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PAS Islamic State Blueprint: All political parries must accept three fundamental facts
 
Media Statement
by Kerk Kim Hock

(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): In response to the Islamic State Document announced by Pas yesterday, I wish to stress that the justice, freedom and equality pursued by Malaysians should be based on the universally accepted principles of democracy and our nation’s constitutional democratic and secular guarantee, and not  based on any model of Islamic State. 

In fact, while all political parties may be ideologically committed to their own causes, they must, in their struggle,  accept three fundamental facts:

 

  1. That Malaysia practices parliamentary democracy, as such , the objectives of all political parties must be compatible with the universally accepted principle, spirit and values of democracy
  2. That Malaysia is a multi racial, multi religious and multi cultural society and hence all parties must promote true pluralism, liberalism and freedom
  3. That the social contract reached by the major communities when achieving Independence was that Islam is the official religion of the nation but Malaysia is not an Islamic state

 

DAP reiterates that all political parties must respect, protect and preserve the constitutional democratic and secular guarantee of the nation.

 

We also reiterate that an Islamic State is not suitable and compatible with a multiracial, multi religious and multi cultural Malaysia.

 

Malaysia has long been troubled by the dichotomy of bumiputras versus the non-bumiputras; the setting up of an Islamic State will create an additional dichotomy, the Muslims versus the non-Muslims.

 

Malaysians’ pursuit of equality and freedom according to the universally accepted concept of democracy cannot be realized if dichotomy of Muslims versus non-Muslims is created.

 

It is most worrying that the Islamic State blueprint announced by Pas will intensify the political competition between Umno and PAS to out Islamic State each other. Such competition will only lead to a situation where the nation building direction, policies and process will become more influenced by the Islamic State issue.

 

(13/11/2003)

* Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary-General & MP for Kota Melaka