During the briefing for Muslim UPRo (Muslim NGOs in the UPR process) at Dewan Tun Rahah Memorial Tun Abdul Razak in Kuala Lumpur, Uncle Azril briefed us about the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) declarations. The review process will be held at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Malaysia is a peaceful country where the minorities races and religions are not been discriminated by our government. And Malaysia has its own Federal Constitutions, Rules of Laws, Social Contract and National Principles. This is very important to ensure the stability of our country since the people in our country is multi racial.
Anyway a loose coalition of NGOs called COMANGO (Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the UPR process) made some false accusations regarding human rights in Malaysia. It also demands Malaysia to sign the UNHRC treaties that are against the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, our Rukun Negara (National Principles) and the laws of our country.
COMANGO claims that it represents the majority of Malaysian, but they are not. Actually COMANGO only represents a minority of Malaysian citizens. They claimed to represent 54 NGOs but only 12 of those NGOs are legal, meaning most of the NGOs that COMANGO represented are illegal as they are not registered under the ROS or SSM.
Some of COMANGO’s demands are:
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Demands Malaysia to sign the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) which said,“The Committee observes that the freedom to “have or to adopt” a religion or belief necsesarily entails the freedom to choose a religion or belief, including the right to replace one’s current religion or belief with another or to adopt atheistic views, as well as the right to retain one’s religion or belief…”. ICCPR is against Article 3 (1) of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia that says, “Islam is the religion of the Federation” and Article 11 (4) that says that state laws and federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among Muslims and also against the first principle of Rukun Negara (National Principles) that says, “Believe in God”.
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Demands Malaysia to sign the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). This is against Article 153 of the Federal Constitution that gives special rights and position of the Malays and the Bumiputras (indigenous people of the Sabah and Sarawak).
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Demands Malaysia to agree on the SOGI Rights (Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity) which means they want Malaysia to legalised LGBTIQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex Queer). This is against Article 3 (1) of the Federal Constitution and also the law of Malaysia.
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Demands some enactments of the Syariah Law to be abolished. This is also against Article 3 (1) and against the second principle of the Rukun Negara that says, “Loyalty to the king and country,” because the king must protect Islam.
I do not agree on certain things that UNHRC declares as Human Rights because it is against my Rights as a Malaysian citizen according to the Federal Constitutions, Rukun Negara and the Rules of Laws of Malaysia.
COMANGO does not respect the Federal Constitutions, Rukun Negara, Rules of Laws and the Social Contract of Malaysia. And COMANGO does not respect human rights because it claims that it represent the majority of Malaysian when it is not true. Cheating and making false accusations is a crime. Can we trust criminals to fight for other people’s Human Rights?
Related articles
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United Nations Human Rights Council’s UPR (ahmadalikarim.wordpress.com)
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PPMM’s NGI Round Table Discussion On UPR Human Rights Council 2013
Ahmad Ali Karim's Weblog 
I bet u dont read the full text of comango document. At least read it first. Then judge from the primer source.
~Islamkan mengajar supaya umatnya adil dlm sesuatu perkara. Jgn gopoh.
Thank u.
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Dear Ro,
Thank you for writing. Yes, I do not read the full text of the COMANGO document but I was briefed by a lawyer who is an expert in Human Rights, Uncle Azril and other lawyers who studied the documents. As senior lawyers, they understand the documents very well. And to your other question, please read Uncle Azril’s blog at azrilmohdamin.com. You may read Uncle Zul Noordin’s blog too.
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Bull shit with this comango, Muslim is the majority here with over 60% of the population. What are they taking about when the say they represent the majority of the people that’s mean Muslim are also supporting them. That is dam ridicules and if the UN believe that, they are stupid as well.
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Dear Uncle Zaidi,
Thanks for writing. Most Muslims in Malaysia, and lots of non-Muslims do not support COMANGO. But a few Muslims like members of SIS Forum, and some from PR support COMANGO. SIS is a part of COMANGO, so COMANGO uses these people to prove to other countries that Malaysian Muslims supported them. PAS dare not complain because most of COMANGO leaders are PAS’s good friends from PKR and DAP.
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Yes our country consists of more than 60% muslims. But how many are aware about the problems we are having? How many malaysians today are really muslims?or only muslims on identity card, but not in heart? Do you realize survey done shows that 80% muslims are not even conducting daily prayers. They do not even care about the most basic foundation of our ‘deen’. Do you even think they will care about all of these problems?
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Dear Encik Amir,
Tell PAS to stop working with DAP. PAS knows who are DAP leaders; if not PAS leaders can ask Helen Ang 🙂
May Allah help us.
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What is an islamic country? From my understanding, islamic country is a country that is governed by islamic law and it’s constitution is based on Quran. What I see today, the civil law is more supreme than the syariah law. Are we being deceived by our own constitution?
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Dear En. Amir Saifullah,
Thank you for writing. This is what I learn from Uncle Naser Disa; Article 3(1) says that, “Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation”. Peace and harmony means ‘in peace and harmony WITH Islam’ as the religion of the Federation.
By law, Malaysia is an Islamic country and not a secular country. My father always says in his speeches that we must try to improve and be a better Muslim country as suggested by Prof. Ahmad Ibrahim. But the problem is, are the Malaysian muslims wants to fight for it? PAS leaders who loves to demonstrate, dare not make a demonstration against COMANGO’s demands but very busy fighting with UMNO when UMNO wants to fight for Islam. MB of Selangor and the pakatan goverment dare not say anything when the churches went against the Sultan of Selangor’s decree on kalimah Allah.
In Malaysia, our civil law cannot rule over our syariah law.
What is an Islamic country? Please listen to Ustaz Kazim’s speech regarding the matter.
It is the Muslims in Malaysia who are turning more and more liberal including PAS, for example in the issue of kalimah Allah. PAS talks about Islam but PAS dares not tell their allies PKR and DAP that COMANGO demands are against Islam because COMANGO’s leaders are members and leaders of PKR and DAP.
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By law, Malaysia is an Islamic country? So that means in theory, Malaysia is an Islamic country, but in practice it is not. Or you can say Malaysia is a ‘modern Islamic country’ which for me it is not an Islamic country at all. Because the characteristic of Islamic country is somehow different. The law, the system and even the judiciary is different. And how can you say that our Civil law cannot rule our Sharia law? Have you looked at reality today? We are losing. Have you heard about the case of Lina Joy? An apostasy case. According to Islamic law (Hudud), apostasy has to be sentenced to death. But our constitution and civil law protects her and allowed her to change her name and religion. Now, our faith and belief is being attacked without we knowing it. More and more muslims are becoming apostates nowadays. Please don’t be blinded by propaganda made by the Barisan Nasional. I am not saying PAS is right either. But we should focus more on issues which are really important. If you watch arabic movies and history before the coming of Islam, the arabic people worshiped the idols, but if they want to swear they will say ‘Wallahi’, means ‘I swear by God’. You get what I am trying to say here? This is not really an issue. But regarding this article above, I agree that COMANGO need to be toppled.
Rasulullah left us two things; Al-Quran and Sunnah. Whoever follow these two, they will not be led astray. Ask ourselves, are following it now?
Always remember this hadith:
“The prophet-hood will last as long as Allah (S.W.T.) is willing, then he will lift it. Then, a rightly guided Khilafah will be according to the prophet’s way and will last as long as Allah is willing, then Allah will lift it. Then, there will be a hereditary power that will last as long as Allah is willing, then Allah will lift it. Then, there will be dictatorships that will last as long as Allah is willing, then Allah will lift it. Then, there will be a Khilafah according to the prophet’s way. The prophet, then fell silent.” (Authentic Hadith reported by Imams Ahmad, Al-Bazar and At-Tabrani.)
The time of Khilafah will rise again. Our prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has promised that. Never ever doubt it.
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Dear Encik Amir,
Thanks for writing again. Regarding Azlina Jailani’s case you are wrong to say that, “but our constitution and civil law protects her and allowed her to change her name and religion”. Our court says that she cannot change her name and religion; that is why she ran away to Australia because she cannot marry the man here. I understand her case because I know some of the lawyers who worked on her case very well, like Uncle Yusri, Uncle Zulkifli Nordin and others.
I even know her mother, Nenek Som.
UMNO has lots of faults but if you talk to the laywers who work on apostasy cases, you’ll understand the truth about who is really fighting for Islam now. Look at the kalimah Allah and COMANGO case; what is PAS’s stance? Lots of PAS leaders are fighting all out while some dare not say anything when our faith and belief is being attacked. When Perak Mufti’s gave a huge numbers of apostasy cases, PAS leaders said that the Mufti lied. And talking about kalimah Allah, PAS may say that it is not important but it is one of the ways that is used to attact our faith and belief without some of us knowing it.
I am not saying that UMNO is 100% good but I think that UMNO is the best option and that is why a lot of Muslim NGOs are willing to work with UMNO now. PAS says bad things about Uncle Nasharudin Mat Isa because he wants to fight for Islam.
Malaysia is an Islamic country and I am very proud of that fact even if we still have civil law as well as syariah law. You cannot change everything all at once and please click here to listen to what PAs’s leader sayid about , ‘Negara Islam’.
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I see. You are right about that case. I agree with you on that. But luckily that time the majority of judges in Federal Court were muslims. What if the judges in Federal Court are not among the muslims one day? And take note that Article 11 still opens to many interpretations. It is possible that one day the court will allow the conversion, legally. Unless hudud is implemented where apostates should be sentenced. And I agree with you that PAS sometimes not dare to go against DAP & PKR. In fact I think PAS should stands on its own. But I do not agree with you is that UMNO is the best option we have today. Why? Because even its president does not have any faith regarding the Hudud in the Al-Quran. We know that Hudud is a part of verse in the Quran, and if we denied it, I am afraid we are among the non-believers. Same goes to anyone who supports it. That’s why I am afraid to give support to UMNO. Watch this statement by UMNO president: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUMkCAXDQlM
By the way the link you gave to me, it is not the speech of PAS president. Of course there will be a misunderstanding in a party. That cannot be avoided.
I am still not proud of our country though. I still not recognized Malaysia as an Islamic country. Why? because Syariah law is still inferior. We cannot even make a trial on murder or anything regarding death sentence. You know what, there is a funny assumption which is that Syariah law is about marriage. Oh yes, and divorce. And you proud of Malaysia as an Islamic country when gambling and alcohol are legalized? Do you? Yes. We cannot change everything at once. But why we could not do something that Brunei could. We have the power. UMNO have the power. We are the majority here.
You know what, I am still confuse which to support to. Maybe I am not going to support either PAS or UMNO. Or perhaps I am going for another organization instead.
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Dear Encik Amir,
Uncle Naser Disa who is an expert in Constitutional Law of Malaysia told my big sisters and I that a lot of people try to confuse others by reading the Federal Constitution their own way and misinterpreted the articles to reach their goals.
Article 11 says that, ‘Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.’ Meaning it cannot be read on its own but it is subjected to Clause (4) of Article 11; or Article 11(4) that says ‘State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Lubuan, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.’ So the Federal Constitution is very clear; only PR politicians, sadly including PAS leaders who try to confuse us. That is why Uncle Naser taught us that we have to study the Federal Constitution so that we’ll be able to understand our rights.
Talking about Hudud, it can only be implemented if all the Muslims work together and fight for it. You are wrong to say that UMNO has the power because UMNO (I mean UMNO and not BN) must win at least 2/3 majority in the General Election in order to have the power to do so. If PR wins, it will be even worse because PAS has the least seats in PR and the are lots of PAS’s leaders who are liberals like Mujahid, Khalid Samad and others. Even PAS’s president has made an official statement together with other PR leaders that there will only be ,’Negara Kebajikan’ and no more ,’Negara Islam’. May be that is why Uncles in ISMA are also UMNO friendly and not PAS friendly.
In this case, it is easier for Brunei because they do not have non-Muslim politicians and their political system is more like the one in Saudi Arabia than ours. I want the best too but before that goal can be reached, there are lots of things to do like try to make people see that they must protect their akidah and protect Article 153 because Malay in the Federal Constituion means Muslims, a Malay by race is not considered a Malay unless they are Muslims and follow the Muslim ways of life and so on. PAS leaders always make the mistake in refering to Malay as in constitution.
Like Uncle Nasha and all of my father’s friends, they are not happy about lots of things but instead of complaining, they tried to work hard and not only depending on politicians to work things out. They may not have the political power, but as Muslims we have to try to do our parts; then we pray to Allah and ask for Allah’s help. Yes, it is hard, there are lots of things that made me sad like the church’s statements to use Allah and people like Mujahid who made liberal statements to defend the church who actually did not respect the law.
I really hope that the PAS’s Muslims will stop becoming DAP’s agents and stop destroying our country like what they did in Bangkok and Cairo.
May Allah help us and protect us always.
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Thanks. Your arguments are convincing. And thanks for making it clear what Article 11 is about. But I still not convinced by your argument about UMNO. If they really want to fight for Islam, why they did not just say ‘we will implement Hudud’ instead of saying that it cannot be applied or implied in reality. Because PAS has made it clear that they will support UMNO fully if they wanted to implement it. By the way, according to PAS, ‘negara kebajikan’ is a part of an Islamic country because many non-muslims afraid of that term. So they changed it so non-muslims will have a better understanding and interested about Islam. But the main reason they are fighting UMNO is because there is too much corruptions until our country is in the brink of bankruptcy.
About Article 153, I do not see why it should be protected. As far as I know, Article 153 cannot be amended without the consent from the Conference of Rulers. Why we should be afraid? Could you elaborate more on that? Protect how? How do we protect it?
Actually if you look back at the history or even in Egyt, the Christians are using the word Allah. The meaning is the same, only the understanding and the perception is different. For us Allah means the one god, but not for Christians. I also quite agitated about this issue actually. Because before this there was no problem using the word ‘Lord’. Now the Christians argued that they want to use the word ‘Allah’ so that people who do not understand english could comprehend. What were they thinking? If they really want to make people understand, why using arabic instead of malays which means ‘Tuhan’. I really think I should join HT since they are the one really following the prophet’s way.
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Dear Encik Amir,
UMNO and PAS are only political parties and their leaders are the ones that are making the decision on their parties’ actions. All the bad things said about UMNO regarding Hudud and Islam comes from PAS’s leaders, their members and supporters. But the non-Muslims including DAP think that TODAY UMNO is more Islamic than PAS! If you read the pro PR Malaysian Insider, there are lots of articles saying that UMNO is sort of Muslim extremist and one says that UMNO today is like what PAS was 10 or 20 years ago (regarding Islam).
UMNO key leaders may not be perfect Muslims but they do not practice Liberalism or Pluralism in religion. Liberalism and Pluralism are the topics that PAS leaders love to spin and they interpreted the concept wrongly to confuse the people. Ustaz Uthman Muhammaddy did a lot of study about Liberalism and Pluralism in religion and I learn about these from him and my parents. I wrote a few articles on the topics.
As I understand, UMNO leaders NOW do not say that Hudud cannot be implement in reality but that we are not yet ready, we do not have the power (the 2/3 majority) and we need more experts on this matter.
PAS has made it clear that they will support UMNO fully if UMNO wants to implement Hudud? PAS do not even want sit together with UMNO for a muzakarah, Uncle Nasha knows a lot about this. PAS is just happy to say ‘UMNO kafir’ and ‘UMNO tolak Hudud’ when they follow the Buku Jingga. PAS leaders should not talk about Hudud when they support kalimah Allah to be used by other religions to refer to their gods. PAS leaders do not listen to Dr. Harun Din on this matter. And what did PAS’s president do about this polemic? Did he dare to make strong statements like UMNO’s leaders? Did he take any action? Nothing! Then comes the Syiah problems.
Article 153 is one of the things that COMANGO is trying to fight against and told the world that the Malays in Malaysia are supporting them. It is also related to apostasy because Malays who change their religion from Islam is no more Melayu and cannot enjoy the rights as Melayu. My parents say Article 153 is about our pride as a Muslim and Malay in our own country. Without that one can easily be influence by the Western ideology like demonstrations, being rude to others, being proud to lie on the road, shouting bad words and others. But when people of other religions humiliate Islam, they support them and say that those are small matters or it is UMNO’s agenda.
To protecting Article 153 means that Malays have to be together and have the Malay pride regardless their political parties. But PAS says that this is wrong and assobiah.
You are right, Malaysian Christians do not need the word Allah; that is why they do not use Allah for their god in other languages other than Bahasa Malaysia in church and publications. They do not use Hindu’s gods’ names to translate the word God in their Indian language publications and talks. Why suddenly Bahasa Malaysia is too important for them now? Because they are targeting the Malays and PAS are supporting them and even go to their churches. If PAS leaders feel it is okay to go to churches, PAS members and supporters will feel that it is not wrong to go to churches, even to help out because of interfaith. And PAS let the non-Muslims giving talks in our mosques.
My dad always says that we must lock all the doors from anybody to take our akidah away.
I am not yet very good at this and to learn more, may be you should attend talks by MUAFAKAT or one of my father’s talks.
May Allah help us and protect us always.
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