DAP had made an immediate response to Abdul Hamid’s proposal last month, expressing shock and calling on the Cabinet to put on hold the invitation to ulamas from the Al-Azhar University to assess whether Malaysia is an Islamic state to give time and opportunity for all Malaysians, Muslim as well as non-Muslims, to consider its propriety and implications to the Malaysian nation-building process.
This was because Hamid’s announcement was the latest example of a most disturbing trend of increasing insensitivity to the feelings and rights of Malaysians citizens comprising diverse races, languages, religions and cultures which is inimical to the Bangsa Malaysia concept under Vision 2020.
I had asked what would be the reaction if foreign experts from
all religions, whether Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism or Sikhism
are invited to assess as to whether Malaysia had been consistent
with the fundamental constitutional principle and nation-building cornerstone
of Malaysia as a secular state with Islam as official religion as clearly
stipulated by the Merdeka
Constitution 1957? Such visits would be regarded as intolerable
interference with the domestic affairs of Malaysia - and the same should
apply to the proposal of a similar mission by Al Azhar ulama.
Yesterday, Bernama reported the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin announcing that the Cabinet had decided that there was no need for the government to invite ulama from outside the country, including the University of Al-Azhar, Egypt to assess Malaysia's status as an Islamic state.
The rejection of the proposal to invite Al-Azhar religious experts to Malaysia is right and proper, as Malaysians cannot brook any interference from any quarter as to the form, content and direction of nation-building in a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural Malaysia - for this is an issue which can only be decided by Malaysians and not foreigners.
However, while the Cabinet should be commended for rejecting the proposal to invite Al-Azhar religious experts to assess whether Malaysia is an Islamic state it is most regrettable that this decision made on the wrong and unconstitutional ground that Malaysia is already an Islamic state and acknowledged by the outside world.
This is incorrect, as Malaysia has never become an Islamic state. It is a pity that the great opportunity was lost to put this matter right.
When the Cabinet considered the proposal whether to invite Al-Azhar University ulamas to Malaysia, Cabinet Ministers particularly from MCA, Gerakan, PPP and MIC should have taken the opportunity to get the Cabinet to reaffirm and defend the 44-year fundamental constitutional principle and nation-building cornerstone of Malaysia as a secular state with Islamic as the official religion.
Instead, the MCA, Gerakan, PPP and MIC Ministers appeared to have given full and blind endorsement to the Prime Minister’s announcement at the Gerakan national delegates conference on September 29 that Malaysia is already an Islamic state.
For over four decades, one Prime Minister after another had assured Malaysians and the world that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion.
The Cabinet should not just reject the proposal to invite Al Azhar ulamas to Malaysia to assess its Islamic state status, but reaffirm and defend the fundamental constitutional principle and nation-building cornerstone of Malaysia as a secular state with Islam as the official religion.
(20/11/2001)