S’wak BN: No way will we be Islamic nation

MIRI: It is not possible for Malaysia to ever become an Islamic nation, say Sarawak Barisan Nasional component parties.

This was because Barisan, as a coalition at the national level, had never agreed to making Malaysia an Islamic state, said the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

They said Barisan would never do away with the present secular status.

Top leaders of both parties said there was no truth in Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki’s remarks that Barisan had agreed to Malaysia being categorised as “Islamic”.

SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting said Barisan component parties, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, would never agree to such a move.

“That would be against the Malaysia Agreement 1963. And since Sarawak and Sabah are equal partners with Malaya in Malaysia, and we in Sarawak and Sabah want to remain secular, there can be no Islamic status for Malaysia,” he added.

He said Dr Asyraf obviously did not seek the consent of Barisan component parties when making his remarks.

PDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing concurred. “While Islam is the official religion in Peninsular Malaysia, it does not mean Malaysia is an Islamic country.”