Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- 'Love for Umno should be instilled among children at home'
- Tough for Umno to move as one, analysts say
- Best to get it over with fast
- Empirical evidence: Top-secret colonial files missing in UK
- Rosmah bakal dapat RM26 bilion dakwa Deepak
- Jeffrey wants ‘Homeland Security’ for Sabah
- Wan Azizah should contest in Penang
- ‘Govt must investigate Musa Hassan’
- Rename the "Malay" race: from bangsa “Melayu” to bangsa “Sawojaya”
- Misrepresentations of Islam in the Contemporary Anglophonic Discourse
- ‘Goalkeeper Rosmah will cause BN downfall’
- The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 8)
- Umno runs down LGBT, pluralism, liberalism as assembly ends
- BN will recapture all Pakatan states, win two-thirds majority, say Umno leaders
- When the Lord spoke to the chosen people
- ‘DAP’s partisan politics will backfire’
| 'Love for Umno should be instilled among children at home' Posted: 01 Dec 2012 10:32 AM PST (Bernama) - The strong feeling of love for Umno should be instilled among the children at home so that they would not be influenced by the ploys used by the opposition especially in the increasingly challenging political environment. For Mohd Razali Ahmad, 58, a member from the Lenggong Umno division in Perak, he had adopted this concept for so long that all his five children had become Umno members and their confidence in the party would not be shaken even if they were 'baited' by the opposition. Mohd Razali said he had introduced Umno to his children, aged between 18 and32, when they were still small. "Let's not talk to them about Umno when they are already teenagers. Umno must be introduced at home. "When they think about Umno, then they will ask...what is Umno? We respond by saying...Umno is the United Malay National Organisation...Umno has been championing the Malay cause right from the start," he said. "This is what we want to teach, we talk about Umno, this is the Umno struggle...this is Umno, that is Umno, so that they will love Umno. But if we never mention about Umno at all in our house, how can they love Umno?" he said. "If they go out to pursue higher studies anywhere, the early exposure that we have given them about Umno will certainly remind them about the party. Let others come and talk about anything, they will eventually come back to the struggles of their parents and grandparents. They will love Umno," he said. Meanwhile, a mother of three, Zadariah Ismail, 59, said she had always reminded her three children, aged between 28 and 37, on the Umno struggles for the Malays. "We have to remind our children of our struggles in the past because our children are now living in comfort. "Sometimes I feel sad...really sad. I tell my children that they must remember...without the present government, they may not become what they are today," she said, adding that all her children were now Umno members.
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| Tough for Umno to move as one, analysts say Posted: 01 Dec 2012 10:26 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Umno's faithful broke from their final pre-polls huddle last night clearly spirited and re-energised but there was little they gained from the four-day meet, analysts have said, noting that the assembly witnessed nothing more than chest-thumping and finger-pointing rhetoric from party delegates. The only significant takeaway from the assembly for those in attendance, however, was party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak's unity message last night and his repeated reminders for members to stay united and to point their knives outward ― towards the enemy ― rather than at internal rivals. It was a message that was driven home to the hilt, particularly with the country hurtling so quickly forward to the next general election, which must be called by next April. "We must say, declare with loud voices that... even if I am not chosen, I will fully support the candidate chosen by Umno and [Barisan Nasional]," the prime minister had said in his closing speech at Umno's 66th general assembly. A loud chorus of approval came in response, and shouts of "Can!" rocked the cavernous Dewan Merdeka here as delegates clambered to declare their unity. But their enthusiasm and the tears of emotion that poured down some faces when Najib led them into prayer later, may not be enough for Umno to score the win it so badly needs at the ballot boxes. For one, although Najib and his team have been working tirelessly to transform and reinvent Umno in the past four years, it is difficult to say if the party's grassroots, who form the majority of its over three million members, have followed in the party president's steps. This was most apparent during the assembly, when party delegates employed the same opposition-bashing tactics of past meets, despite Najib's advice to offer fresh ideas for the future, instead of dwell on past mistakes. In his policy speech when opening the assembly, Najib had said that Malaysia's voter demographics had changed radically over the past few decades and the youth now made up a significant portion of the electorate. He told delegates that voters today are a more discerning, critical and technology-savvy bunch who would want to see what the government could offer for their future instead of reminisce on past successes. But Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff told The Malaysian Insider that despite this clear message from Najib, there was little mentioned during debates on future reforms and fresh policies that the BN lynchpin could offer the future generation of Malaysians. "From the news, (I) see no direction taken; I only saw endless criticisms against the opposition," he said. The academician agreed that this was clear indication that while Najib and his team of leaders have taken giant leaps forward in their transformational process, much of the party remained behind. "The assembly this time did not bring forward the transformation in Umno that the president has promised. "The hall was merely filled with sentiments and emotion," Agus added. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tough-for-umno-to-move-as-one-analysts-say
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| Posted: 01 Dec 2012 10:21 AM PST No one should complain about the campaigning period being limited because the reality is that since the 2008 general election, where Barisan lost its two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat, both Barisan and Pakatan Rakyat have been busy campaigning. Everything has been seen to be political since then and no one has been spared. Wong Chun Wai, The Star Most of us now expect the general election to take place in March. Hopefully, we can then all get back to some sanity and not waste time on silly political antics. I KNOW most of us would have said this of the past few years: The year has passed on really fast. But seriously, this year has REALLY gone by fast. Just a few weeks from now, another year will be over. Everything seems to have just zapped past our eyes and it's frightening because I can still remember vividly the parties I attended during the festive seasons. The only thing that has not happened is the general election. For many, lives seemed to have been put on hold because of it. There have been so many wrong predictions, postponed vacations, cancelled meetings and false starts. Our plans have been disrupted in many ways. The next popular date now is some time in March, which is based on the assumption that the Prime Minister would seek the dissolution of Parliament after the Chinese New Year celebration, which begins on Feb 10. There isn't much time left because the Barisan Nasional term ends on April 28, which means that by the next two months, the momentum for the elections should be peaking. No one should complain about the campaigning period being limited because the reality is that since the 2008 general election, where Barisan lost its two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat, both Barisan and Pakatan Rakyat have been busy campaigning. Everything has been seen to be political since then and no one has been spared. Even badminton hero Datuk Lee Chong Wei found himself the target of a Tweeter attack from a mindless DAP politician who was apparently cheering for his Chinese opponent Lin Dan. Lee also found himself being belittled by supporters of Pakatan Rakyat on Facebook because of his wedding plans. As it was his wedding, he had the right to decide who he wanted to invite and who he wanted to sit with. Even his big day was the target of incredulous political connotations. Then there is the Automated Enforcement System (AES) speed trap plan. That has become a political bombshell too. Strangely, no one from either side of the political divide has demanded that the police stop putting up roadblocks along the highways. These roadblocks are irritating and give rise to suspicions of corruption. Most of us, especially those who claim to despise corruption, would want to end any perception that conversations in the middle of the road revolve around the "macam mana selesai" (how to resolve this) question. So, if you are not speeding or breaking any speed limit, why would you complain about the AES? Going to church or the mosque can turn political too in this over-extended silly political season. If Barisan supporters find it painful listening to imam or pastors who seem to be inclined towards Pakatan Rakyat, the same must surely be felt by supporters of the latter who have to listen to a pro-Barisan preacher. I believe those who advocate loudly about purported political consciousness in places of worship wouldn't be so enthusiastic if their preachers were inclined to Barisan in their sermons. But there shouldn't be different sets of rules. Going for a haircut in a unisex salon can become political too if you are in Kelantan because the PAS-controlled state wants to impose its brand of religious fervour on the people. Going gay has taken a different meaning now. Older Malaysians like me were taught that "going gay" means "being happy" but now it means adopting a certain sexual preference. For PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan, it can mean that you become "hedonistic and gay" after attending an Elton John concert. And simply by questioning every concert coming to town with his political-religious stance, Nasrudin has made it into the world news. Now, he is demanding that the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry consult him on any concert to be staged in Malaysia. Good luck to PAS supporters; he deserves your vote. I wonder how he missed protesting against Jennifer Lopez who will be performing at Stadium Merdeka tonight. Maybe he does not find the Latino singer hot since he has already found the pencil-thin Avril Lavigne to be hot. I really can't wait for 2013 to start. Hold the general election, accept the results and we can all get back to some sanity, focus on keeping businesses healthy in a softening economy and not waste time on silly political antics. As an aside, I wonder why my wife questioned me suspiciously when I came back to my Petaling Jaya home before midnight after the concert. It was too early for me to be home, it seemed. And I looked and felt happy after a great concert. I must not use the word gay, though. But I must remember to show her the clipping of the front page of The Singapore Free Press dated Aug 31, 1957. "A So Gay Merdeka Day" was its headline, and the subheading read, "Not even a heavy downpour could dampen their enthusiasm."
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| Empirical evidence: Top-secret colonial files missing in UK Posted: 01 Dec 2012 10:05 AM PST
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| Rosmah bakal dapat RM26 bilion dakwa Deepak Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:29 AM PST
(Harakah) - Deepak Jaikishan yakin, walaupun ramai calon Umno mempunyai peluang menang yang tinggi (Winnable candidate) tetapi dengan Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor yang menjadi penjaga golnya, Pakatan Rakyat mempunyai peluang cerah untuk menjaringkan gol. "Tangannya penuh dengan bilion ringgit untuk ditangkap, jadi dia tidak mempunyai masa untuk menangkap bola yang ditendang masuk," kata Deepak dalam kenyataannya kepada media.
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| Jeffrey wants ‘Homeland Security’ for Sabah Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:23 AM PST The state government should set up its own Homeland Security Division to fill in for the shortcomings of the federal agencies in protecting the people in Sabah. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Police in Sabah are coming under increasing pressure to send a message to residents that their state is not going to be overrun by what is perceived to be the seedier elements of legal and illegal immigrants flooding the state. The latest to rap the performance of the the police force over growing fears that crime has spiralled out of control in the state over the years is the Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party or STAR Sabah. The opposition party which is gaining rapid grassroots support around the state has suggested that the state government should set up its own Homeland Security Division to fill in for the shortcomings of the federal agencies in protecting the people in Sabah. Party chairman Jeffrey Kitingan made the provocative recommendation while speaking at the launching of its election canvassing unit in Kaingaran, on Saturday. He was responding to the public furore over the alleged murder of Norikoh Saliwa, a 16-year-old student from Kota Marudu last Sunday. Kitingan noted that the public outrage over the teenager's death was reflected in the torrent of postings on social network sites with the vast majority blaming Sabah's teeming population of immigrants. The STAR Sabah chairman pointed out that one of the key factors which pushed Sabah to join with neighbour Sarawak and Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963 was the security threats from Indonesia and Philippines. The idea being that being in the federation would provide better security for the state and its people. "However, the federal agencies responsible for Sabah's security and borders have failed to live up to the people's expectations. "Therefore, Sabah must have its own Homeland Security to ensure the better safety of its citizens and its borders in the wake of increasing crimes being committed by foreigners/illegal immigrants
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| Wan Azizah should contest in Penang Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:20 AM PST The PKR president should contest for a state seat as that would derail attempts by BN from playing up issues about marginalisation of Malay leaders by the DAP. Amir Ali, FMT Reports that PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be a candidate in the next general election is a hotly debated issue among the public. Will she be a candidate or not? Where will she be a candidate to fight her way back into mainstream politics? These are the main questions. The answers are not easy to come by since it is not known where will she lean to in the end. However, there may be a solution to the corny issue that might simply tame Umno as well as hunt them for the next five years. Wan Azizah may well be a candidate for a state seat, rather than a parliamentary seat, and it should be in Penang. There are already two members of the Anwar Ibrahim family who will contest in their respective parliamentary seats in the next general election – Anwar in Permatang Pauh and daughter Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai. This leaves way for Wan Azizah to be a candidate for a state seat and Penang seems to be the best bet so far. There is the possibility that the Malay voters in Penang may be giving some credence to the BN-Umno propaganda in Penang. The opposition should not allow any lapses in their campaigns and they may need a stalwart politician from the PKR to fend off this menace. With this in mind, Pakatan Rakyat may as well allow Wan Azizah to contest in the state rather than Selangor – the two states reportedly interested in paving way for her return. The decision to let her contest in Penang may just render BN's anti-Pakatan campaign in the state to be ineffective. It will be an unexpected move as it will mean the communal campaign led by the BN will have been diluted with the presence of a major Malay opposition figure in the Penang state assembly contest. Her campaigning in Penang may altogether divide the pro-BN supporters and this will surely cause a steep fall in the BN's expectations to retake Penang back.
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| ‘Govt must investigate Musa Hassan’ Posted: 01 Dec 2012 05:16 AM PST Never trust an individual who badmouths his organisation, much less an organisation which he had helmed for four years, says ex-MACC advisory panelist Robert Phang. (FMT) - The government should initiate investigation against former IGP Musa Hassan over claims of his alleged triad links, his alleged role in undermining several senior police officers as well as alleged abuses of power during his tenure as the police chief. Making this call today, former MACC advisory panelist Robert Phang, said only such an investigation, or even perhaps a royal commission, would reveal the truth about Musa. "Musa has no sense of loyalty to the organisation that has given him his livelihood and his lifetime career. "As a rule-of-thumb, I will never trust an individual who badmouths his organisation, much less an organisation which he had helmed for four years," said Phang. Phang was referring to Musa's revelations earlier this week that the police force had been infiltrated by criminal elements and that the current IGP Ismail Omar was weak in heading the police force. He also claimed that there had been political interventions, including from the Home Ministry, even during his time as the IGP. He said the presence of criminal elements was the reason for the rising crime rate in the country. Coming to the defence of the police force and Ismail, Phang said the crime statistics had increased under Musa's tenure and the situation had only started to turn around after his retirement in 2010. "If truth be told, Tan Sri Ismail Omar, the current IGP has now managed the Herculean task to return crime rate to the pre-Musa Hassan time. "Thus Musa's attacks against Ismail is clearly unwarranted and below the belt. The current IGP has managed to clean up the mess left by his predecessor, both in terms of crime rate and in terms of restoring the morale of the police force. "What I see before me is that Musa has failed as a leader when he was the IGP, and currently lacks the humility to comprehend just that," said Phang. 'I remember history' Phang, a member of the National Crime Prevention Foundation, also revealed his knowledge on Musa's contract extensions as the national police chief. "I am an old man, and I remember history. Musa says that after he clashed with Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on his powers as IGP, his contract was terminated. That is a lie. "The truth is that Musa had his contract extended twice. He was so cunning that he placed people who can pose no threat to him in the succession line of the PDRM." He added that Musa had also ensured that those who can succeed him will retire before him, and claimed that Musa had a mercurial rise to become the IGP by "fixing people up". "There are still people from the force with enough knowledge about all these. Some had been sidelined, others faced trumped-up charges, and one even had prepared a statutory declaration to reveal the truth," he said.
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| Rename the "Malay" race: from bangsa “Melayu” to bangsa “Sawojaya” Posted: 30 Nov 2012 10:39 PM PST The word "Malay" or "Melayu" in the modern and post-modern times has carried its connotation of "malaise", "withering", "wilting" "backwardness", "paranoia", disempowerment", and even "laziness". A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman "History is bunk," Henry Ford, American inventor What if, like the creation of a people called "Americans", the Malays undergo a conscious and mandated name-change -- from Melayu or Malay to Sawojaya? I believe this is possible as a preamble to a suggestion of a planned "evolution" of the name "Malay". I think we are at an exciting historical juncture in which human creativity is at its highest points, given the power of the advanced digital communication technologies such as Web 2.0 and the like. It is time that the Malays are "rebranded" into something less contentious as the name of a race or ethnic group or even a political entity. It would be an exciting idea in postmodern anthropology, one that will signify a "discovery of the grounded theory of the Malay philology" somewhat. The anthropological challenge might be to erase all the prefixes, affixes, and suffixes of "Malay" in all existing documents that have ever existed on the Bangsa Melayu.
Consider these, within the context of the syntagmatic perspective of history, within the paradigm of the political-economy of change, and the archaeology and philology of language analyzed within the context of class and the post-modern caste system. The word "Malay" or "Melayu" in the modern and post-modern times has carried its connotation of "malaise", "withering", "wilting" "backwardness", "paranoia", disempowerment", and even "laziness". Me-layu = wilting Malays = malaise Mel-ange = range of differences/fragmentation Malas = lazy In Malaysia, particularly wherein Malays form a substantial majority and political power is in the hands of a "Malay" party called "United Malays National Organization", concepts related to the word "Malay" have been hovering to indicate the "malaise-ness" of ideas: Notions such as "Ketuanan Melayu" successfully marketed by the Malay propaganda outfit The Biro Tata Negara, "Kedaulatan Melayu" trumpeted by Malay blind nationalists and ageing sloganeers, and "Tak Melayu Hilang di dunia" vainglorified by one-dimensional historians and inscribers on meaningless statues propped in front of a national museum – all these have been the reason behind the bad publicity the Malays have been getting over the last 500 years. In fact the founding of Melaka itself has been a historical accident that has catapulted the word "Malay" into a situation of historical problematique and contributed to the feel of the malaise-ness of the Malays. The biggest culprits in contributing to the malaise have been the Malay politician. Of late, there is confusion amongst the Malays themselves as to who is representing who in the struggle to "liberate" the Malays. Many are confused why there is a small segment of the Malays supporting the continuation of the use of the repressive tool of the state, the Internal Security Act. Many are confused why the Malay linguistic nationalists are insisting that Mathematics and Sciences are taught in the Malay language. Many are even more confused which Malay political party is actually representing the Malays. In modern times many have been written about the Malays and what is happening to this ethnic group. Works such as The Malay Dilemma, The Malays: Their problems and their future, Revolusi Mental, Tuntutan Melayu, Quo Vadis Bangsaku, are amongst those that address the Malay racial and political-economic problematique. "Might is right" may have been the notion that governs the dominant power of choice that dictates which political entity or entities will "guide" (pimpin) the Malays. It is as if the leadership of the Malays has undergone a process of "salah pimpin" in the process of leading due to the fact that they have undergone "salah tuntut" or wrongly following the philosophy of leading. In the culture of the Malays, "salah tuntut" is a serious matter – entailing a life relegated to following this or that cult that produces deviant teachings. Institutions and ideologies that have permeated the psyche of the Malays, create misrepresentation, and exacerbate the malaise-ness of the Malays abound. Consider these: - Biro Tata Negara - PLKN - Malay-only institutions - Malay centric curriculum - Malay Rights doctrine - Malay centric notion of a "social contract" - Malay postmodern bourgeoisie class - Malay media power that monopolizes the indoctrination of the Malay mind - UMNO or United Malays National Organisation The Malays are generally considered a people of a dark brownish skin color. In the language it is called "sawo matang" drawn from the Kiwi/Mango-looking brownish fruit popular in the island of Java. The word "Jaya" is a Sanskrit word meaning "Victory"; the core idea of The Mahabharata. The assassin=prince of Melaka, had a name of a Hindu god, Parameswara. I consider the suffix "Jaya" as a successful idea that can be used in hybridizing the word "Sawo" ("brownish-skin") to replace the word Malay. Examples abound, especially in the names of places -- symbols installation of the ideology of "victory" : "Cyberjaya", "Putrajaya", "Petaling Jaya", "Subang Jaya", "Kelana Jaya" "Seberang Jaya", "Nusajaya" "Johor Jaya". There is also a Malaysian mall that uses the word "Jaya": Jaya Jusco. There is also a favourite 1980s composition called "Raja Jaya" by the Malaysian percussionist Lewis Pragasam's band Asiabeat Percussion. A new race is born In the age of biogenetics, cloning, nanotechnology, embedded journalism, casino-capitalism, stimulus packages, this or that "-nomics" Web 2.0, deconstructionism, and cultures that undergo re-enculturalisations, a name-change of the Malays is necessary. A new identity, a karma, a rebirth, a renaissance, a cure for this linguistic myopia in the form of a construction of a brave new world is necessary. I invite the Malays for a name-change. Viva Bangsa Sawojaya! OUR USUAL REMINDER, FOLKS: While the opinion in the article/writing is mine, the comments are strictly, respectfully, and responsibly yours; present them rationally, clearly, politely, and ethically. AND - VOTE WISELY! ********************************** DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/
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| Misrepresentations of Islam in the Contemporary Anglophonic Discourse Posted: 30 Nov 2012 10:05 PM PST
Having read a recent piece by AB Sulaiman entitled "Nurul Izzah's statement in the Kaum Muda-Kaum Tua context" (26th November 2012, The Malaysian Insider), it exemplified in our opinion, a typical kind of writing that is laced with half-truths and prejudices with regard to the Muslims and to Islam. Wan Fayhsal Of late, there has been a surge of commentaries and analysis with regard to the religion of Islam in the mass media. It was sparked by YB Nurul Izzah's remarks on a verse of the Qur'ān that many were led to equate with the notion of the 'freedom of religion'. For the sake of clarity, the full verse that many have referred to is: Sadly many who commented on this issue are guilty of misunderstanding and misinterpreting the words and neglecting the whole meaning of that particular verse. Such attitude will definitely derail the proper understanding of the whole meaning and context of that verse especially to the lay readers. This trend is not conducive to true knowledge and correct understanding as it gives rise to inaccurate commentaries, which will eventually marginalize the real and true authorities in explaining about Islam. It will lead to confusions at various levels, not only amongst Muslims but more so to non-Muslims who sincerely want to understand the issue at hand. Of course there are rooms and space to debate and discuss on matters of religion within the tradition of Islam. In order to arrive at a proper understanding, prejudices or half-truths must not be placed on the table. Anything that comes up short, despite possessing some grain of truths yet enmeshed with dubious facts are but an antipode of truth – which is error. Verily in Qurʾān, God the Almighty has clearly stated that: Having read a recent piece by AB Sulaiman entitled "Nurul Izzah's statement in the Kaum Muda-Kaum Tua context" (26th November 2012, The Malaysian Insider), it exemplified in our opinion, a typical kind of writing that is laced with half-truths and prejudices with regard to the Muslims and to Islam. Furthermore, AB Sulaiman's efforts exemplified misappropriation of proper tools of inquiry, especially on employing conceptual terms and categories. We have attempted to present clear and persuasive arguments in a systematic and rational manner on this issue, especially in two lengthy and technical essays entitled The Tyranny of Commonplace Mind and Censuring the confused in their erroneous reading of verse (2:256) in the Holy Qurʾān, both of which can be reached at hakim.org.my/ blog. However, in the spirit of free and honest inquiry in pursuit of the truth and at the same time, in order to make clearer the distinction between truth and untruth with respect to this matter, we wish to address ourselves to several misrepresentations that have come to our attention in AB Sulaiman's article and where necessary, to unmask and challenge these misrepresentations so that sincere readers may not be mislead to accept its false conclusions: Misrepresentation #1: The alien conceptual categories of reformist-progressive, orthodox-conservatives, kaum tua-kaum muda. In the piece written by AB Sulaiman, he employed conceptual categories that are really foreign to ears and the minds of Muslims such as reformist-progressive, orthodox-conservatives, kaum muda-kaum tua. These terms are 'loaded words' in English and each of them has its own historical baggage. It would be considered a gross misapplication if these concepts were to be forced upon in making general statements and in deriving vague conclusions about the social and political issues pertaining to the Muslims and the religion of Islam. Most of the words mentioned by AB Sulaiman were often used within the sociological discourse of religion of Islam. In truth, Muslim society does not exhibit such phenomena that can come to terms with the suggested meanings of such words and conceptual categories. This is one clear mistake made by the writer – evoking false concepts in describing something that did not exist within the religion of Islam, what more in Muslim society at large. He may have over-simplified the issue by adopting the categories that are unfounded in Islam, most glaringly on the notion of orthodox and progressive with regard to Reason and Revelation. By orthodoxy, he means a rigid conservative who failed to keep up with the pace and change of time and lack rational intelligence in studying the Holy Qurʾān; while a progressive is painted as someone one who is at home with rationality and considered to be the torch-bearer of enlightenment that Islam and Muslim of today desperately need. This exemplified a kind of historical reductionism that does not do justice to Islam and its rich history – as we will prove in the subsequent points below. Misrepresentation #2: Clergy and Orthodoxy: the inaccuracy of English to depict Islamic intellectual tradition. Throughout the piece, AB Sulaiman cast a myriad of English terms to describe the intellectual history of Islam in a manner that these words do not correspond to the truth, being pretty much alien to the subject matter being discussed. Even the most learned Orientalist would not use such words like clergy, orthodoxy, ossified religiosity (whatever that means) and heresy – which are typically English and Christians. And for him to use such cliché of 'Revelation won over Reason' is again another form of misrepresentation as the true scholars of Islam (ʿulamāʾ) will never conceive of Reason as being pitted against Revelation. Another misconception by AB Sulaiman is when he used the term 'religious school' to imply 'madrasah'. Madrasah in the past – before secularization crept into Muslim world and the adoption of modern schooling system – were places where religious sciences like jurisprudence, creed, were taught alongside with subjects like mathematics, algebra, physics even medicine. Renowned historians of Islamic history the likes of George Makdisi and Francis Robinson have documented historical and empirical evidences with regard to the harmonious and integral relationship between 'knowledge based-on text – Revelation' (naqliyyah) and 'knowledge derived by Reason' (ʿaqliyyah) that was the common substratum of all madrasah within the tradition of Islamic education. Makdisi also demonstrated in his seminal work Rise of Colleges: Institutions of Learning in Islam and the West (Edinburgh: Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1981) that the most celebrated institution of higher learning of today which we call 'university' was imitated and modeled upon Muslim higher education institutions like Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt and Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco that existed far earlier than the likes of Oxford and Cambridge. In short, we cannot simply describe Islam using English terms that are loaded with Westerners' religious experience. Dimitri Gutas, the author of Greek Thought, Arabic Culture: The Graeco-Arabic Translation Movement in Baghdad and Early ʿAbbāsid Society 2nd-4th/8th-10th centuries (London: Routledge, 1998) writes the following: "Unlike say, the Vatican in the Roman Catholic Church, which might promulgate an 'official' truth and legislate it by virtue of the institution's coercive powers, Islam has never had a centralized authority. In the Muslim world there are no ordained clergy; no institutionalized religious orders; no synods; and no pontifical truth, a deviation from which constitute heresy." It is clear from the arguments that we have posited, one must be very particular and demonstrate meticulousness in using English to describe Islam and not haphazardly employ ill-fitting terms and conceptual categories that do not commensurate with the real facts and truth about Islam. Misrepresentation #3: Al-Ghazālī – the orthodox theologian who stunted Reason and Science Imām "The Proof of Islam" Abū Ḥāmid Al-Ghazālī (1058 – 1111) was one of the most distinguished and authoritative scholar of Islam in history. His ideas and intellectual imprint have flourished throughout Muslim world for millennial even up to this very day. Sadly, he has been continuously misunderstood and it has really become a cliché nowadays to put blame on Al-Ghazālī as the one who was guilty for the demise of Reason in the Muslim world. We are continuously drummed by popular culture – despite it having been completely discredited and rejected in the scholarly community – that Al-Ghazālī attacked Hellenistic science along with the very notion of laws of nature via his famous work Tahāfut al-Falāsifah (Incoherence of the Philosophers), hence Reason as a whole. This is quite unwarranted as it was Al-Ghazālī who introduced the science of logic (ʿilm al-manṭīq) as the primer in philosophy and methodologies of Islamic jurisprudence (uṣūl al-fiqh). Moreover Al-Ghazālī throughout his life had valiantly worked hard to establish a more robust rational method by doing what Professor Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud called 'Islamization of Hellenistic science' – which rendered such science fit to be included in the methodology of religious sciences. As a result, the entire edifice of traditional Islamic sciences post-Ghazālī, be it tafsīr (exegesis of Qurʾān), hadīth (traditions of Prophet Muhammad), fiqh (jurisprudent), kalām (science of discourse), taṣawwuf (sufism) were further strengthened with more complex reasoning tools in which they are totally indispensable for teachers and students of Islamic sciences till this very day. Al-Ghazālī's remarkable efforts are clearly exemplified in his various philosophical and jurisprudential works such as Miḥakk al-Naẓar (Touchstones of Reasoning), Miʿyār al-ʿIlm (Standard of Knowledge) and Al-Mustaṣfā minʿIlm al-Uṣūl (Choice Essentials of the Methods of Jurisprudence). According to Jamil Ragep, Professor of History of Science at McGill, recent scholarly work has shown that science in Islam not only continued after Al-Ghazālī but in fact flourished for centuries thereafter. George Saliba in his Islamic Science and the Making of European Renaissance (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2007) has shown that medieval Islamic society exhibits an 'open marketplace' of ideas, in which knowledge derived by Reason such as medicine (ṭibb), mathematics (riyāḍiyyāt) and engineering (al-ḥiyal) were not marginal activities but pretty much central to Muslim intellectual life and harmoniously flourished alongside religious sciences that were based on Revelation. It is not surprising that well-known historians of science like George Sarton and Marshall Clagett regarded the contributions in the past of Muslims to science as not just mere preservation of science of the Antiquities (Greek, Indian, Chinese and others) but also the creative role played by the Muslims in reconceptualizing, improvising and extending the discourse that made modern science what it is today. The giants of modern science such as Copernicus and Newton built their scientific works on the ground laid by Muslim scientists, mathematicians and philosophers such as Al-Khāwarizmī, Ibn al-Haytham, Ibn Nāfis and others who lived and flourished after Al-Ghazālī. Misrepresentation #4: Islam in the Malay Archipelago came from an inferior version. It is a surprise to note AB Sulaiman admitted that he did not come across "any meaningful intellectual development from the Malay civilization beginning circa 1403." In actual fact, he had not done proper scholarly homework before proclaiming the version of Islam that arrived to the Malay Archipelago was conservative and orthodox. Islam that arrived in the Malay world is not monolithic what more deemed by AB Sulaiman to be 'ossified' and anti-Reason. Textual evidences in the form of Jawi (Bahasa Melayu in Arabic script) texts and manuscripts are abundant, case in point is the oldest known Malay manuscript called 'Aqāʾid al-Nasafī – a 16th century text on the creed of Islam which presented a higher-form of intellectual discourse on the possibility of knowledge (epistemology) and nature of reality (ontology). By 17th century, we already have Metaphysicians like Nūr al-Dīn al-Rānīrī discussing about Greek philosophy and by 18th century scholars like Raja Ali Haji and Ahmad Khatib Al-Minangkabawi were busy writing numerous intellectual works on political philosophy, medicine and mathematics. Our foremost authority in Islamic Thought and Malay History – Tan Sri Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas once delivered a monumental professorial lecture way back in 1972 at UKM entitled 'Islam dalam Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Melayu' (Islam in the History and Culture of Malay). In that lecture, he cogently argued that it was due to the advent of Islam in the Malay Archipelago that had caused a 'Copernican revolution' of a historical-kind, which in turn gave rise to 'modernity' for the Malays as early as 13th century. In that lecture Al-Attas emphasized the important role of taṣawwuf (Islamic metaphysics) in the Islamization process of the Malay Archipelago. The process became the cornerstone in the development of a highly intellectual and rationalistic religious spirit that was projected in most Malay literary works of that new period – hence transforming Malay language to become more rational and scientific than before – in contrast to the aesthetic and exclusive literary works that were not meant for the profane ear of the masses in the Hindu-Buddha period. Al-Attas highlighted the role of Ḥamzah Fanṣūrī – a great Malay Muslim metaphysician of early 17th century – as a shining example of homo intellectus of that era. Through his various works such as Asrār al-'Ārifīn, Sharab al-'Āshiqīn and al-Muntahi, he demonstrated a highly rational and philosophical thought that was unique in contrast to earlier Malay works of pre-Islam era. Al-Attas also affirmed that it was Ḥamzah Fanṣūrī who pioneered the usage of the Malay language in a rational and systematic manner by elucidating philosophical ideas through his creative intellectual prowess in writing. From there on, the impact of rational and systematic usage of the Malay language had influenced many scholars in various parts of Malay Archipelago to produce important works in Malay literature that depicted highly scientific and rational thought. Such evidences are crystal clear – the version of Islam that had transformed the Malay people since its earliest days was not of the orthodox and conservative-kind, what more anti-Reason. Islam has molded the minds of the Malays to be more rational and scientific and such force of change was unprecedented before.
It's all about worldview Discerning readers will realize that currently many written materials in the mass media are not able to capture and present facts on Muslims and Islam satisfactorily. One must be able to distinguish things carefully by sifting the wheat from the chaff in order to arrive at the kernel of truth. For that to be possible, writers and readers must possess to certain degree, some basic understanding on the worldview of Islam. Worldview is an integral component for man to interpret the reality that he is bounded to. Such reality can be meaningfully understood among us through the proper use of language. Language acts as the medium for our worldview to be manifested within our mind as well as in our expression to the outside world. The intimate connection of language and worldview is best understood from the explanation by Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas via his important work Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam: "The narrative of language can be depicted as a thin veil in various colours that always be placed at the front view of the observer, whether the observation is about the physical or a metaphysical world. Therefore, the colour and the design, the characteristic and the shape of the world that being observed will be influenced by the thin veil of language." Concocting various kinds of modern and foreign terms that were inferred from other languages would be detrimental to the effort of capturing the right meanings of a particular discourse that had not undergone a similar kind of experience or of not having the same intellectual dimension – as in case here, between the Western tradition and Islam. Such careless ways of conveying things as demonstrated by AB Sulaiman will do no good in assisting our collective effort to provide the proper understanding about Islam to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This is more so true for the Muslims because if we fail to explain Islam in accordance to the correct methods as laid down by the scholarly authority of Islam, it will only hamper the readers, especially the non-Muslims, from getting the right facts on how Islam should be understood in the context of present times alongside with its rich history. Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal reads Islamic Thought and Civilization at Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilization (CASIS-UTM).
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| ‘Goalkeeper Rosmah will cause BN downfall’ Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:49 PM PST The controversial carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan has made a startling prediction about the outcome of the 13th general election. Teoh El Sen, FMT Controversial carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan today made a startling prediction: Barisan Nasional will suffer a big loss in the upcoming general election, all because of a goalkeeper called "Rosmah". In a cryptic SMS sent to the media, the well-connected businessman used a football metaphor and named "Rosmah" as the sole Umno goalkeeper who would fail to stop Pakatan Rakyat from scoring big. Deepak said he was referring to the speech given by Umno Kelantan delegate Md Alwi Che Ahmad who drew the analogy of Umno being like the "red warriors", the committed and hardworking football players of the state. The Kelantan opposition leader was quoted as saying that "Umno players" are winnable candidates and are able to score goals. "The party's president want the best players to score goals… winnable candidates" he reportedly said. Deepak, however, laughed off the suggestion, saying that he found it amusing as the Kelantan players actually belong to PAS. "I refer to the Umno Kelantan speech & his anology of kelantan's champion footballer's 'red warriors' as d criteria for 'winnable candidates'," he wrote. "Najib is indeed an excellant striker & a winnable candidate in Pekan but unfortunately Umno's only goalkeeper today is Rosmah & she has her hands full catching the billions coming her way that she won't have the time to stop PKR from scoring goals in parlimentary seats." The man, who has previously admitted to being close like a sibling to Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, then made a startling prediction in his text. "GE13 will be PKR 123, seat Rosmah RM26 BILLION, BN 99 seats. A prophercy that will happen." 'Goalkeeper not interested in catching balls' Asked about the meaning behind his SMS, Deepak said: "You have a winnable candidate who can win his seat, but this is not the presidential election. If he wins and the others lose, there is no point. "I fully agree that we should have winnable candidates. I'm saying that, yes, Najib can win in Pekan, but you have so many players and you only have one goalkeeper; this goalkeeper is not interested in catching the ball, but in catching billions," he told FMT. "You can win that one Pekan seat. But you are going to lose 120 other seats because your goalkeeper is not trying to catch the ball the opposition is trying to score."
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| The journey in life is never a straight line (PART 8) Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:02 PM PST
I really did not care too much whether Anwar was going to spend the rest of his days in jail. I felt he deserved jail anyway, if not for sodomy at least for helping Dr Mahathir screw up the country and for making his friends and family rich. But Anwar had started something here, which could be useful to the cause of unseating Dr Mahathir and kicking Umno out. So why not ride on that Reformasi wave and take advantage of it? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin By mid-1990 I had already wound down most of my businesses or sold off those that could be sold. Fortunately, that was just two years or so before the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. The bankers I met told me I must be a genius to be able to anticipate this crisis two years before it happened and to get out of the market in time. The truth is I just no longer had any interest in business. Business sickened me. I felt nauseous when I looked at my business. Nevertheless, I did not correct this misperception by the bankers. I allowed them to continue to think that I am a genius who anticipated the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis two years before it happened when even the world's best economists could not see that -- or even Malaysia's greatest leaders such as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim. A friend of mine told me that my enemies had got a bomoh (witch doctor) to charm me with black magic ('kena buat', as the Malays would say) so that my heart 'turned' and I felt 'sick' with business. And that is why I just write and write and neglect my business, my friend said. That was quite true. I did feel sick with business and I was writing and writing, day in and day out. But I am not too sure whether this was because a bomoh had 'buat' me. Anyway, I have seen stranger things in my 62 years, some which defy explanation. I would like to believe, though, that there were no magic spells involved in my 'change of heart'. Just to digress a bit, another friend told me that every time I came near him he felt that something was 'wrong' (ada tak kena). He said he suspected I 'kena buat orang'. He insisted he take me to meet a 'gifted' person who is known to have the ability to exorcise 'demons' from 'orang kena buat'. I have always been a curious person who would not hesitate to try anything new, at least once. So I agreed to the exorcism. The 'exorcist' just touched my big toe lightly and I began sweating profusely and wailed like a banshee. My friend could not stand the sound of my screaming so he left the room. He later told me that the scream did not sound like me one bit. It was a most unusual scream that did not sound human at all, he told. I am not one to believe in the supernatural. But there you are. Believe it or not, that happened, and I still do not know what to make of it. The church, however, believes in such things, as do the majority of Muslims. As far as I am concerned, though, I had found my new 'calling' -- a political activist cum political writer -- and I found this life more interesting than the life of a businessman, something I had been for 20 years. I think, at 45, I just needed a change, that's all. Call it mid-life crisis if you wish. Or maybe it was because I was almost the same age as when both my parents died so I wanted to do something different before I died. Or call it possession by demons, if you also wish. Your choice! Anyway, back to the issue of my businesses. For companies like Maroda Sdn Bhd, the Mercedes Benz dealership, I sold my interest to my partner. That was actually a very profitable company and what I regarded as my 'flagship', as I mentioned in the earlier episodes of this series of articles. I did not make any profit on those shares I sold to my partner. In fact, I made a loss because I transferred my shares at RM1 per share even though I had held on to those shares for more than ten years and a Mercedes Benz dealership is worth at least a million or two in 'goodwill'. Nevertheless, I took a 'haircut' because my partner could not possibly have forked out RM1 million or RM2 million if I had asked him to pay me that. I practically 'gave' that company to my partner, a result of my disgust regarding the state of affairs. Hmmm…or maybe it was my partner who had got the bomoh to buat me. Another factor that prompted me to sell off my shares in Maroda is the fact that my partner was an Umno man and he was facing a lot of problems from Umno for partnering with an opposition supporter, meaning me. In fact, Umno was lobbying Cycle and Carriage to terminate Maroda's dealership and to give the dealership to an Umno company. Hence, if I had stayed his partner, Maroda would have probably lost the agency anyway. In fact, Umno had been trying to block Maroda from getting the Mercedes agency since 1980. Shahrir Samad, the then Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, can confirm this because he told my partner so. To be fair to Shahrir, though, he did not do what Umno asked him to do -- to deny Maroda the agency. So not all Umno people are scumbags -- at least not Shahrir Samad, whose brother, Khalid Samad, is the current PAS MP for Shah Alam. By mid-1998 I was totally retired except for a bihun (fine noodles) factory that I still owned. But I was not involved in the running of that factory. I had a manager to take care of it. The bihun manufacturing business was not too bad, although you can't become a millionaire in that business -- because it was very competitive and monopolised by the Chinese. Around 50% of our market was our own branding while the other 50% was contract manufacturing -- which means we manufacture for others. You can't really make money in contract manufacturing because the selling price is too low. But it allowed you to cover your fixed costs such as salaries, etc. Hence you can make a decent profit from your own brand -- which you can sell at a higher price -- and since the fixed costs are already taken care of you only need to worry about the variable or material costs. 1998 was also the time that Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from Umno and the government -- 2nd December 1998 to be exact. And that was a day of celebration for me. You see, over the three years before that, I had been whacking Anwar Ibrahim kau-kau. I condemned him and even exposed his wrongdoings and revealed details of how all his cronies and family members were getting rich. My 'flagship' article was called 'The Rise and Fall of Anwar Ibrahim', which was published in Harakah, the party organ of PAS. Anwar's people were, understandably, furious. In that article I had predicted Anwar's downfall. I also revealed why he was going to fall. I revealed that Anwar was plotting behind Dr Mahathir's back and that the old man took two months leave and appointed Anwar the Acting Prime Minister as a trap for Anwar to walk in to. I then predicted that Dr Mahathir would make his move on Anwar and would finish him off, once and for all, once he returns from his two months leave. Hence, when it happened exactly as how I predicted it was going to happen, I felt that that was a cause for celebration. I was right and now I could tell everyone, "I told you so!" And when Anwar launched his Reformasi Movement on 2nd September 1998, culminating in the massive rally at Dataran Merdeka on 20th September 1998, I did not 'go to the ground'. I stayed home and watched Anwar get demolished by Dr Mahathir. It was when I saw Anwar's black eye and we were told that he was handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten up by no less than the IGP himself that I became outraged. I was also quite surprised by the massive turnout at Dataran Merdeka on 20th September. It was then that I realised that Anwar had created a wave of dissent and that there was a strong likelihood the Reformasi Movement could be a platform for our opposition to Umno. I really did not care too much whether Anwar was going to spend the rest of his days in jail. I felt he deserved jail anyway, if not for sodomy at least for helping Dr Mahathir screw up the country and for making his friends and family rich. But Anwar had started something here, which could be useful to the cause of unseating Dr Mahathir and kicking Umno out. So why not ride on that Reformasi wave and take advantage of it? Okay, maybe my reasons for rallying to Anwar's side were less than noble. It was not so much to see justice for Anwar (who did not understand the meaning of the word anyway) but to 'use' Anwar, the new icon of dissent, to further our own cause, which I had personally been involved in since the 1970s. Anwar was using us anyway to fight the system that he was once part of and which he exploited for his own interests. Hence, since he was using us, it was not unfair if we too used him. It was a win-win situation, as they would say today. So I decided to come out and become active in the Reformasi Movement. But then that triggered other problems for me. My bihun customers began cancelling their contracts. They were under pressure to kill our business. I met up with the GM of our biggest customer, Anwar Ibrahim's schoolmate in the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), and he advised me to remove my name from the company. As long as my name was still in the company they can't give me any more business. I discussed this matter with another of Anwar's classmates, Lt Kol Yunos Othman, and he agreed to become one of my nominees. I would transfer 500,000 of my shares to him and another 500,000 to another person. He would also take over the running of the business and I was not to show my face at the factory to prove that I had 'sold' the business. He then told me he needed RM500,000 working capital to finance the business and he brought me to meet someone high up in the bank, another classmate of Anwar. The banker agreed to give the company RM500,000 but they would need security. His bank would give loans based on 50% of the security value if it is vacant land. So the land must be at least RM1 million in value. I agreed to lend the company my land and the company got the loan. The bihun contracts were reinstated and with a price increase on top of that. And every month I would receive a 'salary' of RM5,000 as agreed. After a few months the RM5,000 stopped coming. I then found out that the 500,000 shares of the second nominee had been transferred to Lt Kol Yunos. I spoke to my second nominee and she denied that she had transferred the shares. I then went to meet the Company Secretary, Ong Keng Tong, and he said that my nominee had signed the transfer forms in front of him -- which she, again, denied. Later, I received a letter from the land office informing me that the bank was auctioning off my land. I found out from the bank that not a single Sen of the loan had been paid. By then I had other problems on my hand -- my detention under ISA -- so I decided to call it a day and just move on. I never spoke to Lt Kol Yunos again and till today I do not know what happened to my factory. I just did not care any more. To me that was my 'previous life' and I no longer wanted to be concerned about my previous life. Or maybe it was the charm that the bomoh put on me that made me not care. TO BE CONTINUED
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| Umno runs down LGBT, pluralism, liberalism as assembly ends Posted: 30 Nov 2012 03:57 PM PST
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider Umno today wrapped up its final assembly before the polls with delegates calling for action against advocates of anti-Islam elements such as homosexuality and those who propagate pluralism and liberalism in mainly Muslim Malaysia. While debating the issue of education and religion, one delegate even suggested a rehabilitation centre for the maligned lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community. "We want to transform them from zaman kejahilan (dark age of ignorance)," Tanjong representative Mohd Shaharudin Mohd Hasan Tajudin told the over 2,000 delegates at Umno's cavernous Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here. Shaharudin also suggested that high school students be taught to reject the LGBT lifestyle — along with pluralism and liberalism — in their religious education. Another delegate, Datuk Ariffin Mohd Arif from Kimanis, called for an official sanction against those who spread pluralism and liberalism, which he called a "teaching of the Devil". "Just like al-Arqam ... we must take action against these people. Our actions must be strict, and we must not budge," Ariffin said. The religious issues elicited animated responses from the delegates, with Shaharudin exclaiming that Umno fighters shall be "bathed in blood" should anyone mock Islamic principles. "This LGBT is haram in Islam. (But the opposition) is making LGBT halal ... they even said that the law on sodomy is obsolete," said Pendang delegate Mohd Kamal Saidin, who accused Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the man responsible for this. The ruling coalition and the opposition have been at loggerheads on the issues of LGBT, pluralism and liberalism, which are deemed sensitive in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Earlier this week, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had revealed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had objected to the inclusion of LGBT rights when signing ASEAN's first human rights charter recently, saying Malaysia could not accept principles that go against the order of human nature. The deputy prime minister took a swipe at Anwar when warning him against legitimising these "twisted practices" just because they were accepted by western nations, suggesting that it was the opposition leader's "hobby". The Malaysian government recently came under heavy fire again when it was reported to have endorsed a list of identifiable gay and lesbian traits for schools and parents, purportedly to prevent the spread of the phenomenon among teenagers, especially students. The controversial guideline, listed by the Chinese-language Sin Chew Daily, said that gay men have muscular bodies and like to show off by wearing V-necks and sleeveless clothes, prefer tight and light-coloured clothing, are attracted to men and like to carry big handbags similar to those used by women. Lesbians are said to be attracted to women, like to eat, sleep and hang out in the company of other women and have no affection for men, according to the report. It was later reported that the Ministry of Education had never authorised nor endorsed the guidelines.
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| BN will recapture all Pakatan states, win two-thirds majority, say Umno leaders Posted: 30 Nov 2012 03:53 PM PST
Puad said BN has its fingers on the pulse of today's voters. Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Umno is confident of wresting back all four Pakatan Rakyat-led (PR) states and even recapturing its two-thirds parliamentary majority in the coming polls, buoyed by a strong belief that the Najib government's reformist measures have successfully impressed the Malaysian electorate. Several leaders told The Malaysian Insider that Umno is now fully prepared to march to the battle lines, having struggled through four years of heavy transformation from the party's administration to the mindsets of its over three million members. Emerging fully charged after the second day of the party's assembly here yesterday, the leaders wasted no breath in declaring that achieving two-thirds is no longer an aspiration for Umno but a comfortable reality. "Of course," Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said, when asked if the party was confident it would once again occupy two-thirds of Parliament's 222 seats after the polls. "I believe that we will win back two-thirds and we will get back at least all the four Pakatan states... including Kelantan and Penang," he added. Kelantan has been in PAS's hands since 1990. Generous estimates of Barisan Nasional's (BN) chances at the ballot boxes have included Kelantan as a possible casualty for PR but most observers believe that the federal opposition pact will withstand any onslaught in Penang. Despite this, Tengku Adnan was not alone in his prediction. Former Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim appeared to agree that Penang should not be regarded as impossible to recapture. "We are confident of getting back Kedah, even Kelantan and Selangor... and Perlis, of course. Maybe we have to work harder in Penang," he said of the state led by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Umno deputy minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi was equally as confident as his party colleagues of BN's chances next polls. "Oh definitely, two-thirds majority. I'm very confident," he told The Malaysian Insider.  Tengku Adnan is confident Umno will win back all the four Pakatan states. The bespectacled son of Malaysia's second prime minister has already earned himself the title of "Father of Transformation" for his countless transformative initiatives and reform measures that include historic legislative changes. Key among these was Najib's decision to pull the Internal Security Act (ISA) from Malaysia's statute books, a long-time demand of opposition leaders and civil society groups. The prime minister also enacted a fresh law to regulate mass public gatherings, which was in the past deemed a crime under section 27 of the Police Act. He even mooted amendments to allow greater media freedom and permit student participation in politics, keeping to his promise to widen civil liberties in Malaysia. "This is a big example of walking the talk. Najib is clearly serious about making changes and although he ruled without a two-thirds majority, it did not pose as a hurdle to his intention to fulfil his promises," Puad said. The deputy education minister added that Najib and BN also have their fingers on the pulse of today's voters and have acknowledged that it would be the fence sitters, new voters, youths and women who will determine their future at the ballot boxes. He explained that this was why Najib has been pulling out all the stops in ensuring he remains close to these voter groups by keeping in touch with them constantly and doling out initiatives tailored specifically for them. As examples, Puad pointed to the BN Youth job fair, the My First Home scheme for young homeowners and even the extension of Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia to the youth group. But apart from BN's tireless campaign to shore up support, the Umno leaders pointed out that voters have also begun returning to the ruling pact because they have had time to weigh in on the promises dished out by those in PR. They repeated old lines of the purported failure by PR member parties to strike a cohesive agreement to iron out key ideological differences which, they said, could prove detrimental if the pact comes to power without resolving these issues. Over the past few days of the assembly, delegates have been warning of instability in the nation under a PR federal government, largely due to the protracted dispute between PAS and the DAP over the former party's struggle for an Islamic state and hudud laws. Shahidan said it was due to BN's power-sharing formula that Malaysians have managed to enjoy decades of peace among the races, warning that this could be ruptured under PR. "In Malaysia, if you want a strong government and you do not want a crisis, they you need this formula," he said. He said that even though Umno is a race-based party like some of its partners in BN, it was not "racist". "But somehow, because we still see some disparity between the races, we have to fight for our respective races... this is important in a sense because one race would know about their community better than others," he said. The Malaysian Insider reported in October that BN expects to win more than the 140 federal seats it took in Election 2008 despite the onslaught and talk by PR that it can capture Putrajaya in the next general election.
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| When the Lord spoke to the chosen people Posted: 30 Nov 2012 02:55 PM PST  Nana Kassim Out of the more than seven billion people in this world, God recently chose to speak to two people. And both on the same day! And both these people are from Penang! Can you beat that? And in the spirit of fairness, both sexes were represented amongst the multitude. That goes to prove that what Umno has been saying all along is true: LBGTs are persona non exsistere. For those not familiar with Latin, it means that LBGTs don't exist. To the male who God spoke to, He declared the appointment of Umno as the chosen party to liberate the chosen land of Malaysia and to uplift the chosen race called the Malays. To maintain peace with Moses - or, in the chosen language, to maintain Musa Aman - this declaration was made in the form of a tablet. There remains the RM40 million question for the government printers: which is the chosen tablet to use. Samsung or Apple? To the female God spoke to, He said that Utusan Meloya has been appointed as the official mouthpiece of Umno for its sincerity. I guess no one can dispute that. Utusan Meloya has been revered by its readers for its exaggerated lies, unlike the social media, which only spits out the truth. However, the criteria of this appointment had nothing to do with truth and lies. The criteria here is sincerity. Utusan Meloya tells lies from the heart and with all sincerity. Their nawai tu is second only to the Pharaoh who, after 22 years in power, is still trying to uplift the Malays from the soil from which they have been named after. Maybe they should organise a roti jala party and come up with a timeframe to accomplish this worldly task. Isn't it wonderful that these two chosen people from the chosen state of Penang have chosen to announce to the world that God has chosen to speak to them just before GE13, the date of which the Prime Minister's husband has chosen not to reveal? By the way, in case you haven't already understood the consequences to mankind living in this chosen country, by virtue of this appointment of Umno as the chosen party to liberate the chosen land of Malaysia and to uplift the chosen race of the Malays, Article 40(2)(a) of the Constitution of Malaysia is now rendered redundant. The job scope is now reduced. Also, with the appointment as the official mouthpiece of Umno, Utusan Meloya has reason to celebrate, as it has now achieved full freedom status. It is no longer subjected to the Printing Presses and Publications Act. With its new status, Utusan Meloya is urging the government to pass a new law that will make it an offence for anyone to dispute any report it carries. Utusan Meloya believes that such an act of dispute is tantamount to questioning the sincerity of Utusan Meloya. Now, who would dare say Utusan Meloya is not sincere, even when it lies? *********************************************** And the Lord said unto Moses I am your Lord And you shall call me Tuan And you shall practice Lording And you will call it Ketuanan And I offer you peace And I name you Moses Peace For I am your Lord Lord of all in this land And I call it The Land Below The Wind So go forth and tell your people That I will make them the vicegerent And they will live in prosperity For you are the chosen people And you will inherit the land And you will rule over everything the eye can see And I make this covenant with you That you will obey my commandments Or suffer my most devastating retribution And Moses said unto the Lord I hear you and obey you, oh Lord But I fear my people may follow a false Prophet This false Prophet who comes from the far north And who is the son of Abraham For this false Prophet has come to my people And has promised them heaven and earth And has led my people astray So Moses incurred the wrath of the Lord Do they not fear me? asked the Lord Have they not seen the people before them suffer? And Moses went back to his people And he told his people what the Lord had commanded But his people shunned the Lord's word So they suffered the Lord's wrath The Lord took away their oil But He gave them back 5% And other people came from across the sea And they occupied the land of the chosen ones And the people lived in poverty and misery For the people did not learn That everything comes from the Lord And what the Lord giveth the Lord can taketh away.
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| ‘DAP’s partisan politics will backfire’ Posted: 30 Nov 2012 02:04 PM PST People in Penang want to see the party in constructive engagement with its opponents, says Gerakan. Hawkeye, FMT GEORGE TOWN: The DAP's tendency to indulge in partisan politics will backfire in the long term, says a state Gerakan leader. Penang Gerakan vice-chairman Wong Mun Hoe said the people in the state now would prefer to see the party engaged constructively with its opponents rather than to run them down endlessly. Since 2008, DAP has been engaged in partisan politics, criticising its rivals at every turn and corner, he said. "For the DAP, it is either you are with me or against me. This had been its adage for a very long time. Now that the party is in government, this sort of attitude is opened for all to see," he said in an interview. The public does not like what it is seeing, Wong added. Hence, a growing list of deractors have emerged in Penang, amid accusations that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has become a cocky and arrogant person, he said. "The critics are not necessarily from the Barisan Nasional. Everyone in Penang from the hawkers to the trishaw peddlers hold strong opinions [about the state government]. Can Lim accept criticism?" For example, Wong said the DAP-led Penang government was now embroiled in an alleged disagreement with the PAS-led state government in Kedah over a deal to supply raw water from the Muda River. Lim has denied the existence of such a deal but Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak had reportedly told a recent State Legislative Assembly sitting that is neighbour (Penang) has agreed to purchase water from Kedah. When Penang BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow spoke about the conflicting statements from both, the DAP turned around and asked him (Teng) to resign, Wong said. "Almost every DAP statement is about asking its opponents to step down." When its rivals pointed out that DAP's has own "skeletons in the closet," the party leaders became paranoid and issued gag orders on their own members, Wong said.
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(Joke only lah).
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