AB Sulaiman

A mufti, MP and a prince did something recently making one wonder whether the wind of change is blowing to our shores at long last.

There shouldn't be contradiction in protecting either Malay culture or Islam, but there has been.

The Sultan symbolises the well-meaning secular establishment, the mufti is symbolic of the spoilt-brat and the MP reflects the suffering general population.

In this proverbial kingdom, the one-eyed ruler is supreme. And in Malaysia, the ruling elite do pretty much what they wish as well.

Malaysians should use the opening provided by the young new Perlis mufti to hold Islamic scholars to their claim of religious authority.

The governing philosophies of Islam are akin to tribal laws while that of its anti-thesis the modern philosophies of modern democracies are akin to civil laws.

Kissing and holding hands in public. It's a debate beween human rationality and religious dogma.

On no account must the civil servants be made into a position of subservience to the politicians.

Sadly, teachers lecture in order to guarantee their monthly salary, and students study just to pass an exam and get a degree.

On the basis of specific definitions, Islam would fall into the category of 'dogma', argues the writer.