Democratic Forum: No Debate on Islamic State?

As posted and requested by Tony Pua.

Democratic Forum: No Debate on Islamic State?

Panel of Distinguished Speakers:
Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Opposition Leader
Ambiga Sreenevasan, Malaysia Bar Council President
Malik Imtiaz, Human Rights Lawyer
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, PKR Treasurer
Rev Dr Hermen Shastri, General Secretary, Council of Churches*
Lim Guan Eng, Secretary-General to DAP

* To be confirmed

Venue: KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
Date: 25th July 2007 (Wednesday)
Time: 7.30 pm

If you feel strongly about the above issues, please bring friends and turn up in full force! Please forward this post to all concerned parties.
_________________________________________

As reported by Bernama, the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak proclaimed on 16th July that “We have never, never been secular... we are an Islamic state.”

Subsequently, as reported in Malaysiakini, the Internal Security Ministry has confirmed that they have given a directive to all mainstream media not to publish any news on the issue of Malaysia being an Islamic state.

Publications Control & Al-Quran Texts Unit senior officer Che Din Yusof said, “Yes, we have given the directive to all mainstream newspapers. Islam is a sensitive issue. They cannot publish any news on whether the country is secular or Islam.”

However, he said newpapers can still publish statements from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak on the country being an Islamic state.

“Reaction from political parties and the public cannot be published especially the negative reactions,” he said.

In light of the seriousness of the above two major development on a 'democratic', multi-racial and multi-cultural Malaysia, and the reluctance of other BN component parties to pick up the gauntlet, the DAP is organising a public forum to discuss the above issues.

_________________________________________

Sagaladoola's note:
Previous related articles of http://sagaladoola.blogspot.com/
1) MCA Stressed: Malaysia Is Not What Najib Claimed
2) Weeping for a Merdeka State or Islamic State?
3) Hisham, Ultraman and Scared Kitty
4) MCA Bangsar Open Letter to UMNO Youth

Weeping for a Merdeka State or Islamic State?

Oh dear! This is what I found in Malaysiakini regarding the Malaysian Government response towards the media after the sudden infamous statement ‘This is an Islamic state : Najib’ :

‘Malaysia is an Islamic state and not a secular one’
‘Islam is the official religion and we are an Islamic state’
‘We have never been secular…’

Jeff Ooi and Haris Ibrahim (of The People's Parliament) have given proof (with black and white) to prove Najib's statements as unfounded and false. MCA said "We are a secular nation", Non-governmental Groups is standing on the same ground . Malaysia Is Not What Najib Claimed to be.


With that, Ministry bans Islamic state debate in media (from Malaysiakini)
The Internal Security Ministry has confirmed that they have given a directive to all mainstream media not to publish any news on the issue of Malaysia being an Islamic state.
-> Sensitive, can cause tension
-> No negative reactions


This directive says so much about the freedom of speech in Malaysia.
___________________________________________

There are 8 questions I would like to pose to the Internal Security Ministry:

1) If discussions by the media would be considered "sensitive, can cause tension", why did Najib issue such "sensitive, can cause tension" remark in the first place?

2) Why was Najib allowed to spout such remarks but the media are not given the same permission?

3) What is Najib trying to do? Is he trying to uphold the Constitution as created by his father Tun Abdul Razak, Tunku Abdul Rahman with the support of Tun Hussein Onn or go against it? Tunku, the Father of Independence had said in 1983 that Malaysia has always been a secular state with Islam as the official religion.

4) Information Minister, Zainuddin Maidin has periodically reminded media practitioners to respect the Malaysian social contract. Why is Zainuddin mum over this social contract issue?

Link: http://bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=263361

This is the remark passed by Zainuddin Maidin as reported by Bernama:
"Lately, I found that most of the (political) bloggers have the tendency to question the basis of the social contract which had been agreed upon by our forefathers," he said."

Why didn't Zainuddin Maidin remind Najib to "respect the status quo of the social contract which became the pillar of this nation."

5) If Najib thinks his claim is true, why did he not produce any supporting documents or thorough analysis on the issue when challenged?

6) Is Malaysia a merdeka state / freedom state? Does merdeka / freedom include freedom to speak and freedom to discuss and a free media? If not, what constitutes of merdeka?

7) Are there double standards on who should be banned, reminded or allowed to speak?

8) Does Najib have any hidden intention by bringing up an issue which has been solved aeons ago?

Tranungkite has the Malay version of the news. Even, the Muslims are ready for this dialogue.

Bobjots posted an interesting story Opposition representative Lim Guan Eng shared at a forum. :

The Thai media, Indonesian media and Malaysian media decided to ask God how to bring about media freedom.

After meeting God, the Thai media came out in tears lamenting how difficult it was to do so. The Indonesian media met God and came out in tears as well.

When the Malaysian media went for his audience with God, God saw who was coming ...

AND GOD WEPT!



Sad but true.

First it was wrongful arrest of Nathaniel Tan , and now this "strange" directive...

I can't hold back my tears. Now, I am weeping too ..... (while listening to Philip Glass's Violin Concerto - 1st Movement)

MCA Stressed: Malaysia Is Not What Najib Claimed

I happen to chance upon this BM article in Malaysiakini:

Malaysia sebuah negara sekular, kata MCA
Jul 18, 07 7:40pm
MCA menegaskan bahawa semua dokumen sejarah berhubung pembentukan perlembagaan persekutuan dan penubuhan sebuah negara yang merdeka menunjukkan bahawa Malaysia adalah sebuah negara sekular.....

Translation:
MCA stressed that all historic documents regarding the formation of the Malaysian Constitution and the creation of this independent country has proved that Malaysia is a secular state.

There was an issue with this a few years back with some leaders who spoke like Najib. All of a sudden, he claimed Malaysia is an Islamic State in public. His intention of such unexpected utterance is unclear. Malaysian readers can pass their own judgment on our current Deputy Prime Minister. After all, politics in Malaysia mainly runs on the concept of race and religion.

MCA was responding to these statements in a Malaysiakini report entitled ‘This is an Islamic state : Najib’ :
‘Malaysia is an Islamic state and not a secular one’
‘Islam is the official religion and we are an Islamic state’
‘We have never been secular…’

Jeff Ooi and Haris Ibrahim produced important points and old newspaper cuttings with statements from Malaysia previous statesmen, Tunku Abdul Rahman (who created the Constitution with other members of the independence committee) and Tun Hussein Onn.

The ex-Prime Ministers statements prove that Malaysia is an Islamic country (with Islam as an official religion) but not an Islamic State. In fact, Tunku was so concerned that he made a direct plead to the government to refrain from making Malaysia an Islamic state !

This is his exact statements:
‘The country has a multi-racial population with various beliefs. Malaysia must continue as a secular State with Islam as the official religion’.

Tunku was seconded by Tun Hussein Onn. It is definitely ironic that Najib's father, the late Tun Abdul Razak, who is also an ex-Prime Minister, participated in the 1956 delegation to London for independence of Malaysia. The British colonialists only allowed Malaysia to be free after the Constitution has been agreed by representatives from all races and both countries.

The message by Tunku was very clear. The words used are free from any ambiguity.

An important point that should be highlighted; Finally, MCA has taken the initiative to speak up. Somehow or rather, this action can be considered good. As the proverb goes, "It is better late than never". Currently, the general perception on MCA is not very positive. In the past, MCA had tolerated brandishing of keris with calls of "bathing in blood" in UMNO meetings even though the chinese community was obviously upset. It was a blunder to the credibility of MCA as a representative of Malaysian Chinese.

MCA should opt for persistency in speaking up against injustice and correcting wrong statements from BN component parties if there is an intention for the association to garner support from the grassroots.

I am comfortable with Malaysia being an Islamic country with certain Islamic family laws with the nature of a secular state. After all, Islam is a good religion if practitioners choose to practise the peaceful verses of Qur'an.

Islamic state equals to countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia. For the very least, that is what people all over the world and the mentioned countries thought of as Islamic states. In my opinion, Saudi Arabia looks more like a Medieval Arab State (pre-Islam). Perhaps they should not use the name of the religion as a label for their ultra-suppressive governance. Saudi Arabia does not allow any religion other than Islam to be practised.

Saudi Arabians come from the Wahhabi sect of Islam. Iranians are Shiah / Syiah Muslims (or Shiites).

Malaysian Muslims practise the Sunni version of Islam.

One of the "Prinsip Rukunegara" in Malaysia is "Keluhuran Perlembagaan". Translated, it means "Uphold and respect the Constitution". The same line can be seen at the back of a Sekolah Kebangsaan exercise book. Both primary and secondary school students are being taught to recite this at least once a week in general assemblies.


(Picture taken from Jeff Ooi )

Perhaps, Malaysians of various race and religion should just do that and everyone can live in peace and prosperity.