Isnin, 17 September 2012

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Siege mentality and conditioning of the mind

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 05:03 PM PDT

Unless we stop indoctrinating or brainwashing Muslim children we are never going to solve the problem. Muslims will always view any act as an attack against Islam that requires a hostile and violent response. When you train dogs to attack they will attack. When you train children, who are more intelligent than dogs, that violence is the only legitimate and appropriate response against the 'enemies of Islam', then expect that to happen.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Tantawi, motivasi dan akhlak perjuangan

Hidup di landasan perjuangan Islam ini tidak mudah. Hakikatnya, tiada siapa kata perjuangan Islam ini mudah. Dengan berbekalkan ketaqwaan dan keimanan pada Allah, ramai yang cuba menempuh perjuangan ini.

Namun, tanpa ketaqwaan dan keimanan kepada Allah yang kuat beserta kemahiran memotivasikan diri sendiri, ramai yang tersungkur.

Ramai yang menarik diri di pertengahan jalan.

Ramai yang terpengaruh dengan kesenangan duniawi, dan mengatakan kepada diri sendiri, ada orang lain yang bakal meneruskan perjuangan ini.

Ada pula yang menggunakan jalan terpesong untuk memperjuangkan agama Allah, yang akhirnya bukan dia saja yang tersungkur malah Islam terpalit dengan nama buruk akibat "perjuangan" beliau.

Ada ramai yang menyatakan mereka sedang memperjuangkan Islam. Namun, apabila ditanya apakah perjuangan Islam? Jawapan yang didengari cukup berbeza. (READ MORE HERE)

****************************************

Nasrudin Hassan at Tantawi, the PAS youth leader, has just launched his new book called 'Catatan Seorang Pejuang' -- translated to 'Notes (or Diary) of a Fighter (or Warrior)'. The subtitle for that book is: 'No one said the Islamic struggle (or fight) is easy'.

Have you noticed that Muslims like using the word pejuang, berjuang or perjuangan together with the word Islam? Where you find the word Islam you will find the word pejuang, berjuang or perjuangan.

Perjuangan or berjuang means war, battle, struggle, fight, skirmish, scuffle, tussle, resist, wrestle, grapple, strive, labour, strain, toil, fight back, etc. Basically, it is a word that implies offence, not defence.

This is very important to note in trying to understand the mindset of Muslims -- Malays included, of course. Islam is seen as something that requires some sort of fighting or conflict. You can't be a Muslim unless you are prepared to enter into a conflict or engage in a struggle or fight.

Muslim kids learn the term perjuangan Islam long before they learn what Birkin handbags means. In fact, some Muslims like me learned what Birkin handbags (made by Hermès) meant only by the time we were past 60. But at six we already knew about perjuangan Islam.

Muslims are indoctrinated and conditioned at a very early, impressionable and tender age that Islam equates to conflict. They develop a siege mentality and are made to believe that Islam is consistently under attack and hence every Muslim needs to be a soldier -- just like every Christian was a 'soldier of Christ' 500 years or more ago.

In short, Muslims are perpetually on 'war mode'. And this is because they have been brainwashed into believing that Islam is 'at war'. Hence any criticism (or perceived insult) of Islam is seen as an act of war. And any act of war requires a hostile and physical response. Hence, also, any retaliation involving violence is seen as a legitimate and appropriate response.

When you train dogs to attack in response to just one word, 'attack', these highly trained dogs would attack when commanded to do so. Even animals can be conditioned to take someone's life at a mere one-word command. What would you expect, therefore, from more intelligent mammals that have been trained for 20 or 30 years that we are at war and that our religion is under siege and when under attack we need to retaliate?

The fact that the PAS youth leader writes a book with such a title gives you a pretty good idea about what flows through his mind. (To be fair, though, I have not yet read the contents of the book so I am 'judging the book by the cover', so to speak).

Nevertheless, the title of the book reflects the conditioning or indoctrination that the writer has received. And books such as these will in turn condition or indoctrinate other Muslims. Hence we will have a whole Muslim community (Ummah) that builds its foundation of Islamic values on the basis that Islam is perpetually on war mode and every act is perceived as a coordinated conspiracy against Islam.

It is, therefore, very difficult to find Muslims who are 'cool' about what they perceive as a criticism of Islam (I emphasis the word 'perceive'). Muslims are always 'hot'. In fact, every criticism, never mind how mild, is perceived as an insult. And even if you criticise the conduct of Muslims it is seen as a criticism of the religion itself and of the Prophet Muhammad.

Nasrudin Hassan at Tantawi is the PAS youth leader. And he is the PAS youth leader because there are many party members who support him. If not he would not be able to become the party youth leader. That means there are many more people who think like him. If not they would not have voted for him.

Hence Nasrudin Hassan at Tantawi is not alone or in the minority. And the fact that his book is being well received is further proof that many others think just like him.

Unless we stop indoctrinating or brainwashing Muslim children we are never going to solve the problem. Muslims will always view any act as an attack against Islam that requires a hostile and violent response. When you train dogs to attack they will attack. When you train children, who are more intelligent than dogs, that violence is the only legitimate and appropriate response against the 'enemies of Islam', then expect that to happen.

Now, after writing this article, do you really think I can still go back to Malaysia?

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Political heat continues to rise

Posted: 17 Sep 2012 04:47 AM PDT

Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily

A Pakatan Rakyat double-decker tour bus has been repeatedly splashed with red paint, reflecting that the next general election is approaching and the conflicts between the confronting coalitions have been intensified. Meanwhile, the route of the bus has also exposed the Pakatan Rakyat's political strategy.

The bus carrying Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was attacked in Kelantan, Malacca and Johor. Why was Anwar touring these states, instead of Selangor which has been greatly attacked by the BN?

Anwar made an announcement recently that the Selangor state election will not be held simultaneously with the general election, as the Election Commission has not cleaned up the electoral roll.

The Pakatan Rakyat predicts that the general election might be fall in October or early November and it is also estimated that the Kedah and Penang state elections will be be delayed. However, the Kalantan state election will be held simultaneously with the general election.

The strategy brings several advantages to the Pakatan Rakyat. First of all, leaders of the alternative coalition can first attack the BN's fortress states, including Johor, Malacca, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak.

Secondly, when the Pakatan Rakyat is attacking the BN's fortress states, they can at the same time, alleviate the BN's force in Selangor. The BN has recently attacked the Selangor state government with water supply, Talam debt and people's livelihood issues, putting Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who is not good at counterattack, in a disadvantageous situation. The Selangor Pakatan Rakyat could take a breath if the state's regime warfare is delayed.

If the Pakatan Rakyat takes over the office, it can then clean up the electoral roll. Also they will have more political resources for the Selangor state election. Even though if the BN stays in power, the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat will still be able to gain sympathy votes.

Selangor is important for both the BN and the Pakatan Rakyat and thus, Anwar tries to siege the BN's fortress states to save Selangor. With his silver tongue, he hopes to first set off a political tsunami in the BN's fortress states. A feast in Skudai alone had attracted 8,000 people.

The MCA can no longer stand for the attacks and thus, party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek announced to hold eight banquets nationwide, including two in Johor. Attendees of the Pakatan Rakyat's events were mostly Chinese and if a wind of anti-incumbent is triggered in the Chinese society, the MCA's performance in the next general election might be worse than in the 2008 general election.

In conjunction of the Malaysia Day, leaders of the Pakatan Rakyat have recently been working hard in Sabah and Sarawak. They have also signed the Kuching Declaration, promising to restore the rights and autonomy of the states under the Federal Constitution, according to the Malaysia Agreement.

Relying on Anwar's personal networks, Pakatan Rakyat has successfully roped in some BN leaders and if the general election is further delayed, once the anti-BN forces are combined to strengthen activities in the inland areas and stir up emotions, Sabah and Sarawak might no longer be the fixed-deposit states of the BN.

In addition to votes in the BN's fortress state, the Pakatan Rakyat also tries to win women's votes by introducing the Agenda Wanita Malaysia, hitting the 1Malaysia concept.

From now on, the political heat will gradually rise. The Dong Zong is going to hold a protest on September 26, the 2013 Budget will be tabled on September 28 and the Pengkalan Himpunan Hijau will be held on September 30. Also, the confronting coalitions will compete through their annual general assembly. Some people estimated that about 100,000 people will attend the Pakatan Rakyat Convention scheduled on November 3.

Therefore, politics will drown everything, including blurring the national development agenda in the next few months.

 

Terengganu invents furnace for efficient Quran disposal

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 06:02 PM PDT

(Bernama) - The Terengganu Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAT) has devised a furnace to dispose of copies of the Quran using a more efficient burning system.

JHEAT Research Division principal assistant director, Mohamad Noor Mohd said the furnace would facilitate the disposal process, reduce burning time and was more environment-friendly.

"Previously, disposal was a long process because several steps were involved such as separating the paper, shredding, burning and then dumping the ashes into the sea.

"With this new furnace, shredding and burning will go on simultaneously," he told Bernama.

He said the furnace was invented by 10 department staff who took nine months to design it, while its production took another four months to complete.

Head of the invention team, Wan Zainuddin Wan Mansor said their main challenge was complying with syariah requirements and not violating Department of Environment (DOE) regulations.

"The DOE does not allow burning so as to preserve the environment, but use of this furnace is approved as it does not affect our environment," he said.

Eleven Quran will produce about one kilogramme of ash and the furnace will be able to carry out unlimited amount of burning.

The furnace, costing RM7,000 to produce, won third place in an Innovative and Creative Invention competition among the state government departments and agencies recently.

 

Siege mentality and conditioning of the mind

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 05:03 PM PDT

Unless we stop indoctrinating or brainwashing Muslim children we are never going to solve the problem. Muslims will always view any act as an attack against Islam that requires a hostile and violent response. When you train dogs to attack they will attack. When you train children, who are more intelligent than dogs, that violence is the only legitimate and appropriate response against the 'enemies of Islam', then expect that to happen.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Tantawi, motivasi dan akhlak perjuangan

Hidup di landasan perjuangan Islam ini tidak mudah. Hakikatnya, tiada siapa kata perjuangan Islam ini mudah. Dengan berbekalkan ketaqwaan dan keimanan pada Allah, ramai yang cuba menempuh perjuangan ini.

Namun, tanpa ketaqwaan dan keimanan kepada Allah yang kuat beserta kemahiran memotivasikan diri sendiri, ramai yang tersungkur.

Ramai yang menarik diri di pertengahan jalan.

Ramai yang terpengaruh dengan kesenangan duniawi, dan mengatakan kepada diri sendiri, ada orang lain yang bakal meneruskan perjuangan ini.

Ada pula yang menggunakan jalan terpesong untuk memperjuangkan agama Allah, yang akhirnya bukan dia saja yang tersungkur malah Islam terpalit dengan nama buruk akibat "perjuangan" beliau.

Ada ramai yang menyatakan mereka sedang memperjuangkan Islam. Namun, apabila ditanya apakah perjuangan Islam? Jawapan yang didengari cukup berbeza. (READ MORE HERE)

****************************************

Nasrudin Hassan at Tantawi, the PAS youth leader, has just launched his new book called 'Catatan Seorang Pejuang' -- translated to 'Notes (or Diary) of a Fighter (or Warrior)'. The subtitle for that book is: 'No one said the Islamic struggle (or fight) is easy'.

Have you noticed that Muslims like using the word pejuang, berjuang or perjuangan together with the word Islam? Where you find the word Islam you will find the word pejuang, berjuang or perjuangan.

Perjuangan or berjuang means war, battle, struggle, fight, skirmish, scuffle, tussle, resist, wrestle, grapple, strive, labour, strain, toil, fight back, etc. Basically, it is a word that implies offence, not defence.

This is very important to note in trying to understand the mindset of Muslims -- Malays included, of course. Islam is seen as something that requires some sort of fighting or conflict. You can't be a Muslim unless you are prepared to enter into a conflict or engage in a struggle or fight.

Muslim kids learn the term perjuangan Islam long before they learn what Birkin handbags means. In fact, some Muslims like me learned what Birkin handbags (made by Hermès) meant only by the time we were past 60. But at six we already knew about perjuangan Islam.

Muslims are indoctrinated and conditioned at a very early, impressionable and tender age that Islam equates to conflict. They develop a siege mentality and are made to believe that Islam is consistently under attack and hence every Muslim needs to be a soldier -- just like every Christian was a 'soldier of Christ' 500 years or more ago.

In short, Muslims are perpetually on 'war mode'. And this is because they have been brainwashed into believing that Islam is 'at war'. Hence any criticism (or perceived insult) of Islam is seen as an act of war. And any act of war requires a hostile and physical response. Hence, also, any retaliation involving violence is seen as a legitimate and appropriate response.

When you train dogs to attack in response to just one word, 'attack', these highly trained dogs would attack when commanded to do so. Even animals can be conditioned to take someone's life at a mere one-word command. What would you expect, therefore, from more intelligent mammals that have been trained for 20 or 30 years that we are at war and that our religion is under siege and when under attack we need to retaliate?

The fact that the PAS youth leader writes a book with such a title gives you a pretty good idea about what flows through his mind. (To be fair, though, I have not yet read the contents of the book so I am 'judging the book by the cover', so to speak).

Nevertheless, the title of the book reflects the conditioning or indoctrination that the writer has received. And books such as these will in turn condition or indoctrinate other Muslims. Hence we will have a whole Muslim community (Ummah) that builds its foundation of Islamic values on the basis that Islam is perpetually on war mode and every act is perceived as a coordinated conspiracy against Islam.

It is, therefore, very difficult to find Muslims who are 'cool' about what they perceive as a criticism of Islam (I emphasis the word 'perceive'). Muslims are always 'hot'. In fact, every criticism, never mind how mild, is perceived as an insult. And even if you criticise the conduct of Muslims it is seen as a criticism of the religion itself and of the Prophet Muhammad.

Nasrudin Hassan at Tantawi is the PAS youth leader. And he is the PAS youth leader because there are many party members who support him. If not he would not be able to become the party youth leader. That means there are many more people who think like him. If not they would not have voted for him.

Hence Nasrudin Hassan at Tantawi is not alone or in the minority. And the fact that his book is being well received is further proof that many others think just like him.

Unless we stop indoctrinating or brainwashing Muslim children we are never going to solve the problem. Muslims will always view any act as an attack against Islam that requires a hostile and violent response. When you train dogs to attack they will attack. When you train children, who are more intelligent than dogs, that violence is the only legitimate and appropriate response against the 'enemies of Islam', then expect that to happen.

Now, after writing this article, do you really think I can still go back to Malaysia?

 

MIC is doomed to destruction

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 03:57 PM PDT

Thuraisingham Shan

If the current leaders who have not been elected to consolidate their positions, they should not be given the mandate to continue leading the Party.  The Party leadership which took over the MIC from our former leader, Datuk Seri Samy Vellu, has to immediately call for elections to consolidate their elected representation for the Indian community.

For a start, the MIC Acting President should outline a strategy for the community with his elevation to the Ministerial position to consolidate the well-being of the Indian community.  It was months ago that he had been appointed, but is yet to have a proper blueprint for this downtrodden community.

Salient guidelines drawn up by Private Sector Initiatives of the Indian ETP programme has been shot down by the leadership, with no rhyme or reason.  The Prime Minister's initiative to set up a cooperative has been raided by the political leaders of MIC.

It had been a tradition that each of our previous MIC leaders had initiated a cooperative of their own:  albeit Tun Sambanthan initiated the National Land Finance Cooperative Society;  Tan Sri Manickavasagam pioneered the setting up of Koperasi Nesa, and Datuk Seri Samy Vellu founded Koperasi Pekerjajaya.  However, the current Acting President has taken refuge in the Prime Minister's initiated Koperasi, the so-called Koperasi Suria, which is functioning in contravention of the Cooperatives Act and its rules and regulations were also registered bypassing the salient requirements of the Act.  The two MIC leaders should keep away from this Prime Minister initiated venture for the community.

It is an irony that the Special Indian Task Force initiating a forum of "Energising the Indian Cooperatives" seems to be a mundane affair with no firm, positive, follow-up action.  Much enthusiasm prevailed from the 300-odd representatives from the existing 72 Indian based cooperatives who were present at the forum.

The MIC should react with much concern to the matters raised, where pertinent matters raised were to be acted upon, with a task force group to be set up for prompt  follow-up action.  Nonetheless, the forum can be equated to a "Verbal Diarrhoea" session, akin to  "A tale told by an idiot is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".

The italicised caption of this article speaks well of the leadership of the community.  Various attempts to meet the leader had been thwarted with lame excuses and the finale was the rotten words of doom as per the caption.

The Indian representation is doomed to anhilation, if drastic steps are not initiated immediately with a sense of urgency.  The misfits and the leaders who were rejected by the electorate should best step out of the foray immediately.

It is a fervent hope that the Prime Minister would help alleviate the predicament of the Indian community's dissatisfaction with concerted new ideas to garner the support of the Indian community for the coming GE13, where the role of the Indian community is crucial.  Alternatively, the Prime Minister and PEMANDU should make public the Key Performance Index analysis of the Ministry for the Indian affairs.  The public are not even aware of the structure of the Ministry and it specifications for the Indian community, rather than the words of misery captioned by the above so-called leaders.

 

Singapore’s success should be a wake up call to Malaysia

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 03:52 PM PDT

Daniel John Jambun

The latest report which says that Singapore is the wealthiest nation in the world by GDP per capita, beating out Norway, the U.S., Hong Kong and Switzerland, has further embarrassed our own country, Malaysia, which is Singapore's closest neighbour and economic rival.

This report is especially painful for Malaysia because we know Singapore started off as an island of fishing villages with no natural resources. It survived and prospered as an entrepot (a trading post where merchandise can be imported and exported without paying import duties), and imported raw materials for its needs, industries and exported processed products to the world. It is still buying nearly everything from other countries, mainly Malaysia, including sand, water, oil, vegetable, fruits, to name just a few.
 
As of 8 August 2010, Singapore is the fastest growing economy in the world, with a growth rate of 17.9% for the first half of 2010. Malaysia on the other hand is struggling to achieve the official target of 4% to 5% growth for this year. A Reuters quarterly poll in July estimated Malaysia's GDP growth this year at 4.2 per cent. On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal report is replete with superlatives about Singapore economic performance, among which are as follows:
  
"Singapore's GDP per capita – at US$56,532 in 2010, measured by purchasing power parity – is the highest in the world, topping Norway (US$51, 226), the US (US$45, 511) and Hong Kong (US$45, 301). The report also predicts that Singapore will hold its place as the world's most affluent country in 2050…. Singapore will see a 67% increase in centimillionaires over the next four years – [centimillionaires are those]  with over US$100 million in disposable wealth…. Singapore has the highest percentage of millionaire households in the world, a title the city-state has held on to for two years running…."
 
Some of the factors contributing to Singapore's forecast performance are its 'human capital' – a skilled and educated labour force (which is likely to lead to better long-term prospects for a country's economic growth), the dynamic business environment (with legislation to match), openness to trade, capital mobility and foreign direct investment…. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea are employing the same Singaporean strategies on Human Capital where the brightest and the brilliant are attracted from all over the world, universities rankings are among the top World 20.  Surely something must be really right, as these countries do not have Natural Resources.

In our beloved Malaysia, everything is the opposite, our government legalised 1.6 million foreign unskilled labourers who are non-taxpayer 'Bumiputras' consuming all the benefits funded by us taxpayers; our universities rankings have slid from the World Top 100 to unbelievably low levels so much that we have difficulty in competing internationally. Our brightest and brilliant are forced to mass migrate to
Singapore, Taiwan and overseas. This is very ironic because we have immense natural resources which were extracted for half a century but our country seems to be always in debt and short of funds. The vast revenues obtained from tin, rubber, timber and petroleum had not done much to secure our economic standing.
 
It is unbelievable that even Petronas, the supposedly superrich Malaysian corporation, is in danger of going bust. Surely something must be really wrong. A site, tranungkite.net writes that Petronas "has squandered its tremendous reserves for a number of projects it had no business to be involved in. It owns Putrajaya, the administrative capital that is a drain on the public purse. It owns Proton, the F-1 motor racing circuit in Sepang, and a slew of companies and products that is far removed from its main product: petroleum. The US$1 billion sponsorship costs for the F-1 championship in Sepang and the Sauber Petronas F-1 racing team appears to matter more than the future of its 70 IT specialists. It owns the Petronas twin towers, forced on it by the government so the Kuala Lumput City Centre (KLCC) would show the world how developed a country Malaysia is. Its considerable funds are used to cover government shortfalls and other financial needs. I suspect the Petronas management sees red ink dominating its balance sheets after its unrestrained financial profligacy."

The latest glowing report on
Singapore should serve as a warning May Day signal to Malaysia to revamp its system so that its public service is more transparent, honest, bribe-free, absolutely professional, and pro-growth in its approaches when dealing with investors and technocrats. In Singapore, the civil servants have very strict instructions to use all available government means to facilitate the license and permit applications by business people, and to assist them in all technical matters that arise. The civil servants are totally forbidden from accepting any gift of any kind, nor to accept dinner invitations from businessmen. Singapore has the high international reputation of being bribe-free and has a highly conducive business environment. On   the contrary, bribes in the form of money and dinner invitation are expected by Malaysian civil servants, and there is a strong culture of 'undertable', and even 'over the table', dealings to lubricate business with the government.
 
No wonder Sabah, with all its wealth of natural resources, had become Malaysia's poorest state. As if it is not enough that the state civil service is so corrupted, it also has to share its wealth with the BN-held states in the Peninsula.

 

Why is the Arab world so easily offended?

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 03:39 PM PDT

Fouad Ajami, The Washington Post  

MODERNITY requires the willingness to be offended. And as anti-American violence across the Middle East and beyond shows, that willingness is something the Arab world, the heartland of Islam, still lacks.

Time and again in recent years, as the outside world has battered the walls of Muslim lands and as Muslims have left their places of birth in search of greater opportunities in the Western world, modernity — with its sometimes distasteful but ultimately benign criticism of Islam — has sparked fatal protests. To understand why violence keeps erupting and to seek to prevent it, we must discern what fuels this sense of grievance.

There is an Arab pain and a volatility in the face of judgment by outsiders that stem from a deep and enduring sense of humiliation. A vast chasm separates the poor standing of Arabs in the world today from their history of greatness. In this context, their injured pride is easy to understand.

In the narrative of history transmitted to schoolchildren throughout the Arab world and reinforced by the media, religious scholars and laymen alike, Arabs were favored by divine providence. They had come out of the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century, carrying Islam from Morocco to faraway Indonesia. In the process, they overran the Byzantine and Persian empires, then crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to Iberia, and there they fashioned a brilliant civilization that stood as a rebuke to the intolerance of the European states to the north. Cordoba and Granada were adorned and exalted in the Arab imagination. Andalusia brought together all that the Arabs favored — poetry, glamorous courts, philosophers who debated the great issues of the day.

If Islam's rise was spectacular, its fall was swift and unsparing. This is the world that the great historian Bernard Lewis explored in his 2002 book "What Went Wrong?" The blessing of God, seen at work in the ascent of the Muslims, now appeared to desert them. The ruling caliphate, with its base in Baghdad, was torn asunder by a Mongol invasion in the 13th century. Soldiers of fortune from the Turkic Steppes sacked cities and left a legacy of military seizures of power that is still the bane of the Arabs. Little remained of their philosophy and literature, and after the Ottoman Turks overran Arab countries to their south in the 16th century, the Arabs seemed to exit history; they were now subjects of others.

The coming of the West to their world brought superior military, administrative and intellectual achievement into their midst — and the outsiders were unsparing in their judgments. They belittled the military prowess of the Arabs, and they were scandalized by the traditional treatment of women and the separation of the sexes that crippled Arab society.

Even as Arabs insist that their defects were inflicted on them by outsiders, they know their weaknesses. Younger Arabs today can be brittle and proud about their culture, yet deeply ashamed of what they see around them. They know that more than 300 million Arabs have fallen to economic stagnation and cultural decline. They know that the standing of Arab states along the measures that matter — political freedom, status of women, economic growth — is low. In the privacy of their own language, in daily chatter on the street, on blogs and in the media, and in works of art and fiction, they probe endlessly what befell them.

But woe to the outsider who ventures onto that explosive terrain. The assumption is that Westerners bear Arabs malice, that Western judgments are always slanted and cruel.

In the past half-century, Arabs, as well as Muslims in non-Arab lands, have felt the threat of an encircling civilization they can neither master nor reject. Migrants have left the burning grounds of Karachi, Cairo and Casablanca but have taken the fire of their faith with them. "Dish cities" have sprouted in the Muslim diasporas of Western Europe and North America. You can live in Stockholm and be sustained by a diet of al-Jazeera television.

We know the celebrated cases when modernity has agitated the pious. A little more than two decades ago, it was a writer of Muslim and Indian birth, Salman Rushdie, whose irreverent work of fiction, "The Satanic Verses," offended believers with its portrayal of Islam. That crisis began with book-burnings in Britain, later saw protests in Pakistan and culminated in Iran's ruling cleric, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issuing a fatwa calling for Rushdie's death in 1989. The protesters were not necessarily critics of fiction; all it took to offend was that Islam, the prophet Muhammad and his wives had become a writer's material. The confrontation laid bare the unease of Islam in the modern world.

The floodgates had opened. The clashes that followed defined the new terms of encounters between a politicized version of Islam — awakened to both power and vulnerability — and the West's culture of protecting and nurturing free speech. In 2004, a Moroccan Dutchman in his mid-20s, Mohammed Bouyeri, murdered filmmaker Theo van Goghon a busy Amsterdam street after van Gogh and a Somali-born politician made a short film about the abuse of women in Islamic culture.

Shortly afterward, trouble came to Denmark when a newspaper there published a dozen cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad; in one he wears a bomb-shaped turban, and another shows him as an assassin. The newspaper's culture editor had thought the exercise would merely draw attention to the restrictions on cultural freedom in Europe — but perhaps that was naive. After all, Muslim activists are on the lookout for such material. And Arab governments are eager to defend Islam. The Egyptian ambassador to Denmark encouraged a radical preacher of Palestinian birth living in Denmark and a young Lebanese agitator to fan the flames of the controversy.

But it was Syria that made the most of this opportunity. The regime asked the highest clerics to preach against the Danish government. The Danish embassies in Damascus and Beirut were sacked; there was a call to boycott Danish products. Denmark had been on the outer margins of Europe's Muslim diaspora. Now its peace and relative seclusion were punctured.

The storm that erupted this past week at the gates of American diplomatic outposts across the Muslim world is a piece of this history. As usual, it was easily ignited. The offending work, a 14-minute film trailer posted on YouTube in July, is offensive indeed. Billed as a trailer for "The Innocence of Muslims," a longer movie to come, it is at once vulgar and laughable. Its primitiveness should have consigned it to oblivion.

It was hard to track down the identities of those who made it. A Sam Bacile claimed authorship, said that he was an Israeli American and added that 100Jewish businessmen had backed the venture. This alone made it rankle even more — offending Muslims and implicating Jews at the same time. (In the meantime, no records could be found of Bacile, and the precise origins of the video remain murky.)

It is never hard to assemble a crowd of young protesters in the teeming cities of the Muslim world. American embassies and consulates are magnets for the disgruntled. It is inside those fortresses, the gullible believe, that rulers are made and unmade. Yet these same diplomatic outposts dispense coveted visas and a way out to the possibilities of the Western world. The young men who turned up at the U.S. Embassies this week came out of this deadly mix of attraction to American power and resentment of it. The attack in Benghazi, Libya, that took the lives of four American diplomats, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, appeared to be premeditated and unconnected to the film protests.

The ambivalence toward modernity that torments Muslims is unlikely to abate. The temptations of the West have alienated a younger generation from its elders. Men and women insist that they revere the faith as they seek to break out of its restrictions. Freedom of speech, granting license and protection to the irreverent, is cherished, protected and canonical in the Western tradition. Now Muslims who quarrel with offensive art are using their newfound freedoms to lash out against it.

These cultural contradictions do not lend themselves to the touch of outsiders. President George W. Bush believed that America's proximity to Arab dictatorships had begotten us the jihadists' enmity. His military campaign in Iraq became an attempt to reform that country and beyond. But Arabs rejected his interventionism and dismissed his "freedom agenda" as a cover for an unpopular war and for domination.

President Obama has taken a different approach. He was sure that his biography — the years he spent in Indonesia and his sympathy for the aspirations of Muslim lands — would help repair relations between America and the Islamic world. But he's been caught in the middle, conciliating the rulers while making grand promises to ordinary people. The revolt of the Iranian opposition in the summer of 2009 exposed the flaws of his approach. Then the Arab Spring played havoc with American policy. Since then, the Obama administration has not been able to decide whether it defends the status quo or the young people hell-bent on toppling the old order.

Cultural freedom is never absolute, of course, and the Western tradition itself, from the Athenians to the present, struggles mightily with the line between freedom and order. In the Muslim world, that struggle is more fierce and lasting, and it will show itself in far more than burnt flags and overrun embassies.

 

Nizar: A bigger tsunami taking shape in Umno

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 03:34 PM PDT

The PAS leader claims that Mahathir, Tengku Razaleigh and Muhyiddin are baying for Najib's blood as they fear his continued leadership will disintegrate Umno and BN.

Humayun Kabir, FMT

TAIPING: PAS claims that Umno is facing a greater political tsunami within the party than what it experienced during 2008.

Perak PAS deputy chief Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin told FMT that the 2008 political turmoil within Umno was on a low-key level but now it had become more vicious.

In 2008, politicking within Umno led by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad resulted in the then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi being forced to resign.

There were also allegations that frustrated Umno members who were not selected as candidates in the general election had sabotaged Umno by supporting the opposition.

"It is a no holds barred struggle as speculation is that the three Umno leaders – Mahathir (Mohamad), Tengku Razaleigh (Hamzah) and (Deputy Premier) Muhyiddin (Yassin) are (competing among themselves in) trying to replace Najib as Umno president before the coming general election," said Nizar.

He said the three Umno leaders feared that the party might disintegrate and BN would lose the coming general election if Najib continued to lead.

To back his argument, Nizar said it was reported that posters calling for Muhyiddin to replace Najib had been widely circulating in Johor.

He said it was also reported that Mahathir was ready to resume his former premier post if requested to do so.

The vocal PAS leader also did not rule out the possibility of Razaleigh's movement Amanah Rakyat  replacing the present Umno.

Nizar predicted that it would be an "all out dirty political war" within Umno as members fight for personal gains rather than ensuring that BN wins in the coming general election.

Anger in Perak Umno

Speaking at a ceramah in Perak last week, Nizar said Umno was also facing a political dilemma at the state level.

"I was told that Najib has demanded that 90% of the Umno candidates in Perak must be new faces, professionals, having educational backgrounds and not necessarily committee Umno members to be winnable candidates in the coming general election.

"An Umno division deputy chief told me that most members are frustrated. So they are just waiting for the date when Najib will declare the dissolution of Parliament and many from Perak will quit and join Tengku's Amanah.

"Ku Li had come to Perak in April and he gained some momentum (in recruiting members for Amanah). So within Umno there is another Umno," he pointed out.

The PAS leader also revealed that there was intense infighting within Perak Umno over several seats.

Nizar, whose left arm was in a sling, told the crowd that on Thursday evening, he was plucking coconuts in his house compound, when a coconut fell and injured his left shoulder.

During his speech, Nizar also showed slides and video recordings on the alleged wrongdoings of Umno members. He also showed the controversial YouTube video clip of Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor dancing on the first day of Hari Raya celebrations at their official residency in Putrajaya.

 

Tanda Putera: Potrait of an apologist

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 03:22 PM PDT

Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong rebuts criticisms levelled against him by Tanda Putera director Shuhaimi Baba.

By Kua Kia Soong, FMT

At the outset, let me clarify that I am certainly not the director of Tanda Putera's (TP) "most vocal critic". Until this controversy started, I had never heard of this maker of Pontianak movies.

On the other hand, I am an ardent admirer of the late Yasmin Ahmad's classic Malaysian films through which Yasmin's truly multi-ethnic and prejudice-shattering humanity shines through.

Still, I was ready to give this director of TP the benefit of the doubt by appealing to any fibre of intellectual honesty in her body when I wrote my reply (Tanda Putera: Deconstructing Prejudice) to her unwarranted attacks on my credibility in her interview with FMT.

It appears my efforts have all been water off a duck's back.

Hapless victim with a blame frame

This controversy started I believe, when Lim Kit Siang rightly protested against images posted on TP's website and the outrageous allegations by some bloghead that the DAP leader had urinated against a flagpole at the time of the May 13 incident.

Such a blatant untruth and serious warping of history was explained away without heartfelt apologies by the TP director and I believe the loathsome images and comments were only taken down four weeks later after Kit Siang had made a strong protest.

We witness the same attempt by the TP director to blame others by claiming that "I did not refer to Kua when I pointed out that a writer published his work on May 13, 1969 but did not qualify he was not even in Malaysia during the incident. The credibility of that source is questionable."

Did the director of TP feel that there had been grievous harm done to the reputation of both Kit Siang and myself when these supposed "errors" were discovered? Did she demand that FMT make a correction and would she have bothered to make a correction if I had not protested against her scurrilous attacks on me? Or are we considered mere collateral damage in her mission to beatify the Umno leaders?

Who were the "hidden hands" behind May 13?

The director of TP has clearly fallen in with the "official" version that the May 13 Incident was a "spontaneous outbreak" of violence between "the Malays" and "the Chinese" after "the Malays" were provoked by "the Chinese".

In this official rendition, the victory parade by the opposition parties in 1969 is often compounded with an earlier demonstration by the Labour Party which had actually boycotted the 1969 general election because practically all their leaders had been incarcerated under the ISA.

Were these parades so provocative that they were the trigger for the pogrom?  From the declassified documents at the British Archives, they were not. The British were more likely to be pro-Alliance rather than pro-Opposition since after all, the Alliance leaders were the local custodians of British interests in the Independence manoeuvres. But if the director of TP has credible local documents to the contrary, pray, produce them.

Malaysians in recent years are only too well aware of the manner in which the far-right fascists have been quick to stage violent actions against such civil society initiatives as Suqiu in 2000, the racial violence at Kampung Medan in 2001, the Article 11 Coalition in 2006, the even more recent cow head protest and the other recent fascist actions against the Penang state government.

Would the director of TP likewise conclude that these recent incidents by "the Malays" were similarly "justified" because they were provoked?

The well-known poet and writer, Said Zahari wrote his poem "Hidden Hands" when May 13 broke out and he was under ISA detention in Singapore. He wasn't even in the country! Still, he knew enough of the class nature of the ruling coalition to write this poem that is now the "soundtrack" of May 13.

To the evidence I produced of credible Malay intellectuals who did not find my book on May 13 "prejudiced against the Malays" as alleged in her interview with FMT, she says:

"No point going behind names like Subky and your 'Malay colleagues'. They don't bring validation. "

In fact, I only needed to point to one Malay intellectual to expose her own prejudices but I produced the highly respected (the late) Rustam Sani, Dr Syed Husin Ali, Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, Dr Azmi Sharom and now, Said Zahari.

By the way, the PAS leader, Subky Latiff is also a renowned Malay journalist and an academic whose work I cited from "Southeast Asian Affairs", a respectable academic journal of the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs, Singapore.

All of these citations she dismisses as "my Malay colleagues" who "don't bring validation". Apart from echoing the old trite official version of May 13 that has no credibility, she does not cite a single intellectual of note to back her official version.

But apparently, the director of TP has another theory, namely,

"What about the view that May 13 was a push for the Chinese radicals at that time to get rid of the Malays and take over power in Selangor because only one seat stood in the way? Was that a failed "coup detat"? Gerakan held on to that seat in favour of the Alliance."

Is the director of TP serious in posing that it was "the Chinese radicals" who had started the violence and that they were ready to take on Umno and the police and the army to achieve their objectives? So where is the evidence to back up this theory?

Declassify the Special Branch files on May 13

The only evidence we have is the fact that the violence started at the menteri besar's house. I based that on the declassified documents from the British Archives which happen to be the ONLY declassified documents available to researchers.

The director of TP betrays her ignorance of public records when she says:

"You blame the British for the things that didn't go your way, like this country not being a socialist country. But you stand by their records and declassified reports. I'm no stranger to the British public records library and I can say that British intelligence reports were known to also make mistakes. They are human. But some mistakes were not corrected and only done on hindsight."

Bob Dylan has a line that says: "If you don't underestimate me, I won't underestimate you…"  A credible social scientist knows how to sieve information from public records regardless of whether they are Malaysian, British or American.

I too read the rags of the ruling coalition but that does not mean than I am incapable of sieving the information I want. I would be only too happy to join the director of TP in calling for the immediate declassifying of the documents on May 13, especially the Malaysian Special Branch reports.

If they show that the violence did not start at the menteri besar's residence but by "assorted bad elements" and "communists", I will be the first to retract my theory in the book.

Ultimately, if we really want to create a society "at peace with itself", we need to set up a Truth & Reconciliation Commission entrusted to encourage all witnesses including the police, army, hospital and Red Cross staff and families of victims to come forward to tell their story.

I made this abundantly clear in my article on "Deconstructing Prejudice". I do not see why a witness statement by my brother in law who was a professor at the university Hospital where some of the bodies were brought to should not be credible.

Everyone who witnessed the violence and deaths during May 13 should be welcome to give us their narratives at a Truth & Reconciliation Commission hearing.

It's class, stupid!

The director of TP fails to see that my thesis in "May 13: Declassified Documents…" was essentially that the actions of the emergent Malay state capitalist class against the Malay aristocratic class at the time amounted to a coup detat.

The historical personalities were significant in this analysis because of the class role they played.  It is clear the director of TP is unfamiliar with social scientific usage when she asks: "Kua labelled Tun Razak as an 'ambitious Malay capitalist'. Is it because of the colour of his skin…!"

That label is her own coinage. My thesis in the book was that Tun Razak led the emergent Malay state capitalist class to power. They subsequently came to an accommodation with the local Chinese and Indian capitalists and they lived happily ever after with the formation of the Barisan Nasional.

Unfortunately, this cosy story came to a sobering end in the general election of 2008 when the rakyat finally got wise to the "bumiputeraist" fairy tale as being the ideology spun by the Umnoputras after May 13.

The director of TP may not know that class analysis in the academic corridors of our local universities uses similar designations. Social scientists are interested in ethnicity, not race which is Umno's strategy to divide Malaysians into "bumiputera" and "non-bumiputera". We can't really blame her since, as Roger Ebert, the film critic observes:

"Class is often invisible in the movies, and usually not the subject of films."

READ MORE HERE

 

The Havoc Education Reform Inflicts: Education Blueprint 2013-2025

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 03:11 PM PDT

M. BAKRI MUSA

First of Five Parts: Education Blueprint – Transparent, But Not Bold Or Comprehensive

Education reform is inflicted upon Malaysians with the regularity of the monsoon. Like the storm, the havoc these "reforms" create lingers long after they have passed through.

In this five-part commentary I will critique the latest reform effort contained in Preliminary Report: Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 released on September 11, 2012. The first three essays will address the Blueprint's findings and recommendations; the fourth, its omissions, and the last, the flaws in the process with this particular reform effort.

The Blueprint clearly identifies the main problems and challenges at both the system and individual levels, but fails to analyze why or how they came about and why they have been let to fester. Consequently the recommendations are based more on conjecture rather than solid data; more towards generalities and the stating of goals rather than on specifics and how to achieve those goals. On the positive side, the goals and milestones (at least some of them) are clearly stated in quantifiable terms, so we would know whether they have been achieved going forward.

Despite extensive public participation and the inclusion of many luminaries (including foreign ones) on the panel, the report has many glaring omissions. It fails to address the particular challenges facing Islamic and rural national schools. This is surprising considering that the constituents in both streams are Malays, a politically powerful group. Even more pertinent, those schools regularly perform at the bottom quartile; they drag down the whole system. Improving them would go a long way in enhancing the entire system. Yet another omission is the failure to analyze and thus learn from earlier reform efforts.

This Blueprint does not live up to Najib Razak's assertion of being "bold, comprehensive and transparent." Transparent perhaps, but not bold or comprehensive! That is not surprising as the panel is dominated by civil servants. They have been part of the problem for so long that it would be too much to expect them now to magically be part of the solution.

Predictability of Education Reform

It is a particularly Malaysian obsession to reform its educational policy with the political season. Every new minister feels compelled to do it, as if to demonstrate his political manhood. Now it is Muhyiddin's turn.

Five years ago under Hishamuddin there was Langkah Langkah Ke Arah Cemerlangan (Steps Towards Excellence). Five years before that under Musa Mohamad was Pembangunan Pendidikan 2001-2010: Rancangan Bersepadu Penjana Cemerlangan Pendidikan (Education Development 2010-2011. Plan for Unity Through Educational Excellence). Notice the long pretentious titles and frequent use of the word "excellence."

In the meantime generations of young Malaysians, especially Malays, continue to pay the price for the follies of previous reforms, in particular the one in the 1970s that did away with English schools. Someone finally wizened up and brought back the teaching of English, albeit only in science and mathematics. Then just as we were adjusting to and recovering from that reversal, a new leader who thought himself smarter changed back the system!

This latest reform released on September 11, 2012, will prove to be the 9-11 of Malaysian education. The destruction may not be as dramatic visually and physically as the other 9-11, but the wreckage will be real and massive, with the havoc remaining long after to haunt current and future generations. The damage will be extensive, cumulative, and compounding.

As in the past, this time we are again being promised that this storm of a reform will wash away the thick polluted haze that has been hovering over our schools. Yes, the air will be clearer and fresher after a storm, and the birds will sing. Meanwhile however, we have to deal with ripped roofs, flood debris, and destructive landslides.

In compiling this Blueprint the government has commendably sought wide public participation and at great expense. The public in turn responded massively and enthusiastically, reflecting the angst over our education system. The panel however, did not sufficiently discern the difference between quantity and quality, and duly gave equal time to the bombasts as well as the wise.

READ MORE HERE

 

FOC briyani for ‘LGBTs’

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT

Looking good for food: Herukh (second from right) giving away free briyani to (from left) Pang, Loh and Jerome Kugan at Fierce Curry House in Bangsar Utama.

(The Star) - A briyani shop here poked fun at the purported guidelines to spot gays and lesbians for schoolchildren by giving away free meals to men wearing tight-fitting V-neck T-shirts and carrying sling bags.

What started off as a pub conversation quickly set siblings and owners Herukh and Kubhaer T. Jeswant of the Fierce Curry House in Bangsar Utama to add some fun to their business and celebrate the diversity of their patrons.

"When the guidelines came out, we thought it was ridiculous.

"But instead of joining in the fray to condemn it, we thought it would be an interesting concept to give out free briyani meals to the first 15 men who walk in with a V-neck and a man-bag," said Herukh, who publicised his offer on Facebook.

By midday yesterday, the brothers had to extend their promotion to another 10 customers after receiving a roaring response.

Kubhaer said even women walked in with V-neck T-shirts and man-bags but they were disappointed because the offer was only for men.

"If only the guidelines were easier to identify," he said, bursting with laughter when The Star met them yesterday.

Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd and the Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers Associations, who organised a parenting seminar in Penang, had distributed the alleged guidelines to participants on Thursday.

Among others, the guidelines said tendencies of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenderers (LGBT) can be spotted among boys wearing tight-fitting V-neck T-shirts and carrying large sling bags, and girls who enjoy the company of their own gender.

The Education Ministry has since denied it had endorsed the guidelines although it views cases of social ills in the community seriously.

Actor and events manager Alfred Loh who enjoyed his free briyani said it was a great way to raise awareness, not particularly for any rights groups but on current issues.

"As a completely heterosexual man, it is also a wonderful way to discover a new fashion sense," he said, beaming in his red V-neck and a borrowed black man-bag. Gay rights activist Pang Khee Teik said that he was happy with the public outcry over the absurdity of the guidelines.

"I'm glad that Fierce Curry House acknowledges that education, like food, must be made available to everyone," he said.

 

PAS: Don’t delay hudud

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 02:20 PM PDT

(The Star) - Implementation of hudud should not be delayed because enforcing it is an obligation and not an option, said PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

"Hudud is part of the syariah legislation that is compulsory in Islam.

"To me, there is neither legal basis nor necessity based on logic to delay its enforcement.

"(And) nowhere in the world, whether in the democratic or communist systems, are laws implemented only after making the rakyat understand and accept them,'' he said on his blog.

The recent statement by the Kelantan Mentri Besar is an apparent rebuttal against calls by certain political parties that hudud could only be implemented only after creating public awareness and gaining their acceptance.

PAS leaders have stepped up their calls to implement hudud with president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang recently creating a stir by saying that the party would not forgo its plans to implement hudud.

Even his deputy president Mohamad Sabu had said that they would implement it if they had two-thirds majority support in Parliament to amend the Constitution.

PAS deputy Mursyidul Am Datuk Dr Harun Din and Perak deputy Youth chief Dr Raja Ahmad Al Hiss had also backed Hadi.

However, the polemics over hudud had prompted the Erdogans in PAS to call for an end to free airing of views on hudud in the public sphere.

PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had said that the issue would hamper the party's performance at the coming general election.

Nik Aziz said all other laws in Malaysia had been implemented without first seeking public acceptance.

He added that while the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (that includes hudud) was passed in Kelantan 19 years ago, it could not be enforced because of objection from the Federal Government.

"This includes a warning through an official letter sent by then prime minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) that has yet to be retracted,'' he said.

Using the analogy that fishermen could enjoy better catch when riding on high waves, Nik Aziz implied that Muslims should decide in the interest of religious obligation even when the tide was against them.

 

More urging Dong Zong duo to cancel rally for sake of Chinese education

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 02:16 PM PDT

(The Star) - AN increasing number of the board of directors of Chinese schools have come forward to urge the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) chairman Yap Sin Tian and his deputy Chow Siew Hon to call off the 926 rally demanding the resignation of Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

They said the rally would harm the development of Chinese education, Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press reported.

Nanyang reported that on Saturday, representatives of the board members from 40 Chinese primary schools in Malacca urged the two to set aside their personal grievances and not to politicise the Chinese education problems.

On Sept 8, over 110 representatives from Pahang Chinese primary schools' board of directors as well as their parent-teacher associations slammed Yap and Chow for misusing the organisation's resources to call for a rally for their personal agenda.

A day later, a group of parents from SJK Jinjang Utara wanted the school's former board chairman Yap Sin Tian to "leave the school alone" for the sake of its students.

Yap and Chow, who was SJK Jinjang Utara's deputy chairman, had also submitted a list of nine names for the school board to the Education Department last year instead of the required 15.

Earlier this year, another group submitted a complete list which was accepted by the state Education Department.

Yap had accused the Education Ministry of trying to grab power from the school board by not accepting his list of names and has initiated a rally on Sept 26 calling for Dr Wee's resignation.

Datuk Chin Kon Tow, the board chairman of SRJK (C) Masjid Tanah in Malacca, said the school would not attend the 926 rally, and urged other primary schools in the state not to attend as well.

He said Dr Wee had worked hard to solve the Chinese education problems, so there was no reason to call for his resignation.

"Will it solve the problems (in Chinese schools) once and for all just by asking the Deputy Education Minister to resign?" Chin asked.

Chin said Yap and Chow should return to talks with the relevant authorities to find solutions for the development of Chinese education.

 

Ismail Embong among three named Tokoh M’sia

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 02:11 PM PDT

(The Star) - Three Malaysians have been honoured with the Tokoh Hari Malaysia award during the Malaysia Day celebration here.

Tan Sri Harris Salleh from Sabah, Tan Sri Hamdan Sirat from Sarawak and Ismail Embong from Terengganu were honoured for their services and contributions to their states and the country.

Hamdan is a former state commissioner of police, former acting governor and former state public service commission chief.

Ismail is a prolific national artist whose works include a mural of Malaysia's history and a life-sized painting called Tujuh Negarawan that features the seven past and present Umno presidents.

Harris was Sabah's chief minister from 1976 to 1985.

The trio received their awards from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here yesterday.

Najib also presented awards to two national Paralympic athletes who won the silver and bronze medals in London recently.

The duo are Hasihin Sanawi, who won the silver in the men's archery, and Mohd Ziyad Zolkefli, who captured the bronze in the men's shot putt at the Paralympic Games in the F20 category.

Najib also presented the Malaysia Book of Records certificates to the organisers of Dikir Barat and Twitter Merdeka.

Dikir Barat entered the Malaysia Book of Records after it managed to gather 8,500 participants.

The other two certificates were given for the largest gathering of Twitter users (10,128) and most tweets within an hour (3,611,323) during the Merdeka Day event at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Aug 31.

 

PR leaders sign Kuching Declaration

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 02:02 PM PDT

 
THE BROKEN SHIELD

KUCHING: The leaders of Pakatan Rakyat signed the 'Kuching Declaration' in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebration to pledge and promise to the nation and the people of Malaysia that when they form the next government of Malaysia they will honour all its pledges and promises.

The de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)  Anwar Ibrahim signed on behalf of his party, while Lim Kit Siang, DAP National adviser signed on behalf of DAP and  Haji Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS President signed on behalf of PAS.

Also affixing their signatures on the declaration were also state leaders.  Sarawak PKR Chief Baru Bian signed on behalf of PKR, while Wong Ho Leng, Sarawak DAP Chairman signed on behalf of DAP and Haji Adam Ahid, PAS Commissioner on behalf of his party.

The Declaration reads: "Lest we forget, and lest all the peoples of our great Nation of Malaysia forget, we the undersigned do once again firmly, resolutely and unequivocally pledge and promise before the whole Nation of Malaysia as our witness, on this historically day the 16th of September, 2012, in the City of Kuching, and on behalf of our respective parties and Pakatan Rakyat will honour all its pledges and promises to the peoples of Malaysia.

"We will honourably execute all the policies set forth in the Buku Jingga so that Malaysia will once again be a great Nation, her peoples prosperous, her future secure and peaceful, and her name celebrated by all the nations of the world.

"We will honour the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 which our founding fathers put their hands to, and as a sign of our deep commitment to the peoples of Sarawak and Sabah, consistent with democratic principles and justice for all Malaysians, in particular:

READ MORE HERE

 

Paderi Sabah ingatkan Putrajaya tentang Batu Sumpah Peringatan Keningau pada 16 September

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 02:00 PM PDT

Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider

Seorang bishop Katholik Sabah bertanya apakah perjanjian 49 tahun kerajaan persekutuan untuk menghormati kebebasan beragama dan hak orang asal selepas hari Malaysia semalam, menunjukkan rasa tidak puas hati kepada Putrajaya selama ini.

Bishop Datuk Cornelius Piong (gambar) berkata, 49 tahun yang lalu, kerajaan persekutuan Malaya telah berjanji untuk maju bersama-sama dan melindungi hak asasi manusia, dengan menubuhkan negara yang dikenali sebagai Malaysia bersama Sarawak dan Singapura.

Antara tiga janji adalah untuk memastikan hak orang Sabah akan bebas menganut apa juga agama, tanah adat akan terus dijaga dan kerajaan persekutuan akan menghormati adat budaya Sabah.

"Adakah janji-janji ini dihormati dan ditunaikan?" beliau bertanya dalam ucapannya yang dicetak semalam di akhbar terbaru Herald, akhbar Katholik di Sabah.

"Perjanjian itu telah diukir di Batu Sumpah Peringatan yang masih ada di Keningau," kata bishop yang menjaga diocese (daerah Katholik) Keningau.

Beliau berkata batu peringatan itu masih berada di depan pusat pentadbiran daerah di Keningau.

Gereja Katholik lantang bersuara dalam ketidakadilan sosial terutamanya selepas pilihan raya umum 2008 dan kes dimana hak untuk menggunakan nama "Allah" dihalang oleh menteri dalam negeri dan menggunakan akta keselamatan dalam negeri jika mengimpot Injil dengan perkataan tersebut.

Gereja bagaimanapun memenangi kes tersebut di mahkamah tinggi, tetapi masih ditangguh kerana kementerian dalam negeri membawa kes tersebut ke mahkamah rayuan dan kes tertangguh selama dua tahun.

Sabah, bersama Sarawak mempunyai penduduk Kristian yang besar, kira-kira 10 peratus dari jumlah penduduk negara.

Keningau merupakan salah satu daerah yang mempunyai penduduk Kristian yang ramai — 117,000 orang dari 419,000 orang atau 28 peratus dari jumlah penduduk daerah — menurut statistik dari gereja Katholik.

Dua negeri Malaysia Timur itu juga antara tiga negeri paling miskin di Malaysia, dengan Sabah berjumlah 19.7 peratus — yang tertinggi dalam negara, dan Sarawak di tempat ketiga dengan 5.3 peratus — mengikut statistik rasmi laporan pendapatan dalam negara 2009.

Parti pembangkang kini menggunakan isu-isu tempatan di dua negeri yang digelar sebagai "simpanan tetap" Barisan Nasional, selain isu rasuah yang berleluasa, kekurangan infrastruktur asas dan melanggar perjanjian perlembagaan 20 perkara di Sabah dan 18 di Sarawak selama berdekad.

Piong, bishop pertama dari kaum asal, mahu warga Katholik untuk mengingati hak mereka dalam perlembagaan.

"Dalam kita meraikan Hari Malaysia, marilah kita memperkuatkan perpaduan kita dan ketaatan kepada Tuhan dalam kehidupan seharian.

"Tanpa Tuhan, kita tidak akan mendapat kemajuan yang adil kepada semua orang," katanya, sambil memetik ayat itu dari kitab Injil.

Dalam pilihan raya umum yang lalu, BN cuma memenangi 85 kerusi manakala pembangkang memenangi 80 kerusi di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Sabah, Sarawak dan wilayah persekutuan Labuan menyelamatkan BN apabila memenangi 55 kerusi berbanding dua kepada pembangkang.

Bagaimanapun, kekuatan pembangkang di Malaysia Timur bertambah dengan beberapa ahli veteran BN melompat parti ke PR dalam pilihan raya yang akan berlangsung selewat-lewatnya April, yang akan menyaksikan pertandingan tersengit dalam sejarah negara.

 

UMNO and the Malay Mental Serfdom

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:53 PM PDT

SAKMONGKOL AK47

We know things are the opposite when our Dear Leader Kim Il Najib spoke about Malay survival being linked to UMNO. What else can he say? The easiest way to rebut this simplistic assertion is to point out to him that 1 in 6 Malays is an UMNO member. So when one UMNO Malay is out of the loop, there are 5 more other Malays left to survive. So, it's not true that if UMNO is out, Malays are also finished off. Only that lone UMNO is out of the equation. So we ignore his shrieking and false assertion.

I am most baffled when he says or suggests that UMNO has an ideology. Since when does UMNO has an ideology consisting of beliefs and basic driving force? What ideology? Since the time when I was still in UMNO until now, we have been taught that UMNO hasn't got an ideology. It has always claimed it's pragmatic although the word actually means anything goes. No sir, UMNO hasn't got any ideology.  

Everyone sees a position in UMNO as a means to make more money. That is why Najib has so much difficulty in weaning off incumbents from their current seats. Unless of course he pays them off and that is what he is doing. He's giving so many people golden handshakes. 

When he says DAP will dominate, he must be off his rockers. But then he is talking to a pliant and nodding crowd whose minds are conditioned by TV3 and Utusex Malaysia. The argument that DAP will dominate is incredible as well as devious. 

He was speaking at the Mesyuarat Perwakilan UMNO Bahagian- the local Perhimpunan Agung. It was the same when he spoke to the rented crowd at stadium Bukit Jalil a few months ago. But when he retires to the sleeping quarters, he can't sleep because he's getting nightmares. He's thinking, can UMNO even reach the 100 seat mark? 

Well, I know more about him that the average reader. 

We have explained why DAP will become a formidable party because of the disciplined and quality leadership and clarity of its cause. Seat wise, DAP cant form a government without PAS and PKR because it's contesting not more that 52 seats or even less. Unless of course the Malays in PKR and PAS are of the same mediocre standard as UMNO leaders, then only, Malays are disadvantaged. Malay survival is at risk if they continue the corrupt and self-interested UMNO. 

Even Kit Siang and Guan Eng acknowledged the political reality of this country. The majority of the population is Malay and to suggest that anyone other than a Malay can be PM and TPM at this juncture of our history, is devilishly disingenuous. Bu then, UMNO is the devil we know. 

The reason why DAP is assailed is because the party has become the party of choice by the majority of the Chinese, Indians and to small extent, Malays. Malays now prefer PKR and PAS. 

When he asked the pliant crowd are you ready for elections- they will answer yes of course. We have been waiting for the money! Where the mo? 

Do Malays depend on UMNO? That is what UMNO wants us to believe and that it's why it's only strategy is to keep Malays on economic leash by giving handouts and free things. It's also Najib's only strategy. Talking about ETP and NKRA, KPI must exert some tremendous mental stain on him. Poor fellow. 

That only thing they have withheld from Malays- effective economic freedom free from regulations, licenses that favor the rich, quotas that are robbed by the rich and powerful etc. 

That is absolute lie. Malays do not depend on UMNO for their survival. Malays have got a choice if they want to maintain that emotional security- support PAS or PKR. Do we see Malays suffer in Selangor, Kelantan, Penang and Kedah where UMNO is not in power? No? Then Malays do not depend on UMNO for their survival. They prosper under good governance, sincere and dedicated administrations. 

When UMNO leaders proclaim that our security is at risk that reflects more of their incompetence. The Home Minister shows his complete incompetence by allowing vigilantes to roam the street and create havoc. Hishammuddin should resign from his post as Home Minister if he's not bright enough.

READ MORE HERE

 

Playing a risky waiting game

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:44 PM PDT

The prime minister is holding back on the election date to shore up flagging support and give his reforms more time to work.

Reuters

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak could call national elections anytime between now and April 2013, but he may wait to announce a generous budget on Sept 28 as he plays a risky waiting game.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is widely expected to win the election but further gains by the opposition after its strong performance in 2008 could undermine Najib's standing.

Holding back until after September would give Najib more time to shore up flagging support among ethnic Chinese voters, and to convince Malaysians that his reform efforts are working as he tries to reverse the ruling coalition's worst election showing in 2008.

It would also make him vulnerable to any worsening of the global economy or the emergence of fresh corruption scandals that could push swing voters over to the three-party opposition.

The political atmosphere is becoming more tense as the election looms. Key opposition figures have complained of hate speech and acts of intimidation directed at them.

Its economy grew at a surprisingly strong annual pace of 5.4% in the second quarter, Bank Negara said, as a jump in private and government investment helped offset weakness in exports. The central bank expects growth this year to be at the top end of its 4%-5% forecast.

Following is a summary of key Malaysia risks to watch:

Election approaching

The polls will be a test of Najib's efforts to reform the state-heavy economy and roll back repressive security laws without upsetting the status quo that has seen his dominant Umno party rule since independence in 1957.

The election promises to be the most fiercely fought in Malaysia's history, and already tensions are high after Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was charged over his role in a major street protest for electoral reform in April.

In addition, senior opposition politician Rafizi Ramli, who made a series of revelations about alleged government wrongdoing, was arrested in early August for disclosing bank details related to a high-profile corruption case involving the family of a former minister.

Meanwhile, the government is planning a fresh round of cash handouts to poorer families, Deputy Prime Minister Muhiyuddin Yassin said in June, a move aimed at shoring up support among undecided voters.

In July, Najib – facing growing public demand for greater political and social freedoms – said he would scrap the colonial-era Sedition Act, which has been used over the years to silence dissent.

Firm domestic demand helped cushion Malaysia's economy from the worst of the slowdown in global activity in the first half of 2012 and the trend is expected to continue as government and government-linked companies spend on big projects.

At the same time, heavy government spending and an overly generous budget would sharpen concerns over Malaysia's chronic budget deficit. Ratings agencies have raised concerns about Malaysia's public finances and its reliance on oil revenue.

Najib's personal approval rating remains high but support for his ruling coalition is sliding. According to a June survey, Najib's rating eased one point to 64% while the coalition's popularity fell 6 points to 42%.

Two July defections from coalition in what has traditionally been a safe bank of seats in the east Malaysian state of Sabah have added to Najib's worries.

What to watch:

  • Clues about the timing of the election. Signs that the global economy is deteriorating more rapidly could prompt Najib to rush to the polls before Malaysians feel the pain from a slowdown.
  • Large anti-government protests, and the government's response to them, as well as racial and religious relations. Najib is trying to reach out to non-Muslim minorities who make up about 40% of the population. Last year, he set up diplomatic ties with the Vatican in a bid to win Christian support.

READ MORE HERE

 

‘DAP members fear Lim Dynasty’

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:41 PM PDT

They are afraid that they would be blacklisted, censured and eventually booted out by the Lim Dynasty if they backed Karpal on hudud.

Athi Shankar, FMT

DAP members are scared to openly support national chairman Karpal Singh's stand against PAS Islamist agenda due to fear of stoking the wrath of all-powerful Lim Dynasty.

Former DAP Sepang parliament liason committee chairman R Vellasamy claimed that DAP members were afraid that they would be blacklisted, censured and eventually booted out by the Lim Dynasty if they backed Karpal.

But truth is, he claimed many current and former DAP grassroots leaders and members strongly backed Karpal to oppose PAS agenda to turn the country into an Islamic state and implement hudud law.

"We wish to remind MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek that Karpal is not a lone voice in the party to oppose hudud.

"Many DAP leaders and members are unhappy with PAS but they are scared to voice out publicly because of the intimidating Lim Dynasty.

"The members do not want to rock the boat now especially with general election just around the corner," Vellasamy told FMT.

Lim Dynasty is a political term coined by the grassroots to taunt the faction led by national adviser and Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang and his son and secretary-general Guan Eng, who is the Penang Chief Minister.

In past few days grassroots members in Selangor have put up "anti-hudud and pro-Karpal" banners in Sungai Pelek, Sepang, Batu Tiga and Batu Lima in Jalan Klang Lama and Seri Kembangan.

Last July, grassroots leaders and members under the Klang DAP parliamentary liaison committee (PLC) held a peaceful demonstration against PAS Islamist agenda in a strong show of support and solidarity with Karpal, a two-term Bukit Gelugor MP.

But, Vellasamy said the protestors were all reprimanded by Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok, linked closely to the Lim Dynasty.

He noted that later the Selangor DAP leadership took over the control of the PLC, which was a gross violation of members' democratic rights.

"That is Lim Dynasty, my way or no way," rebuked Vellasamy, who was sacked last month from the DAP over allegations of submitting applications for bogus members to set up six new branches in Sepang PLC.

Vellasamy has always insisted that the allegations were baseless and he was sacked because of his political links with Selangor state legislative assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim

Warning to PAS

He warned that PAS can lose six of its current eight seats in Selangor if the party continued to embark on its Islamisation policies.

READ MORE HERE

 

Maddening Malaysian Maths

Posted: 16 Sep 2012 01:34 PM PDT

KTEMOC KONSIDERS

East Malaysia or termed in more politically correct names, Sabah and Sarawak, reaffirm their politically strategic values and pivotal positions on which political coalition, BN or Pakatan, will form the next government.

Leaving aside the complete unreliability of frogs, for simplicity sake let us still view that 20 of Sabah's 25 federal seats are held by BN. In neighbouring Sarawak, with peh-mo in almost total control, the BN holds 29 of its 31 federal seats.

If BN retains the East Malaysian status quo after the next election, then Najib would not be wrong in claiming Sabah and Sarawak are BN's fixed deposits.

But will BN?

222 - 56 East Malaysian seats = 166 peninsula federal seats

Immediately post GE-12, BN held 140 to Pakatan's 82 (whence AI had laughingly claimed he could obtain an additional deformed 30 MPs by 916 to give a Pakatan 112 majority versus BN's 110 wakakaka).


Thus, out of BN's 140, there were only (140 - 49 East Malaysian BN federal seats =) 91 federal seats in Peninsula.

Recall, immediately post GE-12, Pakatan had 75 peninsula federal seats, providing us with a OK Corral-like stand-off in Peninsula of 91 BN seats versus 75 Pakatan seats, a mere majority of 16.

Thus, assuming voters continue to vote Pakatan in those same 75 federal constituencies in Peninsula,  the coalition only requires victory in another 9 seats to put BN gasping for breath in Peninsula like an ikan kembong landed on hot burning beach sands.


And in Peninsula, such a victory is very doable with doom and gloom already forecast for BN in the peninsula states of Johor, NS and Malacca, and which may explain UMNO becoming more and more feral (thuggish), with the UMNO Home Minister even talking like a petulant immature boy.

Mind though, BN (UMNO) may claw a couple back in Kedah because of one screwed-up bloke there who prefers UMNO to Pakatan's DAP and who has not cooperated well as a Pakatan leader should.


Assuming optimistically for an instant, Pakatan in GE-13 wins 84 federal seats in Peninsula to BN's 82 (and IMHO, it's quite likely to be more than just 84 wakakaka) it needs another 28 seats in East Malaysia to form the new Malaysian government.

Of that required 28 East Malaysian seats, the DAP has won and thus is fairly well entrenched in 3.

Will Pakatan be able to win another 25?


Alas, PAS has been obdurately selfish in Labuan, knowing full well it can't win in that constituency yet insisting it wants to stand its candidate there again. In GE-12, its candidate came last in a 3-corner fight and lost his deposit wakakaka.

READ MORE HERE

 

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