Viewpoint

Former Chief Justice of Malaysia has said he did not want to join the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) as he feared being used by certain parties, who wanted to cast aside Malay rights and the position of Islam in the country.

Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad said he had made up his mind not to join the NUCC even before its composition was unveiled. Read more »

The general elections of 2008 and 2013 saw an awakening in this beloved nation of ours. An awakening of the people of Malaysia to our rights, to our democratic values and to the shared aspirations of the people.

There was a sense of ownership in the destiny of our country. This is evident from the high voter turnout in the recent general elections. Read more »

Once again, the great debate about whether Malaysia is a secular or an Islamic state rears its ugly head.

This debate is divisive and sterile, primarily because it is a debate that “generates lots of heat but little light” — which is to say, it raises a great deal of emotion but contributes little to greater understanding.

This article aims to shed some light while generating the minimum amount of heat, and propose alternative ways of approaching this increasingly fruitless debate. Read more »

What is obvious at first glance to Ahmad Ibrahim Zakaria’s response is that he doesn’t seem to understand why in the first place Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) issued such a statement.

The statement was in response to Pembela’s challenge to prove that the term "secular" was stated in the Constitution.

The sudden realisation that the word "secular" was not in the constitution was from the "revelation" by none other than Professor Shamrahayu Aziz during a seminar. Read more »

The Prime Minister and the Malay Rulers must discuss this issue with detachment and clarity. They should begin by returning to the pre-1988 status quo.

They should then look through the reports of the Home Minister at the time (Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar). They should consult the religious departments of the various states. Read more »

At a recent gathering of Religious, political and cultural leaders from around the world who had gathered in Rome for a three- day peace meeting, Pope Francis told the leaders that everyone had a responsibility to contribute to peace through their prayers and their actions but for religious leaders, that obligation was absolute “the commitment of peace is deeply inscribed in the religious traditions we represent”. Read more »

Physicians share a very important aspect of God’s work which is to give and sustain life.

As collaborators with the ‘Author of Life’, doctors must ensure that respect for the sacredness of life is upheld at all times.

For this is the basis of the Hippocratic Oath which physicians pledge - to defend and protect life. Are you consciously aware that you share in God’s work of healing and giving life? Read more »

A simple way to illustrate the point that the measure of protection given in the federal constitution may be absolute or limited is to compare the language employed in Articles 10 and 11.

Article 10 protects freedom of speech, assembly and association. But Parliament may, by law, restrict the rights under Article 10, whereas Parliament cannot enact any law to restrict or curtail the freedom of religion under Article 11(1) and (3). Read more »

The Government's decision to withdraw the Conversion Bill is welcomed.

Although the Deputy Prime Minister was quick to add the decision to withdraw had been made "for now", implying that it could reintroduce the Bill in the near future, let's hope the Government will let the lessons from this experience guide its actions from this point forward. Read more »

As the leaders of the top economic powers of the world gather at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland this week, they are certainly focused on the conflict in Syria and, as always, the financial conditions and regulations that affect the lives of so many.

But there’s another important item on their agenda that hasn’t been getting as much attention – the sexual violence, predominantly against women and children, that accompanies war and conflict. Read more »