COMMENT | In a recent TV interview, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said, "Sometimes these politicians will say that if Anwar becomes prime minister then Islam will be ruined, secularism and communism will gain a foothold, and LGBT will be recognised. This is a delusion. Of course, it will not happen and God willing, under my administration, this is not going to happen.”

Replace Islam with Christianity and what you get is exactly the claptrap that right-wing American political charlatans sell their base while spreading division and chaos. Mind you, there is a difference between genuine American conservatism and the rantings of fringe right-wing nutters (who are holding the GOP hostage as evidenced by the recent speaker of the House fiasco) but really, politicians using religion to con the base is something that is happening all over the world.

Here in Malaysia, it puts people, even those with differing religious beliefs, in a spot, because...