*This article I wrote are some personal feedback after I read the cover story of Aliran Monthly 2006 Vol:26 No. 6. The article was written entitled The Slide in Ethnic Relations: Are we on a New Threshold? written by Johan Saravanamuthu.

The ‘threshold’ term that he used I believe refers to the religion. If for the last 20 years, Malaysians are battling for their right accodring to their races, and now the new battle for rights in religion has just begun. This is what the writer would refer as ethnic relations. Many of the past events that they sparks this issue to surface.

1)The Shamala case
Syariah Court law states that in May 2003 Shamala’s husband was able to take custody of thier two children whom he converted to Islam. Shamala’s appeal to nullify the conversion from the Court of Appeal in the present status. Both of the parent are applying for sole custody.

2)The Moorthy case
He was once hailed as the hero of the country once he manage to put the Jalur gemilang at the highest peak in the world. After his death, he was buried according to Hindu burial rites. But once Islamic authorities mentioned he converted into Muslim before his death. The widow, Kaliammal Sinnasamy had sought the right in civil courts to bury her husband according to Hindu rites. She added despite her husband had converted into muslim, he still practising Hindu. On 28 December, the Appellate and Special Powers division of the high Court ruled that it has no jurisdiction over the Syariah court decision. On the same day, Moorthy was buried according to Islamic rites.

3)The Kamariah Ali case
The 51 year old Kamariah Ali publicly renounced Islam after being continually prosecuted and jailed by religious authorites in Kelantan who accused her of deviating from the faith. Her case is currently with the Terengganu Syariah Court after a Federal Court ruling that it had no jurisdiction over her case.

4)The Nyonya Tahir case
Nyonya Tahir was born in 1918. She was raised by her Malay grandmother and her Chinese grandfather who had converted to Islam. She married a Chinese man when she was 18 and practised Buddhism most of her life. The Syariah court declared her a non-muslim and she was buried according the Buddhist rites.

5) The Lina Joy case
This case is a current event. She a Muslim who embraced Christianity in 1988. Sha appealed to change her religion is her IC but disallowed by the National Registration Dep(NRD). When she made an appeal to High Court, the High Court ruled against the change of religion matters only lies solely in the hands of Syariah Court. Her case now is with the Federal Court pending a ruling.

Article 11
When all of the above cases happen, one united organisation form by the Hindus, Sikh and Buddism get together to demand the goverment to form the Inter-faith Comission or simply IFC. They strongly demand that the article 11 which stated ‘kebebasan beragama’ to be amended. Forums on article 11 has been held to discuss about the current demand. Almost 10 000 of Muslims gathered at the Masjid Wilayah on 24th to oppose such amendment. Among the personalities who spoke at the forum entitled ‘The Syariah and Current Issues’ were former Bar Council president Sulaiman Abdullah and Zainur Zakaria, Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria, constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari and Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia(ABIM) president Yusri Mohamad. Other speakers were Syariah lawyer Kamar Ainiah Kamarulzaman, former Penang mufti Sheikh Azmi Ahmad, and former chairperson of Malay Advocacy Group teras, Azmi Abdul Hamid.

‘Ketuanan Melayu’ or ‘Ketuanan Islam’?
The writer before he end his article simply write “In the old days, is was ‘ketuanan Melayu’. is it now ketuanan ‘Islam’?”. He also wrote that the matter produce a spark but there’s no fire at all.

The Lamps are different, but the Light is always the same.
If u watched Gubra, the movie who many says should have lost to the real-best-movie Puteri Gunung Ledang in Anugerah Festival Filem Malaysia 2005, the last quote above were mentioned in the end of the story. I can’t remember who quote it. But it seems the movie itself are more to race collision rather than religion. My point is, no matter what religion or race u are, let us together keep peace among us. All we need is a bit of tolerance and space so that everybody could have a very wonderful life during they lifetime while they are live in this world created by God.

Then what about Justice? When the Justice gonna prevail?!
Be advised. Always remind ourselves that this is Malaysia, a multi racial, cultural, and religion country. You want full practise of Justice, The United States of America always welcomes u.

no more issues that can threaten our peace
Our beloved PM has already advised the Malaysians not to talk about any sensitive issues esspecially when it involving race and religion. Why? Some people expect solution from the goverment. But they didn’t know that this matter will the solve until the judgement day. But some still don’t understand. These group of people even consider themselves not fully ‘merdeka’ yet. How dumb they were that the didn’t realized the land they step on is Malaysia (which belongs to the Malay Archipelago, i repeat Malay Archipelago). These people whereever they go will never satisfied to what they have. To obtain peace nowsdays aren’t the same as our fore fathers achived if for us 49 years ago. In other words, please listen to our beloved PM.

Even if we look to the Western develop countries until today faces the same problem which concerns human rights. What matters the most is to keep peace and please understand if this matters didn’t surfaced, we still go to work and can feed our family just the way it is. It’s just some people who are very selfish who only think about their own rights, not Malaysians rights.