You need only 148 votes to amend The Federal Constitution of Malaysia. With 165 votes, that is more than enough. Can Pakatan Harapan get this done as soon as possible? Then the New Malaysia of Pakatan Harapan can become a true democracy that respects the rights and civil liberties of all Malaysians, in particular the Muslims.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Pakatan Harapan says we now live in the New Malaysia where human rights and civil liberties are respected and upheld. In the New Malaysia of Pakatan Harapan, Malaysians are supposed to enjoy more freedom than in the past 61 years under six Prime Ministers.

Under six Prime Ministers (Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak Hussein, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and Najib Tun Razak) Malaysians suffered persecution, discrimination and injustice and were denied their basic human rights and civil liberties.

Under the New Malaysia or Malaysia Baru of Pakatan Harapan, that has now all changed.

One injustice Malaysians suffered from was the issue of apostasy and of Muslims leaving Islam or converting to other religions, in particular to Christianity. Muslims who leave Islam or who convert to Christianity are arrested and they tell us that this is the law.

All over the world in moderate and liberal countries such as New Malaysia, Muslims are leaving Islam to become Christians

Actually, this is not true because this is what The Federal Constitution of Malaysia: Freedom of religion says:

11. (1) Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.

(4) State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.

So, Article 11(1) of The Federal Constitution of Malaysia says “Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion”.

Under Article 11(4) it says the government “may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam”.

Yes, The Federal Constitution of Malaysia says Christians are forbidden from propagating Christianity to Muslims. But it does not say Muslims cannot leave Islam or become Christians because “Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion”.

Apostasy is a crime in many Muslim countries but then Pakatan Harapan says New Malaysia is a Secular country

So, how come Muslims cannot leave Islam or convert to Christianity? Is that not a 61-year injustice that Pakatan Harapan said they are going to address? The name of the game is New Malaysia and Change. And that has to start with respecting The Federal Constitution of Malaysia by complying to it, as Pakatan Harapan promised is going to happen in the New Malaysia.

Article 11 of The Federal Constitution of Malaysia needs to be amended as follows:

11. (1) Every person has the right to choose, profess and practise his religion.

11.(4) Repealed.

PAS has only 18 Members of Parliament while Umno now has less than 40. That means Pakatan Harapan can get at least 165 Members of Parliament to support an amendment to Article 11 of The Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

You need only 148 votes to amend The Federal Constitution of Malaysia. With 165 votes, that is more than enough. Can Pakatan Harapan get this done as soon as possible? Then the New Malaysia of Pakatan Harapan can become a true democracy that respects the rights and civil liberties of all Malaysians, in particular the Muslims.