He said as home minister, Zahid should ensure that the laws are adhered to, despite his close ties with Muslim groups, some of whom have criticised the judgment.
“Zahid is known for his close relationship with the ‘Islamic elements’ and NGOs in the country, and he must prevail over them to accept the court’s decision,” he said in a blog post.
“Anyway, a Number Two aspiring to be Number One must be willing to show a firm hand in a time of crisis, so this is a good opportunity for him to show his mettle.”
Zaid’s call comes in the wake of a statement by the Association of Muslim Scholars (PUM), who urged the police to exercise caution when enforcing the apex court’s ruling. Several other groups including muftis have also criticised the ruling as an affront to Islam’s status in the constitution.
On Monday, the court set aside the unilateral conversion of Indira’s three children to Islam by her ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, after ruling that any conversion of non-Muslim children must get the consent of both parents.
In the landmark ruling, the court also decreed that only the civil courts could decide on such matters.
It also ruled that the word “parent” in Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution should be read as “parents”.
The decision put an end to the interfaith custody battle that followed after Riduan converted their three children without Indira’s knowledge in 2009.
The couple’s youngest child, Prasana Diksa, is still with Riduan, despite a court order urging him to return her to his ex-wife.
Zaid said PUM’s call on the police was unbecoming of Muslims, “let alone those who call themselves scholars”.
On the other hand, he welcomed a statement by Prime Minister Najib Razak for all to respect the ruling.
“It will also allow the prime minister to reintroduce Section 88A to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, which was abandoned during the last Parliament sitting,” said Zaid, referring to a clause banning the unilateral religious conversion of minors.