Cahaya’s Rants

The deputy Prime Minister’s statement of “Malaysia is an Islamic state and not a secular one” has sparked a furore in Malaysia.

And like the proverbial ostrich that likes to stick its head in the sand, the authorities in Malaysia have told the media to stop reporting on the issue because it causes “tension”. Yeah, that’s the way to block debate on a very controversial and sensitive issue!

The issue ought to be brought up front and center because the people of Malaysia deserve to put to rest once and for all any doubt regarding the rights and guarantees of Malaysians as laid out in the constitution. Is Malaysia an Islamic state or is it a secular one? Are the federal laws supreme or do the sharia laws trump the federal laws? What exactly does freedom of worship mean as per the constitution?

I concur with Bishop Paul Tan, the Chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, that the term “Islamic state” is an unacceptable one. The growing Islamization of Malaysia is a legitimate cause for concern for Malaysians. Recent cases where Islamic laws have been cited by the civil courts for declining to hear inter-religious disputes have caused great concerns to the non-Muslim population.

Many Malaysians are aware the reason the deputy Prime Minister made the statement is purely political, still Malaysians need to be assured that the federal laws and not sharia laws are supreme in the land.

When the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak joined the Malay Federation to form Malaysia in 1963, they did not join an Islamic state! There!