MP SPEAKS | Was there a BN consensus principle to defer amendments to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976?

On the 25th of last month, I issued a statement expressing my worry and fear that the amendments to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 might not be debated in the Parliament. In my statement on the bill to amend the Act, I said:

“The above bill was to be debated this week as it was listed as number four in the Order Paper of Parliament for the last two weeks. Now in the third week of the parliamentary session, has been pushed down to number eight. This clearly indicates there is no priority in getting this bill passed”.

It is most sad, unfair and irresponsible that the bill which was tabled in November last year and meant for debate in the just-concluded parliament sitting, was confirmed deferred on April 6.

Unilateral conversion of minors has inflicted many mothers and children for many years and it has taken the government seven long years to finally come up with the necessary amendments after the 2009 cabinet’s decision to ban unilateral conversion of minors.

Yet now the bill has been deferred.

The BN government has failed M Indira Gandhi and others who have suffered so much trauma and injustice for so long, how could it now defer the amendments?

Isn't it totally unfair and even heartless for the government to defer the bill?

What could be worse from the deferment is that the bill may not even be tabled in the next Parliament meeting...