Malaysia - a Religiously Illiberal Democracy

Everyone will agree that Malaysia has become more democratic following the 2008 GE.

The problem that still plague Malaysia is that the society remains illiberal when it comes to the touchy issue of religion and race.

Beginning the Islamization process that took place since early 1980s, Malaysia society has become more divided as a result of a more domineering form of Islam, condoned and encouraged by the government who exercise the democratic majority.

The problem becomes more accute when the constitutional liberalism that supposed to act as a check on the democratic majority was weakened and subdued by the Mahathir admnistration.

It was therefore no surprise that the recent legal forum on Islam conversion hosted by the Bar Council suffered a premature death.

After a small band of angry muslim protesting against and storming into the forum, the organizer, had no choice but to follow the police advice, to close the forum after barely an hour.

The sign was all there for premature death when the government ministers including the Deputy Premier and the Home Minister, had earlier asked the Bar Council to host the forum behind closed door.

This is disturbing.

If the forum can be held behind closed door, this is a tacit admission by the government that the forum is not illegal. Further, among the forum attendees are several most intellectual muslim law professors and lawyers in the country.

As with any forum, the topic will always be touchy to a small group of peoples.

The government, instead of protecting the freedom of expression, chose to give in to the small band of liberty violator.

If public or open deliberation on a fully legitimate religiously related topic is not allowed under seemingly constitutional pretext or state security concern for fear of religious incitement, there will never be a mature civic society in Malaysia that practice and respect liberty.

It is politically expedience for the government to see this as Islam versus others, the problem is much larger and serious.

The government's inaibility and unwillingness to intervene to protect freedom of speech, it gives signal to condone and encourage more and greater forms of agressive and intolerant form of Islam which breed extremism and violence.

To this the government stands indicted for not doing enough to foster the Constitution and the liberty.

As everyone already knows, the only way is put it right is to remove the ruling party via democracy.

Let's hope democracy can restore liberty in Malaysia.