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Islam Hadhari –
has it received Cabinet approval and will it usher in more meaningful
democratic reforms to restore press freedom and independent judiciary,
establish good, efficient and meritorious governance, wipe out corruption
and uphold Merdeka social contract that Islam is official religion but
Malaysia not an Islamic State? Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Petaling Jaya, Monday): There have of late been more and more references to Islam Hadhari in the media by the national and state UMNO leaders, although an exclusive New Sunday Times interview (1.8.04) with the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Dr. Abdullah Md Zin, who is entrusted with implementing the concept of “civilisational Islam”, kicked off with the statement: “So much has been said and yet so little is known about Islam Hadhari”! In the interview, Abdullah said that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be launching the government’s first official document on Islam Hadhari later this month. As Islam Hadhari will affect not only Muslims but also non-Muslims – which is why plans are also afoot to explain and promote the Islam Hadhri concept among non-Muslims – the Prime Minister should respect the first principle of good and democratic governance before releasing the official document on Islam Hadhari by giving the opportunity to all Malaysians whether Muslim or non-Muslim to give their feedback and have the benefit of public input and views. The 60-page document on Islam Hadhari which was first drafted by the Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (Jakim) should not be released as a definitive official document, but only as a consultative paper, allowing for debate and discussion by all Muslim and non-Muslim groups, as well as all representative bodies, including Parliament and the various State Assemblies. Many questions have still to be answered, for instance, has Islam Hadhari been given the Cabinet approval and will it usher in more meaningful democratic reforms to restore press freedom and an independent judiciary; establish good, efficient and meritorious governance; wipe out corruption and uphold the Merdeka social contract that Islam is the official religion of the nation but Malaysia not an Islamic State? The MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting had publicly given the MCA support to the concept of Islam Hadhari when he spoke at the two-day International Buddhist Forum in Kuala Lumpur on 10th April 2004, but do the MCA Ministers and leaders have a full understanding of how Islam Hadhari would affect the rights of non-Muslims, including their fundamental constitutional and citizenship rights? There is clearly a lot of confusion about Islam Hadhari, with UMNO leaders claiming on the one hand that Malaysia is pioneering the Islam Hadhari concept and a model in the Islamic World while asserting at the same time that Malaysia had been practicing Islam Hadhari since Independence, although some UMNO Ministers qualify it to more recent times, whether starting from the premiership of Tun Razak or that of Tun Dr. Mahathir. In his interview with New
Sunday Times, Abdullah made a distinction of Islam Hadhari with other forms
of Political Islam, that it “works from bottom up” and not “from top down”.
In view of this, it is all the more important that the 60-page document on
Islam Hadhari which the government has prepared should be made public as a
consultative document to seek public feedback in a “bottom-up” process – as
Malaysians are entitled to know whether gross injustices like the Anwar
Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng, Irene Fernandez and Mohamad Ezam cases would be
things of the past under the concept of Islam Hadhari in Malaysia. |