"The changing political landscape offers a challenge to the Church in Malaysia to play a unique role. Here is a Muslim majority country where there are meaningful competitive elections. Indonesia is about the only other Muslim majority country practising democracy with competitive elections. In Indonesia, there are Islamic parties competing with secular nationalists parties and with secular parties at the moment being more influential. Competitive elections in Malaysia have, on the other hand led to the creation of multi-ethnic coalitions involving Islamic and secular parties. The questions we must deliberate on are clear. Is there anything we can learn from the Indonesian experience in terms of democratising and the role of the Church? Or is there anything the Church here can do to help advance democracy? Can it enhance its role as a witnessing church and in so doing offer an example or encourage for Christians elsewhere in Muslim majority countries?"
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Whither Malaysia?
This Kairos edition is a must-read and carries the minutes of a post general election consultation that some of us attended. A sample article from Lee Kam Hing, a research editor with a news daily:
"The changing political landscape offers a challenge to the Church in Malaysia to play a unique role. Here is a Muslim majority country where there are meaningful competitive elections. Indonesia is about the only other Muslim majority country practising democracy with competitive elections. In Indonesia, there are Islamic parties competing with secular nationalists parties and with secular parties at the moment being more influential. Competitive elections in Malaysia have, on the other hand led to the creation of multi-ethnic coalitions involving Islamic and secular parties. The questions we must deliberate on are clear. Is there anything we can learn from the Indonesian experience in terms of democratising and the role of the Church? Or is there anything the Church here can do to help advance democracy? Can it enhance its role as a witnessing church and in so doing offer an example or encourage for Christians elsewhere in Muslim majority countries?"
"The changing political landscape offers a challenge to the Church in Malaysia to play a unique role. Here is a Muslim majority country where there are meaningful competitive elections. Indonesia is about the only other Muslim majority country practising democracy with competitive elections. In Indonesia, there are Islamic parties competing with secular nationalists parties and with secular parties at the moment being more influential. Competitive elections in Malaysia have, on the other hand led to the creation of multi-ethnic coalitions involving Islamic and secular parties. The questions we must deliberate on are clear. Is there anything we can learn from the Indonesian experience in terms of democratising and the role of the Church? Or is there anything the Church here can do to help advance democracy? Can it enhance its role as a witnessing church and in so doing offer an example or encourage for Christians elsewhere in Muslim majority countries?"
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