I reviewed various media write-ups on what Pasir Puteh member of parliament Datuk Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh said in Parliament and outside pertaining to drink driving, his religious views on alcohol consumption and his views on Christianity if it is a distorted version of the original.
The context of this discussion is the tabling of the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2020 on Aug 26 to propose heavier fines for drink driving offenders. Let us break up the topics objectively to discuss the matters one by one.
THE FIRST is the bill on driving under the influence of alcohol. Most developed nations have very strict laws on this matter. This new law does not prevent one from drinking, but if one has consumed alcohol, then that individual just cannot drive.
THE SECOND is in justification of this new law on driving under the influence of alcohol by using a religious argument. Actually, there is no need for a religious justification as the safety and health justification is sufficient.
THE THIRD is that facts are needed to substantiate arguments. One must make reference to authority, research or a reputed scholar. This is so especially when members of parliament speak. They must be well prepared and address policy issues with a well-researched or thought-through position as opposed to speaking off the cuff.
On the matter of religion, all Malaysians know this is a very sensitive matter. All tend to get upset if their religions are misquoted or misinterpreted. Some humility is also required in the conversations, as we are all in a journey towards greater understanding of faith experiences.
In this context, two matters need further discussion.
Is Christianity against alcohol consumption? My reading of the Bible is that it does not prohibit the consumption of alcohol, but there are clear biblical teachings on drunkenness and its abuse. Many might be surprised that the first miracle by Jesus was turning water into wine. This is a cultural aspect of the time; wine was a normal drink, especially during festive times.
Certain traditions of the church have imposed strict rules on this. As a Methodist Christian, we were taught from an early age not to consume alcohol. This was one of the disciplines where Christians do drink, especially Western and urban Christians, for whom it is more culturally accepted. But drunkenness and abuse are prohibited.
The next issue is a more serious accusation, namely the kind of Christianity practised and believed in Malaysia is a distortion of the original and the way of Jesus. This is a more complex matter. On making a value judgment or even to generalise on this aspect, one must apply great caution on the principle of mutual respect.
In Malaysia, the Federal Constitution protects the right of "every person to profess and practise his religion" [Article 11(1)]. This right includes the right of every religious group to "manage its own religious affairs" [Article 11(3)(a)]. This constitutional reference implies that it is that religious group which will determine its religious belief and manage its affairs, especially the religious leadership. Therefore, it will be wrong for anyone outside the faith or religion to make a judgment call or even define whether the teachings are right or wrong.
Unfortunately, in the case of Zawawi, he has disregarded the views of Christians and Christian religious leaders from Christian tradition. As the first reference to this was in Parliament, the speaker could review this matter and address this issue in the next sitting.
It would be good for Zawawi to adopt a more reconciliatory approach and visit Christian leaders and draw a conclusion in the Malaysian spirit of harmony. I visited Kedah and Kelantan recently and spent time with local community leaders, some of whom were from Islamic religious and Malay political communities. They exhibited humility and compassion, and these Muslim leaders were very appreciative of multicultural Malaysia.
This is yet another occasion for the need for a Community Mediation Commission where communities that might differ in public could seek an approach through community mediation to address their differences in a spirit of harmony and mutual respect.
Therefore, in the spirit of Merdeka and in building a nation, let us foster a spirit of reconciliation and harmony. This is yet another occasion calling on us to resolve it in humility and friendship with a deep sense of God's peace in our hearts and communities.
The writer is associate fellow, Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times