Muslim outcry over ‘Merdeka Statement’
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Published by Yusri Mohamad
on Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 4:06 AM. 
Muslim groups have rounded on those behind the recently launched ‘Merdeka Statement’, saying the contents appear to be renegotiating the social contract and validating apostasy.In a joint statement, Allied Co-ordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs (Accin) and Pertubuhan-pertubuhan Pembela Islam (PEMBELA) attacked, in particular, the provisions on promoting the freedom of religion.
The Merdeka Statement has failed to consider what was set up in our Federal Constitution and state laws aimed to control... proselytising of non-Islamic teachings to Muslims, as well as (those) stating the rules by which Islam is administered,” their statement reads.
Launched last week by the the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli), the Merdeka Statement is a non-governmental nation-building initiative towards creating equal opportunities and stronger civil liberties.
The statement, which was officially launched by Asli president Mirzan Mahathir last Thursday, is backed by 42 think tanks and human rights, economic and religious organisations, including the Bar Council, a national interfaith body and Sisters of Islam. [See full list of endorsers]
Among others, the statement said: "While acknowledging the religion of Islam as the official religion of the nation, (the Conference of Rulers) should continue to protect the legitimate interests of Malaysians choosing to profess and practise their faith as enshrined in the Federal Constitution with minimal administrative interference and absence of penal sanctions."
The two largest Muslim coalitions, however, alleged a hidden agenda that would allow apostasy, based on the contents which urge the Conference of Rulers to defend the rights of Malaysians to choose their religion.
“It is strange for the statement to be urging the Conference of Rulers (to do as such) because they are responsible under the constitution to protect and defend Islam,” they countered.
“Therefore the Merdeka Statement’s call for absolute religious freedom not only contradicts the social contract that defends Islam’s special position, it does not represent the majority view of Muslims in the country.”
They further criticised the ‘New Malaysian Agenda’ in the Merdeka Statement for failing to assert the important position Bahasa Malaysia as the national language among other issues.
“It has also failed to emphasise Islam’s role and special position in the judiciary and administrative system as stated in the Federal Constitution,” they said.
Contradiction in stand
Asli was further lambasted for proposing the elimination of positive discrimination in the civil service and for saying that non-bumiputera civil servants should not be given any special rights.
“It is unreasonable to ask for new rights for non-bumiputeras when, at the same time, the bumiputeras are asked to relinquish their special rights as stated in the social contract made between the leaders before independence day,” the Muslim groups said.
Despite being supportive of several efforts to strengthen national unity, international competitiveness, and reducing the income gap, the groups asserted that CPPS-Asli and other supporting NGOs are re-negotiating the social contract, not re-emphasising it.
“The Merdeka Statement is a statement made by one party and cannot be said to be representative of all Malaysians because it is not fully agreed by others,” they stressed.
Accusing CPPS-Asli and NGOs of “taking advantage of the sentiments in celebrating our 50th independence day celebrations”, the coalitions urged other Muslim groups to reject the statement on the basis that it is "problematic and negative".
Last Friday, Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin also lambasted the statement, saying it "ignores the reality."
"It is a clever attempt to disunite the people in the country," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
"To strengthen and improve national unity, the government will accede to the people's wishes and not the wishes of this group."
Attack 'most shocking'
In an immediate response, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang described the attack on the Merdeka Statement as “most shocking”.
“Such an accusation is most surprising coming at a time when the country is witnessing a blatant rewriting of the Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement, totally in an arbitrary, undemocratic and unconstitutional manner, with regard to the fundamental nation-building principle of Malaysia as a secular state with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic state.”
Lim commended the Merdeka Statement as a "roadmap to achieve a more united, competitive, innovative and prosperous Malaysia, which celebrates the nation’s diversity and avoids past pitfalls and mistakes”.
“If such a sincere, genuine and patriotic effort to help chart future nation-building directions could be the subject of a minister-led attack for being ‘anti-national’, it raises grave questions as to whether any purpose is served in having grand and costly ‘sight-and-sound’ celebrations of the 50th Merdeka anniversary without addressing the issue why Malaysians seem even more divided than ever before in the nation’s half-a-century history."
Source: www.malaysiakini.net
The Merdeka Statement has failed to consider what was set up in our Federal Constitution and state laws aimed to control... proselytising of non-Islamic teachings to Muslims, as well as (those) stating the rules by which Islam is administered,” their statement reads.
Launched last week by the the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli), the Merdeka Statement is a non-governmental nation-building initiative towards creating equal opportunities and stronger civil liberties.
The statement, which was officially launched by Asli president Mirzan Mahathir last Thursday, is backed by 42 think tanks and human rights, economic and religious organisations, including the Bar Council, a national interfaith body and Sisters of Islam. [See full list of endorsers]
Among others, the statement said: "While acknowledging the religion of Islam as the official religion of the nation, (the Conference of Rulers) should continue to protect the legitimate interests of Malaysians choosing to profess and practise their faith as enshrined in the Federal Constitution with minimal administrative interference and absence of penal sanctions."
The two largest Muslim coalitions, however, alleged a hidden agenda that would allow apostasy, based on the contents which urge the Conference of Rulers to defend the rights of Malaysians to choose their religion.
“It is strange for the statement to be urging the Conference of Rulers (to do as such) because they are responsible under the constitution to protect and defend Islam,” they countered.
“Therefore the Merdeka Statement’s call for absolute religious freedom not only contradicts the social contract that defends Islam’s special position, it does not represent the majority view of Muslims in the country.”
They further criticised the ‘New Malaysian Agenda’ in the Merdeka Statement for failing to assert the important position Bahasa Malaysia as the national language among other issues.
“It has also failed to emphasise Islam’s role and special position in the judiciary and administrative system as stated in the Federal Constitution,” they said.
Contradiction in stand
Asli was further lambasted for proposing the elimination of positive discrimination in the civil service and for saying that non-bumiputera civil servants should not be given any special rights.
“It is unreasonable to ask for new rights for non-bumiputeras when, at the same time, the bumiputeras are asked to relinquish their special rights as stated in the social contract made between the leaders before independence day,” the Muslim groups said.
Despite being supportive of several efforts to strengthen national unity, international competitiveness, and reducing the income gap, the groups asserted that CPPS-Asli and other supporting NGOs are re-negotiating the social contract, not re-emphasising it.
“The Merdeka Statement is a statement made by one party and cannot be said to be representative of all Malaysians because it is not fully agreed by others,” they stressed.
Accusing CPPS-Asli and NGOs of “taking advantage of the sentiments in celebrating our 50th independence day celebrations”, the coalitions urged other Muslim groups to reject the statement on the basis that it is "problematic and negative".
Last Friday, Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin also lambasted the statement, saying it "ignores the reality."
"It is a clever attempt to disunite the people in the country," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
"To strengthen and improve national unity, the government will accede to the people's wishes and not the wishes of this group."
Attack 'most shocking'
In an immediate response, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang described the attack on the Merdeka Statement as “most shocking”.
“Such an accusation is most surprising coming at a time when the country is witnessing a blatant rewriting of the Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement, totally in an arbitrary, undemocratic and unconstitutional manner, with regard to the fundamental nation-building principle of Malaysia as a secular state with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic state.”
Lim commended the Merdeka Statement as a "roadmap to achieve a more united, competitive, innovative and prosperous Malaysia, which celebrates the nation’s diversity and avoids past pitfalls and mistakes”.
“If such a sincere, genuine and patriotic effort to help chart future nation-building directions could be the subject of a minister-led attack for being ‘anti-national’, it raises grave questions as to whether any purpose is served in having grand and costly ‘sight-and-sound’ celebrations of the 50th Merdeka anniversary without addressing the issue why Malaysians seem even more divided than ever before in the nation’s half-a-century history."
Source: www.malaysiakini.net
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