300 protesters...On the morning on 9th of August, about 300 protesters gathered outside the Bar Council headquarters demanding that the lawyers group halt its controversial forum on ‘Conversion to Islam’.
The Bar Council today, adhering to the advice of the police - and an angry mob at its doorstep - wrapped up its half-day forum on 'Conversion to Islam' at 10am, an hour after it had started.
A leader of the protesters - PKR Kulim-Bandar Baharu parliamentarian Zulkifli Noordin - declared the abrupt end of the forum as a victory for them. By 10.40am, most of the protesters have dispersed.
About 15 police officers and an Federal Reserve Unit truck have been deployed to the area and the road leading to the Bar Council office where the forum is held has been closed.
The protesters, many of whom are from Muslim welfare organsation Perkida and Islamic party PAS, shouted, “Hancur Bar Council” (Crush Bar Council), “Hidup Islam” (Long Live Islam) and “Batal forum” (Cancel the forum).
They are carrying placards saying “Jangan cabar Islam” (Don’t challenge Islam) and “Bar Council, Don’t play with fire”.
"Don't play with fire..."Among the protest leaders seen in the crowd are PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub and Zulkifli.
The protesters, many of whom came just before the forum began, later decided to sit down in front of the Bar Council building and vowed that they would not budge until the event had been canceled.
Some threatened to storm the building to physically stop the forum.
Among the speakers at the forum was a syariah lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla. Mohd Haniff represented the Federal Territory’s Islamic Religious Council in the case of R Subashini. K Shanmuga and Ravi Nekoo, who were counsel for Subashini and S Shamala, respectively, also spoke.
Personally I felt disappointed with Zulkifli Nordin from KeAdilan. He was voted by the people to represent all Malaysians, be it Muslims, Hindus, Christians or others.
The people voted for Pakatan Rakyat because they believe Malaysians have the chance to speak up and to be heard and not to be shut up by the ruling government of the day.
Non-muslims have the right to speak up as much as muslims do. What the Bar Council did for the open door forum is good for interfaith discussion, for openness and the healing process for all Malaysians.
It is the people who make & uphold the law and it's the people's right to hold a forum on it when it affects them. They did it openly and peacefully, anyone has the right to speak up but it is not right to threaten others to stop it with ISA and other abusive remarks.
If I am not incorrect, someone once told me in Islam, there is no compulsion in religion but I am seeing otherwise in the very country we live in.
What happened to acceptance and all the positive things we had in the early years of our nationhood? Is it a serious crime to hold a forum to discuss problem arising from conversion? If we cannot come and discuss openly, do you think it will be a better option to assume everyone is happy with the situation??
Lack of forum and frank discussion on sensitive issues will get the nation nowhere. I support transparency & accountability, but the way I view it, Zulkifli Noordin definitely need decide if he is fighting for all Malaysians, otherwise we will not go far to being truly a Bangsa Malaysia.
May god bless him with more patience and love for all Malaysians and for better foresights.
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