vox populi small thumbnail 'It's the muftis and conservative religious bureaucracy that are against the legal amendments, and they are the ones advising the sultans to reject them.'

Muslim conversion law reforms hit 'dead end'

Sarajun Hoda: The sultans are human beings too and good people. If they are not ready, it is because their thinking pattern presently is being influenced by the Jabatan Agama (Religous Department) people. I wish those like Perak sultan, who is learned in law, would be able to advise the other sultans.

This is a question of interpreting Islam as ordained in Quran. Allah is rahman (gracious) and raheem (merciful), but the ulama make Islam seem very callous. Allah makes life easy but the ulama make it complicated, sometimes by playing God.

The non-Muslims are the subject of the sultans, just as they are subjects to Allah. So, why punish the non-Muslims twice? First when their partner desert them, then by the poor judgement and selective dispensing of Allah's otherwise just laws and abundant love?

The sultans have hearts and will demonstrate mercy when they understand the issue better.

Ethnic Malaysian: My feeling is that it's not the sultans who are objecting to the legal reforms. They are figureheads. It's the muftis and conservative religious bureaucracy that are against these amendments, and they are the ones advising the sultans to reject them.

It's their fear/siege mentality of 'threats' to Islam. It's Islamophobia in reverse.

Temenggong: The sultans are only the 'administrative stewards' of Islam in their state. They cannot have powers that usurp the freedoms enshrined in the constitution, which is that all Malaysians have the freedom of religion. It is a right they already have, and no court or steward or institution can take it away or give it to them.

In other words, it is not up to courts to decide the religion of a person as the right rests with the person. The power of the sultans is merely to record that a person has entered the religion or exited the religion. It is an administrative power, not a deciding power. The sultans have erred in law and have to be advised as such.

VP Biden: The sultans are not the most learned in the matters of Islam, they are just figure heads. The constitution is above the sultans, as such, we follow the constitution. And the constitution can be amended by tabling it in Parliament. Does BN have the guts to do it?

Singa Pura Pura: There is, of late, a heightening of monarchical consciousness with respect to matters of the state. Is that not directly attributable to the fact that some elements within Umno and Umno-extended (Perkasa) are running hysterical around bandar (town) and desa (rural areas) declaring that race and religion are under siege and in peril?

Imraz Muhd Ikhbal: If the dignity and sanctity of Islam in this country was really being protected, then would we have the likes of Umno ruling the nation with its draconian fist?

Utusan Malaysia hissing its lies, slander and fitnah intoxicating Malay-Muslims' minds on a daily basis? Racist bigots like Ibrahim Ali, Siti Inshah Mansor and Ahmad Ismail running wild wagging their tongues to inflame racial tensions? Utmost intolerance and hostility manifested against other races and religions to the deplorable extent that this nation now has to endure?

Henry Hock: For any head of religion to decide the fate of the society, besides having basic knowledge of that religion and the law of that society, it is necessary for him to present a rational case, rather than be merely polemical or looking pious to subjects. He needs to conform to the demands of coherence, cognitive significance, intelligibility, and to the demands of plausibility, consistency, logic, and provision of firm evidential support.

Do they have that intellectual capability? What conditions are attached to the obligation to change or maintain another person's epistemology of a religious worldview?

History has taught us that the greatest dangers to the religious life are commitment subversion and belief subversion. A person's moral obligation to give up belief is between God and himself.

RHB loans RM800 mil to Sarawak CM's sister?

Lover Boy: What is the big deal about Raziah Mahmud's company getting a RM800 million loan from RHB. You chaps all are jealous of her. Surely good banking practise would tell you that construction companies have good guarantors and good collateral for such loans.

The Taib Mahmud empire is worth around US$1 billion. What is RM800 million? Most of you are ranting because to get a RM20,000 loan for a second-hand car, the bank will ask you to fill in tons of forms. I am sure if you get Taib to be your guarantor, borrowing RM200,000 would not be a problem.

Sarajun Hoda: Pity the Sarawak people. The Taib family thinks you are no more than idiots. So at the next election, you have the chance to save your state and show who is the real boss. If Pakatan Rakyat comes to power, their first duty will be to wrest and bring back all the ill-gotten gains the Taibs and their orang putih kin are enjoying overseas at the expense of poor Sarawakians.

Rolls-Royce: Blame it on our banks, too. If we ever want to borrow RM200 from them, they will probably ask us to fill up 20 forms and make 20 declarations. Nincompoop country producing nincompoop banks.

Anwar: 8-fold increase in EC budget, polls loom

Anonymous: Eight times the previous year's budget for EC means that something is cooking. Who is the chef? What are the ingredients to make a delicious meal? What is the recipe to suit the diners' taste buds? Will the diners be satisfied with the food dished out? Or will there be ‘ang pows' thrown in as a dessert to make the diners happy? Or will alcohol be provided so that drinkers will forget themselves and go to the wrong houses?

We shall now watch the chefs and the diners with keen interest. Of course, we must watch the tables and chairs, for some may be switched, leaving some diners without chairs or even tables. Diners must also be on the look-out for the sudden change of venue too.

Kgen: Umno will do anything to cling on to power. No trick is too dirty. Nobody should think it is easy to kick out BN even with the people's support.

Lim Chong Leong: The price of election manipulation must have gone up. ‘Invisible' indelible ink too must have cost a lot more.

Black Mamba: Fantastic quote of Jean Jacques Rousseau from Anwar. Very apt.

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