A PKR Kedah youth leader wants Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to clarify on whether the government policy was to convert young children, especially minors, into Islam while being under the care of government welfare homes.
The state youth movement deputy leader Gooi Hsiao Leung said Shahrizat clarification was crucial and imperative to clear the air following a controversial statement by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mashitah Ibrahim praising such conversions.
“Masitah statement is scandalous and reckless.
“Minister Shahrizat should give an immediate clarification on it,” he said in a statement today.
He also wants Shahrizat to clarify on whether Mashitah’s remarks were made on her personal capacity or from her official position in the Putrajaya administration.
Gooi, a practicing lawyer, is the legal counsel for S Banggarma, 27, who had claimed she was converted by Islamic authorities at the age of seven.
She alleged the conversion took place effective on Dec 28, 1989 while she was residing in a welfare home – Rumah Kanak Kanak Taman Bakti, Kepala Batas.
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Banggarma seeks the Islamic authorities to nullify her conversion on the grounds of illegal conversion of minor without parental approval, to enable her to restore her rightful Hindu identity and move on with her life.
However, the welfare department has claimed that Banggarma together with her other siblings were converted at the age of one by her own natural Hindu parents.
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Counsel Gooi has demanded the welfare department director-general Meme Zainal Rashid to furnish his client documented evidence to substantiate her claim that Banggarma was converted on Nov 30, 1983 in Rompin, Pahang.
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Press report on Tuesday quoted Mashitah was quoted as saying it was commendable for the orphanage to take the initiative to preach about Islam and convert Banggarma to Islam and it was also its responsibility to teach her about the religion.
“It is shocking that a deputy minister had condoned conversion of young children living under the care of government run welfare homes.
“The responsibility of government welfare homes are primarily to provide care and protection to helpless children, who have either been abandoned and or where their parents are unable to care for them until they turn 18.
“It would be entirely outside the scope of their duties and a blatant abuse of their powers to convert young children’s religions, whether it is to Islam or to any other religion for that matter,” said Gooi.
He said Mashitah’s statement was also inconsistent with the remarks made by the Muslim Welfare Organisation Malaysia’s secretary general Abdul Hamid Othman.
Abdul Hamid was quoted in the press as saying that it was inappropriate to convert a child before he or she reached 18, although the welfare homes can educate the children about the Islamic religion.
Gooi said as the Minister in charge of Women, Family and Community Affairs, Shahrizat has a public duty to explain the government religious policy to all Malaysians.
“It is of upmost public importance for Shahrizat to immediately clarify the government’s position on the issue of converting young children’s religions who are under the care of government run welfare homes,” he said.
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