Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Making one’s hair stand
- Election sloganeering to win Indian votes
- It was an unpleasant weekend for Najib
- Water crisis: Learn from Mahathir’s blunder
- Can MCA deliver for Najib?
- PAS Youth needs to search its soul
- Is Pakatan really ready to govern?
- Behind the liberal front
- Be careful who we vote for
- Pakatan’s battle for PM must take backseat
- Can Pakatan weather the Hadi storm?
| Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:54 PM PST
Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan's recent remarks about salons make us wonder if he has anything 'between the ears'. How then can he not know that PAS is messing things up in a respectable industry. Wong Chun Wai, The Star DATUK Takiyuddin Hassan should be invited by hair stylists for a visit to their shops – the Kelantan state executive councillor has no idea what he is talking about. To put it bluntly, he is talking rubbish. He doesn't need to have a hair cut or a hair wash but simply observe the operations at a hair salon. And sir, it is hair salon and not hair saloon. There is no drinking or entertainment of any kind. A hair salon is different from a girlie barber shop, that's another point you should be aware of. On Sunday, the PAS assistant secretary-general defended the PAS state government's decision to enforce gender-segregation rules on unisex salons, prohibiting women from cutting the hair of men, and vice-versa. He said: "It is a well-known fact that hair salons and unisex establishments are the most convenient places for immoral activities. "They provide a cover for men and women to engage in illicit activities. If I were a Chinese, I will never allow my wife to patronise such salons or even consider allowing my children to work in such places because of their reputation as a hotbed for immoral activities. "And even a Chinese wife will feel uneasy to allow her husband to go to such places. Frequently such places will always lead to scandals." Like many Malaysians who read these remarks yesterday, I really didn't know whether to cry or to burst out laughing. Many of us go to hair salons for hair cuts simply because, unlike barbers, these hair stylists are properly trained. Many invested in diploma courses in famous training schools in London, Paris, Hong Kong and Bangkok. We don't expect Takiyuddin to know what "a layer cut" is. Huge sums of capital have been invested into their hair salons and many well-known hair stylists have turned entrepreneurs by setting up chains of hair salons nationwide. These hair stylists work hard on their reputation, of which PAS may not be aware of, but clients are selective in their choice of hair salons. Takiyuddin has no idea what he is talking about. We wouldn't blink an eye if our family members have their hair cut at hair salons — by a male or a female stylist. And most of us have family members or friends who work at hair salons and we are proud of their skills and creativity. They make many Malaysians look good with their professionalism and abilities. It is even more humorous when Takiyuddin said that "when a woman worker gives upper body massages to a male customer, one thing will eventually lead to another, ending with illicit activities". Hello, the nearest massage one gets at a hair salon is a neck-and-shoulder massage. And from where Takiyuddin is coming from, he and his party leaders will surely shut down spas when they come to power. Since male stylists cannot cut the hair of females and vice-versa, will we see PAS banning women doctors from treating male patients? So if Takiyuddin suffers a heart attack while he is giving a press conference, will he wait for a male doctor to come, even if there is a female doctor nearby? Next, women flight attendants won't be serving Takiyudidin when he is flying because it can lead to many things, what with their smiles and the uniforms they wear. The hair on my hands are already standing on end just reading what Takiyuddin has reportedly said.
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| Election sloganeering to win Indian votes Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:16 PM PST
Wouldn't it be plain daydreaming to expect Najib to suddenly transform himself to be the poor man's champion? By M Manoharan, FMT Apart from a brief stint at Petronas, Najib has always enjoyed privileged positions as the PM's eldest son, Menteri Besar, Deputy Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and currently, Prime Minister. His has been an aristocratic role within an Umno regime whose rule has reduced Indians to an impoverished and marginalised community. Wouldn't it be plain daydreaming to expect him to suddenly transform himself to be the poor man's champion? Najib and other Umno leaders' speeches are tailor-made according to the audience. Ketuanan Melayu and the Malay chauvinistic agenda is a favourite subject of Najib to Malay audiences. However, when he faces an Indian crowd, he transforms himself into the Messiah for the marginalised Indian. However, Najib is known for encouraging the proliferation of Indian-based parties. Recently, at a meeting with KIMMA, he said that the appointment of the new Chief Secretary takes care of the welfare of Muslim Indians and that they should not clamour for KIMMA's membership in BN. In an indirect manner, he was relaying the message that Muslim Indians who consider themselves Malays cannot afford to be disunited but Indians can. Najib is also consistently big on pronouncements but short on delivery. Examples include his announcement of a 1,000 matriculation/ pre-university places for high achieving SPM students, but it required sustained pressure from NGOs, politicians and community leaders before the places were ready and even then doubts persist as to whether the number ever reached the promised 1,000. Another announcement was the RM180 million fund offered ostensibly solely for Indian SMEs. Again this turned out to be a ruse because it was just a small portion of a pre-existing loans portfolio in the banking network. Moreover, applicants had to meet standard stringent documentation and other criteria. Similarly, grandiose figures were dished out on the allocation of funds to Tamil schools post-April 2009. Recently, a colossal figure of RM500 million was bandied about but experts agree that the real disbursement is likely to be a tiny fraction of the publicised amount. 'The Cabinet Committee on Indian Issues' and the 'Task Force on Indians in the PM's Department' are two very high profile teams to be established under the Najib administration, designed to tackle the broad spectrum of problems affecting the Indians. Both teams have proven to be a public relations exercise, more than anything else, with hundreds of thousands of ringgit poured into print, radio and television advertisements with otherwise very little to show for it. Najib comes out tops in sloganeering with terms like 'Nambikei' but there were just mere slogans! There are close to 300 000 'stateless' Indians in the country. 'Stateless' because of the absence of birth registration and MyKad documents. Sadly, Najib chooses to trumpet the miniscule 4,000 odd numbers who have gained citizenship recently, many in their advance years, where a Malaysian citizenship arrives too late and is of little use to them. Again, he chooses publicity over actual delivery/achievement. Mahathir link Perhaps the biggest indication that a future Najib premiership would see Indians falling further behind is his close ties to former PM Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir's policies shamelessly neglected and discriminated against the Indian community. For instance, at the start of the Mahathir premiership, about 29% of the civil service consisted of non Malays (Indians are part of this figure) but by the end of his tenure, the number had been whittled down to a measly 8%. Many retiring senior Indian civil service members were replaced by Malays at the higher echelons. It is sad to note that the majority of the high ranking Indian civil servants are in the obituary columns of the newspapers.
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| It was an unpleasant weekend for Najib Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:08 PM PST
The rakyat are now vocally airing their demands, their rights and their aspirations. And interestingly they didn't just demonstrate against core issues but also against Umno and Barisan Nasional rule. It was a strong resistance against a corrupt and morally bankrupt government which has continuously ignored the rights of the people for profits. By Charles Santiago, FMT Perhaps those were his chosen moments. The moment when tens of thousands of people turned Dataran Merdeka green. The moment when hundreds of Indians called for the rights of the minority community to be protected. The moment when scores more turned up at the field in Petaling Jaya to demonstrate against the National Education Blueprint. It was a weekend of protest in Malaysia. And interestingly they didn't just demonstrate against core issues but also against Umno and Barisan Nasional rule. It was a strong resistance against a corrupt and morally bankrupt government which has continuously ignored the rights of the people for profits. The people of Malaysia have changed after the 2008 general election which was a slap to the ruling parties, that have governed with impunity over decades. The rakyat are now vocally airing their demands, their rights and their aspirations. This politically maturing society should sit well with the reform agenda of prime minister Najib Tun Razak, who parrots his People First, Performance Now slogan. But that's not the case. Protesters are met with bully-boy policemen who do not hesitate to employ violence against unarmed people. And their demands have gone largely unheeded. And these demands include a clean-up of the electoral system which is ridden with irregularities, a revamp of the education system, a clean and transparent government, independent monitoring of the police force, equal distribution of wealth, the doing-away of race-based policies, a judiciary with integrity… and the list goes on. The Umno-led coalition government has largely turned a blind eye to these demands, gone after the dissidents with a vengeance, accused the opposition of engineering peoples movements or used force to threaten and intimidate the people. Najib, his cabinet ministers and the police, who go to the mat one too many times for the government, have repeatedly failed to realise they are insulting the people by believing opposition politicians are doing the thinking for them. And they have underestimated the power of the people. Dataran Merdeka was cordoned off to the green marchers and the notice by KL mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib screamed "this place is closed for activities". And apparently due to renovation works. The cordon was not breached but the message was sent loud and clear – that the operations of Australian miner, Lynas, must stop immediately. The government and AELB do not seem to learn from tragedies. Severe birth defects, eight cases of leukaemia in five years in a community of 11,000 people are the consequences of allowing the operations of the Asian Rare Earth factory in northern Perak. The clean-up cost of the factory and dump site is estimated to be US$100 million, the largest in the rare earth industry. But 30 years later, the government is once again game to play with the lives of people. The radioactive waste which will be produced by Lynas will be dangerous because it is removed from the ground and concentrated by mechanical and chemical processes. And Australia has said Lynas cannot ship back the waste material. AELB, which initially said it is giving Lynas a temporary operating licence with the view that the waste would be shipped back to Australia has kept mum.
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| Water crisis: Learn from Mahathir’s blunder Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:54 PM PST
The fake water crisis in Selangor, manufactured by BN, features the same blunder that Mahathir made, forcing Singapore to look to technology for water self-efficiency. By Chua Jui Meng, FMT Singapore's $9 billion per annum water industry exposes Barisan Nasional government as incompetent, unable to think out of the box. The island republic is now thanking Malaysia's former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for its current $9 billion per annum water industry. If not for Mahathir's devious intentions and actions to use the raw water supply to hold Singapore to ransom, the island republic today would not have such a thriving industry. So, Mahathir is, after all, not all that Machiavellian? Only a man without conscience will threaten to deny human beings their right and thirst for water. Let's now look at Selangor's water issues for a parallel comparison. The ongoing Langat 2 dispute between the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government and the BN federal government is another inhumane attempt to try and hold the people of Selangor to ransom. The BN's intention to bulldoze the construction of the RM8.6 billion Langat 2 water treatment plant is to realise its share of the gravy train for its cronies which is also linked to the RM60 million annual royalty for raw water supply from Pahang. When completed, the people of Selangor will be burdened with a 100% hike in water rates. The fake water crisis, perpetuated by BN, features the same blunder that Mahathir made, forcing Singapore to look to technology for water self-efficiency. Mahathir's not so Machiavellian move is now a blessing in disguise for Singapore. As it is, all seven dams in Selangor are operating and supplying sufficient raw water. All 34 water treatment plants in the state are also running smoothly to ensure adequate supply of treated water in the state. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had also tried to cow Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim by saying construction of Langat 2 would proceed with or without the approval of the state. That only reflects Muhyiddin's "bully boy" mentality and his utter contempt of law. I reiterate the Selangor government's stand that there is no necessity for Langat 2.
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| Posted: 26 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PST
Is Najib lashing out at DAP because he's frustrated with MCA's inability to sustain Chinese support? The prospect of DAP supplanting and eliminating MCA altogether is the main reason why Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is attempting meek scare-mongering tactic. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz (Free Malaysia Today)Why should any self-respecting Malay support Umno which stands idly by and endorses a party like the MCA? MCA can no longer sustain Chinese support and Umno is absolutely disabled to help. So it has come to this because all this while Umno has turned MCA into a party of honorary Malays. Now Umno reaps what it has sown. The prospect of DAP supplanting and eliminating MCA altogether is the main reason why Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is attempting meek scare-mongering tactic. But people are not buying whatever you say now, Mr PM. Najib says Malays are fed up with DAP. Well, let me tell you this. Those who know Najib well, knows he is playing to the gallery. He is acutely aware that he is speaking among political rejects. MCA's influence over its ethnic group is fast diminishing. Its claim that it's regaining legitimacy among the Chinese sounds so phony and laughable. MCA knows it can only deliver at best three parliamentary seats in the coming general election. The party has been reduced to the status of a neutered Chihuahua. Doing the unthinkable We will humour both Najib and his sleeping partner, MCA. Now why should the Malays be fed up? DAP, after all, has always contested in areas where MCA candidates stand. In which case DAP poses no threat to Umno. So, could it be that Najib is really and actually fed up with MCA for being completely impotent at winning over the Chinese? MCA bends over and does the unthinkable – it articulates issues that alienate them further from Malay votes while at the same time, places Malaysian Chinese as seemingly natural enemies to Malays. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/11/27/can-mca-deliver-for-najib/
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| PAS Youth needs to search its soul Posted: 25 Nov 2012 03:00 PM PST
It is the weakest of youth wings in Pakatan Rakyat Free Malaysia Today At the recent PAS muktamar in Kota Bahru, the youth wing was taken to task by its own members for its ineffectiveness as a political movement, especially in comparison with its counterparts in PKR and DAP. However, much of the self criticism was drowned out by the shrillness of attacks against the party organ, Harakah. This is a pity because what PAS Youth needs most of all is a little soul searching. For example, a delegate from Sarawak raised the valid issue of the wing's failure to highlight problems faced by people in his state. He acknowledged that youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi did mention Sabah and Sarawak in his opening speech, but only in a general way. "There was no real focus on the issue of the Sarawak people's victimisation by Barisan Nasional," he said. "The poverty rate in Sarawak is 5.3% and there is no water and electricity supply for the interior regions although the state's natural resources contribute enormously to the coffers of the Federal government." Perak delegate Nazri Din challenged the wing's central leadership to come up with a manifesto that suits the needs of youths. Need for a vision "Today we have half million voters in the Felda schemes and 20% of them are youths. The wing must explain to this new Felda generation what it can offer them." Negeri Sembilan delegate Mohd Zulkarnain Mohd Zaki questioned why there had been no update on the activities of the Youth Leadership Academy. "What is the current status of Akademi Kepimpinan Pemuda?" he asked. "We don't know whether it is fully utilised or not." He urged the central leadership to emulate its counterparts in the PKR and DAP youth wings and come up with a "PAS Youth leadership policy". Kelantan delegate Ahmad Marzuk Shaary urged the wing to identify youth figures that would be as prominent as those found in PKR and DAP. "We need to take this matter seriously so that PAS Youth can be a platform for youth leaders," he said. Charisma and creativity Some pro-PAS bloggers agree that PAS Youth is the weakest of Pakatan Rakyat youth wings. Indeed, the Islamic party's youth leaders are noticeably lacking in charisma and political creativity. Nasrudin himself, as well as his deputy, Nik Abduh Abdul Aziz, may be competent as Islamic scholars, but neither of them is notable for ideas that suit Malaysia's political culture. Many observers believe that PAS Youth will not progress in local politics as long as its leadership is dominated by the ulama group. In several states, the focus of activities is more religious than political. Thus we have PAS Youth leaders who seem to spend more time preaching and delivering lectures in the mosques than organising and carrying out political activities. This is a far cry from the days when the wing was led by such figures as Mohamad Sabu, Salahuddin Ayub and Mahfuz Omar. Thus there is no need to explain why Nasrudin, Nik Abduh and other youth leaders from PAS do not get much coverage either in Harakah or any other news publication. If PAS Youth wants more press coverage for its leaders, then it must encourage them to emulate, for instance, PKR's Rafizi Ramli, and take more interest in exposing political scandals and abuses by the ruling regime. An exception A senior PAS leader who spoke to FMT on condition of anonymity said there were plenty of newsy issues in his state but the youth chief there, an ulama, had failed to capitalise on them for political mileage. "I have to feed him with the information and push him to have press conferences to highlight the issues," he said. "I even have to ask my secretary to arrange for the press conferences. The coordination factor is so weak." Nevertheless, critics and even detractors would have to congratulate PAS Youth for its Unit Amal, the most well organised and the most effective security unit in Pakatan Rakyat.
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| Is Pakatan really ready to govern? Posted: 25 Nov 2012 08:48 AM PST
If what Anwar has done in PKR and Pakatan is testimony to what he is capable of doing, then he is not acceptable to the Malays. CT Ali, FMT The thing with a general election is this: politicians stand in front of us minus their arrogance, minus their latest Mercedes, minus their mansion in their gated community, minus their secretaries, aides, friends and all the trappings that money can buy to humbly ask you for your votes. And no matter who they are, in politics there will come that moment when doubt enters their mind and they will nervously ask themselves if maybe this will be the time when karma will hit them in the face. Will they raise their arms in triumph after the returning officer have declared them the winner or do they gamely extend their hands to their opponent to congratulate them for their victory even as they desperately look for an exit to go commiserate with themselves for their loss? But before they arrive at that moment in time, there is still a life to be lived and an election to be won by these politicians. The nation is their oyster! And what they have done or promised to do to our nation bears reflection – be it Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat or the Independents – before you decide whom to vote for. Today we are a nation in a flux. There are verbal and physical political scuffles, racial unrest, religious turmoil and, some say, our economy is in free-fall while others insist that we are poised for growth. The ebb and flow of political rhetoric emitting from within BN and Pakatan is deafening and impossible to ignore and the 13th general election hangs like a cloud threatening to bring floods to low-lying areas or much-needed rain for farmers – take your pick! Over all this presides Najib Tun Razak. He is confident of electoral victory and why should he not be? He makes Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's attempts at reforms look unimaginative. His pace in announcing, initiating and implementing reforms is robust but his disregard for fiscal propriety is worrying. But in an election year he will do what he must to try and ensure that a public sated with BN largesse will reciprocate by casting their votes for BN. BN believes that electoral victory is at hand, but Najib is still unsure if BN can retake Selangor and so for now he waits to find a way to do so before calling for the games to begin. For the opposition, the Internet chatter and a perceived surge of support from the people point to a glittering final furlong in the run-up to the 13th general election. But all that glitters is not gold. Pakatan claims it is in ascendancy politically – not yet totally able to fully dominate all that it surveys but there are reasons to think that Putrajaya beckons. After all, Pakatan ceramahs are well attended and the juggernaut of Anwar Ibrahim seems to cut a swathe even through the rural areas where Umno dominates. Johor totters invitingly towards its side of the divide and the defections of once Umno stalwarts is heartening. Surely, Pakatan says, the people of this nation have had enough of a BN government. Pakatan says it is time for change. DAP, PAS and PKR will overcome their distrusts for each other and work for their common good – that of trying to take political power from the Umno-led BN. But in politics trying is never enough. In politics what matters are the numbers that you methodically accumulate. Vote by vote, constituency-by-constituency, state-by-state, one MP at a time marshalling them all into a momentum of sorts that moves in tandem towards ensuring ultimate victory at the polls. This is no easy task. It requires organised manpower, adequate financial resources, an electoral machinery in synch with the tasks demanded of it by its political masters and yet able to gauge and accommodate the nuances of a fickle electorate. Put all this together and you will have the general election handed over to you on a plate. Huh… easier said than done. Now who, between BN and Pakatan, have done that? Both sides of the divide are desperately positive that their side will triumph. Both sides are desperately optimistic that they have the numbers to ensure that enough of their MPs will be elected to enable their side to form the government. Of course, you need to be optimistic and positive… but desperately so? Why desperately so? Let me tell you why. Is Pakatan really ready? Pakatan has asked that we give the opposition alliance the mandate to form the government, but who from Pakatan will govern our nation? Or more to the point, who do we want from Pakatan to govern us? Who will be prime minister, deputy prime minister and who shall be in Cabinet? Who will be the menteris besar and who will be governors and datuk bandars? What are the policies they will implement? How will the sharing of power between PKR, DAP and PAS be reflected in reality? Surely not with three deputy prime ministers and enough ministers to field five football teams (and reserves) without outside help. All these questions we have asked of Pakatan leaders but they have yet to answer to our satisfaction. We ask and Pakatan tells us: "Let us get into government first and then we will see! We will know what to do." How can they know what to do in Putrjaya when they do not know what to do with PKR and Anwar – or are they in denial that there is a problem with PKR and Anwar? They know that it is Anwar who calls the shots in PKR, not Azmin Ali. If Azmin talks about Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's "promotion" into Cabinet, then it is Anwar who wants Khalid to be in the Cabinet. Then what of Selangor? Who does Anwar want to be menteri besar of Selangor? If Pakatan is unable to resolve this at state level, then the matter of who will become what at federal level only portends ill for Pakatan – what more for our nation. This is but one issue that Pakatan has failed to address. There are others.
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2012 02:51 PM PST
The policies of PAS in Kelantan have put its Pakatan Rakyat allies in an awkward spot. For the DAP, the value of hanging on to PAS is not in winning new seats but having a partner who can provide the Prime Minister or Mentri Besar if they win big, as was the case in Perak before the defection. Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star THERE is more to the hair controversy in PAS-ruled Kota Baru than meets the eye. For one, the woes of doing business have just multiplied and it also tells of the unfriendly business environment in Kelantan, which prides itself in allowing pig farms but not a woman cutting a man's hair and in full and open view. It also shows, especially to the business-oriented Chinese community, that supporting the Islamist party, no matter what the DAP does to justify and whitewash it ahead of the coming general election, is a step backwards. PAS is set to be dominant in Pakatan Rakyat and the intolerant rules it is imposing in Kelantan will eventually be translated into national policies by its representatives. Remember the protest against cinemas in Bangi and the gender segregation seating in cinemas in Sabak Bernam? Once the genie is out of the bottle it is impossible to wish it back in. By all counts, DAP is resurgent and while it is on course for a big victory at the polls, it is also urging Chinese voters to back its partner PAS. But no matter how liberal PAS pretends to be, it stumbles ever so often. It shows its inherent intolerance and narrow mindedness, all in the name of Islam, an intolerance that appears intrinsic to all religious parties. If PAS becomes dominant, which is within reach with its one million card-carrying members, and with DAP and PKR giving it added clout, what is to stop it from implementing the same policies nationwide? At stake is our liberal way of life. Salon operators in Kota Baru have been repeatedly summoned for allowing females to cut the hair of males or vice-versa, a prohibition imposed by the Kota Baru Municipal Council that is filled with PAS members. Gender segregation is openly enforced in Kelantan, and PAS says this is in accordance with Islam. But this is the first time where a non-Muslim female hairdresser has been summoned for cutting the hair of a non-Muslim male, a common enough practice everywhere else in the world except in Kelantan now. Islamic rules were only for Muslims but now that rule has clearly encroached into non-Muslim space, and such space is narrowing and likely to get worse with PAS on a dominant path. Can the DAP, which defends all things PAS and even goes about uttering Islamic verses, explain this intolerant tendencies? The same PAS party is in the news for praying for God's help to run down Umno and Barisan Nasional, wanting their destruction allegedly for being hard on Muslims. Thus far the DAP as well as PKR are silent on this prayer asking for the destruction of Umno/Barisan Nasional, a desperate attempt to energise rural Malay support that is slipping from under PAS. In the past, this very party had called Umno infidels, pig farmers and pharaohs, and told all who want to hear that Umno members won't go to heaven when they die. This is the party that is partnering with DAP and PKR and wants to get to Putrajaya in a big way. It shows a temporary liberal face that becomes unhinged ever so often, leaving red faces in the liberal PKR and secular DAP. A religious party advocating a theocracy simply has no role in a modern democracy, and a secular party like the DAP should have been aware of the limitations of a religious party before entering into a partnership. Despite the ever so often hiccups from PAS, the DAP has been advancing the political interest of PAS and in return gets the support of PAS Malay members in the urban centres the DAP will contest. But this support would only enlarge its majority in the urban centres, not win for it new seats. For the DAP, the value of hanging on to PAS is not in winning new seats but having a partner who can provide the Prime Minister or Mentri Besar if they win big, as was the case in Perak before the defection. Pure political expediency is at work here between DAP and PAS. Each gains something out of their alliance PAS gets Chinese voter support and wins in many marginal seats against traditional rival Umno, and DAP gets a Malay partner in government. As the hair cutting controversy unravels, the woes of the Chinese business community continue to multiply in Kelantan. One salon manager was summoned 11 times, the latest on Tuesday, another was issued with 10 summonses, and a third with four. It's a wonder the salons are in business at all. "I would understand it if we were fined for allowing our women workers to cut the hair of Muslim men. But they were attending to non-Muslim men," said a salon manager remonstrating against the rule. What will be next on the PAS list of don'ts ... female doctors for females only?
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2012 02:40 PM PST
We should be on guard against politicians who try to pass themselves off as theologians, regardless of their religion. Wong Chun Wai, The Star IT'S incredibly silly and nave to actually believe that the religious push by PAS, especially the implementation of hudud and syariah laws, will not affect non-Muslims. There are many Chinese voters, swayed by anti-establishment sentiments towards Barisan Nasional, who have been easily convinced that the Islamist party is perfectly acceptable and that hudud laws would not encroach into the lifestyle of non-Muslims. So they take a light, if not cynical, response towards the call by the Chinese-based component parties in the Barisan and have dismissed the red flag raised by the MCA and Gerakan as no more than a scare tactic. Last week's report that a female Chinese hairstylist has been fined regularly by the Kota Baru Municipal Council for cutting the hair of male Chinese customers has revealed how the PAS agenda is affecting non-Muslims. Salon operators have learnt the hard way that gender segregation regulations in the PAS-controlled state apply to non-Muslims as well. The KB municipal council by-laws forbid women from cutting men's hair and vice-versa regardless of their religion. E-Life Hair Salon manager Ong Lee Ting said she has been paying fines of between RM200 and RM350, adding that she was warned the licence for the salon would be revoked because of the many summonses issued to the operator. While many of us may be used to the way the PAS state government has been running Kelantan with its strict religious regulations, including gender segregation at concerts and supermarket check-outs, some might not be aware that the party's leaders in other states have been doing something similar. In Bangi, Selangor, the PAS state assemblyman Dr Shafie Abu Bakar has stood firm against any proposal to set up a cinema in his constituency. A Chinese businessman reportedly tried to set up a cinema in Bangi but the PAS politician was the biggest stumbling block. When the issue was reported in February, Dr Shafie questioned the need for a cinema in his constituency when one could watch movies on television and the Internet. He claimed that his constituency was 97% Muslims who preferred to attend religious and educational classes. In July, PAS in Kuala Selangor insisted on putting up notices in a cinema forbidding unmarried couples from sitting together. State PAS Commissioner Dr Rani Osman said the directive was made by the licensing department of the Kuala Selangor district council. The state deputy commissioner Khalid Samad, who is purportedly a liberal, was reported as saying that the cinema was frequented by families and they had complained of couples making out there. He also reportedly described it as a poor man's nightclub! In Kota Baru, the PAS state government at one time reportedly insisted that the lights in cinemas must be switched on during the movie to prevent patrons from conducting immoral activities. In 1995, when PAS came to power in Terengganu, the first thing the state's then Mentri Besar Hadi Awang did was to demolish the replica of a turtle at a roundabout in Kuala Terengganu, saying it was akin to idol worshipping. This is the same man who has indicated his interest to be Prime Minister of Malaysia. But we must accept the fact that PAS politicians have always been very clear on what they want to achieve if they are in power. They have consistently and clearly made it known that implementation of hudud laws are on top of their agenda. It is only the apologists outside PAS that have tried to reassure their non-Muslim supporters that this would not happen or that hudud laws, even if implemented, would not affect non-Muslims. Try telling that to a non-Muslim rape victim if the perpetrators are Muslims. We should be on guard against politicians who try to pass themselves off as theologians, regardless of their religion. Those who challenged the authority of such politiciantheologians have found themselves being reminded that dissent means challenging God's laws. They are also put down by such figures who dismiss their critics as unqualified and incapable of carrying out a debate because the challengers are not religiously qualified. Suddenly, religion has become the monopoly of these political-religious characters. Malaysia is veering towards a dangerous situation where there are many non-Muslim voters who are prepared to vote in orthodox PAS leaders. They don't realise that they would be turning the clock back with their political adventurism. It could be a hair-raising experience!
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| Pakatan’s battle for PM must take backseat Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:12 PM PST
It is wise for Pakatan to focus on the many tasks at hand and put 'who best be PM' speculations to rest Jeswan Kaur, FMT The on-going debate in the Pakatan Rakyat camp on who can best lead the country should the opposition win in the coming 13th general election is a disaster in the making. For one, there is no consensus among the Pakatan members on who is deserving of the premiership mantle. PAS believes its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, meets the pre-requisites of a prime minister while DAP says it backs former deputy prime minister-turned-Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. To have dissenting voices in the Pakatan fold on who is the preferred choice to helm Malaysia is giving its arch-rival Barisan Nasional the much-needed fodder to further discredit the opposition in the eyes of the rakyat. The people have in the aftermath of the 2008 general election learned to be more selective in their choice of who really is deserving of their trust and support to call the shots from Putrajaya. But for now, it is important that Pakatan pulls the brake and puts a stop to the "Abdul Hadi Awang vs Anwar Ibrahim as PM" speculation. What is more urgent is the need to stay united and leave no room for BN to infiltrate and subvert Pakatan's efforts in staying in the good books of the people. Whether it is Hadi or Anwar or Lim Guan Eng, for that matter, is not the issue; the point that needs to be driven home is that the premiership is not for the popular but instead is an arduous responsibility that requires the right aptitude. Hence, the need for Pakatan to take a good and hard look at who is the right candidate for the job. Does Pakatan have the answer as to which candidate is the perfect pick? Are the names that are being mentioned truly deserving or is it a case of "popular appeal"? Pakatan needs to think hard Should Pakatan outdo BN in the 13th general election and land in Putrajaya, the rakyat will in no way tolerate any BN-like shenanigans by the opposition. With that in mind, Pakatan must be very sure whom it wants to place in the premier's chair. Is Anwar the right candidate, despite the many controversies surrounding him? Or is it the scholarly Hadi whom the rakyat can depend on to navigate the nation to greater heights? For now, with time still on its hands, the opposition has to double up efforts in sustaining the rakyat's trust in it, instead of politicking and appearing disinterested and disunited. Maybe that is why former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad seized the opportunity to take a swipe at Pakatan and its over-enthusiasm in name-dropping for the premiership. As usual, taking liberty with his words, Mahathir says even the former Tiger of Jelutong and DAP chairman and no-nonsense lawyer Karpal Singh will be gunning to become the next prime minister. Sounding callous as ever, Mahathir, who thus far holds the record for being Malaysia's longest- serving premier, is implying that greed for power has become the order of the day in Pakatan's fold. "Let Karpal be the PM. He, after all, has fought for so long. And when he retires, Karpal will receive the Tun title," was how Mahathir put it.
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| Can Pakatan weather the Hadi storm? Posted: 23 Nov 2012 02:57 PM PST
All issues raised by BN leaders pertaining to the 'breaking-up' of Pakatan is pure nonsense and must be treated as such At the end of the day, even if one million PAS members want Hadi to be the prime minister, the decision is at the hands of the CWC which has 35 decision-makers. Unlike Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim who has already been endorsed by both the Syura Council and the CWC, Hadi has yet to obtain the endorsement of both the Syura Council and the CWC. Selena Tay, FMT The suggestion by a PAS delegate that Abdul Hadi Awang be the seventh prime minister of Malaysia should Pakatan Rakyat succeed in winning the 13th general election is actually not a big deal. As far as knowledge of the workings of PAS is concerned, this columnist dares to say that a Hadi candidature will only get as far as the PAS central working committee (CWC). This is how it works. The Dewan Ulama will propose Hadi's name to the Syura Council consisting of religious leaders/ulama headed by Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS spiritual adviser. After obtaining the endorsement of the Syura Council, Hadi's name will then be submitted to the PAS CWC which has members consisting of both ulama and professionals. At the end of the day, even if one million PAS members want Hadi to be the prime minister, the decision is at the hands of the CWC which has 35 decision-makers. Unlike Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim who has already been endorsed by both the Syura Council and the CWC, Hadi has yet to obtain the endorsement of both the Syura Council and the CWC. In fact, there are others in PAS with economic expertise who are more suited to the prime minister's post compared to Hadi but let us not get into that. Moreover, Anwar has sound economic knowledge and thus the PAS CWC will stick with Anwar and therefore even if PAS wins more seats than its coalition partners, Anwar will still be the prime minister. So the polemics of this matter can be put to rest although it must be said that that particular PAS delegate who raised this issue at the PAS muktamar (national conference) is unwise to do so at a time when the 13th general election is just around the corner. As usual, the Barisan Nasional-controlled mainstream media will play up the issue to the hilt by saying that there is no unity or harmony among the Pakatan component parties. According to a PAS MP, who wished to remain anonymous, the conservatives in PAS have fallen into the trap laid by ex-PAS man Dr Hasan Ali (state assemblyman for Gombak Setia) and the present Bachok MP, Nasharuddin Mat Isa. "These two men keep harping on PAS' so-called deviation from its Islamic struggle and this caused the conservatives to try to promote a more Islamic image for PAS. The exuberance displayed by the conservatives no doubt has spilled over into the muktamar," said this MP. "However, we adhere to the principle of 'tahaluf siyasi' which is the principle of co-operation with our Pakatan allies and this principle has already been endorsed by both the Syura Council and the CWC. This simply means that Anwar will be the prime minister in the event that Pakatan wins the 13th general election," added the same MP, who is also a member of the high-powered PAS CWC. Thus this simply means that Hadi's name will be stuck at the CWC assuming that the Syura Council will endorse him but even this has yet to happen.
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