KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 – Several Islamic leaders have questioned the loyalty of non-Muslims in the country, declaring today the community’s rights must be re-evaluated if Malaysia is to call itself an Islamic state.

Former president of Islamic Da’wah Foundation Malaysia (Yadim), Datuk Nakhaie Ahmad, said treatment of non-Muslims must be based on the social contract agreed and pointed out that the government has been too gracious to the community.

“In attempts to get vote and support of non-Muslims, we have been very gracious in giving them their civil rights. Civil rights given to them includes the rights to vote, participation in politics, hold office, involvement in the military and so forth but we cannot just willingly give them everything.

“Our offer must be based on religious practices. If we look at the prophet’s agreement in the Madinah constitution, civil rights were given to the Jews but the rights must be paid back with responsibility. They must have the responsibility and agree to defend our country and not insult the agreement,” he said during a forum on “Membina Negara Sejahtera” organised by the Persatuan Ulama Malaysia here.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared Malaysia an Islamic state a decade ago in a move to counter PAS’ growing influence among the country’s key Malay Muslim population.

The issue cropped up this month when several groups asked for amendments to the Federal Constitution to stipulate only Muslims can be the prime minister after Utusan Malaysia carried an unsubstantiated report of a Christian plot to usurp Islam’s position as religion of the federation.

Nakhaie stressed that non-Muslims that have broken the social contract must be expelled from the country and asked the government to adopt a tough approach in safeguarding Muslim interest.

“If the agreement is broken then actions must be taken against them. If they break our agreement then they are our enemy and must be expelled from the country. We must not compromise with them. We must be stern with them when it comes to the social contract agreed,” he said.

Nakhaie added it is important that high level government positions not be awarded to non-Muslims for national security.

“We cannot give them important government position as it is not allowed for non-Muslims to become ministers in a Islamic state. Head of military must also not be given to non-Muslims.

“Without thinking about the future of our country, we are so willing to give them everything. Granting them their civil rights must be balanced with Islamic preaching so they will understand justice in Islam and the Islamic system,” said the former PAS member who defected to Umno years ago.

He also warned Muslims to unite as non-Muslims will become stronger if the community continues to quarrel among themselves.

“They are brave now and are willing to say anything because they are becoming dominant. They (non-muslim political parties) are only working with us to only achieve their goals. It is a marriage of convenience. We know what is their programme. We are already losing economically and now we want to give political rights?” he asked.

Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia’s (ISMA) deputy president Zamri Hashim added that Muslims must look beyond political affiliation for a common greater cause.

“We must think outside of politics. The Malay agenda is too important to ignore and a majority of Malays are Muslims. This is no longer about PAS and Umno,” said the Perak deputy Mufti.

Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) deputy president, Dr Mohd Rumaizuddin Ghazali, also stressed that Malaysia must never become a secular state.

“This is why many non-Muslim politicians want to declare the country as a secular state because then the government will not have fund religious programmes.

“They are scared that if we accept Malaysia as an Islamic state then there are many implications which means that only Muslims have the right to lead the country,” he said.

Mohd Rumaizuddin added that the Malays are beginning to be trampled on and non-Muslims are starting to take advantage of the community.

“Because of politics, we are still not free after more than 50 years of independence,” he said.

Hizbut Tahrir Malaysia president Abdul Hakim Othman added the country’s constitution must be replaced as it has been stained by the colonial British.

“A Caliphate state is based on divine revelation. It is not a democratic or a theocratic state. It is only an Islamic state when the constitution is based on the Quran and prophetic traditions,” he said.

Rubbish.

For the very little about politics that I actually comprehend, this is my two cents.

My name is Sam, and I am like any other born-and-raised Malaysian young adult. I am 19-going-on-20 and I started becoming a racist about a rough 4 or 5 years anti-clockwise. I went to a sub-government Chinese primary school, and then a government (SMK) secondary school. I was a bully, I was bullied, I cut class, I had my better grades, horrible grades, overly-dramatic high-school “relationships” – I was and still am not too different from any of our nation’s growing minds and talents.

Our nation’s growing minds and talents – which, allow me to add – we are losing. Very quickly. “The country is getting brain-drained,” an adult I confided in very often about the petty political issues I knew about mentioned. “What do you mean?” “They are losing minds. Brains. Talents. People who venture overseas these days rarely return to serve the country. Why would they, anyway?” The future is so much brighter and prospects are of a much larger variety overseas, we’ve been told. I wish I could disagree, say No, but who are we kidding really?

Malaysians, young and middle-aged, are making their marks – and not in a small, unsubstantial way – all around the globe. Had you stayed back and read as the credits rolled after a silver-screen film has concluded,  you would’ve caught a glimpse of a couple – if not a handful – of names belonging to young, thriving Malaysians. Or read the headlines of a local newspaper and read on about a Malaysian who has yet again “made the nation proud” with his/her achievements – e.g. The recently-appointed Finance Minister of Australia, etc. Made the country proud, really? I am only thankful of such people for the sole reason being the inspiration and assurance they give me, to know that there is indeed a better future out there, one that we truly deserve.

What’s ironic, I find, in these “Ex-Malaysians who have made it overseas” is in the very headline itself. Ex-Malaysians. Or at least, Malaysians living overseas. Would they have been given the opportunity to go to the extent of their potential, had they stayed in their home country? No – There is simply no argument to this very obvious and unfortunate answer. Are we really gaining – pride, in this case – or losing talents to other nations who are more ungrudging and willing to give their potentials a chance to bloom and maybe, just maybe, take flight?

So tell me, who are these “Islamic leaders”, to tell us where our stand in this country is? This is our country, and not a single percent more of theirs than ours. If we’re talking religious and spiritual roles, tell me who are these people to play God and tell us what we deserve or don’t deserve? Just because we were born with a choice to believe or not believe(which I have found to be very much to my advantage), supposedly means we are less deserving than you, a believer? I feel sorry. Really.

Christian fellowships are banned in (selective) schools, yet we have “Kelab Agama Islam”, “Unit Uniform Puteri Islam”. Fellowships and a peaceful meeting of people who share the same belief – a belief in peace, mind you – are raided and put to a halt for “disrupting peace and national security”. All this while ridiculous, appalling statements like these are allowed to run free in print, audio or video. ISA would be for once put to use in good effort and objective if these people are finally arrested for their racist, peace-disrupting sentiments towards Malaysians.

The Malaysian Chinese are deemed “racist”, but are we really? I know I certainly can be. I have been molded into this angry(Angry, not angsty), frustrated, and very disappointed young adult – by none other than people like you. With you, I have came to realization that it is truly so much easier to be angry than disappointed. Disappointment is no doubt the more painful, and I am so very disappointed in the Malaysia that allowed us to fall into this pit.

I watched a P. Ramlee short film the other night, and I was reminded of all the good that Malaysia once was, albeit before my time. Men drank alcohol, enjoyed dancing to music as leisure; Women wore low-cut, tight-fitting Kebayas, and nobody was raped or cheated on! I was enlightened about the Malaysia that mom and dad have often shared with me, about their childhood and color-blindness of people back then. The Malaysia that is in my blood. The Malaysia, that I now look forward to washing out of my system, in the very near future.

I now answer, “My grandfathers are Chinese. As in, from China”, if ever questioned about my roots. I have changed my ‘hometown’ on Facebook from “Klang, Malaysia” to “Shantou, Guangdong(China)”. And occasionally, “Chinese, and hopefully future American-Chinese, or perhaps British,” I am ashamed but those were my exact words.

Meanwhile, while some are busy being household “whores”, I am working my way OUT – to the future I deserve – before the place I once proudly called home turns into a clone of the backward Middle Eastern countries, or worse. This could be the end of the Malaysia we’ve known, loved and cherished as you know it. Would you be there to break her fall, and later mold her back in place?

//P.S. I had a tight clique consisting of Indian, Chinese, Punjabi, Malay and Eurasian girls and boys in secondary school. We disagreed, fought, were complete drama queens(and kings). We were also the best of friends.
//P.P.S. I am dating a Muslim guy of mixed parentage, and despite religion – or the lack of choice on his end – I am completely in love with him. He is not your typical tall, dark, handsome, suave guy, but he is my best friend and my pillar of strength. The future is uncertain, age and the lack of maturity on both sides(Yes, we know we’re young!) as the few small reasons, and the biggest obstacle being how religion has been abused in the least modest ways – Making it nothing but a political control tool, and everything but love for God.