S Thayaparan
"If you want to stop this sin, you must support PN. So we can stop this madness by Zahid and Anwar and prevent them from liberalising everything because of their lust for power.”
COMMENT | Don’t get me wrong. If the strategy of appropriating religion for political gain worked for the DAP, then by all means, appropriate away.
The reality is that all the religious cosplay, religious enticements, the funding of religious bureaucracy, funding of religious schools and of course the simpatico of religious political operatives has done nothing politically for the DAP.
The Malay/Muslims who vote for the DAP, do so because they do not want to live in a theocratic state.
Do not get me wrong. They are observant Muslims but they do not believe or want the religion of the state to have unfettered dominion over their lives.
They are, of course, a small percentage of the dominant polity but their reasons for voting DAP is what makes them a threat to the theocratic state in waiting.
Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee is one of those young brash political operatives who always speaks as though he is the smartest guy in the room. In this country and in this political landscape, this is easy to pull off.
This would mean something, if the vox populi of the opposition was in tune with his kind of political theatre but unfortunately, they are not.
The religion of the state is now defined by Perikatan Nasional. The dialectic is between the centre-right (unity government) and far-right theocratic forces of this country. This far-right coalition not only includes PN but also fellow travellers of the deep Islamic state who for decades, have nurtured theocratic agendas for this country.
"If you want to stop this sin, you must support PN. So we can stop this madness by Zahid and Anwar and prevent them from liberalising everything because of their lust for power.”
- Perikatan Nasional election director
Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor
COMMENT | Don’t get me wrong. If the strategy of appropriating religion for political gain worked for the DAP, then by all means, appropriate away.
The reality is that all the religious cosplay, religious enticements, the funding of religious bureaucracy, funding of religious schools and of course the simpatico of religious political operatives has done nothing politically for the DAP.
The Malay/Muslims who vote for the DAP, do so because they do not want to live in a theocratic state.
Do not get me wrong. They are observant Muslims but they do not believe or want the religion of the state to have unfettered dominion over their lives.
They are, of course, a small percentage of the dominant polity but their reasons for voting DAP is what makes them a threat to the theocratic state in waiting.
Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee is one of those young brash political operatives who always speaks as though he is the smartest guy in the room. In this country and in this political landscape, this is easy to pull off.
This would mean something, if the vox populi of the opposition was in tune with his kind of political theatre but unfortunately, they are not.
The religion of the state is now defined by Perikatan Nasional. The dialectic is between the centre-right (unity government) and far-right theocratic forces of this country. This far-right coalition not only includes PN but also fellow travellers of the deep Islamic state who for decades, have nurtured theocratic agendas for this country.
Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee
Forget about the police investigation of what Lee had said. What the DAP has done is put its Malay uber alles coalition partners in the uncomfortable position of defending the DAP.
What this does is further feed the narrative that a desperate Umno is allowing the DAP to abuse religion to maintain power in Putrajaya.
It really does not matter that unity government political operatives point to how PAS has “allowed” the DAP to use religion when they were political allies.
The people who vote PN really do not care about that. What they are appalled at, is how far Umno has sunk, and now has to defend DAP against the half and growing percentage of the dominant community who voted for the opposition.
Indeed, the non-Malays have nothing to do with this. Lee is just a proxy for the real political and religious battle within the dominant polity.
Let us consider what was really going on when PAS was “allowing” DAP political operatives to use religion back when both parties were political comrades.
What do you think was happening when all these political operatives from DAP were schmoozing in mosques while promulgating the gospel that all religions are essentially the same and have "universal" values when Islam in this country has a special position, tied with race?
Forget about the police investigation of what Lee had said. What the DAP has done is put its Malay uber alles coalition partners in the uncomfortable position of defending the DAP.
What this does is further feed the narrative that a desperate Umno is allowing the DAP to abuse religion to maintain power in Putrajaya.
It really does not matter that unity government political operatives point to how PAS has “allowed” the DAP to use religion when they were political allies.
The people who vote PN really do not care about that. What they are appalled at, is how far Umno has sunk, and now has to defend DAP against the half and growing percentage of the dominant community who voted for the opposition.
Indeed, the non-Malays have nothing to do with this. Lee is just a proxy for the real political and religious battle within the dominant polity.
Let us consider what was really going on when PAS was “allowing” DAP political operatives to use religion back when both parties were political comrades.
What do you think was happening when all these political operatives from DAP were schmoozing in mosques while promulgating the gospel that all religions are essentially the same and have "universal" values when Islam in this country has a special position, tied with race?
I will tell you what is happening. The kind of Islam that was advocated by the religious state in waiting was becoming mainstream in the then opposition.
And now there are former Muslim opposition supporters who will support PAS because they think Islam is under threat. You cannot claim that you want Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, to be Malaysian first and at the same time promote the religious agenda of Muslim political cabals.
These religious cabals, whether the friendly faces of Amanah, the race-based realpolitik of Bersatu or Umno, have one thing in common - they all claim ownership in one way or another of Islam in this country.
You cannot hitch your wagon to any one of these cabals and at the same time, claim to be a secular political entity.
Think about this for a moment. The claim that PAS uses Islam to divide the country is exactly what pro-establishment Islamists say about the government.
When you favour one narrative, one experience over the other, you are by definition making a stand, choosing a side and playing to the Islamic divisions in this country. It really does not matter if you think the side you have chosen is “correct” in their interpretation of Islam.
And consider Lee’s apology. I get that some folks believe that this was somehow owning the opposition but the reality is that it is the perfect snapshot which would be used by the propagandists in PAS of how an arrogant non-Muslim, behaves when confronted on his religious impropriety.
Narratives at play
Take a simple action like non-Muslim political operatives donning the tudung.
Isn't it strange that non-Muslim political operatives decide to use the tudung for political gain, but when it comes to Muslim women deciding not to wear the tudung, these same political operatives suddenly clam up which encourages a monolithic narrative that invades our public and private spaces?
We live in a country where non-Muslims, depending on the state they live in, cannot use certain words. We live in a country where non-Muslims are constantly told not to trespass into Islam. We live in a country where books on religion, especially by Muslims on their faith are banned.
Would it be pragmatic if non-Muslim political operatives spoke up on these issues? Well, they don't, why the rush by these political operatives to use religion when they think it will benefit them?
Whenever I talk with people who support PN, the commonality of this diverse base is that people believe in the primacy of their religion over individual and collective rights.
But more importantly, the primacy of their dogma over other religions (which is normal) and that their dogma should be imposed on everyone regardless of their own belief systems (which is the definition of fascism).
This is why I have always maintained that DAP, and indeed all non-Malay political operatives, should be strictly secular in terms of how they present their ideas and agendas.
They should not give in to the temptation of thinking that they could go the easy route and manipulate religious sentiment for populist appeal.
And apropos of everything, thank you Muda and PSM for reminding us that the Sedition Act needs to be repealed.
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
No comments:
Post a Comment