Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Rally forces road closures
- Laporan langsung HKR 12 Jan, Kuala Lumpur
- Malaysia's 'Darling' Status Isn't What It Seems
- Towards a progressive interpretation of Islam
- 7 Reasons To Go for Malaysian Public Rallies
- How "Brahma" became "Allah"
- Deepak offers to be Pakatan’s state witness
- Polis haramkan himpunan Sabah Bangkit
- Tunku Abdul Aziz condemns rally
- PKR: S’gor water crisis a political sabotage
- Pensions funds facing RM75 mil loss in FGVH shares: PKR
- Friday prayers are NOT compulsory, said the Mufti
- Lawyers send letter to MAIS over decree
- Suhakam, Bar Council to monitor rally
- Deepak’s plan
- Who should be blamed?
- Sarawak Report: What ‘sins’ did we commit?
- ‘Police boycotting MyWatch’
- STAR willing to ‘cooperate’ not ‘work under’ Pakatan
- Berjalan Bersama AMK Demi Kebebasan, Keadilan dan Demokrasi
- ‘Empress Dowager’ to decide polls date?
- ‘Country’s fate in your hands’
- ‘Najib has the edge over Anwar’
- In tea leaves, economist sees slender Pakatan win
- Changing national flag akin to hating own country’
- NUBE disappointed with Pakatan on floor wage policy
- Remember our February 2008 agreement?
- The complexities of the 'Allah' issue
- Royal fatwa on Allah word - has HRH been let down by advisor(s)?
- Nizar dedah dokumen RM207 bilion
- Kalimah Allah: Penjelasan Ketua Dewan Ulamak PAS
- Who is Khalid Ibrahim batting for?
- Selangor MB: Not wrong to use ‘Allah’ but don’t abuse it
- What comes first for Anwar?
- Mat Zain: Musa trying to save himself
- ‘Sultan cannot make rules for non-Muslims’
- Prejudice and the ugly face of BN in Sabah
- ‘Allah’ ban against court order, Cabinet decision, Selangor told
- Who can lead BN's move to reclaim Selangor?
- #KL112: Res Ipsa Loquitur!
- Deep despair in BN corridors
- In the spotlight again over ‘Allah’ issue
- Haron: I’ll never agree to allow non-Muslims use 'Allah'
- Don’t politicise God
- Ahead of polls, Putrajaya tells local media to ‘soften people’s hearts’
- When Yong is hungry like the wolves
- Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat 112
- DRB-HICOM to go private?
- So it’s settled then
- Explain RM207 billion compensation, says Anwar
| Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:26 AM PST
(Bernama) - Most roads in the city had to be closed and traffic diverted in stages from 9.45am this morning because of the rally planned to be held by the opposition at Stadium Merdeka in the afternoon. The roads had to be closed because of the entry of the participants of the rally which caused major congestion in the city's main arteries. Checks by Bernama found traffic police station all over the city since 6am but no roads were closed till 9.30am. Kuala Lumpur traffic chief ACP Rusli Mohd Noor told Bernama the closures and diversions were necessary to smoothen traffic flow. "We will close roads as the situation demands," he said. Among roads involved were :- 1. Seremban- Kl/ Jalan Istana Baru 2. Jalan Sungai Besi/ Sungai Besi Roundabout (Kl-Bound) 3. Sungai Besi Roundabout 4. Jalan Sungai Besi / Pudu Roundabout 5. Pudu Roundabout / Jalan Pudu 6. Pudu Roundabout / Jalan Pasar 7. Jalan Kajang / Sungai Besi Roundabout 8. Chan Sow Lin / Jalan Tun Razak (Pd 105) 9. Cochrane / Jalan Tun Razak (Jalan Pasar) 10. Jalan Tun Razak / Kondo Ezora 11. Kondo Ezora / Jalan Sultan Ismail/ Jalan Imbi Exit 12. Kampung Pandan Roundabout 13. Jalan Selatan 14. Jalan Tun Razak Exit To Bukit Bintang 15. Tun Razak / Jalan Bukit Bintang Traffic Light Junction 16. Jalan Kampung Pandan / Flyover To Pd 92 17. Jalan Tun Razak / Kia Peng 18. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Eaton 19. Jalan Tun Razak / Persiaran Stonor 20. Jalan Tun Razak / Lorong Kuda 21. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Ampang (Esso) Exit 22. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Ampang 23. Jalan Tun Razak / Megan Phileo 24. Jalan Tun Razak / Yap Kwang Seng 25. Jalan Tun Razak / Terowong Klcc 26. Jalan Tun Razak / Perkeso 27. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz 28. Jalan Tun Razak / Parking Ijn 29. Jalan Tun Razak / Bangunan Ijn Baru 30. Jalan Tun Razak / Kuala Lumpur Hospital (Hkl) Football Field 31. Tun Razak Exit To Pahang Roundabout 32. Pahang Roundabout 33. Jalan Genting Kelang / Pahang Roundabout Tunnel 34. Jalan Pekeliling / Stesen Bas Pekeliling 35. Pekeliling Exit/ Jalan Ipoh 36. Jalan Ipoh / Jalan Rahmat 37. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Tun Ismail 38. Jalan Tun Razak / Jalan Kuching Exit 39. Jalan Tun Razak /Pwtc (Sek Maxwell)Exit 40. Jalan Tun Ismail / Jalan Kuching (Susur Kibat)Exit 41. Jalan Tun Ismail / Jalan Putra 42. Jalan Putra / Jalan Raja Laut 43. Jalan Pahang / Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz / Jalan Ta Rahman 44. Jalan Mahameru / Parlimen Exit 45. Jalan Duta / Jalan Parlimen Exit 46. Jalan Mahameru / Parlimen (Muzium)Exit 47. Jalan Mahameru / Wisma Tani Exit 48. Jejambat Wisma Tani 49. Jalan Mahameru / Carcosa Exit 50. Susur Jalan Damansara / Jalan Travers 51. Jalan Bangsar / Jalan Travers 52. Jalan Travers / Jalan Damansara (Balai Travers Lama) 53. Jalan Kl Sentral / Muzium Negara 54. Jalan Klang Lama / Lebuhraya Persekutuan 55. Jalan Klang Lama / Salak Expressway (U-Turn) 56. Federal Highway/ Jalan Syed Putra 57. Jalan Tun Sambathan Exit/ Jalan Sulaiman 58. Jalan Sulaiman (Ktm)
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| Laporan langsung HKR 12 Jan, Kuala Lumpur Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:21 AM PST
(Harakah) - Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR) berlangsung di Kuala Lumpur hari ini. Pihak Penganjur menetapkan lapan tempat berkumpul untuk memudahkan pergerakan peserta menuju ke Stadium Merdeka. Perhimpunan rasmi di Stadium Merdeka akan bermula jam 2 hingga 5 petang ini. Bagaimanapun pergerakan peserta dari tempat berkumpul menuju ke Stadium Merdeka dijangka bermula awal pagi ini. Harakahdaily akan membawa laporan langsung perhimpunan ini.
Laporan langsung: 10.55 am - [Brickfield] Kumpulan di sini sudah mula bergerak. Mereka akan bercantum dengan kumpulan dari Masjid Ar- Rahman UM sebelum menuju ke Stadium Merdeka.
10.50 am - [KLCC] Hampir 1000 orang sudah memenuhi perkarangan KLCC. 30 anggota Unit Amal dilihat sedang menerima taklimat.
Mazlan Aliman, Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, Dr. Syed Azman akan mengetuai di sini.
10.45 am - [Masjid Ar-Rahman, UM] Kumpulan dari sini mula berjalan menuju ke Stadium Merdeka.
10.40 am - Biarpun bertongkat, seorang warga emas sanggup turun bersama-sama ke HKR.
10.30 am - [Masjid Negara] Suasana di Masjid Negara ketika ini. Jumlah peserta bertambah dengan mendadak.
10.25 am - [KLCC] Hampir 100 peserta kini sudah berada di sini. Di sini kumpulan Royalti Kelantan dan Terengganu akan mengepalai perjalanan ke Stadium Merdeka. Mereka mengenakan pakaian Merah dan Hitam.
10.20 am - [Brickfields] Kumpulan di sini sedang mengumpul peserta sebelum berjalan menuju ke Stadium Merdeka. Kelihatan komander, kartunis Zunar sedang berada di sini.
10.15 am - [Masjid Ar-Rahman, UM] Kumpulan dari sini akan mula berjalan sedikit masa lagi. Jarak dari UM ke Stadium Merdeka kira-kira 10km.
10.10 am -[PDRM] Aliran trafik sekitar Kuala Lumpur adalah lancar, kecuali Jalan Loke Yew ke Jalan Kinabalu sahaja sesak.
10.00 am - Video sokongan rakyat Malaysia di Jordan terhadap HKR 2013[Lihat Video].
Perhimpunan ini telah diadakan di Mu'tah, Jordan pada 11 Januari 2013 bertujuan untuk menunjukkan tanda sokongan penuh kami yang berada diluar negara khususnya di Jordan terhadap Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat 120113 yang berlangsung di Malaysia.
9.55 am - Dianggarkan lebih 5,000 peserta sudah berada di sekitar Masjid Negara ketika ini. Mereka masih menunggu komender bertugas sebelum berjalan santai menuju ke Stadium Negara.
9.45 am - Berikut adalah lokasi berkumpul sebelum bergerak ke Stadium Merdeka dan komander bertugas:
9.40 am - Nombor HOTLINE Bilik Gerakan Peguam PAS adalah seperti berikut:
9.35 am - [PDRM] Keadaan Keselamatan di Kuala Lumpur adalah tenang dan terkawal. Aliran trafik di sekitar Kuala Lumpur adalah lancar. Anggota trafik telah siap sedia untuk kawalan lalu lintas sekitar lokasi utama di Kuala Lumpur.
9.30 am - [Jalan Sultan] NGO Hijau anti Lynas SMSL mula tiba. Wong Tack (gambar) sedang ditemuramah media. Mereka dijangka berjalan bermula dari kawasan Jalan Sultan.
9.25 am - [KL Sentral] Orang Asal turut tidak ketinggalan untuk menyertai himpunan hari ini. Mereka hadir dengan mengekalkan identiti mereka sendiri.
9.20 am - Perjalanan menuju ke Stadium Merdeka dilaporkan lancar. Tiada sebarang sekatan setakat ini. Biarpun himpunan rasmi hanya akan bermula jam 2 pm, namun sudah ramai tiba di stadium pagi ini.
9.15 am -[Jalan Sultan] Peserta sedang berkumpul dan ada sudah berjalan menuju ke Stadium Merdeka.
9.00 am - [Stadium Merdeka] Peserta mula tiba di Stadium Merdeka. Dilaporkan tiada sebarang halangan setakat ini sepanjang jalan menuju ke stadium. 8.40 am - [Masjid Negara] Perkarangan Masjid Negara mula dibanjiri peserta himpunan. Pelbagai kaum dilihat hadir di sini dengan memakai baju warna tema himpunan termasuk Hijau, Kuning, Merah dan Oren.
8.30 am - [Trafik] Jalan mula sesak di Lebuhraya Persekutuan dari Subang menuju KL.
8.00 am -[Jalan Sultan] Ramai yang sudah mula bergerak ke arah Lokasi HKR. Stadium Merdeka.
7.15 am - [Jln Tun Razak] Papan elktronik Sistem Maklumat Pengangkutan Bersepadu (ITIS) memaklumkan trafik ke ibu negara bergerak lancar.
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| Malaysia's 'Darling' Status Isn't What It Seems Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:02 AM PST
Never underestimate the power of delusion. Just ask Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy prime minister of an Asian economy that last year almost beat Hong Kong as a destination for initial public offerings. The market in question: Malaysia. William Pesek, Bloomberg The Southeast Asian nation topped Group of Seven-member Canada in 2012, ending the year as the world's fifth-largest IPO market. Not bad, considering Malaysia is Asia's ninth-biggest stock market, hardly a regional powerhouse. Malaysia was deemed a safe haven from Europe's debt crisis and a reasonable play on the China growth story. Yet Malaysian officials shouldn't get ahead of themselves in thinking their economy has suddenly become a "darling of investors," as Muhyiddin has said. There's a strong whiff of complacency in his recent comments about how the government is raising its economic game. If only it were. Muhyiddin's boss, Prime Minister Najib Razak, has talked a great game of reform. But Malaysia has yet to tackle the reason so many investors and multinational companies underweight the place: affirmation-action policies that hold back its growth and dynamism in the world's most competitive region. Malaysia is sandwiched between industrial heavyweights Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, and a cast of fast-rising upstarts including China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Malaysia needs to act boldly and expeditiously to dismantle productivity-killing quotas that benefit only ethnic Malays. "It's losing relevance and refuses to change its politically entrenched affirmative-action policies to gain back its economic prowess," said Chrisanne Chin, capital-markets consultant at IABT Research Malaysia. "The government is only interested in keeping power." Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-11/malaysia-s-darling-status-isn-t-what-it-seems.html
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| Towards a progressive interpretation of Islam Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:57 AM PST
The Delhi court judge who rejected bail to a maulvi in a forcible marriage case was right in saying that there is no blanket sanction for polygamy in the Koran A Faizur Rahman, The Hindu In a significant judgment pronounced last month (in State vs. Nadeem Khancase) Delhi's Additional Sessions Judge Dr. Kamini Lau called upon religious heads, priests and maulvis "to ensure that the religious texts are progressively interpreted and to confirm that it is only those beneficial practices which are in the best interest of all sections of humanity which are encouraged and observed." She was dismissing the anticipatory bail application of a Maulvi accused of forcibly marrying a young Muslim girl to an already married man who raped her soon after the Nikah. The judge's remarks, which form part of her eloquent 14-page order, were in response to the maulvi's defence that there was nothing illegal about his performing the Nikah because the Shariah permitted a Muslim man to have four wives at a time. The importance of Dr. Lau's order lies in her scholarly refutation of the medieval belief that polygyny enjoys blanket sanction in Islam. Citing Muslim scriptures the judge avers that "polygamy is neither mandatory nor encouraged but merely permitted. The Koran's conditional endorsement of polygamy stresses that self-interest or sexual desire should not be the reason for entering into a polygamous marriage" because the original purpose of allowing this practice was "to protect the social and financial standing of the widows and orphans in their community." HISTORICAL CONTEXTDr. Lau is absolutely right in her analysis. Indeed, except conditional polygyny, the Koran frowns upon all types of non-monogamous relationships within in and outside marriage. Significantly, polygyny itself finds mention just once (4:3) in the entire Koran. Yet Muslim men have abused it over centuries without appreciating the spirit behind its exceptional sanction, which is clearly contextualised in the historical conditions of the time when a large number of women were widowed and children orphaned as Muslims suffered heavy casualties in defending the nascent Islamic community in Medina. Even a simple reading of verses 4: 2, 3 and 127 will show that it was under such circumstances that the Koran allowed conditional polygyny to protect orphans and their mothers from an exploitative society. Verse 4:2 warns caretakers against devouring the assets of orphans either by merging them with their own, or substituting their "worthless properties for the good ones" of the orphans. And, if the caretakers "fear that they may not be able to do justice" to the interests of the orphans in isolation, the next verse allows them to marry their widowed mothers — on the condition that the new family would be dealt justly on a par with the existing one. For those who are not up to it, the instruction of the Koran was: "Then [marry] only one." The sanctity of taking care of widows and their children is further emphasised in 4:127: "And remember what has been rehearsed unto you in the Book [in 4:2 and 3] concerning the orphans of women to whom you give not what is prescribed, and yet whom you desire to marry..." This proves that verse 4:3 is not a hedonistic license to marry several women. Furthermore, the Koran idyllically describes the marital couple as "spousal mates" created to find "quiet of mind" (7:189) and "to dwell in tranquillity" (30:21) in the companionship of each other. In fact, verse 7:189, which traces the origin of man to a single cell (nafsan waahida), refers to the wife in the singular as zaujaha, thereby emphasising monogamy. Thus, in the Koranic conception, marriage is the emotional bonding of two minds which cannot be achieved simultaneously with more than one woman. RESTRICTED IN MANY COUNTRIESFor this reason polygyny is severely restricted in many Muslim countries and totally banned in Tunisia and Turkey, a fact pointed out by Dr. Lau in support of her judgment. In Pakistan for instance, Sec. 6 of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961 states that no man, during the subsistence of an existing marriage, can contract another marriage without the permission in writing of the Arbitration Council — a body consisting of representatives of each of the parties to a matter dealt with under the Ordinance — which would grant the sanction applied for after satisfying itself that the proposed marriage is necessary and just. The Indian Muslim community is perhaps the only Islamic society in the world where utter confusion prevails insofar as the proper definition of Shariah is concerned. Judge Lau brings this up saying, "… in democratic India, it is time to clear certain misconceptions and misgivings regarding Islam. Merely because the Muhammadan Personnel Law does not stand codified, it does not in any manner entitle a violator/ accused to get away with an interpretation which suits his convenience." Once again she has hit the nail on the head. One fails to understand why the Muslim clerics have always sought to straitjacket the time-transcending polysemic phraseology of the Koran and restrict its meaning to outdated medieval hermeneutics. It is no wonder that a verse in the Koran (25:30) visualises Prophet Muhammad as complaining to God on the Day of Judgment that after his demise his followers had circumscribed the comprehensive message of the Koran. Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/towards-a-progressive-interpretation-of-islam/article4295248.ece | ||
| 7 Reasons To Go for Malaysian Public Rallies Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:53 AM PST
Loyar Burok 1) It's a very rare occurrence to actually see Malaysians actually come early. I kid you not. Go see yourself! 2) Legal Aid Lawyers actually give free representation to those arrested! Yes, lawyers actually doing work for free! Crazy! Shocking! 3) Hot chicks/studs. 'nuff said. Remember Bersih 3.0, anyone? 4) Good cardio workout. Nothing like running for your dear lives. Forget running a marathon! Orfaux pas zombies. 5) Networking. Where the hell else can you find thousands of people believing in the same cause/having something in common? Church? A Multi-racial crowd, cutting across even social-economical and religious backgrounds! Astounding! Read more at: http://www.loyarburok.com/2013/01/11/7-reasons-malaysian-public-rallies/
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| Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:17 AM PST
Therefore, the passages and commentaries presented above showed the difference in the conception of God in the treatment of both epics; the original being very Hindu and the derivative of the Ramayana, whilst the Hikayat Seri Rama was given an Islamic treatment. A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman In the case of the ongoing "Allah" problematique, I'd like to see discussions on the concept of 'god' more from the perspective of the 'transcultural flow of ideas' -- transfers and borrowings, adaptations, hybridisation, and enculturalisation -- rather than seeing it blown out or proportion leading to the call for this or that nonsensical jihad/crusade or any form of religious amuck. We can look at moments in the history of literature in which creative adaptations happen they pertain to how concept of the Divine or the idea of the deity gets enculturalised. Below is an excerpt of the paper, Islamising the Ramayana, that I wrote during my undergraduate days, analysing the influence of Valmiki's Ramayana in South-East Asia.Excerpt: The popularity of Ramayana and other Hindu epics at the time of the arrival of Islam, without suspect, brought major concerns to Islamic preachers at that time. In fact, a religious writing by an Islamic scholar from Gujerat, India who served in the court of the sultan of Acheh in the early part of the 17th century, condemned the Hikayat Seri Rama as "unfit for Muslim readers". Sir Richard Winstedt, a critic of the classical Malay literature was not far from being right when he mentioned that the first task of the Islamic preachers was to replace the heroes in Indian epics with Islamic warriors (Ahmad, 1981, pp 110). The spread of Islam was so very intense that Hinduism held by the people of this region was reduced to their social customs only; marriage, birth and funeral ceremonies. From time to time the Hindu beliefs were replaced by customs characteristic of Islam. As told in another classical Malay epic, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, the Hindu idols were from time to time destroyed. Hinduism became very weak, hence. This condition manifested itself in the development of the Malay literature, Hindu elements that originated from the Hindu holy scriptures, for instance, the Ramayana and Mahabharatta that glorified Vishnu, Siva, Brahma and other gods and godesses were replaced with Islamic concept of the Supreme being (Hamid, 1974, pp 77-78). To illustrate the point above, let me compare two passages of the epic in its Indian version (as told by William S Buck) and to the one in Shellabear's version of the Hikayat Seri Rama. These passages concern with the Rakshasha King Ravana's coming into power: Ravana held the knife to his throat, when Brahma appeared and said, "Stop! Ask me a boon at once!" "I am glad that I please you," said Ravana. "Please me!" said Brahma. "Your will is dreadful, too strong to be neglected; like a bad disease, I must treat it. Your pains make me hurt. Ask!" "May I be unslayable and never defeated by the gods or any one from any heaven, by Hell's devils or Asuras or demon spirits, by underworld serpents or Yakshas or Rakshasas." "Granted!" said Brahma quickly. He gave Ravana back his burnt heads better looking than before. They rose living and smoothed down his black moustaches. Brahma told Vibhishana, "Ask." "May I never forget Dharma in peril or in pleasure, in comfort or in distraction." Brahma said, "Yes, and you will be immortal on Earth and exempt from death or oblivion, and my truth knows no turning" (Buck, 1976, pp 23). Here in the Indian version, Lord Brahma, the creator is presented as the one approaching King Ravana. In the Malay version, there was a middle man who dealt with what Ravana's wishing for, the prophet Adam, first man on Earth. With the blessing and power of Allah (SWT) the prophet Adam was hence descended from heaven for some period of time on earth. Once upon a time, at dawn, the prophet was walking on Earth when he met Ravana, meditating, hanging upside down. The prophet asked: "O Ravana, why art thou doing as such to thyself? How long has thou been this way?" Ravana replied, "O Gracious prophet of Allah. I have been in this condition for twelve years." Adam then said, "O Ravana, what is it that thou hath begged from Allah (SWT) that thou hath acted as such?" Ravana answered, "O My Lord Prophet of Allah, if it would be at all possible that thou would asketh Lord Allah's granting of my wish. I would hence proclaim the nature of it." The prophet Adam then said, "O Ravana tell me the nature of the wish of thou" (Shellabear, 1964, pp 3). Thus, Ravana told the prophet of his wish that Allah grant him four kingdoms on earth, heaven, the underworld and the seas. The prophet then told Ravana: "Hence, at this moment, thou hath to promise me, that whenth thou doth commit wrongdoings or thou subjects doth doings as such and thou blesseth thee therein and not judge otherwise, thou hath to accept the wrath of thy Lord Allah. Whereas thou agreeth upon this promise. I would hereby asketh upon Lord Allah thou's humble wishes (Shellabear, 1964, pp 2). From the three passages quoted above, there are several differences that could be accounted: (i) The concept of the creator in Valmiki's Ramayana, Brahma is replaced by that of Prophet Adam as the one who approached Ravana. (ii) Brahma, as the god who creates, seems to be portrayed as weak, threatened by Ravana's meditative acts. "Please me!" said Brahma, "Your will is dreadful too strong to be neglected; like a bad disease, I must treat it. Your pains make me hurt. Ask!" (Buck, 1976, pp 23). In Hikayat Seri Rama, Ravana in the beginning of his coming to power, had to ask the utmost consent of the Supreme Being, Allah, to grant him the four kingdoms. His wish could not possibly be channeled directly to Allah, rather, the prophet Adam was asked to present his wish. Leading to idolatry Here, the concept of Brahma as the Supreme Creator and Allah is very different in a way that Brahma's supremacy was shaken by Ravana's meditative act and hence, Brahma had to grant whatever the Rakshasha was asking for to save himself. On the other hand, Islam does not see the power and might of the Supreme Being, Allah as anywhere in the position of that portrayed by Brahma. This leads to another discussion of the conception of God; The Hindus divided God into three deities: (1) Brahma, the Creator, (2) Vishnu, the Preserver and (3) Shiva, the Destroyer. This led to idolatry and images being made out of these dieties and cults formed to worship one or the other of these gods (Akhbar, 1983, pp 52). The concept of god in Islam is such that Allah is 'Unit and Indivisible'. He is born of none and has given birth to none, there is no sharer in His authority and that He is the Creator, Nourisher, and Sustainer of all universe, and has full sovereignty over them and everything in them for destroying and recreating (Akhbar, 1983, pp 71). Therefore, the passages and commentaries presented above showed the difference in the conception of God in the treatment of both epics; the original being very Hindu and the derivative of the Ramayana, whilst the Hikayat Seri Rama was given an Islamic treatment. End of Excerpt How then must we Malaysians look at the current controversy on the word 'Allah' as we frame the discussions not only philologically, but also through the study of humanities, so that we will be all the more cultured in the way we look at the evolution of knowledge? ********************************** OUR USUAL REMINDER, FOLKS:
AND - VOTE WISELY! https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/
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| Deepak offers to be Pakatan’s state witness Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:14 AM PST
The one-time Rosmah associate says he is ready to reveal it all if Pakatan Rakyat is willing to guarantee to protect him against prosecution when they come to power. K Kabilan, FMT Carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan today urged Pakatan Rakyat to give him an undertaking that he would be protected against prosecution if they want him to expose all alleged wrongdoings of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor. "I am urging Pakatan Rakyat's future prime minister, the future home minister and the future law minister… give me an undertaking for my safety and freedom," he was quoted as saying in an interview with Harakahdaily.net today. He said that he was ready to give evidence of all alleged wrongdoings that can help Pakatan topple Barisan Nasional in the next general election. However he does not want to be left standing alone, or worst, prosecuted along with the alleged wrongdoers. "I am confused now. How can I expose when the way PKR is revealing all the information is incorrect and without protecting me as a whistleblower?," he later told FMT when contacted. "They should protect me under the Whistleblowers Act. I need protection against prosecution from them," he said. "Give me an undertaking that I will not be prosecuted for my exposés. I can be Pakatan's state witness and will expose it all," he repeated. He said that if he was given such an understanding, he was willing to join forces with Pakatan leaders at the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat at Stadium Merdeka tomorrow to do his duty as a Malaysian for the nation. When asked if he had met up with any Pakatan leaders over his request, Deepak said that he was hoping to meet some Pakatan leaders tomorrow. "I am going to the rally and I hope to meet up with some of them," he said. Foreclosure notice "The current administration is politically intimidating me in order to keep me silent. "I shall not succumb and will ensure that all the truth prevails in the days ahead," he said. He revealed that he had been issued a foreclosure notice to shut down his company unless he was able to pay off his debts amounting to RM33 million within 14 days. "The legal firm which issued the notice is the firm where Najib's brother is a senior lawyer," he said. He added that the income tax department was also investigating him for alleged tax evasion from 2004 to 2009. "These are all activities undertaken by the current administration to stop me from telling the truth," he said.
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| Polis haramkan himpunan Sabah Bangkit Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:21 PM PST
Ketua polis Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu, Asisten Komisioner Jauteh Dikun mengeluarkan kenyataan berikutan perhimpunan Sabah Bangkit yang akan berlansung pada 12 Januari 2013 bertempat di Taman Chong Thien Vun pada jam 2.00 petang. Dalam kenyataan tersebut, beliau menyatakan perhimpunan ini tidak mendapat sebarang permit daripada polia atau mana-mana jabatan berkenaan yang seterusnya membawa kesalahan undang-undang mengikut akta perhimpunan aman 2012. Gegar Anak Muda
Respon penganjur perhimpunan - Penganjur perhimpunan Sabah Bangkit adalah Gabungan NGO menuntut hak rakyat Sabah (GEGAR) menyatakan kita tidak mahu bertuhankan Akta Perhimpunan Aman. Kita yakin dan percaya, rakyat berhak duduk dan berada di mana-mana sudut di negeri ini. Kita rasakan, akta ini yang dibentuk selepas adanya perlembagaan yang menjamin hak berhimpun adalah rangka menghakis sedikit sebanyak hak berhimpun. Akta ini bukanlah cara untuk mendisiplinkan peserta. Sebaliknya, peserta itu sendiri yang menentukan suasana perhimpunan. Sekali lagi, saya yakin dan percaya, rakyat sudah matang dan sangat bersopan santun. Himpunan ini akan berlangsung dengan aman dan tidak akan menjejaskan ketenteraman awam. Selaku penganjur, kita akan meneruskan perhimpunan ini kerana kita terus berpasak pada jaminan perlembagaan.
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| Tunku Abdul Aziz condemns rally Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:15 PM PST
Umno has dubbed the rally 'Taharin Square', after Shamsidar Taharin Dr Chandra said he was disturbed to learn that the appearance of a witness in a court case related to a defamation suit would be raised during the Saturday rally. (The Sun Daily) - Two internationally-acclaimed Malaysian social activists have condemned the so-called Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (People Uprising Rally) to be held here tomorrow, which they refer to as nothing more than a betrayal of public trust and a mockery of democracy. Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim sees clearly, the hands of some opposition leaders behind the rally to obscure the truth about numerous personal problems afflicting them. On his part, Dr Chandra Muzaffar says it is a shameful act that all champions of freedom and democracy should condemn as crude, vulgar and despicable. Tunku Abdul Aziz told Bernama that the rally was actually not a protest against any critical national issue but rather a non-issue, at best, and a betrayal of public trust, at worst. "An opposition leader is again doing what he does best and that is to pull the wool over our eyes so as to obscure the truth. "The truth is that this is a matter for the man to resolve, without dragging innocent thousands into the stadium to support a cause that is both selfish and cynical in the extreme," said Tunku Abdul Aziz, better known for his various roles in worldwide anti-corruption movement and a former special adviser to former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan. "He who makes the bed should lie on it himself, but then it would not be that Opposition Leader, would it?" he asked. Tunku Abdul Aziz could not hide his contempt over the organisers of the rally. "I should have thought members of the public would have seen through this little charade but I am disappointed that there are reasonable people among us who are willing to be led by the nose to endorse an act that morally reprehensible. "The opposition will obviously stop at nothing to cause maximum chaos and anxiety in a society that has become tired of the sort of irresponsible antics that have become the opposition's weapons of choice," he added. Tunku Abdul Aziz was a strong opponent of the Bersih 3.0 rally held here last year and he showed this by resigning from the DAP which supported street demonstrations. He was then a DAP vice-chairman. "I would urge my fellow Malaysians, in particular, not to allow themselves to be hoodwinked by an irresponsible opposition bent on getting to Putrajaya, no matter what it takes in human costs, not their own, naturally." Dr Chandra, who is president of the International Movement for a Just World (Just), said if the rally became a channel for merely ventilating hate and anger based on outrageous lies and distortions, it would make a mockery of democracy and a subversion of freedom. He said he was disturbed to learn that the appearance of a witness in a court case related to a defamation suit would be raised during the Saturday rally. "If this is true, there is an attempt to use 'people power' to prevent the judicial process from taking its course. "It would be a terrible travesty of justice. Only fascists manipulate the masses against the court system," he told Bernama.
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| PKR: S’gor water crisis a political sabotage Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:09 PM PST
PKR's Rafizi Ramli claims the Selangor water crisis is politically motivated and announces steps to combat Putrajaya and Syabas' 'sabotage'. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli today claimed Selangor's water crisis is a political sabotage by Putrajaya to cultivate hatred among the people towards Pakatan Rakyat. Rafizi claimed Putrajaya was resorting to dirty politics under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to garner more votes for the ruling coalition ahead of the upcoming general election. He claimed the only way for Putrajaya to get votes was to "make the people's life as difficult as possible" in Selangor. Rafizi made this statement today in response to Syabas chairman Rozali Ismail's claim on Tuesday that the water problem may extend until the Chinese New Year period. Residents in Gombak, Ampang and Pandan have been facing intermittent water supply since Dec 29 last year after the Wangsa Maju water pump house broke down. Najib had previously said that BN would do its best to wrest Selangor away from Pakatan in the next general election. Pakatan's game plan Rafizi today revealed Pakatan's immediate actions to combat BN and Syabas' "sabotage". The opposition's action plan includes:
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| Pensions funds facing RM75 mil loss in FGVH shares: PKR Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:05 PM PST  (The Sun Daily) - PKR has claimed that two pension funds, the Employee's Provident Fund (EPF) and Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP), have collectively suffered an estimated paper loss of RM75 million as a result of buying Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH) shares. The party's trade and investment bureau chairperson Wong Chen said this is because the pension funds had bought the shares despite market analysts generally recommending against the stock since Aug 9 last year. He said the funds should not be allowed to invest in risky deals as it involved the public (EPF) and civil servant (KWAP) retirement funds which should be guarded by the government. "We (PKR) believe that EPF holders and the civil servants have a right to know whether these buys, a significant portion of which is against analyst recommendations and market views, are politically motivated," he told a press conference at the PKR headquarters today. Wong provided a data from financial news broadcaster "Bloomberg" detailing the FGVH price and market analyst regarding the share trends. Almost all financial firms analyse that the shares which were now valued at RM4.60 could go lower. In the opening Initial Public Offering in June 2012. the shares were valued at RM5.39. Wong said EPF originally brought 185 million shares valued at (RM842 million) before increasing its share by 46% or 90 million shares valued at RM455 at the average price of RM5.05 after the analysts' warning. He said the current trading loss of EPF is now RM40 million. KWAP, meanwhile, increased their initial 194 million shares (RM 880 million) in December to another 59 million (RM 5.19 million) or 35% and is facing a RM35 million loss. "The situation could get worse. If the price drops to the Alliance Research target of RM3.53 (the second lowest among the 12 most recent recommendations on the stock), EPF and KWAP would have paper loss of about RM327 million and RM295 million," he said.
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| Friday prayers are NOT compulsory, said the Mufti Posted: 10 Jan 2013 05:53 PM PST
Nevertheless, since the 'big man' himself, the Perak Mufti, has issued a ruling or decree that the Friday congregational prayers are NOT compulsory, and since Malaysians are obligated to comply with these rulings and decrees issued by these authorities, I have since stopped doing my Friday congregational prayers. I no longer go to the mosque on Friday. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Soal agama perlu ikut fatwa (Sinar Harian) - Hal ehwal agama perlu dirujuk kepada Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan yang telah ditubuhkan di negara ini dan bukannya berpandukan orang lain yang hanya berlatar belakangkan politik semata-mata. Setiausaha Barisan Nasional (BN) Kelantan, Datuk Md. Alwi Che Ahmad berkata, dalam hal ini, hanya Majlis Fatwa sahaja yang berhak menentukan penggunaan kalimah ALLAH yang kini semakin hangat diperkatakan oleh setiap golongan masyarakat di sini. "Kita mesti rujuk isu ini kepada Majlis Fatwa, kerana ini hal agama, maka hanya mufti sahaja yang boleh beri keputusan, bukan orang lain," katanya. Beliau diminta mengulas isu Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Guan Eng yang menuntut penggunaan nama Allah di dalam kitab Bible versi bahasa Melayu di negara ini. Menurutnya, jika persoalan penggunaan kalimah Allah ditanya kepada golongan berkepentingan dalam sesebuah parti, jawapan yang akan diberikan sedikit sebanyak akan mempengaruhi ke arah pendapat peribadi sahaja. Beliau berkata, kerajaan perlu akur dengan keputusan mufti kerana mufti adalah satu pertubuhan yang dilantik di bawah majlis agama Islam. "Kenapa isu ini perlu dinaikkan oleh Lim Guan Eng sedangkan dari pengalaman saya, tiada perkataan 'Allah' digunakan dalam kitab Bible, maka di sini kita dapat lihat bahawa agama kita, cuba dipermainkan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu. "Jika ia digunakan juga, maka, tiada beza antara agama kita dengan agama lain kerana 'Allah' dipakai oleh semua agama dan ini akan menimbulkan kecelaruan dan juga kebebasan beragama kepada generasi akan datang," katanya. Alwi yang juga Ketua Pembangkang di Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan itu juga berkata, kebebasan menggunakan kalimah 'ALLAH' untuk agama lain tidak boleh diberikan di Malaysia kerana perkara tersebut boleh membuatkan penganut agama lain mengambil kesempatan dalam agama Islam dan dalam masa yang sama juga menyamai tarafkan kedudukan 'ALLAH' dan juga tuhan mereka. "Kita wajib pertahankan agama kita, hak kita, bukannya untuk dipermainkan, selandas dengan kepelbagaian kaum dan bangsa di negara ini, maka setiap pihak mesti bertanggungjawab untuk menjaga agama masing-masing," katanya. ***************************************** The key issue in the above news report is: Kita mesti rujuk isu ini kepada Majlis Fatwa, kerana ini hal agama, maka hanya mufti sahaja yang boleh beri keputusan, bukan orang lain. That loosely translates to: we must refer this matter/issue to the council that issues religious decrees because this is a religious matter so only the Mufti can give rulings and not any other people. This statement implies that only a certain/selected group can interpret what God meant and the rest of us do not have the freedom or liberty to make any interpretations because we do not know what God wants. How this group of people obtained the franchise or monopoly to act as God's appointed spokesmen is not clear. That is not explained. I suppose your credentials would depend on where you studied religion and whether your certificate, diploma or degree is recognised. What if I studied religion in one of the madrasah in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or any of the gohead-gostan countries (to quote the late Tan Sri P Ramlee)? Would my credentials be recognised? Let us take Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat as an example. His Islamic studies began in pondok schools (madrasah) in Kelantan and Terengganu. He then went on to study religion in Uttar Pradesh, India, after which he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Arabic Studies and Master of Arts in Islamic jurisprudence from the Al-Azhar University, Egypt. Would, therefore, Nik Aziz's decrees be recognised? And Nik Aziz has ruled that it is not against Islam for non-Muslims to use the Allah word. Other religious scholars, however, do not agree with this. Hence we have two opposing views, both views from scholars with credentials. But which one do we accept as correct and which one do we reject as wrong? And what is the basis for accepting or rejecting these decrees? Is it based on the credentials of the person issuing the decree? Is it based on our political affiliation and hence we decide based on what is politically expedient? Is it based on our religious leaning and depending on the sect that we follow? What is the basis of our acceptance or rejection of these religious decrees? What we are currently told is that the government decides -- so we have to just follow what the government says -- but issued through the 'mouths' of certain bodies such as MAIS, JAIS, JAKIM, IKIM, Majlis Fatwah, Persatuan Ulama', the Muftis, and so on. There are so many 'authorities' on Islam in Malaysia. Let us contemplate one example. When I was in Kamunting back in 2008, we were told by the detention camp authorities that we are not allowed to do our Friday congregational prayers. (In fact, after I was released, I made a police report at the Sentul Police Station regarding this matter). It is not that the 50 or 60 of us detainees wanted permission to walk to the mosque down the road to do these Friday prayers -- even if they handcuffed us and chained us in a chain gang (which means there would be no way we could escape). We wanted to do these Friday prayers within our own cellblock. But we were told we are not allowed to do our Friday prayers because they are not compulsory and that this was a ruling or decree by the famous Perak Mufti himself. So why are we so stubborn in insisting that we be allowed to do our Friday prayers? The Mufti is the highest religious authority in Perak and Kamunting is in Perak. So don't be stubborn and listen to what you have been told, they said. Then came Hari Raya (I was in Kamunting for Hari Raya 2008) and the other detainees got together to do their Hari Raya congregational prayers. I, however, was not allowed to join them because I was in solitary confinement so I was not allowed to mix with the other detainees. Nevertheless, I could hear them do the Hari Raya prayers next door to my cellblock. Now, as far as I know, the Friday congregational prayers are compulsory while the Hari Raya congregational prayers are not. But the government denied the detainees permission to do the compulsory Friday congregational prayers but allowed them to do the optional Hari Raya congregational prayers. And this was based on the ruling or decree by the highest religious authority in the State of Perak, the Mufti. I do not have any certificate, diploma or degree from any of the Islamic universities but my common sense tells me that when something is compulsory then you must do it and when something is optional you are not obligated to do it. And even a ten-year-old Malay-Muslim can tell you that the Friday congregational prayers are compulsory while the Hari Raya congregational prayers are not. Nevertheless, since the 'big man' himself, the Perak Mufti, has issued a ruling or decree that the Friday congregational prayers are NOT compulsory, and since Malaysians are obligated to comply with these rulings and decrees issued by these authorities, I have since stopped doing my Friday congregational prayers. I no longer go to the mosque on Fridays. I am still waiting for the Perak Mufti to issue a new ruling or decree saying that the Friday congregational prayers are, in fact, compulsory. And since he has not and until he does then I would regard this ruling or decree as binding and something that I am obligated to comply with. So, yes, the Mufti is the highest religious authority in the land. He tells us what we must and must not do. And we must follow what he tells us to do, or not to do. And the Perak Mufti has told us that we cannot do the Friday prayers because they are not compulsory. So who am I to argue with the highest religious authority in the land? I do what he tells us to do and not do what he tells us not to do. And he said: DO NOT do your Friday congregational prayers. So be it. I stopped doing them. After all, I am a good Malaysian and an obedient Muslim. | ||
| Lawyers send letter to MAIS over decree Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:01 PM PST
(The Star) - The Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) has received a letter by a group of lawyers over the decree by the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah to ban non-Muslims in the state from using the word "Allah". The lawyers are claiming that this conflicted with a decision made by the High Court and Government. MAIS corporate communication head Rohana Hassan, who confirmed receiving the letter, said the lawyers attached exhibits as evidence to prove that a settlement on the matter had been reached and it should not have resurfaced. "We have not really gone through the documents as we only received them after office hours on Wednesday. "The council will issue a press statement once everything is finalised," Rohana said. MAIS secretary Datuk Mohd Misri Idris reportedly said Sultan Sharafuddin had expressed shock and regret over DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's recent statement urging the Government to allow the word "Allah" to be used in the Malay version of the Bible. Perkasa, meanwhile, urged the institution of the Malay rulers to take action on the matter to preserve the sanctity of Islam. Its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said it was only ideal that the institution act on the issue. Umno Veterans Club secretary Datuk Mustapha Yaakub urged the Opposition political parties to stop abusing the word "Allah" to garner votes.
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| Suhakam, Bar Council to monitor rally Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:50 PM PST
Both bodies will send monitoring agents for the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally at Stadium Merdeka tomorrow. G Vinod, FMT Suhakam will send 20 officials to monitor the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally tomorrow, said commissioner James Nayagam. He also said that a few commissioners would be present at the location to monitor the proceedings. "Our focus will be at the seven meetings points towards the stadium," he told FMT. The rally participants for tomorrow would march from several locations to Stadium Merdeka. Among them are Central Market, National Mosque and KLCC. Nayagam said that so far, he had seen some improvements from the police and organisers in their conduct to handle the crowd expected for the rally. "Looking at the response from both sides, I don't foresee anything untoward happening," he said. Meanwhile, Bar Council said that it would also send 20 monitoring agents for the rally. "We will also assign at least three lawyers to be on stand-by, in case anyone needs legal assistance in the event they are arrested by the police," said Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee. He urged the police to exercise restrain and only use force when absolutely necessary. "We also call upon the police to put on their identification tags. Don't use water cannon, tear gas or beat up rally participants. Learn from the Bersih rallies," he added.
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:39 PM PST
In a similar manner, Deepak is trying to manipulate the media to his advantage in his dealing with certain quarters. Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily Deepak Jaikishan, the businessman on flying mat, showed his face again. Some in the media fraternity had some expectations from him, thinking that he would unveil the true identity of "Black Rose." In the end, he kept everyone in suspense once again. He not only shied away from Black Rose, but also stammered at the Selangor state government's land deals. He took the reporters for a ride during the press conference, which he had painstakingly designed with a motive. Deepak is emotionally still very much attached to that 200-plus-acre plot of land as though that property must be his for the taking. Although that RM30 million was almost in hand, he kept grumbling it was too little for him. One press conference like that was one too many, but Deepak said he would hold a these every third day for a total of nine shows before he would call it quits. As a matter of fact, one PC should be more than enough to get things explicitly stated. For instance, who is the Black Rose? How is he/she related to him? Why did he get private investigator P. Balasubramaniam to issue a second statutory affidavit? How did he and his partner Raja Ropiaah secure that plot of land in Selangor? What was his role in the deal? Just a few simple questions that warrant no more than a 60-minute PC. He is like some pop singer holding a farewell concert. The first show was most naturally a sell-out success. The following year, a second farewell concert was staged and the show was still warmly supported by fans. But then another was in the making a year after... I thought you said you would bow out of showbiz for good? You should have finished up your last song and kissed everyone adieu. Why keep coming back every year with different excuses, trying to make a few more bucks before retirement? In a similar manner, Deepak is trying to manipulate the media to his advantage in his dealing with certain quarters. Sure enough, the press knows about this, but some still feel Deepak is of certain newsworthiness while others are just willing to dance in his tempo. If he keeps putting up shows like this, soon he will playing solo with zero following. This reminds me of a particular politician who used to call a press conference every other day, not because he had plenty of tips to share with the world but because he was worried he would drift into oblivion if people did not read about him on a daily basis. He even set the record of calling several PCs at different locations on one single day. Even if he wasn't the key person in a particular function, he would make every effort to speak to reporters. When asked why he didn't tell everything in one go, he replied, "Different things should be said at different places." That made Deepak Jaikishan almost an identical twin of him.
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:17 PM PST
If water disruption is not curbed, particularly during the Chinese New Year, the one to be blamed would not be the state government, but the BN government. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily I was a victim of the major water disruption last year and therefore, I am very clear about the suffering of the 107,760 residents in the four areas of Klang Valley, who have been suffering from water disruption for two weeks. How would senior officers, who sit in air-conditioned rooms and receive high pays, understand how torturing it is to look for water and spend additional money on dining outside. How could the people accept it if it is the treatment received by people of a country heading towards a high-income economy and an advanced state? Similar to the situation of the major water disruption in July last year, the BN government and the Pakatan Rakyat state government once again pointed fingers at each other. The arguments are dazzling, but no solution to the problem is seen. Many areas in Klang Valley have started to suffer disruption since 28 December last year due to a failure of two pump houses, one in Wangsa Maju and another in Pudu Hulu Baru. Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) shed the responsibility by blaming the increase of water demand and the insufficient of treated water reserve at water treatment stations, while accusing the state government of delaying the approval of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant Project. The water dam was full at the end of year during the rainy season and thus, people thought that they could get rid of water shortages. Unexpectedly, the pump houses suffered a break down. This time, Syabas again blamed that the high demand has exceeded the supply of water in the Klang Valley region, causing overuse and overload to the pump houses. Is it everyone's false but not the water supply company? Shouldn't it bear the responsible of managing and conducting maintenance? The management unit of Syabas should take the full responsibility for water supply disruption, including explaining on whether the company has conducted regular maintenance. Even if there is an increase in demand, it should have a backup plan. The Selangor state government has 30% stake in Syabas, but it does not participate in the management of water supply. The water supply service has long been privatised and people naturally relate the water supply problems to management failure. After all, power execution has always been a problem of government agencies and privatised companies. In November last year, Umno state assembly members accused the Selangor state government of freezing the RM300 million capital expenditure raised and borrowed by Syabas from the federal government in 2008, causing the company unable to replace water pipes to reduce the 32% of non-revenue water. It has also become the reason of the company for not being able to repair its facilities. Is the freeze on funds a factor of water disruption? Let's first take a look at the management performance of Syabas. Since it was privatised in 1997, the company has accumulated losses of up to RM2.9 billion and the CEO of a loss-making company can actually receive an annual salary of RM5 million? Syabas was supposed to replace a total of 6,000km water pipes but the company has replaced only 600km, and the work has been shelved since 2009. The company will have to face a greater loss if water resources continue to run off and prices will eventually be raised. Therefore, the frequent water disruption in Klang Valley is no longer simply a problem of shortage, but a problem of water resources and facilities management. It is also the key to prevent a water supply crisis in 2014. If water disruption is not curbed, particularly during the Chinese New Year, the one to be blamed would not be the state government, but the BN government.
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| Sarawak Report: What ‘sins’ did we commit? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:04 PM PST
'We made clear it [Najib suffering a mild stroke] was a rumour and speculated that the most likely cause was rumour mongering by rivals.' Pushparani Thilaganathan, FMT Online investigative portal Sarawak Report has denied that it committed "unforgiveable sins" by reporting a widespread rumour that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had recently suffered a mild stroke. Its editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown also denied being "paid" to write the article. Rewcastle-Brown had on Jan 5 posted a report headlined "Najib Stroke?" which stated that "word is seeping out that the Prime Minister of Malaysia suffered a 'minor stroke' over the weekend. Given the scandals building around him, perhaps the pressure has started to tell?" The article alluded to the scandals linked to Najib, and Deepak Jaikishan's latest revelations. Following the article, another blog The Mole.my posted an article headlined "Sarawak Report commits unforgivable sin" and accused Rewcastle-Brown of using "subterfuge, calumny and sensationalism" in her report. It pointed out that using "disinformation to fool the public are unforgivable sins for which Sarawak Report needs to atone". Rewcastle-Brown yesterday issued a statement in response to a letter from one Cecilia Victor from The Mole.my. She said: "You accuse us of 'unforgivable' sin in having made public a widespread and persistent rumour in political circles that the PM has had a light stroke. "We made clear it was a rumour and speculated that the most likely cause was rumour-mongering by rivals. "Despite the denial, the rumours that Najib is receiving medical attention for TIAs are still persisting, so it is only right that there should be an official response to them, which Najib took the opportunity of our article to supply". (TIA stands for Transient Ischemic Attack. A TIA is sometimes called a mini-stroke and is the medical term for stroke-like symptoms that occur and resolve spontaneously within 24 hours. A TIA is treated very seriously and may be the harbinger of a stroke in the near future.) Najib has since denied that he suffered a stroke. In the letter, Victor had also asked Rewcastle-Brown if she was paid to write the article. To which Rewcastle-Brown said: "No, I am not paid for the work I do on Sarawak Report. "I do find it a very sad reflection on the mentality of so many of the Malaysian establishments that they seem to find it impossible to believe that someone might be doing something because of conscience rather than for money. "I have witnessed an appalling human rights and environmental tragedy take place on the island of Borneo, driven purely by the staggering greed and ruthless selfishness of a handful of people in government. "These people have neglected their duty towards their people, but I do not intend to neglect my moral duty in making these matters public. And I am happy to do that for free." To Victor's second question as to whether SR was prepared to be investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Rewcastle-Brown asked "on what basis" this would be. "The MACC, I believe, is tasked with investigating official corruption in Malaysia, so on what possible basis would it have any remit to investigate a London-based journalist? "And what would MACC exactly be planning to investigate – the fact that I reported on a rumour that has had KL gossiping?" she asked.
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| Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:59 PM PST
MyWatch chief R Sri Sanjeevan claims that the IGP has instructed the police not to participate in programmes organised by the NGO. G Vinod, FMT Crime watchdog MyWatch today alleged that the Royal Malaysian Police has been instructed not to engage with the NGO in any of its programmes. MyWatch chief R Sri Sanjeevan said it was evident when two state police chiefs refused to attend programmes on crime prevention arranged by his NGO. "I have asked state police chiefs to send their senior officers to the forums on crime prevention scheduled for February. I also told them that our patron, ex-IGP Musa Hassan, will be one of the panelist. "Initially they agreed to it but later on, they turned down my offer saying they did not know the status of my NGO," he added. Sanjeevan also said that he attempted to assure the officers that MyWatch was legally registered with the Registrar of Societies and they would not face any problems attending the forums. "When I pressed for answers, the officers told me that it an instruction give by [Inspector-General of Police] Ismail [Omar] himself," he added. Training his guns on the IGP, Sanjeevan said Ismail's attitude towards MyWatch reflected his "true character". "We are trying to assist the police in crime prevention but Ismail is acting like this. I don't blame the officers as they are just following orders," he said. Sanjeevan also threw brickbats at Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for keeping mum over Musa's expose on the state of the police force. In recent months, Musa had criticised his successor of being a "weak" leader and alleged that criminal elements had infiltrated the force. He also accused Hishammuddin of meddling in police affairs, an accusation the latter had denied. On a related matter, Sanjeevan said that he would hold a press conference next week to reveal the real crime statistics for last year. "It will be done in stages. We want the public to know the real crime situation in Malaysia," he said.
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| STAR willing to ‘cooperate’ not ‘work under’ Pakatan Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:52 PM PST
Former Upko deputy president Wilfred Bumburing, now APS chief, has been urged to be realistic in his strategy to contest all KDM seats. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chapter has officially conveyed to Anwar Ibrahim that it is "agreeable" to Pakatan Rakyat components contesting in Sabah to topple Barisan Nasional federal and state governments. STAR information chief Edward Linggu said while STAR would "cooperate" with the Pakatan coalition, it was not willing to "work under them". "This [stand] has been conveyed by our chairman in writing recently to the top leadership in Pakatan including Anwar. "In our official letter, we have also conveyed that while we suggest that Pakatan focuses on seats in the Peninsula, we are agreeable to Pakatan components contesting in Sabah to achieve a 1:1 contest to bring down BN," he said. Linggu was responding to Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) president Wilfred Bumburing's comment last week that "it is difficult to talk to Sabah STAR". Bumburing had also inferred that APS should be left to lead the charge in the KDM-majority seats. According to Linggu, Pakatan component parties have been in direct discussions with STAR on seats distribution in Sabah. "Obviously Bumburing is not aware of this [direct discussion]. How will he be able to look after Sabah's rights and interests when he is not officially inside Pakatan? "He will have no say and unable to sway even Sabah PKR as he is an outsider to Sabah Pakatan," said Linggu. Urging Bumburing to be "realistic", Linggu claimed neither APS nor Bumburing had the capacity to contest in all KDM seats in the coming general election. "He [Bumburing] must not be over-confident of its [APS] capability. People are saying he is just a small fish in a big pond but thinks he is a giant and demands to contest all the KDM seats. "Even if he had taken on the entire Upko, he is in no position to demand for all the KDM seats," he said, alluding to Bumburing's previous role in Upko as its deputy president. Bumburing, who is Tuaran MP, defected in July last year. He immediately set up APS and pledged support for Anwar and Pakatan but refused to become a member of any party within the coalition.
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| Berjalan Bersama AMK Demi Kebebasan, Keadilan dan Demokrasi Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:20 AM PST
8 rally points for #KL112
Angkatan Muda Keadilan Malaysia (AMK) mengalu-alukan keputusan untuk membenarkan Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR) berlangsung di Stadium Merdeka pada 12 Januari 2013. Keputusan yang bersejarah tersebut merupakan kejayaan kuasa rakyat yang sentiasa berjuang untuk berhimpun serta hak untuk mengguna ruang awam untuk bersuara sejak zaman Reformasi lagi.
AMK menyokong sepenuhnya Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat serta 8 tuntutan rakyat yang melibatkan seluruh aspeks kepentingan rakyat tanpa mengira kaum, agama dan jantina. HKR akan menjadi satu detik bersejarah di mana seluruh rakyat Malaysia bangkit dan semangat kemerdekaan daripada penindasan, kezaliman serta kemiskinan.
Dengan itu, AMK akan mengadakan Berjalan Demi Kebebasan, Keadilan dan Demokrasi pada Sabtu ini sempena HKR. AMK yang diketuai oleh Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin akan berjalan dari Padang Timur, Petaling Jaya (PJ), depan Amcorp Mall ke Stadium Merdeka bersama-sama dengan anak-anak muda.
Berikut adalah perjalanan yang akan dilalui oleh AMK pada 12 Januari 2013 (Sabtu):-
8.00am – Berkumpul di Padang Timur, PJ (Depan Amcorp Mall)
9.00am – Berjalan menuju ke Masjid Ar-Rahman Universiti Malaya (UM)
11.00am – Bergabung dengan mahasiswa dan anak muda di UM di Masjid Ar-Rahman
12.30pm – Bergabung dengan peserta HKR di Stesyen Monorail Tun Sambahtan, Brickfield untuk berjalan ke Stadium Merdeka
1.30pm – Sampai di Stadium Merdeka untuk gegarkan #KL112
AMK mengajak orang ramai untuk menyertai Berjalan Demi Kebebasan, Keadilan dan Demokrasi pada Sabtu ini. Dengan berjalan kaki ke Stadium Merdeka, semangat perjuangan bersama rakyat serta tekad kebangkitan rakyat untuk menuntut 8 tuntutan rakyat dapat ditunjukkan.
Sementara itu, tiga Pasukan Pertolongan Kecemasan akan bersedia untuk membantu semua peserta di sepanjang perjalanan. Semua peserta diseru untuk mengikut arahan penganjur serta pasukan keselamatan. Jangan terperdaya dengan pelbagai maklumat dan propaganda hitam yang disebarkan oleh pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab.
Keselamatan peserta serta perjalanan yang lancar adalah diutamakan untuk mencapai matlamat yang ditetapkan. Dengan sikap yang disiplin dan tertib, AMK yakin HKR akan berjaya dilangsungkan dengan semangat kebangkitan rakyat yang mengubah lanskap politik serta mencatat sejarah di Malaysia.
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| ‘Empress Dowager’ to decide polls date? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:56 AM PST
There is some talk that Najib would not be the only one to decide when the next general election will be called. And here comes the tricky part as the Water Snake enters into the equation because the Chinese Lunar New Year is from Feb 10 to 24. This means that the Snake has effectively sealed off those two weeks in February as polls-campaigning and polling itself cannot be held on those dates. Selena Tay, Free Malaysia Today According to one of this columnist's journalist friends from the alternative media, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and the "Empress Dowager" are involved in a date-tussle. In political terminology, the term "Empress Dowager" is applied to someone who is actually holding the reins of power and it can be used to refer to either a man or a woman. But first here is some information about the real Empress Dowager. In Chinese history, Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) was the one wielding power "behind the curtain" for half a century. She was born into a Manchu noble family and became a palace lady at the age of 17, becoming the favourite of Emperor Xiafeng. When he died in 1861, she put her six-year-old son on the throne as Emperor Tongzhi. Tongzhi died in 1875 at the age of 20 but without an heir. Cixi then put her four-year old nephew, Zaitian, on the throne as Emperor Guangxu. During the reign of these two emperors, Cixi was the real power behind the throne. Being shrewd and cunning, she manoeuvred her court officials against one another so that her power would never be threatened. She also had a fiery temper and loved extravagance and was a spendthrift . Back to Malaysian politics, there are rumours that the "Empress Dowager" wants the 13th general election to be held before March 8. Why March 8? Well, this was the date of the previous general election in 2008. And the "Empress" thinks that any date after March 8 will give the impression that BN leaders are afraid and cowardly besides being lacking in confidence. Therefore, by hook or by crook, the polls must be held before March 8. And here comes the tricky part as the Water Snake enters into the equation because the Chinese Lunar New Year is from Feb 10 to 24. This means that the Snake has effectively sealed off those two weeks in February as polls-campaigning and polling itself cannot be held on those dates. To hold the polls before March 8, Parliament has to be dissolved by mid-January for the election to be held in early February or else BN will miss the boat and the earliest date available is March 9. The Pakatan rally The only thing that can stop the dissolution of Parliament next week is to have a massive turnout for the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (People's Uprising Gathering) on Saturday (Jan 12), also known as KL112. This will then push the dissolution of Parliament to Feb 25 as BN may get jittery because of the huge crowd. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/11/empress-dowager-to-decide-polls-date/ | ||
| ‘Country’s fate in your hands’ Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:53 AM PST
(The Star) - MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that with the general election coming, the people should know what was best for the nation and endorse leaders who had been able to steer the economy away from uncertainties. Although Malaysia's economic fundamentals are backed by strong reserves and the country is free of any debt crisis, the present Government needs the mandate to rule for the next five years to ensure continuous growth. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that with the general election coming, the people should know what was best for the nation and endorse leaders who had been able to steer the economy away from uncertainties. He added that the Government was optimistic that 2013 would be another good year and experts, both local and foreign, had vouched for this. "Several sectors of the economy, such as construction, tourism and manufacturing, are expected to continue to do well despite the economic uncertainties in many parts of the world. "But despite the good indicators, the country's destiny is in your hands," he said at the Air Kuning Kim Lan Association annual dinner on Wednesday night. Dr Chua said the Government had introduced sound policies to ensure the nation registered a growth of 5% last year, at a time when many developed nations in Europe as well as the United States were experiencing problems. "This goes to show that the Government's well thought out economic transformation programmes have yielded results and we expect the coming years to be good as well," he said. Dr Chua said the Opposition was not capable of managing the nation as they neither had the experience nor the ability to do so, and the fact that they were constantly at loggerheads with one another was also detrimental to the people's wellbeing. "Until today, the Opposition has been unable to produce a convincing and comprehensive economic and social development plan for the nation. "Whatever they propose such as abolishing the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) and giving every household RM4,000 a month will bankrupt this country in a matter of months," he said. Citing another example, Dr Chua said some PAS leaders were against non-Muslims using the word "Allah" but there were others in the party who said Islam allowed this. "The Opposition has been raising petty issues to hide their own weaknesses. They have been unable to even agree on who would be their choice of Prime Minister. "Such uncertainties will be bad for business," he said, adding that investors would shy away from Malaysia as there would be no political stability. "The first to be affected would be the businessmen, especially the Chinese," he said. Dr Chua said some Malaysians might be impressed with the promises made by the Opposition but they should do their homework to see if these could be realised. "Has any of you given a thought where Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will get the money to fund the programmes he has promised to carry out if they are elected?" he said, adding that the Opposition's proposal to abolish PTPTN scheme alone would cost taxpayers RM43bil. Dr Chua later donated RM10,000 to the Air Kuning Kim Lan Association while Tampin MP Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor gave another RM5,000 to enable the body to carry out its programmes.
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| ‘Najib has the edge over Anwar’ Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:50 AM PST
Academician Sivamurugan Pandian believes the Najib factor will prevail and pull BN over the finishing line in the next general election. "It's not an overstatement to say Najib has transformed himself from being seen as a Malay leader to a Malaysian leader," said Sivamurugan, a lecturer at the School of Social Sciences in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Athi Shankar, FMT For the first time in Malaysian political history, Barisan Nasional will face the most serious challenge to its 55-year-old political supremacy. But political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian believes the Najib factor would eventually prevail and pull BN over the finishing line in the next general election. He, however, was unsure if the Najib factor can help BN regain its two-thirds parliamentary majority. Since taking over from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009 as the prime minister, he said Najib Tun Razak had managed to come out from the Umno's racial political sphere to become a Malaysian leader for all. He pointed out that Najib had enhanced his reputation via his walkabouts to reach out to various communities and young voters on his own. He said Najib was now perceived to be addressing problems faced by various communities on his own, rather than depending on third party, or BN coalition partners. He said Najib's direct approach and personal touch had convinced the grassroots, including young Malaysians, that the prime minister has come of age. "He has managed to erase initial scepticism on his leadership capabilities. "It's not an overstatement to say Najib has transformed himself from being seen as a Malay leader to a Malaysian leader," said Sivamurugan, a lecturer at the School of Social Sciences in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Anwar's political strength
He also complimented Najib's political rival and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for elevating himself to be a Malaysian, rather than a Malay, leader. He said one cannot deny that Anwar's political strength was instrumental in the emergence of Pakatan Rakyat as an alternate government-in-waiting in the national political landscape. "Anwar, apart from Hindraf, was a major factor behind the unprecedented results in the 2008 general election. "He is a major factor keeping Pakatan together," said the academician. Sivamurugan has no doubt that the Najib versus Anwar factor would be decisive in the forthcoming election. Although both have good oratory skills and strong support, he believes that the prime minister has an edge in the race, and this is not just because he was helming the BN federal government. "Comparatively, Najib had delivered better than Anwar," claimed the academician. He said Najib had enthusiastically driven through his transformation plans and managed to unite and enhance cooperation among BN component parties. He said Najib had managed to standardise the administrative operations of all BN-led state governments and delivered successive people-oriented budgets to allay public fear on bread and butter issues. "Malaysians wake up each morning without having to worry about their daily meals and shelter," said the lecturer. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/11/najib-has-the-edge-over-anwar/
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| In tea leaves, economist sees slender Pakatan win Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:47 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will notch a slim victory over the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in Election 2013, according to calculations by Bank Islam Malaysia's chief economist Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin. In a report by The Straits Times of Singapore, Azrul's computations found that BN was likely to win only between 97 and 107 of the 222 parliamentary seats — insufficient to reform the next administration. But the result would also mean that PR will only gain a shaky hold over Parliament and far from the supermajority once enjoyed by its rival. The outcome was considered the most probable during the banker's presentation at the Regional Outlook Forum in Singapore yesterday, and took into account factors such as race and demographics. Later, Azrul forecast that fallout would result from the PR win, with the stock market set to respond in "knee-jerk" fashion as well as an extended period of perceived instability. He also did not rule out the possibility of "economic sabotage" by businesses and the civil service that are aligned with BN. The ruling BN government has ramped up efforts to secure a victory against its most organised opposition in the general election that must be called by April 27. In Budget 2013, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a smorgasbord of handouts and benefits in an effort to court electoral support ahead of polls. These include a second round of RM500 cash handouts to lower income families, dubbed "BR1M 2.0", as well as an expansion of the programme to include payments of RM250 to single youths earning below RM3,000 monthly. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/in-tea-leaves-economist-sees-slender-pakatan-win
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| Changing national flag akin to hating own country’ Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:44 AM PST
(Bernama) - In the latest incident, banners urging the people to choose flags other than the Jalur Gemilang were seen in several areas in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, including at the Abdullah Hukum LRT station in Bangsar. Azman said it was possible that this was deliberately done by certain quarters to cause disunity among the people in order to serve their own political agenda.
The attempt to change the national flag with another indirectly symbolises the hatred towards one's own country, said National Unity and Integration Department director-general, Datuk Azman Amin Hassan. He also described the attempt as unhealthy and should be viewed seriously and stopped immediately.
"The Jalur Gemilang should be proudly flown and protected by Malaysians on national occasions," he told Bernama, here, yesterday. He was commenting on attempts by certain quarters to change the national flag which symbolised national unity, with other flags.
In the latest incident, banners urging the people to choose flags other than the Jalur Gemilang were seen in several areas in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, including at the Abdullah Hukum LRT station in Bangsar. Azman said it was possible that this was deliberately done by certain quarters to cause disunity among the people in order to serve their own political agenda.
At the last national day celebration, a group of "People's Flag" activists was seen promoting another flag and earlier in 2011, Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan of DAP in his Facebook said the opposition would change the national flag if it comes into power in the coming general election.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth exco member Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan said the action should be stopped immediately so that Malaysians were not influenced by the craftiness of certain parties to poison the minds of the younger generation. "There is no need for us to change our national flag. Only people who are blind to the country's history and don't love the nation would try to do this," he said. In another development, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib when contacted by Bernama said DBKL had issued orders to remove all such banners. He also advised the organisers and participants of the public rally this Saturday to abide by the rules set for the well-being and safety of the people.
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| NUBE disappointed with Pakatan on floor wage policy Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:24 PM PST
Bank employees union says rejection of RM1,500 wage proposal is disheartening and urges the opposition coalition to be consistent in its policies. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) today said it was disappointed with Pakatan Rakyat for rejecting the RM1,500 minimum wage proposal. NUBE general secretary J Solomon said Pakatan's rejection of the proposal was very disheartening to workers and urged the opposition coalition to be consistent when it comes to workers' welfare. He pointed out that the Selangor government had already implemented RM1,500 as the minimum wage in all government-linked companies last year. Soloman was responding to assertions by several Pakatan leaders that the Malaysia Workers Network's demand of RM1,500 as the base salary was not applicable at the moment. PKR director of strategy, Rafizi Ramli, had said the country could only afford a minimum wage of RM1,100, otherwise it would have adverse impact on industries. Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad also said the RM1,500 proposal was not sustainable as it would be counter-productive to workers in the market. Base salary criteria taken from ILO Solomon in a press statement today said: "We believe RM1,500 is an appropriate figure for the minimum level of sustenance for anyone anywhere in the country." He explained the criteria used to arrive at RM1,500 was from the International Labour Organisation's Convention 131, which protects disadvantaged groups of wage earners.
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| Remember our February 2008 agreement? Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:45 PM PST
After the success of that first Bersih march of November 2007, a few friends and comrades, mostly new ones made over the previous year or so, decided that it was time to 'cement' our perjuangan or struggle. And we would cement it by coming out with a very explicit document that we called The Peoples' Declaration or Deklarasi Rakyat. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin The world has a memory of only 100 days, said the Russians in response to the criticism regarding the shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL007. In 100 days everything will be forgotten or something else will crop up over the next 100 days to distract the people. Hence, said the Russians, they do not need to respond to the criticism regarding the shooting down of that passenger airline. Today, do any of you remember that tragedy that so outraged the entire world? How many people died? When did it happen? Why was that plane shot down? Unless you Google the information or search on Wikipedia, very few of you will be able to reply to my questions from the top of your head. And this best describes Malaysians, never mind which side of the political fence they may stand on. Malaysians are fickle, have a short attention span, respond to issues off the cuff, think short term, forget easily the original objective, change course mid-stream, and much more. Do you want to know something very ironical? I have kept to the course that was decided more than eight years ago back in 2004 soon after the general election disaster in March that same year. And that was the reason why Malaysia Today was launched in August 2004, five months after the 2004 general election -- to serve this agenda that had been decided. In 2004 it was a lonely battle that we fought because not many shared our vision and mission. It was not until two years later in 2006 that some joined the cause and only by 2007 that many Malaysians 'woke up'. By 2007, three years after the birth of Malaysia Today, I found many new friends and comrades who stood by my side and walked with me, especially in the first Bersih march of 2007. After the success of that first Bersih march of November 2007, a few friends and comrades, mostly new ones made over the previous year or so, decided that it was time to 'cement' our perjuangan or struggle. And we would cement it by coming out with a very explicit document that we called The Peoples' Declaration or Deklarasi Rakyat. We met a few times at Uncle Lee's house, the late Tunku Vic's house, and so on. In case some of you are wondering who the late Tunku Vic was, maybe you can see the following link: In loving memory of Vic: only the good die young. The late Tunku Vic, in fact, was supposed to have taken over the leadership of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM). This was agreed in our meeting in Chiengmai, Thailand, which was attended by (Sam) Haris Ibrahim and some of the other 'movers' of MCLM. Unfortunately, Tunku Vic died soon after MCLM held its first AGM to elect a whole new set of office bearers in May last year. Anyway, back in 2007, Tunku Vic and about ten or so of us formed an ad hoc committee to draft The Peoples' Declaration. This document was finalised in the meeting in Tunku Vic's house. It was then agreed that we would write to ALL the political parties in Malaysia from both sides of the political fence and invite them to endorse The Peoples' Declaration. Only six of the two dozens or so of the political parties responded, three of them from Pakatan Rakyat. A couple of the non-Umno political parties in Barisan Nasional 'whispered' that they would support the ideals of The Peoples' Declaration but they cannot officially endorse it for obvious reasons -- they do not want to make it appear like they are 'breaking ranks' with Umno. Nevertheless, the fact that they support it 'off the record' was good enough for me. At least their heart was in the right place although I cannot say the same for their guts. It is nice to know that there is a 'silent' group within Barisan Nasional, and even in Umno itself, that support the ideals of The Peoples' Declaration although they wish at this stage to 'remain in the closet'. Who knows, one day they might come out of the closet and declare that they are pro-reform and proud of it. At that time, The Blog House at Damansara was non-partisan. People from both sides of the political fence supported The Blog House. Even Umno Bloggers plus people like Mukhriz Mahathir, Marina Mahathir, etc., went to The Blog House. It was a place where we could leave our politics outside the gate and enter The Blog House as Malaysians united for change. I thought that Malaysian politics had finally arrived. At last there was a place we could meet as supporters of change and not supporters of the government or supporters of the opposition. And it was at The Blog House that we decided to officially launch The Peoples' Declaration under the umbrella of Barisan Rakyat. (See more here and note the personalities in the photographs: The PEOPLE'S VOICE and the PEOPLE'S DECLARATION officially launched today.)
BARISAN RAKYAT WAS FORMED EVEN BEFORE PAKATAN RAKYAT CAME INTO EXISTENCE That was almost five years ago on 23rd February 2008. About two weeks later, on 8th March 2008, Malaysia held the 12th General Election. And, because the six political parties endorsed The Peoples' Declaration on 23rd February 2008, three of them from Pakatan Rakyat, we spent the next two weeks campaigning for Pakatan Rakyat. During the election campaign we made it very clear to the voters that we support Pakatan Rakyat because Pakatan Rakyat supports our reform agenda as spelt out in The Peoples' Declaration. However, if after winning the election Pakatan Rakyat does a U-turn and betrays us, we would withdraw our support for Pakatan Rakyat. In my speeches during the election rallies all over Malaysia, I even openly declared that if we can make Pakatan Rakyat then we can also break Pakatan Rakyat. Basically, what the lord giveth the lord can taketh away. We are going to give Pakatan Rakyat a chance to rule for one term, I said. And if they fail us then no second term for Pakatan Rakyat. If we can give power to Pakatan Rakyat we can also take back power from Pakatan Rakyat. Therefore Pakatan Rakyat had better remember that they rule at the pleasure of the rakyat. It is peoples' power, kuasa rakyat, or makkal sakti that gives power to the politicians. Hence we, the voters, and not the politicians, are the boss. And if the politicians ever forget this we are going to punish them come the next general election in 2013 or so. The crowd cheered and clapped. They gave this declaration a standing ovation (most of the crowd was already standing anyway). They agreed with this covenant. We the rakyat will vote for those who support the rakyat's agenda and if those we vote into office forget this or betrays us then they are going to suffer the wrath of the rakyat. Since March 2008, The Peoples' Declaration is as forgotten as Korean Airlines flight KAL007. I raised this matter in a talk in London on 2nd October 2010 where Anwar Ibrahim was one of the participants of that talk (see the videos below). Anwar, however, responded in his talk in Australia later on that they would not always listen to what we want. In other words, they no longer support the agenda for change as spelt out in The Peoples' Declaration although they had agreed to support it in February 2008 two weeks before the 12th General Election. The deal is now off. And since the deal is now off and they no longer support the agenda for change as spelt out in The Peoples' Declaration then I too am no longer obligated to support Pakatan Rakyat. A deal is a deal. And a deal must be bilateral, not unilateral. If one side reneges on the agreement then the other side is not obligated to stick to the agreement. But my friends and comrades, who together with me pushed the agenda for change through The Peoples' Declaration, have sold out. They have turned traitor and have abandoned The Peoples' Declaration. They have agreed to support Pakatan Rakyat for the sake of supporting Pakatan Rakyat and not support Pakatan Rakyat because Pakatan Rakyat supports The Peoples' Declaration. As I said, Malaysians are fickle. Malaysians have a short attention span. Malaysians think short term. Malaysians forget easily the original objective. Malaysians change course mid-stream. And what makes this even more ironical is that while I am unwavering and hold firm to the original objectives of February 2008, they allege that I have changed course and have done a U-turn whereas it is they who have turned traitor and have sold themselves to the very politicians who have betrayed the cause. Yes, in February-March 2008 I campaigned for Pakatan Rakyat. But I did so with terms and conditions attached. And this primary term and condition is that Pakatan Rakyat will support The Peoples' Declaration. And the other term and condition is that if Pakatan Rakyat withdraws support for The Peoples' Declaration then I too will withdraw support for Pakatan Rakyat. I have kept to this agreement. I have been very consistent in my stand. It was quid pro quo. And just as Pakatan Rakyat has every right to withdraw from any agreement, so, too, I have the right to do the same. My friends and comrades, however, decided to break ranks with me. They abandoned the cause. They are prepared to cast aside The Peoples' Declaration and support Pakatan Rakyat even if Pakatan Rakyat reneges on its word. In other words, my friends and comrades have become turncoats and have sold out. I suppose, as they say, everyone is for sale. The only question is: at what price? And the price here is power. Since they believe that Pakatan Rakyat is going to form the next federal government they want to be amongst the winner. Hence they will support Pakatan Rakyat even if Pakatan Rakyat no longer supports The Peoples' Declaration.
Friends of Pakatan Rakyat October 2010 talk in the UK lCvdagYlR98 SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCvdagYlR98 W403AOQqJnc SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W403AOQqJnc Toe-77-TtT4 SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toe-77-TtT4 FsSRTVo29BY SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsSRTVo29BY | ||
| The complexities of the 'Allah' issue Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:15 PM PST
But just as the issue seemed to be resolved, another development has prolonged it. The Sultan of Selangor has decreed that 'Allah' may be used only by Muslims. The Council of Churches of Malaysia (an umbrella body representing Protestant churches) announced that all churches will continue to use the phrase as it is within their constitutional right to do so. Oon Yeoh, Harakah Daily Just like the hudud issue that keeps cropping up every now and then, the 'Allah' issue has hit the headlines again. This is why to many Muslims and other non-Christians, it is puzzling why some Christians are so adamant about using 'Allah' to denote God in the BM Bible (especially since the BM word for God is 'Tuhan'). So, it does seem that there are indeed other faiths that use that phrase. That said, it cannot be denied that to the average person, 'Allah' is associated with Islam. If you doubt that, do a random survey with 10 people and ask them which religious group has 'Allah' as its God. I'd be surprised if anyone actually said, "Christians in Sabah and Sarawak", "Bahais", "Sikhs", "Mizrahi Jews" or "pre-Islamic, pagan Arabs". * This article first appeared on Malaysiakini.com
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| Royal fatwa on Allah word - has HRH been let down by advisor(s)? Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:47 PM PST
KTemoc Konsiders The often referred to 3 'R's has been about the fundamental skills of education involving 'rithmetic, 'riting & reading, In Malaysia, there is undoubtedly a lack of the third, namely, reading skill as can be observed from the comments at blogsites, wakakaka. RPK has lamented on this, which I detected in one post of his where a visitor challenged him on issues he had actually explained comprehensively in that post, wakakaka. Given the experts' etymological and historical clarifications on the Allah word, I am in no doubt that Father Lawrence Andrew is on strong legal grounds to use it ... and indeed we know that the court has supported his stand. […] Legally, High Court Judge Lau Bee Lan had ruled as unconstitutional the Malaysian government's ban of the use of Allah as the Bahasa equivalent of the word God in the Catholic Herald. […] I'm afraid on a personal basis, kaytee isn't all that supportive of the Church's insistence on using the Allah word to represent/indicate/describe their Christian God in the Malay language. […] But I have always believed that religion is about faith and morality and not legality or for that matter, political approval. Thus I find it unfortunate that the Father Andrew and the Catholic Herald had taken the issue to the courts. Surely on a matter of religious faith and knowledge, there are numerous other names of God it could have use beside Allah. I view its arguments for the use of Allah as seemingly based on obduracy and legality rather than any plausible unavoidable reason. I then went on to detail my challenge to Father Lawrence Andrew's arguments. Apart from shooting down Father Andrew's arguments that the Allah word is vital because the Tuhan word is inadequate for serving the message in some biblical passages, I also voiced my sympathy for the Muslim community's concerns for the reason I know the Christian Church has an evangelistic mission ... ... and endowing it with a Bahasa version of the Bible (al Kitab) which uses the Allah word to refer to the Christian god would be akin to asking lil' Johnny to mind the cookie jar to ensure it's not raided, a totally unrealistic expectation. I have been and still am deeply concerned that the potential (and actual realization) of the issue of Christian proselytizing of Muslims, will destabilize further the already shaky politically-affected inter-communal relationship, with all its attendant unpleasant consequences, ... ... of which we obtained an ugly glimpse of when a mufti sms-ed his followers to stop a fabricated case of a church in Perak proselytizing Muslims. On New Year's day I had a chitchat with my matey, Ong Kian Ming whose Malaysiakini article Allah row - what's the name of the game? I had challenged. Kian Ming was his usual gentlemanly self where he kindly took on the task of explaining to me the logistical problems involved in switching from al Kitab's Allah word to what I have suggested, to wit, Yahweh, Elohim and a host of other Hebraic appellations that the Christian god is better known by in the Christian world. I've been impressed by Kian Ming's masterly grasp on the logistic issue, though it must be noted too both of us didn't touch on the Church's evangelistic angle. Unfortunately due to pressing prior engagements I was not able to continue discussion with him on the topic. But nonetheless, the point I wish to make is that while I didn't and still don't support the Church's intention to use the Allah word, I have never questioned its legal rights (thus far, until the government's appeal is known) to use that word in its newsletter, the Catholic Herald, and al Kitab. I am taking the trouble to reiterate this because (a) of the poor reading skills of some visitors wakakaka, and (b) the thrust of this new post. This new post refers to an article in The Malaysian Insider, namely, Non-Muslims must not use 'Allah', says Selangor Sultan. MAIS informed us HRH Sultan Selangor has decreed that the word Allah is a sacred word specific to Muslims in a fatwa gazetted 3 years ago, and thus must not be used by any non-Muslim religion in Selangor. Look mateys, there must be no doubt that while HRH is a constitutional monarchy, he has a role which entitles him to issue direct decrees, that is, those on Islamic affairs in his state of Selangor, as he is the head of the Islamic religion in Selangor. And on such Islamic issues, it has been claimed that he would be advised by the Menteri Besar (MB). It has been precisely this factor, that of the MB of a state or his deputy advising HRH on Islamic affairs, that in March 2008, immediately after the general election, we saw Khalid Ibrahim, then appointed MB of Selangor, tap dancing away from appointing his deputy. DAP, the second largest component of the informal (winning) coalition in Selangor, had nominated sweetie Teresa Kok to be the deputy MB. But Khalid Ibrahim did not deal courageously with the triple political whammy (to him) candidate proposed as his deputy, one who was/is a Chabor (woman), Chinese and a Christian (all rolled into one), a triple-C factor which sh*tted him ... ... whilst the neighbouring State of Perak also saw HRH Regent sidelined Ngeh Koo Ham of DAP (the Pakatan party with the most number of ADUNs) and picked instead Nizar Jamaluddin of PAS (the Pakatan party with the least number of ADUNs) to be the state's new MB. Mind you, HRH's choice, for whatever reason, turned out to be a serendipitious one for us. It was alleged that Muhammad Munir Bani, the Selangor sultan's private secretary, had advised Khalid Ibrahim about the palace's 'preference' for a Malay (and, alas, not a Malaysian) deputy MB. However, Muhammad Munir denied reports that HRH wanted 'a deputy from a particular race' (meaning 'Malay'), although he added the sultan was the religious head for Islam and Malay culture, and thus the MB has the task of assisting in these duties, which in his absence would also have to handled by his deputy. In that most unbelievable zigzagging explanation, Muhammad Munir, after denying HRH wanted a Malay deputy MB, in the same breath averred that it was only proper a Malay (not a Malaysian) be the deputy MB. Following that, Malaysiakini reported in Expert: No legal need for Malay deputy MB that Prof Abdul Aziz Bari, a constitutional expert who lectured law at the International Islamic University Malaysia, was consulted on the matter. Prof Abdul Aziz dismissed Muhammad Munir's claims that the deputy MB should ideally be a Malay to assist the MB in Islamic and cultural duties. The Prof said: "The Sultan of Selangor does not need the menteri besar or the deputy menteri besar in matters pertaining to religion and Malay custom." According to the Prof, the sultan, as the head of Islamic matters and the Malay adat, is the person in charge of such matters in the state, and not the MB or his deputy. He said: "Matters cited by the palace are entirely within the sultan's jurisdiction. As the sultan may act on his own discretion on these matters, the constitution provides that a council may be appointed to assist him. This is what is commonly known as religious councils or majlis agama, which looks after the religious department or the jabatan agama. In the other four states and federal territories, the Agong will have the same establishment." Prof Abdul Aziz also commented that a prolonged delay in the appointment of a deputy MB was unnecessary and might even be unconstitutional. But when asked whether the appointment of a Deputy MB had been postponed or scrapped altogether, Khalid Ibrahim side-stepped the issue by stating the need to explain the matter (what?) properly to the people (who?), and that he would do this after the executive councillors had been sworn-in (why?).
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| Nizar dedah dokumen RM207 bilion Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:38 PM PST Nizar menunjukkan dokumen yang diedarkan kepada wartawan pada sidang media. (Harakah Daily) - AJK PAS Pusat, Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin hari ini mendedahkan beberapa dokumen penting yang menunjukkan kerajaan Malaysia memang telah menerima wang sebanyak RM207 bilion dari kerajaan Jepun sebagai pampasan kepada rakyat Malaysia yang terlibat dalam pembinaan landasan keretapi maut Jepun.
(Surat dari Kementerian Kewangan kepada Persatuan) Dokumen itu berupa surat permohonan dari Persatuan Kebajikan Bekas dan Warisan Buroh Binaan Landasan Keretapi Siam ke Burma 1942-1946 (Persatuan) yang jelas menyatakan jumlah RM207 bilion yang dituntut itu. Surat permohonan ini dibuat oleh Persatuan kepada Perdana Menteri pada 27 Julai 2011. Pendedahan ini dibuat Nizar dalam sidang media khasnya hari ini. Beliau meminta agar pihak kerajaan membuat penjelasan terhadap semua dokumen itu dan menjelaskan di mana wang itu sekarang jika ianya benar-benar wujud. (Surat dari Jabatan Peguam Negara kepada Persatuan) Nizar juga menunjukkan kepada media dokumen pengesahan dari pelbagai kementerian dan jabatan serta pejabat Peguam Negara mengenai tuntutan itu. Antaranya, Bahagian Pengeluaran, Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia dalam suratnya kepada Persatuan berkata, "Sukacita dimaklumkan bahawa tuntutan pengeluaran berjumlah RM207 bilion telah diangkat untuk tindakan dan kelulusan Kerajaan di mana prosesnya telah dimaklumkan ke Peguam Negara dan peringkat Kementerian Sumber Manusia." Nizar sebelum ini ketika berucap dalam Dewan Rakyat meminta Perdana Menteri menjelaskan tuntutan Persatuan ini namun tidak ada sebarang penjelasan dibuat mengenainya. Baru-baru ini, beliau ke Kedutaan Jepun untuk berbincang mengenainya. Wakil kedutaan mengesahkan beliau pernah mendengar mengenainya tetapi hanya mengesahkan pembayaran pernah dibuat tetapi tidak menyebutkan angkanya. Beliau akan merujuk balik kepada Tokyo mengenainya. Wakil Kedutaan kemudiannya menafikan wang RM207 bilion itu yang dirujuk.
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| Kalimah Allah: Penjelasan Ketua Dewan Ulamak PAS Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:34 PM PST
(Harakah Daily) - Saya ingin menjelaskan bahawa laporan berita bertajuk 'Ulama PAS tetap tidak setuju bukan Islam guna kalimah Allah' yang dikeluarkan oleh MStar pada 9 Januari 2013 adalah telah memetik secara salah apa yang saya sebutkan. Demikian penjelasan Ketua Dewan Ulamak PAS Pusat, Datuk Harun Taib berhubung laporan Mstar, semalam. Berikut ialah penjelasan penuh beliau. Saya ingin menjelaskan bahawa laporan berita bertajuk 'Ulama PAS tetap tidak setuju bukan Islam guna kalimah Allah' yang dikeluarkan oleh MStar pada 9 Januari 2013 adalah telah memetik secara salah apa yang saya sebutkan. Kenyataan awal saya yang berkenaan adalah ketika saya diminta memberi komen terhadap permintaan pihak-pihak tertentu supaya dibenar penggunaan terjemahan Allah dalam Bible berbahasa Melayu beberapa minggu yang lalu. Tajuk itu sepatutnya berbunyi seperti ini 'Ulamak PAS tetap tidak setuju bukan Islam guna kalimah Allah di dalam kitab mereka bagi menggantikan perkataan God'.
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| Who is Khalid Ibrahim batting for? Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:23 PM PST
Lucius Goon, The Malaysian Insider Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has to figure out if he is a Pakatan Rakyat leader or is he the Selangor Sultan's spokesman. He cannot have it both ways. If I remember correctly, he was elected on a PKR ticket and PKR is part of Pakatan Rakyat and the Pakatan Rakyat leadership announced that non-Muslims had a right to use the word "Allah". So like any loyal Pakatan politician, you would expect Khalid to accept the coalition's position. Instead, you have him regurgitating the rubbish story about how the religious enactment of the state prevents others from using Allah in an undignified manner. That by the way is the position of the Umno-friendly Majlis Agama Islam Selangor. The point is the Selangor Sultan is the head of Islam in the state but he has no say over the matters pertaining to Christianity or Sikhism. Matters on religious freedom are enshrined in the Federal Constitution, and not to be decided in Selangor. Incidentally, the High Court has interpreted the constitution and allowed the Catholic Church to use the word "Allah". The government has appealed the decision but until the appeal court overturns it, the decision of the High Court stands. So Khalid, here is a reminder: you can't have it both ways. You can't ride on the coat tails of Pakatan Rakyat when it suits you and decide not to accept the consensus of the coalition when it doesn't. If Malaysians wanted feeble politicians, they would have kept Umno in power.
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| Selangor MB: Not wrong to use ‘Allah’ but don’t abuse it Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:13 PM PST
(The Star) - It is not wrong for non-Muslims to use the word "Allah" as long as it is not intended to ridicule or abuse the term, said Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. He said this was clearly stated in the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Selangor) Enactment 2003. "When you are singing the Selangor state anthem, it is not an act of ridicule. But if someone is using the word to preach and convince Muslims to convert then that is wrong," he said when asked if it was appropriate for non-Muslims to sing the state anthem, as one of its verses contained the word "Allah". On the state Government's stand regarding the use of "Allah" in Malay Bible, Khalid said Islam and its relevant laws were under the authority of the Sultan. "His authority is accepted by the state government because the laws had been passed by the state legislative assembly," he said.
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| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:58 PM PST
Is it the reformist agenda he has touted all this while or him being the prime minister courtesy of Lajim Ukin and Taib Mahmud? CT Ali, FMT Today we ask ourselves what is the responsible way to vote while our politicians are still focused on retaining or taking power by doing whatever is necessary to do so. We know that politics is not a job for life but judging from Barisan Nasional's tenure in office, it can be a highly lucrative vocation. How goes Pakatan Rakyat against an embattled Umno? Umno has its fixed deposit votes: the Malay votes, the rural votes, the votes from the armed forces, the "religious factor" votes, the "pendatang" votes, the "I scratch your back, you scratch mine back" votes and, of course, there is their impregnable fortress – Johor. Everything that money can buy, Umno already has. Pakatan has to earn every single vote it takes take from Umno. Pakatan may have their "diehard" and "berani mati ABU" supporters, but they are cancelled out many times over by BN diehard supporters. Pakatan has no vote bank worth talking about. What it has is the goodwill of Malaysians who are hopeful that the reformist agenda it espoused will be implemented once it is in government. This enlightened but volatile group makes up 40% of the electorate. In the main, they are young adults, newly eligible voters, the urbanites and the educated. Their weapon of choice is the Internet and their intellect. Their votes are crucial and will decide who will form government after this 13th general election. The challenge of securing their patronage and allegiance is still a work in progress for BN and Pakatan. Anwar's politics in Sabah, Sarawak Saudara Anwar Ibrahim, let us recap. Pakatan's agenda is to reform. It means to make changes in something (typically a social, political or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it. The operative words are "change" and "improve". I have watched with trepidation the opposition leader's flirtation with Sabah's veteran politician Lajim Ukin. I do not know Lajim as well as I know Anwar but yet I do know something of Lajim. What Anwar, Najib and Lajim know about the politics in Sabah would be "interesting", to say the least. For now, I will give Anwar the benefit of the doubt in as far as Lajim is concerned. The benefit that I give Anwar is because I want to think that he is "talking" to Lajim because he has promised change and reforms. And Lajim, being the wily old fox that he is, knows that the people of Sabah wants change and reform too. But here is where the "doubt" starts. I hope Anwar's talk with Lajim is not in the "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" format. We know that will be Najib's approach for he knows of no other. That is Sabah. And now it would seem that in Sarawak, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and Anwar are also holding each other's hands. Najib too is in there somewhere. So now in Sarawak and in Sabah, everyone is holding on to each other, hanging on for their dear own political life. They are quite understandably more preoccupied with their own comfort than the comfort and wellbeing of the people of Sabah and Sarawak. It is a bad choice of preoccupation because there are only three votes among the three of you. The people of Sabah and Sarawak have the rest. Platform of reforms What about reforms? I do not have to pose this question to Lajim in Sabah or Taib in Sarawak because we know their political survival and personal fortunes depend on the deals they will make with the one first past the finishing line after the votes are counted in the 13th general election. They care not if it is BN or Pakatan.
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| Mat Zain: Musa trying to save himself Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:54 PM PST
Former KL CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim says that former IGP Musa Hassan is attacking his successor to cover up for his own admission of guilt in fabricating evidence in Sodomy 1 trial. G Vinod, FMT Accusations and counter -accusations by two former high ranking cops have still not abated. This time around former KL CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim is accusing former IGP Musa Hassan of being involved in a cover up. Mat Zain said all Musa Hassan's allegations against the current Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar and the police force was an attempt to divert from his own errors and misdeeds. In an open letter to Ismail, Mat Zain claimed that Musa was trying to divert people's attention from his own controversial admission of guilt made in an interview with Malaysiakini in May last year. "Without realising, Musa admitted in the interview that he had fabricated DNA evidence against former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in the Sodomy 1 trial. "In an afterthought, he is now attacking the incumbent IGP in order to divert public attention from his mistakes," alleged Mat Zain. In recent months, Musa had criticised Ismail for being a "weak" IGP and claimed that several top brass officers are working in cahoots with underworld figures. He also accused Ismail of being behind the arrest of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng in 2008 under the Internal Security Act (ISA). In addition, Musa alleged Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein of interfering in police affairs, and that he (Musa) was forced to retire after he had voiced his reservations on the matter. Hishammuddin had since denied Musa's accusations.
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| ‘Sultan cannot make rules for non-Muslims’ Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:51 PM PST
The vocal Bishop Paul Tan says that the Sultan's role is merely to protect Islam. He also underscores the fact that Malaysia is not an Islamic state. RK Anand, FMT The Sultan of Selangor's decree that non-Muslims in the state are forbidden from using the term "Allah" has drawn the ire of a senior clergyman, who felt that the ruler has acted in an unfair manner. Bishop Paul Tan, who heads the Johor and Malacca diocese, said the Sultan's role was to protect Islam and not to make rules for those of other faiths. "We non-Muslims have our own heads. Besides, our country is a constitutional or parliamentary democracy not a theocratic state i.e. Islamic state. Our Federal Constitution protects the rights of all our people, not only Muslims," he told FMT. Tan also pointed out that the matter was still pending appeal after the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled on Dec 31, 2009 that the ban on non-Muslims using the word "Allah" was illegal. "As said many a time, historically the word is pre-Islamic and therefore cannot be claimed as a creation of Islam. We also have documents that in the early 17th century, translations of the Bible into Malay, the word 'Allah' was used. "In all countries, except Malaysia, including Arab countries and Indonesia, there is no ban on Christians using the word 'Allah'," he said. "If the Malaysian government forbids people of faiths other than those who profess Islam from using the word 'Allah', we would be the laughing stock of more enlightened people in other countries," he added. Tan also questioned if the faith of Malaysian Muslims were so fragile that it had to be protected because the use of this word by others would endanger their belief. "I personally do not think so. How many leaders of this country have been educated in Christian schools and remained faithful to their Islamic faith? Many. By trying to forbid people of faiths other than those who profess Islam from using the word 'Allah' on the pretext of protecting the Muslims is actually casting aspersion on Malaysian Muslims for having a weak faith," he said. Furthermore, the bishop noted that there were at least three Surahs in the Quran – Surah 2:62,(the Cow), Surah 5:69 (The Table) and Surah 22:17 (the Pilgrimage) that say Jews, Christians and Sabeans believe in "Allah". "Sikhs have also clearly declared that their holy scriptures use the word 'Allah'. There is only one God who created everyone and everything, there are no two Gods. It is only human beings who understand the Almighty in different and variegated ways," he added. Responding to a question, Tan, who was the immediate past president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, blamed politicians for the imbroglio.
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| Prejudice and the ugly face of BN in Sabah Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:49 AM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - Yet another leader of the Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party (STAR) has cried foul over religious discrimination against the native Christians in the state. Sabah STAR women's wing chief, Melanie Annol, said there had been increasing reports and claims that both the federal and state governments are willfully sidelining native Christians in job opportunities and promotions in public service and government-linked bodies in the state. In supporting STAR leader Daniel John Jambun's recent call on authorities and politicians to stop harrasing Christians in Malaysia, Annol stressed that victimisation in Sabah is real and that the native Christians had chosen to keep it to themselves until now. "I would like to direct the world attention to this systematic racial discrimination against native Christians especially the Kadazandusun – Murut groups, the original people in Sabah. "These natives were supposed to lead the state and be as dominant but what had happened was they had been willfully left behind and sidelined by the ruling Barisan Nasional in almost every spectrum of opportunity in government offices," she said in a statement issued here today. Annol who is also STAR head for Penampang, claimed that in some cases of new recruitment of staff, certain departments were taking in only Muslim applicants and no Christians, no matter how well qualified. "There had been reports where the entire intake of staff were always Muslims and only one or two from the Kadazandusun natives managed to get in, even that was because they were Muslim Kadazandusuns. "I stand proud to be able to highlight this discrimination now before it gets out of hand and as we look ahead to seek a fair treatment from a fairer government. "What I am saying is the truth and its happening in Sabah. "We never envisaged it to be like this bad. The late Tun Mustapha Harun and Tun Fuad Stephens must be cringing in their graves seeing the unbelievable now is happening in Sabah," she said. Annol also pointed out that even in institution of higher learning like Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) one can see the overwhelming "imbalance" in term of opportunity for the Christian natives staff. "I don't believe that race and religion were not a criteria when the authorities recruit or promote officers in their departments. It just defies logic that Kadazandusun Christians find it is very hard now to get employment in public services and those once inside find it even more difficult to get promotion. "In UMS I only see two prominent Kadazandusun names – Prof Felix Tongkul and Prof Marcus Jopony – among the most senior officers," she said based on what was printed in the university's book for its recent convocation weeks ago. Marginalised by Muslims and Malayans She said according to latest record all the top seven officials of UMS are from one community. Currently the vice-chancellor is Prof Mohd Harun Abdullah, three deputy vice chancellors Prof Shariff Abdul Kadir Shariff Omang, Prof Shahril Yusof, and Associate Prof Kasim Md Mansur, the registrar is Abdullah Mohd Said while the Bursar is headed by Rizal Othman. The chief Librarian is Dayang Rukiah Awang Amit. The 32-member UMS Senate are all from the same community except for one Indian, one Chinese and Dr Jopony and Dr Tongkul. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/09/prejudice-and-the-ugly-face-of-bn-in-sabah/
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| ‘Allah’ ban against court order, Cabinet decision, Selangor told Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:41 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Lawyers in the "Allah CD" case have formally written to tell the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) that the Selangor Sultan's latest ban on the usage of "Allah" by non-Muslims is disrespectful of a 2009 High Court order and in conflict with a 2011 federal government decision on the matter. In a letter to MAIS yesterday, the lawyers affixed documents to both decisions to remind the council that a settlement to the controversy had long been reached, despite the latest religious storm over the same issue. "MAIS's action, which is inconsistent and contrary to the order of the court, appears to belittle and disrespect the court decision," the lawyers said in the letter signed by Annou Xavier, who is also a member of the Kuala Lumpur Catholic Lawyers' Society (CLS).The first document attached to the letter is a copy of the 2009 court order where Jill Ireland, a Sarawakian Christian, was granted permission to challenge the government's previous confiscation of several of her religious CDs which bore the word "Allah". The second document is a April 2011 circular to Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing that was signed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself, stating that Christians and those of other faiths can import and use bibles in any languages including Bahasa Malaysia. In the run-up to the heated Sarawak state polls, the federal government had on April 2, 2011, issued a 10-point solution to the "Allah" controversy, allowing the publication and distribution of the AlKitab, the Malay-language Bible that it had impounded due to its usage of "Allah" to refer to the Christian God. As such, Annou said that by suddenly banning non-Muslims in Selangor from using "Allah", MAIS had not only contradicted both the court and federal government's decisions, but had also contravened Article 11(3) of the Federal Constitution which, he said, stipulates that those of all other faiths in Malaysia had the right to conduct their religious practices freely. "We hope MAIS will not prolong this issue of non-Muslims using 'Allah' in the media and instead respect the court decision as well as every individual's right to freedom of religion," the lawyer wrote. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/allah-ban-against-court-order-cabinet-decision-selangor-told/
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| Who can lead BN's move to reclaim Selangor? Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST
The Barisan Nasional (BN) faces a major predicament in its battle to reclaim Selangor in the next general election - it lacks a clear choice of commander to lead its political machinery. Pathma Subramaniam, fz.com This is evident from the state of limbo in Selangor Umno, the senior partner in BN, which has been under the stewardship of Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak since he took over as the prime minister in 2009 and appointed himself as the state Umno liaison chief soon afterwards. It also reflects the lasting effect of the BN's shock defeat in the 2008 general election, when the ruling coalition lost control of the country's most-developed state for the first time. Political analyst Professor Datuk Mohammad Agus Yusoff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia bluntly states that the BN, which has to deal with a full array of unresolved leadership issues, will be unlikely to win the state back from Pakatan Rakyat, despite having held it for more than 50 years before the damaging defeat five years ago. "Leadership is one very significant issue here and, what does Umno have?" asked Mohd Agus. "It has money and (control of the) mainstream media. But in a place like Selangor, the online media plays a big role in the dissemination of information and it is not enough that BN can exploit the mainstream media. "A majority of the electorate in Selangor is bound to gauge a party depending on the leadership of the party and its image, as well as the unity it shows and the personalities who are vying to be candidates," said Mohd Yusoff to fz.com. In the 2008 general election, BN only managed to win 20 of the 56 seats in the Selangor state legislative assembly. Of that, 18 were won by Umno and two by MCA. In at least nine of these constituencies, BN won by less than a 5% majority, while Pakatan Rakyat held an unassailable 36 seats prior to the defection of two of its assembly members and the death of another. It was the worst ever defeat for BN in the state. In contrast, during the 2004 general election, BN controlled 54 of the 56 seats in the state. This reflects the force of the political tsunami that swept the nation in 2008. The defeat took the party's divisions by storm, resulting in a massive shake up in its ranks, with Najib taking over control of the state Umno apparatus from former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. '1,000 generals' Mohd Khir, who was largely blamed for the BN's loss in the state in the 2008 election, however retained the Sungai Panjang seat with a comfortable majority. He was also dropped as the state's BN chairperson, a position he had held since 2000. He now leads Umno's state-level think-tank. His credibility was put to the test again, when he was charged with graft, upon which he resigned as the leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly. In the case, he was sentenced to a 12-month prison term two years ago for corruption involving two plots of land in Petaling Jaya. Mohd Khir has appealed against the decision. Nevertheless, according to Mohd Agus, although Mohd Khir had left office in disgrace, the former menteri besar is seen as a force to be reckoned with in the state, along with several prominent personalities including his predecessor Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib and Selangor Umno deputy liaison chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar. These leaders are well connected with their electorate and are able to move the ground support in favour of the candidate they back. For a while, speculation was rife that Sri Serdang assembly member Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman would be the candidate of choice after taking over from Mohd Khir as the leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly in July 2011, but the appointment of former works minister and Sepang MP Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed as BN coordinator in the state early last year, gave life to rumours that Mohd Zin stood a better chance as he was seen as Najib's choice. Reports have also emerged that the BN is looking at fielding corporate personalities to take on Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who is frequently cited for his skills in managing the state's coffers. One such personality, whose name was bandied about, is property tycoon Datuk FD Iskandar, the chief executive officer and managing director of Glomac Berhad, after his appointment as the party's state treasurer but, the lack of resounding support for the political newcomer put the brakes on such speculation. Despite repeated calls for Umno members to close ranks, discord remains ostensible with "too many warlords" wanting to take the lead, noted Mohd Agus.
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| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:24 AM PST
Najib Razak has now been drawn into a corner (yet again) in his pussy-footing over calling for the 13th Malaysian General Elections. If Najib Razak deals with this rally with force as was what had happened in BERSIH 3.0, he would face another big, big backlash among the young voters, of whom believe that freedom of assembly should not be curtailed. Hikayat Putera Kemuning To be very, very honest I was quite gobsmacked and was in confusion when I heard from one of my favourite maestre Tukar Tiub Hishamuddin Rais that there was a sequel to the already massive BERSIH 3.0 to be held this Saturday, 12 January 2012, namely for a mega-rally dubbed #KL112. Coupled with his obvious disdain for apocalypse that makes the Mayan Grand-Witch doctor fume with rage, Tukar Tiub went on the offensive against his arch-nemesis the United Malays National Organisation (of which he stubbornly refuse to dub otherwise) by enlisting the NGO, opposition parties, the punks and skinheads; to be honest everything under the unfalling sky that is 'Anything But UMNO' or more affectionately known as ABU; in joining forces (again) to pressure Najib Razak into a position that would make the late Bobby Fischer, Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov blush with admiration. For here are the facts: (1) Najib Razak has now been drawn into a corner (yet again) in his pussy-footing over calling for the 13th Malaysian General Elections. If Najib Razak deals with this rally with force as was what had happened in BERSIH 3.0, he would face another big, big backlash among the young voters, of whom believe that freedom of assembly should not be curtailed. On the other hand, if he gives in and allows the demo to proceed, he would obviously be regarded as a reformer, though would be at loggerheads with the far-rightist in his right wing organisation including (but not limited to) PERKASA, who is UMNO's step-sister on his stepdad's side twice removed. (2) All these very tall tales of UMNO and BN's 'transformation' would again be rendered bland if heavy-handedness were to prevail. All BRIMs, KRIMs and stuff would be effectively neutralised and Najib would be left trying to salvage his efforts through ANOTHER round of an mandatory but improved BRIM etc with maybe a RM3000 payout financed by IMF loans this time around and blaming it to Anwar Ibrahim. (3) Malaysia has high domestic and extra-terrestrial debts for which is well documented which runs to more than a couple of hundred billion Ringgits - nothing much. But Najib Razak knows that corruption of the citizenry has a very high price - that is the Rakyat will feel that they deserve it and that the next handout MUST be more than the previous. At the rate he is going by labelling everything under the sun as being 1Malaysia, we will have a very difficult time finding out what is NOT 1Malaysia. Desperation has seen that even recycled bread is now fielding that name, no matter how ingenius the idea was. Read more at: http://puterakemuning.blogspot.com/2013/01/kl112-res-ipsa-loquitur.html | ||
| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:10 AM PST
Although I am convinced that former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hasan and carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan are telling us the truth, I doubt their sincerity. I believe they are doing this because they were short-changed. They are revealing the truth in instalments in the hope that the big pay day will come. Toffee Rozario, Free Malaysia Today For the Barisan Nasional government to fall, the majority of the Malays must vote the opposition and that is the definitive trend today. The signs are there, it is just too many. The next general election is going to deal a huge blow to the Barisan Nasional government and it will be a blow that will take BN at least 20 years to recover. The recent revelations, coming in spurts, are a typical Umno strategy, which Dr Mahathir Mohamad used so often and that explains the succession he has passed on. Although I am convinced that former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hasan and carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan are telling us the truth, I doubt their sincerity. I believe they are doing this because they were short-changed. They are revealing the truth in instalments in the hope that the big pay day will come. That's when they will decide whether to keep quiet or spill more. But when and if that big "pay day" comes, then I believe they will wait for yet another bigger pay day; after all, isn't the current "strategy" just pay, pay and pay? I doubt Deepak's claims that he will tell all. He is waiting for the big payouts and he wants it as soon as possible. He knows as much as Najib Tun Razak, Rosmah Mansor and Mahathir that the end is near and that the BN government is going to be dumped. In fact, they all know that and are trying their level best to intimidate the people. But this time it will not work. Slow revelation of truth Before this government falls, all these players must collect their ill-gotten gains promised to them by the big boys. And they must leave the country quickly less they get caught for all the bad things they have done in concert with the BN. Thus the slow revelation of the truth. Notable is the fact that for the government to fall, the majority of the Malays must vote the opposition and that is the definitive trend today. All polls have have indicated that, so there is this feeling of deep despair among the top brass in Umno. Thus they can't give in to every private investigator, carpet man or cop. There simply won't be enough left to pay the Umno division chiefs if they win the election, and if they do not deliver, then all hell will break loose in Umno itself. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/10/deep-despair-in-bn-corridors/ | ||
| In the spotlight again over ‘Allah’ issue Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST
It was quite obvious Guan Eng was sealing in the DAP support in Sarawak and Sabah where there is a large Christian population. But the issue is a perception disaster for PAS which is seen as having lost its original ideals. Joceline Tan, The Star Religion has moved to the political centrestage again with the revival of the kalimah Allah' controversy. POLITICS runs through Lim Guan Eng's veins and his speeches at almost every event, including religious occasions, is about politics, politics and more politics. The Penang Chief Minister's Christmas message last month was no different - he mentioned Lynas, the AES issue and money scandals. But it was his call for the term "Allah" to be used in Bahasa Malaysia Bibles that landed his Pakatan Rakyat partners with a giant headache. It has made him a hero among the Christians but the matter stunned many Muslims who are not comfortable with the development. Religion has once again moved to the political centrestage with the revival of the "kalimah Allah" issue. On Tuesday, PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang appeared at a press conference with PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang where Hadi read from a brief statement that appeared to endorse Guan Eng's Christmas message. Basically, Hadi said that Islam does not forbid non-Muslims from using the term "Allah" although it may not be equivalent to the actual meaning of the original Quranic word. The three leaders looked rather tense and seemed in a hurry to get it over with. None of them were really comfortable about the subject matter and who can blame them? The press conference was taking place on the same day as a no-nonsense statement from the Selangor Palace reminding everyone in the state that there is a fatwa decreeing that the term "Allah" is sacred and exclusive to Muslims. The Selangor fatwa was gazetted on Feb 18, 2010, shortly after the controversy over the Bahasa Malaysia language Bibles. The Pakatan leadership appears to be going against the Palace and the state fatwa, whichever way one looks at it. For instance, a Malay daily had the following headline: "Sultan larang, Hadi benarkan" (the Sultan disallows, Hadi allows). Actually, Hadi was being consistent in the sense that he had said more or less the same thing at the height of the issue in 2010. His problem is that a number of the leading ulama in his party do not agree with him. Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, the party's Pahang chief and the man seen as Hadi's likely successor, had just a couple of weeks ago said that the "kalimah Allah" was meant only for Muslims. The view is shared by Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib and the party's leading theologianDatuk Dr Haron Din. In 2010, when Hadi was being hailed by Christians as an "accommodating leader," many in PAS had disagreed with his stand but they kept their peace. The mood has shifted and the conservatives are less willing to hold their tongue this time around. Hadi's latest statement has not gone down well with the party and the deafening silence on the part of Harakah daily on the issue says it all. It has to be remembered that this is a party some of whose members are not even comfortable with wishing Christians "Merry Christmas" and which has protested against Muslims celebrating Valentine's day on the grounds that it has Christian connotations and encourages proximity between the sexes. PAS leaders are against cinemas which are seen as venues for vice activities and the unisex hair salon issue in Kelantan is still hanging in the air. Some in Pakatan are upset with Guan Eng for stirring up this polemic issue so close to the general election. Even the Sultan of Selangor had expressed "shock and regret" over Guan Eng's Christmas message. They said DAP was already assured of the bulk of the Chinese and Christian votes and there was no need to hurt PAS on the Malay ground. "PAS loses votes every time the Pakatan Rakyat Council makes a decision," said a Selangor PAS member. Read more at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/1/10/nation/12554144&sec=nation
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| Haron: I’ll never agree to allow non-Muslims use 'Allah' Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST
(The Star) - PAS deputy mursyidul am Datuk Dr Haron Din says he will never agree to any decision allowing the use of "kalimah Allah" by non-Muslims. "Kalimah Allah dominates every surah in the Quran, while the word Allah cannot be found anywhere in the Bible," he said. He said this in response to the resurfacing of the contentious issue after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said recently that Christians should be allowed to use the word "Allah" in the Malay version of the Bible. The PAS Syura Council meeting on Saturday is expected to be highly charged as many of the religious scholars in the party are not agreeable to Pakatan Rakyat's consensus to allow non-Muslims to use "kalimah Allah". Some members of the Syura Council were caught by surprise over the decision that was made without consulting the supreme body of the Islamist party. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said on Tuesday that Islam did not forbid non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" but it should not be abused. Dr Haron described as kufur (disbelievers) those who allow non-Muslims to use the word "Allah", as it could lead to syirik (shirk) when the word is used on the cross and other prayer paraphernalia. PAS Ulama chief Datuk Dr Harun Taib had also expressed shock over Pakatan Rakyat's claim that a consensus had been reached. In an immediate response on Tuesday, Harun said that as far as he could remember, the Syura Council had never made a decision on the matter. PAS mursyidul am (spiritual leader) Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz was quoted in a Malay daily as saying that on a personal basis, he believed non-Muslims should be allowed to use "kalimah Allah", as it could be the first step to preach Islam to them. However, Nik Aziz said he would abide by the Syura Council's decision. Meanwhile, Selangor Barisan Nasional coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed hit out at Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for defying the Selangor Sultan's advice to abide by a fatwa barring non-Muslims from using "kalimah Allah". Mohd Zin said Anwar, who claimed to be adviser to the Selangor Government, should be ashamed for being ignorant of the fact that the ruling prohibiting the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims for the propagation of other religions apart from Islam was stipulated in Section 9 of the Non-Islamic Religion Enactment (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) 1988. "What kind of message is he trying to send? "Is he trying to instigate Pakatan supporters to commit sedition?" he asked.
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| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:55 AM PST
Why is it that this so-called affliction only affects Muslims in West Malaysia? What is the rational explanation? Are the Muslims in East Malaysia made of sterner stuff that they are not afflicted by this confusion? Could it be a case of Muslims in East Malaysia being better educated and instructed in Islam that nothing will shake them from their faith? P. Ramakrishnan When God is politicised we are in big trouble. That is what is happening in Malaysia. And that's why we are in such a big mess.
Religious zealots have come out with edicts that defy logic and override the supreme law of the land, the Federal Constitution. They have paid scant attention to the High Court ruling way back in 2009 that the word "Allah" can be used by the Christians. The government has appealed against this decision. But nothing has happened for more than three years. Seemingly it is meant to be so! There is no urgency to solve this matter as soon as possible. Most people think that the delay is deliberate and politically motivated. The claim by some members of certain organisations who had aggressively demonstrated on the premise that Muslims and Christians will be confused if "Allah" is used by non-Muslims is ridiculous and laughable. There is no merit in their claim. There is no justification for this view. What is the basis for this ridiculous claim? Why is the word "Allah" confusing? And confusing to whom? What is so confusing about the word? It had been in use for thousands of years; yet we have not come across anyone in any part of the world who was ever confused because the word "Allah" was commonly used by Muslims and non-Muslims. Have the ordinary, average Muslims, who are the majority in this country, ever complained that they are confused when Christians use the word "Allah"? Until this controversy, which has been recently created deliberately by the religious zealots, the word "Allah" has been used widely and commonly in Malaysia by the various communities without anyone getting confused or upset! It would appear that the only ones who are confused must be the minority of narrow-minded religious zealots! Are they really confused – or are they, for political reasons, desperately trying to confuse the majority of people who are sane and sensible and comfortable with the use of the word "Allah"? The word "Allah" has been used all along in Malaysia without causing any problem or creating any unrest – until some religious zealots came along and suddenly claimed exclusive right to the use of the word. For heaven's sake, this is an Arabic word used freely and universally without any problem or confusion in the rest of the world! Muslims throughout the world have understood this word and what it refers to. Locally Muslims, Hindus, Chinese, Sikhs, the Peranakan community in Malacca and the Orang Asli have used the word comfortably and freely and they have understood what it stands for and represents. We have never ever had confused zombies walking around like lost souls and going astray. Yet, it is argued that the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims can cause confusion. Why is it that this so-called affliction only affects Muslims in West Malaysia? What is the rational explanation? Are the Muslims in East Malaysia made of sterner stuff that they are not afflicted by this confusion? Could it be a case of Muslims in East Malaysia being better educated and instructed in Islam that nothing will shake them from their faith? What has gone wrong in West Malaysia for the religious zealots to claim that the Muslims here will be confused? Are the Muslims in West Malaysia that weak and gullible to the extent that they are not capable of thinking rationally and discerning what is right and wrong? Are they really confused? Or is it a case of causing confusion where there is no confusion? What is the political agenda for creating this controversy? The word "Allah" has been used for centuries. It has been around even before Islam came into being. Where Islam originated, there has been tolerance and accommodation. Both Christians and Muslims have used the same word freely in their daily conversation and prayers without upsetting any religious sensitivity. No prohibition was imposed because they understood the core value of their respective faiths. Islam was not founded on denial. It is a compassionate religion whose tenets exhort Muslim to be tolerant and caring, to stand up for justice, to protect the rights of others, and to be accommodating and to never deny what is rightfully others. These religious zealots seem incapable of living up to the demands of their faith. Their doctrine is one of denial. Is the faith of the Muslims in West Malaysia that shallow and precarious that they can be so easily led astray? Isn't it an indictment that after all that has been done to protect and preserve Islam and to educate the Muslims into becoming better human beings with so much effort, it has been a total failure? Shouldn't these religious zealots be directing their attention and anger to the more serious malaise plaguing the Muslim community and deserving their wholehearted attention? It is a fact that teenage pregnancy, incest, baby dumping, drug abuse, HIV infection and many more ailments are rampant among the Malay community. Seriously, these are the areas that the zealots should be involved in. There is wide-spread corruption, abuse of power, human rights violations, injustice, deaths in custody, racism, co-habitation, rape, murder, discrimination, wastage and many more wrongs which should be the concern of these religious zealots. But there are no earnest attempts to resolve these issues. But strangely, the uttering of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims consumes their entire attention. The Penang Mufti, Hassan Ahmad, has reminded all parties not to challenge the National Fatwa Council's decision that "Allah" can only be used by the Muslims in the country. The Kuala Lumpur High Court had ruled in a landmark decision in December 2009 that the Home Ministry's blanket ban on the use of the word "Allah" is illegal. Would he care to rage and rail against the Malaysian judiciary for that ruling? Would he now state that the judiciary has no right to adjudicate on this issue? The Perak Mufti, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria has declared that if non-Muslims want to use the word "Allah" they must convert to Islam. There is no logic in this baffling statement. Would he dare to declare that the entire world is subject to his 'ruling'? The rest of the world wouldn't care two hoots for his views. He would become the laughing stock of the Muslim world. Going by their logic, Islam must be insulted throughout the wide world on a daily basis because many adherents of different faiths utter this word in their prayers and conversations. What are these religious zealots going to do about this? Now, what happens to the Holy Book of the Sikhs which has the word "Allah" in it? Are the religious zealots suggesting that it should be rewritten, dropping the word "Allah" to reflect their views? Mizrahi Jews (descendants of the Jewish communities of the Babylonian era in the Middle East and the Caucasus) also use the term "Allah". Are the religious zealots declaring that from henceforth the Mizrahi Jews have no right to use this word? How ridiculous can one get. In the view of many thinking Malaysians, it is these religious zealots who are confused – not the rest of the Muslim community. It is time we settle this issue once and for all. Now is the real test for these religious zealots. We hope that they will be brave enough and honest enough to be consistent in their narrow-minded views. There are some state anthems that have the word "Allah" in the lyrics. Will they now declare that the non-Muslims in West Malaysia should not sing these state anthems? That should be the case, going by their warped reasoning! Will they be consistent in their stand by declaring that the Rukun Negara, the national code of conduct for all Malaysians, should not be observed by Muslims because of the word "Tuhan"? Will they have the guts to say that we sideline the Rukun Negara because, in their lopsided view, it can confuse the Muslims in West Malaysia? And likewise, will they also forbid the Muslims of West Malaysia from singing the national anthem, Negaraku, which has been sung spiritedly since our independence, because in the lyrics there is the word "Tuhan"? Will they say that we must abolish the national anthem in West Malaysia? Now, it is really confusing to all of us. The religious zealots must be genuinely and thoroughly confused as well!
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| Ahead of polls, Putrajaya tells local media to ‘soften people’s hearts’ Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:51 AM PST
File photo of the Bersih street rally in Kuala Lumpur in April last year. BN has told the local print media to play up objections to street rallies organised by the opposition for various causes. One such rally will be held this weekend. (The Malaysian Insider) - Putrajaya has told the local media to "soften people's hearts" and provide more good news before this year's general election to showcase the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) administrative record, say executives who have attended a series of hush-hush meetings since New Year's Day. The Malaysian Insider understands that newspaper and television news editors have also been told to play up positive economic stories and businessmen's objections to street rallies such as this weekend's Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR) rally in Stadium Merdeka. "The minister wants us to 'soften people's hearts' with positive news and programmes," said a media executive who attended a meeting chaired by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim."The focus is more on the Chinese and Indian communities as BN feels they are not getting enough support from them," the executive added. BN suffered historic losses in Election 2008, ceding four states and more than one-third of the 222-seat Parliament to several opposition parties that later formed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) under sacked Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The swing has been attributed to widespread discontent among the Chinese and Indians, who form a significant minority among the country's 28 million population. But the opposition pact has found it difficult to expand its influence through the mass media as the government controls national radio and television broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), state news agency Bernama and its broadcasting arm BernamaTV and Radio24. Rais's ministry is also in charge of licensing private broadcasters such as Syarikat Televisyen Malaysia Bhd (STMB), Astro, TV AlHijrah and private radio stations. It is understood the minister had asked for a list of positive programmes to be aired in the next few months ahead of Election 2013 which is now expected to be held before the first week of April. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ahead-of-polls-putrajaya-tells-local-media-to-soften-peoples-hearts/
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| When Yong is hungry like the wolves Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:46 AM PST
The political signal coming from Yong Teck Lee in the last few months indicate that he is trying to sail on two boats — Barisan National and Pakatan Rakyat — at the same time. His shifting statements to keep both the major political parties in good humour may end with a backlash. Selvaraja Somiah President of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Taiko Yong Teck Lee's romancing of the Barisan National may end his love affair with the Sabah opposition front soon. But this new love story bring up the moot question as to why he is so desperate when the Barisan National has hardly given any indication to warmly accommodate him under its fold. Sources in the Barisan National say Yong Teck Lee can't be trusted. How can they depend on a leader who was willing to ditch the Barisan National — his decade-old senior partner — when he felt the relations between both were strained because of one man Pak Lah? Earlier too, Yong Teck Lee parted ways with Pairin Kitingan and formed the SAPP. The gainer of this triangular game being played in the state may be Shafie Apdal a good friend of Yong Teck Lee who is waiting and watching in the wings to take over as chief minister from Musa Aman. Remember when Yong Teck Lee was chief minister he together with Shafie Apdal milked Yayasan Sabah until it nearly when dry? However, thanks to Musa Aman,he saved the day for Yayasan Sabah. Even Lajim Ukin, Sabah's famous party hopper and old buddy of Yong Teck Lee from the Party Bersatu Sabah (PBS) days where both began their political career and where both plotted to destroy PBS are seen regularly together nowadays. If recent gathering in the meetings of SAPP is any indication, then Yong Teck Lee being adamant to go for a majority of the state seats (60 in Sabah) this coming looming 13th general election on what he termed as "the principle of Sabah autonomy" is all about splitting the opposition votes and helping Barisan National win big. The political signal coming from Yong Teck Lee in the last few months indicate that he is trying to sail on two boats — Barisan National and Pakatan Rakyat — at the same time. His shifting statements to keep both the major political parties in good humour may end with a backlash. At the same time, Pakatan Rakyat camp specially The Democratic Action Party (DAP) feels that Yong Teck Lee is not dependable and his track record for the last couple of years shows that he is more committed to divide and split the opposition votes. It is a known fact that despite poor governance Yong Teck Lee ruled this politically vibrant state for 2 years but a lot say he worked 4 long years (pun added because he worked day and night 24hours a day making hay while there is sunshine with his partner in crime Joseph Ambrose Lee). Read more at: http://selvarajasomiah.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/when-yong-is-hungry-like-the-wolves/
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| Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat 112 Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST Phm3VanIF9E Merdeka Heritage Trust dalam kenyataan berkata antara syarat bagi Stadium Merdeka ialah penganjur mesti memastikan jumlah pengunjung/peserta tidak melebihi 30,000 orang. Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phm3VanIF9E Jan 12hb suatu perhimpunan mega akan dijadikan satu perhimpuan yang bersejarah, aman tenteram sebelum pilihanraya umum. Perhimpunan bersejarah ini telah dibenarkan oleh pengurusan Stadium Merdeka. Selain itu pihak PDRM berhasrat untuk kerjasama, menurut sekatariat HKR menganggarkan sejumlah 1 juta pengunjung akan menghadiri perhimpunan bersejarah ini. - Merdeka Heritage Trust dalam kenyataan berkata antara syarat bagi Stadium Merdeka ialah penganjur mesti memastikan jumlah pengunjung/peserta tidak melebihi 30,000 orang. - Kehadiran pengunjung ke Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat ini dipercayai melebihi demo BERSIH 3.0, anggaran kehadiran ini sudah pasti mana-mana stadium di Malaysia tidak berupaya memuatkan sejumlah bilangan yang sedemikian besar.
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| Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:13 AM PST
FIRST QUARTER TARGET: Tycoon Syed Mokhtar may make standalone offer, says source (Business Times) - Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary may make a standalone offer to privatise DRB-HICOM Bhd, the country's biggest automotive company, people working on the plan said yesterday. Business Times understands that the plan is being helmed by privately-held Meridian Solutions Sdn Bhd. Meridian is a unit controlled by Syed Mokhtar's top financial aide, Ooi Teik Huat. | ||
| Posted: 08 Jan 2013 07:57 PM PST
Malaya or Malaysia did not attend the conference because Malaya and Malaysia did not exist yet at time. Malaya was created only in 1957 and Malaysia in 1963. Hence Malaya/Malaysia is not a party to that treaty or a recipient of any compensation. The recipient would be Britain, the colonial masters of the non-existent Malaya/Malaysia at that time. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin So it's settled then. Pakatan Rakyat allows non-Muslims to us the Allah word. Barisan Nasional does not allow non-Muslims to use the Allah word. MCA, the lead partner in Barisan Nasional after Umno, has no opinion about the matter. You use or don't use the Allah word they don't care. They are not going to comment about it. MIC does not want to comment whether they are going to comment. They are just going to maintain an elegant silence. So you do not know whether MIC agrees or does not agree to non-Muslims using the Allah word. And MIC will soon be known as MINC, the acronym for 'May I Not Comment'. His Highness the Sultan of Selangor does not agree to non-Muslims using the Allah word. The Church does not agree to His Highness the Sultan not agreeing to non-Muslims using the Allah word. Some people in Pakatan Rakyat agree with Pakatan Rakyat's stand. Some people in Pakatan Rakyat do not agree with Pakatan Rakyat's stand. Some people in Pakatan Rakyat do not want to take a stand regarding Pakatan Rakyat's stand. Some people in Barisan Nasional agree with Barisan Nasional's stand. Some people in Barisan Nasional do not agree with Barisan Nasional's stand. Some people in Barisan Nasional do not want to take a stand regarding Barisan Nasional's stand. So it's settled then. Malaysian politics can no longer be divided between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional. Because there are supporters, opposers and abstainers from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional, Malaysian politics must now be divided between the pro-Allah word and the anti-Allah word grouping. Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional plus their 13 or so component party members will need to be disbanded and a new grouping of pro-Allah word and anti-Allah word be created to face the coming general election. The voters will then be able to vote along the lines of whether they support or oppose the use of the Allah word. Once either the pro-Allah word or the anti-Allah word grouping wins the general election and gets to form the new federal government, Malaysians can expect to see brighter days ahead of them. Maybe corruption, abuse of power and wastage of public funds will still be a problem and we will still not see transparency, accountability and good governance, but at least Malaysians would have resolved one extremely important issue -- whether the pro-Allah word or the anti-Allah word grouping gets to run the country. With either the pro-Allah word or the anti-Allah word grouping running the country, foreign investors will flock to Malaysia and will pour billions into the country. More jobs will be created and no Malaysian will face unemployment. There will, in fact, be a huge problem of labour shortage, which will allow a few million Indonesians to migrate to Malaysia to fill up the many job vacancies. These Indonesians can then be given Malaysian citizenship and they will be able to vote in future Malaysian general elections. Malaysia can then increase the minimum wage to RM1,500 a month, as what some people want, which can be further increased by 10% a year so that Malaysians can be ahead of the inflation rate and not find it hard to make ends meet. In time, Malaysia's minimum wage can match that of the UK, which is roughly RM35 an hour. Then the one million Malaysians living and working overseas can return to Malaysia and seek employment at home since Malaysia is facing a shortage of workers and is paying high wages, comparable to that of the UK. Malaysia's political culture would also see a revolutionary change that it much needs. No longer will politics be about who makes a better Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak or Anwar Ibrahim. It will also no longer be about Ketuanan Melayu, the New Economic Policy, Article 153, Bahasa Malaysia, Malaysia's poor education system and poor health service, etc. It will be about whether you support or oppose the use of the Allah word. Malaysians of all races and religions will no longer be divided like they are now. Malaysians of whatever race and religion will be united under one of two umbrellas. And these umbrellas would be either you support or you oppose the use of the Allah word. Now, on the second issue of the so-called RM207 billion from Japan, the Treaty of San Francisco or the San Francisco Peace Treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers was officially signed by 48 nations on 8th September 1951 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, United States. It came into force on 28th April 1952. The countries that attended the Conference were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, the Soviet Union, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam. This treaty served to officially end World War II, to formally end Japan's position as an imperial power, and to allocate compensation to Allied civilians and former prisoners of war who had suffered Japanese war crimes. This treaty made extensive use of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to enunciate the Allies' goals. Malaya or Malaysia did not attend the conference because Malaya and Malaysia did not exist yet at time. Malaya was created only in 1957 and Malaysia in 1963. Hence Malaya/Malaysia is not a party to that treaty or a recipient of any compensation. The recipient would be Britain, the colonial masters of the non-existent Malaya/Malaysia at that time. So that is also settled then, just like the use of the Allah word has been settled. And the Japanese Embassy has just confirmed that the RM207 billion does not exist just like Malaya/Malaysia did not exist when the treaty was signed. So now Malaysians can get back to the business of choosing their next government in the coming general election. And you will choose your government not on whether you support Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional but on whether you support or oppose the use of the Allah word. And once the election is over and the winning grouping gets to form the next government, Malaysia is going to prosper and is going to grow in leaps and bounds and in no time at all Malaysia is going to move from the bottom of the list of ASEAN countries to the top of the list, beating even Singapore and Indonesia, who are yet to resolve the issue of whether non-Muslims can or cannot use the Allah word. Malaysia is going to be remembered as the first of almost 200 countries all over the world that has officially decided on the matter of whether non-Muslims can or cannot use the Allah word. Malaysia has made history and in time will be hailed as a world leader poised to take over the leadership of the United Nations. Malaysians who used to be ashamed of their country will now be proud to be Malaysian. The United Nations may even consider shifting its headquarters from New York to Putrajaya in honour of the great progress the country has made in resolving the issue of the use of the Allah word. PROUD TO BE MALAYSIAN mAV7OM7jVac SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAV7OM7jVac | ||
| Explain RM207 billion compensation, says Anwar Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:04 PM PST
(Anwar Ibrahim's Blog) - PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is taking the BN government to task and wants it to explain what became of the RM207 billion compensation allegedly paid by the Japanese government to surviving victims and the heirs of over 30,000 Malayans used as forced labour for the infamous Death Railway from Siam to Burma during World War II. He has claimed that the money was not transferred to the Treasury when he was finance minister back in the 1990′s. "I have said that this money was not dispersed to the Treasury. This RM207 billion is something which the present BN government can't stay silent." "Like the issue brought up in the transfer of suspected illicit funds following the report by the Global Financial Integrity group, where over RM190 billion was unaccounted for. So far, there has not been any comment from the prime minister or the Treasury on this issue. There is a clear neglect of the country's finances," he said. Anwar was asked to comment on the revelation by former Perak menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin that the Japanese government had allegedly paid the compensation to the Malaysian government in the 1990′s. Nizar had said that he does not know if the money is still in the keeping of the government or had already been disbursed to the victims. "There were 30,000 who had survived to come back to Malaysia, though some had died, they have heirs who formed the Association of former labourers and heirs of the Siam-Burma 1942-1946 railway construction," Nizar was quoted saying in a Harakahdaily report.
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And there are common stories in the Bible and the Quran that relate to the Old Testament. Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham - they all appear in both books. Even Jesus appears in the Quran, although in that context he is a prophet rather than the son of God.
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