Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- My Bible, My faith, My church
- Imagine no Ibrahim Ali
- Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays Part I
- ‘They keep insulting Indians’
- God and religion, two separate matters
- 13th Malaysian General Election: Prospects And Challenges For PAS
- The foreign invasion
- Being out of sync with reality
| Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:28 PM PST Perkasa has lighted a fire of religious intolerance which is burning slowly but will grow bigger if not doused. Free Malaysia Today Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali wants to make a bonfire of the Malay version of the Bible that uses the word "Allah" and is written in Jawi. But a Bible is a Bible, whether it is in English or Malay or Jawi. It is still a sacred book and to throw it into the fire is an act of sacrilege. He is encouraging a course of action which is likely to lead to dire consequences. He has forgotten that Malaysia is a land shared by many races and faiths. Ibrahim has triggered widespread resentment in the Christian community for making such a provocative statement. Most of the worshippers using the Malay-language Bible are native Christians in Sarawak and Sabah. They also work and live in the Peninsula and continue to practise their faith. They have been using this Bible for ages without anyone trampling on their rights to religious freedom. The Bible is their faith and their church. But now come Ibrahim and his Bible-burning threat. Ibrahim's burning anger flows from two causes: he cited a report lodged by Persatuan Mukabuku Pulau Pinang alleging that two individuals had been giving away the Malay version of the Bible to Muslim pupils at the gate of a secondary school in Penang; and the Bible carried the word "Allah". These are two "sins" that Perkasa feels must be purged in the interest of the Muslim faithful. The Malay rights NGO has a point when it advances the argument that it is wrong to distribute Bibles to Muslims. Its secretary-general Syed Hasan Syed Ali points out that such attempts will only "confuse the Muslims into leaving Islam and converting to Christianity". The Federal Constitution expressly prohibits the "propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among Muslims". Based on the country's sacrosanct laws, the two individuals who distributed the Bibles should be charged and that would have ended the controversy. But the flame lighted by Ibrahim grew bigger when he urged Muslims to burn the Malay version of the Bible that contains the word "Allah". Granted that he told Muslims to burn these Bibles upon receiving them. He did not goad them to seize the holy book and torch it openly. But the firebrand had unleashed a reaction that threatens to destroy the delicate balance of religious tolerance and racial harmony. Extremely dangerous Ibrahim started the fireball rolling and now it has gone out of control. His "jihad" will be taken up by other rabid groups bent on "teaching" Christians a lesson. One group, the Pasukan Bertindak Anti Bible Bahasa Melayu (Anti-Malay-Bible Action Force), even wanted to throw the Bibles into the fire on a Sunday when Christians go to church. It is an extreme form of provocation which carries the seeds of a wider conflict. This group thinks Christians pray to many gods and not the one and true Allah. Therefore Christians are infidels. Such ignorance can lead to disaster.
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| Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:47 AM PST
The are some who appear to be on a sacrilegious crusade to drown this nation in bloodshed for what is hailed as a sacrosanct cause. RK Anand, FMT Imagine there's no heaven Imagine there's no countries Imagine no possessions The above are excerpts from John Lennon's masterpiece titled "Imagine". During his solo career, Lennon had strained his vocal chords to promote peace, making him an icon of the anti-war movement. Ironically, Lennon met a violent end when he was shot four times on Dec 8, 1980. The next day, his wife issued a statement, which read: "…John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the Perhaps if he was still alive, Lennon might pray with extra zeal for Malaysians and even consider penning an additional verse for his song, which would read: Imagine no Ibrahim Alis, There are some who appear to be on a sacrilegious crusade to drown this nation in bloodshed for what is hailed as a sacrosanct cause. These are people, who, in the name of their religion, or rather the votes that it can entice, spew hatred and sow the seeds of discord, doing all that is antithetical to the teachings of their faith – peace, love, compassion and tolerance. Under the guise of protecting their faith, these opportunists are in fact doing a disservice to their respective beliefs. Being a witness to these unravelling shenanigans, one cannot be faulted for thinking that this nation is regressing fast in terms of race-relations. What is more disturbing is that a prime minister, who stepped into office with the grand proclamation of unity, is allowing this disunity to become exacerbated and a former prime minister of mixed parentage appears hell-bent on widening the fissures at an age when he should be contemplating on the afterlife instead. But then hell hath no fury like a deputy scorned! And so perhaps the octogenarian fears the retribution here – should the kingdom fall – more than what awaits him in the hereafter. Hence, he must do all within his powers to prevent that man, whom he despises, from ascending the throne, even if it means plunging this nation into the dark ages. The doctor who transformed Malaysia into a nation with first-world infrastructure appears to be suffering from the malaise of a third-world mentality. His legacy is in tatters. When the last general election delivered an almighty blow to the ruling coalition, Umno, under the stewardship of its new captain, who realised that most of its non-Malay backers had abandoned ship, decided to leave the keris in the sheath and chart a new course, steering clear of the troubled waters of racial and religious extremism. The new captain admitted that the coalition made mistakes in the past, which he wants to rectify but saw no reason to do so when he served in the Cabinet for decades. Enter Ibrahim Ali Sensing that Umno has left behind a vacuum which can be exploited to his benefit, a self-styled Malay warrior of Napoleonic stature (at least in the vertical sense) set sail for the troubled waters. While Ibrahim Ali is considered more of an annoying amphibian than a real threat, he however has the protection of what some detractors consider a venomous reptile from Umno. And so one wonders if the frog is merely spewing what is formed in the cobra's venom gland. Is Ibrahim just the mouthpiece for someone, who, because of his credentials, is unable to bare his fangs but by slithering on the same stage when these threats are made without making a hiss, sends an unmistakable signal that he condones them? Umno has distanced itself from Perkasa but the critics remain unconvinced, claiming that it has outsourced its department of public revulsion to the right-wing movement. There are certain forces in Umno which disagree with the president's pandering to the Chinese and Indians, calling it a futile campaign and prefer to consolidate the Malay votes by harping on race and religious issues vis-à-vis the threat posed by DAP (Chinese) politicians and their so-called Christian agenda. Those who believe in freedom of expression, like the patron of Perkasa, a new convert who championed the cause and took to blogging after being fitted with a muzzle during the previous administration, would argue that Ibrahim has the right to speak his mind. But the simple fact remains that his call to burn Bibles – regardless of whether he included a language disclaimer or not – is against the law of the land. Yet, no action has been forthcoming. Furthermore, Umno's muted response lends credence to the assertions that the party agrees with Ibrahim or that it is behind Perkasa. BN's ceremonial components MCA and MIC flexed their feeble muscles and issued one or two harsh press statements that fell on deaf ears as usual, once again proving their ineffectiveness and that Perkasa appears to possess more clout than them. Failing to defend the victims Racists and religious extremists exist in all parts of the world. But when leaders entrusted by the people to act for their well-being refuse to rise in defence of the victims of these bigots, then these leaders lose their moral right to refer to themselves as decent human beings and no longer can demand the respect and trust of the people. Our top political leaders, irrespective of colour and creed, should have severely chatised Ibrahim and reminded him to keep his arguments to facts instead of croaking up threats and stoking the flames of religious tension. What if the opposite had happened? What if a fanatical Christian leader called on believers to torch Islamic paraphernalia used for preaching to non-Muslims? Since to each, his or her belief is sacred. Let us leave the outcome of such an episode to the respective imaginations. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/29/imagine-no-ibrahim-ali/ |
| Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays Part I Posted: 27 Jan 2013 12:28 PM PST
No matter how bountiful the land is but if its leaders are corrupt and incompetent, people uneducated and unskilled, and culture wasteful and destructive, then eventually that society will decline. M. Bakri Musa [The original in Malay appeared in suaris.wordpress.com on January 19, 2013). Introduction: Dr. M. Bakri Musa's perspective may appear alien to some readers, especially those less exposed to the Internet and the English language. It is their loss not to have ready access to his clear thinking and substantive ideas. Suaris.wordpress.com is taking this initiative in bringing to readers especially those versed only in Malay his commentaries. Born and raised in Negri Sembilan, Bakri represents the earlier generation of Bumiputras that had been given the opportunity for an education abroad. Yet he never forgets his roots as evidenced by his extensive writings and many books. Even though he resides in America, but through his books and essays we feel close to him. He recently released his latest book, Liberating the Malay Mind, published by ZI Publications. In this interview, Dr. Bakri Musa discusses a critical issue, the future of Malays in our country. We are at a critical juncture in many respects, from politics to economics, and from education specifically to social arenas generally. What is the future of our people in the decades ahead and how can we best prepare for that future? Follow the series in its entirety. Suaris: How are you doctor? Hope that you and your wife are healthy and blessed by Allah! MBM: Great! Healthy! Thank you and praise be to Allah! Suaris: Doctor, you write frequently on the general unpreparedness of our people in meeting future challenges. In what way and how unprepared are we? MBM: In my book, Towards A Competitive Malaysia, I put forth this proposition. The fate of a society hangs on four pillars: leadership, people, culture, and geography. Of the four, only one – geography – cannot be altered. Whether that society is blessed with abundant oil and its land fertile, those are the blessings of Allah. Lucky indeed are the inhabitants! However, no matter how bountiful the land is but if its leaders are corrupt and incompetent, people uneducated and unskilled, and culture wasteful and destructive, then eventually that society will decline. We have many ready examples, among them Brunei and the Arab states. On the other hand, if the geography is less forgiving, the land mountainous and covered with thick snow, climate cold such that crops could grow only for a few months a year, but if the quality of leadership and people is high, their culture progressive, that country will advance. An example is Switzerland. We are all aware of the importance of wise, efficient and trustworthy leaders not only in politics and the administration of the country (ministers and civil servants), but also in religion (muftis and ustads), society (sultans and rajas), schools (teachers and professors), and at home (parents and neighbors). The quality of our people (human capital) depends on two measures: health and education. If our citizens are unhealthy (drug addicts, afflicted with dengue or malaria), they will not be vigorous or diligent. And if our schools are rotten, then our young will not be skillful and productive. A citizen is either productive and contributor to or dependent and a drain on society. If we have more of the former, then our society will rapidly progress. Conversely, if we have more of the latter, we will quickly decline. By culture I mean the rules and institutions of that society, together with its norms and values. Consider institutions. Lacking effective and reliable agencies, considerable time and effort would be spent just to ensure that the house I am about to buy legitimately belongs to the seller. With trustworthy registry in place, I spend my time on things that really matter, like whether the house would meet my needs and the price worth it. Similarly when I deposit my money at the bank, sans effective regulatory bodies, I would not be assured that the manager would not abscond with my precious funds. As for the values of a society, if it honors its thieves, thugs and cheaters, that would serve as ready examples for the rest. Before long that society would be like the Mafia in Southern Italy. All these four elements – leadership, people, culture, and geography – interact with and in turn are being influenced by each other. Enlightened citizens will select or vote in only equally enlightened leaders; those voters will no tolerate the corrupt and incompetent. Likewise, wise leaders will formulate progressive education policies so the young will be skillful and productive. Wise leaders and citizens will together utilize and protect the environment to ensure sustainable development. Cancun, Mexico, for example, was in the 1950s a poor fishing village. The only "tourists" were American hippies seeking cheap ganja. Through wise leadership and well-trained citizens, Cancun is no longer that but an affluent and much sought tourist destination. Its previously poor fishermen now own sleek motor yachts taking rich Americans and Europeans out for sports fishing. Now examine our society with respect to those four pillars. What mark would we give ourselves for the quality of our leadership, people, culture, and environment?
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| Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:32 PM PST Ponggal rice is 'bountiful" and different from raw rice. PM Najib gave away handouts of raw rice as if "we are beggars" and Indian political parties to blame. Toffee Rozario, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak insulted the Indians in Klang. G Kathirvelu, an Indian I encountered in the Jalan Mohet, in the vicinity of where Najib was attending a Ponggal event on Jan 12 said: "This is an insult to the Indian community, he (Najib) came to give us a handout of rice, that is what we in the community do to beggars. "And if this was paid for by the shopkeepers and the MIC (then) there is a lot to answer for, we are no beggars. "Ponggal rice and raw rice are two different things, the Indians gave him Ponggal rice not raw rice." Kathirvelu, who is from Sungei Pelek, told me this was the common way Barisan treated Indians. Kathirvelu's father, who used to work in Tumbok estate, was a member of the MIC and during those days they used to promise to pay the Indian estate workers RM5 each if the Alliance won. And the poor workers, Kathirvelu said, would oblige. A few elections later he said, "the voters were split on this amount and as a result Cikgu Jaabar the independent won the seat. "Later to unseat Cikgu Jaabar in Sungei Pelek they paid the Indians RM10 each on the insistence of the MIC. Umno won on Indian votes then. "Even now they do the same and our people (the Indians) continue behaving like beggars, a culture brought about by the MIC. "It is a shame how they treat us and we allow ourselves to be treated too," said Kathirvelu. Blame the Indian NGOs He was so annoyed that he continued: "These people ( the Indians) who took the rice had no pride in themselves. They have the beggar mentality, they have not changed from my father's time. "Najib came to insult the Indians. The Indian political parties are responsible the ones who promote this beggar culture, undermining the integrity of the Indians. "They are advising an "vengayam" (onion) like Najib to treat us as beggars and telling Umno that this is when we will respond, this has to stop."
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| God and religion, two separate matters Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:28 PM PST The raging 'Allah" issue has left this writer wondering if Jakim and National Fatwah Council clerics who can both "see and read" are "blind". Vidal Yudin Weil, FMT When I was young, my teacher told me that if I want to study facts I should take up archaeology, but if I want to find out what truth is all about I should choose philosophy. I ended up somewhere in the middle and discovered that between scientific evidence and logic, there are matters that require a 3rd element called faith - to believe and accept in the absence of facts and figures. And religion is one such matter. Let me give an example: Many people will ref use to switch-off the life supporting machine attached to a loved one who is in a comatose even though their religion tells them that there is a better place on the other side. Because nobody dead has ever come back to tell the situation, no one still living is willing to believe in the notion of a good life after death. It requires a lot of conviction, anguish, tears, and faith to believe in something non-existent to the naked eye. Fact is, you must first embrace in order to reject later. Twenty-five years ago the archbishop of Canterbury wrote in a book that the reason he wanted his children to learn about Christianity when they were young was because he wanted them to know exactly why they are rejecting the faith when they grew up in the future! This statement of his was, of course, very convincing in logic. But at the same time the message within was also causing a lot of alarming confusion and distress when read between the lines. Why? Because, it came from a man who was at the pinnacle of the 2nd largest Christian denomination in the world af ter Roman Catholicism. Anglicans were asking why the top shepherd of the Church of England is subliminally telling the flock to abandon Christianity. They fail to understand that he was actually telling them that they are infected with the mental malady identified as 'blind faith'. God and religion are two Many people today, like those who had lived in the last two millennia, do not know or understand the difference between God and religion! Seeking a God and embracing a religion are two separate matters. According to an Indian sage, God has no religion. Let me give another example: In the 3rd Surah of Al-i-Imran or The Family of Imran of the Quran at verse 19, it was written "The Religion before Allah is Islam [submission to His Will]". Notice that the phrase does not read "the religion of Allah is Islam"? Coming back to the Christians: It is written in the Bible that when the Prophet Moses asked God f or His Name, God replied in Exodus 3:14 "I AM THAT I AM" (King James Version). I can think of two possible explanations for such answer: 1) Maybe God does not have a name at that material time; or 2) God does have a name but it is none of Moses' business to know! To paint a satirical picture of the latter possibility, let me just share a hilarious incident that happened in Sabah more than 10 years ago. A Chinese tycoon (now fallen) with an Arabic-sounding name was featured on the front page of a local daily sinking a knif e into a roasted pig. The following day Majlis Ugama Islam Sabah (MUIS) asked him for an explanation as to why as a Muslim, he was seen cutting up a pig which in Islam is forbidden (haram)? He denied that he was a Muslim to which MUIS asked him about his name. Anyway, on the last day of the parody, the local paper carried his retort: "My name is my business"! The joke was on MUIS. Are Malaysia clerics 'blind"? Like all the other states in Malaysia, the Islamic authorities are conf used. In their minds an Arabic-sounding name must necessarily mean that the person is Muslim. Tareq Aziz, the f ormer Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, was never a Muslim and neither is US President Barack Hussein Obama! Back to the Christians. . God said to the Prophet Isaiah in Chapter 42 verse 8 (World English Bible): "I am Yahweh, that is My name". Now that God's name was finally revealed, why do Christians in Malaysia still insist on addressing God as "Allah" when He has already said that His Name is "Yahweh"? The Jewish people have always addressed God as "Yahweh". The New Straits Times on 31st December 2012 reported that JAKIM reiterated that the word "Allah" is a holy word that belongs only to Muslims and Islam. It said the word cannot be used by non-Muslims and other religions. The JAKIM director-general said that the decision was reached in a National Fatwa Committee meeting in 2008. He also stated that it is mandatory for all Muslims to protect the word from insult or abuse. He said statements were made by certain quarters to create racial and religious disharmony just for the sake of gaining political mileage and that all quarters are to return to the rule of law. Firstly, I want to know how these clerics arrive at their distorted analysis. Did they really study and appreciate the theology of their own religion? It was written clearly in the 2nd Surah of Baqara or the Heifer of the Quran at verse 143: "For Allah is to all people Most surely full of Kindness, Most Merciful"! So, why is JAKIM claiming copyright on something that belongs to all mankind? I have heard of blind clerics who cannot see, but to have clerics who can both see and read and yet who do not understand scripture in plain and simple language, now this is my 1st time. Is there something wrong with their intelligence?
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| 13th Malaysian General Election: Prospects And Challenges For PAS Posted: 25 Jan 2013 07:12 PM PST
The controversy over the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims in Malaysia is one of the many tough issues that PAS has to deal with as a member of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition which seeks to capture power in the coming general election. Can PAS walk the tightrope between political idealism and pragmatism should the opposition run the country? By Farish A Noor, Eurasia Review THE RECENT controversy over the use of "Allah" by Christians in Malaysia has raised questions about its impact on the political strategy of the Islamic party, PAS, in the run-up to the 13th general election expected anytime between now and 28 April this year. The extensive media coverage of the 'Allah' issue in Malaysia was sparked by a speech given by the Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng during the Christmas celebrations last December. His defence of the use of 'Allah' by non-Muslims to denote 'God' met with a strong reaction from several quarters who insisted that the word Allah should be reserved for Muslims only. DAP's ally PAS initially supported Lim's position but then shifted its stance when its council of religious scholars declared that the word should be restricted to Muslims only. History of PAS' electoral performance This has highlighted, yet again, the deep fissures within the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition and within PAS itself, between the conservative Ulama' and the so-called 'progressives' who are sometimes also called the 'Erdogan faction' of the party. Coming so soon before the upcoming general election, the debate raises the question of how PAS will perform and whether the Islamists will be able to come to power. To answer this question one would have to look at PAS' electoral performance since it was formed in 1951 and the rise and fall of its appeal over the past six decades. Since the elections of 1955, PAS' performance at the polls has been varied: In that year it won one Legislative Assembly seat; in the 1959 parliamentary elections after independence it won 13 seats; in 1964 nine seats; and in 1969 12 seats. After a brief period as member of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the 1974 elections, PAS ran on its own again, obtaining five seats in 1978 and 1982 and one in 1986. It won seven seats in 1990 and 1995; then secured 27 seats in 1999; seven in 2004 and 23 seats in 2008. It can be seen that PAS was strongest in the elections of 1969, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2008 when it was part of a wider coalition. In 1990 and 1995, it joined the Semangat '46 party as the United Ummah Front and in 2008, it was allied to the PKR and DAP in the Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front). Conversely PAS fared miserably in the elections of 1986 (one seat) and 2004 (seven seats) when it ran alone and when its political platform was seen as radical and potentially confrontational. Inevitability of coalition politics? Two conclusions can be drawn from the observation of PAS' electoral performance to date: Firstly, PAS cannot possibly come to power at the Federal level unless it is part of a coalition. Even during the party's brief stint in power during the 1970s, it was part of the ruling BN. Given Malaysia's ethnic landscape in which Malays and other Bumiputra ethnic groups make up around 60% of the population, PAS – like other Malaysian parties that have national aspirations – would have to seek multi-party allies as part of a wider alliance. Also, the nature of the Malaysian electorate, with disparate interests identified along ethnic, linguistic and religious lines, makes it virtually impossible for any party to gain power on its own without the support of other ethnic or religious-based parties as allies. This is true for PAS as it is for all the other parties: Even UMNO, which remains the biggest party in the country, is dependent on its coalition allies in the BN. Secondly, the nature of Malaysia's inter-ethnic bargaining process means that any party with national aspirations will have to cater to the needs and concerns of the Malaysian electorate as a whole, and not antagonise any of the ethnic and religious minorities in the country. As seen in the general elections of the mid-80s, PAS' worst performance was when the party was seen as being too radical and influenced by the rhetoric and tactics of radical Islamist parties worldwide in the wake of the Iranian revolution. In 2004 PAS performed poorly after its leaders openly came out in support of the Taliban and justified calls for 'jihad' against the West. This suggested that the Malaysian electorate, including the majority Malay-Muslim voters, are not inclined to support any political party that takes a radical approach to politics and articulates a revolutionary course to power. In this respect the Malaysian electorate remains a force of moderation that tempers the rhetoric and ambitions of all the parties in the country. Dilemma of coalition politics PAS seems set for now on the course of coalition politics and is unlikely to leave the Pakatan Rakyat coalition at this stage. However, the demands and concerns of the conservative section of the party will have to be addressed while the party's leadership pursues the goal of coming to power as part of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious coalition. Just how the needs and demands of the conservatives in PAS will be assuaged if PAS comes to power remains an open question. Thorny issues ranging from the enforcement of Islamic rules to moral policing remain for the Pakatan coalition to deal with. Here lies PAS' dilemma: it cannot come to power at the Federal level unless it remains part of a coalition, but it can never achieve its goal of creating an Islamic state as long as it remains in a coalition. The handling of the 'Allah issue' therefore gives some indication of what sort of coalition politics we can expect from PAS should it come to power as part of a wider coalition. PAS is likely to remain in the current Pakatan coalition as this provides a vehicle to gain power. But remaining in such a coalition will also place a strain on the competing demands and aspirations of both conservatives and progressives in the party. This is an internal conflict that is not likely to be resolved even if it were to assume control of the Federal government, for there are bound to be demands from its ranks to further pursue the party's original Islamist agenda that has been set since the 1950s. Such demands, however, cannot be placated without incurring the corresponding loss of support from PAS' coalition allies. Therefore compromise will have to remain the operational mode of PAS' day-to-day politics, while the party leadership walks the tightrope between pragmatism and political idealism. Farish A. Noor is Associate Professor with the Contemporary Islam Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.
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| Posted: 25 Jan 2013 03:48 PM PST Is the government taking in large number of foreign workers to fulfill a specific purpose? Otherwise why the increasing influx? Selena Tay, FMT Now it has been revealed that under the tenure of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, citizenship has been given out to foreigners who landed on Sabahan shores. This is a matter of grave concern but the current news is that many foreigners who invaded the Peninsular after the 2008 general election have been given fast-tracked citizenship. In fact one of the greatest invasion has and is currently taking place in Kuala Lumpur is the invasion by Bangladeshis who have now overwhelmed the city in these locations: 1. Jalan Hang Lekir 2. Jalan Hang Lekiu 3. Jalan Hang Kasturi 4. Lebuh Pudu, areas surrounding Pudu Sentral and Menara Maybank 5. Chinatown, Jalan Petaling and Jalan Sultan 6. Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Tun HS Lee and Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin 7. Jalan Yap Ah Loy 8. Jalan Tun Perak and Lebuh Ampang 9. Areas surrounding Central Market (Pasar Seni) and Kota Raya Daily these Bangladeshis can be seen in these areas, milling around in groups of six to eight, carrying their large bags, many of them just arrived. On the weekends, it is much worse. Thousands of them are on the streets, crowding into the remittance houses and the business premises owned by their fellow countrymen. Is there a specific purpose? The situation already resembles Dhaka during the weekdays and on weekends you will be forgiven for thinking you are in Bangladesh if you happen to walk on the streets mentioned above. Other areas in KL where there are lots of foreigners are: 1. Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Chow Kit and the Lorong Haji Taib areas populated by Indonesians; 2. Selayang Wholesale Market populated by Myanmarese; and 3. Sentul populated by Bangladeshis and Indians from India. Recently this situation has gotten worse as the federal government has lifted the ban on the import of Bangladeshi workers although ban or no ban, the situation has always been worse, no difference at all. Is the government taking in foreign workers to fulfill a specific purpose? Otherwise why the increasing influx? It must be stated that foreign workers are here only for working purposes. Can those who gave instructions for them to be given fast-tracked citizenship and the ones who follow those instructions be categorised as "working against the interests of the nation"? Simply allowing citizenship to be given to every Tom, Dick and Harry reveals the extreme stupidity of those who engage in such a traitorous act as these unskilled workers can pose a genuine threat to the lives of Malaysian citizens because during their time-off, these foreign workers can easily indulge in crime. A few bad apples is all that it takes to cause a Malaysian's life miserable. Admittedly there are many good foreign workers but the price to pay in the increasing crime rate caused by those who are jobless is just too high a price. As the BN federal government is the only government who has been governing Malaysia, it is the BN federal government then who will be blamed as the ones who initiated this problem because the National Registration Department (NRD) is under their purview.
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| Being out of sync with reality Posted: 25 Jan 2013 03:45 PM PST The country's peace and stability is at stake but BN remains engrossed with its pet project BR1M and ways and means to stay in power. Jeswan Kaur, FMT Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says ruling party Barisan Nasional has successfully preserved the country's harmony and peace and provided comfort for the people. And for this reason, BN can be relied upon to live up to its promises, hence the need for it to win the next general election. For one, the deputy premier and education minister is out of sync with reality. And he has also taken to day dreaming. To begin with, no credit can be given to BN for maintaining peace and harmony back home. As for comfort, the rakyat can vouch for the poorly planned infrastructures and the pigeon-holed PPR flats. It is no secret that BN desperately wants to win the coming 13th GE. For that reason alone the federal government has resorted to money politics under the pretext of allocations for schools or mosques or markets. To make claims of BN being instrumental in restoring harmony in the country is one big lie. Had the nation's peace and harmony been BN's priority, both prime minister Najib Tun Razak and Muhyiddin would have taken insurgents like Ibrahim Ali, founder of the Malay rights group Perkasa to task for threatening peace and stability in the country. Similarly, both the PM and DPM would not have wasted time in reprimanding the Suara Wanita 1Malaysia chief Sharifah Zohra Jabeen and Wanita Umno member Norhayati Saidin, for their racist remarks. While Ibrahim, the MP for Pasir Mas has urged Muslims to burn the Malay Bibles which contain the word "Allah" under the guise that he is protecting the sanctity of Islam, Sharifah was at her worst behaviour when she attended a forum at Universiti Utara Malaysia last month, turning unruly and racist towards a student seeking answers to her question on 'free education in Malaysia". But neither Ibrahim nor Sharifah bore the brunt of their actions. Likewise, Norhayati who insulted the Indian community for "not knowing what a toilet was until BN came into power" was also not dealt with severely by BN chief Najib Tun Razak. Trouble brew long ago The fact that the pro-Umno racist politicians are never rebuked by the "powers that be" is proof that the likes of Ibrahim, Sharifah and Norhayati have BN/Umno's blessings in all that they too. As for the rakyat, they should stop hoping for a miracle in the form of a redeemed BN. Muyhiddin meanwhile should cease making a fool of himself for being utterly ignorant about the country's status quo where peace and harmony go. To trust BN with the country's administration is a blunder the rakyat cannot afford to make, not when BN has revealed its true colours by not speaking up for the non-Malay residents of this country. If truth be told, Malaysia's harmony and peace were in "trouble" a long time ago and BN never bothered learning the bitter lessons from the May 13, 1969 racial riots. Four decades later, the inter-faith issues in this country still rile up the rakyat. Why?
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