I would rather Malaysia be in an Islamic state of mind than being a 'nominally Islamic' state. For a secular country with Islam as a mere official religion, Malaysia fares much better than so-called Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. For one, Malaysia doesn't have to be hypocritical about being all-Islamic and at the same time, unable to realise the Islamic ideals.

There are so many Muslim countries out there that just don't live up to their claims. Why sink to their level? Why be one of them? Even the supposedly lenient United Kingdom isn't as tolerant as Malaysia when it comes to religion, language and customs. Oh, we still have a long way to go, but for a start, I hope my fellow Malaysians would just get over their complex and insecurity about their cultural/religious identity and just be content of who they are.

We can't be Middle Easterners; we can't be Westerners. Their brands of extreme puritanism and extreme liberalism are not suited to us. Malaysians should do what they do best: put up with each other.