The Chairman of Majlis Gagasan Malaysia, Manivannan Rethinam asked politicians not to insult the people’s intelligence and asked them to keep politics out of religion and education! When Minister’s and MP’s are speaking without knowing the facts or the subject, it is very worrying. How can a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Jamil Khir be so irresponsible to claim Malaysia is an Islamic State – another religious bigot?

Malaysia has been always a secular state, Based on the social contract between the races and as established by a Federal Court decision that has yet to be overturned!

• “In the Che Omar Che Soh vs Public Prosecutor (case), a five-man bench of the Supreme Court in 1988 had clearly said that the law in this country is secular law. “The decision has not been overturned; therefore the correct position of the law states that Malaysia is a secular state.” In fact the word ‘secular’ appeared five times in the written judgement.

• On the occasion of  (Malaysia’s first prime minister)’s 80th birthday, he stated in the 9 February 1983 edition of the newspaper  that the “country has a multi-racial population with various beliefs. Malaysia must continue as a secular State with Islam as the official religion.” In the same issue of The Star,

• On the occasion of Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malaysia’s first prime minister)’s 80th birthday, he stated in the 9 February 1983 edition of the newspaper The Star that the “country has a multi-racial population with various beliefs. Malaysia must continue as a secular State with Islam as the official religion.” In the same issue of The Star, Tunku Abdul Rahman was supported by the third Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn, who stated that the “nation can still be functional as a secular state with Islam as the official religion.

Tunku Abdul Rahman, in the 1980s, also said, “All talk on Islamic States is just an empty dream. No man in his right sense would accept a nation which bases its political administration on religion, and in a country like Malaysia with its multiracial and multireligious people, there is no room for an Islamic State.”

• The proposing terms (20 points agreement) drawn up by North Borneo for the formation of Malaysia on 16th September 1963, the States of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore were adamant that Islam was not going to be their State Religion. The Cobbold Commission Record made it clear in no uncertain terms that our country is a secular nation,”

• In 1957 – Everyone concerned from the British, the Alliance Party (UMNO, MCA and MIC), the Malay Rulers and the majority in the Reid Commission and, in particular, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the chief architect of Merdeka, was at pains to expressly declare that Malaya is a secular state, which would later be known as “give and take compromise” which became “the social contract” between the races.

“The paragraph 169 of the Reid Commission Report reads as follows: “We have considered the question whether there should be any statement in the Constitution to the effect that Islam should be the State religion. There was universal agreement that if any such provision were inserted it must be made clear that it would not in any way affect the civil rights of non-Muslims. In the memorandum submitted by the alliance it was stated – ‘the religion of Malaya shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practicing their own religion and shall not imply that the State is not a secular State’.”

Having regard to the delicate and sensitive nature of this issue in plural Malaysia, he hope the social contract agreed to in 1957 and reaffirmed in 1963 would continue to function for generations to come, which is in the best interest of all Malaysian.

Manivannan who is also the Vice Chairman of MIC National Information further added,it is a shame to see that some of our Ministers are ignorant of the Federal Constitution. I hope all Malaysian specially Ministers and Member of Parliament’s can be sensitive towards the needs of all races and the nation as a whole.

Manivannan also pointed out that the concept of ‘Islamic State’ is in itself elusive, the term of which could not be found anywhere in the Quran or the traditions of the prophet as highlighted in the work of Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas.

He further added, that some the politicians have been the biggest culprits in nation-destroying rather than nation-building. There are more and more extremist who are continuing their attempt to set against Muslims and non-Muslims.

Manivanan said, to a certain extend he can understand why the Muslim Member of Parliaments have not spoken out because now days if a Muslim speak out and agrees that Malaysia is secular country, then he / she will be branded less Malay or un-Islamic or even calling them deviants thus creating the silent majority however he fails to understand why the majority of non-Muslim Member of Parliaments are silent?

Manivannan call’s upon the Member of Parliaments from both side of the political divide especially the Non-Muslims to UNITE and SPEAK OUT that Malaysia has always been and will continue to be a secular state in this multiracial, multicultural and multilingual country.