PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has once again urged Members of Parliament to oppose PAS' Private Member’s Bill. The Private Member's Bill seeks to further empower the Syariah Courts by giving them the jurisdiction to mete out harsher punishments for syariah offences. MCCBCHST also called on Malaysians to oppose the Bill at the next Parliamentary meeting in March. The council added that a multiracial country like Malaysia cannot afford to alter the secular character of the Constitution to allow for the implementation of religious law. "Even the first three prime ministers were on record to have stated that Malaysia was conceived to be a secular country," it said.

Source: The Star March 03, 2017 06:57 UTC