Monday, March 12, 2007

The call for an Islamic State in a plural society like Malaysia is not only unconstitutional but also incompatible with the plurality of this country

It seems that PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has not given up the hope to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State.

Hadi Awang also twists and turns the fact that there was no reason why they (the non-Muslim) could not accept the concept of an Islamic state, since non-Malays accepted capitalism, socialism and other Western ideologies, as reported in today News Straits Times.

DAP Selangor would like to remind Hadi about the very fundamental foundation of the country – despite that Islam is the religion of the Federation, Malaysia is not an Islamic State and other religions can be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Malaysia.

It is this main idea of the doctrine of separation of religious elements from various nation building agenda including the administration of governments from various levels.

And therefore for Hadi Awang to call for an Islamic State in a plural society like Malaysia is not only unconstitutional but also incompatible with the plurality of this country.

To accept that Malaysia is an Islamic State is no difference from abandoning the 50-year Merdeka “social contract” that Malaysia as a democratic, secular and multi-religious nation with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic State - whether ala-PAS or ala-UMNO, whether through the UMNO and Barisan Nasional “Islam Hadhari” or the PAS Islamic State Document.

In fact, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the second Prime Minister, Tun Razak and the third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn publicly and the fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir (for the first 20 years as PM) had championed and defended the Merdeka compact of Malaysia as a secular democracy with Islam as the official religion.

It is a fallacy that just because the majority of the populations of a country are Muslims, the country must become an Islamic State, as the majority of the countries in the world with Muslim majorities are not Islamic States.


The best example is our neighbour, Indonesia, whose population is 88% Muslims or over 200 million Muslims out of 230 million population. Indonesia, however, is not an Islamic State, but a secular republic and a motion to turn Indonesia into an Islamic State based on shariah law was defeated in the Indonesian Parliament four years ago by the overwhelming majority of Muslim MPs!

Therefore, Hadi Awang should acknowledge that Malaysia is a plural society and that any call to turn the country into a state of any religion, be it Islamic State, Catholic State, Christian State, Buddhist State or Hindu State is unconstitutional, incompatible in Malaysia and violate the fundamental basis of nation-building process.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

remember DAP if you wish to perform well in the coming election DO NOT BE SEEN NEAR PAS.
But you can talk terms with PAS after the GE, NOT Before.

Anonymous said...

I shall support Islamic State if:

--it can guarantee liberty, equality and democratic rights irrespective of race or religion;

--it makes all other religions equal as Islam;

--it can guarantee that liars like khairy who use Islam to fool the Malay (well, listen to him bluffing on Malay must control halal food, liar, he thinks Islam is for Melayu only?) and be punished, preferably by stoning to death.

If Islamic state cannot provide these justice, sorry, no support from me.

Anonymous said...

Please, religion is a personal matter but the country belongs to everyone. How can it possibly works if a country is run according to a set of values which is based on a particular faith when there are so many other practicing other faith. The state must remain secular and allow its people the freedom to practice whatever faith he likes.

Anonymous said...

Keep Islam at home

Anonymous said...

The very idea of changing Malaysia into an Islamic State is as repulsive and insensitive as it is unnecessary; just as much as supposing a leader shmewhere in the world was to champion a Buddhist State, Hindu State or a Christian State.

Religion is a personal thing and we should leave it at that. Islam governs the lives of Muslims, Buddhism on the lives of Buddhists and Christianity on the lives of Christians, etc. is a simple way on how things should work.

The very fact that PAS leaders have to place a religious tag to its politics with total disregard for the sensitivity of people of other faiths will cause non-muslims to reject them - no matter what they promised to do.

Anonymous said...

Malaysia is a country with a multi racial society. This we have heard countless number of times.
We have out flag, official flower, national car, national anthem, national monument, etc. etc all with no connection to any particular religion and which everyone accepts.

Why then must we have an official religion? There is no need for an official religion. Should there be an official race? Many of you might say there is one already.

Pray to what you believe. And what you believe is... what you believe.

Anonymous said...

Separate Religion from the Stae,

Keep Islam away from Politics

Politician defile Islam & bring bad name to Islam.

All faithful Muslims must stand to logic and not to emotions stirred by Ustaz, Haji, Imams, Politicians, who misused Islam for political gains, power, money and free sex.

Keep Islam out of Politics for the sake of keeping the sanctity & holiness of Islam.