COMMENT In Malaysia, is being a Muslim a prerequisite to being an ethical leader?

The iconic former spiritual leader of PAS, the late Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, stated that only a Muslim could be the prime minister of Malaysia. His popular argument was crouched in terms of majoritarian politics but a deeper introspection suggests that the Tok Guru had a vision for a Malaysian state that was ruled by Islamic scholars.

An analysis of Malaysia’s fifth prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who ruled from 2003 to 2009 and is considered the most qualified “Islamic” leader among Malaysia’s six Muslim prime ministers, raises more questions than it resolves...