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- Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays
- Insiden yang sebenar di Sungai Petani
- Statement by Tan Sri Robert Phang on the article by R. ...
- Pergerakan Penyatuan
- Jangan Risaulah Ibrahim Ali
| Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:27 PM PST
Such riots don't happen in Malaysia – at least not on such a major scale – without their being initiated by political beings. And a riot will be all the more powerful if the political beings engineering it also happen to be in power. If May 13 is going to happen again, it will have to be engineered by the people in power. Ordinary Malaysians will not fight without cause. We can be sure of that. Kee Thuan Chye To say that Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali has little between his ears because of his recent pronouncements is to say something too obvious. And yet one might be tempted to do it to dispel the misinformation he seems to be spreading. His point about the Malays being unable to compete with the non-Malays because Islam forbids the former to participate in businesses involving gambling, liquor and entertainment outlets is, to put it mildly, moronic. And terribly misleading. What's more inexcusable is his statement that the Chinese will become a national security threat if they acquire more political and economic power. It could lead, he warned, to another bloody racial conflict like the May 13 riots. This, I have to say, insults not only the Chinese but the Malays as well. But there's surely more to Ibrahim's antic than what's on the surface. He has not been in politics this long to appear so simple-minded. His agenda was to strike terror into the hearts of voters. He was employing the scare tactics that Prime Minister Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional (BN) have been resorting to of late as the general election draws near. Coincidentally, at the Umno general assembly last month, Wanita Umno President Shahrizat Abdul Jalil also irresponsibly raised the bogey of May 13. Ironically, such scare tactics betray a lack of self-confidence on the part of Najib and BN. Ibrahim must have caught on to it and sensed that BN may even lose the elections for the first time. But this does not exonerate him from saying things that are insulting, that could engender hatred. Based neither on fact nor reasoned argument. After all, the industries that are considered haram to Muslims make up only a small percentage of the total economy. Why is he making a mountain of such a molehill? He uses the inability of the Malays to make money from these business sectors as a reason for the Government to continue with affirmative action for them. Is that a sound argument? Malays don't need to rely on these sectors to succeed. Ibrahim only needs to look at Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary's business empire to see how a Muslim can prosper bountifully without touching any of the haram industries. That would be enough to debunk his theory that the Muslims are economically disadvantaged. More important, when Ibrahim talks about the economic situation of the Malays, why must he invariably compare it to that of the non-Malays? In order to draw the sinister conclusion that the latter are a threat? That the Chinese are being insulted is obvious. I very much doubt the community has any intentions whatsoever of being a threat to anyone, especially their fellow citizens, so it's not fair to consider them as such. If of late, they have been more vocal in agitating for their rights as Malaysians and calling for better governance for the good of the country, should that be considered threatening? But what about the Malays? Why do I say that Ibrahim's talk about another May 13 is insulting to the Malays as well? Because he is implying that they will be envious of Chinese success. He is implying meanness in the hearts of Malays. He is implying that they cannot stand it when others achieve success and, as such, they will clash with them. He is insulting all self-respecting and peace-loving Malays. May 13 did not happen because ordinary, responsible and peace-loving Malays decided to clash with non-Malays. It was orchestrated, as we now know. People in the ruling party whipped up sentiments to amok point. It was politically engineered, to bring down Tunku Abdul Rahman, the then prime minister. In a sense, the Chinese were made scapegoats by the plotters, who capitalised on the theme of racial conflict to cover up their own ulterior ambitions. Such riots don't happen in Malaysia – at least not on such a major scale – without their being initiated by political beings. And a riot will be all the more powerful if the political beings engineering it also happen to be in power. If May 13 is going to happen again, it will have to be engineered by the people in power. Ordinary Malaysians will not fight without cause. We can be sure of that. Ibrahim completely negates the decency and sense of responsibility of the Malay people. He also disregards the prospect that the Malays themselves have the ability to succeed. Why does he clamour for continued affirmative action? Is it not to perpetuate a cause that will serve his political enhancement? Is it not to pander to a market that will buy his rhetoric and vote him in again? But is it a cause still relevant? Is it viable in today's globalised world of which Malaysia is an integral part? Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad – who is, incidentally, Patron of Perkasa – should be well aware of the answer even if he often says the opposite of what he knows. Recently, however, he said that affirmative action for the Malays would have to be phased out in the future. And he seemed to momentarily make sense … until he qualified it by adding, "but only when we are certain that the Malays can compete in the market" without "the crutches". With his selective memory these days, he has obviously forgotten he said something contrary to that in his interview with The Star in October 2004: "We have tried to tell them if you depend on subsidies, you are going to be very weak. But they don't seem to understand. We tell them if you use crutches, you will not be able to stand up. Throw away the crutches, stand up straight because you still have the capacity." Unfortunately, Mahathir has reverted to being a great advocate of crutches. But the question is, how do "we" decide when the Malays will be ready to throw them away? What are the concrete criteria? When it is as arbitrary and unscientific as "when they are ready", the issue can remain unresolved indefinitely. At least, the New Economic Policy (NEP) had a quantified target – that of the Malays achieving 30 per cent share of the economy by 1990. But that year has come and gone and the affirmative action still continues. It has, in fact, now stretched to more than 40 years of implementation. Why are the Malays still not ready? Perhaps they already are. Sometimes, it's just a matter of switching mindsets to accept that one is ready for something. Moreover, some Malays will say, as Mahathir has pointed out, that they don't need crutches. The proof of this is that millionaire Malays are buying multi-million ringgit houses (but they are still getting the 7 per cent discount – do millionaires deserve affirmative action?). In any case, if we accept that the Malays are not ready, then who is to blame? Who is responsible for getting the Malays ready? Isn't it the Government? And who has formed the bulk of the Government all these decades? Isn't it Umno? So why has the Government, headed by Umno, the party for the Malays, not succeeded in getting the Malays ready after all these decades? Doesn't it mean that Umno has failed? If Mahathir and his sidekicks, like Ibrahim Ali, still clamour for crutches, Umno must have failed. To all intents and purposes then, the party that claims to serve the interests of the race it represents has failed its own race. So Ibrahim has no cause to deflect the issue onto the non-Malays, just as no one should make the Chinese scapegoats for May 13. Mahathir is one to talk. It was under his watch that the NEP got extended when it should have expired. He would never acknowledge it but in 1990, he must have realised that, as the supreme leader of Umno then, he had failed to meet the target. So what he says now is nothing but political posturing. It's the same with Ibrahim. He, too, knows why he says the dumb things he says, because he can't really be that dumb. And because all this talk – by both men – is to serve a political cause rather than the people and the nation, their action is all the more insidious. And should be taken with huge doses of scepticism. They may not know it but they have lost a lot of maruah (dignity) for pursuing this course. Maruah being an important element of Malay culture, reasonable and self-respecting Malays would surely not want to lose it themselves. * Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, available in bookstores together with its Malay translation, Jangan Kelentong Lagi, Kita Semua Orang Malaysia.
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| Insiden yang sebenar di Sungai Petani Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:18 PM PST
Pergaduhan budak-budak sekolah di Sungai Petani telah diperbesarkan oleh bloger Umno dan Barisan Nasional kononnya sebagai rusuhan kaum sedangkan hakikat yang sebenarnya adalah kes curi motor. Persoalan kini timbul, siapa yang mencuri motor itu? Adakah motor anak India itu yang dicuri? Atau budak Melayu yang cedera ini mencuri motor itu? Motor siapakah yang dicuri?
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| Statement by Tan Sri Robert Phang on the article by R. ... Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:03 PM PST
I refer to the said Article wherein R. Nadeswaran attributed various statements and quotes to me. It is amazing that R. Nadeswaran seems to echo everything said by Musa Hassan as if it were the absolute truth. It is more amazing that R. Nadeswaran reported my press conference and quoted me on things I never stated, when he wrote that I "admitted" - "I was the one together with Datuk Ramli Yusoff (former Commercial Crimes Division chief) who helped draft and prepare the document." This is an absolute inaccurate statement. While I can appreciate that Musa Hassan, being the principal lecturer of Media Warfare at UiTM , would try to reinvent his image in the eyes of the public, I find it difficult to appreciate that a senior journalist like R. Nadeswaran could fabricate stories, statements and quotes without even confirming its validity with me. This seems to be the trend with reporters and journalists aligned to Musa Hassan. I do not know their exact motives, but it clearly results in misinformation and confusion to the society at large, such that truth and falsehood become blurred. I am an old man with no interest in partisan politics. With the God given privileges I have as a result of the various positions I held, I have tried to project the truth and speak out against injustice when I see it happening. I have seen men like Musa Hassan who serve their masters regardless of ethics and values, for their own self preservation and benefit. What is unacceptable to me is that Musa Hassan is biting the hand that fed him. Worse than that, he has caused the PDRM to suffer the worst image in the history of the police force. He was the principal actor in various dubious cases, specifically The Black Eye Incident, Sodomy 1 and Sodomy 2. Yet, today, he tries to portray himself as a knight in shining armor. I believe in speaking the truth. Thus, when R. Nadeswaran uses the skills of his pen to make something foul to smell rosy, I have no choice but to assert that he is biased and not being objective as required of a fair journalist. I have today issued a denial to the statements and quotes attributed to me and demanded that The Sun retract the said article. Attached is my letter to the Editor of The Sun." My sincere "THANK YOU" to all my Supporters who have backed me up all these years and also to all those Critics ---- I assure you all , I will not tolerate any fabrication and malicious allegations against me which cannot be supported by evidence. I will certainly act in accordance to my legal rights.
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| Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:04 AM PST Muhammad Shahid bin Shahizam, 16 years old Sudah 55 tahun Malaysia mencapai sebuah kemerdekaan, membawa rakyatnya ke arah kemajuan dan kemakmuran tanpa mengira pegangan agama dan bangsa. Selama 50 tahun juga, parti-parti politik di Malaysia bergandingan bahu membangunkan Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara yang maju dan gah di persada antarabangsa. Walaupun berbeza ideologi dan prinsip, itu tidak menjadi alasan bagi mereka sebagai pemimpin untuk memimpin Malaysia dengan penuh keadilan dan kewibawaan. Biarpun bangunan Parlimen yang menjadi medan perdebatan mereka, itu tidak dapat mengusarkan semangat mereka untuk berjuang, mencipta perubahan bukan sahaja kepada diri mereka sendiri tetapi kepada seluruh penduduk Bumi yang digelar rakyat Malaysia. Selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12, segala-segalanya berubah. Sebuah negara yang memiliki parti-parti politik yang saling berkerjasama membangunkan Malaysia, yang saling bantu-membantu ketika ditimpa cabaran sama ada yang kecil ataupun besar hancur berkecai ditelan sifat tamak kuasa, dengki-mendengki, tuduh-menuduh, dan benci-membenci tanpa menghiraukan suara rakyat yang WAJIB didengari oleh setiap parti politik yang wujud di Malaysia. Kini, tajuk-tajuk utama media massa sama ada media kerajaan ataupun pembangkang hanya dipenuhi oleh berita-berita yang penuh dengan kebencian dan permusuhan yang mampu mengajar generasi akan datang untuk saling benci-membenci dan bermusuhan walaupun dengan ahli keluarganya sendiri. Dimanakah sifat saling berkerjasama antara kerajaan dengan pembangkang ketika pemimpin-pemimpin kita yang dahulu kala berkuasa atau ia sudah tidak penting lagi bagi mengaut keuntungan untuk diri sendiri sahaja? Dimanakah semangat 'bagaikan aur dengan tebing' yang wujud dalam kalangan parti-parti politik ketika didatangi oleh gelombang cabaran daripada pelbagai arah mampu menepis cabaran tersebut sebagai sebuah komuniti dan negara atau ianya hanyalah kisah-kisah pari- pari terbang di awan yang membiru yang diceritakan kepada kanak-kanak sahaja? Sungguh pelik melihat tingkah laku pemimpin kita tanpa mengira parti politik hidup mewah, dikelilingi oleh kekuasaan, masih mampu tersenyum sedangkan di luar sana, lebih daripada satu juta rakyat Malaysia sedang hidup dalam kesusahan, memikirkan cara untuk mendapatkan duit bagi membayar cukai untuk menampung hidup para pemimpin kita itu. Apakah mereka sudah berfikir yang semua rakyat yang berada di bawah naungan mereka itu sudah senang-lenang seperti mereka? Ya! Memang mereka sudah pergi ke kampung-kampung melihat warga desa, ke pendalaman melihat orang asli tetapi mereka tidak merasai kesusahan mereka kerana mereka tidak melaluinya, para pemimpin kita tidak melaluinya! Mereka menghantar anak-anak mereka ke sekolah-sekolah yang mempunyai standard dan kualiti yang tinggi tetapi mereka lupa anak-anak rakyat mereka sedang bersekolah di sekolah kerajaan yang masih tidak mempunyai infrastruktur yang baik serta memiliki sistem pendidikan yang berkesan mendidik anak bangsa kita menjadi insan yang berguna walaupun sudah diiktiraf mempunyai standard antarabangsa. Jikalau para pejuang kemerdekaan negara kita dihidupkan kembali, mereka pasti menangis melihat tingkah-laku pemimpin sekarang, mereka pasti sedih dan terkilan dengan apa yang berlaku sekarang di tanah air tercinta ini. Sudah lupakah kita akan kegemilangan yang pernah nenek moyang kita cipta dahulu? Sejarah yang unik tertulis sendiri oleh bangsa kita, Melayu Islam, yang mencipta tamadun yang disegani di serata dunia, menguasai perdagangan antara dunia Timur dengan dunia Barat, menbina kapal layar yang meredah lautan yang luas dan buas sehingga ke benua Afrika, dan mencipta teknologi yang menundukkan bangsa Eropah ke tahap yang paling rendah ketika mereka menjejakkan kaki mereka ke tanah air kita tetapi itu cuma hanyalah tinggalan sejarah, yang ditulis di atas buku-buku sejarah yang tersimpan rapi di muzium, yang dikisahkan kepada kanak-kanak dan apabila tamat diulang, diulang, dan diulang kembali. Kalau begitu, takkanlah mustahil untuk giliran kita pula yang mendatang, tamadun kita yang lama dahulu yang indah gemilang hidup semula, kembali segar bugar, terbentang di bumi Allah yang luas ini. Tidak kisah sama ada kita mempunyai prinsip ataupun ideologi yang berbeza, itu tidak bermakna kita perlu membelakangkan nasib agama dan bangsa kita. Apa salahnya parti-parti politik kita bersatu dan berdiri di atas laluan yang sama? Tidak salah! Jikalau ada terdapat kesalahan di pihak yang lain, pihak yang lain boleh membetulkannya, ini tidak mustahil untuk dilakukan apabila prinsip persaudaraan yang diajarkan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w diterapkan dalam diri masing-masing. Apakah kebaikan yang kita dapat kalau kita bersatu dengan golongan yang terang-terangan tidak mengucap dua kalimah syahadah? Tidak ada! Ini bukan berkenaan dengan kerajaan ataupun pembangkang tetapi ini berkenaan nasib agama dan bangsa yang menguasai bidang politik di Malaysia ini. Jangan hanya disebabkan kuasa dan kemewahan, pemimpin-pemimpin kita, sama ada kerajaan ataupun pembangkang, bergaduh dan menyalak seperti serigala pada waktu malam tanpa ada kebaikan yang tersirat, saling fitnah-menfitnah antara satu sama lain sedangkan suara rakyat diketepikan seperti sampah di tepi jalanan. Jikalau pemimpin-pemimpin kita tidak mahu berubah maka kita yang akan membawa perubahan itu. Serulah kepada bangsa kita, bangsa Melayu untuk bangun dan berdiri bersatu di atas laluan yang sama, menuju ke arah matlamat yang jelas, membina kembali tamadun kita, menjadi bangsa yang gah kembali bukan sahaja di Nusantara tetapi di atas bumi Allah ini! Ini adalah mengenai masa depan negara kita, wahai Melayu Islam! Sudah pasti kita tidak mahu lagi melihat bangsa kita menjadi bahan ejekan dalam kalangan bangsa yang menguasai ekonomi tanah air kita, sudah pasti kita tidak mahu lagi anak-anak kita ketinggalan jauh dalam pelajaran taktala bangsa yang menguasai ekonomi tanah air kita berjaya mencapai menara gading dan menguasai segala-galanya. Sudah sampai masanya kita untuk bangkit dan bersatu menguasai kembali kesemua bidang sama ada dari segi pendidikan sehinggalah ekonomi daripada bangsa yang telah menjadikan kita pengemis di tanah air kita sendiri. Wahai Melayu Islam! Sudah sampai masanya parti-parti politik kita bersatu di bawah satu panji membawa perubahan, mengubah nasib bangsa kita, mencipta sejarah tersendiri, dan membuktikan kepada dunia yang kita pun mampu melakukan apa yang mereka fikir mustahil untuk kita lakukannya! Bangkit dan bersatulah! ------------------------------ Peringatan 'Wahai para pemimpinku, tidakkah kamu bersalah akan dirimu, tidakkah kamu rasa malu terhadap Tuhan yang telah memberi kamu rezeki, yang membenarkan kamu tinggal di bumi-Nya, tidakkah ada satu perasaan menyesal terhadap apa yang telah kamu lakukan itu? Wahai para pemimpinku, aku tidak kisah dari mana parti politik kamu, selagi kamu berkuasa, selagi itu banyak kerosakan akan kamu lakukan. Aku merayu kepada kamu sebagai seorang rakyat yang masih menulis pena di sekolah, yang masih mencari tujuan hidup yang sebenar untuk kembali ke jalan yang mempunyai matlamat hidup yang jelas, untuk kembali menjadi seorang pemimpin yang benar-benar memiliki sifat sebagai seorang pemimpin yang adil dan berwibawa. Aku tidak mampu menentang kamu kerana kamu adalah golongan yang berkuasa tetapi aku juga tidak mampu melihat kamu terus-terusan melakukan dosa-dosa yang mampu menghancurkan hidup kamu, aku sudah tidak mampu lagi melihatnya! Aku tidak mahu harta kamu, aku tidak mahu kekuasaan kamu itu, aku cuma mahu melihat kamu berubah agar negaraku ini selamat daripada sifat-sifat buruk kamu itu. Aku cuma meminta itu sahaja dari kamu, wahai para pemimpinku!'
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| Posted: 16 Dec 2012 03:36 PM PST UxtVFzj5OnA Ubah Rocket Style Memang pun Umno dan Perkasa agak terdesak bila lapisan masyarakat majmuk memahami mesej yang dibawa dalam video klip ini. Walaupun video klip ini terkandung ciri-ciri lucu, jenaka, kreatif dan simbolik, tapi tidak membakar isu perkauman. Ia tidak menyebarkan idea-idea benci-membenci. Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxtVFzj5OnA Video klip inilah memang buat Ibrahim Ali, Sharizat terasa tertekan. Video klip inilah buat Ibrahim Ali mengungkilkan tragedi May 13 supaya menakut-nakutkan masyarakat Melayu bersatu kembali. Apa takut sangat Ibrahim Ali??? Bukankah perpaduan rakyat berbilang bangsa lebih baik dari perpaduan Melayu?? Memang pun Umno dan Perkasa agak terdesak bila lapisan masyarakat majmuk memahami mesej yang dibawa dalam video klip ini. Walaupun video klip ini terkandung ciri-ciri lucu, jenaka, kreatif dan simbolik, tapi tidak membakar isu perkauman. Ia tidak menyebarkan idea-idea benci-membenci. Kalau dibandingan dengan video klip yang dihasilkan puak blogger pro Umno, BN nescaya mereka gagal dapat menghasilkan video klip yang setanding dengannya. Dalam kempen politik, kreativity memainkan peranan penting dalam kesedaran politik. Tidak kurang pentingnya membangkitkan rakyat menentang rhetorik, ciri-ciri jenaka dan lucu dapat merangsangkan rakyat memahami perkembangan politik semasa, ia lebih mudahkan lapisan masyarakat menyedari matlamat perjuangan sesebuah parti itu.
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