Better chance for success with democracy

PERSATUAN Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) supports statements by various civil society groups that our Constitution should remain as our founding fathers intended it to be. Any suggestion to amend the Constitution should be for making it more democratic and not more autocratic.

Patriot is with G25 in stating that we will not support amendments that will change us from a democracy to an authoritarian regime or to a theocracy.

The Straits Times, Singapore, reported on Dec 26, 2018, that Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) had launched a petition rejecting a secular government and asking that Malaysia be declared an Islamic state.

Isma should define what it means by Islamic state. If it means that the government is to be run by a council of ulama that supersedes the current democratic parliamentary system, then it will be a futile cause, one that Malaysians will not support.

Examples are aplenty of Muslim countries with a theocratic system that are not well governed and not progressive, even to the extent of being failed states. This is despite many of these countries being rich in oil.

Our country recognises Islam as the official religion. In many ways we have already adopted Islamic principles in our systems of governance and administration.

Patriot is also of the view that under the current democratic Constitution our country has a better chance to develop into a united and successful nation than under a theocracy.