| Death Railway: Ships or billions? Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:01 PM PST 
The Japanese embassy claims that compensation was paid in the form of two ocean-going cargo ships, but Nizar Jamaluddin says the ships were for Japanese atrocities during World War II, not the 'Death Railway'. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT Confusion reigns over the compensation for Japan's Death Railway project, with the consulate saying it has reimbursed in the form of two cargo ships while PAS' Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin continues to pursue the RM207 billion allegation. According to Nizar, the Japanese embassy claimed it had already fully compensated some 30,000 Malaysians once recruited as forced labour in its Death Railway project – in the form of two cargo ships "and all others". Japanese envoy to Malaysia Shigeru Nakamura had made this claim when approached by the Bukit Gantang MP following allegations that RM207 billion in compensation was paid a decade ago, but neither the surviving victims nor their families had received any payment. Nizar told FMT today that during a meeting with Nakamura, the latter claimed that compensation was paid fully in the form of two ships "and all others" in 1967 and that he (Nakamura) believed "all matters pertaining to the death railway are settled". However, once pointed out by Nizar that the two "blood debt" ships were presented to the Malaysian government for Japanese atrocities during World War II and had "nothing to do with the Death Railway", Nakamura promised to consult his Tokyo counterparts to determine if the allegations are true or otherwise. "We are now waiting for confirmation of the total amount and exact amount and who had acknowledged the acceptance of the RM207 billion," the PAS leader told FMT today. "I have approached the Japanese embassy to find out if the allegations are true and they are committed to find out," he added.
Finance Ministry memo Nizar said he had obtained internal information regarding the issue from the Finance Ministry in the form of a memorandum quoting the sum of RM207 billion. "It was a memo from the Finance Ministry mentioning they will cooperate with the Attorney-General's Office and the Human Resources Ministry to make a Cabinet paper to approve how the particular amount shall be dispersed," he said. "That's why in parliament I tried to ask the minister of finance (Najib Tun Razak). Because from the memo, I was made to understand the amount was kept in the treasury," he added. However, until today, there had yet to be a response from the minister. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar’s suit: Scathing attack on judge Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:56 PM PST 
An article published on the Perkasa website questions Justice VT Singham's political leanings and casts aspersion on his sexual orientation.
RK Anand, FMT An article published on the Perkasa website launches a scathing salvo against High Court Judge VT Singham, who is presiding over Anwar Ibrahim's defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia. Among others, it cast aspersion on the judge's sexual orientation, political leanings as well as his past judgments. Singham is scheduled to deliver his verdict on the RM50 million suit on Jan 22, and the writer believes that it would favour the opposition leader. "Singham is known to lean towards the opposition. According to observers, when there are cases involving politicians, he would ensure a victory for the opposition," read the article. As an example, the writer said in 2011, the judge rejected the application by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to strike out certain parts in Anwar's defence statement pertaining to a suit over a sex video. Singham had also ordered Hishammuddin to pay RM25,000 in cost to Anwar. "The home minister filed a suit against Anwar over the opposition leader's statements to the media… where he accused Hishammuddin of being responsible for showing the video to a group of editors and reporters, organising the screening and being part of a plot involving the prime minister and the police top brass. "These accusations did not make sense because those who were responsible [for exposing the video] did not conceal their identities. That is why there are doubts about Singham." The writer was referring to the video which depicted a man resembling Anwar having sex with a prostitute. The opposition leader had denied that it was him in the footage and accused his political rivals of attempting to tarnish his image. Meanwhile, the article also claimed that Singham's judgments in non-political matters have also been disputed, for example, a rape case involving a National Service trainer. "He had freed the accused on the premise that the credibility of the victim was in question for reporting the matter late. "This was a weak reason because in almost all rape cases, the victims are late in lodging a report because of the dilemma and trauma endured. The comments in the social media revealed that many were displeased with Singham's decision." 'Why is he not married?' Stooping to a personal level, the writer also questioned Singham's unmarried status despite the judge being in his fifties and insinuated that he could be homosexual. "Imagine a judge who is capable in every sense still unable to find a match even at this age. He must have been a 'desired man' in the early years of his career. "The only explanation for a man who does not choose any woman as a partner despite being capable and in the pinnacle of his career is that he does not desire any woman. "Perhaps he agrees with Anwar that the laws concerning homosexuality in Malaysia are outdated because he himself has led a difficult life because of these laws. Is this the factor that has shaped the 'manner' of how Singham executes his judicial duties?" The writer claimed that if the judgment favoured Anwar, then it would prove that there is something amiss with the judicial system, that it is not fair and independent because it is controlled by the opposition. Anwar sued Utusan based on a Jan 17 report published on its frontpage quoting former PAS leader Hasan Ali, who called on the people to reject the opposition leader based on the former's views on laws regarding homosexuality in Malaysia expressed during an interview with BBC. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar has changed Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:47 PM PST 
Zaid Ibrahim Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's lengthy article entitled "Change" has once again set political tongues wagging. Not that Dr M has written anything new – it's just the same, old tirade against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat. Whatever Dr M says however, must never be brushed off as inconsequential. Like Robert Mugabe and Hosni Mubarak, he has a large following and some rebuttal is required lest people believe him. He first flogged US President Barack Obama as someone who did not deliver on his promises of change. He forgets that Obama was re-elected with an bigger margin than the first time he won the presidency. Dr M also ignores the fact that American citizens are in a better position to judge their President than a wealthy but old and retired Malaysian Prime Minister. He then went on to say that Anwar and his friends in the Pakatan would bring havoc to the country, even if they rule for only five years. Anwar and the Pakatan, he said, would make all kinds of sweet promises but would not be able to deliver them. Why? The main thrusts of his argument were as follows: Anwar did not accomplish much when he was in government, and even when he tried to do something, he was a disaster. During the 1998 financial crisis, for example, he wanted to follow the solutions prescribed by the International Monetary Fund, solutions Dr M said would have only bankrupted the country. He then said Anwar is not as pious or religious as he appears, and is a corrupt politician who practises cronyism to enrich his friends and family. For now, my response to these allegations is to say that even if all of the above were true, we should still give Anwar and his friends a chance to rule. This is because Dr M is unable to give an objective assesment of Anwar. He is dumfounded that his nemesis is not only politically alive, but will probably be the next Prime Minister. Dr M is unable to accept this possibility as this would be a devastating defeat for him. Dr M is unable to accept that the person he targeted with the whole machinery of the state is still an active political leader who is more popular than he is. In other words, Dr M is too disturbed by Anwar's thriving success to give a balanced view . I have been an Anwar follower from afar for a long time. I was never his friend, but my interest in politics made me especially interested in him when my first preference, Tun Musa Hitam, pulled out of the political arena. When Anwar was sacked in 1998 and the black eye incident became worldwide news, I felt really sorry for him. I could not do much except to quietly support the Free Anwar campaign. I even named my horse "Deputy Coming Back" in 2000 as a symbolic gesture of support. Unlike Dr M, I can give a better and more detached assesment of both Anwar and his friends in the Pakatan, which voters in the upcoming General Election can rely on. Yes, Anwar did not do much good when he was in UMNO. His tenure as Education Minister was poor and even as Deputy Prime Minister, he was not a trailblazer. He was imperious, feudalistic, strong willed and more interested in strenghtening his position in the party than pushing for real reform. But he was obviously good enough for the job; Dr M would not have picked him as his successor otherwise. Anwar was never shy about showing off his Malay and Islamic agendas, even if these made non- Malays/non-Muslims uncomfortable. His "slaughter" of Tun Ghafar Baba manifested the rapacious character of a man who was willing to abandon friendship and good behaviour so long as he could become Prime Minister. He had friends and allies who were given concessions and allotted shares in public companies. There was no doubt that he was filling up his war chest. In short, he did what a typical UMNO leader would do if he wants to move up the ladder and be Prime Minister. However, I believe that tragic and traumatic experiences can change a man. Anwar has suffered more than any political leader I know and because of these hardships, he is a different man today. He still wants to be Prime Minister (who doesn't), but he knows Malaysians have also changed. Today the people want a cleaner and more responsible Government. They do not want a corrupt leader who would only enrich himself, his party and his family. Anwar and the members of his family are not rich, and live modestly. Stories of him having billions stashed away are lies. He has wealthy friends, of course, and they have kept his struggle going. I don't believe money is terribly important to Anwar and his family, so I don't think we will have pilferage on a huge scale when he becomes Prime Minister. So one up for him. Malaysians also want to coexist in harmony. They are tired of UMNO's divide-and-rule system. Anwar has travelled far and wide in his political campaigns and has seen for himself how groups outside the gated communities live. He relates well with the rural as well as the urban poor and emphatises with the grievances of the marginalised. His concern for the less fortunate is genuine. His strong sense of justice is perhaps due to his own experiences, but they are real and something we can trust him with. He has changed, but Dr M has not. Two up. An important point to remember is that Anwar has a close relationship with PAS. I was initially sceptical that PAS could ever be a strong political force in a moderate Malaysia because for many years, they were hystericaly extreme in their views. Today Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is no longer the firebrand Islamic leader from Rusila of the 1980's, but a moderate and practical politician. PAS has many young and moderate leaders, and they inject a strong ethical amd moral dimension to governance, at least more so than UMNO. I believe Anwar's influence on PAS and political Islam as a whole is positive. Three up. READ MORE HERE |
| Sultan Selangor kesal Guan Eng ungkit isu kalimah Allah Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:31 PM PST 
(The Malaysian Insider) - Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah terkejut dan kesal dengan tindakan Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng, yang meminta agar Putrajaya membenarkan kalimah Allah digunakan dalam semua Bible berbahasa Melayu baru-baru ini. Berikutan dengan kenyataan dan gesaan tersebut, Sultan Selangor itu telah memanggil satu mesyuarat khas dengan beberapa orang Ahli Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS), Mufti Selangor serta pegawai tertìnggi MAIS dan JAIS pacla 6 Januari 2013. "DYMM Sultan Selangor telah membuat ketetapan dan menitahkan dengan tegas bahawa kalimah Allah yang merupakan kalimah suci khusus bagi umat Islam tidak boleh sama sekali digunakan di Negeri Selangor oleh mana-mana agama bukan Islam yang Iain sebagaimana yang telah difatwa dan diwartakan pada 18 Februari 2010," kata Setiausaha MAIS Datuk Mohd Misri Idris dalam satu kenyataan hari ini. Perdebatan di mahkamah mengenai isu perkataan "Allah" masih belum diselesaikan, dengan Gereja Katolik masih dihalang dari menggunakan perkataan tersebut dalam akhbar mingguannya The Herald, walaupun keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi membenarkannya pada 31 Disember, 2009, kerana Kementerian Dalam Negeri pada 2010 membuat rayuan ke atas keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi itu, dan sejak itu mahkamah tidak membuat sebarang keputusan untuk menetapkan tarikh untuk perbicaraan. Menurut Mohd Misri lagi, Sultan pernah mengeluarkan titah sama berkaitan penggunaan kalimah Allah tiga tahun yang Ialu apabila isu ini pertama kali dibangkitkan akan tetapi tidak diendahkan. "Namun DYMM Tuanku amat kesal kerana titah Baginda tersebut telah dipandang ringan oleh sesetengah sehingga isu yang sama dibangkitkan semula," katanya. "Berikutan dengan itu DYMM Tuanku juga telah menitahkan MAIS dan JAIS untuk mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap mana-mana pihak sama ada orang bukan Islam atau di kalangan orang Islam sekalipun yang masih mempersoalkan atau memperlekehkan Fatwa yang telah dikeluarkan mengikut peruntukan undang¬ undang yang sedia ada di Negeri Selangor." Polemik penggunaan kalimah Allah timbul kembali apabila Lim dalam perutusan Krismasnya pada 24 Disember lalu menggesa kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk membenarkan penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam Injil bahasa Melayu memandangkan ia telah dibenarkan di Sabah dan Sarawak sejak 50 tahun lalu dan digunapakai di Timur Tengah hampir seribu tahun lalu. Ketua Penerangan PAS Pusat Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man kemudian memberi respon bercanggah dengan pendirian presiden parti tersebut Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang pada tahun 2010 apabila berkata kalimah "Allah" dalam Alkitab, terjemahan Injil bahasa Melayu tidak akan mencerminkan maksud asal ayat tersebut. |
| Stupid and indecent proposal Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:14 PM PST 
The Jakarta Post The plan to regulate how women sit as pillion riders on motorcycles in the city of Lhokseumawe in Aceh is not only stupid, it is also grossly indecent. The mayor of this gas town, Suaidi Yahya, may have cited sharia (Islamic law) in support of his plan, but the very idea itself is discriminative and indecent. Stupid is something some of us can live with but indecent is something we have to stop. Talk about stupid, one solution for female pillion riders, who find themselves on a motorbike with a man who is not driving safely, is to take the helm — to be the one wearing the pants — except that would probably be seen as even more indecent by the mayor especially if the man straddles behind her. His suggestion that women should sit sideways with their legs dangling off to one side is neither safe nor comfortable. Perhaps the mayor could try riding that way for a day to experience it. For good measure, someone should choreograph an accident and watch him fall off the motorbike. Just be sure that he wears a helmet, we don't want anything bad to happen to him. Stupidly enough, Mayor Suaidi actually has plenty of supporters, although not surprisingly from the city's ulama, supposedly the guardians of the people's moral standards. Seriously, you have to have a dirty, sick, indecent mind to find it improper for a woman to straddle pillion: Forget her safety, she is displaying her curves and look — her legs are apart. Aceh leads Indonesia in pushing the implementation of sharia. It is the only province that practises sharia side by side with the national laws and has come up with the most sharia bylaws, some of which are extremely discriminative of women. Outside Aceh, there are more than 50 mayoralties and regencies that have formally adopted sharia through the local political processes, and they in turn have also come up with their own stupid bylaws. The central government appears to have washed its hands in the name of regional autonomy, despite many of these sharia bylaws, which are clearly discriminatory against religious minorities and women, running counter to the Constitution. Aceh, for example, has introduced canning as a means of punishment for certain types of offences. Some towns, including the capital city of Banda Aceh, hold weekly public spectacles after Friday prayers to whip sinners. Not surprisingly, most of those punished are women. As evidenced by the planned ban on straddling motorcycles, almost all sharia bylaws target women. There is the ban on wearing jeans, the ban on riding in the same car with a man who is not her spouse as well as the ban on walking the streets alone after night curfew — which if broken can lead to the woman facing accusations of prostitution. What is most indecent about Suaidi's proposal is that it is carried in the name of Islam, and in doing so the mayor lends credence to the view that Islam represses women. That is certainly one interpretation of Islam that many ulama and men like Mayor Suaidi would not deny (and probably wholeheartedly agree with). It is really up to decent Muslim men and women across Indonesia, whom we hope make up the majority, to stop all discriminatory practices that not only go against Islamic teaching but also tar the good name of their religion. |
| Permuda PAS: Perhimpunan Sabtu ini fasa terakhir rampas Putrajaya Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST 
Rakyat Malaysia di London, Taiwan dan Sydney telah pun bersedia untuk mengadakan himpunan yang sama bagi meraikan himpunan rakyat di Kuala Lumpur ini. (FMT) - Himpunan kebangkitan rakyat di Stadium Merdeka di Kuala Lumpur Sabtu merupakan fasa terakhir Pakatan Rakyat merampas Putrajaya dalam pilihanraya umum ke 13. Ketua Pemuda PAS, Nasrudin Hassan berkata, pihaknya telah mengeluarkan arahan kepada seluruh saf pemuda untuk turun beramai-ramai menjayakan himpunan ini. "Saya ingin mengambil peluang ini untuk mengajak seluruh rakyat Malaysia khususnya golongan muda untuk turun beramai-ramai menjayakan himpunan ini. "Ayuh kita jadikan himpunan kebangkitan rakyat 2013 suatu pengalaman yang menakjubkan lalu mencatat lakaran penting dalam lipatan sejarah negara untuk menuntut perubahan. "Mari bersama kita mencorak masa depan yang lebih gemilang untuk Malaysia," katanya dalam blog Pemuda PAS yang diterbitkan hari ini.Nasrudin berkata, pihaknya menjangkakan sekurang-kurangnya 50,000 Pemuda PAS untuk bersama-sama warga Malaysia yang lain membanjiri dataran Stadium Merdeka. "Suara sejuta umat akan bergema merayakan perubahan, InsyaAllah!," katanya lagi. Himpunan di luar negara Nasrudin juga berkata, sehingga setakat ini pihaknya diberitahu rakyat Malaysia di London, Taiwan dan Sydney telah pun bersedia untuk mengadakan himpunan yang sama bagi meraikan himpunan rakyat di Kuala Lumpur ini. READ MORE HERE |
| Show proof, MIC tells PKR Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:57 AM PST 
A MIC leader tells Chua Jui Meng not to spin tales over the compensation for the Death Railway workers. B Nantha Kumar, FMT A MIC leader has challenged PKR vice-president Chua Jui Meng to expose the evidence regarding the Death Railway compensation. S Vell Paari claimed that the opposition leader had come up with another tale to confuse the Indian community. "Since [PKR vice-president] N Surendran failed to convince the Indians on the 'stateless Indians' issue, now its Chua's turn…" said the MIC publicity and communication chief. In a FMT article on Sunday, Chua urged former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to clear the air over the alleged compensation given by the Japanese government. The compensation, believed to be amounting to RM207 billion, was meant to be distributed to some 30,000 Malaysians who had been recruited as forced labourers by the Japanese to build the Thai-Burma rail link. The money was believed to have been transferred by the Japanese government to Malaysia in the 1990s. Vell Paari, however, found it odd that apart from Pakatan leaders, nobody else was aware of the compensation. "He (Chua) said the money was given in the 1990s. Then, how come there was not a single media report about this?" asked the MIC central working committee (CWC) member. Furthermore, he said that it was not a small sum which could be concealed. "It is a huge amount. And the Japanese government would not have paid the compensation without the knowledge of international bodies such as the United Nations," he added. Vell Paari also challenged Chua to ask his de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim about the compensation since the latter was the deputy prime minister in the 1990s. "Let's say, if Chua is talking the truth that the Umno led government 'hijacked' the money, then Anwar must have also been a part of it," he said. Anwar was deputy prime minister and also finance minister between 1993 and 1998. Yesterday Anwar had confirmed that RM207 billion Death Railway compensation was sent to the Malaysian government but added that the money did not go through the Treasury. He also called on Mahathir to explain the matter. READ MORE HERE |
| No more feel-good factor for BN Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:48 AM PST 
With the surprise of an early election now gone, Najib will find out soon that his polls date will no longer be a secret. Amir Ali, Free Malaysia Today A stale Barisan Nasional, with its image tarnished and its glitter diminishing, is in desperate need of a new image and a new face to get back its traditional "feel-good factor" in Malaysian politics. With the general election nearing rapidly, BN is finding itself cornered with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak failing to cash in on numerous chances to regain popularity. The missed opportunities, since June last year to hold early polls, have pushed BN to the limit of its capacity. The 2013 Budget – seen as a popular, electoral budget – was one of BN's attempts to shore up its crumbling base. The small handouts (as provided for under the budget) came in trickles and did nothing to boost BN's image. There was no real feel-good factor after the budget was unveiled. A flurry of accusations against Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, further eroded BN's image. Besides, people have been treating Najib with disdain for delaying the announcement of the polls date. The fact that Najib is undecided over the polls date shows that BN is worried it might suffer a defeat. Najib had had his fair share of feel-good factors when he took over the helm of the government from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009. Since then, it has been an uphill battle for BN to regain the high ground. Moreover, Najib's hesitation also showed up his weaknesses – his indecisiveness and lack of tact in outplaying his opponents. With the element of surprise gone, the polls date can no longer be kept a secret. It has been reported in many blogs and online news portals that BN is facing a silent revolt that could lead to the downfall of Najib even before the polls are called. While this seems to be a long shot, is BN seeking to push forward new faces as leaders in order to regain its lost glitter? Nevertheless, it is clear that BN has failed to outwit the opposition given the blurry situation over the election date. But BN is hoping that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim might lose his patience over the delay and commit some tactical mistakes. Yet again, the BN strategists have failed to try Anwar's patience to its limits. Opposition seems well prepared There have been many times when BN showed it was gearing up for early polls in 2011 and 2012. This kept the opposition on high alert, forcing Pakatan Rakyat to campaign literally on a daily basis in order not to be caught napping when Najib dissolves Parliament. By constantly pushing back the election date, the BN hopes Pakatan will eventually run out of money and patience. This did not happen. On the contrary, Pakatan seems well prepared for the 13th general election, based on its rallies and its constant highlighting of controversial issues linked to BN throughout the year. The fact that the opposition is warning the regime not to delay the polls beyond April, and to stop any race-based campaigns, is seen as unhealthy for BN. However, some local pundits believed that BN is wary of calling for polls before April 2013. The theory that has been floating around for some time now is that BN will eventually call for polls in April, thus forcing the four Pakatan-led states to hold the state polls at the same time. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/08/no-more-feel-good-factor-for-bn/ |
| Leaders of change Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:32 AM PST 
(Al Jazeera) - Meet three inspirational leaders committed to tackling their countries' most stubborn problems. Watch the video at: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/south2north/2013/01/201315819281981.html
(PM Najib appears at about 12:00 of the video) What do you think of your leaders? Do you think you could do a better job than them? Are they corrupt and tired old men or are they youthful and energetic, but do you still wonder if they are going to turn out one day just like the old bad guys? All three of our guests on this week's South2North know what it takes to be a leader. Joining Redi in the studio are two people who have been hand-picked as future leaders of Africa. They were both chosen from hundreds of candidates by the prestigious African Leadership Institute to join a selected group of Tutu Fellows, named after their patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. For the past year, Al Jazeera's cameras have been following the Tutu Fellows, and next week we start a four-part documentary series about them. Zied Mhirsi, a Tunisian doctor, fiery revolutionary, media entrepreneur and public health expert, is very outspoken, endearing and provocative. Having been involved in the Tunisian revolution, he now has high hopes of making another change. Swaady Martin-Leke, originally a child refugee from Liberia, is now a businesswoman, calling herself a citizen of the world. A glamorous, cosmopolitan entrepreneur, Swaady founded a tea company to show that African products are more than handicrafts. She uses her mixed heritage to provide an international perspective to Africa's problems. "In our generation what is unique is that we had to experience a lot of changes in a very short period of time. Also we are born with a responsibility and as Africans we are born with that responsibility to change our continent in our lifetime and see all these changes happen and be part of it." The two young leaders have different opinions on many things like Swaady believes in having benevolent dictators in Africa. She says: "We are not really ready for democracy but it's not acceptable in the current global context to actually say that we are not ready for democracy. So what's happening is until we get benevolent dicators like in Rwanda we are basically at the mercy of our governments and in the meantime we're just almost victims of democracy." Zied Mhirsi, who was involved in using social media during the Tunisian uprising is appalled by her opinion: "Democracy is not based on the president, it's based on the citizens. We are one billion Africans ... and I'm shocked that you go back to the example of a benevolent dictatorship .... This is where we are because of this kind of dictatorship. I can go back to the example of Rwanda, they can only do it to a certain extent. We did it in Tunisia for 20 years, we educated the population ... You need to have freedom so people can thrive and have ideas and exchange and do things, so they can innovate and bring the new economy that will bring growth. We are young leaders and we are here to promote a new style of leadership - you can't go back ... and say what we need is another dictatorship." The two also discuss the Arab Spring, Aids, women's rights and how selling luxury tea can make a difference in Africa. On this episode of South2North we also hear from someone who is already a leader of his country. Earlier Redi Tlhabi spoke to Najib Tun Razak, Malaysia's prime minister, who has been in politics almost all his adult life, about leading his country of nearly 29 million people - and how he is using social media to do so. "As a politician I believe that we have to be adaptive, we must adjust our style ... I think the young people today want a government that listens to them, that would create opportunities for them, social mobility, create jobs for them ... It's about bringing about real change and real change is taking place in Malaysia and I believe the young people here have the confidence ..." He also discusses modern and progressive Islam and the issues of violence and extremism: "The Global Movement of Moderates will give a very positive image of Islam to the world, especially to the western world ... If moderates get together and if moderates speak out, if moderates occupy the centre stage then we can drown out the voices of hatred, violence and extremism ... Islam as it is applied in Malaysia is consonant with modernity, with progress, with social justice, including respecting the rights of women ... we are proud of our achievements." |
| CAT rips off DAP’s outlook Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:26 AM PST 
The party has lost much of the clean, accountable and transparent image it has been trying to build over the last 40 years. Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star SOMETHING has changed in the way voters now perceive DAP, arguably the strongest of the three parties in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition which is selling itself as a government-in-waiting. Perception is everything in politics and voter perception of DAP, once deemed to be a clean, transparent and accountable party, has now taken a hit in the wake of two scandals hogging the headlines in recent weeks. The scandals – a Kelantan land controversy involving two Perak DAP leaders and an election fiasco that saw a defeated Malay candidate elevated as a winner – have shaken the party to its core with even members beginning to question the party's credentials. While the election fiasco can be explained as a "technical error", the land scandal involving over 10,000ha of reforestation, is more difficult to explain because of the public perception that a small man's party should not be involved in land deals. The land scandal has hit the party hard because, as one member puts it, new towkays are beginning to take root in a party that had fought for – and always represented – the simple man. While party elders - adviser Lim Kit Siang and chairman Karpal Singh - have openly admitted the election fiasco and blamed it on a technical error in computing, critics argue that the "technical error" is a convenient ruse to "elect" a Malay candidate – Zairil Khir Johari – to the CEC after the entire slate of eight Malay candidates were wiped out in the Dec 15 party election. "The election foul-up saw votes being realigned, with some leaders getting more votes and others getting less. In the process, a Malay candidate who initially lost was later declared a winner. "It's hard to buy this because the party has a long experience and prides itself as being open on election matters," said a Selangor DAP member, who is a lawyer. "It is a simple process of counting 1,800 votes for the first 20 winning candidates," the member said, requesting anonymity because of a gag order on all members. "Another fact is, although the foul-up was known to leaders almost immediately, it took them nearly three weeks to bring it to the attention of the CEC. This delay is inexcusable and is the reason there is now so much speculation." One frequently asked question is, how could such a foul-up happen when the party had conducted elections for over four decades without anybody questioning the results? "This is the first time in DAP history and its embarrassing," admitted Karpal, but this is not enough for the party grassroots who want the leaders to explain the foul-up. The Kelantan land controversy, involving Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and state secretary Ngar Kor Ming, is equally weighing on the minds of members as the party gears up for the big electoral battle ahead. More than the election fiasco, the land scandal will surely test the voters' patience with the party and its CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) credentials. The two party stalwarts, who are elected CEC members, were found involved, with other shareholders, in a venture involving nearly 10,000ha of reforestation land. Their involvement is legal but public perception has it that they should not have been involved in the scheme. "Are we transparent and accountable or are we doing the same thing that the people had rejected?" asked a Perak DAP leader who requested anonymity. Perak DAP is already badly divided between the Ngeh-Nga faction on one side, and a faction led by Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran on the other. Kulasegaran triumphed in the contest despite not having the Foochowsand their supporters openly backing him, said an insider. "In the general election, their fight will divide DAP and give Barisan Nasional a chance to retain the state," the insider added. Given the long years DAP has existed and the fact that it is part of a government-in-waiting with other allies, it is inexcusable for DAP to make such an election counting blunder and later offer excuses party members perceive as lame. Nor is it advisable for two of the party important lawmakers in Perak to involve themselves in land deals that the public perceive as not entirely above board. On both scores – the land controversy and the election fiasco – DAP has blundered badly, especially among the urban and upward mobile voters who are unhappy with how matters have turned out with the party. |
| Villagers warn: We’ll holdback support for BN if.. Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:24 AM PST 
(Free Malaysia Today) - Village leaders in the Mas Gading constituency are wanting to know why SPDP is lying to the people by saying that their sacked elected reps are no longer in BN. Several community leaders from the Mas Gading parliamentary constituency in Sarawak have allegedly threatened to withold their support for Barisan Nasional if the incumbent Dr Tiki Lafe is not retained. Lafe, who won the seat on a BN ticket while in Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), is currently in no-man's land. He along with four other elected representatives were sacked from SPDP last year following a protracted crisis with party president William Mawan. The other elected representatives were Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru) Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau). The five have since formed a controversial 'Kelab BN Sarawak' which although unregistered as yet, seems to have the backing of Sarawak's Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. SPDP has refused to recognise the BN Club or its members and has pledged to field its own candidates in its two parliamentary seats in the coming general election. SPDP has nominated Anthony Nogih, Deputy General Manager of Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) to contest the Mas Gading seat. In a joint statement today, the unnamed community leaders pleaded with the top BN leadership to reject SPDP's candidate (Nogih or anyone else) in Mas Gading in the coming election. "This is because SPDP has been rejected in Mas Gading, and we, being very strong BN supporters, can also be rendered helpless to help BN retain the seat," said the statement. The statement also further urged the top BN leadership not to blame the community leaders as it was "the party (SPDP) that had got rid of the people in the first place."
Sacked reps still under BN
They alleged that the real intention of SPDP in sacking Tiki and four other elected representatives was to get BN's top leadership to also sack them from BN. "SPDP should realise that these elected representatives effectively stood on BN tickets and were BN wakil rakyat and have remained that way until now. "So how can BN be so trigger happy to shoot itself in the foot like SPDP? "Furthermore, the BN wakil rakyat of Mas Gading is the incumbent and is still serving the government in various capacities and serving the rakyat very well," they said. The villager leaders further pointed out that Tiki still commands overwhelming support of the rakyat and is in command of BN machinery on the ground. "But for SPDP to always claim that the elected representatives they sacked were not BN or half BN and partyless is rather ridiculous. "The fact that these wakil rakyat are still full-fledged BN reps clearly show that SPDP is misleading and worst, lying to the people especially in Mas Gading by saying that these wakil rakyat are not in BN and partyless? Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/07/villagers-warn-well-holdback-support-for-bn-if/ |
| God Is Not A Christian: Desmond Tutu And The Dalai Lama's Extraordinary Talk On God And Religion Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:20 AM PST 
(Huffington Post) - "I've frequently said I'm glad I'm not God," Tutu continued. "But I'm also glad God is God. He can watch us speak, spread hatred, in his name. Apartheid was for a long time justified by the church. We do the same when we say all those awful things we say about gays and lesbians. We speak on behalf of a God of love. Adapted from THE WISDOM OF COMPASSION: Stories of Remarkable Encounters and Timeless Insights by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan by arrangement with Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc., Copyright © 2012 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan The Dalai Lama, wearing an orange visor, was on stage sitting next to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who had just flown in from South Africa. The Dalai Lama sat in his usual lotus position on a leather armchair that was a size too small for his folded legs. His knees stuck out a smidgen beyond the armrests. "My main concern," he said to Tutu, "what's the best way to talk about deeper human values like love, compassion, forgiveness, these things. Not relying on God, but relying on ourselves." Tutu was hunched forward in his chair; he was carefully examining his hands, which were resting on his lap. He was dressed in a dark suit and a striking purple shirt with a decidedly magenta hue. A large metal cross hung below the clerical collar. The Dalai Lama said, "I myself, I'm believer, I'm Buddhist monk. So for my own improvement, I utilize as much as I can Buddhist approach. But I never touch this when I talk with others. Buddhism is my business. Not business of other people. Frankly speaking"—he stole a glance at the archbishop and declared firmly—"when you and our brothers and sisters talk about God, creator, I'm nonbeliever." He laughed, perhaps a little self-consciously. It seemed to me that the Dalai Lama's feelings about God have changed over the years. In an early interview, when I asked him if he thought there was a God, he answered simply, "I don't know." He took the view of an agnostic: he understood that it's not possible to know one way or another whether God exists. "In Buddhism no creator," the Dalai Lama said at the Chan Centre. "But we also accept Buddha, bodhisattvas, these higher beings. However, if we only rely on these higher beings, we would just sit there, lazy." He leaned into his chair, threw his head back, and rolled his eyes heavenward. "Won't help, won't help. So that's my view," the Dalai Lama concluded. Tutu crossed his arms in front of his chest. He looked pensive, deep in thought. Then a smile creased his face.
He said, "I was thinking when you were talking about God or no God, who you blame?" Tutu lifted both his legs from the floor and rocked back and forth in his chair. He was gripped in a fit of uncontrollable mirth. Perhaps it was an inside joke. If so, I didn't get it. Perhaps he meant that if there is no God, then there is no one to blame but ourselves? Tutu stared at the Dalai Lama as his trademark giggle filled the hall. The Dalai Lama then bowed deeply in homage, his head nearly level with his folded knees. He whipped off his visor and saluted his South African friend with an exaggerated flourish. Both men seemed to derive an enormous kick out of Tutu's cryptic question. Tutu said nothing more for the longest time. He was gathering his thoughts, preparing to expound further on the subject. Although diminutive, all of five feet and four inches, his is an imposing figure. His facial features are broad and remarkably plastic. Before Tutu could resume, the Dalai Lama pleaded, "I think . . . maybe I interfere. May I respond, just a little, just a little?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tutu screeched in a loud, high-pitched voice that took the audience by surprise. He turned completely sideways and trained his eyes on the Dalai Lama, his face one of pure animation. The two elderly spiritual leaders, for one short, unforgettable moment, became kids again, horsing around and thoroughly enjoying each other's company. At one gathering in Oslo, after a particularly rambunctious episode, Tutu admonished the Dalai Lama in mock seriousness, "Look here—the cameras are on you, stop behaving like a naughty schoolboy. Try to behave like a holy man." The audience at the sold-out Chan Centre was delighted with the bantering. It was heartening to see that these two global icons did not take themselves too seriously. That they could, without being the least bit self-conscious, display such childlike playfulness. The Dalai Lama was carried along by the archbishop's animal vitality, his irreverence, his lighthearted theatrics. He was so in synch with the African that he did something I have seldom seen him do before. He interrupted Tutu, with no regard for niceties or etiquette, in mid-thought. But now that Tutu had given him permission to interrupt, the Dalai Lama turned serious. He said to the archbishop, "The problem is, if we involve religious faith, then there are many varieties and fundamental differences of views. So very complicated. "That's why in India"—he pointed a finger at Tutu for emphasis—"when they drafted the constitution they deliberately used secular approach. Too many religions there"—he counted them out one by one with his fingers—"Hindu, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism. So many. And there are godly religions and there are godless religions. Who decides who is right?" Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/god-is-not-a-christian-tutu-dalai-lama_n_2421553.html?icid=hp_religion_art_more |
| Indonesia province to ban women from straddling motorbikes Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:17 AM PST (The Guardian) - Proposed sharia law in Aceh province would force women to ride side-saddle in order to make their curves less visible Authorities in Indonesia's Aceh province are pressing ahead with a proposed Islamic law that would ban female passengers from straddling motorbikes despite reported opposition from the central government. Aceh introduced a version of Shariah, or Islamic law, in 2009, after it gained autonomy from the government in a 2005 peace deal to end a long-running separatist war there. The Aceh laws regulate women's dress and public morality, require shops and other places to close at prayer time, and are enforced by a special unit. Punishments can include public caning. On Monday, authorities in northern Aceh distributed a notice to government offices and villages informing residents of the proposed law, which would apply to adolescent girls and women. It states that women are not allowed to straddle motorbikes unless it's an "emergency," and are not allowed to hold onto the driver. Suaidi Yahya, mayor of the Aceh city of Lhokseumawe, said a ban was needed because the "curves of a woman's body" are more visible when straddling a motorbike than when sitting sideways with legs dangling. "Muslim women are not allowed to show their curves, it's against Islamic teachings," he said, declining to give details of what the punishment would be for violators. Last week, Home Ministry officials told local media they would try to block the law because it was discriminatory. While rare in the West, riding sidesaddle on a motorbike is common in much of Southeast Asia, particularly for women wearing skirts. There appear to have been no studies on which is safer, straddling or riding sidesaddle, though many women say they feel more secure and comfortable straddling. Nurjanah Ismail, a lecturer on gender issues at the Ar Raniry Islamic Institute in Aceh's capital, Banda Aceh, criticized the proposed law. "There is no need to question this practice, let alone regulate it, because people do it for safety," she said. "Women sitting in that way cannot be considered bad or in violation of Shariah. Islam is beautiful, so do not make it difficult." It is unclear how popular the Shariah provisions are with locals in Aceh, which while devout by Indonesian standards is a far cry from parts of Pakistan or the Middle East. Enforcement of laws is patchy and mostly targets young men and women. Caning, when applied, typically is aimed at causing humiliation rather than pain. Since 2005, many other regions in Indonesia have issued Shariah-inspired bylaws that ban such things as alcohol or tight clothing, alarming rights activists and others who value the country's secular heritage. The government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which relies on the support of Muslim political parties, has not spoken out against the laws, much less challenge them. |
| "Saya tidak tahu bukti Kristianisasi yang macam mana lagi masyarakat mahukan" Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:12 AM PST ZyOqBYu7qT4 There are millions of Muslims in this country and she picked on a few cases as an example to show there is a movement by the Christians to convert the Muslims ... she calls herself an academic in Islamic Studies? ....... if the Malays want to leave Islam, it's precisely because of people like her!! Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyOqBYu7qT4 The problem with this country is, Malaysians underestimate the capability of the Malays to accept open discussion on what they term as 'sensitive'. They want this to remain 'sensitive' so as to remain in control and have a strong grip on the minds of the Malays ... this would ensure they will remain relevant. |
| YBAM Urges Ministry of Education to Offer Non-Islamic Classes Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST 
The current Malaysian Education System which lacks non-Islamic religious education may have caused a barrier in the mutual understanding required and hence adversely affected unity among the people with different faiths in our society. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Preliminary Report which highlighted only a single religion has overlooked the contributions of the non-Islamic religions in the development of this country. The Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) The Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) presented the Memorandum of the proposals on Religious Education to "The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Preliminary Report" to the Minister of Education today. YBAM urges the minister to seriously consider the need of religious education to non-Muslim students and to offer non-Islamic classes and establish religious societies in schools. The memorandum is signed by 74 organisations of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, and was presented to the Minister of Education by the Deputy President of YBAM, Loh Yit Phing, and Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Koh Yit Yan. The memorandum was received by Dr. Raslan Haniff Abdul Rashid, who is the Special Officer to Minister of Education Malaysia. Loh Yit Phing mentioned that since the Education Blueprint was introduced in September 2012 by the Prime Minister, YBAM, through various occasions, had voiced the worries among Buddhist community towards the Blueprint, including the memorandum presented to the Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Wee Ka Siong during the Workshop on National Education Blueprint organised by MCA on 6 October 2012. "In order to ensure that the government look into this matter seriously, started in November 2012, YBAM started to collect the signatories from the religious, cultural and educational organisations, and at the same time, to make an appointment with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education for the presentation of Memorandum. The appointment was only confirmed a week ago but a representative, Dr. Raslan Haniff Abdul Rashid was appointed to receive the memorandum." YBAM presented the memorandum consists of five proposals and strategies so as to help children understand the religion better, leading to mutual understanding. The memorandum stressed that the Education Blueprint should recognise religious diversity and emphasizes the importance of religious education with the following five proposals: • To implement non-Islamic religious classes at all primary schools so as to shape children with good character and ethical and moral values • To establish non-Islamic religious societies in schools as part of their extra-curricular activities and for the students to be able to earn extra-curricular marks for participation in these societies • To strengthen the narrative on the development of all major religions in the History Textbook for secondary schools, and to provide proper explanations and clarification on the teachings of all major religions practiced in our country • To support and encourage secondary school students to volunteer at charitable organisations, religious organisations / institutions or other non-profitable organisations and for these students to be able to earn extra-curricular marks for such participations • A section in the History Textbook for use in primary schools (there are a few chapters in each section), which will be introduced in 2014, should be allocated to elaborate on the teachings of all major religions, importance of these religions to human civilization, as well as the contributions of the major religions to the development of our nation Attachment Related document on the memorandum of the proposals on Religious Education is as follow: Memorandum of The Proposals on Religious Education to "The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Preliminary Report" The teaching of traditional religions plays a vital role in the development of a country as well as promotes harmony in a pluralistic society. Hence, religious education must be included in the Malaysian Education System and it must be in line with the National Education Philosophy. It is important to nurture respect and tolerance in our children by having them learn about and understand all major religions practiced in our country. The "Rohani" (Spiritual) aspect of the Malaysian Education Philosophy of the development of "Jasmani, Emosi, Rohani and Intelek" must be enhanced in our education of pupils of all religions in this country. The current Malaysian Education System which lacks non-Islamic religious education may have caused a barrier in the mutual understanding required and hence adversely affected unity among the people with different faiths in our society. The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Preliminary Report which highlighted only a single religion has overlooked the contributions of the non-Islamic religions in the development of this country. The Malaysian Constitution safeguards the freedom of religion and the freedom of religious belief in our country. With this in mind, we urge the Government to seriously look into the needs of non-Muslim students with respect to their own religions. In light of the above, we now request for an Education Blueprint which recognises religious diversity and emphasizes the importance of religious education. Accordingly, we, 1) Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM),
2) Fo Guang Shan Malaysia,
3) Fo Guang Education Centre Bhd,
4) Fo Guang Foundation,
5) Malaysia Christian Youth Association,
6) Buddha's Light International Association (Malaysia Chapter),
7) Rantau Buddhist Association,
8) Vajrayana Buddhist Council of Malaysia,
9) Persatuan Penganut Berugama Buddha Air Kala,
10) Persatuan Buddhis Selayang,
11) United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia,
12) Dharma Drum Mountain Malaysia Center,
13) The Klang & Coast Buddhist Association,
14) Persatuan Penganut-penganut Agama Buddha Simpang Renggam,
15) The Segamat Buddhist Society,
16) Persatuan Pengajian Agama Buddha Kulai,
17) Raub Buddhist Association,
18) Persatuan Buddhhist Kemaman,
19) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Paloh,
20) Persatuan Buddhist Gurun,
21) Gabungan Persatuan Alumni Universiti Taiwan, Malaysia,
22) Persatuan Buddhist Kedah Tengah,
23) Geha Bodhi Care Centre,
24) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Triang Hilir,
25) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Dungun,
26) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Pertang,
27) Persatuan Penganut Buddha Bodhi Kuala Lumpur,
28) Pusat Buddhisma Kemanusiaan Melaka,
29) Perlis Buddhist Society,
30) Mengkarak Buddhist Association,
31) Tanah Merah Buddhist Society,
32) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Ju Shi Lin Kuala Krai,
33) The Gua Musang Buddhist Association,
34) Persatuan Penganut Buddha Kuala Krai,
35) Kelantan Buddhist Association Youth Section,
36) Persatuan Buddha Wakaf Bharu Kelantan,
37) Shah Alam Buddhist Society,
38) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Kampung Baru Dangi,
39) Erdi Buddhist Temple,
40) Persatuan Buddhis Jong Shan,
41) Persatuan Buddhist Pontian,
42) Persatuan Penganut Buddha Ching Kang,
43) Robson Heights Buddhist Society,
44) Persatuan Penganut Buddhis Mentakab Pahang,
45) Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society Youth Section,
46) Lundu Buddhist Society,
47) Persatuan Agama Buddha Prajna Seremban,
48) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Sauk,
49) Pertubuhan Penganut Agama Buddha Ulu Tiram,
50) Research For Social Advancement,
51) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Yuan Jue Chan Malaysia,
52) Kuching Tze Yin Buddhist Orthodox Association,
53) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Amitabha Kuala Kangsar,
54) The United Chinese School Committees' Association of Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur,
55) Persatuan Buddhist Paka,
56) The Penang Buddhist Free School Ex-Pupils Association,
57) Persatuan Triyana Dharma Cakra Vihara,
58) Jitra Buddhist Association,
59) Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia,
60) Guan Yin Temple Buddhist Society,
61) Sarikei Buddhist Orthodox Association,
62) Persatuan Buddhis Karak,
63) Taiping Biddhist Society,
64) Batu Niah Buddhhist Society,
65) Pertubuhan Penganut-penganut Agama Buddha, Johor,
66) Than Hsiang Buddhist Welfare Association,
67) Persatuan Buddhist Sitiawan,
68) Bukit Beruang Buddhist Society,
69) Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddhis Mengkuang,
70) Miri Buddhist Society (1993),
71) Malaysia Hindhudharma Mamandram,
72) The Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST),
73) Terengganu Buddhist Association,
74) Terengganu Buddhist Youth Circle would like to officially propose five points and strategies to be included in the Education Blueprint: First Proposal: To implement non-Islamic religious classes at all primary schools so as to shape children with good character and ethical and moral values. Strategy: This can be implemented in stages, starting with the older children in primary schools. We propose that one period per week is allocated for religious class and that the subject is non-examination based. We, together with other national non-Islamic religious organisations, will work with the Curriculum Development Centre (Bahagian Pembangunan Kokurikulum – BPK) to provide the necessary syllabus and instructors' guide, as well as the relevant training to the teachers. Second Proposal: To establish non-Islamic religious societies in schools as part of their extra-curricular activities and for the students to be able to earn extra-curricular marks for participation in these societies. Strategy: To instruct officials in the Ministry of Education and headmasters of all schools to execute and implement the "Education Circular 2011" (SURAT PEKELILING IKHTISAS BILANGAN 2 TAHUN 2011), that is, to approve and assist the formation of the non-Islamic religious societies in schools when the requirements have been met. We, together with other national non-Islamic religious organisations, will assist in the establishment of these religious societies in all primary and secondary schools and provide necessary resources and training. Third Proposal: To strengthen the narrative on the development of all major religions in the History Textbook for secondary schools, and to provide proper explanations and clarification on the teachings of all major religions practiced in our country. Strategy: A section in the History Textbook for use in secondary schools (there are a few chapters in each section) should be allocated to elaborate on the teachings of all major religions, their formation and developments, the importance of these religions to human civilization, as well as the contributions of the major religions to the development of our nation. Fourth Proposal: To support and encourage secondary school students to volunteer at charitable organisations, religious organisations / institutions or other non-profitable organisations and for these students to be able to earn extra-curricular marks for such participation. Strategy: This practice is very common in developed countries and has helped in reducing crime rate among youths, as well as in nurturing the youth in becoming more caring and sensitive to the less privileged. We, together with other national non-Islamic religious organisations, will assist in recommending a list of the participating religious organisations and institutions. Fifth Proposal：A section in the History Textbook for use in primary schools (there are a few chapters in each section), which will be introduced in 2014, should be allocated to elaborate on the teachings of all major religions, importance of these religions to human civilization, as well as the contributions of the major religions to the development of our nation. Strategy: The Ministry of Education should value the importance of all religious teachings, as well as their contributions to our nation building. We, together with other national non-Islamic religious organisations, will work together with the Curriculum Development Centre (Bahagian Pembangunan Kokurikulum – BPK) to devise a suitable content for that section in the History Textbook. |
| The Witch of Anw-dor? Posted: 06 Jan 2013 09:52 PM PST KTEMOC KONSIDERS 
| | Alexander vs Porus, King of India |
There have been headlines that the Indians are once(?) again the king-makers in Malaysian politics, much to the joy of Uthayakumar, his HRP, even MIC, PPP, MUIP, and wakakaka, KIMMA as well as various kutu BN component parties and organizations that claim to represent Indian Malaysians. Indeed, and so are we joyous as well ... especially kaytee as I had penned the following posts eons before the cries of marginalisation of Indians rang out: (1) The Toddy Syndrome (2) Malaysia's Economic Pariahs? (3) Hated by Indra 
| Indra | ... but hold on a ding dong minute, the king-making claim seems to be not what we had visualize and want. It's not about Indian voters tipping the balance of outcomes in the coming general election, and while this may yet be realized, the king-makers we are discussing in this post are the new G-Ds of "truth" and a King Saul like bloke who could call up or upon Malaysian Witches of Endor or more correctly, Witches of Anw-dor wakakaka. On one side we have, as mentioned, B-D, the new G-D of 'Truth' especially the D of the Divine Duality, who in esoteric exotic erotic Taoism-like exercise, is making many PKR supporters go into wild orgasms at the "truth" spewed out like deep fried Manapparai murukku (chap rose hitam - haram certified, wakakaka), very non-halal (non-kosher) thus spicy and enticing but yawnnnnnnnn, something we non-PKR people are already familiar with ... .... while (what G-D gives with one hand, G-D takes away with the other) RPK informs us in The 'third party' whom Rafizi Ramli spoke about of one Datuk Ravi who marvellously has a panel of bomohs on his payroll and is reputed to be the alleged Mursyidul Am sub rosā* to PKR, in fact one personally advising the party's de facto head, Anwar Ibrahim. * sub rosā literally means 'under the rose', from the ancient use of the rose at meetings as a symbol of the sworn confidence of the participants or secret. You have to decide whether it is a black rose. Wow, a double Makkal Sakti! ... and eat your roast lamb's heart out, Datuk TRJR*. [* = Datuk Tiga Ratus Juta Ringgit, wakakaka] Since 'tis the season of faith and we have been talking about matters relating to Judeo-Christianity, etc, it may be said that in Judeo-Christianity, the first official bomoh was Aaron, brother of Moses. He was the High Priest of the Hebrews, and only his direct descendants from the Tribe of Levi, referred to at times as Aaronites, could be priests. But since the good book says he was a prophet, perhaps we need to leave him and other Aaronites (Hebrew priests) out of this discussion on witch doctors (or shamans or bomoh) ... ... which then makes the Witch of Endor as the most famous bomoh in the bible, wakakaka. 
| Witch of Endor, King Saul & ghost of Samuel | This is just a wee digression, a t'ng k'ooi (chong hei) meandering before I come back to the Indian king-maker and his panel of bomohs. According to the Old Testament, King Saul (Israel's first king) was an unmitigated schizophrenic who was further depressed by leng chai David becoming the people's choice for kingship - so the Bible tells us but there's more to it than what the Bible hopes we would believe. There was a battle looming and Saul wanted to consult God about his chances but alas God didn't answer him which doesn't surprised me in the least because God's usual mouthpiece Samuel coincidentally wasn't around, wakakaka. Unfortunately for Saul (in more than one way), the treacherous Samuel, his priest-advisor, who seditiously abetted leng chai David in a failed coup d'etat, was dead. So Saul decided to ask the Witch of Endor to raise the ghost of Samuel for pre-battle consultations. But I have my doubts about this. You see, Samuel hated Saul's guts because prior to Saul becoming Israel's first king on the people's demand, Samuel as a Judge-Priest was running the country. He appointed his two sons as his successors, and I am sure you have heard of such legacies (in North Korea, I mean wakakaka), but the Israelites told them (Samuel's sons) to f-o, wakakaka, and demanded Saul be appointed King instead. 
| Saul made 1st King of Israel by Israelites | Obviously insofar as Samuel was concerned, there was nothing that Saul ever did right – for example, there was a pending battle with the Amalekites. Samuel told Saul to wait for seven days after which they would meet and Samuel would then give further instructions on sacrifices to god prior to battle. But as would have it, Samuel did not arrive even after 7 days; Saul's army was fidgeting so Saul started preparing for battle by conducting the standard offer of sacrifices. Aha! Just as Saul finished doing that, guess who popped out from behind the bush? Caught you! Yes, Samuel arrived and railed against Saul for not waiting for him as he was the priest and the only who could offer sacrifices to god (so said he), of course conveniently acting dunno that he did not arrive even after the promised seven days. Naturally the bomoh, ooops I mean, priest told Saul that god's not happy with him and would take away his kingship. Then bloke told Saul the latter had again fallen out of God's favour because he (Saul) was too soft hearted and didn't slaughter all the Amalekites in a genocide instructed by Samuel. Samuel's continuous fault finding with Saul, using god's name, remind me of a judge who once upon a time, long long ago, wakakaka, became the Lord President after he found his boss, then the incumbent Lord President, guilty of some alleged wrong, following which the Lord President was sacked and his prosecutor-judge-successor was promoted to become Lord President, wakakaka. Obviously the biblical Judge-Priest (ruler before King Saul) wanted to achieve the same thing, wakakaka. But realizing Saul had the people's support, he decided to become king-maker and promoted David as a worthy successor, claiming of course the murderous adulterous treacherous David was god's chosen ... thus wrote the Davidic supporters in the Bible, wakakaka. 
| Hebrew Bible | Maybe Samuel had hope to control David but he died at the age of 53 - just as well for him because there was no one in biblical history more devious, treacherous and evil than David, whose symbol today is on the flag of Israel. Eventually David murdered Saul and his family (sons and daughter, his own wife) and seduced Saul's wife and a few other men's wives to get Saul's throne, so a wee BTN-style creative redaction of the Judaic records were done during the Judeans' captivity in Babylon to whitewash David's crimes. So the story of Saul calling the Witch of Endor to raise Samuel from the dead for pre battle consultations was a further demon-ization (excuse the unintended pun) of King Saul by Davidic supporters, apart from the gross implausible geographical details related to the sequence of events, indicating they were fabricated. But consulting bomoh has been an intrinsic part of Malay culture, which I dare say, due to the muhibbah-ness of our society, some Chinese and Indians and a few Eurasians have participated too, wakakaka. Yes, there are 3 activities that bind us closely like bro's and sis' - namely, sports (especially the faves of gamblers, wakakaka), 4-Ekor (see multiracial crowd at 4-Ekor shop wakakaka and the magnanimous policemen who would be so tolerant of double and even triple parking outside an 4-ekor shop, wakakaka), and consulting the bomoh (to dapat 4-Ekor lah, wakakaka). 
| 4-D shop, wakakaka | My uncle told me that during the days of Tunku (or was it Tun Razak) PM-ship, the Vice Chancellor of our only university was, I believe, Prof Ungku Aziz who did the unusual. He engaged a bomoh to consecrate a hall in UM, and he did in an open ceremony where there were a number of invited guests including VIPs, wakakaka. Ungku Aziz was big on Malay culture and he reckoned a bomoh consecrating the hall would be a nice touch, wakakaka. A few Malays grumbled but most smiled at his Malay-ness or eccentricity. The unique occasion was reported in most of the newspapers, ad that's how my Unc came to know about it. Today I wonder which Malaysian university VC dares do such a thing, wakakaka. Another uncle story - Recalling my uncles were in the Armed Forces, they heard this one about a certain Malay Regiment Battalion commanding officer (CO) during the Emergency. Bloke was a bit of a sexual perv, but let's keep clear of that as we want to discuss the bomoh in the story. Apparently, as the story went, bloke wanted to ambush a known CT group in his area of operations As he lacked intelligence (the military kind, wakakaka) he consulted a bomoh in a hope to get a head start on other battalion commanders. The bomoh assured him that if he laid an ambush at location X, he would get those CTs. Of course the ambush was in vain, or we would have ended the Emergency a lot earlier, wakakaka. But something happened - he whacked the bomoh kau kau, wakakaka. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar and Taib playing ball? Posted: 06 Jan 2013 06:57 PM PST 
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is rumoured to have dropped at least nine PBB incumbent MPs who are very loyal to Taib, replacing them with pro-federal candidates. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: It's no longer whispers and rumours spinning out of Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu's (PBB) corridors in Sarawak. In fact it is now common knowledge that Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, who also helms BN's leader party PBB, is betting on more than one horse in the general election. Taib is towing the talk in Barisan Nasional whilst shaking hands with Pakatan Rakyat. At least that's what Anwar Ibrahim insinuated to FMT here today when he said that he has made "some contacts with some state BN leaders". It also further confirms rumours that Taib had sent a strong message to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak not to interfere with PBB's recommendations and sent a 'senior' PBB man to meet with Anwar. Said Anwar, who is de facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat: "Yes I do have some contacts with them many times. I met them at the airport, in Parliament and outside Parliament. We are very civil in politics." Anwar, who was here on a three-day visit to assess the the political situation in Sarawak, was commenting on rumours that he had met some of state BN leaders over the possibility that they might join Pakatan Rakyat before or after the general election. Anwar, they said, had discussed the 'latest development' with PAS and DAP leaders and it appears everyone is in agreement. Rumours were rife that Taib and some component party members are unhappy with Najib's insistence on choosing the candidates in the coming election. Najib is rumoured to have dropped at least nine PBB incumbent MPs who are very loyal to Taib replacing them with pro-federal candidates. Others unhappy with similar moves by Najib are Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party president William Mawan and the Parti Rakyat Sarawak chief James Masing. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar: RM207b ‘not sent through Treasury’ Posted: 06 Jan 2013 04:45 PM PST 
Former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim claims both Japanese and Malaysian officials "have evidence" that the money was sent to the government. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Former deputy prime minister-cum finance minister Anwar Ibrahim today confirmed that RM207 billion Death Railway compensation was sent to the Malaysian government but added that the money did not go through the Treasury. "Why you have to ask the former finance ministers to explain? If the money came to the Treasury, I would surely have been informed. "During my time as finance minister, it was not sent through the Treasury. "But they (both Japanese and Malaysian officials) have evidence that it was sent to the government. "So I think the then Prime Minister (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) needs to explain. What is the present Prime Minister (Najib Tun Razak) is doing? "Najib should conduct a full investigation," Anwar said, adding that the issue had been raised in Parliament by one of the Pakatan Rakyat MPs. Anwar was commenting on the 'missing' RM207 billion paid by the Japanese government as compensation to the Malaysian government over the 'Death Railway' project in the 1940s. The money was meant to be distributed to some 30,000 Malaysians who had been taken as prisoners of war and used as forced labour by the Japanese to build the Thai-Burma rail link. The infamous Death Railway was to boost Japan's supply route for its forces in Malaya and nearby Asian countries during the Second World War. According to PAS, the Japanese Embassy had recently revealed that it had in the 1990s paid a compensation of RM207 billion to the Malaysian government for families of the victims. Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin had called for former finance minister Anwar and Daim Zainuddin, along with Mahathir, to explain the whereabouts of the RM207 billion. |
| Opposition capers in Sabah Posted: 06 Jan 2013 04:20 PM PST 
The chances for PR to win and deny BN's two-thirds majority in Sabah are high if it allows state-based opposition parties to contest one-to-one against the ruling party in all the 60 state constituencies. Arnold Puyok, The Malaysian Insider Sabah politics has never failed to generate the interest of political pundits. Not only does Sabah have a lot of political mavericks known for their political stunts, Sabah politics is also as unpredictable as the weather. The withdrawal of two former BN strongmen, Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukin, to align with PR has heightened the race to win public office in Sabah. BN is banking on its track record while PR is riding on the promise to form a transparent, democratic and people-friendly government. The state-based opposition parties SAPP and STAR are also promising a better and more reliable government. But different from PR, they rely heavily on the "Borneo Agenda" to rally support. The PR-friendly groups such as APS (Angkatan Perubahan Sabah) led by Wilfred is tasked to go into the Kadazandusun areas to weaken STAR while Lajim's PPPS (Pakatan Perubahan Sabah) is responsible for consolidating the Muslim support in PR. All the state-based opposition parties resort to sloganeering to woo new supporters. The very mention of "inikalilah" (this is the time) reminds one of STAR with its no-holds-barred approach in championing Sabah's rights and autonomy. APS's campaign motto is "ubah" (change), almost similar to PPPS's "tukar". Can PR and state-based opposition parties provide a strong challenge to BN that has more than 50 years of experience in electoral politics? In the effort the deny BN any chance of winning, PR is determined to have a one-to-one fight with the ruling party. However, such a plan seems remote judging from the way PR deals with the issue of seat allocation. The chances for PR to win and deny BN's two-thirds majority in Sabah are high if it allows state-based opposition parties to contest one-to-one against the ruling party in all the 60 state constituencies. As PR's main aim is to win Putrajaya, it will have to win a certain number of parliamentary seats in Sabah even though the task of winning has become difficult than ever. The SAPP's strongholds are mainly in Chinese-majority areas. The state-based opposition party to watch is STAR, whose support is growing particularly in the Kadazandusun areas even though there has been rumour that the party has lost support following the allegation that it is funded by UMNO to split the support for PR. STAR's "Borneo Tea Parties" seem to bear fruits at least among young professionals, especially teachers. If STAR's facebook account is used to measure the party's popularity, the Sarawak-based party should be commended for its ability in attracting new members in such a short time. SAPP had said that it managed to strike a deal with STAR. But Jeffrey Kitingan's statement in the media that he is determined to "do it alone" squashed SAPP's attempt at finding an amicable solution to end the squabble over seat allocation. It is possible for all the state opposition-based parties to contest against each other and thus give BN the advantage to return to power. READ MORE HERE |
| Ex-Youth chief: PAS ulama council should make ‘Allah’ call Posted: 06 Jan 2013 03:54 PM PST 
(The Malay Mail) - The PAS Syura Council has been urged to publicly make their stand on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's call to the government to allow the use of the word "Allah" in the Malay version of the Bible in his Christmas message. This is to clear the confusion among the grassroots over who should issue statements on the matter — the PAS leadership or the Syura Council, said former Penang PAS Youth chief Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin, who is also the coordinator of Jaringan Melayu Pulau Penang (JMPP), a non-governmental organisation.
He said the issue had not been discussed even at the annual PAS Muktamar or party assembly since 2010. "However, several PAS leaders like Mat Sabu (PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu), who doesn't have the capacity to talk on the matter, has released a statement on it. The stand should be made by the Syura Council, not him or any PAS leaders."
Mohamed Hafiz, who claims to represent the grassroots and ordinary PAS members, said he was informed of their dissatisfaction over several matters, including the use of "Allah" in the Bible.
"Many from Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan, among others, have supported me over the matter." He had launched a signature campaign against Lim's proposal on Jan 4 and would hand the list along with 25 police reports on the matter to the Inspector-General of Police. |
| 300,000 for Himpunan rally? Posted: 06 Jan 2013 03:46 PM PST 
Pakatan Selangor, aiming to mobilise a mammoth crowd on Jan 12 for its people's uprising rally, hits out at Stadium Merdeka management for delaying approval of the venue. G Vinod, FMT Pakatan Rakyat Selangor announced today that it would mobilise 300,000 people for the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat scheduled for Jan 12 at Stadium Merdeka. Selangor PAS commissioner Abdul Rani Osman said that he had informed all his branches and divisions to mobilise its members for the rally. Speaking at a press conference held at the PKR headquarters, Abdul Rani said: "I hope my fellow PKR and DAP friends from Selangor would urge their members to attend the rally." Also present at the press conference were Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok and state PKR secretary Amirudin Shari. Rani urged the public to attend the rally, saying that it would be an ideal avenue to voice their grouses against the government. "Come to Kuala Lumpur a day earlier," he urged the public, "And please use the public transport to avoid traffic congestions." The PAS leader also urged rally participants to maintain decorum at all times during the rally and to be "wary of agent provocateurs on that day". Kok criticised the Stadium Merdeka management for dragging its feet in giving approval for the use of the venue for the rally. "During Bersih 3.0, the government said it will allow rallies in a stadium. "But till now, the stadium management, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the police have not responded to our application," she said. |
| ‘Dr M, Anwar and Daim must explain the RM207b’ Posted: 06 Jan 2013 03:31 PM PST 
The former PM and two of his finance ministers must be held accountable for the 'missing' billions in compensation paid by the Japanese to Malaysia. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as well as previous finance ministers Anwar Ibrahim and Daim Zainuddin must explain what happened to the RM207 billion in compensation paid by Japan to the Malaysian government, said prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin today. "Both the finance minister as well as the prime minister must be held accountable for any wrongdoings and transgressions," said Raja Petra, better known as RPK, in his blog posting. During World War II, the Japanese had conscripted over 30,000 Malayans as forced labour and used prisoners of war to build the infamous Death Railway to boost its supply route for its forces in Malaya and nearby Asian countries. The Japanese Embassy revealed that it had paid RM207 billion in compensation to the Malaysian government in the 90s for families of victims. Raja Petra also supported opposition advisor Lim Kit Siang's call that Daim, the one-time finance minister, must be held accountable for wrongdoings and transgressions during his watch and that he could not just wash his hands and shift the blame solely to Mahathir. Kit Siang said: "Anwar Ibrahim, the finance minister from 1991 to 1998, must also be accountable for whatever happened during his watch. Prior to that, from 1984 to 1991, Daim was the finance minister and was reappointed in 1998 after Anwar was sacked." Raja Petra said although the 'missing' RM207 billion was a good election issue and favourable to the opposition, it could have repercussions on Pakatan Rakyat if the allegations were true. "If the government were to release information to prove that Anwar had a hand in the matter yet chooses to remain silent, this issue could backfire badly on the opposition," he said. Anwar should go public He said Anwar could easily settle the issue by denying knowledge of the matter, or say that the money was "hijacked" at the behest of Mahathir and that the matter was beyond his (Anwar's) control. "From my dealings with the finance ministry since 1977, I'm aware that the ministry has certain autonomy and has been known to override the wishes of the prime minister," he said. He explained that the prime minister's department, finance ministry, and Bank Negara are very protective of their respective turfs and were careful about infringing on each other's territory. "The relationship of the prime minister, finance minister, economic adviser to the government, and Bank Negara governor was a complicated relationship and we never knew at each point of time who we should be talking to if we wanted things done," he said. "Each was the boss of his own turf. Anwar knows this and hence should go public so that Malaysians can get to the truth of the matter because RM207 billion is a lot of money. "The truth should not remain hidden," said RPK. READ MORE HERE |
| God’s voice on earth Posted: 06 Jan 2013 03:01 PM PST 
Hence the Church and the Crown had to work in tandem. The Crown drew its legitimacy from the Church (which recognised the king as God's representative) while the Church got its powers at the pleasure of the Crown. It was a convenient joint venture of two corrupt systems that existed mainly to oppress and suppress the people. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin In the past, until about 500 years or so ago, the 'common people' in Christendom did not interpret religion themselves. That is because religion was communicated in a language that the masses did not speak. Hence they needed 'middlemen' to help interpret religion. And these middlemen would interpret religion in a 'politically correct' manner. Then, by the late 1400s to early 1500s, religion began to be communicated in the people's mother tongue. The English read religion in English, the Germans in German, and so on. This reduced the need for middlemen and made them redundant. And people began to realise that the middlemen had been taking the people for a ride and were 'tailoring' religious decrees (fatwah) to suit the political agenda of the powers-that-be. For example, for Catholics, divorce was not allowed. However, if the king wanted to take on a new wife then the religious authorities could always declare that the king's first marriage was null and void. Hence he need not divorce his first wife to marry his second wife since his first wife was not really his wife in the first place. The first wife no longer exists so the second wife becomes the first wife. Then, when he wants to get rid of his second (but now first) wife to marry his third (but now second) wife, he can declare that she has committed treason against God's representative on earth and hence by offending the king she has offended God and can, therefore, be put to death. Then, on the day they execute his second (but considered first) wife, he can go marry his third (but considered second) wife. Religious decrees or fatwah have been a very useful political tool for Christendom. The Church and the Crown shared power. Hence rules need to be laid down that serve both the Church and the Crown. When the Church ignores the Crown then the Crown will act against the Church and the Church would lose its powers and status. Hence the Church and the Crown had to work in tandem. The Crown drew its legitimacy from the Church (which recognised the king as God's representative) while the Church got its powers at the pleasure of the Crown. It was a convenient joint venture of two corrupt systems that existed mainly to oppress and suppress the people. That was up to about 500 years ago in Christendom. Since then, especially around 200 years ago, the people got rid of this menace called the Church and later even the menace called the Crown. Hence the two biggest exploiters and oppressors of the people were removed. Today, many people go to church only three times in their life -- when they are christened, when they marry (if they have a church wedding), and when they die (unless they get blown up in Iraq or Afghanistan). Other than that they go to the pubs. As I said, that was up to about 500 years ago in Christendom. In Islamdom, they still have not got rid of the 'Church' and in many countries the 'Crown' as well. And that is why in some Muslim countries we still have monarchs who are the head of religion. And we also still have religious authorities that pass decrees or fatwah. Basically, many Muslim countries are still hundreds of years behind Christendom. Hence those who live in such countries suffer what the people in Christendom suffered up to about 200 to 500 years ago. And that is why we still read news reports such as the two below from NST (regarding dogs) and Hakarah (regarding fatwah or decrees). The religious authorities tell us what we can and cannot believe in plus what we can and cannot do. They interpret what is and is not allowed. And we are compelled to follow these rulings or face arrest and punishment. But is this really what God stipulated? This is what the religious authorities say God has stipulated. Can we disagree with this? We cannot disagree with this. Can we interpret things our own way? We cannot interpret things our own way. They will interpret it for us. You will notice one thing, though. Most times they will quote the Hadith when they pass rulings or decrees. But why quote the Hadith and not the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam? That is because the Qur'an is 'silent' on many issues so if they quote the Qur'an then they will not be able to support what they say. Hence they need to quote the Hadith. What if you do not accept the Hadith? You cannot. You must accept the Hadith. If you reject the Hadith then you are a deviant and can be arrested and punished. What if you follow a certain sect of Islam that does not recognise the Hadith or it recognises a different set of Hadith and not the ones that you recognise? You cannot. You can only follow the sect of Islam that the government says you can follow and if you follow another sect of Islam then you can get arrested and punished. Basically, Islam, today, is where Christianity was 500 or 200 years ago. However, while Christendom has reformed and has allowed freedom of choice, Islamdom does not allow freedom of choice. The religious authorities in Islamdom decide what you can and cannot do and there are no two ways about it. Hence, while the Qur'an does not say that dogs are not allowed (in fact, there is a verse that allows dogs to be used for hunting and game procured from hunting is halal to eat), because they use the Hadith and not the Qur'an to make their rulings, most Malays will not keep dogs. And note that I said 'Malays' and not 'Muslims' because the one-time Mufti of Terengganu kept a dog and would take his dog out for a walk every day even when he went to market to buy his fish. And the one-time Mufti of Kelantan said that dogs are not only allowed but you can even bathe your dog. ******************************************* Islam allows blind to use dogs EYES AND EARS: There is no issue in using the services of trained dogs, says Perlis mufti (NST) - There is no rule in Islam which prohibits the use of service dogs to guide the blind, said Perlis mufti Dr Juanda Jaya. "Using the services of guide dogs which are well trained is allowed in the religion, including the Syafie mazhab, which is subscribed to by Muslims in the country. "There is no issue on using service dogs for various purposes like hunting, guarding and as guiding dogs," he told the New Straits Times, yesterday. Considered as one of the most sought after service dogs, guide dogs are trained from young to act as eyes and ears for the blind. Guide dogs are also trained to improve the mobility of the blind and have been proven to help them lead independent lives. On why blind Muslims in the country do not consider having guide dogs, Juanda said there was confusion on the exact ruling and status of dogs in the religion. "People need to learn to differentiate between religion and culture in order to make decisions in their lives and to not follow blindly what others say about rulings in Islam." Fatwa Council president Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husni said there was no specific fatwa issued for guide dogs for the blind. "It is mainly because we didn't receive any enquiry or requests from the affected community to consider a fatwa on guide dogs. "If there is a request and we see a present need for the issuance of a fatwa on guide dogs, we will have a meeting to discuss this issue thoroughly," said Shukor, while calling for Muslims who are concerned about the issue to come forward. In 2008, the United Kingdom's Muslim Law (Syariah) Council issued a fatwa stating that "a blind person, in the light of syariah law, will be allowed to keep a guide dog to help him and if required to take him to the mosque for his prayers". Then, 18-year-old Mohammed Abraar Khatri, who lost his sight because of a degenerative disease the same year, championed the rights of Muslims to use the services of guide dogs with help from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the Muslim Council of Britain. His guide dog, named Vargo, accompanied Mohammed to school, outings and to the mosque. A special compartment was set up within the mosque compound to let the dog stay while Mohammed went to pray. Perak mufti Tan Sri Dr Harussani Zakaria said Muslims were allowed to keep dogs if they were trained to be guard dogs, to watch over the garden (kebun) or to be seeing-eye dogs. "It is said in a hadith that the angels do not like the barking of dogs and will not enter a house in which a dog is kept. But that does not mean that we cannot keep them for certain purposes." "We are permitted to keep them, as long as they are not kept in the house, and we have to sertu if we touch them when they are wet." Sertu, he said, is the act of washing the skin with water six times and with a mixture of water and earth once. It is often mistaken for the term samak, which is the act of cleaning an animal's skin with rough materials such as sand or ashes. ******************************************* Tidak boleh buat fatwa berdasar andaian – Mufti (Harakah Daily) - Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan tidak boleh mengeluarkan sesuatu fatwa hanya berdasarkan andaian atau laporan akhbar semata-mata. Mufti Pulau Pinang, Datuk Seri Hassan Ahmad berkata, dalam menyelesaikan isu yang disebut sebagai 'Amanat Haji Hadi', Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan perlu bersemuka dengan Presiden PAS itu sendiri. "Ia mesti mengikut prosedur. Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi perlu dijemput untuk berbincang dan bagi mendapatkan penjelasan. Ia tidak boleh diselesaikan mengikut andaian," katanya dipetik Sinar Harian Online. Semalam, Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi berkata, sejak 31 tahun lalu, beliau langsung tidak pernah menerima apa-apa surat atau dipanggil untuk memberi keterangan kepada Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan berhubung petikan ucapannya yang dibuat di Banggol Peradong, Terengganu, 31 tahun yang lalu yang kemudian dipopularkan pihak tertentu sebagai 'amanat' itu. Katanya, tindakan itu tidak adil bagi dirinya kerana tidak diberi peluang menjelaskan perkara sebenar berhubung polemik itu sehingga kini. Sebelum ini hanya Majlis Fatwa Negeri Melaka, yang mengeluarkan fatwa berhubung amanat itu yang diwartakan pada tahun 2002. Sebaliknya tiada fatwa khusus di peringkat Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan berhubung perkara itu. Mengulas fatwa yang dikeluarkan di peringkat negeri itu, Hassan berkata, Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan tidak boleh bergantung kepada fatwa yang dikeluarkan oleh majlis fatwa di peringkat negeri. Kuasa mengeluarkan fatwa, katanya, adalah kuasa negeri dan fatwa yang dikeluarkan oleh Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan tidak semestinya satu keputusan mutlak kerana kuasa agama kekal di bawah kuasa negeri. |
| Japanese WWII Reparations: Are PR Politicians on LSD? Posted: 06 Jan 2013 01:44 PM PST 
The Malaysian and Japanese governments inked a pact on the issue on Sept. 21, 1967, Malaysian Foreign Ministry parliamentary secretary Ahmad Shabery Cheek was quoted as saying by Malaysia's national news agency Bernama. Under the deal, the Japanese agreed to pay "blood money" to the Malaysian government, he told the parliament here. The money was used to set up the Malaysia International Shipping Corporation, he said. Pure Shiite Looking substantively at the issue, first, Article 14 of the San Francisco Peace Treaty states, "It is recognized that Japan should pay reparations to the Allied Powers for the damage and suffering caused by it during the war." This authorizes reparations by recognizing war responsibility. Other claims rights and settlement of property rights, return or compensation for Allied property, compensation for Japanese mistreatment of Allied prisoners of war, resolution of the claims rights of neutral nations, and debt return from the prewar period, etc., are minutely specified in Articles 15 to 18. This may differ slightly from the war responsibility being debated today, but Japan here indicated an attitude to deal sincerely with war responsibility and resolving the various problems arising from the war. Based on the peace treaty, Japan concluded reparations agreements with the Philippines and South Vietnam and concluded individual peace treaties and reparations agreements with Burma and Indonesia, which were not parties to the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Cambodia and Laos were parties to the San Francisco Peace Treaty but forfeited their right to claim indemnities, so Japan concluded grant capital aid cooperation agreements with these two countries in return. (This type of aid is classified as "quasi-reparations" in Japan, and in the domestic budget is included not in the general account but in the special reparations account.) With another non-participant in the San Francisco Peace Treaty, India, Japan concluded a peace treaty in June 1952, ending the state of war and confirming India's renunciation of indemnities from Japan. 6 Japan recognized its war responsibility and agreed to pay indemnities in these various peace and reparations agreements. In the reparations agreements with the Philippines and South Vietnam, there is no clear reference to war responsibility, but given that these treaties were based on Article 14 of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, in which "it is recognized that Japan should pay reparations to the Allied Powers for the damage and suffering caused by it during the war," obviously there was no need to repeat these provisions. In the individually concluded peace treaty with Burma, Japan recognized its responsibility by stating that "Japan is prepared to pay reparations to the Union of Burma in order to compensate the damage and suffering caused by Japan during the war." There is a similarly worded article in the peace treaty with Indonesia, based upon which a reparations agreement is concluded. Although not specifically reparations, Japan concluded so-called grant capital aid agreements in the 1960s and provided grant loans as a form of quasi-reparations to Malaysia and Singapore, whose ethnic Chinese communities strongly demanded redress for damage suffered from Japanese occupation. These agreements state, "Japan recognizes that the (early and total) resolution of problems arising from unfortunate incidents during World War II in Malaysia (Singapore) would contribute to promoting its friendly relations with Malaysia (Singapore)." They thus recognize Japan's responsibility, and further state that the contracting parties "agree that all problems arising from unfortunate incidents during World War II are hereby totally and conclusively resolved." -
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| Guan Eng to await Mansor's report on aide's arrest Posted: 06 Jan 2013 01:33 PM PST 
(The Star) - Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state government will cooperate fully with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in a graft case involving an aide to Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman. "We will wait for Mansor to return from overseas and submit his report on the matter by Thursday," he said here Monday. Lim said the state would take action if the aide was a contract officer with the state government. Mansor, who is the Penang PKR liaison chairman, is away in Mecca. It was reported earlier that the 56-year-old aide was arrested with two others in a MACC sting operation in Seberang Jaya. The three were arrested for allegedly offering a bribe and abusing their positions when handling a sexual harassment case. |
| Army Chief to Suara Pakatan Rakyat: "If you insult Kanang, you insult us" Posted: 06 Jan 2013 01:20 PM PST 
(Malaysian Digest) - A pro-Opposition news portal's act of trivializing the contributions of the late national hero Datuk Temenggong Kanan Kanang Anak Langkau is tantamount to insulting all army personnel and their families. This is the opinion of Armed Forces general Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, who also believes that the portal's report, titled "Kanang Bukan Hero Sebenar' (Kanang Isn't A True Hero) is not only rude, but also ignorant. Zulkifeli said it was regrettable that some people are unclear of Kanang's sacrifices.
He stressed that the government's decision to accord full state honors to the national hero was made in view of his invaluable contribution towards defending the country.
"I ask those who made such statements to kindly read up on history and realize that Kanang had sacrificed plenty; all of this is in the history books.
"It is sad when a small group pounces on the opportunity to capitalize on his death to deny something which is already public knowledge," Berita Harian quoted him as saying.
On Saturday, Suara Pakatan Rakyat, a pro-Opposition portal, had questioned the government's actions in according full state honors for Kanang's passing, especially when he already received a salary and allowances when he was in the army.
The writer of the article also proclaimed that Kanang is not "a true hero."
Following the incident, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera (PBB) supreme council member, Datuk Idris Buang, lodged a report at the Kuching police headquarters to urge the authorities to investigate the website for defamation.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister's political secretary, Abdullah Saidol, said the writer's comments were out of line and ignorant.
He said the article was not only written without basis, but was also irresponsible and deeply offended the feelings of others, including the Ibans, which is the largest community in Sarawak.
He said the writer should have been more attuned to the sensitivities of Sarawakians and not make any statements which contradict what has been written as historical fact.
Abdullah, who is also Semop assemblyman, said Kanang was not only a true warrior, but was also a symbol for many in defending the country.
Sarawak Veteran Rangers Association president, Lt Kol (Rtd) Robert Rizal Abdullah, said those who made such statements have clearly never seen how Kanang's stomach suffered gruesome wounds in the course of conflict.
"How can someone of sound mind issue a statement like that? Kanang himself once declared that he had died and lived again, only to continue fighting.
"Is all this not enough?" he said.
Kelab Sayangi Perdana Menteri president, Mohd Shahar Abdullah, likened the news portal's article to a grave insult and also treacherous towards the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
"All awards accorded to Kanang were presented by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. Why would anyone wish to question whether Kanang was a true hero or otherwise?"
"This is an insult to the country's Ruler, the Iban community, Kanang's next-of-kin and an irresponsible act towards all Malaysians." |
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