I refer to the letter PKR must commit to freedom of conscience .

I would like to state here that even though I – a non-Muslim Malaysian – agree with the notion that everyone should have the freedom to choose one’s own religion, I believe that even if Anwar Ibrahim agrees with thais principle, he cannot and will not exercise it. It would be tantamount to political suicide. PKR still needs the support of the Malay Muslims, and they will never agree to that.

I think everyone should be observant enough to see that, politically, the agenda among Malays is to push for Islam to be politically dominant and that this is a worldwide phenomenon.

The best that any of us can do is to give Anwar a chance, since he can't be any worse than the present Umno leadership when it comes to the freedom of religion. What Anwar has promised is open channels for us to discuss such issues, and that is more than enough for now. Under the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN), we don't have any such channels.

The writer of the above letter seems to suggest that if Anwar guarantees the freedom of religion, than all non-Muslims will vote for PKR. That could be true, but if the Malays don't vote for PKR, what’s the use then? He won’t be in any position to make changes. You must understand that the Muslim Malays have a completely different viewpoint on this issue.

I have no interest in being a ‘dhimmi’ , but for now, let’s take things slow and sort out other issues. I am highly skeptical that the Muslim Malay masses will accept a commitment to the freedom of conscience, even in the foreseeable future, but that doesn't mean we cannot make the suggestion. And that was what Anwar promised, a channel for us to make such a suggestion.