A Response to “Seminar Kalimah Allah & Kristology Nusantara”

May 8, 2014, 10:40 am

A Response to “Seminar Kalimah Allah & Kristology Nusantara”  – Come now, Let us reason together, says the Lord (Isaiah 1:18)

The “Seminar Kalimah Allah & Kristology Nusantara (“The word ‘Allah’ and Christology in the Malay Archipelago”) held on 6 May 2014 at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam, has sparked strong protests from the public.

The NECF protests that higher institution of learning should not cause confusion and promote prejudice. The CFM adds that it would amount to abuse of trust and stewardship, “If there is to be sincere and genuine academic freedom, then let us have an intellectual exchange with integrity instead of a one-sided presentation with arguably inaccurate information being disseminated as fact…Otherwise, the seminar yesterday would be nothing more than hate speechand sectarian religious propaganda thinly disguised as academic freedom.”

The protests were in response to several seminar speakers who had mockingly posed questions that suggest the grounds for Christian beliefs are fundamentally flawed. For example, in a forum “Christianisation vs Islamization, the speakers answered pre-prepared questions that included “Did Jesus really die on the cross for the forgiveness of sins?”, “What is the Trinity?”, “Why did Jesus cry ‘Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani’ (Aramaic for “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”) while on the cross?”. Themalaysianinsider

Another speaker argued that the parts of the Bible based on his teachings should simply be called “Tales of Jesus” instead of the “Gospel”. The books in the Bible were written by Christ’s disciples such as Matthew, Mark, and Luke were considered hearsay and similarly should not be considered the Word of God. The so-called gospel is only Jesus’ words, speech, hence should not be called gospel. He asserted, “The Christian gospel is a fake gospel.” The malaymailonline

Two books published by MAIS, “Pendedahan Agenda Kristian” (Exposing the Christian Agenda‎) and “Obligation to Preserve the Sanctity of the Name Allah” were distributed to more than 1,000 students who attended a seminar, warning them to watch out for “tricks” by Christians to sway Muslims from their faith.Themalaysianinsider

The attempt by the speakers to confuse Christians and to promote prejudice among Muslims against Christianity is obvious. However, they will be disappointed to learn that the Malaysian Christianity community is not so easily shaken. Malaysian Christians continue to hold firmly their beliefs in quiet confidence, and indeed welcome questions from these detractors. After all, the Christian faith has weathered centuries of severe historical criticism; it has offered rational demonstration of the coherence of Christianity when challenged by sophisticated philosophical critics informed by the European Enlightenment; and finally, millions of Christians continue to find the Christian faith to be experientially fulfilling.

As an irenic response to the questions raised at the seminar, I invite inquirers of the Christian faith to read the two attached FAQ documents given below: a briefer “Answers to Common Islamic Questions” [taken from Colin Chapman, “The Cross and the Crescent” and a fuller document written by some academics from Yale University, “Questions Muslims Ask.”

Hopefully, reading these FAQs will assure our critics of the intellectual integrity and peaceful intentions of the Christian community. Christians are, after all, mindful of the SOP given in their Holy Book on how to respond peaceably to faultfinders, “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:14-15).

Source: http://www.krisispraxis.com/archives/2014/05/answers-to-questions-muslims-ask/

Answers to Questions Muslims Ask. Part 1

FAQ (Brief Document)

ANSWERS TO COMMON ISLAMIC QUESTIONS

1. ‘Why do you believe in the Trinity? Do you believe in three gods?’

We don’t believe in three gods! We believe in one God as strongly as any Muslim. When we speak of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, we are not thinking of three separate and distinct gods. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, as much as Islam. The word ‘Trinity’ is not found in the Bible; but the idea is taught in the Bible .
2. ‘Why do you say that Jesus is the “Son of God”?’
Because Jesus called himself ‘the Son’ and spoke of God as ‘the Father’ and ‘my Father’. We don’t believe that Jesus was the son of God in any physical sense; this idea is as repugnant to us as it is to Muslims.

We believe that ‘God is love’ in his very nature, and that there has always been a relationship of love between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, even before the creation of the universe. Jesus of Nazareth is more than a prophet, since he was fully human and fully divine. When we say that Jesus is the Son of God, what we mean in the simplest possible language is that he was like God in a way that no other human being has ever been. When we look at Jesus, therefore, and see what he was like, we have some idea of what God is like.

3. ‘Why do you believe that Jesus was crucified?’

Because this is what our Scriptures teach. The New Testament explains that it wasn’t out of weakness that God allowed Jesus to be crucified. It was his way of showing up the evil in human nature in its true colors. But it was also his way of showing how much he loves us and wants to forgive us for all our sins. Christians see the death of Jesus as a ‘sacrifice for sins’, as the one final and complete sacrifice which does away with the need for any other sacrifice offered to gain forgiveness of sins. God allowed Jesus to experience death because all human beings have to die. But by raising him from the dead, God not only vindicated Jesus and revealed his true identity, but also destroyed the power of death once and for all who trust in him.

4. ‘Your Scriptures have been corrupted.’

I know this is what you have been taught. But have you read them? According to the Holy Quran , the message which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad confirmed the previous Scriptures: the tawrat revealed to Moses, the zabur revealed to David, and the injil to Jesus. If these Scriptures, which were in the hands of the Jews and the Christians at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, were already corrupt, how could the Quran confirm these Scriptures? Can you tell me who corrupted the Scriptures, and when it was done? Would you like to read the life of Jesus as it is recorded in our injil? How can you say that our Scriptures are corrupted if you haven’t read them?

5. ‘Your Scriptures are full of mistakes and contradictions.’

Christians are aware of the so-called contradictions that you find in the Bible, because Christian scholars have been aware of them for a long time. But they have their own way of explaining these differences, and some of them can be explained very easily. Others raise harder questions of interpretation. Are you prepared to listen to the way we explain these difficulties?

Two can play the same game! Some Christians say that they find contradictions in the Quran. How would you feel if I were to criticize the Quran? But I don’t want to do so, because I am not interested in criticizing the Quran. If Muslims don’t like Christians criticizing the Quran, why do Muslims criticize the Bible?

The basic reason you have problems with the apparent contradictions in the Bible is that you are comparing the Bible with the Quran. You believe that the Quran is the very words revealed directly to Muhammad, and you assume that the Bible was revealed in exactly the same way. Christians do believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and that God through his Holy Spirit inspired the different books of the Bible. But the Word of God in the Bible has come through a large number of different authors. The Bible is therefore for us both the Word of God and the words of human beings. The fundamental problem between us at this point is that we have different views of revelation. Muslims believe that the supreme revelation God has given was in the form of a book, the Quran. Christians, however, believe that the supreme revelation was given in a person, Jesus (see further chapter 28).

6. ‘We recognize Jesus as a prophet. Why don’t you recognize Muhammad as a prophet?’

If we did recognize Muhammad as a prophet in the way that you do, we would be Muslims. We are glad to accept the teaching of the Quran about the one true God which we also find in our Scriptures. But we cannot believe the whole Quran, because its teaching is different at many points from the teaching of our Scriptures.

We believe that Jesus was the last of the prophets, God’s final word to the world. We see Jesus as the most complete revelation of God in the form of a human being. We cannot believe that there could be any more complete revelation of God after Jesus.

7. Why do you not recognize that the Bible foretells the coming of Muhammad?’

There are two verses which are often used to support this argument. The first is the words from Deuteronomy about a new prophet who was to come: ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers’ (Deuteronomy 18:15). This could hardly refer to Muhammad, since Moses says that this prophet is to be raised up ‘from among your own brothers’, that is, from among the children of Israel.
The second verse gives us the words of Jesus about the coming of the Paraclete: ‘I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth’ (John 14:16; cf. 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). Christians have always interpreted these as predictions about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus never spoke about another prophet who was to come after him.

FAQ (Fuller Document): QUESTIONS MUSLIMS ASK -PDF File Questions Muslims Ask

You can also read the document online at – Answers to Questions Muslims Ask. Part 2 LINK

Source: Colin Chapman, The Cross and the Crescent IVP Books 2008.

UiTM seminar was 'hate speech', says CFM

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

The seminar on Christianity held at a public university yesterday was "hate speech" veiled as academic freedom, the Christian Federation of Malaysia said.

CFM chairperson Eu Hong Seng (right)said this is because there was no attempt for intellectual discussion involving the Christians themselves.

"If there is to be sincere and genuine academic freedom, then let us have an intellectual exchange with integrity instead of a one-sided presentation with arguably inaccurate information being disseminated as fact.

"Otherwise, yesterday's seminar at UiTM would be nothing more than hate speech and sectarian religious propaganda thinly disguised as academic freedom...

"(This) causes a great diminution of scholastic integrity, greater disservice to intellectual honesty, and greatest discredit to the reputation of the public institution," he said in a statement today.

Eu added that academic freedom does not entail presenting things as facts and not allowing interested parties room for rebuttal.

By doing so, he said UiTM had clearly "abused trust and stewardship" as a public institution of higher learning.

CFM, an umbrella body for Christian groups in Malaysia, was commenting on a seminar held at UiTM entitled 'The word 'Allah' and Christology in the Malay Archipelago'.

Anti-Christian material were distributed to the 1,000 students, including those from secondary schools, who attended.

The Muslim speakers presented their interpretations of the Bible and alleged that Christians were on a campaign to convert Muslims in the Malay archipelago.

Earlier, the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF)  expressed concern over the seminar that it said trampled on, rather than tackled, inter-faith issues.

NECF said this was aimed at confusing and prompting Muslim students at the seminar to be prejudiced against people of other faiths.

"One could perhaps ask how Muslims would feel, if followers of other faiths were to invite their experts to interpret how the Quran should be written.

"This seminar smacks of gross insensitivity and goes against the grain of Prime Minister Najib's 1Malaysia policy," NECF secretary-general Eugene Yapp said in a press statement today.

In similar vein, the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) also slammed such extremism.

Although he did not point to the seminar, its CEO and former Umno MP Saifuddin Abdullah urged the government to take action.

"Stop anti-Chinese and anti-Christian sentiments before it turns to something worse.

"Authorities should investigate & act accordingly," Saifuddin wrote on his Twitter account.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/262137

Christianisation: Sabah bristles with anger

Ng Suzhen

 | May 8, 2014

Conversion is a sore issue in Sabah which has seen its once majority native communities now marginalised as a result of a covert 1990s operation to keep Umno-BN in power.

KOTA KINABALU: Controversy shrouding a recent lecture in Universiti Technologi Mara (UiTM), which “bullied” Christians and warned Muslims about the threat of Christianisation, on the back of another incident in Sarawak involving a Majlis Amanah Rakyat’s (Mara) scholarship interview has got Sabah leaders bristling.

Conversion is a sore issue in Sabah which has seen its once majority native Christian communities – Kadazan Dusun Murut – nuetralised and marginalised by legalised illegal immigrants under the infamous 1990s Project IC to ensure Umno and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) stay in power.

Following reports of the incidence, Sabah BN partner, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun MurutOrganisation (Upko), has demanded that Putrajaya act against bigots and extremists.

“Enough with the warnings. It is very difficult to explain the injustice to people,” said Upko Information Chief Albert Bingkasan.

“The policies of the government have always been good and beneficial for Malaysians as a whole.

“But for some reason, when it’s passed down to the lower levels, there tend to be many ‘little Napoleons’ who misuse and misinterpret the policies.

“Everybody (Muslims and Non-Muslims) should be equal under the constitution.

“Now when a non-Muslim commits an offence action is swift but the same cannot be said for Muslim offenders,” said Bingkasan.

He said Putrajaya should deal  a swift and harsh hand on all those who committed offenses against the federal constitution.

Bingkasan was responding to a Mara scholarship interview involving top scorer Nigel Unchart Jeremiah and the latest report of 12 Christian students from Sabah allegedly being pressured into converting following a forum in UITM which also warned Muslims about Christianisation.

In the case of Nigel, he was plied with questions on Islam by the interviewer despite him declaring that he was a Christian. Nigel had applied for a scholarship to do mechanical engineering.

Muslimisation in Sabah 

Earlier this week during a seminar held in UiTM, a speaker claimed that Christians were using fundamental knowledge in both religions to convert Muslims.

President of Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (MUAFAKAT) Abdul Karim Omar had ‘warned’ the 1,000 strong crowd comprising secondary and university students of the Christianisation of Muslims in Malaysia.

Karim cited a thesis, “Religious identity and life of Malay Christians of Malaysia” by John Cheong. In his 2012 thesis, submitted to the Trinity International College of Illinois, Cheong revealed the existence of ‘cloaked Christians’.

These individuals are Malays who perform the obligations of a Muslim such as fasting and going to the mosque, but they are in fact believers of the Christian religion,” said Karim.

Just before Karim, another speaker, a former Catholic priest from Indonesia named H. Insan LS Mokoginta, had used basic messages in both religions to convince Christian students that every follower of Jesus should convert to Islam otherwise it would be a betrayal to him.

Meanwhile Bingkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan has dismissed claims of ‘Christianisation’ of Muslims.

If reports are any gauge it’s more the other way round in Sabah.

“Christians do not blatantly go around converting people. There is still the constitution guaranteeing the freedom of religion, and the rights extend to the Muslims,” he said.

Last December, it was reported that abject poor  Christian natives in Pitas were converted for Rm100 each. The natives claimed they were not aware that they had been converted.

According to a pastor, the situation is widespread in rural Sabah, which is the poorest state in Malaysia according to a World Bank Report.

In January, the Protestant Church in Sabah (PCS) president Rev Jensey Mojuin reportedly said the church was concerned over “unofficial” reports of what was happening in the parishes of Kudat, Kota Marudu, Kanibongan, Paitan and Pitas.

He said there were also unconfirmed reports of forced, coerced or induced conversion in north and east coast of Sabah.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/05/08/christianisation-sabah-bristles-with-anger/

If Christians continue to grow, they will outnumber us by 2100, says Muslim group

BY ELIZABETH ZACHARIAH
MAY 06, 2014

(Muslims converted to Christians: 1983-1989 = 66,000; 2006 = 250,000)

The “threat” of Christianisation was brought up again today at a forum at a public university where a crowd of about 1,000 was told that Christians will outnumber Muslims in Malaysia by 2100.

‎Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (Muafakat) president Abdul Karim Omar said this was based on the rapid increase of Christians in Malaysia.

He said this is what Malaysia will face if Christianisation is allowed to continue here.

‎"According to our research, the percentage of Christians increases by a huge amount every decade," he said at a seminar on the use of the word Allah and Christology at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) today.

He said the latest statistics showed that the number of Christians in Malaysia ‎stands at less than 10% of the population, while Muslims are more than 60%.

"But if Christianisation continues, by 2100, ‎there will be an equal number of Christians and Muslims - 40%."

"And it will continue to increase, he said.

Karim used South Korea as an example, saying that in 1905 the number of Christians in the country were only 0.5% of the population.  But because of rapid Christianisation in the 1970s and 1980s, it increased to almost 30% in 2005, he said.

"This happened in South Korea‎ and could happen here," he added.

Karim earlier said his speech was meant to “expose the planned agenda and the ill-intention of Christian evangelists”.

‎He also told the 1,000 people gathered, including secondary school and university students, the number of Muslims who converted to Christianity in the early 1900s "could be counted with fingers".

“But in a Parliament white paper, the then PAS president Yusof Rawa revealed that 66,000 people had turned away from Islam.

“And in 2006, Perak Mufti Datuk Seri Hurusaini Zakaria said the number had increased to 250,000‎. I don't know how much it is now,” he said, adding that the situation painted a “scary picture”.

‎An Indonesian former Catholic priest also told the seminar that Christians were betraying God if they do not convert to Islam.

H. Insan LS Mokoginta, ‎said that every follower of Jesus should convert to Islam otherwise it would be a betrayal to Him.

Mokoginta, who converted to Islam in 1976, said this in his speech entitled "the Threat of Christianisation". – May 6, 2014.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/if-christians-continue-to-grow-they-will-outnumber-us-by-2100-says-muslim-g

Put a full-stop to all these Christian bashing — MCA Religious Harmony Bureau

May 8, 2014

MAY 8 — MCA Religious Harmony Bureau is totally shocked that the panellists at the seminar on the  ‘Allah’ word and Christology in the Malay Archipelago hosted at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on May 6, 2014 had turned the forum into a Christian-bashing session where doubts were casted on the contents of the New Testament of the Bible while distrust and suspicion were fomented against the Christian community. Such a move will only polarise our society further between Muslims and non-Muslims.

It is not up to the presenters to determine whether the religious beliefs and practices of another faith are right or wrong. They should keep such opinions to themselves rather than blurting it all out in a public arena, thereby instigating the audience against Christians. Even worse, the panellists are in no position to belittle the religion of others.

Considering that UiTM is a public university funded by tax-payers, such a presentation will not augur well for the goodwill intended from the 1Malaysia concept mooted by our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Universities are avenues and the gateway to acquire new knowledge and make academic advances. Unfortunately such Christian bashing discourses may cast a question mark on the quality of UiTM’s courses, authorities, lecturers, organisers and students.

We call on the university authorities to probe as to how it could allow such a seminar to be conducted and what form of concrete measures will be taken to repair any fallout from the seminar as well what types of national unity programmes will UiTM organise to foster goodwill and integration between UiTM students and students of other religions and creed.

Concerns that minority students and lecturers will be targeted

Considering that UiTM consists of students and as tertiary students are at an impressionable age, our Bureau is deeply concerned if the topics and contents presented will leave an indelible mark among the students who may overwhelmingly share a common faith against other students, lecturers and Malaysians who are not adherents of the same faith.

Moreover, as there is a small number of minority Christian Bumiputera students from Sabah and Sarawak as well as lecturers who are non-Muslim, we shudder at the scenario if they become victimised, belittled or ostracised for their faith by their peers who attended the seminar.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/put-a-full-stop-to-all-these-christian-bashings-mca-religious-harmony-burea

10 contributions of non-Muslims to Malaysia

COMMENTARY BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
MAY 02, 2014

Obtuse. Dense. Ignorant. Stupid. Choose any one of these words to describe ISMA and you would be spot on.

This government-sponsored organisation yesterday argued that non-Muslims have no right to get involved in any discussion on hudud and even had the temerity to question the contributions of non-Muslims
to Malaysia.

Here are just 10:

1) Non-Muslims form a significant bloc of tax-payers and this tax revenue allows the government to spend, spend and spend on frivolous and dangerous causes such as Perkasa and Isma.

2) Guess who gave the country of 29 million its only medals at the last Olympics in 2012:Lee Chong Wei (pic) and Pandalela Rinong.

3) Guess who is a renowned Malaysian shoe-maker whose name is a world-famous label: Jimmy Choo.

4) Who was the first Malaysian to climb to the summit of the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest? M. Magendran in 1997.

5) Guess who blazed the way in competitive motorsports for Malaysia? Yoong Yin Fah in motor racing, his son Alex Yoong in F1 and Karamjit Singh in rallying.

6) Guess who is the top-ranked squash player in the world? Nicol Ann David (pic).

7) Guess who started tin-mining in the Malay peninsula that was the basis of its earlier wealth until the 1980s? The Chinese in the 1820s.

8) Guess who brought the first rubber seedlings that was also the basis of wealth in the then British Malaya in the early 1900s? H.N. Ridley.

9) Guess who directed the first Malay-language movie, 'Leila Majnun', that became the start of the Malayan and Malaysianfilm industry that ironically began in Singapore? BS Rajhans.

10) Guess who led thearchitecture and design team for the iconic Masjid Negara, Malaysia's national mosque? UK architect Howard Ashley, together with Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kasim. – May 2, 2014.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/10-contributions-of-non-muslims-to-malaysia

Controversial Bill on conversion of minors withdrawn

UPDATED @ 08:04:51 PM 05-07-2013

BY JENNIFER GOMEZ AND LEE SHI-IAN
JULY 05, 2013

The Cabinet has decided to withdraw the proposal allowing for the conversion of minors to Islam by a single parent.

In a statement today, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the cabinet made the decision to withdraw the proposed Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013, to ensure that any religious decision made is fair to all, the New Straits Times reported.

“We also want to give time to the government and all parties to review the bill holistically and will only re-table the bill once we achieve a consensus,” he said.

While welcoming the withdrawal of the controversial unilateral conversion Bill, some quarters hope that the government would not attempt to introduce another Bill with the same clauses.

Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) deputy president Jagir Singh said it was only right to withdraw the Administration of Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 so that it did not affect the unity of the country.

He, however, hopes that the offending clauses will not resurface in another Bill.

"The efforts of all the stakeholders have not been in vain as the Cabinet has taken all the feedback into consideration in withdrawing the proposal allowing for the conversion of minors to Islam by a single parent," said Jagir who is also the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council president.

In a statement earlier today, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Cabinet had decided to withdraw the proposed Bill which was tabled for first reading in parliament last week, to ensure that any religious decision made was fair to all.

Muhyiddin said they wanted to give the government and all stakeholders more time to review the bill holistically. It will be retabled once a consensus has been reached.

Catholic Research Centre director Fr. Clarence Devadass said they hoped that the process of consultation could begin now with the involvement of all relevant parties.

"We are very glad that the government has heard the voice of the people," he said.

Former president of the Kuala Lumpur Catholic Lawyers Society Francis Pereira said the Bill had clearly not promoted national unity in any way.

"We are relieved that the government has decided to withdraw the bill as it had caused anxiety among non-Muslims in Malaysia."

MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel expressed his satisfaction at the Cabinet's decision.

He said the Cabinet had deliberated long and hard before deciding to withdraw it.

"It was a fair move taking into consideration the sensitivities of various stakeholders and groups. MIC still stands by its statement that the consent of both parents are needed for the conversion of children to Islam," Palanivel added. - July 5, 2013

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/controversial-bill-on-conversion-of-minors-withdrawn/

Malaysia can be benchmark for Islamic nations but EC, govt too "defensive" - US-based Muslim polls group

Thursday, 10 January 2013 13:27

Written by  Wong Choon Mei, Alaa Soleiman, Malaysia Chronicle

The Muslim American Election Observers Committee, in Malaysia on a fact-finding mission, says the country has the chance to "set the standard" for the Muslim and emerging worlds if the authorities were less "defensive" and more sincere in conducting free and fair polls.

The Committee highlighted 3 main areas of weaknesses that it said would hinder confidence amongst the Malaysian people, including the integrity of the electoral roll; the lack of free and fair access for the Opposition to the mainstream print and broadcast media; the absence of any plans to establish a caretaker government immediately preceding the ballot to ensure fairness.

"As democratic movements sweep across the Muslim world, we believe that Malaysia is in a position to set the standard. Our presence here is an effort to urge continued progress towards meeting international standards for free and fair elections," Dr Inayat Maliki, co-chair of the Interfaith Dialogue at Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) told a press conference on Thursday.

"Malaysia has shown steady progress. Material progress is important but progress in the political arena is also important because that's what will ensure the viability and financial health of a country. A lot of Muslim countries lack a truly democratic process. A lot of Muslims nations are ruled by dictatorships and the change of rule of government has been or by military coups. There have not been many models for peaceful transitions especially in a multi-party format."

EC & incumbent government not doing enough

Malik and his colleagues Mirza Baig (from the Elections & Democracy Committee) and Mazen Asbahi (Counsel for ISNA), who came to Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of the office of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, made it clear that they were non-partisan observers and would have responded to the same invitation from Prime Minister Najib Razak's government or any other party.

Malik took the Election Commission and the authorities to task for not doing more to ensure free and fair polls. When meeting EC officials, his Commitee offered to return to Malaysia to observe the 13th general election, which must be called before June 2013. However, they were rebuffed with the EC replying that they could visit Malaysia any time as "tourists".

"That would hardly be fulfilling our role," said Malik, adding that although the Najib administration knew they coming, no effort was made to contact them.

Nurul Izzah, the PKR MP for Lembah Pantai who was also at the press conference, expressed regret at the EC's 'discourtesy'.

"It's sad but why are we not surprised. We were very disappointed when Transparency International Malaysia announced its decision to pull out because it knew it would be given a chance to carry lout its work. Why reject international observers if the elections are going to be fair," Nurul told Malaysia Chronicle.

Very unsual to have same government for a prolonged period of time

Malik also said that it was "very unsual" for a democratic nation not to experience any changes in government for a prolonged period of time.

"It is seldom for democratic nations to continue to be ruled for a period of time by the same government. Not that there is anything wrong if there is transparency and accountability. But it is very unusual because the people themselves want to see changes, try new things, new ideas and people should be allowed to decide. We hope that Muslim nations across the world can transform or move into a democratic form of transition. This is necessary for continued progress."

Malik pin-pointed the lack of a "free press" to be the greatest obstacle currently hampering free and fair polls.

"The media seems to be totally reflective of one viewpoint. Reading the newspapers since we were here, there're very little divergent viewpoints offered There may be different angles but these eventually converge to the same viewpoint. It is a free media that makes a country democratic and the ability of the media to criticise the government, and not have to fear having their licence revoked or being hauled to jail. That's where Malaysia needs to make progress," he said.

'Dirty' electoral roll & caretaker government

In the Committee's meeting with EC reps, Malik said his Commitee also raised the issues of -

> "significant numbers of non-resident voters being registered by political parties in closely-contested constituencies";

> "questionable use of government authority to register foreign-born resdents";

> "difficulties in challenging the validity of the electoral rolls given the lack of access to electronic records and time and cost requirements".

The Committee also recommended a caretaker government to ensure "fairness and prevent abuse of government powers and resources to impact the conduct and outcome of elections".

Somebody must do something

Malik, however, does not appear to expect much positive response from either the EC or the Najib administration and it was up to the people to keep up their demands for a more transparent system.

"[For example], we feel it is the duty of the EC to say it [the lack of equal access to the mainstream media] is a hindrance to free and fair election. They say there's only so much they can do," said Malik.

"They shouldn't get defensive. Somebody needs to be doing something , somebody, the government, the Ruler, somebody needs to be doing something."

Source: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=46321:msia-can-be-benchmark-for-islamic-nations-but-ec-govt-too-defensive-us-based-muslim-polls-group&Itemid=2