Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- MyConsti PENANG Event: 'Perjuangan Mahasiswa': The UUCA and the Federal Constitution
- Domestic Defense Act (DSA) 2012
- Is MCA staunchly anti-Islam?
- Will this be a new GLC and cash cow for the Barisan government?
- Which do you fear more? Hudud or Islamic State?
- Open letter to Dato Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, Telecom Malaysia Bhd
- MT Responses
- BN’s disgusting international standards
- PAS cooking up a lot religious nonsense
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY YB Nurul Izzah Anwar
- ROSMAH'S US$55,000 BRACELET
| MyConsti PENANG Event: 'Perjuangan Mahasiswa': The UUCA and the Federal Constitution Posted: 21 Nov 2011 06:08 PM PST 2.00pm on 27 November 2011 Dewan Bandar, Padang Kota Lama /Town Hall, Esplanade. George Town, Penang
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| Domestic Defense Act (DSA) 2012 Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:43 AM PST When asked about the differences between the ISA and the DDA the Home Minister said that the initials are different for starters and that Malaysians should no longer be wary of the ISA (because it will cease to exist). By TAKDENAMA NEWS REPORT. MMXI. Breaking News. Malaysia. The Malaysian Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, today stated for a fact that the new law to replace the Internal Security Act 1960 will still provide for detention without trial. He said detention without trial was also being practised in some countries in the fight against terrorism, such as the Patriot Act in the United States and Anti-Terrorism Act in the United Kingdom and Australia. On Sept 15, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his Malaysia Day special address announced that the ISA would be repealed and two new suitable laws formulated to preserve peace, harmony, stability and prosperity in the country. One of the new laws shall be named the Domestic Defense Act (DDA) that will provide for security measures under the existing law to protect the government from internal attacks. When asked about the differences between the ISA and the DDA the Home Minister said that the initials are different for starters and that Malaysians should no longer be wary of the ISA (because it will cease to exist). "The DDA will provide for a detention period (without trial) to be determined by me or my cousin whereas the ISA had a fixed maximum detention period of two years only." This means that the new law will empower the government to detain an individual indefinitely without having to go through the mundane process of reapplying for such detention to be extended every two years. The Home Minister said that this is done to save costs as every reapplication takes time, effort and money, as the documents have to be completed in triplicate. The Home Minister also said that the new law would also incorporate notice to families of the detainees and the process of making appeals. "The Government of Malaysia will inform the family members of those who are detained (without trial) the period of detention and where the detainee will be incarcerated (Kamunting)." As for making appeals, the GOM will charge each appeal a minimum RM100,000 (in cash only) for processing the appeal documents (which must be in triplicate). The Home Minister said that a special counter will be set up in his office in Putrajaya to process these appeal applications but warned that no receipts will be issued. "We are cutting costs on paper." When asked whether the existing ISA detainees be released once the old law has been repealed the Home Minister replied, "Yes. We will release all existing ISA detainees immediately once ISA has been repealed by Parliament. However we shall be re-detaining these people under the DDA." |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2011 12:32 AM PST Of course Chua is going all out to oppose and insult Hudud because, if he had embraced Islam, he would have been stoned to death for cheating on his wife and family. WHAT a sick joke and a mismatch! The MCA is organising a forum themed "Hudud and Its Implications on Non-Muslims in Malaysia" on Dec 4. And of all the people, the adulterer and MCA president Chua Soi Lek, will deliver the keynote address as well as the closing remarks. In the first place, is Chua a Muslim? Has he converted? Does he really understand Hudud? What makes him an authority of Hudud? Is the word "zina" in his dictionary? Of course he is going all out to oppose and insult Hudud because, if he had embraced Islam, he would have been stoned to death for cheating on his wife and family. Chua and non-Muslims have no standing to oppose the practice of Muslims and Islam. The Muslims also have no right to oppose the practice of other religions. It is only the rampant exploitation of race and religion by skewered politicians, especially those from Barisan Nasional (BN), Malaysians are kept emotionally at their edge. That is exactly what the BN wants. Instil fear on everyone to serve its long adopted divide-and-rule political strategy. With all the degrading and insulting remarks coming from MCA, Chua and his cronies, where are the defenders of Islam? Where are the likes of Perkasa and Umno? Are these two self- proclaimed champion pretenders of "Malaysia is an Islamic state" endorsing MCA's stand? If so, then the Muslims in Umno do not really believe in Islam and Hudud. As Umno cannot come out to insult Islam and Hudud, it is thus allowing MCA to do it. To allow a tainted-politician like Chua to even touch on Islam and Hudud is an insult to the Malays. He has no standing and integrity to question the sacred religion and its laws. What is he going to say and how is he going to respond if the Malays start telling Christians and Buddhists how they should practice their religion? Isn't the issue as simple as that? For those who continue to espouse that Hudud will affect us, you can continue to argue the issue this way and Malaysians will never reach a consensus. Expressing fear is not a fact. The expressed fear is due to skewered implementation of the law, so don't blame the law. Blame the enforcement and the idiots exploiting and abusing their power. Blame the government that you elected for allowing all this to happen. Malaysia is a multi-racial nation and unity hinges on religious and race tolerance. In the first place, religion and race should never have been politicised. Politics should just be based on social and economic development for the country. It is the bad intentions of politicians who craze for power who are responsible for the country's current shameful state of affairs – injustice, corruption and erosion of the democratic rights of Malaysians. With Umno allowing MCA and the pornstar to belittle the sacred values of Hudud as an Islamic criminal law, thereby insulting Islam, am I wrong to say MCA is staunchly anti-Islam? If so, what is Umno and Perkasa doing about it? Have their tongues been severed?
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| Will this be a new GLC and cash cow for the Barisan government? Posted: 20 Nov 2011 02:54 PM PST Government rushing to set up National Healthcare Financing AuthorityThe Barisan Nasional government is working round the clock to set up the National Healthcare Financing Authority, and this body is likely to start operations in the first half of 2012. This move will spell bad news for all of us Malaysians because it will now be mandatory for all of us who are getting an income to pay premiums to the NHFA if we want medical treatment in private and government hospitals and also at private clinics. Despite paying the premiums, we will have to fork out more money because the premiums only cover very basic treatment. The question is what will happen to people who do not have an income or no longer have an income? Where will they get their medical treatment? There are more questions: Is there a possibility that this body be turned into a government-linked company? Another question is: Could this new company be led by a Barisan crony? If this is so, then we are likely to be doomed because the possibility of money being abused is great judging from the way other GLCs are run. We have seen too many cases of the top management receiving salaries and perks that take up a huge percentage of the operations cost. With all of us paying premiums each month, the NHFA stands to get millions of ringgit and this is a lot of money at the Barisan government's disposal. There is a possibility of this new GLC being their latest cash cow. To discuss this issue and the consequences of having the NHFA at the public forum called "Reforming the Malaysian Healthcare System: Is there a need?" on Nov 27 at YMCA, Jalan Macalister in Penang from 1pm to 6pm.
Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa Member of Parliament – Parit Buntar
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| Which do you fear more? Hudud or Islamic State? Posted: 19 Nov 2011 09:31 PM PST MCA supports Barisan Nasional (BN)-Umno's declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic state. Okay. Malaysia is an Islamic state. Doesn't a real 100% Islamic state include hudud, an Islamic criminal law? By Jackson Ng, Retired Journalist I WAS motivated to write this piece by a news portal reader who wrote this comment: "Malaysians. You choose. DAP works with PAS. MCA works with Umno. So, what's the difference? The difference is that the MCA is always selling out the Chinese. MCA supports BN-Umno's declaration of Malaysia as an Islamic state. But DAP only harps on Hudud which only affect Muslims, not Malaysia. Anything beyond this are all just fears and speculations. You fear Hudud but don't fear Islamic state? He or she makes a lot of common sense. We can argue all we want until the cows (Oops! Did I say anything wrong?) come home over hudud and Islamic state and will never reach a consensus because Malaysia is a multi-racial country. There is much logic and common sense in what the reader wrote. MCA supports Barisan Nasional (BN)-Umno's declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic state. Okay. Malaysia is an Islamic state. Doesn't a real 100% Islamic state include hudud, an Islamic criminal law? So, there you have it. Are non-Muslims in Malaysia still free from hudud under Umno, the dominant force in BN? And, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said he is Malay first, Malaysian second and that Malaysia is not yet ready for hudud. This means, Muhyiddin and Umno will implement hudud when the time is right. Malaysians, wise up. There is no difference in hudud whether under the BN or Pakatan. Hudud is hudud. It is a criminal law for Muslims. So, logically it does not affect non-Muslims. To express fear or otherwise is just speculation and will lead Malaysians nowhere. But, Muhyiddin's stand is more dangerous to 1Malaysia than anything else if one is to assess his statement very, very carefully. Ponder and answer the following questions related to Muhyiddin and Umno yourself: - " … Malaysia is not yet ready for hudud" – when is ready? (My reading is that Umno will be ready to implement hudud when it has two-thirds control of Parliament. This also applies to PAS); - Compare DAP in Pakatan Rakyat and MCA in BN; which is more subservient or subdued in the two coalitions? For the past year, many sensitive religious and race issues have been engineered by Umno to split Malaysians so that the Malays will only support Umno. PAS and PKR have publicly come to the defence of non-Muslims and Malaysians in general when an issue spun by Umno got too hot and ridiculous, while all other BN component parties had remained mum. You don't agree? Actions and facts do not lie. Fabrications cannot stand because they don't have backbones to support. |
| Open letter to Dato Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, Telecom Malaysia Bhd Posted: 19 Nov 2011 09:21 PM PST How did you manage to obtain approval to construct a huge tower right next to a resevoir? Isn't the vinicity around a sensitive and essential service/utility a secured site strictly off-limit to unauthorised personnel? I will not speculate on how you managed it though I have my own opinion. By Bobby Chiah 2 November 2011 Dato Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa Directly opposite our condominum separated only by a narrow road is a hillock with a resevoir located near to its summit. At the beginning of May this year, during the May 1st. extended holidays you rushed through the construction of a huge telecommunication tower right next to the resevoir itself. This tower, despite its great height and situated on elevated ground, is still at eye-level to the top half of our building and, furthermore, is practically sited at our doorstep. If this base station is allowed to be fully operational, it will emanate and blanket our entire building with high and extremely hazardous electromagnetic fields (EMFs) 24/7, day in day out, year in year out. Its insidous reach will penetrate every nook and cranny of the entire building and no residents, especially the children who are more susceptible, can escape from its harmful effects. Fortunately, we have an Ahli Parlimen, Y.B. Tuan William Leong Jee Kean, whom, on our appeal, promptly issued a stop work order to Majlis Perbandaran Selayang on 18 May 2011. However, today, 2 November 2011, work has resumed on the site and is the reason I am writing this open letter to you. Firstly, how did you manage to obtain approval to construct a huge tower right next to a resevoir? Isn't the vinicity around a sensitive and essential service/utility a secured site strictly off-limit to unauthorised personnel? I will not speculate on how you managed it though I have my own opinion. I also wonder whether Dato Seri really practises Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR). Because if you do, how could you knowingly put 196 families, excluding those living in nearby houses, in harm's way? Various studies have shown that EMFs can cause brain tumors, leukemia, birth defects, miscarriages, chronic fatigue, headaches, cataracts, heart problems, stress, nausea, chest pain, forgetfulness, cancer and other health problems. Some experts are convinced that the threat is very real. For instance :- Furthermore, it is an acknowledged fact that properties in the vicinity of a telecommunication tower, especially a huge one, will see their values plummet. As it is, we are already facing threats from an existing telecommunication tower to the side of the hillock. We definitely are not going to accept further endangerment from your base station; more so when it is situated right at our doorstep. So, unless Dato Seri is willing to subject your own family and neighbours to the same calamity you so intend to force onto us, please stop work immediately and, better still, dismantle the monstrosity ASAP. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On 3 June 2011, I attempted to post a similar open letter to Dato Sri Zamzamzairani Isa via "The Star". Disappointingly but NOT unexpectedly they refused to publish it. I did not pursue the matter further because by then, due to the prompt and decisive intervention of our Member of Parliament, Y.B. Tuan William Leong Jee Keen, who issued a stop work order on 18 May 2011, work had ceased. Before I proceed further, I like to put on record our appreciation and thanks to Y.B. Tuan William Leong. We are indebted to him. The hiatus, unfortunately, did not last long for today, 2 November 2011, work has resumed. Mountings were fixed on the tower in readiness for the installation of multiple transmission discs; in direct violation of the stop work order. You are our last resort and we hope you will let us bring to public's awareness our predicament by posting my letter in your website. We believe that, unless their callous attitude and lack of corporate social responsibilities are exposed to public's odium and shame, they will not willingly abandon the project. To them might is right. I also want to expose the complicity of Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS). They claimed that they gave approval to Telecom to erect the huge tower on that site, despite its close proximity to a high density residential buliding, was because the residents did not object or complain. This is a blatant lie. In reality, we were intentionally kept in the dark and lied to. When work first started, when asked, we were told they were only carrying out repair works on the pipes from the resevoir. We now know they were actually laying the foundation for the tower. They then waited until the extended Labour Day holidays when we have no access to MPS to erect the tower. Work was carried out at superspeed. Despite its great height, it practically sprung up overnight like Jack's beanstalk. By the end of the three days holidays it was almost 100% completed! The reason for the haste is quite obvious.They were banking on the assumption that once completed those affected will lose heart to protest. This strategy may have worked well for them in the past but, for this instance, they did not foresee the tenacity of a 68 year old grandfather, me. Someone once told me that there is no greater love than grandparents' love. To be frank, I used to be a bit sceptical about that. But, after this, I know for a fact that when it comes to protecting my two granddaughters aged 4 and 6, to ensure that they will be able to live a long and healthy life and not to be cut down by a brain tumor or other forms of cancer, I will not hasitate to take on any goliath no matter how powerful or connected. I will fight them with any means fair or foul. In short, I will be relentless. |
| Posted: 19 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST Hi Pete, With my comment under your article "Let's get it straight", I was trying to put across a subtle, subliminal message but, judging by the responses, I obviously failed big time to hit the target. I will be more direct in future! My underlying message was: "All Malaysians must strive to bury religious and racial differences and work at becoming fulltime Malaysians". After all, peaceful cooperation is a two-way street, and blaming each other for the jams will get everybody nowhere! Anyway, please allow me to elaborate, based on the way I see things from an interested outsider's perspective: 1. UMNO have deliberately kept the religion/race cards in constant play (and today, even more so), solely to ensure that (i) Malays are always driven to vote for UMNO and (ii) non-Malays will be confused as to the intention of the Malay elements of the opposition parties, so that retaining UMNO will seem a far safer option to non-Malays than voting for the unknown, possibly far worse political scenario. In this, UMNO is conducting an extremely Machiavellian game, knowing full well what it is doing. 2. As all past visitors to Malaysia will tell you, for so many reasons Malaysia used to be a great place to visit, the principal reasons being (a) the wide variety of cultures and food to be experienced across the length and breadth of the country, (b) the ease of travel and communication, (c) the cleanliness and attention to beautiful landscaping everywhere, and (d) the politeness and respect with which Malaysians used to treat not only each other but foreigners too. All those attributes within Malaysia combined to create a society possessing an exquisitely unique flavour, which I can only describe as "Malaysianess". All foreign visitors to Malaysia will know exactly what I mean by that – Malaysia's southern neighbour is nice enough, but Singaporeans just don't seem to generate the spontaneous warmth that at one time existed everywhere in Malaysia, plus Malaysians generally dress so much more colourfully than Singaporeans and aren't, well, boring…….. 3. Having said that, today Malaysia is not as nice, safe or friendly as it once used to be. The warmth at the Immigration Department coming by road from Singapore has disappeared completely, almost as if visitors from the south are no longer welcome. Taxi drivers in KL constantly bitch about the GOM in general and about the discrimination shown to non-Muslims and non-Malays in particular, the courtesy level shown to foreigners has dropped considerably, the streets aren't anywhere near as safe to walk along as they once were (in some of the less salubrious areas you can almost feel the resentment in the air against those with money), and some former tourist spots in KL seem to have been deliberately abandoned and left to become run-down (particularly in the predominantly Chinese and Indian areas). 4. In the process of deliberately playing the religion/race cards, UMNO have carefully avoided making "Malaysianess" the desired objective, contrary to what they should have been doing for the past 50+ years. 5. The Malaysian people should not let UMNO get away with having deliberately trashed "Malaysianess". In fact, it seems as though UMNO specifically concentrated on fomenting strife between (i) Islam and other religions and (ii) Malays and other ethnic groups. Malaysians themselves must therefore urgently resurrect "Malaysianess" from its half-burial if they are to stand any chance at all of voting UMNO out in the next GE! 6. To achieve the goal of resurrecting "Malaysianess", all Malaysians (including the current opposition politicians) must, regardless of ethnic and religious differences, start to develop trust in each other and work together to openly discuss the framework for the fair and just society that is so much needed in Malaysia. If ordinary Malaysians in the street (non-politicians) cannot begin to trust those with different religions or cultures to be committed to building a better Malaysia for all, then there will be no political change through the ballot box possible within the next 100 years! So the concept of "Malaysianess" must be worked at very hard if it is to stand any chance of succeeding – it won't work if it is only a half-hearted attempt! In my view, whole-heartedly adopting "Malaysianess" doesn't mean burying the differences between the various religious and ethnic groups - it means accepting those differences and showing compassion towards (and complete tolerance of) all others who don't follow your religion, customs or whatever, and recognising in word and deed that all Malaysians are equal in every respect. My above comments are driven by the fact that, of all the countries in the world, Malaysia probably still stands the best chance of demonstrating that Islam is perfectly capable of offering all its citizens equal opportunities and equal justice in a well developed country that would be the envy of most others, including those supposedly well developed countries in the west. However, right now Indonesia is doing its best to show the world what Islam can do, and it is making great headway ("Look At Us Now!"). Malaysia ought to be able to get there far faster, because it has the very useful advantage of the English language at its disposal! Sadly, the main thrust of the responses to my previous comment is that, at best, Malaysian Muslims can't be trusted by the rest of Malaysian society to do the right thing, and that my comment is therefore somehow "theoretical". However, I consider that there is nothing "theoretical" about building national unity! It has to be done, or else society will disintegrate! In particular, if something is not done quickly to redress the negative perception about Malaysian Muslims (or to put the situation right if, indeed, that perception is indicative of the way things really are now going inside Malaysia today), then I fear that Malaysia has some extremely tough times ahead. This will mean that Indonesia will be allowed to stand far taller than Malaysia, despite Malaysia's magnificent Twin Towers and its very unique but currently eclipsed "Malaysianess". Nobody but Malaysians can resurrect "Malaysianess" – Malaysians must become re-united through their own efforts! But, sadly, right now I can't see anybody at all recognising the need to promote "Malaysianess", let alone someone dedicated to driving those unification efforts. That is a pity, because I am confident that there must be many moderate Malaysian Muslims who are sitting on the fence because they are ashamed of the discrimination they see at play by the GOM, but who are afraid of changing their allegiance because of the anti-Malaysian Muslim rhetoric they see every day, especially in the comments posted in MT. And just because ordinary Malaysians didn't create the religious and racial problems currently being faced in Malaysia, it doesn't mean that they can afford to sit there and do nothing, as if it isn't their problem. It bloody well is their problem, because UMNO made sure it is! Anyway, now perhaps you can see why I tell my Malaysian friends here in Abu Dhabi (regardless of their ethnic background or which religion they follow) that, if they are not willing to close their eyes to religious and racial differences in Malaysia and embrace "Malaysianess" whole-heartedly, they themselves are therefore part of the problem and can't ever expect a solution for the religious and racial divide that they themselves help to perpetuate! Warmest regards to you and Marina, Wally
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| BN’s disgusting international standards Posted: 18 Nov 2011 10:32 PM PST The Barisan Nasional (BN) government sure has a funny way of recognising international achievers. It kicks them out of office when they start performing with international standards. By Jackson Ng, Retired JournalistREMEMBER how Tan Sri Robert Phang was ousted as an advisory panel member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission? Phang was one of the pioneer members of the panel upon the formation of the MACC. However, his outspokenness has been a thorn to the corridors of power. Unlike the majority of the "Yes Man" MACC panel members who chose to accept their appointment but remained muted throughout their tenure, Phang spoke up against corruption and abuse of power. Phang openly took on the likes of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan (for alleged abuse of power and conspiracy with the underworld) and those who benefitted from the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) financial scandal. Phang's ouster in the MACC panel was sparked when he took on the all-powerful Attorney-General (A-G) Tan Sri Gani Patail. That was too much for Phang to chew as Gani's office can decide whether to prosecute an accused, with or without evidence; with authentic or fabricated evidence as Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy I and II hearings have revealed thus far. And all Phang did was to call on Gani to rebut allegations linking him to high-profile but shady corporate figures who allegedly paid for his haj trip. The allegations were backed by documents. Of course there were many other allegations against the A-G but the documentary evidence posted in the public electronic domain was just too embarrassing and overwhelming. So what happened? Gani ordered a probe on allegations of corruption, posted ANONYMOUSLY in a blog, which eventually led to nowhere and Phang was cleared by the MACC. Phang had voluntary quit as a MACC panel member to facilitate the investigations against him and to uphold the integrity of the MACC. After Phang was cleared, he was not reappointed to the MACC panel. Boring? Hold your horses man! Read on and I can assure you that it is becoming both amusing and disgusting. What I find most amusing is the fact that Phang was recently the recipient of the Socially Responsible Company (SRC) Awards 2011's Master Class Awards in Anti-Corruption. So what's the big deal, you may ask? Well, the SRC 2011 Awards are sanctioned by: And, now for the best laugh! The award presentation, organised by JCI Malaysia and hosted by JCI E-Metro KL, was supported by: * Malaysia's Prime Minister's Department; The Barisan Nasional (BN) government sure has a funny way of recognising international achievers. It kicks them out of office when they start performing with international standards. Phang better watch his next step and not be too delighted with the UN-recognition or the BN government will start treating him like a public pariah. What am I talking about? Look how the BN government is treating former Bar Council president and Bersih 2 leader Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan. For those suffering from amnesia (especially those from BN-Umno), U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton awarded Ambiga the Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage at the US State Department on March 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. The awards were given to eight women from around the world who have shown leadership while struggling for social justice and human rights. There you have it, Malaysians. The BN government sure have strange ways to reward or recognise talent and international achievers. Protecting cow breeders who use public funds allocated for beef production to buy multi-million-ringgit condominiums is international standard and supreme achievers.
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| PAS cooking up a lot religious nonsense Posted: 18 Nov 2011 03:57 PM PST DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN Which Christian can help being angered by the accusation by PAS' problematic Hasan Ali that Christian missionaries are using eight ways to proselytize Muslims - one of which included using a rather far-fetched 'solar-powered handheld talking Bible.' He also said that Christians were setting up welfare groups that handed out financial and other forms of assistance to single mothers, the poor, the elderly and others with inducements including daily provisions, capital for business purposes and other aid. It is no surprise then that he got a proper tongue lashing from Islamic scholar, Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, for insulting both Muslims and the Islamic faith, and from Rev. Thomas Philips, the vice chairman of inter-faith group The Malaysian Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) who said, "Talk is cheap. Where is the proof. There are more than ample laws to punish those that try to proselytize Muslims so if Hasan Ali has evidence, put it on show. Don't just accuse." I would like to remind Hassan, that his pro-Islamist party is the number one source of religious intolerance in Malaysia. In fact PAS was the original group that forced the once liberal Umno to become a religious extremist organization as well because it felt the need to compete to get Malay support since the 1970s. This was the biggest wrong turn in the history of the nation which has now become a country with little tolerance, in which racial groups have been so polarized that religious debates and mutual attacks are happening in a daily basis nowadays. What a shame! Why is PAS so eager to make the Christian its enemies? Isn't it enough that Perkasa has been attacking Christians to make the Christians appear to be the political devil in the country? Why is Hassan complaining about solar-powered Bibles? I have never seen, nor even heard of such a Bible, but let me tell Hassan this: If there is such a Bible, then I am very glad because now there is a new portable Bible which can help Christians keep up with the holy book while they are on the move, and without having to flip through the pages. And why would such a Bible a problem to Muslims? What about the electronic Al-Quran which is in the market to help Muslims read the holy book whole traveling? Are the Christians complaining about that? No! I would say, congratulations to the Muslims! For Hassan's information, although I have never seen a solar-powered Bible, there are already many portable Bibles everywhere now. Anyone can install a complete Bible text even in handphones. If you want the easier to read versions with larger fonts, there are other that can be uploaded into i-Pads and laptops. There are also thousands of websites in the Internet where the Bible is available in its many versions, in all languages of the world, including in Indonesian. But why should such a situation be a problem to Muslims when the Al-Quran is also available in many languages in the internet, including in the English and Malay languages. I myself have even glanced through these but id didn't bother me at all. I didn't feel that I was being proselytized, so why should the Muslims in PAS be so sensitive that they have to attack the Christians for having electronic Bibles? And why blame us if the Internet is full of Bibles and evangelism materials? And let's please understand that the meaning of the word proselytize comes both ways. Both Christians and Muslims are commanded by their holy books to proselytize others, but in Malaysia we are not allowed to proselytize Muslims, so we obey the law. But what is the point if we are still accused of proselytizing Muslims whether we do it or not? And we Christians all know that the Muslims are free to proselytize us, and as law-abiding citizens, we try to live with this unfair situation. But because we so obedient, groups like PAS and Perkasa are now expecting more from us: (a) Perkasa has demanded that Christians be not allowed to become teachers, (b) We are not allowed to use our own national language for our religious services, (c) We are not allowed to use around 30 words in our religion, especially "Allah" which unofficially can be used in Sabah and Sarawak but not in the Peninsular – a most stupid decision!, and (d) and Baru Bian in Sarawak had just claimed that Christian pre-schoolers in Sarawak are being taught Muslims prayers. PAS also needs to answer one very critical question about the sensitive matter of conversions: What if a Malay converts according to his own wish without any effort to proselytize him from anybody? Will PAS still be saying it is all the fault of Christians in Malaysia? What of the person was converted by studying Christian materials in the Internet or from books he bought from the bookstores? Does this mean that the Christians in Malaysia must now brace themselves the horror of PAS coming into power because they will be arrested and jailed in case some Muslim becomes Christians, even though the Christians have nothing to do with the conversion? They want to step over our heads and make all sorts of accusations against Christians such as (a) We are supposed to be trying to convert Muslims, (b) We want to have a Christian Prime Minister in the country, and now (c) We are spreading electronic Bibles. What other sins will we be accused of next, I wonder. Some people forget that we Christians have equal rights as Malaysians! We contribute to the development of the country, and we pay our taxes too. In fact more than 80 percent of the taxes in Malaysia are paid by non-Muslims! But when we build our churches or do evangelism work, we have to come up with our own money, while the Muslims have can use part of the taxes to build their mosques. I just want to ask Hassan Ali a few more questions: If PR ever rules the country, is PAS going to create laws to suppress Christians even worse than what is happening now? Is the party going to ban all electronic Bibles? Will the party ban all kinds of social and welfare programs from being carried out by Christian organizations? And in view of the strange behavior that Hassan Ali is showing the public right now, is he saying that PAS doesn't need the votes of Christians? I look forward to his response. And I can assure him this won't be the last he will hear from me on the issue!
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| HAPPY BIRTHDAY YB Nurul Izzah Anwar Posted: 18 Nov 2011 03:25 PM PST
Many happy returns of the day |
| Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:35 PM PST
I was in Beijing on 16th for a meeting at the Shangri-la Hotel, Zizhuyuan Road, Beijing and walked into a pearl shop at the hotel foyer with a friend who wanted to buy a bracelet for his wife. He picked up this beautiful diamond bracelet only to find out that it cost US$55,000. The sales girl then pointed us towards a photo on the wall and said that the President's wife bought the same bracelet. And it was none other than Rosmah. By Ah Cheong |
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