Malaysia Was a Secular Country, and Should Return to Being One
This was my fifth and final post as PopMuda in PopIN:
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When the Federal Constitution was drafted, it was made very clear that Malaysia is a secular state, and Islam was only the official religion. Malaysia was never an Islamic state.
How come in 2007, the then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak boldly claimed that Malaysia was “never a secular state but an Islamic nation”?
Somewhere along the way from Independence, Islam took root in the governance and up until now, lobbyists constantly seek to declare Malaysia as an Islamic country. The religious status quo is fast becoming the authority—albeit one that tries to dictate the lives of Malaysians: disregarding personal rights, liberties, freedom of thought, and trampling over unbelievers.
Earlier this week, an ex-mufti was arrested for speaking up. Before that, Islamic vigilantes harrassed some youths—supposedly for “khalwat”—in their own home.
A concert was (shortly) banned for Muslims, and many others were cancelled—most likely the direct result of the senseless regulations. Unjust whipping is on the cards for a Muslim woman drinking beer.
Bibles using the word “Allah” were confiscated without explanation. Muslims led a protest against the relocation of a Hindu temple, calling for blood and desecrating a Hindu icon.
Muslims around the country seem to suffer from a victim complex, paranoid that everyone is out to get them. Every act is an offensive insult, disrespect and contempt by people manipulated by “enemies of Islam”
In their retaliation, voices get silenced, critics get persecuted, creativity is stifled.
These are all reasons why I am adamant that powers should not fall to Islamic moralists. Looking from the outside, it is clear that all the affronts violate sense and so many rights, but to the religionists, they actually believe that they’re doing it for God.
What can you say to someone who’s convinced that he’s doing the work of God? There is no reasoning.
To circumvent this, Malaysia should reassert its identity as a secular country. Becoming secular is not to reject religion. Instead, it just means that there should be a separation between it and the state. The government should not have a hand in, or interfere with religion (or lack of one).
I am weary of those who accuse that by not being religious, Malaysia will morally crumble and fall apart.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Denmark and Sweden.
Spend some time watching this video. It’s an interview with Phil Zuckerman, who wrote the book Society Without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment:
Denmark and Sweden are the two most secular countries in the world, and they have among the lowest rates of crime. It is also not a secret that standards of living in Scandinavian country is really high.
The least religious country, CAN also be the happiest country. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
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I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the PopIN team for having me as PopMuda this whole week. It has been wicked!
If you enjoy my short stint, do follow Unscientific Malaysia, and join our FB fan page. We are in need of writers, contributors and supporter.
I also blog at Coffee Conversations and tweet compulsively @zurairi.
Don’t let the view from religious fanatics being generalized as the Govt’s or other Muslims view on Malaysia as a Muslim Nation.
Takut apa kalo Malaysia jadi negara Muslim?
Masa Piagam Madinah, Rasullullah benarkan je YAHUDI hidup bersama-sama..
Aku tak rasa, kuil2 nnt will be attacked or kepala lembu kambing sumer kene pijak kalopun Malaysia negara Islam..
Cuma berharap, Malaysia sebagai Negara Islam paling kurang pun, dapatlah Undang undang Islam dijalankan secara meluas,for a start to Muslims..
Being a Muslim is not just about being happy..Like if you’re a good Muslim, you’ll be happy…A big NO…
I think you should dig deeper on both sides before concluding.
Jangan kerana nyamuk seekor, kelambu dibakar…
I did not just suddenly decide to write this article on a whim, it is a view which I have long advocated. So please, if you think I haven’t dug deeper, I would love to invite you to do so too yourself.
Perhaps the photo had fixated your point on just the Shah Alam incident and perhaps that’s my fault, but I wasn’t only talking about that. All the atrocities I have described were mostly perpretrated by the government or ruling authorities. The religious ARE in the government, and they ARE in power.
As a reaction to PAS’ increase in popularity, UMNO are now largely Islam-slanted. They used to be far liberal in the past.
At the moment, there is no such thing as an “Islamic state”. During the time of the Prophet, he was apparently a charismatic leader, and with him there was an exact, strict laws governing the non-Muslims. He was fairly just. That was why Muslims & Jews could live together at that time.
Do you suppose current leaders can lead as the Prophet did? I do not suppose so. Added with differing and squabbling views of Islamic interpretation, deep-rooted prejudice against non-Malays…Malaysia as an Islamic state will be a nightmare.
What’s to be afraid of an Islamic state? PLENTY.
What law to be prescribed to Malaysians? A dual-system of civil law and Islamic law? Probably hudud? Not only is that discriminatory, it is also unfair to judge citizens with double standard. For the Muslims? Oh, pity them being subjected to an anti-progressive law drafted hundreds of years ago and hasn’t changed a bit since then.
Modern Muslims also seem to go the opposite way with scientific enlightenment. Islamic creationism for example is on the rise, and if it continues, progressive seeking for knowledge will severely be stifled in Malaysia.
Having Muslims as the ruling elite is even worse. Even now the treatment to non-Malays have been horrible. With an Islamic state, these citizens are almost certainly bound to be relegated to second-string citizens.
I still summarised it the best in the article: “voices get silenced, critics get persecuted, creativity is stifled”
“Being a Muslim is not just about being happy”. I think that’s very apparent nowadays. Moral polices are out and about trying to make lives miserable for Malays and non-Malays alike. The motto of the government seems to be: “Oh, you’re Muslim. Please do not have fun.”
IT IS OUR RIGHT TO BE HAPPY. And if an Islamic state is not fully about being happy then…forget it.
Who wants to live our lives in sorrow, in despair, in fear? Not me. And I bet I can find other people who would share my view.
Malaysia as an Islamic country is not only unconstitutional, it is unreasonable.
But I hope you’re not missing my point. It is: religion and state SHOULD stay separate. Yes, any one can take up any religion, but the government should not waste their time meddling with it.
Please don’t take this personally ok. I am not here to accused you of not doing a thorough job in producing articles in your blooming blogs.
I suggest that you dig deeper..meaning, if you think you have dug enough..its not in my opinion by the way..hey, if you think thats enough for you then go on..Its a free country..
Islam yang dijalankan manusia dan Islam yang disyariatkan adalah sesuatu yang tak sama.
Manusia yang Islam tak semestinya mewakili Islam itu sendiri.
“The religious ARE in the government, and they ARE in power” <—i beg to differ
"Do you suppose current leaders can lead as the Prophet did?" <– I did not make such claim..
"Added with differing and squabbling views of Islamic interpretation, deep-rooted prejudice against non-Malays…Malaysia as an Islamic state will be a nightmare"
Malay=Muslims??? Muslims=Islam???
"Oh, pity them being subjected to an anti-progressive law drafted hundreds of years ago and hasn’t changed a bit since then" <— Humangaih!
"Modern Muslims also seem to go the opposite way with scientific enlightenment" <–perhaps you havent met any/many good enlightened Muslims
"Islamic creationism for example is on the rise, and if it continues, progressive seeking for knowledge will severely be stifled in Malaysia." please explain the meaning of Islamic creationism..Maaf lah English saya tak tip top..
"Moral polices are out and about trying to make lives miserable for Malays and non-Malays alike. The motto of the government seems to be: “Oh, you’re Muslim. Please do not have fun." <— What kind of fun? Again, what kind of happy that i'm talking baout in my last comment? I think we may have differing definition on these. Perhaps we should share them later.
Just nak declare sket : I am not politically inclined to any side..PAS ke UMNO ke..KEadilan ke..ok thats it..
Zack, aku kenal ko lama dah. Aku tau kita tak rapat pun..hai hoi pun aje kan..cuma aku harap,ko carilah diri ko,cari asal usul fitrah kejadian ko, <–bukan sbb aku judge ko ni..ok, aku suggest je..aku pon tak kate aku nih dah jumpa diri aku, asal usul fitrah kejadian aku,aku pon mencari..sebagai seorang Islam, man to man..woman to man ke.."Go find yourself dude" :)
Miss, you amuse me.
You say one thing but mean the other! Then you claim it’s not personal when there’s no semblance of professionalism. I fail to see what you’re playing at.
But you are right. You were never close to me, I doubt you ever knew me at all.
Considering I too do not know you, and I’m not as fond of telling people what they should do, I’ll just graciously say “thanks, but no thanks” to you.
Just because one is on another path from you does not mean that one does not have his own journey. I am satisfied and happy with the answers to my existence.
Are you?
Have a good day, sister! =)
Zack,
Sorry, i didn’t find any of these, amusing at all. But good for you if it does. You haven’t clarified some of things i’m asking in my second comment. Deflecting is not going to work. And please don’t call me ’sister’ (goosebumps). You can address me by my name or else stick to ‘Miss’.
To be fair, you have never answered my questions too, but hey, whatever suits you.
I’m sorry, I never got the impression that you were actually asking. Thought they were just rhetorical questions. But since you demanded it and I have some spare time, let me humour you:
1. Q: Malay=Muslims??? A: Yes, in Malaysia. Q: Muslims=Islam??? A: Literally no, but since the actions of Muslims are invariably the reflection of Islam, then yes.
2. On Islamic creationism: If you can put this much effort commenting, I’m sure you can put a little more effort researching too.
3. Q: What kind of fun? A: The only kind. Q: What kind of happy that you’re talking about in your last comment? A: You tell me. Seriously, I never knew there were more than one definition for “fun” and “happy”.
Thank you for answering my questions.
I search your questions in your comments by looking at the question mark you put at the end of those sentence. I do not feel the need to answer it since you seems to posed the question not to me but to yourself, so you can answer it in the effort of clarifying your argument. For every sentences end question marks, the next sentence will be your answer.
After reading your answer for the 3 questions i posed, i can come to my conclusion of your exact stance in this matter. With that i see no point cmmenting anything beyond this last comment.
However, i do like to point out that since you claim that you are not as fond as me on telling people what they should do,
“Considering I too do not know you, and I’m not as fond of telling people what they should do, I’ll just graciously say “thanks, but no thanks” to you.”
i would like to urge you to implement the same strategy in the issue you’re writing about.
Stop telling this,
“Malaysia Was a Secular Country, and Should Return to Being One”
Stop telling people what to do.