dr m: i’m not a muslim hadhari, i’m a muslim, period.

exclusive interview with dr m by malaysia kini, part 3 (final)
part 1 here.

part 2 here.

EXTRACT:

* People are complaining about the switch from teaching Maths and Science in
Bahasa Malaysia to English. In hindsight, do you think it was a good
decision?

I still hold to the belief that if we want to make progress, if the Malays
want to make progress, they must master English and they must learn science
and mathematics in English. I would like to see a person who is totally
illiterate in English, or any other language except Malay, make progress in
science and study science. We can learn the elementary sciences – that this
is oxygen, this is hydrogen – but once you want to move into higher
sciences, you want to be a Nobel laureate…

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* A few years ago (In September 2001) you declared Malaysia an Islamic
state. Given that there has been increased religious tensions lately, what
do you think of that declaration in hindsight?

It has to nothing to do with the Islamic state, this increase in tensions.
It’s just because you don’t explain things properly to the other side.
During my time, I opposed hudud laws because they are not hudud laws not
because I oppose religious laws. I’m opposed to their interpretation of
hudud laws because they are not based on the teachings of Islam.

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read the interview in full