It is very interesting to see the question of whether Malaysia should be an Islamic state put to the poll in malaysiakini. I see there is a significant proportion of Malaysians who favour it, at least among the readers of malaysiakini. It is very unclear what exactly is an Islamic state.

Malaysiakini did not explain it when this question was put to the poll, PAS never openly spelled it out and neither did Keadilan, which by allying with PAS should have a clear idea of what an Islamic state is. There are two articles about Islamic state in malaysiakini, but then again they do not explain much the thought of the people who propose Islamic state in Malaysia.

So why does malaysiakini ask people to vote? I voted against it, for no other reason than prejudice against the word 'Islam'. No one has the right to impose a way of life on me. Is this what an Islamic state is about? I hope not. My hope is that an Islamic state a state that is based on justice and with a share of the pie for everyone.

But if this is the case, what is the need to shout about it at all? Make a good law, no body is going to go against it. Put it to a test in a democratic way. I can only come to the conclusion that the party with the idea of an Islamic state has got more up the sleeve than just simple justice and a caring government.

It also means satisfying the need of a few individuals that the true ways to practice Islam is only known to them, and everyone else should fall to their ideal. Well, this is just what our present constitution goes against. So you can see my prejudice, and this is going to go on until somebody seriously clears a few issues to the rest of the people.

As for what PAS is doing in Kelantan, there is seriously a lack of coverage concerning that. I don't think there are many people outside Kelantan and Terengganu who know much about PAS' form of government.

I can understand the mainstream media for putting a cap on news from Kelantan and Terengganu, but an impartial media like malaysiakini should have filled up this gap. This is exactly the focus that can make malaysiakini a net contributor to Malaysia's information sources. Malaysiakini is becoming a media that is reactionary to anything that just happens to happen at present, which makes it a media that is not very different from most mainstream media.

The malaysiakini letters column reflects the sort of media malaysiakini is. They are reactionary and many of them full of vengeance. Malaysiakini has a few columnists who are good, but it is not enough. malaysiakini. It should be a world-class media, not another Third World media in a country that is already filled up with Third World media.

God bless the Internet. But until mortals know how to use God's blessing, there is nothing much else God can do.