LET’S face it, the hullabaloo about Maszlee Malik’s appointment as education minister is not about his persona; it’s all about religion. The hysteria is about his ideological leanings and beliefs and less about his qualifications.

With our win over a corrupt and callous regime divide and rule, we need to be vigilant against internal threats. There are many dangers lurking that will threaten our pluralistic society. Religion and economic inequality will be the main dangers that could divide the nation.

According to statistics, 61.3% of the population practise Islam. Even before the new government has found its rhythm after a bruising election, we can see signs of discord between Islamic groups coming to the surface.

Muslim groups are already flexing their muscles and showing holier-than-thou attitude. It appears that it is no longer enough for a Muslim to follow the five tenets of Islam, contribute to charity and show compassion towards others.

Muslim groups want more, and this is where the danger lies.

A week after the 14th general election, Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar, president of the International Women’s Alliance for Family Institution and Quality Education, made several sweeping assumptions in her column at another news portal.

In it, she claimed that one of the reasons why it took so long for Pakatan Harapan to win the votes of Muslims was due to a “fear” that Malaysia would be secularised.

I, like many others, question how she reached those assumptions.

It is clear from all the media reports and social media postings made before and after GE14, that the majority of the voters wanted a change of government.

The reason why it took so long for it to take place was due to many factors, one of which was Barisan Nasional’s use of the security apparatus at their disposal to frighten people into submission.

It is totally unfounded to believe that Malaysians were slow to warm to change because of the threat of secularism. The people voted in PH because they were fed up with the BN government and wanted to save Malaysia from a regime that has lost its direction and moral compass. It has nothing to do with religion.

Historian Khoo Kay Kim has dismissed those who call Malaysia an Islamic country as ignorant.

“They do not know the country’s history, they do not know the Rukun Negara, and they do not know the federal constitution. Malaysia cannot also be called a secular state because of Islam’s constitutional position as the country’s official religion and because ‘belief in God’ is the first principle of the Rukun Negara.”

He said the committee that recommended the Rukun Negara principles, of which he was a member, decided on the principle of belief in God because it recognised that the majority of Malaysians profess a religion.

“So, yes, it was agreed upon that this should not be a secular state but neither is it an Islamic state.”

Even if Malaysia is called an Islamic state, would it make a difference? BN leaders were Muslims but their behaviour and practices were contrary to the teachings of Islam.

What is the point of living in an Islamic state when our Muslim leaders do not follow the teachings of Islam and do not fear God. When it comes to greed and corruption, there are no religions.

East Malaysians are guarded when there is a call to define Malaysia as a secular or Islamic state. It’s clearly stated in Article 3 (1) of the federal constitution that Islam is the religion of the federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the federation.

We should go back to history of the formation of Malaysia, which many Peninsular Malaysians are still ignorant about.

The Keningau Oath Stone or (Batu Sumpah) is a monument in Keningau, Sabah, erected to commemorate the terms in which the former British crown colony of North Borneo (Sabah) joined the former colony of Sarawak and the other states of the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia.

The Oath Stone was erected in 1964 and on it, the freedom of religion is cast literally in stone.

The other promises were related to control of land and preserving native cultures and traditions.

East Malaysians strongly believe in the freedom of religion and will use all means to prevent the states from being “Islamised”.

Their hope is that under the new government, moderate Islam is promoted, where people are given space to express their views as an intellectual discourse.

Let’s face it, labelling the nation as a secular or Islamic state does not nurture better Islamic values or add value to the argument in religion. What’s in the name if we do not learn and live the teachings of prophet Muhammad and practise it in your everyday life? – May 29, 2018.

* Joe Samad has wide experience working for international companies and government GLC. He is interested in new technology applications in a shared economy and issues affecting the nation,  sharing his worldview across various media platforms.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.