Mixing Politics With Religion In Malaysia Breeds Negativity

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A GLARING problem in Malaysia and in many other countries involves the act of bringing politics and religion together in a convenient fashion to score political mileage while disregarding the effect and impact on the country.
Religion education, economic and political are different spheres of activity, so it must be diligently and responsibly acted upon accordingly without taking chances or risk.

In Malaysia we observe rampant attempts by politicians to temper politics with religion, education and economy. The result in such an attempt for the last few decades points towards the south. It only creates an atmosphere of disunity, prejudices and hatred.
Many politicians around the world had attempted to mix politics with religion, but not one of them had succeeded.
Nowhere in the world have state and church successfully merged together. Though religions are around for thousands of years, no one nation is currently in the world, democratically elected merged with any religion, and are thriving as a successful model. We only have a dictatorial merger of religion and state.
Why is it, then, that politicians in Malaysia cannot understand nor have insight that religion and state cannot work together at this point of time in history?
Politicians can only do what the general populace elects and allows them to do. Leaders can only lead those who want to follow. Any leader who gets too far out ahead of the peoples’ opinions risks bringing his or her career to an abrupt halt.
Religion concerns matters of the heart, of the spirit, and of morals. Politics is occupied with the material things of life.
Religious teachers should not invade the realm of politics; they should concern themselves with the spiritual education of the people.
They should ever give good counsel to men, trying to serve God and humankind; they should endeavour to awaken spiritual aspiration, and strive to enlarge the understanding and knowledge of humanity, to improve morals, and to increase the love for justice.
We hope politicians and their runners or cronies will realise that they should not meddle politics with religion for the sake of unity and prosperity of this nation.
If they were to continue with their attempt, a bleak future awaits Malaysia, and all signs are already pointing to that direction, as evident by international indices depicting negativity. – March 28, 2024
 
K. Tamil Maran (K.T. Maran)
Seremban
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
-focus malaysia

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