Refuting the remarks made by an Umno leader, the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) said it is not possible to make Malaysia a full-fledged Islamic state.
The Barisan Nasional component party’s secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting was responding to comments made by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki on Oct 13.
Asyraf had said that the Barisan Nasional government was not shirking its responsibility to make Malaysia an Islamic state.
According to a Malay Mail Online report, Ting said that such a change will require radical amendments to many provisions of the Federal Constitution such as two-thirds majorities in both Houses as well as consents of the Conference of Rulers and Governors of both Sarawak and Sabah.
“SUPP and the majority of Sarawakians will also never agree to convert Malaysia into an Islamic state because it is not in our best interest,” Ting was quoted as saying.
The Piasau state assemblyman reminded Asyraf that when Sarawak and Sabah agreed to the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the founding leaders of the two Borneo states made it very clear during the negotiation that Malaysia would be a secular state.
“Therefore, many safeguards were put in place in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and eventually into the Federal Constitution to make sure that the federal government cannot alter our principal safeguards in regards to religion without the consent from our State Legislative Assembly,” Ting reportedly stressed.
The report said that Ting also urged Umno ministers and deputy ministers to be cautious and moderate when expressing their views, particularly on sensitive issues such as religion, race and culture.
He added that Sarawak, despite having people of different religions and races, is blessed because there are no issues on religion, race, religion, race and culture.
Related report: Oct 15, BN Government Committed to Making Malaysia an Islamic State