IF there’s one Malaysian practice that needs reviewing, it has to be this – the long salutations, thanks to the titles of prominent individuals, at the start of speeches during functions.

I can never understand why addressing the audience as “distinguished guests” isn’t good enough. Surely, the audience would be happy to be called distinguished. Or maybe even just “Ladies and Gentlemen”.

Malaysians, however, have to cringe and listen to speakers formally addressing each and every titled person at functions.

We begin with “Tan Sri Tan Sri, Puan Sri Puan Sri, Datuk Seri Datuk Seri, Datin Seri Datin Seri, Datuk Datuk, Datin Datin and distinguished guests”.

And this before the speaker even begins honouring the more important guests by actually naming them one by one, along with their long titles, honorifics and designations.

All these can take up to 10 minutes before the person finally gets to the actual speech.

Welcome to Malaysia. This is another practice which reflects our obsession with formality and titles. It may sound medieval and strange to visitors to Malaysia but this is the done thing here, presumably because some ego-inflated titled individual got offended when his title was not mentioned in a speech.

But alas, the whole thing has become a mockery of sorts. The intention, good as it may be, is actually offensive to the other equally important guests, those with no titles.

They have ended up at the bottom of the pack, in the category of “tuan tuan dan puan puan” or “ladies and gentlemen.” To put it in perspective, without us realising, this is like the category of “dan lain-lain” or “others” which many Malaysians have stood up against.

One would understand it if such a practice is carried out in a palace where protocols are strictly adhered to but surely, not in ordinary functions?

For one, it takes up precious time when most of us just want to get on with the business of the day or in many instances, get on with the dinner. Please, at 8.30pm, most of us are hungry already.

Many times, guests are made to wait, especially when the guest of honour arrives late. By the time the VIP gets there, and thanks to the long and winding speeches, dinner is finally served – at 9.30pm or 10pm.

One wonders why the VIP has to be ushered into a holding room – another peculiar Malaysian practice – before he makes his grand entrance into the ballroom.

I have attended enough events in Britain and the United States, where VIPs would just walk straight into the function hall without any fanfare.

In London, then mayor Boris Johnson cycled to the opening of a property development site and in Sydney, the mayor parked his car a short distance away and walked to the venue!

He introduced himself to his (very) surprised Malaysian audience – and of course, there was no entourage fussing around him to make him look important, another one of our local standard operating procedure.

To be fair, not all of our VIPs are spoilt silly. Sometimes, it is their officers who make a fuss over these formal arrangements to the event’s host.

Those in the royal circles, who have a career in protocol, push even harder – even when the heads of states themselves do not demand it.

His Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor does not even allow waiters to get the napkins ready for him before his meals, insisting on doing it himself.

The Ruler drives his own car often to functions and tells his police motorcade not to put the sirens on because to him, there was no need to put on such a display of importance.

The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, sportingly poses for selfies with his subjects often, sending his security and protocol officers into a frenzy many times.

And most of the time, he drives his car himself. Often, he makes a stop and have a meal at roadside shops, without prior notice. For breakfast, he goes to a mamak restaurant for roti canai quite regularly, again without fuss or advance notice.

At the Cabinet level, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, the Minister of International Trade and Industry, is certainly the most down-to-earth minister from Umno.

Travellers taking the ERL from KL Sentral to KLIA often see Mustapa travelling alone or taking a flight on Economy Class home to Kelantan. He does not see the need to shout about it or have his officers post a picture on Instagram to get publicity.

Permodalan Nasional Bhd chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar insisted on moving around on his own, without the need for bodyguards, when he was in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU). The same can be said of Datuk Seri Idris Jala, who is now chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu).

Perhaps their non-political background helps but having said that, there are corporate figures who are even more status-conscious than politicians.

And seriously, what do Malaysian VIPs do with gifts or “token of appreciation” items presented to them at the end of every function? Yep, they are probably gathering dust in some room filled to the brim with other such items in Putrajaya.

At one time, there was a proposal that only a basket of fruits be given as it was more practical but it never got off the ground.

Likewise, this article will have no impact on the issue.

I wish to thank the “Tun Tun, Toh Puan Toh Puan, Tan Sri Tan Sri, Puan Sri Puan Sri, Datuk Seri Datuk Seri, Datin Seri Datin Seri, Datuk Datuk, Datin Datin, tuan tuan dan puan puan yang dihormati sekalian” for reading this.

Rash move: The effectiveness of Trump’s executive order banning citizens of seven countries from entering the US is highly questionable. — AFP

What Trump is doing – and he may not even realise it with his defiant-style leadership – is making the US a much more dangerous place to live in now, not a safer place as he had hoped.

WHEN the world’s most powerful man conducts diplomacy over Twitter, keeping his words to 140 characters, we’d better prepare ourselves for trouble.

And indeed, since Donald Trump took over as President of the United States, there has been a series of totally unpredictable and unconventional decisions made, some mind boggling, even bordering on insanity.

And it has just been a little over two weeks since he moved into the White House.

There is no question that many Americans are troubled by a possible mass influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa.

This does not involve just the US but also affects several parts of Europe, including Britain, France and Germany, which explains why politicians who play the right-wing card – with the anti-immigrant agenda – are winning.

Trump clearly understands the pulse of the average American, especially those in the rural mid-west, the US heartland.

These are folks who watch conservative Fox TV and whose interaction with people of other races, religions and cultures is limited.

They are not like the liberal city folks of New York or Los Angeles, who turn up at airports and train stations, waving placards and hugging Syrian refugees, as shown on international TV news.

It is probably a different story in Montana, Nebraska, Arkansas or South Carolina but we do not hear the voices of these rural folks on CNN.

Trump won simply because he understood the fears of the average American well. He has continued to play the Islamophobia card because he knows his fearmongering works.

It doesn’t help that most of these refugees want to go to the US or Britain and not the Muslim-majority nations of the Middle East. The question remains if these Arab countries are even offering places to the refugees or do the refugees themselves prefer Western secular and democratic values.

Nationalist politicians have already whipped up anger, pointing out that if these Middle East refugees hate Western culture so much and refuse to assimilate, then why should they be let in.

But Trump’s executive order banning the citizens of seven countries from entering the US, supposedly to protect the nation from “radical Islamic terrorists”, is highly questionable, especially its effectiveness.

The president has signed the order temporarily suspending the entry of people from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen into the US for at least 90 days.

This is odd because if we wish to identify terrorism acts, then surely there’s a high number of terrorists from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Afghanistan. Why were these countries not on the list?

Obviously, Trump did not want to offend US allies, especially Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Despite the US’ constant lecture on democracy, we all know these two countries are often “spared”, despite their horrifically poor human rights record because they are strategically important to the US. We also should not forget that at one time, the vital oil supply was from Saudi Arabia.

The fact is that in the past four decades, 3,024 people have been killed by foreign terrorists on US soil.

The reality is that the Sept 11 attacks, perpetrated by citizens of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Lebanon, account for 98.6% of those deaths – 15 of the 19 Sept 11 hijackers once called Saudi Arabia home.

In fact, over that period, no American has been killed on US soil by anyone from the nations named in the present president’s executive order.

The San Bernardino massacre, in which 14 people were killed and 22 injured in 2015 was carried out by Syed Rizwan Farook, who is of Pakistani descent, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, who grew up in Saudi Arabia.

The Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, where 49 died and 53 were injured last year, was carried out by Omar Mateen, a US citizen of Afghan descent.

The Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 was orchestrated by the Tsarnaev brothers, both of whom were Russian, killing three and injuring several hundred people.

But as the world jumped on Trump, news reports have emerged that Kuwait does the same.

Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians, Pakistanis and Afghans have reportedly not been able to obtain tourism or trade visas to Kuwait since 2011.

Passport holders from the countries are not allowed to enter the Gulf state while the blanket ban is in place, and have been told not to apply for visas, it has been reported.

Likewise, the ban on citizens from fellow Muslim-majority nations has failed to prevent Kuwait from being targeted in a number of terrorist attacks over the past two years – including the bombing of a mosque in 2015 which left 27 Kuwaitis dead.

Kuwait is the only country in the world to officially bar entry to Syrians, until the US named Syria among the seven countries whose citizens were banned from entering its borders.

What Trump is doing – and he may not even realise it with his defiant-style of leadership – is making the US a much more dangerous place to live in now, not a safer place as he had hoped.

There will be homegrown terrorists, including Americans – and even radicals entering the US holding other passports – who plan to carry out their crazy acts.

He has also made the work and lives of career diplomats more difficult with his brazen diplomacy. It came as no surprise that 900 State Department diplomats signed a memo to oppose his ban.

According to CNN, the “memo of dissent” warned that not only will the new immigration policy not keep America safe but it will harm efforts to prevent terrorist attacks.

The ban “will not achieve its stated aim of protecting the American people from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals admitted to the United States,” the memo reportedly noted.

Trump has actually provided oxygen to the radicals, who will now thump the noses of moderates in Muslim countries.

There should be no surprises if the recalcitrant Trump expands his list of countries whose citizens would be banned from entering the US.

It won’t be wrong to suggest that 2017 will be a Year of Living Dangerously under Trump. Let’s be prepared for the unexpected from him.

Playing the race card and bashing one of our biggest economic partners – China – is like shooting ourselves in the foot.

THE trouble with politicians is that they often let political and personal interests get in the way of facts and very often, national interests.

Johor’s Forest City project has become a controversy out of the blue but the debate is not over whether the sprawling project will become a ghost city or if it would lead to having a glut of apartments in the state but strangely, whether the mainland Chinese have any business building it.

Then, there is the emotional spin, if not a racist one, in the suggestion that Johor Baru will suddenly see an influx of Chinese immigrants.

A day after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted that his remarks that 700,000 Chinese mainlanders would occupy Forest City was based on a news report by Bloomberg, some politicians were again quoting the same figure and fears, based on the same report.

But what has been overlooked is this: the Forest City reclamation project will actually increase the land mass of Johor.

While the noise centres on the purported loss of sovereignty, influx of mainland Chinese and how these Chinese nationals would supposedly rob the rice bowls of Malaysians, naysayers have ignored, intentionally or otherwise, the fact that this project will add 1,386ha of land to the state.

This will add to the current size of Johor which stands at 1,921,771ha, which means Johor will increase its size to 1,923,157ha. Forest City’s 1,386ha will help make up 0.0072% of the state’s new size.

Rather than losing land, this will add a huge tract of land on the sea.

In fact, reclamation could go on right up to the Singaporean border.

To put it in simple language – the Johor state government did not give away land that it already owns but the Chinese company has created its own land to buy and build.

Also, Forest City will be developed over a span of 30 years. By that time, the size of the Malaysian population would have doubled. So, 160,000 new homes or 5,300 units per year over 30 years no longer sounds like such a big deal.

Everyone seems to have forgotten that while we argue over Forest City, Singapore has been reclaiming land right up to our border.

Anyone who has been to any tall building in JB could just look out of the windows and see how close Singapore has actually come.

Check what it has done on the north-east side. It does not take an expert to note that it is too close for comfort.

Reclamation work in Singapore has been carried out extensively on a large scale since the 1960s by the Singaporean government. Since 1965, the island republic’s land mass has expanded by 22%, from 58,000ha to 71,000ha.

According to reports, most of the reclaimed land is in Changi, Tekong, Jurong Island and Tuas areas and the Singaporean government has reportedly planned to reclaim another 5,000ha by 2030.

Forest City, when completed, will sit on four artificial islands deve­loped by Coun­try Garden Pacific View.

Besides creating about 200,000 jobs, its spillover effect includes re­venue for the state go­vernment in terms of taxes.

The total cumulative investment of US$100bil (RM444bil) will attract returns of sufficient proportion. It is expected that Forest City will contribute tax revenue to the Malaysian government in the amount of RM66bil over a period of 20 years.

Forest City plans to create the world’s most advanced smart city – we are collaborating with Cisco, Accenture and Celcom to develop the Smart City Vision.

With the concept of “an integrated city”, Forest City will introduce eight key industries, namely Tourism & MICE, Healthcare, Education & Training, Regional Headquarters, Offshore Finance, E-Commerce, Emerging Technology, and Green & Smart industry. Forest City has been approved as a duty-free zone.

Last week, the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar asked critics, including Dr Mahathir, “let me ask him this – Forest City is to be built on reclaimed land and most of these units are condominiums. In simple language, these units are up in the air. They are strata units.

“I would like to ask Dr Mahathir if these foreign buyers can just take their apartments back home or carry off an inch of the reclaimed land.”

Last year, the South China Morning Post reported that Country Garden began selling units in Forest City earlier with the first phase of the project including 482 condos and 132 serviced apartments. In a report in The Straits Times in Singapore in 2016, Country Garden said it had received bookings for nearly all of Phase One.

Forest City is the second project for Country Garden in Malaysia, and the Guangzhou-based developer is one of several Chinese companies rushing to build new homes for sale in Malaysia’s Iskandar development zone.

Last year, Country Garden reportedly secured its second project in Australia, paying a reported HK$35mil (RM20mil) to secure a set of private homes for conversion into a high-rise condo development in Sydney’s St Leonards area.

The argument that a foreign builder has no business in Malaysia actually does not hold water. Malaysia’s SP Setia, for example, has built high density apartments in London and was warmly welcomed by the British government with buyers, mainly from Malaysia.

Today’s Chinese buyers are affluent and well-heeled. They would probably have similar investments in other countries especially Britain and Australia.

They are not the types arriving in boats like the ancestors of the Malaysian Chinese and for sure, they don’t need our Malaysian passports or to look for jobs here.

The mainland Chinese have gone past that stage and many are far richer than us Malaysians. It’s a laugh to them when they read about Malaysian politicians alleging that they want to live permanently in Malaysia.

If we can remember, the Petronas Twin Towers was designed by Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli and construction was given to South Korean and Japanese construction companies.

Some of our politicians are now talking about mainland Chinese buyers but lest we forget, what about the thousands of Filipinos and Indonesians who purportedly received blue identity cards in Sabah, an issue that has remained thorny. They were not affluent immigrants. They were of no real benefit to Malaysia except to fulfil political expediency then, perhaps.

It is bizarre to equate Syrian war refugees and illegal immigrants from Mexico with investors from China who would be bringing in money and connections to Malaysia. It is incredible how far some of our politicians are prepared to stretch this issue.

The trouble with some politicians is that they develop amnesia – either partial or total loss of memory – when they switch political allegiance.

It is expected and we are supposed to accept it but playing the race card, and worse, bashing one of our biggest economic partners – China – will only hit us badly.

Mohd Faiz Subri holds his trophy after winning The 2016 FIFA Puskas Award during The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony, on January 9, 2017 in Zurich. – AFP

Whether he spoke flawless English is not the point here. What matters is that he took home Fifa’s prestigious Puskas Award for the best goal of 2016 – a first for the country and for Asia.

THE controversy over Malaysian football star Mohd Faiz Subri’s poor command of English has died down but I need to get this out of my chest – these fault finders seriously deserve a kick in their chin, butt or any part of their body where it hurts.

Why would anyone care if this 29-year-old Penangite could speak the Queen’s English when he has been presented an award for the best goal in the world?

What should matter is that he took home Fifa’s prestigious Puskas Award for the best goal of 2016, a first for his country and for Asia. That’s about it. Nothing more than that. All the c**p – and I apologise for the use of this crass term to the uppity lot who pick on someone’s standard of English – that Faiz should learn to speak better, does not matter one bit.

Faiz was criticised by a columnist in Malaysiakini for his poor spoken English while some netizens took offence that the Penang FA footballer did not wear the baju Melayu when he received his award, despite having taken two pairs with him, given to him by NGOs.

The Puskas Award was presented to Faiz, courtesy of a spectacular free kick in a Super League match against Pahang last February, with the ball swerving from an “impossible” angle into the right corner of the net.

The video clip of Mohd Faiz’s spectacular free kick which was first uploaded by FIFATV on YouTube has been viewed more than 2.5 million times while clips of his Puskas rivals Johnath Marlone Azevedo da Silva (Brazil) and Venezuela’s woman player Daniuska Rodriguez only garnered over a million views.

Here’s this ordinary Penang boy, stepping on the global stage for the first time and must be still trying to figure out if he was just dreaming – surely we could understand why he was nervous.

He wasn’t a household name nor was he the best among Malaysian footballers but there he was, sharing the same space with his icon Cristiano Ronaldo and to top it off, to be presented with the trophy by Brazilian football legend Ronaldo.

I bet he still goes to sleep with a smile on his face. Bravo! Most of us can only dare to dream but not all of us can have our dreams come true! Faiz, yours did. We are so proud of you. No one should take that glory from you just because you cannot speak flawless English.

Those who have criticised you have not been watching football, for sure. Just watch how many top football names speak English on television. Either their standard of English is bad or heavily-accented despite having lived many years in England.

I am certainly not defending the poor command of English but merely to put things in the right perspective.

As a reader rightly posted on a news portal: “Faiz was there to receive Fifa’s best goal for 2016 award, not to compete in Toastmasters International contest, where the world champion of public speaking is chosen” while another said: “He is a football player, not a teacher or a politician. So why all the fuss?”

Another posted: “Let us not be too critical of him. Not many get a chance to stand on a world stage surrounded by emperors and kings of football and in front of dozens of TV cameras and flashing lights.”

“He should not be expected to speak proper English. In fact, he should not be expected to even understand the language at all. Even Brazilian football legend Ronaldo, the person who presented the award to him, spoke in Portuguese and an interpreter translated it.”

Yet another posted: “He is a footballer and he does his talking on the pitch, as he did when he scored that beautiful goal.”

Really, those who belittled Faiz over his poor command of English should ask themselves if they can comfortably do the same in the national language, which they should be proficient in.

And now, on the suit Faiz decided to put on that night.

“I had to wear three layers of clothes. Those who were there would know how cold it was,” the Penang player reportedly said, referring to the winter in Switzerland, with sub-zero Celsius temperature.

Yes, let us all give Faiz credit for trying. He has explained that the award show hosts had asked that he spoke in either English, French or Spanish, so he was left with no option.

If there is any lesson to learn from here – Faiz is a product of our national school system. We have neglected the English language which Malaysians used to be proficient in and were proud of but let’s face it, politicians killed it.

They are to be blamed, not Faiz, or many other young Malaysians. In many other countries, it is the young who can speak English better than the older ones but in Malaysia, it’s the reverse – older Malaysians, who were schooled in English, are largely proficient but the young ones are struggling with the language. In many cases, it is simply hopeless.

And just when young Malaysians are struggling with English, another reality is that Mandarin is set to become a global language. It will become another international language very soon.

Those who are unable to speak Mandarin – including this writer who cannot speak or write this important language – will fall behind.

I am 56 years old this year and I still want to be able to converse in Chinese at the very least. Young Malaysians must understand that the world is changing. It will not wait for anyone.

In many European countries, especially the Scandinavian ones, most people are able to speak in other languages apart from their native tongue.

Foreigners are hugely impressed with our ability to speak in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, Tamil and some other dialects, too. It is this linguistic ability that have helped us get businesses and secure jobs.

This is an asset, people.

Those who argue otherwise are simply acknowledging their own disability to improve themselves and thus have to defend their own inadequacies and worse, do it on nationalistic and racial grounds.

The more disturbing fact is this – our political elites are sending their children overseas, especially to Britain, to learn, speak and write proper English while ordinary Malaysians are deprived of such a privilege.

These elites continue to justify our education policy – which could do with a lot of improvement – at the expense of Malaysia and Malaysians.

That is not all. We know that the string of distinctions many Malaysian students have scored has created a false sense of competency and confidence, especially when these super scorers, who all think they should be doctors and engineers, are confronted with the harsh reality – that their string of As are actually Cs and Ds at the international level.

Faiz, you deserve all the accolades for your super goal. You have done Malaysia mighty proud. You have written the speech at your best ability and you have prevailed.

We want more than anything that you do not lose your head. And please don’t think of having a Datukship. We already have enough Datuks in this country (!) but there’s only one Faiz – the Faiz who scored that awesome goal.

If there’s anyone who deserves to get the kick – besides the critics – it is also the Football Association of Malaysia. It should have done better to help Faiz with the speech and help him face the world’s cameras.

Malaysia is a secular country and we should not let religious authorities run our country and how we should live our lives.

LET’S face it – the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has become so powerful as the sole authority in deciding whether any product is regarded as halal that no manufacturers would dare to go against this religious body.

The fact is that the country’s Muslim population has increased and Muslim consumers prefer religiously safe and clean products, properly certified by Jakim.

It is a lucrative market and manufacturers want the halal label to ensure that their products are accepted by Muslim consumers.

The wait for the Jakim approval takes up to six months, if the manufacturers are lucky as it can be longer if there are questions raised. Surprise location checks are included as well.

There are also overseas visits to inspect how foreign suppliers transport ingredients to ensure the logistic process itself complies with the halal standard.

Even mineral water suppliers want the Jakim logo. If it’s water straight from the pipe, it’s straight forward but if the manufacturers claim that their product is mineral water, then Jakim will insist on knowing for sure there is no animal bone matter involved in the process of extraction.

Jakim, in previous interviews, has said they were short-handed and stood up against allegations that they were a money-making machine.

There have been too many stories hurled against them but to be fair, they remain hearsay and accusations.

The reality is that winning over pious Muslim consumers in the global market is estimated to be worth US$2.3tril (RM10tril) a year.

It has been reported that Malaysia’s halal exports are expected to grow over 19% to RM50bil this year from RM42bil in 2015, leveraging on intensive promotions from industry stakeholders.

Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) chief executive officer Datuk Azman Mahmud said the halal industry was fast becoming an important source of revenue and growth as attracting foreign direct investment in the halal business (products and services) would help increase exports.

The global halal foods market alone was estimated at US$693bil (RM3.1tril) while Malaysia’s annual demand for halal foods was valued at RM1.7bil, he said, adding that in the food manufacturing industry, mostly halal food production, more than 1,437 projects worth RM29.3bil had been implemented, creating 99,000 jobs.

In Indonesia, many other items are reportedly touted as halal, like computer mouse, headscarves and even shirt buttons.

There is even halal cat food over there as Muslim owners want their furry friends to follow the same dietary restrictions as they do.

An Indonesian paint manufacturer, Bernahal Paint, is advertising that its wall paint is halal, claiming its material is lard free.

The Indonesian counterpart of Jakim is the Indonesian Ulema Council Food and Drugs Supervisory Agency while in Singapore, the Islamic Religious Council (Muis).

But Muslims are now asking if businesses are commercialising religion and halal matters by promoting what Muslims should use and consume.

Is the line being pushed too far? Even Jakim expressed surprise when a manufacturer of middle-eastern dates asked for a halal certification – I mean dates are dates, and they are a fruit after all.

In an interview with the Straits Times in Singapore, Perlis mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin was quoted as saying that “Muslims are required to eat halal but the problem is when people practise religion beyond the nature of Islam itself.

“Traders are commercialising religion and halal by promoting what Muslims should use and consume,” he added.

In a press report, such commercial uses of the label have spurred a group of auditors, including Muslim Singaporeans, to form a new association to help governments certify manufacturers using halal guidelines and standard practices.

One of the initiators, Imran Musa, reportedly said they aimed to quash “halal extremism” and set the record straight on what is “genuinely halal and good.”

“Having unnecessarily stricter rules towards halal will lead to halal extremism,” he asked, saying “who would have thought of halal paint and halal tudung?”

“Halal extremism is slowly creeping in as some clerics impart their own judgment, hence making halal more stringent.”

The reality is that currently, halal certification has no universally accepted standard, with different countries imposing varying interpretations of the Islamic rules for what is permissible.

In Malaysia, with our multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural make up, many non-Muslims are saying that the push for halal requirements is going too far.

Many referred to reports of the proposal to have different trolleys in supermarkets for Muslim and non-Muslim shoppers, for example.

Then, there is the much publicised controversy over Jakim’s insistence that the word “Pretzel dog” be scrapped as it would give the impression to Muslims that “hot dog” contains dog meat.

Pretzel store franchise Auntie Anne caved in, despite a public outcry, and it humbly changed its “Pretzel Dog” to “Pretzel Sausage” in order to receive the prized halal certification.

And now, fast food giant McDonald’s has found itself in the news when its directive to stop non-halal birthday cakes from being brought into their outlets emerged.

McDonald’s, as a business entity, is entitled to carry out its own policies. It issued an apology to customers for the mis­under­standing but at the same time, it noted that such a policy was also practised in Singapore.

To be fair, some cakes do contain liquor including some servings of the ever-popular tiramisu cake. Many Malaysians may not realise it but most ice cream outlets in the country no longer offer the liquor-laced rum and raisin flavour.

But there is an issue here over Jakim’s authority, given that it is a halal-certification authority. So, does it not mean its authority is confined to only food served at F&B outlets but not the premises itself?

If this continues, it will open the floodgates for more areas, like public transportation vehicles, cinemas, entertainment outlets and schools, to be classified along halal and non-halal lines.

For example, when the now-defunct Rayani Air was launched, it was more concerned with selling itself as a fully syariah-compliant airline but less than four months after its launch, it was grounded for safety audit reasons. Many talked about its halal status and not about the most important aspect –its safety.

While we must be aware of the sensitivity of Muslims over dietary matters, we must be mindful that directives made should not segregate the people along religious lines, especially at a time when there is a need to enhance unity in the face of rising extremism.

As Malaysia turns 60 this year, it is time we reflect and think about the path we are taking as a nation. Whether we wish to admit it or not, Malaysia is a secular country and we should not let religious authorities run our country, including how we should live our lives.

The job of administering our country belongs to elected politicians and not clerics, of any religion and race.

Expect 2017 to be a busy year as the general election might be held. Also, Hadi’s Bill will come up again, we will celebrate our 60th birthday, and host the SEA Games.

FASTEN your seat belts. Get ready for a roller coaster ride. A political roller coaster that is, as 2017 is set to be a super eventful year.

With the general election speculated to be held this year – most popularly thought to be in September, as of now at least – the competing political parties are set to kick off their campaigns over the coming months.

And whether we like it or not, everything will be political. The new year will start off with a bang all right.

Even the first quarter of 2017 is set to be a hot period.

The proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 – commonly known as RUU355 in its Bahasa Malaysia abbreviation – is still unresolved and it’s expected to crop up again when Parliament reconvenes in March.

The Private Member’s Bill, tabled by Marang MP Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, was read out a second time last November to include several tweaks to the Bill that the PAS president read out for the first time the previous meeting.

It is set to be a contentious issue that has rattled Barisan Nasional component parties, with Umno seeing the Bill as merely a way to enhance punishments under Syariah laws while many other Barisan component parties see it as a back-door effort to implement hudud laws.

Many non-Muslim Barisan leaders are also asking why they should be supporting a Bill initiated by an opposition party.

The Government has said that the Cabinet will set up a Parliamentary Select Committee that will involve Muslim and non-Muslim MPs to study the complicated matters in the proposed amendments, especially those related to the separation of powers between the civil and Syariah courts.

But Abdul Hadi is not sitting idly by. He has served notice that the Islamist party will hold a “monster” rally to garner support for the Bill.

“God willing, PAS will organise a himpunan aman raksasa (peaceful monster gathering) representing Muslims from various political parties and NGOs, including those who supported the Bill. Wait and see,” he told a press conference at Parliament lobby here.

Although the date has yet to be confirmed, Abdul Hadi said it could be held before the new Parliament session kicks off in March.

The PAS president also reportedly likened the non-Muslim MPs to Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, for openly criticising the Bill which governs the lives of Muslims. Ahok is currently on trial for allegedly insulting the Quran.

“Unfortunately, the amendment has shown how non-Muslim politicians try to interfere in matters pertaining to the Muslims and the Rulers,” he said.

In Jakarta, following the mammoth protest by Islamist groups, a huge gathering to promote diversity and tolerance was held to counter the earlier gathering.

It will also be a busy year for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as his trial over his two corruption charges involving his RM2.8mil double-storey house along Jalan Pinhorn in Penang starts in March.

High Court judge Hadhariah Syed Ismail has fixed the hearing for both cases to start from March 27 to 31, April 10 to 14, April 24 to 28, May 15 to 19, May 29 to June 2, June 13 to 16 and July 17 to 21.

The prosecution and defence teams have been ordered to submit all relevant documents for the cases by Jan 6.

Malaysia is celebrating its 60th National Day on Aug 31 this year and we can be sure that the Government will use the occasion to pump up patriotic sentiments ahead of the polls.

The country will host the SEA Games in August where certainly, the cheers for Malaysia will be the loudest.

It is a whole month of celebrations, with plenty of feel-good factors being pushed into the air, as we enter into September for the Malaysia Day celebrations.

As the region focuses its eyes on Malaysia, Line 2 of the MRT project would have started following the completion of the 51km Sungai Buloh-Kajang line in December 2016.

It will be an impressive sight as modern transportation in the Greater Klang Valley begins operations and this will surely be a pride of Malaysia.

The country’s biggest convention and exhibition centre at Mitec at KL Metropolis at Jalan Haji Sultan Ahmad Shah in Kuala Lumpur will also open this year.

Bigger than the Putra World Trade Centre, the site will be used for the SEA Games – this is certainly set to be a new icon for our Kuala Lumpur.

An impressive line-up of international events have already been planned for 2017 even before the official opening of this complex – which is shaped like the rubber seed, which has benefitted Malaysia tremendously.

By then, the Election Commission’s re-delineation exercise – which critics of the government claimed was a gerrymandering exercise to benefit the ruling party – would have been completed.

If no polls are called by then, the GE will most probably be held in 2018, as it will be too near the monsoon season.

Do expect 2017 to be a busy year as the political players will swing into action early. Political twists and turns will be aplenty and these can be expected ahead of the polls. Make sure your belts are tied – expect the unexpected.

You can’t say you have not been warned.

Yep, 2016 is drawing to a close. And like some others who want to better themselves in the new year, I have some pointers for myself too. So, here goes ….

MY 10 New Year Resolutions (that will probably be not kept):

No 1: I will not be addicted to my mobile phone anymore

I have a confession to make – I am addicted to my mobile phone. It’s bad enough that I am a news junkie. I am also a phone junkie. I can’t live without this gadget. My wife has always complained that I “play” with my phone all hours of the day.

But I tell her that I am working, not playing. After all, I need to be on the alert. I am ‘on’ 24/7 – the ultimate newsman. I am a news cop – breathing, eating and dreaming news. Cops sleep with their gun under their pillow but I sleep with my Samsung phone right next to me.

Don’t play, play. News is no longer just in the print format but also online, on Twitter and Facebook, in video, on Star TV and radio channels. It’s news, news and more news.

But the wife has thrown in a dampener: Wake up lah, don’t be so drama! You are no longer the group chief editor. Stop bluffing yourself lah. But hey, I am still a journalist. And will always be one.

I am still working in a news media group and I must be on top of things.

Information from all channels comes in fast! A plane hijack, a sinkhole, a murder, an arrest – I love and live for the adrenaline rush!

I can’t just take my eyes off the phone, I will go crazy! If my phone is not with me, it will affect my mental health, which could be worse.

No 2: I won’t spend so much time on Facebook

Oh, I am seriously working on this one. I have no reason to post pictures of what I eat. It’s akin to self-promotion! Speaking of people who are addicted to FB, I cannot understand why some of my FB friends comment (while I totally appreciate it – come on, of course I love immediate responses!) at 1am or 3am! Don’t they sleep? Or do they also sleep with their phones or tablets next to them?

I have decided that in 2017, I will cut down posting pictures of how I spend time bonding with my three girls – erm, my three furry girls, I mean. I have two breathtakingly beautiful Siberian Huskies – Bella and Missy – and an equally gorgeous and intelligent poodle, Paris.

Strangely, these girls seem to get the most “likes” and comments every time I post something about them. It means only one thing: my FB friends are more interested in the lives of my dogs! Obviously not mine!

Why are pictures of my lazy dogs – sometimes sleeping and often in less-than-polite positions (to use a popular Malaysian term, kaki terkangkang) gaining such popularity?

Duh, no more! No more pictures of my pets. My dogs are becoming the BFFs of my BFFs on FB? Hello!

Ok, in 2017, there will be fewer FB postings, less time spent on FB.

There are good reasons too. I am following some friends because I like to see them and their families doing well. FB is a modern way of bonding with friends but hey, some of them are getting into uploading the products they are selling, their work, office mantra and propaganda, and pictures of their colleagues ….

Please, I need advice. Should I unfriend these friends and incur their wrath in the process? I know I could be sending the wrong signal which could cause an unnecessary loss of friendship. As I said, this is the trend now, with social media and all. Where friends are unfriended. I could lose a decades-old friendship because I unfriended them on FB. I can’t do it lah.

No 3: I will spend less time on Twitter

Over the years, despite almost a year of “slumber” on Twitter, I have build a decent number of followers. But my adult daughter says I am “old school”. Why am I wasting time on Twitter, she asks? Only old people who want to look and sound like they are competent in social media use Twitter, she scoffs. To put it bluntly – Twitter is in financial dire straits and its top guys are quitting the company.

It’s a good time to give up this silly bird-sounding thing. I don’t need to be fed this platform. I get unsolicited replies, sometimes from ungrateful followers, which shortens my life by a few seconds. I don’t need it at this age.

Sometimes, I get rebukes from people who don’t even follow my tweets but they hear about my purported offensive tweet from a friend, who heard from another friend. We don’t check, we are Malaysians, you know. We just forward any message and we believe in fake news.

Then again, the biggest user of Twitter is president-elect Donald Trump. He could well be the first US president to issue a decree, policy and decision via Twitter – even before he discusses anything with his Cabinet!

Maybe he does discuss things with his wife, daughter and son-in-law over dinner first and then he tweets.But of course, we’d rather have Trump and his fingers tweeting on his phone than on a nuclear bomb button. Or than his hands on someone else, other than his wife …

For now, I will keep my Twitter account but perhaps spend less time on it next year. I am not sure. Just like Trump or Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte, I could change my mind. Whatever my decision, I will tweet about it. And change my mind in a subsequent posting.

No 4: Give up on Instagram

Why would I care what Paris Hilton eats for breakfast? And why would I want to know what the less-than-clear-headed Kanye West is mumbling about today? Then again, I confess – I follow them!

But I have a good reason to do so – as a journalist, I need to know why millions of people around the globe are also following them. True, we should be worried about Aleppo, global warming and its effects on polar bears, the mad radicals blowing themselves up and our shrinking ringgit but instead we are keen to read about Kanye’s declaration that he is running to be the next US president over Instagram. Next president of the Mental Health Institute, perhaps?

I have been told that I need to follow our local celebrities, to be one of their millions of followers. Hello, brother, you must follow them because they are huge, people say.

They will be helpful to you and your work, they say. Ok, so now I have added more names to the list of people I follow.

I read about what one fashion icon is doing with his moustache and why he is always in suits. Another is always in pink and selling her products. Yet another is selling expensive tudung. How do these guys get their millions of followers and in Malaysia alone? It’s an educational trip for me! But l love Lisa Surihani the best. Intelligent and witty.

And of course, Harith Iskandar, do keep uploading pictures – err, of your family.

No 5: Enough of video on demand

I love movies but I can’t seem to find time to go to the cinemas. Catching up on movies on the plane has been one way for me but airlines usually have a selection of old movies – too many movies made long ago. In one film, Bruce Willis still had hair when we all know he is now completely bald. Home Alone and all its sequels – please lah. That boy has gone from being a cutie to another Hollywood mental case.

So now, I am into video on demand. OTT is the buzz word. Over The Top – any content stream on to your gadgets via the Internet. TV is out. OUT in capital letters! The number of people watching video on their mobiles is crazy! Surely you have experienced being ignored by a salesgirl glued to her phone watching some Thai or Korean drama at the Platinum Mall or Chatuchak market in Bangkok. Well, it is happening in Malaysia!

I am not a big fan of the plastic surgery-enhanced characters of Korean dramas. They seem to look and sound the same. But you know, millions of Malaysians love them. But I love Thai horror movies. And here’s an advertising pitch: sign up at dimsum.my, the Star Media Group-owned video on demand service. Download the movies on your tablet and watch them on board.

Maybe I will give up on other service providers peddling old Hollywood movies and have my eyes glued to the drama that is broadcast simultaneously the same day.

No 6: Give up on WhatsApp chat groups

Frankly, I am in so many WhatsApp chat groups that I have lost count. I am confused. And there are many confused friends in the same position. A few male friends accidentally posted obscene pictures in an alumni chat group – which naturally included many women – when they meant to post the pictures in another group chat consisting of all-male whiskey- drinking members. Needless to say, the male administrator of the alumni chat group was forced to kick out these people. How can these hum-sap (“amorous” in Cantonese) guys be kept in our group, the women asked.

Then there is my neighbourhood WhatsApp chat group which was set up to discuss issues concerning uncollected rubbish, water cuts, crime updates, selfish neighbours, runaway maids or maids getting pregnant and the like. But the discussions have turned political – red, yellow or orange. It’s not even a discussion, it’s plain propaganda that’s forwarded without thinking and they assume everyone shares their political allegiance.

With the general election said to be held in 2017, I can imagine how these chat groups will sound – in true Malaysian style. Prayer groups will pray for certain politicians, drinking chat groups will have bottoms up emoticons for certain politicians, alumni chat groups will post pictures of themselves with their favourite self-serving politicians – instead of with their families. It’s the silly season of the general election. Brace for it.

No 7: Give up on Waze

Are we becoming dependent on Waze? It’s hard to focus on our device while we drive – no matter where you place it. But I am hooked on it.

I listen to the voice of AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes telling me where to walk when I am overseas. He’s an idol but it’s frightening. He is everywhere I go. Turn left at 100m, turn right. Next, he tells me everyone can walk with him – with extra charges billed! He tells me where to stop at a pub for a drink and where to get the best food. You know, the AirAsia model.

But I have chosen his voice for personal safety reasons – imagine having a female celebrity’s voice. Wives get jealous for the craziest reasons, you know. I guess the voice of a big aviation boss can’t hurt. It’s an amazing device but we are all addicted.

No 8: Stop sending text messages to someone sitting next to me in the office or at home

I don’t know why but I am so guilty of this!! Not in an addictive way. But it’s crazy. Why do we send a text instead of speaking to a colleague or family member sitting with us in the office or at home?

This MUST stop. It must. Errr. I didn’t see your message. You told me meh? I didn’t see your text. Next time, please text lah. Sheesh, we just can’t win.

No 9: No more social media acronym

I will be 56 years old next year. Some of my friends are dead or dying, many are losing their memory or pretending to be cool when we are not.

It’s hard to keep up with the social media fad. We burn data when we are supposed to be semi-retired or have retired. No one is paying our phone bills.

LOL, LMAO and LMFAO are already so yesterday. There’s really no point in learning more acronym and getting ourselves confused.

#WCW isn’t WongChunWai but Woman Crush Wednesday and #TBT isn’t the latest word connected to lesbian, gay or transgender. It simply means throw back Thursday or an old picture posted on Thursday. Enough is enough. There’s only so much an old, used up brain can absorb.

No 10: The last word on social media

It’s not going to happen. I can’t think of another resolution to end this article no matter how hard I try. I know I won’t be able to keep or intend to keep the previous nine resolutions. So, here are my parting words for now. STAY CONNECTED, no matter where we are!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, stay safe and healthy in 2017!

HERE are 10 myths of Christmas, which I think are appropriate for the festive season, and to have a better understanding of the festival.

Myth No 1: Jesus Christ was born on Dec 25.

Dec 25 is not his birth date. I am sorry if you have been listening to Boney M’s Mary’s Boy Child all your life. No one really knows when Jesus was born. There’s no mention of his birth date in the Bible, either. So there’s plenty of guesswork and interpretation. Some say Christmas was made a festival in the grim winter months and before long, it became a Christian festival. The date was chosen by the Roman Catholic Church.

Of course, retailers the world over hijacked the festival -– well, it is the year-end and since bonuses are usually given out to employees during this period, it’s a good time to persuade people to spend.

Restaurants also cleverly jack up the price of meals and include the “traditional” turkey as part of the courses even though having this big bird for Christmas has never been a part of Malaysian culture. Come on, admit it, the meat is just too tough for us Malaysians. It’s just good for Malaysian-style porridge to be served on Boxing Day. Now, that’s something to look forward to!

Myth No 2: The Christmas tree is a religious item.

It is not a compulsory or must-have item in Christian homes. No religious hardliner should get too excited about this. In Malaysia, we are very realistic – our plastic Christmas trees are from China. They are just as gorgeous. The Chinese probably ship them around the world. I am also very sure Father Christmas is now residing in China, busy answering letters requesting gifts.

The Christmas tree is reportedly a mid-18th century idea, and it was the Germans who took the idea to the United States. In the 1900s, then US president Teddy Roosevelt was reportedly peeved at the fad of cutting down trees for Christmas. I mean, what were these Germans thinking?

Myth No 3: “Xmas” is wrong.

Christmas isn’t X rated. It’s a wholesome family festival. Some Christians are upset with the abbreviation “Xmas”. But there’s some basis to this Xmas explanation, with some claiming that in the Greek language, the word “Christ” is written with a letter similar to X. Research on the Net says the first letter “X” or “chi”, is written as “X” in the Roman alphabet. Well, all this is Greek to me.

The only time I come across “chi” is when it is mentioned in tai chi or kung fu in the movies. I know it has to do with some power. Christ is powerful for sure. I don’t want to get into this but I know some sub-editors says “Xmas” is shorter and is easier to fit into headlines in a tabloid newspaper.

Myth No 4: Santa Claus is real.

As far as I can recall, Santa Claus is fat and bearded. I don’t know why. I also don’t understand why Santarina – the female version – must be hot, sexy and slim … Santa Claus is based on a fourth-century bishop known as St Nicholas who was said to have delivered secret gifts to the needy. In Malaysia, the term “Santa Claus” is used even during the non-Christmas season to mean one should not be expected to be too generous. Thus the expression “Eh, you think I am your Santa Claus, ah?” No, the beard of St Nicholas is not made of cotton. It’s probably real since he was of Nordic (or Turkish) origin.

Myth No 5: Rudolph is real.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer isn’t real. No animal pulled a fat man, dressed in a ridiculous red suit, around, as that would clearly be a violation of animal rights. Rudolph is said to have made his appearance only in 1939 in a booklet written by Robert May. According to the story, Rudolph was a neglected reindeer who caught Santa’s attention because of its glowing nose. I am sorry to tell you this but Mickey Mouse is older than Rudolph (!) as the super mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney.

Myth No 6: The red Christmas stockings have special powers.

Christmas stockings, no matter how big or small, are purely decorative. We Malaysians prefer our presents in boxes. Also, often even well decorated boxes are empty and are only good enough as decorations under Christmas trees. Don’t be easily fooled.

The story is this – the tradition of red socks started when Father Nicholas left a piece of gold in the stockings of a poor farmer which had been left hanging to dry near the fire place. The farmer wanted to marry off his three daughters, and it was a tradition and a requirement then to give away valuables to the bridegrooms. On hearing the plight of the farmer, St Nicholas slipped into their home at night and placed the gold in the stockings.

Again, please be reminded that one should not place such red stockings outside the gate … please be aware of the kind of attention and interpretation you would get, especially if you are a female.

Myth No 7: Candy canes are a must.

Candy canes are not compulsory items in Malaysia. We all know that Malaysia has one of the highest numbers of diabetic patients in the world. And take note – there are no sugar-free candy canes yet. These candies are supposed to represent the purity and sinless nature of Jesus Christ, according to a website, with the red stripes symbolising the blood shed by Jesus and the shape of candy canes resembling the shepherd’s staff. It is said that when the stick is turned upside down, it denotes the letter “J” in Jesus Christ. The candy canes have been reportedly in existence since the 17th century and its significance is surely one of the more meaningful ones.

Myth No 8: During the Christmas season, Christians consume turkey meat, visit the homes of relatives and friends and go to church.

Well, yes and no. It is a busy, busy time for footballers and an equally intense time for football fans as we cancel all evening functions to ensure that we watch matches “live” on TV if our favourite team pulls through in the three crazy days of English football. The champion is always decided upon during this mad period. Will it be Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City?

Myth No 9: Boxing Day is for boxing matches.

Christians do not go to boxing matches on Boxing Day, the second day of Christmas, Dec 26. The only boxing we may see, if any at all, will be on the football field when English teams play their games, a day after their one-day Christmas break.

It is called Boxing Day because in the 1830s, presents, which were delivered in boxes, were regarded as a gratuity for good service rendered on the first weekday after Christmas. There is nothing special about Boxing Day in Malaysia. In Europe, shops have Boxing Day sales but in Malaysia, we have sales throughout the year.

Myth No 10: Malaysians have a deep suspicion of each other’s religion and have become increasingly religiously intolerant over the years.

NOT true! We all love each other and respect each other’s religion. We will happily support calls for more long weekends and public holidays to celebrate each community’s religious festivals. Yes, cuti lah! I sokong!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all Malaysians! Treasure the time you spend with your family, friends and loved ones. Travel safe and have a good time!

M.Indira Gandhi (left) posing with clerk S.Deepa. – Filepic

THE move by the Perlis state legislative assembly in allowing one parent to convert a child to Islam is totally at odds with what the Federal Government is finally doing.

It has disrupted the legal process of the Federal Government, and like it or not, this tiny state has set off a dangerous precedent.

Malaysians have argued, debated and decided on this contentious issue – and now Perlis has sent this controversy back to square one.

The issue of unilateral conversion became controversial in recent years after several cases like that of M. Indira Gandhi and S. Deepa, two women who faced lengthy court battles to gain custody and reverse the conversion of their children, carried out by their Muslim convert former husbands.

Understandably, Islam is a state matter but state legislation should be consistent with federal laws and the amended enactment by Perlis clearly contravenes the aims and spirit of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Bill 2016 which is intended to secure the constitutional rights of non-Muslims.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had noted that the Federal Constitution ruled supreme above all state laws, even in cases of unilateral conversion of a child.

“Once the amendment (to the Law Reform Act) is passed, it becomes federal law and it should be noted that Article 75 of the Federal Constitution provides that when any state law is inconsistent with a federal law, the federal law shall prevail over the state law,” she said in a statement.

You don’t have to be a lawyer or legal expert to understand that Section 88A of this Federal Bill specifically states that “conversion to Islam can only be done with the approval of both parents”.

Azalina tabled the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Bill 2016 for first reading at the Dewan Rakyat last month, the highlight being the inclusion of a new section (Section 88A) that explicitly states that “both parties in a civil marriage” must agree to the conversion of a minor to Islam.

Specifically addressing the “Religion of a Child” in civil marriages where one spouse has converted to Islam, the amendment also said that the child will remain in the religion of the parents at the time of marriage until the child is 18 years old, when he may choose his own religion.

“Where a party to a marriage has converted to Islam, the religion of any child of the marriage shall remain as the religion of the parties to the marriage prior to the conversion, except where both parties to the marriage agree to a conversion of the child to Islam, subject always to the wishes of the child where he or she has attained the age of eighteen years,” the section reads.

The proposed amendment also states that if the parties to the marriage professed different religions prior to one spouse converting to Islam, “a child of the marriage shall be at liberty to remain in the religion of either one of the prior religions of the parties before the conversion to Islam.”

I hope the state assemblymen in Perlis, regardless of their faith, have taken time to ponder on what they have decided on. It is easy to just say sokong (support) in unison. But have they considered the consequences?

Is it too difficult to allow children, where one parent has converted to Islam, to hold on to their original faith until they can decide for themselves at age 18?

Reverse the situation – if a Muslim parent residing in a non-Muslim country decides to embrace Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, and then converts the child to another faith – what will the reaction be? Frankly, I do not think this should be admissible either.

The same rule should be adopted and taken from a compassionate and humanitarian stand. Worse, we should never allow religion to be used in the fight over child custody when a marriage breaks down. It’s simple, common sense. Let’s do what is humane and right.

In a nutshell: unilateral conversion should not be allowed for whatever religion, be it Islam, Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism.

Should a parent convert to a religion which is different from that at the time of marriage, especially during the dissolution of marriage, the children should remain in the original faith until they turn 18.

Forcing the children to embrace any religion when one party decides to convert may show a lack of confidence in oneself in practising one’s faith or worse still, show a lack of faith in the attractiveness, beauty and truth in his or her religion.

It is more rational for parents to show their children the beauty of their faith, new or otherwise, and allow them to decide once they become adults.

There is nothing to stop a Hindu father or mother, who has become a Muslim, from bringing his or her child to study Islam or visit the mosque to share the beauty of Islam.

When the time comes, let the child decide for himself. The question is – what’s the hurry?

This is a country which is predominantly Muslim. Certainly, the presence of Islam is increasingly dominant and the religious authorities should not worry about numbers.

These wise men of Islam, in fact, should be aware that there are selfish men and women out there who use religion for their own motives when a marriage goes sour.

Why are we denying justice to the non-converting spouse?

The same principle applies to those of other faiths too, and we acknowledge that all religions believe in justice and compassion.

We should also remind ourselves that the Federal Constitution is a major piece of legislation aimed at balancing the needs of all races and religions that make up this multi-racial country.

If a single parent is to be allowed to convert a child it would only have the effect of ignoring constitutional provisions.

Take a breather, listen to our hearts of heart, do what is fair, just and right – not what is politically right or politically beneficial.