The reason why people write in response to what politicians, who are also incidentally in this instance religious scholars, say about public life is obvious.

MFZ ('M'kini may find itself labelled 'anti-Islam'), these are public officials talking about their ideas on what should be public policy should they be given the access to rule. In modern democracies it is referred to as the process in which the electorate engages the ideologue of the political participants.

When a trade unionists is dispensing ideas in running the union, then it is a union matter, when the activist decides to run for public office, then what she says in relation to public policy has to be evaluated critically by the constituency. Same goes to bureaucrats, doctors, nuclear physicists or clerics who assume places as political players.

PAS is seeking to provide Islamic governance for all Malaysians, therefore its views (same goes for Umno) should be analysed by Malaysians. Non-Muslims form the largest share of those seeking answers, since it is staidly clear that Islamic governance is a form of governance emanating from Islam, which is not the religion of non-Muslims. It is PAS that makes it necessary for non-Muslims to audit political Islam.

Are you saying that, Malaysians should decide on whether Islamic governance is the best choice without actually talking about what Islamic governance would constitute? It looks like you want to have your cake and eat it too.

As long as there are those that claim the need for Islamic governance, there would be a reason to dissect it. A democracy must allow all its members to dissect. This cannot be made any simpler, mate. It comes with the game.

Malaysiakini is not anti-Islam, it is just facilitating ideas of the masses, and whether you like to hear this or not, the views of people do not become more or less true depending on their religious/ethnic disposition or their rank in the religious/ethnic hierarchy, it is decided on the quality of the ideas and the persuasion that comes with it.

On that count, malaysiakini is doing pretty well.