Can non-Muslims practise in the syariah courts?LAWYER Victoria Jayaseelee Martin made headlines in mid May with her quest to be admitted as a syariah lawyer in the Federal Territory. The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council had refused admission to Martin because she was not a Muslim. On 14 May 2010, she was granted leave to have [...]

The prime minister’s office in Putrajaya (Public domain; source: Wiki commons) PETALING JAYA, 30 June 2009: Malay Malaysians are the group least ready to accept a non-male, non-Malay or non-Muslim as prime minister, a Merdeka Center for Opinion Research survey has found. Of the 2,518 randomly selected Malaysian youths aged between 20 and 35 polled [...]

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 June 2009: The government has been criticised for organising a briefing on three laws related to conversion and religion for Muslim Members of Parliament (MPs) only. Anwar (File pic) “These are very important pieces of legislation. It must be well understood and debated by Muslim and non-Muslim MPs,” Opposition Leader Datuk Seri [...]

Corrected on 30 June 2009 at 7.50pm SHAH ALAM, 24 June 2009: The legal battle for Mohan Singh a/l Janot Singh’s body must also consider the right to inheritance of his non-Muslim next-of-kin, the High Court here heard today. Counsel for the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), Balwant Singh Sidhu, [...]

KENINGAU, 7 May 2009: Nursery schools (tabika) under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry should introduce the subject of religion to their non-Muslim pupils. Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said the approach would be in line with the 1Malaysia concept mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He said [...]

AFTER 20 years with the MCA, Hu Pang Chaw switched camps to give his allegiance to PAS. The former Kelantan MCA Youth secretary quit the Chinese-based party a week before the general election in 1999. “I got tired of the MCA’s infighting and personal agendas,” says Hu. Living under PAS rule in Kelantan, he felt [...]