Parliamentary Roundtable on Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution

Date: 5.1.2006

Venue: Parliament

Organized by DAP

Over 100 people representing themselves or other groups were present.

Tan Sri Abu Talib, the former AG who drafted the 121(1) amendment was present to explain the intent of the amendment when it was tabled in 1988.

At the end of the three hour session, five resolutions were unanimously passed by those present to present to government and other interested parties.

The five resolutions is a good summary of our main points of contention.

Resolution 1

Call for restoration of the pre-1988 Art 121 of the Federal Constitution and the repeal of Art 121 (1A) of Federal Constitution.

Resolution 2 

Call on the Prime Minister to agree to the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on the problems created by Art 121 (1A) of Federal Constitution.

Resolution 3

Civil society is gravely concern and dissatisfied with the denial of justice in Moorthy’s case and similar cases.

Resolution 4

This forum expresses grave concern at the manner in which the various state religious authorities enforces Islamic law in particular against non-Muslims.

Resolution 5

Call upon the AG and AG’s chambers to act in the public interest in Moorthy’s and all similar cases and to represent equality the rights of all citizens with full regards to the entrenched values of equality in the FC irrespective of race and religion 

The MCCBCHS will now circulate these concerns to all their constituencies and at the same time call political parties and the government to repeal Art 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution and return sovereign power to the High Courts to hear cases of any Malaysians who are seeking justice through the courts.