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Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Non-Muslims cast wary eye on Syariah Index

The Index, mooted by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, is seen as further evidence of the trend towards creeping Islamisation in the country.

FMT


KUALA LUMPUR: The Syariah Index, mooted by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to expand the role of Syariah law in Malaysia, is seen by non-Muslims as further evidence of the increasing trend toward Islamisation in the country. Non-Malays including Muslims form slightly less than half the population while the Malays form 50.4 per cent of the population, according to the latest statistics.

The Government is under pressure not only from PAS, the Islamist Opposition, but also from within Umno which leads the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, according to Rian Maelzer in a CCTV report. “Kelantan wants to implement hudud law for criminal offences except rape.”

“Hudud, which prescribes punishments such as amputations and stoning, has won the support of Umno in Kelantan.”

The new Syariah Index will measure Government compliance with Islamic principles in areas such as law, the economy, politics and social issues and highlight areas for improvement.

Many Muslims, according to CCTV, want to see changes in Malaysia’s secular system which accommodates Syariah as family law applying only to Muslims. “Secular laws govern civil and criminal matters.”

There has been talk of a Syariah Apex Court system equal to the civil courts.

“We welcome the Syariah Index because our expectation is to expand Syariah to all fields we have in Malaysia, not only in the financing system, in the family matters, but to cover all aspects of daily life,” Jufitri Joha from Muslim Youth Movement told CCTV.

Political scientist Wong Chin Huat, among those quoted, lamented that the issue was between a “Malaysia for all and one for some”.

Legal experts interviewed pointed out that the secular Federal Constitution would have to be amended to significantly expand the role of the Syariah. “It can only happen if Umno and PAS work together.”

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