Good on Ivan Bien and Din Merican, and a host of other writers, who participated in the 'discussion' on PAS leadership policy pronouncements.

As expected, the PAS followers' reactions are as predictable as their leadership's public policies.

They would take umbrage whenever someone questioned their policies, always waving the Islamic banner and accusing critics of gross religious disrespect.

An assessment of the criticisms published - whether by Muslims or non-Muslims - would have shown that Islam the religion was not the point of contention, but rather the women-oppressive-blaming dictates of PAS leaders. As MA so eloquently puts it, and reemphasised by other writers, "politicians who mobilise religion as a tool should not enjoy the freedom to cause offence and immunity from retaliation."

I showed the PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat's statement on lipstick and perfume to both an Egyptian and a Pakistan friend (both Muslims and of the Sunni denomination) - they enjoyed a good giggle. They certainly would like to know which part of Islamic teachings suggested that beautiful women should not be given jobs as they already have the "assets" to ... whatever!

I am very glad that malaysiakini's letters forum provides the opportunity for these angry PAS supporters to write in and warn non-Muslims writers like me off. To these PAS supporters, criticising PAS leaders is, as far as they are concerned, an off-limit practice particularly for non-Muslim personalities.

And this even before PAS has gained federal electoral victory and assumed control of the Malaysian government. Thank you for showing us your true colours, for the intolerant party that you are and will be.

When a citizen cannot or is not allowed to criticise his/her government's policies, or that such would not be tolerated, one immediately thinks of the Taliban, Saddam Hussein, Khomeini, the Burmese generals, the Sudanese generals, and those dictators all over the world and throughout history.

Raja Petra Kamarudin tried to persuade the non-Muslims that "all PAS is proposing [for Malaysia is] maintaining status quo." But before we may even finish digesting his promise, he then went to sneak in a small qualifier that PAS is merely proposing to bring about the hudud laws. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for us, malaysiakini didn't allow this qualifier to the promise of "status quo" to be in font size 0.25. This "very small" change would be akin to a small push for a man who is standing at the edge of a cliff!

Thank you very much, Raja Petra, we would prefer the status quo as it is now compared to your proposal. It is in fact this change to the status quo that you and PAS have proposed that is frightening most of us.

We look around the world to seek examples of PAS or your proposal and are grateful that here in Malaysia, bad as it may be, it is still a lot better than what could be.

In the same manner as Raja Petra Kamarudin has tried to persuade us to accept PAS, there have been several instances where this covert form of political persuasion has been coming from PAS members.

Knowing the general aversion of the non-Malay and non-Muslims for PAS and its avowed intention to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state, PAS members have cloaked their persuasion and appeals for this sector in terms of registering in a protest vote against the Barisan National.

I hope non-PAS supporters will exercise the greatest caution and not accept this very dangerous persuasion. The excesses of Umno and its allies may be unpalatable but will eventually be easier to minimise, if not rid off, than the non-negotiable PAS policies inevitably cloaked as the proclamation of the divine-inspired.