Moderation? Clean up our backyard first

Comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers

‘The nation is crying out for firm action and we get more sweet-smelling words. The only thing moderate about Najib are his words.’

Moderation is the way forward, says Najib

Loyal Malaysian
: Malaysia is “synonymous with moderation, inclusiveness and good governance”, said PM Najib Razak.

I beg to differ. You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool thinking Malaysians. Moderation? Your government forbid Christians from using the word ‘Allah’, claiming it is exclusively for Malaysia’s Muslims.

Inclusiveness? You are the ring leader in the immoral and unscrupulous power grab in Perak by using the government bureaucracy, security instruments and judiciary. Why? Your government cannot accept that the rakyat of Perak had rejected Umnoputras.

Good governance? You have the decency to say this. Your government used of all the instruments of state to persecute Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. That’s good governance?

I wonder how much donation Umnoputras are giving Oxford University this time.

Bert
: What a hypocrite. Najib can’t control the extremism of Utusan Malaysia, Ibrahim Ali and Pembela, and he wants to preach to the world on moderation. Please take care of your backyard and then you can go and preach to the world on moderation.

Cannon
: The nation is crying out for firm action and we get more sweet-smelling words. The Perkasa goon and Utusan are mocking the PM. If Najib does not act to rein in the troublemakers, he is going to be up-ended like Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Malaysians will have to learn that we must not elect compromised leaders. Such characters are unable to make hard decisions in tough times and can’t assert leadership because of the baggage they carry. The only thing moderate about Najib are his words.

AnakPinang
: There must be a special school for Umno where the hopefuls learn how to maintain poker faces while telling the most blatant lies, live corrupt, adulterous lives while swearing on the Quran and be a flaming racist yet exhort moderation.

Maybe he was at Oxford as a specimen for research into the culture of the Umno Muslim in Malaysia where it’s all show and no substance.

WangMalaysia
: What a cart of crap, Najib. If moderation is the way to go, then you should not be hauling up just those that were allegedly plotting to turn Malaysia into a Christian state, but those who made these baseless allegations. And once it is proven to be false, the perpetrators of the seditious allegations be tried and jailed.

While you not only give those who make these false allegations a slap on the wrist, you gave them a free reign to make even more seditious statements, and even a declaration of war. What kind of PM are you? Moderate? I bet my bottom dollar you are not.

Black Mamba
: Najib gives this lofty speeches from New York to Oxford about moderation but is he practising them? No!

A clear example back home is Ibrahim Ali. A bigot filled with hatred who spew violence against the minority, and is condoned by the Najib administration. I suggest Najib stop hoodwinking the West on moderate Islam when he can’t rein in a loose cannon in his own backyard.

Dr David KL Quek
: It is hard to reconcile Najib’s articulated vision of moderation, from his seemingly artful neglect of this vaunted ideal in his dealings at home: the scurrilous scandals and the irrepressible excesses of ‘protected’ racial and religious bigots, and constant baiting of our battered minorities.

Muslim lawyers
: ‘Crusade’ out of the question

Anonymous
: Question to Association of Muslim Lawyers Malaysia (PPMM): Please state specific cases where non-Muslims have questioned the position of Islam in the last 20 years? We hear too many stories which play on the emotions of Muslims and creating fear in them so that those in power can defend their positions.

Fellow Malaysians, the time has come. Stand for what you believe. Please do not bow to emotional blackmails. The future of our children are in our hands. Let’s not be the sinners for not rejecting self-centred politicians and leaders.

On the day of Judgment/Hari Kiamat, we have no excuse for not acting against injustice, corruption and poor leadership. We are personally accountable for voting for/against these leaders. All of us are jointly responsible for their actions.

Ksn
: There are two things PPMM president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar said which need clarification.

One
: Some group has always questioned the position of Islam. Which group? Second: This is not the time to defend Islam, with ‘jihad’. Defend from whom and who is attacking Islam?

Will you answer the two questions above?

Paul Warren
: “Zainul Rijal said it is ‘very saddening’ that feelings of tolerance had eroded to such levels as to lead Ibrahim Ali to make such remarks.”

Who exactly being intolerant here? So Ibrahim is an angel, who has to respond very reluctantly to intolerant people?

He also urges non-Muslims to respect the position of Islam as the religion of the nation as stipulated in Article 3(1) of the federal constitution. Now it would seem like not only Ibrahim Ali and the Umno-led government, but also the Muslim Association of Lawyers too are proceeding under the assumption that non-Muslims have failed to respect Article 3(1) of the constitution.

May I ask the association to please cite very specifically all those incidents and also all the Christians who have made statements that might support their assumptions and contentions.

Roberts
: Zainul, just what do you mean by “if the purported plot to ‘Christianise’ Malaysia turned out to be true”? It is taking like forever to determine whether it is true, and that should tell you that it is not true.

Alicescat
: For 53 years we have accepted the fact that Islam is the official religion of this country. For 53 years we have lived and we will continue to live with this fact and there was never a time when any Malaysian has ever question the position of Islam in this country.

Why is it so difficult for some people to accept the fact that we have accepted and respected the position of Islam in this country? We have accepted the fact that Islam is the official religion of this country. Please accept the fact that we have accepted.

Let’s move on. We need to move our economy forward. We need to fight corruption. Or we may end up losing our way of life.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 10:18 am and is filed under
Najib Razak
,
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Nazri opens floodgates to religious hatred

Malaysiakini

May 18, 11

‘Does it mean we can all now make seditious and insensitive remarks without any repercussions? This has gone out of line.’

Nazri: No action against Ibrahim Ali

Roberts:
De facto law minister Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz misses the point. Yes, it is true that hundreds of irresponsible bloggers of all colour and creed have made sensitive comments to hurt and inflame other communities. But they are individuals.

Perkasa is a registered organisation and Malay daily Utusan Malaysia is a licensed newspaper. Can they act in the same wanton abandon as irresponsible bloggers and tweeters?

Rape is rampant in Malaysia – do we want to condone it by saying that it is the norm? Corruption is rampant – shall we then legalise it? Drug addiction is widespread, shall we let it be and say it is the norm? Crime is widespread these days – shall we do nothing about it?

There will always be irresponsible individuals, but when institutions like Perkasa and a national daily act recklessly, then our society will really go down the drain, for these institutions represent our collective conscience and morality.

Black Mamba:
 I am shocked that the de facto law minister can come out with such a lame explanation like that. Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali did not tweet nor blog his warning to the Christians. He aroused religious sentiments in a public rally in front of a 150-strong crowd.

If you are prepared to condone such actions, be prepared for the consequences.

Hamisu:
 Does it mean we can all now make seditious and insensitive remarks without any repercussions? This has gone out of line. Now it appears that if something’s a norm, then there’s nothing wrong with it.

This appears to be the prevailing twisted logic of our de facto law minister. Crimes are the norm. Drug abuse has become the norm. Abandoning babies has become the norm. Domestic violence has become a norm. Does it mean everything is alright? What kind of minister is this?

Changeagent:
 What a weak and lame reasoning by the de facto law minister. Just because something is a Malaysian norm doesn’t mean that it has to be tolerated, not especially when it relates to matters as serious as religious extremism, creating racial tension and inciting social upheaval or violence.

That is why we have common laws to safeguard public order, security and civility. Anyone who breaches the law or commits an offence must be prosecuted, and it matters little whether the crime is considered a norm or not.

It seems that Nazri is extremely unqualified to hold onto his current portfolio ministership when he doesn’t even understand the basic functions of law in society. He is seriously out of his depth here.

Cannon:
That’s how arrogant and defiant Umno is in standing up for its rabid mouthpiece. Other than practising tokenism, Umno refuses to share power with its BN ‘partners’, let alone turn over its power to another.

That’s why it violently resists the possibility of Pakatan taking over Putrajaya and, through Perkasa, threatens to spill the blood of Christians, if they should vote for the opposition. This gangsterism of Umno/Perkasa is a ‘norm’ Malaysians have to accept.

Nazri has made a mockery of PM Najib Razak’s moderation. The fact is, Umno will not accept a two-party system, which means that a vote for BN is a vote for Umno and for more of this nonsense – and worst.

If Umno should retain power, it will ensure that the two-party system will never take root. Umno will finish dismantling our system of checks and balances to safeguard its power. It’s vital for Malaysians to unite and vote out Umno in GE13 before it demolishes our democracy.

Alan Goh:
 Nazri says that it is the norm for everybody to make seditious remarks and the news media can print anything, and therefore no action will be taken against them.

Thank you, Nazri, for the clarification. But please ensure that this new interpretation of the law applies to everyone and not just Umnoputras, Ibrahim Ali and Utusan.

Anonymous_40a7:
 Nazri, from this second onwards, you and the government will be held responsible for all the abuse, torture, suffering, victimisation, injuries and death to the Christian community by the radicals and fanatics of Islam due to your insensitive and warped thinking. Remember – each blood dropped is on your hands now.

Tan Kim Keong:
 Nazri, if the need is there to prosecute all people accused of making seditious statements, then it has be to done. You are a lawyer. A felony is a felony. I believe you know this very well.

In a civil society, people who commit felonies do not go unpunished. Otherwise the authority will be deemed as condoning incitement of religious and racial hatred, as in the case of Ibrahim Ali.

So what is stopping you from charging Ibrahim Ali with making seditious statements against adherents of another religion?

Chipmunk:
So what Nazri is saying is that since it is a “norm” in Malaysia, the door is open for all to criticise every other religion, and I believe, that includes Islam and the Muslims? Can Nazri issue a directive that we can now criticise the Malays as well?

The other races have been tolerant and have refrained from saying anything about Islam, but since it is a norm, as what Nazri said, I want to see if any action will be taken if the Malays were criticized.

Easyone:
 Don’t fall to Nazri’s trap. The moment DAP says something disputable, they will be put under the ISA. These lackeys cannot be trusted.

Anak Kedah:
 This moron and his handlers are trying to provoke a violent response to Perkasa’s verbal vomit so that they can use it as an excuse for Ops Lalang II.

They have been trying hard to decapitate Pakatan Rakyat’s leadership – Anwar Ibrahim with the sham Sodomy II trial, and now preparing the ground to round up the rest of Pakatan leaders with Ops Lalang II.

The Tarik:
 If making such sensitive statements is okay, then why do we have ISA and the Printing Presses and Publication Act?

If you are sincere, then scrap both these acts. Let all the newspapers in the country openly discuss the so-called sensitive issues. Let the Star, New Straits Times, Tamil Nesan and Sin Chew Daily report the scams and scandals that are being discussed only in the alternative media.

Let there be press freedom. Give Pakatan licence to start newspapers. Let our country’s press freedom index rise from the bottom.

Otherwise, Nazri, your comments are pure baloney. Otherwise you are practising selective persecution and are not fit to be the law minister. Otherwise you are a law minister only to protect the interests of Umno, Perkasa, and Utusan. And otherwise, your comments smack of stupid hypocrisy.

Solomon Moses:
 Very well, Nazri, you have opened the floodgates. I am calling on all level-headed Malaysians to declare ‘jihad’ against Umno and Perkasa, and all level-headed Malaysians, I am sure, will join this ‘jihad’.

Dood:
 Well, if they’re not going to take action against Ibrahim Ali for his very obviously dangerous threats, then why would there be any question of any action against what the pastors supposedly said?

Is it more dangerous to declare ‘jihad’ against another community or to declare a desire for a Christian PM (if that even happened)?

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 9:07 am and is filed under
1Malaysia
,
Law & Order
,
Religion
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Non-Muslim PM! Why not?

By
RK Anand
 | May 18, 2011

Free Malaysia Today

Huddled in the driver’s seat of those red and white cars zipping through traffic is a political animal, whose eyes light up when prodded on the happenings in the nation. These are the asphalt soothsayers who predict the fate of politicians and political parties for a fee determined, at least among the more scrupulous ones, by a meter affixed to the dashboard.

In one such episode on a sweltering afternoon, the catalyst being a mangled Proton being towed, a cabbie laments about the deplorable state of Malaysian-made cars and how he is forced to drive a particular make, because that is the rule.

Taking solace in the fact that he is behind the wheel of an antiquated model, powered by a reliable Mitsubishi motor, he sneers that there is nothing “pro” in the locally-designed “Campro” engine fitted in the newer cars.

Instead of stuffing these cars down our throats by imposing exorbitant taxes on foreign models, making the probability of owning one for an average wage earner a distant dream, he suggests that local manufacturers simply make good cars. How difficult can that be? He mused.

He fails to comprehend the logic of repeatedly sounding the alarm over the high number of fatal road accidents when these companies churn out coffins on wheels.

And in the next sentence, he blames the government, as cabbies often do.

Shaking his head in disappointment, he utters these prophetic words: “Something must change. If the government does not want to change, then we must change the government.”

The alleged Christian plot

Predictably, the conversation soon drifts towards the latest controversy and the cabbie turns up the air-conditioning another notch. It is the alleged plot to baptise Malaysia and install a Christian prime minister at its helm. The Buddhist cabbie sees nothing wrong with this.

“Who cares about the PM’s religion? Why are these fellows making so much noise? Nonsense!” he thunders, thumping his right hand on the heat-baked and sweat-stained steering wheel.

Warned that such unbridled subversiveness can land him in trouble, he balks and eases his foot off the accelerator, nearly bringing the car to a halt. “Are you police, special branch?”

When assured that he is communicating with a civilian, he lets out a sigh of relief and continues with his thoughts on the dicey subject, turning one air-conditioning vent in his direction.

He argues that the prime minister’s race and religion are negligible issues, especially in this era when even the US, where unspeakable atrocities had been committed against the blacks once, can now embrace Barack Obama as its leader.

To him, if the prime minister believes in doing the right thing, is not corrupt and helps people of all races, then the latter will be doing the bidding of God, irrespective of his faith or even if he is an atheist.

The cabbie has a point.

Perhaps the time has come for Malaysians to accept the fact that such a fate is possible. Not now, but in the future when values and integrity take precedence over creed and colour. When race-based political parties and the likes of Perkasa and Hindraf are reduced to nothing more than museum artifacts.

On that December day nearly six decades ago in Alabama, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger and became an icon for the civil rights movement, did a single American, regardless of colour, imagine that a “black” (albeit half) will rule the White House?

Borderless world

Like it or not, politics of race is a shrinking commodity in a borderless world, and Malaysia is no exception. Economically, the country is rapidly evolving but politically, it is still trapped in the Jurassic era, with some dinosaurs demanding that the clock stands still at May 13, 1969.

These agent provocateurs warn of bloodletting if the status quo is challenged.

Is it possible that even after 42 years, Malaysians are still prepared to put down their Starbucks coffee, pick up machetes and run amok through the malls, decapitating heads and severing limbs? Or mount horses and camels; and gallop through the city streets to wage a crusade? Or perhaps, they just prefer to make a beeline at the cinemas when the next installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” hits the screens and let the politicians cull each other.

Will politicians themselves want to plunge the nation into the economic dark ages with a civil strife and risk not being invited again to deliver a speech on moderation at prestigious tertiary institutions?

It is these agent provocateurs who are Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Barisan Nasional’s real political threat, not the opposition. It is they who provide the rivals with sledgehammers to punch holes in the 1Malaysia concept. And the longer Najib tolerates them, the greater he risks standing on a pile of rubble.

Some call it freedom of expression. But when one form of expression is curtailed and in some cases handcuffed, while another, despite the dangers it poses, is allowed to spread the entire length and breadth of the nation, it reeks of double standard and ulterior political motives.

“What are the Malays trying to protect?” asks the flustered cabbie, throwing his hands into the air but promptly bringing them down when the car veers off to the right in the direction of a drain. “The alignment is bad, I must fix it soon or my tyres will ‘rosak’ (wear out). Tyres not cheap, boss, everything now is expensive, don’t know what this government is doing.”

Asked to elaborate on his earlier remark, the cabbie’s economic grievance comes to an abrupt end and he leans closer. “The Malays are not stupid, they know what is happening. My Malay friends also tell me the same thing, they also read the Internet. You cannot bullshit to them.”

‘People want peace’

The cabbie explains that while Perkasa’s screams about protecting special rights, a large number of Malays are still struggling to make ends meet in this land which they “lord” over.

“Who are those living in low-cost flats? Who rides motorcycles because they cannot afford cars? These fellows talk as if all the Malays are rich, so they must protect their wealth from people like us. Only a handful are rich, the rest are poor. So where did the money go? Into a few pockets!”

“Sometimes on TV they show Malay families with no money for food. The children cannot even afford to go to school. How can this happen when you are the ‘tuan’ (master) and you have a Malay PM?”

“If you truly care about your race, you will make them more confident. You won’t put them down by telling them that they cannot survive without help. You will make them independent, not dependent.”

The cabbie also believes that Malaysians, especially the Malays, have become more mature and tolerant towards different views and that is why despite some quarters desperately trying to stir up trouble, nothing adverse happens.

“When the churches got firebombed, everyone thought there is going to be a clash but nothing happened. Last time, you pour a little kerosene, there will be a huge fire. Now, you pour litres of kerosene, the fire is small.

“People have changed but the politicians are the same and they are scared because they can no longer use race and religion to create fear to win elections. The younger generation reads the Internet, they know what is happening. People want peace.”

As his face contorts with anger, the cabbie complains that when the government allows certain groups to talk disparagingly of others, this only serves to make the non-Malays feel less patriotic.

Because a country, he says, is like a mother, and it is difficult to love a mother who always favours one child, saying that only that child was conceived in her womb, while the rest are adopted.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 1:39 pm and is filed under
Constitution
,
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Pakatan faults BN for subsidy ‘opium’ addiction

By
Clara Chooi
 | May 18, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have blamed Barisan Nasional (BN) for failing to address the country’s addiction to subsidies with alternatives, rebuking Datuk Seri Najib Razak for transferring the “opium’ to cronies.

They said escalating cost of living and stagnant wages have made Malaysians dependent on subsidies, warning that any sudden removal would bankrupt people instead of encouraging competition and wiping out market distortions.

The PR lawmakers suggested the Najib administration take a more holistic approach to cut its burgeoning subsidy bill through a total restructuring of the system by reducing subsidies to corporate giants instead of to the poor, implementing a minimum wage council to boost salaries, and providing better public transportation system to reduce dependency on vehicle ownership and fuel consumption.

“What they are essentially doing shows that they are not serious in their intent to restructure subsidies in the country,” said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua who agreed with Najib subsidies were like “opium” to the Malaysian economy but he blamed the government for failing to provide a proper alternative to consumers before reducing their access to the subsidy “opium”.

He also complained that the administration was going about its subsidy removal plan in the wrong way by cutting from the “poor man on the street” and yet at the same time, still providing massive subsidies to big corporate giants.

“What Najib is doing instead is making this opium exclusive to Barisan Nasional (BN) cronies,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP told The Malaysian Insider.

He said in order to ease the people’s addiction to the subsidy “opium”, better alternatives should be made available like a good public transportation system.

“At this point in time, Malaysians consume a large amount of fuel, not just because we pay lower-than-market rates but because we have no other alternative but to own cars due to the lack of transportation infrastructure,” Pua added.

He also suggested the government consider cutting back on its subsidies to corporate giants like the independent power producers (IPPs) and toll concessionaires instead of depriving the poor of financial aid.

Klang MP Charles Santiago agreed with Pua and added that one of the main reasons why Malaysians in general are so “addicted” to subsidies is because of their stagnating wages. He pointed out that 34 per cent of Malaysian workers earn monthly salaries of below the poverty line at RM700.

“Between 2000 and 2010, wages increased by only 2.6 per cent, meaning that in the last ten years, there has been a stagnation and our wages cannot match the rising cost of living.

“Also, the country’s household debt to the GDP is 78 per cent, and in the next two years, it will rise to 80 per cent. This shows that Malaysians are borrowing to survive… the average Malaysian family is highly indebted and highly dependent on subsidies for survival,” he said.

Charles, a trained economist, suggested that the government table a bill in the next Parliament sitting in June to propose the formation of a minimum wage council that will set minimum wages at between RM1,500 and RM2,000.

Additionally, he said, a cash assistance programme should also be implemented to complement the council, targeting groups like the poor and those earning below RM1,000 monthly.

“Finally, there should be major effort by the government to cut back on corruption which costs the country a lot of money, cut back on big expenditures like subsidies to corporate giants and regulate the outflow of illicit capital,” he said.

He pointed out that if the government wanted to reduce market distortions and encourage competition, it should employ the same measures on corporate giants like IPPs and toll concessionaire holders.

“Let them fight in the global economy. They should be competitive too… if they cannot make it, then too bad,” he said.

He pointed out that the “culprit” that was sustaining market distortions was the government itself in its provision of massive subsidies and financial grants to corporate giants and cronies.

“And on the other hand, they are reprimanding and humiliating the rakyat by saying we are addicted to this subsidy opium, which pales in comparison to what they are giving to their cronies,” he said.

Dzulkefly urged the government to consider policies outlined by PR in its Buku Jingga, in which an overall restructuring of the subsidy system is suggested.

“We in PR understand that the approach is not going to be simply dismantling subsidies… we call for a holistic restructuring of the system. Theirs (BN) is just a piecemeal, short-term method which, if they proceed with it, will force the poor to be subjected to the vulgarities of the global economics,” he said.

The Kuala Selangor MP added that a total subsidy withdrawal would trigger inequitable costs to the more sensitive groups like the lower income earners.

“This is like a neo-conservative policy of enriching cronies and the more privileged group while victimising the poor.

“Ask Najib, through this way, will it not exacerbate the inequality of distribution of wealth and equity?” he said.

Dzulkefly also reprimanded the administration for constantly bragging that its policies placed the people’s interests above all else.

“It is Umno cronies that benefit, who are addicted to this opium. You brag about it as though it is a crime that we enjoy subsidies. We are taxpayers, too.

“In fact, we should be given our daily essentials and quality services like good healthcare, education, transportation, water and so on but here you are talking about prioritising withdrawing subsidies,” he said.

PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the government should not punish the public for its inability to balance the country’s budget, by removing subsidies to those in need of it.

He pointed out that when the economy was doing well between 2003 and 2008, the government had failed to cut its spending and had instead embarked on massive infrastructure projects, resulting in a budget deficit for the past few years.

“No one disputes that subsidies distort the economy but the issue is that in Malaysia, massive corporate giants like the IPPs, the toll concessionaires, continue to enjoy generous subsidies worth billions of ringgit more than the smaller things like sugar, flour and rice.

“The fact that we are facing a deficit budget now should not be blamed on the people, it is the fault of the government and its failure implement strategies to encourage a dynamic growth in the economy.

“The people are suffering from high inflation, no minimum wage, the prices of properties ballooning… so why burden the public instead of the corporate sector,” he said.

In a speech to the Oxford University’s Centre for Islamic Studies on Monday, Najib described fuel subsidies as “opium” to the Malaysian economy, adding that it will have to be reduced gradually to bring the budget deficit under control.

He said his government had budgeted for fuel subsidies to cost the economy RM11 billion this year but that the estimate had soared to around RM18 billion because of high international crude oil prices.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 9:58 am and is filed under
Economics
,
Najib Razak
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Preaching moderation globally, practising it locally

The Malaysian Insider | May 17, 2011

MAY 17 — Perhaps it is really the Malaysian thing. Go abroad and we are all Malaysians, we live together, play together and tell everyone that we are a multi-racial, multi-religious muhibbah country.

Then we come back home and argue with each other, go the extreme length and then cite sensitivities to stop the argument as we nurse ill-feelings towards each other.

So, it’s no surprise that Datuk Seri Najib Razak went to Oxford University and promoted his idea of a coalition of moderates and inter-civilisational understanding.

Well and good.

After all, the prime minister did say this in Oxford, “Ladies and Gentlemen, diversity, dialogue and peaceful co-existence are important themes in Islam. In the holy Quran, Allah SWT expounds that, the very reason He creates human beings into distinct nations and tribes is as a blessing so that humanity may embrace and celebrate their diversity.”

And on those who strap themselves with explosives and blow themselves up, Najib said they are committing a grievous sin, adding “So too, all those who preach hate and stoke the fire of intolerance in leading to this most blasphemous act, they too are as guilty as the perpetrators.”

Thank you, Mr Prime Minister. Eloquent as always but we have a few questions to ask you.

What about Malaysia? Where is the moderation? Where is action to stop extremists from hijacking the national discourse on economy, race and religion? Where is your move to ensure we can keep to the foundation of our nation, where everyone has a place in the country?

Why do you allow Utusan Malaysia and your party supporters to lie about a Christian plot to usurp Islam in the Federal Constitution? Why do you allow some allies to distribute sex clips to smear someone’s reputation? Why don’t the police take action against such people?

Why don’t you do anything but speak abroad of moderation but keep silent in the country that you lead?

Are you like Pak Lah who wanted to be thought leader of Islamic moderates worldwide but did not do much when Hindu temples were being demolished and when he swept the crisis over the conversion of a few Hindus (such as mountaineer M. Moorthy) under the carpet.

Why do the likes of our leaders like Najib feel they need to persuade international community that they are progressives when it is at home when they face the biggest challenge of reining in the conservatives within their party who are against progress.

To be fair, Najib also said this in Oxford yesterday, “But while one man standing in the road is a nuisance, a mere distraction, 10 men standing together are far harder to ignore. And if those 10 become 100, a thousand, a million, a billion even, they become a force so big, so strong and so united in their common cause that those who espouse hatred will face a very simple choice.

“They can join us, or they can remain where they are and be crushed by the force of our collective will,” he added.

The vast majority of Malaysians are moderates and ready to gather against those who spew hate but they are waiting for Najib to join them.

After all, he quoted Edmund Burke, the philosopher, saying “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”.

You are a good man, Mr Prime Minister. Now, do something about this extremism in Malaysia. Or let Burke’s words echo for all of us to hear.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 10:03 am and is filed under
Najib Razak
,
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


RCI to re-examine ‘suicide’ note

By
Teoh El Sen
 | May 18, 2011

Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: The “suicide” note purportedly written by Teoh Beng Hock would be re-examined to extract and decipher a few words that were blacked out by someone, perhaps even the author.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry investigating Teoh’s death was re-convened briefly this morning to decide on the application made by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to re-analyse the note.

Shafee’s application made via a letter last week (May 11) had asked the commission to ascertain what was written beneath an erased part of the note and subsequently admit that as evidence.

Commission chairman James Foong today said the royal panel had unanimously allowed the application, ordering for the note to be sent to the chemistry department to extract the part that was scratched out or cancelled.

“Then, if it is legible and written in any other language besides Bahasa Malaysia, it will be translated by an official interpreter and tendered to the commission,” he said, adding that it should be done expeditiously.

Shafee had earlier told the commission: “When one looks at the suicide note, we would be able to read what was very vigorously erased by the writer. It would be interesting for us to analyse and to understand the thinking of the writer, (so) we ought to know what he erased as well.”

The lawyer also said that he did not require an expert to find out if the same person had erased the words, as it was enough to infer that it was, and his arguments would be included in his submissions.

‘Step-by-step recap’

Shafee said the note, written in Mandarin, went held against the light, revealed that the deleted words could have been, according to a translator, “Saya telah menyusahkan kamu.” (I have caused you trouble).

Beneath the cancelled words, the author had also penned: “Akibatnya telah menyusahkan kamu.” (Therefore, I have caused you trouble).

Speaking to reporters outside the court later, Shafee said that the importance of scientifically extracting the cancelled part was to show that the author of the “suicide” note was still thinking clearly.

“To me, assuming this was a suicide note, he had not lost his bearings. In spite of wanting to commit suicide, he didn’t want to look bad even in death. He wanted to justify to his boss that he tried his best,” he said.

“He did not want to say ‘I’ caused trouble, but instead substituted it with ‘therefore’ as he did not want his boss to think he was the one who caused all this trouble,” he said.

Shafee said the exercise was important to show a “step-by-step” and “minute-by-minute” recap of what went through the writer’s mind.

Shafee also said based on the way the note was written, there was strong reason to believe it might have been written on two separate occasions, perhaps one closely after the other.

He added that the note would also show that Teoh was not tortured. “If I was Beng Hock, and I was tortured that would be my biggest complaint and I would like my boss to know. But he didn’t say this at all in the note.”

Timing not important

Shafee said that it was unimportant when the note was discovered (it was allegedly found by the investigating officer several months after Teoh’s death and emerged in the inquest almost a year later).

“We’re not talking about a pen we found on him with his DNA. It’s his writing and we have experts proving that. Who cares if it comes out three months or one year later?”

However, Shafee admitted that it was carelessness on the part of the investigating officer for not finding the note earlier.

“But we always have carelessness, even in the OJ Simpson murder trial. But that doesn’t mean justice is not done. I took up this case because I believe it was suicide.

“I tried hard to find out if it was a suicide, but there had been zero evidence that someone could have taken him to the window,” he said.

Shafee said MACC did not stand to benefit from his death, but “somebody else” did.

The commission, which had earlier ended its proceedings on May 10, was scheduled to receive submissions by May 25 and to send in a report to the King by June 25.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 1:54 pm and is filed under
Teoh Beng Hock
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Shafee: Focus on Teoh death, not MACC clangers

By
 Shannon Teoh

May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) lawyer today urged the public to focus on Teoh Beng Hock’s death and not the blunders by the anti-graft body in its investigations into Selangor DAP.

Datuk Seri Shafee Abdullah, who is representing the MACC in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Teoh’s death, said that despite these errors, justice must still be served and the question of whether the DAP aide committed suicide be answered.

“Ask yourself honestly, whatever monkey things the MACC officers may have been blundering, wrong in certain procedures, a little harsh in questioning, the hallmark question is whether this suicide or not,” he told reporters outside the RCI courtroom today.

During the RCI, it was revealed that MACC officers had watched pornography in their office.

Commissioner Datuk T. Selventhiranathan also said that there were 59 police reports against the MACC nationwide, of which 21 were against the Selangor branch.

When asked about public perception of the MACC, Shafee said that “we can’t help it if the public insists on being ignorant. They have to open up their eyes and minds and cut across race and religion to look at the matter in perspective.”

The police investigating officer in the case, ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal, had also taken two months after the death of Teoh to find a mystery note among his belongings.

He then tendered it as evidence at a coroner’s inquest into Teoh’s death almost a year after the incident.

Today, Shafee told the public to focus on the issue of how Teoh died rather than the conduct of officers involved.

“I agree with you, the IO was careless. He should have taken every note and sent it for interpretation straightaway.

“But we always have carelessness in any investigation. In any country. In the United States, the killing by OJ Simpson, all kinds of blunders but it doesn’t mean that justice cannot be done,” he said.

The American football star and actor was acquitted of murdering his wife and her friend after a nine month trial in which his defence team alleged several acts of misconduct by the Los Angeles Police Department, including mishandling blood samples.

Teoh, a former aide to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, fell to his death at the Selangor MACC office on July 16, 2009 after being questioned overnight by the anti-graft body.

The coroner’s inquest had in January returned an “open verdict” ruling out both suicide and homicide some 18 months after Teoh’s death.

The public outcry over the inconclusive verdict forced the government to establish the RCI which first met in February with two terms of reference: to probe how Teoh plunged to his death and to look into MACC’s investigative methods.

Its deadline to submit its findings has been extended from April 25 to June 25. Both the Bar Council and MACC will file their submissions by May 25.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 6:42 pm and is filed under
Teoh Beng Hock
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Terbunuh kerana operasi cegah maksiat?

Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin

May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

Soalan
: Dr Asri, semalam ada berita seorang telah terjatuh mati kerana lari dari intipan pihak pencegah maksiat sebuah jabatan agama. Bolehkah perkara macam ini berlaku. Bolehkah kita cegah maksiat sehingga menyebabkan orang mati? Minta tolonglah Dr Asri huraikan kes ini.

Kenali mangsa, KL.

Jawapan
: Ya, saya berdukacita dengan berita kematian seorang individu kerana lari daripada intipan pihak pencegah maksiat yang cuba menangkapnya kerana khalwat. Kes ini bukan yang pertama. Sudah berapa banyak kes yang sama berlaku dalam negara kita. Walaupun sudah kritikan dibuat, tetapi hal ini tetap berulang. Apabila berita tersebar dalam media, ia telah memalukan keluarga mangsa, memberikan mesej yang salah mengenai Islam kepada bukan muslim dalam negara ini, yang sememangnya telah lama salah faham disebabkan tindakan masyarakat muslim itu sendiri. Di sini saya suka menyebut beberapa perkara secara umum mengenai kes-kes yang telah berlaku;

1.    Mana-mana pihak tidak boleh menuduh mangsa atau terlibat sebagai berzina, kerana tuduhan zina memerlukan empat orang saksi yang lihat secara jelas berlakunya zina, bukan sekadar berdua-duanya, atau berpelukan atau seumpamanya. Jika tidak, penuduh di bawah hukum qazaf. Jika tiada bukti jelas, paling tinggi yang boleh dituduh berkhalwat, bukan berzina.

2.    Islam tidak cenderung menghukum dan membongkar maksiat peribadi sekalipun pelakunya mengaku. Islam cenderung agar pelakunya bertaubat dan menutup keaiban dirinya. Dalam riwayat Muslim, seorang lelaki datang kepada Rasulullah dan berkata: “Wahai Rasulullah, aku mengubati seorang wanita di hujung bandar. Aku telah melakukan kepadanya (seks), cuma aku tidak menyetubuhinya. Inilah aku, maka hukumlah aku apa yang engkau mahu. Lalu ‘Umar (Ibn Khattab) berkata kepadanya: “Allah telah tutupi keaibanmu jika engkau menutupi dirimu”. Nabi s.a.w tidak berkata apa-apa. Lalu lelaki itu bangun dan pergi. Nabi s.a.w menyuruh seorang lelaki memanggilnya dan membaca kepadanya firman Allah (maksudnya) “Dan dirikanlah sembahyang pada dua bahagian siang (pagi dan petang), dan pada waktu-waktu yang berhampiran dengannya dari malam. Sesungguhnya kebaikan itu menghapuskan kejahatan. Perintah-perintah Allah Yang demikian adalah menjadi peringatan bagi orang-orang Yang mahu beringat” (Surah Hud ayat 114). Maka ada seorang bertanya: “Wahai Nabi Allah, ini khas untuknya sahajakah? Jawab Nabi s.a.w: “Bahkan untuk manusia keseluruhannya”.

3.    Khalwat (bersendirian) dengan bukan mahram memang suatu kesalahan. Namun, ada beza antara mereka yang secara terang bermaksiat dengan yang cuba bersembunyi. Ini yang disebut oleh Rasulullah s.a.w: :”Setiap umatku diberikan keampunan kecuali orang-orang yang menzahirkan (dosanya)” (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim). Ini kerana yang cuba sembunyikan dosa –sekali sedang maksiat- masih lagi mempunyai nilai malu dan menjaga maruah diri dan keluarganya.

4.    Apa yang peliknya dalam negara kita, maksiat yang jelas, berpelukan lelaki dan perempuan dalam filem, atas pentas lakonan, pentas seni dibiarkan oleh pihak berkuasa pencegah maksiat, sehingga ada isteri orang besar pun yang memeluk artis luar negara di hadapan umum, dibiarkan, yang sembunyi dicari dan diburu.

5.    Al-Quran melarang perbuatan mengintip bagi mencari maksiat peribadi yang bukan jenayah awam. Firman Allah dalam Surah al-Hujurat ayat 12: (maksudnya) “Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Jauhilah kebanyakan dari sangkaan (supaya kamu tidak menyangka sangkaan yang dilarang) kerana sesungguhnya sebahagian dari sangkaan itu adalah dosa; dan janganlah kamu mengintip mencari-cari kesalahan orang..” Al-Imam al-Tabari (meninggal 310H telah menghuraikan dengan jelas maksud ayat ini. Antaranya: wala tajassasu bermaksud jangan kamu mencari keaiban satu sama lain, jangan kamu mencari rahsia-rahsianya dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui kecacatannya. Namun berpadalah dengan apa yang nyata dari dirinya. Nilailah dia atas asas tersebut sama ada baik atau buruk. Jangan kamu mencari kesalahannya. Kata Ibn ‘Abbas: “Allah melarang orang mukmin daripada mencari keburukan-keburukan mukmin yang lain. Kata Mujahid: “Ambillah apa yang nyata, dan tinggalkan apa yang Allah tutup”. Kata Qatadah: Tahukah kamu apa itu tajassus? Iaitu kamu mencari-cari keaiban saudaramu untuk mengetahui rahsianya. Kata Ibn Zaid: “Tajassus itu kamu berkata: sehingga aku dapat lihat kesalahan itu, aku bertanya mengenainya untuk mengetahui adakah benar atau tidak”.( al-Tabari, Tafsir al-Tabari, tahzib: Dr Salah al-Khalidi, 7/40-41 Damsyik: Dar al-Qalam (1997)

6.    Justeru itu, para ulama sejak dahulu telah melarang mengintip untuk mencegah maksiat. Hal ini telah saya sebut berulang kali. Sikap suka mengintip inilah juga yang mencetuskan kontraversi ‘video seks’ yang jika dibenarkan agar menjadi trend yang digunakan oleh pelbagai untuk menjatuh pihak yang lain. Hal ini telah ditegaskan oleh al-Imam al-Ghazali dalam Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din: “Hendaklah kemungkaran tersebut zahir (jelas) kepada ahli hisbah (pasukan pencegah mungkar) tanpa perlu melakukan intipan. Sesiapa yang menutup sesuatu kemaksiatan di dalam rumahnya, dan mengunci pintunya maka tidak harus untuk kita mengintipnya. Allah Ta’ala telah melarang hal ini. Kisah ‘Umar dan ‘Abd al-Rahman bin ‘Auf mengenai perkara ini sangat masyhur. Kami telah menyebutnya dalam kitab Adab al-Suhbah (Adab-Adab Persahabatan). Begitu juga apa yang diriwayatkan bahawa ‘Umar r.a. telah memanjat rumah seorang lelaki dan mendapatinya dalam keadaan yang tidak wajar. Lelaki tersebut telah membantah ‘Umar dan berkata: “Jika aku menderhakai Allah pada satu perkara, sesungguhnya engkau telah menderhakaiNya pada tiga perkara. ‘Umar bertanya: “Apa dia?”. Dia berkata: Allah ta’ala telah berfirman (maksudnya: Jangan kamu mengintip mencari kesalahan orang lain). Sesungguhnya engkau telah melakukannya. Allah berfirman: (maksudnya: Masukilah rumah melalui pintu-pintunya). Sesungguhnya engkau telah memanjat dari bumbung. Allah berfirman: (maksudnya: janganlah kamu masuk ke dalam mana-mana rumah yang bukan rumah kamu, sehingga kamu lebih dahulu meminta izin serta memberi salam kepada penduduknya). Sesungguhnya engkau tidak memberi salam. Maka ‘Umar pun meninggalkannya…Maka ketahuilah bahawa sesiapa yang mengunci pintu rumahnya dan bersembunyi di sebalik dindingnya, maka tidak harus seseorang memasuki tanpa izin daripadanya hanya kerana ingin mengetahui perbuatan maksiat. Kecuali jika ia nyata sehingga diketahui oleh sesiapa yang berada di luar rumah tersebut..”(Al-Ghazali, Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din, 3/28, Beirut: Dar al-Khair 1990).

7.    Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi membuat tegasan yang sama: “Kemungkaran itu mesti nyata dan dilihat. Adapun jika pelakunya melakukannya secara sembunyian dari pandangan manusia dan menutup pintu rumahnya, maka tidak seorang pun boleh mengintipnya atau merakamnya secara diam-diam dengan menggunakan alat elektronik atau kamera video atau menyerbu rumahnya untuk memastikan kemunkarannya. Inilah yang ditunjukkan pada lafaz hadis “barangsiapa yang melihat kemungkaran, maka hendaklah dia mengubahnya….” Dikaitkan kewajipan mengubah itu dengan melihat atau menyaksikan kemunkaran. Tidak dikaitkan dengan mendengar tentang kemunkaran dari orang lain. Ini kerana Islam tidak menjatuhkan hukuman kepada orang yang mengerjakan kemungkaran secara bersembunyi dan tidak menampakkannya. Diserahkan hanya kepada Allah untuk menghisabnya pada hari kiamat. Hisab ini bukan menjadi wewenang seseorang di dunia. Sehinggalah dia melakukannya secara terang-terangan dan menyingkap keaibannya. Bahkan hukuman ilahi itu lebih ringan bagi orang menutupi kemungkarannya dengan menggunakan tabir Allah dan tidak menampakkan kederhakaannya sebagaimana yang disebutkan dalam hadith sahih: (bermaksud):”Setiap umatku diberikan keampunan kecuali orang-orang yang menampakkan (dosanya)” (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim). Justeru, tiada seorang pun mempunyai wewenang untuk menjatuhkan hukuman terhadap kemungkaran-kemungkaran yang dilakukan secara sembunyian. (Al-Qaradawi, Min Fiqh al-Daulah fi al-Islam, m.s. 124, Kaherah: Dar al-Syuruq).

8.    Maka, tindakan mana-mana pasukan pencegah maksiat peribadi seperti khalwat, minum arak dalam keadaan sembunyi sehingga menyebabkan kematian adalah satu dosa. Maka anggota operasi perlulah didakwa dan dibicara atas tuduhan menyebabkan kematian. Mereka ini telah menyebabkan mungkar yang lebih besar iaitu kematian kerana ingin mencegah kemungkaran kecil iaitu ‘khalwat’ dan menggunakan kaedah pencegahan yang dilarang oleh agama iaitu mengintip.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 8:04 pm and is filed under
Islam
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


The ancient covenant and punishment

By
Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz
 | May 18, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

MAY 18 — One of the most cherished cultural codes of conduct of the Malays is the saying “pantang Melayu derhaka!” In English, it can loosely be translated to mean, the people shall never be disloyal to the king.

The term disloyal is used in a most general import. The common man never trespasses the king in any way and form; never shall he insult the king in mind, never speak evil and more so does not commit trespass of the person upon the king. The term treason is also a close description.

Strange as this may sound, the origins of this injunction which sadly has been presented one-sidedly, sprung from the sexual drives of one mythical king. Sex therefore has always been a mainstay in Malay politics right to the present day. So I actually find it bemusing to discover that the preoccupation of our country, especially among the Malays, has, since the past recent decade, been the topic of sex.

To what source do I attribute this treasonable description? We turn to the venerable Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals. As we shall discover shortly, it was sex that actually formed the genesis of the ancient covenant between King and subject.

The ancient king figure being represented by king Sri Tri Buana (STB) and the people figure by Deman Lebar Daun (DLD). Sri Tri Buana is one of the three mythical figures that appeared at Bukit Siguntang Mahameru. He was made king when Demang Lebar Daun the incumbent ruler of Palembang

When STB became king, he became the ancient version of a ladies’ man… for wherever there was to be found a beautiful daughter of a prince he took her to wife. (The Malay Annals).

Every time he consummated his marriage his bride was stricken with chloasma as a result of being possessed by him. Of no further use, STB abandoned the lady in question. It is storied that he took 39 ladies in succession but all were stricken with chloasma. Chloasma is a skin disease that made the skin especially the face area turn darkish brown or possibly black.

He was resigned to spending life as a bachelor when fate intervened and he was informed that his man Friday, his sidekick has a beautiful daughter, Wan Sundari. Whereupon he summoned his faithful former king now turned sidekick and expressed his desire of wanting the daughter of Demand Lebar Daun. DLD asked for a covenant with the King if he wants his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Since then, only the second part of the ancient covenant has been stressed over and over again. This part read:

“that your descendants shall never for the rest of the time be disloyal to my descendants, even if my descendants oppress them and behave evilly.”

And DLD said- very well your highness, but if your descendant depart from the terms of the pact, then so will mine.

But what was the part of the people’s bargain?

“Your highness, the descendants of your humble servant shall be the subjects of your Majesty’s throne, but they must be well treated by your descendants. If they offend, they shall not, however grave be their offence be disgraced or reviled with evil words: if their offence is grave, let them be put to death if that is in accordance to Muhammadan law.”

When the terms and conditions of the pact were agreed upon, both of them too a solemn oath (maybe no different from today’s sumpah laknat) to the effect that whoever departed from the terms of the pact , let his house be overturned by Almighty God so that its roof be laid on the ground and its pillars be inverted.

Perhaps they got every part of the pact correct except the last bit. They called it the house uprooted punishment, we now know that form of punishment has morphed into Ibrahim Ali. We are threatened now, not with the fear of having our houses inverted but by putting the fear of Ibrahim Ali knocking at our doors. — ariffandaspan.blogspot.com

* Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz is a former Pulau Manis assemblyman.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 10:07 am and is filed under
nation building
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


TI-M chief confirms no ‘Christian Malaysia’ pact

By
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
 | May 18, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — There is no pact between Christian and DAP leaders to turn Christianity into the constitutional religion of Malaysia, Datuk Paul Low asserted today.

The Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president, who was an invited guest speaker at the Unashamedly Ethical Conference (UEC) on May 5 in George Town, vouched for the organisers of the event and stressed that the only pledges which were presented then were anti-corruption pledges.

“I categorically confirm that no pact or pledge for Christianity as an official religion or for a Christian prime minister was made on the evening of May 5 or at any time during the conference,” Low told reporters here today.

The TI-M president said that he was “gravely concerned” about the allegations made by some bloggers as well as Utusan Malaysia regarding a pledge to install a Christian as prime minister, and repeatedly stressed that the such claims were untrue.

He defended the UEC and said its purpose was to promote “ethical, good values and clean living” among Christians.

“The only pledges or pacts which were presented included the Corporate Integrity pledge promoted by Institute of Integrity Malaysia (IIM), Pemandu and TI-M.

“The pact that was discussed was the Integrity Pact, an anti-corruption tool developed by TI and supported and adopted by the government,” said Low.

Low also said he was prepared to give his statement to the police over the matter.

“I have been seeing the way things have been escalating, and it is not good… I feel obliged to say my piece, I cannot keep quiet, I was there, I’m in the photograph that was out on the internet,” added Low.

Utusan Malaysia, in an article entitled “Kristian Agam Rasmi?” (Christianity the official religion?) claimed DAP leaders and Christian priests were conspiring to take over Putrajaya, abolish Islam as the religion of the federation and install a Christian as prime minister.

The Malay daily’s article was based entirely on unsubstantiated blog postings by two pro-Umno bloggers.

The Home Ministry eventually sent Utusan a warning letter for publishing the baseless report.

Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali waded into the controversy recently where he threatened Christians nationwide with a crusade or holy war should they proceed with their alleged agenda to usurp Islam.

Previously, Utusan called on its owners Umno to spearhead a “1 Melayu, 1 Bumi” movement involving all Malay parties, claiming that the DAP is intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership.

Utusan has also told Barisan Nasional (BN) to ignore the Chinese community for not supporting the ruling coalition during last month’s Sarawak state election.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 1:11 pm and is filed under
nation building
,
Religion
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Toleransi politik yang sudah luntur

Oleh
Aspan Alias
 | May 18, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

18 MEI — Kerana terlalu banyak politiking kita lupa kepada asas politik yang sebenarnya. Kesungguhan dalam politik sudah tiada bagi kita orang Melayu. kita melebihkan tumpuan kepada politiking; siapa yang menang dan siapa yang kalah, siapa yang berkuasa dan siapa yang tidak berkuasa. Politik yang asasi, iaitu politik yang membawa penyatuan secara jujur sudah tiada. Politik dan kuasa adalah empunya orang yang berkuasa.

Apabila kita menjadi ahli sesebuah parti matlamatnya ialah untuk menyatukan pemikiran dia antara ahli-ahli dan jika ada perbezaan kita “co-exist” dalam parameter toleransi yang luas. Diawal zaman kemerdekaan negara dahulu pemimpin-pemimpin kita dari berbilang kaum telah meletakan asas kerjasama di antara parti yang di asaskan kepada kaum-kaum di negara ini. Orang Melayu dengan Umnonya, orang Cina dengan MCAnya dan India dengan MICnya.

Orang Melayu, Cina dan India bekerjasama di antara satu dengan lain melalui kekuatan sokongan parti masing-masing dan telah berjaya membawa negara kearah kemajuan yang pesat dan imej Malaysia yang mundur telah menjadi sejarah. Perbezaan pendapat bukannya tidak wujud tetapi oleh kerana ketelusan di antara pemimpin-pemimpin puak dan kaum maka perbezaan itu mampu dikawal dalam semangat toleransi yang tinggi.

Dalam pada itu, seperti juga negara-negara demokrasi yang lain kita ada beberapa buah parti pembangkang yang dibenarkan wujud dan membenarkan parti-parti itu bergiat mengikut undang-undang yang sedia ada. Semua parti itu adalah parti yang halal di sisi undang-undang tubuh dan ditadbir oleh pendaftar pertubuhan. Hanya Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) sahaja yang telah diharamkan kerana parti itu memilih untuk mengangkat senjata bagi mendapatkan kuasa pemerintahan negara.

Tidak menjadi kesalahan jika sesiapa menyokong parti-parti ini, kerana parti ini adalah halal di sisi undang-undang negara. Di dalam sebuah negara demokrasi parti-parti pembangkang ini merupakan parti-parti alternatif yang mempunyai hak untuk memerintah jika diberikan mandat oleh rakyat yang memilih. Itu adalah asas demokrasi yang tulin.

Di Amerika Syarikat parti-parti Demokrat dan Replublican bergilir-gilir mendapat mandat dari rakyat untuk memerintah. Begitu juga di Britain; Parti Buruh dan Conservative bergilir-gilir memerintah negara itu mengikut kehendak rakyat. Sekarang ini pula Britain ditadbir oleh kerajaan capuran Coservative dan parti Liberal Demokkrat dan itu juga kehendak rakyat dan bukannya kehendak parti-parti itu.

Di negara demokrasi seperti di Britain parti yang memerintah menghormati kehendak dan selera rakyatnya. Tidak terdapat tekanan kepada rakyat di kawasan yang diwakili oleh parti pembangkang. Tidak ada pula mana-mana parti yang memerintah mengingatkan rakyat supaya berterima kasih kepada kerajaan yang telah membekalkan air bersih, membekalkan api letrik, memberikan subsidi gigi palsu dan membina jalanraya kecil ataupun lebuhraya.

Di dalam pilihanraya di Germany tidak ada kedengaran kerajaan yang memerintah meminta rakyatnya mengenang jasa parti pemerintah kerana memberikan pelajaran percuma kepada rakyat sehingga keperingkat universiti dengan buku teks percuma. Begitu juga di kesemua kesebelasan negara-negara Scandinavia.

Tidak pernah kedengaran pemimpin Parti Buruh semasa memerintah Britain mengingatkan rakyat dalam kempennya supaya mengingati jasa parti itu kerana telah membekalkan boat-boat nelayan dan sebagainya. Kalau kita memandu di Lebuhraya M25 di kotaraya London tidak ada pula papan tanda yang mengingati rakyat yang projek perumahan yang ada di tepian lebuhyara itu sebagai “satu lagi projek kerajaan campuran Conservative dan Lib Demokrat.”

Pemimpin-pemimpin negara-negara seperti ini menumpukan sepenuh masa untuk perancangan membangunkan negara. Tidak ada Ahli Parlimennya turun padang untuk melepaskan anak itek atau anak ayam atau mengadakan majlis penyerahan lembu pawah di depan kamera TV3 dan TV1 dan sebagainya kononya sebagai kaedah mendekati rakyat.

Di negara itu pemimpin-pemimpinnya secara fisikal tidak mendekati rakyat. Tetapi yang mendekati rakyat ialah dasar-dasar dan perlaksanaan dasar yang sempurna yang tidak ada ketirisan dalam membelanjakan wang dan harta rakyat.

Pemimpin-pemimpin mereka tidak ada progran turun padang kerana yang turun padang ialah dasar serta perancangan pembangunan yang baik untuk mereka yang di gubal oleh pemimpin-pemimpin mereka yang berkerja keras sebagai ahli Legislatif. Dasar-dasar yang baik amat dirasai rakyat itu mendekati mereka. Parti Conservative atau Parti Buruh tidak mempunyai ahli yang berjuta-juta orang orang seperti parti kita di sini.

Yang rakyat hendak tengok ialah dasar-dasar yang baik yang dihormati orang ramai yang boleh meyakinkan mereka sebagai dasar yang mesra rakyat, bukannya pemimpin yang mesra rakyat. Tidak guna mempunyai pemimpin yang mesra rakyat tetapi dasar yang digubal tidak memberikan impak secara terus kepada orang ramai.

Zaman berkempen dengan hanya menepuk belakang pengundi sudah lama menjadi sejarah. Zaman bercakap dengan manis mulut sudah tidak laku lagi. Slogan yang sedap di dengar tidak membawa apa-apa lagi.

Pemimpin yang dipilih oleh rakyat ialah pemimpin yang dirasakan mempunyai kemampuan untuk berfikir dan melunaskan tanggungjawab untuk menggubal dasar yang baik bagi negara… tidak kira dari parti kerajaan atau pembangkang kerana parti kerajaan membawa bersama pemimpin pembangkang untuk membina dasar yang baik untuk negara tadi.

Apabila ada pihak di sini memuji sistem di negara-negara maju ini pemimpin-pemimpin dan penyokong-penyokong yang mengidap penyakit “inferiority complex” akan menyelarnya dengan mengatakan yang kita mempunyai demokrasi adunan sendiri dan tidak perlu ikut demokrasi orang lain.

Kita wajar memulakan langkah untuk memperkayakan demokrasi di negara kita ini. Alangkah eloknya jika semua pihak diberikan peluang untuk menhubungi rakyat melalui saluran media perdana seperti saluran TV nasional supaya masing-masing parti boleh mendekati rakyat dengan mudah.

Pembangkang yang dituduh bertalu-talu kononnya membuat fitnah tidak akan dapat berbohong seperti yang cuba dimomokan kerana mereka bercakap terus kepada rakyat melalui TV dan saluran media yang lain. Lagi pun stesyen TV itu dibangunkan dengan wang rakyat yang terdiri dari cukai-cukai yang dikutip dari semua rakyat termasuk ahli-ahli Umno, DAP, PAS, PKR dan parti-parti yang lain.

Jika peluang ini terbuka kepada semua pihak maka barulah rakyat dapat menilai parti mana yang baik pada pandangan masing-masing pengundi dan memilihnya di dalam peti undi semasa pilihanraya yang di adakan.

Salah benar tentang apa yang dikatakan oleh mana-mana pihak biar orang ramai yang menilainya. Ianya penting kerana negara ini adalah kepunyaan rakyat bukannya kepunyaan Perdana Menteri dan pemimpin kerajaan sahaja.

Di negara kita jiwa pemimpin-pemimpin kita terlalu kecil dan fakir yang menyebabkan mereka tidak berani memberikan ruang untuk parti-parti lain untuk berhubung dengan rakyat melalui saluran perdana tadi.

Banyak negara yang dahulu menekan pihak yang membangkang sudah mula terbuka demokrasinya. Contohnya Indonesia telah melakukan transformasi yang besar di dalam sistem pilihanrayanya. Pemimpin-pemimpin pembangkang sekarang boleh menyampaikan pesanan kepada rakyat melalui media perdana elektronik dan cetak, malahan Indonesia sekarang ini merupakan sebuah demokrasi yang terbesar di Asia selain dari India.

Di Singapura baru-baru ini rakyat bebas bercakap melalui media perdana dan akhirnya rakyat membuat pilihan dengan mengekalkan kerajaan yang sedia ada dengan undi popular yang jauh lebih rendah dari dahulu.

PAP merasakan yang popularitinya telah menurun maka sebelum rakyat terus menyiahkan sokongan kepada parti itu maka Lee Kuan Yew telah menolak tawaran untuk berada di dalam kabinet baru Singapura. Sebabnya isu beliau merupakan isu besar dalam pilihanraya itu walaupun beliau sendiri memenangi kerusi kawasannya tanpa bertanding.

Beranikah mana-mana pemimpin yang jelas tidak di senangi oleh rakyat menarik diri walaupun mereka tahu keadaan itu adalah “real” dan nyata? Jawabnya: tidak berani, kerana kononnya kita mempunyai demokrasi acuan sendiri. Pemimpin kita rela partinya jatuh bersama dengan mereka. Untuk berhenti dan berkorban untuk menyelamatkan negara tidak sekali. Kalau parti kalah rakyat akan dipersalahkan.

Dulu ada pemimpin besar kita kata, “menang satu undi pun saya tetap menang. Kalau kalah sekali pun saya boleh meminta sokongan dari Parlimen”. Itulah dia demokrasi acuan kita sekarang ini. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 10:02 am and is filed under
Politics
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Tunku Aziz: I have failed to attract Malays

By
Shannon Teoh

May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim admitted today that his appointment as DAP vice chairman in 2008 has failed to bring in Malay support to the party that has been labelled as Chinese chauvinists by its critics.

However, he said that this was not the fault of the party whose members are largely Chinese as it has shown its commitment to multiracial policies, but that Malays and Bumiputeras were the ones choosing to hold back.

“If it was to recruit more Malays, then I admit that I’ve failed completely,” he said of his appointment as vice chairman three years ago.

The founder of graft watchdog Transparency International Malaysia said that DAP’s measures — including his appointment — to appeal to more Malays had failed as the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) had caused “racial polarisation” with policies that “divide rather than unite.”

“It will take a long time to convince Malays, especially in rural areas, that DAP is a multiracial party. It is not the fault of the party but their own fault for holding back despite our record of looking after all communities,” he told reporters at the launch of his book “Someone Had To Say It”.

Umno and Malay media controlled by the ruling coalition have repeatedly accused DAP of stirring up Chinese sentiment against Malays and attempting to do away with the special position of Bumiputeras.

Just two weeks ago, the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia ran an unsubstantiated report that DAP was plotting with the church to install a Christian prime minister and turn Malaysia into a Christian state.

Recent by-elections and the April 16 Sarawak state polls have seen Muslim Bumiputeras swing towards the Umno-led BN while Chinese voters continue to back opposition parties strongly.

Tunku Aziz added today that his appointment, and that of Zairil Khir Johari as political secretary to the secretary-general in January this year, was not just due to their race but also merit and their belief in “working together as Malaysians.”

He said that it was still “early days” in Zairil’s — son of former Umno stalwart and Education Minister Tan Sri Mohd Khir Johari — appointment but it would eventually show that “the leadership is serious about being a multiracial party.”

“Why can’t Malays represent Chinese or Chinese represent Malays? We just have to make sure the party practises policies that will be beneficial to all races,” said the former special adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 6:34 pm and is filed under
DAP
,
Tunku Abdul Aziz
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Unapologetically Sarawakian

By
http://rakyatsheart.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 1, 2011

UH-OH, WHAT’VE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO? Seriously, for someone who has not written anything more than work emails and business proposals in the last 10 years, it’s more than a mental block that I have to deal with. It’s not unlike getting a 50-year old who only knows how to ‘pangkah dacing’ his whole life to ‘mark the Rocket’.

Growing up as a kid on the banks of mighty Sarawak River, along the Gambier Street shophouses, I was fortunate enough to experience 1st hand the ‘rojak’ of cultures that’s Sarawak – not only did we ‘tolerate’ each other’s existence, we mingled. You had the ‘tambang’ operators from across river, the kopi-o stall taukeh, the long-eared Orang Ulu who’d just stepped off the green-coloured STC bus at Ban Hock Lane, the tattooed Iban, the ‘kuli’ at the docks, the mee jawa and satay seller who plied his trade outside a Chinese kopitiam, the Indian spice trader, the barber shop frequented by men and children alike from all ages.

One example was my late grandmother herself – 60ish at the time; she spoke maybe a dozen Malay words. Yet there you have her chatting away animatedly with the Malay ‘cikgu’ from across river. Scenes of strangers who’d just met sharing a coffee-table by the roadside were the norm, rather than exception. These are sadly, lost forever in the name of “development”.

One common feature though that has thus far withstood the effects of “national intergration” and Umno-styled, polarizing politics of “race and religion” is most aptly describe not in words but the photo below which I took off a Borneo Post article about a week ago:

Sarawak is the only place where I’m able to have Chinese ‘kueh chap’ and Malay ‘Mee Jawa’ in one meal, at one place. Sarawak is the only place left where I’m able to have my pork-filled meal while chatting away with a Muslim friend who is having a halal spread. In public. And I fully intend to keep it that way. If JAIS, JAKIM, JAKUN or any other acronym has an issue with that, talk to my Sarawakian hand!

Just in case anyone is wondering which planet I came from, if the 18-Point Agreement were to be respected and upheld, Sarawak is rightfully ’secular’, with Islam being the Official Religion of the Federation.

Moving away from food, aren’t we tired of constantly being told what to do by our ‘Big Brothers’ from the Semenanjung? Everyone, (even MIC!) has an advice or three, despite some of them being geographically challenged – some friends still think that Mount Kinabalu is in Kuching. And how many of us got the ‘Welcome to Malaysia’ greeting before !@#%*?

Isn’t it about time to dish out some payback?

It’s time for Sarawakians to offer our countrymen from across the South China Sea some advice in return.

After all, most of us can tell that Kangar is in Perlis and Kota Tinggi is in Johor. As responsible members of the Federation, shouldn’t we weigh in on the current Lynas Rare Earth Plant controversy? Let’s tell Koh Tsu Koon’s Gerakan how to retake Penang. Time for us to stand up and show the rest that we are not just a mere State, that we are a third of the Federation – let’s act the part!!!

One day, when a Sarawakian assumes the office of the Prime Minister without having to change his name, religion and join UMNO… idealistic or not, that to me is the true measure of Malaysia’s success.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 6:46 pm and is filed under
Articles
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Why I left Malaysia

By
ES

May 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

MAY 18 — I’ve left Malaysia for about nine years now, and lived and worked in several countries such as Singapore, China and, now, Hong Kong.

The past and recent news reports on brain drain have pretty much summarised the reasons for leaving Malaysia except they were not accepted by our leaders. I’ll just echo some of the findings by relating my personal experience.

Social injustice

Unable to get into local universities even with good academic results. Mine was a working-class family and my dad had to work extremely hard to save (barely) enough money to put me through a private college (whose quality could be questioned).

It was a twinning program with an American university. A large portion of our class (100 per cent non-Bumiputera) didn’t end up going to the America for their final year to “twin” with the university because of financial difficulties. Those who did, like me, mostly have remained overseas.

Low income

I did return to work in Kuala Lumpur briefly. My salary was so pathetic I was constantly worried about having to work for 10-15 years before my dad’s investment in my education could be recovered.

Lack of meritocracy

My first job was with a government-linked corporation. We were educated, but quite explicitly some management positions were only given to the Malays. On the other hand, and to be fair, many private companies selectively avoid hiring Malays because of a general perception that they are less competent compared to the other races. Neither the GLCs nor private firms were actively promoting or hiring the best without an implied policy based on skin colour.

Barriers to returning

Today, after over a decade of working, I’ve established my finances, and started up a family in Hong Kong. Returning to Malaysia is not impossible but many barriers lie ahead.

My wife is Korean. We have heard of horror stories about the difficulty of foreign spouses not being able to get permanent residence/citizenship in Malaysia despite years of residency.

Our son was born in Korea. When we approached the Malaysian consulate to register him, we were told we would have to wait up to a year to get a reply. A year to register a child with an uncertain outcome? Something is very wrong.

At the same time, a friend’s construction company doesn’t seem to have any problem getting his Indonesian workers ICs with speedy approvals.

Education

If it’s so difficult to register our son, will he be able to get into a local school? What about quality of education? If I have to take a pay-cut (easily 60 per cent) to return to the country, I’d need to be reassured that quality education can be obtained cheaply (or at 60 per cent discount too).

It’s not very encouraging to learn from the news and ranking of Malaysian public universities that have been on the decline year after year. Will I want to return to the country and repeat the same history my dad went through to put his son to college?

Lack of economic focus

Years ago, this was manufacturing. What about now? What has happened to MSC and the various corridors? What’s our niche? What sectors can overseas Malaysian go back to? Banking? Biotech? Agriculture? Oil and gas? All I hear thousands of miles away in the past few years is some sexual allegations about Anwar Ibrahim.

Lack of positive publicity and encouragement

Every time when we return to Malaysia for holidays or when we meet Malaysians outside of the country (getting very often these days), we are asked not to return by friends, relatives and strangers.

Some even asked us how to get out of the country! Imagine having your foreign spouse hearing all these negative comments about your own country… not to mention, it’s getting easier to meet your friends and relatives outside of the country than in Malaysia.

* ES reads The Malaysian Insider.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 6:30 pm and is filed under
Articles
,
Brain drain
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


Why, why, why?

By
KJ John
 | May 18, 11

Malaysiakini

Why would the ‘naughty boy of Malaysian journalism’ Utusan Malaysia carry such a headline as Kristian agama rasmi? (Christianity as the official religion?), when it is probably not the truth, not reality either, and not possible, and never in the minds or hearts of any Christian.

Christians are generally rational and not merely emotional but we also seek to love every neighbour at the end of the day. And yet the recalcitrant publication accused all Christians with one sweep of their ink-spill. And, most terribly, even the government of Malaysia’s initial reactions were also ‘idiocratic’ to say the least.

I am really upset, hurt, and therefore insist and ask Utusan for an apology for hurting our feelings and sense of dignity; of every Christian in Malaysia.

Bureaucracy is obvious when public servants use laws to hide their inertia. But the more serious issue of ‘Idiocracy’ is when public officials (having a publishing permit makes UM public here) abuse the laws for their private or political agenda.

Based on the above definition, the first ‘idiocrats’ are those who created this new public lie in the first place. Utusan Malaysia based their report on unverified blogger stories. Therefore, in my heart and mind, they are “already guilty unless they can prove their innocence”. A mere slap on their wrist is not good enough. I want to see their apology, in writing. Yes, we need to adopt the French system of justice because the damage has already been done.

I, too, have been maligned by their headline because I, too, am a Christian. They say I am part and parcel of what I think of as an impossible mission agenda; at least as it depends on earthy powers within limited democratic means.

Professor Aziz Bari has since categorically clarified that that agenda is almost improbable, if not impossible. It can never be done without the general concurrence of the Council of Malay Rulers, for they are the protectors of Islam in this country. All of them are Muslim, as far as I know.

Some other hidden agenda?

Why then did UM publish so maliciously? Did they do it only to increase their readership by sensationalising untruths and such stories? Or did they have some other hidden motive or agenda? And neither is their brand of publishing responsible journalism, as defined by Professor Hamdan Adnan. His group in support of the human rights of journalists has also already issued a credible statement on the matter decrying such irresponsible sensational journalism.

Lying like this is totally illegitimate but why is the so-called Home Affairs Minister, also a lawyer by training, “colluding” by making a statement as if he fully and totally believes the Utusan headline. Now they are given only a slap on the wrist. Why not cut off their hand in true Muslim spirit?

Why did he not question the logic of the statement or veracity of its possible truth? I mean, he should know his constitutional law? Maybe he really believes that the British democratic system is so apparent in Malaysia that we too can change the monarchy as we choose and whenever we do not like their cultural expression? What an idiocratic mindset!

The third and, to me, the most disgusting ‘idiocrat’ is none other than our minister who wrote his doctoral thesis only for “academic purposes” and does not even believe in his findings or his own analysis. He argued “successfully” and made the case that Malaysia was an executive state (more like a republic) and even got his PhD awarded for it. But soon after, and when he became a minister, he disassociated himself from his thesis.

In my lexicon and ideals of academic collegiality, he should really surrender his PhD thesis. To put it simply, he lied since he did not believe in what he wrote. Maybe his ethics are only limited to the ‘katak dibawah tempurung’ variety.

Having now defined the context of this column, allow me to ask why, why, why would a mainstream newspaper owned by the party which sells the 1Malaysia idea and ideal put such lies on its front page? Secondly, why would they do it in the week before May 13?

My questions are therefore directed to all Umno card carrying members. Why do three million of you allow lies to be propagated in your name? Is such lying kosher within thr Islamic faith? I am sincere and I have only the greatest of respect for my very many dear Muslim friends who speak and live by the truth of their beliefs.

But, I also hate politicians who lie about their beliefs. Moreover, I have zero tolerance for Umnoputeras who lie through their front teeth, steal public assets in the name of the bumiputera agenda, and rationalise it all under the ketuanan Melayu agenda. Although they are a very small minority, they make the most noise.

UM seems to live, breathe and have her being under such a worldview or mindset; and as far as I know it has nothing to do with the Islam that I know, have studied and observed.

Personal priorities above all else

All such functionaries instead use and abuse religion of any faith system in the fashion of all modernists. They put their personal priorities, their thoughts and feelings, and their interests above all else. The whole world revolves around them. They belong to, in my language and theology, the unholy trinity of “I, Me, and Myself!” Extreme self interests drive their very existence.

How else can we see results of such modern but ugly capitalism as we see today? Whether in the US of A, or Europe, or the Middle East, or Confucian China, or Hindu India, such capitalism and the promotion of ugly self-interest seems kosher and the very mainstream thing. So long as you are “not caught” or “found out” it is okay to carry on doing what you do. The public space has therefore lost all its morality under the falsely secular model of separation between the sacred and the secular.

Unfortunately too, within our Malaysia Boleh culture, what the late MGG Pillai labelled as Bolehland, there is another yet newer morality in public space: while we preach religion until our throats turn coarse we become spiritual simply by definition. Really? Humbug!

There are now more temples, mosques, churches and shrines and we even claim to be a developed nation, but we cannot understand why our public space morality is so bad, so poor or so crude. Why is bribery and corruption so cultural and endemic today? Why is incest on the rise? Why are new born babies dumped? Why are our elderly care homes so pathetic? Why are local restaurants so filthy and unhygienic and why are our toilets so smelly? Developed country?

Why, Malaysians, why do we tolerate such lying and stealing in public space? Why, moderate majority Malaysians, why do we allow such rape to continue unabated? Cannot we say NO as did the Tunisians? Cannot we say NO as did the Egyptians or Libyans? Cannot we join the Syrians and say NO to regimes that have outlived their human purpose? Or, do we really believe in saviours like Osama and Obama?

Can we not join those who already said NO on March 8, and again in Sibu, and now in Sarawak, and also Singapore? We can say NO and seek change. Let us!

Are not all these truth matters? Are they not an issue about truths versus lies? Did we not lose billions to corruption and cronyism? Cannot we say NO to that? Did we not see public assets stolen in the PKFZ? Do we need another two more deaths in the MACC to know that we are sick to the core?

Well, dear Malaysians, these issues are not about race or religion. That is what the powers want us to believe. They are really about truth, righteousness, and justice in the public spaces of our lived life. We need ALL to stand up for truth and righteousness, and not just leave it to the Teoh Beng Hocks of the world. May God bless Malaysia.

____

KJ JOHN was in public service for 29 years. He is now dean of the Faculty of Economics and Policy Science at UCSI University, Malaysia. The views expressed above are truths that matter to him as an individual citizen wearing private and civil society hats and therefore are not opinions of the university or faculty. Do send feedback to him at
[email protected]

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 4:15 pm and is filed under
Media
,
Religion
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


‘Actors of influence’ in Najib government named in Wikileaks cable

By
Yow Hong Chieh
 | May 19, 2011

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — US diplomatic cables leaked and published on Malaysia Today earlier this evening have singled out 19 key business leaders as “actors of influence” in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s inner circle.

The cable, written to help the US State Department “examine Najib’s emerging administration and policy decisions”, was the first to be published on the popular blog after it signed a memorandum of understanding with whistleblower site Wikileaks on Monday.

Ethos Capital chairman and partner Rohana Mahmood topped the list of corporate giants, with the cable noting that she appeared “connected in some manner to most of the companies associated with Najib (picture)”.

“Among the 19 key business leaders listed, Rohana Mahmood stands out as deeply embedded in the Najib family’s commercial interests,” the cable said.

Rohana co-founded the now-dormant Malaysian Strategic Research Centre with another close Najib aide, Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted in October 2008 of abetting in the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shariibuu.

The opposition has repeatedly alleged that Altantuya, who helped secure the US$1 billion (RM3 billion) Scorpene submarine deal, was killed over her personal relationship with Najib, a claim the prime minister has denied.

Other heavyweights who made the list were MMC Corp Bhd’s Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, Berjaya Corp Bhd founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Hong Leong Group chairman Quek Leng Chan.

“MMC Corp Bhd Syed Mokhtar Albukharry [sic]… has significant business operations in Najib’s constituency and in the defence sector,” the cable said.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Syed Mokhtar has emerged as a major contributor to Umno’s war chest after some Chinese Malaysian tycoons, irked by lack of contracts under the Najib administration, cut funding to the party.

The Malaysian Insider also understands that Syed Mokhtar is fast gaining a chokehold over the logistics industry as he seeks to extend MMC Corp’s control over Johor Port and Tanjung Pelepas Port to the country’s premier port, Northport, and the port in Tanjung Bruas.

He already holds the reins to several other critical sectors including the rice import business through national rice supplier Bernas, and the gas distribution business through MMC Corp subsidiary Gas Malaysia.

Other strategic sectors in which Syed Mokhtar has a significant presence include the sugar trade through Tradewinds, the power production business via the nation’s largest independent power producer (IPP), Malakoff Corp, and the water treatment sector through Aliran Ihsan Resources.

MMC Corp is also the project delivery partner for the new Klang Valley mass rapid transit (KVMRT), the costliest infrastructure project in Malaysian history, with the consortium widely tipped to be awarded the tunnelling portion of the system’s construction.

Also included in the list were:

• Khazanah Nasional Bhd managing director Azman Mokhtar;

• Khazanah director Mohamed Azman Yahya, founder and chief executive of Symphony House Bhd;

• Johan Holdings Bhd chairman and chief executive Tan Kay Hock, who is also a member of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA);

• Sapura Group’s Shahril Shamsuddin;

• Khazanah executive committee chairman and former Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS) managing director Nor Yusof;

• Konsortium Transnational Bhd chairman and managing director Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh;

• CIMB Group executive director and former Economic Planning Unit (EPU) consultant Dr Gan Wee Beng;

• Ethos Capital co-founder Omar Mustapha Ong, Najib’s former special assistant;

• Paramount Corporation Bhd managing director and chief executive Teo Chiang Quan;

• TH Group Bhd managing director Lei Lin Thai;

• Mamee Double Decker Bhd chief executive Pang Tee Chew;

• Multi Vest Resources Bhd (MVest) chief executive Kenneth Eswaran, who the cable said was close to Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor;

• Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) Holdings Bhd chief executive Bakke Salleh; and

• Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) chief Lodin Wok Kamarudin

The leaked cable, written prior to Najib’s confirmation as prime minister, follows the publication of a series of secret exchanges between Washington and the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in Asia Sentinel detailing US concerns over the trial of the two policemen accused of killing Altantuya.

The cables showed that US diplomats’ misgivings about the trial, which they suggested would be subject to “prosecutorial misconduct” and delays to drive the high-profile murder case from the public eye.

“Perceived irregularities on the part of prosecutors and the court, and the alleged destruction of some evidence, suggested to many that the case was subject to strong political pressure intended to protect Najib,” a cable dated January 24, 2007 said.

Altantuya was murdered in October 2006 by two of Najib’s bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, who were pronounced guilty in April 2009.

Najib is currently on a week-long tour of the US to enhance trade and investment ties between the two countries.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 May 2011, 7:35 pm and is filed under
Najib Razak
,
UMNO
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


‘Christian Conspiracy’: Bona Fide or Bogus?

by
Haider Yutim

Malaysian Digest

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

The nation is shaken again by an inter-religion strife after an arguably unsubstantiated news report from Utusan Malaysia entitled ‘Kristian Agama Rasmi?’. The allegation of a ‘Christian conspiracy’ that came out on front-page was akin to pouring gasoline over sparks that’s been kept under control by the government. And all it took was a three-word headline. A police report was lodged against the alleged conspiracy by DAP Bukit Tumba branch committee member Mohamed Razali Abdul Rahman who purportedly witnessed the so-called secret pact between DAP leaders and pastors at a hotel in Penang. Following Razali’s police report, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar stated that investigations into an alleged Christian plot to unseat Islam as the federal religion was a priority for the police.

The Crusade era is long gone but there is always since the whole ‘Allah’ usage issue, there’s always been someone or something else that comes up that puts the Muslim-Christian relations in jeopardy. To make it worse, there’s always that idiot that would fan the flames to make the issue bigger that it really is. We’ve been living harmoniously in a multicultural, multi-religious society since we could remember and presently there is no reason for Malaysians to go through racial or religious conflict unless some jackass decides to incite others.

Utusan At It Again

It all started with a few pro-Umno bloggers who made the claim on the alleged ‘Christian conspiracy. And then Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia decided to pick up on these bloggers’ allegations by carrying a front-page article with that intriguing headline. That was more than enough to get the media, political leaders, NGOs and activists going. On one hand they wanted action to be taken against Utusan for publishing such a dangerous front-page article. On the other hand they wanted the authorities to get to the bottom of the issue in case there’s truth in the allegations.

As it is, many seem to be unsatisfied by a ‘relaxed’ action taken by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein against Utusan. A letter of caution? That’s it? How thorough is a publication company as strong as Utusan who published a made-up story based on the wild allegations by two pro-Umno bloggers who had no proof to back up their claim? The whole thing triggered an unnecessary uproar. Bear in mind, a few weeks ago there was that call for “1Melayu 1 Bumi” movement made by the daily.

Perkasa Wages Holy War

You just don’t play around when it comes to religious and racial issues. All Malaysians should know this by now. As a matter of fact, seeing Malaysia is one of the most culturally diverse nations, if there’s anyone who is sensitive towards other cultures and beliefs it would be us. Apparently not all Malaysians feel this way. And sadly, there will always be politicians who take advantage of the already bad situation to gain political mileage.

Recently, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali threatened Christians nationwide that he would wage a holy war should the Christians proceed with their alleged agenda which is to usurp Islam. Out of a sudden he was willing to take the fall for his statement for the sake of defending the dignity of Islam. Before his belligerent declaration, he also called lawyer Syahredzan Johan a traitor for saying that the Federal Constitution has never stated Islam is the country’s official religion. Ibrahim said that Syahredzan was trying to boost his popularity in the Bar Council which members are mostly non-Muslims.

Such reckless incitement is totally uncalled for and for someone who has spent time as a detainee under Internal Security Act (ISA) Ibrahim should know better. Having said that, should the Christian conspiracy be a bona fide claim could be timely that ISA would be enforced on the real perpetrators.

Fallouts With Christians

In the last couple of years, there have been quite a few misunderstandings between Christians and Muslims in the country but luckily things were kept under control. With this latest Christian conspiracy allegation we can expect that related issues in the past would be brought up yet again. Previously, there was the ‘Allah’ usage which have been resolved with the decision by the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) to accept the Malay-language bibles which had been ‘defaced’ by the Home Ministry. Again, at that time, amid this whole ‘Allah’ usage issue there were church burnings committed by kids that should have known better.

However, Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), the umbrella body of Christians in Malaysia, has not made any decision on the so-called 10-point concession by the government. A key point of the 10-point plan is that there are no restrictions to the import of Malay language bibles into Sabah and Sarawak but restrictions remain for import into West Malaysia. Now CFM wonders why the Al-Kitab continues to be classified as a threat to national security.

Is It Time to Enforce ISA?

When things started to boil to the extent of jeopardizing national security should ISA come into the picture? Perhaps such incidents that potentially could cause racial and religious disharmony should not be left unnoticed anymore. Something, some restriction, some force must be used to end this phenomena. It is a phenomenon because it has gain a lot of response from the public.

However, ISA falls under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry. Could this be the time for Home Minister Hishammuddin to utilize it wisely after his issuing only a caution letter? Before we make our decisions, let’s not forget the power of ISA and its role in the Malaysian political game. The ISA has been consistently used by the government against those who they claim to be posing a ‘threat’ to national security. Known as the “white terror”, the ISA has been the most feared and despised Act to the Opposition, activists, human rights groups and the general public alike. Yet, it is a convenient tool for the government to keep things under control (or so they say). Many of us are already familiar with the fact that ISA is used by the ruling government as an instrument to clampdown on their political enemies even when they claim it is for the sake of national security. Others say the only threat the ISA helps invalidate is the threat to democracy and human rights.

The most recent implementation ISA was against Hindu activists from Hindraf who had voiced out against the government policies that resulted in Malaysian Indians being marginalized and sidelined from the country’s development. So will the imposing of ISA silence the alleged Christian conspirators? First we have to find out if there actually was a Christian conspiracy. Only then will we know who’s to pay for their mindless actions.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 May 2011, 7:55 am and is filed under
Islam
,
Media
,
Religion
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.


‘Leaving behind a toxic legacy for decades’

By
G Vinod
 | May 19, 2011

Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Two Australian environmental groups believe that the Lynas rare earth mine in Kuantan would leave a toxic legacy for decades.

The environmental groups – Friends of the Earth Australia and the Conservation Council of Western Australia – said that by not revealing the data before embarking on the project in Kuantan, company has something to hide.

The groups in a joint statement said they want the Kuantan project stopped until the company reveals its environmental assessment data of the site.

In its criticism against Lynas Corporation Limited, Friends of the Earth Australia spokesperson Natalie Lowrey said it was improper for Lynas to withhold details on how it plans to manage its radioactive components from public scrutiny.

“By not revealing the data before embarking on the project in Kuantan, it indicates they have something to hide. We believe the project would leave a toxic legacy for decades,” said Lowrey.

Conservation Council of Western Australia spokesperson Mia Pepper said Australians were also concerned as Lynas plans to ship its thorium to Malaysia via the Fremantle port in Western Australia.

“And the thorium will be transported through hessian bags, the same method used by Magellan to transport lead which caused lead contamination outside its shipping containers,” said Pepper.

In January, Magellan Metals, a base metal mining company in Western Australia, was forced to shut down temporarily after leaks of toxic lead were detected in rail containers at Fremantle port.

Malaysians are calling for the project to be stopped, highlighting concerns regarding a similar plant in Bukit Merah which closed in 1992 after years of public protests.

The Bukit Merah plant had been linked to eight leukemia cases with seven deaths so far.

The plant operator, Mitsubishi Chemicals, is still running a massive RM300 million clean-up operation in the area.

Yesterday, Western Australia MP Lynn MacLaren had called on the State Transport Minister, Troy Buswell, to stop the shipment of Lynas’ Thorium deposits to Malaysia.

She said that the Malaysian rare earth project was currently being reviewed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) due to public concerns about radiation health and safety.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 May 2011, 1:14 pm and is filed under
environment
. You can follow any responses to this entry through
RSS 2.0
.