy urged the government to exercise caution in abruptly halting any forums especially on constitutional rights.

 

 

Gabungan Artikel 11 mahu menemui Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bagi menjelaskan mengenai tuduhan yang mengaitkan forum anjurannya mengenai hak-hak dalam perlembagaan dengan cadangan Suruhanjaya Antara Agama (IFC). Abdullah sendiri telah menolak cadangan penubuhan suruhanjaya itu pada 26 Februari tahun lalu. Semalam beliau mengarahkan semua perbincangan mengenai status agama Islam dalam perlembagaan dihentikan kerana bimbang ia boleh mencetuskan sentimen keagamaan. Dalam satu kenyataan bersama hari ini, gabungan tersebut berkata ia akan mengambil berat kebimbangan Abdullah, dalam merancang aktivitinya pada masa depan. (Kami) akan berusaha untuk berjumpa dengan (beliau) untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut mengenai kebimbangan yang disuarakannya berhubung aktiviti gabungan tersebut, di samping memberi penjelasan mengenai salah tanggapan yang mengaitkan (kita) dengan IFC. Anggota gabungan ini akan bertemu dan akan menimbang secara mendalam nasihat beliau dalam membincangkan rancangan masa depan, kata kenyataan tersebut. Gabungan tersebut terdiri daripada 13 badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang telah mengumumkan komitmen mereka untuk melindungi hak asasi rakyat. Kawalan ketat Road show’ yang dianjurkan oleh Gabungan Artikel 11 menerima bantahan NGO Islam, sepertimana yang berlaku di Pulau Pinang sejurus selepas ia diadakan. Polis juga terpaksa mengadakan kawalan ketat ketika gabungan itu mengadakan forumnya di Johor Bahru Sabtu lalu.

 

Gabungan tersebut merancang untuk mengadakan forum awam yang sama di bandar-bandar utama yang lain. Gabungan mengulangi bahawa perbincangan mengenai kebebasan beragama seperti yang diperuntukkan dalam perlembagaan tidak ada kaitan dengan cadangan penubuhan IFC. Kami mahu mengambil kesempatan ini untuk memperjelaskan bahawa forum bertajuk Perlembagaan Persekutuan: Perlindungan untuk Semua’ tidak ada hubungan langsung dengan usaha menubuhkan IFC, katanya. Gabungan itu menjelaskan bahawa forum berkenaan memfokuskan terhadap hak dan jaminan bagi rakyat di bawah undang-undang tertinggi negara ini. Menurut kenyataan itu lagi, forum tersebut bertujuan membincangkan kebimbangan masyarakat sivil ekoran masalah yang dihadapi individu-individu yang tidak mendapatkan penyelesaian perundangan dan ketidaktentuan kehakiman di mahkamah. Tidak ada langsung perbincangan mengenai IFC dalam forum awam itu atau aktiviti-aktiviti yang lain, tambahnya.

 

Badai: Terima kasih PM Sementara itu,Badan Anti-Suruhanjaya Antara Agama/IFC (Badai) mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Perdana Menteri kerana mengeluarkan kenyataan yang sangat dinanti-nantikan oleh umat Islam di Malaysia selama ini agar kumpulan Artikel 11 memberhentikan serta-merta forum mereka yang berbentuk roadshow. Sebelum ini, Badai serta banyak pihak, termasuk Majlis Mufti, badan Islam bukan kerajaan seperti PUM Pulau.Pinang, Teras, Muafakat, JIM , ABIM, ACCIN, Pembela dan sebagainya, mendesak Perdana Menteri agar bertindak ke atas kumpulan Artikel 11 dengan menghantar memorandum serta kutipan tandatangan dari umat Islam seawal bulan Mac 2006 yang lalu, kata Pengerusi Badai, Mohd Hafiz Mohd Nordin. Katanya, badai berharap pihak Artikel 11 mendengar dan mematuhi arahan Perdana Menteri. Bagaimanapun, Badai akan terus memantau semua aktiviti kumpulan tersebut, terutamanya NGO Islam yang turut berada dalam kumpulan Artikel 11. Badai sifatkan kumpulan ini sangat berbahaya kerana mencabar perundangan syariah negara apabila mereka mendakwa undang-undang tersebut mendiskriminasi wanita, katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini. Badai, katanya, akan segera membuat laporan polis seandainya sentimen agama yang dicetuskan pihak Artikel 11 dan 13 NGO yang bernaung di bawah kumpulan ini diteruskan.