SIS shouldn’t take all the credit

The declaration of SIS as deviating from the teachings of Islam by MAIS has led to some quarters attributing the success of women in Malaysia to feminisme, which was claimed to be championed by SIS.

I beg to differ.

SIS was formed only in 1985.

Prior to that, in 1975, The First Muktamar Wanita Islam was formed and officiated by the then prime minister Allayarham Tun Abdul Razak. Women were already emphasized as important contributors to workforce, but at the same time to be respected for their role as wives and mothers.

We also have other government agencies like Pertubuhan Kebajikan Perempuan Islam, Pertubuhan Bantuan Wanita Islam, Pertubuhan Tindakan Wanita Islam (PERTIWI) apart from NCWO which was formed in 1963.

Majlis Penasihat Kebangsaan Mengenai Integrasi Wanita Dalam Pembangunan (NACIWID) was formed in 1976, that led to the development of another body Urusetia Hal Ehwal Wanita (HAWA) in 1983. We also have KEMAS and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) that oversee the welfare of women in rural area.

These earlier women’s groups elevated the status of women in Malaysia without resorting to approaches that were against the Syariah. They have worked together (and still are) with Majlis-majlis Agama Islam Negeri.

Married Women and Children Enforcement Maintenance Act was in fact passed by the Parliament in 1968 and a year later the concept of Equal Pay for Equal Work was put in force.

These were years before the adoption of Convention of Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by WHO in 1979 that include article 16 that goes against the Islamic Syariah Law pertaining to marriage and family relation as well as the controversial article 2 that condones LGBT which SIS has fully supported.

Why is SIS taking all the credits on the achievements of Muslim women in Malaysia?

Many Muslim Women NGOs are playing their role in educating and guiding women on their rights within frame of syariah boundaries. Wanita ISMA, Wanita IKRAM, Haluanita, the women arm of MACMA, KIMMA are among NGOs that focus on good foundation of family institution by defining fairness as equitability rather than equality. Values which are detrimental to the foundation of families such as adultery, homosexuality, marital violence are dealt with delicately rather than being brought to the media galore flaming the emotions of many against Syariah, when it’s actually the lack of understanding of Syariah provision that was the root of the problem.

Rather than solving these marital cases, SIS used them as tools to bring forth the agenda of women’s right from the non-syariah compliance perspective of the western values.

I remembered learning a lot of contemporary legal rights of women in Islam through a radio broadcast in IKIM.fm delivered by Prof Dato Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin, when she was the Director of IKIM, through provisions provided by Syariah that are in no way, asking us to blame the syariah law as being patriarchal.

I would like to reiterate that SIS ought not take credits of women’s achievements and rights in Malaysia. Rather many of us believe that it’s due to our faith in Islam that help us understood our equal rights with men through the equitability of roles as provided by Syariah.


Prof Madya Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar
Chief Information, Wanita ISMA

Source