Only Islam has problem?

The Government finally decided to established a "special inter-faith committee" to promote better religious understanding between Islam and other religious faith. The committee will be headed by Ilani Ishak, a former MP for Kota Bahru when she was with the now defunct Semangat 46 party which was a breakaway from Umno. This was announced by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Koh Tsu Koon on Wednesday.

There are some points which need to be highlighted here.

1. Why it is still a special committee if the government felt inter-faith understanding is very important in the context of harmony living amongst the people in the country? Why the half-hearted approach?

2. Why only look at religious understanding between Islam and other religions? Are they saying only Islam having issues with other religions and there is no problem amongst the "other religions"? Or the government planning to have another "special committee" to look into these problems only when problems getting more difficult to manage within the other religions?

3. By saying that they don't want active politicians in the committee, then Ilani Ishak should not be there too. If she is not an active politician and supporter of Umno, would the government brought her to serve in the PM department and tasked her with this responsibility. How to define active politicians? Some officers in government agencies represented in the committee might be active members in their respective party divisions or representatives from the other religions might be also an MP or assemblyman. Can their right to represent their religion be curtailed due to their active participation in politics?

4. Those representing the "other religions" are from non governmental organisations but those from Islam are represented by Jakim and Ikim which are government related agencies. What happens when the Islamic views from the government agencies are not agreeable or endorsed by other Muslims/Malays NGOs, like ABIM, Sisters- in-Islam or even Perkasa? Will this special committee meet the same faith as the previous initiatives?

5. How sure and informed are the government that the representatives from the MCCBCHST has the locus standi to represent the religion that they claimed to represents? For instance, the Buddhist community has three representatives from three different individual organisations in the MCCBCHST which membership are limited only to certain segment of the Buddhist community. Does these representatives really represents the voice and sentiments of the community and other 700 Buddhist associations or centres not affiliated to any of these three selected organisations?

6. Quote from The Star "The committee is not a legal structure; it's not a rigid structure. It's a framework to provide exchange of ideas on religion". - Koh Tsu Koon, Minister in the PM Department

If that's the case, it means this committee is just a talk shop. If it is set up by the government, why not provide certain level of authority so that its decision can be respected and abided by all? After all, all the major religions "great minds" are represented in the committee!

7. Finally, why appoints a "junior" officer to head the committee. The action reflects the intention. If the government is really putting strong emphasis on this committee, it should be headed by Koh Tsu Koon as the Minister in charge of unity. Or the least another with Ministerial level position like Idris Jala who may knows better the meaning of inter religious understanding since he is from Sarawak which multi religious society and inter religious marriages records speaks for itself. - Loka