Saturday, November 17, 2012

Urgent Political Transformation

Malaysia needs
URGENT political and social transformation.

This urgency is underscored by the opinion expressed 
in  the English daily, New Straits Times(NST) where I used to serve and report for many years, today.

In "Is Malaysia an Islamic or secular state?", a Malay political influencer asserted via flaws in man made law and names of states against historical and current facts that Malaysia is NOT a secular state but an "ISLAMIC STATE".

This conclusion flies in the face of current realities.

Malaysians of all races, religions and cultures and stations of life in all strata of society practice FREEDOM OF WORSHIP in a "SECULAR STATE".

We live in peaceful co-existence. 

We assemble and worship in thousands of religious places like temples, churches, mosques and shrines along the same streets or almost close by in various locations throughout Malaysia.

This has been going on for hundreds of years.

Under Articles 3 and 11 of Malaysia's Federal Constitution, all Malaysian citizens are blessed with the fundamental human and citizenship right to practice religious belief of their own choice.


This vital freedom of worship guarantee was agreed upon and written into the Federal Constitution by Malaysia's founding fathers and voiced by past Prime Ministers since Malaysia's independence in 1957.

So why the need to twist and turn Malaysia from a "SECULAR STATE" into an "ISLAMIC STATE" with the "I" in islamic in capital letter and the "S" in secular in "lower case" in apparent show of superiority?

The alarming headline opinion in NST column points to the urgency to invest and manage proactive and positive quality education reform to cultivate an open global mindset for rational thought, political discourse and debate and free effective social networking.

It highlights the imperative  for urgent political and social transformation in parallel with the current drive for economic transformation.

Surely Malaysia must show the political will and courage to act with maturity and wisdom via clear intellectual thinking, writing and doing to call a "spade a spade".

It must confront the challenge to take the bull by the horns and settle this fundamental state status.

This calls for urgent visionary leadership and bold action to steer new political transformation and direction inclusive of  right and just legislative overhaul and rational political and social reforms on top of the current economic transformation costing billions of ringgit in Malaysia.

Are entrenched pieces of obsolete legally flawed  baggage in state constitutions  like the unfair provisions for the top state government posts of Mentri Besar (Governor) and State Secretary to be held only by muslims NOT CONTRARY  to PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL JUSTICE, making a mockery of Malaysia's Federal Constitution and Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

In this advanced age of Google search, nanotechnology and space exploration, should muslims and non-muslims be separated under "DIVIDE AND RULE" NATIONAL POLICY like application of different laws - syariah and non-syariah - and muslims not being allowed to be christians rather laughable?

Should citizens be tagged in identity cards with religious connotation like "ISLAM"?

Could Malaysia, for God's sake, grow up in maturity after five decades of independence?

Would it not be in the public interest to uphold truth, righteousness and justice to strengthen its political and social justice foundation, structure and system of government, now almost dominated by Malay muslims, to keep abreast with global scenarios of equal opportunity and true meritocracy for all citizens irrespective of religion, race and culture?

Could intelligent writers apply rational analysis to build future great free open society in  modern and moderate Malaysia rather than use religion for political gain and self interest?

This urgency for openness, fearlessness and selflessness in the public interest must be recognized, valued and rewarded by enlightened good governance at the highest level.

This means giving freedom of worship, freedom of speech and the press, freedom of public assembly and freedom of association the room for constructive debate and rational improvement.

Could Malaysia's intelligentsia chart smart future course of the nation without diverting from pragmatic path of political moderation and modernization of thinking, culture and civilization, repeatedly stressed by top  great political leaders, past and present in line with Vision 2020, despite the push and pull of emotive demands
by narrow minded political players wanting to promote their own self or vested interests?

The future of a nation must depend not on whether to call it "SECULAR STATE OR  ISLAMIC STATE".

What matters most is the love of God as testifed by citizens in freedom of worship to practice the religious belief of their own choice and their love for one another in mutual respect, understanding and tolerance as fellow human beings.

Malaysia is at the crossroads in new era of rapid change.

Its economic transformation must be strongly rooted in good values and great culture of UNIVERSAL LOVE, GLOBAL HUMANITY and GREAT HUMBLE HARMONY, NOT ARROGANCE OF RELIGIOUS OR RACIAL DOMINANCE.  
 

    

       

   

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