Conversions – can PM live up to Negri’s initiative?

 Ferdtan: We support Negri Sembilan MB Mohamad Hassan to be the next PM. He showed more courage than the existing one who always keeps mum over controversial issues.

On rare occasions when he opened his mouth to give his comments, he invariably talked nonsense like his recent response to the ‘boycott the Chinese traders’ controversy.

This is an ingenuous solution to a thorny problem of unilateral conversion to Islam. Logically a civil marriage must be dissolved under civil laws. Conversion to another religion is another matter that should come after.

We call upon PM Najib Razak to give a positive response to the proposal. The children of such unilateral conversions have suffered enough.

Ratbatblue: While it is a step in the right direction, all possible loopholes should be plugged first so that no one loses out.

Most of the time, there are no major issues with conversions. The trouble surfaces when one party converts without the knowledge of the other.

A question – in Negri Sembilan now, with this new ruling, if one party converts even with consent, will the non-Muslim party have a say (for instance, required to give consent too) in the event the convert (Muslim) wants to convert their children to Islam?

This is the main bone of contention in most cases. It is common knowledge that even when the civil courts have given the non-Muslim party custody of the child, the Syariah Court overrides this and allows the Muslim to convert/retain custody of the child.

Fairnessforall: Indeed, it is a very good move by the Negri Sembilan government. However, there are loopholes and the ruling must cover child custody matters – that in the event child custody is given to the parent who wants to convert, they should not be allowed to convert the child without the consent of the other parent.

Also, if the court awards alimony payment, will this alimony still be applicable if the man were to convert? They should make it compulsory for a husband to pay alimony to the wife even if he converts.

It is ridiculous to say that once a man converts, he is not responsible for his wife’s maintenance.

If that is the case, can we also say that once a man converts, he is also not responsible for the bank loans he took when he was not a Muslim?

Boonpou: Why do we the rakyat even want to ask if PM Najib Razak even bothers himself with the latest ruling about religious conversion in Negri Sembilan? He is not concerned about this, or about how much his pet project 1MDB is borrowing.

What he is preoccupied with is determine by his expensive foreign PR (public relations) companies to travel as much as possible at the rakyat’s expense so that US President Barack Obama and company will continue to select Malaysia as the model of a moderate Muslim.

Najib might be the PM, but his mind and spirit is overseas. We once used to have a PM who is always asleep. Now we have one who is not asleep but likes to travel and travel, spend and spend, and why not, since it is the rakyat who are paying for his travels.

Perhaps he is obliged to travel because of someone’s expensive shopping addiction.

Fair Play: But why, oh why? Coming from the Negri Sembilan state religious department – a small state in economic development but big in brainpower. Why not the Selangor state religious department, the richest state in the nation?

What about the Pakatan MBs? And, of course, the PM?

Malaysian 53: This is long overdue but at least better late rather than never.

EC, be fair in reviewing polls boundary objections

Anonymous$&@?: “The record number of objections (to the new electoral boundaries) – 56, as of 2.30pm on Wednesday – this time around as opposed to only 26 in 2005…”

Only 56 and it’s a record of sorts?

People of Sarawak, please do your bit by submitting your objections (go together in a big group to ensure it is recorded) to the Election Commission (EC) office instead of mucking around.

You, Sarawakians, deserved it if the EC pushes through its delineation exercise.

Kim Quek: Past experience has shown that objections from voters would be largely ignored by the EC, so Rise of Sarawak Efforts (Rose) has to be prepared to take the EC to court to force the issue.

An inundation of lawsuits would help to publicise the EC’s atrocious frauds in discriminating against BN’s political opponents and rouse the indignation of voters against such injustice.

Additionally, it will build up the public anger necessary for staging mass demonstrations. And that in turn will help to swing votes away from BN, as the Bersih rallies did for the 13th general election (GE13).

And that, will be Rose’s real contribution to the restoration of democracy to not only Sarawak, but the entire country.

Snake-in-the-Grass: Why implore? They are not worth your time. Just vote wisely. Reject all BN nuts and cronies.

There is no way they can draw boundaries to save themselves if you are more than 70 percent of the decent folk out to save the country and its culture, and not to get some freebies in exchange for your children’s future.

Tulan: You want the EC to ensure that it carries out its constitutional duties to serve the democratic interests of the people of Sarawak and Malaysia? Pigs will fly.

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