YOURSAY ‘The CJ, and for that matter all Muslim judges, are caught in a quandary.’
Islamic or secular? CJ told to make a stand
Aries46: Why do we need to split hairs when we have all this while been subject to the constitution that has served us well?
What is the point of chief justice (CJ) Arifin Zakaria being made to pronounce the obvious? Even if the CJ were to declare that we are an Islamic state, isn’t it obvious that he is doing so under duress?
Under the current political environment where Umno has prematurely declared the nation to be an Islamic state, how objective would it be for the judiciary to make a stand? How many judges would dare to openly disagree with Umno?
Who doesn’t know that whenever Umno is venerable, it resorts to provoke racial and religious extremism and any Muslim who dares to differ will be condemned and crucified as traitors to the race and religion?
It would be an exercise in futility and a gross disservice to compel the judiciary to declare its stand at this point of time.
Corgito Ergo Sum: The CJ, and for that matter all Muslim judges, are caught in a quandary. If they decide that civil law and the federal constitution is supreme law of the land, they will be chastised, even condemned by such extremist groups like Perkasa, Jati and Isma.
So, to appear to be fair, and to appease these dangerous groups, allowed to flourish by the current government, they will decide in favour of syariah. I pray, with millions of others, that this will not be so.
Caesar: I can't believe that after 57 years of independence, we still don't know whether we are secular or Islamic state. The world is laughing at us. I was embarrassed when talking to some friends from overseas.
Casey: On the contrary, Caesar, everyone of us - except Umno and their proxies or sponsored goons, of course - are aware that we're a secular country governed by a federal constitution much in line with all other secular states in the world.
This is just another shameless and sinful act of Umno designed to confuse the people, create chaotic situations.
Fair Play: Leadership is the scarcest of the scarce commodities in every attribute that defines a successful nation - political, economic, social, legal, business, education, interfaith relationship, etc. You name it, the nation lacks it.
This is the ultimate price we pay when what we have is more of the same for 50 over years of governance by one political regime.
CQ Muar: For the sake and future stability of this country, wisdom and justice must prevail.
It should never fall into the hands of some, in the words of Malaysian National Defence University lecturer Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, "ultra kiasu", who are out to cause havoc in this once peaceful nation.
May the chief justice, in his wisdom, reveal the truth impartially so as to avert this country from "self-destruction".
Each day, we are witnessing further deterioration by irresponsible bigots and self-proclaimed religious exponents. When will this impasse and madness draw to an end, thus return to the
path of sanity?
In this respect, fanaticism and extremism must come to a halt.
Kim Quek: When the Supreme Court in 1988 had already made such clear-cut pronouncement on this subject, after articulating with such comprehensive and irrefutable historical and legal facts, why do we still doubt that our constitution is anything but secular?
Are our Umno ministers so dim-witted that they can’t even grasp the basic legal common sense that when a country’s constitution is secular, that country is known as a secular country and no amount of fancy name-calling can turn that country into a theocratic Islamic state?
If any Umno minister or leader is still fuzzy, please read that historical Supreme Court ruling .
Ksn: Thank you constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari, it is high time for the CJ, judiciary to come out with its views.
But it is keeping its silence in spite of other institutions which are bound to follow court rulings dismisses them with contempt.
Those confused are only those ignorant like one Umno Baru minister who declared that Malaysia is not a secular nation . So much for the people who rule the country with their ignorance.
MinahBulat: The situation here has nothing to do with a solipsist stand. I see it as a bullying, jingoistic stand.
The CJ as I understand is a pious man - that is dangerous and I think he will go with the ultras. Look at the custody tussle.
His High Court judge's order are defied by the IGP , to most common mind that is illegal and criminal and is a contempt of court. What did he do? He remained elegantly silent. Come what may, we are already a failed state.
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