Two recent developments illustrate the continuing effort in Malaysia to enforce the protection of religious liberty found in the country's Constitution. Yesterday, the Khaleej Times reported that Malaysia's Education Ministry has overturned a school's attempt to force a Sikh student to shave off his facial hair, kept for religious reasons. The Ministry ruled that religious practices should be permitted if they are not extreme. Senior ministry official Khusaini Hasbullah said that for the Sikhs, this means they can wear a turban and keep facial hair.
The Financial Times yesterday reported more broadly that Malaysia is reviewing its Islamic religious laws after recent protests that they infringe on the rights of non-Muslims and women. However, the review will not challenge the jurisdiction of Sharia courts over family law issues. Last week, the government suspended a new Islamic family law bill criticized as injurious to women. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has also promised clarification of laws on religious conversion to Islam after a recent dispute over the Islamic burial of an ethnic Indian whose religious affiliation was in dispute. (See prior posting.)
