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| Jais Raid: What Were the Muslims Doing in Church? Posted: 22 Aug 2011 05:21 PM PDT They also found the Malay version of the Bible which is deemed illegal in Peninsular Malaysia. On top of that, were also claims that the Muslims who were present at the dinner had denied that they are Muslims and that the church did not have a valid license to operate. But the main thing is Jais is yet to produce any credible evidence to support the raid.
In the book 'Prophet Muhammad' written by Kais al Kalby, a particular chapter mentioned an incident where the second Khalifa, Umar al Khattab reached Jerusalem and he was offered to perform his prayers in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Umar then kindly declined the offer, on the basis that some overzealous Muslim in the future might destroy the Church and build a Mosque in his honor. The priest then bowed down before him for his gesture of good will, but Umar told him not to do so for according to him, all human beings are alike. The respect and good will showed by Sayyidina Umar proved that there is nothing wrong for a Muslim to enter a church. So what's the real story behind the Jais raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC)? PAS Secretary General, Datuk Mustafa Ali had claimed that Selangor Umno was behind the Aug 3 raid by Jais. And, in return, Selangor Umno is filing a RM10 million lawsuit against Mustafa for his allegations. Meanwhile, another PAS leader, Selangor State Executive Councilor, Datuk Hassan Ali had issued a public statement defending Jais' act. Prior to that, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had responded almost immediately after the church raid by expressing his regret over Jais' actions against DUMC. He gave his assurance that the state government fully respects freedom of religion and rights of religious groups to manage their affairs and that "the state is always open to engagement and dialogue regarding the harmonious and mutually respectful coexistence of different religious communities". Again, I would like to ask my earlier question which is what actually happened on that fateful evening on Aug 3? Jais claimed to be acting in response to a complaint and yet they failed to produce the alleged complaint letter. They claimed that there was evidence that showed the dinner event, at which 12 Muslims were present, was intended to proselytize and convert these Muslims.Jais made many claims. They produced a scanned picture of a quiz on Islam and took offense that words like "Allahu Akbar" and "Alhamdullilah" that were used in a quiz during the church's program. They also found the Malay version of the Bible which is deemed illegal in Peninsular Malaysia. On top of that, were also claims that the Muslims who were present at the dinner had denied that they are Muslims and that the church did not have a valid license to operate. But the main thing is Jais is yet to produce any credible evidence to support the raid. Now there are also claims that PAS was the actual target of the church raid. As much as the Chinese voters are leaning more towards DAP rather than MCA, there is a huge possibility that Umno might lose a lot of the Malay votes to PAS. And this is the best opportunity to smear PAS' reputation. If PAS goes against Jais they will be made to look like betraying the Muslims in this country and Hasan Ali as a senior member of the party is personally supporting the raid. To make matters worse PAS Youth had issued a statement agreeing with Hasan's stand; However, PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar, when asked to comment on the matter the next day, said he was oblivious to the opposing stand taken by the party's youth wing. Now let's go back to Mustafa Ali who has insisted he will not apologize and would rather meet Selangor Umno in court. The PAS leader also reiterated that he has proof Umno was behind the raid. According to Mustafa, normally, the Selangor Menteri Besar, the state Exco and Jais director would be responsible for the department's actions but all three were only informed after the raid was conducted. He continues by claiming that the aim of the raid is to destabilize the Selangor government and create disunity among the Pakatan Rakyat component parties. Two days ago the Khalid announced that the Sultan has agreed to form a special syura council to resolve the controversy, which would take matter out of Jais' hands and into more neutral ground. This and the statements from the 12 Muslims who attended the event will hopefully shed some light into what actually took place during that fateful event. It is a sad fact if once again religion is being exploited by politicians to gain political power. It is even sadder if everything that had happened are related to these two sacred words – the "General Election". I'm sure that our FAITH is worth a lot more than that.
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| Posted: 22 Aug 2011 04:05 PM PDT By Karim Raslan, The Star The buoyant statistics coming out of East Kalimantan underline the extent to which the once-poor neighbour has eclipsed Sabah. And until Sabahans can exorcise their ghosts, Indonesia will remain an untapped mirage. WE are living in an age of tremendous financial turmoil. Currency and equity market gyrations have dramatically altered relations between nations and entire regions. Indeed, the decline of US and European competitiveness and the attendant acceleration of Chinese wealth have been the most note-worthy developments. What is less well-documented is the fact that these trends have also led to significant changes within South-East Asia with China's (and India's) hunger for natural resources driving prices ever higher. This is most apparent on the island of Borneo. In 2010, the GDP per capita in Sabah was RM8,450. By way of comparison, the GDP per capita in the neighbouring Indonesian province of East Kalimantan (or Kaltim) was over US$4,000 (RM12,000). While the Kaltim statistics are inflated by skyrocketing coal, as well as oil and gas prices, the reality shows a marked increase in living standards for the province's 3.2 million people. In fact, Kaltim's booming economy is also contributing to Sabah's shortage of labour for the plantation sector. Meanwhile, decentralisation initiatives (dubbed regional autonomy) meant that a greater proportion of the natural resource bounty was being retained locally. Kaltim is Indonesia's largest producer of both coal and oil/gas. At the same time there are plans to increase palm oil planting to well over 1.5 million hectares. Balikpapan – the premier commercial hub with a population over 600,000 – is also a major transport and services hub. The city's Sepinggan airport (with over five million passengers a year) is Indonesia's fourth busiest. The buoyant statistics coming out of Kaltim underline the extent to which the once-poor neighbour has eclipsed Sabah and indeed Malaysia. This is all the more ironic given the fact that for many decades Sabahans have felt imperilled by what they've perceived as waves of "desperately poor" Indonesians and Filipinos pressing at their borders. Indeed, the control (or lack of it) of migrant workers has been an enormously controversial issue in Kota Kinabalu. Sabah's exponential population growth – most notably in the 1980s when naturalisation policies (covert or otherwise) were at their most pronounced – witnessed a dramatic increase from 929,992 in 1980 to 1,734,685 in 1990. Indeed, it is arguable that Sabahans have been traumatised by the massive influx of illegals. The state's indigenous communities have seen their demographic and political leadership whittled away. Unsurprisingly, they are deeply suspicious of Indonesians and Filipinos. All this has made it difficult for Sabah to leverage Indonesia's current prosperity despite the state's strategic location. Sabah has very poor connectivity with Kaltim, so much so that even the lengthy land border lacks formal road crossings. Still, Indonesians – including Awang Faroek, Kaltim's Governor – are lobbying hard for a link at Serudong along the Tawau/Kota Kinabalu road. In the absence of an overland crossing, hundreds of thousands of Indonesian workers in Sabah have been forced to travel by ferry through Tawau's meagre and unimpressive port facilities. By way of comparison, the Entikong crossing between Sarawak and West Kalimantan has become a major thoroughfare with countless buses plying the route linking Pontianak and Kuching. Moreover, it is estimated that some 3,000 Indonesian students are currently studying in Kuching's many private educational institutions. At the same time, direct flights (on local carrier, Kalstar) linking the two cities have further enhanced connectivity and opportunities for businessmen on both sides of the border. Kota Kinabalu and Balikpapan are like step-sisters. A journey between the two cities requires an awkward and time-consuming detour through either Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Jakarta. The alternative is the nerve-wracking ferry from Tawau to either Nunukan or Tarakan ... neither of which are particularly attractive for tourists or business travellers. But Kota Kinabalu remains a superb destination. With its waterfront lifestyle, schools, hospitals and international flights, the city is poised to become a popular hub for Indonesians – from as far away as Banjarmasin, Makassar, Samarinda and Manado. It is worth noting that all four cities are beneficiaries of the natural resources boom and growing faster than the national average. Indeed, other Malaysian cities such as Penang and Malacca have become adept at tapping the Indonesian demand for healthcare, education, housing and retail. It remains to be seen whether the socio-political trauma of past decades could be overcome to allow Sabah to maximise these opportunities. However, thankfully, some of Sabah's leaders are beginning to recognise their neighbour's vast potential. Flamboyant former chief minister Datuk Harris Salleh has been a major promoter of the cross-Borneo linkages. Last year, he undertook a highly publicised tour across Indonesian Kalimantan. Similar sentiments are raised by Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority CEO Yaakub Johari who confidently said: "History aside, we see Sabah acting as a conduit between an expanding Indonesia and the dynamic Northeast Asian markets. "Enhanced connectivity whether by land, air or sea is a must." Until Sabah and Sabahans can exorcise their ghosts, Indonesia will remain an untapped mirage. |
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