“You must remember that the country does not belong to the Muslims. There are things that sometimes non-Muslims do, for example, gambling. It is their culture, their way of life and we have to respect their rights.”
“Jangan semua undang-undang berdasarkan keperluan orang Islam sahaja.”
MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, commenting on opposition to the government’s move to legalise sports betting. (Source: Respect non-Muslim rights: Nazri, theSun, 20 Jun 2010)
“If you do want to use the word God in Bahasa Malaysia, God is Tuhan. I don’t understand why you want to use Allah.
“The Malay word for God is Tuhan. Of course Muslims are not satisfied … ”
Nazri, objecting to non-Muslims use of the word Allah in Bahasa Malaysia to refer to God. He questioned the purpose of the Catholic Church’s insistence in using “Allah”, saying the church was “irresponsible” and “looking for trouble”. (Source: Nazri: Judge was wrong in ‘Allah’ decision, Malaysian Insider, 5 Jan 2010)
“ … I would think that Christians in Sarawak and Sabah need not worry over [the use of the word ‘Allah’ for God] because it is a common tradition there. I have been to an Iban church service and I heard the ‘Allah’ used there.
“We don’t care what you do in Sarawak and Sabah, but don’t bring to Semenanjung. It’s entirely different culture for us.”
Nazri, in an interview on the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. Nazri claimed that Christians had not used “Allah” to refer to God in peninsular Malaysia. (Source: Face to face with Nazri on “Allah” issue, Borneo Post, 16 Jan 2010) 
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Kong Kek Kuat says
Nazri, you are the Samy Vellu of Umno.
And that´s what I love about you. I love Samy, and I love you.
You bring entertainment, laughter, and joy to my life as a Malaysian.
Eric says
100% agreed with Kek Kuat. Just that Nazri is a tad costly.
Merah Silu says
Kek Kuat,
Normally we are at the opposite end of our views on many issues. Exception in this case, we are in the same boat about the Samy Vellu of Umno.
Lainie says
It’s like our MPs live to feed the Found in Quotation section.
m.k. says
Always playing to the gallery; no substance! That is what BN politicians are noted for. Somehow, this attitude has kept them in power for almost 53 years. But how long can this continue?
AgreeToDisagree says
Hi there all TNG readers, [this is] my first comment here and looking forward to a lively discussion and commentary, it’s looking quite lively here! Here goes :
We only need to find out if Minister Nazri believes in :
1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnic [groups] and faiths in all aspects of policy, law and constitution.
If he does, then there is nothing wrong with his attempts to understand and engage with non-Muslims in a reasonable manner. If he doesn’t I concur with the writer’s cynicism and doubts. Nazri, do you believe in the above three items?
It should not be about money (though licenses must never be given to long established companies and far too wealthy individuals via as Datuk Zaid Ibrahim of PKR has said, “…free for all and issued by the MoF with no accountability…”), but about democratic principles and the god-given freedom and self determinism for adult citizens. We have no right to stop anyone from engaging in activities that do not directly affect us. We do not speak for God, nor do we have any right to force good intentions, especially on those who indulge in any of the above in moderation.
Granted many people do not have discipline, but no [person] is another [person’s] moral guardian or can claim to be, especially Muslims of non-Muslims and their diversions during personal leisure time in private sector premises. They must develop their own willpower, and be allowed to do so. Laws subsume the right to develop that same willpower critical for personal growth and weaken a society to a point where there is no venue or a loss of ability to test itself. This is the nature of evolution, of democracy.
Do not propagate the invasion of personal space in the private sector and non-Muslims, via reverse psychology, do you think that by greater numbers and insulting stereotypes, you can make a case against freedom and equality? [Humans] can do anything they want, provided it does not affect others or involves endangered species. Apply common sense.
If you have a certain value system, fine. But you do not have a right to impose it via rubber-stamped laws that threaten to imprison or fine away the wealth of anyone. “Fascism” describes this exactly, and if via religious-based justifications, it’s “Religious Fascism” then.
If a human grows a plant provided free by Mother Nature for alkaloids and uses it to experience altered mental states as a hobby, if a human socialises for sexual companionship at a reasonable exchange rate, or wishes to get drunk or wants to gamble in a social setting in public, or wishes to walk around naked:
– he [or she] needs a cheap legal unadulterated government monitored source to ensure that profiteering and black markets do not thrive, and also be allowed to grow his own (plants are free and belong to all mankind, no majority of men can outlaw anything except by force of arms, which is socialised oppression);
-so that monopoly is not ensured to criminal elements who usually have links to and within enforcement itself
– he needs a red light district where sex workers are consensual, not trafficked individuals or illegal immigrants and are free from disease
– he is not allowed to drive and laws to fine him if he is drunk must be in place (as they are)
– he has to be limited in the losses he is allowed to incur or bets he can place so that he will [not] bankrupt himself
– he has a right to, with like minded individuals ask that a nudist colony with regular amenities be set aside for that very purpose.
There are safeguards that must be in place and with governments to ensure safety standards are maintained. If government unconstitutionally takes away freedoms given via 222 rubber-stamping MPs so that a black market flourishes, then we have also given away all other democratic freedoms as well.
Better learn what ethics (also nepotism) is and apply that to existential issues and the right to self determinism so that the will of all [hu]mankind and not just that of 222 MPs rubber-stamping on our behalf whether we agree or not, is respected first. We would be living in a fascist theocratic dictatorship otherwise – except there are 222 dictators instead of one. This is not democracy, especially when blocs of nepotist relatives encroach and reserve in parliamentary seats, ExCo councils, where there are still no local council elections headed by appropriate Phd holders instead of untrained and oft corrupt political party ‘figures’. . .
Minister Nazri should make his stand clear on the three items listed for a start, who knows if he is PM material? As for Muslim understanding of free will of non-Muslims, this will need some time […] to absorb. All Muslims should try understanding this first :
*** When a non-Muslim exercises self determinism or indulges in so-called vices, it is *NOT* an attack on Islam or any religion. Period. ***
Nazri seems to understand this one, does every other Muslim understand this too? KJ by denouncing licensing apparently does not . . . but Minister Rais has shown ethics is stating that non-halal monies should be handled and distributed by non-Muslim charities with no Muslim involved with a ‘haram’ industry the way Mirzan Mahathir is involved with San Miguel . . . Does Minister Rais believe in the three listed items too? That would make two more potential UMNO men who could stand as tall and ethical as Tengku Razaleigh has on so many issues thus far .
[Editor’s note:
Dear Agree To Disagree,
Welcome to commenting on TNG since it is your first time. In future, kindly restrict your comments to brief and succinct points. We go through all comments as per our policy (https://www.thenutgraph.com/comments-and-columns-policy/). By keeping comments short, it will help us moderate comments and publish them faster. This goes for all other readers prone to making lengthy comments, too. 🙂 Thanks!
Deborah Loh
Assistant News Editor
The Nut Graph]
MIchael says
And we wonder why our fellow Malaysians from the other side of the sea feel ostracized and unaccepted.
Shaboinq says
Ok we can respect their rights but stay away from us, Sabah and Sarawak. We don’t like your kind here in KL. In fact, why don’t you be Indonesia’s problem and join them eh? Then we can have Allah all to ourselves.