Govt told to act against controversial Chinese Muslim convert preacher

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST) urgently appealed to all MPs, including federal ministers, to take action against controversial Chinese Muslim convert preacher Firdaus Wong Wai Hung.

Recently, Wong told a man on TikTok how to handle requests from teenagers to embrace Islam.

“The MCCBCHST was appalled by this immoral and illegal plan to convert minors,” MCCBCHST said in a statement, reported Malaysiakini.

MCCBCHST further said over the past 10 years, they had been vocally raising the issue but it kept falling on deaf ears of authorities.

“Therefore, the MCCBCHST made a desperate call to all MPs, including federal ministers, to raise this issue in the cabinet and ensure that this immoral and sinister plan was stopped immediately and action taken against Firdaus.

“If one were to be converted from Islam into another faith, we could expect an immediate outcry but why not in such cases?

“We are all God’s children. Please do not deny them their parents’ protection whilst they are minors and please do not destroy family units,” MCCBCHST said.

In the TikTok video, Wong suggested an illegal method on how teenagers could practice Islam discreetly so they could keep it a secret from others.

He was responding to a religious preacher during a Q&A session, Wong suggested welcoming underage non-Muslims to Islam but their conversion should not be officially registered or announced.

Defying the Federal Constitution

MCCBCHST emphasized that these actions not only defy the fundamental liberties safeguarded by the Federal Constitution but also disrupt its foundational framework.

“Article 12(4) provides that ‘for the purposes of clause (3), the religion of the person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his/her parents or guardian’,” MCCBCHST said.

The group also referred to the unanimous decision of the Federal Court in 2018, known as M Indira Gandhi vs Perak Islamic Department director and two others, which emphasized that both parents’ consent is required for the conversion of minors.

“Thus, this immoral, illegal and unconstitutional secret conversion plan proposed by Firdaus by simply uttering the ‘kalimah syahadah’ was void ab-initio for non-compliance with the Federal Constitution Article 12(4) as parent consent was not obtained.

“In Islam, the point of conversion is upon recitation of the ‘kalimah syahadah’ and not upon registration.

“In fact, not only was the parent’s consent not obtained, but the sinister plan included keeping the conversion a secret from parents’ knowledge,” said the MCCBCHST.

MCCBCHST pointed out that there would no longer be any safe place for children if schools themselves indulged in the immoral practice of converting minors.

Schools are places where knowledge is imparted, added MCCBCHST.

The group also referred to Article 12(3) of the Federal Constitution, which states that “no person shall be compelled to receive instruction in or participate in a ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than their own.”

“Thus, Firdaus ran afoul of this constitutional position too. The parents’ approval must first be obtained before preaching about Islam to minors,” said the group.

The statement was jointly signed by MCCBCHST president Tan Hoe Chieow and vice presidents Julian Leow Beng Kim, Chuan Yuan, Ganesh Babu Rao, and Sardar Jagir Singh.