Article 11

Article 11

Article 11 is the name of a coalition of civil society groups from diverse backgrounds and interests. It was formed in May 2004 in response to cases that highlighted the problems faced by some Malaysians, which involve the interpretation of some provisions of the Federal Constitution.

 

Background to the formation of Article 11

In April 2004, the civil High Court in Kuala Lumpur granted custody of 2 young boys aged 2 and 4 years to their Hindu mother. The judge imposed one condition - she was not to expose her sons to her Hindu faith. The 2 boys were previously, without her knowledge or consent, converted to Islam by her estranged husband, himself a recent convert to Islam.

The same court had earlier dismissed an application by the Hindu mother for a declaration that the conversion of the 2 young children to Islam violated her parental right to co-determine the religious upbringing of the children. The reasoning of the court was that it had no jurisdiction, as the children were now Muslim and the correctness or otherwise of their conversion was a matter for the Syariah Court.

Shamala's case brought home the point that the constitutional role of the civil High Court as the protector of the rights of the ordinary citizen was fast becoming illusory. The implications of this case, however, became the rallying force that drew together a small number of concerned NGOs and members of civil society. This group noted that besides Sharmala's case, there were other cases that had impacted the right of belief and the right to practise one's belief as guaranteed under Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. By May 2004, Shamala's case had given life to a coalition of NGOs, which has come to be known as Article 11.

 

Mission Statement

Our mission is to ensure a Malaysia that:

• upholds the supremacy of the Federal Constitution;
• protects every person equally, regardless of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender; and
• is firmly established in, and upholds, the rule of law.

Objectives

We aim to promote awareness towards, advocate for, and contribute to achieving a Malaysia where all Malaysians in our daily lives:

1. affirm the Federal Constitution as the supreme law of the land;
2. strive to build national unity;
3. affirm the right of every person to full and adequate access to justice;
4. recognise the need for a judiciary that is impartial, independent and an equal arm of the government;
5. recognise that the Federal Constitution embodies an agreement among the various communities;
6. respect the Constitutional guarantees of equal protection for every person in a multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysia;
7. seek to protect fundamental liberties for all;
8. respect the freedom of thought, conscience, belief and religion of every person; and
9. ensure that Malaysia does not become a theocratic state.

Members of the coalition

In the News

Article 11 coalition launched a video series to better inform the public on its mission to uphold the supremacy of the Federal Constitution. Click here for more information

Conversion of spouses to Islam. Click here for more information

Disputes over religion of deceased persons. Click here for more information

Open Letter Petition

The Open Letter has garnered over 20,000 signatures electronically and in hard copy. Click here to sign the petition online.