The new year has dawned and contrary to some belief, there were no untoward "terrorist" activities to dampen the celebrations around the world. At least if you count out the US and Israel as terrorists.

In our small corner of the world, another saga involving Islam is unfolding, with the conviction and sentencing of Al-Ma'unah 19, the arrests of some alleged KMM members and yes, even in Singapore there has been several arrests of Muslims suspected of being involved in terrorist activities and planning a bonfire of sorts. All these point to another Islam-bashing year, which is expected following the global euphoria after the Sept 11 attacks in the US.

The local political scene has not changed one bit, with race and Islam still playing a pivotal and defining role, what with the Indera Kayangan state by-election set for Jan 19. I am, however, appalled that the unending saga of Islam has again crept up during this campaign, which actually has two sides to it.

The good side is that the government's (in particular Umno) futile argument with PAS could somehow manage to shroud in mystery the current shenanigans of the MCA internal strife. It could have been a strategy to foil the opposition from raising this issue, and instead they have been caught in the media frenzy following the conviction and sentencing of the Al-Ma'unah 19. Though I pity them, we must be stern, pro-active and take the no-nonsense attitude when dealing with religious extremism.

That PAS has again been forced on the defensive is another good sign. With the DAP flapping over the Islamic state issue, its leaders are now coining graveyard statements of the government's sandiwara (shadow play) over the Al-Ma'unah issue. That the KMM might have connections with al-Qaeda has even blunted their criticism of late. So they are demanding the Singapore Straits Times apologise for what they claim is false reporting and insinuation of the party's alleged connection with al-Qaeda and terrorism.

But this is more of a damage control exercise, what with the party still unable to provide Malaysians with its definition of an Islamic state and what it intends to do if voted into power. PAS leaders had asked for the people to look at the two states they are controlling, Kelantan and Terengganu. Bad examples, in my view, as both states point out the weaknesses of PAS' Islamic administration and not the true face of Islam.

Success, whichever way you look at it, is measured by progress, not with how many minarets are there or how many liquor shops have been closed down. The two states seemingly are moving backwards, because PAS leaders there have no vision, except of their narrow-minded approach of implementing hudud and Islamic administration. They have forgotten to look at previous Islamic successes such as the Abbassyiah empire, the Othmaniah empire and to a lesser degree, Kamal Attartuk's reformation of Turkey.

Islam is seen in these places as the divine inspiration for improving quality of life for Muslims. That progress is part of this improvement is undeniable and something necessary. That is why Islam in those days was respected. Though Muslims fought like lions against the non-Muslims, they also produced thinkers, scientists, astronomers ... the list goes on.

The true teaching of Islam is for Muslims to love their lives, to live it fully and to cultivate the soil for their benefits. Of course they must worry about their afterlife, but not by foregoing their current lives, since it will be measured for their rewards or retribution. Living a full life means going all out to improve themselves — which includes all aspects of religion and gaining knowledge. That in short, defines progress. If PAS cannot understand this, then their thinking is not in line with what the majority of Muslims feel.

That sums up the problem facing PAS and why it will fall short in future elections unless it changes its tactics. It must not revel in the government's misfortunes and alleged misdeeds, when in fact it has done nothing to improve the development in the two states it governs. It must promote progress.

PAS must stop trying to be the 'better Muslim', since it will only drag Umno into a useless debate on the faith of both parties' followers and supporters. No one can actually claim they are more Muslim that the other, that is the privilege of Allah, not of mortal humans. It is wrong, un-Islamic and sacrilegious to do so — such accusations could in fact be tantamount to the accuser committing apostasy — a crime punishable by death in PAS' Islamic state. Now then, why is the pot calling the kettle black? It only surmounts to Muslims in Malaysia (Malays mostly) becoming a laughing stock of the other races.

PAS' insistence that it must stick with its Islamist agenda bodes well for Barisan Nasional and Umno. I am of the view that with the Malays, no matter how Islamic Umno tries to be, they will still view PAS as the religious party — the only difference is that currently PAS is promoting an alien Islamic concept that frightens and disillusions them. PAS' fight promises nothing but uncertainty and fear, whilst Umno's is a fight for the development of the Ummah (Malays) and Malaysia in general.

We could conclude that although Umno will have to try to show it is Islamic, it must never go overboard. From 1946 until recently, Islam has always been the catalyst for Malay development — it is defined through progress and competition with the other races. This racial politics formula has worked up to now, and I am confident it still does. But Umno must never allow itself to be ultra-nationalist to a degree that it returns to the days of Datuk Harun Idris and then nurturing anti-Chinese sentiment.

Malays must develop and progress for the sake of Malaysia but not by foregoing the other races as well. The intricate balance that we call racial harmony works because each of us knows where we belong and our roles in society. Crossing this line will be dangerous and potentially destructive to the BN formula — unless in cases where infighting of a race (like the MCA) threatens the very core of our Malaysian Malaysia.

PAS can never hope to match this harmony — like what many have repeatedly pointed out, they can only imagine PAS cutting the nation into segments of Muslims and kafirs , at the expense of the country, development and yes, Islam.

The down side is, although I am confident of a landslide BN victory in Indera Kayangan, I could not but feel disappointed with the mainstream media, especially the TV stations for blatant misuse of air time to promote the government's agenda and questioning PAS' integrity. The media must, in my opinion, remain non-partisan, covering news and providing reports and reviews on current issues. It need not be used as a catalyst to attack the opposition — they're doing a good job of it already themselves.

The media has again come under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. It is understandable for state-owned RTM to do so, but for independent stations like TV3 it is unforgivable and actually is counter-productive. People disgusted with what they perceive to be biased reporting by the stations will switch to other alternatives, such as Astro (CNN) and alternative news like opposition websites. We can bet that their minds will then be poisoned to the extent that whatever the government says or does in future, will be viewed as against the will of the people.

A level-headed media, however loyal to any political master, must be able to see this. One aspect of Western propaganda which has reaped in success after success is their ability to address their masters' problems when it needs to. This appeals to the public, even though we know how bias they could be when it comes to propagating their masters' agendas. Malaysian media must cultivate this.

We must, however, firstly remove the misconception that those reporting bad things about the government will be replaced. If all reporters and editors, and TV stations, could provide ample evidence of wrongdoing, then what is there to fear? The government, I believe, is still open to criticism and is willing to accept blame if proven. The problem is that in most cases, the reports are based more on instinct and hearsay rather than facts.

Change in Malaysia is a taboo issue. It will take time, even longer in certain places. But we must change our mindset, if only to prove to the world how competitive we really are and how ready we are to challenge the powers that be for global supremacy.

Resistance to change will only result in the country falling further behind in competitiveness. The government is trying, really hard to change itself, transforming it into a lean, mean unit. It has also strenuously tried to correct the state of corporate governance in the country and pushed the Malays from their slumber to be more pro-active and to wake up. But it will fail ... if the people themselves fail to see the benefit of the change.

We must discard old habits — things we feel attached to but actually are bad for us. That in my view will be the hardest thing to do. And in the end, failure to do so would result in change not coming at all ... or only coming when pigs could fly.

Just hoping it would now.