Gerakan has expressed disappointment that the federal government has decided to defer the tabling of the amendments to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976.

The party’s law and human rights central bureau chief Baljit Singh said the bill was tabled last year and had been listed in the order paper for second reading at the just concluded Dewan Rakyat sitting.

“The fate of the spouses and children affected in cases of unilateral conversion and interfaith custody disputes remains uncertain following the bill being pushed back.

“The longstanding issues that have been hurting the society due to overlapping jurisdiction between civil and syariah courts must be addressed promptly and effectively to enable social recovery.

“The government had and must now reassure those seeking fairness and justice especially for non-Muslims, whose lives have been affected by unilateral conversions of their children,” Baljit said in a statement...