Non-Muslims Are Never Against Islam
Dear Y.M. Raja Petra Kamarudin,
After reading the aforementioned article that was derived from your website, I categorically denounce it as a piece of insolent writing which is imbued with much polemics on Islam as the official religion of our country, Muslim leaders especially the esteemed Y.B. Dato Seri Hadi Awang and I view it as a writing which is endeavouring at its level best to preclude all Malaysian Muslims from executing their daily lives as Muslims in overarching ways.
The eighth paragraph of the article clearly has a malignant nuance: what is the writer of the article attempting to assert when he mentioned that “Non-Muslims are only against PAS president Hadi’s private member bill as the amendment bill goes against the Federal Constitution.” Is he endeavouring to state that Government has no knowledge about what is legal or illegal to have a bill passed at the first reading? If the bill is truly against the Federal Constitution, then I have the conviction that the Speaker of the House, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin would had repudiated the bill and hence, killed the bill. However, the RUU 355 is poised to go for a second reading in this month’s parliamentary session. I can only plead the writer not to pull wool over all of Malaysians’ eyes.
I find that the 12th paragraph of the article is incendiary: does the writer mean that Y.B. Dato Seri Hadi Awang has committed treason by tabling his private member bill (RUU 355)? If the writer has respect on Islam as the federal religion as defined under our Constitution, then he must not question the parliamentarian’s honourable action to table the bill in such a condescending manner.
The right mots justes to define or rather, describe the 13th paragraph of the article are oxymoronic and ironic. It is because the first part of the sentence conspicuously contradicts the last part of the sentence. By protesting the RUU 355, the action of protest itself is an affront to Islam and Malaysian Muslims by and large.
The final paragraph of the article prompted me to express my apprehension: when in Rome, do as the Romans do or in Malay “di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit di junjung” , as it is we do have Shariah law as part of our country’s law since the time of the Malaccan Sultanate until today, until eternity; as a matter of fact, Dr. M elevated Shariah law to the level of our common law during his tenure as the most feared prime minister of our beloved nation.
The writer’s statement that non-Muslims are only against PAS president Hadi’s private member bill is slightly far fetched and a misnomer too. I for one, a non-Muslim Malaysian overtly support RUU 355 because I know that as a minority in this country, I need to stand steadfastly with the majority so that peace and prosperity will be guaranteed for all loyal citizens and subjects of His Majesty the King, the Yang Di Pertuan Agong. We, the minority must know where we stand and we must not rock the boat and hide behind the notion of freedom of expression.
Yours faithfully,
James Saw Song Kai
