The Catholic Lawyers Society Kuala Lumpur (CLS) welcomes the setting up of the special inter-faith committee. It is hope that through this committee efforts will be made to promote greater dialogue and understanding amongst the various religious communities in Malaysia.

The presence of such a committee is long overdue. The government’s effort in setting up such a committee is in the right direction towards promoting religious harmony in the country.

The special committee should be a catalyst to promote greater understanding and tolerance of all religions in Malaysia. It should not be confined to matters just related to inter marriages, religious conversions and custody of children as reported. The special committee must be empowered to mediate or even be a source of consultation of any and all disputes emanating from constitutional infringement(s) that afflicts any religious community. It should also review laws that have brought about religious indifference in the country.

Such inter-faith committee is not synonymous to Malaysia but has its presence in many countries, such as Bangladesh and Jordan to name a few. In Indonesia the Ministry of Religious Affairs there recently held and promoted inter-religious dialogue.

The CLS looks forward to the special committee working in the same direction as its counter parts in other countries mentioned above.

Dated 2 April 2010

Joy Appukuttan
President
Catholic Lawyers Society Kuala Lumpur