In 2008 the Malaysia Home Ministry threatened to revoke The Herald‘s license because of using word of Allah referring to the Christian God. The Herald is a Catholic Media, that providing news for about 1 Million Christian in Malaysia that mostly located in Borneo, Sabah and Serawak. On their editorial policy, they using the word Allah referring to the Christian God, just like where it used in Indonesia, Lebanon, Egypt and other Muslim countries. However the home minister believe its hurt the majority Muslim in Malaysia.
In response to the treat, Malaysian Catholic Church sued the government for violating rights enshrined in the Constitution. In 2009, the High Court granted Catholics the right to use the term “Allah”, a court decision that triggered angered Muslims, who believe the word “Allah” is exclusively belong to Islam. According to International Muslim Consumer Association (IMCA) said “The Malaysian Christian churches demand to use the name of “Allah” is part and parcel of their strategy to influence Malay Muslims to convert to Christian,” in their open letter to Malaysian Christian this September.
Recently the Malaysia government appealed against the court decision. Prime Minister Najib Razak said to Al Jazeera English “The concept of Allah is different in the Muslim sense than in the Christian sense, we should not upset the Muslims and Muslims should not upset the Christians, we are living in harmony for years and it should continue,” Prime Minister Najib Razak is supporting the ban of using Allah for Christian, and share a common thought with IMCA that the term of Allah is exclusively for Muslim.
However lately its not only the Christian who recently faced discrimination, previously the Home Minister also forbid Shia teaching in the country, therefor they ban 10 Shia organizations within the country. Shia in Malaysia is containing 250.000 followers that politically affiliated with PAS (Malaysia Islamic Party).
The recent situation in Malaysia has spark question among Academicians and International community on religious tolerant in Malaysia, in particular why the intolerant activity rose when UMNO the coalition party in power.
Despite the fact that UMNO has been using racial tension on Malay politics, UMNO has managed to revitalized Malaysia Muslim as moderate and tolerant. After 9/11 Malaysia Radical Muslim is under a hot spot, since two of 9/11 hijackers held a meeting in Kuala Lumpur 5-8 January 2000 to discuss the attack plan on USS Cole warship in Aden, Yemen, as well as discussion on the 9/11 attacks and how to send al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi traveled to Los Angeles en route to San Diego via Bangkok. Al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi are Saudi citizens that became the hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77 that smashed the Pentagon. The host of the meeting is Yazid Sufaat former Malaysia military officer. The fact that 9/11 terrorist has gain access in Malaysia put the country on hot spot along with Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
After 9/11 Malaysia under UMNO has fight to recover Malaysia image in International community, Malaysia massively arrested terrorist suspect and ban organization that have connection with global terrorism organization. UMNO also introduced one of the famous and ambitious ideological program named Islam Hadhari.
Islam Hadhari is formally introduced a year after UMNO won the National election in 2004 with 49.8% voters, beat the PAS (Malaysia Islamic Party) that only gain less than 4%, PAS are the famous Islamic party in Malaysia that promoting Islamic State. In total Barisan Nasional the coalition won 90.1% of the voters, a massive victory.
Abdullah Badawi, one of Malaysia prominent prime minister after Mahatir Mohammad, in 24 September 2004 in the UMNO National Gathering explain the concept of Islam Hadhari, that he said it stressed on the economic growth, moderation, tolerance and social justice, with bringing Islamic value as the core concept. Islam Hadhari could be interpreted as the Islamic Civilization, it also share perspective from secular to Islamic perspective. The government and the Ulama from UMNO have massively promoting Islam Hadhari in schools and Mosque. It’s become a symbol of reform in Abdullah Badawi administration.
With the spirit of Islam Hadhari in July 2005 Malaysia attended the Islamic International Conference in Amman, Jordan. Charismatic King Abdullah II holds the Conference. The conference is respond from the massive terrorism activity from Al-Qaida and other radical group. The conference outcome is to halt any radical view on Islam, and also refusing the Takfiri ideology (to accused another Muslim as infidel), and advance agreement is to recognize two Shia Mazhab Jafari and Zaydi as part of Islamic Mazhab. Malaysia, Indonesia and other Islamic countries signed the treaty that later known as “Amman Message”.
Overall UMNO has managed to revival the Malaysia image and establishing Islam Hadhari as a portrait of modern and tolerant Islam. U.S. Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes praised Islam Hadhari as a “powerful example” to all Muslims. Badawi’s deputy at that time is Najib Razak, he assured Mrs. Hughes that Malaysia was prepared to share Islam Hadhari with the rest of the world, bringing the moderate and tolerant Islam to the International level.
But why the phenomenal Islam Hadhari has lost its power on recent religious issue in Malaysia?
It is absolutely for sure UMNO has played ethnic politic in Malaysia. However for some time UMNO has avoided any political pressure on religion, not because it out of the UMNO agenda but moreover it’s very risky especially when they need to maintain a global image of moderate Islam. Something need to be bold here, UMNO also managed to bring Malaysia as compatible partner for global capitalism, indeed they need to secure the global investors appetite from negative trend that could harm the investment entering the country. And domestic political demography has pushed UMNO to not just rely on Malay Muslim voters, they need to gain voters from other race and religion, and Islam Hadhari is a good political machine to gain non Malay and non Muslim voters. But this plan in sudden change especially in 2008 national election, even though Barisan Nasional is still won the general election, but lost massive voters, Barisan Nasional only gain 50.27% meanwhile the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat won 46.75%. In 2013 general election, Barisan Nasional gain 59.91% (133 seats) and Pakatan Rakyat 40.09% (89 seats).
Based on the result of 2008 general election, UMNO start to change their strategy on the voters. UMNO knew that they failed to gain sympathy from the non-Malay and non-Muslim voters. They start to use the final card, which is Malaysia for Malay Muslim only, leaving the spirit of Islam Hadhari behind. Hence by supporting the ban of using “Allah” for the Christian, and ban on Shia teaching, UMNO has maintaining their potential voters for the next election. UMNO also supporting the IMCA statement that Malay Muslim is under treat by the Christian, therefor they need to consolidate their political agenda.
Meanwhile PAS that previously accused by the western country try to implementing intolerant Islamic politic has actively engaging a mutual dialogue with the Christian. In 16 September 2013, a dialogue session jointly initiated by PAS MP for Parit Buntar DR. Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Anglican priest John Kennedy had to run a gauntlet of obstacles from the protester that against the dialogue. The dialogue was finally held at a church in Butterworth. The interesting point is, in Butterworth DR. Mujahid managed to invite the protesters to joint the dialogue, and he promised that he and PAS will continue the dialogue to bring mutual understanding among religious believer in Malaysia.
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