Reacting to the discussion on PAS' Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Amat, I have to agree with Paul Warren's observation that its PAS have themselves to blame for its double standards - one for Muslims and one for non-Muslim.

PAS' election strategy of beating the Islamic state drum in Muslim states and then claiming secular state where there is larger non-Muslim is just the same hypocrisy in the tradition of Malay 'ultras' who have periodically threatened Umno moderates and were certainly responsible for the death of Tunku Abdul Rahman's and Onn Jaafar's vision.

Since the days of independence, the Malay ultras have, while promising one thing to non-bumiputras, continued to push their true agenda whenever the opportunity arises. They took advantage of May 13, 1969 to change the partnership within the Alliance with radical change in economic policies, judiciary and education.

The result was many failed and uneconomic projects, the loss of judiciary independence, and an education system that polarised the races and dropped its standards. When the NEP did not work at the end of 30 years, they broke their promise and extended it with the NDP. After another few decades, they now call it Malay 'rights'. Even Mahathir revealed during his recent Merdeka speech that the Malays are still pushing to justify "taking their share of the economy".

Non-bumiputras in this country have been betrayed by Umno's Malay ultras for far too often and too long. PAS today just showing the same two-faced character with the promise of secularism for non-Muslims.

To be fair, it was not the intention of the first Umno leaders for today's outcome, but it just so happened Umno has evolved to the convenience and realities of modern politics. Similarly, I am certain is was not the goal of the Tok Guru and the late Fadzil Noor to have a discriminatory Islamic theocracy.

Malaysia is - or at least should be - one country. Umno's two-face political evolution has resulted in a polarised society with over one million non-bumiputra Malaysians living abroad. PAS, whose political tactics and strategies are learned from Umno - but with an Islamic stamp - will no doubt eventually break its promise when push comes to shove. I believe that should PAS come into power, many more non-Muslims will leave this country, giving PAS' theocrats their Islamic state.