The call comes following a recent amendment in Perlis’s state shariah enactments allowing either one parent to change the religion of a child to Islam, despite the federal government’s move to pass the new law banning unilateral child conversions.

“There are clear passages in the Quran enjoining us to feel the pain and misery of other human beings and to empathise and sympathise,” Zaid wrote on his blog today.

“Verse after verse demands that we love humankind and do justice to all, regardless of creed. Only those who do this will receive blessings from Allah.”

Zaid criticised Perlis assemblymen for passing the amendment last Thursday despite knowing full well the “pain and misery” unilateral conversions had caused in the past.

He asked how Malays would react if non-Muslims converted a Muslim child to another religion.

“How would they feel if (hypothetically) a non-Muslim parent could unilaterally convert a Muslim child to Hinduism or Christianity? They would cry: that’s not fair. The whole country would be in turmoil,” Zaid said, adding that such a “flawed sense of fairness” had made Malays “arrogant and smug” simply because the politics of the country did not allow for their kids to be converted out of Islam.

“Malays do not care about being fair to non-Muslims because their Muslim children are ‘safe’ and because they think God is on their side,” he added.

He accused court judges and Malay assemblymen of getting “excited” and feeling good when a non-Muslim child became a Muslim regardless of the circumstances, even if that particular child knew nothing about Islam.

Zaid said Muslim MPs should join others to support the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Amendment Bill 2016 to be tabled in March next year.

“That’s if they really want to go to Heaven.”