VOXPOP 'When the young get enlightened, there will be no more room for corrupt creatures like the ones you described.'

Khir the gentleman, not Noh Omar, not by a long shot

vox populi small thumbnail TimsTime: Has there any action on the prawn farm in which the agriculture minister has an interest? If a minister can be so rude, how can he become an MB (menteri besar)?

Anyway, remember when Gerakan was fighting among themselves over who was going to be chief minister when Koh Tsu Koon went for a parliamentary constituency? They lost the whole state to Pakatan Rakyat. It will happen in Selangor.

Fat hopes that Noh Omar will ever be MB. He will be very lucky if he doesn't lose his deposit come GE13. Noh Omar can continue to dream, but I am afraid that it may be his worst nightmare.

P Dev Anand Pillai: Keep up the good work, Sekinchan state assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim. Eventually when the young get enlightened, there will be no more room for corrupt creatures like the ones which you had described.

Multi Racial: There are good and bad politicians in Pakatan and BN. Comparing both at the moment, it skews toward Pakatan on having more good politicians.

Besides, BN have been given a chance to govern this country for 55 years and the results, when compared with neighbouring countries, show that BN failed.

So it is time for us to give Pakatan a chance to take this country to a new level. For a start, we have to wipe out corruption and the racial divide. And bring back efficiency.

S Ravichandran: Was there a need for a three-parter on this fellow? Who cares about him? Why don't you interview Khalid Ibrahim. We are more interested to know from him how he will keep Selangor out of Umno's hands.

Please, he also has to explain how the land from Talam became so corrupt. Forget about this nobody YB, ask him to go check the drains and potholes instead of talk, talk, talk.

Isaac: I think Malaysiakini has interviewed Khalid not too long ago. Ravi, have you got no brain to look for the older post? Or are you just plain lazy?

Not Convinced: Ng Suee Lim a nobody? How can any Selangorian forget the man who brought down former MB Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

In defence of the secular state

Fair Play: So, Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa, from your article it appears that the concept of an Islamic state stemmed from a bad experience in the Islamic world and had nothing to do with the West. Question is, how many Muslims are capable of thinking independently like you?

Onyourtoes: Dr Farouk, please don't use the presence of sizeable non-Muslims in the country as one of the arguments against an Islamic state. Secularism is the most logical government, irrespective of the religion that was practised by the majority in the country.

There shall be no compulsion in religion, and religion shall never be used as the mega indoctrination machine that we have seen centuries past.

Where is our genuine faith when the state sanctions and coerces citizens to believe a certain god and defies others? When a government has to take side on behalf of a religion, it is obvious that the religion is a very insecure one.

Rahman: Dear Dr A Farouk, the concept of Islamic state is clear and succinct in verse 41, Surah Hajj of the Holy Quran meaning: ‘Those who when given power on this earth establish prayer, fulfill zakat, enjoin good and forbid evil.'

That is the vision of an Islamic party winning election enacting laws and running the nation according to Islamic doctrines.

There are many other verses in the Quran on how rulers should manage affairs of the nation in accordance to Islam. How can you claim that the Quran makes no mention of Islamic state?

Anonymous_3f15: If you ask 10 Muslims to define an Islamic state, they will give you 10 different answers.

During the Prophet's time, there was no concept of statehood yet, so where did Islamic state come from?

Nowadays, people prefer to argue about semantics and exploit people's ignorance. Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared Malaysia an Islamic state but PAS thinks its version is better. Anyway, Muslims love polemics, they will never get a consensus on this subject.

Some say it exists, some say it doesn't. Even when debating on the divinity of the syariah, there is no ending, it even varies from state to state.

Odin: Turn Malaysia into an Islamic state, and it will not be that as you know it now. Sabah and Sarawak will definitely pull out.

In peninsular Malaysia, those non-Muslims who have the means, or the ability to do so, will emigrate; those who don't will try their darnedest best to get their children to leave permanently.

The new Malaysia will, after a few years, be among the most technically advanced, economically successful countries in the world. Crimes will be a thing of the past.

You will most likely see men in robes and turban sporting goatees and moustaches - and never mind if there's a day's march from one strand of hair to the next - going about.

Women will be a rare sight; and if you do get to see them, they will be all covered in black and peering through a patch of gauze. The Gregorian calendar and English will be banned as has just happened in Saudi Arabia.

A wonderful scenario. Yes, turn Malaysia into an Islamic state and enforce hudud. Now.

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