YOURSAY | Wrong to ‘manipulate’ children in conversion row

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Of conversions, justice and compassion

From Adnan D

In most Malaysian families, even mine, there are mixed marriages. There are different religions, relatives of different faiths.

While growing up, we used to visit each other during festivals, we attended weddings of different faiths, we sat and ate at the same table. I saw no problems then, unlike what I’m seeing today.

This letter is not about the law. It’s not about the Perlis Islamic Enactment, passed in 2016. This is not about the Federal Constitution.

It’s not about the argument whether Malaysia is an Islamic or secular state. This is not about the Federal Court decision on Indira Gandhi and other similar cases in Malaysia.

This is about justice, fair play, compassion and love.

We now read about how a single mother, Loh Siew Hong, 34, was briefly reunited with her children, 14-year-old twin daughters and a 10-year-old son, who had been taken away and hidden from her since 2019 by her ex-husband and later by a third party.

Everything changed after Hussein Onn left office as prime minister. The ministry in charge of religious affairs became very powerful. The politicians let them be. Billions of ringgit were allocated for religion instead of education and health. Leave it at that. Water under the bridge.

Let’s talk about justice, logic and compassion.

How can you deprive any parent from seeing their children? How cruel is that? Imagine if someone does that to you? When did Malaysia become like this?

Don’t quote the law at me. If it’s a bad law, change it.

What’s going on, Malaysia?

Are children allowed to be converted without the consent of both parents? Why are religious agencies interfering with private decisions of individuals? Why, despite their mother having legal custody, were the children kept from her? Why must all these cases get highlighted in the media before action is taken?

The mother says she is desperate to have her children back home, and that she would even embrace Islam if necessary. Seriously? What are the authorities doing?

Where is the minister for women, family and community development in all this? Where is the special envoy to the Middle East? Is he still looking at assisting the Taliban? Why not assist here, in your own country?

What does the prime minister say? Does he ever say anything? Why the deafening silence?

Don’t turn everything into a religious issue. Have empathy, compassion and common sense. People in power are clearly lacking in common sense. Something is seriously wrong.

In the last few years, there have been some moronic decisions that have made Malaysia famous for the wrong reasons. A recent video by the deputy minister for women, family and community development, on how to “gently discipline” your wife, is the butt of jokes in the international media.

Before that we had two sitting MPs who were not accepted as ambassadors because of the Vienna Convention and other reasons.

In another case, the Court of Appeal referred to a former prime minister as a “national embarrassment”.

Where is our longest serving former prime minister? Any comments?

Is Malaysia competing to be the worst in managing its affairs? If that’s the case, the country has won, by a wide margin.
 
Adnan D is an FMT reader.