COMMENT | Politicking under the influence

"Efforts by the government to uphold Islam can be seen in the constitution which has placed Islam as the religion of the federation."

- Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki

COMMENT | The quote by Asyraf that opens this piece was made when he was a panellist at a conference titled "Bicara Minda dan Sesi Dialog Perjuangan For All" in 2017. Why is this important? This is important because another panellist at that conference was then Umno info chief Annuar Musa.

Annuar Musa recently said that the recent guidelines for alcohol applications and sales had nothing to do with religion and was a strategy to look after the well-being of "the Kuala Lumpur community, especially the less fortunate and the needy in continuing with their lives amidst the Covid-19 pandemic".

The prime minister on another related issue even "joking" about how it may be a good idea for nightclubs and pubs to remain closed because it is difficult to have "social distancing" in these venues points to the kind of religious and moral pandering that goes in this Malay uber alles government.

Take this anecdote from Martin Vengadesan's latest report where "live music and deejays are already not allowed, but many more are not even permitted to play piped-in music or even broadcast entertainment on their TV screens".

Keep in mind this is a country where we have a religious body which decries "excessive laughter"...