I refer to the article Isu perpaduan: Perjalanan kita masih jauh!

Aman Rais' comments appear to say that as long as the non-Malays and non-Muslims kowtow to the majority, all will be fine and shame on those who do not. That is his recipe for unity and nation building. What is missing is the utter contempt the present Malay leadership has for anything non-Malay and non-Muslim.

The Malay leadership seems to be saying that things should go our way or no way. Well, Encik Aman, the crux of true democracy is the commitment of the majority to protect and respect the interests of the minority. This is where the strength is. Malaysia may very well want to have its own version of democracy such as like only Umno and its members deciding everything and that they are above the law, etc.

But in the end, this sham will disintegrate into pieces for the truth will find its way out. Above all else, the issue reverts back to that of separation of church and state. As long as the Malaysian government plays the Islamic card, things will get worst. Zealots will find ways to force their beliefs on to the rest of us. Just see what has transpired within the various agencies that the Umno-led government has set up.

We need to go back to the fundamental framework of what this country was based on which is a secular state. So let's insist that politicians stay out of religion. A simple request, yet it remains difficult to practice in this day and age especially within the current cultural norms of Malaysia.