Patriot rejects petition to declare Malaysia an Islamic state

PETALING JAYA: Yet another group has come out to reject a Muslim group’s petition to declare Malaysia an Islamic state, saying that the Federal Constitution must remain as the founding fathers intended.

The National Patriots Association (Patriot) president Brig-Jen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji (pic) said any suggestion to amend the Constitution should be for making it more democratic and not more autocratic.

“Patriot is with G25 in stating that we will not support amendments that will change us from a democracy to an authoritarian regime or to a theocracy,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Mohamed Arshad said Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), which had launched its petition to reject a secular government, should define what it meant by “Islamic state”.

“Examples are aplenty of Muslim countries with a theocratic system (that are) not well governed and not progressive, even to the extent of being failed states,” he added.

Mohamed Arshad said in many ways Malaysia had already adopted Islamic principles in the system of governance and administration as the nation recognised Islam as the official religion.

“Patriot is also of the view that under the current democratic Constitution, our country has a better chance to develop into a united and successful nation than under a constitution based on theocracy,” he added.

On Wednesday, pro-moderation group G25 had raised alarm over Isma’s campaign for Malaysia to be declared an Islamic state.

In a statement, the progressive group comprising retired senior government officials had said that Isma’s campaign will ultimately cause Malaysia to become a failed impoverished state.

G25 had also said it was confident that the Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak would not accept such a far-right ideology.