The misuse of religion in Malaysia

When religion is weaponised to destroy morality among the people, where do we end?

MALAYS, Chinese, Indians, Punjabis, all the many different communities in this country, including the indigenous ones, we are all taught about religion early in life.

For most of us, religion forms the foundation of our cultural value system, and – if we give it a chance – it is something that can centre us amid a chaotic and uncertain universe.

I also believe that, as citizens of this country, we are taught to respect each other’s religions so that we can honour each one as a path towards building a nation together.

Religion takes a position with several common values that form the basis of human society, that makes it different from the animal kingdom.

All religions teach us to honour truth, and to respect those who honour truth.

Religions teach us to avoid the theft of money or property belonging to others, and it teaches us not to honour those who steal, among many other values.

Religions also do not subscribe to the idea that the end justifies the means.

And yet, what happened in Malaysia at the dawn of a new year? Hundreds gathered to honour a man convicted of bribery, which in a sense is theft of money belonging to the rakyat.

The courts – in fact, several courts – have shown without any shadow of a doubt the money trail that any citizen can follow.

But a political party that proclaims to have the ideology of religion as its political manifesto saw fit to support this man – who, I say again, has already been convicted.

To this party, an injustice was done to him although the facts and evidence show otherwise.

Then there was another group that gathered at a holy site to pray for the same man so that he may receive “justice”.

I think these gatherings were not about religion at all but about making political mileage, to discredit the sitting government, to forge ties, to make strategic alliances.

My question is, should religion be used as a means of forming political friendships while ignoring the fact that doing so seems to be condoning the act of bribery?

A most disturbing motive for religion!

Then we hear of a group – from that same party that claims a religious ideology – that has declared a “jihad”, or holy struggle, to collect RM825,000 in donations – the amount a court of the land has ordered a party member, a Member of Parliament, to pay for defaming three MPs by suggesting they were related to a communist leader once upon a time.

This party argued, firstly, that all members must help to pay the amount because this is the sacrifice of a holy struggle.

Secondly, I heard that the members have been told that if the money cannot be found, the MP who was found guilty of defamation will lose her seat in Parliament and a by-election might see the party lose the seat all together.

So in other words, religion is being used to justify slander.

What on earth is happening?

Why are the religious leaders, scholars, official clerics, NGOs, and YouTube influencers not speaking up to point out these wrong uses of religion to support corruption and slander?

When political parties use race as a means of “dividing and conquering” by sowing hatred, that is already dangerous enough.

But when religion is weaponised to destroy morality among the people, where do we end?

People are so quick and decisive about using religion to condemn issues related to alcohol, to vilify concerts for vague reasons, but when it comes to corruption, the silence is deafening.

Can we stop this misuse of religion?

We must all reflect on what we can do to stop narratives like these taking hold of people’s minds.

If we have communication abilities, then we should use them to communicate with our religious leaders and advise them to put a stop to people – and political parties – weaponising religion for all the wrong reasons.

And, once again, I add my voice to the many, many voices that have called, and are still calling, for people to stop forwarding and sharing unconfirmed videos meant to agitate our harmonious living style.

Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Studies at UCSI University. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.