Why Sabah DAP refuses to accept RUU 355, Hudud

Kota Kinabalu: DAP Sabah said it refused to accept RUU 355 and hudud because non-Muslims felt uncomfortable with Islamic laws."Islamisation in our country is getting prevalent and it is not for the Government to deny anymore," said DAP Sabah Chairman Stephen Wong.

Wong, who is also the MP for Sandakan, had recently brought up an issue in Parliament regarding Julitah Bahiau who was not able to amend her son's birth certificate in which he was identified as a Muslim.

"From the start of the saga this has obviously been a mistake, it has been the National Registration Department's error in identifying Julitah's religion. Julitah was never a Muslim, but why has the NRD refused to right the wrong but now advised Julitha to go for the Syariah court instead?" said Wong.

To date, he said, Julitah's son, seven-year-old Aryton Verlando, is still unable to attend school as the NRD has withheld his birth certificate and the case remained unresolved until today.

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Wong said according to a news report on Feb 22, Julitah gave birth to Aryton in Hospital Likas back in the year 2010 and she was shocked to find out that her son's birth certificate listed his religion as "Islam".

"Despite lodging a complaint at her first opportunity seven years ago, this is still not settled," said Wong during the debate on the motion of thanks to the King's address.

He said in the news report, Julitiah also mentioned that she and her family had always been practising Catholics, yet the NRD claims that she has a name with "Islam" wording, therefore, she was listed as a Muslim.

Dissatisfied with such insensitivity, she lodged a complaint to the relevant department which led to her son's birth certificate being kept by the NRD until today. Hence she has sought the release of her son's birth certificate.

Wong believed that what happened to Julitha is only the tip of the iceberg.

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He again reminded that the Malaysia Agreement guarantees freedom of religion and cultural freedom to the people of Sabah, but having the Government deprive the rights of the natives again and again is a serious breach on the spirit of the Agreement.

He also said what was written on the Oath Stone in Keningau is no longer relevant to the current government, therefore the Federal Government should return immigration powers and any powers related to national identification to the Government of Sabah, because the Federal Government is no longer capable of protecting Sabahan rights.

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