Tim Blair

Some professional cynic said "In America, they say, any boy can grow up to be President. I'm beginning to beleive they're right."

So what else is new? The party's spiritual leader, Nik Aziz Nik Mat, last week declared that anyone who didn't vote the Islamist ticket would go to hell.

This amendment is probably aimed at the ethnic Chinese minority who seem to do most of the work in Malaysia.

Then again, Tim, both Australia and New Zealand are countries where the constitutional head of state is, incidentally, Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Defender of The Faith and forbidden by law from either converting to, or marrying someone of, another faith without being removed from the succession.

Don't sound too secular to me.

You also forgot to mention Craig that the Sovereign is not elected and can obnly be the person hereditarily elegible. As a result of consitutional development, the Sovereign retains only vestigial remnants of power. Rather the Monarch is a symbolic leader of the nation and its institutions. Therfore, it is appropriate that such a person be the head of the National Church and be prevented from marrying a Catholic.

The Malaysian case is very different. What is being proposeed there is a restriction of an elective office to a certain group of people. Imagine the outcry in the US or Oz if it were suddenly annouced that only a Chrisitian could be elected President or PM.

...the prime minister could be anyone...

(sarcastic mode) This seems a valid concern. I mean, they wouldn't want someone like Osama bin Laden to be their next prime minister, would they?
Though hang on a second. Restricting the prime ministership to muslims would mean... hmmm, I think this idea needs a bit more work... (/sarcastic mode)

Of course, it would be a good idea if we were to legislate that any positions in government CANNOT be held by dirty rag heads.

Since the ruling coalition of Barisan National is dominated by Malays (via UMNO)- and virtually all Malays are Muslims - the possibility that Awang speaks of exists only in the theoretical realm.

The Chinese in Malaysia have long given up hope of securing political power. They are happy simply to live their lives without being molested on account of their ethnicity and retain any rights they already have now.

Yeah, Jimi, you should insist on only clean ragheads. Oh, that wasn't what you meant? Sorry, I never became fluent in Moronese.

Sorry Andrea, for those a little slow forgot to indicate

That's meant to say........

Sorry Andrea, for those a little slow, forgot to indicate /SARCASM

I'm a little slow this arvo too.

I'm truly fed up of these guys and their hatred for everybody else who is not like them.

Just great. Another country Schwarzenegger can't be head of if the proposal gets accepted.

Toryhere wrote:
Rather the Monarch is a symbolic leader of the nation and its institutions. Therfore, it is appropriate that such a person be the head of the National Church and be prevented from marrying a Catholic.

I reply:
Let me think about this: It's OK if a non-elected monarch (and the Head of State with some genuine constitutional clout in New Zealand, through the Governor General) is determined on the basis of religion - and one I actually regard as a heretical cult - but it really sucks arse if Indonesia puts a religious qualification on its head of Government?

You have to explain the logic of that.