Madani government does Hadi’s work

 

“Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.”

- George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron)

The Islamic state project in Malaysia is a collective effort.

What’s the point of voting for a supposedly progressive coalition if the end result is the creation of an Islamic state not by the political ascension of a religio-fascist coalition (Perikatan Nasional) but by this Madani government who are terrified of spooking the Malays?

I refer to this dilemma as the Abdul Hadi Awang doctrine.

The Allah controversy, the Swatch raid and the formation of a special panel within the religious bureaucracy to handle LGBT issues in the Muslim community are foundational ideas of repression, censorship and demonisation that would be fascist regimes the world over use to control various diverse polities.

And this is just a continuation. Remember these sorts of activities litter the social and political landscapes of Malaysia.

Muda deputy president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz wants Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to explain the Swatch raid and frets about the impact this will have on the economy.

My question is, why does anyone believe that this was done with the knowledge of the home minister? Do not get me wrong, it very well could have been the will of the home minister but it also could have been done by agents of the deep Islamic state.

Now I understand that some folks are sceptical if such a state within a state exists here in Malaysia. The “deep Islamic state” is a result of the vast religious bureaucracy, the doctrinal teachings of propaganda endeavours like the Biro Tatanegara, the religious education system and foreign influence, either through education or experience in foreign theatres of war.

What we are talking about here are “travellers” who enjoy the support, either knowingly or unknowingly, of the Malay/Muslim political apparatus in this country, who believe they are setting the religious agenda, but in reality, are being manipulated by fascist elements within the bloated bureaucracy with agendas of their own.

The agenda of these fellow travellers is to subvert the constitutional bedrock of this country and turn this country into an “Islamic state”, even if it’s not the agenda of the Malay bureaucracy, royalty, plutocrat class or political brokers, whose definition of an "Islamic state" is relatively benign, if compared to the forces who are using it.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

The real targets of the deep Islamic state are, of course, progressive Muslims who do not want a theocratic state.

Let us not forget that the most successful states, and where the majority polity is doing well because there is some accountability in these secular-leaning states, or at least states where the theocracy has not gotten its hooks into.

And the majority polity in these states like this state of affairs and defend it at the ballot box. This is why religious extremists want to dilute their votes even further.

Perhaps when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Coldplay on coming to Malaysia, he opened his Islamic bona fides to criticism and this is one way to counteract that.

Or maybe this is the way how the deep Islamic state normalises the subversion of democratic norms and instils fear in the general non-Muslim populace.

Keep in mind we are always told that laws and prohibitions governing Muslims will not affect non-Muslims, but what this raid demonstrates is that any kind of business is open to sanctions based on Muslim preoccupations.

Islamic doctrine

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said as much when he banned gaming shops.

"I am a Muslim and cannot gamble. Later in the hereafter, I will be asked what I did on this issue, and if I did not do anything, I will be punished (kena tibai). While I have the power, I should use it,” he said at a press conference after he tabled the 2022 state budget at the Kedah assembly in November last year.

Non-Muslims need to pay attention to two particular points. The first point is that any sort of governance is defined by his religion (I am a Muslim). The second point is the use of power (while I have it) to ensure Islamic doctrine applies to all.

Sanusi added: "When there are such premises, there are such activities, and not only non-Muslims (are involved), so I hope (this decision) can be understood as fairly as possible."

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor

So what non-Muslims need to understand is this. The only Islamic narrative in this country is that Muslim leaders will govern based on their religious dogma and that as long as they have power they should use it to enforce their religious dogma.

Saudara Anwar has demonstrated that there really is no other religious narrative in this country. Which is why this Madani government is doing Hadi’s work for him.

While the PAS president blames the federal government for the failings of Kelantan, what he does not confront, is the wanton deforestation and other corporate malfeasance committed by a legion of GLC-type entities operating within Kelantan, all dogma approved of course.

This has not only ruined the environment but made its populace seek work elsewhere, in more successfully run states.

But what Hadi really wants is for Islamic first principles, or at least his version of them, to seep into every state of this country. This way overtly he is battling a supposedly massive federal bureaucracy but covertly cavorting with operators from the deep Islamic state who are sabotaging the democratic guard rails of this country.

This unity government does not have to confront the Allah issues or wage war on the LGBT community. All it has to do is control the narrative by focusing on economic and social issues that plague the base that PN has hoodwinked.

They could do this with propaganda state organs and a determined effort to undermine at every opportunity operators within the bureaucracy who have mala fide intentions towards secularism and democracy.

However, the Madani government deliberately chooses not to do this. Instead what they do is attempt to carry out a religious con of their own.

But by doing this, what this government is really doing is Hadi’s work for him.

Anwar is making it too easy for the theocratic forces in this country. Whether this is by design or incompetence is cold comfort for anyone who truly wants to save Malaysia. - Mkini

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S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

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