MCA to summon rep who walked out of Perlis legislative assembly over child conversion law

PETALING JAYA: MCA's Titi Tinggi assemblyman Khaw Hock Kong will have to explain his "walkout" from the Perlis legislative assembly when it passed an amendment to allow the unilateral conversion of children.
MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said instead of walking out, Khaw should have expressed the party's stand that a minor's religion is to be determined by both parents as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
"Our party leadership is of the view that Khaw should have expressed our party's firm position of 'ibubapa' (father and mother) during the debate in the state assembly.
"Our president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has summoned him to provide an explanation to the MCA central committee which will convene a CC meeting on Monday," Wee said in a Facebook posting last night.
On Thursday, an amendment to Perlis' Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006 has allowed either one parent to convert their child to Islam.
The amendment was tabled by Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man.
Thirteen assemblymen (12 from Umno and one from PAS) of the 15-member state assembly voted in favour of the amendment.
Khaw abstained from voting, while PKR's Indera Kayangan representative Chan Ming Khai voted against the amendment.
Wee said the amendment contravenes the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Bill 2016 that the federal government tabled in Parliament last month.
The amendment to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act (LRA) included a new Section 88A that states that a child below 18 years of age will remain in the religion of the parents at the time of their marriage should one parent convert to Islam after, and that any conversion of the minor to Islam can only be done with the approval of "both parties" in the civil marriage.
"The LRA Bill had its first reading on April 21, 2016. The Perlis state lawmakers should have followed the LRA Bill to be in line with the federal Bill rather than trying to subjugate the LRA Bill.
"While Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution reads that a minor child's religion shall be determined by 'parent', Article 160, the 11th Schedule of the Federal Constitution on interpretation clearly spells out that words in the singular includes the plural and vice versa.
"Thus, any state or federal legislation or government policy or guideline which does not abide with the Federal Constitution, the supreme law of the land, is ultra vires the Federal Constitution and must be rendered null and void," Wee said.