Why did PAS call the timing of MCCBCHST’s remarks inappropriate?

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PAS Criticised the Timing of MCCBCHST's Remarks Due to the Sanctity of the Final Ten Days of Ramadan

PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan asserted that the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) chose an inappropriate time to voice its objections to the proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355). This timing was deemed unsuitable because the final ten days of Ramadan are considered the holiest and most significant period for Muslims. During this sacred time, adherents typically intensify their religious practices, dedicating themselves to increased worship, Quranic study, mosque meditation, charitable acts, and other good deeds in pursuit of divine rewards.

Takiyuddin specifically highlighted that MCCBCHST's decision to raise objections and initiate polemics during this period was a deliberate action that disregarded the peace and spiritual well-being of the Muslim community. He argued that the council's statement, made during this intensely devotional phase, could be perceived as an impediment to Muslims strengthening their religious connections. The PAS leader suggested that the timing potentially created an atmosphere of disharmony between different racial and religious groups by disrupting a period of profound spiritual focus for Muslims.

The interfaith council's remarks, which questioned the constitutionality of the proposed amendments to Act 355, were viewed by Takiyuddin as an interference in Islamic affairs. He maintained that the proposed changes to the Syariah Courts Act do not contravene the Federal Constitution and that MCCBCHST failed to provide evidence demonstrating any adverse impact on the practices of non-Islamic religions. The timing of their statement, therefore, was not only insensitive to the spiritual significance of the period for Muslims but also, in Takiyuddin's view, an unwarranted intervention.

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Why did PAS call the timing of MCCBCHST’s remarks inappropriate?

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