WHY MALAYSIA IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY

Malaysia is not a democracy or a democratic country. PAS cannot even be allowed to talk about an Islamic State or Hudud without getting kicked out of Pakatan Rakyat, now defunct. Imagine if I were to start propagating freedom of religion to include Muslims being allowed to leave Islam? Do you know what Muslims will do to me?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

‘Ridiculing the government is part of democracy’, said Boo Su-Lyn, in The Malay Mail Online today. You can read that full article HERE but basically she is saying that in a democracy or a democratic country one must be able to criticise, oppose and disagree without suffering the consequences.

I would agree with Boo Su-Lyn if we were talking about a democracy, say like France. In France you can even make fun of Prophet Muhammad, Jesus Christ or Buddha and that is allowed. I mean even the French Prime Minister or President would march on the streets with tens of thousands of protestors to defend the right to insult Prophet Muhammad.

In Malaysia, however, that, by law, is not allowed. Hence we cannot say that Malaysia is a democracy or a democratic country and if this is what Boo Su-Lyn is suggesting then she is wrong or misguided.

Remember what the Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Ghafar Baba, said in the late-1980s? In defending Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s right to criticise the Rulers, Ghafar said it is not wrong to criticise the Rulers if they do something wrong. However, you cannot ask for the Monarchy to be abolished and for Malaysia to be turned into a Republic. That would be seditious and you can be sent to jail for that, explained Ghafar.

So, if just by asking that Malaysia’s Monarchy be abolished and for Malaysia to be turned into a Republic is a crime and you can get arrested and can get sent to jail for sedition, that would mean Malaysia does not allow freedom of speech. And that would also mean Malaysia is NOT a democracy or a democratic country. So how can Boo Su-Lyn say that in a democracy or a democratic country one must be allowed to ridicule the government when Malaysia is NOT a democracy or a democratic country?

Do you see that Malaysia must first become a democracy or a democratic country before we can argue what should or should not be allowed in a democracy or a democratic country? If Malaysia is NOT a democracy or a democratic country, then why argue that this or that should be allowed in a democracy or democratic country?

I mean this is just like a Christian arguing that Islam allows four wives so he is free to marry four wives. Yes, Islam allows four wives. But you are not Muslim. You are Christian. You must first become a Muslim before arguing what Islam does and does not allow.

Maybe Boo Su-Lyn does not understand the meaning of a democracy or a democratic country. And I do not blame her because many Chinese also seem to suffer from that same sickness or disease. I am not sure if that is due to the Chinese education system and whether Boo Su-Lyn went to a Chinese school or an ‘English’ school.

Boo Su-Lyn has to understand that Malaysia is NOT a democracy or a democratic country — well at least not in the real sense like France. For example, Muslims cannot leave Islam and became an atheist, Hindu, Christian, etc. Zunar cannot draw cartoons making fun of Islam or Prophet Muhammad.

Anwar got sent to jail twice for sex with another male, which should not happen in a democracy or a democratic country where sex between two consenting adults in no one else’s business. And Mat Sabu of Amanah got arrested for being in a hotel room with another woman who happened to be someone else’s wife. (And does anyone get arrested in France for sleeping with another man’s wife?)

So you see, it is no point arguing about what should or should not be allowed in a democracy or a democratic country unless you first understand what is a democracy or a democratic country. And considering what is and is not allowed in Malaysia (and considering that there are more that are not allowed than allowed in Malaysia) can you seriously argue that Malaysia is a democracy or a democratic country?

As I said, first become a Muslim and then argue that as a Muslim this is what I am allowed to do. It sounds extremely stupid when a Christian, Hindu or Buddhist starts arguing that as a Muslim this is what I am allowed to do. In that same spirit it is stupid to argue that in a democracy or a democratic country one must be able to criticise, oppose and disagree without suffering the consequences when Malaysia is NOT a democracy or a democratic country in the full sense of the word, say like France.

I mean Malaysia does not even allow a Communist party. Why can’t the Malaysian Communist Party be allowed? Many will not allow PAS or other Muslims to propagate an Islamic State with laws such as Hudud? What is wrong with fighting for an Islamic State and Hudud? In a democracy or a democratic country that should be allowed. So what is wrong with Lim Kit Siang and all those DAP Chinese? Do they think they are still living in Communist China or what?

Yes, Boo Su-Lyn is not a very clever person. I hope she is not a product of a Chinese school or else Chinese schools would get a very bad name. Why is she arguing that in a democracy or a democratic country one must be allowed to criticise, oppose and disagree without suffering the consequences?

Malaysia is not a democracy or a democratic country. PAS cannot even be allowed to talk about an Islamic State or Hudud without getting kicked out of Pakatan Rakyat, now defunct. Imagine if I were to start propagating freedom of religion to include Muslims being allowed to leave Islam? Do you know what Muslims will do to me?