Religious overreach does more harm than good

 

The latest uproar about the halal certificate highlights all that is wrong with the amateur race-religion policy-making environment.

The situation should trouble every citizen and especially the current government – regardless of race or creed - as the rights of citizens are being trampled on and the nation is being led down a very dangerous path.

Muslims in the country do not need more heavy-handed theocracy and zealotry. Muslim SMEs in the food sector should not be subjected to increased religious oversight, which brings with it an additional financial burden.

The country needs to be spared the risk of the almost inevitable incompetence often associated with the administration of schemes involving large sums of money. Importantly, do the Muslims in a Muslim-majority country really need to be nannied about which eateries they can patronise?

What the Muslims of the country need is for government agencies like the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to fulfil their mandate and in that regard clean up the mess that is the religious schools in the country. That is a key part of their role, and they are failing at it.

The sickening findings this week that a group of religious schools were places where sexual abuse of children was rampant should be a wake-up call for the government and result in a complete shake-up of the entire system nationwide.

Does anyone remember the fire in a religious school a few years ago when children were burnt alive? Have there been improvements and standards set for the health and safety of these schools? And what about the qualifications of those who run and teach at these schools?

Where was Jakim in all this? They claim to be the guardians of religious morality, ensuring that religious institutions function in accordance with Islamic principles.

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Yet, such heinous acts occurred right under their watch. It is evident that the presence of such institutions has done little to protect the most vulnerable, and yet they continue to exert control over areas where their influence should be questioned.

Heads should roll and the ombudsman given carte blanche to complete a thorough review with the assistance of the police as there will be resistance. One suspects what was revealed is only the tip of the iceberg and there are many other issues pertaining to the safe management of these schools.

Uplift poor bumiputera

The Madani government should accept that elite Malays and religious zealots have failed poor, marginalised bumiputera and the only way to truly help the latter is to assist all Malaysians, and by allowing all Malaysians to be actively involved in the implementation of such public policy.

What is not needed are more bumiputera exclusive schemes - like the failed Malays-only malls - cooked up exclusively by Malay politicians and bureaucrats with dubious credentials and questionable intentions.

In a globalised world, it is essential to ensure that marginalised bumiputera have access to quality education alongside peers from diverse backgrounds, rather than the excessive emphasis on religious studies within large segments of the Malay community.

While religious education holds its significance, it should not be a central focus and not institutionalised by the state.

What is badly needed is for all bumiputera, mainly Malays, to be given opportunities to participate and excel through access to good education, competing in all walks of life and working together and integrating with their fellow citizens.

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This must be driven, encouraged and enabled by a government that supports them in achieving their potential, rather than one that essentially restricts them under the guise of racial and religious objectives, and lowers standards in the country.

Watch what is happening in the land of Mecca as the Saudi government takes more and more steps to separate the state from religion and diminish the influence of religious institutions in critical areas of public life like education and gender.

Given these global trends, Malaysia should question the wholly disproportionate distribution of taxpayer money to such institutions and initiatives that claim to serve the public good but in practice only reinforce the control of the elite and allow racists to thrive.

The Tabung Haji scandal is another prime example. Created to facilitate savings for the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca through syariah-compliant investments, Tabung Haji embodies a noble mission.

Yet, the elite Malays in charge grossly mismanaged it, betraying the trust of the ordinary bumiputera and using it for personal gain. The CEO of Tabung Haji at the time now faces numerous money laundering charges.

And yet, lessons are not learnt, and we now see the introduction of the Putera35 plan by the Madani government, aimed at uplifting the bumiputera community. Yet another scheme based on race and religion. It is simply a vehicle to win votes and elections.

The elite Malays will once again be in control, and they will continue to marginalise the poor and deserving bumiputera while using it as a vehicle for their enrichment.

Although there are assurances that this plan will not diminish the rights of non-bumiputera - which is an oxymoron given its core objective - this misses the larger point, that it is the marginalised bumiputera who will once again be betrayed.

Reality check

Suffice it to say that leaders in our country need a reality check. The prime minister has made statements about his intolerance for racial and religious discrimination and has even travelled to India and China, among other places, to reinforce these values.

Yet, at home, dark forces are working against these principles. The Madani government must dismantle the deeply racist state which is in its midst if it is to be taken seriously by Malaysians and retain any iota of credibility overseas. Here are five first steps:

First is the setting up of a national brain trust on development that reports directly to the prime minister. It would include 10 to 15 best of the minds in the country from all races, with impeccable track records, explicitly exclude politicians and avoid any hint of favouritism or nepotism.

Second, establish a Royal Commission on Racial Equality to examine all laws that are discriminatory and propose alternatives. It should not be dominated by Malay elites. This process should distinguish between affirmative action and active racism, and discrimination in the name of affirmative action.

Third, establish an education task force to overhaul the nation’s rapidly declining education system - which is severely affecting the majority Malay community - and which the Education Ministry is incapable of addressing because it is hugely politicised and run by people who harbour race-based agendas and don’t know much more.

Fourth, the cabinet should establish an independent task force to look into the workings of Jakim and repurpose it so that it does not overreach and stays relevant in this day and age. It should be multicultural, and include the best scholars in the country while being sensitive to the importance of Islam to the Malay majority.

Fifth, establish a well-staffed anti-corruption office within the Chief Secretary’s Office which will offer whistleblower rights to all civil servants and with special powers to act rapidly to investigate reports, suspend, dismiss or prosecute civil servants not operating to the highest ethical standards.

It will also be open to public complaints about corruption and malfeasance within the government. - Mkini

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CHANDRAN NAIR is the founder and CEO of Global Institute for Tomorrow and the author of “Dismantling Global White Privilege: Equity for a Post-Western World”.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.