Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- The proof of the pudding is in the eating
- Is PDRM playing politics?
- If Prophet Muhammad came back today
- Remember May 13? (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
- 8 fallacies of Malaysia Today’s readers
- The religions of the book and politics
- Out of the box
- Bridge over troubled water
- What does this all mean?
- It’s nice to be able to say: I told you so
| The proof of the pudding is in the eating Posted: 19 May 2011 05:55 PM PDT
The Balinese Hindus are a perfect example of good Muslims. That is what troubles me. The Balinese Hindus are what Muslims should be but are not. And I really need to find out why this is so even if it is the last thing I do. NO HOLDS BARRED My wife and I spent three weeks in Bali in April this year. We were there to celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary as guests of a very good friend who allowed me to stay in his exquisite villa for free. It would have cost me USD1,100 a night otherwise. That was after my Australian trip and just before the talk Haris Ibrahim I gave in Bangkok followed by all that drama. What impressed me most about Bali was the honesty of the people, who are 90% or so Hindu (but very different from Malaysian Hindus). We left all our things including our cash in our room. The staff walked in and out freely and we did not feel any anxiety. In fact, our bedroom did not have any locks but just glass shutters. I asked one Balinese girl who was giving me a two-hour massage how come the Balinese are so honest. It is because we believe in karma, she replied. Oh, I responded, that means whatever you do to others the same thing will happen to you (balasan yang sama). No, she replied. Whatever you do to others ten times more will happen to you. And that includes both good and bad things. Whenever we took a taxi the taxi driver would automatically switch on his meter. And they never took the longer route to get where we wanted to get to. It was always short cuts. Whenever we stopped at the shopping complex to buy our groceries and stuff the taxi driver would switch off the meter and wait, however long it took. So we did not have to pay for 'down time'. On one occasion my friend left his Blackberry at Macdonalds. We were halfway back to the villa before he realised he had lost his Blackberry and we suspected he may have left it at Macdonalds, the last pit stop we made. We asked the driver to turn around and go back to Macdonalds, although we did not really think that his Blackberry would still be there. But lo and behold, it was still there. Someone had found it on the counter and had handed it to the manager. What a relief it was for my friend who could ill-afford to lose all his data. There were many other instances regarding the honesty of the Balinese that impressed us immensely. I joked that if I did not yet have any religion and was looking for a religion I would probably become a Balinese Hindu. That's how impressed I was. After Bali we went over to Jakarta and suddenly it was another world altogether. Jakarta is predominantly Muslim but you did not feel safe in that city. You felt like you were constantly under siege. "Why can't the Muslims in Jakarta be like the Hindus of Bali?" I commented to my wife. I was so impressed with the Balinese Hindus and disgusted with the Jakarta Muslims. And it is the Muslims who cause all the commotion in Bali with the bombings and whatnot. I would like to believe that Muslims have reduced Islam to a religion of rituals minus the commitment to the ideals of the religion. But then the Balinese are even more ritualistic than the Muslims. In fact, they appear to be constantly in prayer. I am yet to put my finger on it. There is something about the Balinese version of Hinduism that makes them extremely honest and decent people. But what is it? I think I am going to go back to Bali and spend some time studying the people there, in particular their religion. I need to find out what it is they are doing right and we are doing wrong. The Balinese Hindus are a perfect example of good Muslims. That is what troubles me. The Balinese Hindus are what Muslims should be but are not. And I really need to find out why this is so even if it is the last thing I do. |
| Posted: 18 May 2011 07:18 PM PDT
Is it probably because the man in the video is NOT Anwar and that is why the Deputy IGP refuses to confirm this? If it is Anwar tell us. Then we can prepare ourselves for the next stage of developments. If it is not Anwar then it is only fair that we are told. NO HOLDS BARREDRaja Petra Kamarudin One-time federal minister Mokhtar Hashim, who was convicted for murder, said that the most troubling thing for death row prisoners is not knowing when you are going to be executed. And he said this in front of the then IGP, Tun Haniff Omar. Once the trial is over and you are convicted and sentenced to death, a feeling of peace engulfs you, Mokhtar Hashim said. But then you have to wait years in death row for your turn to come. And when you hear that the next day someone is going to be executed, every prisoner in death row goes into depression because they do not know which one of them is going to be executed the following day. Mokhtar Hashim added that most prisoners would rather the hanging is done as fast as possible so that they can get it over and done with. I suppose if this had been done then Mokhtar Hashim would have never received his pardon and would not have walked out of the Pudu Prison a free man. This is probably how many of us feel as well with regards to the 'Anwar' porn video issue. It is most perturbing to see the Malaysian Police or PDRM playing politics. Why does the Deputy IGP not want to tell us whether the man in the video is Anwar or not? Is it probably because the man in the video is NOT Anwar and that is why the Deputy IGP refuses to confirm this? If it is Anwar tell us. Then we can prepare ourselves for the next stage of developments. If it is not Anwar then it is only fair that we are told. This is not about Anwar. This is about us. We need to know so that we then know what we should do next. I am really not concerned about Anwar's future. I am concerned about the country's future. The entire future of the country cannot rest on just one man. And currently with this issue still hanging we just cannot more forward. My suspicion is that the Deputy IGP refuses to confirm who the man in the video is because it is not Anwar. So he is prolonging our agony just like what Mokhtar Hashim said about those who are waiting many years in death row for their turn to die. While on the subject of the police playing politics, let me give you another example. The Selangor state government is facing a lot of problems with premises being used for gambling, prostitution, and other vices. The problem is, the local councils can do very little if the police do not act. And in this case the police are not acting so it appears like the Selangor government is in cahoots with the underworld and crime syndicates. The local councils have no power to arrest anyone. Only the police can do that. And if the police do not then the local councils' hands are tied. No doubt the local councils can try to close down those establishments. But the process is cumbersome and those establishments that are closed down just open up in a new place the very next day. The only way to stop these vice activities is to arrest the people behind them and send them to jail. But only the police can do this. The local councils can just harass the building owners. The building owners, however, are not the ones running the prostitution or gambling dens. So no action can be taken against them. We need the police to stop playing politics and to start doing something. I suspect the police are purposely doing nothing so that the Selangor state government gets a bad name. And the same goes for the so-called 'Anwar' porn video. I am sure that if it is Anwar in that video they could not wait to announce it. It is because it is not Anwar that they are refusing to tell us who the man in that video is.
|
| If Prophet Muhammad came back today Posted: 12 May 2011 07:21 PM PDT
If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims have reduced Islam to a set of empty rituals while the spirit of Islam is no longer in the hearts of Muslims. If Prophet Muhammad came back today he would be very disturbed and sad to see that his followers who call themselves Muslims are now divided into many sects and cults and each classifies the other as infidels or kafir. |
| Remember May 13? (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 12 May 2011 04:11 PM PDT
On 24 September 1999, I wrote a very long article on May 13 for the PAS party newspaper, Harakah. Those who may not have read it yet can read it below. It was republished in the Free Anwar Campaign website in January 2003. Also read what Tunku Abdul Rahman had to say in 'The Tunku Tapes'. The Tunku on how "May 13" began Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_5160.html
|
| 8 fallacies of Malaysia Today’s readers Posted: 09 May 2011 04:53 PM PDT
From time to time I need to remind our readers what Malaysia Today (MT) is all about, what was the reason we launched MT in August 2004, and what is our mission, vision and agenda. I have received a lot of comments from readers about what we should and should not be doing. Let me clear up some of these fallacies. Raja Petra Kamarudin 1. MT is not an online newspaperSome comment that we should be 'careful' about the news that we carry and that we should practice 'proper journalism'.
|
| The religions of the book and politics Posted: 08 May 2011 04:31 PM PDT
My contention is that, according to the way of Abraham and what the Quran teaches us, all the followers of the way of Abraham (followers of Moses, Jesus plus Muhammad) must get involved in politics to be true submitters. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin My good friend from Umno wrote his latest piece today called Where everybody miss the plot (you can go here to read it http://anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.com/2011/05/where-everybody-miss-plot.html). I really don't know whether today we should talk about politics or religion. Nevertheless, in Malaysia, both come in a package (spiced with race) -- so by talking about one you need to talk about the other. I sometimes joke (or blaspheme, depending on how you see it) that Christianity is Version 2 of Judaism while Islam is Version 3. The 'operating system' of all three remains the same. It is only that some new 'features' are added, or deleted, as the case may be. And these 'features' would be the rituals. The fundamentals do not differ. My Umno friend's contention in his article above is that the Christians are 'playing politics'. Now, before we confirm or deny this, let us rewind a bit. The Quran states that all those followers of Moses (Musa) and followers of Jesus (Isa) who follow the way (Deen) of Abraham (Ibrahim) are the true submitters (Muslims). Note, in that particular verse, the Quran talks about Abraham, Moses and Jesus. There is no mention of Muhammad in that verse. Now, have you noticed that Muslims always argue that Abraham, Moses and Jesus were Muslims? In a way they are not wrong. Muslim merely means submitter -- submit to God. This does not mean they were Muslims according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia's interpretation of Muslim. But they are submitters nevertheless, as far as the Quran is concerned (as long as they follow the way or deen of Abraham). Now, Islam is not only a religion. It is a way of life or adeen. Every Muslim would tell you this. Islam is not just about rituals. It is also about economics, governing, the legal system, politics, war, foreign affairs, internal security, public order and safety, the welfare system, and much more. In short, Islam is an entire and complete governing system for society. Therefore, for the followers of Moses and the followers of Jesus to be true followers of the way of Abraham, they must not only focus on rituals. Politics is also part of the way or deen of Abraham. This means if the followers of Moses and Jesus steer clear of or refuse to get involved in politics, then they are NOT the true followers of the way of Abraham, as far as the Quran is concerned. Any Jew or Christian who is NOT political is a deviant Jew or Christian. Islam would declare you a murtad or apostate for defying God. Okay, now back to the issue of whether the Christians in Malaysia are or are not getting involved in politics; that is for you to decide. My contention is that, according to the way of Abraham and what the Quran teaches us, all the followers of the way of Abraham (followers of Moses, Jesus plus Muhammad) must get involved in politics to be true submitters. The 'separation of church and state' does not exist in Islam. That is why PAS is not wrong in trying to seek political power. If it is okay for the followers of Muhammad to seek political power based on a religious platform, why is it wrong for the other submitters and followers of the way of Abraham to also seek political power on a religious platform? If only the followers of Muhammad can seek political power on a religious platform, while those followers of Moses and Jesus cannot, then why would the Quran say that the followers of Moses and Jesus who follow the way of Abraham are the true submitters? Note that the followers of Muhammad are allowed to marry women from the followers of Moses and Jesus (Muhammad married a Jewish woman) plus they can eat meat from animals slaughtered by them. So Islam recognises Judaism and Christianity as 'brother-religions'. Therefore, what is allowed for Islam is also allowed for the Jews and Christians. And politics is one such thing that is not only allowed but a must. Okay, let me demonstrate this 'political Islam' in another way by quoting Imam Ghazali. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, more fondly known as Imam Ghazali, was one of the renowned imams from 11th century Persia. And you can read below what Imam Ghazli said. Would you say that Imam Ghazali was 'playing politics'? Ponder on this before we whack the Christians and deny them their right of 'political Christianity'. Would we tolerate a Christian or Jew telling us that Islam must be separated from politics? We will riot and lynch any Christian or Jew who tries to deny us our 'political Islam'.
|
| Posted: 07 May 2011 05:35 PM PDT
Can you see that these people are ready to abandon Umno and BN but they are looking at Anwar as the alternative to Umno and BN. Why can't they see beyond Anwar? Why can't they see that the alternative to Umno and BN is Pakatan Rakyat and not Anwar? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin My 'habit' when writing my articles is to puff on my cigar while listening to my favourite music channel, http://player.magic.co.uk/. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, you may not be able to tune in to this channel (as it is blocked) but for those who can please switch on your speakers and listen to the greatest of the great music, my kind of music, while you read this article. And for those who can't tune in to this channel, migrate to England where you can. There are some who still do not get what I was trying to say in yesterday's article: Bridge over troubled water. I suppose this is what we would call 'mental block', a syndrome of our brain being programmed to think only one way and where we are not capable of thinking any other way. Malays call this 'katak bawah tempurung' -- translated as 'frog under a coconut shell'. The English would say 'boiling a frog slowly'. Today, I am going to talk about thinking and doing things 'out of the box'. You could also say this is like getting the frog to break out from the confines of the coconut shell -- or getting the frog to jump out of the water before it reaches boiling point. Basically, what this means is we need to break out of the mould and not allow ourselves to think and do things the way the government or Barisan Nasional wants us to think and do things. We need, as what Freddy Mercury said, to break free. Let me give you an example of one issue, the issue of the church thing in Penang. DAP has been accused of hosting a gathering of Christians where they allegedly swore an oath to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia so that a non-Muslim can become the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Now, have you noticed how deafening the silence was? PKR and PAS maintained an eerie silence other than accuse Utusan Malaysia of propagating Umno's agenda and asking the government to take action against this Umno controlled newspaper. Is that the best PAS and PKR can do in coming to DAP's defence? It is almost like they are washing their hands of the matter and are leaving DAP to handle this matter all by itself. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not remind the rakyat that Malaysia is a secular state and that Islam is only the official religion of Malaysia and that Malaysia is not an Islamic State? No one, not even if they control more than two-thirds majority in Parliament, can remove Islam as the official religion. Only the Rulers can do this and we have ten Rulers (one Agong, one Yam Tuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, one Raja of Perlis and seven Sultans). So, even if DAP controls more than 148 out of 222 seats in Parliament, they can't remove Islam as the official religion of Malaysia and install Christianity as the new official religion. Anyway, how can DAP control more than 148 seats in Parliament when it contests less than 80 seats? Even if DAP contests 100 seats and wins all the 100 it contests (which is not possible plus PKR will not allow it to contest more than one-third the seats) it is still short of 148 seats. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not argue this and use this argument to defend DAP? So there you have it. There is no way DAP can make a deal with the church to remove Islam as the official religion and make Christianity the new official religion of Malaysia. Even if PAS and PKR agree to this (which they will not) it still can't be done because the power lies with the ten Rulers with whom Islam comes under. And you can't amend the Constitution to change this. This is the absolute power (kuasa mutlak) of the Rulers. And if you try to illegally amend the Constitution to remove the powers of the Rulers as far as Islam is concerned, then the Agong, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, can declare an emergency, suspend Parliament, and get the army to 'restore order'. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not argue this and use this argument to defend DAP? Secondly, why would DAP need to remove Islam as the official religion and make Christianity the new official religion to be able to install a non-Muslim prime minister? Don't you remember what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said? He said that there is nothing in the Federal Constitution that says the prime minister must be a Malay-Muslim. In short, there is nothing illegal if a non-Malay-non-Muslim becomes prime minister of Malaysia. The Constitution only says that the Agong shall appoint a prime minister who has the majority confidence of the house, that's all. So why the need to remove Islam as the official religion? We can have a non-Malay-non-Muslim prime minister even if Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. Why did Pakatan Rakyat not argue this and use this argument to defend DAP? Okay, next example, the issue of Anwar Ibrahim's porn video. PAS is being very careful about taking a stand on this matter and they are leaving it to the court to decide. Why must the court decide this? PAS must state its stand, period. Pakatan Rakyat is playing right into Umno's hands. They are being very cleverly divided on this issue. They are worried that if they express support for Anwar and it turns out that it is really Anwar in that video then they are all going to end up with egg on their face. Why do we need the court to decide this matter? Is sex with another woman who is not your wife a crime? If it is then Chua Soi Lek should be in jail instead of being made the President of MCA. And Chua Soi Lek admitted that it is he in that video, mind you. You might say it is a crime as far as Islam is concerned. Okay, then take this issue to the Shariah court. Can the Shariah court take action against Anwar? The answer is of course 'no', not unless Anwar admits to the 'crime' or there are four witnesses to the crime. The bottom line is the Shariah court can't do a damn thing, and neither can the common law court. So what is the issue here? If based just on allegations then many more people, especially those in Umno, would be behind bars. The issue is not whether it is or is not Anwar in that video but whether Anwar is able to run this country and do a better job than the government we currently have. Anwar's sex life is not going to determine the future of Malaysia and the future of our children and grandchildren. That is what we should focus on. Let me go to a third example. Many people say that 'if not Anwar then who?' In other words, they see only Anwar as the suitable candidate to lead the opposition. I normally oppose this statement and of course they view this as my 'anti-Anwar' stance. Actually, this has nothing to do with my anti-Anwar stance as much as my 'anti-not out of the box' stance. We need to think out of the box. We need to break free. If we close our minds and think that only Anwar and no one else can lead the opposition, what would we do if something happens to Anwar? We would panic. The opposition would disintegrate. Everything that we worked for would come to an end. So we need to psyche ourselves in that there IS life after Anwar. If something happens to Anwar life would go on. The opposition would not collapse. The cause can go on with or without Anwar. In the old days, wars centred on the leaders. So when you take out the leaders all resistance would end. If the leaders were killed the army would surrender. No one had the spirit to fight on. Why do you think Umno is so bent on destroying Anwar? They know that many in the opposition look to Anwar and only Anwar as the opposition leader. So if Umno can destroy Anwar then the opposition can be destroyed. That is why I am opposed to this 'if not Anwar then who' doctrine. We need to show Umno that there are many Anwar Ibrahims in the opposition. They can destroy Anwar and ten Anwars will emerge in his place. Destroy these ten Anwars as well and another 100 Anwar's will rise up. Those who scream 'if not Anwar then who?' are actually signing Anwar's death warrant. You are the reason why Umno wants to destroy Anwar. Remove Anwar as the crucial factor and Umno will find there is no longer any value in destroying Anwar. We used to say 'if not Ustaz Fadzil Noor then who?' Then Ustaz Fadzil died and we panicked. But then we found that there is life for PAS after all even with the death of Fadzil Noor. And today we say even if Ustaz Hadi Awang goes PAS will not die. There are many more in PAS who can replace Hadi and maybe even do a better job. The same goes for DAP. You mean without Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh DAP is dead? There are many in DAP who are ready to take over and may even bring DAP to new heights. Lim Guan Eng is one name that comes to mind. That is what I call thinking out of the box, breaking free, looking at things from a different perspective. You might think you are doing Anwar a favour by making him indispensible. Actually you are giving him a death sentence. Anwar becomes more valuable dead than alive. It's as simple as that. Another reason I oppose this 'if not Anwar then who?' doctrine is because this same doctrine is used in the 'if not BN then who?' argument. Many people feel that only BN can run Malaysia. They feel that without BN the country would be in trouble. And I find that the people who argue 'if not Anwar then who?' are the same people who would say 'if not BN then who?' So it is all about Anwar versus BN. It is either Anwar or BN. And that is dangerous because if something were to happen to Anwar, or these people lose confidence in Anwar, then they would all go back to BN. I have many friends who say that they are fed up with Umno and BN but they have no confidence that Anwar can do better. Why compare BN to Anwar? Why not compare BN to PR? Can you see that these people are ready to abandon Umno and BN but they are looking at Anwar as the alternative to Umno and BN. Why can't they see beyond Anwar? Why can't they see that the alternative to Umno and BN is Pakatan Rakyat and not Anwar? This is going to be the problem the opposition is going to face come next election. The voters are going to evaluate Anwar and will overlook what good Pakatan Rakyat can bring to Malaysia. It is okay if they see the good in Anwar. But if they don't like what they see in Anwar then Pakatan Rakyat is in deep shit. When friends ask me 'if not Anwar then who?', I reply Nurul Izzah. There is a moment of stunned silence before they reply: Nurul is too young, Nurul is not ready yet, Nurul needs more time, and so on. "Okay, so who then?" I ask them. They reply that they do not see anyone other than Anwar. "Okay, what happens if they put a bullet in Anwar's head?" I ask them. They have no reply. What is this? Are we all a group of young chicks who will die if the mother hen dies? Come on! There are 28 million Malaysians out there and four million are in the opposition. You mean there is no one who can lead the opposition if they assassinate Anwar? You mean we close down Pakatan Rakyat the day they place Anwar in his coffin and put him in the ground? The more you say 'if not Anwar then who?' the more determined they will be in destroying Anwar. But if we say to hell with Anwar because there are 100 other Anwar's who can take over then Umno will be at a loss. They can kill one Anwar but they can't kill 100 Anwars. Get it? Think out of the box for a change. Break free. Try to start looking at things from another perspective. eM8Ss28zjcE SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM8Ss28zjcE
|
| Posted: 06 May 2011 05:47 PM PDT
So you see, while the opposition and alternative media train their guns on MCLM, Malaysia Today and RPK, the mainstream media attacks from the rear and play up the Ketuanan Christianity, Islam under siege, and the Malay rights and privileges issues. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Divide and rule By Elijah M, Lim Kit Siang's Blog This is Umno's strategy to remain in power in Malaysia: make the Malays feel like the Chinese and Christian communities are threatening their hold on power and position of Islam. They need the Malays to come out in force at the coming elections and vote for Umno candidates in a big way. But in their calculation for that to happen, they must have an imaginary enemy for the Malays/Muslims. Given than the Chinese have generally deserted the corrupt and self-serving MCA and Gerakan and by extension, BN, they qualify as a prime bogeyman. They are portrayed as slavish supporters of Chinese-based DAP and harbour ambitions of taking over political power from the Malays. Now the Christians following their support for Pakatan Rakyat in the Sarawak and their refusal to be submissive to a government, which has molested their religious rights, are also being lumped by Utusan Malaysia and pro-Umno bloggers as enemies of Islam in Malaysia. Such is the stupidity of these guys that they portray a prayer session in Penang with a few DAP politicians as oath-taking. Just a pointer: the only oath that Christians take is to our Lord and Saviour. Therefore, we obey God and not men. The bloggers hope to persuade Malay/Muslims that Christians are working with DAP to push for a Christian prime minister. I suppose these blinkered souls forgot about the Federal Constitution. They also forgot to tell their readers that Chinese or Christians (who by the way are mostly non-Malay bumiputeras) are not interested in political power but are interested in good governance, fairness, integrity, rule of law and equal opportunities. And before we believe that this strategy of divide and rule has not got the blessings of the top Umno leadership, we should think again. The policy of hammering Chinese/Christians and demonising DAP is state-sponsored. Just listen to Muhyiddin Yassin and other Umno leaders. Of course, Najib Razak plays the good cop but he has stayed silent as Utusan Malaysia slams Chinese. Instead of worrying what kind of a country he will lead, he has chosen to look the other way as Chinese and Christians are painted as usurpers of power. One lesson I suppose we can take from this is that Umno does not want or need the support of Chinese or Christians. So much for the Rukun Negara or 1 Malaysia. ************************************* This is the hard truth. Pakatan Rakyat is in trouble, serious trouble. Barisan Nasional is winning the perception war. And everything that Pakatan Rakyat does just makes it worse. The more they dig in and hold their ground, the deeper they get bogged down into the rut. And this is because Pakatan Rakyat has amateur numbskulls in charge of its perception war. Politics is not about the truth. It is about perception. Never mind what is true and what is false. It is what people perceive that counts. And currently what they perceive, whether it is true or not, does not favour Pakatan Rakyat. Lib Dem learned this the hard way two days ago on Thursday. This is what Nick Clegg said today in his letter to the party members: I think it is clear that we need to do more to show people in the party and beyond what we are doing in Government and, perhaps more importantly, why. Because we are achieving a great deal. The BBC estimates that we are implementing 75% of the policies of in our manifesto, compared to just 60% of the Conservative manifesto. Of course, as Liberal Democrats, we are all bitterly disappointed that the referendum on the Alternative Vote has been lost. We will always remain passionate supporters of reform. But we must respect the will of the British people. This time, we were unable to convince them of the merits of this particular change. Lib Dem did not lose Thursday's elections because it had not performed. In fact, it had. But it failed to convince the voters as Nick Clegg said "of the merits of this particular change". Lib Dem depends on the younger voters. That was how it got in a year ago. But barely a year in office and the young turned on the party -- my daughter included who demonstrated in London against the government after voting Lib Dem in the recent general election. Just a few months after voting for the party, she turned and demonstrated against the party (even my wife and son voted against Lib Dem....sigh....). Barisan Nasional knows that it needs the Malay votes. It can afford to lose all the non-Malay votes but as long as it retains the Malay votes it will always be in power. So it needs to turn the Malays against the opposition. And this is the game plan. Now, I say Barisan Nasional, not Umno. Of course, Umno is the mastermind. But Umno can't do it alone. MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP and the many Sabah and Sarawak parties also need to play the game. And they do. First, the Chinese members of Barisan Nasional frighten the Chinese Diaspora by telling them that if the opposition comes to power then PAS would be in charge and Islam would be imposed on all Malaysians, Islamic laws included. Then the Malay members of Barisan Nasional frighten the Malay Diaspora by telling them that if the opposition comes to power then DAP would be in charge and Christianity would be imposed on all Malaysians and Christianity would become the official religion of Malaysia. That is the issue of religion. Further to that the Malays are told that if the opposition come to power then the special rights and privileges of the Malays would erode and the Malays would be reduced to second-class citizens in their own country. Then we have the sodomy allegation and the sex videotapes of Anwar Ibrahim issue. This is supposed to paint a scenario that Anwar is not as Islamic as he pretends to be but is actually quite an immoral person, meaning he is a munafiq or hypocrite. The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) and Malaysia Today are not spared either. MCLM is being touted as a spoiler who is splitting the opposition votes by triggering three-corner fights. So now MCLM and Pakatan Rakyat are working parallel to each other but not in concert. The way things are going MCLM and Pakatan Rakyat may never be able to work together to face the next general election. There is of course one solution to this. MCLM can close down and not bother to contribute to the next election. That would solve the problem of the perception that MCLM is a liability to the opposition. And that is what many would like to see happen, even those from Pakatan Rakyat. But will this help the opposition cause? MCLM stayed out of the recent Sarawak state election. Did this help the opposition? Did they do well? Were three-corner fights avoided? That did not solve the problem did it? Now Malaysia Today, and I personally, are under attack from friends and foes alike. Here again the theory of 'never mind what is true but what is being perceived is what matters' rings true. Both the mainstream media as well as the alternative media have succeeded in propagating the 'Raja Petra has made a U-turn' story. I can understand the government-controlled mainstream media doing this. That is their job. What I can't understand is why is the opposition-aligned alternative media also propagating the lies of the mainstream media? The alternative media appears to have become an extension of the mainstream media. So you see, while the opposition and alternative media train their guns on MCLM, Malaysia Today and RPK, the mainstream media attacks from the rear and play up the Ketuanan Christianity, Islam under siege, and the Malay rights and privileges issues. In short, MCLM, Malaysia Today and RPK, are bogged down in trying to fight off 'friendly fire' while the opposition gets machine-gunned good and proper. Did none of these idiots from Pakatan Rakyat read Sun Tsu or what? Losers! Now we are fighting three fronts -- the enemy plus each other. This is like trying to build a bridge over troubled waters. UVDg8fVC4EQ SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVDg8fVC4EQ |
| Posted: 04 May 2011 05:45 PM PDT
What is the difference between the government and the opposition then? Only one difference! The government has laws to use to impose its will while the opposition does not yet have laws to use to impose its will. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Freedom of the press By LIM SUE GOAN Translated by Soong Phui Jee, Sin Chew Daily Malaysia has dropped from 141 to 143 out of 196 countries surveyed worldwide in the Freedom of the Press Index released by US-based Freedom House. It is categorised as "not free". It shows that despite the efforts of several decades, Malaysia has not much improved in terms of press freedom. After the national independence, freedom of the press has never been included in the government's plan of improvement due to political, racial and religious sensitivities. If there is a ranking for different fields, politics would top the list, followed by economy while freedom of the press would be ranked the bottom. During the administration of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the press lacked freedom and not much improvement had been made in Tun Abdullah Badawi's era. We thought that policies would be relaxed after the 2008 general election but freedom of the press has not been included in the Key Performance Index (KPI), National Key Results Areas (NKRA), Government Transformation Plan (GTP) and Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). Our ranking is inconsistent with the status of a middle-income country. It is indeed shameful that Malaysia has been ranked below East Timor (77), the Philippines (93), Indonesia (108) and Cambodia (141) with relatively weaker economies. There are three criteria to assess a country's freedom of the press: 1. Law and control: if there are many laws to control and restrain the media, the space of coverage will shrink. Media practitioners will naturally self-filter as they are fear of breaking the laws. The government plans to amend the Printing Press and Publication Act but no action has yet been taken. However, the revised publications guidelines might control various information circulating on the Internet. If the law is tightened instead of relaxed, our ranking is likely to drop further next year. If the Home and Information Communication and Culture Ministries plan to establish a national media advisory council so that the government is empowered to lead and restrain the media, the outlook for press freedom will be more gloomy. 2. The status of the media: in a country with a high degree of press freedom, the constitution, courts and government will protect the media and therefore, the media enjoy a high status. For example, President Richard Nixon was prompted to resign during the 1972 Watergate scandal. In Malaysia, the mainstream media are controversial. They might be accused of being intervened by politics or becoming a racial camp, and lose their credibility and status. It is a tragedy on the Press Freedom Day when National Union of Journalists (NUJ) President Hata Wahari was dismissed by the Utusan Melayu. 3. The quality of news: if the media become a day-book reporting only what people have said, it will be empty in terms of value. The Los Angeles Times won the Pulitzer Prize gold medal for public service this year for revealing official corruption in Bell. In Malaysia, instead of corruption revealing reports, award winning reports are general news. Who is responsible for such a situation? If Malaysia wishes to become an advanced high-income country in 2020, freedom of the press is absolutely essential. Without freedom of the press, we will never be categorised as a developed country and social justice will drift further and further away. ****************************************** That was what MySinchew wrote today. While I agree with what they said, I feel this matter needs to be looked at on a broader perspective. For example, in the UK, we are not just talking about electoral reforms (by the way, later today I am going out to vote on a referendum to change the voting system), we are talking about political reforms. It is not enough to reform just the electoral system. The entire British political system needs reforming. And this was why I joined the LibDem, to fight for political reforms (which means I am no longer eligible to join any Malaysian political party since they do not allow dual-party membership). The same goes for 'freedom of the press'. Our fight should not be just about freedom of the press but freedom of expression/speech, association, assembly and so on. Within this comes, of course, freedom of the press, one aspect of freedom of expression/speech, association, assembly and so on. In short, freedom of the press is the result of freedom of expression/speech, association, assembly and so on. And that is what we do not have in Malaysia. Neither the government nor the opposition allows and respects freedom of expression/speech, association, assembly and so on. We have so many laws that stifle all these freedoms. And the government enforces these laws with zeal. Of course, dissidents and those opposed to the government are on the receiving end of these laws. But this does not mean that those in the opposition are innocent victims of this repression and persecution. The opposition too does not tolerate what the government does not tolerate. And this is where we see the hypocrisy of the whole thing. While we know that the government is bad and it does not pretend to be good (the excuse they give to stifle our freedoms is that Malaysians are not ready for absolute democracy and therefore must only be allowed 'guided' democracy to ensure we prevent further race riots), the opposition screams, rants and raves about not being allowed freedom of expression/speech, association, assembly and so on but will condemn those who do not agree with them. What is the difference between the government and the opposition then? Only one difference! The government has laws to use to impose its will while the opposition does not yet have laws to use to impose its will. I have given numerous interviews and talks over the last thirteen years since 1998. And I have given interviews and talks locally as well as overseas. I have spoken in universities, and to newspapers, radio stations and TV stations. And what I have said has been consistent to what I have written since the mid-1990s when Anwar Ibrahim was still in government and was the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Malaysia. When I say anything unfavourable to the government that is hailed as my right to criticise an unfair, unjust and corrupt government. But when I say anything unfavourable to the opposition, that is vilified as an act of a Trojan horse, of someone who has been bought off, or that I am doing this because I have been bribed to do so by the government. The bottom line is: say bad things about the government and you are an angel. Say bad things about the opposition and you are the devil. That is the opposition understanding of freedom of expression/speech. And because of my TV3 interview I have lost many friends. They have turned against me because of my 'crime' of talking to TV3, never mind what I said to TV3 was the same thing as what I have been saying for ten years or more. I suppose if these are my 'friends' then they were never real friends in the first place. They were 'fair weather' friends. So I doubt I have lost anything. Oh, by the way, did you see the football game at Old Trafford last night? My wife and I were jumping up and down, cheering Manchester United on. (Manchester United 4 Schalke 1). We will certainly be watching the finals at Wembley on 28th May. Actually, I was never interested in football when I used to live in Malaysia. Now that I live in Manchester I go to the Old Trafford to watch my team in action. Do you really think my TV3 interview was so that I can return to Malaysia? How stupid can you be! Hey, I may even give up my Malaysian citizenship just to prove I have no interest in returning to Malaysia, even if Pakatan Rakyat takes over the government. What do you have to say about that now?
|
| It’s nice to be able to say: I told you so Posted: 03 May 2011 04:28 PM PDT
The problem is the Muslims are so full of bullshit. And the Malays believe that old pagan traditions and customs of pre-Islamic times are part of Islamic beliefs and rituals. And when you try to point this out they demand to see your certificate. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin When Saiful Bukhari Azlan swore on the Quran in a mosque three years ago that Anwar Ibrahim had sodomised him, I wrote that there is no such thing. In fact, the practice of swearing an oath on the Quran is man's invention, not God's decree, and that it was a pagan Arab practice of pre-Islamic times. That was three years ago and the response I received was that I am not qualified to talk about Islam. You need a certificate to talk about Islam, although it is man and not God who issues that certificate. In fact, soon after that I was detained without trial under the Internal Security Act and one of the charges was that I had insulted Islam. Malays get upset when I criticise them and they view criticism not as comments against them but as speaking out against God. That was also the culture in Europe more than 1,000 years ago. The church believed that the world is flat and if you said that the world is round they would put you to death. Anyway, now an imam has also come out to say the same as what I said three years ago. So what are you going to do to that imam? Confiscate his certificate and detain him under ISA? The problem is the Muslims are so full of bullshit. And the Malays believe that old pagan traditions and customs of pre-Islamic times are part of Islamic beliefs and rituals. And when you try to point this out they demand to see your certificate. Certificate my arse. QYtyoqbGle4 SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYtyoqbGle4
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
