IntenseDebate

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - The Malaysian Insider · 0 replies · +3 points

... the only way forward would be for the state religious authorities to appeal to the Federal Court and to all of Malaysia as a sovereign Islamic political entity ...

This scares me. Wouldn't a sovereign Islamic political entity be imposing Islamic laws on all citizens?

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - DAP unhappy with guill... · 0 replies · +1 points

Now I'm no lawyer, so correct me if I'm wrong on my layman legal commentary. But isn't it that each citizen, regardless of religion, is supposed to enjoy equality under the law? Why then are these Muslims so keen to surrender their rights - which have been much dented by the dual-track legal system - to be subject to more severe punishment than their non-Muslim counterparts? Are they masochists?

I strongly hope that Pas and their conservative Muslim counterparts will begin to respect the separation of religion and state, and stop holding the government responsible for matters of faith, which are strictly between them and God.

There are no two ways about it. Malaysia is not a theocracy. Even if you dispute the fact that Malaysia is a secular state, you can't deny that it's not a theocracy.

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - Christian student made... · 0 replies · +84 points

The key issue is that the school has disregarded parental consent. Apparently the child's consent is sufficient for her to attend Muslim prayers.

Last I remembered I never had such freedom as a minor. Practically everything requires parental consent.

Even Harry Potter wasn't allowed to go to Hogsmeade because he didn't get a permission form from the Dursleys. :P

Really, what provides the school with the right to override parental 'veto power'? Islam?

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - Selangor Umno blames C... · 2 replies · +336 points

Want some answers? Here are some.
1. State-sanctioned discrimination, rampant corruption and cronyism
2. Education system on the decline
3. Increased religious extremism and ethnocentric bigotry courtesy of Umno-endorsed organisations (and Umno itself)
4. Urban-rural infrastructure gap
5. Undemocratic practices: limited time for Opposition debate, malapportionment and gerrymandering, and other forms of electoral fraud
6. Failure to reduce economic inequality under the NEP and economy performing below potential.
7. Aging, irrelevant leadership with little sympathy towards on-the-ground affairs
8. People starting to embrace the idea of a two-party system
9. The perception that there is one law for Umno supporters and another for the others
10. The impartiality of the judiciary system appears to have been compromised

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - A letter for the moral... · 0 replies · +73 points

'Shouldn’t you realise that your insistence for Ibrahim’s prosecution would only cause more tensions?'

How would you justify the way the Malaysian Government's selective prosecution acts in favour of a man who has repeatedly incited Muslims to hate non-Muslims, especially Christians? This is not a question of mercy - this is a question of whether the AG is acting impartially.

I think what you are hinting at is that Ibrahim should not be charged for sedition. No, he shouldn't. But the Penal Code has the provisions for his prosecution anyway.

As long as Ibrahim Ali is not prosecuted, it shows that citizens do not enjoy equal protection under the law, with stricter punishment for those who insult the Malay-Muslim institutions, and leniency for those who insult non-Muslim ethnic groups and religious bodies.

What provides these extremists the freedom to run amok without legal action while all non-Muslims can do is sit and watch as their institutions are being desecrated and mocked publicly in the name of Malay-Muslim authority? And what government do we have, one that sits back and pretends nothing ever happened?

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - Threats to kill, beat ... · 0 replies · +20 points

Some Muslims wonder why some of Malaysia's non-Muslims hold Islam in such low regard. This article is one of the reasons why - Malaysian Muslims threatening violence over a non-issue. If Islam is to be upheld as Malaysia's official religion, putting Islam in such a bad light certainly does not help.

On another note, this is the first time I've heard an ustaz condemning 'pluralism'. I do not see how 'pluralism' threatens Muslims' religious commitments (see http://www.pluralism.org/pluralism/what_is_pluralism). Unless the isolation of Muslims from non-Muslim segments of Malaysian society is the Islamic way of life. Oh, erm, let me rephrase that - it's Malaysia's religious authorities' interpretation of Islam.

If that is indeed what Malaysia's Islamic authorities advocate, Zainuddin Maidin should be corrected (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/chinese-choose-self-isolation-by-not-mastering-malay-says-ex-umno-minister). It appears that it is not the non-Muslims who isolate themselves from the Muslims, but the Muslims who isolate themselves from the non-Muslims, by setting themselves apart from the non-Muslims on the grounds of religious superiority.

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - I have nothing to do w... · 0 replies · +68 points

It's not necessarily corruption. Might just be someone wanting to please the boss.

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - Chinese choose self-is... · 0 replies · +23 points

Why has it become a necessary criteria for the other party to know the Malay language for the Umno Malay to 'accept' the other party? Simply absurd!

Is it so difficult to say hi in another language?

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - I suggested Bible-burn... · 0 replies · +3 points

To clarify, there are Christians who distribute Bibles in front of schools. I am not sure how actively this is done in Malaysia, but I am confident that they exercise their discretion in the case of schools with Muslim populations, for fear of legal retaliation.

However, how is the Bible-giver supposed to differentiate between a Muslim and a non-Muslim? The rule of thumb in Malaysia is, if he looks like a Malay, he is most probably a Malay and a Muslim. But no one can tell what you believe in from your face alone.

As such, I think if a Muslim finds it improper for him to accept the Bibles, he should politely refuse. These Bible-givers may not be intentionally approaching Muslims, and it's not like Muslims do not have legal protection in that area.

Besides, I do not think Muslims regard the Bible as a 'haram' object. Rather, if I remember correctly, Muslims regard Bibles as being a 'distorted' version of God's word. That's why I find Ibrahim's comment absurd, even in the context of Islamic belief.

9 years ago @ The Malaysian Insider - Indonesian scholar is ... · 0 replies · +25 points

Could Putrajaya please clarify whether Islam is universal, or there is one god for Malaysia, and another for the rest of the world? I do not see where in the Constitution is the Government obliged to protect one religious denomination in particular.

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