DAP lawmaker M. Kula Segaran is disappointed over the delay in showing MPs draft bills of reforms on marriage laws. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 8, 2016.DAP lawmaker M. Kula Segaran has submitted a motion in the Dewan Rakyat calling for laws to curb unilateral conversion of minors to Islam.
The Ipoh Barat MP said that this would be in accordance with the Cabinet directive in 2009, that children of estranged couples remain in the religion of their parents at the point of their marriage.
The motion appears as the 16th item in today's order paper, but is unlikely to be debated as Parliament gives priority to government bills and matters.
Kula told reporters that reforms to prevent unilateral conversion must be tabled to Parliament immediately.
He said the current de facto law minister Nancy Shukri had said that the relevant agencies such as the Islamic body in the Federal Territories were still being consulted, as Putrajaya plans amendments to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993 and the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984.
The amendments are to ensure issues such as child custody, alimony and division of marital assets are resolved in the court in which one’s marriage was registered.
"Parliament is meeting till April 7. It is regrettable that the proposed draft amendments have yet to be sent to MPs.
"The delay in forwarding the bills to MPs is a setback to the reforms promised by the government," he said.
He added that lawmakers needed adequate time to get feedback from constituents, experts and civil society for a proper debate in Parliament.
He said the government's lack of transparency and accountability was disturbing and irresponsible.
There are no bills listed in the order paper today over the conversion issue, where only bills going for second reading are listed, namely the Legal Profession (Ammendment) Bill 2015, Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) (Ammendment) Bill 2015 and the Companies Bill 2015. – March 8, 2016.
Comments
Please refrain from nicknames or comments of a racist, sexist, personal, vulgar or derogatory nature, or you may risk being blocked from commenting in our website. We encourage commenters to use their real names as their username. As comments are moderated, they may not appear immediately or even on the same day you posted them. We also reserve the right to delete off-topic comments