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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

A depressed Merdeka — Are you celebrating Merdeka?
Time for DAP to be a good partner
Hudud: A PAS objective, not an agreed Pakatan agenda
Hudud law: Truth or illusion?
The bankruptcy of the Islamic vs secular state debate
UMNO, PAS and the hudud debate
Hopping means betrayal
Hudud not just a religious issue
Do ghosts and spirits exist?
Crying wolf again?
‘Mahathir, you have not triumphed’
The art of selective listening

A depressed Merdeka — Are you celebrating Merdeka?

Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:50 PM PDT

Malaysians at this moment can't be bothered about politics. They're concerned about GE, but right at the top of their heads is how to make a living in Malaysia. If corporate professionals turn to multi-level marketing as a side-income, and journalists to tuition and freelance writing to make up for their pay, what about the average Malaysian? This year's Ramadan revealed the rising cost of food. A pitiful currypuff is now 50 sen, when it used to be RM1 for three currypuffs. And it seems that it is the same everywhere, from Bangsar to Keramat. Maggi Mee, a staple for Malaysians, has gone up, and a cup of very sweet Milo at a small mamak-like café at Giant Kota Damansara now cost RM4. Could this be why crime is rampant?

Dina Zaman, The Malaysian Insider

Seeing a headline shouting "Putrajaya offers cash rewards to N-Day event participation" does not encourage patriotism. It does not help that this year, just like the past few years, the atmosphere is muted.

Very few Malaysians are in the mood to celebrate Malaysia's 55th year of Independence, and that is a truly sorry state for the country to be.

There are many factors related to this. A declining economy, rising costs of living, gutter politics, crime, and there is also a general air of hopelessness among Malaysians when asked if they were looking forward to August 31, 2012.

If one is to believe the noise on social media, and in forums, it would seem that Malaysians hate their country. There seems to be nothing positive about the country, and every effort the government puts, is met with ridicule.

What does the average Malaysian think about this year's Merdeka celebrations?

CS Tan of Terengganu finds that this year theme is a joke. "I 'created' a few phases to my Merdeka celebration. From primary to secondary school Merdeka was about how we managed to be independent, govern our country on our own terms, instead of being under British rule, and of course the colourful floats we saw on television. Tertiary – it's about holidays. Young working life – it's about holidays plus those outrageous uniforms from TNB and Telekom and other Malaysian companies we had to wear. Middle age phase – Merdeka is about able to think of myself after years of believing that the government can't do wrong. This year – it's about Merdeka from crime in Malaysia. Not optimistic huh?"

The 1Malaysia Merdeka logo provoked such outcry and ridicule, one can only feel sorry for the government. "I'm sure that our Government had the best of intentions when they commissioned the design …" a rather diplomatic professional who did not want to be named said.

Oso-San Anna disagrees. A Communications professional, she has worked in advertising agencies and in-house communications departments. She understands design and branding – she lives and breathes them. "Firstly, for something as important as Merdeka, the Government should leave it to the pros. I mean real pros (and not some crony's son) who has a solid understanding of the use of symbol and colour and collective expression of national pride."

"Secondly, branding is powerful when built and layered over time with consistency and commitment."

"Thirdly, where are the brand values? Both from the standpoint of the creator and the people it's meant for? Is there buy-in from the Rakyat? I feel all 3 are missing in the 1Malaysia logo that was designed. We are 55 years old as a Nation. Sure it's national pride but the meaning of real patriotism is already lost since it's seldom practiced in soul & spirit," she said.

Angelia Ong, who works in animation is saddened by recent celebrations. The idea of Merdeka has somehow lost its spirit, she says. "It used to be more alive and less about polishing the achievements of a particular political coalition. It used to come across as more inclusive and meaningful. The phrase "1Malaysia" has taken over so much, my youngest had one time thought our country was called 1Malaysia, rather than Malaysia. From a branding point of view, I guess they have succeeded in ensuring that it's everywhere and anywhere, to the point of oversaturation."

From a Malaysian's point of view (on what she thought of the logo), "it was just a major facepalm moment."

On Facebook, one lone friend is spotted asking on his status update, "Where can I get a Malaysian flag? I want to hang it from my balcony." Very few of his friends responded to the query.

No Money, No Merdeka Honey

This year's Ramadan revealed the rising cost of food. A pitiful currypuff is now 50 sen, when it used to be RM1 for three currypuffs. And it seems that it is the same everywhere, from Bangsar to Keramat. Maggi Mee, a staple for Malaysians, has gone up, and a cup of very sweet Milo at a small mamak-like café at Giant Kota Damansara now cost RM4. Could this be why crime is rampant?

Tania Leong, who runs a new age shop, is not confident of our economy. "Everyone I know who owns a business, has reported a decrease in revenue. Even my customers share a same complaint of their businesses, be it property, legal (clients unable to pay), travel agency, health spas, dvd shops, children's play facilities, restaurants etc. Sungai Wang Plaza in the city has always been golden hot property (probably one of the top 5 most expensive per sq.ft.), and even that is suffering."

"What I have observed is that this country is lacking qualified personnel in many areas of work from a sale assistant to corporate positions, a low standard of education system, many government workers are slow, inefficient and clueless, there is no minimum wage, corruption appears to be the norm in our judicial, police & government departments, religion has been made into law, sex education in schools are non-existent or minimal and so we have children bearing children. Crime rates seemed to have soared the last couple of years."

"If leaving the country was an option for me, I would leave in a heartbeat."

Hani B works in retail and has first-hand experiences with customer spending. Her customers range from the wealthy Middle Easterners to young college students, and understands their buying habits. "I used to be confident that our economy can weather most adversities, now I get totally scared when reading that our national debt amounted to 257 billion in 2011 … yikes!!

When I google about our economy, the results go on and on about how much it's growing bla bla bla but retail wise, I just don't see it and my salary certainly doesn't reflect it."

Like Tania, she notes that skilled workers are lacking. "I read that our country is among the top 20 nations to be labelled as losers of capital flight ... that is RM893 billion(!) siphoned out between 1970 and 2010, so why should we stay back and help with the improvement of wealth to the 1 per cent? Then again, what do I know, I'm just a shopgirl."

At the many open houses around the capital, the Malaysians asked, professed to forgetting that Merdeka was around the corner. This year is bad, they said, and their open houses reflect that.

Open houses are celebrated on a smaller scale now.

READ MORE HERE

Time for DAP to be a good partner

Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:42 PM PDT

The Chinese-based party should not rock the Pakatan boat right now by harping on non-issues and should instead work towards winning the polls.

CT Ali, FMT

The 13th general election is there for Pakatan Rakyat to lose. And lose it they will if DAP does not get its act together. I never thought I would say that.

All this time I have watched DAP grow from strength to strength. Consolidating its considerable presence in Sabah and Sarawak while making inroads into the Peninsula in places where even Umno thinks Pakatan would not dare venture into or could hope to field a candidate against the Barisan Nasional and have a chance to win.

All this while, the DAP has made concerted efforts to take in Malays to boost its claims to be a party for all Malaysians. Its commitment on taking over the government in concert with PAS and PKR seems to be the order of the day.

And yet as the 13th general election nears, we see the real DAP is starting to unravel… to fray at its edges.

The memory of the controversial exit of its vice-chairman, Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, has returned to haunt the party because now, through Tunku Aziz, we are privy to what has been said of Anwar Ibrahim by DAP's first-tiered leadership.

And what they say of Anwar is not flattering to DAP and to Anwar himself. Now, is DAP making use of Tunku Aziz to rein in Anwar after his acquittal of Sodomy II?

Or is Tunku Aziz making use of DAP to continue his public spat with Anwar over his insistence that the April 28 Bersih rally should not have proceeded at Dataran Merdeka? You tell me. Either way, it bodes ill for the Pakatan coalition.

Hudud a non-issue

The DAP also insists on mischievously harping on hudud – a non-issue as both BN and Pakatan are on record as having said that they will not and cannot implement. So why talk about something that is not going to be implemented?

Another non-issue is party hopping. It is a non-issue because anybody with an ounce of grey matter in his or her brain is against this.

But anybody with an ounce of grey matter also knows, understands and accepts that no matter what anybody says, any politician worth his salt will have to accept that in a democracy, elections are won in a number of ways – and party hopping is one of them.

Tell us, Karpal Singh and Lim Kit Siang, was there not a time when this Anwar was once your sworn enemy? Wasn't he your favourite target and whipping boy in Parliament? And now you are comrades in arms.

And do you not have within DAP ranks former Umno politicians? What do you call that? A change of heart, a marriage of convenience? Or has the time come even for sworn enemies to look again at each other's convictions and see if there is room to work together towards a common goal?

So please DAP, while it is a decent thing to do to be against frogs that go hopping from one party to another, the adherence to such sentiment might be a bit harder to do.

We are at war with BN. Almost anything that could assist us to win that war must be considered. When victory is in hand, these "questionable tactics" can be looked again with clear heads. Until then shut up.

Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:35 AM PDT

Mat Sabu was telling the truth when he denied he said PAS would amendment the constitution to implement hudud. The word 'hudud' was planted into the conversation by the reporter, who was smart enough to put the questions in such a way that Mat Sabu could hardly answer in the negative.

Kim Quek

Like any reader of The Sin Chew Daily, I was stunned by its front page headline on Aug 28, which reads: "PAS will implement Hudud when it rules".

My split-second reaction was: "Gosh, this is serious!". Flashing instantly across the mind is the image of an Islamic state, mixed with the consternation that PAS might have suddenly changed course over the Islamic state issue and the devastating electoral repercussion that can be expected to ensue from the Chinese community following such a shocking turn of event.

Anxious to know more, I read through the entire two pages covering the event without pause, and was relieved that, as I expected, PAS has indeed held on to its policy of putting the pursuit of an Islamic state and implementation of Hudud as a long term objective – certainly not the current priority. I am happy that the alliance of PAS-PKR-DAP remains intact and on-course in its relentless march to Putrajaya.

Meanwhile Sin Chew's headline on Aug 28 has kicked up a mini-storm in the Internet.

MAT SABU DENIES, BUT SIN CHEW PERSISTS

PAS Deputy President Mat Sabu immediately denied that he said PAS would amend the federal constitution to implement Hudud should it come to power.

"I did not say (we'll bring) hudud (to Parliament)," he told Malaysiakini.

He added that good governance and social justice must be practised in Malaysia before implementing the Islamic penal code.

However, Sin Chew on the other hand also defended its headline report by giving the following sequence of events through its website on Aug 28 (Tuesday):

Stage 1: On Sunday, Aug 26:

Sin Chew asked Mat Sabu to comment on PAS President Hadi Awang's statement on Saturday (Aug 25) that PAS would implement Hudud through the democratic process.

Mat Sabu answered: "Democracy is to govern through the ballot box, and change to any policy must be done through Parliament, and two-thirds support (in Parliament) is needed to amend the constitution."

Stage 2: On Monday, Aug 27:

Based on the above Mat Sabu answer, Sin Chew's evening edition said in its headline story: "Mat Sabu says PAS has decided to propose constitutional amendment to implement hudud should the Islamic party capture Putrajaya"

Upon learning from an English daily that Mat Sabu had denied saying so, Sin Chew called Mat Sabu to clarify further.

Mat Sabu reiterated that if any party wanted to amend "any Act", it would need to go through Parliament, and that he didn't mention hudud.

He also stated that the party had not discussed whether to table a motion to amend the constitution.

However, Sin Chew reporter pressed further and asked: "The 'any Act', does it include hudud?". Mat Sabu answered: "Yes."

The reporter further asked: : "Can I say PAS 'memang berhasrat' (intend) to amend the constitution to implement any Act, including hudud, but at the moment has not discussed the matter of tabling a motion in Parliament?". Mat Sabu answered: "Can."

Stage 3: (Tuesday, Aug 28)

Sin Chew splashed the headline "PAS will implement hudud when it rules", saying in its first line: "PAS Deputy President Mat Sabu says PAS intends to seek constitutional amendment in Parliament in order to implement hudud, when it rules in the central government".

THE TRUTH

From the above sequence of events, we can see that Mat Sabu was telling the truth when he denied he said PAS would amendment the constitution to implement hudud. The word 'hudud' was planted into the conversation by the reporter, who was smart enough to put the questions in such a way that Mat Sabu could hardly answer in the negative.

In fact, Mat Sabu was only making a general remark when he answered that a constitutional amendment needs to have two thirds support in parliament. He was certainly not specifically referring to hudud, so it is not fair to coin the words in such a way as to portray Mat Sabu as driving the point that PAS will seek parliamentary approval for implementing hudud upon taking over the federal government.

It is apparent that Mat Sabu didn't want to give a direct answer. The reasons are simple.

In the first place, a parliamentary motion from PAS needs to go through the process of building consensus within Pakatan Rakyat, more so when it is a constitutional amendment as momentous as the introduction of hudud and the conversion of the status quo into an Islamic state. There is no such consensus now or in the foreseeable future.

Secondly, social conditions are not ripe for implementation of hudud as exemplified by the lack of social justice and good governance in our country, as pointed out by Mat Sabu and other Islamic scholars.

Thirdly, it is suicidal for PAS to hammer home the hudud agenda at this sensitive election time when it says it is still in the process of building greater understanding among non-supporters of hudud,who in all likelihood, predominate the electorate.

So, with all these hurdles standing in the way, does it make sense for PAS to trumpet the message that upon reaching Putrajaya, it will implement hudud – as if this is currently its urgent priority?

HEADLINE MISLEADING

Perhaps what causes the furor most is not so much the details in Sin Chew's report as the grossly misleading and sensational title of "PAS WILL IMPLEMENT HUDUD WHEN IT RULES". It distinctly gives the impression that hudud is on the cards, the moment PAS steps into Putrajaya.

So, who among the non-Muslims wouldn't be alarmed and shocked by such a headline and the leading sentences of the story, when they have all along been assured that PAS will only move through consensus within Pakatan Rakyat and that the latter's prime political objective is to improve the people's welfare by replacing the corrupt and obsolete Barisan Nasional?

Considering that many readers do not read through all the relevant details or possess the analytical mind to sort out the wheat from the chaff, many must have already been misled and alienated by this sensational report.

(In all fairness to Sin Chew, despite the misleading headlines and the leading story on Aug 28, its entire coverage of the subject, particularly its exhaustive coverage spreading over five pages in the following day, Aug 29, do contain sufficient truthful information for the more discerning reader to form the correct conclusion).

Now that the damage has been done, it falls upon Pakatan Rakyat and democracy activists to dispel the misperception and spread the truth that hudud remains a PAS objective, but not an agreed Pakatan Rakyat agenda when it comes to power. And hence, a vote for PAS is not a vote for Hudud, but a vote for good governance.

Hudud law: Truth or illusion?

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 03:55 PM PDT

Our reporter called him again after the evening edition of Sin Chew Daily hit the street, and wanted to reconfirm with him the content of his speech. Mat Sabu offered to change the tone from "decided" to "had the intention" (berhasrat) which our reporter agreed. As a result, some minor changes appeared on the morning edition of the newspaper: "PAS has the intention of seeking constitutional amendment in the Parliament in order to implement the hudud law once the Pakatan takes the helm of the federal administration."

Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily

In an open society, everything is laid out under the sun for public scrutiny.

I personally have nothing against what PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has said. On the contrary, I used to have very high regards for his candidness, and his relatively open and pragmatic attitude towards things.

Such a perception has been reflected in many of my past commentaries on PAS.

This time, we have to really thank Mat Sabu for accepting an interview from Sin Chew Daily, during which our reporter requested him to expound the remarks made by party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang on Harakah that the party had the intention of implementing the hudud law through democratic process.

Mat Sabu explained, "PAS has decided that it will seek constitutional amendment in the Parliament to implement the hudud law once the Pakatan takes the helm of the federal administration."

As a result, some minor changes appeared on the morning edition of the newspaper: "PAS has the intention of seeking constitutional amendment in the Parliament in order to implement the hudud law once the Pakatan takes the helm of the federal administration."

In the meantime, we also interviewed PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man to get him to clarify on the party's stand on this issue. His response was consistent with that of Mat Sabu and the same was published on the day's edition of Sin Chew Daily.

We have later acquired the official statement of PAS president Hadi Awang on August 13, as well as his August 25 statement published on the party's mouthpiece Harakah on the implementation of the hudud law.

We later clarified with PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali on the same issue.

Unfortunately, after the report went into print, Mat Sabu denied the following day what he had said, and claimed that Sin Chew Daily had distorted his speech.

We tried contact him with the hope of seeking further clarification from him but have so far not been able to get him.

It appears that politicians' customary ways of doing things have been repeated on Mat Sabu. Although this is nothing new in politics, I am still somewhat disappointed. I thought Mat Sabu was a responsible man who would loyally adhere to his principles.

To support our case that we have not misquoted or distorted anyone's speech, we published the statement Hadi Awang has made on today's Sin Chew Daily, along with an exclusive interview with Mustafa Ali for public scrutiny.

We have to make it very clear that our reports on the hudud law have not been tailored in such a way to baffle PAS or Pakatan but to deliver accurate and essential information to the reading public.

As a public medium, we are in no position to conceal any piece of important information from public knowledge, especially something that involves public interests, and incidents that may transform our society in one way or another.

It is imperative that PAS' stand on the implementation of hudud law be exposed under the sun so that members of the public could comprehend, evaluate and make their options.

The worst thing we could do is to selectively hide the truth, glorifying the most beautiful parts and covering up the rest of it.

The most despicable and deceitful way of doing things is to tell one side of the story to the Muslim community, and the other side to the non-Muslims.

PAS used to enjoy a respectable repute and should therefore treasure its own credibility. If the party insists that the hudud law is correct and appropriate, it should then publicly proclaim its political agendas in the same tone, be it to the Muslim or non-Muslim society, and go on to promote and lobby for them among the Chinese voters.

That said, the party must make its agendas unreservedly open to all Malaysians. This is the most fundamental way of doing things justly.

Meanwhile, PAS' allies in the opposition pact must never attempt to create a glamorous illusion among the Chinese community with their own interests and ballots as prime considerations. While political parties have every right to pursue their goals and objectives, they have to be accountable to the rakyat in so doing.

Whether the hudud law is eventually good or detrimental to our nation, once it is put into implementation, it will stay in effect for generations, even as electoral ballots and political parties do not last forever.

Malaysians are entitled to the whole truth to make sensible judgements and choices that will shape their common future.

The bankruptcy of the Islamic vs secular state debate

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 03:35 PM PDT

Those who ignore ― whether deliberately or otherwise ― the civilizational, historical, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of Islam risks projecting their own prejudices and fantasies onto their understanding of Islam wherever they employ the words "Islam" or "Islamic" in their utterances or writings, thus betraying their superficial grasp of the religion which they (falsely) claim to represent.

Imran Mustafa and Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil, The Malaysian Insider

We read with interest the article by Dr Farouk Musa entitled "Arguing for a secular state" published on August 22 in The Malaysian Insider.

The idea of the Islamic state, as mentioned by Farouk, is indeed a modern creation. It did not appear, or even conceivable, prior to the total fall and destruction of the Caliphate, as Muslims have always understood polity and politics to be intimately linked to some form of authority which upholds systems that are congruent with principles in Islam.

This is of no surprise, as there had never been any point in Muslim history in which there was a total loss of sovereignty in almost all Muslim lands, and of which Muslims can do nought but watch as their precious way of life, their entire being, were unrecognizably altered to fit a system whose history and philosophy they did not share.

In fact, according to Shaykh Seraj Hendriks, a Mufti in South Africa, the adjective "Islamic" was never truly used for organisations or entities prior to the fall of the Caliphate, including "Islamic Renaissance", whatever that might mean. Indeed, the use of the adjective came first in Muslim majority countries, rather than non-Muslim countries, indicating the severity of the trauma that the Ummah suffered at that time.

A tangential but crucial point that needs to be made on the meaning and scope of the word 'Islamic' is that it should be not understood simply as a prefix, the addition of which automatically transforms the subject-matter into agreement with the requirements of the religion of Islam.

This is especially true if one reduces and restricts the meaning of the word 'Islam' and 'Islamic' to an external show of piety without a conscious and knowing submission, or to a private choice without an outward and social manifestation of religious belief, or to an intellectual form of religious understanding severed from its spiritual and intuitive wellsprings, instead of conceiving the word 'Islam' or 'Islamic' as standing for a religion founded upon Divine Revelation, transmitted by Holy Prophets and Messengers (upon them be peace!) and nurtured by learned scholars and men and women of spiritual discernment and of pure and upright character.

Indeed, inserting the word "Islam" or "Islamic" into the name of one's movement or organization does not necessarily mean that words and deeds of the movement or organization will be in harmony with the teachings and practices of Islam nor does it guarantee that everything it stood for faithfully represents the religious and intellectual traditions of Islam, especially if those in movement or organization of such kinds are themselves confused about the fundamental elements of the worldview of Islam and completely unmoored from the living tradition of Islam as constituted by its scholars and saints, in addition to men and women of spiritual discernment.

In evaluating the validity and soundness of the proposals made by such movements or organizations pertaining to the direction and future of the Ummah, one doth well to remember that even the devil can quote Scripture.

A sensitivity towards history

The study of history is only as useful as it contributes to a true and correct perspective of the present, upon which a proper and clear path to the future may be charted. This alone should be sufficient in justifying the need for a sensitive awareness of the historical context and a critical assessment of historicity whenever one wishes to discuss ideas and theories, peoples and nations.

The attitude that readily marginalizes the historical perspective and analysis on the assumption that everything that has happened are of no value to our predicaments today and which pretentiously declares the obligation to respect and care for our intellectual inheritance amounts to a form of 'medievalism' which is regressive and archaic, is predicated on a shallow concept of what being medieval represents and entails.

There is, in fact, nothing wrong with being 'medieval' ― some of the best buildings in the world are medieval buildings, as are some of the best poetry. One only needs to point to the great Gothic churches of Europe; to Chaucer and Rumi as obvious examples.

In fact, the Mu'tazilites, whom Farouk is fond of mentioning, were also 'medieval' rather than classical, being influenced primarily by Plotinus, a neo-Platonist, due to a misattribution in the title of the book, "The Philosophy of Aristotle".

The same is also true of Muslim thought and matters of fiqh (jurisprudence). One cannot, for example, take a text such as al-Mawardi's al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah out of context and assume universality ― this is in fact an inversion of fiqh, which literally translates to understanding.

One also cannot, by virtue of the same reasoning, throw away such works due to some misappropriation of some quarters in society. What is required, obviously, is a proper understanding of the historical context and a critical examination of the text. There can be errors in reasoning, and we shall deal with this in due course, but it is the principle still stands, nonetheless.

Therefore, when discussing the so-called "Islamic state" and the way it was understood by past Muslims, one needs to look at how medieval Muslim polities operated, and whether or not such contexts and elements that existed then still exist in the same form today. Then, a critical evaluation and interrogation of the current, accepted system need also be made in order to best fit the purposes of the din, which is ultimately, submission to the Almighty.

Now, traditional Muslim polities are known to be relatively decentralised. In fact, the appropriation of the hudud laws in traditional Muslim societies have been mainly local, even though the Qadis might be appointed by the government. The fact that Qadis are normally local means that they would normally understand the local context, and therefore are able to exercise discretion in the way the Law is exercised.

There is, after all, a distinction made within Islamic Law between hudud and ta'zir, and it was also related by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf that the dishing of punishment, whether hudud or ta'zir, very much depended upon the understanding of the local qadi of both the Law, which requires an understanding of the Principles of Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) as well as the local context.

Therefore, the objection that, "The formulation, adoption and implementation of legislation are always matters of human judgment and reasoning. Therefore their intended implementation is subject to human error and fallibility and can always be challenged and questioned", has always been understood within the Muslim intellectual tradition, and jurists traditionally have been acutely aware of their own fallibility as human beings; hence all treatises on fiqh always ends with the phrase "Allahu a'lam" or "God Knows Best". Indeed, to a certain extent, this is no different than today's justice system, whereby cases of miscarriages of injustice is not unknown to have occurred.

If it argued that the mere fact that somebody is a human being automatically renders his judgement and conclusion on matters of religion suspect in terms of its validity and truth, then is not the questioner himself open to similar charges of human fallibility?

After all, if the mere fact that a scholar is also a human being impairs him from giving valid and correct solutions to a particular religious problem, how can it be guaranteed that those who are challenging the scholar will be immune from the same failings, especially if the intellectual and spiritual qualities of the challenger is nowhere near compared to the scholar against whom he rails upon?

Therefore, in brazenly imputing the fallibility of the learned of the past due to the self-evident fact that there are merely human beings, the challenger leaves himself open to the same charge of fallibility by others, which then calls into question the validity of his challenge in the first place since he too is a mere human being.

Now, in the specific case of hudud, the intrinsic flexibility and robustness of the system which takes into account the diversities and weaknesses of human reasoning was radically altered with the permeation of Western ideas of nation states into the minds of the Muslims at the turn of the 20th century, which among other things, calls for a singular and uniform codified law within the political boundaries of the state.

The reduction of legal principles to strict and clear rules in a legal code disrupts and impairs the ability of the jurists to exert his or her own opinion to the fullest, disempowering them by shifting the judicial-legislative powers to a centralized state bureaucracy.

An example of this occurred when the Ottomans, as part of programmatic response to external Western threats, initiated a series of internal reform in the early 19th century, the most significant being an attempt to codify the Syariah, which involves compiling large amounts of authoritative Hanafi legal rulings and codifying it into a single body of work. As Noah Feldman explained in his book, "The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State":

"This Westernizing process, foreign to the Islamic legal tradition, sought to transform Syariah from a body of doctrines and principles to be discovered by the human efforts of the scholars into a set of rules that could be looked up in a book."

What transpired was that the jurist were, to a very large extent, forced to make their own rulings based on previous ones (simple precedents), thereby removing their traditional flexibility in applying principles of justice and significantly diminishing their role as the source of legal authority.

This, coupled with the breakdown of the Millet system ― which divided the population of the vast Ottoman Empire into several quasi-autonomous groupings according to their religious affiliations, with each groupings enjoying comparative legislative, judicial, fiscal and religious freedom, thus granting security, stability and self-confidence to the members of each grouping, securing the preservation of religious and cultural identity across successive generations within the same religious community ― due to the rise of nationalism, were among the factors which contributed to the failure of the multiracial, multiethnic, and multireligious Ottoman system.

As the 19th century progressed into the 20th century and the idea of nation states with their fixed borders and single codified law became the norm, the conception of what a "state" is and of "Islamic law" crystallised around these accepted models of "nation states" and now should be and, indeed are, critically evaluated so as to test its validity in light of the intellectual and religious traditions of Islam and more importantly, to determine the extent to which it can be made to serve the needs of Muslims living in the modern world.

READ MORE HERE

UMNO, PAS and the hudud debate

Posted: 27 Aug 2012 05:44 PM PDT

UMNO keeps attacking PAS through state-controlled media in the hope that it would turn PAS and DAP against each other. Many too are waiting for PAS to fall apart before elections. At the same time, UMNO has not shown courage to respond to MCA's repeated rejection of Hudud. It is more interested to keep deceiving Malay voters, ensuring they remain in the dark.

Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang, Harakah

Hudud form one of several of Islamic penal codes, along with qisas and ta'zir. It is divine prerogative, as codified in the Qu'ran and mutawatir hadiths (whose chain of narrations is solid making them authoritative), detailing specific offences covered in Hudud, the punishments they entail and the grounds of punishment.

It is obligatory upon Muslims to firstly believe that Islam is the way of life. This obligation is not just upon PAS supporters but is required of all Muslims, whether they belong to NGOs or political parties, including UMNO. Although UMNO is party based on race which is only open to Bumiputera, Muslim and non-Muslim, its Muslim members are nevertheless bound by this conviction. They are obligated to believe in and act on Islam as the way of life according to the Quran and Sunnah.

Qur'anic verses revealed in Madinah as contained in such surahs as Al-Maidah and Al-Nur have touched upon the issue of crimes and punishments.

It starts with a strong call:

O you who believe, fulfil all contracts. (Al-Maidah: 1)

These contracts include the declaration of faith or shahadah, the most essential requirement in being a Muslim. It is the point at which one declares his belief in God and His Messenger.

[This is] a surah which We have sent down and made [that within it] obligatory and revealed therein verses of clear evidence that you might remember. (Al-Nur: 1)

It is a must that the implementation of Islamic law which incorporates hudud, qisas and ta'zir is carried out through a just system of judiciary. It is prohibited that they are implemented spontaneously by mere individuals or families or even by officials at district or state levels, without first having a proper structured system in place. This is especially so in Malaysia, where Islamic law is implemented by virtue of political power. This is not so different from the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he was unable to implement Islamic law in the absence of political power during the early years of Makkah. Such a power was vested in him in Madinah, where Islamic law was supreme under the auspices of a sovereign state and a comprehensive legal system.

A multiracial and diverse society is not a hurdle for Islamic law; many verses in the Qur'an have been revealed specifically for the purpose of explaining the law to non-Muslims in Madinah who objected to Hudud. The Prophet did not wait until everyone in Madinah agreed or understood the law before implementing it, and ultimately, this understanding came together with implementation. The social effects of Islamic law have demonstrated to the suspecting non-Muslims in Madinah that it is just and effective in controlling crime and creating a sense of security in society.

We must not forget that even though Islamic punishments are harsh, the punishment thresholds are proportionately higher. The burden of proof that the accuser or the prosecutor has to bear is more stringent than that in most civil laws. A slightest shadow of a doubt would lead to acquittals from being subjected to Hudud punishment, and could lead to a clean acquittal or a sentence based on the principle of ta'zir (punishment meted out at the discretion of the judge). Ta'zir ensures that Hudud is not rendered ineffective due to its stringent application. In a way, it also ensures out of court settlements. That was why some criminals had indeed escaped Hudud during the times of the Righteous Caliphs, not because the authority deliberately dropped the Hudud, but because the ta'zir was opted instead.

PAS has ruled Kelantan through democracy and adherence to federalism, in the same way it once ruled Terengganu. This is in contrast with UMNO which had undermined the principle of federalism, punishing the people of Kelantan over their choice of government. Faced with Federal pressure, PAS has consistently fulfilled its obligation to implement Islam as the way of life. These efforts culminated in the passing in Kelantan of the Shariah Criminal Code enactment at the state assembly. Kelantan has also implementing several Islamic laws at the municipal level, including the prohibition on gambling and the limitation of liquor to only non-Muslims. PAS has at the same time taken every care to respect the inviolable freedom of non-Muslims.

The process of compiling the Shariah enactment was done with the help of legal scholars and experts, and publicised to the public before being debated at the state assembly level. Political parties and NGOs were invited to debate the enactment. PAS members of parliament had several times sought to amend the constitution but stopped by the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat and their motions were deliberately placed at the bottom of the agenda, making them unlikely for parliamentary approval.

PAS is determined to uphold its objectives through democratic channels and political alliances, as allowed by Islam as well as the party constitution. In the same spirit, PAS respects and acknowledges the differences of opinions among its allies in Pakatan Rakyat, and subscribes to a common policy platform to battle corruption, power abuse and oppression. In the past 50 years, Barisan Nasional at the federal government has shown little determination in bringing useful reforms where needed, instead, power play has become a central agenda.

UMNO is the largest component in BN, and it drew votes from the Malay Muslim community at every election. It controls governments at state and federal levels, is in charge of national institutes such as the Institute for Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM), the National Fatwa Council, the religious departments in most states and various institutes of higher learning. With all the resources and opportunities at its disposal, there is no doubt that UMNO bears a bigger responsibility to implement Islamic law. Clearly, this has only been used as UMNO's political tool against PAS to manipulate voter sentiments.

After more than half a century at the helm, UMNO should have been aware of its obligation to uphold Islamic principles, at the very least to nurture understanding of Islam among its allies in BN. If that obligation has been fulfilled by UMNO, PAS would be more than happy to support efforts to implement Islam, which include the fight against corruption and for justice in society. In such a situation, it will even be wrong for PAS to oppose UMNO, or any other BN components for that matter. Unfortunately, there is no sign that UMNO even wishes to go in that direction. In fact, it was the top UMNO leader who delivered the ultimatum to Kelantan to stop the implementation of Islamic law.

A Muslim's failure to fulfil the duty of implementing God's law amounts to a betrayal of God and His Messenger. The effects of such betrayals are clear for us to see; crime is on the rise, mainly due to the ineffectiveness of the current legal system to combat crime, and yet we continue to support the retention of such a flawed system.

UMNO keeps attacking PAS through state-controlled media in the hope that it would turn PAS and DAP against each other. Many too are waiting for PAS to fall apart before elections. At the same time, UMNO has not shown courage to respond to MCA's repeated rejection of Hudud. It is more interested to keep deceiving Malay voters, ensuring they remain in the dark.

The culture of subservience to UMNO must be ended. It is time that we rise to be better and more dignified. In that spirit, PAS will continue to welcome support and not be deterred by any obstacle, wherever it may come from, in order to uphold Islam. Because we believe that Islam is the way of life.

Hopping means betrayal

Posted: 27 Aug 2012 05:21 PM PDT

We are curious about the stand of Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is the leader behind the scene that caused the fall of the PBS state government in 1994 and planned the September 16 takeover attempt in 2008, over the proposed anti party-hopping Bill.

Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily

The Penang state government is planning to table an anti party-hopping Bill at the November sitting of the State Legislative Assembly. It has triggered the questions of whether preventing the people's elected representatives from changing parties is a violation of the freedom of association conferred by the Federal Constitution, and why Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made such a proposal at this time?

It is not something new to have elected government being collapsed by party-hopping lawmakers. In the 1994 Sabah state election, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) managed to stay in power after winning 25 of the total 48 state assembly seats. However, its members were induced and roped, and the state government fell two months later. It is a forever pain in the heart of its founding president Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

On January 25, 2009, Umno Bota state assembly member Datuk Nasarudin Hashim hopped to the PKR, causing the Pakatan Rakyat to have 32 seats in the Perak state assembly, five seats more than the BN's 27 seats. The BN and Umno rapidly launched a counterattack by pulling back Nasarudin to Umno, and roping in DAP Jelapang state assembly member Datuk Hee Yit Foong, PKR Behrang state assembly member Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Changkat Jering state assemblyman Mohd Osman Jailu. They quit the Pakatan Rakyat and supported the BN, allowing the BN to regain the Perak state regime.

Different people in different situations have different feelings for the proposed anti party-hopping Bill. Pairin believes that when a people's representative contests under the banner of a political party, he or she has "sealed" a social contract with the people. If he or she changes party after being elected, it means a betrayal to the commitment. However, other BN leaders do not agree with the anti party-hopping Bill and MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek even challenged the DAP to amend its party constitution to prohibit party-hopping lawmakers from joining the party.

If there is no law to prevent lawmakers from violating the commitments, the elected government might eventually fall, causing the election to lose its significance.

The Penang state government proposed the anti party-hopping Bill with the hope to gain public support and prompt the federal government to amend the Federal Constitution. The general view is, the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat are equal in strength and if the numbers of seats they gain in the next general election are close, the elected government would be unstable, if there is no law prohibiting lawmakers from changing parties. Can the BN be sure that betrayal will not happen within the ruling coalition?

Therefore, there must be an anti party-hopping law to clarify that the seat of a lawmaker who quits his or her party will be vacant, even if he or she does not join the rival party.

The people's right to vote should be prioritised over lawmaker's right of association. Moreover, the act of quitting and joining rival parties is related to the lawmaker's integrity and should not be simplified as democracy and freedom.

However, even if the anti party-hopping Bill is passed in the Penang state assembly, it would still be ruled invalid once it is brought to court.

In 1993, the PBS had foreseen a potential threat for the state government and thus, an anti party-hopping Bill was passed by in the Sabah state assembly. However, the Bill was challenged in court and eventually ruled invalid due to the violation of the Federal Constitution.

Similar to the restoration of local elections, lawmakers can still change parties as they like if the federal government refuses to cooperate. Such kind of democracy and freedom of association are not worth mentioning.

Hudud not just a religious issue

Posted: 27 Aug 2012 01:19 PM PDT

Muslims must recognise that people of other religions have the right to their own beliefs. They must also recognise that a person's belief does not hinder him from associating and or cooperating with – what is now a commonly used term – "kafirs" if the purpose is beneficial to all.

Awang Abdillah

According to the Quran, there is no compulsion in the freedom of faith.

The hudud issue is one of those opportunistic topics that snakes its way into the mainstream every time conniving politicians hit a wall.

As a Muslim, let me share a simple truth enshrined in the Quran.

The Surah AlKafirun affirms that for a Muslim "his religion is his" and for a non-Muslim "his religion is his", which basically means "to you your religion and to me mine".

It is crystal clear that there is no compulsion in this freedom of faith. As such, persons with different beliefs can still work together

Beliefs are a set of values about the spiritual or physical things that a person has faith in such as truth, strength, guidance and benefits.

Hence everyone has his own beliefs, be it factual, real or mythical.

Muslims must recognise that people of other religions have the right to their own beliefs.

They must also recognise that a person's belief does not hinder him from associating and or cooperating with – what is now a commonly used term – "kafirs" if the purpose is beneficial to all.

Which brings me to the politics of the day.

Prophet lived with a Christian

If the DAP does not accept the hudud Islamic law, so be it. The question of prohibiting Muslims from supporting DAP does not arise at all.

As a political party, DAP has its own struggle – in the pursuit of its own principles and objectives.

And being a non-Muslim party, its beliefs will in many ways run contrary to that of a Muslim.

Nevertheless in the political cause, the party can still work together with Muslim parties for the benefit of the nation.

As far as cooperation – for justice, good governance and nation building – is concerned, there is no reason why different political parties cannot work together.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lived with his uncle Abu Talib who was not a Muslim and assisted the latter in the trade business.

The first Hijrah of the Muslims was to Habsyah (now modern Ethiopia), which was a Christian country at that time, to seek protection from persecutions from the Meccans.

Let me enlighten you with this insight: on the issue of the implementation of hudud law, even many Umno stalwarts are not in favour of it.

What is happening now is that certain PAS hardliners are believed to be using the issue for their own political ends.

Do ghosts and spirits exist?

Posted: 26 Aug 2012 02:40 PM PDT

Is there any truth in the Chinese folklore that during the Zhong Yuan festival the gates of hell are opened allowing all wandering and suffering spirits to enter the earthy realm?

Stanley Koh, FMT

Do ghosts or earth-bound spirits exist? If so, why do they exist? Is there any truth to the belief that after death, humans are reincarnated into the spirit world? Is their existence a part of the human spiritual evolutionary process in the cycle of life and death?

The curious mind can go on generating a list of perplexing questions on the mysterious and puzzling existence of invisible beings that continue to influence and shape religious-cultural practices since the dawn of human civilization.

Perhaps, the answers are within our human psyche and not externally out there.

Millions of people with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds across the globe have some sort of personal life and death experience which shapes their views and beliefs on the existence of invisible beings and the spirit world.

A student on spiritualism will swear that suicides and other victims of sudden death (that is, accidents and murders), including executed criminals, having been cut off in the full flush of physical life, are likely to be earth-bound in the hope of satisfying their deeply rooted desires or thirst for life.

Some scholars of occultism also claim that passionate sorrow and desires of friends on earth tend to draw departed spirits down to the earth-sphere again, thus, often causing acute suffering to the deceased as well as interfering with the normal course of their evolution.

Furthermore, the uninitiated ordinary folk are unable to distinguish the major difference between an astral body and an earth-bound reincarnated spirit (that is, ghost) during paranormal encounters.

Perhaps, there are clues to this perplexing question. This is provided by author and student of theosophical studies, Lieut Colonel Arthur E Powell, in his publication titled, "The Astral Body."

Some define the "astral body" as a duplicate of the physical body, though this may not necessarily be true as it is composed of "subtle" or ethereal substances which are much less grosser than physical matter.

An astral body leaves the physical body upon death of a person and often, encounters with an astral body apparition with swirling colours are mistaken for ghosts.

"Astral matter exists in seven grades or orders of fineness, corresponding to the seven grades of physical matter which is solid, liquid, gaseous, etheric, super etheric, sub-atomic and atomic.

"Being much finer, the astral body's matter interpenetrates physical matter. Every physical atom therefore floats in a sea of astral matter which surrounds it and fills every interstice in the physical matter.

"Thus a being living in the astral world might be occupying the same space as a human being living in the physical world. Each entirely unconscious of the other and in no way impeding the freedom of movement of the other," according to the theosophical interpretation.

'Many kinds of heavens and hells'

In short, the astral body of man is a vehicle and every living man possesses and is capable of using an astral body. Most humans are able to use their five physical faculties of sense, taste, touch, hearing and sight but lack the knowledge in developing their astral senses which can reap the special powers of clairvoyance and astral travelling.

Hence to the uninitiated they lack the ability to distinguish the difference when they see an "astral body" and often mistake it for a "ghost" which is completely another different entity, another form of spiritual reincarnation.

In actuality, an astral shell of a deceased person is not immortal unlike the life span of a "ghost".

An auric astral shell will eventually disintegrate and dissolve into its original elements just as the physical body decomposes into different earthy elements upon death – corresponding to the five elements, namely earth, fire, water, air and metal as stipulated in the Taoist text on metaphysics.

Are there more interpretations on "ghosts" in other religions? According to Buddhist scriptures and texts, there are different types of ghosts while in Taoist metaphysical studies, the principle of "ying" and "yang" gives a clearer picture of human life after death.

"Hence, the many kinds of heavens, hells and purgatorial existences believed by followers of innumerable religions, all fall naturally into place and become intelligible as we understand the nature of the astral body and of the astral worlds," wrote Powell in his famous publication depicting in detail the characteristics and nature of the human astral body.

In a nutshell, there is a growing realisation and awareness of Man's true spiritual nature and the complexities in the human evolutionary process after life on earth, with interludes in other and subtler worlds.

With the dawn of the 21st century, there is little doubt the human species is steadily evolving and becoming more and more aware of their spiritual knowledge and needs.

"Physical science, with its ions and electrons, is on the threshold of the astral world, while the researches of Einstein and others are rapidly making acceptable the conception of the fourth dimension, which so long has been familiar to… students particularly of the astral and spiritual worlds.

"In the realm of psychology, modern analytical methods are giving a promising future of being able to reveal this true nature of human spiritual journey… the lower fraction of man's psychic mechanism, confirming incidentally some of the statements and teachings put forward by ancient Eastern books and by Theosophists and occultists of today."

Modern sciences and the enormous vogue of spiritualism, physical science and the realm of psychology are beginning to unfold the true psyche of the human species being not just a physical body endowed with merely physical senses.

Modern clinical sciences are beginning to understand the existence of other "bodies" encasing the human physical forms – the etheric astral and casual bodies including all the other complex interplaying different levels of human consciousness.

'We are indeed spiritual beings'

We are indeed spiritual beings on a human path, drifting on the broad current of the evolutionary stream on an eternal life voyage. Is it not logical to accept the principal truth that our life and death cycles involved an unbroken consciousness during rebirth, alternating between the physical and invisible astral planes or even other "lower or higher" spirit-bound dimensional worlds?

It is therefore fascinating when prominent psychiatrist Dr Brian Weiss through his scientific clinical studies on his patients opened an unexpected door into the astonishing realm of past-life regression.

His professional findings proved that life after death is not mere superstition or a myth of ancient wisdom.

Whatever profound yet simple truth on human evolutionary existence unveiled by Brian is nothing new. But the fascinating fact is, the truth of his clinical findings has finally pointed scientifically to the evidence of reincarnation.

Reincarnation can take place in many invisible dimensions of existence as some religions have described and narrated in their scriptures.

The existence of "etheric beings", ghosts or aggrieved spirits cannot be proven by chemistry. Spirits of the ghostly types or spiritual beings do exist in different levels at varying higher to lower hierarchies in the cycle of rebirths. It is sheer ignorance or arrogance even to ponder that human beings are the only spiritual, visible and living creatures on Earth.

In his publication, "Messages from the Masters," Brian wrote, "Humans always think of themselves as the only beings. This is not true. There are many worlds and many dimensions… many, many more souls…."

Brian is convinced of life after death despite his initial scepticism of "unscientific" fields in parapsychology and he confessed he knew nothing about the concept of past lives or reincarnation, nor did he initially desire to during the early years of his profession.

His scepticism changed 20 years ago when one of his patients inexplicably began recalling what seemed to be her past-life memories. Since then Brian regressed more than 2,000 patients to perinatal, in-utero or past life memories.

Do these evidential documented cases shed any light about the cycle of life and death involving the passage of time – past, present and future? Do they provide a scientific logical explanation on the existence of other beings, namely, ghosts, spirits, souls, angels, demons, vampires, elves, bogeymen, unicorns, phoenixes, energies of karma, chi, holy-spirit and guardian angels, to mention some examples of supernatural beings amid our human existence?

Anything unknown is generally fascinating, even to the sceptics.

READ MORE HERE

Crying wolf again?

Posted: 25 Aug 2012 02:51 PM PDT

Low-income earners have been suffocated by car loans. The Insolvency Department recorded 116,379 bankruptcy cases in the country between 2005 and April 2012. Some 25 per cent of them were due to debts over vehicle loans, with 2,000 below the age of 25.

Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew

I returned to my hometown during the Hari Raya holiday and the highway was filled with cars on my way back. It is a common traffic landscape in Malaysia during festive holidays.

If there is a high-speed rail in Peninsula, I believe that many would not choose to drive. Underdeveloped transportation causes crowded highways during long public holidays and the people would have to pay the of fuel consumption, environment pollution and accelerating the process of turning the country into a net oil importer.

The surge in the number of road vehicles and the underdeveloped public transport are due to the unsound National Automotive Policy (NAP). The government has exerted great efforts to develop and protect national cars and thus, not keen in upgrading the public transport system, particularly in developing high-speed rail.

Moreover, in addition to protecting national cars, the government also earns a great amount of income from car excise duty. Each imported car contributes at least RM10,000 to the Treasury and the government earns RM7 billion each year.

The government does not impose restriction to limit car purchase. There are more and more tolled highways but the traffic is increasingly crowded. If the number of vehicles in Kuala Lumpur is not limited, even the Mass Rapid Transit Corp (MRT) project would not be able to solve traffic problems in the capital.

It was reported recently that one of the main focuses of the upcoming NAP might include car price reduction in the next three or four years. However, the credibility of the report is not high if we calculate based on the benefits the government gets from car duties.

In fact, car price reduction has long been speculated but it always ended up as the wolf crying story due to the protection of national cars and other factors. The previous NAP only increased the automotive industry incentives but did not touch the status of national cars.

The car price reduction rumour this time might be related to the Pakatan Rakyat's commitment of relaxing car excise duty after taking over the office.

The BN government might adopt other strategies to compete with the car price reduction commitment of the Pakatan Rakyat and it is unlikely to narrow the price gap between national and imported cars, to avoid setting a blow to national car sales, which has already been falling, and related industries.

Moreover, reducing car prices will affect the situation as a whole. Car loan borrowers might end up overpaying the bank after the fall of car marker values.

Comprehensive consideration is necessary for the adjustment of the NAP. It must not only protect national cars and duty revenues, but at the same time, also solve the people's problem, including developing the public transport system to lighten the people's heavy burden of car loans.

Deviation in the NAP would also lead to the waste of resources. For example, bus services in Putrajaya gained less than RM2 million of annual income, causing them to suffer a loss of RM18 million each year. Ultimately, the government would be the one who pays the bill.

In addition, the government also approved a RM400 million fund to help stage bus operators which are finding it difficult to continue with their services in various states.

For ordinary citizens, food, clothing, housing and transportation are the basic necessities of life and thus, it is the government's responsibility to solve the people's traffic problems.

‘Mahathir, you have not triumphed’

Posted: 25 Aug 2012 02:38 PM PDT

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad may have been aiming 'a tad too high' when he likened himself with 'dictators' such as Mubarak, Hitler, Marcos and Gaddafi.

CT Ali, FMT

"Saya ingin tahu daripada pelawat ke blog saya tentang apakah yang saya telah lakukan semasa saya menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang menjadi bukti bahawa saya adalah seorang Diktator." – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir in his posting 'Diktator' recently asked readers of his blog Che Det, (of which this writer is one) for reasons why he has been unceremoniously dubbed a dictator.

He mentions Mubarak, Hitler, Marcos, Ceausescu, Mussolini, Gaddaffi and Saddam Hussein – all dictators of ill repute, notorious and certainly of dubious prominence but may I humbly suggest to Tun Mahathir that maybe he might be aiming a tad too high when linking himself to these dictators.

Any one of them would easily rate a mention in the top 20 dictators in our lifetime.

Unfortunately Mahathir may, at most, be mentioned as a dictator by the DAP Rocket and few other bloggers.

He flatters himself by thinking that he is in their company. These days he does seem bothered about what people write about him…visions of mortality perhaps.

Let's start from the beginning – from the time when he was a doctor and had to have the biggest car around and a Chinese driver!

Right from that time in his life Mahathir was already into making it known that he could afford a big car and a Chinese driver!

But then as now, who really cares?

His next memorable work was the writing of his book the Malay Dilemma – and we know what that was all about.

Insecure Mahathir

Then as Minister of Education, the changes he made to our education system has had adverse ramifications until today for the Malays and for all Malaysians.

My first memory of Mahathir's time as Prime Minister was his insistence that all government servants use a name tag.

Who can forget that Lat cartoon about that civil servant with a name tag right across his chest!

I mention all this because it gives us an idea of what kind of person this Mahathir is.

A very insecure little man who seeks attention and recognition from others with grand empty supercilious gesture that falls short of any real substance.

There are always a few of these 'Walter Mitty' types in our midst.

A Walter Mitty is "an ordinary, often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs"

Our tragedy is that this ordinary, ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs became our Prime Minister!

He had grand designs.

This 'almost a Malay' used the most fundamental tools – education and all government machinery under his control – to try and establish 'his' Malay race as the first amongst equals in our nation.

Ustaz Reduan Tee said even as a Chinese, he stills champions the Malay!

Mahathir, an 'almost Malay'

The irony of it all must have not been lost on Mahathir because we have this 'almost a Malay' not championing his people from Kerala but the Malays because he now becomes part of the 'Tuans' in Malaysia.

This daydream of his never became a reality as evident in the situation the Malays find themselves in today – never an equal among the other races and always the 'Johnny-come-lately' behind the Chinese.

But it did okay for Mahathir, his family and his cronies. They are rich beyond their dreams – at our expense.

For Mahathir, his family and his cronies are the proof that his grand design for Ketuanan Melayu has been achieved! Yes it has Tun Mahathir but at whose expense?

This 13th GE will be a defining moment in our nation but it has a historical before and after.

Umno is now facing the real possibility of defeat at the polls and this is because of the historical before!

The 'historical before' of what 22 years of Mahathir rule has turned Umno and Barisan Nasional into – a corrupt, arrogant and isolated political entity that is unable to understand the aspiration of its own people.

The 'historical after' is what we are trying to achieve with Pakatan Rakyat – change for the better.

READ MORE HERE

The art of selective listening

Posted: 24 Aug 2012 12:38 PM PDT

(FMT) - Have the people of Kelantan been victimised because of their vote for PAS? So when will the oil royalty payments be made to them?

Recently Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has set up a committee to look into the oil royalty payment issue of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. In fact, this committee is only to appease the Kelantanese in view of the ever-impending 13th general election.

And just so that it is not so obvious, Terengganu and Pahang have been added in for good measure.

A coalition of 58 NGOs have held a round-table discussion and have come up with a resolution saying that the federal government has to pay up the oil royalties to the Kelantan government without further delay. These NGOs have urged the federal government to quit stalling and forget about the said committee.

PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub has mentioned that the PM has failed to honour the agreement made between the Kelantan state government and Petronas in 1975 made during the second PM's tenure.

This was when DAP MP Lim Kit Siang, then aged 34 had posed a futuristic question in Parliament pertaining to the oil royalty payment. The BN federal government had then replied that the oil royalty payment would accordingly be paid to the Kelantan state government.

But as the federal government holds the purse-strings, the Kelantan government is powerless although the federal government has no right to withhold payments. Therefore the Kelantan government has initiated legal action against the federal government to obtain what is rightfully theirs after all avenues for negotiation have fallen through.

Earlier this year when the PM was in Sabah, he had told the Sabahans that Kelantan is the poorest state. Thus when the PM visited Kelantan after his Sabah visit, the Kelantanese had held up a banner mocking him, saying: "Berilah kami bayaran royalti minyak. Kami rakyat miskin. Kami juga rakyat 1Malaysia." (Please pay us the oil royalties. We are poor citizens. We are also citizens of 1Malaysia.)

Have the people of Kelantan been victimised because of their vote for PAS? So when will the oil royalty payments be made to them?

Water shortage

Now it is the turn of Selangorians to be victimised via the threat of water shortage. But just as equally worse is the foreigners threat. As in the case of Sabah, PM Najib should also set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to look into the foreigners issue in Selangor and KL.

As the age-old saying goes: 'Prevention is better than cure'. Listed below are the towns or localities where there is a large presence of foreigners, some legal and some illegal for sure.

In a few cases, even the local Malaysians are severely outnumbered: Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Ijok, Kg Paya Jaras, Sg. Buloh, Rawang, Kuang, Kundang, Damansara Damai, Bestari Jaya, Wangsa Permai, Selayang (areas near Selayang Mall), Pasar Borong Selayang, Kepong Metro Prima, Serdang, Puchong, Kajang, Klang, Kuala Langat, Hulu Langat, Ampang, Gombak, Segambut (KL), areas surrounding Jalan Chow Kit (KL), areas surrounding Jalan Raja Laut (KL), areas surrounding Pasar Seni (KL), and areas surrounding Kota Raya (KL).

The PM has always said that he is listening to the voice of the rakyat. So will there be a RCI for Selangor and KL in regards to the issue of the influx of foreigners to our shores?

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Khamis, 30 Ogos 2012

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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