Mahathir should explain whether the endorsement of  the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council for UMNO’s  Islamic state concept was for a “secular Islamic state”  as claimed by MCA in the Chinese media

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang 

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He said: “When UMNO declared Malaysia was an Islamic state recently, it did not mean that there would be amendments to the Constitution.”

Mahathir told reporters after chairing the Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre that  all the Barisan Nasional   parties were comfortable with UMNO’s definition of Malaysia as an Islamic state.

Many questions await answer for this extraordinary chain of events, such as:
 

• Was the convening of the emergency meeting of the Barisan Nasional supreme council  (which meets  rarely except in extraordinary circumstances) solely to get the official endorsement of the other Barisan Nasional component parties to the UMNO announcement that Malaysia is an Islamic state under UMNO rule?

• Why did the MCA, Gerakan, SUPP, MIC and other Barisan Nasional component parties agree so easily with UMNO that Malaysia is already an Islamic state, without seeking the full consent and mandate from their respective party central committees and congresses, especially as they had been calling on the people in the past two years to reject an Islamic state - as recently as in the Sarawak state general elections less than a week ago?

• How did Malaysia transform from a secular to an Islamic state?  Is it on the declaration of the Prime Minister or on the expressed wishes of the people of Malaysia?

• When did Malaysia become an Islamic state?  Bapa Malaysia and the nation’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman had declared in Parliament that Malaysia is not an Islamic state when he said:
 
 “I would like to make it clear that this country is not an Islamic State as it is generally understood; we merely provide that Islam shall be the official religion of the State.”
 
In 1962, the then Chief Justice, Tun Mohamed Suffian Hashim interpreted the scope of Islam in the constitution as being primarily for ceremonial purposes, such as the permission for prayers to be offered in the Islamic way on official public occasions such as the installation of the Yang di Pertuan Agong, his birthday, Merdeka Day and other occasions.
 
• Could Mahathir unilaterally change one of the basic and cardinal features of the Malaysian Constitution as a democratic, secular and morally-based nation into an Islamic state by a mere declaration at the Gerakan annual delegates’ conference?

• Finally, Mahathir should explain whether the endorsement of  the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council for the  Islamic state concept which he announced at the Gerakan national delegates’ conference last Saturday  was for a “secular Islamic state”  as claimed by MCA in the Chinese media in the past few days - that the difference between UMNO and PAS on the Islamic state issue is that UMNO stands for a secular Islamic state?

Mahathir’s declaration of Malaysia as an Islamic state under UMNO rule and the swift but blind and unthinking support given by the leaders of  other Barisan Nasional component parties threaten a  fundamental basis of the Malaysian nation-building process  and must be the concern of  all Malaysians who are committed to the preservation of Malaysia as a democratic, secular and morally-based nation.

(6/10/2001)