Reading the passionate arguments by Shah, Anti-Rasisme Tulen and Min Num, two fundamental points seem to be missing from their letters. First, the solving of Malaysia's problems is not just the concern of Muslims but of all Malaysians of any religion. Secondly, the solution to our problems does not lie exclusively with Islam or with PAS.

Those who are pro-Islamic state forget that you do not speak for all Muslims, some of whom I am sure are not favourable to mixing governance with religion, nor do you not speak for non-Muslims who would also like to see changes in our government. Just because a political party waves the Quran in front of us does not guarantee the realisation of a fair and progressive government we all envision. Politics by its very nature is a corrupting influence.

That is why bringing religion into politics is not only contradictory, it is dangerous, because more than politics, religion touches us in deep ways. Which is why I, like many, strongly believe PAS is using Islam as their platform. You can argue and criticise BN, but you can't argue and criticise the Quran.

Just as you ask us sceptics to accept your honourable intentions for rooting for an Islamic state, you should respect those of us who do not subscribe to your solution. I can very well argue that a Buddhist state or Hindu state would equally achieve the objectives set out by PAS' Islamic state agenda. But that is wrong. We should advocate freedom of practicing or even non-practicing of all religions, and leave the government to run the country instead of running our spiritual beliefs.

I mention non-practicing because I noticed that in this whole debate, everyone assumes (remembering a previous letter from a Buddhist Malaysian claiming that he too was a good Malaysian because he was a good Buddhist who prayed frequently) that only those who are religious are recognised as moral and good. That is a flawed and dangerous premise to start with as we necessarily prejudge those who do not particularly practice any faith, and that hits at the core of why some of us reject the idea of a religious state.

Yes, as Anti-rasisme Tulen said, Malays may also face prejudice, but what makes your needs any more or less urgent than those of the minorities who have faced prejudice for generations? It seems we are going on a path of who is more deserving or who is more victimised, defining our political problems along the racial divide as it has always been defined. I would vote for a truly multiracial party (not an artificially contrived conglomerate like BN or its mirror, BA) who would strive to better things for all Malaysians of all religious backgrounds.

If PAS can promise a fair and democratic rule under an Islamic state, I do not see why BA cannot, nor why PAS as a political party cannot carry through their promise in a secular government scenario. That is one question that I have posed time and again and no one from the pro-PAS side has ever provided a decent answer.