Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Ajaran Meragukan, JAIS Tahan 25 Lelaki
- Kes surau: elok jangan terlebih “emo” - A. Kadir Jasin
- Give the police a break
- Spy copter found near Wee's home
- ‘Who does Ridhuan Tee think he is?’
- Scratching an old sore
- A day of silence and contemplation on race and religion for our nation?
- Kisah Sebenar - Anwar Yang Tawarkan Perpaduan Dengan Najib
- The way we handle things
- Resort owner in surau uproar now released
- Court orders Ibrahim Ali to pay Anwar
- Dr M, prime minister for life
| Ajaran Meragukan, JAIS Tahan 25 Lelaki Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:22 PM PDT Kawasan surau turut dijadikan tempat tidur kumpulan tersebut (Sinar Harian) - Serbuan dibuat Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais), semalam ke atas surau berkenaan mendapati bahagian sisi dan belakang surau itu kelihatan berselerak dan dijadikan umpama bilik kecil untuk mereka tidur juga terdapat beberapa almari menyimpan pakaian. DAMANSARA: Sebuah surau di sini dijadikan tempat penginapan bagi sekumpulan yang dipercayai terlibat dalam ajaran meragukan dengan mengubahsuainya menjadi 'bilik tidur' sejak setahun lalu. Serbuan dibuat Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais), semalam ke atas surau berkenaan mendapati bahagian sisi dan belakang surau itu kelihatan berselerak dan dijadikan umpama bilik kecil untuk mereka tidur juga terdapat beberapa almari menyimpan pakaian. |
| Kes surau: elok jangan terlebih “emo” - A. Kadir Jasin Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:17 PM PDT
Bagi orang muda, orang kurang baca, orang yang umpama katak bawah tempurung dan orang yang pandai menangguk di air keruh, khasnya di kalangan generasi Internet, ia adalah isu emosional kelas dunia. A. Kadir Jasin Ada juga baiknya jadi binatang purba (dinosaur) yang tidak pupus macam saya. Banyak yang telah dilihat, didengar dan dicakapkan. Jadi saya tidaklah "emo" berlebih-lebih sangat sampai mendedahkan diri kepada serangan jantung dan strok. Bagi dinosaur macam saya, soal kiblat tak betul atau orang bukan Islam "sembahyang" di dalam surau atau masjid bukanlah perkara baru. Tapi bagi orang muda, orang kurang baca, orang yang umpama katak bawah tempurung dan orang yang pandai menangguk di air keruh, khasnya di kalangan generasi Internet, ia adalah isu emosional kelas dunia. Soal surau, masjid dan orang solat tak ikut kiblat atau kurang tepat kiblat bukanlah perkara baru atau asing. Puncanya banyak orang Islam tidak saintifik, malas belajar dan malas berfikir. Banyak lagi orang Islam Malaysia, bila kita tanya mana arah kiblat, mereka kata, matahari turun atau matahari jatuh. Bukan Kaabah tetapi matahari jatuh. Mereka tidak tahu kalau mereka pergi ke Eropah mereka kena sembahyang menghala matahari naik. Mungkin mereka tidak sedar atau tidak ambil peduli bahawa bila sembahyang di depan Kaabah ada kala mereka menghadap ke arah matahari naik, ada masa menghadap ke arah matahari turun, ada masa ke arah utara dan ada masa ke arah selatan. Sampai hari ini pun ada lagi orang Islam Malaysia yang ubah kiblat ikut pergerakan matahari. Inilah akibat kita diajar sembahyang menghala matahari turun dan guna bayang untuk tentukan masuk waktu sembahyang. Itu cara lama. Cara sebelum ada kompas, sebelum ada peta Google dan sebelum ada takwim. Malangnya, setelah ada kompas khas Kaabah dan peta Google pun ada lagi orang kita yang tidak tahu yang matahari bergerak mengikut musim dan kedudukan Malaysia bukan bertentangan dengan Kaabah. Read more at: http://kadirjasin.blogspot.com/2013/08/kes-surau-elok-jangan-terlebih-emo.html |
| Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:14 PM PDT
It would seem that in this country, if you want to draw public attention to the "seriousness" of the matter in question, then many police reports are lodged - either that or a public figures gets involved, forcing the police to investigate the matter regardless of its merit. Zaid Ibrahim, TMI There are many things in Malaysia that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world. Besides the famous "No contest for No 1 and No2" dance in Umno, the other equally well-known but no less absurd phenomenon is the lodging of police reports by members of the public who are not even remotely connected to the matter in question. When Karpal Singh said something about the constitutional powers of the Sultan of Perak, droves of Umno-related groups lodged several hundred police reports. Karpal is now on trial for sedition. Every time someone does not agree with something that has taken place in the public sphere, he or she lodges a police report, whether it's about dog washing, beauty contests or even a surau not being properly constructed or used. It would seem that in this country, if you want to draw public attention to the "seriousness" of the matter in question, then many police reports are lodged - either that or a public figures gets involved, forcing the police to investigate the matter regardless of its merit. The latest incident by Umno Youth prompted the involvement of no less a person than Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin himself. When a DAP leader from Sarawak said something against the Barisan Nasional government, not only was a police report lodged but the minister declared that what had been uttered was seditious in the extreme. I call this the Lodging of Reports, Malaysia-style. This is not, however, a funny matter. It has become ridiculous and needs to stop. It's true that for the police to act or investigate any criminal matter, there must first be what is known as the First information Report. This is true of other Commonwealth countries too. The difference is that in these countries, people do not rush to lodge police reports about matters that are already in the public domain or have been widely reported in the media. People are assured that if it constitutes a criminal act, then the police will act accordingly. After all, the police on their own volition can commence the investigation if there appears to be a violation of the law. They do not need anyone to lodge a report since they can initiate the preparation of the first report themselves. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/zaid-ibrahim/article/give-the-police-a-break |
| Spy copter found near Wee's home Posted: 16 Aug 2013 12:13 PM PDT
(The Star) - A remote-controlled aerial vehicle has been found allegedly spying on MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong's bungalow in Bukit Tiara in Cheras. Dr Wee said the portable hexacopter with six rotors was found by his neighbour's son on Aug 8. "Am I a terrorist? This is an invasion of privacy. They (perpetrators) have no right to do this," he said at a press conference here yesterday. According to Dr Wee, the hexacopter fell on his neighbour's rooftop balcony after it hit the lightning arrester. His neighbour's 14-year-old son found the vehicle and informed his parents but his parents did not suspect anything amiss and told him to just throw it away. However, the boy removed a chip attached to a tiny video camera from the vehicle and, together with his 15-year-old sister, played it on the computer. They made the shocking discovery and the family quickly informed Dr Wee. Dr Wee collected the craft from his neighbour only on Thursday. Dr Wee, who showed five short video clips extracted from the chip and recorded on Aug 5, said the hexacopter was aimed in the direction of his house and his neighbour's. The video clip showed two men handling the hexacopter in its initial clip. In another, the camera screen paused when a security guard was going on his patrolling rounds and resumed when the guard moved away. Asked what the motive for this could be, the former Deputy Education Minister said he would not speculate, but added that it was normal before party elections for snooping activities to be conducted on potential leaders. "I urge the Prime Minister, Home Ministry and the police to monitor those with hobbies of using such craft because it could be used for criminal activities. If there are such activities, it must be curbed," he said. Dr Wee had lodged a report on the hexacopter with the police headquarters here, and officers subsequently recorded his statement at Wisma MCA. |
| ‘Who does Ridhuan Tee think he is?’ Posted: 15 Aug 2013 06:20 PM PDT
BN leaders slam Utusan Malaysia and its columnist Ridhuan Tee for his 'war on Singapore' remarks. Anisah Shukry, FMT It was a case of BN turning on its own ally. Leaders of the ruling coalition are questioning Utusan Malaysia for publishing an editorial on how Malaysia should have waged war with Singapore decades ago. Umno leader Syed Ali Alhabshee demanded that the Malay daily, which is owned by Umno, explain why they had allowed its columnist Ridhuan Tee Abdullah to make such presumptuous and potentially damaging remarks. "Who in Utusan decided to give space for Ridhuan to make such comments? Utusan, as a national newspaper, shouldn't publish such type of remarks. We have a Cabinet, we have a government that makes such decisions for the country," said the Cheras Umno branch division leader. Ridhuan, who is a Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) lecturer, had written today: "it is fortunate that I was not PM when solving the dispute over Pulau Batu Puteh. If I was, I would definitely have not brought it to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The only resolution to the dispute over the island is to wage war." Pulau Batu Puteh was at the heart of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Singapore dating back to 1979. Both laid claim to the island, but the nearly three-decade tussle ended when the International Court of Justice ruled in 2008 that the island was in Singaporean territory. "His type of comments can sour ties with Singapore, and make our government look bad. Who is this Ridhuan Tee Abdullah (to make such remarks)? Is he even a politician? Is he next in line to be the prime minister?" said Syed Ali. "It is not his prerogative to say 'if I were prime minister' and for it to be published – it looks very bad on our prime minister and government."
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2013 05:53 PM PDT Does Anwar really want to see the formation of a unity government? Of course he does not. He wants to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia. But the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th general elections have shown that this is not easy to achieve. It can never be achieved unless Umno is first brought down because Barisan Nasional is basically Umno. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
(TMI) - Putrajaya's recent peace overtures to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for a possible unity government was initiated by an eager political aide and a top Indonesian businessman without the direct knowledge of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, say sources from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). They told The Malaysian Insider that the overtures were not sanctioned by the top leadership although Anwar has confirmed to the Asia Sentinel news portal that ex-Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla has been acting as an intermediary. "It was initiated by an eager political aide and a famous Indonesian businessman. They were concerned about Malaysia's future direction," a source told The Malaysian Insider in Kuala Lumpur. Another government source confirmed the overtures while Pakatan Rakyat (PR) sources said knowledge of the talks was limited to a tight circle around the PKR de facto leader. But opposition politicians laughed off talk that the proposal made to Anwar was unsanctioned, noting that no aide would dare to move without getting the go ahead from the boss. They also point out to the flurry of trips by Kalla related to the talks. Talk of a unity government has set off roiling speculation and created some unease among Umno politicians close to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has made it clear that Anwar must not have a role in any BN government. The peace moves come ahead of key polls in both Najib's Umno and Anwar's PKR although analysts say both leaders are not likely to be challenged for top posts. The Malaysian Insider had reported a possible meeting between Najib and Anwar in Jakarta in June but it was denied by both parties although they were in the Indonesian capital city that same weekend. But Anwar recently admitted there were peace overtures from Najib after Election 2013 which Najib's BN won with a lesser haul of 133 federal seats, seven less than in 2008. Anwar's PR also won 51% of the popular vote but failed to take over Putrajaya, which led to talk of a possible unity government a month after the May 5 general election. In an interview with the Asia Sentinel, Anwar said the peace moves were initiated by Najib, but he had sent word through intermediaries that attacks by Utusan Malaysia on the Chinese and Indian communities would have to cease, before any progress could be made. He also wanted as a condition the lowering of the racial temperature in Malaysia. "I said the fundamental issues must be addressed, ending the racial stuff, there has to be a clear understanding and commitment to reform and change, " Anwar had told the Asia Sentinel. Anwar has not received any reply from Najib despite the overtures through Kalla, the latest of which was made several weeks ago. Earlier in the year, Kalla was unsuccessful in trying to broker a commitment from Najib and Anwar to accept the outcome of GE13, regardless of the coalition which won. It is unclear why Najib would send feelers for a unity government given the antipathy in Umno towards Anwar and his partners in Pakatan Rakyat. Within Umno there is a sense that while BN is weak, the ruling party is in a strong position, having won 88 of the 133 parliamentary seats on offer at GE13. In this current mood, party leaders would view offering any olive branch to the opposition as a weakness. The Asia Sentinel offered this interpretation on the unity government move: "Presumably the Najib gambit opens another front against Mahathir, who has been allowing surrogate bloggers to attack the wounded prime minister ever since the election." ******************************************* We would like to respond to errors in the media coverage of our edited collection, 'Awakening: The Abdullah Years in Malaysia'. The media response to this collection was not expected. Despite our efforts to stress to the media early-on that this was a serious reflective collection by scholars and practitioners, the focus has been on sensationalising parts of the book, especially former premier Abdullah Badawi's interview. The media dynamic has taken on a life of its own, with nasty unjustified attacks on individuals, including some of the contributors and editors. These are not in the spirit of the season, nor do they reflect the substance or the intention of the collection itself. This was a project that began several years ago, and consistent with a project involving multiple contributors, the process is a long one. This project was delayed. The sole responsibility of this delay lies with the editors, as we navigated multiple publishers, galleys and conflicting professional demands. Bridget Welsh and James Chin (READ MORE HERE) ********************************************* In my previous article, "It's 2006 all over again", I said that it is impossible to bring down the Prime Minister from the outside. If you want to bring him down then it has to be done from the inside. And that was the reason Anwar Ibrahim gave back in 1982 when he abandoned the opposition cause and joined Umno. If you want to change Umno then you must do it from the inside, argued Anwar, it can never be done from the outside. The question of whether once you get inside you manage to change what you hoped to change, or you change instead, was a question the late PAS President Ustaz Fadzil Noor raised. "How do you clean the tong tahi (latrine bucket) by jumping into the tong?" asked the Ustaz. "Instead of cleaning the tong you will get shit all over you." And many would swear this was exactly what happened to Anwar. Instead of changing or cleaning Umno from the inside, like he said he wanted to (and the reason why he joined Umno in the first place), Anwar changed and became just like any 'normal' Umno person. So Anwar, of all people, know that not much can be achieved from the outside. You must infiltrate the organisation you wish to change. And that was one reason why back in 1999 Anwar told some of his people to remain in Umno when he launched his new party, Parti Keadilan Nasional. He wanted some of his people within Umno in the event he needed to make a comeback. He also 'sent' some of his people to join PAS. In the recent general election in May 2013, many thought that Umno and Barisan Nasional were going to be ousted. They were confident that Pakatan Rakyat was going to form the new federal government. So many in Umno and Barisan Nasional wanted to cross over and join the opposition. But Anwar would not let them. He wanted them to remain in Umno and Barisan Nasional in the event that Pakatan Rakyat does not quite make it or loses the general election with a hung parliament or with a very narrow margin. Then he would get them to cross over and bring down the government like what happened in Perak soon after the 12th general election. Whatever it may be, Anwar plays what is called realpolitik -- meaning: politics based on practical and material factors rather than on theoretical or ethical objectives. And that, too, is how Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad plays his politics. Dr Mahathir will work with the opposition when it suits him (twice so far in his political career), will play the racial and religious card when it suits him, will whack the monarchy when it suits him, will attack the west and the Jews when it suits him, and so on. In short, Dr Mahathir is the master and Anwar is his protégé. So they both play the same realpolitik. Does Anwar really want to see the formation of a unity government? Of course he does not. He wants to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia. But the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th general elections have shown that this is not easy to achieve. It can never be achieved unless Umno is first brought down because Barisan Nasional is basically Umno. And to bring down Umno you first need to create a split within the party. In 1969 there was one split resulting in May 13 and the creation of Barisan Nasional. In 1987 there was another split resulting in the closing down of Umno and the formation of Semangat 46. In 1998 there was a third split resulting in the creation of Parti Keadilan. And that weakened Umno even further -- so much so that Dr Mahathir was forced to retire and hand the reins to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Umno cannot afford a fourth split. As they say, a drowning man surfaces only three times and Umno has used all three of its 'get-out-of-jail-free' cards. The next time Umno engages in an internal split will be the final time and will be the death of Umno. You may have noticed that the aftermath of the May 2013 general election has seen some 'strange' happenings. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is said to be a liberal who is trying to be a centrist. But the sound bytes coming out from the other Umno leaders give an impression that Umno is becoming more racist while issues involving religion have become very critical of late. In fact, Najib is being accused of 'wasting his time' by courting the support of the non-Malays and of being too accommodating to the Chinese and Indians. Some say Najib would have performed better in the recent general election had he focused on the Malays and not try to get the support of the non-Malays. Then we have the launching of the new book, 'Awakening: The Abdullah Years in Malaysia' and it is said that Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan (a Pak Lah man who hates Dr Mahathir) is behind that book together with Khairy Jamaluddin, Pak Lah's son-in-law. And the two authors, Bridget Welsh and James Chin, are said to be staunch Anwar people. The fact that it was reported that Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah, is supposed to launch that book just strengthens the talk regarding the Anwar-Pak Lah alliance even further. Then we hear stories about Najib and Anwar meeting a few times to discuss the formation of a unity government between Umno and the opposition 'for the sake of Islam and the Malays'. With the perceived Anwar-Najib alliance plus the Anwar-Pak Lah alliance, this is going to drive Dr Mahathir up the wall. And if Dr Mahathir can be made to turn on Najib, like he did Pak Lah in the pre-2008 general election, this will be the fourth and final split in Umno and, for sure, the end of Umno. It makes one wonder who is it that has control over Umno. Najib may be the Prime Minister but that does not mean he has control over Umno. And the race, religion, unity government, Pak Lah's book, and so on, issues that have cropped up give an impression that Najib is under siege from his own party. It is actually a very good political strategy. If you cannot bring down Umno in an election then get Umno to disintegrate from the inside. And this can be achieved if Umno itself plus veteran leaders and warlords the likes of Dr Mahathir decide that Najib is too intimate with Anwar. Some say that Dr Mahathir talks too much and that he should stop talking. But that is just it. It is safer when Dr Mahathir talks. It is when he remains silent that is the problem because when he remains silent we do not know what he is up to. Pak Lah's new book undermines Dr Mahathir. The RCI regarding the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah undermines Dr Mahathir. The Najib-Anwar 'talks' regarding the unity government undermines Dr Mahathir. And the perceived Pak Lah-Anwar alliance plus the perceived Anwar-Najib alliance undermines Dr Mahathir. And when Dr Mahathir is undermined he retaliates with a vengeance. And one way to retaliate is to play up race and religion issues -- which is what is already happening. Malaysian politics is in such a mess and we no longer know who is whose friend and who is whose enemy that it makes your head spin. But then that is the only way to bring down Umno if you cannot bring it down in an election. Basically, this is just another Anwar versus Dr Mahathir tussle for power. All the issues are mere pawns in the game of realpolitik, as are the players such as Najib and Pak Lah. The coming Umno party election will decide the winner. If the 'right' person wins then Umno will survive. If the 'wrong' person wins then Umno is destroyed. And if Anwar wants to become the Prime Minister then he must make sure that the 'wrong' person wins the Umno party election. So the Umno party election is not just about Umno but also about the future of the country. And this 'future' is being decided by two people -- Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim, the master and his protégé. And Pak Lah and Najib are not savvy enough to realise that they are mere pieces on a chessboard. So let us sit back and watch Dr Mahathir and Anwar make their moves. Yes, there are issues galore. But all these issues lead to only one thing. And that one thing is: will Dr Mahathir still have control over Malaysian politics or will control shift into the hands of Anwar?
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| A day of silence and contemplation on race and religion for our nation? Posted: 15 Aug 2013 03:56 PM PDT
We do have a few thousands who died on May 13, 1969. We have an attitude of not wanting to know or discuss about it, seemingly for the benefit of the next generation. The business as usual on May 13 every year is like a collective amnesia with little or no impact on the next generation as a pertinent history lesson. Kuo Yong Kooi, MM World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental action. It is run by the United Nations Environment Programme.
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| Kisah Sebenar - Anwar Yang Tawarkan Perpaduan Dengan Najib Posted: 15 Aug 2013 03:49 PM PDT
Pujukan demi pujukan oleh Anwar Ibrahim akhirnya membuat Jusuf mengalah dan bersetuju untuk menjadi orang perantara. Jusuf sepatutnya ke Kuala Lumpur untuk bertemu Datuk Seri Najib pada malam 11 Ramadhan. Namun disebabkan oleh pesawat peribadinya mengalami kerosakkan Jusuf terpaksa membatalkan kedatangannya ke Kuala Lumpur pada 11 Ramadhan. RBF ONLINE Beberapa hari lepas Anwar Ibrahim membuat kenyataan bahawa beliau mengesahkan Datuk Seri Najib menawarkan untuk membentuk kerajaan perpaduan dengannya. Sini Seperti biasa....setiap patah perkataan yang keluar daripada mulut Anwar kita tak boleh percaya 100 peratus kerana ianya datang daripada seorang munafik. Sebelum pilihan raya umum yang lepas dia berjanji akan mengundurkan diri dari politik sekiranya pakatan pimpinanannya gagal mengambil alih pemerintahan negara. Selepas PRU lain pula jadinya. Tak munafik ke namanya itu ? Sekarang dia kata pula Najib tawar perpaduan dengannya... Apa sebenarnya yang berlaku ? Anwar telah terlepas peluang terbaik untuk menjadi PM dalam PRU lepas. Selepas PRU beliau sudah tidak dihormati oleh sekutu-sekutunya. Orang-orang mereka lebih menghormati Khalid Ibrahim dan Lim Guan Eng, kerana dua orang itu lebih berkuasa berbanding Anwar yang hanya berjawatan Ketua Pembangkang. Itu pun atas ehsan DAP.... Anwar inginkan kuasa....Anwar ingin dihormati dan disanjungi....Anwar juga bengang kerana Khalid Ibrahim banyak tidak mengikut arahan-arahannya.... Anwar ke Indonesia sekali lagi dan berjumpa Jusuf Kalla merayu-rayu meminta Jusuf agar menolongnya sekali lagi menjadi perantara antara beliau dan Najib. Jusuf agak keberatan untuk menjadi orang tengah sekali lagi kerana beliau telah ada pengalaman ditipu Anwar semasa menjadi orang tengah dalam kes perjanjian PRU lepas. Selepas pertemuan Anwar berkali-kali menghubungi Jusuf merayu-rayu agar menolongnya. Dalam bulan Ramadhan Anwar ada menghubungi Jusuf dan salah satu ayat yang digunakan dalam perbualan tersebut seperti berikut, "Bilang sama Pak Najib di bulan Ramadhan perlu bermaaf-maafan". Antara yang ditawarkan Anwar untuk membentuk perpaduan dengan Najib seperti berikut, 1) Anwar akan memecat Khalid Ibrahim dan Najib boleh memilih individu pilihannya untuk mengetuai Selangor. 2) Anwar dilantik sebagai Timbalan Perdana Menteri. 3) Empat orang ahli parlimen PKR dilantik sebagai menteri. Pujukan demi pujukan oleh Anwar Ibrahim akhirnya membuat Jusuf mengalah dan bersetuju untuk menjadi orang perantara. Jusuf sepatutnya ke Kuala Lumpur untuk bertemu Datuk Seri Najib pada malam 11 Ramadhan. Namun disebabkan oleh pesawat peribadinya mengalami kerosakkan Jusuf terpaksa membatalkan kedatangannya ke Kuala Lumpur pada 11 Ramadhan. Jusuf Kalla ke Kuala Lumpur pada 20 Ramadhan bersamaan dengan 28 Julai 2013 setelah pesawatnya boleh digunakan. Jusuf datang bersama beberapa lagi ahli rombongannya. Antara yang datang bersama Jusuf adalah, Ade Dwi Irawan, Hamid Awaludin dan Emir Chairullah.
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2013 03:40 PM PDT
If we prefer to do things the emotional, confrontational and punitive way, I am afraid our country may not survive the repeated torments. Over the past one month alone, we have seen one after another religiously sensitive incidents taking place in our country, where people resort to abusive language to vent their anger and dissatisfaction while the authorities punish the perpetrators with arrests and court charges. Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew The "surau dijadikan tokong" incident could have given different results if we had handled it differently. Unfortunately, things don't always move the ideal way.
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| Resort owner in surau uproar now released Posted: 15 Aug 2013 03:33 PM PDT
(Bernama) - A holiday resort owner in Sedili Besar, near Kota Tinggi, who was arrested since Tuesday to facilitate the investigation into him allowing the resort's surau to be used for a Buddhist religious ceremony, was released on police bail today. The police said the investigation papers of the case was being finalised before submitting it to the public prosecutor for action. "We are also waiting for further directive from the public prosecutor while at the same time, monitoring all activities and public reaction pertaining to the case," said Johor deputy police chief Datuk Ismail Yatim. Ismail, who heads the team formed to investigate the case, also confirmed that a small fire outbreak occurred at a storeroom at the resort. He said the initial investigation showed no criminal element involved but the police forensic team and a fire and rescue team were thoroughly investigating the fire incident. "We advise all parties not to be worried about the case as it is under police control, and to let the full investigation be carried out by the law enforcement authorities and the Johor Islamic Religious Department for further action," he added. The resort owner's action had reportedly caused a furore among the fishing community in Sedili Besar after it was discovered by a resort visitor who wanted to perform his Asar prayers at the surau last Saturday. Following the incident, the 45-year-old resort owner, who is a Singaporean with permanent resident status in Malaysia, was arrested for four days to assist in the investigation.
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| Court orders Ibrahim Ali to pay Anwar Posted: 15 Aug 2013 03:27 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The High Court has dismissed an application by Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali to set aside a court order allowing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, to commence committal proceedings against him. Justice John Louis O'Hara ordered Ibrahim to pay RM5,000 in costs to Anwar.
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2013 03:22 PM PDT
Mahathir fed the Malays a false premise that Malaysia was their land and that the world owed them a living. Mariam Mokhtar, FMT The political analysts who postulate that former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad prevented reform within Umno Baru are wrong; Mahathir is the major obstacle for any meaningful reform in Malaysia, not just for Umno Baru. Like it or not, we are all Mahathir's children – that man and his policies have affected all of us, in one way or another, in the same manner the behaviour of an errant and irresponsible father, will impact on his children. Mahathir's existing policies make non-Malays despise many Malays, because the Malays are reticent about speaking up against the injustices and attacks against other religions and cultures. Mahathir's policies make Malays arrogant and so they demand that those who refuse to bow to Malay needs and Muslim doctrine, should leave the country or have their citizenship revoked. Mahathir's racist policies may unite all in Umno Baru, but it is the nation which is left divided. Mahathir may not be in government, but his henchmen ensure that his legacy is preserved and that his family dictatorship continues with his son, Mukhriz. Mahathir is like the prime minister for life, who refuses to leave office with dignity. His supporters are so deferent to him, that they treat him like a de-facto monarch. The impact of the Iranian revolution in the late 70s also marked a turning point in our history. In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini swept into Iran and the Iranians embraced him having suffered years of oppression at the hands of the corrupt Shah of Iran, a puppet of America. The resurgence of Islam throughout the world, may have energised PAS but it was Mahathir who felt threatened. He had to make Umno Baru more Islamic than PAS, in an attempt to entice the Malays who had drifted to PAS. Mahathir fed the Malays a false premise that Malaysia was their land and that the world owed them a living. He tinkered with the education system, so that Malays became uncompetitive. To proceed unhindered, Mahathir removed the controls which should have prevented corruption. With his men in the judiciary, the police, the civil service and the media, these institutions voiced only his thoughts and suppressed all other opinions. Mahathir's closest allies are beholden to him. He gave them an economic leg-up and like the transformation which Cinderella underwent, they became billionaires overnight. Why bite the hand that feeds them? Reform is the last thing on their minds. A confused sore loser Further down the Umno Baru pecking order, the party member or politician may not realise that he is part of a slick well-organised syndicate, run along the lines of the mafia. One who is loyal to the party will be amply rewarded, but one who decides to opt out of the "family" is sought-out and destroyed. As long as he is loyal to the party, he will be afforded protection and riches, as well as power. With this in mind, why would Umno Baru politicians and active supporters desire reform? With apologies to American Express cards, the Umno Baru slogan might as well have been "Making the Impossible, Possible". How else would a TNB meter-reader become a Cabinet minister? How else would a son of a minister have a special role in the Tourism Ministry? How else would members of this elite club get away with crimes ranging from financial mismanagement, abuse of taxpayers' money, sexism, racism, nepotism, cronyism, extremism, murder and money-laundering? Would a CEO of a public listed company dare to admit that it is his prerogative to say when he will retire? All these injustices happen because the rakyat are compliant. Mahathir triumphs because few dare oppose him. In the past few days, Mahathir said that in a mature democracy, losers should accept defeat and wait for the next election to try again. For a start, Malaysia is not a mature democracy. In fact, it is not a democracy. Elections are rigged. Leaders refuse to leave willingly. The will of the people is not respected. He should have also said that in a mature democracy, the ruling party does not cheat in the elections. Mahathir is a sore-loser. When he lost to a PAS candidate in 1969, he blamed the Chinese for switching allegiance from Umno to PAS. Did he have a hand in instigating the race-riots of 13 May? By the end of the year, he was sacked from the Umno Supreme Council and expelled from Umno. He then wrote his racist book, "The Malay Dilemma". When Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah locked horns in an Umno election in 1987, Umno was declared an illegal organisation following litigation. Mahathir acted with venom when he won by a tiny margin; he purged people from his ministry, he stripped the judiciary of its independence, he ordered a crackdown on his detractors. Mahathir does not accept defeat willingly. At a press conference organised after the Perdana Global Peace Foundation conference on the Palestinian cause, Mahathir said the rakyat had to pay for the price of freedom with an increase in gun crime and shootings. Is Mahathir a little confused? He equates freedom with an increase in shooting. Does he think the Palestinians, who are being shot at and who do some of the shooting, have much freedom?
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