THE time has never been more 'appropriate' than now for Malaysia to stop bragging about many things, the most important of it being a 'united' multi-racial nation.

And Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should know better when he attends the Sept 10-11 Asia-Europe Meeting in Helsinki, Finland and attempts to portray Malaysia as a united nation.

Acceptance and tolerance of the different faiths practised by its 25 million people were long gone, if the May 13, 1969 racial riots were any indication. Now, in the era of the new millennium, there is little space left, much less any respect left, for revered qualities such as 'acceptance' and 'tolerance' among Malaysians.
(Malays and by constitutional definition (Article 160) all Malays are Muslims, form the dominant community in Malaysia, at 50.4 percent followed by Chinese at 23. 7 percent, Indians at 7.1 percent and others at 7.8 percent. Malaysia's population continues to grow at a rate of 2.4 percent per annum and about 34 percent of the population is under the age of 15).

Recent events have proven that Malaysians have little regard for enduring traits like acceptance and tolerance. Pak Lah can swear all he wants upon Islam Hadhari (Civilizational Islam), an interpretation of the faith vis-a-vis politics and ideology where the emphasis is on moderation, technological and economic competitiveness. But the truth back home tells a different story.

The fierce objection to the setting up of the Interfaith Commission and more recently the fanatical rejection of the forums held by Article 11 further reveal the fear long held by non-Muslims of that being sidelined someday in a country once founded on the basis of 'a nation of the people, for the people and by the people'.

Both the Interfaith Commission and Article 11 in no way questioned the standing of Islam as the national religion under the Federal Constitution nor did they question the sovereign rights of the Malays as per guaranteed under the constitution. The commission had sought to promote awareness of the tenets and beliefs of the diverse religions and faiths of the world and resolve disputes resulting from an infringement of religious harmony through mediation, negotiation or conciliation.

As for Article 11, a coalition of non-governmental organisations, it simply requests that the government reflect the true strength of the Malaysian Constitution which guarantees equality and freedom of worship, as the supreme law of the land. Article 11's formation is a result of the worry that Malaysia's Syariah or Islamic law courts had recently underestimated the primacy of the civil courts in several controversial decisions.

Being a multi-racial and multi-religious nation, there are bound to be tensions as the different beliefs and cultures 'collide'. These tensions not just circle around issues of apostasy but also include that of building and maintenance of places of worship as well as issues of propagation among faiths other than Islam.

The absence of a formal process for interfaith dialogue and a mechanism for the shaping of coherent interfaith policy in the country will only serve to worsen the already strained relations between Malaysians of different faiths. As Malik Imtiaz Sarwar (right), who in his capacity as the chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Initiative towards the Interfaith Commission of Malaysia put it in Aliran Monthly last year, "the only method of dispute resolution is by legal action in the courts, which, in the interests of peaceful co-existence, should be the last resort in disputes."

Pak Lah losing focus

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had proclaimed Malaysia as an 'Islamic State' and efforts have always been made through one way or another to ensure that the country remains just that, 'Islamic' to the core. The non-Muslims were quiet about this, just as they were silent when Dr Mahathir's successor Abdullah shouted pronouncements of Malaysia being a nation of 'Islam Hadhari'.

It seems both Dr Mahathir and Abdullah, at their convenience became oblivious to the fact that Malaysia is also home to the Chinese, Indians, Sikhs and Christians. Did the non-Muslims have any avenue to voice out their unhappiness over this? No! And the hardline Muslims made sure that any effort towards the formation of the Interfaith Commission was quashed. Never mind that these hardliners were completely ignorant of the honest-to-goodness role the commission could have played.

A statement issued by PAS Youth (Perlis) for instance, is a classic case of such ignorance. It touted that the proposed commission would be a government agency with legal powers to change the teachings of some religions (read Islam) on the insistence of the non-Muslims. And that the commission would mirror that of a court and all its decisions would be final on the religion involved.

It is precisely due to this ignorance that the Interfaith Commission never saw the light of the day. The proposed commission was in no way an adjudicatory body and this was stated repeatedly in media reports as well as at the Conference on the Initiative towards the Interfaith Commission of Malaysia.

The fact that the Commission never took effect goes to show the level of acceptance the Abdullah Administration has of the non-Muslims in Malaysia. Abdullah again took the non-Muslims sentiments for granted when he warned the Article 11 coalition to not force the government to take action. He accused Article 11 of playing up religious issues and threatening to shatter Malaysia's fragile social balance by highlighting "sensitive" issues. It is given in Malaysia that "sensitive" issues should not be discussed openly.

The prime minister just as sternly warned the media to stop reporting on issues related to religious matters. And he has not ruled out using the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial against Article 11 members should they continue with their activities. So much for freedom of speech!

A dream shattered

They say each adversity brings with it a blessing. In the case of the non-Muslims in Malaysia, it could mean that the objection to the Interfaith Commission and the threats to Article 11 coalition serves as a wake up call to determine their place in their own motherland. If the hardliners and Abdullah's reactions are to be considered, then it does appear that non-Muslims in Malaysia have been ousted from their homeland. Little surprise then that many have long packed bag and baggage to find home in other parts of the world, where one's fundamental rights are given due respect.

To get hysterical over the forums held by Article 11 have shown that the current crop of non-Muslims are no longer willing to share Malaysia with their non-Muslim sisters and brothers, unless the latter embrace the country's dominant religion. Such subtle threats have never and will never cower non-Muslims into embracing a faith that has only served to create a disparity in their motherland.

During Article 11 coalition's forum in Johor Baru last month, Johor PAS commissioner Dr Mahfadz Mohamed, who was among those who protested the talk was quoted as saying that Article 11 was interferring in Islam which amounted to criminal action.

Mahfadz added: "We don't want to see apostasy continuing before our very eyes in a country that proclaims Islam as the official religion. The fact remains that once you're in Islam, there's no leaving. Only the Syariah Court can handle such matters as we consider this as meddling into our religious affairs."

Mahfadz 'justified' that unhappy Muslims were not opposed to the freedom of other religions. Then perhaps he can help explain the insecurity Muslims felt with the Article 11 forums and the proposal to establish an Interfaith Commission.
Maybe Mahfadz has a better 'insight' on why last year an angry mob attacked a commune run by a Malay apostate, Ayah Pin. The Muslim moral police are aggressively targetting Malays for "deviant" behavior, trespassing all rights of privacy and going so far as in trying to set up "snoop squads" in some states. As for the Syariah Courts, they have long been seen to be over-stepping their boundaries in making rulings involving non-Muslims. What can Mahfadz say to all these?

News from experts that the Malays, Indians and Chinese have been drifting apart is what should be worrying Pak Lah. A recent survey revealed that the majority of Malaysians no longer trust one another and seek refuge in their own ethnic community, negating any efforts crafted by the government to display the country where its people are living blissfully.

The non-Muslims have been jolted to a rude awakening. One can only pray that Pak Lah through his Islam Hadhari will be spared the trauma of such a jolt.
So much for 'Malaysia for Malaysians'!