Migrate if you are not happy, says Ridhuan Tee
Controversial lecturer Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah (pic) today said those who were not happy living in Malaysia should pack their bags and head for greener pastures.
In his Sinar Harian column, Ridhuan said this was an easy issue for him – if Malaysia was not a paradise for certain parties, then they should leave.
"Why do these irresponsible parties not move abroad? Because Malaysia is heaven. Why are they still making insistent demands? Because they want a better heaven," he said.
He also criticised several leaders of non-governmental organisations for exposing Malaysia's negative points to US President Barack Obama.
"Malaysia is essentially a good country, but certain quarters are responsible for criticising the country's system," he said.
The National Defence University Malaysia lecturer said these non-Islamic NGOs had avidly questioned Obama about the US.
"Their questions and views did not even take the country they are residing in into consideration, how easy it is for them to make a living in Malaysia," Ridhuan said.
During his recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, Obama had held an hour-long meeting with 10 community groups who had raised human rights issue and political accusations made against opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Former Bersih 2.0 chairperson Datuk S. Ambiga had said issues raised with Obama included racial and religious polarisation, political divisions in Putrajaya, free elections and media restrictions.
Ridhuan also claimed that Malaysia did not have the characteristics of an Islamic country due to the increase in the number of temples and churches.
"Not only have the number of non-Muslim places of worship exceeded the number of mosques and surau, but Bahasa Malaysia has also lost its essence.
"Places of worship in Malaysia will soon make the country look more like a non-Muslim country with the increasing number of churches, kuil and temples," he wrote in his column.
Ridhuan said the institutions of higher learning in Malaysia no longer practised Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, but placed priority on English and Chinese.
He also defended Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) for questioning non-Muslim scholarship applicants about Islam.
"What was done is not wrong, especially as the 'Allah' issue is being fiercely debated by various quarters," Ridhuan said.
"Where is the harm if the interview includes the subject of Islam? If the applicant can answer, it is considered a credit. If cannot answer, no problem."
Ridhuan said if an applicant was unable to answer questions about Islam, it did not mean that he would be sidelined or rejected.
"I am not saying what the interviewer did was right, but the quarters which have raised the issue and criticised Mara are too much.
"Sometimes in an interview, we are also asked to compare religions. The Muslim students have never made a fuss."
Last week, deputy Mara director for Sarawak Mariam Mokhtar told The Malaysian Insider that an officer from the Kuala Lumpur headquarters was under investigation after he had allegedly quizzed non-Muslim Bumiputera scholarship applicants about Islam during the interviews.
Mariam had said that non-Muslim students who attended the scholarship interview did not have to be questioned about Islam. – May 5, 2014.
