“YB Lim Kit Siang, I still think it is all right for you to campaign with some Christian flavours & leanings, please.” oknyua

I’m afraid playing the ‘religion’ card would be like walking through a mine field. By the time you reach the other side, you’d be missing limbs if not life! Religion in Malaysia is a divisive issue.

How do you suggest YB approach the issue? Dwell on on the universal values of religion? That would be a good start – a unifying effect. But how will the rest see it? How will the Malays and Muslims see it? I cannot speak for them and say how they’ll receive the ‘good’ message. But I am confident about how the bigots among them would use it. They will manipulate the message as an attempt to convert the Malays and Muslims! Ridiculous??

How often have we heard?? And it is almost cliche to say “Politics is about perception”.

Don’t forget to ask PAS, an electoral partner, how they think about the issue of using religion and involving churches!

The churches made a wise decision by staying ‘neutral’.

In the U.S. in the race for presidential nominee, Huckabee has the support of Christian Evangelicals, to whom the U.S. is a Christian nation – following Judea-Christian values. But even Mike Huckabee does not go around with placard in hand to spread the Christian message. With a constitution that separates church from state, it is not a popular move – and Huckabee has not carried the popular vote!

Imagine the same were to happen in Malaysia where Islam is the official religion.

Oknyua, in short, it is not a good call!

oknyua,

If you must, you should adopt a bipartisan approach, if you will i.e. seeking the support of church members for the universal values that all religions have to offer and that DAP represents the future in Sabah, a future in which all religions can look forward to ‘a seat at the table’.

The elections must never be seen as non-Muslim vs. Muslim.

It is a slippery slope!

“..I honestly think a pastor do his job better anywhere but in politics.” dawsheng

My pastor never injects a political message in his sermons because to do so would be to denigrate religion which seeks to unite mankind and not divide it. With the separation of church and state it is easy to do so.

However, with Islam it is different. More than just a religion, Islam is a way of life, and there is no separation of mosque (if you will) and state. Had Malaysia been 95% Muslim, it would gravitate towards being an Islamic republic and away from the monarchy that it now is. Expect to hear Muslim clerics who are PAS supporters and UMNO supporters giving their sermons in mosques in the different neighborhoods and states.

Islamic values pervades all spheres of life – at least for the Muslims. It ‘intrudes’ into their private lives. Indeed ‘intrusion’ is the wrong word to use. Nothing is intrusive when it comes to values preached by Islam. Islam is more than just a religion.

ooknyua,

I understand in Sabah, religion is a political issue. Or should I say religious freedom is a political issue. But it must never be seen as a conflict between religions.

Huh? That was a quote from dawsheng. Noticed that earlier.

“Received a CNY card from Pejabat Ketua Menteri Melaka sent to one of my house in KL (based on my IC address). Have never received such card before. My registered voting location is…” gotcha1965

Good example of a caretaker government using resources belonging to the people to canvass for support.