MPF 2ND PRESS RELEASE – ISA ARRESTS
20th September 2008

The Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF) welcomes the release of MP Theresa Kok from ISA detention. However the unrestrained chorus of thinly veiled threats to invoke the ISA by a cohort of political leaders that include members of the cabinet is a very disturbing development.

It is not difficult for the ordinary citizens to see this as a deliberate, if not orchestrated attempt to cast a climate of fear and intimidation in the Malaysian political ambience.

That such a development continues despite the resignation of senator Zaid Ibrahim as de facto law minister, open disagreement of UMNO’s major allies in Barisan Nasional and widespread criticisms from civil society groups gives credence to the long held belief that the ISA is an indispensable tool to be wielded by the executive whenever its cling to power is under threat, hence the reluctance to repeal it.

It is unfortunate that UMNO with its illustrious history in the struggle for independence and nation building is today reduced, in the eyes of the rakyat, to a cornered beast.

We urge leaders of the ruling party, especially members of the cabinet to act more responsibly in carrying out the mandate to govern the … [Read more]

MPF PRESS RELEASE – ISA ARRESTS
13th September 2008

The arrests of MP Theresa Kok and journalist Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA following that of blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin raise grave concern for Malaysians.

An endearing legacy of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership that we have come to appreciate is the openness albeit limited, that has come as a breath of fresh air after 2 decades of punitive control of the public sphere.

The arrests of the three individuals under the draconian law at a time when Malaysians have become more mature politically and less inclined to be baited by racial politics will no doubt further erode the legitimacy of and support for the ruling party, perhaps irrevocably.

Of no less import will be the repercussions to Malaysia’s reputation internationally, that time and again the ruling party resorts to an unjust and antiquated piece of legislation to silence dissent in order to sustain her cling to power.

It is clear to all that the arrests of MP Theresa Kok and journalist Tan Hoon Cheng are completely without justification. Tan was merely doing her job as a journalist and UMNO has undertaken the appropriate measures, including an apology from its deputy president. In the “Puchong Azan … [Read more]

MPF PRESS RELEASE
12th August 2008

MPF regrets the unruly action of protestors that forced an abrupt end to the Bar Council forum on conversion to Islam on 9th August 2008. We acknowledge that as a nation with two justice systems as accorded by the Federal Constitution, there would be outstanding issues that remain unresolved, one of them being the subject of the Saturday forum.

It is quite understandable that when a divorce case between a Muslim and a non Muslim spouse is brought to the Syariah Court, the non Muslim would see this as an infringement of Islamic law against their rights. This may be due to a number of factors, among which are lack of knowledge and misconceptions of Islam and Islamic law based on precedent cases. It would not be inconceivable that there would be some degree of animosity and prejudice that the religion has directly or indirectly contributed to the dissolution of their marriage.

As much as we hold that the Syariah is an indivisible part of Islam, the functioning of the Syariah courts and the intricacies of specific enactments are human endeavours that will always have room for improvement.

The recommendation by a former SUHAKAM Commissioner, Dr. Mehrun Siraj that … [Read more]

15th May 2007

MPF PRESS RELEASE : Lina Joy Case

31st May 2007

It is with a sense of relief that we learned of the long-awaited Federal Court decision on the Azalina Jailani (Lina Joy) case. We would like to congratulate the judges who have exercised their wisdom and courage to come to a decision on such a controversial issue under the intense glare of the international and local media, alongside that of interested observers from across the spectrum of human rights and religious organizations.

We laud the Federal Court’s decision – upholding that of the Court of Appeal and the High Court – that the jurisdiction to change the religious status of a Muslim properly belongs to the Shariah Court.

For many of us this is clearly an issue of administrative procedure. However this has unfortunately been championed into a cause célèbre for the complete secularization of Malaysian society and to undermine the position of Islam in this country by turning it into a Human Rights issue – that of religious freedom under Article 11, in its wake generating unhealthy tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims.

For Muslims to feel euphoric that Islam has finally triumphed is also misplaced. This is not a battle between Islam … [Read more]

15th May 2007

MPF PRESS RELEASE : INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “MUSLIM WOMEN IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE”

Introduction
The status, role and real world situation of Muslim women have occupied a central position in present discussions on Islam and the modern world. This alongside the much questioned capability of Muslims to deal with democratic values and modern day ideas on human rights.

This perception arose because of the actual condition of women in Muslim societies that was contributed largely by local traditions and practices and not due to Islam itself. This however is ill understood by historians, sociologists, feminists, both Muslims and non-Muslims, conscious or unconsciously.

Nonetheless, it has to be recognized that the Islamic position and specific teachings with regards to gender equity, the institution of the family, personal and social behavioural mores do not accord with secular liberalism’s notion of gender equality and individual liberty.

The Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF) as a Muslim NGO that concerns itself with issues relevant to Islam and Muslims in the wider world and also within the context of modern, pluralistic Malaysian society, endeavours to address these issues by organizing an international conference on 1 – 2 September 2007 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Kuala Lumpur.

The theme of … [Read more]

MPF PRESS RELEASE
Shariah Enactments Tramples Civil Liberties with Impunity?

The Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF) views it preposterous the accusation that the Shariah enactment “tramples civil liberties with impunity”, which was also the title in a regular column in an English broadsheet recently. The writer cited specifically articles 5 and 10 of the Federal Constitution as being violated by the Shariah enactments. However, the use of heavy jargon borrowed from the human rights discourse could hardly hide the writer’s fundamental ignorance of the limited scope of the Shariah enactment as provided for in the Federal Constitution.

The substance of article 5 in the Federal Constitution is about the unlawfulness of detention without trial and the right to a legal counsel, that no person shall be deprived of his life and liberty save in accordance with the law. With reference to the Shariah, “… in the case of an arrest for an offence which is triable by a Shariah court, references in this clause to magistrate shall be construed as including references to a judge of a Shariah court.”

Article 10 refers to the right of every citizen to freedom of speech and expression, the right of assemble peacably and without arms, and the right … [Read more]