Despite efforts by the government to stifle public debate on the issue, a forum organised yesterday by DAP made it clear that objections over assertions of Malaysia being an Islamic state have not dissipated but only grown stronger.

The room on the second floor of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur was packed to maximum capacity yesterday with about 250 people as panelists spoke of the growing religious divide between communities.

From the declaration of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad who declared Malaysia as an Islamic state on Sept 29, 2001, matters have only gone from bad to worse when current Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak repeated the assertion nine days ago, said several speakers.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the Internal Security Ministry's directive last week prohibiting the mainstream media from publishing comments in objection to Najib's statement was an insult to Malaysians' intelligence and a violation of their fundamental rights.

"This is Malaysian democracy at its finest ... 27 million Malaysians have no right to speak (on the matter) except for two persons," said Lim in reference to the exemption granted in the directive to Najib and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Just because the government tells us that we cannot discuss, we cannot talk about this, it does not mean that we have to obey like a dog. We are Malaysians. We are citizens with fundamental liberties, especially the right of expression," he added.

Lim said the concern is not so much with Islam itself as a religion as it is with how Islamisation had been introduced and imposed in disregard of constitutional and democratic values and regulations.

"If the government wants to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state, do it the proper way," he said.

"Do it, if you can, by amending the constitution by a two-thirds majority, and let us context this attempt in the Malaysian way - with the force of our arguments as well as discourse and debate, not by stifling and gagging the media from publishing views contrary to the government," he added.

A just Malaysia

Member of the Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST) Dr Herman Shastri said those in attendance at the forum "should take it upon themselves to engage more Malaysians" on the issue.

This is especially so because the authorities - ever vigilant on offences to Islam or Islamic institutions - have been less than reliable when it concerns violations against the minority religions, said Shastri.

"Nothing but civil society can claim and retain that democratic space to protect our civil liberties enshrined in the constitution and religious freedom.

"Therefore, as an inter-religious body, we align ourselves with all, even with Islamic groups, that we want to build a Malaysia that is just to all, that is helpful to the building of our nation , not to the destruction of it," said Shastri.

Human Rights Society of Malaysia president Malik Imtiaz Sarwar ( right ) said the problem had to do with the politicisation of Islam which had led to the heightening of tensions between religious and racial communities.

Too many Malaysians, meanwhile, have abdicated from their responsibility to prevent the usurpation of their rights and this processes has to be reversed, he said.

"The silent majority has allowed the situation to develop the way it has and the vocal minority on our side gets silenced, and the vocal minority on that side gets space and opportunity to shape things.

"It's time the majority accept the reality of their responsibility of being Malaysians," he said.