LETTER | Can Malaysia afford to become religion-centric country?

LETTER | The world knows Malaysia as a parliamentary democracy backed by a constitutional monarchy system.

However, with political forces increasingly riding on religious sentiments these past decades have craftily brought the nation to a critical crossroads, if not to the brink of a colossal setback.

Today, we are faced with extreme and acute “sensitivity” with regard to religion.

Everything in and about politics is barricaded with Muslim versus non-Muslim debates, considerations, restrictions and mounting fears.

Socio-economic policies and governance are spun tightly around religious issues, sensitivities and needs.

In fact, what is taking shape today is way, way far off from how the rulers, in their wisdom in past decades, ensured the flourishing of a moderate Islam in the country.

True that politicians have craftily and stealthily hijacked religion to serve their political agendas.

In short, they exploited the Federal Constitution and constitutional monarchy that rightly placed Islam in the nation's journeying of nationhood away from colonial grips.

For centuries, well before independence and the later sealing of the Malaysia Agreement, our sultans played a wise, sound and balanced role in the propagation of Islam, which in turn, led to the flourishing of the faith.

The wisdom of the rulers too ensured that all other religions that came through the various trade merchants and the colonialists were neither impeded nor allowed these non-Muslim faiths to limit the growth of moderate Islam.

We flourished with tolerance and acceptance with harmony being our hallmark.

Unfortunately, fast forward to the present, what we witness is how Islam became a political tool that could be weaponised.

We witnessed how the custodian and guardianship of Islam was silently eroded from the hands of the rulers.

Entities, set up by the governments of the day down these past decades have, in many ways, served not the constitutional monarchy system in an absolute manner but were at the beck and call of political parties in power.

At least that is the perception among concerned citizens.

That perception holds given the fact that many times we have heard our rulers issue warnings, advice and appeals on matters relating to religion taking a differing route under the dictum and direction as well as policing by various religious agencies set up.

Today, our government is at a crossroads, where religious education and indoctrination are in the controlling hands of politicians.

It is no surprise therefore if even the introduction of “Imam Nawawi's 40 Hadith” lessons in schools becomes a “government” decision.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | The '40 Hadith' module and its impact on non-Muslims

We have reached a junction where anything and everything to do with religion remains trapped in being highly sensitive, potentially explosive, and a threat to national peace and security.

Lest we conveniently forget, various religions coexisted and Islam continued to flourish all through the centuries under the guardianship of our sultans.

Even in the immediate post-Merdeka phase, our rulers capably and wisely protected Islam without desecrating or threatening the presence and practice of all other non-Muslim faiths.

But the crossroads we have come to today threatens this beloved nation and the world watches gravely if Malaysia will remain trapped in a politico-religious extremism web.

What we are witnessing in nations around us and in the whole world is how religion is increasingly being divorced and or separated from the grips of politicians and/or is increasingly being facilitated under sovereign kings where monarchies still remain.

‘Future is in our hands’

The politico-religious frameworks of power and governments - better known during the Dark Ages and at the times of colonialisation are fading fast in the interdependent world.

But in Malaysia, we are seeing reversing trends. Politics is gaining a hardening grip on all matters of religion.

Policies are considered and chiselled with speed or argued for and in favour of religious sensitivities.

Can Malaysia continue along this treacherous pathway when the rest of the world is separating religion from politics?

Can our politicians continue with their hacking strategies when our rulers are still there to hold the fort of Islam successfully and gracefully as their predecessors did?

The future is in the hands of wise, caring, concerned Malaysians.

But if we continue to surrender into the grips of religion-centric political ambitions, then our Federal Constitution and the constitutional monarchy will be under severe threat.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.