The ACCIN Lies
The Workshop & Conference
On 24 May 2003, about 100 participants (approximately 25% of them Muslim) of a workshop captioned “Towards the Formation of An Inter-Religious Council” unanimously recognised the need to establish a statutory inter-religious body of an advisory and consultative nature.
In a six-point agreement the participants set out the broad functions of the intended body. As envisaged, its primary objective was “to advance, promote and protect every individual's freedom of thought, conscience and religion with a view to the harmonious co-existence in our society” which is “integral to the happiness, welfare and prosperity of the Malaysian people”. It must be noted that point 3 clearly emphasised that the proposed body “would be an independent body of a consultative and advisory nature. For clarity, the body shall not have any adjudicatory functions”.
In points 5 and 6, the participants mandated “that a national conference be convened for the purpose of further considering these proposals with a view to their implementation” and “that a steering committee be established for the purpose of taking all necessary steps towards ensuring the success of the national conference, and further to convene the said conference.”
The Conference, attended by 175 participants from diverse parts of Malaysia, was held on 24 and 25 February 2005 in Bangi, Selangor. In an encouraging speech, Dato' Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim pointed out that it was incumbent on all of us to listen to those seeking to promote inter-faith harmony. Members of almost all the major faith groups from East and West Malaysia participated in the Conference which, after two full days of deliberations, adopted the Plenary Statement and the Draft Interfaith Commission of Malaysia Bill 2005. In the Plenary Statement, participants called on the Prime Minister and the government to table the draft bill in Parliament and to establish the IFC as soon as possible.
The next day, however, owing to protests by some Muslims in respect of the IFC initiative, the Prime Minister announced that this initiative would be put on hold.
Was the protest by those Muslims against the IFC effort representative of the views of the majority of Muslims in Malaysia, or only of a small number who were contriving to appear as if they spoke on behalf of the silent majority of Muslims? Was the protest premised upon assumptions about the IFC initiative founded not on direct knowledge but, once again, on the information of “one of those who attended the preliminary meetings”?
Back to - Objections by ACCIN & Cohorts
Next Link - Post Workshop and Pre-Conference