SUPP CENTRAL YOUTH PRESS STATEMENT 19/06/2014

suppadmin | June 20, 2014

SUPP Youth is very concerned with the current debate gripping Sarawakians on whether Malaysia is a secular or Islamic state.

Malaysia has never been determined or declared as a secular state and the word “secular” does not appear in the Federal Constitution. In the case of Che Omar Bin Che Soh v PP (versus Public Prosecutor), the Supreme Court held that the laws used in Malaysia is secular but did not make any ruling on whether Malaysia was or was not a secular state.

SUPP Youth stand on the matter is that Malaysia is a “SECULAR STATE” notwithstanding the case of Che Omar Bin Che Soh v PP and Article 3 of the Federal Constitution as the Reid Commission in its report in 1957 stated that the observance of Islam as the religion of the Federation under Article 3 shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practicing their own religion and shall not imply that the state is not a secular state.

The problem with the current dilemma is that Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) (DAP’s coalition partner in Pakatan Rakyat) is pursuing its objectives to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state. As such, it follows naturally that any support for DAP equals a vote for PAS to achieve its goal of turning Malaysia into an Islamic state.

In view of the current scenario, SUPP Youth Central Secretary General Wilfred Yap hopes that DAP YBs especially those from Sarawak will stop raising the secular or Islamic state debate to score political points with the public to hide their weakness and short comings but instead deal with the real issue of stopping PAS from pursuing its Islamic State agenda.