Our prime minister visited Turkey recently and what he saw about the country and its practice of secularism should be an eye opener for him. My visit to Turkey began on a cold, quiet night on Jan 28 and when I finished my tour of Turkey, I must confess I was totally fascinated with the country.

From the start, it was a journey of discovery to find that the women dressed bereft of any head scarves or tudung. This was not only a surprise but a shock when you are told by the interpreter and tour guide that Turkey has a population of 70 million and 99 percent of its people are Muslims. What is even more shocking is that Islam is not an official religion of this country. Turkey has maintained its secularism despite its Muslim majority.

What further shocked me was when the guide told me that the government does not interfere or control the religion. This is all left to the imams of the respective mosques. And the powers given to the imams are limited. They have no authority to detain, arrest Muslims who don't fast during Ramadan or Muslims who drink alcohol or those who even commit 'khalwat' (close proximity).

And what about intermarriages between believers and non-believers? Without a blink, the interpreter replied that it was up to the couple and their families. If they agreed, they could go ahead and no one has the right to stop them.