Dear Friends and members
Clamouring for the Almighty
The ‘Allah’ controversy rages on relentlessly in
this beloved land of ours, wreaking havoc to the very fabric of multiethnic and
multireligious Malaysia.
The recent controversial Jais raid on the Bible
Society of Malaysia and confiscation of the latter’s 321 copies of AlKitab only
raises the already hot political temperature in the country. In this regard,
constitutional lawyer Tommy Thomas feels that this incident is indicative of a
government, both federal and (Selangor) state, that has failed its people in
its approach to, and management of, religious matters.
Incidentally, ‘Allah’ is not the only word that
is placed in the no-go area for non-Muslims. In Penang, the religious authority
there has also banned non-Muslims from using 40 words purportedly Islamic in
nature.
To be sure, the questionable Jais raid has
raised concerns among Muslims as well. Deeply disturbed by this incident that
is seen to have caused social fissures, Parit Buntar MP Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa,
for example, made a clarion call to adherents of all religious traditions in
the country to respect one another’s holy books, including the Bible, and to
protect the right to one’s holy tome.
Equally concerned about this controversy is
fellow Muslim and Aliran member Syerleena Abdul Rashid who feels that religious
insecurities among certain followers have been exploited to the hilt by bigots
as well as certain politicians and religious leaders, for reasons best known to
themselves.
Constraining freedom of expression
In important matters particularly religion,
politics and the economy, it is crucial that freedom of expression is allowed
and protected so that civilised dialogue, debate and constructive engagement
can be encouraged in the effort to seek solutions and mutual understanding.
As always, however, the government resorts to
clamping down on discussions. For example, the Home Ministry recently banned
Comango (Coalition of Malaysian NGOs) presumably because the latter was
critical in their assessment of the human rights situation in Malaysia when
making their deliberations at the Universal Periodic Review at the UN in
Geneva. In response, Aliran condemned this undemocratic action - particularly
when religion has been used, or abused, as justification for this ban.
And as if taking the cue from the federal
government, satellite television broadcaster Astro apparently censored the word
‘Allah’ in a Bollywood movie ‘Pukar’ that was screened for Malaysian viewers
recently. In particular, two lines in a Hindi song in ‘Pukar’ that read: “he ishwar
ya allaah yeh pukaar sun le” (god, Allah, listen to this cry) and “he ishwar ya
allaah he data” (Oh God, Allah, Supreme Being).
But keeping mum - or an “elegant silence” (as
some charitably call it) - over vital and urgent matters such as religion, race
and the economy is no longer an option for government leaders, especiallyPrime
Minister Najib Razak, especially when these issues have caused disquiet among
ordinary Malaysians.
Many Malaysians have called upon Najib to
intervene, show effective leadership and say the right things about particular
issues of the day. For example, Aliran president Dr Francis Loh called on Najib
to speak out clearly on the ‘Allah’ issue. State assembly member for Damansara
Utama, Yeo Bee Yin, challenged Najib to state his stand on pressing matters
such as the ‘Allah’ controversy in her open letter to the prime minister.
Even Najib’s brother, Nazir Razak, interjected
to call on all concerned Malaysians, presumably including his Prime Minister
brother, to work together towards putting the country back on track in the wake
of the worrying levels of inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic tensions in the
country. Writing in memory of the death of his father 38 years ago, Nazir asked
Malaysians to return to “pangkal jalan”.
The kangkung cock-up
Indeed, right-thinking Malaysians are hoping for
Najib to get out of his comfort zone and speak out like a conscientious leader
for all Malaysians.
But little did they expect that Najib would turn
over a new leaf by ranting over the reduced price of kangkung! Can we then
blame Malaysians, particularly netizens, for having responded negatively in
various creative ways (such as this and this) to this premier rant? This
kangkung of a cock-up didn’t escape the attention of the international media
such as the BBC, the reporting of which was apparently censored in Malaysia for
a while.
So, as you can see, we at Aliran are still not
sure whether to really wish you a Happy New Year even though the recent
kangkung episode may have put a smile on your face!
Meanwhile, if your family and close friends
would like to receive this weekly e-newsletter, please send their email
addresses to us at aliran.malaysia@yahoo.com
In solidarity
Mustafa K Anuar
