I would like to make a few comments on Hamba Allah's letter on non-Muslims being satisfied under PAS rule in Kelantan and Terengganu.

The writer said: Berkenaan dengan arak, suka untuk saya nyatakan di sini bahawa kerajaan PAS di Kelantan tak pernah menghalang penganut agama lain untuk terus meminumnya. Keadaan yang sama boleh berlaku jika Malaysia diperintah oleh PAS .

Notice the word ' boleh ' (can). I take it to mean that it may not be PAS' intention to allow the sale of alcohol.

The writer also said PAS will not stop Malaysians of other cultures from consuming alcohol. But PAS did not say it will not ban the import or sale of alcohol either. The policies on this issue are extremely vague.

The writer further said: Di sini saya tidak nampak berlakunya kehilangan hak bangsa lain. Judi pula memang terang-terang haram bagi semua agama. Jadi judi diharamkan di Kelantan. Itupun setelah perbincangan diadakan oleh kerajaan negeri dengan kaum lain .

Here is where Hamba Allah makes the biggest assumption. What about those who are atheists?

I am a free thinker, so does this mean I will lose my rights to choose to gamble? Yes, many religions forbid gambling or even drinking, but that does not necessarily mean that everyone subscribes to this.

Notice that I'm not advocating or encouraging gambling and alcohol consumption, but shouldn't other Malaysians be given a choice about lifestyle preferences?

What is more, PAS is being given credit for "fulfilling the religious responsibility of others" for making the decision to ban gambling.

Stopping people from gambling might be a 'healthy' thing. But the issue is about choice. If PAS thinks that the ban of gambling is a good thing for this country, why not bring this before Parliament? Why do we need an Islamic state to implement such laws? Good and compatible Islamic ways of life can be incorporated into existing laws.

The reason why so many non-Muslims advocate a secular state is simply because not every Islamic law is compatible. It is simply not fair to advocate an Islamic state to achieve one party's religious ambitions, at the expense of other citizens.

We should be spending our time and efforts advocating unity and equity among the different cultures of Malaysia, instead of politicising religion. Malaysia is a plural country and secular laws have worked well so far, despite low public opinion of our judicial system. Our rights are protected under the Federal Constitution and under one law - not two separate kinds of laws.

PAS supporters often refer to Kelantan and Terengganu as examples of how well a PAS government can work. But there is a huge difference between governing two states and governing an entire country.

National administration involves the economy, military, finance, foreign policy, education and much more. As a political party, PAS has not shown any signs of interest in these areas, much less about setting proper goals and targets that can be shared by all Malaysians.

If PAS has not realised it yet, an Islamic state cannot possibly bring about unity in the country; it is simply not a common goal.

Even if PAS obtains the Malay-Muslim vote, how much of a mandate would they have from the other races? How fair is it for a country to be represented by the 'majority' comprising one race and one religion? Doesn't PAS understand the nature of multiculturalism or does it just not care?

We have had enough of racial politics. Please do not make religion another bone of contention.