http://sobnation.wordpress.com/2007/08/02/nation-must-adopt-tar-policies-transparency-accountability-responsibility/#more-36

A senior cabinet minister broke ranks today on the Islamic state issue by arguing that the nation’s founders did not have that in mind when the Federation of Malaysia was formed in 1963.

“I hope my colleagues in the government can forgive me for saying that I do not agree that we are an Islamic state,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Bernard Dompok, who hailed from Sabah.

Please be informed that you can enter the Parliament house and park your car inside to attend the Parliamentary Roundtable to reaffirm Malaysia is a secular state and not an Islamic State.

The Security Department of the Parliament House is informed of the event. After parking your vehicles in the Parliament House, please proceed to the main entrance at the Chamber.

Once you arrive at the main entrance, you will be asked to scan your body for security purpose. After that, please exchange for a visitor pass. Our staffs will lead you to Bilik Taklimat. Signage will be set up in different places.

Please call me at 016-3231563 for any queries.

Like many other issues, religion is an excuse to gain power and wealth at the great expense of a multi religious country.

How could they face the non Malays, in particular bumi non Malays who had been in the country for thousands of years? Islam is very young in the country…about 450 years old.

The problem is not the religion but its militancy, extremism, fundamentalism and political aspects which are causing a lot of problems all around the world.

so you mean we can walk in to parliament on that day at that time? our cars are not suppose to enter isn’t it? so we should park somewhere further? any suggestion on place to park? i am not lazy to walk, but just can’t seems to know of any parking place except the roadside (which is open to summon)…

give us more of the details…let us put it on our blog and spread the word around…give us more of the details…maybe someone could just make some posters….hehe

[Please register by Wednesday 8th August 2007, giving the necessary particulars, if you wish to attend the Parliamentary Roundtable to get parliamentary security clearance. Contact persons Lau Weng San 016-3231563, 03-79578022; Wong Chow Onn 016-2681483. Kit]

No surprise. UMNO’s principle of administration is ‘Do what I say, don’t do what I do!’

Since when has UMNO’s words been trustworthy (i.e.dependable), truthful (i.e. no giddy spin-mongering), transparent (i.e. not an opaque mixture of half-baked truths, half-baked lies and over-cooked yucky mess!).

Some people swear that UMNO is a den of thieves. I would be a little less disparaging. I’d just say there is not a speck of honour amongst thieves. And should Malaysians trust the nation’s weal and coffers to men we would not trust with our mother’s purses.

So, let’s vote BN out!

Vote DAP/PKR in the next GE.

http://www.bharian.com.my/m/BHarian/Wednesday/Agama/20070801003115/Article/

Peguam Syarie menulis: Sejarah bukti Malaysia bukan negara sekular
Oleh Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar dan Nurhidayah Muhd Hashim

PERSOALAN Perlembagaan Persekutuan bersifat sekular atau tidak, kembali diperkatakan baru-baru ini rentetan pengumuman Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang menegaskan Malaysia sebuah negara Islam.

Jika diimbau kembali, isu itu sudah diperkatakan bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ketika menerajui pimpinan negara. Begitu juga Perdana Menteri sekarang, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi turut memperkenalkan manhaj Islam Hadhari di Malaysia dan mendapat sokongan ramai, termasuk masyarakat bukan Islam.

Namun, kepemimpinan MCA mempertikaikan kesahihan negara Islam ini dengan mengutarakan laporan Suruhanjaya Reid dan keputusan Mahkamah Agong mengatakan Perlembagaan Persekutuan adalah bersifat sekular.

Kenyataan itu dibidas Ketua Pemuda Umno, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein dan timbalannya, Khairy Jamaluddin.

Polemik ini perlu diselesaikan secara ilmiah, profesional dan berhemah berdasarkan fakta sejarah dan hakikat yang berlaku di negara kita.

Mengikut sejarah, laporan Suruhanjaya Reid ada menyatakan kemasukan fasal Islam adalah agama bagi Persekutuan tidak menjejaskan sifat sekular Perlembagaan. Adakah kita terikat semata-mata kepada hasrat penggubal Perlembagaan itu yang rata-ratanya bukan rakyat Malaysia.

Perdana Menteri pertama, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj juga berpendirian sedemikian. Malah, penghakiman Tun Salleh Abas dalam kes Che Omar Che Soh menafsirkan Islam dalam Perkara 3 itu terhad kepada aspek ritual dan rasmi saja.

Namun, jika diperhalusi, Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebenarnya memperuntukkan banyak fasal mengenai agama Islam. Umpamanya Perkara 3 menegaskan tanpa keraguan bahawa Islam adalah agama Persekutuan.

Negara sekular seperti Perancis, Turki dan India menyatakan dengan jelas dalam perlembagaan mereka bahawa negara itu adalah negara sekular tanpa merujuk kepada sebarang agama. Ia itu tidak berlaku di dalam Perlembagaan dengan wujudnya Perkara 3 tadi.

Jika Perlembagaan adalah sekular tentu Perkara 3 itu ditiadakan, malah ada banyak fasal lain yang memberi keistimewaan dan kedudukan tinggi agama Islam. Ia mustahil berlaku dalam sebuah negara sekular.

Sebuah negara sekular tidak boleh mengeluarkan dana awam bagi perkembangan sesuatu agama kerana ia bertentangan dengan prinsip sekularisme. Namun, di Malaysia, Kerajaan Persekutuan dan kerajaan negeri memperuntukkan ratusan juta ringgit bagi pengembangan dan kemajuan agama Islam, sama ada untuk pembinaan masjid, peruntukan jabatan berkaitan agama Islam dan banyak lagi.

Tindakan kerajaan selaras dengan peruntukan Perlembagaan yang membenarkan dana awam digunakan bagi pembangunan agama Islam seperti diperuntukkan Perlembagaan dan sekali gus menjadi bukti Islam mendapat tempat istimewa dalam Perlembagaan.

Perkara 11(4) Perlembagaan pula memberi kuasa kepada Dewan Undangan Negeri dan Parlimen bagi Wilayah-wilayah Persekutuan membuat undang-undang mengawal dan menyekat penyebaran agama bukan Islam di kalangan umat Islam.

Adalah mustahil dalam sebuah negara bersifat sekular keistimewaan itu diberikan kepada sesebuah agama. Hal ini dengan sendiri menafikan hujah Perlembagaan adalah perlembagaan sekular.

Malah, dengan pindaan Perlembagaan pada 1988 menyatakan bahawa Mahkamah Sivil tidak mempunyai bidang kuasa mengganggu keputusan Mahkamah Syariah, sekali gus menaikkan kedudukan agama Islam dan Mahkamah Syariah walaupun ada kalangan masyarakat tidak berpuas hati dengan kedudukan ini. Sekali lagi keistimewaan diberikan kepada agama Islam.

Malah, dalam banyak keadaan lain, agama Islam dirujuk dan diiktiraf. Ia termasuk dalam sumpah jawatan Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong juga menggunakan format dengan menyebut nama Allah seperti lafaz wallahi wabillahi watallahi.

Ia adalah sumpah syarie mengikut lunas undang-undang syariah. Dengan menggunakan nama Allah, kedua-dua baginda berazam akan mempertahankan agama Islam di negara ini.

Contoh itu adalah sebahagian contoh membidas hujahan pihak yang mengatakan Malaysia sebuah negara sekular secara total. Pelbagai perkara berlaku selepas Perlembagaan dipinda selepas kemerdekaan negara menjurus kepada peninggalan sifat sekular negara.

Adalah jelas Perlembagaan dan negara Malaysia bukan negara sekular dalam erti kata sekular itu sendiri. Negara sekular memisahkan agama daripada perundangan dan pentadbiran.

Negara sekular meminggirkan agama dalam mengejar kemajuan.

Negara sekular tidak memberi keistimewaan langsung kepada sebarang agama dalam menjalankan aktiviti agama mereka. Perkara itu tidak berlaku di Malaysia.

Persoalan kedua, apakah Malaysia sebuah negara Islam dalam erti kata sebenarnya? Perbincangan disambung minggu depan.

Penulis ialah Presiden dan Exco Persatuan Peguam Syarie Malaysia (PGSM). Sebarang komentar boleh dihantar ke exco_pgsm@yahoo.com

Please remember too that a vote for MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP, SUPP, PBS is a vote for Islamic State under Mahathir’s 929 declaration and Najib’s 717 declaration. That’s why I appealed to ALL Malaysians that they should attend the August 10 Parliamentary Roundtable in Parliament at 10.00am to reaffirm the 50 years nation building principle that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion.

Assuming they are still walking among us, they’d be too senile to remember. It would be like Reagan who asked how he came to be President.

In this case, the drafters responsible for the original and final draft of what later came to be referred to as the Federal Constitution of Malaya 1957 (mutilated beyond recognition and morphed into the Federal Constitution of Malaysia 1957) would probably deny ever sitting at the round table talks of that year. Let alone remember ever being part of the REID Commission.

Besides Mr. Lim and others, the royal of Raja Petra and Raja Nazrin are doing their part.

Daulat Tuanku!

http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/newsncom.php?itemid=6926
Raja Nazrin outlined five traits needed for a decent social order which would produce social norms and behaviour that were fundamentally efficient, productive and just. They were:

• A social order that led to cohesion within and among communities and called for horizontal equity whereby all Malaysians in equal circumstances were treated in exactly the same way;

• Malaysians of all races and religions engaging one another with absolute civility and respect;

• Malaysians feeling a deep-seated sense of ownership over the problems of the country and being motivated to take decisive action and make whatever sacrifices necessary for the good of the country;

• Only Malaysians who were capable, hard working, bold and scrupulously honest being allowed to serve in positions of responsibility; and,

• The public having a high degree of trust in the pillars of state, the executive, judiciary and legislature, as well as the civil service and police.