Suaram's report confirms what many observers have been saying for some time - that the process of political Islamisation in Malaysia is ongoing, intensifying and irreversible.

The anecdotal examples cited in Suaram's report are not new but validating what I believe to be the unabashed social-political agenda of the growing numbers of religionists at all levels of public life here in Malaysia.

Opinions suggesting that we are on a undesirable path of Islamisation are promptly labeled as 'anti-Islam', 'seditious' and even 'inflammatory'. There is now no avenue where non-Muslims and those who oppose this process of Islamisation can, without fear and favour, articulate their views.

The government's response thus far can only be best described as pathetic and self-serving. The non-Muslims are hectored to respect Islam as Malaysia's official religion and to count our blessings on our rights and freedom to practise our religions.

Yet, increasingly, even these narrowing spheres where one is 'free' to practice one's religion is fast becoming illusory and academic with growing incidents where policymakers, bureaucrats and government officials are no longer deterred from implementing Islamic agendas for the non-Muslim population.

Slowly but surely, what were once considered as acceptable rights and conventions of the non-Muslims are now seen as un-Islamic.

The true discourse of rightness and wrongness and the desirability of Islamisation lies in what kind of society we wish to construct. Our constitution and the social accord for a multi-cultural Malaysia demands that Malaysian society and its government be secular, democratic and non-theological.

Regrettably these days, discourse evolves on the supremacy of Islam and the non sequitur fact that Muslims are the majority. I disagree with this process of Islamisation because I believe it is unconstitutional and inconsistent with the social covenant for a multi-cultural Malaysia.

With the overwhelming victory of the Umno-led BN at the last election, it is easy to be lured into believing that the Islamisation agenda will be reversed. Such was the fear of non-Muslims towards Islamisation that they voted against PAS.

Will Umno-led state legislatures repeal unconstitutional Syariah laws? Will the enlightened BN reverse PAS' Islamist agenda?

As Suaram suggests, it is now a race between Umno and PAS to out-Islamise each other while we see our constitution, rule of law and multi-cultural social covenant evaporate into thin air.