KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday (30 Jan) accused the government of using Islam to gain political mileage in upcoming general elections, causing growing racial and religious tension in multiethnic Malaysia.
Mahathir said government and Islamic court decisions in a spate of interfaith conflicts that have sparked concerns among non-Muslim minorities for their religious rights were driven by political interest, and not based on the true teachings of Islam.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government, which is preparing for elections likely to be called in March, is worried it may lose votes to the opposition Pan-Islamic Party, or PAS, Mahathir told reporters following the launch of his new book.
"It's no longer religion, it's politics," said Mahathir, who retired in 2003 after 22 years in power.
"If (the decisions) reflect the true teachings of Islam, we will have no problem with non-Muslims."
He warned the situation could be destabilizing as racial harmony is fragile in Malaysia.
Ethnic Malay Muslims, who comprise about 60% of Malaysia's 27 million people, form the bedrock of political support for Abdullah's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party which heads the ruling coalition.
UMNO's main challenge comes from the PAS, which controls one of Malaysia's 13 states and endorses a hard-line Islamic governing style.
Minority ethnic Chinese and Indians, who comprise the rest of the population, have voiced growing fears in recent years that their religions get second-class treatment.
National debates have erupted over religious disputes prompted by government actions such as a ban on conversions from Islam and the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims. Interfaith court cases in recent years have also usually ended with the Muslim side winning.
While the ruling coalition is expected to win easily in upcoming polls, Abdullah last week said it would not be able to repeat its huge success of 2004 amid public anger over inflation, rising crime and growing racial and religious tensions.
The coalition won 90% of parliamentary seats in 2004 polls, held about five months after Abdullah took over the reins from Mahathir.
Mahathir, 82, renewed his attacks on his hand-picked successor Abdullah, saying he provided weak leadership, confused Muslims with his new concept of progressive Islam, called Islam Hadhari, and that he mismanaged the economy.
Abdullah "didn't show good judgment" in economic policies and should hand over the reins to his deputy Najib Razak after the polls, he suggested.
Abdullah, whose popularity has dwindled, recently launched big-spending development projects to spur growth in rural parts of the country.
He is pinning hopes on strong economic growth to secure another five-year mandate. (By EILEEN NG/ AP)
PEOPLE'S POWER
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