Malaysian Bar president Steven Thiru said the Perlis enactment could be challenged in the civil courts on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, The Star reported.

“The council’s stand on unilateral conversions of minors remains. The Perlis amendment is contrary to the Federal Constitution,” Thiru added.

Last month, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said tabled a Bill which puts in place legal safeguards against unilateral conversions of minors to Islam.

The proposed amendments will ensure that a child’s religion shall remain as the religion of the father and mother during the marriage prior to the conversion of either parent.

The Perlis legislative assembly yesterday, however, passed the Bill which allows for a child to be converted unilaterally.

Council of Churches of Malaysia’s (CCM) secretary-general Dr Hermen Shastri questioned the state’s move as Putrajaya had already given due consideration to the issue of unilateral conversion before it tabled the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016 on Nov 21.

“Other states may follow what Perlis has done and this will undermine a decision (on resolving unilateral conversions) which had been made at the highest level of the Federal Government,” he was quoted as saying.

“The Law Reform Bill was tabled to protect the freedom of religion in ensuring the peaceful coexistence of all the races.”

He reminded the people that the Law Reform Bill had been discussed at the broadest levels and a consensus was reached before it was tabled in Parliament.

Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism vice-president Jagir Singh told The Star if the Law Reform Bill is passed, it would supersede state legislations that go against the Federal Constitution.

Jagir, who is the head of the council’s legal portfolio, said that the Law Reform Bill was being enacted to resolve the issue of the erroneous translation of the word “parent” in Section 2(95) of the Federal Constitution.