Yoursay: Razlan, liberalism is not a dirty word

YOURSAY | ‘I am a liberal Muslim. I work hard, as I have done for many years.’

'Gov’t trying to create liberal state in naming Thomas for AG'

Newday: Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Razlan Rafii and those others in Umno Youth, seem to be the only people left in Umno at the moment. From this diatribe alone, it is clear that these people can only be trusted for one thing and that is their thirst for total power and dominance of the rakyat.

They see being a liberal as something that is a heinous crime against everything that we know and love about Malaysia. I am a liberal Muslim. I have 10 children. I work hard as I have done for many years.

I have friends across all racial and religious persuasions. My wife, who does not wear tudung, is a wonderful mother and runs her own business. She supports people such as Siti Kasim and organisations such as Sisters in Islam.

For some reason, my wife was dangerous to the state under the previous regime. All she is, is a good person who believes in a God of love, not fealty.

We have many opinionated discussions about everything and the one thing we firmly agree on is that Malaysia is a happier place now for us liberal Muslims. How long this will last is another question, as certainly the issue of this fear of liberalism is an ongoing undercurrent to our society.

With Razlan and his mates, all I can see is that these people fear the loss of their power to control all things. I prefer the Prophet’s way of recognition and acceptance of all, to be respectful, to be educated to the best of your ability, to be honest and trustworthy.

Razlan and mates, get with the times; it is 2018, not 1018. Be open to change – there is nothing to fear from me and my loving wife.

Mk: Razlan, do you understand meaning of liberalism. Here is definition for you.

Liberalism - in the 20th century, a viewpoint or ideology associated with free political institutions and religious toleration, as well as support for a strong role of government in regulating capitalism and constructing the welfare state.

Eleos: I can't understand what Razlan's objections are to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's choice for attorney-general (AG). Is it his argument that being liberal is wrong?

Being liberal is being inclusive, being willing to accommodate others in spite of differences. How can that be wrong?

Umno lacked that and excluded those whose views didn't sync with their own. Result: a smaller and smaller group began to concentrate power in itself; dissenting views were rejected; there were no more checks and balances.

This brought the country to the brink of disaster. The country was mortgaged to the highest bidder (or even lowest bidder who was willing to make the ‘right’ price). Pakatan Harapan's victory and Dr M's ascendancy came as a great liberating change. Let us celebrate being liberal.

David Dass: Never in our history have we subjected nominees to any position in government to the scrutiny that we are subjecting Tommy Thomas to. But we should examine his ability and experience for the job, his independence and strength of character to ensure that he was up to the responsibilities of the job.

It is hard to make sense of this liberal state nonsense. But at the heart of it, most people are not questioning his credentials for the job. They are objecting to his race and religion. They are saying a non-Muslim cannot hold this job. They ignore the fact that non-Malays have held this job before - and these were Englishmen - both before and after our independence.

Tommy Thomas was the unanimous pick of the Pakatan Harapan. Harapan is led by a man regarded as a Malay nationalist and a champion of Malay rights and privileges. And he is supported by Anwar Ibrahim - whose Muslim and Malay credentials are no less than Mahathir's.

What is wrong with the objection to Tommy Thomas' race and religion for the job? To concede to the objection would be to forever put the seal on the equality provision of the Constitution.

Of course, we all accept that the Malay rulers and the king would forever be Malay. That is not, and never will, be an issue. Mahathir has even said that a non-Malay could even be prime minister at some point in time - if the people wanted it.

And of course, the people must include the Malays. And Mahathir made that statement when he was prime minister in a BN government. No one is holding his breath expecting that to happen any time soon or ever. But it is the theoretical possibility that matters.

Abd.Karim: Dr M is reforming the institutions as agreed upon. His strength of character is what Malaysia needs to mend a highly polarised nation through years of political indoctrination.

It's about time everyone learnt his or her role in nation building. For that only Dr M's strong character can set the pace. The rest may spoil it by doing the popular but wrong thing, which is what happened and where we are today.

Quigonbond: Dear Razlan, our constitutional convention is the Agong will appoint an AG recommended by the PM so what are you going on about? The AG is a legal adviser to the government. He or she cannot operate on his or her own agenda.

But let's say there is a liberal agenda, so what? It is the prerogative of the winning team to set whatever agenda they deem relevant. In the next five years, they will be tested in elections. And well what do you know, by then there will be a level playing field for Umno.

Vijay47: Razlan Rafii, I hope, that you are a heroic product of our national Malay-medium schools where you were earnestly taught that “liberal” is an offensive vulgar word not to be used in genteel company as also words like justice, fairness, and honesty.

Your statement, almost every line of it, has got me extremely confused. First, you say that tendering Tommy Thomas’ name for AG forces the Agong into a corner. How so? Is inviting His Majesty to execute his functions under the constitution now seen as disrespectful or illegal?

Yet you add that Malaysia is tied to the Federal Constitution. Do we by any chance have two constitutions? Then the expected clincher, the usual cunning racial element, that Tommy had acted for Chin Peng who, truth be told, was one of those who fought for Malaya’s independence from the British.

Perhaps in your zeal to paint Ong Boon Hua aka Chin Peng into an ogre, you somehow overlooked the fact that his principal lieutenants were Abdul Rashid Maidin and Abdullah CD, names that suggest they were Malays.

Oh, just a historical aside, when these two gentlemen passed away, their remains were allowed to be buried in Tanah Air.

SV: As we move along, the Malaysians who voted must stay the course by raising above the politics of race and religion.

Bringing integrity and rule of law is what we need to stick to. These will be telling times; difficult decisions are needed to put the wrongs right in our social fabric. -Mkini