ARTICLE 11 COALITION
The Article 11 coalition has launched a video series to better inform the public on its mission to uphold the supremacy of the Federal Constitution. The video series will also counter the misinformation and attacks against its work.
Three videos are launched today. There are the English and Bahasa Malaysia videos which explain the Article 11 coalition, its missions and objectives. The third video, which is in Bahasa Malaysia, is a forum in which four Malaysians discuss the pressing issue of “Kebangkitan Islam dan Pemerintahan Berperlembagaan” (Islamisation and Constitutional Governance).
The issues of concern raised by Article 11 last year remains pertinent in the light of the latest Court of Appeal judgement in the Subashini case. The majority decision of the Court deprived the right of a non-Muslim mother to get an injunction from the civil court to stop her converted husband from proceeding with the conversion to Islam of her one-year-old son. The non-Muslim mother was also denied the right to stop the converted husband getting orders from the Syariah court regarding their non Muslim marriage and the custody of the already unlawfully converted elder three year old son.
Subashini is a reprise of the Shamala case in 2004 which was the catalyst to the formation of Article 11. Since then, we have seen Moorthy, Nyonya Tahir, Anthony Rayappan, Lina Joy, and now Subashini. In all these cases, the court has not provided just remedies to the grievances raised by plaintiffs on constitutional grounds. Decisions like these impact negatively on the social fabric of Malaysia.
As Malaysia celebrates its 50th year of independence, Article 11 feels the necessity to reinforce the central importance of the Federal Constitution in preserving national unity, and upholding the Rule of Law. The Supremacy of the Constitution and the Rule of Law are two of the five basic principles of the Rukunegara. Today, we see a continuing subversion of both of these cherished principles together with denials of some of our most fundamental rights. The Article 11 coalition feels the vital need to continue its efforts to raise public awareness and understanding of the Federal Constitution, and how it affects our daily lives. Malaysians need to realise that the Federal Constitution defines our rights as citizens. In enabling Malaysians to exert these rights, the Judiciary plays a pivotal role. The Judiciary is the last bastion in defending the Supremacy of the Constitution and the Rule of Law. This is why it is crucial that Malaysia has an independent Judiciary.
From 12th March to 22nd July 2006, Article 11 held four public forums in Petaling Jaya, Malacca, Penang and Johor Bahru on “The Federal Constitution: Protection for All”. Sadly, the last two forums were disrupted by demonstrations from groups who have misconstrued Article 11’s mission.
These demonstrations led to the call by the Prime Minister for all public forums to cease because of fears of escalating tensions. Article 11 took heed of this call, not because we acquiesced to having our right to freedom of expression taken away, but because we understood the pressures with which the Prime Minister was confronted. We did not want tensions to escalate, enabling an excuse for wider crackdown. As a coalition that comprises organisations in the frontline of the struggle for human rights in Malaysia, we understand well how violence, and the threat of violence, hang over any attempt for progressive discourse in our society.
Unfortunately, the Prime Minister's call was not heeded by groups opposed to Article 11 who continued to hold public discussions on these issues in different parts of the country throughout 2006.
While the opposition surrounding the forums may be louder and given more space in the mainstream press, much healthy debate and dialogue has been generated over the Federal Constitution. It is heartening to note that we see an increase in public awareness of the fundamental role played by the Federal Constitution in our society, something Article 11 hopes is partly due to its efforts. This is a laudable step towards the development of a society actively engaged in reasoned debate and advocacy.
Since late last year, Article 11 has taken the time to develop materials to clarify its goals and provide information on the coalition. Now, it is also using new media technology to reach out to people, recognising that the pressures that led to the Prime Minister's call to halt the forums are still very much present. Hence, the Article 11 video forum series which is launched today is an extension of its work in 2006.
This press conference also sees the launch of Article 11's mission statement, objectives, and FAQs. Article 11 hopes that the dissemination of this information will provide a more accurate picture of the goals and activities of the coalition and raise awareness regarding some of the Constitutional issues confronting our multi-racial, multi-religious society today. We hope these FAQs, and the mission statement and objectives will eradicate the malicious myths being circulated about the coalition.
Article 11’s long-term work will include engagement and dialogue with parliamentarians, policy makers and other civil society groups.
In the short term, Article 11 very much hopes to engage with the Prime Minister. The Constitutional problems facing us today affect all Malaysians. Since the Article 11 coalition comprises organisations from a cross section of civil society, we feel it is important that the Prime Minister meet with us to better understand our concerns. We have on 14th March 2007 again requested for a meeting with the Prime Minister and we very much hope to receive a favourable reply from him in the near future.
The Article 11 coalition comprises: