BarisaPrime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, states that Malaysia is not a secular state and neither is it a theocratic state. He does not, however, state what category of state we are

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Media Statement 
by Karpal Singh
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(Kuala Lumpur, Sunday) : Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, states that Malaysia is not a secular state and neither is it a theocratic state. He does not, however, state what category of state we are. There is no doubt that Malaysia is a secular state. Those were the views of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn, our former Prime Ministers. This was also the view of a five-man bench of the Supreme Court which unanimously ruled as far back as 29^th February, 1988 as follows, 

‘We have to set aside out personal feelings because the law in this country is what it is today, secular law…’ 

The Prime Minister’s statement contradicts that of his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who recently stated that Malaysia was not a secular state. Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, is on record for saying that not only is Malaysia an Islamic State but it was an extremist Islamic State. 

As I have repeatedly said, Malaysia is a secular state. The Constitution declares it to be a secular state with Islam as the official religion of the country. This is more than adequately set out in Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution which states,  

‘Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.’ 

The framers of the Constitution intended Malaysia to be a secular state and not an Islamic State. Any person or authority which publicly states that Malaysia is an Islamic and not a secular state contradicts the provisions of Article 3(1).                                        

(5/8/2007)