A controversial Muslim rights group has criticised newly-launched civil movement Negara-Ku, accusing it of being "just a new face on the block but with the same agenda of going against Islam".
Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman (pic) said in a posting on its website that the movement was merely a new front promoting religious pluralism, liberalism and humanism.
"Their agenda and focus are the same, to go against Islam as the religion of the Federation and the rights of Malays in this Malay heartland.
"You can use any name, but we know who you are and who you work for," he added.
Zaik was responding to the launch of Negara-Ku, which is being spearheaded by Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia deputy president Zaid Kamaruddin, who is the steering committee chairperson.
The patrons are prominent lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said and former vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Tan Sri Simon Sipaun.
Some 68 civil society groups and NGOs have endorsed Negara-Ku, which is aimed at mobilising and empowering people to return to the basics of the Federal Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement, and the Rukunegara.
Touted as the "people's movement to reclaim our nation", the movement was conceived to heal Malaysia and restore hope, given recent challenges that continue to threaten the peace and harmony of its multi-ethnic and multi-faith society.
At the launch today, Samad said religion was increasingly being used as the marker of identity, and as a boundary-maintenance mechanism to polarise the people.
"The mobilisation and manipulation of race, ethnicity and religion have resulted in increasing intolerance, bigotry and extremism.
"There is also an emerging subculture of political violence. These are symptomatic of dangerous undercurrents in our society," Samad said.
He added that the state, by "default or design", had failed to address these developments.
- TMI
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