Malaysia neither secular nor Islamic, just a corrupt state

YOURSAY 'Malaysia is not secular and not fully Islamic, according to Nazri Aziz. But we have earned a reputation as a corrupt state that practices apartheid-like policies.'

Nazri: M'sia not founded nor endorsed as secular state

Telestai: Come on, Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, there is no such thing as Malaysia being ‘neither a theocratic nor a secular state'. As they say, either you are pregnant or you're not pregnant. Please make up your mind.

Karma: This is all for the 13th general election. Umno only speaks according to what is required for the time, just like the infamous lawyer VK Lingam.

Since the majority of their votes are in the hands of Malay-Muslims, it is better to say Malaysia sounds like an Islamic state, but it is not an Islamic state and it is not a secular state too.

Whereas the DAP has been consistent in claiming, since a long ago, that Malaysia is a secular state.

Anonymous #18452573: The Alliance Memorandum submitted to the Reid Commission on Sept 27, 1956, referred to religion in these terms: "The religion of Malaysia shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion, and shall not imply that the state is not a secular state.

"The Colonial Office did not object after being assured by the Alliance leaders during the London Conference in May 1957 that they ‘had no intention of creating a Muslim theocracy and that Malaya would be a secular state'. (Gan Ping Sieu, Letter to the Editor in The Nut Graph, March 17, 2009).

Aiyoyo: This is the problem with this country. Neither here nor there, and full of contradictions. The country is not Islamic, but not secular. Educate strictly in Malay and teach in English. There is no apartheid but racism is an official government policy.

There is freedom of religion but it is okay to desecrate other religions. The list goes on and on. The ministers should make up their bloody minds so that we all can move on.

Bash: Malaysia looks like an Islamic state, sounds like one, but it is not one. I say it is one country, two systems, as intended by the Reid Commission. Like the game 'Charades', you don't have to draw a picture to know that it is an elephant.

Swipenter: Malaysia is not secular and not fully Islamic, according to Nazri But after 55 years of rule by the Umno-led government, we have earned a reputation for being corrupt and practising apartheid-like policies.

So perhaps we can say we have a ‘faux democratic system of government with strong Islamic underpinnings that encourages race and religious supremacy and refuses to fight corruption'?

Anonymous#007: There are indeed a lot of ambiguities in religion, which is why it should be kept out of affairs of the state and nation. Take for example the attempted murder of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai. The Taliban used the Quran to justify its action.

Why has this act not touched on the sensitivity of the followers of the religion; where are the global protests and posse to hunt down, kill and destroy the property of the perpetrators?

It is a fact that some people will choose to interpret religion only to promote their self-interests, which is why we cannot afford to mix state and religion.

Malala is now recovering in - by all accounts - a Christian country, because they have better medical facilities and doctors there than in her own country.

Starr: Utter rubbish! Under the Umno/BN government, the constitution has been tampered with on so many occasions by the executive branch, which made unilateral declarations without regard to the tenet and spirit of the constitution as envisaged by the founding fathers.

It is high time that a constitutional court is set up in Malaysia, with eminently reputed judges who are well-versed with constitutional law to try such issues.

Anonymous_4031: Nazri, back your arguments with quotes like what Lim Kit Siang has done on the issue. Have you any proof? Or are you blowing a trumpet?

Practising Islamic values is different from being an Islamic state. And if you believe in hudud and syariah law, why did you not charge Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim with sodomy under syariah law?

Don't be a hypocrite! You cannot preach Islamic values and at the same time practise secular law, can you? If the police did not have evidence under syariah law, it is just too bad.

Have solid proof, please. The federal constitution does not mention in these words that we are an ‘Islamic state'. Period.

Bamboo: Another minister who has a law degree but interprets laws not according to the letter, but like the home minister, interprets laws to suit Umno's whims, fancies and convenience. The way they interpret the law is more to mislead and fish for votes from the masses, whose sole source of news is from the government mouthpieces.

This is so that Umno can stay in power, to continue plundering public money and escape accountability from the crimes committed by their prince-lings. There is no other way to save Malaysia except to vote Umno out.

Human Being: ‘Secular' is not a bad word. Christians are not worried about secular laws. As long the law is good for the people, it is good secular law. All good laws are the same as God's law, whether categorised as an ‘Islamic law' or a ‘secular law'.

Artchan: Do you think the corrupt politicians would behave any better whether we are a secular state or Islamic state? Thieves are thieves. They do not fear God and have no shame.

Wira: According to Nazri, we are neither a secular nor an Islamic state. What are we then? A confused state?

Onyourtoes: Tell you what, Nazri, Malaysia is not a secular state, it is not an Islamic state. It is in the state of entropy, hopelessness and disarray. Moronic politicians talk about God and religion every day when they are manifestly ungodly and depraved.

Bumiasli: Secular state or not, these goons have definitely been going around in circles contradicting one another. So ‘circular' state would be more appropriate to describe our current situation.

Retnam: Whether we are a secular state or Islamic state is not very clear. But one thing is certain: we are a corrupt state. - Malaysiakini