Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Is Mansor Pakatan’s ‘sacrificial goat’?
- GE13 will be referendum on CMs
- The way to go with Budget 2013
- Slighted by Anwar, SAPP out in the cold
- Why things are out of joint at MIA
- Religious differences the new danger
| Is Mansor Pakatan’s ‘sacrificial goat’? Posted: 27 Sep 2012 04:42 PM PDT
Patsy Thomas, The Malaysian Times Is Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Mansor Othman being abandoned by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) after the leaked tape fiasco? Is he PKR's sacrificial goat? Mansor who has been making headlines a month ago when minutes of a party meeting held in March were leaked and posted on a blog called "Gelagat Anwar" in June. In the alleged leak which was also aired on prime time news by TV3, Mansor was caught stating that Guan Eng was cocky and arrogant and that he was viewed as a tokong (deity). He was also heard saying that DAP had wanted to 'kill off' PKR in the next general election and take control of Penang. He also said that DAP was sure of winning 19 (state seats) and that the party now wanted more to enable it to rule Penang on its own. The Malaysian Times today contacted Datuk Reezal Merican UMNO Youth Information Chief to get his comment on this matter. According to him, the statement made by Mansor was a clear statement of the true character of Guan Eng.  Datuk Reezal Merican "The testimonial of Guan Eng being a cocky and arrogant peron is not far from the truth. This was not said by any members from BN but from Mansor himself who is the Deputy Chief Minister. What could be clearer?" asked Reezal Merican. He added that anything said behind closed door is the truth and that the people in Penang will now be able to see the coalition in its true form as a party without trust, accountability and competency. Meanwhile, Umno Wanita Chairman Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil had said that Mansor had been practically abandoned and left to defend himself alone without the help of the party. This action shows many that PKR is planning to completely hand over the state to DAP. Shahrizat had said that Anwar who had practically abandoned one of its member, Mansor, had seemed to be afraid of Guan Eng. In pressing for an answer, the UMNO Wanita Chairman is calling for Anwar to explain his actions and why he was giving full authority to DAP and Guan Eng to rule the state unilaterally.  Shahrizat Abdul Jalil Is trouble brewing again in Penang? The trouble between PKR and DAP is becoming worse as state PKR Information Chief Johari Kassim called for the suspension of those who attended a meeting in which Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Mansor Othman had revealed his dissatisfaction towards the state's Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Mansor was however determined to stay and ride out the storm which was coming towards him. Mansor had recently denied using certain words against Lim but had however agreed that he had described him as a 'tokong' because he was revered like a "deity" in Penang. "It is a compliment. People in Penang look up to Lim like a tokong. That is how I meant it. My comment was taken out of context in the blog," he said. When asked the source of the leak, Mansor had admitted that the recording was leaked by someone within the party (PKR) itself who had attended the meeting. Apart from that he had also said that he had offered a reward for the return of the recording. In commenting on the issue, DAP former Vice President, Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim had said that Mansor should remove himself from holding any post in the state government.  Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim PKR's Disciplinary Body has launched its own investigation into the alleged leak of the recording aired on TV3. The party's Secretary General, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said, that the party has yet to receive any report from the Disciplinary Body in regards to the issue. "An internal investigation is being carried out. Should there be any element of sabotage or if it actually took place, we will not hesitate to take action. We are awaiting the report from the Disciplinary Body before any action could be taken," said Tengku Aziz. He also said that Mansor should take responsibility on the statement given rather than 'beating around the bush'. "A good leader should not be giving excuses. A leader should have the strength in stating the truth. Mansor should voluntarily recuse himself from his job within the Penang state Government for the sake of the community," said Tunku Aziz. In commenting on the investigation held by PKR's Disciplinary Body, he said that such investigation was unnecessary as the recording had clearly shown who Mansor is. "What is there to investigate? The recording is there… TV3 has aired it," he said
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| GE13 will be referendum on CMs Posted: 27 Sep 2012 01:53 PM PDT
Whether these chief ministers will succeed in their re-election bid will depend on how they can overcome issues at the constituency level. Selvaraja Somiah, FMT If Umno-Barisan Nasional fares poorly in Penang in the coming 13th general election, it will be mainly due to its inability to challenge the DAP's popular Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and not necessarily because of the BN government's failures in managing the economy or maintaining internal security. Given the voter fixation with state issues and chief ministers, national issues have become rather irrelevant in this upcoming polls. Altantuyaa Shaariibuu, Scorpene submarines and Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's RM250 million "lembu" episode and price rise on food items which opposition Pakatan Rakyat had hoped to raise in this election in a big way seems to have failed to take off. Why, you may ask? Because the 13th general election has become a virtual referendum on the performance of the chief ministers. Currently, four states are helmed by chief ministers – Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak. Sarawak, of course, has already had its state election last April and Taib Mahmud is back in his seat as chief minister for the fourth term. He will keep a tight grip on at least 25 parliamentary seats which he "controls". Sarawak has 31 parliamentary seats. Whether these chief ministers will succeed in their re-election bid will depend on how they can overcome issues at the constituency level. But incumbent leaders do have an edge over others in their states. My believe is that the "war" this time will be less about parties and more about the leaders. Much of this view hinges on the fact that many Malaysian voters have begun choosing governments not on the basis of party ideology and long-prevailing preferences but on specific party leaders. This trend has become more obvious with an increasing number of young people emerging as a major voting bloc. Leaders must have own profile In general, party loyalty and party identification among the youth is weaker compared with older Malaysian voters. In which case Penang, Malacca and Sabah will be turned into a sort of referendum on the performance of the chief ministers. People are craving for leaders who are honest, easily accessible and have a strong, pro-rural and pro-people orientation. Incumbent chief ministers of the latest poll-bound states don't necessarily have all these qualities. Yet, overall, they have performed remarkably well on these attributes; this is what makes it difficult for their challengers. Take, for instance, Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam. He was barred from contesting in the Umno elections after the party's disiplinary board found him guilty of violating party ethics for indulging in money politics. Mohd Ali was aiming to contest the post of deputy president (which Muhyiddin Yassin now holds). But he still remains as the Malacca Chief Minister. In the past, it was only national leaders such as Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim, and some regional icons such as Musa Aman, Pairin Joseph Kitingan and Taib, who had the magnetism to win on their sheer personal strength.
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| The way to go with Budget 2013 Posted: 27 Sep 2012 01:47 PM PDT
Three Pakatan Rakyat's leaders share their vision on how Budget 2013 should address long-term issues plaguing the economy and rakyat. Teoh El Sen, FMT Even before Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak unveils Budget 2013 today, three Pakatan Rakyat leaders showed him how to steer the country in the right direction. According to them, the country needs long-term measures to address challenges the economy and society would face in the long run. PKR's Rafizi Ramli, PAS' Dzulkefly Ahmad, and DAP's Liew Chin Tong shared with FMT their thoughts on how the prime minister should handle the economy when asked, "what would you do if you were Najib?" Rafizi took a swipe at how Najib "was good at giving away handouts to quell public anger", noting that such measures would not resolve long-term issues. "I think Najib cannot run away from pressing issues such as house prices and the rising cost of living… these are systemic problems that Najib wants to hide," the PKR strategy director said. Rafizi also said that corruption is a serious issue as it contributes to wastage in the budget, and the economy could not be tackled independently without anti-corruption measures. "In Selangor, we saved 24% of our funds in the past nine months, just by doing open tender for public projects." Rafizi argued that if such savings could be practised in the federal budget, the deficit can be brought down by about 3.2%, which is 1% lower than the government's target of between 4% from 4.5%. "Let's say budget spending is RM250 billion. Of this, almost RM120 billion will be on procurement. If we can save 20% on these deals, we save RM24 billion, and our budget will be brought down to RM226 billion," he claimed. 'There's a lot of fat'
"There is a lot of fat we need to trim," he said, adding that without such anti-corruption measures in place, it was unfair to start cutting subsidies. "We shouldn't punish the people. We need to punish endemic corruption." "I disagree with some of our analysts' views. They assume that the RM250-billion budget is already clean and corruption-free… but you know that the budget is bloated. Any good organisation will say that before you cut spending, you must cut out the rent-seekers, cronies, and middlemen." Rafizi said he also disagreed with those, including economists, who say implementing goods and services tax (GST) is a good idea. "In other countries, when you introduce GST, you usually reduce income tax too. That's not the case in this country, where income level has not improved and only 1.2 million people are able to pay tax, while the rest don't earn enough to pay tax. "We need to grow at 6%, then we can start talking about GST." On housing, Rafizi said that Pakatan has proposed in its shadow budget that a powerful government body similar to a housing development board be established. This could change the way public housing is built." Rafizi said that currently private developers are not building the right affordable homes for the vulnerable groups. "When private developers build houses, it's about making profit. Unless you address this problem, no matter what you do, developers will not provide enough numbers of affordable homes." 'Najib will face backlash' Rafizi said the government body on housing should have full powers to talk to state governments and take over the land, adding that profit should be of secondary importance. "In the long term, private developers will then bring down prices. In the mid-term, we can build houses at a much lower market rate, because the funding is done by the government." Rafizi also said that Najib would have to announce something to reduce car prices due to public pressure. "A lot of pressure is on Najib. I don't think he can get away without doing something to reduce excise duty. He will face a backlash," he said, adding that PKR has promised to slash excise duty if it comes to power. On public transport, Rafizi said that Pakatan is proposing to inject some RM2 billion to add about 1,000 buses in the Klang Valley immediately. "Will Najib commit to doing something like that? The MRT will take another four to five years, and the whole city can't depend on this alone. There is a huge under-investment on buses." Rafizi also said that Najib should implement a "comprehensive social safety net", which would track everyone below a certain income level, and regularly uplift them, instead of giving one-off tidbits such as BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia). He said that under Pakatan's Caruman Wanita National, families will pay RM10 to RM100 a month and the government will pay a flat contribution of RM50 per month. "It's like EPF. This is to help out; if anything happens to the husband, the housewife will get [financial] aid." Ballooning debt
He said Najib should also not neglect development in Sabah and Sarawak but bring the two states at par with the Peninsula. Meanwhile, PAS's Dzulkefly hoped Najib would address several issues, among others, reducing the national debt and increasing disposable income. He said Budget 2013 should look into measures to promote prudent spending and curb corruption and leakages. "We have been pump-priming the economy for many years, during good and bad times, creating a ballooning debt that is reaching 55% of our GDP. Najib should avoid pushing us further into debt," he said. Dzulkefly, a PAS central working committee member, also called on Najib to find ways to reduce dependence on oil and gas revenue. "Currently, 40% of our budget is financed by oil money," he said. He also said that Budget 2013 should find ways to increase disposable income rather than offering piecemeal solutions like BR1M and Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia programme. One way to do this is to reduce the prices of essential things such as food and transport. "As for transport, let's empower local councils to have their own bus system. We can also work on a hybrid transport system by integrating the bus system with the MRT project," he said.
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| Slighted by Anwar, SAPP out in the cold Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT
Anwar Ibrahim's 'new warlords' Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing together with their 'parties' appear set to assume Pakatan's role in Sabah. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) appears to have parted ways with Pakatan Rakyat after initially showing signs of building ties with the peninsula-based opposition coalition. The fallout stems from PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim informing SAPP president Yong Teck Lee that Pakatan was now bringing in Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing as his new trusted warlords in Sabah. That decision was made known last month in a meeting room at a hotel here when Anwar met Yong and Jeffrey Kitingan, the Sabah chapter chairman of Sarawak-based State Reform Party (STAR). Since then, Yong has not appeared at Pakatan functions unlike in the past when he made an effort to attend nor has he sent senior members to represent the party at such events. His latest snub of a Pakatan function was the Sept 15 gathering in Tuaran of Pakatan's top leaders to mark the 49th anniversary of Malaysia Day. In the past Yong would have been loath to miss an event like that since the Sept 16, 1963 date of the formation of Malaysia has been was high on SAPP's agenda. However he did not even send a junior party leader to the function hosted by Lajim and Bumburing in the grounds of a restaurant. The event was staged to show Sabahans that Pakatan leaders empathised with them about how Sabah and Sarawak were equal partners with Malaya in the formation of Malaysia but had since been reduced in status equivalent to those of the peninsula states. Yong would not have wanted to ignore this gesture as among those present with Anwar were PAS president Hadi Awang, Penang CM and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim along with senior Pakatan component party leaders Tian Chua, Mohamad Sabu, Mustaffa Ali, Husam Musa and many others. The fracturing of ties can be traced to the closed-door meeting last month as soon after the brief meeting with Anwar, Yong left with his waiting SAPP colleagues to his residence near here and not long after issued a statement that his party was interested in contesting in Sepanggar, Penampang and Kota Kinabalu. He specifically mentioned the three parliamentary seats that Pakatan component DAP is eyeing as a direct challenge to the coalition's influence in the state. Anwar's new warlords DAP is the incumbent in Kota Kinabalu through Hiew King Chew, a former SAPP man himself who quit to join DAP. According to the political grapevine, Yong and Kitingan are irked by the inclusion of Lajim and Bumburing in the opposition equation and Anwar's declaration that Pakatan now has five components with APS (Angkatan Perubahan Sabah) and PPS (Pakatan Perubahan Sabah) joining PKR, DAP and PAS. APS is headed by Bumburing while PPS by Lajim. The two were in the meeting room with "guests" Yong and Kitingan along with PKR vice president Tian Chua and DAP MP Teresa Kok and Anwar's aides. No one from PKR Sabah was present. Yong and Kitingan were accompanied by senior leaders from their parties but they were not included in the meeting with Anwar.
According to those familiar with discussions, Anwar signaled that APS and PPS would be the main players in Sabah even duplicating some of PKR Sabah's role and the message to Yong and Kitingan was "we now have them, so are you coming in or not?" or more bluntly "we can do without you". The meeting lasted only 20 minutes, according to insiders who said that Yong was also irked by Lajim's condescending tone after the meeting when he allegedly told the SAPP president that he could help deliver Lahad Datu constituency to SAPP. The assumption that Yong and his party would need outside help in his own hometown was seen as a slight, according to party insiders. Two days after the meeting with Anwar, Yong and his men turned up at the United Borneo Alliance (UBA) fourth meeting to meet Kitingan. Some have taken that as a signal that SAPP could be working with Kitingan's STAR instead to counter the Pakatan-Lajim-Bumburing tie-up.
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| Why things are out of joint at MIA Posted: 24 Sep 2012 04:09 PM PDT
The MIA management is another area that seems in dire need of improvement as the word on the street is that "the good ones leave" for better opportunities elsewhere. At worst, the bad ones get promoted and to rub salt into the wound, not based on merit. This is also one of the main reasons why the institute is not seen to be doing enough for the profession. Concerned Number Cruncher PREAMBLE Lately the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) seems to be in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Some members have been highlighting problem areas in its governance system, and this has led a certain faction to question whether the institute knows what it really needs to do in the interest of a better future for the accounting profession. It would be meritorious for everyone concerned to gain a clear understanding of MIA's true role of putting in place a system that enables, ultimately, the protection of public interest, but it does not take a rocket scientist to see cracks in the system caused by the way the institution is run. QUESTIONABLE GOVERNANCE Indeed, the World Bank, in a recent report on the observance in Malaysia of accounting and auditing standards and codes, pointed out gaps and loopholes that impede the development of the country's accounting and auditing fraternity. It highlighted the need for MIA to review its governance structure so that it may fully deliver its mandate as the regulator of the Malaysian accounting and auditing profession. It said this review should address, among other areas, the structure and membership of the council that leads the institution, the membership admission processes, and the assessment of quality standards for university accounting degree programmes. MIA would also need to ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of standards and determine the level of resources required to enable it to deliver its mandate effectively, the report said. Having observed the progression of events framing the role of the institution over the past years, as an accountant and therefore a party interested in the evolution of the profession, I am inclined to raise some pertinent issues that point to the need for reforms at MIA. FALLING SHORT OF IDEALS MIA was incorporated under the Accountants Act 1967, which sets out its role and powers as an institution that governs the profession. Given that accountants are professionals that undergo rigorous training in order that they may become members of MIA, it was apparent in its early days that those who decided on the direction for the profession had intended for it to be largely self-regulated, with members determining its direction and developmental needs. Is the set-up of the MIA council conducive to enabling good governance within the institution, resulting in the profession being able to meet the needs of the nation? Issues in relation to the lack of accounting skills in Malaysia because of a brain drain continue to be raised at various levels, including in the ROSC report. In addition, MIA through its very own Practice Review function has indicated that the quality of auditors in this country needs to be stepped up a great deal for them to be on par with their counterparts in developed nations. The lack of clarity regarding MIA's role today is another signal that something is indeed not right with the way it performs that role. Previous MIA presidents Tan Sri Abdul Samad Alias and Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff did attempt to position MIA as a body with both regulatory and professional development functions, but where is this clarity today? GETTING PRIORITIES RIGHT Capacity building for the profession is paramount. However, in these last few years, MIA has not been seen to have been significantly building capacity for members. Instead, it appears to have been wielding its regulatory powers ever more actively. Members are told to pay for education and development, and this brings into question what value we are to derive from being members of an institution that is constantly raising the bars on how we should operate. The very fact that some members are proposing the establishment of a technical centre at MIA also raises red flags, because if MIA is unable to provide this service in a satisfactory manner to its own members, does this not point to a deficiency of skill and talent in the industry? I believe that these are among the issues creating gaps in MIA's governance system. We have been stuck in a mindset of preferential policies for too long, and these have filtered down into the MIA mindset. We should be going for quality, but current policies seem to be more in line with quantitative expansion. The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) in its Economic Transformation Roadmap indicates the need for all future accountants to have professional qualifications prior to being admitted as MIA members. This is a move to step up the quality of Malaysian accountants so that they will be globally competitive, but not much has been done to bring this to the fore. DANGEROUS BRAIN DRAIN Indeed this is a very pertinent issue for a nation that is in the midst of an economic transformation process, one in which I believe accountants have a very important role to play. There is a need for MIA to have its goals aligned with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak's vision to produce people who are capable of supporting the nation's transformation needs. However, with MIA's present structure and policies, it would seem that these concerns are not being met. Instead, I hear of young professionally qualified accountants leaving the country for greener pastures because they cannot see a clear career path here. Who can blame them when it is so difficult, for instance, to secure an audit licence here and there are better opportunities abroad? If global mobility is the norm, and the Malaysian accounting landscape is as attractive as in other countries, then why are we not attracting talent from other countries? A QUESTION OF NEW LEADERSHIP Let us look at the structure of MIA and see whether it is optimally set up to ensure dynamism in the profession. The council of 30 members, which guides MIA and its management, is headed by a President who is assisted by a Vice President. The council and the two top officials are supposed to have clearly defined roles. But there has been no such clarity in the practice of those roles in the last couple of years. It seems as if there are precious few or no other individuals who can be tasked with leading the institute. In some cases, we see the same people returning to leadership positions. Is this how we want our profession to be seen? Are we so incapable of nurturing new leaders who are able to bring fresh insights and position the institution in a new light, such as was done quite exemplarily by Nik Hasyudeen, who took over the helm from Abdul Rahim Hamid between 2007 and 2009? At the time, MIA was seen to be dynamic and responsive to issues facing the profession. Abdul Samad did his fair share to lead the institute following the restructuring in 2001 and put in place fundamentals that were meant to propel the institution forward. I also feel strongly that appointment of President of the Institute should be based on merit, with consensus from members and no other consideration, especially not preferential policies. It would go against the interest of the profession if leadership positions were accorded on grounds other than merit. DE-POLITICISE THE INSTITUTE The composition of the present council also needs re-examining. It is rigid and prone to political abuse, if politicisation of the professional institution hasn't already happened. If as a nation we are able to practice democracy in how we elect our leaders, why is it that MIA's council is overwhelmed by government appointees? The council reports to the Accountant General (AG), who in turn reports to the Minister of Finance. Given that the AG is a representative of the Minister of Finance, do we need 19 others to be appointed by him or should we be looking at providing equal footing to every member who harbours an aspiration to serve fellow members while at the same time contributing to the growth of the profession and the nation? Why are we so afraid of meritocracy? Is there fear of power abuses? I am convinced that a group of professional accountants would be able to devise checks and balances to ensure this does not happen. It is important to understand that MIA members, who fund the institution with their subscription fees, have the onus of self-regulation. Nobody would be able to understand the challenges of the profession better than the members themselves, and it makes sense to enable them to choose among themselves who are best able to guard the credibility of the profession. As educated professionals, they surely realise that any abuse of power or negative behaviour that is not aligned with national goals would only hurt the profession. If we cannot run our own organisation, how does it make sense that we are tasked as gatekeepers and guardians of other people's companies? MANAGEMENT UNDER FIRE The MIA management is another area that seems in dire need of improvement as the word on the street is that "the good ones leave" for better opportunities elsewhere. At worst, the bad ones get promoted and to rub salt into the wound, not based on merit. This is also one of the main reasons why the institute is not seen to be doing enough for the profession. It does not have the quality talent with the passion required to drive the evolution of the profession and power the transformation that the Malaysian accounting profession really needs at this juncture. The appointment of a new chief executive officer (CEO) is yet to take place more than half a year after the departure of the previous one. Again, we hope the appointment is based on merit and a proven track record. As an accountant, I am saddened to note that an institution set up with the noble intention to lead and develop a sector of professionals so important to the growth of the nation continues to be mired in, among other things, petty politicking and a crisis of its own identity and relevance to members. It is clear as day that in this age of reforms and transformation for Malaysia, MIA too needs its own set of reforms so that it is able to help accountants maintain their relevance as public expectations of our work continues to grow. |
| Religious differences the new danger Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:35 PM PDT
The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future, said Samuel P Huntington in 1993. By Khoo Ying Hooi, FMT Strong protests have swept across the Muslim world over the trailer "Innocence of Muslims" since the video was first released on YouTube, uploaded by its director Sam Bacile. The low-budget film stirred a wave of anti-American violence which targeted mostly symbols of American influence. The video illustrates Prophet Muhammad in a negative light, portraying Him as a fool, womaniser and killer. The debate over the video can be viewed in different perspectives. Some claim it is about freedom of expression and speech, while others say it is politically driven and manipulated. The film has sparked a delicate debate about how far artistic freedom can be stretched. YouTube has since blocked access to this video in several countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Morocco, including Malaysia and its neighbouring countries, Indonesia and Singapore. Then a few days ago, a French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, published several insulting caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, including portraying the Prophet naked in the cartoons, which exacerbated the already tense atmosphere in the Muslim world. In the past, there have been many other controversial publications and artworks that have caused uproar among the Muslims. But this time, the scale of protests has been massive and violent. Back in 1989, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the execution of British author Salman Rushdie for his novel "The Satanic Verses" because it contained some insults in the account of the Prophet Muhammad's life. In 2004, a short film "Submission" directed by prominent Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was aired in the Dutch television. The film was intended to feature the abuse of Muslim women; however it became dubious due to several images in the film. In one of the controversial images, the opening lines of the Quran were written across the naked body of a Muslim woman. Two months after the broadcast, van Gogh was murdered by a young man, Mohammed Bouyeri, on an Amsterdam street. In 2005, 12 cartoons by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten showed Prophet Muhammad in various humorous situations, including a drawing of the Prophet wearing a lit bomb inside his turban. This sparked violent demonstrations throughout much of the Muslim world. The theory of the clash of civilizations, first propounded by the influential political scientist Samuel P Huntington in 1993 in the magazine "Foreign Affairs", just shortly after the end of the Cold War, might be able to shed some light on what is happening now. The theory came about as a response to Francis Fukuyama's book in 1992, "The End of History and the Last Man". Huntington opined that there will be no longer ideological (political) or economic conflicts in the post-Cold War world; instead the new danger will arise out of the cultural and religious differences between the people, and this will serve as the primary source of conflict. In his book, "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order", he stated that "religion is the central defining characteristic of civilizations". He emphasised that people are being divided along cultural lines and there is no universal civilization but there are cultural blocks, with each block having its own distinct set of values. In the 1993 "Foreign Affairs" article, Huntington wrote, and I quote: "It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future."
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