I will tell you what is happening. The kind of Islam that was advocated by the religious state in waiting was becoming mainstream in the then opposition.

And now there are former Muslim opposition supporters who will support PAS because they think Islam is under threat. You cannot claim that you want Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, to be Malaysian first and at the same time promote the religious agenda of Muslim political cabals.

These religious cabals, whether the friendly faces of Amanah, the race-based realpolitik of Bersatu or Umno, have one thing in common - they all claim ownership in one way or another of Islam in this country.

You cannot hitch your wagon to any one of these cabals and at the same time, claim to be a secular political entity.

Think about this for a moment. The claim that PAS uses Islam to divide the country is exactly what pro-establishment Islamists say about the government.

When you favour one narrative, one experience over the other, you are by definition making a stand, choosing a side and playing to the Islamic divisions in this country. It really does not matter if you think the side you have chosen is “correct” in their interpretation of Islam.

And consider Lee’s apology. I get that some folks believe that this was somehow owning the opposition but the reality is that it is the perfect snapshot which would be used by the propagandists in PAS of how an arrogant non-Muslim, behaves when confronted on his religious impropriety.

Narratives at play

Take a simple action like non-Muslim political operatives donning the tudung.

Isn't it strange that non-Muslim political operatives decide to use the tudung for political gain, but when it comes to Muslim women deciding not to wear the tudung, these same political operatives suddenly clam up which encourages a monolithic narrative that invades our public and private spaces?

We live in a country where non-Muslims, depending on the state they live in, cannot use certain words. We live in a country where non-Muslims are constantly told not to trespass into Islam. We live in a country where books on religion, especially by Muslims on their faith are banned.

Would it be pragmatic if non-Muslim political operatives spoke up on these issues? Well, they don't, why the rush by these political operatives to use religion when they think it will benefit them?

Whenever I talk with people who support PN, the commonality of this diverse base is that people believe in the primacy of their religion over individual and collective rights.

But more importantly, the primacy of their dogma over other religions (which is normal) and that their dogma should be imposed on everyone regardless of their own belief systems (which is the definition of fascism).

This is why I have always maintained that DAP, and indeed all non-Malay political operatives, should be strictly secular in terms of how they present their ideas and agendas.

They should not give in to the temptation of thinking that they could go the easy route and manipulate religious sentiment for populist appeal.

And apropos of everything, thank you Muda and PSM for reminding us that the Sedition Act needs to be repealed.