Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

There is still no remedy for non-Muslims judging from the reply given by Minister Nazri to my question on the conflict in jurisdiction between the Syariah court and civil court.

Nazri said that “Perkara 121 (1a) tidak mewujudkan percanggahan atau perselisihan antara bidang kuasa kedua-dua makamah ini. Ia menggariskan had kuasa urus tadbir masing-masing yang dikendalikan secara berasingan tetapi setara dari segi taraf.

He added, “ Isu semakan semula penghakiman mahkamah syariah oleh mahkamah sivil juga tidak wajar timbul isu kerana saya sudah menjelaskan bahawa kedua-dua sistem perundangan ini dikendalikan secara berasingan tetapi diberi status setaraf.”

We are still back in the same position. There is still no parliamentary remedy for non-Muslims impacted by the decisions of the syariah court.

Nazri said the question of judicial review does not arise. This is the crux of the problem.

Kit Siang called it an Umno MPs’ revolt against the Prime Minister in Parliament. I said it was like casting a vote of non-confidence and bashing the Prime Minister over the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission.

When Razali Ismail (Umno Kuala Terengganu) spoke against the setting up of IPCMC, Raja Ahmad rose to say the PM must come out to state clearly that the idea of setting up the commission must be dropped.

I stood up on a point of clarification but Razali Ismail would not give way.

Later, Kit Siang joined in the fray asking for clarification but Razali refused to give way.

Kit Siang and I took the opportunity to raise our points. Kit Siang said it is a revolt, I added that it is PM bashing and a vote of non confidence.

Until now, no Umno MP has come out to support the PM on the IPCMC.

When I raised this with Minister Nazri outside the chamber, he just said: “We still have a loooong way.”

The term “untouchable” was given a new meaning in Dewan Rakyat last week. Whenever issues like ethnic rights and religious issues like the Moorthy’s case and Article 121 (1A) are brought up for discussion, Umno MPs would go berserk and shout their lung dry. They would resort to lines like, “you have no right to talk and question these issues!!!” In another word, these issues have almost become “untouchable”

If such issues cannot be dealt with in the august Parliament, where do you expect such issues to be articulated? Even sending a memorandum has become untenable.

Yesterday, Minister Nazri was quoted in the Press, saying “…Seditious Act be used against non-Muslims who incite the sentiments of Muslims”.

Look out for “untouchable” issues.