We refer to the Malaysiakini report Ka Ting: Allow converts to renounce Islam .

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism welcomes the comments made by MCA President Ong Ka Ting in Parliament last week.

The sentiments expressed by the MCA president are shared by right-thinking Malaysians from all religious traditions throughout the country.

We urge all state governments and the Federal Government to act urgently to remedy the loopholes in the law so that all Malaysians can freely profess and practise their religion in peace, whilst preserving family harmony as far as possible.

Conversion to Islam should not be abused as a means to evade one’s legal obligations to one’s family. A person’s conversion to another religion should not cause pain and suffering for other members of the family. Any person who converts to Islam should have the legal right to revert to his former religion without any legal impediments. However, if such a person has a Muslim family, his reversion to his former religion likewise cannot be abused to evade his obligations to that new Muslim family.

A person’s non-Muslim family should not be disinherited simply because of that person’s conversion to Islam. That person’s Muslim and non-Muslim dependents must share his estate equitably so that no one is disadvantaged. In this regard, we would caution that drawing a line on the property of a deceased based on the date of his or her conversion may not be the best way of achieving an equitable result for all.

In reforming the law, the MCCBCHST’s memorandum submitted to the government in October 2005 contains a comprehensive statement of the necessary reforms which we believe will be fair to all parties, including the needs of the Muslim community. We urge all parties to carefully consider it. As always, we are happy to assist the Federal Government and all state governments in formulating these much needed reforms.

The writer is president, MCCBCHST.