Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called for an end to discussions on inter-faith issues because they are causing tensions in his multi-confessional society. This comes only two days after the prime minister himself during a visit to Indonesia praised Malaysia's religious tolerance and the protection it gives minorities against discrimination.
Mr Badawi yesterday came out against Article 11, a multi-faith umbrella organisation that includes 13 NGOs that has organised forums in defence of the existing federal constitution against creeping Islamisation. The prime minister has instead called for an immediate end to its activities because they "cause tensions in our society where different faiths live together".
He said that the Supreme Council of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysia's ruling party, was concerned about the issues raised by Article 11 such as conversions to Islam and the problems it creates for non Muslim families.
For quite some time UMNO has instead pursued policies designed to protect the prerogatives of Islam and majority Malays.
Mr Badawi, who is UMNO's president, said that "if the discussions are not kept in check or contained, they are bound to raise tension in our multi-religious society. Religious issues are even more sensitive than ethnic issues". For this reason he said the government is urging all parties concerned to end discussions on the formation of the inter-faith commission (IFC).
It is unclear though how ending inter-faith discussions might achieve what the prime minister himself argued when he addressed students at the Jakarta Islamic State University (Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah), namely the need for Muslim countries that want to modernise to "be just and fair towards all without distinction as to race or religion".
In his address he said that in his country there was "no cause to fear any discrimination or persecution on account of religion because the Malaysian constitution guarantees freedom of worship".
Indeed, Article 11 of the constitution does enshrine freedom or religion, but many Malaysians who are neither Sunni Muslim nor ethnic Malay have complained of discrimination by the majority on a daily basis.
In a country of some 25 million, Muslims constitute almost half of the population; the other half is made up of Christians, Hindus, Buddhist and followers of traditional cults like shamanism.