Liow: Change will lead to instability

(The Star) – This general election will determine if Malaysia will continue using secular laws or be an Islamic nation as propagated by the Opposition, said MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said Malaysia, as a multi-racial country, was developed based on equality and the rights of every citizen.

“The country has developed well under the current system. If we change this, it can lead to instability,” said Liow, adding that Malaysia could not practise two systems simultaneously.

“All of us, including the Muslims, agree that we should respect each other’s religious rights,” he told reporters after launching Malaysia’s Chinese Calligraphy Stone Gallery at the Nirvana Memorial Park here yesterday.

Liow was commenting on a statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz that Malaysia was never declared a secular state by its past leaders.

Last Monday, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said the country’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, had declared that Malaysia was a secular nation with Islam as its official religion.

Earlier, Liow, who is also Health Minister, launched the stone gallery which features over 150 calligraphic stele.

The stone slabs, carved with ancient writing, recorded historical events and ceremonial recitals across the different Chinese dynasties.

Liow said the gallery marked an important milestone in preserving and expanding Chinese culture.

NV Multi Asia Group founder and managing director/CEO Datuk Kong Hon Kong said the gallery would serve as a good platform to expose youths to Chinese history.

Group chairman Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said the company planned to have calligraphy competitions and talks so the public could appreciate the age-old art form.