Chong Chieng Jen
KUCHING (Sept 10): The public statements by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ahmad Marzuk Shaary that the government is drafting four new Syariah laws, including the ‘Control and Restriction on the Propagation of non-Muslim Religions Bill’ is a thing to be expected when Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) helped PAS to be part of the federal government.
Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who said this, pointed out that although de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had come up with a statement denying any knowledge of such drafting, the minister’s jurisdiction under the Prime Minister’s Department is different from that of Ahmad Marzuk.
“Wan Junaidi is the Minister of Law under the PM’s Department while Ahmad Marzuk Shaary is the Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs under the PM’s Department.
“Therefore, Wan Junaidi would not have full knowledge of what is going on in the Religious Affairs Department under the PM’s Department,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“Furthermore, Ahmad Marzuk has made several statements reiterating the drafting of such Bill, whereas the statement of Wan Junaidi was a very vague and non-committal one.
“Therefore, short of the Prime Minister coming up with a clear statement denying the truth of Ahmad Marzuk’s statements, what Ahmad Marzuk said remains a valid cause for concern and anxiety by all who uphold freedom of religions in Malaysia,” Chong added.
The Stampin MP said the only consolation was that Ahmad Marzuk had made it clear that the drafting of the bills was a five-year plan, pointing out that a General Election would definitely be held in less than five years from now.
“We still have a chance to put PAS out of the federal government before the draft bills are tabled in Parliament.
“With Sarawak’s GPS now making their stand very clear that they will prefer to go along with PAS to form the federal government, the only way for Sarawakians to help ensure that PAS will not continue to be part of the federal government is to reject GPS in the coming elections,” he said, adding that one less GPS MP meant one less chance for PAS to continue to be the federal administration.