It has been a long-standing belief among leading thinkers that the world should be governed by men of reason and the laws of physics.

Most of these thinkers do not live in Malaysia.

If they did, they'd quickly realise that our poor multi-racist country is not, in fact, governed by men of reason or the laws of physics. It is instead governed by mystics and the laws of ancient spiritual magic.

That is why it is difficult to be a reasonable person, to apply common sense and basic human decency, in the country. Especially if you're constitutionally defined as a Malay.

Credulity is a currency in Malaysia. It brings credibility to people that may in fact, be cretins.

What is it about us that makes us so gullible? What is it about us that makes us believe in the absurd, to the point of putting irrational men and women who operate on unreason into positions of authority?

This is a nation where the Selangor Mufti's Department could hold an "Expert Seminar" on "Forms of Love Magic and Diagnosis Methodology."

And in that very seminar, the state's Mufti called for laws to govern the use of magic, especially of the black kind. To appreciate the insanity of the situation, reflect that the man who is the highest authority in his state on matters regarding Islam called on the multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith government of Malaysia to consider having laws to "govern" the use of black magic.

To further drive home the depths of the nonsense, the Deputy Spiritual Leader of PAS reaffirmed the Mufti's call, saying that the use of black magic should result in punishment that could include jail and punishment.

He would say that too, given that apart from being the Spiritual Leader (Deputy), he also runs a clinic that helps to purge patients of afflictions caused by infestation of djinns.

So harebrained was the call by both the Mufti and the Spiritual Leader (Deputy) that the fact that it was made during a "seminar" on "Love Potions" seemed to have escaped the attention of many. Or at least one would like to think that was the case. The alternative explanation--that a seminar on love potions is perfectly normal to most people--does not really bear thinking about.

While there have been no reports of any statements produced, it would not be a surprise if it is found that the Persatuan Peguam Syarie Malaysia wholeheartedly supports the call for the law.

After all, the deputy president of the association had once been reported as saying that he believes that black magic is occasionally employed during trials in court, with clients even bringing bomohs into the courtroom.

There were also other syarie lawyers who were reported to have confessed to experiencing disturbances while presenting their cases. In the Syariah Court. The courtroom where the fates of ordinary men and women are sometimes decided.

And the silliness does not end.

This is a nation where a young man swears on the Holy Book, in a mosque, that he was forcefully sodomised by a former Deputy Prime Minister and have the "ceremony" broadcast on national television.

While at the same time, a man who was actually the Deputy Prime Minister at the time swore on the Holy Book, in a mosque, that he had nothing to do with the alleged murder of a Mongolian translator.

This is a nation where reports of flying prayer mats are taken seriously by the religious authorities.

This is a nation where a father considers being "hypnotised" as a legitimate excuse for marrying off his 11-year old daughter to a lecher who already had four wives.

This is a nation where a party defector is threatened by a 7-day "solat hajat" for God's punishment if he does not vacate his Parliamentary seat. When asked about the nature of the punishment, the organiser (who happens to be the PAS commissioner for Perak) said that he would leave it to God to decide. As this is being written, the prayers are possibly on the third day of their punishment request.

This is a nation where an NGO in Penang went prowling all over the island to advise and counsel ladies against not wearing their underpants on Valentine's Day because there was a "no-panties" promotion being passed through word-of-mouth among higher institutions ... in Shah Alam.

This is a nation where defending your racial "rights" is not considered racist, but those who protest against the defense of these "rights" are considered a bunch of ungrateful, social-contract breaking, immigrants. But, if you happen to be of the same race and religion of these defenders, then you are ipso facto a traitor.

This is a nation where online newspapers cannot get press accreditation or publishing permits, but an overtly racist NGO is allowed to produce tomorrow's toilet paper in quick time.

While all this is going on, a bunch of people keep arguing--for years on end--as to whether Malaysia should be a secular or an Islamic state.

Never mind the argument about whether we should be a secular or a religious state, we don't even seem to have the ability to separate between the real and the fantastic states.

And this is why reasonable men and women living in this country should be ever so slightly worried. Because speaking up against the crazy puts you into a basket of labels. The mildest one would be "uneducated moderate", progressing through to "ungrateful immigrant", "traitor to the race", "liberal", "pluralist", "hedonist", "kafir-lover", "heretic" and usually ending up with "apostate".

Surely we can do better than this. (By YUSSERI YUSOFF/The Malaysian Insider)