Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- U. S. Constitution Is A Secular Document
- Dark (K)Nights in Malaysia, Part 2
- Who instructed the initiation?
- BOMBA should go back to school
- An honest discourse between two Malaysians
- Selangor Tidak Benarkan Penguatkuasaan AES
- AES won’t work without proper enforcement
- Justifying Racial Discrimination
- One man, One vote
- Is freedom a folly of faith?
- MyCC: Flowers, Chickens, and Eggs??
| U. S. Constitution Is A Secular Document Posted: 09 Nov 2012 10:37 AM PST
Was the United States founded as a "Christian Nation?" Is there anything in the Constitution that gives special treatment or preference to Christianity? Did the founders of our government believe this or intend to create a government that gave special recognition to Christianity? Darren Miller, North Wildwood The answer to all of these questions is no. The U.S. Constitution is a wholly secular document. It contains no mention of Christianity or Jesus Christ. In fact, the Constitution refers to religion only twice in the First Amendment, which bars laws "respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Maryland Representative Luther Martin said that a handful of delegates to the Constitutional Convention argued for formal recognition of Christianity in the Constitution, insisting that such language was necessary in order to "hold out some distinction between the professors of Christianity and downright infidelity or paganism." But that view was not adopted, and the Constitution gave government no authority over religion. Article VI, which allows persons of all religious viewpoints to hold public office, was adopted by a unanimous vote. Through ratification of the First Amendment, observed Jefferson, the American people built a "wall of separation between church and state." The United States, in short, was not founded to be an officially Christian nation or to espouse any official religion. Our government is neutral on religious matters, leaving such decisions to individuals. This democratic and pluralistic system has allowed a broad array of religious groups to grow and flourish and guarantees every individual American the right to determine his or her own spiritual path or to reject religion entirely. As a result of this policy, Americans enjoy more religious freedom than any people in world history.
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| Dark (K)Nights in Malaysia, Part 2 Posted: 09 Nov 2012 10:28 AM PST
When Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice-President Nurul Izzah voiced her belief that freedom of religion is a right of even Malay-Muslims, it produced bedlam – NOT so much because she has implied that Islamic apostasy is a constitutional right, but because she voiced something that everybody has known but chose not to 'know' all along Alwyn Lau Bruce Wayne: You're afraid that if I go back out there, I'll fail. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) was without doubt one of the most realistically spectacular movies around. No mere CGI extravaganza, it presented audiences with a vision of total anarchy and the complete upheaval of society. One could even say that Dark Knight Rises is the logical realization and completion of the nightmare presented in The Dark Knight (2008). a) Gotham, Batman & Unknown Knowns We can begin by contrasting the two villains. Bane is most unlike the Joker. Yet in a powerful way Bane is the fulfillment of the Joker's being and agenda. In the earlier movie, the identity of Batman was one of the central riddles the Joker was trying to resolve i.e. it was a known un-known (something we realise we don't yet know and hence want to find out). In DK-Rises, however, Batman himself was fighting to defeat a trauma (of identity, of purpose, of possibility) he had locked away for eight years i.e. it's a unknown known (something we REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE we know and hence have to undergo some crisis in order to re-know this 'thing'). For the Joker, Batman was the obstacle to chaos in the city; for Bane, Batman and the city are synonymous. Bruce Wayne's reclusive behavior mirrored the 'eyes wide shut' condition of Gotham which kept on singing the praises of Harvey Dent (an insane murderer), encouraged by of all people its chief of police. Wayne's problem from the start was that, as per Alfred's words, he wanted to fail but didn't know it. Likewise, Gotham, like any modern-day metropolis or Capitalism as a whole, seems all too determined to succeed whilst secretly or unconsciously being hell bent on destroying itself. This is why Bane treated Batman (or Bruce Wayne) in virtually the same way he treated the city: bring him to his knees, let him suffer slowly, with death coming only after a prolonged period. Bane needed Wayne and Gotham to see clearly and without any doubt whatsoever the disavowed rot at the kernel of their being. In Malaysia, a critical 'unknown known' is the angst at the heart of our so-called 'multi-ethnic' society. Like Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) at their marriage counseling, we know that the spaces between the races and religions are being filled with everything NOT said to each other, yet we prefer to keep silent. This is why when Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice-President Nurul Izzah voiced her belief that freedom of religion is a right of even Malay-Muslims, it produced bedlam – NOT so much because she has implied that Islamic apostasy is a constitutional right, but because she voiced something that everybody has known but chose not to 'know' all along (especially those with vested political-religious interests to protect). The problem is not with Nurul Izzah said, it's that she said it at all. If there is one thing more frightful than a terrifying truth that has remained concealed from the public, it's the publicly known truth that has remained unspoken. So the question for Malaysia is: What else do we ALL know full well yet cannot bear to hear repeated out loud?
Bane, in many senses, was a clear 'improvement' over the Joker. The Joker threatened anarchy; Bane delivered it. The Joker tried (and failed) to demonstrate that individuals were at heart completely selfish; Bane successfully revealed that at the heart of society was an impossible trauma (even as he managed to bring Batman to his lowest depths). The Joker sought to show that inside a good man, there is only bad; Bane made it clear that what we understand as Good (e.g. the justice system) is really the Bad (e.g. the unjust political 'carving up' of the city) in another form. Thus, DK-Rises shows us what we choose everyday to half-ignore : the hypocrisy of the rule of law in outlawing everything except its own transgressions. The Joker transformed the city's White Knight (i.e. Harvey Dent) into its traitor; Bane showed that the city itself, Gotham, was an intra-social betrayal on a massive scale. The betrayal of the people (in the form of community-wide lies, political corruption and so on), far from being a threat to the city, in fact, constituted it and sustained its being. The Joker manipulated the police; Bane tore up the very idea of the police. The Joker tried to rope in the city's criminals; Bane made it a crime not to be a criminal and thus exposed the biggest crime of all: society itself. The scene in DK-Rises where a psychopathic doctor presides over a kangaroo court and sentences all the former VIPs' and public officials to death (or exile) is striking, for is it not simply the fantasmatic inverse of actual court proceedings, especially in Malaysia? Does Malaysia not urgently require a "Bane event" for the very criminals who at present use the law to justify their crimes? And can't the scene where Bane released all the prisoners, far from suggesting the terror of a society overrun by convicted criminals, hint at redemptive Biblical notions of 'setting prisoners free'? Simply imagine the words 'KAMUNTING' in the background. Is the Internal Security Act (and its sugar-coated successor) not our Malaysian law at its purest, and thus most 'illegal'? And to the extent that political change in Malaysia relies on the Law, is it not apparent that no true change can happen without the death and rebirth of the Law itself? The Dark Knight Rises hints that true transformation may need more than sincere politicians, better police, more integrated technology, cleaner elections or even a masked vigilante. True change requires a deep glimpse of the destruction that's forthcoming. True change requires a broken body and prolonged suffering in loneliness and hopelessness. True change may even mean that our bridges to the outside world (or practical escape route out of a pit-prison) are destroyed so we're forced to look inwards and face the truth we've chosen to un-know over time. A real rising requires a real death. In short, the movie ultimately provokes us to question what's good, what's bad, what isn't real and what it takes to make all things Real again. Most of all, it reminds us of the consequences of sticking to the status quo. What happens if we persist in lying to ourselves? What's the future like if the truly bad guys are venerated as good and vice-versa? Christopher Nolan's answer seems clear: We either continue living like a prisoner – or we face a nuclear winter.
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| Who instructed the initiation? Posted: 09 Nov 2012 10:04 AM PST aVANd5k-TKk Or watch video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVANd5k-TKk Raymond H.H.Tan, PA to Batin Malam The District is situated bordering Puchong, Subang, Cyberjaya, Dengkil, Klang etc. --- a huge portion of Selangor, measuring thousands of acres were marked as 'Malay Reservation' land, but its status has been changed. This precious land is being converted to different types of categories, for property development and sale to Private Companies. In this case, the assigned or awarded Companies are within the same circle of trustees, deciding on the category changes. The modus operandi is also backed by Civil Servants in the District Office, of all Ranks.These lots involve thousands of acres, "on water", also intended to be used for mining. Selangor State Government to have purchased the Talam's properties, for the same simplest obvious reason; mining is where the money is, and housing development is just a blanket to these deeper financial ambitions. Please view the attachments and video link below for a clearer understanding - we have spent a great deal of time researching this issue, and will provide all the factual documents we have found, to speed-up the investigation. When it comes to 'governing a State under the Federal Constitutions', the entire citation of the Law must respect the land laws and environmental and social laws in place- they are there for a reason. Please send letters and question the actions of the Selangor Land Task Force or State Executive, let them answer if they can or dare. I also attach a handwritten confession by an officer from Pejabat Tanah Daerah itself, whereby these wrongdoings had been acknowledged and confirmed of its unethical acts. Now, lets cut to the chase, since the scale of its unethical plots are massively large, the question here is: WHO INSTRUCTED THE INITIATION?
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| BOMBA should go back to school Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:58 AM PST
Concerned citizen It was about 12.49pm. My friend tagged me on Facebook regarding a fire happening at Lido. Then more pictures appeared - a tyre shop was burning fiercely releasing thick black smoke. When I returned home from work at 6pm, it was raining heavily. After a function, I could still smell it. To my curiosity, I drove 5min from my home to the site and was shocked that it was still burning at 11.50pm. I talked to an officer asking about the situation. He said they used Foam at 2pm pointing at the whiteboard behind him. Now they are just using water to "cool" it down. The burning obviously released a lot of toxic in the air for the past 12 hours and was still doing so at the time. I saw an exhausted fire fighter asleep at someone's gate. Yet, they did not realize heavy rain and water does not help the situation? Fire fighters had to go to the site without masks. Sadly, their health was not taken into consideration too. Apparently they ran out of Foam and was too "expensive" to use more. Where do they think the twelve hours of chemical from the water they sprayed in will flow to? They should go back to study on how to put fire out accordingly and to use other options like "Sand/ Soil".
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| An honest discourse between two Malaysians Posted: 09 Nov 2012 09:50 AM PST Dear Editor, I would be most obliged if you can consider posting this honest dialogue between two Malaysians as an article in MT for further discussion amongst readers. Two different views but equally honest. Thank you for your kind attention. Best regards fr truthbespoken
written by truthbespoken, November 08, 2012 11:07:28 Only the politically blind and somewhat mentally retarded Malaysians will continue to kiss the hands and smell the arse of this incorrigible Madhatter! As Malaysian, I say one need not have to show any manners to THE ONE who had gone out of his way over the years to systematically divide his countrymen with an iron-fisted hand in order to rule and silently plunder the wealth of the nation big time through his sons and cronies! This sly man with his warped policies and implementation which had weakened, perhaps even forever destroyed, the Malaysian pysche is unforgivable! Are these unawakened weak Malaysians who stick to him like bees to honey still under an evil spell or what? I am flabbergasted!
..."This sly man with his warped policies and implementation which had weakened, perhaps even forever destroyed, the Malaysian pysche is unforgivable"...
written by truthbespoken, November 08, 2012 16:20:25
Dear zulkifli anoud, the rationale is not whether one is Malay, Chinese, Indian or others. The more important thing is being Malaysian in Malaysia! If one looks at issues and situations from the Malaysian angle, Malaysia will 'progress and fly' without the simmering discords created by the divide-and-rule policies of your great Tun who discarded his ancestor's race and opted to your race to conveniently rule over you Malays and others. If this is not sly, then what is it? If this is not the method used by an opportunistic and incorrigible con-man, what is it? And you expect the works of this unprincipled and sly con-man to benefit Malaysian interest in the longer term? While this is being said, I honestly do not believe I am 'attacking' anybody else except an old countryman who had systematically planned and decidedly destroyed our original Malaysian soul!
written by zulkifli anoud, November 09, 2012 06:08:17
truthbespoken,
written by truthbespoken, November 09, 2012 12:42:13
Zulkifli anoud,
written by truthbespoken, November 09, 2012 12:47:19
(cont'd...2).Your Tun, for serving his self-aggrandisement and agendas, have obviously made it easier for himself to climb up the political ladder by opting out of his own race to become a Malay and after becoming PM, ruled with an iron-fisted hand through his nazist-approach and British-acquired lessons of divide-and-rule. Hence, because of his divide-and-rule policies and expanded implementation (NEP is way past its 20 years) the resultant factor we see now is one of discord and incohesion amongst Malaysians. Where then do our future hold? What about the future of the future generations of Malaysians with all these unabated corruption, plundering of the country's wealth and arrogance of the politicians under your Tun's tutelage? Yes, your Tun did physically developed the country. But he also developed a bunch of misfits and half-pass-six Ministers, like he once proclaimed, to continue their rule over this country. When oil runs out, imagine what the social scenario will be for the country. Yr Tun won all these years and perhaps will still win until he pass on but winning the plot and losing the game for the people's future is no-win! For sure, if what is happening amongst the people now is to be taken as a yardstick to measure harmony, I would firmly say the Malaysian soul and spirit is lost somewhere gliding into outer space. What then, again, will be the future for future Malaysians without unity?
written by truthbespoken, November 09, 2012 12:51:42
(....cont'd 3). Zulkifli anoud, I think you are younger and care more about the current disposition of the country than her future. But for older people like us who have no more grand designs over our life (no need to, ahem, and, haha, I am mainly speaking for myself), it is the concern for the bright future of younger Malaysians we have to care and gloat about. Do you now understand why I am making so much noise and so against your Tun's biased, spiritually-warped and shorted-sighted but ever-expanding government policies? I hope you can see and concur with my point of view now. I rest my case. Have a good day.
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| Selangor Tidak Benarkan Penguatkuasaan AES Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:09 AM PST
Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim Kerajaan Selangor tidak akan membenarkan penguatkuasaan kamera Sistem Penguatkuasaan Automatik (AES) yang telah dipasang di negeri ini kerana Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) gagal membuktikan AES adalah cara terbaik untuk mengatasi peningkatan kadar kemalangan jalan raya. Setelah mendengar taklimat oleh Ketua Pengarah JPJ, Datuk Solah Mat Hassan dalam mesyuarat Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Selangor (MTES) semalam, kerajaan negeri bercadang untuk melantik penilai bebas untuk mengkaji sama ada Kementerian Pengangkutan telah mengambil kira secara menyeluruh langkah-langkah sepatutnya sebelum membuat keputusan untuk mengunapakai dan memasang sistem AES ini. Dari pembentangan tersebut, Kerajaan Negeri juga mendapati Kementerian Pengangkutan telah gagal mendapatkan kebenaran untuk pembinaan struktur bagi sistem AES daripada pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT). Justeru, Kerajaan Negeri mengarahkan semua PBT untuk memaklumkan kepada kementerian menyatakan bahawa pemasangan AES telah tidak mematuhi undang-undang dan tidak boleh dilaksanakan sehingga perkara ini dipatuhi. Kerajaan Negeri merasakan perjanjian di antara Kerajaan Pusat dan syarikat konsesi perlu dikaji semula sebelum sistem AES dapat dikuatkuasakan. Kerajaan Negeri juga dimaklumkan bahawa syarikat konsesi akan mendapat keuntungan 17% di mana kerajaan negeri berpendapat jumlah keuntungan itu tidak wajar. Kerajaan Negeri juga mengesyorkan kutipan sama dimasukkan dalam Akaun Amanah berbanding Akaun Yang Disatukan untuk membiayai program kesedaran keselamatan jalan raya. Dengan cara ini, rakyat yang membayar saman akan menyumbang kepada negara bukan membantu menambah kekayaan golongan peniaga. Menerusi Akaun Amanah ini, syarikat konsesi hanya dibenarkan mengutip keuntungan wajar bagi menampung kos pemasangan kamera AES. Dengan cara ini juga, syarikat konsesi lebih berhati-hati untuk memasang AES dengan memilih kawasan-kawasan strategik untuk mengelak menanggung kos pemasangan yang tinggi. Kerajaan negeri tidak bertolak ansur sekiranya syarikat konsesi mahu mengaut keuntungan melampau hasil penswastaan saman kerana akhirnya rakyat yang terpaksa menanggung beban.
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| AES won’t work without proper enforcement Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:06 AM PST
After spending so much money on the AES, only the speedsters will be punished. All other traffic laws can be violated with no consequences and Malaysians will continue with their bad habits. SK, The Star SO much has been said and millions of ringgit spent on the AES. How is it going to change Malaysians, I wonder. Last week, I was coming out of a private hospital car park and right at the exit was a huge lorry parked at an undesignated area, obstructing my view. I was going to turn onto a one-way street when suddenly a motorbike crashed into my car and the rider fell. He picked his motobike up and rode away. He was coming in the wrong direction of the one-way street. One notices everyday that so many vehicles go in the wrong direction on this one-way street (Jalan Sarekei), without feeling any guilt, including DBKL officers. The DBKL office is just down the road. On the same day, there was a motorcyclist riding at 7am along Jalan Loke Yew without a helmet. A traffic polceman on his big bike overtook him, gave him a glance and rode off. Is it the tidak apa or Malaysia Boleh attitude. With such poor enforcement, Malaysia is becoming lawless. So, after spending so much money on the AES, only the speedsters will be punished. All other traffic laws can be violated with no consequences and Malaysians will continue with their bad habits. And those involved with the AES will continue to collect lots of money at the same time.
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| Justifying Racial Discrimination Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:37 PM PST
It is worth understanding that the study involved sending resumes to prospective employers and then recording the number of callbacks received. There was absolutely no interaction between the applicant and the employer other than the details written on the resume. So how on earth can the people in charge of hiring even deduce that the candidate is 'lazy' and 'not hardworking'? Feizrul Nor Nurbi First of all, even though the title of this article is stated as the above, it is not the intention of this writer to even try to justify in any way that racial discrimination is acceptable. Racial discrimination – in every form and nuance - is wrong; no amount of justification can change this. The intention of this article is to highlight the seemingly worrying trend of Malaysian society accepting racial discrimination as a normal and acceptable way of Malaysian life and in some ways even coming out with points to justify their arguments. It is shocking to note that in the wake of a study by two academicians - Lee Hwok Aun of University Malaya and Muhammed Abdul Khalid of University Kebangsaan Malaysia - that tries to investigate the existence of racial discrimination in the hiring process of privately-owned companies in Malaysia, vocal Malaysians have come out to voice their opposition to the study, insisting nothing is wrong and racial discrimination is non-existent. Some even went to great lengths in attacking the 2 researchers, insinuating that their study was conducted with ulterior motives in mind, mainly political. Some question the sources of funding, some even rubbish the findings as inconsequential in line with the general perception on the quality of our local universities. But above all, the somewhat united voices of the opposition to the study tries to provide justification for the unfair practices discovered during a hiring process here in our country. Some justify by saying the Malay graduates are 'lazy','not hardworking', 'demanding', 'academically inferior' and in the broadest sense try to paint Malay graduates as not on par with Chinese graduates of which they label 'brilliant', 'hardworking', 'academically superior' and whatnot. As one commentator said, "Malays tend to give up easily and will walk away from stress". Is this not racial bias and presumption in its purest form? Another commentator said "Malay graduates can't even form a proper sentence in English! How can any company hire them?" How about this comment from a commentator "The Chinese have worked hard all their life, while the Malays have been spoon-fed since they're little. Obviously the Chinese make better workers". Another comment : "This is not discrimination. Business is about profit. Obviously they would want to hire quality people as their staff. And Malay graduates don't really make the grade". At a glance one can be forgiven to nod and agree with those comments, but look a bit deeper and you will then realize how each and every comment above are laced with racial bias, racial stereotypes, generalization and negative presumption of the people of the Malay ethnic. It is worth understanding that the study involved sending resumes to prospective employers and then recording the number of callbacks received. There was absolutely no interaction between the applicant and the employer other than the details written on the resume. So how on earth can the people in charge of hiring even deduce that the candidate is 'lazy' and 'not hardworking'? Is there a magical HR tool that can detect those traits just by merely looking at the resume? How about the presumption that the Malay applicants fare worse than their Chinese counterparts in English proficiency, when the resumes sent out were controlled in terms of their quality, where applicants from the two races will have almost identical resumes other than the stated name and the CGPA? Therefore how can one even conclude that the Chinese make better workers than the Malay when the hirer and the applicant have not even interacted in an interview? How can a person judge the better of two similar applicants just by mere resumes? It is true. Our education system leaves much to be desired. Year after year we hear complaints about our graduates not being able to converse in English. Year after year too we hear about the employability problems of graduates from our local universities. But within all the muck there are gems to be found. There are brilliant, hard working Malays that strive to be the pride of their people, trying hard to prove that they can succeed even in the harshest environment. Those that feel the private sector is where their calling is. Those who speak fluent English and try as hard as they can to disassociate themselves with all the stigma plaguing their race. Those who receive their scholarship with disdain, knowing well that there are other worthier recipients denied because of their skin-color. Those who work hard to be successful on their own doing, not relying on the Bumiputra affirmative action but trying to make it on their own terms and their own accords. But try as they might, the whole system seems hell bent on denying them the opportunity to prove themselves. These are the folks who strive for meritocracy but see their dreams dashed by those reputedly championing for meritocracy. Why? Because as a society, we have not matured enough to rise above racial bias and stereotypes. We have not recognized that it is the individual and not the race that matters. Because we all see ourselves as victims instead of a party that can affect change to the better. Until we all say "enough is enough" then things will remain as they are. Until we realize that "two wrongs don't make a right" then Malaysia will continue to be divided. Whatever the argument is, to justify racial discrimination is never acceptable. This is the thing that we must change – the mentality that the entrenched system is the norm, acceptable and defensible, when certainly they are not to remain in place if we are to see Malaysia move forward. One needs to look deep into themselves and ask "Am I part of the problem or part of the solution?" If you think racial discrimination is OK then you are part of the problem. If you think it is OK to stereotype people based on their skin color then change must start from within yourself. For a Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country". And Malaysia – your country – and its people depend on us to discard this divisive trait and move forward as one people and one nation. Change starts from within ourselves.
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:12 AM PST
Why scream Anything but UMNO (ABU)? We instead should be screaming Anything but Corruption, Anything but Intolerance, Anything but Inefficiency and so on. When we scream ABU, we are basically giving Pakatan Rakyat leaders carte blanche to do as they please for they know that our vote is secure. Adam Netto As a Malaysian student studying in Germany, I would like to talk about the Brent Spar controversy. In 1995, despite reservations from various parties, Shell planned on disposing off the Brent Spar, a North Sea oil storage and tanker loading bouy, by sinking it in deep Atlantic waters. A Greenpeace organized boycott of Shell led to a 10 percent drop in sales in Germany. Faced with a loss of revenue and a tarnished brand image, Shell shelved its plans to sink the Brent Spar and found a more environmentally friendly method to decommission the Brent Spar. Basically, the German consumer showed Shell who really calls the shots through their cheque books. I use this case study as an analogy to the strength we, Malaysians, wield as voters in the upcoming general election. As tax paying citizens, we are basically consumers choosing the best product i.e Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional, which will benefit our country the most these next 5 years. Now, we would not walk into an electronics shop, hand over a lump sum of money to the cashier and say, "Anything but an Iphone, please." So, why scream Anything but UMNO (ABU)? We instead should be screaming Anything but Corruption, Anything but Intolerance, Anything but Inefficiency and so on. When we scream ABU, we are basically giving Pakatan Rakyat leaders carte blanche to do as they please for they know that our vote is secure. Let us take a lesson from the recently concluded American Presidental election. On the road to reelection, President Obama won Massachusetts, the home state of Mitt Romney and where he previously served as Governor, and Michigan, Mitt Romney's birth state. The voters in those states kept sentiment out of the picture and voted the best man, in their opinion, into the White House. With that in mind, when Election Day arrives, I will vote for the candidate I believe best serves the interests of my country, my family and myself regardless of which party he/she represents. I hope you do the same. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/17/world/oil-companies-face-boycott-over-sinking-of-rig.html http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/06/politics/election-2012/index.html
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST
The fervour for one's faith should lie in the heart of the follower. It should not be demanded upon by other mere mortals. Nor should it infringe upon the rights of non-believers. Shenaaz Khan In a decadent country crammed with prejudiced politicians spewing their inherent ignorance, it is wholly refreshing to see a young gifted politician view religion through non-sectarian lens. Nurul Izzah Anwar's observations on the merits of religious freedom are both courageous and inspiring. This is after all a country where one is branded from birth by race and religion, then coerced and conditioned into being clothed with the fabric of societal acceptance. And should one deign to tread away from this muzzling moralistic mould, one is deemed an unsound, satan-worshipping, bubonic-plague-carrying concubine! It is therefore no revelation that religious freedom is deliberately viewed as an ambush on Islam, having diabolical and moral repercussions. Even a mere suggestion of examination of any doctrine is swiftly slayed as if it were brought forth by pagan beasts! But spiritual scholars, religious rookies and political pinheads would do well to remember that though laws and restrictions may be legally exerted upon persons, these edicts can never truly hijack hearts or heads. The moral police cannot control mental vistas or vices. The complex contraption that is religion requires discourse and understanding, not cosmetic rituals, loud pontificating and doctrinal proclamations. The fervour for one's faith should lie in the heart of the follower. It should not be demanded upon by other mere mortals. Nor should it infringe upon the rights of non-believers. Nevertheless, this country's overt obsession with righteous religious paths has all but shoved God to the unhallowed pavement! While God is said to be the all merciful, compassionate creator, the interpreted tenets of religion instead expose an iron-fisted intolerance of biblical proportions. The level of intolerance permeating through Malaysian society and the Islamic intellect is simply god awful! Though all prophetic preachings bear identical ideologies, to, say propose, that the principles of Ahimsa be practiced by a Muslim would be akin to religious renunciation! We now live in times where crooning Christian carols in Malay is a malediction upon Muslim mankind. Where seeking Muslim women's rights is religiously wrong. Where a unit of language is permitted to be used solely at the behest of one faith. And the scriptured strictures go on! Thus, what remains the fundamental failure of faith is a divine devotion devoid of depth. A patronage of a parish that glorifies a genuflecting body rather than a generous soul. It is then hardly surprising that the hudud hobgoblin is repeatedly resurrected to scare one away from the pantheon of Pakatan or sway one towards the temple of BN. But while Pakatan parties have purged itself of puritan parasites the likes of Hassan Ali and Zulkifli Nordin, it is the government that routinely employs religious discrimination. It was after all the harebrained Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who fervently defended a brutish bunch of protestors who desecrated a cow head to protest the building of a hindu temple. It was this same malevolent minister who defiled justice by having Egyptian student Hamzah Kahgari deported for tweeting a liberalist message. And renowned writer, Irshad Manjis, was labelled an LGBT loving Lucifer and her book Allah, Liberty and Love banned by the Malaysian government. This again, was the handiwork of our hideous home minister. And lest we forget the sins of the past, former Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had in 2008 ludicrously banned the book Muslim Women and the Challenges of Extremism, published by Sisters In Islam. It was also the ruling government that had gone on a guideline galore of intolerance, declaring V-neck t-shirts as the dress of the debauched. Alas, while this biased government exercises great restraint in intelligent pursuits, they disgorge mindless drivel with great speed. Hence, opportunistic orthodox ogres have scrambled to scream sacrilege at Nurul Izzah. But let it be made clear that the heart of her message was that any affirmation and adherence of faith should be one of free will and not of force. Her statement was not in support of apostasy; it was an endorsement of equality. And in making that stunning statement, my dear MP typified her principles by displaying graceful gumption and astute knowledge. The same however cannot be said of the vapid vulgar BN blockheads who are solely capable of despicable babble. That which they lack in refinement and sophistication, they very well make up for in stupidity and shallowness. The MP of Kota Belud is one such stellar sap. Ever equipped with witless quips and armed with the integrity of Iago, the sycophant from Sabah was quick to mouth off his inane insipid insights. Which is no surprise given that his entire parliamentary pilgrimage is piled with political posturing and apple-polishing. As expected, many of his bigoted BN brethren were quick to follow suit. Such is the covenant of the cult called corruption! A sect whose five pillars of faith include trickery, treachery, tyranny, thuggery and thievery. Their trodden path to divinity has led them to the mosque of miscreants where the sins of spawn and spouse are miraculously cleansed by MACC messiahs. Where their Episcopal empire endows erstwhile ministers with beefy bankrolls. And their prophets of profane profit congregate and extol great virtues upon their very own trinitas; the father, the son and the holy hummer. But while these caliphs of cruelty command the sacrificial burning of human liberties, Malaysians must rise and declare a jihad for justice! We have had it with BN's man-made hadiths. Along with the hypocritical holiness of this greedy government, we have been made to endure the disciples of dumbness such as the neanderthal Nazri Aziz, the imbecilic Ibrahim Ali and the boorish Bung Mukhtar. That these unworthy specimens were voted in as parliamentarians is an abomination in itself! Hence, if we wish not to be doomed to eternal damnation, we need to elect legitimate leaders and not lavatory litter. So whether you're guided by what thy Lord had decreed, or what humanity has heralded, please vote with your conscience. I know my vote will be for MP Nurul Izzah! Shenaaz Khan has been a resident of Bangsar Baru for the last 37 years.
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| MyCC: Flowers, Chickens, and Eggs?? Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:52 AM PST
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