In the year 2000, the Human Rights Committee ( HRC ) of the Bar Council had received copies of memoranda which had been sent to SUHAKAM detailing complaints either of breaches to the right of religious freedom or the threat thereto.
Given the serious nature of those complaints, the Bar Council and HAKAM jointly organised a forum on freedom of religion in December, 2000. Speakers from the various faiths presented the perspective of their respective faiths on the concept of freedom to practise the faith of one’s own choice.
Dr. Chandra Muzzafar, who was one of the speakers, mooted the idea of the establishment of an inter-religious council to address the various problems pertaining to religion in Malaysia.
B. A Workshop As A First Step
In 2001, the HRC initiated the formation of a pro-tem committee to steer the formation of a statutory body to be called the inter-religious council.
The course of action proposed by the pro-tem committee was to organise a national conference where the need, or otherwise, of the proposed inter-religious council might be meaningfully discussed and debated. It was further agreed that a workshop be first conducted to enable the pro-tem committee to better define the issues and areas that would need to be presented at the proposed national conference.
A one-day workshop was held on 17th May, 2003. Participants unanimously agreed that there was a need for a statutory body to advance, promote and protect every individual’s freedom to thought, conscience and religion and, to this end, mandated that a steering committee be established to organise a national conference for a fuller consideration of this proposal.
C. National Conference
The conference was held in February, 2005. Delegates arrived at a consensus that it was desirous to establish an independent statutory body of an advisory, consultative and conciliatory nature to advance, protect and promote continued religious harmony and national unity in Malaysia.
A Plenary Statement and Draft Bill were adopted by the delegates, who also mandated the steering committee to take the necessary action to garner support for this effort until its realization.
D. PM’s Call To Put The Effort On Hold
The day after the conference, given the strong protest to the IFC effort by some Muslims who claimed to represent the majority, the PM announced that the nation was not as yet ready for such a body and the same would be put off for the time being.
The steering committee set up a task force. Besides despatching the Plenary Statement and Draft Bill to the PM, the task force has been engaged in efforts to refute the untruths hurled at the IFC effort by its detractors.
The IFC effort awaits a re-consideration by the PM as to its utility.