By Sharunya Raja

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9: A statement by a deputy minister that four new shariah laws are being drafted by the federal government, including a Bill on control and restrictions on the development of non-Muslim religions, has drawn criticism from non-Muslims across the country.

World Hindu Federation’s (WHF) international executive member, V. Kandasamy said that no religion in the world has the rights to interfere into other religion’s propagations.

“Everybody should respect the sentiment of other religions as well as the freedom of religious practice of others.

“Even Quran already mentioned that, should not interfere in other person’s religion to maintain the harmony and peace among everyone,” he told The Hindu Press.

He was commenting on a report by Harakah Daily which quoted Religious Affairs Deputy Minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary as saying that the proposed law was part of the government’s “empowerment plan”, which would involve 11 legislative steps, including four new laws and seven amendments.

Meanwhile, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS) president Bobby William questioned that: “Is Malaysia now under the new Prime Minister and his appointed cabinet going to change Malaysia to an Islamic State nation?

“We, as Sarawakians, have been and always will be a democratic multi-racial nation with multi-religious communities.

Bobby William

“We believe most Sarawakians will not agree to the inclusion of such a bill and any implementation of hudud related enforcement of law in the name of democracy for equality of each tribal community and freedom of religion in Sarawak,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

The proposed Bill also has not gone down well with the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).

“The MCCBCHST calls upon the prime minister to clarify the issue before causing further anxiety among our citizens,” MCCBCHST said in a statement.

“Since the deputy minister has not withdrawn his statement, the MCCBCHST wishes to point out that there are many flaws in his statement and wishes to remind that Article 11 (1) of the Federal Constitution clearly gives the right to every person ‘to profess and practise his religion and, subject to clause (4), to propagate it’. This means every person has the fundamental right to practise and propagate his religion, subject to clause (4),” it added.