by Dr Chen Man Hin
In the first place, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should not assume that Malaysia is a Muslim country. Malaysia is a multireligious society. while Malays who form 55% of the population are Muslims, the other 45 per cent are Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, animists, atheists, etc.
Religious tolerance – there is limited religious tolerance in Malaysia. Islam is favoured by the government and is regarded as the ‘big brother’ of religion.
There is a consultative council for religions but Islam is not a member – , although invited to join. Islamic leaders prefer to stay away.
Dialogue between Islam and other religions is limited. The attitude is that Islam is superior.
The word ‘ALLAH’ is regarded as sacred and is not allowed to be invoked or used by religions other than Islam. This is religious intolerance as the word Allah is freely used in the Middle East by all religions, which has been the practice even before the advent of Islam.
The government here discourages the building of churches and temples. The applications to build all new churches are delayed for years..
There is no religious freedom as a Muslim is not allowed to change his faith, when he wishes to be converted to another religion.
In short, there is no religious tolerance in Malaysia. Under the circumstances, Najib does not have the credentials to offer his services to Presidnnt Obama to talk to Americans about religious tolerance. Before giving advice to the bigot parson in Florida who wanted to burn the Koran, he should first advise Umno extremists not to burn cow heads or desecrate churches.
Prime Minister Najib should instead encourage UMNO and other extremists to be more tolerant and to respect all religions in the country.
#1 by BoycottLocalPapers on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 2:22 pm
Actually, Najib is not alone in this form of hypocrisy. This kind of hypocrisy is common among Muslim leaders all over the world.
Muslim immigrants are demanding equal rights in Western countries that they migrated to (in which they are actually granted these rights) but are silent about the discrimination of non-Muslims in Muslim countries.
Saudi Arabia and Malaysia confiscated and burned the Bibles all the time but no Western leaders are making a big fuss out of it. Why the double standard?
In fact, in Sudan, you can see Christians were burned and tortured alive by the Muslims and yet the Muslims are not protesting about the atrocities committed by their fellow Muslims. If you search the Internet you will find videos of the burning of the Christians in Sudan. Horrible to watch.
Why the world is making a big issue out of an American who threatened to burn a book that he bought with his own money but is totally silence about Muslim governments that confiscated & burned the holy books of other religions and the burning of the Christians in Sudan?
Raja Petra Kamaruddin was right when he commented about the hypocrisy of the Muslims in general.
#2 by k1980 on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 2:26 pm
//Najib does not have the credentials to offer his services to Obama to talk to Americans about religious tolerance.//
He should instead offer to talk to Americans about seizing power in opposition-ruled states by buying over their congressmen, senators and governors. And also introduce race-based politics there, such as a political party exclusively for whites, another for negroes, and others for Asians, Hispanics, American Indians ect.
#3 by k1980 on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 2:31 pm
Obama should had demanded an apology from bolehland because its mamak had declared that 9/11 was the work of the CIA.
http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2010/01/september-11-2001.html
#4 by BoycottLocalPapers on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 2:39 pm
What happens if Barack Hussein Obama was a Malaysian?
In Malaysia, Barack Hussein Obama is not allowed to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia because he is a black and of not the supreme UMNO race.
In Malaysia, Barack Hussein Obama is not allowed to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia because he is a Christian and is not a co-religionist of UMNO members.
In fact, in Malaysia, Barack Hussein Obama is not even allowed to be the Chief Minister of Perak even though his party won the majority of the seats in Perak. Barack Obama has to give the post of Menteri Besar of Perak to another leader of coalition party that is of same race and religion with UMNO members.
In fact, in Malaysia, Barack Hussein Obama will not be allowed to use the name “Hussein” as the name belongs only to Muslims.
In fact, in Malaysia, Barack Hussein Obama will be forced to convert to UMNO’s religion, because his father was of the same religion with UMNO members.
In fact, in Malaysia, should Barack Obama dies, hi dead body will be snatched away from his family members by (ir)religious authority appointed by UMNO because there is a Muslim name in his IC.
So what rights and credential this Najib have to preach about religious tolerance to Barack Obama?
#5 by k1980 on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 2:55 pm
In Malaysia, Barack Hussein Obama would be labelled a ‘pendatang’ and has to pay an extra 10% when buying a house, which his ‘friend’ jibbi need not pay.
#6 by bamboo on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 3:28 pm
spot on, Dr Chen.
#7 by Loh on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 3:56 pm
///Prime Minister Najib should instead encourage UMNO and other extremists to be more tolerant and to respect all religions in the country.///-Chen
Najib will have to do that to earn the right to advise. But Najib would argue that he only wanted to tell America to avoid doing what is being done by the Malaysian government under UMNO. Najib is presiding over the government to gain experience on how a pariah government comes about, and that is an excellent experience for others as a negative case study.
But we have not heard whether Obama has accepted the offer.
#8 by dcasey on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 4:09 pm
//Najib does not have the credentials to offer his services to Obama to talk to Americans about religious tolerance.//
In fact if he does not clear his issues regarding the Altan C4 case and the RM500mil submarine case, he jolly well has got no credentials! This farting Pee1M letting go gas again, this time in NY and in Obama’s face too! Will Obama now refund the bucks that jibby paid the last time so that Obama can ask him to get lost straight away.
#9 by Cinapek on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 6:27 pm
I always shudder whenever I read comments such as our leaders offering advice to leaders of other countries about issues which we are a total mess at home. This is just like the senior MACC officer who claimed Malaysia is held up as a role model by many countries in the fight against corruption in her speech to an international forum. Either she is from another planet or she has been hibernating in the wilds of Sarawak helping the big timber companies with the oppression of the Penans. For the life of me, the whole world knows of Malaysia’s corruption scandals and woeful rankings on corruption and yet she has the cheek to stand up in front of an international forum on corruption and claim we are a role model?
Najib is doing the same thing here. We should get our own house in order first and practise what we preach before we try to teach others.
#10 by tunglang on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 6:31 pm
It’s like Big Bad Brother telling his equally Big Bad Brother – don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t do bad unto others, OK?
An Italian Mafia would have done a more credible you-better-listen preaching any day, anytime, and not only on Sunday.
#11 by negarawan on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 9:18 pm
The Penang katak puru, Zahrain seems to be in the Najip’s US entourage. Why is UMNO wasting the rakyat’s money? Rosy seems to be having a good time too but all the plastic surgery has made her look closer to MJ
#12 by vsp on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 10:19 pm
This is the mentality of Bolehland’s leaders. They thought they have the gift to advise the world what to do. Take for instance Abdullah Badawi: he declared to the world that Bolehland has something to talk about religious tolerance. He even slammed the cradle of the Islamic world for their lack of Islamic credentials and he created a new religion based on Islam known as “Islam Hadhari” whereby every Muslims in the world should subscribe to. So it’s no difference with Najib’s hubris.
#13 by negarawan on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 11:12 pm
Can someone fax this article to Obama? And better still send Obama a copy of cartoon-o-phobia also. Then hopefully Obama and Michelle will know the truth about the Najips.
#14 by Taxidriver on Sunday, 26 September 2010 - 11:14 pm
I hope my poem will somehow and by some miracle reach US President Mr. Barrack Obama for him to see the real situation in Malaysia:
Come on everybody clap your hands
Let’s balik Tongsan to our native land
It ain’t no use babe this place ain’t got no future
Let’s pack and go now before Yassin become its leader
This Yassin man we gotta understand
Will turn ev’rything upside down with the help of Mamak’s gang
Ye, behold! lawlessness the order of the day
Because of Mahakutty a.k.a Mahateh
Oh! please land of our fathers
Please open your door let us pass
We can stay here no longer
‘Cause they are chasing us
Come on my brothers and my sister
We gonna be fine ain’t got no time to waste
To the land of our fathers
Where we shan’t be CHASED
Come on everybody clap your hands
Let’s balik Tongsan to our native land
Yeah! to our native land
Yeah! to our native land
#15 by k1980 on Monday, 27 September 2010 - 8:24 am
If umno is in power in the US, Obama would be asked to return to Kenya
#16 by Joetan on Monday, 27 September 2010 - 8:34 am
Obama is an idiot if he accepts Najib invitation to spread the UMNO brand of Islam to USA. Before he accepts he should asked his ambassador in Malaysia about how true is Najib word. In Malaysia, what UMNO practise is discrimination against the minorities and their brand of Islam is creating hatred and fear towards the muslim. No religious tolerance. Using slogan like 1Malaysia to blind the minorities and fear to silent them.
#17 by dagen on Monday, 27 September 2010 - 9:08 am
Errr.. Islam jenis umno (or islam ju), to be precise dr chen.
Wow apparently ibrahim bin perkasa warned nazri, khairy and adnan to shut up for otherwise he would reveal their secrets. Now that sounds like a bully talking. When he ran out of logic and arguments (which happened almost immediately the first time he spoke) he resorted to issuing threats.
Tell us about those secrets ibrahim bin perkasa. Tell the whole country something we want to know. Do it in the name of protecting islam, agung, and the malay race.
#18 by Taxidriver on Monday, 27 September 2010 - 10:07 am
My dear dagen,
Ibrahim Ali said he put ”King First Malay Second” in his life, and you are going to believe him? Let me expose his DNA:
A modern day Hang Tuah is Abrahim Ali?
He put ”King First” in his life?
A hero to some A villian to many
For creating racial strife
Hang Tuan defended his Tuanku
Killed his sworn-brother Jebat
Who stood up for the down-trodden Melayu
Instead branded a pengkhianat
Hang Tuan was not Ali Nor is Ali Hang Tuah
Is plain for all to see
When Mamak ‘attacked’ the Istana
Where was Ibrahim Ali?
UMNO Malay youths ran riot
Called the King ”Natang”
Ali was nowhere in sight
He hid among the lallang
Ibrahim Ali-hypocrite clown katak
Tiada maruah knows no shame
A political tool to Mamak
To fulfill his political aim
#19 by good coolie on Tuesday, 28 September 2010 - 8:36 pm
Does Barack Obama know that it is illegal for Muslims in Malaysia to convert to other relgions – that they are liable to be detained for re-education?