Like Don Quixote, Perkasa officials have their imaginary enemies too

COMMENTARY BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

13 December 2014

Perhaps the sedentary life of a civil servant or seeing too many ballot boxes finally got to retired Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.

Yesterday, as the Perkasa vice-president, he warned that the Malay rights group would defend Islam against anyone that attacks the religion.

Today. he described Malays who criticised Perkasa as either idiotic or blind, and to the extent of taking potshots at Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin – who is no fan of the rights group.

Now why does a man like Rashid, who rose from the ranks to be the EC chief, believe there are Malaysians who are enemies of Islam. Or that critics are just idiots or blind?

In short, why does he behave like the famous literary character Don Quixote, who believed windmills were giants that he had to fight to death?

Why do we have people who believe the world is out to get them or that anyone who is critical of them is an idiot or is blind to the reality? Was he like this when helming the EC?

More importantly, can Rashid get off his high horse to think that he is in the right about his view of the world. There are no enemies of Islam in Malaysia and making such a preposterous declaration is basically baiting for a response.

Also, Malays who do criticise Perkasa are not idiotic or blind. They just have a different view of the world, and that includes the Umno Youth leader.

Rashid is entitled to his opinion about what ails Umno or the Malays but he should also respect the views of other people and not believe in the delusion that only Perkasa is defending Islam and the Malays.

The facts show that Malaysia has been ruled by the Umno-dominated Alliance and its successor Barisan Nasional (BN) since Malaya got its independence in 1957 and that coalition has been in charge of the country’s policies and fortunes from then.

And in all those years, there have been no threats to Islam as the country’s official religion and in fact, its position has been strengthened in most states that other faiths are now not allowed to use some Arabic words in their worship.

And the Malays continue to benefit from BN’s policies despite its historic losses in the past two general elections.

So what is Rashid hallucinating about threats to Islam and critics who are idiots or blind? Is this just Perkasa’s way of being relevant by bringing up imaginary threats and promising retribution?

Their pronouncements and threats have just made them the butt of jokes and a parody of any supremacist or rights group. And in fact, they make Umno look so moderate despite the fact a majority of their members are from that party.

Perhaps that’s the idea – get clowns to play the extremists so that Malaysia can be grateful that there are saner politicians out there.

But all said and done, people like Rashid are fast becoming a joke that has gone too far, as far as Don Quixote did in fighting imaginary giants. – December 13, 2014.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 13 December 2014, 10:56 pm and is filed under
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Seeking moderation in a troubled Malaysia

— Mustafa K Anuar

Malay Mail Online

December 13, 2014

DECEMBER 13 — In recent years, as many of us are aware, ethnic bigotry and religious extremism have permeated various strata of our society to the point that ethno-religious relations have reached an all-time low.

This is bad news as it is something that our founding fathers (and mothers) did not plan for or foresee when Malaya achieved its independence from colonial rule in 1957.

Nerves were frayed as tension escalated over the years — from the cow-head incident in Shah Alam to pig heads left in the premises or near mosques to Molotov cocktails thrown into church grounds to body snatches to the seizure of Bibles in Selangor. Differences and diversity have been frowned upon while what we have in common is given less prominence or appreciation.

As if the above incidents are not enough to drive a wedge between the ethnic and religious communities in the country, the Malay community often have been warned about the purported threat from the Other, the primary objective being to create a siege mentality among them.

At times, these shrill and disconcerted voices came to a crescendo as if to justify the retention of the controversial Sedition Act, which was eventually not only retained but is to be strengthened, despite Najib’s earlier commitment to its repeal. But alas, these noisy voices are still heard, the retained law notwithstanding.

It doesn’t help to allay the fears of many concerned Malaysians when the country’s leadership appears to have no political will to put a stop to the ugly antics and threatening utterances of the bigoted fringe. The few calls for these unhealthy developments to be stemmed appear to have fallen on deaf ears or are drowned out by the noisy voices of the bigoted.

This is why many Malaysians sighed in relief when a group of 25 prominent Malays recently issued a public statement that called for rational dialogue on the position of Islam in a constitutional democracy. Consisting of mostly former high-ranking government officials, the group expressed dismay over the vitriolic rhetoric that was spewed by extremist quarters in our society.

For Aliran executive committee member P Ramakrishnan, the outrage expressed by the 25 prominent Malays is an indicator that moderate and sober Malaysians, both Malays and non-Malays, have had enough of the wild ranting of the people from Perkasa and Isma. In fact, he applauded these two groups for having driven many Malaysians away from Umno-BN.

In this regard, reader Abdul Rashid Hanafi feels that groups such as Perkasa and Isma should learn to appreciate differences of opinion as this only reflects social reality in that we are part of a diverse humanity. In short, diversity is to be celebrated, not controlled, let alone demolished.

Such troubled times are a bane to many of us, which also include the celebrated cartoonist Zunar. But unlike many of us, Zunar gets ideas from these unsavoury developments and turns them into gems of cartoons. He shares his deep social concerns with us through his cartoons that are posted on websites and located in other places.

Recently, the cartoonist paid Aliran a visit and gave a talk as well as a demonstration of how he draws his cartoons. He told the audience at Aliran that he’s thankful to Rosmah, the wife of the current prime minister, for being an inspiration to his cartooning binge. Indeed, there’s a ring of truth to it.

Incidentally, Zunar’s still faces a problem in selling his cartoon books. While he is being investigated under three different laws, the authorities have requested a list of his online buyers, presumably for investigation, which is a form of harassment as well as a violation of privacy.

While we are troubled by and concerned about the raging and the ranting of the loud and vocal fringe, we should not also lose sight of what’s happening outside the country. The fear of some is that the antics of these bigoted groups may well serve as a useful diversion from the pressing socio-economic issues of the day.

One such issue is the on-going controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotations between Malaysia and the United States, which surely must be of concern to us all, as it would eventually affect our livelihood and well-being as well as our freedom as an independent nation. This is why Aliran member and MP Jeyakumar Deveraj calls on the Malaysian government to reject the lop-sided TPPA. — Aliran

* Mustafa K Anuar is co-editor of Aliran e-newsletter

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 13 December 2014, 10:35 am and is filed under
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DAP shows ‘Malay face’ as party targets Umno

By Nigel Aw

Malaysiakini

Dec 14, 2014

Urgings for DAP to shed its Chinese-centric image and embrace more Malay members have been a staple message since the party’s rise in 2008 but something was visibly different at the party’s convention today.

The difference was probably most felt among some of the Chinese-speaking elderly DAP members who had complained they could not understand “90 percent” of the speeches.

The apparent gulf between the party’s elderly members and its mostly young speakers who spoke at the convention in Subang Jaya was perhaps symbolic of the transition the party was undergoing.

Speeches at the DAP convention in Subang Jaya were predominantly in the national language, peppered with Chinese, English, compared to its previous more Mandarin-oriented tone.

But the changes were not only confined to speeches as there were a visible number of Malay delegates, ranging from  a pakcik clad in jubah to a middle aged men sporting a kopiah or women with tudung.

The sight was unusual for a party that had often been attacked by the ruling coalition as being “Chinese chauvinist”.

The gradual change of the party’s face in just a matter of years is perhaps facilitated by DAP’s tendency to place potential leaders into key positions regardless of seniority.

‘
Young DAP Malays make debut’

At least three states, namely Selangor, Pahang and Penang were represented by young Malay leaders to speak at the conference.

The young Malay speakers were no tokenism stunt either, as they were matured and took cognizance of the challenges facing a growing multi-racial party.

“We cannot have a party where Malays fight for Malays, Chinese fight for Chinese, Indian fight for Indians and no one knows who fights for Sabah and Sarawak.

“We need to instil every member regardless of race with the party’s ideology which is social democracy,” stressed Selangor delegate Edry Faizal Yusof.

DAP’s aggressive bid to correct its lack of Malay members for a self-proclaimed multi-racial party also likely stems from the fact that the second largest party in Parliament had won almost every Chinese-majority seat as well as those with substantial Chinese population.

If the party hopes to expand further, its only option is to move into areas with significant Malay population as well as seats in Sabah and Sarawak, and this requires the party to re-brand itself.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in his opening speech reiterated that the “next stage” for the party was to move into semi-urban seats which has a larger Malay population.

“We must convince Malays that DAP, as one of its governing parties in Pakatan, would never hurt the interests of ordinary Malays but instead, deliver a better life for all Malaysians, Malays included,” he said.

This path is set to put DAP, which traditional rival was MCA, on a head on collision with Umno, the country’s largest party that comprise purely of Malays and some bumiputera from East Malaysia.

‘Set sights on Umno’

Young DAP leaders at the conference were well aware of this, with Johor delegate Wong Shu Qi, who is also Senai state assemblyperson, urging the party to “forget” MCA, MIC, Gerakan or other minor BN parties and set its sights on Umno.

“But are we to compete with Umno in terms of race,religion and royalty? That is Umno’s agenda which we should not fall into.

“Our party’s ideology of social democracy has never had anything to do with race… we must fight for good policies,”  she said, adding that DAP was now a “party in transition”.

DAP insiders told Malaysiakini the party’s move to amend the party’s constitution to expand its central executive committee position from 20 to 30 is also aimed to not only increase women representation, but provide more chances for Malay leaders to make into the top posts.

DAP’s moves to re-brand itself for Malay votes is also in some small part guided by an increasingly unreliable PAS which had in the past helped DAP to capture some Malay votes in the Pakatan Rakyat framework.

Criticism among DAP delegates against PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was aplenty due to his absence from the Pakatan leadership council which had made the coalition difficult to function.

Hadi’s name was never brought up throughout the convention but several leaders alluded to him, including Perak delegate Wong Kah Woh asking leaders with a penchant for “veto-ing” Pakatan’s decision to quit their party.

However, whether DAP can succeed in capturing significant enough Malay support and stand on its own remains to be seen.

Malays joining DAP, remains a taboo, even though the party is slowly trying to break that perception, as Mohamad Shaipol Ismail can testify.

“When we join DAP, we are seen as traitors (by the Malay community),” said Mohamad Shaipol who admitted that he had to think things over several times before joining DAP.

However, Mohamad who joined DAP in 2008 said he has had no qualms with the party and has served as a councillor with the Seberang Perai Municipal Council for two terms.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 14 December 2014, 10:47 pm and is filed under
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Great battle for the soul of Malaysia – politics of inclusion to unite all Malaysians to make Malaysia  a great nation in international society vs politics of exclusion based on hate, fear and imaginary enemies to further divide and polarise races and religions in Malaysia

We are now engaged in a great battle for the soul of Malaysia – the politics of inclusion to unite all Malaysians to make Malaysia a great nation in international society versus the politics of exclusion based on  hate, fear and imaginary enemies to further divide and polarise races and religions in Malaysia.

The UMNO General Assembly last month is a classic  example of the politics of exclusion where the politics of hate, fear and lies reigned supreme, creating imaginary enemies and fears – that the Malays and Islam are under siege, that the Malays could suffer a fate similar  like the Red Indians in the United States,  that the Malays have become slaves in their own land, that  the Chinese are out to grab the political power of the Malays, that ”if UMNO loses, Malays may never rule again”, and the “mother of all lies”, that the Chinese in Kedah burnt the Quran “page by page during a prayer ritual”!

The politics of exclusion is the politics to sow hatred, distrust, disunity and division in our multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual Malaysia based on The Big Lie that the Malays and Islam are under attack in Malaysia.

It is inconceivable and unimaginable that Malays and Islam are under siege  after 57 years of UMNO government and six UMNO Prime Ministers, and this is why  such exclusionary politics  of fear and hate have  to be based on The Big Lie.

In Malaysia on the eve of welcoming the new year of 2015, Malays and Islam are not  under siege although UMNO and in particular the UMNO leaders and their cronies are under attack  – the Umnoputras and not the bumiputeras are under siege!

Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy UMNO President, Tan Sri Muhhyiddin Yassin recently admitted that UMNO/Barisan Nasional would be ousted from power if the ruling coalition loses just two per cent of voter support in the next general elections.

This is why UMNO and their cronies, the UMNO-puteras are under siege, and not Malays, Islam and the bumiputeras.

For the first time in the nation’s history, UMNO/BN is poised of being toppled from power, not only in Putrajaya at the federal power, but also in the various states.

A shift of two per cent voter support would oust UMNO/BN from Putrajaya, but it needs only a shift of one per cent voter support to oust UMNO/BN from Perak state government.

If there is a shift of 10% voter support, UMNO/BN would be ousted from power in all the states in Peninsular Malaysia. The small margin of shift of voter support needed to oust UMNO/BN from the various state governments are:

Perak –		-1%

Terengganu – 	-2%

Kedah – 		-3%

Negri Sembilan –	-5%

Johor – 		-6%

Perlis –		-7%

Pahang –		-9%

Melaka –		-10%

The politics of exclusion in the recent UMNO General Assembly not only proved that UMNO has ceased to be a party for all Malaysians, it is not a party for all Malays but only the UMNO leaders and their cronies who have political and financial axes to grind.

The real issues of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, political party, region, gender or age – the issues of good governance, accountability, transparency; democracy and human rights; their standards and cost of living; zero-tolerance for corruption as the basis of an anti-corruption campaign; the growing disparity of income and wealth between the haves and have-nots; a competitive economic system; or reforms to ensure world-class education system whether at primary, secondary or university level – were not addressed.

Malaysia needs a new politics – the politics of inclusion to unite and inspire all Malaysians, regardless of party politics, race, religion, region, gender or age united in a common Malaysian dream which is not regarded or perceived as anti-Malay, anti-Chinese, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan, anti-Iban or anti-Muslim, anti-Buddhist, anti-Christian, anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh or anti-woman or anti-youth as it must be totally and unconditionally pro-Malaysian.

This is particularly challenging today as extremist, immoderate and intolerant voices and forces have reared their ugly heads and stolen a march against the moderates – which have undermined the decades of racial and religious harmony, understanding and goodwill in the country.

This is why we are now engaged in a great battle for the soul of Malaysia – the politics of inclusion to unite all Malaysians to make Malaysia  a great nation in international society versus politics of exclusion based on hate, fear and imaginary enemies to further divide and polarise races and religions in Malaysia.

DAP and Pakatan Rakyat must be in the forefront to promote and practise the politics of inclusion.

Although UMNO/BN is very close to being ousted from power at the federal and state levels, DAP and PR must not be complacent but must be the vanguard of the politics of inclusion in Malaysia.

Otherwise, instead of UMNO/BN struggling to avert the disaster of losing another two per cent voter support to be ousted from federal and state power, PR will face the crisis of trying to maintain the popular votes and the number of parliamentary and state assembly seats won in the 13GE.

There has been much talk in PAS circles about the implementation of hudud.

The majority of Malaysians have indicated in surveys that the country is not ready for hudud.

If hudud had been a hot controversial issue in the 13th General Elections on May 5, 2013, the Barisan Nasional would not only have regained its two-thirds parliamentary majority to redelineate electoral constituencies at will, Pakatan Rakyat might have lost Selangor apart from Kedah and Johore would have reverted as an invincible Barisan Nasional “fixed-deposit” state.

The hudud issue has never been and will never be a vote winner for PAS based on past electoral evidence.

PAS and PKR won all 8 parliamentary seats and 28 out of 32 state seats in Terengganu in the 10th General Elections because of the backlash against UMNO arising from Anwar’s arrest and the Reformasi movement.

But despite passing the state hudud enactment in 2001, PAS and PKR only managed to retain 1 out of 8 parliament seats and 4 out of 28 state seats in the 2004 GE/GE11.

Furthermore, PAS and PKR won 4 out of 8 parliament and 15 out of 32 state seats in GE13 in Terengganu without campaigning explicitly to implement hudud in the state.

In fact, according to the ‘5 Janji Awal Manifesto PAS Terengganu’ and ‘5 Lagi Manifesto PRU13’ for GE13, the issue of hudud was not even mentioned. The failure to mention hudud in the state manifesto did not cause PAS to lose any ground in Terengganu.

What is most noteworthy is that even though PAS Terengganu included the implementation of the hudud enactment in the Barisan Alternatif Terengganu Manifesto prior to the 2008 GE, this did not win PAS and PKR many more votes and seats in the state.

PAS still won only one parliament seat and only managed to increase the number of state seats from 4 to 8 in GE2008. While BN’s support fell by 11% nationwide from 2004 to 2008, BN’s support in Terengganu only fell by 0.5%.

This is a clear indication that voters in Terengganu placed  more importance on other issues rather than the implementation of hudud.

If hudud had been a controversial issue in the 13GE in May last year,  there would be negligible increase of Malay support but a critical decrease of non-Malay support for PR and the three component parties ranging between 10% to 20%.

We can look at three scenarios.

Under Scenario 1 where PR experiences a 10% decrease in non-Malay support versus a 1% increase in Malay support, PR would only have won 70 parliamentary seats or 32% of total seats compared to the 89 parliament seats or 40% of seats actually won.

Under Scenario 2, where the non-Malay support for PR decreases by 15%, PR would only have won 57 parliamentary seats or 26% and under Scenario 3, where the non-Malay support for PR decreases by 20%, PR would only have won 46 seats or 21%.

In all of these three scenarios, PR would have lost out as a whole as Barisan Nasional would have regained two-thirds parliamentary majority to enable it to redelineate electoral constituencies at will to perpetuate its undemocratic hold on political power.

Table 1: Number of parliament seats PR would have won in GE13 under 3 different scenarios

Actual GE13 results

Scenario 1 (PR Malay vote increase by 1%, Non-Malay vote decrease by 10%)

Scenario 2 (PR Malay vote increase by 1%, Non-Malay vote decrease by 15%)

Scenario 3 (PR Malay vote increase by 1%, Non-Malay vote decrease by 20%)

PAS

21

18

18

16

DAP

38

30

25

23

PKR

30

22

14

7

Total

89 (40%)

70 (32%)

57 (26%)

46 (21%)

Using the same 3 scenario calculations, PR would have seen a 40-seat, 63-seat and 95-seat decrease in the number of state seats won by PR under Scenarios 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

Table 2: Number of state seats PR would have won in Peninsular Malaysia in GE13 under 3 different scenarios

Actual GE13 Results

Scenario 1 (PR Malay vote increase by 1%, Non-Malay vote decrease by 10%)

Scenario 2 (PR Malay vote increase by 1%, Non-Malay vote decrease by 15%)

Scenario 3 (PR Malay vote increase by 1%, Non-Malay vote decrease by 20%)

PAS

85

77

71

62

DAP

95

77

67

57

PKR

49

35

28

15

Total

229 (45%)

189 (42%)

166 (37%)

134 (30%)

If non- Malay support is slashed by 20 per cent, PR in Kedah would be reduced to 6 State Assembly seats (PAS 5, PKR 1), Penang reduced to 25 instead of the present 30 seats (but still in power) with DAP 17, PKR 7 and PAS 1; lost Selangor with PR totalling 21 seats (DAP 11, PKR 5, PAS 5); Johor reverted as UMNO/BN fortress, only winning 4 seats, all from DAP; in Perak, PR reduced to 17 seats (DAP 14, PKR 2 and PAS 1); Pahang, the PR’s present 12 out of 42 state seats reduced to 4 (DAP 2, PAS 2); in Negri Sembilan, the present 14 PR state seats reduced to 6, all from DAP; and in Melaka, the present PR total of 7 seats reduced to 3 DAP seats.

These scenarios should be serious food for thought for all Malaysians who want to see the forward political progression of the country from the 12th and 13th General Elections into the 14th General Elections with the emergence of a new Malaysia where there is justice, the rule of law, democracy, good governance and prosperity for all Malaysians and not a political retrogression and regression.

(Message for the 2014 DAP National Convention  at One City, Selangor on Sunday 14th December 2014)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 14 December 2014, 11:15 am and is filed under
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DAP slowly, but surely shedding its Chinese dominated party image

by G.Surach

The Rakyat Post

SUBANG JAYA Dec 14, 2014

COMMENT

The leadership and delegates at the DAP annual general assembly (AGM) held at One City here today are beginning to show winning touches after years of hard work.

In the years since the party’s formation in 1965 and its history we have all been following since, the party’s strong Chinese base looks to be eroding, but only for the better.

Long perceived as a Chinese-based Opposition party despite championing the Malaysian-Malaysia motto for years, this year’s AGM saw more colour, especially the throngs of Malay supporters and party members.

There were groups of mostly young Malay men and women in attendance contrary to the assertion made by Barisan Nasional leaders and pro-Malay rights NGOs that the DAP was using pretty Malay girls to portray the party as friendly to Malays and Muslims.

Malay volunteers were also seen in large numbers shifting though paperwork and accommodating the delegates’ needs.

The presence of the party’s multiracial and multicultural look was obvious in the crowd compared with the previous AGMs.

Only a few years ago, in 2012, when I covered the party’s AGM, the debates were dominated by speakers who preferred to deliver their party messages in Mandarin, instead of either Bahasa Malaysia or English.

The only time that I could pick up and write my stories then was when party leaders such as DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, party supremo Lim Kit Siang and the impeccable then party chairman, the late Karpal Singh, as well as other non-Chinese or non-Mandarin speaking delegates, came up to deliver their speeches.

Today, however, the tone and manner in which the AGM was conducted was very impressive.

Most of the speakers chose to present their debates in Bahasa Malaysia.

Some of the speakers, such as Negeri Sembilan’s Lawrence Fah and Malacca’s Chin Cheong Seong, impressed many with their impeccable command of the national language.

Although there were still instances of delegates switching back to Mandarin to capture the attention of the Chinese-majority party members, it was a far cry from when I previously covered the AGM.

Even more surprising was when Perlis DAP chairman Teh Seng Chuan began his speech in the Thai language, shocking and amusing not just the delegates, but Guan Eng himself.

However, despite the temporary language barrier, the message was clear.

DAP was moving in the right direction, said the DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke when met after the AGM had concluded.

“We have been trying for many years as we have always wanted to have more members from other races to join the party. Today, we are seeing more Malays and Indians in the fray, which is an exciting time for the party.”

Loke said the ever growing support for the party was also being extended to the Siamese community up north, where it was perceived that as Bumiputera, the only party which could safeguard their interests was Umno.

With the DAP’s newly acquired muscle, however, the party was quick to confidently flex it brazenly at its fellow Pakatan Rakyat members.

Targeting PKR first, Guan Eng openly lobbied Sekinchan assemblymen Ng Suee Lim for the second Selangor Deputy Speaker’s post, which saw Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali flash a cheeky smile and a shoulder shrug.

While Perak delegate and Canning assemblyman Wong Kah Woh chose to target PAS by calling on the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council to reconsider the leadership of party leaders who refused to toe the Opposition coalition’s lines.

His commendation of several PAS leaders such as former Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and Shah Alam Member of Parliament Khalid Abdul Samad for not allowing things to spiral out of control during the Selangor Menteri Besar crisis was a direct shot at PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

For the AGM, PAS decided to send its treasurer-general, Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, to represent it. He said that his party president’s absence was due to a scheduled central leadership council meeting today.

As DAP’s personal fortunes are beginning to turn for the better, it is best that it does not celebrate at the cost of its fellow Pakatan partners, for the coalition is not “home and dry” yet.

While the road to Putrajaya seems increasingly wide, DAP should remember to widen it further with the support of PKR and PAS.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 15 December 2014, 12:58 pm and is filed under
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False choice to believe that PAS depends on hudud issue to stay in power in Kelantan in 14GE when PR common programme on good governance and justice can ensure PR victory in Putrajaya and Kelantan

The announcement by the Kelantan PAS Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob of a special Kelantan State Assembly on Dec. 29 to amend the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II 1993 as a prelude to the tabling of a private member’s bill in Parliament to seek approval for Kelantan to enforce hudud has caught PKR and DAP leaders, as well as the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council, by complete surprise as there had been no prior hint or information whatsoever.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed with me that  he is in the dark about the Kelantan PAS government’s plan to hold a special state assembly sitting on the implementation of hudud.

This is a breach of the Pakatan Rakyat consensus that any new measures on hudud will first be  discussed in the PR Leadership Council, while taking note and respecting the  previous PAS Kelantan decisions on hudud before the formation of PR.

This is not the way to restore public confidence in Pakatan Rakyat which had been seriously shaken by recent developments, or to take full advantage of the latest political landscape where a former top civil servant, who had led the Election Commission for a quarter of a century, either as Election Commission Secretary or Chairman, has passed the judgement that UMNO and Barisan Nasional are in their “death throes”.

Even the Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy UMNO President, Tan Sri Muhhyiddin Yassin knows that the ruling coalition for 57 years is in dire straits when he recently admitted that UMNO/Barisan Nasional would be ousted from power if the ruling coalition loses just two per cent of voter support in the next general elections.

For the first time in the nation’s history, UMNO/BN is poised of being toppled from power, not only in Putrajaya at the federal level, but also in the various states.

A shift of two per cent voter support would oust UMNO/BN from Putrajaya, but it needs only a shift of one per cent voter support to oust UMNO/BN from Perak state government.

If there is a shift of 10% voter support, UMNO/BN would be ousted from power in all the states in Peninsular Malaysia. The margin of shift of voter support needed to oust UMNO/BN from the various state governments are:

Perak – -1%

Terengganu – -2%

Kedah – -3%

Negri Sembilan – -5%

Johor – -6%

Perlis – -7%

Pahang – -9%

Melaka – -10%

This is a political scenario which is completely unthinkable a decade ago.

But there is one caveat. The voter swing against UMNO/BN in Kelantan is among the smallest in the country.

As a result  there are those who advocate that PAS should play safe, that PAS needs to  be practical, realistic and mindful of the proverb that “a bird in hand is worth two in the bush”, except that there is already a  bird in hand – the Kelantan State Government since 1990.

What is at stake are not just  “two birds in the bush”, as we are talking about  capturing federal power in  Putrajaya as well as a few state governments as well.

It is a false choice to believe that PAS is in danger of losing power in Kelantan and that its salvation to stay in power in Kelantan in 14GE to win the seventh election since 1990 lies in the hudud issue.

The  Pakatan Rakyat common programme on good governance and justice (for individuals, groups, races and states) can ensure PR victory in Putrajaya and Kelantan State as well.

In fact, hudud can be the cause for Pakatan Rakat not only losing the battle for Putrajaya, but also in  losing Kelantan – as well as wiping out all the gains that PAS had made outside its traditional stronghold states, like Johore, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Selangor , Perak and Penang.

There has been much talk in PAS circles about the implementation of hudud.

The majority of Malaysians have indicated in surveys that the country is not ready for hudud.

If hudud had been a hot controversial issue in the 13th General Elections on May 5, 2013, the Barisan Nasional would not only have regained its two-thirds parliamentary majority to redelineate electoral constituencies at will, Pakatan Rakyat might have lost Selangor apart from Kedah and Johore would have reverted as an invincible Barisan Nasional “fixed-deposit” state.

The hudud issue has never been and will never be a vote winner for PAS based on past electoral evidence.

PAS and PKR won all 8 parliamentary seats and 28 out of 32 state seats in Terengganu in the 10th General Elections because of the backlash against UMNO arising from Anwar’s arrest and the Reformasi movement.

But despite passing the state hudud enactment in 2001, PAS and PKR only managed to retain 1 out of 8 parliament seats and 4 out of 28 state seats in the 2004 GE/GE11.

Furthermore, PAS and PKR won 4 out of 8 parliament and 15 out of 32 state seats in GE13 in Terengganu without campaigning explicitly to implement hudud in the state.

In fact, according to the ‘5 Janji Awal Manifesto PAS Terengganu’ and ‘5 Lagi Manifesto PRU13’ for GE13, the issue of hudud was not even mentioned. The failure to mention hudud in the state manifesto did not cause PAS to lose any ground in Terengganu.

What is most noteworthy is that even though PAS Terengganu included the implementation of the hudud enactment in the Barisan Alternatif Terengganu Manifesto prior to the 2008 GE, this did not win PAS and PKR many more votes and seats in the state.

PAS still won only one parliament seat and only managed to increase the number of state seats from 4 to 8 in GE2008. While BN’s support fell by 11% nationwide from 2004 to 2008, BN’s support in Terengganu only fell by 0.5%.

This is a clear indication that voters in Terengganu placed more importance on other issues rather than the implementation of hudud.

If hudud had been a controversial issue in the 13GE in May last year, there would be negligible increase of Malay support but a critical decrease of non-Malay support for PR and the three component parties ranging between 10% to 20%.

We can look at three scenarios.

Under Scenario 1 where PR experiences a 10% decrease in non-Malay support versus a 1% increase in Malay support, PR would only have won 70 parliamentary seats or 32% of total seats compared to the 89 parliament seats or 40% of seats actually won.

Under Scenario 2, where the non-Malay support for PR decreases by 15%, PR would only have won 57 parliamentary seats or 26% and under Scenario 3, where the non-Malay support for PR decreases by 20%, PR would only have won 46 seats or 21%.

In all of these three scenarios, PR would have lost out as a whole as Barisan Nasional would have regained two-thirds parliamentary majority to enable it to redelineate electoral constituencies at will to perpetuate its undemocratic hold on political power.

If we extrapolate such results to the various states in Peninsular Malayswia, with non- Malay voter support slashed by 20 per cent, PR in Kedah would be reduced to 6 State Assembly seats (PAS 5, PKR 1); Penang reduced to 25 instead of the present 30 seats (but still in power) with DAP 17, PKR 7 and PAS 1; lost Selangor with PR totalling 21 seats (DAP 11, PKR 5, PAS 5); Johor reverted as UMNO/BN fortress, only winning 4 seats, all from DAP; in Perak, PR reduced to 17 seats (DAP 14, PKR 2 and PAS 1); Pahang, the PR’s present 12 out of 42 state seats reduced to 4 (DAP 2, PAS 2); in Negri Sembilan, the present 14 PR state seats reduced to 6, all from DAP; and in Melaka, the present PR total of 7 seats reduced to 3 DAP seats.

If hudud becomes an issue in the 14GE, PR will not only lose in Putrajaya, there is also a possibility that PAS will lose in Kelantan.

These scenarios and possibilities deserve the attention not only of PAS leaders, but also of DAP and PKR leaders and the 53 per cent of the national electorate who voted for PR in the 13th general elections.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 15 December 2014, 4:58 pm and is filed under
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Hudud: 20 soalan untuk PAS

 – Eric Paulsen

The Malaysian Insider

15 December 2014

Walaupun ditentang hebat pelbagai pihak, PAS dalam kebijaksanaannya masih lagi berkeras sekarang waktu yang sesuai untuk melaksanakan hudud di Kelantan dan akan mengadakan sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri Khas pada 29 Disember ini untuk mengemukakan satu pindaan terhadap Rang Undang-undang Kanun Jenayah Syariah II 1993 (Pindaan 2014).

 Hudud merupakan sebahagian undang-undang jenayah Islam yang memperuntukkan hukuman paling keras yang dapat dibayangkan, lantaran versinya di Kelantan termasuklah merejam sehingga mati (dengan batu bersaiz sederhana), kematian diikuti dengan penyaliban, pemotongan anggota badan dan sebatan.

Hukuman sedemikian sudah tidak ada tempatnya pada zaman ini atau mana-mana masyarakat moden dan demokratik kerana ia melibatkan penyeksaan, hukuman kejam dan tidak berperikemanusiaan.

 Walaupun PAS dan penyokong hudud tidak bimbang dan secara membuta-tuli yakin semuanya akan baik-baik belaka dengan pelaksanaannya, meskipun tiada asas bagi andaian hudud akan berjalan dengan lancar di Malaysia, sepertimana ia gagal di kesemua negara yang melaksanakan hudud seperti di Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria Utara, Afghanistan dan Pakistan.

Malah, sebaliknya yang benar, hudud menjadi perkataan yang menunjukkan ketidakadilan yang dilakukan atas nama Islam, terutamanya terhadap kanak-kanak perempuan dan wanita.

 Kita ketepikan sebentar isu sama ada keadaan adalah bersesuaian di bawah falsafah perundangan Islam bagi hudud dilaksanakan, sama ada ia menepati Perlembagaan atau wajar diamalkan dalam sebuah negara seperti Malaysia.

Ramai rakyat Malaysia mempersoalkan, seberapa adil, saksama dan praktikal untuk hudud dilaksanakan di Kelantan sahaja manakala negeri-negeri lain di negara ini atau warga bukan Islam seolah-olah sepatutnya tidak akan terjejas langsung.

 Oleh demikian, saya kumpulkan 20 soalan yang paling kerap ditanya untuk PAS –dan saya berharap PAS akan bertanggungjawab memberikan jawapan yang sewajarnya dan bukan hanya sekadar menyeru nama Allah, yang kebiasaannya menutup ruang dan mengakhiri semua perbincangan lanjut.

1. Bolehkah hudud dilaksanakan dalam keadaan terdapatnya perbezaan besar di antara golongan berada dan papa, di antara golongan paling kaya seperti Syed Mokhtar, Mokhzani Mahathir, Vincent Tan, Ananda Krishnan dengan mereka yang miskin, papa dan tiada tempat tinggal? Ia menjadi jelas apabila Indeks Pekali Gini (yang mengukur tahap ketidaksamaan dalam agihan pendapatan) menunjukkan Malaysia sebagai negara yang ke-3 paling tidak adil agihan pendapatannya di Asia.

2. Bolehkah hudud dilaksanakan dalam keadaan orang-orang kaya dan berkuasa biasanya terlepas daripada penguatkuasaan undang-undang? Bilakah kali terakhir seorang VVIP didapati bersalah dan benar-benar menjalankan tempoh pemenjaraannya? Seterusnya, bolehkah hudud wujud apabila VVIP orang Islam masih duduk dalam Lembaga Pengarah Genting Berhad, memiliki saham dalam syarikat bir San Miguel atau mempunyai rangkaian kelab Hard Rock Café di dalam negara?

3. Adakah hudud (seperti undang-undang Syariah sekarang) diamalkan secara terpilih dan mempunyai kesan tidak seimbang terhadap golongan lemah dan miskin, manakala orang-orang kaya dan berkuasa dapat melepaskan diri daripada hukuman? Sebagai contoh, hanya orang Islam biasa dan buruh Indonesia yang akan disebat kerana minum arak, atau adakah akan terdapat menteri Umno, ahli kerabat diraja dan anak-anak mereka, serta para pelancong beragama Islam dari Timur Tengah juga yang akan disebat?

4. Dengan begitu banyak rasa tidak puas hati terhadap Mahkamah Syariah sekarang ini dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang (terutamanya hal nafkah atau tanggungan penyelenggaraan isteri dan anak-anak yang ditinggalkan suami), tidakkah pihak berkuasa mengambil kira apa yang akan berlaku jika mereka tersalah jatuh hukum seseorang yang tidak bersalah untuk dipotong tangan atau kakinya atau pun merejam dengan batu sehingga mati seorang wanita yang tidak bersalah?

5. Bolehkah hudud hanya dilaksanakan untuk orang Islam, manakala orang bukan Islam tertakluk kepada undang-undang yang berbeza? Adakah adil, jika dua orang ditangkap di Kelantan atas sebab kecurian motosikal, seorang beragama Islam dipotong tangannya, sedangkan seorang lagi yang bukan Islam dipenjara selama setahun?

6. Bolehkah hudud hanya dilaksanakan di Kelantan sahaja, manakala negeri-negeri lain di negara ini melaksanakan undang-undang jenayah sedia ada? Adakah adil jika dua orang lelaki Islam yang ditangkap kerana kecurian motosikal, satu di Kelantan dan satu lagi di Selangor; lelaki di Kelantan itu dipotong tangannya, sedangkan lelaki di Selangor dipenjara selama setahun?

 7. Bolehkah hudud wujud beriringan dan selaras dengan undang-undang jenayah sedia ada yang jauh lebih menyeluruh daripada kesalahan hudud yang terhad, walaupun ditambah dengan kesalahan-kesalahan takzir, qisas dan diyat? Adakah adil jika seorang lelaki Islam ditangkap kerana kecurian motosikal di Kelantan dan tangannya dipotong manakala seorang lelaki Islam yang ditangkap kerana pecah amanah (sama ada di Kelantan atau sebaliknya) untuk jumlah yang jauh lebih besar daripada kos motosikal itu pula dipenjarakan selama setahun?

8. Adakah adil jika dua lelaki yang ditangkap kerana rogol di Kelantan, seorang lelaki Islam hanya dihukum di bawah takzir mengikut budi bicara hakim, manakala lelaki bukan Islam dipenjarakan sekurang-kurangnya lima tahun dan juga disebat di bawah undang-undang jenayah yang sedia ada?

9. Adakah adil bagi mangsa rogol Islam untuk didedah kepada kemungkinan pertuduhan zina atau qazaf (tuduhan palsu zina) jika dia gagal memberikan keterangan atau saksi yang mencukupi? Apa yang berlaku dalam keadaan seorang wanita atau gadis hamil kerana dirogol sama ada dengan kekerasan atau pun rogol bawah umur? Adakah ianya akan diambil sebagai bukti muktamad kejadian zina jika dia, meskipun mangsa rogol, tidak dapat menyangkal tuduhan kerana beban bukti yang tidak seimbang?

10. Adakah adil, jenayah rogol, suatu kesalahan yang lebih serius daripada zina, hanya diklasifikasikan sebagai kesalahan takzir yang boleh dihukum mengikut budi bicara hakim manakala orang yang sudah berkahwin yang melakukan zina akan direjam dengan batu sehingga mati?

 11. Adakah adil, kerana tidak ada kesalahan hudud untuk penipuan secara besar-besaran, penyelewengan, pecah amanah, rasuah (contohnya skandal “peminjaman” NFC dan penyelewengan RM250 juta dana kerajaan) manakala seseorang yang mencuri motosikal akan mendapati tangannya dipotong?

12. Adakah adil jika hanya lelaki Islam sahaja yang biasanya dianggap berkelayakan untuk memberi keterangan manakala keterangan wanita dan orang bukan Islam tidak diterima atau mempunyai nilai yang lebih rendah? Mengapa harus orang bukan Islam terutama wanita melibatkan diri dalam undang-undang jenayah Islam yang memang memperlakukan keterangan orang bukan Islam atau wanita sebagai bersifat lebih rendah nilainya daripada orang lelaki Islam?

13. Bidang kuasa manakah yang akan digunakan – hudud atau undang-undang jenayah sedia ada – jika jenayah itu melibatkan pelaku orang Islam dan mangsa bukan Islam? Bagaimana jika pelaku orang Islam mendesak untuk memakai hudud (kerana beban pembuktian yang lebih tinggi dan kurangnya nilai keterangan orang bukan Islam), manakala mangsa bukan Islam tidak ingin berserah kepada bidang kuasa perundangan Islam?

14. Bidang kuasa manakah yang terpakai – hudud atau undang-undang jenayah sedia ada – jika jenayah itu melibatkan pelaku bukan Islam dan mangsanya orang Islam? Bagaimana jika mangsa Islam menuntut hanya hudud yang dapat memberikan keadilan dan hukuman yang setimpal?

15. Bidang kuasa manakah yang akan digunakan – hudud atau undang-undang jenayah sedia ada – jika kesalahan yang dilakukan seperti kecurian dan rompakan terdapat dalam kedua-dua bidang kuasa? Bolehkah pelaku orang Islam meminta diadili di bawah undang-undang jenayah sedia ada kerana dia tidak mahu tangannya dipotong? Atau dia boleh memilih hudud kerana beban pembuktian yang lebih tinggi, yang membolehkan dirinya melepaskan diri daripada hukuman?

16. Bagaimana hudud akan dapat berfungsi jika ia tidak mempunyai bidang kuasa ke atas orang bukan Islam? Bolehkah pihak berkuasa memaksa orang bukan Islam untuk membantu dalam penyiasatan atau memberi keterangan di Mahkamah? Adakah keterangan mereka bernilai?

17. Adakah adil jika orang bukan Islam yang membantu dan bersubahat dengan orang Islam yang melakukan kesalahan untuk dilepaskan, manakala orang Islam itu pula tertakluk kepada hukuman rejam dan sebat dalam kes-kes zina dan syurb (pengambilan alkohol)?

18. Adakah hukuman rejam sampai mati, penyaliban, sebatan dan pemotongan anggota badan masih diterima di zaman ini? Adakah ianya tidak tergolong sebagai penyeksaan, hukuman kejam dan tidak berperikemanusiaan? Bagaimana jika Israel mahu mengenakan hukuman undang-undang Yahudi yang sama, yang terdapat dalam Taurat (yang berkongsi asas  hukuman yang sama dalam Al-Quran) terhadap rakyat Palestin yang menentang pemerintahan mereka?

19. Adakah pihak berkuasa prihatin terhadap kemungkinan kematian ataupun sebarang komplikasi lain yang mengancam nyawa akibat pemotongan anggota badan? Siapakah yang akan bertanggungjawab?

 20. Bagaimanakah hukuman ini dijalankan? Siapakah yang akan memotong, menyalibkan dan membaling batu sehingga mati itu? Adakah dilakukan oleh pegawai-pegawai Mahkamah, “profesional” terlatih, saksi, mangsa-mangsa jenayah atau ahli keluarga mereka atau orang ramai? Adakah hukuman ini dilakukan di khalayak ramai atau secara rahsia? – 15 Disember, 2014.

* Eric Paulsen ialah pengasas bersama dan pengarah eksekutif Lawyers For Liberty.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 15 December 2014, 11:14 pm and is filed under
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Patriotism by universal standards is alive again in Malaysia  – Concerned Malaysians

The Malaysian Insider

14 December 2014

We the undersigned Malaysian citizens from all walks of life hereby register our hopes, admiration and, above all, our support to the call for rational dialogues that was recently penned by 25 right-minded, inspired and courageous citizens.

The widely-published Letter penned by 25 eminent and determined Who-is-Who in Malaysia certainly ignites a bright and encouraging light at the end of Malaysia’s darkened tunnel of politics.

We concur with the issues raised by this group of distinguished Malaysian Malay-Muslims and appeal to the country’s leadership and especially the ruling political party to address the concerns raised vis-à-vis the “continuing unresolved disputes on the position and application of Islamic laws in this country”.

Indeed Malaysia’s ability and “responsibility” in “demonstrating that justice is done and seen to be done”, is the very cornerstone of this multiracial, multi-religious and multicultural population once dubbed with hope as the “Rising Asian Tiger”.

As much as we support unconditionally the belief held by the patriotic Group of 25 noble men and women in so far as Islam is concerned, we likewise call upon, along those same parameters, that all religions beholden to the various faithful should be allowed “to continue to be relevant and universal in our times”; and the teachings of our respective faiths must be allowed and continue to evolve without any agenda of fear, misrepresentation, oppression or blinkered justice.

To our courageous, informed and well-intended Group of 25 illustrious men and women, we salute you for your expressions of concern and for categorically speaking without fear or favour but in the best and sole interest of nation building.

We assert that, no nation can progress when politics and religion get muddled with self-serving and narrow agendas; no progress can last when religion is made a scapegoat or pawn on the political checkerboard; no religion ruins civilization when we take the moderate path that is universally proclaimed and cherished.

For we too concur that religion has guided all of God’s creation professing their respective beliefs, through harsh and challenging times.

Hence, the statement made by this inspired group that “there are many pressing issues affecting all of us that need the urgent leadership and vision of the Prime Minister, the support of his Cabinet and all moderate Malaysians” secures our unconditional support.

The time is here and now and we must not be guilty as a nation for letting this opportunity slip by. This is a defining period in our national transformation quests and so we must see to the rational dialogue on the application of Islamic laws and other laws in the country.

The Federal Constitution must reign supreme for it has and shall always be the torch that leads us as a one nation of people, united, out of these darkening clouds of divisiveness, confusion and misguided justice.

No right minded Malaysian will let this nation be pockmarked and marred by any form of extremism – be it in politics, social, economy or the environment. We will and we are certain too that millions more, will defend our nationhood from any form of extremism.

And in that spirit desiring to be free of fear, suspicion and hatred, we are heartened to note and do value the numerous rounds of applause within corporate corridors, the marketplace, on the internet highways and the media-scape as people share their support and hopes on the matters of concern raised by the Group of 25 Malaysian Malay-Muslim personalities. – December 14, 2014.

* The Concerned Malaysians who endorse this letter are as follows:

 1. J.D.Lovrenciear, director, Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia

 2. Brig General (R) Datuk Mohd Arshad Mohd Raji, Chairman – Asian Public Relations Academy

 3. Datuk Mahadev Shankar, former Court of Appeal Judge and three-time Royal Commissioner

 4. Datuk Saw Choo Boon, former chairman of Shell Malaysia

 5. Datuk Pardip Kumar Kukreja, chairman, Malaysia Nepal Business Council

 6. Datuk Halim Abdullah, retired civil servant, former state secretary Penang

 7. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Trustee 1Malaysia Foundation

 8. Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, former secretary-general, Ministry of Transport, deputy secretary-general Ministry of Finance.

 9. Datuk Wira (Dr) Ameer Mydin, managing director, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad

 10. Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon, former president Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers

 11. Datuk A.Vaithilingam, founder and former president of the MCCBCHST. Former president, Malaysia Hindu Sangam

 12. Datuk Ramli Yusof, senior partner, Ramli Yusoff & Co.

 13. Michael Kang, national vice-president, SMI Association of Malaysia

 14. Sardar Harcharan Singh, founder, former president, vice-president of the Malaysian Gurudwaras Council

 15. Datuk Taizoon H.Tyebkhan, former president, Penang Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry

 16. Datuk SH Wong, chairman, Malaysian American Electronics Industry (MAEI), Amcham

 17. Datuk Bhupat Rai Premji, director India International Bank

 18. Wan Saiful Wan Jan, chief executive, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas)

 19. Datuk Andy Seo, executive chairman of Alphaprima Engineering Sdn Bhd.

 20. Datuk Kesav Aggarwal, executive director, Bharat Group of Companies.

 21. Lachman Naraindas JSM, AMN, former president KL & Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry(KLSICCI)

 22. Datuk Dr. R.Palan, chairman/CEO SMRT Holdings Berhad

 23. Selvaraja Chinniah, advocate & solicitor

 24. Stephen Nah, founder & member, Service Civil International (SCI Malaysia)

 25. Datuk V.L.Kandan, former Member of the Selangor State Executive Council

 26. Datuk Din Merican, senior research fellow, Cambodian Institute of Cooperation & Peace and adjucnt professor

 27. Datin Dr Kamsiah Haider, University Associate Professor and Dental Surgeon

 28. S.C.Shekar, photojournalist & publisher

 29. Lynette Yeow, advocate & solicitor

 30. Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, secretary-general, Proham

 31. Tan Sri Michael Yeoh, CEO Asli

 32. Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah, former commissioner, Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam)

 33. Andrew Khoo, advocate & solicitor, High Court of Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 15 December 2014, 8:48 pm and is filed under
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Three things we learned from: The Perkasa AGM

by Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

The Malay Mail Online

December 15, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — The theme of Perkasa’s annual general assembly this year was “Social Contract and Rukunegara, the core foundation for peace in Malaysia”.

Unsurprisingly, leaders and members of the Malay rights group zoomed in yesterday on Malay and Bumiputera rights, and the need for stricter laws and policies to protect the country’s ethnic majority.

During debates, delegates lamented how Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) have not done enough to adequately safeguard the interests of this majority group, with one leader even suggesting that Perkasa turn itself into a political party to lead the country.

Umno, complained the leader, has fallen short of expectations.

Perkasa’s president, the outspoken Datuk Ibrahim Ali, even labelled those from Umno who have criticised the group as bangsat (bastards) and declared himself the true hero of the Malays and Islam.

Taking a leaf from their leader, others used the assembly for the same purpose – as a platform to rebut criticisms against Perkasa, an NGO that has successfully muscled its way into mainstream politics and planted itself firmly at the forefront, as a presence that even Umno daren’t ignore.

Here are three lessons we learned from Perkasa’s fifth general assembly:

1.The threat is not liberal Malays, it’s about daring to challenge the status quo

Ibrahim’s rebuttal to the recent open letter by 25 prominent Malays was that liberal-thinking Muslims are now out to destroy Islam in Malaysia, taking over from other anti-Malay and anti-Islam proponents from the the country’s non-Muslim communities.

The Perkasa president insisted that the views of the 25, whose open letter questioned Islamic laws and the religious authorities, were not representative of the majority of Malays here.

He said: “In 2015, we will be haunted by issues involving Islam’s defence. Malay liberals have now replaced those who want to destroy Islam”.

But Ibrahim may have got it wrong. The threat is not the fact that the 25 former civil servants and influential leaders defended the supremacy of the Federal Constitution over all other laws in the country. The threat is that they dared to challenge the status quo and the fact that Perkasa believes their myopic views on religion and race represent how most Malays here think.

The 25 prominent Malays had only reinforced the view held when Malaysia’s founding fathers drafted out the country’s highest laws – that while Islam is the religion of the federation and there is the Shariah Court, which deals with Muslim matters, the Federal Constitution remains the highest law of the land. This supreme law was made all-powerful simply because it recognises and caters to multi-ethnic and multi-religious Malaysia.

2. Corruption – a hindrance to both the Bumi agenda and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s reform plans

Interestingly, corruption within the civil service and political parties, a succinct issue, was briefly mentioned at Perkasa annual general assembly.

The group’s leaders admitted that the issue remains unaddressed and claimed that it seriously affects the government’s efforts in ensuring the Bumiputeras, who make up the bulk of the country’s hardcore poor, receive an equitable slice of the economic pie.

“Malays make noise when they do not get positions and when they don’t get projects. They (Malays) are so easily impressed if they get to ride inside a deputy minister’s car they won’t be able to sleep for three weeks,” Ibrahim said during his closing speech at the groups annual assembly here yesterday.

Similarly, Perkasa vice-president Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said that corruption was evident in all communities — Malay, Chinese and Indians.

“The Chinese, the Indians they corrupt our leaders. That is because they are smart.

“Now, even the Malay corrupt our leaders,” the Perkasa leader had said.

3. BN survival in GE14 still a toss-up, and Perkasa knows it

Umno is no longer the political animal it used to be in it’s heyday. Ibrahim hit the nail on the head when he predicted that there will be no landslide victory in GE14.

Perkasa has in the past, and at least for now, been a pressure group in support of Umno. They may criticise the Barisan Nasional lynchpin, but it is no secret that many in Perkasa are also active Umno members.

Fearing Perkasa’s hardline stance may force BN to lose middle ground votes, Umno has been subtly and gradually attempting to distance itself from the Malay rights group.

But the refusal of the ruling party’s upper echelon of leaders to publicly denounce Perkasa has shown one thing – Umno can ill-afford to offend the NGO as it could find itself losing the support of the conservatives, who form the bulk of the Malay party’s traditional vote bank.

Recognising their worth, Umno’s conservatives have grown bolder and have repeatedly urged their party leadership to be more decisive when fighting for the Bumiputera agenda.

But others, however, like Khairy Jamaluddin and Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamad, feel the 57-year old party should slowly revitalise itself, and gravitate closer to the centre while still retaining its core roots.

Perkasa’s open attacks on Umno today paints a picture of the BN party struggling to find its footing in modern society – where the younger generation of voters want to move beyond race policies and more on bread-and-butter issues.

Yesterday, Perkasa vice-president Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said Umno and BN have grown weak, and suggested that the group take over as the country’s next ruling party.

“I would urge Perkasa to fortify efforts to become a political body which will rule this country.

“Once you run this country, no need to complain (to Umno and Barisan Nasional),” he said in his speech.

Whether or not this suggestion will come to fruition in the near future remains uncertain.

But with BN now seen to be at its weakest, and its foes in Pakatan Rakyat still bickering over key ideological differences, a Perkasa political party could very well prove to be a formidable opponent to both the troubled coalitions in the next federal polls.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 15 December 2014, 8:25 am and is filed under
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Police storm Sydney cafe to end hostage siege, three dead

By Lincoln Feast and Colin Packham

Reuters

Dec 16, 2014

SYDNEY – Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe on Tuesday and freed a number of hostages being held there at gunpoint, in a dramatic end to a 16-hour siege in which three people were killed and four wounded.

New South Wales police said two men, aged 34 and 50, and a 38-year-old woman died. The attacker was among the fatalities.

Heavy gunfire and blasts from stun grenades filled the air shortly after 2 a.m. local time (1500 GMT on Monday).

Moments earlier at least six people believed to have been held captive managed to flee after gunshots were heard coming from the cafe, and police later confirmed that they made their move in response.

So far 17 hostages have been accounted for.

Medics tried to resuscitate at least one person after the raid and took away several wounded people on stretchers, said a Reuters witness at the scene in downtown Sydney. Bomb squad members moved in to search for explosives, but none were found.

The operation began shortly after a police source named the gunman as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian refugee and self-styled sheikh facing multiple charges of sexual assault as well as being an accessory to murder.

He was also found guilty in 2012 of sending offensive and threatening letters to families of eight Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, as a protest against Australia’s involvement in the conflict, according to local media reports.

A U.S. security official said the U.S. government was being advised by Australia that there was no sign at this stage that the gunman was connected to known terrorist organisations.

Although the hostage taker was known to the authorities, security experts said preventing attacks by people acting alone could be difficult.

”Today’s crisis throws into sharp relief the dangers of lone wolf terrorism,” said Cornell University law professor Jens David Ohlin, speaking in New York.

“There are two areas of concern. The first is ISIS (Islamic State) fighters with foreign passports who return to their home countries to commit acts of terrorism.

“The second is ISIS sympathizers radicalised on the internet who take it upon themselves to commit terrorist attacks to fulfil their radical ideology.

“We are entering a new phase of terrorism that is far more dangerous, and more difficult to defeat, than al Qaeda ever was.”

ISLAMIC FLAG

During the siege, hostages had been forced to display an Islamic flag, igniting fears of a jihadist attack.

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States and its escalating action against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, has been on high alert for attacks by home-grown militants returning from fighting in the Middle East.

News footage showed hostages holding up a black and white flag displaying the Shahada, a testament to the faith of Muslims. The flag has been popular among Sunni Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda.

At least five hostages were released or escaped on Monday, with terrified cafe workers and customers running into the arms of paramilitary police.

The incident forced the evacuation of nearby buildings and sent shockwaves around a country where many people were turning their attention to the Christmas holiday following earlier security scares.

In September, anti-terrorism police said they had thwarted an imminent threat to behead a random member of the public and days later, a teenager in the city of Melbourne was shot dead after attacking two anti-terrorism officers with a knife.

The siege cafe is in Martin Place, a pedestrian strip popular with workers on a lunch break, which was revealed as a potential location for the thwarted beheading.

In the biggest security operation in Sydney since a bombing at the Hilton Hotel killed two people in 1978, major banks closed their offices in the central business district and people were told to avoid the area.

Muslim leaders urged calm. The Australian National Imams Council condemned “this criminal act unequivocally” in a joint statement with the Grand Mufti of Australia.

Concerns about an attack in Australia by Islamists have been growing for more than a year, with the security agency raising its national terrorism public alert to “high” in September.

(Additional reporting by Jane Wardell, Matt Siegel, Swati Pandey, Wayne Cole and Jason Reed in Sydney and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Dean Yates)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 16 December 2014, 5:16 am and is filed under
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The seized hymn books should be returned to Catholic priest Cyril Mannayagam  without any  delay and police personnel sent for “sensitization” courses to respect multi-religious rights and sensitivities as well as keep up with legal developments

It is sad, shocking and outrageous that 20 days before Christmas, a religious festival which is accorded recognition as a national public holiday, like Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali and Vesak Day, Malaysia is marred by another insensitive incident – the police action in Tangkak on December 5 detaining a Catholic priest Cyril Mannayagam and seizing 31 copies of a hymn book intended for Orang Asli Christians.

Cyril posed no threat to national security and was not doing anything which could by any stretch of the imagination be regarded as subversive or subterfuge as all he did was to ask a bookshop to photocopy 31 copies of a hymn book, titled “Mari Kita Memuji Allah Kita” meant for the Orang Asli parishioners in his congregation at the Church of St Andrew in Muar.

Adding insult to injury, the Tangkak police action was unlawful – an instance of the police breaking the law when they should be upholding the law.

This is because the law the police was using against Cyril, Section 298A of the Penal Code on causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will on grounds of religion, had been struck down as invalid by the then Supreme Court in 1988 in the case of Mamat bin Daud v Government of Malaysia.

The Supreme Court held that Section 298A of the Penal Code  was unconstitutional as it was a provision in the Penal Code and as such had no power to legislate over Islamic matters.

Christmas festivities have started and the 31 hymn books unlawfully seized from Cyril should be returned immediately to the Catholic priest for Christmas celebrations by the Orang Asli Christians.

Let us all spread Christmas joy instead of Christmas grief!

The Police must  learn a lesson from this deplorable episode and should be extra sensitive of the  rights and sensitivities of a plural society of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures.

All police personnel should be sent for “sensitization” courses to be the first in their  police districts to respect multi-religious rights and sensitivities as well as keep up with legal developments, so that police who carry out arrests know what are the provisions in the Penal Code which had been struck down as invalid and unconstitutional by the courts of the land.

Why are the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who would shoot off instant comments on matters under their purview, strangely quiet on this issue for the past 10 days?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 16 December 2014, 9:55 am and is filed under
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Will MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the Sabah/Sarawak BN component parties leave Barisan Nasional if UMNO Assemblymen in Kelantan support hudud implementation in the Kelantan State Assembly special meeting on Dec. 29?

The man who  is today  preening himself with pride in successfully carrying off the “greatest political coup in UMNO history” will be none other than the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, who hatched his political plot par excellence with a statement in Parliament on March 27 which completely took PAS leaders by surprise – that the Barisan Nasional Federal Government was prepared to assist the Kelantan PAS State Government to implement  hudud laws.

This was a plot to save UMNO and BN, which former Election Commission Chairman/Secretary for 25 years have said are in their “death throes”, and  Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin conceded that UMNO/BN would be ousted from power if the ruling coalition loses just two per cent of voter support in the next general elections – by creating division in Pakatan Rakyat over the issue of hudud implementation.

But there is also a bonus in the plot  – in providing a life-line to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who is facing relentless attack and the greatest  pressure in his five-year nine-month premiership over the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal.

Najib  has attracted brickbats over the mega 1MDB scandal not only from Pakatan Rakyat  led by MPs Tony Pua and Rafizi Ramli but also from inside UMNO led by none other than the formidable fourth Prime Minister of 22 years, Tun Mahathir, and others like Tun Daim.

The Kelantan Special State Assembly on Dec. 29 on the implementation of hudud  would be like manna from heaven for Najib, as it would provide  precious diversion and distraction from the mega 1MDB scandal!

Although DAP and PKR leaders, and the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council, were taken completely by surprise by the Sunday announcement of the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Datuk Ahmad Yakob of the special meeting of the Kelantan State Assembly on Dec. 29 on hudud implementation, Jamil is clearly not surprised.

The DAP’s stand on hudud and its implementation is the same as the stand taken by the first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein – that hudud laws go against the Malaysian Constitution which provides for a secular state with Islam as the religion of the Federation and freedom of worship guaranteed for other religions.

Let no one suggest that the first three Prime Ministers are not good Muslims, and no one should forget that  Tunku  served for three years as the first Secretary-General of Organisation of Islamic States (OIC) after he stepped down as Prime Minister.

MCA and Gerakan officials have been issuing very fierce statements about the Kelantan State Assembly special meeting on hudud implementation on Dec. 29.

The Gerakan President Datuk Mah Siew Keong even challenged  political leaders from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional to “reject hudud as responsible politicians” and to “make a clear and unambiguous stand to reject Hudud as it is unconstitutional and impractical in a multiracial society.”

Will MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the Sabah/Sarawak BN component parties leave Barisan Nasional if UMNO Assemblymen in Kelantan support hudud implemention in the Kelantan Special State Assembly on Dec. 29?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 16 December 2014, 11:57 am and is filed under
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Endorse call on Police to end the year of police harassment of Christians by apologizing and returning the 31 hymn books so that Christmas this year  could mark a new beginning for all Malaysians regardless of faith for inter-religious  tolerance, understanding and harmony in Malaysia

All Malaysians of goodwill will endorse the call by the former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan on the authorities to stop harassing Christians.

The police and other enforcement officers must be educated on the 10-point agreement so that they become exemplars in promoting inter-racial and inter-religious tolerance, understanding and harmony instead of being the vanguard of insensitivity and disrespect for the diverse religions and cultures in Malaysia.

Why has Malaysia, which until recent years have been an oasis in the world for  inter-religious tolerance, understanding and harmony, become an outpost for extremism, intolerance, immoderation, hatred and bigotry both on matters of race and religion?

Christmas is only a week away.

I call on the Police to end the year of police harassment of Christians by apologizing and returning the 31 hymn books to Catholic priest Cyril Mannayagam of Church of St. Andrew in Muar as they were meant for his Orang Asli parishioners  so that Christmas this year could mark a new beginning for all Malaysians regardless of faith for  inter-religious  tolerance, understanding and harmony in Malaysia.

The Police doubly owed such an apology as they havd acted high-handedly and unlawfully in acting under Section 298A of the Penal Code which had already been struck out by the highest court in the land in 1988  as being “unconstitutional”.

Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Wan Jaafar doth protest too much when he said that the police and his ministry were not seeking “publicity”,  in response to my query as to why the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, had been strangely quiet on the issue for the past 10 days, when they would shoot off instant comments on matters under their purview.

What is more important is whether Junaidi will get the IGP to apologise and return the 31 hymn books before Christmas!

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 17 December 2014, 4:51 pm and is filed under
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Najib should stop being “absentee PM”, declare national economic crisis,   form a bipartisan BN-PR Council for National Economic Salvation and summon emergency Parliament

(Winding-Up Speech at the DAP Gelang Patah forum “1MDB in RM42 billion debt – Is Malaysia on the Verge of Financial Turmoil” in Johor Baru on Tuesday, 16th December 2014 at 10.30 pm)

During the Q-and-A session, a member of the audience asked what should be done in the face of the multiple national crisis confronting the country.

I will make four proposals:

Firstly, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should stop being an “absentee PM”.

Secondly, he should declare a national economic crisis to rally all Malaysians to focus on the multiple economic challenges facing the country, now that Malaysia is regarded as South East Asia’s weakest spot with the multiple plunge of forex and equity markets and  current slide in prices of global crude oil  and other commodities.

Thirdly, form a bipartisan Barisan Nasional-Pakatan Rakyat Council for National Economic Salvation.

Fourthly, Najib should be a Prime Minister for all Malaysians, and  not for any race, religion or region. As such he should steer clear of politics and policies of exclusion  and extremism and advocate politics and policies of inclusion and moderation, where every Malaysian, regardless of race, religion, region, gender, age or even political party, can unite on a common platform to save the country from the looming economic crisis.

Pakatan Rakyat parties and leaders are prepared to respond positively in any national emergency and co-operate with the Prime Minister and the UMNO/Barisan Nasional government in the national interests, transcending party and  individual interests.

As 30% of the country’s spending is reliant on oil, the sharp decline of international oil prices have completed knocked off kilter the 2014 and 2015 Budgets, based on crude oil price at US$110 per barrel in 2014 and US$105 for 2015.

Najib should summon an emergency meeting of Parliament probably middle or end of January to deal with the fast-developing and deteriorating economic situation instead of waiting for the scheduled Parliamentary meeting on March 9.

The bipartisan BN-PR National Economic Salvation Council should be tasked with responsibility to present to the emergency meeting of Parliament a blueprint which could rally all Malaysians to unite and face up to the economic crisis facing the country.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 17 December 2014, 4:12 pm and is filed under
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Never before have there been so many time-bombs ticking away in Malaysia which could spell disaster for the nation if they are not defused or detonated

(Speech at the DAP Gelang Patah forum “1MDB in RM42 billion debt – Is Malaysia on the Verge of Financial Turmoil” in Johor Baru on Tuesday, 16th December 2014 at 8 pm)

My first book “Time Bombs in Malaysia” in 1978 quoted my speech in Parliament on the Third Malaysia Plan in July 1976 where I warned that several time bombs were ticking away in Malaysia and unless these time bombs were defused, Malaysia could be blown to smithereens.

I would never imagine that today, more than 36 years later after the first edition of “Time Bombs in Malaysia”, we are faced with even  greater dire straits as never before in our nation’s history have we a situation where so many time-bombs are ticking away in Malaysia which could spell disaster for the nation if they are not defused or detonated.

The RM42 billion 1MDB scandal, which is the subject of tonight’s forum, is one such Time Bomb in today’s Malaysia.

This  mega financial scandal, exposed by Pakatan Rakyat MPs Tony Pua and Rafizi Ramli, is now  also being questioned by UMNO forces led by former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Mahathir, his cohorts like Tun Daim, to the extent that a police report against 1MDB has been lodged by an UMNO division leader, creating huge waves in UMNO.

Until the seventies, when there was greater regard for good governance, public integrity and financial probity, the biggest financial scandal was the RM65 million Bank Rakyat scandal.

The then Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn, who could not stomach any corruption or misuse of power, was shocked by the RM65 million Bank Rakyat scandal and insisted on  parliamentary accountability and a White Paper was issued following a Price Waterhouse inquiry into the Bank Rakyat scandal – and the RM65 million Bank Rakyat was the subject of parliamentary debates and scrutiny in 1979.

Since the eighties, corruption and financial scandals increased by leaps and bounds from the RM2.5 billion Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) scandal, the RM600 million Maminco tin-buying scandal and the RM1.5 billion Co-operatives Finance scandal in the 80s, to the RM30 billion Bank Negara foreign exchange scandal and RM11 billion Perwaja scandal in the 90s, and the multi-billion ringgit Scorpene and defence procurement scandals and the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal in the last decade.

Now, Malaysia has shot into the stratosphere of mega-financial scandals running into tens of billions of ringgit which is becoming the rule rather than the exception, with the RM42 billion 1MDB Scandal reigning currently as  the King of Mega Scandals – and I leave to Tony Pua who, together with Rafizi, have become the unchallenged authorities on this “mother of all scandals” to elaborate later at this forum.

But the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal is not the only Time Bomb now ticking away in Malaysia. We are faced with a host of economic, financial, political, education, race and religion, nation-building Time Bombs which if not defused or detonated will spell disaster for Malaysia.

Some of these ticking Time Bombs include:

1. The RM1.3 trillion illegal capital flight Time Bomb. The latest annual report of  the Washington-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI) revealed that Malaysia lost RM171.11  billion in 2012 in illegal capital flight or an accumulated amount of RM1.38 trillion (US$394.8 billion) in the ten years from 2003 to 2012.

Malaysia remains among the top five countries for illegal capital flight, behind China, Russia, India and Mexico. If calculated on a per capita basis, Malaysia’s illicit capital outflow is the world’s No. 1 in 2012, at US$1,646.36 (RM5,762.26) per capita, ahead of Russia’s US$856.16 per capita, Mexico’s US$774.81 per capita, China’s US$183.91 per capita and India’s US$47.65 per capita.

2. The Oil Price Collapse Time Bomb. Crude oil prices are poised to fall below half where they were six months ago, with Brent, the global benchmark, expected to slide to as low as US$50 a barrel – which will have catastrophic effects on the country’s economic model as 30% of the country’s spending is reliant on oil.

3. The Economic Crisis Time Bomb – with Malaysia regarded as South East Asia’s weakest spot with the multiple plunge of forex and equity markets in tandem with current slide in global commodity  prices leading to research houses revising their 2015 growth outlook for Malaysia.

4. The Corruption Time Bomb – Although Malaysia is ranked No. 50 in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2014 and is the best ranking under the Najib premiership, there is  nothing to crow about as Najib’s best is still lower than the worst rankings of the two previous Prime Ministers, as Tun Mahathir’s worst TI CPI ranking was No. 37 while Tun Abdullah’s worst ranking was No. 47.

The most damning indictment of Najib’s administration and its fight against corruption is the condemnation on Sunday by the country’s former top civil servant in the Election Commission, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, who had served as secretary and later chairman of commission  for 25 years, who told the Prime Minister to “Please stop lying to the rakyat” as “the main weakness of the Federal government was its failure to address corruption” and alleging that “Now even the Malays corrupt our leaders.”

5. The Brain Drain Time Bomb – Some two-and-a-half million of  our best brains and the most creative talents have left our shores to help other countries to become great when they should be in Malaysia to ensure we achieve our destiny as a great nation in the world. It is not only non-Malays but also Malays who are being forced to migrate because of an unimaginative, uninspiring, undemocratic and repressive government and leadership.

6. The Education Time Bomb – I was surprised by the statement by the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when he visited Shanghai early this month that Malaysia wants to emulate the Shanghai education system which has succeeded in producing high-performing students in the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA).

Muhyiddin said Malaysia was keen to adopt some of the success formulae from Shanghai which gained the top spot in Pisa for its students’ high performances in Mathematics, Science and Reading and his ministry would send its expert team to Shanghai to study the matter.

I find this completely mind-boggling as it has taken Muhyiddin a full year to wake up to the implications of the 2012 PISA results which were released in December last year, and as far I can remember, Muhyiddin had not said a single word about the deterioration of educational standards  of Malaysia’s 15-year-olds in the international assessment in the three subjects of mathematics, science and reading, to the stage where the 15-year-old in Shanghai, Singapore and South Korea were performing as though they had four or even five more years of schooling than 15-year-olds in Malaysia!

From the PISA 2012 released in December last year, Malaysia was stuck in the bottom third of the countries surveyed in international assessments, and not making any upward move towards the upper tier of the top third of the countries.

Although at the bottom third of the pile, Malaysia was also  being overtaken by other countries in the group, like Kazakhstan in  mathematics and science.

With an Education Minister who takes one full year to wake up and respond to the 2012 PISA results instead of instant reaction, response and action, no wonder Malaysia’s education system at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary –  has reached a new low, to the extent  that UMNO/BN Ministers and leaders themselves have no confidence in the national education system and are sending their children or grandchildren to international schools, with Tun Mahathir by his own confession the best example.

This is a Time Bomb which will have far-reaching consequences on our future  national competitiveness, economic growth and prosperity as it is the human capital which has become the most important determinant of a nation’s future.

7. The Terrorism Time Bomb. The tragedy in Sydney which signals the advent of lone-wolf terrorism, that leaves two innocents dead after a 16-hour hold up; and the Taliban massacre of at least 132 children in a school in Peshawar in Pakistan are stark reminders of the dangerous times that we are living in.

This was why I was aghast at the police complacency when it said it was no cause for concern when Malaysia leapt into  the world’s Top 50 countries in  the recent Global Terrorism Index of the Institute of Economic and Peace, where Malaysia climbed 42 places from 91st in the 2012 edition to 48th out of 162 countries.

8. SSKM Time Bomb – Although those who advocate “Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia” (SSKM) is minuscule, the unhappiness and grouses of Sabahans and Sarawakians that they have not been given fair and equitable treatment in the 51-year-old Malaysian Federation is widespread and must be given prompt attention.

The outrageous Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Illegal Immigrants in Sabah (RCIIIS) which had caused disbelief, dismay and disquiet among Sabahans is a good example that the legitimate  complaints and grievances of the people of Sabah and Sarawak can only be ignored at the expense of  a more cohesive and  sustainable  sense of unity, harmony and solidarity in Malaysia!

9. The Racial and Religious Time Bombs – Racial and religious polarisation in Malaysia have never been more serious than in recent years, as a result of the unrestrained rhetoric and politics of hate, immoderation and intolerance to incite inter-racial and inter-religious hatred, conflict and tension.

Just like 1Malaysia, “moderation” is the slogan of the Prime Minister in international forums but not his policy in the country.

10. The Time Bomb of Repression. National and international confidence in national institutions, like the police, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary have been going south as a result of the “white terror” regime in the past few months, with the crackdown on Pakatan Rakyat leaders, intellectuals, social activists and student leaders, with 23 persons prosecuted under the Sedition Act since 2009, and countless investigated and awaiting sedition charges, including Anwar Ibrahim and myself.

In contrast, UMNO/BN leaders and affiliates including those who openly incite racial and religious hatred and conflict like threatening to burn the Bible or concocting lies that the Chinese community in Kedah burnt the Quran “page by page at a prayer ritual” enjoy immunity and impunity from the sanctions of the law.

There are many other Time Bombs ticking away – like the Iskander Time Bomb in Johor, the MAS Time Bomb and the MH 370 and MH17 air disasters and tragedies; and even the Time Bombs in the Political Parties, whether in Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, like the controversy over hudud implementation which is a Time Bomb for all BN and PR parties.

The maturity, wisdom and judgment of Malaysians are going to be sorely tested with the  host of  these Time Bombs ticking away, as to whether they could be defused or detonated to saved Malaysia from disaster.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 17 December 2014, 1:51 pm and is filed under
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Another 25 Malaysians Petition Prime Minister

#KamiJuga25

Petitioning The Prime Minister of MALAYSIA

Azrul Mohd Khalib

Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri,

We, the undersigned Malaysians, wish to express our admiration, faith and support to the call recently stated so eloquently by 25 courageous and respected individuals. Their words have inspired us all and electrified the nation. As many other Malaysians, we stand together with them.

And like everyone else who support their concerns, we too have a stake in building this country.

We call upon the leadership of this country to stand with other fellow Malaysians in delivering on the belief and promise of a common vision and a shared destiny: a just, free and caring nation of ideas, of dreams and of promises which promote inclusiveness and celebrates the unity of its people through diversity.

The letter by the 25 distinguished Malaysians brings into perspective the need for us to put an end to our petty differences and false promises, the racism and the bigotry, the intimidation and the blind hatred. For far too long, these unfortunate attributes and the sins of our fathers and those before, have strangled our politics and each other.

Those who speak in arrogance, bigotry, ignorance and prejudice do not speak for us.

After all, the Malaysian story has been shaped by every language and enriched by every culture. We are a nation of Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, and many other faiths and non-believers. This diversity is our strength.

We have chosen to hope and be together over fear and bigotry, the unity of purpose over conflict and disunity. To those who seek to sow conflict and discord, know that we reject the idea that we need to dominate and discriminate in order to progress as a people and a country. We believe in a shared destiny as Malaysians.

To do that, we must begin to reject the following false premises that are being kept alive by those who seek to sustain a “divide and conquer” system exploited by our previous colonial masters to cage our spirits, stifle our voices and oppress those who speak out against injustice. We reject:

·         That only Muslims can speak on matters which affect Muslims, and that non-Muslims and other fellow Malaysians must stay silent. We should never stay silent in the face of injustice, tyranny and persecution inflicted upon our brothers and sisters. We must speak up for each other.

·         That being critical, speaking in opposition or supporting a contrarian view are tantamount to being anti-Malaysia, anti-Islam, anti-monarchy and anti-Malay. Such reasoning only serves those who wish for their actions to be hidden from public scrutiny, to be immune from accountability and act with impunity.

·         That moderation and concepts such as liberalism and humanism are in contradiction with Islam and are undermining its position as the religion of the Federation. Historically, Islam is actually one of the world’s great religions with rich liberal and humanist traditions. It introduced fundamentals such as a woman’s right to work and inheritance, emphasized rational discourse and critical thinking as to not be dependent solely on faith. The position of Islam as the religion of the Federation is not in doubt and statements of such are merely a tactic to distract.

·         That Islam is under attack in Malaysia. Islam is not under attack in our country.

We cannot and must not stand silently by and allow faith to be misused as a weapon to suppress peaceful dissent, intellectual discourse and opinions and to oppress those who would challenge and support contrarian positions. It is unjust and we should never tolerate the use of faith to divide us.

We believe in the words and example of the Prophet Muhammad as well as those of leaders of the world’s greatest religions in recognising the existence and rights of other faiths and treating their believers with respect, dignity and acceptance.

We strengthen our respective faiths and those of others through dialogue, listening and understanding rather than dogma and unquestioning obedience and compliance. We learn from other religions, cultures and ourselves. That is how we grow stronger together.

Malaysia cannot stand in the eyes of the world and claim that it is a model country for moderation and progressive Islam when it violates the very guarantees and teachings of the religion regarding other faiths, oppresses and punishes moderates, rewards and protects extremists and radicals.

As Malaysians, we must find the courage within us to acknowledge and fight injustice. If we disagree with others, let’s not ban them. Let’s engage, discuss, argue and work to convince. The Federal Constitution of Malaysia guarantees the right to freedom of expression.

Great moments are born from great opportunity. This is one such opportunity.

This letter is an opportunity to build and strengthen bridges rather than widen gaps and obstacles. If we are to seek a new way forward, it must be based on mutual interests and mutual respect. It must be demonstrated in both words and actions, especially from those who are Malaysia’s leaders.

We cannot afford to be silent. We must stand up and speak out. We ask that fellow Malaysians join us by signing this letter.

This is our country. Together, that is our destiny.

The individuals who endorse this letter:

1.       Bibiana Peter, Composer and Producer

2.       Abdul Haleem Rahiman, Manager

3.       Anna Koh, Housewife

4.       Moorayameen Mohamad, Marketing and Sales Manager

5.       Ruzita Khalid, Lawyer

6.       Mohani Niza, Writer

7.       Arlene Tan, Radio Host and Producer

8.       Jenny Liew, Songwriter

9.       Dr. Patricia A. Martinez, Former Associate Professor

10.   Cheryl Leong, Software Licence Manager

11.   Janell Shalom Bani, Project Manager

12.   Kee Thuan Chye, Writer and Actor

13.   Rodney Koh, Lawyer

14.   Adriene Leong, concerned Malaysian

15.   Susanna George, Trainer

16.   Shariza Kamarudin, Senior Project Officer

17.   Aida Mohd Redza, Dance Choreographer

18.   Ros Matthews, Retired Nurse

19.   Edward Soo, Lawyer

20.   Archana Divi Chandran Mohan Pillai, Capacity Building Officer

21.   Azwan Ismail, Engineer

22.   Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, Columnist

23.   Gowri Krishnan, Radio Host and Assistant Producer

24.   Maimuna Hamid Merican, Lecturer

25.   Melissa Mohd Akhir, Activist

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 18 December 2014, 6:00 pm and is filed under
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Are Malays starting to leave the country?

The Malay Mail Online

December 18, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — The South China Morning Post has suggested that Muslim Malays are starting to leave Malaysia as the country’s lurch towards authoritarianism and fundamentalism starts to bite.

A report in the weekend edition of the Hong Kong paper, titled: “Malay Muslims fleeing country as fundamentalism takes hold” painted a grim picture and suggested an exodus of members of the majority race but gave no numbers or hard data.

It cited a female researcher so disgusted with the state of affairs after her shared accommodation with other women was searched for the presence of a man by Islamic authorities on a morality raid that she has resolved to leave the country in two years.

“An anonymous phone call to the religious department alleging a man was seen entering her flat was all it took for the religious officials to descend on her home,” the paper said, adding that six or seven men from the Selangor State Islamic Department (Jais) had entered her flat.

Unaccompanied by any woman, the men were said to have searched all the bedrooms, closets and even under the bed.

“I don’t feel safe in this country anymore,” the researcher was quoted as saying. “It’s like you are guilty until proven innocent. Anyone can make a phone call to accuse another person out of malice or vengeance and, without proof or investigation, the religious authorities will come to your place.”

Figures hard to pin down

But apart from anecdotal accounts, evidence is on just how many Malays have left Malaysia is hard to come by. Most existing data has not been broken down by ethnic composition.

According to a World Bank report in 2011, an estimated one million Malaysians are residing overseas.

More than two million Malaysians have emigrated since Merdeka.

Last year, a total 308,834 high-skilled Malaysians moved overseas, with 47.2 per cent going to Singapore, 18.2 per cent to Australia, 12.2 per cent to US and the rest to other countries like UK and Canada.

According to the same report, the number of skilled Malaysians living abroad rose 300 per cent in the last two decades, with two out of every 10 Malaysians with tertiary education opting to leave for either Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries or Singapore.

These figures have not been broken down to show ethnicity.

But in October Former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said that more Malay-Muslims could be expected to leave the country if local religious authorities continue to pursue and prosecute those whose opinions they deem “deviant”.

Over the years, Islamic authorities have gradually become more rigid in their interpretation and application of the Shariah code in Islam.

They vilified and attacked a recent dog-petting event in which some Muslims touched dogs, which are considered unclean to people of the faith. The programme triggered such outrage that its organiser received death threats.

In October, the National Fatwa Council issued an edict banning Muslims from “celebrating” Halloween, which it categorised as a Christian celebration of the dead.

Kelantan, meanwhile, plans to enforce Hudud laws by way of state level enactments, even though its allies in Pakatan Rakyat are opposed to the idea.

An Oktoberfest-themed beer festival in Selangor also drew the ire of Muslim groups despite the promotional event being targeted at and restricted to non-Muslims.

Muslim intellectual Kassim Ahmad is also being prosecuted by Islamic authorities for allegedly suggesting that Muslims need only follow the Quran, and not the accompanying Hadith. The view differs from that which is officially approved.

Malaysia has also outlawed the Shiah denomination of Islam, which it considers deviant from the Sunni school that is officially sanctioned here.

Malaysia’s religious authorities also frequently warn against liberalism. The federal government’s Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has also stated that the National Fatwa Council had at its 74th meeting in 2006 declared liberal thinking as heretical.

Social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir told Malay Mail Online in October she knows of several Malays who say they do not want to return to their homeland.

“It’s not for economic reasons, but simply because they feel that the environment here has become so negative and oppressive that it’s impossible to be able to live as peaceful, productive citizens anymore,” said Marina, the daughter of Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 18 December 2014, 8:24 am and is filed under
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