Najib’s statement urging women to give BN two-thirds majority if they would like to see the proposed Section 88A introduced in the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act (LRA) proves that he is an untrustworthy PM.
In April 2009, the then de facto Law Minister Nazri Aziz stated in Parliament that children of an estranged couple should remain in the religion of the parents at the point of marriage and a cabinet directive was issued to the effect.
Rakyat waited for almost 8 years to see the proposed Section 88A introduced in the LRA when the bill was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on November 21, 2016.
However, after postponing the second reading of the bill twice, ie the 3rd sitting of Parliamentary Session in 2016 and the 1st sitting of Parliamentary Session in 2017, the bill was finally passed in the last sitting but without Section 88A.
If constitutionality of the proposed Section 88A is really the issue, then why our Government did not realise it earlier? Were the cabinet and AG sleeping while on duty and failing the rakyat?
In any event, if Najib really feels that an amendment to the Federal Constitution is needed to solve the issue once and for all, why does he need to wait after GE14?
BN has 134 lawmakers in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat – 14 seats shy of a two-thirds majority. DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang during in a press conference, in the presence of Madam Indira Gandhi and her daughter, announced that all 36 MPs of DAP will support the amendment to Federal Constitution to end the issue of unilateral conversion. And PKR and Parti Amanah Negara MPs have during the debate of the bill demonstrated their willingness to do so as well. So what’s the reason that Najib could not table the amendment to amend the Federal Constitution?
And what if Najib is not able to two-thirds majority in GE14? Do the people have to wait for another 5 years? God knows how many more terms we need to wait till a coalition, be it BN or PH, is able to get two-thirds majority in our Parliament?
If Najib is sincere, we PH Wanita challenge him to table the amendment in the coming sitting in October. If, let’s say, PH MPs go back on our words, then it will be perfect timing for Najib to dissolve Parliament and let the rakyat to punish PH with their votes. A 5% swing of PH supporters to BN will give Najib the two-thirds majority that he is dreaming of!
If he does not do so, it only shows that he is a untrustworthy PM who has no interest to serve rakyat. So people should just vote PH to become the Government because even if we do not have two-thirds majority in Parliament and indeed an amendment to Federal Constitution is needed, we will do what true leaders should and would do, ie engaging our opponent for the betterment of our country.