Press Statement by Karpal Singh in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 11^th April 2008: 

On non-Muslim converts reverting to original religions  

I welcome the Government’s move to introduce new regulations to provide for non-Muslims, who intend to convert to Islam to inform their families before doing so. This move is necessary to avert any misunderstanding when claims are made to bodies of non-Muslim who have converted to Islam, when they die.

However, what is more important, and which requires to be addressed immediately, is the necessity of making it easier for non-Muslim, who have converted to Islam, to revert to their original religions, in keeping with freedom of religion if they so desire, as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. As the position stands, non-Muslim converts are required to resort to the Syariah Court to renounce Islam, and are further required to undergo rehabilitation. In my view, no obstacle should be placed in the way of non-Muslim converts who wish to renounce Islam.

I call upon the Government to relax the requirement for non-Muslim converts to go the Syariah Court to renounce Islam. There is considerable concern and disquiet among non-Muslim converts who wish to renounce Islam over the requirement to resort to the Syariah Court and undergo rehabilitation as a pre-requisite to do so which rehabilitation is no guarantee to renunciation of Islam.

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* Karpal Singh, DAP National Chairman & MP for Bukit Gelugor