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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Pesakit kanser wajar berehat atau direhatkan
• Umno sedang 'tunda najis hanyut'
• Salang: BN will still rule after GE
• ‘Maafkan Nurul, dia masih budak-budak’
• Clear and present danger?
• Stemming the incoherence of misguided Muslim pundits’: my response
• Apostasy, compulsion, and Nurul’s point
• Sabah’s oil curse strikes again
• 10 reasons for Indians to drop BN
• Will Social Media Sway Malaysia’s Elections?
• Perak PAS wants clarification from Nurul Izzah
• Daughters & Fathers
• Rush for ‘who-wants-to-be-a-candidate’
• Mat Zain: Najib guna nama berbeza dalam afidavit
• Presiden UMNO sendiri pernah berkata "Allow Muslims to convert if they choose to"..
• Censuring the confused in their erroneous reading of verse (2:256) in the Holy Qurʾān
• Bruno Manser Fund takes Malaysian money-laundering case to the Swiss Federal Criminal Court
• ‘Pembawa obor’ PKR enggan bertanding pilihan raya
• Najib says has Indians’ best interest at heart
• Stemming the incoherence of misguided Muslim pundits
• Visualisation of the unseen
• MIC snubs Najib-Hindraf talk
• Gejala Melayu murtad sangat mengkhuatirkan
• The Malays must wake up konon
• Nurul Izzah's costly remarks
• Keep faith out of politics
• Now it’s time for Felda folk’s children to enjoy windfall
• Do you have licence from God to lord over us, Nash?
• Nong Chik: Elections after Chinese New Year
• Pemimpin-pemimpin politik jangan kiasu
• ‘Pemimpin Islam perlu sepakat dalam soal menjaga agama’
• Pahang, Selangor PAS back asset declaration move
• PAS Youth mulls declaring assets, upping ante on political foes
• Once a Muslim, always a Muslim
• Bigots, cronies, tyrants and thugs
• 70% rakyat Selangor sokong Umno-PAS bergabung
• Karpal vindicated by FMT poll
• Remembering Istana Bukit Serene and Mr Douglas Gomez
• Hindraf doubts Najib’s sincerity
• Karpal: Three-man team to decide DAP election candidates
• UMNO sudah kehilangan hidayah
• Pahang mahu ihsan atau royalti 20 peratus?
• SapuraKencana moves to next level
• ‘Spent force’ Zaid should retire
• Freedom of religion only for non-Muslims: Masing
• Labis is where MCA’s haunted past may cause a GE13 disaster
• Freedom to choose religion equals changing faith, says Umno sec-gen
• DPM: We’ll continue to help Chinese schools
• PM hands out RM563mil to Felda households
• Religion is something personal

Pesakit kanser wajar berehat atau direhatkan Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:40 PM PST ASPAN ALIAS Saya tidak dapat memikirkan alasan-alasan yang munasabah untuk kita mengekalkan UMNO sebagai pemegang amanah negara kerana segala-gala yang dilakukan dan kegagalan UMNO selama ini sudah 'terbonggeng' dan sudah dirasakan oleh semua rakyat. UMNO ibarat pesakit kanser yang 'terminal' kerana hampir semua sel-sel dalam tubuh UMNO itu sudah mati. Penyakit kanser ini merupakan satu penyakit dalam mana sel-sel di dalam tubuh kita telah mati dan sel-sel yang masih hidup itu pun akan berbunuh-bunuhan sehingga penanggungnya, ia itu tubuh dan jasadnya mati. Seperti pengidap kanser, ia akan selalu berusaha untuk mengubati penyakit yang merbahaya itu, tetapi akhirnya tubuh akan mati juga. Pesakit dan pengidap kanser akan melakukan apa sahaja untuk berubat samada menggunakan ubat tradisi atau ubat-ubat moden di hospital-hospital. Selalunya pesakit kanser akan berbuat apa sahaja untuk meneruskan kehidupan. Jika ada yang memberikan nasihat untuk pergi ke tempat-tempat di mana-mana sahaja untuk berubat pesakit atau penjaganya akan pergi untuk memberikan harapan untuk terus hidup. Tetapi akhirnya pesakit-pesakit kanser yang sudah pulih itu hanya mengalami pemulihan sementara sahaja dan akhirnya mereka akan mengakhiri kalamnya kerana penyakit itu juga. Tetapi saya tidak menafikan yang ada yang selamat sehingga satu jangka yang lama (dengan izin Allah), tetapi lambat launnya pesakit itu akan meninggal kerana penyakit itu. Begitu jugalah UMNO. UMNO telah mengidap penyakit ini agak lama, tetapi oleh kerana UMNO ini parti kaya-raya dan dipimpin oleh semua pemimpin-pemimpin yang 'kaya baru' maka hayatnya telah dapat di sambung kerana yang kaya selalunya akan dapat berubat dan pergi terbang ke seluruh pelusuk dunia untuk berubat. Penyakit kanser UMNO ini sebenar nya sudah lama kerana ramai yang berpendapat ia mula merebak sejak pemerintahan Dr Mahathir. Tetapi UMNO mampu berubat kerana kekayaan pemimpin-pemimpinnya maka UMNO dapatlah untuk terus hidup sampai ke pilihanraya 2008 dahulu walaupun tanda-tanda kematian sudah jelas nampak apabila hilang majoriti 2/3 di Dewan Legislatif Parlimen. Tetapi seperti yang saya katakan tadi, yang akan membunuh UMNO itu ialah penyakit kanser yang di hidapi selama ini juga. Sebagai pesakit kanser seseorang itu terpaksa berbelanja besar untuk membeli ubat dan membeli 'supplement' yang mahal-mahal untuk menyekat kemaraan penyakit kanser itu. Maka kita sedang melihat bagaimana UMNO terpaksa berbelanja besar untuk merawat penyakit yang di hidapinya itu. Najib terpaksa ke hulu ke hilir serta mundar mandir ke darat dan ke baruh untuk memanjangkan usia parti yang sedang menghadapi penyakit yang serius itu. Sekali Najib melawat jutaan wang ringgit dibelanjakan dan semuanya ini adalah wang rakyat. Seperti yang saya katakan peruntukan besar terpaksa di adakan untuk membeli segala 'supplement' yang di katakan baik untuk mengekang penyakit ini dari merebak.   Read more

Umno sedang 'tunda najis hanyut' Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:26 PM PST (Harakah Daily) -- PKR menyifatkan serangan menggila terhadap naib presidennya, Nurul Izzah Anwar umpama tindakan 'menunda najis yang hanyut'. Ini kerana, tindakan ini adalah langkah terbaru Umno dalam percubaan mengembalikan sokongan dan kepercayaan rakyat yang semakin terhakis. - Demikian kata Ketua Penerangannya, Dr Muhammad Nur Manuty dalam kenyataan medianya hari ini. Kenyataan beliau ini mengulas serangan terhadap Nurul Izzah selepas kenyataan berhubung kebebasan beragama yang dinyatakan beliau. "Sesungguhnya, kenyataan spontan dan bersahaja YB Nurul Izzah pada majlis berkaitan adalah secara umum dan memang boleh mengundang pelbagai persepsi dan tafsiran.   "Namun, kekeliruan yang timbul telahpun diperjelaskan sendiri oleh beliau kemudiannya dengan tegas dan jelas," beritahu Dr Muhamad Nor. Beliau memetik ayat al-Quran surah Al-hujurat: 6 untuk menjelaskan isu ini. "Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! jika datang kepada kamu seorang fasik membawa sesuatu berita, maka selidikilah (untuk menentukan) kebenarannya, supaya kamu tidak menimpakan sesuatu kaum dengan perkara yang tidak diingini - Dengan sebab kejahilan kamu (mengenainya) - sehingga menjadikan kamu menyesali apa Yang kamu telah lakukan." "Ayat di atas mengajar kita agar berhati-hati dalam menerima berita dari orang-orang fasik," katanya. Ayat ini, katanya, menceritakan kisah seorang Muslim Al Walid bin Uqbah bin Abi Mu'id yang diutuskan oleh Nabi Muhammad saw melakukan suatu tugasan ke Kampung Bani Mustaliq.   Al Walid menyangkakan mereka sudah murtad lalu segera pulang ke Madinah melaporkan kepada Baginda Nabi apa yang ditanggapinya. Hasilnya, baginda mengarahkan Khalid al Walid bersama anggota tenteranya bertindak terhadap kampung tersebut. Namun, selepas melakukan risikan, Khalid Al Walid mendapati bahawa mereka tidaklah murtad sebagaimana didakwa. Ini dilaporkan kepada Rasulullah. Diketika inilah ayat ini diturunkan sebagai teguran dan panduan buat orang beriman dalam menerima khabar berita dari orang fasik, katanya. Menurutnya, media-media utama tertentu milik pemerintah UMNO dan Barisan Nasional  telahpun kerap didapati bersalah oleh mahkamah kerana melaporkan berita yang tidak tepat, berunsur  fitnah dan sengaja diputar belitkan.   Pemimpin-pemimpin organisasi berita ini, katanya, sendiri mengesahkan bahawa harus diputarbelit sesuatu berita demi mendokong aspirasi parti yang menjadi pemiliknya. Bagi beliau, media milik mereka dengan sengaja membentuk persepsi yang tidak betul mengenai apa yang dinyatakan oleh YB Nurul Izzah.   Kemudiannya, dengan sengaja pula komen-komen berdasarkan persepsi yang salah ini disebar dan dijajakan, ujarnya. "Amatlah jelas, UMNO sedang begitu tertekan dan desperado.  UMNO gagal menghakis  tanggapan buruk rakyat terhadap dirinya dalam pelbagai jenayah dan pengkhianatan terhadap rakyat dan Negara – penyelewengan SPR, NFC, Lynas, BERSIH, Kugan, Teo Beng Hock dan sebagainya," katanya. Menurutnya, isu terbaru yang paling menekan adalah skandal RM40 juta yang melibatkan beberapa menteri kanan UMNO. Ia begitu hangat diperkatakan ketika ini. Read more

Salang: BN will still rule after GE Posted: 12 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST (TMI) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) will still rule the country after the upcoming 13th General Election (GE), said Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang.   He said for this and many other very good reasons, rural folks in the state should not waste their votes in supporting the opposition. "In Sarawak we even have an opposition party, the Sarawak Workers' Party (SWP), which claims that it is actually pro-BN. "This goes to show that it admires the BN and has great confidence in its leaders ability to administer the nation and serve the people," he said at a Natural Disaster Awareness Programme held at longhouse Rh.Kelukot in Nanga Telesa, Sungai Mujok in the interior here last evening. The BN, he said, despite its shortcomings, had as a matter of fact, accomplished much more in terms of bringing unprecendented progress, stability and prosperity to the nation which also benefitted the people. "It has still a lot more that it is going to implement to improve on these accomplishments.  "The people, especially those in rural areas must remain with it in order to allow these to continue so that they can benefit even more,"he said.  Meanwhile, Salang expressed the hope that all candidates, especially from the opposition parties, would not resort to personal attacks to win the people's support during the campaigning period (for the GE). He said this was because the people themselves could tell whether the accusations and allegations made were true or otherwise and this could backfire on those responsible. On the programme jointly organised by the Julau District Office, the Julau Police and the Bintangor Fire and Rescue Department, he said it was a step in the right direction as there had been recent cases of longhouse fires and next month, the Julau and Pakan Districts were expected to face the seasonal flood. — Bernama

‘Maafkan Nurul, dia masih budak-budak’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:48 PM PST Ketua Ulamak PAS, Datuk Harun Taib menganggap Nurul Izzah tidak mempunyai pendidikan tinggi dalam agama.  Muda mohd Noor, FMT Ketua Ulamak PAS, Datuk Harun Taib menganggap Nurul Izzah tidak mempunyai pendidikan tinggi dalam agama. Umur Nurul yang masih muda boleh menyebabkan beliau boleh membuat kesilapan jika bercakap mengenai agama Islam, kata Ketua Dewan Ulama PAS, Datuk Harun Taib. "Saya mengingatkan orang poltik yang tidak tahu agama Islam supaya tidak bercakap mengenai agama Islam. "Kalau orang yang tahu agama boleh lah mereka bercakap hal agama," kata Harun. Harun menegaskan beliau tidak mengambil serius bimbang dengan kenyataan Nurul, sebaliknya lebih risau orang yang pandai agama tetapi banyak membuat salah dalam agama. Dan tokoh PAS itu meminta orang ramai memaafkan Naib Presiden PKR dan ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai itu. "Nurul masih budak-budak lagi, dan dia juga tidak ada pendidikan tinggi dalam agama," katanya. Harun  turut bertanya, mengapa isu Nurul heboh diperkatakan tetapi tidak kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak walaupun pemimpin nombor satu juga banyak bercakap salah mengenai agama Islam. Harun berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas kenyataan Nurul dalam satu program di dalam sebuah gereja Sabtu lalu. Dalam program tersebut Nurul dilaporkan sebagai berkata, jika kebebasan beragama boleh digunakan kepada orang bukan Islam ia juga seharusnya melibatkan orang Islam juga. Kenyataan tersebut menimbulkan kontroversi sehingga beberapa pihak membuat laporan polis terhadap pemimpin muda PKR itu. Nurul bagaimanapun, menafikan beliau membuat kenyataan tersebut dan mendakwa ia diputarbelit oleh media.

Clear and present danger? Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:36 PM PST We should also band together, certainly at the next general elections, based on a common desire to respect each other and to live together peacefully in this place we call our home, writes Zaharom Nain.  Many Malaysians surely must be sick to death – I know I am – of the latest ploy by hateful people, many within this regime, to split this country even further, to cultivate distrust at a time when they themselves have lost the trust of the people. I am talking, of course, of this pathetic 'strategy' of churning out one bogeyman after another to frighten Malaysians, especially Muslims, presumably in the forlorn hope that we will all run back into the exploitative arms of this regime and its underlings. Nasharuddin Mat Isa's latest diatribe and Utusan Malaysia's latest sojourn into the realm of lies and fantasy are illustrative of this desperation. First, Utusan, not for the first time, in its Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia, brings up the topic of the Christian community and talks about a couple of Malaysia's top church leaders apparently criticising Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng. The report, titled 'Jangan heret gereja' (Do not drag the Church [into politics], quotes two top church leaders as apparently reacting negatively to an earlier call by Lim. Lim's call, at a dialogue with about 300 church leaders, was for the church to stand up against injustice and to build a better community. Nothing wrong there, I would think. Indeed, if we were to recall the work of the liberation theologians in Latin America and even in Marcos's Philippines, these church leaders were certainly right out there fighting injustice. Closer to home, Father Paulino Miranda, parish priest of the only Catholic church in Shah Alam, comes to mind. Islam, too, is resplendent with tales of leaders and scholars speaking out, even rising up, against injustice and tyranny. Among the more 'acceptable' scholars in Malaysia, Perlis mufti Dr Juanda Jaya and USM Islamic scholar Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, have indeed spoken out against wrongdoing and misrule, Asri famously speaking up for street demonstrators awhile back. Be that as it may, certainly in an attempt to make Lim look bad and, perhaps, in an attempt to emphasise to the Christian community – can you imagine anyone from that community reading Utusan? – that they should keep their houses of worship free of politics, the paper paraded this nonsense on their front page last Sunday. But, of course, the church leaders have now come out openly to say that they had said no such thing, that they were misrepresented and that the report "is a complete lie". In response, quite predictably if I may say so, Utusan's reporter comes out, guns blazing, saying that she stands by her story. It is a mere coincidence, I'm sure, that she should say this a day after the two church leaders reportedly said they would not take legal action against the rag because they had other things to do. No apology, no retraction So, it looks as though there will be no apology, no retraction, by the paper since, from past experience, these niceties only happen when such disputes end up in court. This doesn't say much, of course, about the integrity of the paper and its reporter. But we must remember that this is the same rag whose deputy chief editor not so long ago declared that the paper is willing to 'spin the truth'. Nasharuddin's recent outburst also concerns the Church and Christians. His is a more toxic, hate-filled accusation that Sarawak DAP had "held prayers seeking the formation of a Christian state during its thanksgiving dinner after the 2011 Sarawak state elections". For him, "this was a strategy being planned by Allah's enemies". His is a nasty presentation that could easily be seen as attempting to drive a wedge between the political parties in Pakatan, especially the DAP and Pas, and also between their members and supporters. At a wider level, it certainly seems like an pathetic attempt to drive a wedge between Muslims and Christians in Malaysia. It is the latest in a long line of conspiracy 'theories' hatched by irresponsible, certainly divisive, people and parties uncaring about the implications of their outbursts. Rightly, both Muslim and Christian leaders have come out to speak up against Nasharuddin's unsubstantiated and, for me, despicable, allegation. However, I believe that the rest of us too need to speak out against these hateful allegations that are manifestly untrue. READ MORE HERE

Stemming the incoherence of misguided Muslim pundits’: my response Posted: 11 Nov 2012 06:31 PM PST Truth, error, good, bad, etc. are not absolutes. There are no 'facts' when we talk about truth, error, good, bad, etc., in religion. They are all relative and subject to time and place. And what is good/bad in religion may not be good/bad from society's point of view. And what is good/bad from society's point of view, yesterday, may not be good/bad from society's point of view today. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin It is truly shameful that the affairs of Muslims were being discussed without the guidance of scholars of Islām possessing true and correct knowledge of the religion. How can one even be sure that they are speaking earnestly and truthfully on behalf of Islām? Furthermore, a non-Muslim making ignorant statements about Islām may be excused on the basis of not himself being a Muslim and of being obstinate. Yet, a greater cause for concern is when a ignorant Muslim makes ambivalent declarations about the nature of Islām as a religion. In fact, this betrays a categorical confusion on her part because from the Muslim understanding, Islām is the true revealed religion, and the affirmation of this fact has consequences both in this world and in the hereafter. The religion of Islām requires both belief (imān) and submission (islām) from its believers. Both are not identical, but they are mutually inseparable and indispensable, which means that one cannot do without the other. Those who argue along the lines of half-baked understanding of the Qur'ānic verse often do not even bother to read the second part of the verse that makes clear the distinction between Truth and error. There is no sense in holding on to that verse if this distinction is only mentioned in briefly or outrightly dismissed without equally serious consideration. The religion of Islām makes clear its claim to Truth, and this is why its content is cognitive to the human mind. A person who is presented with a choice between what is good and what is bad and proceeds to choose the bad is not exercising real freedom. In truth, the person is trapped within his own ignorance, thus unable to make the right choice in choosing for the better, and in doing so, has committed a grave injustice to his or her own self and others. If we allow the promissory note for such literal interpretation of the verse devoid of scholarly consensus and right guidance, then there would be nothing left to prevent the likes of fanatics, demagogues and even militant extremists from appropriating Islām in order to justify atrocities and perpetuate even further injustices. READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER HERE: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/52703-stemming-the-incoherence-of-misguided-muslim-pundits ********************************************** Those are some of the extracts from the letter that Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil, Muhammad Syukri Rosli and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal sent to Malaysia Today, and which we published today. I suspect many of you were quite lost by the language used and could not quite make out what the authors were trying to say -- other than that only Muslim scholars should talk about Islam and that Islam is the true religion while all others are false. Nevertheless, maybe I can respond to some of the salient points raised in that letter. And I am addressing my response to Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil, Muhammad Syukri Rosli and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal. When we debate an issue or argue a point, we must be very clear in our mind as to the intended audience. The audience, on the other hand, must be very clear as to what 'platform' we are standing on in presenting our arguments. From your arguments, it is clear that you are speaking as Islamists and your audience is meant to be fellow Muslims. You do not care about the views of the non-Muslims. You are giving your views on Islam from the perspective of a Muslim and meant for the ears of Muslims. In that case, those not of the Islamic faith will never accept what you say. What you say has nothing to do with the non-Muslims. You, a Muslim, talks about Islam, from the perspective of Islam, meant for a Muslim audience. You have crafted your letter as if you are presenting facts. No doubt, to Muslims, you are definitely presenting facts. To the non-Muslims, however, what you say are not facts. These are merely opinions. And non-Muslims, for sure, will have a different opinion to you. For example, to the Christians, Jesus is the Son of God, humankind was born with sins, and Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Hence if we accept Jesus we would be saved. This is an indisputable fact to most Christians. To Muslims, however, this is not a fact. In fact, Muslims may even consider this a lie. Hence non-Muslims would not regard this Christian doctrine as fact but merely an opinion (and a misguided one at that, too, Muslims will argue). Therefore, being an opinion, and an opinion that Muslims do not agree with, the Christian doctrine could be right or could be wrong (and certainly wrong from the Islamic perspective). Hence, when you talk to a multi-cultural audience, you need to understand the proper way in doing so. For example, instead of stating 'facts', it would help if you say things like 'according to the Muslim belief', etc. Then we would be implying that this is what I, as a Muslim, believe, but I am not suggesting that you, too, believe what I believe. Now, in that letter, are you discussing a matter of theology, philosophy, a legal issue, the Federal Constitution, issue of human rights and civil liberties, or what? From my reading of the letter, you are discussing theology, and Islamic theology in particular. Would Muslims be interested in hearing someone talk about Hinduism or Christianity from the theological aspect? And would Muslims be convinced by these arguments and accept them as the truth? This is the flaw in most arguments presented by Muslims. You have your beliefs and you present your beliefs as facts and you expect others to also accept them as facts. And when they cannot, you get upset and start screaming that these people have insulted Islam and therefore action should be taken against these people. Maybe we can look at this issue not from the perspective of theology, in particular Islamic theology. Then, and only then, can we talk to a multi-cultural audience, which I suspect is what you are trying to do since you sent your letter to Malaysia Today. You spoke about truth and error. You also spoke about good and bad. Now, I am going to address my comments not just to Muslims but also to religionists in general. Truth, error, good, bad, etc. are not absolutes. There are no 'facts' when we talk about truth, error, good, bad, etc., in religion. They are all relative and subject to time and place. And what is good/bad in religion may not be good/bad from society's point of view. And what is good/bad from society's point of view, yesterday, may not be good/bad from society's point of view today. In other words, 'good' and 'bad' constantly changes. It changes according to the period. It changes according to the region. And it changes according to the society you live in. For example, 100 years or so ago, any woman wearing a miniskirt in England would be vilified and maybe even accosted. Today, a woman can walk around town practically in her panties and nothing will happen. So what was bad 100 years ago in England is no longer bad. Now, if a woman walks around town in a miniskirt in Saudia Arabia, she would be arrested and flogged. In Malaysia, she will not be arrested and flogged. However, if she walks around Kota Bharu in her panties she will, for sure, be in trouble. Hence is wearing a miniskirt (or just your panties) good or bad? It depends on what period you live in and where you live. So how can good and bad be taken as absolutes? Good and bad will change across time and across borders. Hence, when you argue about what you consider as good and bad, that is merely your opinion and that does not make it a fact or mean you are right. Let me give you another example. Marrying off your daughter who already has her period (say at age 11) to a boy who has reached puberty (say age 12) is allowed in Islam. Since it is allowed in Islam then it must be good. But would society also regard that as 'good' just because Islam does not forbid it and therefore it is considered good? Would you marry off your 11-year-old daughter to a man of, say, 45 (a millionaire Datuk)? There is nothing wrong with that. And since it is not wrong then it is good. However, you would probably not consider it 'good' although it is allowed in religion. Let me take another example, this time regarding slavery. Islam has never outlawed slavery. Muslims are allowed to own slaves and you can even have sex with your slaves. This is perfectly legal in Islam. But if I were to offer you some slaves to buy -- and pretty ones who have been 'well-trained' in how to please their master in bed on top of that -- would you consider that 'good'? How can it not be good when Islam allows it? The slave trade saw about 11 million Africans captured and sold. And many of these slavers were actually Muslim Arabs. The Arabs were still trading in slaves long after the west had outlawed slavery. Society had by then considered slavery as bad when the Arab Muslims slavers were still doing a roaring business in selling captured Africans. To have an intelligent and intellectual discourse with decorum and civility is not easy in Malaysia Today. Many of the readers are crude and brash and do not understand how to be polite. Malaysia Today readers regard name-calling and mocking as debating. That is the problem we face in trying to build bridges between the different communities in Malaysia. I have given up trying to civilise Malaysia Today readers. So now I talk exactly like how they talk. And, of course, they do not like it one bit. What they fail to realise is that when they talk like that others do not like it as well. But I will continue to give them a taste of their own medicine until they 'vomit blood'. Nevertheless, I welcome such letters and I hope you will continue sending them to Malaysia Today. The only thing is do not expect intelligent or intellectual responses to such letters. But in the spirit or dakwah do not let that discourage you.

Apostasy, compulsion, and Nurul’s point Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:30 PM PST The PKR vice-president said last week that religious freedom is for everyone, even Muslims and Malays. Well, here are the facts to prove she has a point. Anisah Shukry, FMT Yet again, Umno as well as the likes of Ibrahim Ali and Nasharudin Mat Isa have resorted to misusing Islam to discredit a member of the opposition bloc. According to a transcript provided by Malaysiakini, Nurul Izzah Anwar said at a forum last weekend that "…there is no compulsion in religion… How can anyone really say, 'sorry, this only applies to non-Malays.' It has to apply equally." Hishammuddin Hussein, the home minister, described Nurul's statements as insensitive and causing public anger. Nasharudin, the former PAS vice-president, said that she must repent and what she said goes against Islam. Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister, said her statement was stupid. Now, putting aside the fact that nearly every time good ol' Hisham, Nasha and Mahathir open their mouths, they say something stupid and insensitive that anger the public, Nurul, on the other hand, did not say anything "radical", "liberal", "dangerous to the faith" or even new. On the contrary, what she said has been discussed among Islamic scholars across the globe for years. It's just that no one seems to have clued the Powers That Be on this. A blanket rule for all Nurul said that there is no compulsion in religion, whether for Muslims or non-Muslims. And she has a point. Islam is all about an individual's own voluntary submission to Allah; there can be no coercion because faith cannot be forced upon anyone, even on those Malays who are born Muslims. I mean, if I asked you, at gunpoint, to believe in Islam, would you? Unless you're already a believer, then of course not. You'd probably blubber a bit about how being at the brink of death has opened your eyes to Islam, but your convictions would remain the same. So compulsion is not the answer – education is, just as Nurul mentioned in a later statement. In fact, even in the Quran, Surah Al-Nahl, verse 126 states: "Invite [all] to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance." (16:126 – translated by Yusuf Ali) Now, for those of you who are going to say that I'm no scholar and should just keep my mouth shut and let the experts talk it out, allow me to produce a quote from the former Chief Judge of Pakistan, SA Rahman. "Man is free to choose between truth and falsehood and the Prophet's function is to convey the message, exemplify it in his own life and to leave the rest to God – he is no warder over men to compel them to adopt particular beliefs," he wrote. This is further fortified in several Islamic verses, including Surah Ali Imran, verse 20 and Al-Ma'idah, verse 92, which state if individuals turn away from the message of Islam, then the Prophet Muhammad's duty is only to educate – not force nor coerce. Freedom to choose still exists Unfortunately, we still have the likes of Nasharudin who argue that the "no compulsion in religion" verse (2:256) only applies to non-Muslims in the issue of converting to Islam. In other words, once one becomes Muslim, let the coercion begin! Now, I challenge him and other like-minded individuals to point out any verse in the Quran which states that that sort of double standard exists. Nasharudin did mention Surah al-Ahzab verse 36 as "proof" that there is no freedom in religion for Muslims. "It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path." (33:36 – translation by Yusuf Ali) But, as you can see, this verse just states that when Allah has commanded something, it is not fitting for a believer to have any choice in their matter – the freedom to choose still exists, as mentioned several times in the Quran. But while freedom exists, the Quran still states what is right and wrong. And if one chooses what has been forbidden, then one will face the consequences of that decision, whether in this life or the hereafter. Islam and apostasy Now, by virtue of the fact that freedom of religion exists in Islam, does that mean Muslims, and Malays, have the freedom to renounce their religion and should not be coerced or punished into remaining as Muslims? Since I'd rather not have 15 policemen raid FMT's office over this article, I'll refrain from stating my stand, but just share the views of several revered scholars in Islam who are not Malaysians, not Malays, and do not have any vested political interest in the issue. The former chief judge of Pakistan, SA Rahman, wrote in his book "Punishment of apostasy in Islam" that: "There is absolutely no mention in the Quran of mundane punishment for defection from the faith by a believer, except in the shape of deprivation of the spiritual benefits of Islam or of the civil status and advantages that accrue to an individual as a member of the well-knit fraternity of Muslims. "He should, however, be free to profess and propagate the faith of his choice, so long as he keeps within the bounds of law and morality, and to enjoy all other rights as a peaceful citizen of the State, in common with his Muslim co-citizens." He also added that apostasy is an offence in the realm of the rights of God, rather than the rights of mankind, thus there would be no pressing necessity to punish a peaceful change of faith. READ MORE HERE

Sabah’s oil curse strikes again Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:27 PM PST Poverty-riddled Sabah is the sixth biggest contributor to the national economy, contributing more than a quarter of the total oil and gas produced in the country.  Queville To, FMT Sabah lost control of its oil wealth more than 30 years ago but the fallout of the widely acknowledged cock-eyed contract is continuing to roil business dealings in the state. The state Barisan Nasional government is now facing more questions over how it is managing the Petronas-sponsored Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) project that began more than a year ago. The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has accused Chief Minister Musa Aman's Umno-led BN government of failing to safeguard the interest of the local companies in the ongoing multi-billion-ringgit project. Melanie Chia, the party's outspoken women's wing chief said there appeared to be no attempt by the state government to ensure locals get a bigger share of the spin-offs from the SOGT project. She said they had since discovered that the main contract work had been handed over to a Sarawak company which had in turn subcontracted the job valued at RM2.4 billion to a South Korean company to the extent that even the canteen at the site was operated by Koreans. She noted that while 35 companies with Sabah connections had obtained sub-contract works, the value of these contracts totaled a fraction of the value of the main contract. "The total value of these sub contract works is only RM470million, or a mere 19.6 per cent of the total contract value of RM2.4 billion. Even the Kimanis new township will be developed by Miri- based Homelite Development Sdn Bhd. "I don't believe that we do not have enough local companies who can do the jobs. We also have very established and esteemed developers who can develop the new township. "Do we have to be subservient and remain playing second fiddle all the time even in our own state?" she asked. Sabah's oil reserve Chia, who is also Luyang assemblywoman, posed the question during a public talk themed 'Sabah's Future' organised by the SAPP Luyang Central Liaison Committee here over the weekend. She said the issue of out-of-state companies not only taking the lion's share of the SOGT work and then sub-contracting it out to foreign companies needed to be studied. "The government owes the people a good explanation as to why Sabah remains the poorest state in Malaysia despite being blessed with abundance of natural resources," she added. The state is the sixth biggest contributor to the national economy, contributing more than a quarter of the total oil and gas produced in the country. Sabah's oil reserve were calculated at 1.5 billion barrels as of last year but new oil fields discovered since then have raised the estimate substantially. Gas reserves stand at 11 trillion cubic feet with four new oil fields found in the Sabah waters in the last two years. The projected production from one area, the Gumusat/Kakap Project, is 135,000 barrels per day will come on stream soon, but Sabah's share is unknown as other oil producing companies are in on the project with Petronas on a contract sharing basis. SAPP and the opposition have been hitting on the wealth extraction from the state and at the same time holding up its high poverty rate and unemployment figures. Sabah has the highest number of unemployed in the country at 5.6% or 76,000 people without jobs. The opposition says that the ruling coalition government has had almost 20 uninterrupted years of power in the state but has yet to come up with a coherent and comprehensive development policy to ensure the state's well-being well into the future. "Obviously something is not right with the present government otherwise Sabah would not end up the poorest despite having abundance of oil and gas," Chia said. READ MORE HERE

10 reasons for Indians to drop BN Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:23 PM PST Here are 10 reasons why the Indian community should not vote for Barisan Nasional in the next general election, according to Kota Alam Shah state rep M Manoharan.  By M Manoharan, FMT Umno's 'Malay Supremacy' agenda I would be echoing the sentiments of the great majority of Indians in Malaysia when I say they are effectively second class citizens under Umno's rule. Umno and BN can be used interchangeably because Umno is not only the dominant party but the de facto ruling party as well. The much entrenched 'Ketuanan Melayu ' or Malay Supremacy is the unwritten code of Umno's rule. The ruling party has perfected this philosophy to the extent of rivalling the notorious racist agenda of apartheid South Africa. Basically, Ketuanan Melayu aims to contain the progress and prosperity of the non-Malays. The Indians have traditionally looked to the civil service for employment but in the last few decades they have seen their share of public sector jobs severely curtailed. Too many Indians have to eke out a harsh living outside the comfort of the government service and the GLCs. Many resort to low paying jobs which in turn locks them in a vicious cycle of poverty. Also, the high crime rate among Indians is a direct result of the lack of access to good, high- income jobs for Indians. NEP's lopsided implementation The NEP introduced in 1970 and which has set the direction of the nation ever since was designed to: a) restructure society so that race is no longer identified with occupation, and b) eradicate poverty irrespective of race/ ethnicity. However, none of these noble intentions ever reached the Indian community. The implementation of the NEP has bypassed the Indians. In the past, Indians were identified with the civil service, professions and the plantations. Today, they are increasingly associated with low pay jobs and hard, physical labour. Many flagship projects of the NEP offered little to the Indian community. Felda which transformed the landless and the poor among the Malays to proud land owners had little impact on the Indians. It was the same story with Felcra, Risda and the numerous other schemes designed to uplift the rural poor. Somehow, the Indian poor, a large proportion of whom were in the plantations were invisible to the formulators and the implementers of the NEP. There were no quotas assigned to the Indian community for jobs in the GLCs or the private sector. If the BN government could do it for the poor Malays, why did it overlook the poor Indians? Was not the NEP designed for all Malaysians? Why the lop-sided implementation? Today, we have an Indian community that has high endemic poverty, the highest violent crime rate and a decreasing proportion in the top professions. The pathetic state of the Tamil schools Any responsible government would look into the education needs of its entire people. But then, BN has never been a responsible government. The BN government has systematically marginalised vernacular education. Fortunately, the economic and philanthropic strength of the Chinese community has mitigated the many challenges facing Chinese schools. There are 523 Tamil schools in the country, but up to 79% or some 379 of these schools are still occupying dilapidated, termite infested, semi-permanent buildings built on private land before Merdeka. The bigger majority of these schools are in a pathetic state – undersized classrooms, leaking roofs and some even without water or electricity. Almost all face teacher shortage of some kind, some more acute than others. Promises are made from time to time by the government to improve trainee teacher intake, training temporary teachers and offering them permanent positions but the reality is the opposite. Some 40% of all Tamil school teachers are contract or temporary teachers. This potent combination of poor infrastructure and teacher shortage is a definite recipe for the high failure rate of Tamil school students. Tamil schools are a neglected lot and the BN must be held responsible by all Indian voters. Limited opportunities in the civil service and GLCs Prior to the implementation of the NEP in 1970, Indians were well represented in the civil service. The lop-sided implementation of the NEP has decimated the Indian numbers in the civil service. Indians and other non-Bumiputeras are severely discriminated both in the intake as well as in subsequent promotions. For instance, there is not a single Indian judge in the Federal Court. The BN government must look into an Equal Opportunity Commission & an Equal Opportunity Act to redress the gross imbalance among the races in the Government service. Citizens denied citizenship Almost 300,000 Indians who are eligible for citizenship do not have MyKads. They are children born to citizen parents whose births were not registered for one reason or another. In a nutshell, they have been denied citizenship due to a government bureaucracy that is callous to their plight. Many dreams have been shattered, jobs and careers foregone and households mired in poverty due to citizenship denied. Almost all are deserving cases because most were born in Malaysia or have lived here all their lives. Of late, the MIC has organised citizenship for about 4,000 cases but this hardly scratches the surface of the problem. It is more of a publicity stunt for the BN to dupe the Indian electorate as many of the cases publicised in the media are senior citizens in their twilight years and well past their prime. Sadly, it is a case of political gimmicking taking precedence over resolution of people's grievances. Highest unemployment rate Indians have the highest unemployment rate among the major races in the country. The neglect of the Tamil schools means it ill-prepares the students for secondary school and beyond. Many Indian students lack the linguistic and numerical skills needed for today's job market. Moreover, Indians do not have access to skills training institutes like GiatMara, polytechnics, Mara Training Institutes, vocational schools and numerous other training institutes' set-up with public money at the state and national levels. Certainly, there is a lack of concerted action by the BN government to train and equip Indian youths with the necessary job skills. The typical response by BN leaders is that Indians do not apply for these opportunities. How can Indians apply for these places when it is not made known to them? As a result, the majority resort to the private sector. With low levels of education and absence of marketable skills, they are forced to work as lorry drivers, road sweepers, dishwashers, free-lance house maids, cleaners, despatch clerks, personal drivers, etc. These jobs are shunned by the other races because of the low pay, long working hours and physical risks involved. The situation has got so bad that Indians are forced to compete with foreigners for these very jobs. READ MORE HERE

Will Social Media Sway Malaysia’s Elections? Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:11 PM PST Politicians are becoming media savvy in Malaysia, using Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to appeal to netizens. Kalinga Seneviratne, IPS Malaysia is gearing up for a general election in six months and as the campaigns enter the crucial voter-courting phase many observers are wondering if the political 'tsunami', which severely weakened the ruling National Front coalition (BN) at the 2008 polls, might be repeated. That political tidal wave – which stripped the BN of its two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time since independence and handed five state governments over to the opposition – was precipitated by the spread of Internet-based social media as a campaigning tool, harnessed primarily by the opposition. "In 2008 neither the government nor opposition expected the result they got," Ramanathan Sankaran, author of 'Media, Democracy and Civil Society', told IPS. The proliferation of independent websites and blogs such as Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini rendered the ruling coalition's propaganda machinery less effective during the electoral race, as formidable opponents appeared in the crucial arena of cyberspace. "Six or seven bloggers, who had been unknown (to most of the ruling coalition) got into parliament. It shocked the BN," Sankaran added. Three of these bloggers have now become well-known opposition figures in Malaysia. Former human rights activist and environmental campaigner Elizabeth Wong is now the minister for Tourism, Consumer Affairs and the Environment in the opposition-ruled Selangor state government that covers the capital Kuala Lumpur. Tony Pua, who defeated a BN parliamentary secretary candidate to win the Petaling Jaya federal constituency, is now the "shadow minister" for Higher Education in the federal parliament. Meanwhile Jeff Ooi, who won a state assembly seat in Penang, clinching another crucial win for the opposition in 2008, has taken the reigns as senior aide to the Chief Minister. "One of the first things (then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad) Badawi said when the results came out was 'we lost the Internet war. We didn't realise that was important. We relied too much on mainstream media'," recalled Steven Gan, editor of the leading alternative news website Malaysiakini. "When (current Prime Minister) Najib Tun Razak came to power in 2009 there was substantial focus on the Internet. He set up his own Facebook (account), along with other politicians, and he is tweeting as well." The Prime Minister also has a website called '1 Malaysia' which is updated daily. According to Sankaran, Razak has instructed other ministers and senior government officials to make good use of the Internet and respond to emails within 48 hours. Even the former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has set up his own blog, 'Blogging to Unblock', whose comments are regularly picked up by the mainstream and alternative media. And long-term opposition member in federal parliament, Lim Kit Siang, who first entered parliament in 1969 and is currently the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party's parliamentary leader, has his own blog through which he has been relentlessly attacking the government on corruption issues for several months. Nudged by the outcome of the 2008 election, "BN made a concerted move to (mobilise) its own cyber-troopers," Gan told IPS. According to Sankaran, BN's determination to learn from past mistakes is reflected in their decision to field Kamalananthan Panchanathen, a young Internet-savvy candidate, for the seat of Hulu Selangor, an electorate with a large Indian population. The 40-year-old blogger won back the seat in the by-election of 2010 "partly because of his appeal to young (netizens), and he now has his own website," Sankaran added. "The government has opened up the Internet (to encourage better governance)," he added. Prominent Malaysian political commentator Chandra Muzzafar, a former political ally of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, agrees that the Internet will play an important role in coming elections. "It will be a major actor in some constituencies and controlling it is difficult," he told IPS. Censorship rears its head But along with the government's attempt to become more media savvy ahead of the elections has come a desire to curtail the freedoms allowed to other social media practitioners and rights groups who utilise these channels to spread their message to civil society. On Sep. 13, the independent Star newspaper reported that the prominent human rights group SUARAM was being investigated by the Home Ministry and five government agencies, including the Registrar of Societies, on allegations that they received funds from the Open Society Foundation (OSF), whose chairman is international financial speculator George Soros. SUARAM's membership includes a number of opposition MPs linked to Anwar Ibrahim's People's Justice Party (PKR). The rights group has waged a long anti-corruption crusade against the government. Government-controlled media reported that investigations by the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry found three letters addressed to SUARAM dated 2007, 2008 and 2010, detailing grants amounting to nearly 189,000 dollars from the OSF. "Civil society is now continuously portrayed in the media as the enemy who is seeking to overthrow the government at the behest of foreign powers. These accusations have also been hurled at BERSIH (the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections), more so since July last year when we had a successful rally of more than 50,000 people on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, clamouring for clean and fair elections," Ambiga Sreenevasan, co-chair of BERSIH, said in a commentary published by 'Malaysian Insider' last week. Another alternative media outfit that has been consistently accused of receiving funds from Soros is Malaysiakini. "While we are non-partisan that doesn't mean we are apolitical. We are very political. We cover issues we feel strongly about such as corruption, press freedom and human rights," Gan said in an interview with IPS. "We will speak for people who do not have access to mainstream media. We speak for the voiceless, those who suffer human rights abuses that are not covered properly by mainstream media. That has always been our position. People see us as pro-opposition because we cover those issues," he added. Internet – or economy? But though active netizens are breaking the government's "monopoly on truth", and the powerful Reformasi movement – comprised of a Malay core and based on exposing corruption and abuse of power within the government – is on the rise, experts like Muzzafar believe BN will have an easy victory at the polls. He believes the economy will be the key factor in determining the outcome of the election. The Malaysian economy is currently strong and stable. Unemployment is at a low 2.7 percent as of August 2012, gross domestic product (GDP) growth was 5.6 percent in the second quarter of 2012 and industrial production was up by 4.9 percent in September 2012, according to the Department of Statistics. Though Malaysia enjoys a strong alternative media network, a vibrant NGO sector and a robust opposition – the three ingredients necessary to topple a ruling government – Gan believes that BN will win on account of their huge state machinery and state funds – the government's television and radio networks, along with the government-controlled mainstream newspapers, have a huge influence on Malay rural voters who form the backbone of the electorate. And though the opposition has been targeting young voters, the recent nationwide university elections don't augur well. According to Star, Pro-Aspirasi, a group widely seen to be pro-establishment and pro-government, "won big" in elections at 8 out of 15 public universities on Sep. 25.

Perak PAS wants clarification from Nurul Izzah Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:01 PM PST (The Star) - Perak PAS has shied away from announcing its support for embattled PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who is alleged to have uttered words perceived as advocating religious freedom for Muslims. State PAS commissioner Abu Bakar Hussain said they were still waiting for a clarification over the matter from the Lembah Pantai MP before issuing a statement on it. "We want to hear it from her first. "We have yet to receive any statements from Nurul Izzah and we hope to get an explanation from her soon," he told journalists during a press conference on Monday. Abu Bakar, however, believed that Nurul Izzah's words might have been manipulated by certain quarters out to tarnish her reputation. "I don't think she meant anything like that. "When people dislike (her), they will have different interpretation of her statement," Abu Bakar said. "Certain quarters want to pit the Pakatan Rakyat parties against each other and to create tension between us," he added.

Daughters & Fathers Posted: 11 Nov 2012 03:09 PM PST KTEMOC KONSIDERS Aiyah, you guys have been hopelessly unable to read into my (admittedly) cryptic short posts. Okay lah I give up, and am am back to a tng k'ooi (chong hei) long winded one, wakakaka. Josh Hong Josh Hong is one of my fave columnists at Malaysiakini. I've been following his articles for several years, enjoying his generally astute grasp of international politics. However, I have not blindly agreed with everything he wrote. For example, in January 2005 I disagreed with some points in one of his MKINI articles Chinese racism - not quite in a nutshell. In that very well written article, while I agreed/agree with his observations that some Chinese have what I termed as a boorish 'Middle-Kingdom' mentality, I believed (still do) that he was incorrect in querying (surprised?) that China's humiliation at the hands of western powers in the 19th Century did not affect the Chinese perception of their grandiose civilization, which according to Hong's line of argument, perhaps might not have been so grandiose after all . In a letter to MKINI I stated my disagreement with Josh's contention on the following points: An English anthropologist, Edward Burnett Tylor, described 'civilization' as synonymous to 'culture', which he termed as that complex whole including knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Also, UNESCO defines 'culture' similarly as a set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs. Therefore, regardless of the fact that China was defeated pitifully in its military encounters with the western powers or a technologically more advanced Japan during World War II, the greater body of Chinese 'civilization' would remain largely intact as it must have, … … though of course like all values and norms that come into contact with foreign culture, they would evolve naturally to eventually change the greater whole. Now, whether this [change] was fast or significant enough for Josh's liking remains subjective. However, what we may say with some certainty is that Chinese ego after a serious of military humiliations and foreign occupation would be considerably dented, but a crushed conceit or flattened arrogance would be quite different to their awareness/perception of their magnificent 5000-year old civilization. Jap murdering Chinese during WWIII The Chinese would in all probability be banging their head hard against the walls, lamenting wailfully how in the f*, given their great civilization and thus supposed 'superiority', they had come to be so defeated ... and not surprisingly, might have even blamed it all on that nebulous feng shui thingy, wakakaka. If we look at the great civilizations of Greece, Rome and Egypt, which in turn were invaded and severely defeated by other nations or even nomadic hordes through the ages, the depth, durability and indeed grandiosity of their civilizations have never been in question, and exist till today (through assimilation) in the civilizations of modern European and American nations. Indeed Western philosophy, politics, culture, arts, and science can trace their origins to Greece while we know that western laws draw heavily from Roman law, even preserving many of its Latin terms. While Rome had considered Greece as its model, the latter in turn viewed Egypt as their spiritual and cultural example. I had (then) stated that Josh might have been confused between Chinese civilization and Chinese pride. While the latter is influenced by the former, the former is not necessarily by the latter. Thus the former would remain intact even if the latter might have been dented. Now, whether one should consider Chinese civilization as grandiose would be also another subjective issue, but in this regard I believe there is already virtually universal acceptance (especially in learned/academic circles) it has been so. However, as an associated item of interest (related to another of Josh's remarks), the Japanese, who denigrated the Chinese shockingly as sub-humans (as the Nazis had termed the Jews, and the Israelis had termed the Palestinians), had no compunction about adopting the Chinese language as its own. It is suggested that half the Japanese vocabulary are of Chinese origin. Even the name Japan or Nihon consists of 2 Chinese characters. riben = sun's root = Japan A curious trivia in the shared language has been the Japanese adopting or inheriting the Chinese's superstition in the utterance of the word '4', pronounced as sì in both languages (in the 4th tone in Chinese), a taboo-word on auspicious occasion. According to the Chinese dictionary, there are 15 different words pronounced as si of which 9 are in the 1st tone, 1 in the 3rdth tone. Because the one in the 3rd tone, which means 'die' or 'death', is almost similar in pronunciation to the word '4' (4th tone), its utterance is studiously avoided during auspicious occasions like weddings, birthdays, New Year period (15 days), etc. tone and five in the 4. But the Japanese easily and cleverly avoid the taboo by resorting to an indigenous Japanese word for '4', namely yon. But nonetheless the avoidance indicates the Japanese inheriting Chinese belief (culture). 4 = si (pronounced shi) in Chinese and Japanese, also yon in Japanese Thus Japanese culture borrowed heavily from and adopted Chinese culture. Another interesting item is that the Japanese monarchy continues until today the tradition of having a Chinese name for a newborn baby. Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako named their daughter with a Chinese name, Aiko. Most Chinese would recognize the words Ai and ko. aiko This practice stems from medieval times when the refined Chinese language was largely (and only) spoken by Japanese royalty, nobility and the cultured. Josh had an interesting theory on why Chinese harbour a latent and seldom discussed animosity towards the Japanese – he believes the Chinese detested and still detest the Japanese because they couldn't accept being beaten by a barbarian race of dwarfs. Well, I didn't agree with his way out theory because matey, being brutalized, raped, tortured and massacred by the Japanese during the last war were terrible and hateful enough without worrying about Chinese-Japanese comparative culture or the enemy's anatomical measurement. Chinese woman with baby decapitated by Jap at Nanjing I then riposted with my theory as to why the Japanese were unusually feral with the Chinese, calling them sub-humans and showing no bounds to their bloody barbaric brutal savagery, horrendously demonstrated in the most primitive genocidal fashion in Nanjing – the Japanese could not accept being culturally beholden to the 'weak man' of East Asia, thus they strove to erase completely from their consciousness and physical presence this reminder of their embarrassing cultural womb. The Japanese atrocities merely demonstrate that while Chinese racism is real and regrettable it is not unique. Now, why have I brought out more than 7-year old response to Josh's earlier article today? I want to disagree again with a few points in Josh's latest article in Malaysiakini 'Daughter of a strongman'. Josh wrote about Park Geun-hye, the daughter of daughter of Park Chung-hee, the military strongman who oversaw the most spectacular transformation of an economic backwater into an industrial powerhouse in the 1960s through the 1970s. Ms Park aspires to be President of Korea but when confronted with revelations of corruption by her aides, she saw her initially comfortable lead in the presidential race chipped off, and was (as Josh wrote) "… forced into a corner, she had no option but to publicly apologise for all the wrongdoings committed by the state during her father's economically miraculous but politically oppressive rule." Park Geun-hye Josh was obviously attempting to draw a parallel between Ms Park and Marina Mahathir – namely, daughter of strong powerful father who ruled their respective nation with a strong hand and had forcefully dragged their societies into the 21st Century. Park has apologized for her father's oppressive rule, why hasn't Marina? In encapsulating the essence of his article with the sub-title 'Mahathir at the centre of Malaysian malaise', Josh queried Marina: In her recent interview in Singapore, Marina Mahathir talked candidly about what she considers has gone wrong in Malaysia: the education system, censorship, money politics and the resort to sex in the political scene. I am certain her views as such echo Malaysian public sentiments, but in choosing to downplay her father's influence in her position today, I cannot help regretting that she is still not facing up to the realities. I'm not aware that Marina had "downplay her father's influence" or that "she is not facing up to realities". I'm disappointed with Josh for wanting an Asian child to publicly criticize her (or his) parents, especially as Josh was educated in the Chinese medium which includes Confucian teachings. For a start, Marina cannot be equated to Park Geun-hye. Marina is NOT a politician nor is seeking political office, whilst the latter is and thus found it politically expedient to do so. Josh also wrote: Hence, how can Marina Mahathir simply dismiss her father's political impact on the nation by saying "often people made me feel I had to be responsible for everything he did", and "sometimes I became the surrogate for criticism"? Pray tell me how or where in those words quoted from her, has she dismissed her father's political impact on the nation? My dear Josh, your argument/logic has gone off cocked. Marina was just saying how or why should she have a need to explain or apologize for any unhappiness/dissatisfaction towards her dad, or for that matter, feel any responsibility for his actions? READ MORE HERE

Rush for ‘who-wants-to-be-a-candidate’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 03:03 PM PST The highly popular 'who wants to be a millionaire' television concept has taken a political twist in Sabah.  Thomas PI, FMT Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, the younger brother of Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, once said something about "lucrative positions" in the Cabinet. He was naively confirming what many surmised. So it is hardly surprising that scores of Sabahans want to be contestants in the upcoming 13th general election and some may even be forgiven for considering a new group as organisers of Sabah's version of "who wants to be a millionaire" with an election slant. Days after announcing its formation, the "Sabah Independent Candidates Sponsorship Body" has received 30 applications by wannabe electoral candidates in the upcoming 13th general election. Co-founder and chairman of the body, Abdul Kadir Tahir who launched the organisation to act like a party to help provide voters not satisfied with the usual field of candidates, a third choice, said he was happy with the surge of interest. He told reporters here that the applicants were from Pensiangan, Keningau, Pitas, Beaufort and Kuala Penyu as well as one who wants to contest both state and parliamentary constituency seats in an interior district. He described the response from the interior and west coast areas of the state as "very encouraging" and said a second meeting would be held here soon to decide on the organisation's committee line-up as well as to screen all the independent applicants seeking their help. Part of the mechanishm to measure applicants' suitability for being candidates is their views on eradicating hardcore poverty, reducing crime, corruption and malpractices within the government. "We want well educated, credible and trustworthy persons to be our independent candidates… we need to know their motives behind offering themselves to be candidates first before we can proceed to the final decision on who will become our candidates," he said. Abdul Kadir, an ex-liaison officer to former Silam MP Samsu Baharom Abdul Rahman, said the organisation's intention is to place its independent candidates in all 60 state and 25 parliamentary constituencies in Sabah, but a final decision would be made after the parliament is dissolved. 'Emphasis on clean and healthy politics' According to him, the body was formed to strike a balance between the mighty Barisan National and opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalitions. It will help its candidates by providing "advice to them in upholding the interest of the people". "After one-and-a-half years of watching the political situation in our country we feel there is a need to provide a third force in the elections. "With the emphasis on clean and healthy politics, this body can play its role in assisting the new government rule after the elections," he said. Abdul Kadir, who declined to name the people backing his organisation, said the backers believe almost half of the voters in Sabah are still uncertain who they will support, thus giving independent candidates' a chance. READ MORE HERE

Mat Zain: Najib guna nama berbeza dalam afidavit Posted: 11 Nov 2012 02:59 PM PST Beliau berkata, afidavit yang berbeza memungkinkan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) menolak pencalonan beliau dalam pilihan raya umum ke 13. (FMT) - Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Kuala Lumpur Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim mendakwa Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak menggunakan dua nama berbeza dalam afidavitnya. Beliau berkata, afidavit yang berbeza memungkinkan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) menolak pencalonan beliau dalam pilihan raya umum ke 13. Mat Zain merujuk kepada afidavit yang diikrarkan Najib pada 21 dan 23 September 2011 dan juga oleh isterinya, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor pada 21 September 2011, ketika memohon mahkamah mengenepikan sapina untuk memberi keterangan dalam kes sodomi II. Katanya, semasa mengangkat sumpah jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri ke 6 di hadapan Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong pada 3 April 2009 dengan melafazkan "Wallahi,Wabillahi,Watallahi, Najib secara jelas dan lantang menyebut nama beliau sebagai Muhammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak . Bagaimanapun, katanya, pada 21 dan 23 September 2011, sewaktu mengikrarkan nama beliau di hadapan seorang Pesuruhjaya Sumpah, Najib telah mengistiharkan nama penuh beliau dalam afidavit-afidavit berkenaan sebagai Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak sahaja. Manakala Rosmah dalam affidavit berasingan bertarikh 21 September 2011 yang diikrarkan di hadapan Pesuruhjaya Sumpah yang sama,memberikan nama suami beliau, sebagai Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak. "Fakta yang jelas di sini ialah nama Muhammad telah digugurkan daripada menjadi sebahagian daripada nama Najib secara bersumpah oleh kedua-dua PM  dan isteri beliau, seperti yang terdapat dalam afidavit masing-masing. "Memberikan nama penuh dan betul apabila mengikrarkan sesuatu afidavit adalah keperluan undang-undang.," kata beliau dalam suratnya kepada Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Ismail Omar dan salinannya kepada Najib. Mat Zain merujuk kes bekas pembaca berita RTM, Sharma Kumari Shukla yang pernah dijatuhkan hukuman penjara enam tahun kerana kesalahan membuat dua afidavit berasingan yang berkisar di antara Sharma Kumari dan Sharma Kumari Shukla. Beliau meminta Ismail membuat semakan mengenai perkara "Afidavit YAB PM:Membongkar kelemahan diri sendiri" yang disalinkan juga kepada Menteri Dalam Negeri. Turut dilampirkan dalam surat tersebut ialah salinan afidavit Najib. Beri pertimbangan ikut undang-undang "Selain itu saya sarankan Tan Sri melihat rencana saya yang disiarkan sepenuhnya oleh Malaysiakini pada 10 Disember 2011 atas tajuk "Najib's name game may cost him GE nomination". "Susulan itu satu lagi rencana yang disiarkan oleh beberapa blog khasnya blog Lim Kit Siang pada 20 Disember 2011 bertajuk , "Election Commission gets rid of candidate objection period :A pre-emptive move to save PM Najib?." kata Mat Zain lagi. Beliau juga menegaskan jika terdapat bantahan daripada mana-mana pihak, sama ada bakal calon atau individu persaorangan terhadap pencalonan Najib, untuk bertanding bagi kerusi mana pun dalam PRU 13 dengan mengemukakan perbezaan nama penuh Perdana Menteri  yang beliau ikrarkan dalam afidavit-afidavit dengan nama yang beliau lafazkan ketika mengangkat sumpah Perdana Menteri Ke-6, SPR  terpaksa memberi pertimbangan mengikut undang-undang bersangkutan dengan kecelaruan nama Najib itu. Setakat yang diketahuinya, SPR tidak mempunyai hak atau kuasa untuk membatalkan sesuatu afidavit yang telah dikemukakan dan diterima oleh Mahkamah Tinggi atau kuasa untuk memutuskan sama ada afidavit berkenaan palsu atau tidak. "Dalam keadaan yang ada sekarang,  SPR terpaksa menolak pencalonan Najib untuk bertanding dalam PRU akan datang, sama ada PM menggunakan nama Mohd.Najib atau pun nama Najib. "Tanggungjawab untuk menyelesaikan kecelaruan ini dengan pihak Istana Negara,Kerajaan dan Mahkamah serta menjelaskan isu kecelaruan ini kepada seluruh rakyat, terletak di atas bahu Najib sendiri dan isteri beliau. "Pembikinan afidavit-afidavit berkenaan yang mencetuskan kekeliruan ini adalah urusan persendirian dan kerelaan mereka suami isteri," kata Mat Zain. Bekas pegawai kanan polis itu berkata, Najib sepatutnya bersyukur dan berterima kasih, kerana isu pertandingan merebut kerusi Parlimen Pekan ditimbulkan sekarang. Sekiranya isu ini tambah beliau dibangkitkan selepas Parlimen di-bubarkan atau pada hari penamaan calon, maka Najib mungkin tidak ada masa untuk membuat pembetulan kepada afidavit beliau. READ MORE HERE

Presiden UMNO sendiri pernah berkata "Allow Muslims to convert if they choose to".. Posted: 11 Nov 2012 01:27 PM PST Jawapan yang diberi oleh Nurul Izzah memang tepat sekali iaitu tiada paksaan dalam agama bukan hanya untuk bukan Islam sahaja tetapi juga untuk orang Melayu yang sinonim dengan Islamnya.  Anak Sungai Derhaka  Utusan Malaysia ataupun Lidah Rasmi UMNO berhempas pulas memutarbelitkan kenyataan Nurul Izzah Anwar. Akhbar yang telah berpuluh kali disaman kerana memfitnah itu hanya menyiarkan kenyataan Izzah yang diputarbelit, tetapi menyembunyikan latarbelakang bagaimana kenyataan itu terbit dan apa maksud sebenarnya. Ia berdasarkan soalan yang diajukan oleh Siti Kasim, seorang yang dilaporlan penganut Kristian berketurunan Orang Asli berhubung ayat suci Al Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 256 berhubung konsep 'Tidak ada paksaan dalam agama (Islam)….' Question: "When you speak about freedom of religion, are you actually applying to the Malays as well? Thanks." Nurul Izzah : When you ask me, there is no compulsion in religion. Even Dr Farouk quoted that verse in the Quran. How can you ask me, or anyone… How can anyone really say, "Sorry, this only applies to non-Malays". It has to apply equally. That is the basis. In the Quran, there is no specific term for the Malays. This is how it should be. So I'm tied, of course, you know, to the prevailing views, but I will say that what you want is, of course, is in terms of quality. You believe so strongly in your faith that even me, being schooled in Assunta, with a large cross in the hall, and an active singing Catholic nuns, Catholic society will not deter you. Thank you. Jawapan yang diberi oleh Nurul Izzah memang tepat sekali iaitu tiada paksaan dalam agama bukan hanya untuk bukan Islam sahaja tetapi juga untuk orang Melayu yang sinonim dengan Islamnya.  Maksudnya, bukan orang bukan Islam sahaja yang tidak boleh dipaksa mengganut Islam atau mengamalkan ajaran Islam tetapi orang Melayu/Islam juga tidak boleh dipaksa untuk menganut ajaran bukan Islam. Jadi, di mana salahnya kenyataan Izzah itu? Read more at: http://darisungaiderhaka.blogspot.com/2012/11/kata-pak-lah-pada-tahun-2007-allow.html#more

Censuring the confused in their erroneous reading of verse (2:256) in the Holy Qurʾān Posted: 11 Nov 2012 12:50 PM PST Wan Ahmad Fayhsal bin Wan Ahmad Kamal It is important to note that the true scholars of Islām (ʿulamāʾ, sing. ʿalīm) who are experts in the exegesis (tafsīr) of Qurʿān are ever consistent in their interpretation and understanding on the meaning "there is no compulsion in religion" (Q2: 256). One must be aware that such command by God in His Own Words in the Qurʾān does not apply with regard to the Muslims who are already in the state of submission (hence the very meaning of the name Muslim is total and willing submission based on the correct way as decreed by Him through His Last Messenger – Prophet Muhammad) in the religion of Islām. Instead the verse is informing the Muslims not to coerce people from other religions to be submitted into Islām and becoming Muslim unwillingly. To make it clearer, this particular verse is intended to uphold the sanctity of Islamic missionary (daʿwah: literally means "making an invitation) and has proven to be imbued in the central tenets of Muslim ethics in conducting their missionary works for ages till present times – unlike, in contrast to the notorious Spanish Inquisition of the medieval time. The myth of Islam spread by the sword has long been dispelled even by the respected Orientalist – Sir Thomas Arnold (1864-1930) in his work "The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim faith" (1896). Any attempt to invoke the notion of "intolerant" has no relevance whatsoever with regard to the verse above. From the authoritative exegesis attributed to Prophet Muhammad's Companion – Abdullāh b. Ibn ʿAbbās, who is considered to be the most knowledgeable of the Companions in tafsīr, as narrated by al-Fīrūzabādī (1329–1414) in Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn ʿAbbās in which the phrase "there is no compulsion in religion" (Q2: 256) is understood to be referring upon the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) and the Magians after the Arabs submitted themselves into Islām. The scholars of tafsīr clearly indicated that it is addressed to the Muslims with regard to their treatment upon the non-Muslims in matters of conversion to Islām. These views are resonated in many authoritative tafāsīr (plural of tafsīr – exegeses of Qurʾān). And it has never ever being rendered in the opposite direction as pandered by certain quarters of confused Muslims – the likes of Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) and Sisters in Islam (SIS) – that merely bantering upon uncouth slogans of enlightenment and reason in providing so-called alternative reading and understanding of the verse mentioned. Furthermore many confused Muslims have distorted the established understanding of this verse as explained by authoritative exegetes of Qurʾān (mufassirūn, sing. mufassir) by reading it in piecemeal basis without having a recourse of reading the verse in its totality and organic whole via linking the verse with its precedents verses and the following verses which carrying the same theme of "truth and falsehood is clearly manifested." They tend to essentialise the command of God as rendered in Qurʾān – meaning to divorce the Qurʾānic injunctions and exhortations from its existential realities. This is wrong, as Islām is a religion that comprises both ideals and realities in which both are harmoniously linked in projecting the true image of the religion of Islam as perfectly exemplified in the living tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) and the heirs of Prophetic knowledge and duties - the true scholars of Islam. This worthy heir of Prophets (peace be upon them all) has been guaranteed by himself in his saying: al-ʿulamāʾ warith al-ānbiyāʾ - "Scholars (of Islām) are heir of Prophets". Such endeavor of interpreting and rendering the best meaning of religious injunctions was first completed by the Prophet Muhmmad himself and followed through now by his apparent heir – the competent scholars of Islamic sciences who always ensure their efforts, to the best of their abilities, are complying to the basics of epistemology in Islām. It is not and can never be based upon mere personal speculations and conjectures that sprung out from the whims and fancy of its learned adherents i.e. Muslim scholars, what more from the laity Muslims like the confused lot of IRF and SIS. True Muslims – that is true to its namesake of 'being a Muslim' – are conscious enough, furthermore willingly submit themselves under the established religious injunctions and will know his or her limits in negotiating the boundaries without ever transgressing the extremities or coming up short in fulfilling their religious obligations as what have been delineated by the Muslim scholars which have been deduced from and originally based on the established knowledge and perfect practices of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) Such religious rulings and injunctions (aḥkām, sing. ḥukm) could only be derived by the able and eligible scholars that have fulfilled the fundamental and necessary requirements to perform what technically is termed as ijtihād (deriving the injunctions from established sources of knowledge in Islam) – or issuing legal opinions (fatwā), as outlined in the pristine tradition of religious sciences in Islām. Qurʾān is not a book of quotations that simply can be cherry-picked by any Muslims to form their own personal interpretation on religious rulings and injunctions. Laymen that have not possessed the right knowledge, mental and spiritual aptitude are not adept to put forth their views (in truth it is just their personal conjecture) without having recourse to the previous scholarships on the exegeses of Qurʿān. To the inept – especially current politicians and poser-Muslim scholars who have not endured rigorous and specialized training of issuing Islamic legal opinions and interpretations – the depth and systematic intricacies of Quran will never be manifested upon them as God the Almighty have said in the the Qurʾān: "But none knows its true interpretation, save only God and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rāsikhūn fī'l-ʿilm)." (Q3:7) Of course such exhortations above are not binding upon non-Muslims and they have total freedom in relation to the general precepts of the established Muslim scholarship with regard to the verse discussed here but it is a different case altogether for Muslims, as they must have recourse upon proper authorities in knowledge pertaining to it. One of the authorities that have untangled this confusion was Shāykh Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī (1904-1997), the celebrated author of Tadabbur-e-Qurʾān ("Pondering over the Qurʾān"), which made use of his late teacher Mawlānā Ḥamīduddīn Farāhī's (1863-1930) scholarship on the idea of thematic and structural coherence in Qurʾān. Referring to the verse 256 in chapter 2 of the Qurʾān, Iṣlāḥī is fully aware of the tendency for confused Muslims throughout the ages of using the notion of "there is no compulsion in religion" in making the religion of Islām conform to their fancy, whims and desires: "Some people unfortunately take this verse away from this sense and try to use it for rejecting all legal constraints. They argue that since there is no compulsion in Islām, any attempts to invoke punishments for certain acts are invalid in Islām and are, moreover, mere fabrications on the part of 'mullahs' (note: Muslim scholar title that is widely used in India and Pakistan). If this line of argument is accepted as valid, it would mean that the Islamic Sharīʿah (i.e. Law) is without any prescribed punishments and penalties and that it allows people to behave and act as they please without imposing any restrains on them." (pg. 601-602. Iṣlāḥī, Amīn Aḥsan, Tadabbur-e-Qurʾān, "Pondering over the Qurʾān", trans. Mohammad Saleem Kayani, Kuala Lumpur: IBT, 2007) Iṣlāḥī further explains such understanding is totally unfounded in Islamic tradition: "This is a fallacious argument, because we all know that Islām has a whole system and a penal code of its own, the implementation of which is a most important and basic Islamic obligation. An Islamic government can punish a Muslim if he fails to observe Prayer (note: especially the obligatory communal Friday prayer for men) or fasting. And this does not at all contravene the principle that "there is no compulsion in religion". Undoubtedly, Islām does not sanction the use of any compulsion to convert others. At the same time, however, it does not allow anyone entering its fold to behave in any manner they fancy without being questioned or held accountable for their conduct." (pg. 602. Iṣlāḥī, Amīn Aḥsan, Tadabbur-e-Qurʾān, "Pondering over the Qurʾān", trans. Mohammad Saleem Kayani, Kuala Lumpur: IBT, 2007) This observation by Iṣlāḥī is not a mere theoretical exegesis but can be further corroborated with ample historical evidences on the real practices of the Muslim throughout the ages – especially in the past where Islamic government was firmly established. This legal injunction of delivering and maintaining religious practices falls under the rubric of maintaining public duties in Islām or technically called "Ḥisba". Such acts that falls under the rubric of ḥisba has strong Qurʿānic bases (Q3:104, Q3:110, Q3:114, Q7:157, Q9:71, Q9:112, Q22:41, Q31:17) and is considered to be one of the most important tenets after the Five Pillars of Islām (arkān al-Islām) and Six Pillars of Faith (arkān al-Imān) in Islām which is called "enjoining good and forbidding evil" (al-amr bi'l-maʿrūf wa'l-nahy ʿan al-munkar). It is safer for us not to digress from our real discussion above on the issue of "there is no compulsion in religion". For thorough reading on ḥisba, please refer to Muhtar Holland's "Public Duties in Islam" (Leicester: Islamic Foundation, 1982) a translation of a legal treatise entitled al-Ḥisba fī al-Islām by the famed Muslim jurist of 13th century – Taqī al-Dīn Ibn Taymīyah. Alas suffice here for us to be really aware that interpretations made on the discussed verse "there is no compulsion in religion" by certain quarters of the confused Muslim is not as simple as they think, especially when it comes to really grasping the understanding of a particular verse in relation to other preceding and posterior verses, what more reading that particular verse in the light of the gestalt of Qurʾān where the dictum "the whole is larger than the sum of its part" rings louder than any kind of book ever existed in the history of man – be it religious or secular. If we want to understand Qur'ān correctly, one must resort to various other analytical tools not just limiting it to plain-dry modern notions of "analysis" that dicing things out beforehand in order to examine and arrive at the crux of the matter. Some of the analytical tools that are firmly established since day immemorial of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) resided in the science of interpretation (tafsīr) of Qurʾān. Such analytical and exegetical devices, the likes of the reasons of revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl) and abrogations (nasikh wa al-mansūkh) are strictly unique in the religion of Islām. Those devices (some became science of itself, e.g. ʿilm al-rijāl - knowledge on evaluating the credibility of narrators of the hadīth) have been laboriously refined by Muslim scholars via countless numbers of commentaries (shurūh, sing. sharḥ), super-commentaries and glosses (ḥawāshī, sing. ḥāshīah) and the findings have been infused into many other Islamic sciences notably jurisprudence (fiqh). That is why the learned scholar of Islām, Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas keeps emphasizing that the science of tafsīr is based on established knowledge not conjecture and it is not the same as hermeneutics; which means only the competent – not just among the lay Muslims but moreover among the Learned Muslim (ʿulamāʾ) whom themselves have mastered various branches of Islamic sciences – have the rights to deliver their interpretation upon such verses, especially on the subject of this discussion that falls under one of the most basic tenets of faith (imān) and deemed to be unclear to many especially in these modern times. It is best for all Muslims especially the confused lot to pay heed to Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him!) saying (ḥadīth) – which is the second most important source of knowledge in Islamic sciences after Qur'ān – as narrated by al-Bayhaqī: "This knowledge (the religious) will be held in every generation by those who are just (meaning – the Learned [ʿulamāʾ]) and they shall protect it against the falsification of the extremists (taḥrīf al-ghālīn), the fabrication of the deceivers (intiḥāl al-mubṭilīn) and the misinterpretation of the ignorant (taʾwīl al-jāhilīn). If the confused Muslims keep railing about this despite umpteenth times being censured by authoritative Muslim scholars on their reckless and half-truths (which is more dangerous than plain error!) interpretations, then they are no better than the extremists who took the verse: "kill the idolaters wherever you find them" (Q9:5) by decontextualizing and accepting it based on mere face value in order to justify their anger and the continuance of their act of manslaughter in the name of religion (God forbid!). Indeed, if they continue to affirm and latch upon errors without having any thought to relinquish them and seeking the truth of the matter through proper ways and means – as explained above – they will go astray from the consensus (ijmāʿ) of the Muslim scholars in matters of creed (ʿaqīdah) where there has never been disagreement and indulgence whatsoever in matters of distinguishing and affirming the truth from the error. Verily Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) has stated, as narrated by Ibn Majāh: "My Community shall never agree upon misguidance, therefore, if you see divergences, you must follow the overwhelming majority of Believers (al-sawwād al-āʿẓam)" The writer is a research fellow at Himpunan Keilmuan Muslim (HAKIM). He currently reads Islamic Thought and Civilization at Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilization (CASIS-UTM) as well a lecturer at Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor (KUIS).

Bruno Manser Fund takes Malaysian money-laundering case to the Swiss Federal Criminal Court Posted: 11 Nov 2012 12:46 PM PST   The Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) and 255 Malaysian citizens ask to be admitted as private plaintiffs to an ongoing money-laundering case against Swiss bank UBS – Malaysian government and judiciary accused of "state failure" and "collusion" with UBS customers Musa bin Aman and Michael Chia (BELLINZONA, SWITZERLAND) Swiss NGO, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), and 255 citizens from the Malaysian state of Sabah are asking the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona to be admitted as private plaintiffs in an ongoing criminal case against Swiss bank UBS. The case has been opened by the Swiss Attorney General on 29 August 2012, following a criminal complaint by the Bruno Manser Fund. UBS is accused of having laundered over 90 million US dollars on behalf of Musa bin Aman, Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Sabah, and his nominee Michael Chia.   Musa bin Aman is accused of having raised these funds illegally from local businessmen in return for granting logging concessions and timber export permits. The rainforests in the East Malaysian state of Sabah, located on the island of Borneo, are one of the world's biodiversity centers. They have been gravely damaged by excessive logging and the massive conversion of forests into oil palm plantations.   On 26 October 2012, the Swiss Attorney General ruled that BMF should be excluded from the ongoing UBS/Musa case as the NGO had not been directly damaged by the bank's laundering of Malaysian timber corruption proceeds through UBS accounts in Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich. "State failure" and "collusion" of Malaysia's highest authorities   In a complaint lodged last week by the Bruno Manser Fund against the Attorney General's decision, the NGO argues it should be admitted as a plaintiff to the case in order to represent 255 citizens from Sabah and the Malaysian public. The NGO's lawyers are arguing that the Malaysian authorities, who would have had the right to be heard in the case, are „incapable of action" in the matter due to „state failure" and „collusion" of the country's highest political representatives and its judiciary with the alleged money-launderers. Due to the authorities' failure to represent the interest of the Malaysian public, BMF and Malaysian citizens represented by the NGO should be admitted as plaintiffs to the case in order to guarantee fair procedures.   BMF's submission to the Swiss Federal Criminal Court underlines that Malaysia's de-facto law minister, Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, stated in Parliament in Kuala Lumpur that UBS customer and suspected money-launderer Michael Chia was carrying 13 million Singapore dollars in donations for Sabah UMNO, Malaysia's ruling party, and that Mr. Nazri's son is driving a car registered under the name of Michael Chia.   Furthermore, the Swiss court has been made aware of the fact that UBS customer and suspected money-launderer, Musa bin Aman, is the brother of the Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah bin Aman, and that Musa's wife is a relative of the wife of Malaysia's Attorney General, Abdul Gani Patail. „Therefore, Musa bin Aman is not only the dominant political player in Sabah but also enjoys protection from the highest political and judicial authorities in autocratically-ruled Malaysia", the complaint concludes.   It is expected that the Swiss court will decide on the admission of BMF and the private plaintiffs from Sabah to the case within two to three months.   Under Switzerland's tough anti-money-laundering laws, it is forbidden for Swiss companies to be involved in corruption and money-laundering in their worldwide operations. However, only rarely have companies been held responsible for such crimes.

‘Pembawa obor’ PKR enggan bertanding pilihan raya Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:18 AM PST (TMI) -- Presiden PKR Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail tidak berminat untuk bertanding dalam pilihan raya umum (PRU) akan datang mengatakan beliau mahu menghabiskan masa berkempen untuk Pakatan Rakyat (PR) daripada untuk dirinya sendiri.   Bekas ahli parlimen Permatang Pauh selama dua penggal itu tidak boleh bertanding di kerusi parlimen selama lima tahun di bawah undang-undang selepas meletakkan jawatan bagi memberi laluan kepada suaminya, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kembali ke parlimen.  Akan tetapi beliau masih lagi layak untuk bertanding di kerusi dewan undangan negeri (Dun) sama ada di Pulau Pinang, tempat beliau mendaftar sebagai pengundi atau Selangor dimana beliau menetap sekarang. "Saya mahu bebas berkempen di semua tempat," Dr Wan Azizah memberitahu The Malaysian Insider dalam sebuah temubual eksklusif baru-baru ini. "Jika saya bertanding, saya akan terhad kepada kawasan saya," tambah beliau, jika dipilih, beliau mahu komited sebaik mungkin untuk memenuhi harapan pengundi, yang memerlukan beliau untuk terus berhubung dengan penduduk di satu kawasan berbanding dengan asas lebih besar di peringkat kebangsaan. Dr Wan Azizah telah menggepalai parti berbilang kaum tersebut semenjak penubuhannya pada tahun 1999 selepas pemecatan suaminya daripada jawatan timbalan perdana menteri dan pernah berperanan sebagai ketua pembangkang. Beliau bertanding bagi pihak suaminya di kubu kuat keluarga di Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang dalam pilihan raya 1999 dan berjaya mempertahankannya dalam kedua-dua pilihan raya berikutnya sebelum memilih untuk meletakkan jawatan. PKR Selangor telah menawarkan empat "kerusi Dun selamat" kepada beliau — Kota Anggerik, Seri Muda, Seri Setia dan Sementa. Sejak berhenti sebagai ketua pembangkang Parlimen - jawatan disandang selama lima bulan — Dr Wan Azizah mengambil tempat duduk belakang dalam politik, menjadi pemimpin parti politik yang hanya muncul di khalayak ramai apabila diperlukan. Beliau mengeluarkan kenyataan sebagai presiden parti biasanya semasa musim perayaan atau di persidangan parti dan mengenai isu-isu yang membangkitkan kemarahan orang ramai, seperti kenaikan kadar jenayah di seluruh negara. Tidak seperti rakan-rakan politik lelaki lain, Dr wan Azizah tidak ragu-ragu menjadi pemain dibelakang tabir dalam politik. Malahan beliau gembira dengan peranan tersebut. "Saya telah sentiasa dilihat diri saya sebagai membantu dari belakang tabir. Saya masih pembawa obor dalam erti kata itu. "Saya fikir saya masih dikenali sebagai Keadilan," kata nenek yang akan berusia 60 tahun bulan hadapan. Tetapi beliau mengakui bahawa pilihan untuk bertanding atau tidak, tidak lagi di tangannya jika parti beliau dan pakatan pembangkang PR membuat kemajuan sebenar dalam usaha untuk merampas kawalan Putrajaya dari gabungan Barisan Nasional (BN). "Saya pernah bertanding dalam pilihan raya sebelum ini. Ia bukanlah sesuatu yang boleh diambil mudah," katanya. Pilihan raya umum ke 13 — yang perlu diadakan pada April depan selepas mandat BN tamat — akan menjadi pilihan raya terhebat untuk merampas kuasa di peringkat federal, kata Dr Wan Azizah. Dalam pemerhatian beliau, pengundi sudah lebih arif dalam tempoh empat tahun lepas dan pembangkang tidak lagi boleh bergantung kepada rasa tidak puas hati pengundi terhadap BN untuk mendapatkan sokongan ke arah PR. "Sekarang, kita mahu mengetahui dengan lebih lanjut tentang siapa yang akan mewakili kami. "Rakyat Malaysia sudah bersedia untuk berubah dan kita perlu tawarkan itu," katanya.

Najib says has Indians’ best interest at heart Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:12 AM PST (TMI) -- Datuk Seri Najib Razak has assured the Indian community that the government would fully honour its hopes and trust and walk hand in hand to help realise its dreams and aspirations.   "We have been consistent in delivering on realistic and responsible promises made to the Indian community as we do not believe in promising the impossible just to gain power and popularity. "I sincerely believe that Malaysia's best times are ahead of us and to scale those great heights of progress and prosperity, we must all unite behind the vision of a just, fair and successful country. "As our transformation programmes begin to show results, we will ensure that every Malaysian, including Malaysian Indians, will have better incomes and importantly, a better quality of life for current and future generations," said the prime minister in his Deepavali message posted on his blog at 1Malaysia.com.my. Najib said all throughout this journey, the Indian community had played a pivotal role that all Malaysians recognised and cherished. "On the occasion of Deepavali this year, I take the opportunity to thank the Indian community for their selfless contribution towards building a safe, peaceful and prosperous Malaysia," he added. The prime minister said while the Indian community fully participated in nation building since independence, it also faced many challenges, especially as they adjusted to life in towns and cities throughout the country. "I am well aware of the problems the Indian community has and is facing, and that is precisely why the government has implemented many specific measures to address problems specifically faced by the Indian community. "In the last three and a half years, we have executed various new and innovative approaches towards resolving longstanding legacy problems faced by the Indian community. "This has resulted in real and positive impacts on Indian families nationwide. Many major challenges in various sectors involving the Indian community have received the attention of the government," he said. Najib said the celebration of Deepavali, which signifies the victory of light over darkness, most fittingly reflects the journey of our multiracial diverse country over the last 55 years. "Our journey from Merdeka to where we are now as a major developing nation on course to becoming a high-income developed nation by 2020 has indeed seen us overcome many obstacles to reach our objectives. "Our forefathers, and the generations that followed them, have worked together as one in fighting against the darkness and the challenges that faced our shared nation so that all Malaysians may enjoy better lives," he said. The prime minister said the government's transformation initiatives and efforts to uplift the Indian community would not have been successful without the trust or "nambikei" between the Government and the people. "Through this partnership which centred on mutual understanding and hard work, we have together brought the light of hope to families and individuals, enabling them to live better and happier lives. "The continued 'nambikei' between the government and the Indian community will empower the government to continuously bring growth and progress to the community. "This will be done through various focused initiatives that will ensure our assistance and services reaches every Indian in Malaysia that needs some help to stand on their own two feet," said Najib. The prime minister said to achieve all shared ambitions for the Indian community, all quarters must realise that they still have a lot of work to do together. "I can't do this alone and only with the support and trust of the Indian community, and all other communities, can we make this journey of transformation a meaningful and successful one," he said. — Bernama

Stemming the incoherence of misguided Muslim pundits Posted: 11 Nov 2012 12:25 AM PST Indeed, it is most peculiar while Muslim pundits especially in IRF and SIS prefer to chastise people for not looking at the context of the verse but in this case, it is they who remain blind to the context. If we allow the promissory note for such literal interpretation of the verse devoid of scholarly consensus and right guidance, then there would be nothing left to prevent the likes of fanatics, demagogues and even militant extremists from appropriating Islām in order to justify atrocities and perpetuate even further injustices.  Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil, Muhammad Syukri Rosli and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal  We are gravely concerned with the recent development in the aftermath of forum "Islamic State: Which version? Whose responsibility?" which was held at Full Gospel Tabernacle. It is truly shameful that the affairs of Muslims were being discussed without the guidance of scholars of Islām possessing true and correct knowledge of the religion. What is even more disconcerting is that the so-called representatives who were invited to speak on behalf of Islām at the forum appeared to be allow their political expediency to colour the content and tone of their presentation. How can one even be sure that they are speaking earnestly and truthfully on behalf of Islām? To begin, let us return to the original controversial statement made by a certain politician at the forum pertaining to religious freedom and Islam as recorded in the transcript produced after the event: Nurul Izzah: Yes, umm, but the idea itself, I think, goes back. And when you ask me, there is no compulsion in religion, even Dr (Ahmad) Farouk (Musa) quoted that verse in the Quran. How can you ask me or anyone, how can anyone really say, 'Sorry, this only apply to non-Malays.' It has to apply equally… apply equally. The audience applauds. Nurul Izzah: In the Quran, there is no specific terms for the Malays. This is how it should be done. So I am tied, of course, to the prevailing views but I would say that. - Transcript produced by Malaysiakini Before we delve into the merits of her statement, let us address the oft-repeated defence made on her behalf that she was unfairly and grossly misquoted by a biased press as part of a widespread 'smear campaign' against her. Our reply to this facile objection is that even if she was misquoted, one can view and read her actual recorded statements on YouTube without the mediation of a so-called biased press and thus come to one's own free judgment regarding what she has said and how she said what she said. Hence, to absolve oneself from passing correct judgment on the merits of what she has said on the excuse that she was misquoted by a biased press does not and cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged, especially if such a position is stubbornly held by those who make Islam their political raison d'etre. If such groups persist in holding on to such a position, then it represents a cover up of one's political bias and one-sidedness. Furthermore, a non-Muslim making ignorant statements about Islām may be excused on the basis of not himself being a Muslim and of being obstinate. Yet, a greater cause for concern is when a ignorant Muslim makes ambivalent declarations about the nature of Islām as a religion. With this in mind, we should ask the important question, which is worse: somebody making untrue statements about other people's religions, or somebody making indefensible and unsound statements about his or her own religion? In her effort to salvage the situation, Nurul Izzah brought up the following argument that she posted on her blog, "Namun ditambah, saya berpegang pada pendirian umum sedia ada, iaitu setelah memeluk Islam, seorang Muslim tertakluk dengan Syariat Islam; sebagaimana seorang warganegara tertakluk dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan." It is incorrect for Nurul Izzah to clarify her stand by equating, if not denigrating, a Muslim's being subject to the laws of Shari'ah with a citizen's being subject to the Federal Constitution. In fact, this betrays a categorical confusion on her part because from the Muslim understanding, Islām is the true revealed religion, and the affirmation of this fact has consequences both in this world and in the hereafter. In contrast, a legal document, which is man-made, is subject to societal conventions and has consequences only so long as the convention is observed and maintained. A citizen can willingly give up his or her citizenship and other rights accorded in the laws of a country. However, the case is different for the Muslim who is subjected and obligated to all aspects of the religion of Islām. Therefore, the implications of being a Muslim and the implications of citizenship are not the same. The kind of logical fallacy in which one equates between the two unequals indicates an error in the understanding of the proper definition of religion, specifically the nature of the religion of Islām. On the nature of religion as being more than just belief in the form of affirmation in the heart and utterance on the tongue, but followed by submission in the way prescribed and approved by God. The religion of Islām requires both belief (imān) and submission (islām) from its believers. Both are not identical, but they are mutually inseparable and indispensable, which means that one cannot do without the other (Qur'ān, 49:14). Thus, belief here is not in the sense we mean is to have "faith" as understood in English, but in the sense that it involves becoming true to the trust by which God has confided in on so it becomes verification (shahādah) by deeds in accordance to what is known to be the truth. Imān consists of three components; assent by the heart, verbal declaration and action in accordance with the principles of Islām (taṣdīq bi'l-qalb wa iqrar bi'l-lisān wa'l-'amal bi'l-arkān). Therefore, it is misleading to say that all that is demanded from a Muslim is simply for him to claim that he has strong belief, as though strong belief alone is sufficient to secure his commitment to the religion. Indeed, there has been a lot of misunderstanding over this particular point about the importance of belief, especially with regards to religion in general and Islām in particular. No doubt belief is important insofar as it serves as the starting point of any purposive action. But it does not follow that belief alone is enough. It is presumptuous to believe that one can simply will to be good, therefore one is good, and consequently, one ought to be recognised by others as being good. To take a simple example, if a person were to make a claim that he or she loves the mother, if his or her actions are not in conformity with that claim, then the claim is disproved. Furthermore, it is not enough for that person to simply set an intention that "I love my mother" if that is not followed up by correct and proper words or actions that verifies that belief. Rather, belief — as important as it is — is not a substitute for words and actions that conform and make manifest that belief. To put it simply, it is through correct action that one's belief is verified, actualised and acknowledged. Islam and other religions compared in terms of the Aqīdah and Sharīʿah. A clear and correct definition of religion is central to the resolution of this debate. Following upon what has been said about the concept of religion as understood and practiced in Islam, we may now proceed to further elaborate on this matter. The teachings of Islam do not accept other religions as being the same and equal to it and the Muslims do not have the authority to acknowledge other belief systems as such. Lest Muslims be accused of being exclusivists, we reply that the non-Muslims should not worry about the fact that the only religion accepted in the sight of God is Islam (Qur'ān, 3:19) since to believe in the Holy Qur'ān is not a basic tenet in their belief systems. Nevertheless, if one recognizes and accepts the argument in the Holy Qur'ān to be rationally sound and true, then one should not reject its definition and conception of religion. In Islām, "al-dīn" is understood as the proper and correct term to portray the definition and conception of religion. Since it has been proven that the Qur'anic language, with its systematic root words, is scientific in nature, one can determine the meaning of this particular word by analyzing its semantic field. One of the manifestation of the root word of "al-dīn" is "madīnah". For Muslim, "madīnah" has a profound epistemological role in the belief and practice of religion. It is the period when the belief of the religion of Islām (aqīdah) was actualized by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace!) who is the final Messenger of God for mankind. What was actualized during the time of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) constitutes the reality of religion (sharīʿah). What does compulsion and coercion mean? The Holy Qur'an enjoins the Muslims to invite others to the path of Islām with wisdom and good instruction, and if there arises an argument, the Muslims should argue with them in the best way or manner (Qur'ān: 16:125). "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things." [Qur'ān: 2:256] Since the verse above was revealed to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him), who himself is first and foremost a Muslim, it is only fitting that the way we look at the issue of compulsion in religion must be within the ambit of the worldview of Islām. In Islām, religion is an important matter because it is reflection of the Truth. From the authoritative exegesis of Prophet Muhammad's Companion - Ibn ʿAbbās, as collected by al-Fīrūzabādī (1329–1414) the phrase "there is no compulsion in religion" is understood to be referring upon people of the Book (Christians and Jews) and the Magians after the Arabs submitted themselves into Islām. The scholars of tafsīr clearly indicated that it is directed to non-Muslims and not Muslims as claimed by those who condone apostasy among Muslims. These views have found resonance in many authoritative tafāsīr and it has never been grossly misinterpreted in the way that is being peddled by certain groups – the likes of Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) and Sisters in Islam (SIS) – to suit their fanciful slogans of enlightenment and reason. Referring to the verse 256 in chapter 2 of the Qurʾān, the Muslim scholar and the celebrated author of Tadabbur-e-Qurʾān ("Pondering over the Qurʾān"), Shāykh Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī (1904-1997), was fully aware of the tendency for confused Muslim throughout the ages of using the notion of "there is no compulsion in religion" in making the religion of Islām conforms to their fancy whims and desires, and said: "Some people unfortunately take this verse away from this sense and try to use it for rejecting all legal constraints. They argue that since there is no compulsion in Islām, any attempts to invoke punishments for certain acts are invalid in Islām and are, moreover, mere fabrications on the part of 'mullahs' (note: Muslim scholar title that is widely used in India and Pakistan). If this line of argument is accepted as valid, it would mean that the Islamic Sharīʿah (i.e. Law) is without any prescribed punishments and penalties and that it allows people to behave and act as they please without imposing any restrains on them." What this clearly demonstrates is the ready awareness amongst the learned scholars of Islam regarding the susceptibility of this particular Qur'ānic verse to misrepresentation and misinterpretation in the hands of those who possess neither the prerequisite knowledge nor the proper training that befits a true scholar. It may also be added that this particular verse has barred the Muslim from committing transgressions and atrocities from committing tyrannical religious persecution and forced conversion that stain the history of Europe, the likes of the Spanish Inquisition which in the course of 100 years resulted in the expulsion, forced conversion and killing of over 500,000 Muslims. Indeed, it is most peculiar while Muslim pundits especially in IRF and SIS prefer to chastise people for not looking at the context of the verse but in this case, it is they who remain blind to the context. If we allow the promissory note for such literal interpretation of the verse devoid of scholarly consensus and right guidance, then there would be nothing left to prevent the likes of fanatics, demagogues and even militant extremists from appropriating Islām in order to justify atrocities and perpetuate even further injustices. Rather, such methodology of blind interpretation is characteristic of the Wahhabi ideology that has produced extremists in the past. All of us should heed well the warning by the Holy Prophet which can be found in the Six Books of authentic traditions (Sunan Sittah) of the danger of spiritual and intellectual blindness: "A people will come out at the end of times, immature, foolish and corrupt. They will hold the discourse of the best of creation and recite the Qur'ān, but it will not go past their throats. They will pass through religion the way an arrow passes through its quarry." Those who argue along the lines of half-baked understanding of the Qur'ānic verse often do not even bother to read the second part of the verse that makes clear the distinction between Truth and error. There is no sense in holding on to that verse if this distinction is only mentioned in briefly or outrightly dismissed without equally serious consideration. The religion of Islām makes clear its claim to Truth, and this is why its content is cognitive to the human mind. If this is not granted, then the Qur'ān which is meant for guidance for mankind becomes entirely pointless, just as it is pointless for a someone, after having been forewarned of a burning house acknowledges the guidance given but proceeds headlong to enter it anyway - that is just sheer stupidity on that person's part. Hence, change of religion is neither similar to change of clothes nor the change in appetite for certain foods. A Muslim begins his religious life with the firm certainty with regards to the truth of his religion as revealed in the Qur'ān. Consequently, it follows that the act of choosing falsehood after having been acquainted with truth and living with the truth is certainly something unreasonable and cannot be made reasonable. Anyone who makes conscious decision to leave the religion WILL leave the religion; yet the onus falls on the people who are in collusion in helping him or her leave the religion, without giving us the chance to look at the reasons for leaving in the first place, which is mainly rooted in misunderstandings and ignorance of the religion altogether. Due to the fact that imān also depends on the Muslim's actions in accordance to the principles and the truth of Islām, therefore it is not correct to assert that one's own aqīdah remains intact after having consented to or worse, having participated in securing the apostasy of another Muslim. Freedom as understood in Islam - is there such thing as the freedom to do wrong? Islām conceives freedom as "ikhtiyar", which stems from the word "khayr", meaning "good", implying true freedom is choosing the good instead of the bad, the better over the worse or the best between two alternatives. A person who is presented with a choice between what is good and what is bad and proceeds to choose the bad is not exercising real freedom. In truth, the person is trapped within his own ignorance, thus unable to make the right choice in choosing for the better, and in doing so, has committed a grave injustice to his or her own self and others. God's prohibition to Adam (upon be him be peace) not to approach the forbidden tree only makes sense if he possesses the capability to do so in the first place, which he clearly demonstrated. Thus, it is wrong to say that Adam was given the choice to sin. Similarly, God's prohibitions to man only makes sense if man has the capability to do so in the first place, again, which he clearly demonstrated in the course of history. It would make no sense to issue a prohibition against flying to say, a cat, knowing full well that a cat has not the capability to fly. Therefore the argument saying that God gives man the freedom to commit sin or to change religion is not only fallacious, but also absurd. Just to tie in the knot, within the same sūrah, we are told that Adam after having realized his mistake, repented to God and He accepted it (Qur'ān, 2:37). On action and lawful enforcement - the necessity of action - double standards between political action and intellectual in-action - a perverse notion of power. The according of special position to Islām in the Federal Constitution reflects the worldview of Islām that was present in the minds of people who drafted it. In accordance with the reality that Islām as not merely an official religion but the religion of the Federation -- for the Muslim it is akin to a person who has witnessed (shahādah) and professed the truth of Islām -- no one can claim his Islām, as an ideal, is perfect, rather it is submission (aslama) that must be continuously implemented from time to time in order to grow in the certainty of faith - admittedly as human beings we have our our falling short of performing our religious duties but there is always room for improvement. There is no denying that it is of utmost importance for Muslims to reflect the highest of morals and virtues of Islām in their words and actions; this is emphasized numerous times in the the Qur'ān without the needing the cries of religious modernists as though it was only now realized by the Muslim community. What is more important is our attitude upon finding out that the reality of Islām has been misinterpreted or distorted by people whose knowledge of religion does not come to the level that qualifies them to speak on Islām; is it reasonable to allow these misunderstanding and confusion run rampant without being admonished and refuted by those who are truly qualified? Indeed, courage is not merely proven just by being violent or contentious. However, courage should not be reduced to being overly gentle and apologetic, moreover when ignorance has become rampant. Courage in that situation requires firmness that is based on true knowledge. One can contemplate on the lines by Yeat:   "Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity." Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil, Muhammad Syukri Rosli and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal are Fellows in Himpunan Keilmuan Muslim (HAKIM)

Visualisation of the unseen Posted: 10 Nov 2012 08:15 PM PST What we 'see' today, therefore, are the creation of painters of 500-600 years ago who had a fertile mind and an unbridled imagination. They imagined all this in their brain and then transferred their thoughts to canvas and/or walls and ceilings. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin You have probably read the news of the 'appearance' of the Virgin Mary at the Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang Jaya a few days ago. I find it quite amusing that Christians all over the world have 'seen' Jesus Christ and/or his mother 'appear' from time to time. Actually, until about 500-600 years ago, Christians had no notion of what Jesus or Mary looked like. Then, during the Early Renaissance period in France from 1385-1520 and the High Renaissance period in Italy from 1475-1525, Christians began to visualise what they could not visualise before that. The people who can be attributed (or blamed) for this would be the Renaissance painters such as Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, Hieronymus Bosch, Jacobus de Voragine, etc. (about 70-80 in all from all over Europe). Some of their famous paintings are The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, Lamentation of Christ by Mantegna, Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo, The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden, Flagellation of Christ by Piero della Francesca, Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald, Melun Diptych (Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels) by Jean Fouquet, and so on. Basically, these painters of 500-600 years ago gave Christendom a visualisation of what God, Jesus, Mary, Satan, the Angels, etc., looked like. Before that there was no visualisation of what could be considered 'divine beings'. What we 'see' today, therefore, are the creation of painters of 500-600 years ago who had a fertile mind and an unbridled imagination. They imagined all this in their brain and then transferred their thoughts to canvas and/or walls and ceilings. Today, what we 'see' is what those people of 500-600 years ago 'saw'. But did they actually see all this or was this merely a figment of their imagination? I suppose my 'image' of Prophet Muhammad, King Arthur, Merlin the Magician, Robin Hood, etc., would be as accurate as those Renaissance painters of 500-600 years ago. If I was a painter (and I am not) and I was commissioned by the church to paint the walls and ceilings of cathedrals and churches, I would probably use the images below as my guide. The Virgin Mary would look like a woman from her region and not like a Hollywood actress while Jesus would not be a tall, handsome, blue-eyed, blonde man but someone like Yasser Arafat, as he would most likely have looked like. The mind is a very powerful thing and you can certainly be made to see what does not exist if you can condition the mind with centuries of brainwashing. I wonder how many of those painters were actually atheists who did not believe in God. Yet they could influence us into seeing what they themselves did not believe in. ********************************************* Virgin Mary image draws Catholics to hospital (The Malaysian Insider) - Catholic Malaysians have been flocking to the Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang Jaya to catch a glimpse of an image that has appeared on one of its windows said to resemble the image of the Virgin Mary, The Sunday Star reported today. The mysterious image of the figure revered by Catholics who believe Mary to be the mother of Jesus Christ was reported to have been spotted a few days ago on a window pane at the hospital. The image has been captured on camera and spread on Facebook. Yesterday, a group largely composed of Catholics visited the medical centre and sung hymns and prayed before the image. "It is so wonderful that our Mother has come to us in a hospital, where many of the sick are crying out for her help," Janet Tong, 45, told the English-language newspaper. Sheree Rao, a businessman who was present at the hospital, reportedly said the image could not be seen from the inside of the window. "I touched the glass, thinking it could be paint or something else. But there was nothing,'' the 21-year-old was reported as saying. A 20-year-old student, Nicole Jo Pereira, said she thinks it's a sign for people to practise good deeds. The hospital authorities and the editor of the The Herald, Malaysia's sole Catholic newspaper have declined to give their comments, The Sunday Star reported. ********************************************* Awestruck by Virgin Mary image (The Star) - An image of what seems to be the Blessed Virgin Mary on a window at the Sime Darby Medical Centre (SDMC) here is drawing crowds. A large group of people, mostly Catholics, gathered below the area at the new wing of the hospital yesterday, lighting candles, singing hymns and reciting prayers. Traffic was heavy around the vicinity, with even tourist buses pulling up by the roadside. Secretary Janet Tong, 45, described the apparition as "amazing". "It is so wonderful that our Mother has come to us in a hospital, where many of the sick are crying out for her help," she said. Several claimed the colour and position of the image also changed. Businessman Sheree Rao, 21, who went up inside to get a close look at the window, said the image was only visible from the outside. "I touched the glass, thinking it could be paint or something else. But there was nothing,'' he added. Student Nicole Jo Pereira, 20, said she believed the image was a call for people to do good deeds. Teacher Kenneth Fong, 27, said he was sure of an image on the window. "But whether it's from God, I don't know." Photographs of the image, believed to have appeared several days ago, have gone viral on Facebook. Access to the window from inside the building has been restricted by the hospital. A hospital official declined to comment on the matter. Catholic newsletter The Herald editor Rev Father Lawrence Andrew said the Catholic Church would withhold official comment until the image had been tested and verified by theologians and church authorities. Catholics believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus Christ, is the Mother of God. ********************************************* Did the Virgin Mary look like the above or the below? ********************************************* Yasser Arafat in the 1940s (above) and later in life (below)

MIC snubs Najib-Hindraf talk Posted: 10 Nov 2012 07:29 PM PST Denying that Najib has lost confidence in MIC, Palanivel claims that the people are returning to MIC's fold.  Leven Woon, FMT MIC president G Palanivel was today left unimpressed that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has bypassed his party to approach harsh government critic Hindraf on a talk of issues plaguing the Indian community. He also shunned the idea that such talk was a sign of the premier's deteriorating confidence on MIC. "Let it be within the PM and Hindraf. I don't worry about (PM's) confidence, MIC's support has increased a lot among the public. "I don't worry what the Hindraf and PM are talking about. I am not going to interfere," he said when met by reporters after a Deepavali celebration here today. Palanivel's comment came amid an announcement made by Minister of Prime Minister Department Nazri Abdul Aziz on Wednesday that Najib has invited Hindraf and other Indian groups for a discussion. Yesterday, Hindraf cast aspersions on the sincerity of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's invitation, saying that it could be related to the general election. However it was willing to talk to the government for the sake of the Indian community. Keeping mum on Batu Caves project Meanwhile, the MIC president dodged questions on the 29-storey condominium project near Batu Caves Hindu temple, two weeks after Pakatan Rakyat leaders showed evidence that MIC councillors were involved in approving the project in 2007. READ MORE HERE

Gejala Melayu murtad sangat mengkhuatirkan Posted: 10 Nov 2012 07:20 PM PST "Kita boleh menegaskan bahawa orang Islam tidak boleh murtad mengikut hukum Islam tanpa dikenakan hukuman mengikut syariat Islam akan tetapi untuk selesa dengan hanya takrifan Perlembagaan mengenai definisi orang Melayu adalah berugama Islam adalah dangkal," kata Setiausaha Agung Mapim, Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid. (Harakah) - Sepatutnya kedudukan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu, walaupun mempunyai takrif yang tersendiri di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan namun ia tidak boleh memberi jaminan bahawa orang Melayu secara hakikatnya boleh kekal keislamannya. "Kita boleh menegaskan bahawa orang Islam tidak boleh murtad mengikut hukum Islam tanpa dikenakan hukuman mengikut syariat Islam akan tetapi untuk selesa dengan hanya takrifan Perlembagaan mengenai definisi orang Melayu adalah berugama Islam adalah dangkal," kata Setiausaha Agung Mapim, Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid (gambar) dalam satu kenyataan. Kenyataan penuh seperti di bawah. Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Mapim) kesal dengan tabiat meraih 'kesempatan politik' (political mileage) dalam budaya politik di Malaysia. Dalam hampir semua tutur kata, ahli politik mengambil kesempatan untuk menyerang musuh politik walaupun maklumat yang sahih belum lagi diperolehi. Cukup hanya melalui laporan akhbar, sudah memadai seluruh jentera media diguna untuk melancarkan kempen memburukkan imej seseorang yang menjadi musuh politik. Tidak cukup dengan itu agensi keselamatan juga diperalat untuk memberi tekanan kepada pihak yang dituduh. Pemimpin politik pula bergegas mahu memberi komen tanpa menunggu maklumat sepenuhnya dan tanpa bersedia mendapat penjelasan dari yang dituduh. Malang sekali pemimpin politik yang mahu mencuri peluang menghentam lawan juga menunjukkan tahap pemikiran rendah dan murah bila memberi komentar sangat dangkal dan sarat dengan prejudis politik yang memualkan. Inilah yang kami perhatikan di kalangan kumpulan yang terlalu obses dengan  politik sehingga seluruh jentera,  tenaga dan fikiran tertumpu kepada kepentingan politik dan bukan kepentingan umat dalam ertikata yang sebenar. Politik di Malaysia nampaknya bukan lagi suatu aspek kehidupan yang bertujuan mengatur urustadbir dan membangun negara akan tetapi sudah menjadi suatu pertarungan, permainan dan percaturan yang sangat hodoh apabila aktor politik menyerang lawan dengan apa sahaja cara hatta menyebar maklumat palsu dan fitnah. Media pencatur dan pencacar politik kian menonjolkan peranan menyebar fitnah tidak kira sama ada maklumat yang disebar itu betul atau di sebaliknya. Matlamatnya hanya satu. Rosakkan imej lawan atau paling tidak imej seorang musuh politik sekurangnya dapat dicalarkan. Itu sudah dianggap memadai untuk menjatuhnya. Walaupun ia termasuk menyebar fitnah. Kini sentimen yang cepat dimanipulasi ialah sentimen agama kerana ia dianggap paling sensitif kepada orang-orang Melayu Islam. Pada hal matlamat yang tersirat bukan mahu membela Islam akan tetapi hanya untuk meraih peluang menghentam musuh politik. Semua sudah sangat maklum betapa kerosakan agama sudah menjadi parah bukan sekarang akan tetapi sudah sedemikian lama. Soal orang Islam rosak aqidah pernah berkali-kali diungkap dalam pelbagai ceramah dan kuliah oleh para ulama. Namun pihak berkuasa tidak mempedulikan perkembangan yang berlaku sehingga kini keadaan menjadi sangat parah. Sekarang apa yang sepatutnya menjadi tumpuan ialah bagaimana dengan ujudnya berbagai agensi agama yang punya kuasa yang diperundangkan, kedudukan Islam dan perlaksanaan hukumnya dapat dilaksanakan dengan berkesan. Sementara itu juga harus diberi perhatian  bagaimana program pendidikan dan dakwah perlu  diperkukuhkan. Sebab itu bila pernyataan diungkap mengenai status Islam di kalangan orang Melayu, seharusnya yang perlu diberi tumpuan ialah bagaimana orang Melayu dapat mengatasi gejala terhakis keIslaman  mereka. Di samping itu juga ditumpukan apa yang perlu digerakkan untuk menyelamatkan pegangan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu. Semua pihak harus mengelak diri dari menjadikan ia sebagai polimik politik dan saling menuduh, jauh sekali dijadi modal politik  dengan meletakkan kepentingan politik kelompok lebih utama dari kepentingan Islam itu sendiri. Sepatutnya kedudukan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu, walaupun mempunyai takrif yang tersendiri di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan namun ia tidak boleh memberi jaminan bahawa orang Melayu secara hakikatnya boleh kekal keislamannya. Kita boleh menegaskan bahawa orang Islam tidak boleh murtad mengikut hukum Islam tanpa dikenakan hukuman mengikut syariat Islam akan tetapi untuk selesa dengan hanya takrifan Perlembagaan mengenai definisi orang Melayu adalah berugama Islam adalah dangkal. Tidak dapat dinafikan betapa gejala orang Melayu sudah longgar pegangannya kepada Islam kini sangat mengkhuatirkan. Secara umum gejala murtad bukan suatu perkara yang dapat dinafikan sama ada diisytiharkan secara rasmi atau tidak. Oleh itu polemik mengenainya tidak seharusnya hanya tertumpu kepada persoalan undang-undang semata-mata tetapi juga kepada usaha yang berkesan untuk mendidik orang Melayu khasnya dan masyarakat Islam amnya mengenai bagaimana mengujudkan kehidupan Islamiyyah dalam semua aspek. Kami dapati kini isu kebebasan beragama tersasar jauh dari apa yang sepatutnya dibincangkan. Sementara kita menegaskan bahawa orang Melayu tidak boleh bebas murtad dan boleh pilih agama lain, kini isunya terheret dalam arena pertarungan politik  bukan untuk menyelesaikan bagaimana hendak memulihkan orang Melayu yang telah mengisytiharkan diri keluar dari agama Islam. Kami sangat kesal isu ini berlarutan dibincangkantidak bertujuan untuk menangani isu melaksanakan apa yang sepatutnya untuk memulihkan pegangan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu tetapi menyerang lawan politik di luar batas kebenaran. Padahal yang jelas menghina hukum hudud pula dilepaskan hanya kerana beliau berada dalam kem politik yang sama. Lebih malang lagi kami mendapati ada pula ahli agama menjadi jurucakap bagi pihak beliau untuk mengesahkan bahawa pernyataan beliau tidak salah akan tetapi disalahertikan. Kami menuntut agar semua pihak menghentikan perdebatan yang merugikan Islam dan umat Islam sendiri. Pihak agensi agama Islam yang berwewenang hendaklah memperbetulkan persepsi orang bukan Islam terhadap Islam dan bekerja keras untuk mengangkat martabat Islam secara murni  bukan hanya dengan mewujudkan program yang bersifat kosmetik.

The Malays must wake up konon Posted: 10 Nov 2012 06:30 PM PST   The Malays must wake up konon! Podah! Everything wrong with Malaysia is the fault of the Malays. The non-Malays are mere victims. You buggers deserve to be victims and I hope you will remain victims for another 100 years for your sin of being traitors to the cause back in the 1980s that allowed the country to decline to its present level and for allowing Umno to rule for 55 years. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin I have not written anything over the last two days because Mat Sabu and another PAS leader from Melaka were visiting me in Manchester so I was quite tied up. I must admit that we had a most interesting two days discussing current issues affecting Malaysia, in particular about politics and matters related to politics. Anyhow, all I can say is that Mat Sabu and I share the same views on practically most of the issues. I don't think I need to go into details about what we spoke, though, or else this article is going to run into ten pages. Furthermore, my opinions have already been clearly expressed in the numerous articles I have written over these last 20 years or so since I started writing about politics back in the early 1990s. What I want to address today is the 'favourite' comment many readers have posted in Malaysia Today over the last four years since 2008. And this comment is: the non-Malays have already woken up. When are the Malays going to wake up? These readers are, of course, referring to the March 2008 'Tsunami' where 50% of the Malays voted opposition while the figure for the Chinese and Indians was much higher -- an estimated 70% plus and 80% plus respectively. Many argue that in the coming general it is going to be higher for the Chinese -- maybe more than 80% -- while for the Malays it may remain at 50% or even decline to below 50%. They do not talk too much about the Indians, though, but it is estimated that this time around the Indian vote for the opposition may fall to just 50% or less. It is puzzling as to why you say it is the Malays who need to wake up. The Malays had already woken up back in the late 1980s. And that was 25 years ago. When the Registrar of Societies deregistered Umno in 1988 and two new Malay parties were formed in its place -- Umno Baru and Semangat 46 -- the Malays became divided and have remained divided ever since. In the 1990 General Election two years later, Kelantan fell to the opposition and has remained opposition ever since. The PAS-Semangat 46 coalition called APU (Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah) also captured many seats in Terengganu, although not enough to take the state. Unfortunately, the other two coalitions that Semangat 46 had with the non-Malay political parties -- with DAP on the West Coast (called Gagasan Rakyat) and with PBS in Sabah -- did not do as well as APU. While the Malays voted opposition, the non-Malays on the West Coast and those in East Malaysia refused to do the same. Hence the opposition dream of kicking out Umno and Barisan Nasional and of taking power at federal level was shattered. In the end it became a Malay dream and not a Malaysian dream. Since Umno had been deregistered (Umno no longer existed), MCA had to take over the leadership of Barisan Nasional and the MCA President took over as the Chairman of Barisan Nasional. By right, although not by law, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was now 'partyless' and an independent Member of Parliament should have resigned as the Prime Minister and the MCA President, who was now the Chairman of Barisan Nasional, should have taken over as the new Prime Minister. But Barisan Nasional (meaning the non-Malays) did not do this. They allowed Dr Mahathir, a man without a party and hence with no majority in Parliament, to remain as Prime Minister. In that sense, even Ibrahim Ali or Zul Nordin (who both also have no party) can become the Prime Minister of Malaysia -- going by what they did 25 years ago in the late 1980s. We Malays were very disappointed with the non-Malays in both West and East Malaysia. Dr Mahathir should have been kicked out. Umno no longer existed and Dr Mahathir was no longer the leader of the largest party in Parliament. Dr Mahathir was now merely a calun bebas. Why was he still the Prime Minister? And why were the non-Malays still retaining him as Prime Minister when the majority of the Malays wanted him out. Umno Baru was then formed. Technically, however, it was still an independent party and not a member of Barisan Nasional. Barisan Nasional then called for an emergency meeting, chaired by the President of MCA. No one from Umno (Baru) attended the meeting. At this emergency meeting, it was UNANIMOUSLY agreed (with not a single dissenting voice) that Umno Baru be admitted as a member of Barisan Nasional (not READMITTED but ADMITTED, because Umno no longer existed and Umno Baru was a brand new party). It was also UNANIMOUSLY agreed (with not a single dissenting voice) that Dr Mahathir be invited to take over as the new Chairman of Barisan Nasional. I was there that day (standing outside the meeting room, of course, since I was not a leader of Barisan Nasional and hence could not be inside the meeting room). We were anxiously expecting at least one member of Barisan Nasional to vote against admitting a 'new party' into Barisan Nasional -- and hence Dr Mahathir would have to resign as the Prime Minister and the new Chairman of Barisan Nasional, who was also the President of MCA, would take over as Prime Minister. I was very angry that day. The Malays had made their move. We were going to be rid of Umno and Dr Mahathir. But the non-Malays sold us out. The non-Malays betrayed us. From that day on we realised that the non-Malays cannot be trusted to change the country. We Malays are on our own and will have to do it ourselves. Ten years later, we had our second chance. This time it was because of the conflict between Anwar Ibrahim and Dr Mahathir. In the 1999 General Election we did better than in the 1990 General Election. Not only did the opposition retain Kelantan (without the help of Semangat 46 this time, mind you, since that party had closed down and most of its members had rejoined Umno) but it also won Terengganu after 25 years of trying (since 1974). Furthermore, the opposition won 8 out of the 15 Parliament seats in Kedah (more than half) plus it managed to deny Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in the Kedah State Assembly (which happened exactly one year later in the Lunas by-election). That was a new landmark for the opposition. Unfortunately, all this happened in the Malay heartland of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah. In those constituencies where the Malays do not represent 90% or more of the voters, Barisan Nasional still ruled. In fact, any constituency where the Malay voters are less than 80% it was quite impossible for the opposition to win. No doubt, in constituencies where the voters are predominantly Chinese and the candidate is a Chinese from DAP, then there is a strong possibility that DAP can win that seat. But this was the exception rather than the rule -- sometimes even the top guns of DAP suffered defeat because the Chinese voters rejected them. In 2008 that all changed, of course. But whether this change is permanent or temporary is left to be seen -- and we shall know soon, come the next general election. But what perturbs me is that the Malays have been struggling to see change for about 25 years now. But we failed to see change because of the recalcitrant Chinese and Indians, and those from East Malaysia. No doubt, in 2008, more than half the Chinese and Indians from West Malaysia voted opposition while only 50% of the Malays did so. But the Malays have been divided between Barisan Nasional and the opposition since the 1980s. The Chinese and Indians from West Malaysia have only just woken up very recently (while those from East Malaysia are still sleeping). Hence I can't understand why the Chinese (and some Indians) keep asking the Malays to wake up. Can't they understand that the Malays already woke up a long time ago? The Chinese and Indians (and even then only those from West Malaysia, mind you) woke up only very recently. If they had woken up 25 years ago like the Malays had, Dr Mahathir would have ruled Malaysia for only 7 years and not 22 years and Umno would have been in power for only 30 years and not 55 years. So what's all this nonsense about 'ABU' and '55 years is enough' and 'the Malays must wake up' all that shit? We have seen 55 years of Umno rule and we need an ABU movement because of the treacherous Chinese and Indians from West Malaysia and those non-Malays from East Malaysia. And, today, you blame the Malays and scream that it is time that the Malay woke up. What crap is this? And stop giving the excuse that the non-Malays had no choice. Stop saying that back in the late 1980s if MCA had refused to allow Umno Baru to become a member of Barisan Nasional and had refused to allow Dr Mahathir to remain as Prime Minister the army would have stepped in -- hence the Chinese and Indians and those from East Malaysia were forced to do what they did. Are you saying that the army has already been disbanded? Are you saying that only in the late 1980s Malaysia had an army and today we no longer have an army? That is utter bullshit and a bloody lame excuse. If you could not change the government in the 1980s because of the army then what makes you think you can change the government today when we still have an army? Would you accept the excuse that the Malays have no choice but to vote Umno because if Pakatan Rakyat takes over then apostasy would be allowed and Muslims will leave Islam in droves to become Christians? I think this is as legitimate an excuse as the one that the non-Malays are giving as to why they did what they did 25 years ago back in the late 1980s. The Malays must wake up konon! Podah! Everything wrong with Malaysia is the fault of the Malays. The non-Malays are mere victims. You buggers deserve to be victims and I hope you will remain victims for another 100 years for your sin of being traitors to the cause back in the 1980s that allowed the country to decline to its present level and for allowing Umno to rule for 55 years. Let me assure you I have already woken up. 35 years ago back in the late 1970s I woke up to the evils of the government and 25 years ago back in the late 1980s I woke up to the treachery of the non-Malays who propped up Umno and kept them in power. So no need to ask me to wake up! Today I have woken up even more. I have woken up to the hypocrisy of the non-Malays who 'created' Umno and then now blame the Malays for what Umno does.

Nurul Izzah's costly remarks Posted: 10 Nov 2012 04:37 PM PST WORRYING STATEMENT: There is nothing courageous or inspiring in espousing the merits of religious freedom for Muslims in the context of Malaysia Already, PKR -- the smallest party in Pakatan Rakyat -- is caught in a cross-fire between Parti Islam se-Malaysia (Pas) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) over conflicting ideologies. A. Jalil Hamid, NST DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim's politician-daughter's statement over religious freedom has not only turned unnecessary spotlight on religion but, more importantly, how their party is being perceived by Muslim voters. Anwar's recent pronouncements on the subject of Muslims and Islam have not helped the struggling Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Islamic agenda, at least in the eyes of their political rivals. In his most recent comment in a British newspaper, Anwar seemed to agree with a Westerner's view that there is a problem with the psyche of Muslims -- that they are easily enraged and emotional. To the uninitiated, his inflammatory remark came following violent reaction by Muslims from around the world to a blasphemous video insulting Islam. In the interview published by The Scotsman, Anwar (whom it described as a modern traditionalist) also "scorns the 'crazy' move by Malaysia's Ministry of Education to publish a guide on how to spot if someone is a homosexual". This is the same man who sensationally told the Wall Street Journal in January that he "supports all efforts to protect the security of Israel". We know that the Palestinian issue is something very close to the hearts of Muslims in Malaysia. Any intended or unintended endorsement of the Tel Aviv regime, which is the cause of Palestinian suffering, is a big no-no for Muslims. Just after that, his party leaders in Penang had to apologise for the controversial K-pop performance by a group of sexily-clad dancers during a party dinner in Bertam, Kepala Batas, much to the embarrassment of their Pas counterparts. Already, PKR -- the smallest party in Pakatan Rakyat -- is caught in a cross-fire between Parti Islam se-Malaysia (Pas) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) over conflicting ideologies. Pas, as we are all aware, is pushing for hudud and an Islamic state, while the DAP is fighting for a secular state and better rights for non-Malays. How Anwar is going to balance these contrasting demands (and the squabble over electoral seats among them) ahead of the coming general election is anybody's guess. But his immediate concern is to try to put out the fire that is raging following impromptu remarks by his eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah, at a public forum in Petaling Jaya last week. That comment, which won an applause from the audience and upset some Muslims, could alienate Malay-Muslim voters and further polarise Muslims and non-Muslims in this country. No doubt there are people who cheered her for her views. However, there is nothing courageous or inspiring in espousing the merits of religious freedom for Muslims in the context of Malaysia. Any rebuttals in mainstream media against Nurul Izzah's comments should not be construed as waging a smear campaign against her. To be sure, she herself messed things up by trying to play to the gallery. When Nurul Izzah, the first-time member of parliament for Lembah Pantai and until now a rising star in PKR, accepted the invitation to speak, little did she realise her remarks would haunt her and her party for years. More worryingly for her, this could be politically costly in her bid to retain her seat. But the damage could be even bigger. For the PKR-led Selangor, a big swing of Malay-Muslim votes in favour of Umno and Barisan Nasional could mean a loss of the prized state. In the 2008 general election, Pakatan won 36 state seats against BN's 20 seats. Of that, PKR has 15 and Umno 18. To start with, the PKR leadership is not that cohesive in Selangor. There are two PKR camps in Selangor, with deputy president Azmin Ali not seeing eye-to-eye with party vice-president Nurul Izzah and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Anwar is the so-called economic adviser for the Selangor state government. Sadly, there is no economic agenda to speak of. The state is also embroiled in major issues, ranging from water supply to the controversial Talam and PKNS deals that have angered ordinary people. Pakatan leaders themselves have to be blamed if the people decide to turn their backs on them. The tide could be irreversible.

Keep faith out of politics Posted: 10 Nov 2012 04:23 PM PST Religion and politics — that's a potent mix guaranteed to be explosive. Nurul Izzah's slip has been seized on by Umno because the fight in the polls is essentially over the majority Malay votes, especially in the rural constituencies which are heavily in favour of the ruling party. Of the 222 parliamentary seats, only about 45 are Chinese-majority in urban areas and there is not a single seat with an Indian majority. Wong Chun Wai, The Star IN the run-up to the general election, holding forums on political issues, even in churches, has become fairly common. While most churches would be careful about bringing politicians into a house of worship to talk politics, there are some that are prepared to organise or at least play host to such events. Last Saturday, the Oriental Hearts and Mind Study Institute (OHMSI) conducted a talk on "Islamic State: Which Version? Whose Responsibility?" with the keynote address by Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa, director of the Islamic Renaissance Front. The forum was held at a church in Subang. But the person who captured the headlines was PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar who was one of the moderators. In response to a question from the floor, she found herself caught in a controversy over whether Malays have a right to choose their religion. She was speaking to a largely urban non-Malay audience and, as seen in a video recording of the event that has now gone viral, she was greeted with loud applause. The feisty politician has since denied making any statement suggesting that there should be no compulsion on Malays to be Muslims. But she earned a royal rebuke from the Sultan of Selangor and she has quickly blamed Utusan Malaysia for allegedly distorting and twisting her reply to a member of the audience. To make things more complicated, the person who posed the question to Nurul Izzah has now expressed her disappointment over the latter's about turn on the issue. Lawyer Siti Zabedah Kasim was quoted as saying by news portal Free Malaysia Today that "I believe Nurul Izzah was just trying to impress the people. She didn't think of the consequences." For many non-Muslims, especially those living in urban areas, the issue was probably dismissed as a non-starter and seen as another political move to discredit Nurul Izzah. But for conservative Muslims in the rural areas, it would be unthinkable and unacceptable. Luckily for Nurul Izzah, the language used at the forum was English and the video that's currently going around does not have Bahasa Malaysia subtitles, thus making the damage less severe – for now. But for Nurul Izzah to deny it vehemently now would suggest that she has woken up to the grave political consequences of what she has done. If there was no impact, she would have just shrugged it off. She now wants to get out of this tricky spot. The easy part is to blame Utusan Malaysia, which is well known for its nationalist slant, but the pro-Pakatan Rakyat news portal Malaysiakini also carried the same story using the same angle on Nov 3. Nurul Izzah has also put PAS in a corner. On Friday, PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said that if Nurul Izzah had indeed made her controversial statement on religious freedom, "then something is not right" while PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang wanted to hear from her. Their only purported concerns, or a way out, seem to be that they have doubts over the accuracy of reporting by the media. DAP strongman Ngeh Koo Ham tweeted last week in support of Nurul Izzah, quoting Article 11 of the Federal Constitution which states that every person has the right to profess and to practise his or her religion. But Ngeh, a lawyer, did not say it has to be read with other applicable laws. There are laws restricting the propagation of other religions to Muslims. Article 160 of the Federal Constitution, for example, is clear that all ethnic Malays are Muslims. A Malay is defined as someone who professes to be a Muslim, habitually speaks the Malay language and adheres to Malay customs. The fact remains that the majority of Malays want this to remain as law and as practice and convention. Nurul Izzah's slip has been seized on by Umno because the fight in the polls is essentially over the majority Malay votes, especially in the rural constituencies which are heavily in favour of the ruling party. Of the 222 parliamentary seats, only about 45 are Chinese-majority in urban areas and there is not a single seat with an Indian majority. Nurul Izzah's case will also have a deep impact in PAS where the divide between those regarded as sympathetic to Anwar and the more orthodox ulamas is concerned. Former deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, for example, is solidly in the Islamist party despite his overtures to Umno. He has regularly spoken up against the DAP, a PAS ally, but remains untouched because he is said to be protected by the anti-Anwar forces in the party. The church in Subang has found itself in the spotlight for hosting the forum. Recently, another church which hosted a forum on the elections found its speakers and the media squabbling over the accuracy of some negative remarks made on Pakatan Rakyat. There's a lesson here – keep religion out of politics. But as long as there are politicians masquerading as theologians of their respective faiths, no one will take this advice kindly.

Now it’s time for Felda folk’s children to enjoy windfall Posted: 10 Nov 2012 04:08 PM PST (The Star) - After their parents' windfall earlier this year, it is the second generation of Felda settlers who are now at the "receiving end". Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday handed out RM563mil to 112,635 Felda households, with the funds specifically targeted at the younger generation. Each family received RM5,000. The handout was the third and final instalment that the Prime Minister had promised Felda settlers in recognition of their 56 years of toil. On May 8, Najib announced a windfall of RM15,000 for each first-generation settler's family at 317 Felda schemes nationwide. The first RM5,000 was paid to the head of the households and the second instalment to the wives. "The Barisan Nasional government has never broken a promise; Janji ditepati' (Keeping our promises) is not merely a slogan," Najib told 12,000 settlers at the Felda New Generation gathering at Universiti Teknologi Mara. Najib said the windfall was possible due to the successful listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH), which the Opposition had tried to block. "They only know how to condemn, incite and make empty promises," said Najib. "They do not seek anything beneficial, but want to ruin our good efforts. Do not dream of getting RM15,000 (from the Opposition)," he added. Also present were Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan and Felda group chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad. Isa said the windfall was a short-term reward for the settlers, adding that a trust fund had been set up for the long term. "This durian runtuh (windfall) isn't going to be an annual occurrence. "If that was the case, it would be akin to kutip durian (harvesting)," he added. Felda also showcased new housing designs for settlers which included a RM70,000 bungalow that could be completed in a week. Isa said Felda planned to build 4,000 houses each year.

Do you have licence from God to lord over us, Nash? Posted: 10 Nov 2012 03:59 PM PST The People's Parliament "And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet" – The Book of Exodus, Chapter 7, verse 1, The Holy Bible. Now, you can read this verse in many ways. Literally, too, if you wished, and no one could fault you if you imagined Moses walking up to Pharaoh and saying, "I am your Lord. Do as I bid you do". I had wanted to stay away from this whole apostasy controversy sparked off by Nurul's statements at a recent forum as we have bigger and more important battles to fight, but Malaysiakini's report today really pissed me off. This UMNO wolf in PAS sheepskin contends that what Nurul said about there being ' "no compulsion in religion" was tantamount to giving religious freedom to Malay Muslims as the verse which she quoted can only be applied to non-Muslims'. The verse can only be applied to non-Muslims? Let's look at the verse again. "There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in idols and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And God is Hearing and Knowing" – Chapter 2 verse 256, Holy Qur'an. Now. like the verse in Exodus, you can read this in many ways, too, but if you're not going to do a literal read, Nash, and read into it something that's not there, you, oh scholarly one, ought to be mindful of this verse. "So woe to those who write with their own hands, then say, "This is from God ," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn" – Chapter 2 verse 79, Holy Qur'an. Whilst we're on the scriptures, oh scholarly one, since you say Muslims have no choice, pray tell us, who was God addressing in the following verses, marked in red? "And whoever desires other than Islam as religion, never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. How shall God guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And God does not guide the wrongdoing people. For those, their recompense will be that upon them is the curse of God and the angels and the people, all together, abiding eternally therein. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved. Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful. Indeed, those who reject the message after their belief and then increase in disbelief – never will their feigned repentance be accepted, and they are the ones astray" – Chapter 3, verses 85 to 90, Holy Qur'an. Who, oh scholarly one, is God addressing in the words marked in red? Seems to me that God was addressing those who had believed and bore witness to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and then were now professing unbelief. No? READ MORE HERE

Nong Chik: Elections after Chinese New Year Posted: 10 Nov 2012 03:53 PM PST Nong Chik was quick to add that the date was only his forecast.  Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider The 13th general elections will be called after Chinese New Year, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin predicted today, because the major festivals celebrated in multicultural Malaysia would be done with by then. "We have celebrated Raya Haji, after this we will be celebrating Deepavali and Christmas. Then next year, the Chinese community will be celebrating their new year. "But let us not forget the biggest festival for the people, which is the victory for the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the most important celebration that is after the Chinese New Year," the Federal Territories Minister said after officiating the 1 Malaysia For Youth (1M4U) launch here this afternoon. The Lunar New Year festival is expected to fall on February 10 next year. The Chinese community typically celebrate it for 15 days. However, Nong Chik was quick to add that the date was only his forecast and the decision to call for elections was with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. READ MORE HERE

Pemimpin-pemimpin politik jangan kiasu Posted: 10 Nov 2012 03:03 PM PST Tiada gunanya jika pemimpin-pemimpin politik kita sering bercakap mengenai budaya politik baru namun tidak disusuli dengan tindakan konkrit. Elak menjadi pemimpin yang cakap tak serupa bikin dan kiasu. Markus Lim, The Malaysian Insider Tempoh empat tahun dalam dunia politik nampaknya begitu lama dan sesuatu yang cukup memeritkan. Apa tidaknya, tidak pernah satu hari sejak berakhirnya Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12, tidak kedengaran perbalahan politik antara dua pihak yang bertelagah. Rakyat pula mengaru-garu kepala dan tertanya-tanya – apa sudah jadi dengan wakil rakyat yang dipilih mereka? Mengapa wakil-wakil rakyat yang dipilih ini boleh berkelakuan sedemikian? Apakah mereka sudah lupa bahawa kuasa dan jawatan yang disandangnya ketika ini hanya bersifat sementara? Suara rakyat yang meminta wakil rakyat melihat ke hadapan tenggelam timbul dan bagaikan tidak diendahkan. Paling mendukacitakan, perbalahan dan perang lidah antara pihak pemerintah dan pembangkang belum menunjukkan tanda-tanda akan reda. Sebaliknya, keadaan bertambah buruk. Di satu pihak, pelbagai isu dibangkitkan dengan harapan seteru mereka akan memberi maklum balas. Di satu pihak lagi pula, mereka hanya mampu bertahan dan menangkis tohmahan demi tohmahan. Kedua-dua pihak seolah-olah tidak bersedia menerima kehadiran sesama mereka. Matlamat utama ialah kemenangan di satu pihak manakala kekalahan di pihak lawan. Apa yang diamalkan itu adalah sesuatu yang lumrah dalam dunia politik. Isu kelangsungan adalah segala-galanya dalam dunia politik. Siapa lebih kuat, dialah yang berkuasa! Namun demikian, perlukah mereka sampai ke tahap sedemikian? Lihat sahajalah kepada tindak-tanduk Presiden Barack Obama dan pemimpin parti Republikan, Mitt Romney yang berentap dalam pilihan raya presiden baru-baru ini. Mereka berdua cukup berlapang dada. Biarpun Romney tewas pada pilihan raya itu, beliau sempat mengajak kedua-dua pihak, Parti Demokrat dan Republikan untuk tidak berbalah sesama sendiri. Menurut Romney, Amerika kini berada di persimpangan dan sebarang perbalahan hanya akan merugikan kuasa besar dunia itu. Malah, beliau turut mengajak semua pihak untuk bekerjasama bagi menunaikan mandat yang telah diberikan oleh pengundi. Obama dalam ucapan kemenangannya pula berjanji akan bekerjasama dengan Romney untuk memacu Amerika ke hadapan. Kata-kata oleh Romney dan Obama itu cukup signifikan dan cukup bermakna. Mereka mempamerkan kematangan berpolitik tinggi yang wajar diteladani oleh semua pemimpin politik dunia. Keghairahan untuk merebut jawatan paling berkuasa di dunia tidak sekalipun melekakan mereka untuk berperang antara satu sama lain. Romney dan Obama mengerti bahawa agenda yang lebih penting ialah negara. Sentimen partisan yang menebal diketepikan buat seketika. Ketika kita ghairah bercakap mengenai pemimpin Amerika, bagaimana pula dengan pemimpin-pemimpin politik di Malaysia? Bersediakah mereka untuk berubah dan menjadi teladan kepada pihak lain? Mahukah mereka terus menjadi bahan gurauan? Apa manfaatnya untuk terus bertelagah? Cukuplah… Tiada gunanya jika pemimpin-pemimpin politik kita sering bercakap mengenai budaya politik baru namun tidak disusuli dengan tindakan konkrit. Elak menjadi pemimpin yang cakap tak serupa bikin dan kiasu. Budaya politik baru menuntut kesungguhan seseorang pemimpin untuk berubah, berubah ke arah kebaikan dan menjadi seorang yang lebih baik daripada sebelumnya. Kepada pemimpin politik dari parti pemerintah dan pembangkang, ayuh ketepikan perbalahan dan bekerjasama demi kebaikan negara yang kita cintai ini.

‘Pemimpin Islam perlu sepakat dalam soal menjaga agama’ Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:59 PM PST (Bernama) - Penasihat Agama kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Md Zin berkata pemimpin Islam di negara ini perlu sepakat dalam menjaga kepentingan agama Islam tanpa mengira perbezaan fahaman politik. Katanya tindakan sesetengah pemimpin politik yang mengetepikan kepentingan agama demi kedudukan politik dan menyebabkan kecelaruan berpanjangan dalam masyarakat amat dikesalkan. "Amat dikesalkan kerana pemimpin PAS seperti Nik Aziz dan Haji Hadi tidak mahu memperbetulkan  kenyataan yang dibuat Nurul Izzah dalam soalan kebebasan beragama selain turut menyokong dan mengatakan perkara tersebut tidak penting," katanya pada satu perjumpaan dengan media, di sini hari ini. Katanya sebagai Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat jelas mengetepikan kepentingan Islam apabila menyokong Nurul Izzah sekalipun menyedari Naib Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat itu melakukan kesalahan besar. "Nik Aziz jika tahu perkara itu salah sepatutnya jangan keluar apa-apa pandangan dan lebih baik  menjadi syaitan yang bisu daripada syaitan yang berkata-kata," katanya. Beliau turut meminta Nurul Izzah memperbetulkan kenyataannya dan meminta maaf dengan mengakui tidak arif tentang bidang agama. Pada 3 Nov lepas, portal berita Malaysiakini melaporkan Nurul Izzah yang juga Anggota Parlimen Lembah Pantai berkata rakyat tidak seharusnya dipaksa menganut agama tertentu dan perkara itu juga patut terpakai kepada orang Melayu. "Apabila anda bertanya saya, tiada paksaan dalam beragama...bagaimana seseorang itu boleh berkata, maaflah, ini (kebebasan beragama) hanya terpakai kepada orang bukan Melayu, ia sepatutnya diguna pakai secara sama rata," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian pada forum bertajuk "Negara Islam: Versi Mana; Tanggungjawab Siapa?" di Subang Jaya pada 3 Nov.

Pahang, Selangor PAS back asset declaration move Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:48 PM PST Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider PAS Youth's idea to declare their assets gained speed today as the Islamist party chiefs in Pahang and Selangor announced today their support for the initiative—a move that is likely to increase the pressure on their Barisan Nasional (BN) foes, namely Umno, to be equally transparent. The party appears to be taking the lead in getting its candidates to reveal their assets, even as intense campaigning for the coming elections goes on, with the issue of battling corruption being a core campaign issue for political parties. Declaring Pahang PAS' support for the party's youth wing's proposal  for assets declaration, Pahang commissioner Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (picture) said this move would help candidates in their contest against political foes that "like to hide". "PAS leaders and candidates have to be presented in a transparent and  reputable way to fight opponents that like to hide. "This asset declaration gives an opportunity to the people to choose clearly and without suspicion the candidates that will represent them in DUN (state assembly) and in Parliament," Tuan Ibrahim, who is also the PAS information chief, told the party paper Harakah today. Selangor PAS chief Dr Rani Osman has also joined the asset declaration queue. "Selangor PAS' candidates for GE13 will also declare their assets to be evaluated by the people and to fight Umno," he told Harakah today. The annoucement from Pahang and Selangor comes after PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali praised PAS Youth for the initiative, describing it as in line with the principle of transparency and resposibility as recommended by Islam. "PAS has long practised this matter internally which involves those in public office like the mentri besar and the excos. It is good for this matter if done openly," Mustafa told Harakah yesterday. PAS Youth has proposed that its executive council members declare their assets at its next assembly this week, a move that is calculated to raise its public profile and pressure its political peers to do the same in the run-up to the 13th general elections (GE13). The conservative Dewan Pemuda PAS was reported to have mooted the idea last week in what is seen as a challenge to other political parties as they seek to temper the public's image of them as radical Islamists opposed to flesh-baring foreign artistes at concerts here and promote themselves as capable progressive Muslim leaders in tune with current issues. "There's a big possibility we will have an asset declaration ceremony. At the muktamar this time. With the hope it will pave the way for all PAS leadership," the wing's secretary, Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil, was reported as saying by Harakah on Friday. READ MORE HERE

PAS Youth mulls declaring assets, upping ante on political foes Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:32 PM PST Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider PAS Youth has proposed that its executive council members declare their assets at its next assembly this week, a move that is calculated to raise its public profile and pressure its political peers to do the same in the run-up to the 13th general elections (GE13). The conservative Dewan Pemuda PAS was reported to have mooted the idea last week in what is seen as a challenge to other political parties as they seek to temper the public's image of them as radical Islamists opposed to flesh-baring foreign artistes at concerts here and market themselves as capable progressive Muslim leaders in tune with current issues. "There's a big possibility we will have an asset declaration ceremony. At the muktamar this time. With the hope it will pave the way for all PAS leadership," the wing's secretary, Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil, was reported as saying by its party paper Harakah on Friday. Khairul Faizi reportedly said the youth wing's executive council had suggested the move even though not all of them will be nominated to contest in the GE13 in an effort to show transparency and would table the motion at the party's muktamar, or national conference that will be held over two days from November 15 to 16 at Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan. PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali was reported to have lauded the youth wing's initiative to declare their assets, calling it inn line with the principle of transparency and resposibility as recommended by Islam. "PAS has long practised this matter internally which involves those in public office like the mentri besar and the excos. It is good for this matter if done openly," the party senior told Harakah yesterday. In offering to declare their assets, PAS Youth will be joining its other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition partners who have proven they walk their talk. Earlier this year, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his state executive councillors (excos) declared their assets.  Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, had pointed out that asset declarations were one of the six key "integrity measures" he had introduced in his administration of Penang, in line with its CAT (Competency, Accountability, Transparency) principles. READ MORE HERE

Once a Muslim, always a Muslim Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:21 PM PST Greg Lopez, New Mandala Dr. Marzuki Mohamed, ANU alumnus, and advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia recently argued that Malaysia is NOT a secular state. The timing of Dr. Marzuki's assertions of course fits a larger strategy undertaken by the ruling party: to use religion as a wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims in general, but also between the parties in the opposition coalition, especially the Islamist PAS, and the social democrats, DAP. Islam is also of course used to ensure compliance, and to stifle dissent. Having next to nothing to rely on: suffering from massive deficits on the leadership and policy front, and with an increasingly debilitating track record in the economic, social and political front, this is indeed a sound strategy as there are sufficient number of Malaysians, and especially Malaysian Muslims to fall for this – that UMNO is the protector and the guarantor of the sanctity of Islam. To  paraphrase and slightly modify Samuel Johnson, "religion is indeed the last refuge of a scoundrel." Another ANU alumnus, Dr. Kikue Hamayotsu, give credence to the argument that Islam is used simply as a means to ensure the continuation of this corrupt regime. In her article, she argues that: READ MORE HERE

Bigots, cronies, tyrants and thugs Posted: 10 Nov 2012 02:17 PM PST Religious bigots and feudalists, Umno and its business cronies, Malay supremacist and their secret spies and Trojan horses are all coming together. Religious bigots and feudalists, Umno and its business cronies, Malay supremacist and their secret spies and Trojan horses are all coming together. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, FMT  Umno is marshalling all the reactionary forces in this country to put down the majority. Religious bigots represented by the likes of Hasan Alis, Zulkifli Nordins and the racial bigots represented by the Ibrahim Alis. Their running dogs are now resorting to (i) attacks on the person, and (ii) patronising comments. A specter is indeed haunting our country — the specter of Malaysians reclaiming lost rights. All the powers of the corrupt government have entered into an unholy alliance to exorcise this specter. Religious bigots and feudalists, Umno and its business cronies, Malay supremacist and their secret spies and Trojan horses are all coming together. The specter that is coming back is the specter of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his ilk. It's bulldozing over us. Post-independence, this country was tugging along on the road of democracy and was doing fine. It was a slow process as Malaysians underwent a period of growing pains. Frankly, we have just begun to learn the dynamics of democracy. Suffrage means people acquire rights to self-determination. Participatory democracy meant, they can define their being and determine their future instead of having their lives run by dictates and central command of a society structured on feudalism – a paramount master and his cabal at the top, enslaving the rest. Malays are beginning to free themselves from being defined and determined by their feudal masters. Power corrupts This is no longer the age of command society where your wish becomes a command to me. Everything must be decided to a set of rules. We are moving away from a central command society to a modern one embracing democracy. We could have matured into a better society faster save for the route being suddenly and rudely interrupted by the emergence of Mahathir. READ MORE HERE

70% rakyat Selangor sokong Umno-PAS bergabung Posted: 10 Nov 2012 12:28 AM PST Berdasarkan satu kajian yang dijalankan majoriti penduduk negeri ini yang berbilang kaum mahu dua parti itu mengenepikan perbezaan politik. Jamilah Kamarudin, FMT Sebanyak 70 peratus rakyat Selangor bersetuju supaya Umno dan PAS bergabung bagi tujuan mempertahankan agama Islam dan kepentingan Melayu. Bekas Setiausaha PAS Selangor Norman Toha, kajian yang dijalankan sebuah agensi perunding menunjukkan majoriti penduduk Selangor yang berbilang kaum mahu dua parti itu mengenepikan perbezaan politik dan bergabung tenaga. "Kalau mengikut kaji selidik yang dibuat sekitar Mac 2012, 70 peratus penduduk mengharapkan satu kerjasama yang baik antara PAS dan Umno untuk mempertahankan Melayu-Islam," katanya dalam sidang media selepas mengadakan wacana 'Mengembalikan PAS ke Landasan Asal' pagi tadi di Hotel Vistana di sini hari ini. Wacana tersebut menurut Norman dianjurkan atas inisiatif individu ahli PAS yang mahu suara rungutan mereka diberikan perhatian. Katanya, peserta wacana itu terdiri daripada pemimpin dan penyokong akar umbi yang mahu memberikan pandangan serta luahan tentang kecelaruan hala tuju parti yang semakin tersasar daripada perjuangan asal. Resolusi wacana Wacana tersebut juga berjaya mencapai 11 resolusi yang mengandungi desakan supaya parti dan pemimpin PAS kembali kepada landasan Islam yang sebenar. "Mungkin kita akan ajukan resolusi ini kepada pemimpin tertinggi dalam masa tersekat. "Harapan kami supaya mereka (pemimpin PAS) agak terbuka menerima pandangan peringkat akar umbi yang sebenarnya sudah lama disuarakan," katanya. Sebelas resolusi tersebut adalah: READ MORE HERE

Karpal vindicated by FMT poll Posted: 10 Nov 2012 12:16 AM PST The poll carried out by FMT revealed overwhelming support for the DAP chairman's 'one man-one seat proposal'. Athi Shankar, FMT DAP national chairman Karpal Singh is vindicated by overwhelming public support for his "one man-one seat" proposal as indicated by a FMT poll. He said the news portal poll showed that his proposal had caught the public's imagination as it had become a major political issue of national interest. The FMT poll on "Do you agree with Karpal Singh's 'one candidate-one seat' policy?" showed 2,037 or 78% out of 2,622 readers, who voted as of today (Saturday) backing the formula. Another 499 readers or 19% did not support it while 86 or three percent voters were unsure. "The people overwhelmingly supported the 'one man – one seat' proposal. I feel vindicated," Karpal told reporters during his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency visit here today. Asked on party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's call on members not to discuss the issue in public, he concurred that the public debate should be laid to rest for now. But he conceded that it would be difficult and improper to control the public, especially party members, from airing their views on an issue of such importance. "The FMT poll showed it has become a major public interest issue," he noted. Currently, DAP had nine double seat elected representatives, both as MP and assemblyperson. Apart from Lim, who is Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, Penang has executive councillor and party state chairman Chow Kon Yeow as Tanjung MP and Padang Kota assemblyman and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy as Batu Kawan MP and Prai assemblyman. Perak had party's state chairman Ngeh Koo Ham as Beruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman and secretary Nga Kor Ming as Taiping MP and Pantai Remis assemblyman. Selangor's executive councillor and party chairman Teresa Kok is Seputeh MP and Kinrara assemblyperson while DAP's Negeri Sembilan chairman and Youth chief Anthony Loke Siew Fook is Rasah MP and Lobak assemblyman. In Sarawak, there are Sibu MP and Bukit Assek assemblyman Wong Ho Leng and Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen. CEC approved the formula Karpal also revealed that the party's central executive committee (CEC) had delegated its power to a three-man special committee to ultimately decide on the "one man – one seat" issue and its exemptions, and choice of candidates for each constituency. READ MORE HERE

Remembering Istana Bukit Serene and Mr Douglas Gomez Posted: 09 Nov 2012 11:46 PM PST REST STOP THOUGHTS When I was a child growing up in Johor, my parents sometimes took the whole family for a picnic lunch in the gardens off Istana Bukit Serene in Johor Bahru.  After eating, my brother and I would peer through the steel bars which surrounded the palace grounds and wonder whether princes had spiders which fought as well as those in our matchboxes. When I took driving lessons, my instructor told me never to overtake any car owned by or driven by a royal.  He said if I didn't take his advice, tragic things could happen to me and my family.  He said that it wasn't just about royals acting directly; he said royals also acted through the police and government officials, who wouldn't dare disobey them. The former Sultan of Johor had a colourful background. In 1977, when he was Raja Muda, he was convicted of "culpable homicide not amounting to murder."  He was fined RM6,000 and sentenced to jail for 6 months.  (He was pardoned). In 1983, when he was Sultan and a candidate for Agung, he was alleged to have said that when he became Agung he would declare an emergency and rule directly, bypassing the government. The Sultan's threat wasn't unthinkable.  At that stage in our history, Chief Ministers of 2 states had to quit because their state's rulers wouldn't accept them.  The Chief Minister of Johor, Othman Saat, was one of them. The government's response to the Sultan's threat was to take away from the Agung the power to declare an emergency and grant that power to the Prime Minister (Dr Mahathir).  In 1992, the Sultan physically abused Mr Douglas Gomez, hockey coach of Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, at Istana Bukit Serene.  Mr Gomez was alleged to have acted disrespectfully.  This is what transpired before Mr Gomez was summoned to the Istana on 30 November: Mr Gomez had called on office bearers of the Johor Hockey Federation to resign, soon after 25 November. Mr Gomez called them to resign because on 25 November the Johor team was withdrawn just hours before the semi-final of a Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) tournament. The Johor team was withdrawn as directed by the Johor education department. The Johor education department issued the withdrawal directive after a call from the Palace. The withdrawal was requested as a response to the MHF punishment of the Sultan's son, Tengku Abdul Majid Idris. The MHF had banned Tengku Majid for 5 years as punishment for assaulting a Perak goalkeeper after Johor lost a match to Perak in July. Mr Gomez was in Johor Bahru.  The police did not arrest him.  He went of his own free will to the Istana.  He was assaulted. There was a public outcry over the assault on Mr Gomez and over the buckling of the state education director under the pressure placed upon him by the palace.  The government, under the leadership of Dr Mahathir, decided to curb the powers of the Rulers.  The state controlled media let loose a barrage of stories both about the Johor royal family and about other royal families.  Vast numbers of Malaysians were informed about what the royals were really doing.  In 1994, citing newspapers as his sources, Mark Gillen, a professor of law at the University of Victoria in Canada wrote: READ MORE HERE

Hindraf doubts Najib’s sincerity Posted: 09 Nov 2012 05:57 PM PST (FMT) -- Hindraf has cast aspersions on the sincerity of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's invitation to hold a discussion. The premier's courtship, said Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy, had not left the movement flushed with excitement as it could be related to the coming general election. "We are not exactly excited about this invitation but we have decided to give him the benefit of doubt," he told reporters here. He said the invitation had come late on the part of the government since the Indian poor had been marginalised for decades. Waythamoorthy also urged Najib to lift the ban on Hindraf imposed by his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration. "It does not make sense for the prime minister to meet leaders of a banned organisation. "There is no timeline on when it should be lifted but of course we would like for the ban to be lifted as soon as possible," he added. Hindraf had become a foul word during Abdullah's tenure after the movement staged a massive street protest in 2007, which was seen as the catalyst for the following year's political tsunami. Meanwhile, Waythamoorthy also called on Najib to shed his "current box of thinking" in order to facilitate meaningful discussions between them. "He must be able to come far with us to consider our suggested solutions which are permanent, comprehensive and practical," he added. On Aug 29, Hindraf made open requests to both Najib and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to hold discussions on finding solutions to the long-standing problems plaguing the Indian poor. Anwar responded first and talks between them had started, with more meetings in the pipeline. On a related matter, Waythamoorty said Hindraf would unveil its five-year blueprint to bring the Indian poor into the mainstream of national development on Nov 25. This would be its prioritised plan as derived from its 18-point demand given originally to the government in August 2007. Asked for a preview of the blueprint, Waythamoorty said he was not in a position to reveal its contents but gave an example of the condition of 350,000 stateless Indians in Malaysia. "The solution would be for anyone born in Malaysia from Aug 31, 1957 onwards to be declared as citizens of Malaysia. "A statutory declaration by those involved should be sufficient for the National Registration Department (NRD) to issue them with a blue identity card," he added.

Karpal: Three-man team to decide DAP election candidates Posted: 09 Nov 2012 03:02 PM PST (NST) - All DAP candidates appointed to contest in the coming general election will now be decided by a three-man team. Party national chairman Karpal Singh, advisor Lim Kit Siang and secretary general Lim Guan Eng form the three team members. "we will look into all recommendations of candidates and then endorse it," Karpal said at a press conference in Air Itam adding that the trio were delegated the task by the central executive committee. Karpal also said he would want the discussion on the single seat single candidate policy to put to rest.

UMNO sudah kehilangan hidayah Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:48 PM PST Oleh kerana pimpinan UMNO kurang berkemampuan untuk berfikir, kali ini biar rakyat yang memikirkannya dan kita lihat apa yang mereka (rakyat) lakukan tidak lama lagi dalam pilihanraya nanti. Dalam politik, persepsi rakyat itulah yang menjadi penentu samada parti itu kekal kukuh atau dilontarkan jauh-jauh oleh rakyat. Sebenarnya UMNO sememangnya sudah patut diketepikan lama dahulu kerana isu besar yang telah menyakitkan rakyat begitu banyak di hadapan mata kita. Aspan Alias Masalah UMNO ialah masalah yang diwujudkan olehnya sendiri. Tengku Adnan Mansor berkata,  sebenarnya UMNO itu tidak ada masalah, hanya parti itu menghadapi masalah persepsi sahaja. Kata-kata Setiausaha Agong UMNO ini menampakkan satu fenomena, iaitu parti itu benar-benar terasa masalah-masalah yang dihadapi oleh parti itu. Hishamudin, Menteri Dalam Negeri,  juga pernah berkata persepsi buruk itu telah berjaya di tempelkan kepada UMNO dan semua sekutu nya dalam BN oleh pihak-pihak yang berkempentingan. Komen saya senang sahaja. Untuk satu-satunya persepsi itu melekat kepada UMNO itu mesti ada sebabnya. Persepsi-persepsi buruk terhadap UMNO itu bukannya wujud dengan sekelip mata dan ia tidak wujud dengan senang sahaja.  Ia tentunya wujud di atas isu yang 'real' dan nyata. Jika isu terhadap UMNO ini tidak 'real' bagaimana persepsi buruk itu boleh melekat dan menjadi 'stigma' yang tidak dapat ditanggalkan lagi dengan parti yang telah memerintah sejak merdeka dahulu. Dalam politik, persepsi rakyat itulah yang menjadi penentu samada parti itu kekal kukuh atau dilontarkan jauh-jauh oleh rakyat. Sebenarnya UMNO sememangnya sudah patut diketepikan lama dahulu kerana isu besar yang telah menyakitkan rakyat begitu banyak di hadapan mata kita. Tetapi semasa itu rakyat belum lagi menyedari yang perubahan itu adalah elemen penting untuk berlaku di dalam sesebuah negara yang telah matang dan lama bebas memerintah sendiri. UMNO kini sedang dikaitkan oleh rakyat dengan senarai-senarai negatif yang terlalu banyak sehinggakan parti itu telah dipersepsikan sebagai sebuah parti yang bermasalah besar. UMNO telah membiarkan segala perkara buruk untuk berlaku di dalamnya kerana pimpinan parti itu sejak 30 tahun dahulu tidak menghiraukan isu mempertahankan imej yang baik dengan serius. Pucuk pimpinan negara dalam tiga dekad yang lalu lebih mementingkan kehendak peribadi mereka sahaja dan tidak mengangkat jari untuk membetulkannya. Tetapi apabila masalah sudah menjadi besar barulah pimpinan UMNO bergegas untuk memperbaikinya dan usaha ini sudah terlalu lambat kerana yang hendak menyelesaikan masalah-masalah ini adalah dikalangan mereka yang terbabit dengan isu-isu yang besar dalam negara sekarang ini. Persepsi buruk bukan datang dengan saja-saja. Misalnya bagaimana hendak menolak persepsi buruk terhadap kerajaan dalam isu NFC misalnya. Tidak payah kita melarutkan isu ini oleh kerana semua orang sudah memahami tentang isu ini. Bukankah isu pembinaan stesen LRT Ampang itu merupakan isu penyelewengan yang 'real'? bagaimana rakyat tidak terbentuk persepsi buruk terhadap pimpinan kita kerana jelas-jelasnya harganya yang ditambah terhadap kontrak pembinaan stesyen itu mencecah hampir RM1billion? Isu PKFZ yang melibatkan RM12 billion, kerugian perdagangan wang antarabangsa yang di lakukan oleh Nor Mohamad Yakcop atas arahan Dr Mahathir yang melibatkan kerugian RM30 billion dan banyak lagi isu yang sangat besar berlaku di hadapan mata kepala kita. Isu pembotakkan hutan yang dilakukan oleh penyangak hutan di Negeri Sembilan yang melibatkan keluasan 8616 ekar tanah hutan simpan yang ada di Negeri Sembilan. Isu perlakuan pemimpin-pemimpin BN yang bersikap seperti gangster seperti Nazri Aziz. Kalau dahulu Nazri di isukan dengan permit teksi yang beribu-ribu permit yang beliau ambil, sekarang timbul isu menggunakan kuasa melindungi Micheal Chiah dan Musa Aman tentang wang misteri sebanyak RM40 million itu. Nazri mempunyai seorang anak yang hidup seperti 'anak maharaja arab' dengan kereta besar yang begitu sombong dan anaknya ini telah dikaitkan dengan banyak isu-isu jenayah yang diketahui umum. Cakap-cakap takbur Nazri kita dengar selalu. Beliau seolah-olah seorang yang begitu besar dan kuat seperti dunia ini pun dia bolih alihkan. Sikap kesombongannya seolah-olah beliau mampu untuk menahan dunia ini dari menghadapi kiamat. Apabila umum mengetahui isu-isu ini dan mereka lihat dilakukan oleh pemimpin dan keluarga yang berkuasa pula,  maka dengan sendirinya persepsi buruk terhadap UMNO itu terbentuk kerana tidak ada contoh-contoh peribadi yang baik dalam pimpinan BN pada hari ini. Sikap mengaut kekayaan dengan menggunakan pengaruh keluarga dan pimpinan UMNO sudah menjadi budaya pada hari ini. Anak-anak Dr Mahathir kaya raya dengan pengaruh Mahathir yang telah menjadi PM selama 22 tahun. Anak-anak Dr Mahathir berniaga dengan jalan mudah tanpa menggunakan kepakaran mereka kerana jika mengalami kerugian pun Mahathir telah menggunaka dana rakyat dalam jumlah yang berbillion untuk menyelamatkan perniagaan anak beliau (Mahathir).   Read more

Pahang mahu ihsan atau royalti 20 peratus? Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:37 PM PST Memberi royalti 20 peratus bukan satu janji melampau yang tidak masuk akal. Ia sudah jadi hak semasa bagi negeri pengeluar minyak.  Kalau Indonesia boleh bersetuju memberi Aceh royalti minyak 20 peratus, maka mengapa Malaysia yang pentadbiran dan ekonominya lebih baik tidak boleh beri. Subky Latif, Harakah Daily Sekarang Pahang pula dipilih Allah dianugerah minyak dan gas.  Rakyat Pahang wajar bersyukur dan rakyat Malaysia seluruhnya juga ikut syukur kerana rahmat yang datang ke Pahang itu akan dapat juga limpahannya kepada negara. Perdana Menteri sudah membayangkan wang ihsan yang bakal Pahang peroleh dalam masa yang tidak lama. Logiknya Pahang boleh jadi Kuwait baru di Malaysia selepas Terengganu. Pakatan Rakyat menggesa supaya Pahang jangan ditindas kerajaan BN seperti Terengganu dan Kelantan - sekadar memberinya wang ihsan. Ia patut diberi royalti seperti yang diperuntukkan oleh akta Petronas. Apa pun, nikmat Pahang itu tidak akan diterima sebelum PRU13 yang paling lewat bulan Mac 2013. Lantaklah apa yang BN akan bagi baik wang ihsan atau royalti lima peratus. Sekalipun ia setuju Pahang diberi loyalti tetapi masih satu penindasan dibandingkan janji  Pakatan Rakyat untuk memberi royalti 20 peratus kepada semua negeri yang berminyak. Pakatan tidak perlu bising supaya Pahang diberi royalti. Pakatan boleh bagi tahu kepada rakyat Pahang betapa mereka tidak perlu menuntut wang ihsan itu dijadikan royalti. Pakatan akan bagi tanpa dituntut royalti 20 peratus sama dengan Indonesia setuju beri kepada Aceh seperti peruntukan perjanjian damai Aceh dan Indonesia. Sebaik saja keputusan PRU13 nanti memihak kepada Pakatan, maka Pahang tidak sekadar dapat  duit kesian seperti yang BN buat ke atas Terengganu dan Kelantan. Secara automatik Pahang akan dapat royalti 20 peratus. Kelantan akan dapat royaltinya dan Terengganu pula akan dipulangkan semula royaltinya. Sementera Sabah dan Sarawak royaltinya akan dinaikkan dari lima peratus kepada 20 peratus. Saya nasihatkan, tidak perlu lagi bising menuntut royalti. Bagitahu  saja rakyat Kelantan supaya jangan bimbang royalti akan dapat atau tidak semasa pemerintahan BN sekarang? Sebaik saja Putrajaya tumbang, Kelantan akan dapat royalti, bukan sekadar lima peratus tetapi 20 peratus. Tugas pengundi sekarang terutama di Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah dan Sarawak ialah pada hari pilihan raya umum nanti mengundi Pakatan Rakyat, tidak kira  calon itu dari PAS, PKR, DAP atau sekutunya yang lain dari Sabah  dan Sarawak. Mengundi BN bererti menindas Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah dan Sarawak. Tetapi mengundi Pakatan Rakyat adalah untuk memberi hak dan keadilan kepada negeri itu. Sebelum Perdana Menteri Najib mengumumkan Pahang ada minyak dan akan didapat wang ihsan, semua terasa sukar juga untuk meraih  sokongan dari Pahang kerana ia adalah negeri Perdana  Menteri. Tetapi apabila Najib mengumumkan ia ada minyak, maka Pakatan Pahang berasa lapang, kerana pengumuman itu adalah satu bantuan besar kepada Pakatan menghadapi  PRU itu. Tanpa Najib memberitahu dia membantu Pakatan, apa yang diumumkannya itu adalah membantu Pakatan dan memudahkan lagi Putrajaya dirampas. Memberi royalti 20 peratus bukan satu janji melampau yang tidak masuk akal. Ia sudah jadi hak semasa bagi negeri pengeluar minyak.  Kalau Indonesia boleh bersetuju memberi Aceh royalti minyak 20 peratus, maka mengapa Malaysia yang pentadbiran dan ekonominya lebih baik tidak boleh beri. Kalau Malaysia tidak sedia memberi royalti 20 peratus, nanti dibimbangi rakyat  di lima negeri mengira lebih baik negeri itu menjadi provensi Indonesia daripada  menjadi negeri di  Malaysia. Jangan sampai ada rakyat yang berkata begitu. Apakah Pakatan berpolitik dengan royalti yang menarik itu? Tidak dinafikan ada politiknya, tetapi  yang jelas ialah negeri patut  dan berhak mendapat apa yang Petronas boleh bagi. Jadilah pengundi yang cerdik dan merdeka, memillih yang baik. Jangan jadi pengundi hamba, terima saja apa yang tuan beri.

SapuraKencana moves to next level Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:31 PM PST Jagdev Singh Sidhu, The Star ON Monday night after announcing a US$2.9bil deal that will make SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd the world's largest tender rig operator, president and group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shahril Shamsuddin got a phone call from the United States. It was from a fund manager of an institution who just heard about the deal with Seadrill Ltd. "Someone called in last night asking for a placement of a block of shares. And these are big overseas funds, guys whom we saw in the US recently. Our company was fresh in their minds and we were at a certain ebitda level (before the proposed deal) and with this deal, we have crossed the threshold in terms of size and liquidity of shares," he tells StarBizWeek. The non-binding MoU with Seadrill, once completed, will see SapuraKencana take a 51% share of the global tender rig business, in the process making the company more appealing to investors who want exposure to large companies. With 21 tender rigs, and with its next closest competitor globally having four, the deal lifts SapuraKencana to another platform. Analysts too have become bullish on SapuraKencana, with many raising their earnings projections and target prices. "We are positive on this deal, operationally and financially speaking. This exercise instantly transforms SapuraKencana into the largest tender-assisted rig operator in the world, by fleet size. This is an earnings accretive deal," says Maybank Investment Bank in a note after the deal was announced. Amresearch raised its forecast of SapuraKencana's earnings per share for its 2014 and 2015 financial years by 24%-30%. It says earnings from the injection of 10 tender-assisted rigs (TAGs) plus a 49%-stake each in five TAGs was partly offset by a 7% increase in share capital. How the deal came about Prior to the merger between SapuraCrest Petroleum and Kencana Petroleum Bhd, the former had a working relation with Seadrill after Semdvig, a company it had a joint venture with, was taken over by Seadrill. The new-found relationship with Seadrill took off and Seadrill's chairman John Fredriksen started to work closer with SapuraKencana. He introduced the Malaysian company to Brazil where it won a US$1.4bil contract from Petrobas to build and operate three pipe-laying support vessels (PLSVs). Shahril says discussions then proceeded over combining the rigs SapuraKencana had with that of Seadrill. "We said why don't we combine and strengthen our position and instead of just the five rigs, why don't we look at the whole tender rig business. About a month ago, we looked at it again very seriously and in the last two weeks we intensely had negotiations. The deal was closed Friday night (Nov 2)." "It's a way for them to refocus and reposition their business and at the same time help SapuraKencana transform itself into a very solid high margin business. The tender rig business brings pretty strong margins and overall what will happen is our margins will be a bit more robust." The tender rigs bought by SapuraKencana have contracts up to 2019 and an orderbook of US$1.6bil. Furthermore, the tender rig business is a higher margin business and at 40%, is larger than what SapuraKencana is currently enjoying. Consolidating the operations also settles the issue of the company having 2 licences from Petroliam Nasional Bhd. One concern analysts have voiced is that the acquisition of the tender rigs will change the make-up of the group from an oil and gas service provider to that of a tender rig operator where the price earnings multiple investors are willing to pay is lower. Shahril disputes that assumption, saying the acquisition re-inforces the vision of the company to become a fully integrated oil and gas service company. "In our business there are four verticals. There is offshore construction services, fabrication, drilling and energy. Energy is the one that takes on all the RSC (risk-service contract) opportunities. And with RSCs, there are so many services that go into supporting that business and drilling is one of them. There are a lot of symbiotic relationships between the verticals to support each other." "The more rigs you have, the more chances there will be to mature. Overheads are spread over and we get scale. And in this business, it is very difficult to compete globally without scale. So the choice was very obvious. It is facilitated by the fact the relationship was good, the assets are young, it has a good backlog and it's margin enhancing and value accretive," he says. What it means for SapuraKencana Apart from being more profitable, the scale of the business will allow SapuraKencana to be more competitive in its bids. But it's the balance sheet size that was created from the merger between SapuraCrest and Kencana that allowed the Seadrill deal to happen. "You have to be of a certain size before something like this gets presented to you. The merger allowed us to get onto a lot of people's radar to see where the big deals come in," says executive vice chairman Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir. "But Seadrill is unique because of the relationship SapuraCrest has had, both on the personal and working level that has been established over many years. That's why this deal was made possible." "In terms of value, it meets all of the requirements the board has asked us to look at, such as in terms of value, synergy, growth, control and management... everything. So we are quite comfortable with it." Completion the deal will see SapuraKencana have an order book of RM18.5bil and its cashflow should improve as a result of the contracts the rigs have secured. It's ability to cross-sell its services will improve and Shahril says multiple rigs, newbuilds and the company's track record will help in access to new markets and opportunities. Shahril says the improved financials will help but the group has already planned and allocated on the capital requirements for the four segments it "We have almost fully invested for the next 5 years in offshore construction services with the 5 new vessels coming up. That's going to grow," he says. The transaction with Seadrill settles the expansion in the rigs segment and the company has already calculated just how much it needs to take advantage of the marginal oilfield business. Capex for the modernisation of its fabrication business has also been settled. Both Shahril and Mokhzani feel securing more marginal oilfields will depend on how the company bids and the larger tender rigs business will only help in its proposition to Petronas for more RSC jobs. "The more integrated services you have, the better chance you will have in order to quickly deploy the development of these marginal oilfields," says Shahril. Although the group's gearing will rise, Shahril says that's momentarily and will rapidly climb down after 2 years. "Any acquisition will have borrowings and the borrowings will be depleted over time as we payback. We are comfortable with the gearing and its in line with the growth companies in this sector anyway. " Shahril says allocating more cash for dividends as cashflow improves will be balanced by the needs of the business versus reward for shareholders. "Once the debt levels goes down in 2 years, then we will start increasing our dividend payments," he says, adding that the value of the company to shareholders will be either captured in dividends or in the value of the shares. If there is one risk from the transaction with Seadrill, it is the execution of the business. "Execution risk is always there. When you do business in the oil and gas, execution risk is everything. But we have the asset and the people to deploy and execute projects and in that sense, the risk is minimal for us anyway," says Mokhzani. "I don't think Seadrill would have sold this to anyone else because they know we can take care of this business for them. I think that is also why John Fredriksen has agreed to join the board because he is not going to let go of this business, this asset to anybody and he is comfortable with the people he is dealing with now." Fredriksen on board The acquisition of the tender rigs from Seadrill will see Fredriksen join the board of SapuraKencana, a move that both Shahril and Mokhzani feel will add value to the company given his experience, contacts and knowledge of the oil and gas industry. But is there also a risk in Fredriksen and Seadrill increasing its stake in SapuraKencana from 6% to 13% from this deal given his previous record of trimming down Seadrill's shareholding in SapuraCrest? "I don't see that, not with him coming on the board," says Shahril. "The last time he sold he had invested in the company when it was worth 49 sen and then the value of the shares grew tremendously. He had a US$450mil exposure in a company he had no control over. By him coming onto the board, he can have influence as opposed to before it was just an investment. So he liquidated half," says Shahril, who says Fredriksen liquidated the shares in the past and re-invested it with SapuraKencana in Brazil. Shahril also doesn't think Fredriksen on board will lead to a clash of personalities and influence. "Good solutions come out of constructive conflicts. Differences in ideas is not a bad thing. He identified with our direction and now he is endorsing it by coming on board. He will not have taken that step if he did not see the value in this company," he says.

‘Spent force’ Zaid should retire Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:26 PM PST (FMT) -- A PPP leader has suggested that former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim consider retiring from politics following his decision to quit the Kita party which the latter founded. In view of the uncertainty which Zaid allegedly created following his decision to leave Kita, Perak PPP deputy chairman Naran Singh said the outspoken personality should just leave politics. He said Zaid is showing the reflection of being a "spent force" by making statements that he wants to contest in the Pekan parliamentary seat where the incumbent is none other than Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. This, he charged, showed that Zaid wanted cheap publicity from this episode and many pundits are wondering if the latter is indeed sincere in carrying out his plan. "Zaid should contest against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim or PKR deputy president Azmin Ali if he wants to make a political impact," Naran added. The Kelantan-born political maverick was once considered a rising star in Umno and he was made a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (overseeing law) during former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's last tenure. He quit on principal grounds after disagreeing with the federal government's move to impose the now defunct Internal Security Act law on a few individuals including a vernacular newspaper journalist. Zaid subsequently joined PKR and was jostling for the deputy president post with the party's present incumbent Azmin. The lawyer, however, lost his bid for the deputy presidency and later quit PKR, citing voting irregularities as the reason. He eventually formed Kita but was then involved in a spat with one faction which broke away from the party before recently announcing that he was quitting Kita altogether. To this, Naran said Zaid was highly respected at one time, but now, many cannot seem to fathom what he wanted to do. The political leanings of Zaid also seemed uncertain as he seems to side with Pakatan Rakyat, but had previously lambasted PKR, Naran said, adding that the electorate now needed leaders with strong convictions on how to move the country forward. "Zaid must understand that voters prefer leaders who are steadfast in their struggle," he added. Meanwhile, Naran also lent his support to DAP chairman Karpal Singh for calling on the party to only allow its members to contest one seat each during the next general election. Read more

Freedom of religion only for non-Muslims: Masing Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:10 PM PST (Borneo Post) - Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) viewed the recent statement by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar as nothing else but an attempt to gain popularity among the people. The party president Tan Sri Dr James Masing said he had always been given to understand that freedom of religion in Malaysia was only applicable to non-Muslims. "Therefore, I am surprised when she (Nurul) said that religious freedom in Malaysia is inclusive," he quipped. Masing, who is Land Development Minister, said the statement by the Lembah Pantai MP also shows that PKR was a populist party with no fixed agenda to administer the country. He stated this when commenting on Nurul's statement that irked many Muslims, including the Sultan of Selangor, Islamic scholars and some BN leaders. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassan has described the statement as unwarranted especially when it comes from a fellow Muslim. Nurul was in the limelight after expressing her view on religious freedom by suggesting that Muslims should be allowed to follow any religion of their choice. Her father Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is the opposition de facto leader, in defending his daughter claimed that Nurul's statement was not only misinterpreted but also manipulated.

Labis is where MCA’s haunted past may cause a GE13 disaster Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:02 PM PST The next general election is expected to be the closest fight to form the new Malaysian government. And several seats across the nation are likely to be heated battles with the slimmest of majorities. The Malaysian Insider takes a look at some of these hot seats in what will be an intense election for control of Malaysia. Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Labis feels like an island, secluded and quiet with nary a sound from the hustle and bustle one would expect to see in a constituency held for six terms by two prominent MCA stars — former president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and current chief Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Like its name, which some historians believe was derived from "labi-labi" or river terrapins, the daily pace here is almost tortoise-like; slow and sleepy. Most of its residents work in rubber estates or oil palm plantations, while the others are petty traders, government servants or merely passing through to the busier parts of Johor. Here, one can neither hear the buzz of industries nor see white plumes of smoke polluting the skies as the nearest factory is miles and miles away. After 7pm, buses no longer ply the town's roads — rarely do passengers get off at this stop, anyway. "Labis becomes a remote area after 7pm... a dead sea. The irony of it all... Ling Liong Sik was the transport minister when he held the Labis seat," local resident S. Madhavan remarked recently when met in the evening of a characteristically quiet Monday in this sleepy hollow. Dr Ling held the Labis seat from 1986 to 2003. Sixty-three-year-old Tey Koh Hout, offering a toothless grin, had the same to say. "MCA... they are all the same, aren't they? They have big-shot government posts and they forget who gave them the opportunity," he told this news portal. "There is so much anger with the MCA... sometimes, they are so angry that people cannot even remember why they are angry. But they know for certain that they want a change," said Tan Chin Guan, a local DAP leader. "The Labis people get slaughtered in so many ways... but many do not even know, they are so innocent. "But today, some have leapt off the fence... they say they want to try something new," former Education Ministry officer G. Krishnabagwan said. Madhavan, Tey, Tan and Krishnabagwan, who each spoke at separate interviews recently, are among the estimated 22,600 non-Malay voters who make up a sizeable 62 per cent of the 36,000-strong electorate in Labis. Their voices echo a growing resentment among the non-Malays here against the MCA and may well be the death knell for the party, which has been struggling since its dismal performance in Election 2008 to recapture at least some of its lost Chinese support. But during the interviews, there was one resounding sentiment that could not be avoided — Labis' non-Malay voters have largely gone pro-opposition. At every step of the way, those interviewed were too quick to blame the MCA and Barisan Nasional (BN) for every hardship they face — from the common flooding of their neighbourhoods and the lack of street lamps to the lack of job opportunities and affordable housing. Tan, a 60-year-old who spoke in halting English, lent voice to a perceived sentiment when he said that some voters feel so strongly against the MCA that they have even forgotten their reasons. "But it makes sense... when you see the same faces everyday, read about the same names, and your life remains the same, you tend to want something different. It's always been MCA's... Tun Ling for so many years, then Soi Lek... now Tee Yong," he said, the last referring to the incumbent MP, a son of Dr Chua, the town's previous parliamentary representative. "You begin to think to yourself, let's try something new. What's the harm in that? We could always change the government again," he said, during the interview at his home in the Labis town centre here. Dr Chua won the Labis seat in the 2004 general election, but stepped down in late 2007 after a sex scandal. Dr Ling, who was transport minister and MCA president for 17 years until 2003, held the Labis parliamentary seat for five terms from 1986, the same year he took on his government and party posts.  He was succeeded by Dr Chua in the 2004 polls, after which the latter was appointed health minister in the Abdullah administration. The seat is held today by Datuk Chua Tee Yong, son of Dr Chua, who took his father's place after a sex scandal in late 2007 forced the veteran politician to exit politics briefly, just months before the 2008 election, no less. Tee Yong is said to possess the same boldness and bravado exhibited by his outspoken father. Taking into account his relative youth — he is now 35 years — and his reputation as the man who accused the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government of a RM1 billion Talam Corp accounting scandal, Chua junior is said to be a popular face among his Labis constituents. But youth and passion may not be enough to win the game for the MCA in Labis, which is fast becoming the stage for a political battle that could very well spell the party's demise in its southern fort. It is not Tee Yong that the non-Malay voters are against — it is the flag that he flies and memories of the years of alleged neglect that it carries with it. "The present MCA president, he is doing better. His son comes here often, we see him a lot. "Last time, Dr Ling never came at all... I think his reputation itself has ruined things for MCA," said one drinks stall owner, who only identified himself as Mr Tan. "Everyone called Dr Ling a yes-man. A weak man. The Chinese here, when we speak of MCA, we equate it to weakness.  "It is not a deep-seated hatred. But for sure, the non-Malays are for the opposition, for the DAP," Mr Tan said. The father of two agreed that Labis town has seen no development over the past few decades, pointing out that its population is ageing and disappearing quickly to seek better opportunities elsewhere. READ MORE HERE

Freedom to choose religion equals changing faith, says Umno sec-gen Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:54 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Telling a Malay he can choose his faith is the same as telling him he can change it, Datuk Tengku Adnan Mansor said as he weighed in on the growing uproar sparked by a recent remark from PKR's Nurul Izzah Anwar expressing her support for religious freedom for all Malaysians. The PKR vice-president's remarks at a forum last week drew widespread backlash among conservative Muslim groups and Umno hardliners, who accused the opposition rising star of supporting apostasy. "Recently, we want to ask Nurul Izzah Anwar, what's the difference between choosing religion and changing religion?" Tengku Adnan, who is secretary-general of Umno, the country's oldest and largest Malay political party, told Malay daily Utusan Malaysia in an interview published today. "To me, it is the same but this is what she had applied and I am confident that in the end Malaysians will realise this." The veteran politician's comment backing the conservatives is likely to stir up religious debate and could drive a bigger wedge within the Malay-Muslim community, who form some 60 per cent of the country's 28 million population and whose vote is crucial to form the next government at the 13th general elections due soon. Umno, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition's mainstay, has some three million members but the Malay-Muslim vote is split three ways with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact's Islamist party PAS and its urban-based reform ally, PKR, drawing increasingly greater support. Race and religious issues are inseparable in Malaysia, where the Malays are constitutionally defined to also be Muslims. The country's supreme law states that Islam is the religion of the federation but also provides for other religions to be practised freely. Nurul Izzah has denied supporting apostasy and accused Utusan Malaysia and its other pro-BN Malay newspaper Berita Harian of allegedly twisting her statement. An Umno deputy minister has also said the first-term lawmaker for Lembah Pantai could be prosecuted for her remarks purportedly insulting Islam. "There are no such provisions for now, but it can be included under provisions on insulting Islam or causing Islam to be insulted," Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, deputy minister in charge of Islamic affairs, told Parliament last week. "Anyone who orally or in written form mocks or causes Islam to be degraded, can be imposed with a penalty of not more than RM3,000 or jail of not more than two years, or both." But Nurul Izzah has found support from popular Islamic scholar Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, who backed her remarks that there is no compulsion in Islam. The Univesiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer said he had written an article two years ago titled "Iman Tidak Boleh Dipaksa (Faith Cannot be Forced)", and added that the content was "the same" as that which Nurul Izzah had stated. "Malays cannot be forced and [they] believe voluntarily. But, through preaching, a person can be brought back to the faith," he was quoted by another Malay daily, Sinar Harian, as saying last week.

DPM: We’ll continue to help Chinese schools Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:50 PM PST (The Star) - The Deputy Prime Minister has reiterated the Government's assurance that Chinese schools will stay and that Barisan Nasional will continue to assist in their development. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said the Barisan government would continue to assist the national-type Chinese schools based on the real need of the Chinese community. "It is the wisdom of our past and present leaders that, not only is Chinese education preserved in this country, but it also becomes part of the national education system," he said when opening the 14th World Chinese Book Fair at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre here yesterday. Also present were Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong and founder of Country Heights Holdings Berhad Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew. Muhyiddin stressed that the Government was always committed to raising the quality of education in all types of schools. He hoped that the Chinese community would not fall prey to the agenda of certain quarters who liked to politicise education for their political gain. "At the same time, let us not forget the role of education as a means to unite Malaysians of all races. "Let us make all schools in this country as unity schools, where children of all races can mingle freely, learn to accept differences and respect each other," he said. Separately, Muhyiddin's nine-day working visit to Australia starting today will be used to gain new ideas especially in the field of education, besides forging closer bilateral ties, reported Bernama. Muhyiddin, who begins his visit to Australia in Melbourne, among others, will deliver a keynote address at the 4th World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) rganised by the Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute (Asli), the first time it is being held outside Malaysia.

PM hands out RM563mil to Felda households Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:47 PM PST (The Star) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Saturday handed out RM563mil to 112,635 Felda households under the third phase of windfall handouts specifically targeted at the young generation of settlers. Each will receive RM5,000 each. The handout is the final instalment promised by Najib earlier this year, in line with the move to channel profits made by listing Felda Global Ventures on the stock exchange. The first handout of RM5,000 was given to the settlers and the second RM5,000 to their wives.

Religion is something personal Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:43 PM PST It has taken a rookie politician to put across get the message that no one has the right to play God. Jeswan Kaur, FMT Doubt is part of all religion. All the religious thinkers were doubters. – Issac Bashevis Singer, author and Nobel Prize laureate The antipathy being shown to Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar for her candid and forthright view that everyone is deserving of religious freedom, including the Malays, reveals the feared truth that religion is a personal choice and coercion simply does not work. The truth is Nurul Izzah has done the Malays especially a favour through her remark that religious freedom should be accorded to everyone. It is a different matter that her comments made in a forum entitled "Islamic state? Which vision? Whose responsibility" on Nov 3 came down with a 'Richter Scale'-like backlash. The statements coming from the Prime Minister's Department were typical. Minister Jamil Khir Baharom said Nurul Izzah's remark was "misleading" and "dangerous". His deputy, Mashitah Ibrahim, went further, calling for the young politician's prosecution on the charge of insulting Islam. How could any thinking person conclude that she was insulting Islam when the gist of her remark was her quotation of the Quranic verse that prohibits believers from compelling people to accept Islam? Mashitah even hinted that Nurul Izzah was encouraging apostasy, a claim which the PKR vice-president begged to differ. A pertinent question It appears that there are many in this country that are unwilling to tolerate such ingenuous view of a 'green' politician and that too one who is the daughter of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Granted that it was anomalous for Nurul Izzah to so bravely touch on a topic so sensitive in this country, Islam; sadly, unlike her, the minds of her fellow colleagues, especially in the Barisan Nasional camp, have yet to 'attain' maturity. Thinking out of the box or daring to make a paradigm shift has never been BN's interest nor strength, hence its 'condemn and ridicule' approach in dealing with anything its nemesis, the Pakatan Rakyat pact does or says. Nurul Izzah has posed a very pertinent question, one that forces everyone to ruminate and ask questions in order to penetrate to the essence of any religion. Most people who have even a rough understanding of Islam will agree that asking questions is not a sin in that religion. The outstanding problem in this country, however, is that one is given the impression that anything bearing upon the country's official religion and Malay rights and privileges is not to be questioned. Still, in light of all this, Nurul Izzah dared to state what she believed to be true. She certainly was not trying to ingratiate herself with anyone by speaking her mind. As it stands, the country's constitution says if you are a Malay then you are automatically a Muslim. It is given that the Malays will not go against the constitution, not when it comes to religion. But then what happens if a Malay individual wanst to denounce his religion? These are serious questions that need genuine answers, not rebuke and punishment. Why is there the fear of addressing of even acknowledging the fact that there are some Malays who are unhappy with their religion? READ MORE HERE

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