My first reaction after reading the launching speech of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang announcing the party's document on Islamic State on Nov 12 was: anger, anger and more anger!

How dare PAS try to persuade me to give up my full citizenry rights guaranteed under the Federal Constitution and submit to its religious system which define 'justice' in a context that makes my religion inferior to Islam?

Let Islam rule over me and my neighbors, who believe not in Porphet Muhammad but Jesus or Lord Krishna or Buddha? This was not the deal our nenek moyang struck with each other in 1957. The Federal Constitution was drafted in such a way that all communities agreed to the minimum content of law that permit mutual co-existence.

We respect each other and we do not assert our value over the others. We agree to the common values we all subscribe to - justice, freedom, equality, compassion - and we never want to impose or be imposed by other's beliefs and values which is not part of our own.

That is why the constitution is secular in nature not 'secular' in the sense that religious values do not have a place in the laws of the country, but 'secular' in the sense that principles of universal values of all faiths and religions are manifested in our law, without subscribing to any one Holy Book which is deem superior than the others.

I never question my neighbors' religions; similarly they respect me and my belief. We have the decency of respecting each other's choice and agreed that we shall live peacefully in this beloved country of ours that permits diversity and plurality.

By asserting that in giving up my full citizenry right in order to receive the 'protection' from an Islamic State is blatantly arrogant, and is most humiliating to me and my faith. Doesn't PAS understand how offensive it is to be told that "as long as you submit to the superiority of my religion system (in this case, Islam) over yours, you will be protected"?

Why should I choose PAS if all that PAS can offer is already enshrined in the Federal Constitution? I agree that there are many wrongs that the current BN government is doing to me and my society, for example by dividing me and my neighbors into bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras, and racially discriminate us instead of treating all citizens as equal.

Yes, we are still fighting against many unjust laws like the Internal Security Act, Official Secrets' Act, etc. But all these exist not because the Federal Constitution allows them, but because the present government is abusing their power and blatantly infringing constitutional principles.

In fact, what PAS is offering now is much worse than what I am entitled to. Racial discrimination practice by BN government cannot be justified by any law, but in PAS' Islamic state, the quota system will continue on.

Despite Hadi saying that it could be done away, because "maybe the Chinese who have been rich for a long time suddenly become bored with their wealth and turn poor. Then, it will become our responsibility to protect the Chinese", this is not expected to materialise.

PAS' proposal even codifies religious discrimination by amending the Federal Constitution to deny me equal citizenry rights vis--vis a Muslim.

I do not want my children, as they try to exercise their right to contest in the general election with hopes of becoming the next prime minister, that they have no such right in this country, not because of political realities, but because the syariah says so.

I respect PAS' democratic right to publish its document on Islamic state, but I condemn its arrogant and discriminatory attitude towards religion.