The exasperation of the President of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, Datuk A. Vaithilingam at the lack of action of the “Performance Now” Cabinet, and in particular the KPI Monitor Minister In the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon over the injustices in the latest case of controversial and oppressive conversion is understandable.
As Vaithilingam lamented: :”Everyone is very sympathetic. There is no use being sympathetic if it is mere sympathy without action.”
We are giving Tsu Koon another week to deliver the “Performance Now” motto of the Najib government to end the injustices suffered by kindergarten teacher from Ipoh, M. Indira Ghandi, 35, and her three children, Tevi Darsiny, 12, Karan Dinish 11 and year-old baby Prasana Diksa or a Parliamentary Roundtable will be convened to demand justice for such victims of controversial and oppressive conversions.
In the past week, the three-man “Performance Now” Cabinet Committee, headed by Koh, to resolve the Indira Ghandi issue, has expanded to five Ministers – with the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Law and Parliament, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil joining the original three Ministers – Koh, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department on Islamic Affairs, Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom and the Human Resources Minister, Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam.
However, there are no signs that the expansion of the three-man “Performance Now” Cabinet committee can contribute to any faster performance!
The immediate solution sought for the illegal and oppressive conversion of Indira Ghandi’s three children by her estranged husband K. Pathmanathan who had converted to Islam to become Ridzuan Abdullah are:
- Immediate return of baby Prasana Diksa to Indira;
- Iron-clad guarantees that her two children, Tevi Darsiny and Karan Dinesh can continue schooling without any interference with their religious rights from any quarter – very urgent as Tevi is preparing for her UPSR; and
- Cabinet stand that there should be no forcible and oppressive conversion of children below 18 to another religion unless both parents agree; and that no single parent from a civil marriage has the right to convert the children to another religion until the civil court decides on divorce, custody and alimony.
This is not the first time such heart-wrenching cases occurred where irresponsible people used religion to evade their family responsibilities and commitments.
There had been a long list of unresolved controversies since 2005, from Moorthy to Subashini, Rayappan and now Indira Ghandi.
A Parliamentary Roundtable will be the occasion to revisit the host of these unresolved cases.
The rights and wrongs are very simple and straightforward. Why is the Barisan Nasional government taking five long years and still unable to resolve the injustices caused by irresponsible conversion of non-Muslims who are married through civil laws to evade obligations contracted in civil law marriages?
This is now an acid test for the five-member Najib Cabinet committee whether “Performance Now” motto is an empty and meaningless slogan, which should be replaced with “No Performance Now”.
I suppose this kind of event (a parliamentary round table) has value in as much as it marks another lurch into the past. Other than that, I hope you’re not going to give the impression to anyone that any positive development can come from it. It’s obvious why this problem exists: Secular law in Malaysia is no longer superior. “Sensitive Issues” and the threat of imminent death – a South East Asian tradition – is superior.
For a positive outcome, you are dependent on the gatekeepers of Islam in Malaysia. There is a chance, I expect, that they will see this issue as not entirely conducive to good community relations, and possibly inherently not exactly respectable (a forced conversion, in breach of a civil contract) in the eyes of Islam. The perception that civil society, much less other religious communities can bring about what the mother (and possibly all her children) wishes might actually be counter-productive in this case, and to your own cause in the long run.
As has been observed on your blog recently, there are quite separate legal streams in Malaysia. It’s an awful predicament generally, but the forced conversion of one community to the other’s laws might also meet with considerable outrage. I think you’re largely dependant on the attitude to just behaviour and magnanimity of the community the children have been forced into for their safe and speedy return.
Have you put out any ‘feelers’ into the receiving community for their views on the matter?
Oh. NST is reporting that the Cabinet has ruled against the conversion. A lucky break for them. There must not have been any real desire to accommodate the forced converts.
A Performance of the Performance Now Cabinet:
Performance begins:
“Ta ta da ta da ta da”
Performance ends.
(clap) (clap) (clap)
Directed by dr koh tk.
Acted by dr koh tk.
Scripts by dr koh tk
Music by dr koh tk.
Lyrics by dr koh tk
….
….
….
Wow!
Hey Jib. Wot’s soaking man?
How about dat for performance now?
Too faast for you?
The performance of ASN so good yesterday , within 1 hr 999 million snaped by investor , reflection of confident to Najib leadership..
Najis KPI scheme is a waste of time.
“The performance of ASN so good yesterday , within 1 hr 999 million snaped by investor , reflection of confident to Najib leadership..” (Chengho)
Chengho,
I beg to differ!
There are plenty of Bumiputera lots of ASN which are still available for sale. Only the Non-Bumiputera lots have been sold out due to the limited supply and adequate demand.
Such inconsistent IPO responses between the Bumiputera investors and the Non-Bumiputera investors only showed that Buputeraism had created great market inefficiency even in the Initial Public Offering of such a supposed-to-be-lucrative investment instrument of ASN. What impact do you think the poor response from the Bumiputera investors will be creating upon the future performance of ASN’s market prices? The only logical extensible forecast will be that the future market performance of ASN will not be good since the underwriter of the IPO may have to incur high loss by requiring as a contractual obligation to buy many lots of the Bumiputera units due to inadequate demand from the Bumiputera investors.
If the price of ASN will not go up in the near future or intermediate future due to insufficient demand for Bumiputera lots, then what benefit will the public reap by holding ASN on hands? If the price of ASN is going to turn sluggish, then it may well be a reflection of no confidence in Najib leadershp!
Koh Tsu Koon should be responsible for the mess in Penang!
Yes…James….a man who messed up Penang for 18 years…a total failure ..a welknown UMNO parrot….this Koh Tsu Khoon will do and say anything to please UMNO.
Few close friends of his in Gerakan have left him. They know Gerakan have few members left and urged him to pull out…to remember what Gerakan stood for…in the first place.
He ignored all.
Gerakan boasts of being exactly like DAP…..but said to be inside the BN to change UMNO mentalities…..donkey years ago.
Look who has changed?
Koh knows….pull out from BN…Gerakan is dead.
Inside…Gerakan ….may survive depending on UMNO.
so it is….the show must go on…..planned by UMNO.
He has no shame..no principles in life to accept a minister post in the first place.
How do you expect such a selfish low class man…to speak for all Malaysians?
LKS, it is not performance now. It has never been . It is money first , then cronnies and then thigns . Now you stay safe.
As I understand what has been reported online in Malaysiakini and Page 4 New Starits times, Minister in PM’s Dept Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz confirmed the following cabinet’s (read govt) decisions:-
· Civil/secular court is right place/jurisdiction to hear and dissolve marriages based on civil law the moment one of the spouses convert to Islam. In other wors conversion is ground for dissolutionn of civil marriage under Law Refrom Act;
· Consequently, children would be brought up in accordance to the common religion at the time of marriage;
· people could not use a change in religion (conversion) to escape alimony and custody rulings ordered by a civil court based on law of the marriage first contracted, and now to be annulled due to conversion for 2 reasons: (i) prevent victimisatioon and unfairness to the other innocent non converting spouse (ii) protecting Islam being used by opportunists who use conversion as means to escape marital responsibilities contrcated under civil law.
· The public feedback is welcomed;
· Attorney-general will review the civil laws that needed to be amended; the change to Islamic law would have to be discussed with the sultans of Malaysia’s states, who are the guardians of the religion.
In fairness principles stated by Nazri are correct to resolve this long standing problem that some of our civil courts have not dared to tread and enunciate.
The head of Malaysia’s multi-faith association, A Vaithilingam applauded the government’s move and said “It is a very good beginning..” but the more important question, as always, is whether there’s follow up and a good ending.
YB Kit, this is an important public issue, and I hope you will cajole, nudge and needle them (BN/AG Chambers) to chase their draftsmen to come out with immediate amendments to Marriage Law Reform Act and Guardianship of Infants Act for Parliament’s consideration [even if there is no move on Govt’s part to amend Article 121((1)(A) of Federal Constitution]. MACC Act was pretty fast (because Pak Lah was chasing for it).
Who’s chasing for the amendments here? As you correctly say, there is this question of “return of baby Prasana Diksa to Indira”; and the interests of the other two children, Tevi Darsiny and Karan Dinesh can continue schooling without any interference with their religious rights from any quarter – are these going to wait until amendments pass as law? That will take how long? What are the authorities prepared to do as of now?
The religious bigotry of the Umno-led govt is one reason why non-Malays are losing their fear of PAS if they have not completely lost it.
Branding PAS as extremists is ineffective when Umno itself is worse!
‘· Attorney-general will review the civil laws that needed to be amended; the change to Islamic law would have to be discussed with the sultans of Malaysia’s states, who are the guardians of the religion.
In fairness principles stated by Nazri are correct to resolve this long standing problem that some of our civil courts have not dared to tread and enunciate.
The head of Malaysia’s multi-faith association, A Vaithilingam applauded the government’s move and said “It is a very good beginning..” but the more important question, as always, is whether there’s follow up and a good ending.’ (Jeffrey)
Jeffrey,
Please don’t get excited too fast too easily as the decision made in the Federal Cabinet will have no legal standing until the decision has been turned to become a passed and gazzetted law by the Parliament. Since Barisan Nasional does not command two thirds majority of the Parliament, do you think Pakatan Rakyat MPs will vote in favour of a law amendment in relation to Child Conversion to Muslim? Finally, do you think the Sultans will permit such a constitutional amendment be made in the relevant State Constitution, as the Islamic affairs have always been put under the power of the Sultans/Raja/Yamtuan for states which have an inherited ruler and the Agong for states which do not have an inherited ruler?
monsterball Says:
He has no shame..no principles in life to accept a minister post in the first place.
How do you expect such a selfish low class man…to speak for all Malaysians?
To criticize is easy but have you all ever put yourselves in the shoes of KTK, or any minister for that matter, before making accusations against them? We should understand that what non-Malay ministers, especially MCA and Gerakan, can do to effect changes in the administration is at best that of advisory role only. Whether you like it or not, this is the reality in Malaysian politics. Just make the best of what we have, and wait for a better tomorrow.
Of course one cannot blame LKS for always criticizing KTK, for it is his mission to keep the opposition momentum going and always to ensure that the tipping point in Malaysian politics which is now in favour of PR in many states, is maintained, especially in Penang. Guess all of you do understand what is meant by tipping point, don’t you?
As a learned man, KTK must have his reasons to want to be included in PM Najib’s Cabinet. We just cannot say whatever KTK says or does is wrong, and whatever LKS says must be gospel truth.
a never ending story..
i’m fade up with this kind of issue.
it is human’s rights to choose our own religion? In fact, in Malaysia, sorry to say, NO!
religion is somethg to harmonize society, now it seems going opposite way. what is the purpose of forcing ppl to follow/enter the religion? i cant understand..
would our politician do somethg to let the country live peacefully among religions? there should be no conflict among each other.
ppl wont convince…
any update on DCM Penang since Anwar already apologised?
ctc537 Says:
To criticize is easy but have you all ever put yourselves in the shoes of KTK (Why would we want to put ourselves into that dirty pair of shoes?), or any minister for that matter, before making accusations against them? We should understand that what non-Malay ministers, especially MCA and Gerakan, can do to effect changes in the administration is at best that of advisory role only (Why advisory roles only? Are you saying everyone in Malaysia must act like a spineless ass like you?) Whether you like it or not, this is the reality in Malaysian politics (NO you are wrong, the reality of Malaysian politics is that everyone irrespective of race, religion and gender must be given the equal opportunity to govern and make this country a better place). Just make the best of what we have, and wait for a better tomorrow (Ya, we have been waiting for the last 50 years).
Of course one cannot blame LKS for always criticizing KTK, for it is his mission to keep the opposition momentum going and always to ensure that the tipping point in Malaysian politics which is now in favour of PR in many states, is maintained, especially in Penang. Guess all of you do understand what is meant by tipping point, don’t you (Owah, you are so smart -what is tipping point? Is it when we tip a sexy waitress more than an ugly one? You are a f*)
As a learned man, KTK must have his reasons to want to be included in PM Najib’s Cabinet. We just cannot say whatever KTK says or does is wrong, and whatever LKS says must be gospel truth (Oh, we did not say what LKS said is gospel truth. We only say KTK has no good reason to accept the minister post)
chengho,
DCM Fairus has confirmed that he will not retract his resignation letter, which means a by-election in Penanti is unavoidable. He also pledged loyalty to PKR and DSAI.
Chengho, Betty is not going to stand in Penang. Guess I can’t bet with you for “a ball” because you have nothing left.
“ctc537 Says:
Today at 20: 21.37 (7 minutes ago)
chengho,
DCM Fairus has confirmed that he will not retract his resignation letter, which means a by-election in Penanti is unavoidable. He also pledged loyalty to PKR and DSAI”
——————
Oh really, I don’t know that. Look, it is just one ass talk to another, can imagine asses can talk nowadays!
See the news from Jakim? I should do this sort of thing for a living! A pity I’m only a dirty white man pendatang and have no rights.
Let’s hope Jakim just want to establish who is boss and then can treat this individual case on its own merits.
Dear All,
this is an extract of a report by an independent journalist which shows that the Election Commission is just PRO BN!
“The same views have been echoed by no less than the Election Commission (EC). Plus, the EC has openly supported proposals by some BN leaders such as Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Tan Keng Liang to prevent “unnecessary” elections. These include suggestions for stricter laws, and penalties for elected reps or their parties should an elected representative resign for reasons other than what’s stated in Article 48(1) of the Federal Constitution.”
http://www.thenutgraph.com.my/funding-democracy-the-bn-way
this is an extract of a report by an independent journalist which shows that the Election Commission is just PRO BN! If you support this report, please cut and paste on every group in Facebook. Thank you.
“The same views have been echoed by no less than the Election Commission (EC). Plus, the EC has openly supported proposals by some BN leaders such as Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Tan Keng Liang to prevent “unnecessary” elections. These include suggestions for stricter laws, and penalties for elected reps or their parties should an elected representative resign for reasons other than what’s stated in Article 48(1) of the Federal Constitution.”
http://www.thenutgraph.com.my/funding-democracy-the-bn-way
Dr Koh T K is a clever move by Nazib to win over the chinese voters.
Perhaps it is the last ditch attempt by Umnoputras to perpetuate the power which has been in their hand for so long.
PR especially the DAP has to be careful about this tactical move by Nazib who is willing to slight Umno Penang especially the Bukit Bendera Divisional leaders and their allies.
(Why would we want to put ourselves into that dirty pair of shoes?) That’s why people can’t or don’t want to undertand Malaysian (UMNO) politics.
(Why advisory roles only? Are you saying everyone in Malaysia must act like a spineless ass like you?)
To play assertive roles (bargaining power) means having sufficient numbers. If they don’t listen to good advice, then let them be arrogant until one day…….
(NO you are wrong, the reality of Malaysian politics is that everyone irrespective of race, religion and gender must be given the equal opportunity to govern and make this country a better place).
I was at one time as idealistic as you are now. Yes, I did once dream that in a not too distant future, hopefully within my lifetime, our beloved Malaysia would become a tropical paradise. In reality, this is impossible. Why? As the Chinese saying goes: Eat the same type of rice and yet we still have a hundred people with a hundred different charactors. How can you expect 27 million people working in unison to achieve a common dream?
(Ya, we have been waiting for the last 50 years).
Be patient-lah, another three years only.
(Owah, you are so smart -what is tipping point? Is it when we tip a sexy waitress more than an ugly one? You are a f*)
Don’t joke-lah. Come on, this is serious matter. Tipping point simply means the waves of change that are unstoppable.
(Oh, we did not say what LKS said is gospel truth. We only say KTK has no good reason to accept the minister post)
Sometimes I just can’t understand what is on people’s mind. Gerakan is a BN component party. Why can’t KTK accept the minister post? Any casual observer of politics, not only you and LKS, will tell you that Gerakan is finished if its top leader is not included in PM Najib’s Cabinet. In order not to lose even more Chinese support, the PM had to include KTK in his cabinet, or it would mean giving LGE and his DAP a walkover in Penang in the 13th GE.
You are an amusing person. No hard feelings