However, lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla says otherwise, pointing out that Islam occupies a special position ‘in the spirit and the structure of the Federal Constitution’.
00:00The federal constitution does not prohibit the setting up of a ministry to take charge of non-Muslim religious affairs, constitutional lawyer Bastian Pius van Dargen said.
00:12He said Article 3 of the constitution states that Islam is the religion of the Federation, but the same provision also provides that other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony.
00:24Therefore, he argued that the creation of a ministerial portfolio for non-Muslim religious affairs is well within the law.
00:31Recently, PAS and the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association objected to Raub MP Chow Yiu Hui's proposal to appoint a non-Muslim affairs minister, arguing that it undermines Islam's rightful position in Malaysia and contradicts the spirit of the constitution.
00:49Meanwhile, lawyer Hanif Khachri Abdullah said PAS' and MMLA's concerns had basis, citing the legal pronouncements made by the Court of Appeal in the 2013 Allah case, which held that Putrajaya had a duty to only promote Islam, which it had overlooked in the past.
01:06However, constitutional lawyer GK Ganesan said there ought to be no obstacle to the setting up of such a ministry given the secular nature of the constitution.
01:16Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the Cabinet disagreed with Chow's proposal, adding that non-Muslim religious affairs were already under the purview of National Unity Minister Aaron Agog Dagang.
