PAS calls Ronnie Liu rude and ignorant on his ‘no Islamic state’ comments

PAS calls Ronnie Liu rude and ignorant on his ‘no Islamic state’ comments

PAS HAS strongly condemned former Sungai Pelek assemblyman Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew’s statement that Malaysia should not become an Islamic state.

It’s Ulama Council Information Chief Datuk Mohd Nor Hamzah who labelled the remark as rude and ignorant, accusing Ronnie of persistently attacking Islam under the guise of constitutional and diversity arguments.

“This attack exposes his stupidity and ignorance of the perfection and the beautiful characteristics of Islam’s comprehensive teachings,” he said in a statement on Friday (Aug 21).

Mohd Nor emphasised that Islam’s position as the religion of the Federation, enshrined in the Constitution, extends beyond rituals to governance and societal life.

He accused Ronnie of promoting a colonial agenda to secularise Malaysia by separating religion from politics.

“Ronnie is trying to frighten the people with the spectre of ‘religious extremism’, but the question is, is this truly the real form of religious extremism that continuously plants hatred against other religions, especially against the rise of Islam?” he said.

In his writing titled Malaysia Will Not and Should Not Become an Islamic State — Upholding Islam, Defending the Constitution, Preserving Diversity, Ronnie emphasised his position that Malaysia will not and should not become an Islamic state or a country ruled by religious extremism.

Ronnie, however, clarified that rejecting an Islamic state does not mean rejecting Islam, but rather opposing religious extremism and political exploitation of faith.

In a post on Facebook dated Aug 21, Liu said: “If a state adopts loud religious slogans yet suffers rampant corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, poor education, severe wealth gaps and hopeless prospects for youth, we must honestly ask: is this the form of religious‑orientated governance we truly want?

“Conversely, where religion pushes government toward greater amanah, integrity, justice, learning and public welfare, religion becomes not an obstacle to modern governance but a vital moral force lifting administrative standards.”

On the other hand, Mohd Nor urged Muslims to unite in defending Islam’s sanctity, warning against apologetic attitudes and stressing the need to protect Islamic sovereignty. — Aug 22, 2026