I refer to the letter Secularism not always a guarantee . Malaysia is certainly in need of reform. I would be hoping for less racism, less apartheid, less ethnic subordination, more respect for basic human rights, more individual freedom, and less fascist dagger-waving politics.

Nevertheless, reform along the lines of basket case OIC nations is an exercise in backwardness. As much as I cannot stomach our lying corrupt BN politicians, secular Malaysia is a paradise compared to backward, violent or failed states within the OIC. The Arabs cannot seem to debate religious issues peacefully, and Sunnis and Shias continue to kill and oppress each other in the name of God and religion.

Never mind the Alawis, Druze, Mohammadiyas, and numerous other smaller sects which was oppressed from time to time. Discrimination in housing, jobs and education for minority Muslim sects (whichever the sect which has lost political or military influence) is the norm in the Middle East.

Therefore what is considered strictly syariah-compliant in one Muslim nation would be considered completely unacceptable and utterly unlawful in another.

For example, look at the way the law is interpreted in Shia and Sunni countries. In one country, it is lawful to spread Sunni teachings and not Shia, and in other countries, it is suppressed. Scholars cannot even agree amongst themselves on who is qualified to pronounce on

'ijma' (consensus in jurisprudence).

The end result is a form of lawlessness across the Middle East, and human rights are repeatedly trampled in the name of religion. Without a secular approach to governance, the different sects in Islam cannot guarantee they will not discriminate against each other if any one sect comes to power.

I am glad the writer agrees with me that some of the most impoverished, illiterate, oppressed, corrupt, and undemocratic regimes are in the Middle East where ironically all their leaders claim separately to be practising the true faith whilst accusing each other of hypocrisy and apostasy. About the only thing they can agree on is who to blame for their troubles, and that is Israel.

It would be foolish to think that the sky high rates of illiteracy, poverty, corruption, lack of democracy, appalling human rights abuses, obscene inequalities of wealth distribution and religious violence in the Arab world would miraculously disappear if Israel ceased to exist.

If the Arabs cannot get their act together and are heading straight towards failed states status, what of we who are blindly following them by coming up with yet another version of a syariah- complaint nation? I have good reason to fear the worst for this nation.

I strongly suggest that all of us turn our efforts towards making Malaysia a more democratic, less chauvinistic, more open-minded, less corrupt, more tolerant, more secure and less racist place to live in for both Muslims and non-Muslims. I sincerely doubt if imposing syariah and hudud is going to solve social ills amongst Malay Muslims or even non-Muslims for that matter.

Religion will just be another vehicle for politicians to hide behind whilst they grab as much wealth and resources from the average Malaysian citizen as possible. Secularism is no guarantee for paradise on earth but the alternatives are very probably much worse.

The most successful countries in the world - including the Scandinavian countries - follow a well-tested model with vital elements of equality, rule of law, judicial independence, secularism, parliamentary democracy, respect for human rights, freedom of speech, thought and conscience, a free press and freedom from discrimination in the areas of race, language, culture and religion.

There is much in common between Islamic and Christian values. If the progressive West has more successfully instilled Islamic-Christian values in their societies than the basket case regimes of the Middle East - truthfulness, peace, mercy, prosperity, social justice, human rights, technological advancement, transparent governance - then we should learn from them instead of trying to '... reinvent the wheel, and then calling it the Islamic wheel' (quote from Syed Akbar Ali's Malaysia and the Club of Doom available from MPH bookstores).