Negara-Ku ‘anarchist’, wants religious equality in Malaysia, claims Malay NGO
(Malay Mail Online) – New-formed coalition Negara-Ku will use any means to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government to grant equal rights to faiths other than Islam, a Malay group claimed.
Citing Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (Muafakat) president Ismail Mina Ahmad (pic), Malay daily Utusan Malaysia reported the new movement — chaired by Muslim activist Zaid Kamaruddin — is bent on toppling Malaysia’s Muslim-majority government to fulfil its “pluralistic” agenda.
“They are also spreading an anarchist thinking — that is everything that is done by the government is bad and the NGO movement is being used as a subtle tactic to fight until they can overthrow the government,” Ismail was quoted saying, referring to Negara-Ku.
“What more do they want? Malaysia is the only country that is so tolerant towards (other) faiths, to the point that authorities are always guarding houses of worship,” he was quoted saying further.
He reportedly warned that Negara-Ku should not only be considered a threat to Islam but to other faiths in Malaysia.
According to Ismail, there was no need to “cast stones in calm waters” as Malaysians of all faiths have already accepted their place in this country.
The Umno-controlled newspaper has been highlighting reports attacking the 24-member movement, particularly one of the group’s two patrons, former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, since Negara-Ku’s launch last Thursday.
In its Sunday editorial yesterday, the newspaper said the movement should be renamed “Agendaku”, arguing that it was nothing more than a front to shore up waning support for the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, especially with Ambiga at its helm.
Writing under the pseudonym Awang Selamat, the editors of the broadsheet alleged that Ambiga’s involvement in the new movement was clearly political in nature and that Negara-Ku is the latest attempt by the prominent after many “failed” rallies organised under the banner of electoral reform group, Bersih 2.0.
Negara-Ku was launched July 10 by Ambiga and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who were both previously Bersih 2.0 co-chairmen.
The two called Negara-Ku a “people’s movement to reclaim the country”.
Muafakat’s claims today joins missiles launched by other Malay-Muslim hawks including Perkasa and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).
Isma accused Negara-Ku of being against Islam as the religion of the federation and the rights of the Malays, alleging it was a new front for humanist, liberal and religious pluralist movements in the country.
