By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 6: The Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) expressed alarm over the alleged prevalence of unlawful conversions in Malaysia which the NGO describes as a serious issue that needs to be addressed to protect the rights of minors and uphold ethical standards in religious conversions.
Citing a TikTok video which allegedly depicts a conversation between a secondary school teacher who is a religious teacher and a preacher about conversions of secondary students in Form 3, Form 4, and Form 5, GHRF deputy president Peter John Jaban said true faith should stem from genuine belief and understanding, rather than being coerced or manipulated in any way.
“By advocating for covert conversions, the preacher seems to be promoting a superficial and insincere approach, which goes against the principles of our Law and Constitution,” said Peter John in a statement.
The TikTok video allegedly shows the religious teacher posing a question to the preacher and seeking advice on how to handle such matters. The preacher then allegedly advises the teacher on how to convert minors.
Peter John said the advice or suggestion proposed by the preacher raises not only ethical concerns regarding the conversion of minors discreetly without parental consent but also whether such advice or suggestion would be against the laws of Malaysia and also the Federation Constitution.
He pointed out that the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, under Article 12 Clause 3 & 4 specifies:
Clause (3) — No person shall be required to receive instruction in or to take part in any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than his own.
Clause (4) — For the purposes of Clause (3) the religion of a person under the age of eighteen years shall be decided by his parents or guardian.
“Therefore, the actions of the [religious teacher] and the preacher in the video seen as not only disregarding the rights of the parents but to convert the minors without the knowledge of their parents raises questions about the ethical principles involved in religious conversions especially when the preacher [is] teaching the methods of praying discreetly without the family members’ knowledge.
“The actions of the [religious teacher], who is also a secondary school teacher, raise questions about his duty of care towards the students under his supervision. Engaging in discussions about religious conversion without involving parents, is seen as breaching the trust and responsibility placed upon him as an educator,” said Peter John.
He said GHRF condemns the unethical actions allegedly depicted in the TikTok video, as they involve teaching children to lie and engage in religious activities behind their parents’ backs. This raises broader questions about what values and lessons are being imparted to young school children.
“GHRF advises parents to closely monitor their children, especially those still in school, to prevent such covert conversions from occurring.
“GHRF urges the Ministry of Education, JAKIM, and other Islamic bodies in Malaysia to take responsibility and thoroughly investigate such matters,” said Peter John. — DayakDaily
