Ikim upset over government snub
By SHAHANAAZ HABIB
January 20, 2006
The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) is annoyed that the Government had not consulted it when drawing up the controversial amendments to the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territory) Act. 

Expressing disappointment, Ikim director-general Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas said: “We should be invited in matters like this, which involve the whole nation.” 

The institute, he said, bore a heavy responsibility because of its name. 

“One would have expected us to be consulted since this is a religious issue.  

“If that is the case, then, of course, I am a little bit annoyed that we were not consulted. We are the Institute of Islamic Understanding after all. It is time our opinion is heard,” he said yesterday at a press conference. 

In promoting Islamic understanding, Dr Syed Ali said, it was Ikim’s job to present whatever it knew, correct errors and make proposals.  

“It is only now, after the issue has become a problem, that we are asked our opinion. But we can’t give an opinion because we have not seen the proper documents,” he said, noting that despite asking for a copy of the amended Act, Ikim had yet to receive it. 

Women’s groups and senators object to the amendments, tabled and passed in Parliament last month, saying the Act contains provisions that are unfair to women. 

Dr Syed Ali said Ikim had invited various government departments and non-governmental organisations, including the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Islamic Development Department, Sisters in Islam and the Bar Council, for a closed-door dialogue on the amendments and other current issues. 

Issues to be addressed will include the contentious conversion and burial of late Mount Everest climber Sjn M. Moorthy.  

Dr Syed Ali believed that if Ikim had been consulted over the Moorthy issue it could have made a “massive difference”. 

“We have been involved in different inter-faith groups in the past. We have had proactive dialogues with them,” he said. 

He added that in amending the Federal Constitution, it must first be determined if the Constitution or the understanding and interpretation of it was faulty. 

“Why change the Constitution if the understanding is at fault?” he said. 

Dr Syed Ali also said Malaysians had become a “nation of finger-pointers”.  

“Whenever there is a problem we want to point the finger somewhere else,” he added.  

“We should be courageous and accept responsibility, then try to correct it and work from there.”  

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/1/20/nation/13162264&sec=nation