My response to Harold Kong

By MT Webmaster Last updated Mar 17, 2015

Anyway, Pakatan Rakyat is now controlling Selangor with a two-thirds majority, in fact, for a second term now. So maybe you can channel your comment to Pakatan Rakyat and get them to abrogate this law that forbids Christians from using Allah plus the other laws that prohibit Muslims from extramarital sex, gambling, drinking, eating during Ramadhan, etc.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dear Harold Kong,

Thank you for your e-mail (READ HERE) and allow me to respond to some of the points you raised in your letter. Your comments are in italics and my responses are below them.

Is RPK trying to make himself more relevant to the situation in Malaysia than he ought to be whilst he is ensconced in a far-off land?

That sentence actually hits about one million Malaysians who live, study, and work overseas. Overseas Malaysians are involved in the Umno club, PAS supporters club, Friends of Pakatan Rakyat, Bersih, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, Perkasa, etc., in scores of countries all over the world.

They organise forums, talks, demonstrations and whatnot, mainly concerning events in Malaysia. The latest demonstrations held simultaneously in a few countries were regarding the demand for Anwar Ibrahim’s release from jail.

I have noticed many similar comments such as yours questioning why I am still talking about Malaysia when I no longer live in Malaysia. I take it you are suggesting that those who do not live, study or work in Malaysia should no longer get involved in matters concerning Malaysia.

Maybe you can tell the same thing to one million kaypoh Malaysians all over the world.

Has he for the greater part of his life to-date lived the vision of the conservative faction in PAS that he seems to defend so passionately? Does he currently live that vision in Manchester? Or is he just trying to be too clever by half? Is he the authority on how the Qur’an should be interpreted?

Last month I moderated a forum in Manchester regarding equal rights for women in Malaysia. Amongst some of what I said was that more than 50% of the Malaysian voters are women but not even 30% of the candidates in the election are women. I then suggested that legislation should be passed to make it mandatory that at least 30% of the candidates fielded in the general election should be women.

Would you question me for fighting for women’s rights and equality for women plus for suggesting that a law be passed that allows more seats for women in the general election since I am not a woman? Must I be a woman to fight for women and since I am a man then I lose my legitimacy to speak for women? Would you also ask whether I am an authority on women and an expert on what women want?

I also propagate the rights of gays. Must I be gay and live the life of a gay with another man before I can fight for the rights of gays? In that case, not being a Christian, I would have no business in asking the government to allow Christians the right to set up churches. I, therefore, withdraw my previous statement asking the government to allow Christians the right to set up churches.

What, in the first place, makes someone an authority on the Qur’an? Do I, first of all, need to have a degree in Qur’anic studies from the University of Medina or Cairo?

In that case, who are you or Koon Yew Yin to speak about Islam since I suspect both of you also never studied in Medina or Cairo (correct me if I am wrong) and are probably not even Muslims to begin with?

Anyway, just for the record, I did study Tafsir Al-Qur’an under Tok Guru Abdul Rahman Patani and Tok Guru Haji Abas Khatib Mohd. I also read the entire 11 volumes of Tafsir Al-Quran by Prof. Hamka, the renowned Indonesian scholar, a must-read for those who require an in-depth study of the Qur’an.

For example, the tafsir for the first surah of the Qur’an, Al-Fatihah, is a very lengthy subject that can take months just to understand these first seven verses. Take the fourth verse, Iyyaaka na’abudu wa iyyaaka nasta’een, as a case in point. The discussion on this one verse alone is very lengthy and encompasses many things.

In English this can be translated to mean ‘You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help’. Now, this can be interpreted as our covenant with God. So, in what way would we be considered as having broken this covenant? And if we break this covenant, knowingly or unknowingly, does that mean we have entered into a state of kufur?

Yes, Qur’anic studies or Tafsir Al-Quran is a delicate and complicated study that requires many years. Even just verse four of the first seven verses of the Qur’an is an exciting subject. And ten different ulama’ (religious scholars) would have ten different opinions as to how to interpret Iyyaaka na’abudu wa iyyaaka nasta’een.

Thus, the State has told Christians that they cannot use the word “Allah” and its officials do try to impose their sartorial standards on non-Muslims. From ministers to minor functionaries, there has been an endless stream of diatribes that seek to inconvenience and intimidate one and all. They are inane and in aggregate, they amount to nothing more than petty but nonetheless hegemonic posturing. They serve to contradict RPK’s assertion that Muslims do not tell Christians, Hindus and Buddhists what they should and should not believe and practice. The fact is some Muslims do.

I am glad you brought up that matter. This was a law passed in Selangor back in the 1980s. Hence it is the law and there is nothing I can do about that. There is also a law that makes it a crime for Muslim men and women to be alone in a secluded place. I can’t do anything about that either, as also for the law that makes it a crime for Muslims to eat during daytime in the month of Ramadhan.

After all, there are more things that Muslims can’t do compared to what Christians can’t do. And since we are fighting for justice, civil liberties, etc., then all Malaysians should equally be allowed freedom of choice whether Christians or Muslims.

As for the rest of your comments I don’t think I need to respond.

Raja Petra Kamarudin RPK