New Syariah Laws Plan

 New Syariah Laws Plan

The response by a GPS federal minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Wan Junaidi) to the announcement by Deputy Minister in the PM’s Department Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (Ahmad Marzuk) that the the government plans to draft four new syariah laws, including the Control and Restriction on the Propagation of Non-Muslim Religions Bill is troubling in multiple ways, particularly to Malaysians in the East Malaysia’s states of Sarawak and Sabah. 

First of all, it appears that Wan Junaidi was not aware that there a plan to move draft the 4 new syariah laws. This is puzzling to Sarawakians,to say the least. Both Wan Junaidi and Ahmad Marzuk, minister and deputy minister respectively are in the same ministry i.e the Prime Minister’s Department. Very obviously Ahmad Marzuk will need fellow muslim Wan Junaidi’s support if the bill is to be moved in parliament. Ahmad Marzuk’s failure to clue in Wan Junaidi speaks both of disrespect for a full minister and of disturbing presumption on the part of Ahmad Marzuk. It looks like Wan Marzuk is presuming that because Wan Junaidi is a muslim, he will unhesitatingly support the bill. The question that arises here is this: Upon what basis was Wan Marzuk bold enough to make that kind of presumption? Was it because that in the past, government MPs from Sarawak had unquestioningly  support all that were proposed by Malayan leaders in the federal government, the kind of support that suggest the GPS MPs and the GPS government of Sarawak were and still are subservient to government leaders from Malaya?

With this latest plan of the federal government, Sarawakians finds themselves in an unwelcome deja vu, a situation that they have experienced at least three times before, in May 2016, in Apr 2017 and in Mar 2018. 

In May 2017, 20 leaders and former leaders, politicians and non-politicians from Sarawak and Sabah signed a joint petition urging Malaysians especially East Malaysians to reject what was then termed the Hudud Bill. Among those who signed the bill was the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, the Chief Mininster of Sarawak. 

The bill was tabled by PAS’s Hadi Awang in Apr 2017. The bill was later referred to as the RUU355, after it was tabled again in Mar 2018.

With all the above in mind, we would like to issue this friendly but firm reminders: Firstly, we would like to remind Ahmad Marzuk that Sarawakians are fully aware that the Sarawak’s state constitution is a secular constitution and the right to freely profess the religion of one’s choice is a right cherished by all Sarawakians. It is a right that was carved in stone in the MA63 and in the state’s constitution. It is not to be messed with.

Secondly, we would like to remind the GPS government of Sarawak that Sarawak was a founding partner in the formation of Malaysia and her rights are clearly spelt out in the MA63 and on this matter, in the state constitution. 

Over the years, through negligence and resulting directly from the subservient position adopted by GPS predecessor’s in the form of Sarawak BN, crucial rights were eroded by the Malayan-led federal government. In this matter of the Syariah bill which now is proposed as a government bill, we strongly urge the Sarawak’s state cabinet, led by CM Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari to public reject the bill (as did the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem) and that if the bill should be moved in parliament, GPS’s MPs, to be led by Dato’s Sri Fadillah Yusof must vote against it. In the alternative and should the bill be moved in parliament, GPS should withdraw support for the federal government and move to the opposition’s block. The benefits from Sarawak’s association with the federated malay states in Malaysia is primarily moving in just one direction - in the direction of Malaya. 

It is a time to change the equation and GPS's status as the king maker in the federal government is the perfect tool for it. CM Abang Johari must prove to multi-racial and multi-religious Sarawakians that the days of the the Sarawak government as ulun Malaya has come to an end and that he has what it takes to standup against the bullying of federal malay leaders from PAS and PPBM backed UMNO. The GPS government of Sarawak must cease and desist from further cooperation with malay leaders from Malaya in their quest to further their Ketuanan Melayu agenda.