Karpal slams BN for continuously raising Islamic state bogeyman

The Pakatan 2nd National Congress at Kepala Batas

Malaysia Chronicle

DAP national chairman Karpal Singh slammed the BN for always trying to turn the Islamic state issue against the Pakatan Rakyat, advising his colleagues to discuss ways forward so that the BN's attempts would not succeed.

"This needs to be settled urgently. DAP will defend the constitution and recognizes Islam as the official religion," Karpal said at the Second Pakatan National Congress in Penang.

But Umno says Malaysia is already an Islamic state

It is the long-held aspiration of PAS to form an Islamic state with hudud laws for Muslims. However, the secular DAP has resisted the idea of transforming Malaysia into an Islamic state.

Adding to the confusion are claims by Umno leaders at various points in time including former premier Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Badawi that Malaysia was already an Islamic state.

Nonetheless, legal experts say based on the constitution, Malaysia is still a secular state, with Islam the official religion.

It is the agreement among top Pakatan leaders including PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat and president Hadi Awang that they will continue with their partnership on the basis that if PAS wanted an Islamic state, it could keep striving for one if it managed to get the two-thirds majority in Parliament to change the constitution.

However, despite their clarity on the issue - which is that PAS, DAP and PKR have agreed to differ as far their core philosophies are concerned - the BN media has continued to treat the issue as the Pakatan's Achilles heel and attacked them mercilessly on the matter.

"Why should either PAS, PKR or DAP give up its individual ideology and identity? We believe Malaysians are matured enough to understand there is greater strength in diversity. For those who do not, we hope to show by example the way out of a parochial and narrow-minded society," PKR vice president Tian Chua toldMalaysia Chronicle.