It was quite a shock to read Patricia Martinez's article, 'Malaysia as an Islamic state: an analysis - part 1 and 2', where she highlighted the booklet published by the Information Ministry, Malaysia Adalah Sebuah Negara Islam .

I am sure your other non-Muslim readers would have been equally amazed by the revelations in the booklet as I was.

This whole question of the Islamisation process reminds me of an incident some 13-15 years ago. The MCA then under the brief leadership of Tan Koon Swan had a harrowing time trying to deflect Umno's attempt to apply Syariah laws to non-Muslims in Selangor.

The two MCA executive councillors then in office (Yap Pian Hon and Ng Thian Hock) did not pay attention to the matter when it was passed by the exco. When it reached the state legislative assembly later, all hell broke loose. And the two excos lost their 'jobs' soon afterthat.

In those days, Umno would try to surreptitiously carry out their Islamisation agenda and back off when they meet resistance from the opposition parties or Barisan Nasional component parties and cannot get acceptance from them. This clearly demonstrates one of the 'strategies' as outlined in the booklet where Muslim leaders are advised on how to achieve an Islamic state.

Now as Lee Ban Chen rightly pointed out ('An Islamic state cannot be secular', Nov 23), after decades of 'official' policy and the Islamisation process, Umno decided that the time has come to declare that Malaysia is finally an Islamic state. This 'historic' occasion even had the parliamentary secretary to the Information Ministry, Zainuddin Maidin, declaring that Malaysia had never been a secular country and had right from the beginning always been an Islamic state. How fascist can he be!

The non-Muslim Barisan parties, having been convinced by Umno that to counter PAS and to avoid the looming catastrophe facing Umno and Barisan in the coming general elections, are all in agreement that they will accept an Islamic state because they have no choice. Expediency has again won the day and in true Barisan spirit, they gave way yet again to the political, religious, social and cultural agenda of Umno.

Where is the multi-culturalism concept the likes that MCA and Gerakan have been espousing all these years?

The erosion of the rights and interests of non-bumiputra and now non-Muslim Malaysians is continuing unabated and will in no time reach a crescendo.

I know how I will vote in the next general elections but the sad part is I also know I will not make much of a difference. It is up to media like malaysiakini to make Malaysians aware of the hidden agenda of the ultra-racist Umno and to alert us so that we can make the right and proper decisions for ourselves and our future generations.

Right now even though I know the ultimate outcome of the future of my 'adopted' country (adopted because I am considered a descendant of migrants and not a true citizen enjoying equalrights as any other Muslim Malaysian citizen), I still feel cheated by the government of the day, especially Umno, MCA and Gerakan.

With scant regard for the so-called social contract and the Federal Constitution, our so-called leaders have turned around to call a rose a hibiscus and insist that they are right. That is the problem with our Barisan leaders - arrogant and lacking principles.

May God forgive them, for they know not what they do.