I read with alarm the media reports containing remarks made by the chief justice questioning the need to use English common law after 50 years of independence and seeking its abolition and that he is 'studying the syariah law to replace English common law in court proceedings'.

I hope I misread the reports and that the reports are misquoting him. But the reports further quoted him as saying: 'We are already in the process of getting a uniform syariah law in all the 14 states including the Federal Territory relating to family, administration and criminal law'.

Criminal law? Doesn't this tantamount to making Malaysia a theocracy based on Islam? This is right smack against what we set out to be since independence. Have we, after 50 years forgotten that Malaysia is multi-religious and multi-ethnic? Those Tourism Malaysia ads are just for tourists then?

Perhaps the authorities may say that this only applies to Muslims, but for criminal law, there cannot and must not be two different laws. Everybody must be treated equal in the eyes of the law. And the way to do that is that the governing laws must be secular.

This is not about importing a former colonial system. English common law applies to all, without fear or favour, to any religion, race, sex or creed. That is fair and we all accept it.

Why must certain quarters always want to have things in their favour? This must be opposed. Fifty years, and we are even more skewed in our thinking than ever.