As Thanksgiving season ramps up in the United States for that one special day on which to give thanks, Malaysians have this entire month with which to celebrate Keluarga Malaysia.
This is a good time to reflect on what makes a family — what family means to us, who are our family members and whether they matter to us, and whether our family is important enough for us to strive to be united.
This is a good time to think on where we are, and where we want to be together. And there is no better opportunity than when issues crop up that threaten to break us apart.
A case in point is the recent announcement by the Kedah menteri besar that local authorities would not be renewing the business licences of all gaming shops in the state, effectively shutting them down. Such an arbitrary and unilateral decision does not bode well for Keluarga Malaysia.
It's not that families don't have their problems; but, in a group where family matters, problems should be discussed, and solutions arrived at by consensus. When decisions are made in the interest of one party, but it oppresses another, what kind of family dynamics does Malaysia have?
Malaysia is supposed to uphold democratic principles. And whichever political party is in power, of whichever religious persuasion, should always strive to protect the rights and freedoms of all its ethnic groups.
The religious beliefs and values of any specific religion should guide their own believer, but not be used to oppress those who do not believe. The Pas-led Kedah government seems to be operating under the assumption that Kedah, or Malaysia, is a theocracy.
Even though Islam is Malaysia's official religion, this does not make Malaysia a theocracy. That is a slippery slope that we must not descend, for it poses an existential threat to the original concept of Malaysia.
Democracy also involves protecting the rights of minorities, and no government should change the rules on non-Muslims, as well as that of Muslims who do not want a theocracy, as if their rights and opinions do not count.
Kedah and Malaysia also need to consider how far, if at all, it wants to go down this moral-policing path. If Muslims are availing themselves of these activities, the solution is better education so that they understand the logic of religious commandments, and not to deprive non-Muslims of their freedoms.
And if Pas is sincere in preventing things that are detrimental to the community, why has the Kedah fatwa declaring smoking as haram for Muslims still not been gazetted, even though it was issued in 1995? Gazetting the fatwa would give Islamic religious authorities the licence to go after every Muslim who lights up in Kedah. And why is tobacco farming such a big industry in Pas-led Kelantan? The reality is that banning goods and activities won't get rid of the problem, but rather, drive it underground, creating a shadow economy that cannot be regulated or taxed.
The federal government understands this, which is why it seeks to make online gambling legal. So, why is there such a wide disparity between state and federal, given that they are on the same side? Whichever political coalition that leads government must do so working on the multi-cultural and multi-religious framework of Malaysia as an ethnically-diverse country.