Please Leave Us with a Harmony Religion

P'sula politicians must not disrupt religious harmony in Borneo 

By: Francil Paul Siah 

NASHARUDDIN Mat Isa is probably an unknown name in Sarawak.

He is also no longer a PAS heavyweight but a party renegade.

But Nasharuddin has carved a name for himself in political and religious circles in the peninsula.

He is the former deputy president of PAS and the serving Bachok MP.

He was said to be the prodigy of the late Fadzil Mohd Nor who was PAS President from 1989 until his death in 2002.

Fadzil was a known moderate in an Islamic party and he went on an ambitious drive to promote young professionals in the party.

Nasharuddin was one of them.

When Abdul Hadi Awang took over as PAS President in 2002, Nasharuddin's star continued to shine as the new boss also found him to be a capable and energetic lieutenant.

Nasharuddin was soon appointed Secretary-General of PAS and by 2005, he was elected deputy president.

However, Nasharuddin's political career took a nosedive following the resurgence of Pakatan Rakyat after the 2008 general election.

He was said to be one of the few PAS leaders keen on unity talks with Umno. Naturally, this did not endear him to the wider spectrum of the opposition alliance and the Pakatan die-hards in PAS.

I wouldn't be focusing on an 'irrelevant' personality like Nasharuddin here if he has not made a preposterous statement about Sarawak politics.

He has alleged that a group had prayed for the establishment of a Christian nation during a thanksgiving event after the Sarawak election last year.

Nasharuddin said this in his working paper that was read out during a National Islamic Missionary Movement Seminar at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

These are strong allegations. Those who were offended immediately slammed Nasharuddin, describing his remarks as "gutter politics", rubbish and lies. I am concerned that he was given such a prominent platform to make those uncalled for allegations.

Politicians are adept at making used of controversies to get noticed.

I think it is Nasharuddin the politician and not the Islamic cleric who came up with the sweeping statements.

There is genuine religious harmony in Sarawak and there is no religious extremism or fanaticism in the state. This is something Sarawakians are very proud of.

Today, let me respectfully ask Nasharuddin not to try to export his religious extremism into Sarawak. Muslims and Christians in Sarawak are a different breed.

We have never experienced any difficulty among ourselves before and I don't think we ever will.

This is something uniquely Sarawakian and only we Sarawakians can comprehend.

Please don't contaminate our beloved state with your religious extremism.

DAP is not known for its religious forte. It has never been a religious-based party.

The party's first attraction was socialism. Then the party flashed its hard hitting brand of democratic ideals which caught on with Malaysians, particularly the Chinese.

Along the way, racialism and chauvinism sadly but inevitably crept in.

But the party prevailed through all these decades primarily due to its political astuteness and consistencies coupled with strong leadership and staunch grassroots. These are the hallmarks of the DAP.

Since its entry in Sarawak in 1978, none of its key state leaders were known to have strong religious backgrounds.

Even if they did, they never revealed it. Although some are Christians, they have not used their faith as a vote-catching mechanism.

Neither have they harped on religious rhetoric in electoral campaigns.

In a nutshell, it would not be wrong to say that Sarawak DAP never has had a Christian flavour or fervour.

Their leaders do not politicise religion. So Nasharuddin's allegations can be dispelled outright in a single swoop.

Let me say this again. Muslims and Christians in Sarawak have no problem with each other and indeed those of other faiths too.

There are no religious bigots in Sarawak.

To those holier-than-thou radicals and extremists in West Malaysia who think they are the only true champions of God, Allah, Tuhan, Yahweh etc, please make an effort to learn from Sarawakians - the so-called backward Borneo people who practise their faith solemnly in quiet hope and peace, never uttering a single negative word against those of a different religion.

You'll be surprised that the Heavenly One loves Sarawakians just as much, if not more.

So Nasharuddin Mat Isa, the next time you have something negative to say about Christianity and Sarawak, please use your head - the one on your shoulders!