Speaking Up

Last week, Senior Cabinet Minister Bernard Dompok broke ranks with his BN colleagues when he openly disagreed with Najib’s claim that Malaysia has been an Islamic State all these years since independence.

No one read about it in the mainstream media because the government placed a gag order on the newspapers. Only the PM and DPM could talk about it openly. The gag was "necessary" because right after Najib's declaration, Malaysians from diverse quarters started debating the issue. The government, predictably, wanted to stop the matter from escalating, and so, issued the gag order.

Thankfully, we have the alternative news to read. Malaysiakini published it.

We have been praying for strong men in the nation's leadership ranks to take their stand. Here, we find one fine example.

And so, we need to remember Bernard Dompok for his conviction and commitment to truth. In a rare show of courage - not common among the ranks of Cabinet Ministers to speak up when a gag order is in place – Dompok has chosen to remain true to his conscience by speaking up to remind the rest of the mindless or gutless ministers of the terms under which Sabah and Sarawak became part of the enlarged entity that exists today as Malaysia.

Let's continue praying.

By the way, did you guys notice our PM delivering his weak position before Dompok's statement?

Our velly blur and hapless PM fumbled saying Malaysia is neither a theocratic nor a secular nation. His statement raised more questions than answers.

So what does he mean?

Ironically, the predictable local media published his statement proudly.

Malaysia boleh.

Before I stop, let me just remind ourselves that “Malaysia was not meant to be an Islamic state” when the Malaysia Agreement was signed way back in 1963, six years after independence. Our founding fathers who negotiated the social contract and the people of this country who were present then knew exactly what was agreed upon.

Our DPM himself who was only four years old then must have a very good reason for declaring otherwise.

So next time you declare something. Check your facts. Know your faith. Then speak up.