Throughout the last 15th General Election and the recently-concluded state elections, the campaign thrust of the Malay parties, especially Umno, Pas, and Bersatu, was protecting Malay rights and Islam.
In fact, these two issues are non-starters.
Malay rights are well protected under the Constitution, with the absolute control of the Malays in governance, the economy, security, and education.
If anything, the issue should be the glaringly uneven distribution of wealth between the Malay elites and the Malay masses, perpetrated by the privileged class, the rich and powerful, and the politicians, at the expense of the common man (both Malays and non-Malays).
The so-called ‘threat’ to Islam and Malay rights is being stoked to sow fear and apprehension among the Malays and to convince them that these Malay political parties are their only saviour.
Is Islam, which is inextricably linked to the Malays, being threatened, and thus, needs protecting?
Are Muslims being prevented from observing their faith, to live their daily lives while adhering to the tenets of Islam? To pray five times a day? To fast, and perform the Haj?
Are they being denied access to mosques? Is there a ‘freeze’ in the construction of mosques, surau, and madrasah? Are the Muslims in this country being ruled by agnostic non-Muslims and thus, face persecution?
The answer is, no.
Islam is enshrined in the Constitution as the religion of Malaysia, with no restrictions on the practice of other faiths, as evidenced by the plethora of different houses of worship, including churches, and Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist temples.
Muslims have complete control of all aspects of governance. All the Sultans and Raja, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, are Muslims, and are heads of the religion in their respective states.
Except for Penang, which traditionally has a Chinese chief minister, all the other menteris besar, the Sarawak premier, and the Sabah chief minister, are Malays. Almost 80 per cent of Members of Parliament and state assemblymen are Malay Muslims.
The top posts in the civil service – the chief secretary, the secretaries-general of most ministries, the chief justice, attorney-general, auditor-general – all are Muslims. Likewise, in the police and the armed forces.
Then, there are the numerous official, and self-appointed preachers on television and social media, all preaching about heaven and hellfire, instead of nurturing inquiring minds to pursue knowledge and to better understand the Design of the Almighty, thereby helping both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
In addition, there are hundreds of private tahfiz (Islamic schools) all over the country that focus on the memorisation of the Quran, fiqh, and Islamic jurisprudence.
Every state has an Islamic council, and a Mufti who oversees the administration of Islamic governance in their respective states.
At the federal level, there is the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), which comes under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department, to oversee, promote, and protect Islam.
Besides gazetting the various Islamic religious celebrations, such as Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, and Prophet Muhammad’s birthday as national holidays, the government also organises national and international Quran recital competitions, and manages the Tabung Haji, which facilitates and manages the performance of the Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam.
Then, there is the collection of zakat, fitrah, and voluntary wakaf to be used for the wellbeing of the ummah, especially those from the lower income group.
We have Syariah courts that deal with Muslim issues like marriages, divorces, and inheritance. In addition, most local banks offer Syariah-compliant Islamic banking, catering to both Muslims and Non-Muslims.
With all these Islamic elements in Malaysia, how in the world is Islam being threatened?
If Islam indeed needs to be protected, it is from the politicians who misuse the religion for their political agenda, while tarnishing the faith with their lies, slander, deception, behaviour, and lifestyles that are contrary to the teachings in the Quran and Hadiths.
Islam is being hijacked by political parties that unashamedly create their brand of Islam that is skewed towards man-made, instead of God’s divine covenants. An example is an ‘Islamic’ party that allegedly claimed to be the only one sanctioned by God, and thus, a vote for said political party would ensure a passage to heaven, while a vote for its rivals would guarantee a life of eternal damnation.
Other political parties are jumping on this ‘religion’ bandwagon as they know that the Malays are gullible, and will believe anything about Islam being threatened.
The reality is, Islam is thriving and vibrant in Malaysia. It does not need anyone, especially politicians and preachers of dubious credentials and motives to protect and defend it.
What is needed is to protect Islam from those with political greed and avarice who have no qualms about desecrating and debasing Islam to further their political agenda.
The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of Twentytwo13.
