Danger in our midst against freedom of choice

This editorial from The Malaysian Insider resonates so much with my feelings that I produce it here, chapter and verse, for your reading pleasure

********

The freedom of choice — The Malaysian Insider

It really isn’t about beer. It is about freedom of choice.

The choice of a shopkeeper to sell anything and everything permitted by the laws of the land. The choice of a consumer to choose to buy anything sold in a shop.

As it is a choice to choose which ever political party that represents your views. Or not choose a political party that is an affront to your views. It is as simple as that and the reason for elections, for everyone in a democracy to vote in a government of their choice with the majority getting their choice.

And thus, the seizure of beer from a 7-Eleven convenience outlet in Selangor is against the law. It has nothing to do with religion. Are Muslims so weak-willed that the mere presence of beer on sale will turn them against their faith?

That is as ridiculous as the idea that being sprayed with holy water from a Roman Catholic Church will turn a Muslim into a non-Muslim.

Politicians can jump on the bandwagon, preach from the pulpit, scream in the streets and protest for and against the sale of beer but that really is a just a symptom of the main issue — choice.

But the PAS lawmakers are not alone at this, in restricting choice.

The Selangor Barisan Nasional government did the same years ago, when the Roman Catholic Church applied for a piece of land to build a cathedral in Shah Alam in 1977. They got a plot of land in Section 24 eight years later when the previous Sultan of Selangor queried “if non-Muslims ever pray” as he rarely saw temples and churches in his state.

However, the Shah Alam Municipal Council halted the construction in August 1993 on orders from then-mentri besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib who queried the need for a cathedral. The church was finally re-sited after two more attempts and opened in 2005.

It all boils down to the freedom of choice to worship the Almighty in any way one deems fit. And it took the sultan to get the government of the day to ensure his citizens enjoyed that right.

Does it take a sultan, who is unelected and holds a hereditary position, to figure out the desires of the people? Of what use then are the politicians who court us during election campaigns with promises of reforms, rights and rosy futures.

Where does it stop if they can claim majority rights and religious reasons to stop Malaysians from having a place to worship, from stopping people from selling or buying what is legal?

Why do they waste time on trivialities like this when the bigger issues of corruption and a slowing economy should be the focus?

Perhaps because they have a choice of issues to work on. Perhaps they forget Malaysians too have a choice every election.