THE problem with many politicians is that they lack the courage to apologise when they fumble. Sorry is simply the hardest word for them to say, and acknowledging a mistake is probably next to impossible.

That sums up what Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming (pic) is like. If his intention is to portray himself as a pious Christian, then he should know, like every faithful follower, that he must never use God’s name in vain.

No matter what excuses he can come up with now, any rational-minded Malaysian knows that what he has done is simply mind boggling and to put it bluntly, plain stupid.

He can now shift the blame to others, like the cybertroopers, but the tone was very different when the controversy first started. He actually defended his controversial posting on Hari Raya eve, saying the uproar was “all a misunderstanding” and asked his critics, “What is wrong in trusting in God?”

He reportedly claimed that the poster featured in his posting was meant to promote the Rukunegara’s first principle, Belief in God.

His posting on July 5 featured a large image of an evangelical Christian poster with the slogan “In God We Trust”, an American flag in the background, a lighthouse, an image of hands in prayer, and a large headline saying: “Lord, Guide Our Nation Back To You” at the base.

The visual message design “In God We Trust” was taken from the official page of Christian evangelist James Dobson.

It was only deleted after it provoked outrage among Internet users, with commentators calling it “insensitive” and “stupid”.

Nga went on to say that he was disappointed with his detractors for criticising him without watching a video accompanying the posting, that he claimed was aimed at fostering national unity and religious harmony.

Then – the blame game began. First, he said he was not the administrator of the Facebook fan page that was suddenly deactivated. He said the page was set up and managed by his supporters, but did not name them.

“I am not the admin, my supporters are managing it. Basically, they set it up themselves without asking me, to push for political reform.

“Previously, I noticed there were 450,000 fans. That’s quite a good response, so I let them continue without taking action,” the Perak DAP chairperson told Malaysiakini.

And then on July 10, he issued a statement to say “at all material time I have never uploaded and/or drawn the said cartoon, instead I am a victim of cybertroopers who are engaged by a certain party with vested interest in a smear campaign against the DAP”.

This man is incredible. He cannot even be consistent in defending himself. Simply incorrigible. Next, Nga shared a cartoon linking the customary “duit raya” with “dedak” (animal feed).

In 2004, Nga also landed himself in trouble when he was taken to task for his repeated use of imagery or language to racially profile either an ethnic group or individual.

He had reportedly posted an image on Facebook of an individual of dark complexion smiling broadly, revealing his teeth, and the words “Ka ka ka … Minyak Hitam tarak naik”.

The post drew a lot of angry response from netizens who slammed Nga for racism. He subsequently removed the controversial post, citing that it could be misconstrued.

The image appears as a caricature-laced sarcasm over the recent fuel hike and in an incident in 2011, Nga had reportedly described Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as a “metallic black bas***d”.

There is a saying attributed to Confucius – “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you”. This has come to be known as the Golden Rule and appears in different versions, including in the religious context, and we are sure Nga, being a learned lawyer as he would fancy himself to be, would have read it before.

Many of us would be terribly upset if some Muslim politicians were to post Christmas or Chinese New Year greetings with a huge slogan of “allahuakhbar” (God is Great) superimposed against a Saudi Arabian or Iranian flag. And when queried, they would just say, “what is wrong with that?”

And when the Chinese gives out the customary ang pows, the same question of “giving out dedak or animal feed” is asked.

A wrong is a wrong. It is sad that the DAP leadership has not seen it fit to reprimand him. Has partisan politics come to a point where party leaders, and even their supporters, can no longer differentiate between right and wrong? And if it involves an opposition leader, the impression given is that we must look the other way. That’s a terrible shame.

Surely, the party does not condone uncouth language and offensive remarks. Nga seems to be competing with his fellow party leader, Hew Kuan Yau aka Superman, to see who is the more foul-mouthed leader.

(Incidentally, the Superman himself has crashed to earth. Hew quit the party earlier in the week to prevent attacks against the party because of him. His latest antics had been a Facebook posting in which he insisted the South China Sea belongs to China, drawing the ire of netizens.)

Then there is the Umno Youth protest “to teach Nga a lesson”. Two wrongs don’t make a right, have they not heard?

If the government has been consistent in saying it does not believe in street protests, always claiming it is not a part of the Malaysian political culture, then why were the Umno Youth supporters protesting in the streets, outside the DAP office in Kuala Lumpur?

Last week, hundreds of Umno Youth members descended upon the DAP headquarters to protest against Nga, demanding an apology.

There was no justification for Umno Youth to go to the streets no matter how insensitive an article, greeting or image is deemed to be.

Was a police permit issued to the protesters and if there was none, isn’t that an offence? Surely, the youth wing understands that there are laws and penalties to handle any offences against race and religion.

Umno Youth may be part of the ruling party but they are not above the law. Trying to justify their action by citing religious or racial reasons, and in the process committing another wrong, is just not right.

Malaysia does not need a mob-rule mentality – we should not be quick to retaliate, claiming that we are “under siege” or have been “challenged and insulted”, over an issue.

And again, we like to ask why is Mohd Ali Baharom aka Ali Tinju, the serial agitator, allowed to be on the loose, always?

Malaysia does not need insensitive politicians with their childish racist antics. The people are not amused and surely, there are bigger and more important issues that need our attention, particularly the country’s economy, which has slowed down.

We need Malaysians, regardless of their race, religion and customs, to pull together, as one Malaysian, to face the many challenges ahead of us.

Posting stupid Facebook comments and throwing challenges in the streets won’t help us a bit. Thank you very much for such rowdiness.

Nga seems to have learnt a new Malay phrase – makan dedak (eat animal feed). We hope he will be reminded of another Malay advice – jangan cari hal or don’t look for trouble.

A group of Special Branch arrived at the blast scene in Movida club lounge in Puchong. – Filepic

In light of the IS attack in Puchong, we cannot keep silent or look the other way any longer. Let moderation prevail.

WE all know that an attack by the terrorist group Islamic State in Malaysia was just a matter of time. The police have, in fact, been telling the people, and the politicians in particular, to take their warnings very seriously.

The attack on a club in Puchong was the first but we know it won’t be the last. Let’s not bluff ourselves that we did not see this coming. In many ways, this country has allowed religious intolerance to manifest for a while now, without many of us realising it.

Yes, Malaysia is among the most outspoken Muslim country against IS and our commitment to moderation on the international stage is well known.

But at home, we have seen how a stronger push for a more conservative and puritanical brand of political-religious culture has taken shape.

It is disturbing to most moderate Malaysians who feel that our leaders are allowing these powerful forces to exert their influence without stopping them because of political expediency, or that they are simply not in a position to do anything.

As far back as 2013, the Pew Global Attitudes Survey had revealed that “in Malaysia, a quarter of Muslims (27%) were of the view that attacks on civilians are sometimes or often justified.” In another study, on the World’s Muslims In Religion, Politics and Society, a mere 8% of Malaysians expressed concern about Muslim extremism while 31% were more concerned about Christian extremism.

These figures were obtained in an article written by Joseph Chinyong Liow, a senior fellow from the Brookings Center for East Asia Studies.

Last week, it was reported that a survey conducted in higher institutions of learning revealed that there was a sizeable number of IS sympathisers among our students.

Universiti Utara Malaysia academician Prof Dr Kamarulnizam Abdullah, who conducted the survey, revealed that 10% to 20% of the respondents were sympathetic towards IS, a figure he considered “worrying”.

It may appear comforting that 80% did not support IS and that the findings do not indicate that the minority would flee to Syria or Iraq, but it is nevertheless something that the security authorities need to look into seriously.

The police certainly need our fullest support in the fight against terrorism but they, alone, cannot do the job effectively if our political and religious culture does not change.

There are politicians and certain individuals who continue to spew inappropriate racist and religious remarks and thrive on the publicity oxygen that they get.

While some of these recalcitrants have been put under remand, none has been charged for sedition. Worse, because they hold positions in the ruling party, they give the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they are protected.

They speak first, and try and explain their remarks later when a controversy is generated, by which time the damage has been done.

Religion has also become more entrenched in Malay politics with theologians playing politicians and politicians wanting to play theologians.

Those who can show their credentials in Islam seem to gain more importance than ever before in this country.

The push by PAS for the hudud laws in Parliament is one example – and no one has asked the party president why was it that when PAS was in Pakatan Rakyat, with the DAP, it wasn’t a matter of great urgency but suddenly it is now.

Malay politicians have found it almost compulsory to display to their electorate their faith, even if it merely means their dressing and appearances.

Some religious-political personalities have, in recent years, openly showed their intolerance of pluralism. Never before in our nation’s history has liberalism become unacceptable, when it is in the preamble of the Rukunegara – which has almost disappeared, if not, discarded.

It doesn’t help when a highly-placed religious figure such as Pahang Mufti Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Osman can use terms like kafir harbi without much thought to its implications, even if it’s a personal opinion.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamad aptly described the remark as “dangerous in the wake of the first successful terror strike by IS”.

He reportedly said such remarks can contribute to the self-radicalisation of Malaysian sympathisers to the global terror group.

“The Pahang mufti’s remarks has unintended consequences as an opinion from someone of his stature can lead to many different interpretations,” said Nur Jazlan.

“I view his statement as political, but many people will view it literally because he embodies the goodness in Islam, therefore his statement will have unintended consequences for people to do bad things.”

We shouldn’t tolerate controversial religious figures, of any faiths, who pour scorn on other religions. It is wrong as it causes unnecessary strain to race and religious relations.

There is no need to emphasise on differences. Let’s just focus on talking about common values. There is little to gain from putting down other faiths and claiming superiority.

It is worrying that now, any response to the interpretations by religious figures is quickly dismissed as a challenge to Islam.

Worse, those who dare speak out are branded as “enemies of Islam”, a label which seems to be loosely used these days. For many, this is how narrow the religious-politico discourse has gone.

All these conditions do have a pull factor to the display of sympathy to IS.

It will be naïve to suggest that the foreign policies of the United States in Palestine, Israel, Iraq and Syria are the only reasons for the influence.

For example, it must have shaken many of us to read of Malaysians using social media to condemn the victims of the gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 50 people dead.

The victims were called sinners with one posting, “I hope the 53 injured will not be saved. And anyone who tries to shoot down my statement, you will be censured too!” The comment received more than 250 likes.

While most of us do not condone their practices, we find it atrocious that there are some of us who would actually support killing.

Narrow religious and confrontational ideology has no place in Malaysia.

Our leaders cannot allow hard-line religious figures to carry out, if not, impose their thoughts in our schools, universities and even in government offices.

A combination of ultra right wingers and hard core religious clerics extending their influence in these circles would be disastrous for this country.

We need to have the courage and belief that we can keep Malaysia sane.

We cannot afford to look the other way nor keep silent. Let the moderates prevail with rational and balanced discourse.

Following a public outcry, the Ipoh City Hall retracted a controversial invitation card with a ‘no saree’ directive issued to staff for a special Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering.

WE are in danger of being perceived as a half-baked country if we are not careful. Malaysia is getting international news coverage for the wrong reasons and unfortunately, this is getting pretty regular.

For instance, in this day and age, why would anyone use age-old terms, coined thousands of years ago during the age of warfare, where violence is the only answer to any dispute?

But yes, it has happened.

It dragged on for almost a week before Pahang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman, who uttered the now controversial kafir harbi (non-believers who opposed Islam) term, explained that he has never condoned any killing of those he labelled as kafir harbi.

Neither did he bother to point out that in the press interview, he did not talk about drawing the blood of those who opposed Islam was unacceptable.

All he cared about was that he would not apologise or retract his statement, deemed by many to be dangerous.

The impression most Malaysians got was that pride was more important to this man than anything.

Well, he may not have used the words “blood is halal”, which somehow found itself into social media but the point is that the kafir harbi term he used essentially fits the bill.

The police have said the mufti would now be investigated for sedition and this is rightly so. The other question is whether anything would come out of it.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) put out the fire by saying that the Cabinet was of the view that Dr Abdul Rahman’s statement on kafir harbi was just an opinion, and not a fatwa.

Recently, the mufti, in an Utusan Malaysia report, likened DAP to kafir harbi, a term for non-Muslims who wage war against Islam. The PMO said that the mufti’s statement actually meant that the kafir harbi group should be resisted and not be fought against.

“His statement was also not a fatwa (edict). This is because an official fatwa must first go through the fatwa committee for determination,” the PMO said, adding that in the context of Islam, the term kafir harbi referred to non-Muslims based on conditions stipulated in the religion and those who were prepared to fight the rulers.

“In this context, non-Muslim Malaysians cannot be categorised as kafir harbi as they are citizens of this country, are protected by the country’s laws and are not at war with the Government.

“Therefore, the Government stresses that any party giving views on the term kafir harbi must exercise due care so as not to create uneasiness among members of society, especially the non-Muslims,” it said.

It also noted that it had been proven that since the nation’s independence, the Malaysian society, which comprises people of different races and political ideology, was able to live in peace, based on the principles of democracy while their rights as Malaysian citizens were protected by the Federal Constitution.

The PMO’s statement cleared the air but what disturbed many Malaysians, especially the non-Muslims, was the lack of Muslim leaders, especially ministers, who were prepared to condemn the mufti’s statement swiftly.

Religious figures may be well-versed in religion (and here, we are talking about all religions) but this certainly doesn’t mean they are always right. Our move in challenging, criticising and correcting any one of them should not be seen as questioning or ridiculing a certain religion.

In fact, it is our duty to correct these figures if their opinions are wrong. More importantly, they should be aware that our society places great respect on religious figures and so, what they say have a serious impact on the country and all its communities.

Using terms which seemingly imply that it is permissible to draw blood (kill) of non-Muslims or others who have differing views on Islam, is highly dangerous.

There will be some misguided ones who would think that this is religiously allowed, after all, in their simplistic and warped thinking, since this was uttered by a learned person in Islam.

The mufti’s remarks is worrying because he is a man who holds the highest religious post in Pahang.

This comes not long after the Ipoh City Council got fried for sending out an invitation for a Hari Raya gathering with the words that “the Malays should wear ‘national clothes’ while those of other communities are to wear traditional clothes except saree”.

The instruction was very specific and even a newly landed Bangladeshi or Nepalese would know the meaning of “kecuali” or except.

To carry out damage control, the council had to clarify that its employees were not disallowed from wearing saree at its special Aidilfitri gathering on July 1.

In a statement, it said there had been a misinterpretation of the dress code in the invitation sent out to staff.

“The confusion arose due to a misunderstanding. When it says ‘except saree’, it means the staff can wear a suitable saree and those who work in the field can choose to wear a saree, office wear, or anything that is appropriate for the ceremony,” the council said.

A copy of the invitation, which is being circulated on social media, drew flak from many, saying it was discriminatory.

The issue ended well, however, as Mayor Datuk Zamri Man stepped up and apologised. Many staff turned up at the happy event in saree.

Now, Deputy Health Minister Dr Hilmi Yahaya reportedly said that the Government plans to allow only female doctors to assist in childbirth at public hospitals.

He quickly clarified, saying that “however, the plan is on hold because there are not enough female doctors in the obstetrics and gynaecology line.”

“So we have to wait until there are more trained female doctors in this area,” Bernama reported.

And all this came from a petition the Health Ministry received in 2013 from a group of people to only allow female doctors and nurses to work in the labour room and maternity ward, in the interest of aurat (modesty) of Muslim patients.

The petition, signed by 6,880 people, urged the ministry to encourage more women to take up obstetrics and gynaecology, and raise awareness among medical professionals about aurat requirements during childbirth.

It is really mind-boggling. This is a country of 32 million people and the Health Ministry is letting 6,880 people decide for it?

If we allow this, next, we will have gender segregation in hospitals – doctors and nurses for a particular gender.

We cannot allow this madness to grow, all in the name of religious requirements. Our leaders must step up and stop all these and not look the other way.

The shape of this country, with its multi-culturalism, will disappear and Malaysia is in danger of becoming another Arab town, if we dare not stop and oppose these minority elements, set to kill our plural makeup.

Can moderate Malaysians be blamed if we believe that powerful and influential forces, in our institutions and administration, are effectively but quietly, carrying out their agenda to reach their objective?

The voices of moderation must prevail. We need to speak up against the minority who want to impose their narrow interpretation of religion on us.

The time to do it is now.

THE Opposition really has no one to blame for its defeat in the recent two by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar except itself. It is really distasteful to call the voters names for their decisions.

The same arrogance prevailed, especially among its diehard supporters, when voters in Sarawak were ridiculed and put down sarcastically in social media for voting in the Barisan Nasional in bigger numbers.

So, when the Barisan won handsomely in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar, it was difficult for Pakatan Harapan to accept, with voters accused of having been bought and that they were politically immature. One Pakatan member even asked what was the point in him continuing to bring up contentious issues such as 1MDB, if that was how the voters reacted.

In the first place, it was naive for Pakatan Rakyat to actually believe it could win the two seats as they have always been Barisan strongholds and surely it knows that the odds were against them. It was wishful thinking really.

The best it could hope for, realistically, was to reduce the majority as it had done in the 2013 general election, particularly in Sungai Besar.

The late Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon was the MP for three terms. In 2013, she managed only a 399-vote majority in a straight fight with PAS. She polled 18,695 votes against PAS’ Salleh Husin’s 18,296 votes.

This time, Barisan’s Budiman Mohd Zohdi won with a 9,191 vote majority. The combined votes of PAS and Amanah were still not enough to beat Budiman, who garnered a convincing 16,800 votes. Amanah’s Azhar Abdul Shukur got 7,609 votes while Dr Abdul Rani Osman of PAS had 6,902 votes.

From the analysis, in the 2013 polls, PAS clearly obtained a huge chunk of votes from both the Malay and Chinese votes but this time, these crucial votes have gone to Barisan. There are still pockets of support for the Opposition – after all, Selangor is under Pakatan Harapan.

The DAP supporters wore the orange shirts of Amanah but while the colour may have changed, it also brought back memories of DAP supporters carrying PAS’ green flags and many were in green uniforms too, back in 2013.

YouTube still has a video of an angry, hardcore DAP man at a ceramah loudly advocating the hudud, saying non-Muslims need not fear having their hands chopped off as only Barisan leaders who have committed crimes need to fear.

The crowd at the Subang Jaya ceramah cheered loudly but fast forward to 2016, the mood is not the same. The crowd would probably be embarrassed, or even feel cheated, if the DAP were to make such a stand at a ceramah like this.

But it is hard explaining that, despite their purported divorce, the DAP and PAS are still seated together in the Selangor state government.

And even more confusing is the fact that PKR, DAP and PAS had their knives out for each other in the recent Sarawak state polls.

The call for change is hollow now because the Opposition parties themselves cannot change. A marriage that works needs lots of compromises, tolerance, patience and sacrifices.

In this case, no party is prepared to change its ways, always putting self-interest first.

The open infighting is a tough act to explain to voters, as anyone who knows a little psychology can tell you that human beings are by nature fearful of change. The fear of change or changing times is called metathesiophobia and since time immemorial, man has always liked routine, believing it must be good.

In the case of Pakatan Harapan or formerly known as Pakatan Rakyat, the call for change or “Ubah” has been a traumatic one, as the partnership has crumbled, leaving the electorate to wonder what would have been the consequences if they had voted them to Putrajaya.

And for the Chinese, voting in more PAS MPs has clearly been a serious mistake. In fact, some of the Amanah leaders today have been on record, while in PAS, that they stand for hudud. They may have evaded talking about it now but their stand hasn’t changed.

In the case of PKR, we saw PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli accusing the Selangor state government headed by PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali of corruption – with claims of demands for cash and women – just days before the polls!

That was seriously damaging. PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail – who has refused to sign the Citizens Declaration – hardly campaigned in Sungai Besar, if at all.

Her daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, was another absentee. The DAP leaders probably showed more enthusiasm for Amanah than PKR.

So in short, the Opposition is in tatters.

Yes, Barisan has more money, a better-oiled machinery and has better access to the media but that has not stopped Pakatan Rakyat from winning Penang and Selangor, and in PAS’ case, Kelantan.

So the argument cannot be valid anymore and the better-informed voters, especially businessmen, can tell you that the DAP and PKR are no longer poor, despite the facade of collecting donations at ceramah. They may not be as rich as Barisan but they are surely not poor.

In Kuala Kangsar, the results were even more dramatic as Barisan candidate Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid did not even step out of her house to campaign as she was undergoing iddah (waiting period) following her husband’s death. Datuk Wan Mohd Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, who perished in the May 5 helicopter crash near Sebuyau, Sarawak, was the incumbent MP.

In the four-way fight, Mastura won with a massive 6,969-vote majority, garnering 12,653 votes against PAS’ Najihatussalehah Ahmad (5,684), Amanah’s Ahmad Termizi Ramli (4,883) and Independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary (54).

In 2013, Wan Mohd Khair-il Anuar managed only a 1,082-vote majority.

But there is also a lesson from these recent by-elections for all politicians regardless of their party. They should never take the voters for granted. Politics is like any product and politicians are like salesmen who must convince their customers why they should buy – in this case, vote for them.

If the voters refused to vote for them in 2013, it doesn’t mean they won’t vote for them in 2016 or in the next general election.

There is no reason to sulk, get angry, shun or reject your customers. Some Malay politicians, including Sungai Besar division chief Datuk Jamal Yunos, must surely now reassess his views on Chinese voters, especially if it is a fight against PAS or Amanah.

Jamal’s previous excessive antics, which smacks of racism, have not been forgotten but he persevered, like most thick-skinned politicians should, and worked hard for the release of the two Chinese fishermen jailed in Indonesia.

So he has regained his popularity, from zero to hero, with the Chinese community who returned their support for his hard work, as it should be. Gratefulness is important.

Umno is still regarded as a moderate party and its politics of consensus and accommodation are still a selling point, despite facing numerous contentious issues, especially in urban seats. But the alternative – PAS – is hardly palatable for the Chinese and non-Muslim bumiputeras in this country, which make up over 40% of the population. Even Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak reject the Islamist party’s brand of religious politics.

Ironic as it may sound to many urban Chinese voters, they need to support Barisan in a stronger way to push Umno away from PAS.

Umno must be convinced that it can rely on the non-Muslim votes, including the Chinese votes, so it need not have to look for votes elsewhere, especially in rural areas. That faith must be renewed so that Umno can rely on the decisive Chinese votes to defeat PAS with its narrow interpretation of Islam.

The Pakatan Harapan has little hope of forming the next federal government. That is the reality. Expect three-corner or four-corner fights in most constituencies in the next general election, which will just benefit Barisan.

All pain, no gain: Kelantan folks are very hardworking but the state remains the poorest in the country.

Kelantan is clearly a failed state and its PAS government doesn’t have a clue how to uplift the standard of living of the people there. They certainly deserve better.

IT is bizarre to hear PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dismiss the present system of government as a failure.

The real failure is Kelantan which his party has ruled for the last 22 years. It is a failed state and the PAS state government doesn’t have a clue, nor does it care, how it is going to uplift the standard of living of the people there. I guess Hadi doesn’t care because the Islamist party gets voted in again and again.

Speaking at the recent party general assembly, he said although present systems such as democracy, socialism and capitalism have borrowed some elements from Islam, they do not take “faith, sin and blessings” into consideration.

The hardliner PAS politician said: “We intend to take a new approach to revive what was implemented by Islam 1,400 years ago.”

No one, regardless of their faith and political allegiance, will argue that God’s law is perfect but we know those claiming to speak on God’s behalf are mere mortals with plenty of flaws.

These are the politicians invoking God’s name and worse, for some, they begin to think they are God – and here I am talking generally, with no reference to any one party.

We have all experienced, in all kinds of religions, how those who use religion to exert their authority often have little tolerance for dissent.

Critics are often dismissed, if not punished, for giving their views.

They are deemed to lack the expertise to question these leaders. In the case of minorities, they simply are not entitled to even speak.

What is taking place in Kelantan is a pity because the people of Kelantan are the most hardworking lot.

I have plenty of friends from that state since my student days in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia who have been truly successful in their careers. But it’s the same story – they have abandoned Kelantan and are working in Kuala Lumpur.

If Kelantan is the PAS model of a successful administration system, then there must be something fundamentally wrong with the party because of its failures in many areas that they do not talk much about.

Behind the puritanical environment imposed by the PAS state government, it is a sad fact that women top the list of those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, as compared to those in other states.

According to one news report, their affliction has been attributed to their spouses or boyfriends often making “pleasure” trips to Thailand.

The promiscuous lifestyle of those men was a main factor for indirect exposure of HIV/AIDS to the women, Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) president Datuk Mohd Zaman Khan was quoted as saying. The state also remains consistently the one with the highest number of AIDS cases.

Take for instance in 2010, the number of Kelantanese diagnosed with HIV was 28.2 people for every 100,000 population. The national ratio then was 12.9 people for every 100,000 population.

And in 2009, a total of 616 HIV/AIDs cases were detected of which 16% were women. Of the figure, 40% were housewives.

In 2014, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi said Kelantan also recorded the highest rate of methamphetamine distribution in the country.

The state also is also among the top ranked for rape – and yes, we know the standard accusation by PAS leaders – that the cause of such crimes is due to the victims being “indecently dressed.”

Yet, we all know that most of these rapes in rural areas involved known perpetrators, including relatives. And in a rural setting, it is ridiculous to suggest these victims would be sexily attired.

The late Kelantan PAS Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat may be a respectable religious teacher but he would also be remembered as saying that girls who did not cover their aurat (flesh that should remain covered) deserved to get raped.

The PAS answer to crime in the state seems to be to just increase punishments – it has never bothered to find out the root causes for the offences. Perhaps, PAS does not want to know.

Other states, without the social oppression, do not seem to have the kind of problems faced in Kelantan. At least, not as prevalent as Kelantan.

But the saddest crime are actually being committed by the PAS leaders – how can they explain why Kelantan remains the poorest state in the peninsula?

The average household income in Kelantan today is the lowest in Malaysia and is about a third of a household in Kuala Lumpur.

That’s not all. Kelantan reportedly has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. It has been reported that the risk of a newborn child in Kelantan dying before reaching age five is twice that of a child in Kuala Lumpur.

By very conservative estimates, 15% of children in Kelantan live in poverty while at least 7% are under-nourished, it is said.

The people of Kelantan deserve better. For decades, they have placed their faith in a party that supposedly has the best answers, but the reality is that they cannot rule a state in a modern society with its myriad of complex issues.

A properly run modern state must have leaders with strong training and expertise in business, economics, finance and management.

It is obvious PAS has none. In fact, at its recent general assembly, there was zero discussion on the economy, and the perception is they have little knowledge, if not, no interest to the issues affecting Malaysia and the world.

Has the gender segregation, lit up cinemas, ban on Malay culture with supposedly Hindu influences, summons on tight clothing and fines on unisex hair salons helped? You figure it out rationally.

Do the ex-PAS leaders in Parti Amanah Negara, or those aspiring to join the new party, make any difference? None at all. They are the same guys pushing for hudud to be implemented when they were in PAS and it is well documented in the media.

We should know better than to trust theologians wanting to be politicians and politicians aspiring to be theologians. The people in Kelantan deserve better.

Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin

WE need to have some sense of decency in Malaysian politics. It has reached a point where profanity, rants and shocking wishes have become almost a daily norm, especially on social media. For sure, it is a reflection of our messed-up psyche.

It is perfectly normal in a democracy or dictatorial society to hate our politicians even though they may think they are much loved, thanks to their hangers-on who will tell them just that.

The large crowds that greet our leaders at each event can sometimes lead to a delusion of grandeur. Yet no political hanger-on would want to tell his puffed-up leader that the numbers may not be a genuine reflection of strength or popularity.

Pouring scorn on democratically elected politicians is one thing, but we have certainly gone past the point of decency when some of us can even “rejoice” over tragic personal events that involve them.

For example, take those who made insensitive remarks on the tragic death of the son-in-law of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi or those who wish for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to be the victim of a helicopter crash.

What’s wrong with these people? Have some of us become so shamefully insensitive or inhumane that we rub our hands in delight when such tragedies take place?

Politicians are players and they know the game can be rough and even unforgiving but any properly brought-up person, regardless of his race or religion, would never wish for misfortune to befall another person.

In the case of the late son-in-law of the Deputy Prime Minister, who passed away during dental surgery, he was not even a politician.

It is incredible that some can be emotionally charged, or more precisely mentally deranged, that they continue to justify and defend their uncouth and stone-hearted wishes even after being condemned for their remarks.

These recalcitrants simply cannot see their wrongs and arrogantly continue to gloat maliciously with more hurtful words. They need psychiatric help, really.

There’s a German word for people with such a disorder and it is called schadenfreude. The word describes people who derive pleasure from the misfortunes of others. Essentially, clinical studies have shown that such diabolical people often have low self-esteem, among others.

It also doesn’t help that in Malaysia, the rebuttals against such people are badly articulated. Given our inability to debate intelligently, race and religion always creep into the argument from both sides. Yes, argument, not discourse because civil debate is not a norm here. Certainly, two wrongs do not make a right.

Last week, Perak Amanah deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin did the right thing when he apologised to the family of the late Kuala Kangsar incumbent for reportedly stating that the by-election was “divine retribution” for Barisan Nasional’s hand in overthrowing the Perak government in 2009.

“In the spirit of Ramadan Al-Mubarak, I who am also a father and husband offer my hand and humble unreserved apology to the wife, children and family members of the deceased (Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad) as well as to the divisions, state and central party leaderships.

“My unreserved apology is a token of my sincere and deepest sympathy for what God had decreed to befall his family,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

But Nizar should have just come clean. There was absolutely no need for him to claim that his statement was taken outside the context of his speech by “inaccurate or misreporting on social and print media until causing hurt, insult or any feelings of unease to all concerned”.

Blaming the press is always the easiest way out for cowardly politicians. Nizar should have taken it like a man and admitted that it was the result of his loose mouth.

Prior to that, Umno Youth member Syed Rosli Jamalullail also found himself in a bad light when he used profanity to express dissatisfaction with the party leadership’s decision to nominate Wan Mohammad Khair-il’s widow, Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid, to contest the Kuala Kangsar seat.

In 2013, Wan Mohammad Khair-il was elected by a majority of 1,082 votes against a PAS and an independent candidate.

Syed Rosli found himself under heavy criticism for his obscene words against Mastura because the latter is a woman and an elderly person. His choice of words was certainly unacceptable in our Malaysian culture.

He, too, later apologised and admitted his mistake, claiming he did so in a fit of anger and disappointment over Umno’s choice. But the apology sounded hollow as it was said in a defiant tone.

But who can blame the party members if they are simply following in the footsteps of their leaders, especially the lower – and middle – ranking ones who make the uttering of profanity their standard campaign style?

The worst must be DAP’s Hiew Kuan Yao, who has earned a reputation for the shameful use of profanity at his ceramahs. He is a national disgrace to Malaysian politics.

Those who understand Chinese should just do a quick Google search to see the kind of crude and lewd words he uses, which are totally unacceptable.

He is no different from the bottom pile of a few Umno activists who see themselves as communal champions with their racist remarks.

We don’t have to be religious or pretend to look pious to know that it is not right to hurt others or wish misfortune on them, no matter how much we dislike a person or his political beliefs. That’s immature politics.

NOT many non-Muslims are going to be convinced by the explanation of PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that his Private Member’s Bill is merely intended to uplift the status of the Syariah laws, and not to implement hudud.

The fiery hardliner explained, “It is just to give the Syariah courts enhanced punishment. From six strokes of caning to a few more, depending on the offences.”

Under Malaysia’s legal system, the Syariah courts are empowered to only mete out punishment not exceeding three years’ jail, a RM5,000 fine, or six strokes of the rotan for certain offences, what is commonly referred to as the 3-5-6 maximum punishments.

Let us be clear about how Hadi has consistently articulated the Islamist party’s agenda, which is to set up an Islamic state and to implement hudud.

And amid his attempts to explain what the Bill is all about on one side of the country, when he went back to the east coast to open the 62nd PAS Muktamar in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan on Thursday, the message remained the same.

Speaking to reporters after the opening, he said PAS insists that Malaysia must be governed according to Islam because the present system has failed.

“We intend to take a new approach to revive what was implemented by Islam 1,400 years ago,” he said.

He added that although present systems such as democracy, socialism and capitalism have borrowed some elements from Islam, they do not take “faith, sin and blessings” into consideration.

“This is what happens when you separate Islam from politics.

“People will choose to do whatever they want because there is no concept of sin and blessings,” he said.

We should not be surprised.

From gender segregation to banning Malay culture deemed to be unIslamic, such as wayang kulit, and making it compulsory for lights to be switched on in cinemas, this is not the kind of Middle Eastern lifestyle that many Malaysians, including Muslims, would want. Even unisex hair salons operated by non-Muslims have seen harassment when female stylists dealt with male clients.

Kelantan is the PAS model of what Malaysia would be like if it comes to power or is part of the ruling government.

Moderate Malaysians, in general, do not have faith in PAS. But thanks to the DAP and its blind political ambition, it helped PAS get the votes in the 2013 general election. The consequences have been disastrous.

Now, it appears to be a matter of political expediency again as Umno and PAS work on the Malay votes, seemingly having given up on Chinese voters.

In March last year, Kelantan PAS assemblyman Hasan Muhammad went on record to say the implementation of hudud is the party’s aim.

He said Kelantan is trying to emulate the success of Zampara, a province in Nigeria whose hudud laws inspired nine other provinces to follow.

“Kelantan wants to be like Zampara. Maybe hudud can start in Kelantan and later other states would follow,” he said while debating the amendments to the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment 1993 in the state legislative assembly.

In 2015, Hadi declared that he is adamant about implementing hudud in Kelantan, saying there was no compromise over implementing hudud.

He has consistently used the word “hudud” and a Google of his statements would verify that. He has never sought the press to correct the usage of the word “hudud” and so we will not buy the sugar-coated line that it is “to uplift the status of the Syariah law.”

It is clear that PAS is looking for the little window to pursue its ambition. Its continuous argument is that the Bill will not affect non-Muslims, and it is not hudud but merely to enhance Syariah punishment. It is alarming to non-Muslims because what PAS has been saying is now being repeated by Umno leaders.

It is simply logical that in a plural society there will be crimes involving Muslims and non-Muslims. How can anyone say, and for that matter actually believe, that it won’t affect non-Muslims? Instead of superficial replies, non-Muslims want to know if a criminal is Muslim and the victim is non-Muslim, can the aggressor opt for Syariah law, which could possibly put the non-Muslim victim or even the police or prosecution in a disadvantaged position?

PAS has also started to put down critics of the Bill by labelling them “anti-Islam” – it’s the easiest way of refusing to enter into a discourse, invoking God’s name under its interpretation and brand of Islam. This is the party that has declared the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as haram.

There cannot be two sets of criminal laws in Malaysia – the Syariah and civil laws – as it would give rise to Constitutional complications such as equality before the law but worst of all, it will lead to greater disunity and enmity between Muslims and non-Muslims, as senior lawyer Jaharberdeen Mohamed Yunoss rightly put.

It is disturbing that an opposition party – which is contesting against the Barisan Nasional, notably Umno, in two by-elections – seems to calling the shots in this issue.

Political consideration is too risky a matter to play with PAS, or some would say, seemingly to please PAS. The timing of the tabling of the motion, just before the party general assembly, has helped the Islamist party chief’s image a great deal.

Once the door is opened, there is no turning back. We will see Terengganu and Kedah, states where PAS is strong, following soon.

Let us remind ourselves that the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman; the second PM, Tun Razak; the third PM, Tun Hussein Onn, and even the fourth, Tun Dr Mahathir (for the first 20 years as PM) had publicly championed and defended the Merdeka compact of Malaysia as a secular democracy with Islam as the official religion.

We would also like to remind Hadi that there is no merit to any argument that says just because the majority of the population of a country is Muslim, the country must become an Islamic State.

There are plenty of countries in the world with Muslim majorities which are not Islamic States. Look at Indonesia, the country with the largest number of Muslims: It is not an Islamic State. In fact, Islamist parties do badly at its polls.

The Indonesians are not afraid to snub these politician-theologians, fending off the attempt by such politicians who use religion to strengthen themselves.

Aceh is the only province where Syariah laws are enforced and it is well documented how its moral guardian operates.

Don’t let Hadi have his way. No one should be afraid to reject the Bill. Don’t let politics get in the way. Sanity must prevail.

The tabling of the Private Member’s Bill in Parliament by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

THREE issues that have surfaced over the past week have terribly disturbed me and I am sure many Malaysians who are rational, reasonable and fair-minded feel the same way. More than that, these actions are slowly eroding the Malaysia that we know.

Minister in charge of Islamic Affairs Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom told Parliament that unilateral conversions are lawful and gua­ranteed under the Federal Constitution.

This writer does not know if Jamil understood what he was reading out, which was presumably prepared by an official, or if he had referred to the Cabinet papers or read up on the Federal Constitution.

There is a 2009 Cabinet directive on uni­lateral conversion and early this year, a five-member Cabinet committee on unilateral conversion also decided that no child can be converted to another religion without the consent of both parents.

The 2009 Cabinet directive also stipulated that children must follow the practised religion of the parents at the time of marriage in the event that one of them converts.

Surely Jamil must be aware of the committee because he is also a member. Among the others in the panel are Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup.

The other members of the committee are Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, de facto law minister Nancy Shukri, and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

Jamil and his officials cannot read the Federal Constitution – specifically the provision for conversion – in isolation.

The argument of the singular meaning for “parent” does not hold water as the Interpretation Act 1948 & 1967 clearly indicates otherwise; the term “parent” in Article 12 (4) must necessarily mean both the father and mother.

To construe otherwise would mean depriving, for example, a mother of her rights as a parent to choose the religion of her infant under Article 12 (4), if the father alone decides. In simple English, the Interpretation Act stipulates “parent” to mean plural, not singular.

The Interpretation Acts of 1948 and 1967, which generally apply to all Acts of Parliament, state that words in the singular shall include the plural. Therefore, the Constitution ought to be interpreted in like manner.

Jamil should also put himself in the shoes of other Malaysians, especially non-Muslims. He may be in charge of Islamic Affairs but he is also a leader of all Malaysians.

I don’t think Jamil will be a happy man if his spouse makes a decision without telling him, and we are not even talking about religious issues.

Lest we forget, the Federal Court has ruled that Hindu mother M. Indira Gandhi is allowed to challenge the validity of the unilateral conversion of her three children by her Muslim-convert ex-husband Muhammad Riduan.

The ruling is the culmination of the interfaith custody battle between Indira and Muhammad Riduan that began in 2009. They were married as Hindus and today, no one has been able to trace the whereabouts of Muhammad Riduan (formerly K. Pathmanathan), who had converted the couple’s three children – then aged 12, 11 and 11 months – to Islam without their presence or Indira’s knowledge, just six days before he obtained a custody order for all three in the Syariah Court on April 8, 2009.

Another big surprise last week was the Government’s decision to allow PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to table a Private Member’s Bill in the Dewan Rakyat to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

On Thursday, it was at the bottom of the day’s agenda but it was prioritised by two Federal Ministers. It came as a surprise because PAS has brought the Private Member’s Bill four times since 1995, and has never succeeded. On Thurday, Hadi got this first step.

We can be sure that Hadi will repeat his mantra that the Bill only seeks to empower the Syariah Courts and it only involves Muslims.

When tabling the Bill, he said it seeks to amend Section 2 of the Act to state that the Syariah Courts will have jurisdiction over Muslims, and in the case of offences on matters listed in Item 1 of the State List under the Ninth Schedule of Federal Laws.

He said it is also to include Section 2A, which states that in the conduct of criminal law under Section 2A, the Syariah Courts have the right to impose penalties allowed by Syariah laws related to offences listed in the said section, in addition to the death penalty.

What Hadi is pushing for is unacceptable. We live in a plural society. Those who argue that the Syariah law is only for Muslims may have missed this point – can anyone in Malaysia guarantee that crimes would only involve Muslim criminals and victims?

Many kinds of criminal acts affect non-Muslims, including rape. If we follow what Hadi is preaching – we will have to find four male witnesses of repute to testify in a rape case. Women witnesses are not accepted and we wonder where we are going to find four men of good reputation in relation to a rape case.

If non-Muslims already find that judges in civil courts are reluctant to adopt a firm stand on the civil rights of the aggrieved non-Muslim party, we wonder how the Syariah Courts can defend the interest of non-Muslims.

There cannot be a parallel criminal justice system with Muslims and non-Muslims subjected to two different laws. This is not about Islam, as advocated by Hadi and PAS, but simple common sense. But of course, common sense is not that common in PAS but we hope there will be a sense of fair play from Umno, and not the agenda dictated by the likes of Jamil. Sometimes we wonder if Jamil is really from Umno or PAS.

The third disappointment must be a speech made by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob, the controversial Rural and Regional Development Minister, who is well known for his communal remarks.

Last week, he reminded his listeners that Malays must unite to prevent non-Muslims from becoming Prime Minister because the Federal Constitution is silent on the racial origin of the top boss.

First of all, I cannot imagine any non-Malay aspiring to be the PM because, accept it, realistically it is not going to happen in my lifetime. It took 200 years in the United States for a black man to become president, even when the whites and blacks are mainly Christians and speak English.

But it is sad that in this age and time, Ismail is still looking inward and seeing things through his racist lens. Surely, he must have applauded when a Muslim became the first mayor of London, and for that matter, the first mayor in a big Western city.

Even in Jakarta, the capital of the world’s largest Muslim country, a Christian Chinese has been voted in as the city’s governor.

The non-Malays, especially the Chinese, are aware of their position as a minority in Malaysia. Politicians like Ismail should stop using phrases like “they” and “us” in his speeches, because we are all Malaysians.

What he has said serves little purpose, except to hurt feelings unnecessarily. A true mature Malaysian leader will talk about the strength of all Malaysians, regardless of their race and religion, coming together and not going separate ways.

As one lawyer put it aptly in his article, Malaysia is represented by at least 45% of the population who have faiths other than Islam. The important question one needs to address is the line between maintaining social stability and securing individual rights of religious practice and freedom of religion.

He further added, “this needs to be re-evaluated – where the politicisation of the Muslim rights over the non-Muslim citizens and fear mongering has had considerable effect in defining the parameters of the fundamental rights afforded to the citizen by the Constitution.”

Three months from now, Malaysia will celebrate its National Day. As we replay the old visual of Tunku Abdul Rahman raising his hand at Stadium Merdeka, let us not forget that the Alliance created Malaysia as a secular democracy.

Tunku would have been horrified at the thought of what Hadi and his PAS theolo­gians want to do with Malaysia.

He would have also reminded a few Umno leaders, who have no sense of history, that our Independence was made possible because of the unity of Umno, MCA and MIC, and that without Sabah and Sarawak, there would be no Malaysia.

So please think carefully of the hearts and minds of the rest of Malaysians who do not live in Kelantan and do not want to see Malaysia turned into an Islamic State. Let not the first brick be laid.

No confusion here: The shrine at Armenian Park is located at an obsure corner and left to the care of believers.

Being Malaysian is all about being surrounded by those who are different from us in terms of colour, creed and upbringing. And this is something we are proud of.

IT won’t be wrong to say that most Muslims who have lived near the heritage area of Armenian Street in Penang have never become religiously confused over the presence of a Chinese tokong shrine in the vicinity’s park.

After all, it has been there for the last 70 years, tucked inauspiciously at a far end of the park. But going by what Penang Opposition Leader Jahara Hamid had said, this shrine must be right in the middle of the park to generate such controversy.

Speaking at the Penang State Assembly meeting recently, the Umno state legislator reportedly said she was sure that Muslims would not pray there but “some Muslims may be confused.”

Oh, please! Most Penangites believe that our Muslim brothers and sisters have solid faith in their religion and for sure, they won’t be confused. The only one who seems confused is Jahara herself.

Muslims in Penang are the most exposed to other cultures and faiths, I dare say, unlike those from other states that are less ethnically mixed than Penang. It is also by far the most cosmopolitan state historically.

It is bizarre that Jahara raised the subject as no other state under the Barisan Nasional, or specifically Umno, has taken a hard stance on the presence of such shrines which can be found all over the country. Quite frankly, it made her appear to be insensitive to the diversity of the people in this land.

It is for sure not representative of Umno and it won’t be wrong to say that Jahara was speaking for herself. In fact, the other Umno assemblymen did not express support for her ludicrous remarks, which have also put her fellow Barisan component members in an awkward position.

There is no shortage of issues in Penang that she could have picked up to score points. These are issues which affect all Penangites regardless of race and religion.

The only “Tokong” she has to pick on is Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, as he is cynically called for what appears to be his dictating ways, and certainly not the tokong shrine.

Most non-Muslims, especially Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus and Christians, do not have any issue with such shrines. They understand that these shrines often spring up at construction sites and near office blocks or hotels to placate the spirits nearby.

Look, you may not believe it but no one is going to argue with anyone who wants to believe something. These little shrines are often located in some obscure corner and left to the care of the believers.

It’s a case of live and let live. It has been like this for a long time. These shrines have been around before independence – for sure, even before Jahara was born.

It is peculiar only to Malaysia, Singapore and parts of Indonesia, particularly Semarang, which has a large Chinese community.

The local guardian spirits are called Datuk Kong, with strong Malay influence, and some shrines are revered because they are set up near unusual rock formations, huge ant hills, a snake’s nesting ground, or a huge banyan tree. Some shrines also include deities, usually when the believers are from the Taoist background.

In fact, there is a huge shrine in Klang town which even has a big dome-shaped roof and crescent moon motifs. It is painted yellow, which is regarded as the royal colour.

There are plenty of academic studies on this subject by local scholars and no one has raised a ruckus, as far as I can recall, because it is well entrenched that such practices are forbidden in Islam. It is very clear and no one is confused.

It is confined only to the Chinese who took up this practice, a fusion of their Confucianist-Taoist beliefs and their respect for Malay figures and early beliefs, which led to the creation of such shrines all over the country when they arrived as immigrants.

As a child growing up in Kampung Melayu in Penang, I would be reminded by my mother to put my hands together, as in prayer, when I had to urinate at the nearby river and bushes. My mum, a nyonya, burned kemenyan (incense) most evenings. For sure, it kept the mosquitoes away.

I have had my share of experiences visiting shrines which had words written in jawi all over them and listening to stories of purported powerful datuks – and we made sure we refrained from consuming pork when we, as Boy Scouts, visited some islands where these guardians are said to roam. Of course, we respected the belief.

This has made Malaysia interesting. Of course, we can live with these mystical stories, especially when we are on jungle or sea trips. In the end, it is actually more about respecting nature.

As Penangites, we are proud that religious tolerance is alive here. In fact, we detest bigoted politicians who think they can play the racial or religious card to score political points. It is simply unacceptable.

Instead of spewing racist remarks, politicians should organise walks to places of worship, especially down Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, commonly known as Harmony Street because of its four ancient houses of worship, ancestral halls and shrines. That’s what the moderates have done.

There is the St George’s Church, Goddess of Mercy Temple, Kapitan Keling Mosque and Sri Maha Mariamman temple.

Apart from Penang, there is also Jalan Tun Sambanthan in Brickfields and Jalan Tokong Besi in Malacca where temples, churches and mosques share the same street.

Thanks to some incredibly stupid politicians and preachers, including foreigners, some of us have been made to believe that one can be instantly converted if they walk into a place of worship other than those of their own faith.

So, the idea of studying and understanding other religions is frowned upon as prejudice grows more deeply rooted and interaction with people of other faiths becomes limited. That’s how religious extremism grows and if we are not careful, we could end up walking the wrong way.

I continue to tell people that I benefitted from taking the compulsory Islamic Studies course as a student in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. It gave me a good understanding of Islam and I have continued to add more books on Islam to my library. As a Christian, I have certainly not become confused despite reading many books on Islam.

Likewise, no one should be worried about reading books of other faiths. Let’s focus on the commonalities and goodness of all religions, and stop harping on how our faith is more superior than others.

Just be mindful that we want to be a better person who is God-fearing, compassionate and tolerant. It’s the heart and mind that matter the most. We don’t have to show or declare to the world how religious and pious we are.

Malaysians must be brave enough to tell off such political and religious figures. Keeping silent is not an option.

We are a secular and liberal country. It is vital for national leaders to make clear to voters at the next campaign trail that theirs is a moderate party. The Sarawak polls has taught us that.

THE opposition could not get their act together in the Sarawak elections and the result was that the Barisan Nasional won by a massive landslide.

In a nutshell, the Opposition got walloped. The DAP lost five of their seats, a clear indicator that the urban Chinese votes, their traditional stronghold, had swung back to the Barisan. As for PKR and PAS, they got clobbered.

In some areas where the DAP and PKR took on each other, even their combined votes were far off those garnered by the Barisan Nasional.

As for PAS, it is a wonder that they even want to contest in Sarawak, where the Islamist party sticks out like a sore thumb.

The results have gone through enough analysis by various commentators but the bottom line is that the electorate cannot be expected to cast their votes for the opposition if they are busy killing off each other.

One video clip that has gone viral has foul-mouthed DAP politician Hew Kuan Yau, in his race-laced speech, telling voters to reject PKR, and in the same breath he also called for the people of Batu Kitang to vote for DAP candidate Abdul Aziz Isa so that Aziz could screw the Malay people.

No matter how the DAP leaders try to explain Hew’s behaviour, the damage has been done.

In Penang, the state government has its hands full trying to control the five assemblymen – four from PKR and one from DAP – from staging a revolt.

Not many want to hear this in urban Malaysia but the opposition isn’t in very good shape at the moment.

Sarawak is already yesterday’s news. Let’s look at the two by-elections that are coming up, namely Sungai Besar in Selangor and Kuala Kangsar in Perak.

The Election Commission has fixed June 18 for the two by-elections, which means that campaigning would be carried out during the fasting period. Nomination is on June 5.

The polls are being called after the MPs died in a helicopter crash on May 5 during the Sarawak elections campaign trail. Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon and Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad were the victims.

In the 2013 general election, the Sungai Besar seat was won by Noriah with 18,695 votes, only 399 more than PAS’ Mohamed Salleh M. Husin.

Kuala Kangsar was secured with a bigger 1,082 vote majority from Barisan’s Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar, who also went up against a PAS candidate.

Last week, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) senior leader Khalid Samad hinted that the forthcoming Sungai Besar by-election may see a three-cornered clash, with Pakatan Harapan joining in the projected PAS-BN clash.

Khalid said there is a chance that Harapan would put in a candidate, either from PKR, DAP or his own party Amanah, but we know the DAP is out of the running as this is a Malay majority area. The 42,837 electorate comprises 66% Malays, 31% Chinese and 2% Indians.

In 2008, Noriah won in Sungai Besar with 16,069 votes while her opponent from PAS, Osman Sabran obtained 11,060 votes.

Noriah’s majority that year was 5,009, in a constituency which consisted of 67.90% Malays, 30.3% Chinese and 1.78% Indians.

The Chinese votes are crucial this time but if PAS hopes to secure the community’s votes, they can forget it. Neither will the DAP help PAS as their relationship has ended. If Amanah or PKR is to be fielded, it would mean a minimum of a three-cornered fight.

The consolation for the Pakatan Harapan is that the DAP stronghold of Sekinchan is nestled in Sungai Besar and the Umno division chief Datuk Jamal Yunos isn’t the most popular man with the Chinese community.

His participation in racist-toned protests hasn’t been forgotten and he must have realised his foolishness by now. Reports that he recently adopted a Chinese boy have been met with cynicism because of his track record.

He has to try harder. Maintaining a low profile and leaving the work to Wanita Umno which is likely to field its candidate would be much more strategic.

The opposition vote is as good as split, a lower voter turnout would be expected and in the end it would reinforce the perception that the opposition is not fit to rule Malaysia.

In the case of Kuala Kangsar, the constituency used to be the stronghold of former Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz. In the 2008 polls, she retained her seat against PAS with a majority of 1,458.

Rafidah, who was contesting in her last general election that year received 10,735 votes while her opponent, Dr Khairuddin Abdul Malik of PAS garnered 9,277.

Kuala Kangsar then had 66.3% Malays, 25.99% Chinese and 7.39% Indians.

In 2013, the late Wan Mohd Khairil won by a smaller majority of 1,082, polling 14,218 votes ahead of PAS’ Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah (13,136) and former Wanita Umno deputy chief Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim, who contested as an independent candidate.

Voters in Kuala Kangsar increased from 28,325 in 2008 to 33,540 in 2013 with the percentage of Malays increasing to 67.96% as compared to Chinese (23.94%) and Indians (6.96%).

As in Kuala Selangor, we can expect PAS to stake its claim on Kuala Kangsar as well. We can expect the same spoiler reaction from Amanah, unless the latter concedes that it is not able to fight for this predominantly Malay seat.

If Amanah decides to contest in these two seats, it would also put PKR in a spot because it has attempted to keep its line open with PAS, unlike the DAP.

As for the Umno candidates, it is important that the national leaders who show up at the campaign trail tell the voters that it is a moderate party. It is time that its leaders come out to show that it is entirely different from PAS, which wants to set up an Islamic state.

This is a secular and liberal country, as clearly stipulated in the Federal Constitution and the Rukunegara, and certainly the kind of politics advocated by PAS will be disastrous to the future of Malaysia.

A large segment of the Chinese voters gave their votes to PAS in the 2013 polls. They have learned their lesson. The Sarawakians in the urban seats have got it right, it is time to send the same message to PAS.