Knowing that this might be my last opportunity to attend an edition of the Northeast Malaysia Forum in Kuala Lumpur, I decided to be there. Although the KL site was not be as big as main site — as true for two previous editions organized in 2005 and 2008 — I saw great improvement this time around for KL compared.
Unlike previous editions, the KL site was hosted in a proper studio this year. On top of that, the site accommodated audience. There were probably more or less 20 people there, including the studio crew, volunteers, panelists and audience. That was not possible in the past.
This edition was larger in its reach too. Apart from Yale and KL, there were a host of following from other cities, namely Chicago, Singapore, London and Sydney. This is a proof that the alumni of Malaysia Forum are spreading their wing wider.
Now, the most interesting statement that came out from the KL site to me is the one from MP Khalid Samad.
He was touching about freedom of religion. In response to a question relating to Lina Joy, he said that if God had willed it, he would have made everybody a Muslim. But God does not do that and that says a lot about the freedom of religion that Islam grants.
I am not quite sure if he is saying simply because the audience was primarily a liberal group but given his track record, I am willing to give him the benefit of doubt. He is after all one of the more reasonable PAS members, probably in the same vein of the PAS MP from Kuala Selangor, Dr. Dzulkifli Ahmad. When I said reasonable, that definitely means better than a majority of BN MPs.
While appealing to freedom of religion, it is unclear what he thinks of Muslims having the same liberty. He did say in the same evening in front of the same audience that Muslims have their own laws and their should abide to it.
For further material on what was discussed by Khalid Samad, as well as MP Yusmadi Yusoff, friend Yeoh Chen Chow did a good job at summarizing it.[1] You may evaluate Khalid Samad’s words yourself there.
[1] — [Live Blogging of NMF – YB Yusmadi Yusoff & YB Khalid Samad. Yeoh Chen Chow. April 11 2009]
p/s — MP Yusmadi Yusoff, just before leaving the premise, invites members of Northeast Malaysia Forum to visit the Parliament during one of the sittings over the summer. All the more reason why YOU PEOPLE should come back.
He is also looking for individuals to participate in the Asian Renaissance Conference to be held in Manila, the Philippines later in December 2009. What is that? I leave their website to do the explaining.
Interested?
Contact him. Or contact me (I have nothing to do with the Conference. Just doing him a favor).