It shocked me when Free Anwar Campaign director Raja Petra Kamarudin said in his recent article in Harakah online - (MCA will result in Malaysia becoming an Islamic state, Nov 20) - that a new storm was brewing, reminiscent of the 1969 storm that culminated in the outbreak of race riots infamously known as 'May 13'.

He pointed out that the May 13 incident was actually a Malay power struggle disguised as a race riot. At that time, passions ran high about Malay Supremacy.

Now, he added, passions were running high again, and it was about Islam, an issue closer to the hearts of Malays than the issue of race. Though not mentioned, he might have implied that this time it also involved a Malay power struggle (between PAS and Umno) by using religion as a means.

The worst scenario, genuine of false, of our possible political development is no doubt the replacement of racial supremacy by religious hegemony. It definitely goes against the aspirations and goals of the new political agenda of 'reformasi' which, as a broad rainbow alliance, should be as inclusive as possible, hence multi-racial and multi-religious in nature.

If the release of the Islamic state document by PAS on Nov 12 this year was a harbinger of the perspective of the above-mentioned worst political scenario which had caused great alarm and fear to non-Muslims, then the blunder and miscalculation of PAS in releasing the document is self-evident.

I could not agree more with Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad , the director of PAS Research Center, when he frankly admitted that granted the mixed demography of Malaysia, it was a complete political non-starter for any aspiring political party expressing intention of ruling the nation, pronouncing its total commitment to one particular religion or ideology.

Call it whatever you may, but that was exactly what PAS did. Its insistence in releasing the Islamic state document, not only forced the other component parties in Barisan Alternatif to distance themselves from the document, but also provided an opportunity for the mainstream media to organise a thorough PAS-bashing at the eve of the coming general election.

Fanning dangerous sentiments

The chauvinistic and biased response of MCA and other non-Islamic component parties of Barisan Nasional could help fan the racial/religious sentiments of both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The vice-president of MCA, Dr Fong Chan Onn's statement was an example on hand quoted by Raja Petra.

Fong said: "MCA will mobilise the Chinese community to oppose the PAS style of Islamic state to help ensure extremism is not allowed to rear its ugly head ."

Even 'liberal' Muslim like Raja Petra could not tolerate such nonsense as 'PAS style of Islamic state' and 'Umno style of Islamic state'. According to him, 'extreme Muslim' is nothing but a Western invention, and the majority of the Malays, Umno Malays included, view the West as lackeys of the Jews and the Jews as enemies of Islam.

And to my great surprise, Raja Petra even sweepingly portrays the Malays as "a race that defies all logic", and "even Malays do not understand Malays ". He warned the non-Malays to treat the Islamic state issue with great caution because:

  1. The non-Malay may not know how passionate, extreme and radical the Malays can be when it comes to Islam;
  2. The Malays can be very narrow-minded and so intolerant when it comes to Islam;
  3. The Malays view criticism of Islam as an insult, especially if the criticism is aimed at Prophet Muhammad;
  4. It is okay for a Malay to criticise another Malay, but if non-Malays criticise the Malays then it is not regarded as criticism but taken as an insult.

That was why Fong's above-mentioned statement, added Raja Petra, was regarded by the PAS secretary-general, Nasharuddin Mat Isa as malicious and irresponsible instigation.

Nasharuddin had said: "Mobilising the Chinese community over an issue which is fundamental and dear to Muslims is fraught with risk, especially if the instigation is done in ignorance and with contempt. He may come dangerously close to tarnishing the image of Islam itself."

Biased, unfair stereotyping

I totally agree that any chauvinistic and biased statement from any party, including the non-Malays/Muslims should be condemned. But sweepingly stereotyping any race, in Raja Petra's case, the Malays/Muslims as beyond logic when Islam is concerned, is also equitably biased and unbecoming.

Besides, mention of another May 13 could also be sensitive and even negative. As it has often been used by Umno extremists to threaten the non-Malays/Muslims to give up their legitimate demands. It could be easily misinterpreted as such if it is not raised constructively with sufficient analysis or being received in a correct perspective.

And it sounds not convincing, when Raja Petra warned that if Fong and MCA continued bashing Islam, Malaysia would become an Islamic state because all the Malays would again unite, like they did in 1969 when even PAS joined the ruling coalition.

In fact, it is expected and unavoidable that Fong and MCA, and even Umno to a lesser extent and from a different aspect, will continue to bash PAS and its Islamic state document. Therefore, it is absurd, to say the least, that PAS will use this as a pretext to join BN.

I don't know whether it is a coincidence or otherwise, that Dzulkifli also concluded his article by using more or less the same flow of mind:

"The PAS-Umno divide, if ever it persists on, is meant to create the dynamism of a healthy genuine democracy. Otherwise, the entire nation would perhaps benefit more from a united front of the Malay-Muslim constituency!"

I would like to ask: what is the difference between Fong's mobilisation of the Chinese community to oppose the Islamic state and Dzulkifli's 'Shariah bridging the PAS-Umno divide?' (Nov 22)

And I am indeed worried about the running high of racial/religious sentiments after the release of the Islamic state document, not to mention another May 13 as warned by Raja Petra!