I really wonder whether we will ever cross the finishing line to be a developed country if highly political, religion and seditious matters are played on public grounds on regular basis, turning one Malaysian against another based on hearsays, political hidden agendas and highly charged emotions.
(It is ok to fight for one’s religion and beliefs but it should be a fight for the betterment of mankind and not be used for political means. Image source: http://sathyasaibaba.wordpress.com)
It used to be the crosses on some cookies or the logo on a famed football club or “Christian” names on some schools.
Frankly, I do not know which of this is more serious – a sickening criminal who been going around splashing acid on innocent people whom victims included young students and a year old baby OR the rumours that has been going on that there are certain people in this country wanting to make Christianity as the official religion of this country.
In the case of the acid splasher, the frightening thing of the matter has been this – about 20 people have been splashed with acid todate (one with severe burns that almost blinded her left eye) but the police yet to gain any lead to catch this maniac.
Unfortunately, the attention of the nation as at now seems to be lying on the other case of stupidity in the horizon. It is rather reckless of the mainstream media to have published this news which even if it is true in one’s wildest imagination, should have been left to the police to investigate and prosecute.
There is a danger that whoever reads the unsubstantiated story in the newspaper may construe it wrongly and may make decisions based on emotions rather than informed facts.
Still, remember the 9 churches which were burned down last year over the “Allah” fiasco? Despite having a court order granting the use of the word “Allah” and that too after 2 years legal due process, Malaysia ended seeing the uglier side of religious extremists. After all, no one in their right mind and with strong religious convictions would burn down another’s place of religion.
The parties involved have denied the allegations and even called the reporting as “playing dangerous politics”. Now both sides have made a police report and the police will soon have to use it’s already stretched resources to investigate this – valuable resources that could have been better utilized to do other things such as catch the acid splasher.
But what happens if the police have investigated and that the claim by the newspaper is not true. Then what happens – will the blogger and the newspaper who published the allegations on religion be made responsible for their actions?
Let’s trace back to 2006 where there were allegations via SMS in the State of Perak that 600 Muslim students are going to be converted into Christianity – apparently started by the Mufti of Perak himself based on hearsays. No doubt, pandemonium broke out and the church was soon surrounded by angry Muslim protestors.
Thankfully the police were at hand to keep things in control and in the end, the SMS was found to be untrue. The Mufti disclaimed responsibility by saying he relied on someone else for the source of the allegations and he did not really investigate the truthfulness of the allegations but continued to spread the news to others. Read further here.
There seems to be a similar chain of events here – allegations made and picked up by someone who deemed to have some sense of responsibility (in this case, Government controlled mainstream media).
But the question that arises – can Christianity really be made as to the national religion as claimed by the newspaper? Is it really that easy to change the constitution? Can the Christians gain enough seats in the Parliament to even have the votes to make the change?
The truth of the matter is it will not happen – not now and certainly not in the near future. Islam will remain the national religion of Malaysia and everyone including the Christians has acknowledged this.
Malaysiakini, as mentioned in LKS, quotes:-
Renowned constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari has dismissed Utusan Malaysia’s article on a supposed conspiracy to make Christianity Malaysia’s official religion as “ridiculous”.
“Constitutionally it is just illogical. It cannot happen, just impossible. Even if Pakatan controlled hundred percent of the Dewan Rakyat.
“Remember that the Senate which has similar powers to the lower house when it comes to constitutional amendments, is not under their control as some of the senators belong to Umno-BN.”
He argued that technically the upper house can block the amendment passed by the Dewan Rakyat. Abdul Aziz contended that the provisions on the subject matters – monarchy, Islam and the Malays – are simply beyond the ordinary political process.
So, even if there were calls for a change of the national religion and to have a Christian PM as purported by the newspaper – it is not going to happen for a fact.
Christians simply do not have the numbers to make it happen (remember there is still the Buddhists, Hindus and others that they need to contend with). So, why the big concern of this in the newspaper and in the blogosphere? Why now?
At this juncture, I have to agree with the former PM’s contention that the current Federal Government has gone weak. But I disagree that the Government is weak due to not having the two-third majority. It is certainly not.
It is weak because it failed to act on both ends – act against accusers who spread lies and allegations and act fast against the accused and investigate the truthfulness of the allegations. It has become a Government who put their foot down for the wrong reasons.
Certainly, somewhere in our journey after gaining our independence 54 years ago, we have gotten our priorities wrong. No wonder we still have a maniac with acid on the loose but rumours on religion takeprecedent. I pray that sanity will soon return to our “Bolehland” in the next few days.
Why stir the hornet’s’ nest?