KUALA LUMPUR – Despite widespread concern about the rise of Islamisation in Malaysia, non-Muslims in the country can rest assured that the nation will not become a full-blown Islamic state.
Former Umno MP Tawfik Ismail, the eldest son of the late former deputy prime minister Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman, said this is largely due to the disunity among the Malay-Muslim majority.
“In terms of religion, please remember that we have nine sultans and 13 muftis who have different ideas on how religion should be administered.
“So, I don’t see the big threat of a unified Islamic uprising of the right wing to make us all live in fear. I think it will cancel each other out.”
Tawfik was speaking during the Umno Redux: What Next for Malaysia? webinar, held in conjunction with the release of Paradise Lost: Mahathir & The End of Hope, a book authored by prominent former Malaysian ambassador Datuk Dennis Ignatius, yesterday evening.
Among those present were former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and political analyst Prof James Chin.
Tawfik, who previously held the Sg Benut federal seat, was responding to a question on where he believes Malaysia is headed in the next 20 years.
The query comes as civil society groups raise the alarm over Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary’s recent statement on a proposed law to restrict the progress of religions other than Islam in Malaysia.
Assuaging fears, Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar this week said the matter is nowhere close to being finalised.
Tawfik said this is why education on the rights and protections offered by the legal system is important, as the nation’s founding fathers did not envisage an Islamic state.
“I think they (founding fathers) were more or less convinced that the only way to progress was to preserve the Federation, where there are inherent checks and balances. And Malays have never been united anyway.
I think the other races need not fear a united Malay race that will consume and destroy whatever culture they have, because historically, it has been proven that Malays have been a very ‘absorptive’ race.”
In his book, Ignatius said although many factors led to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government in February last year, none was more prevalent than the role played by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“The more I studied his politics and policies going back many years, it appeared clear to me that he is responsible for so much that has gone wrong with Malaysia.
“His policies and politics set in motion developments that have proven ruinous and destructive even to this day.”
Ignatius said he wrote the book to warn about the direction of the country, which is headed for “failed state” status if it continues on its current trajectory.
I know that people get upset whenever the term ‘failed state’ is applied to Malaysia, and it gives me no pleasure to warn of it. But, I do think that if we don’t change course, that will be our fate.”
He said he also looked into rising religious extremism and the “growing” Islamisation process to try and understand the implications for Malaysia, especially for non-Muslims.
“Again, what I found was very disturbing. But let me be clear: I have no problems accepting that Islam is the religion of the Federation, as stated under Article 3 of the federal constitution, or that Islam will always be central to the life of the nation, given that it is the religion of the majority of my fellow citizens.
“But, what I found disturbing is the way Islam is being defined politically, and an Islam that is more exclusive, intolerant of diversity is being aggressively promoted. I fear that it will result in the further marginalisation of minority communities.” – The Vibes, September 10, 2021
