The Penang State Government would equally defend the Administration of the Religion of Islam(State of Penang) Enactment 2004 against repeal by MCA as well as uphold the fundamental principle that fatwas are not applicable on non-Muslims.
UMNO extremists and racists would fundamentally alter the basic character and identity of our Federal Constitution and deprive the inalienable constitutional rights of non-Muslims by insisting that religious fatwas are applicable on non-Muslims as on Muslims. The Penang state government stands firm and uphold the present laws that fatwas are not applicable on non-Muslims and only on Muslims.
The Penang state government wishes to unreservedly condemn BN-controlled newspapers for refusing to publish my statements on UMNO’s extremist insistence that fatwas are applicable on non-Muslims as well as ignoring MCA’s outrageous demand that sparked off the present controversy, to repeal the Administration of the Religion of Islam(State of Penang) Enactment 2004. The Penang state government had rejected MCA’s outrageous demand because this would be gross interference in Muslim affairs, where repealing the entire Enactment would have serious implications, including abolishing the Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Pulau Pinang which is established by the Enactment.
UMNO’s silence on MCA’s demand to repeal the Enactment is matched by MCA’s silence on UMNO’s contention that fatwas are applicable on non-Muslims. Whilst both MCA and UMNO have calculated that they will benefit politically from such lies, hypocrisy and double-standards, these irresponsible tactics will only serve to affect national unity and undermine religious harmony.
Non-Muslims can be charged for religious offences such as preaching to Muslims as provided in the Federal Constitution or for any related offences clearly specified in an Act or Enactment as applicable to non-Muslims. These provisions are deemed to be passed under civil laws, not under syariah laws, because to do so would be a dangerous and unacceptable imposition of Islamic laws on non-Muslims.
In Penang, this is provided under section 5 of ENAKMEN KESALAHAN JENAYAH SYARIAH (NEGERI PULAU PINANG) 1996, where non-Muslims can be charged in a civil court. Nothing is mentioned about being an offence for non-Muslims by not complying with a fatwa. Even the Administration of the Religion of Islam(State of Penang) Enactment 2004 bears me out where Section 49(1) of the Enactment states that a fatwa shall be binding on every Muslim in the state…, without mentioning non-Muslims, clearly restricting its application on Muslims.
UMNO should stop trying to bully me the way that UMNO has bullied MCA and Gerakan to accept fatwas as applicable on non-Muslims. I wish to reiterate that if UMNO is sincere and serious about defending Islam, then UMNO should be condemning and lodging police reports against MCA for demanding that the Administration of the Religion of Islam(State of Penang) Enactment 2004 be repealed. This is gross interference and insult into the affairs of Islam by MCA because to repeal the Enactment is to also abolish the Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Pulau Pinang.