| PAS tak akan kembang tanpa PR – Kit Siang Posted: 25 Nov 2013 01:16 PM PST 
(TMT) - Ketua Parlimen DAP, Lim Kit Siang setuju dengan kenyataan Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu di mana dalam ucapan penggulungan beliau menyatakan bahawa PAS tidak akan berkembang ke luar daripada pantai timur Semenanjung jika parti itu tidak menyertai Pakatan Rakyat (PR), bersama PKR dan DAP. Secara tidak langsung Kit Siang mengatakan bahawa Pas tidak akan dapat menawan negeri lain tanpa bantuan daripada Pakatan. Dalam laman blog rasmi beliau, Kit Siang turut menyokong kata-kata Mat Sabu, iaitu kalau PAS berjuang secara bersendirian, sudah tentu PAS tidak lebih menguasai hanya daripada Rantau Panjang (utara Kelantan) sehingga ke Kemaman (Terengganu), tetapi di bawah PR, kawasan yang ditaklukinya melebar sehingga ke Selangor dan mungkin sampai ke Johor. Pada waktu yang sama, Kit Siang mengucapkan tahniah kepada pimpinan dan perwakilan PAS di atas kejayaan melaksanakan Muktamar ke-59 peringkat kebangsaan dengan lancar sehingga menggagalkan usaha keras penyusun konspirasi UMNO menerusi media sosial di ruang siber untuk mewujudkan perseteruan dan perpecahan dalam PAS dan menghancurkan kerjasama dan matlamat Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Beliau berkata, muktamar yang baru selesai dengan jayanya itu memberi harapan kepada majoriti rakyat Malaysia yang percaya bahawa politik dua pakatan di Malaysia masih hidup dan bertenaga. Kit Siang yang juga Ahli Parlimen Gelang Patah berkata, dengan menganggotai PR, PAS berjaya melangkah melampaui empat negeri terasnya. "Kegagalan PAS di Kedah pada 2013 tidak boleh dikaitkan dengan penyertaan PAS dalam PR, sebaliknya kerana faktor dalaman. Penjelasan yang sama boleh dikemukakan untuk memahami kemerosotan sokongan PAS di Kelantan. "Jika sokongan terhadap PAS di negeri utama Melayu terjejas kerana keanggotaannya dalam PR, sudah tentu pencapaiannya di Terengganu tidak akan meningkat. "Jelas bahawa pertambahan penduduk secara pesat di Semenanjung akan berlaku di Selangor, Kuala Lumpur dan Johor. Di negeri inilah kita akan melihat adanya peningkatan jumlah kerusi (Parlimen dan DUN). Kebanyakan kerusi baru ini daripada segi kaum adalah kerusi 'campuran'," katanya dalam kenyataan media. Beliau berkata, jika PAS mahu terus berkembang di luar empat negeri utara, ia perlu bekerjasama dalam konteks PR untuk meningkatkan sokongan Melayu dan juga bukan-Melayu. Di negeri utara, PAS perlu memperkukuhkan diri dan PR di peringkat dalaman. Menurutnya, satu lagi cara untuk meneliti prestasi PAS berdasarkan negeri ialah dengan menganalisa peratusan undi yang diraih PAS di kerusi yang ditandinginya di setiap negeri. Kit Siang berkata, keanggotaan PAS dalam PR jelas membantu parti itu memenangi dua kerusi Parlimen baru pada 2013, kerusi yang tidak mungkin dimenanginya tanpa sokongan PR. Contohnya, katanya, di Temerloh, kerusi Parlimen yang mempunyai 63% pengundi Melayu, 26% Cina, dan 9% India, PAS telah menang dengan majoriti 1,070 undi berkat sokongan kuat daripada 35% pengundi bukan-Melayu dalam kawasan itu. "Di Sepang, kerusi yang mempunyai 59% Melayu, 23% Cina, 18% India pula, PAS menang dengan majoriti 1,142 undi menentang seorang bekas menteri UMNO dengan sokongan kuat 41% pengundi bukan-Melayu dalam kawasan berkenaan. "Jika PAS hendak merebut kembali kerusi Sungai Besar (34% bukan-Melayu), Kuala Selangor (36% bukan-Melayu) dan Titiwangsa (32% bukan-Melayu) yang dipegangnya dulu, ia mesti memanfaatkan kekuatan jenama dan kerjasama dalam PR. "Bukan setakat PAS mendapat faedah daripada kerjasama dalam PR kerana perkara yang sama juga dialami DAP dan PKR. "Tidak diragui lagi bahawa dengan membentuk pakatan, setiap satu daripada ketiga-tiga parti DAP, PKR, dan PAS berjaya merebut lebih banyak kerusi Parlimen dan negeri berbanding jika setiap parti itu bertanding secara bersendirian, dan dengan kerjasama itu juga mereka mampu meningkatkan jumlah keseluruhan kerusi yang dimenangi di seluruh negara," katanya. Menurut Kit Siang, perkara terpenting bagi PR kini ialah untuk membentuk majlis strategik peringkat tertinggi untuk menyusun rancangan merampas kerajaan Pusat dan menawan Putrajaya pada Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang, selain mencatat keputusan terbaik untuk PR di setiap negeri. |
| Umno, PAS' Mustafa Ali to mediate over sex video defamation case Posted: 25 Nov 2013 01:08 PM PST 
(The Star) - Umno, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali (pic) and two others have agreed to go for mediation to resolve a defamation suit in relation to distribution of a sex video. High Court judge Justice John Louis O'Hara on Tuesday set Jan 15 for case management, pending the outcome of the mediation. In April, Mustafa and two others were sued by Umno over alleged libelous statements linking the party to the distribution of a sex video clip which showed a man resembling him. Mustafa, his lawyer Asmuni Awi and HarakahDaily.net chief editor Zulkifli Sulong were named as defendants. Speaking to reporters here, Zulkifli's lawyer Zulhazmi Shariff said that the parties have agreed to go for a mediation to find a possible settlement. "The case will be transfered to a mediation centre (at the Jalan Duta Court Complex) to find out if we can settle the suit or not," he said. Zulhazmi also mentioned the case for the two others. Umno lawyer Raihanah Ariffin confirmed the details over the matter. In the statement of claim, Umno said Mustafa and Asmuni had caused the publication of five defamatory articles against the party between April 12 and 13. Umno said Mustafa had slandered the party by making media statements which were reported in online portals HarakahDaily.net and www.malaysiakini.com. It said Zulkifli had allowed publication of two defamatory articles against the party without finding out its truth. Among others, Umno is seeking for damages, an apology and an injunction to prevent Mustafa and Asmuni from publishing similar libelous words. Umno executive secretary Datuk Ab. Rauf Yusoh filed the suit on behalf of the party, saying that offending words implied that Umno was the mastermind behind the sex video clip and that it was distributed for election campaigning purposes. In his defence statement dated May 23, Mustafa admitted that he had given a speech at a ceramah in Dungun, Terengganu touching on the distribution of the sex video and photographs but contended that his speech was not defamatory against Umno. In the statement of defence dated May 23, Asmuni said that he has legal obligations to make a statement to protect the good name of Mustafa to avoid any negative perception by the people due to the distribution of the video. In the statement of defence dated May 22, Zulkifli said he was not the writer, editor or publisher of the articles, adding that those words were published without any bad intention as it was a matter of public interest. |
| Money changed hands over Pulau Batu Puteh, claims ex-CID chief Posted: 25 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST 
Elizabeth Zachariah, TMI Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim today revealed that money changed hands, which led to Malaysia losing its claim on Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore in 2007. That revelation was made in Mat Zain's 31-page statutory declaration sent to the Prime Minister's Office on October 9. "In the accompanying letter to the Prime Minister, I urged him to focus on paragraph 54 (e),(f) and (g) of the SD, which revealed the wrongdoings of Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who handled the Pulau Batu Puteh case. "Also included was information that a large amount of money changed hands and was credited into a bank account in Hong Kong," said Mat Zain. He also defended his earlier allegation that Abdul Gani was the reason that Malaysia lost the case which was heard at the International Court of Justice in 2007. In his SD, Mat Zain claimed that Abdul Gani had intentionally lost the case. "Studies made on the ICJ proceeding notes showed that a 'controversial photograph' was added in a few days before the case was heard, which can be seen as trying to dupe the ICJ panel," said Mat Zain. Putrajaya had denied the claim that Malaysia lost its claim on Pulau Batu Puteh due to a wrong photograph of the location of the island submitted by Abdul Gani in the proceedings. "The AG did not head the case and did not have the final say on the handling of the case," said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri in Parliament last week. "So the allegations that the AG had shown a wrong photograph as claimed by the opposition leader (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) is baseless and made without any verification." Mat Zain said if the SD had been made public before the Umno party polls last month, it would have affected Sabah Umno representatives who contested, adding there was a link between Abdul Gani and politicians in the state. Mat Zain urged Putrajaya to appeal the ICJ decision on the Pulau Batu Puteh case for the sake of the country's honour. "We still have four and a half years more to file an appeal to ICJ if there was enough evidence to do so. "No matter how slim our chances are, we cannot let it go just like that," the former Kuala Lumpur CID chief stressed. READ MORE HERE |
| GE14 will be about PAS Posted: 25 Nov 2013 12:46 PM PST 
A progressive PAS can replace Umno and lead the Malays. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, FMT The only reason why Umno and its allies want the PAS ulamas to win all is because they know how easy it is to run circles around them. Should PAS ever teamed up with Umno, all Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will do is give PAS two cabinet posts and that's the end of PAS. It will be a repeat of what PAS went through when it joined Barisan Nasional a long time ago. If PAS revere the foremost ulama, Tok Guru they will ensure that PAS never teams up with Umno. Tok Guru will never sanction PAS sleeping with Umno. What use is teaming up with Umno? For what purpose? So that the right wingers in both parties can stay under one roof and become racists? A progressive PAS can replace Umno and lead Malays. Why should it want to extend a life line to a sick Umno? A sick party like Umno can control the minds of Malays with sick policies and agenda. There must be something wrong in this arrangement. It can only do this because PAS limits its own potential. If PAS becomes a progressive party, Umno is finished! Ignore Umno PAS has to play the game intelligently. As my friend Walla perceptively observed, GE12 was Hindraf. GE13 was DAP. So that GE14 will be PAS. Now take the earlier statement that in this country our Malays can be the most globally-attuned community member and graft it onto the role that PAS can play towards total success in GE14, and we have immediately a new transformation wave for this tired land. PAS can also do the same to dignify all life again. People should not be corrupted about their needs. READ MORE HERE |
| BN rep: Islam demands ‘muzakarah’ with PAS Posted: 25 Nov 2013 12:43 PM PST 
DAP's disputes with PAS over Malay rights and Islam is enough reason for a dialogue say reps. (Bernama) - For the Umno-PAS 'muzakarah' (dialogue) to succeed, the members of both parties need to put aside prejudice, said a Barisan Nasional MP. BN-Padang Besar MP Zahidi Zainul Abidin said it is time for Umno and PAS to start a dialogue in the best interest of Islam and to ensure that Malay special rights are not disputed. "We should harbour good feelings so that this 'muzakarah' can unite the Muslims and the Malays. "I welcome the 'muzakarah' between Umno and PAS," he told reporters in Parliament lobby, here yesterday He said this when commenting on the willingness of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to hold a dialogue with Umno in order to implement an administration based on Islamic teachings. Zahidi said the DAP always questioned Malay special rights and the position of Islam and ignored the views of PAS. Another BN MP Noh Omar (Tanjung Karang) echoed Zahid's view. "Since they (DAP) have always disputed PAS and there is no point in them (PAS) to stick with the DAP. "Moreover, the 'muzakarah' is demanded by Islam," he said. He added that the Malays and Muslims should discuss about the future generation as certain groups had challenged the position of Islam and the Malay Rulers. "This happened because they (certain groups) regard the Malays and Islam as so weak that they feel that they have more authority to determine the country's political future. "I welcome the 'muzakarah' between Umno and PAS and hope that it can become a reality," he added. Meanwhile, Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PAS-Dungun ) said a dialogue is good as the outcome is very important to determine the administration of the country. "The question is how we view the outcome of the dialogue. Implementation is another thing, sometimes it is suitable and sometimes it is unsuitable," he added. |
| Corruption well nestled in our system Posted: 25 Nov 2013 12:39 PM PST 
Corruption is the core for the rot in the country in every aspect. The BN government via its agencies have knowingly tolerated many illegals here and sheltered their businesses too. Free Malaysia Today If there is one country in this part of the world an illegal would love to be in, it is Malaysia. The government of Malaysia has unsurpassed flexibility in accepting them without much fuss. The influx of illegal migrants largely dates back to the hey days of Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he initiated his pet projects, namely the development of the KLIA, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Twin Towers. These projects demanded thousands of manual labourers in realising the dreams of one man to seed the nucleus of Vision 2020. Opportunities opened up instantaneously for workers, especially from Indonesia to migrate in droves to Malaysia. They grabbed jobs like a monkey would do with peanuts. There was very little control or rather insignificant in regulating them or monitoring the movements of these migrants that gained 'privileged entry' into our territories, in specific, Peninsular Malaysia. Employment agencies mushroomed overnight as a spin-off and it was lucrative to bridge the demands of the industry and the needs of the workers from Indonesia. They craved for better salaries, living standards and definitely a golden opportunity to leave the hardship and poverty in Indonesia. It was a guarantee then that jobs are assured. Well, fair and fine. Malaysian were and are still just too stuck up to work in the construction industry, thus the need to bring foreigners here was just unavoidable. Indonesia provided a bottomless pool of workers. In all the excitement, a steady, simmering problem was brewing as the outcome of migrant workers making their way here. Large number of Indonesians who could not afford the various fees and levy imposed by both sides of the country, took short cuts into coming here. They seeped into Malaysian shores throughout the day, mostly bribing their way in or creeping via illegal boats from Indonesia. The word of mouth that Malaysia is the new 'gold mine of Asia' flared their desire to be here by any method. They came, integrated into their pockets of community which were already here, built their 'kongsi settlements' in and around construction sites and went on with their life unflustered for many years. As the dust settled and the momentum swung into a platonic frequency, many were self-motivated to paddle in their families. With time we started to witness the many 'kongsi' sheltering the migrant workers upgraded into settlements anchoring many Indonesian families on the fringes of the cities. All these transformations were unfolding before the eyes of the various enforcement agencies and ministers. But the lure of vision 2020 blinded even the PM at that time, and the policy of 'convenient ignoring' was employed by the BN government. READ MORE HERE |
| Kelangsungan ‘Anwaristas’ dalam PAS Posted: 25 Nov 2013 12:34 PM PST 
Empire Strikes Back Menyorot kembali sejarah penubuhan PAS, mungkin ramai yang tidak sedar bahawa PAS lahir dari apa yang dimulakan sebagai Parti Orang Muslimin Malaya (Hizbul Muslimin). Hizbul Muslimin yang ditubuhkan pada 17 Mac 1948 adalah parti yang ditubuhkan oleh golongan ulama yang mengambil keputusan meninggalkan Umno kerana merasakan bahawa Umno tidak cukup Islamik dan antara individu yang bertanggungjawab atas pembentukan Hizbul Muslimin adalah datuk kepada Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi iaitu Syeikh Abdullah Fahim. Sebelum pilihan raya umum 1955, dua tahun sebelum merdeka, Hizbul Muslimin telah didaftarkan semula di bawah nama Pan-Malayan Islamic Party (PMIP) dan Parti Islam se-Malaysia atau PAS hanya wujud sekitar tahun 1970-an sewaktu era Mohamad Asri Muda. Muhammad Asri Muda adalah seorang guru dan juga wartawan sebelum memasuki arena politik dan Asri juga adalah presiden parti yang bertanggungjawab membawa PAS ke dalam Barisan Nasional pada 1973. Asri adalah apa yang dipanggil sebagai golongan Erdogan dalam PAS ketika ini, iaitu pemimpin yang bukan dari golongan ustaz atau ulama. Sekali lagi, kerana perbezaan pendapat dengan parti pemerintah mengenai Islam, PAS mengambil keputusan meninggalkan Barisan Nasional pada 1978. Seterusnya pada 1982, Yusof Rawa, seorang ulama telah dipilih untuk memegang jawatan presiden parti selepas golongan ulama dalam PAS bertindak 'menggulingkan' Asri. Asri bukanlah satu-satunya pemimpin bukan ulama yang ditolah oleh parti. Mustafa Ali atau ' Cikgu Pa' , bekas guru sekolah seperti Asri , juga mendapati bahawa dia tidak boleh menjawat jawatan teratas dalam parti dan hanya boleh berpuas hati sebagai penasihat dan strategi politik kepada Tok Guru Hadi Awang dan Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat. Walaupun Mustafa adalah pemikir dibelakang kedua-dua ulama tersebut, namun Mustafa tidak boleh menjadi lebih daripada seorang de facto atas alasan beliau bukanlah seorang ulama. Ini sebenarnya adalah satu trend dalaman PAS. Ia akan melakukan apa yang di lihat sebagai satu proses pembersihan apabila golongan yang di label sebagai lebih liberal atau bukan daripada golongan ulama semakin berkuasa di dalam parti. Perkara yang sama berlaku pada pemimpin PAS Selangor, Khalid Samad. READ MORE HERE |
| Ten Personal Fatwas (that makes sense to me) Posted: 25 Nov 2013 10:57 AM PST 
1. "on halal and haram in music" There is nothing wrong in listening to music, any genre of music, or play any kind of music you like as long as it makes you happy and not bother other people or hurt others or try to proselytize others with your favourite music. For, music is life and life is music and music makes you grow in all life's diversity, s o that you will not become an individual who hate music for all the wrong religious reasons and make the life of others miserable and music-less and life-less and form-less. You are wise enough to choose good music and lousy music. There is no halal or haram in it -- your ears make it so -- ar 2. "on when to leave a sermon/khotbah" it is wrong and displeasurable to continue to sit in a religious sermon/khotbah of a preacher whose talk is filled with hatred for other religion, who insinuates other believers, who talks bad about people of other races and ethnic groups, and who talks down on women, and whose arrogance stinks to the heavens, and most importantly who speaks in a loud and shouting voice even with a microphone befitting of mick jagger's 90th. birthday concert ... it is right to leave such a talk/sermon/khotbah ... it is better to stay home and listen to one's iPOD -- ar 3. "halal and haram in what one wears" it is right to wear whatever you feel is right and modest, by your own definition and not that of others or of some ancient scripture or by some hadith you cannot trust of its relevance to modern times ... the key is modesty and for one to be proud of one's beauty without drowning in vanity ... there is no point covering oneself up when one's mind is also closed shut to the diversity of ideas ... and besides, one must wear what one likes according to the appropriate season, weather forecast, and cultural pride ... that is the most halal thing to do, when it comes to choosing one's clothing -- ar 4. "on reading the halal and the haram" one need not limit oneself to just reading the holy scriptures of one's religion; read the ones considered unholy too .. it will make one understand good by knowing evil .. that is best part of learning .. the most halal thing to do with knowledge .. again, one's inner conscience will be the best teacher and guide, and no one should tell you what to read only and what not to read .. that will be a haram thing to do; tantamount to imposing the other person's ignorance unto you ... -- ar 5. "halal and haram in driving a car" it is halal to allow women to drive a car if she can pay for her car insurance and has a valid driver's license and if it means more business for the car industry .. it is haram to forbid women to drive as long as she does not drive other drivers crazy -- ar 6. "beautiful women, beautiful men ... " with or without hijab any women will look beautiful if she feels beautiful inside ... with or without a long, unshaven beard, any man will look manly is he feels the manhood alive inside of him .. it is the most halal thing to feel about oneself ... again, modesty and rationality and not vanity .. rules -- ar Read more at: http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/2013/11/ten-personal-fatwas_25.html |
| Using Official Secrets Act to ride roughshod over public interests Posted: 25 Nov 2013 10:44 AM PST 
Our Umno-dominated, Barisan Nasional-led government, no matter how much we "love" it, seems to have a strange penchant for making secrets out of public interest issues, calling to question what it is that our leaders are trying to hide. Hazlan Zakaria, The Ant Daily On Nov 21, eleven Members of Parliament representing voters from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur were asked to sign an Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) declaration form prior to a briefing on Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) proposed assessment rate hike. But some of the MPs, mainly from the opposition, had reportedly refused to sign the form, citing Pakatan Rakyat's policy of transparency in governance. Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor and KL Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib handled the briefing, which came on the heels of public uproar over the planned hike, which in some areas are reportedly as high as 260 per cent. The KL Mayor said the proposed increase was timely and justified it by pointing out that the local authority was faced with rising expenses. This runs contrary to his reported statement during the local authority's budget speech that DBKL saw high revenues, for despite the lack of a rate hike for the past 21 years, the number of properties that pay assessment tax has increased exponentially. However, the bigger picture here is our government's seeming preoccupation with making secrets out of public interest issues, and the KL assessment hike briefing is not the only case. Two other recent glaring cases are the Selangor water privatisation deal and major toll concession agreements. Like the KL assessment rate hike briefing, both are public interest issues which for some reasons have been made into official secrets. The secrecy clause over both agreements made it impossible for the public to know why toll rates continue to rise and concession periods seem to go on forever. It also obscures why the federal government pumps money into a Selangor water concessionaire and agrees to proposals to raise water tariffs sky high. Similarly, if not for the protestations of some of the MPs, no explanation would have been had for why the KL assessment rates need to be raised such. But what is not secret is that the companies involved in the previous "official secrets" are owned by Umno personalities or business persons seen as close to BN leaders. And despite having mostly Pakatan MPs, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur continues to be administered exclusively by the federal government without any electoral representation. Read more at: http://www.theantdaily.com/news/2013/11/25/using-official-secrets-act-ride-roughshod-over-public-interests |
| Even BN candidate admits of BN’s corruption for votes Posted: 25 Nov 2013 10:42 AM PST 
(Harakah Daily) - It is interesting to note that in a twist of events, even the BN candidate for the Sg Limau by election who lost to PAS' Mohd Azam Samat has admitted that the Umno-BN machinery had been soliciting for votes by way of corruption. Most glaringly he admitted that government machinery had been used during his campaigning in the lead up to voting last November 4. In addition to this he detailed how these agencies went all out to bribe the people into voting the BN and yet the support that was expected did not materialize. For instance, he mentions about how in one area he saw the FAMA going in to distribute fruits and chicks. "Truckloads of chicks were given away, but if you count the people who came for the chickens and the votes we got, I'm sure the numbers are different," he was reported to have said. This goes to confirm some comments on the by election and support for BN in general as observed by the former autocrat of 22 years who in his column is reported to have said that election goodies offered by political parties could no longer ensure victory. He emphatically stressed that "cash handouts and gifts will not ensure victory" While some may take this as a jibe against Premier Najib for all his 1 Malaysia handouts that he has made as policy, it is interesting to note how Mahathir has also referred to the performance of the BN at the 13th GE as evidence of how and why such an approach may not always work. In his blog posting he said: "This is evident from GE13. Those who did not support did not support. The money given was a waste, whether government money or otherwise." So does this mean that a new trend is slowly beginning to emerge, that despite "investments" in the form of cash handouts and other material goodies, the people may just not vote for the party concerned? Would this mean that the "cock has finally come to roost"? If that really happens then it is the end for BN, because all along BN has only been able to garner support by giving out cash and other material handouts. If this does not work then, they are doomed. Another interesting thing to note from the Sg Limau by election is the manner in which the BN and Umno leaders carried themselves. Despite Sg Limau being a rural and traditional community where values of simpleness and straightforwardness are practiced, Umno did just the opposite. There was this insincerity of the BN when canvassing for votes. While it's chief minister was going around donning a PAS-like skull cap, those who came from outside the state built up a scene that the villagers could not stomach. As in the words of an academic associated with University Malaya's UMCEDEL, these people were running around with their SUVs causing a ruckus that the people there were not accustomed to. The BN he stated could not discard the opulent culture when campaigning among simple villagers. That's not surprising. The BN is only out to get the votes so that the culture of apportioning the wealth among its cronies may continue. |
| Emotionally blackmailed Malaysians desire change but fear to act Posted: 25 Nov 2013 10:40 AM PST 
Malays who are pro-opposition but who are not civil servants face additional challenges. They are denied various opportunities and benefits, such as being unsuccessful in bids for a government tender, having their application for educational grants rejected and their request for government land turned down. Mariam Mokhtar, The Ant Daily Millions of Malaysians have spent their entire lives in the captivity of Umno-Baru and the Barisan Nasional (BN), and they do not know any other type of government. They are not used to anything different, so they would be confused if they were given the smallest amount of extra freedom. Enslaved Malaysians only accept things which are familiar. Just imagine how difficult it is for them to grasp some of the most important aspects of everyday life, such as the rule of law, democracy, human rights and equality. Reports of a 69-year-old Malaysian woman who has been kept as a slave, with two others, in England, for the past 30 years have shocked the world. It is a story that resonates with Malaysians. Just like the three enslaved women, Malaysians are victims of emotional blackmail. Despite wanting change to improve their lives and the lives of their children, many Malaysians are repressed by an invisible force which stops them from rejecting Umno-Baru. The rakyat, principally the Malay community, has been brainwashed into thinking that only Umno-Baru can "save" them, protect their way of life, their rulers, their language and their religion. They are told that a vote for the opposition will lead to a nation ruled and dominated by Chinese and Christians, whilst Malays will become beggars. Details are sketchy, but the three London women were beaten and emotionally manipulated by the suspects, a married couple from Tanzania and India. The women were rescued when one of them watched a television programme and contacted the Freedom Charity. Policemen handling the case said that there was a possibility that there were thousands of others who are being held in similar circumstances. Malaysians empathise. Many of us are like those women, being held captive against our will, unable to free our minds of the pervasive influence of Umno-Baru. I have no intention of trivialising the London women's experience, but there are many similarities between their plight and ours. Various British newspapers say that the women were forced into a life of servitude. To their neighbours and outsiders, the suspects gave the impression of being a "normal family". Isn't this similar to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's representation on the world stage of Malaysia as a nation of moderate Muslims? Only Malaysians know that extremism and nationalist policies dominate. An ignorant and ill-informed rakyat will always pay homage to Umno-Baru. Didn't Najib also say he would tackle corruption, and yet he and his cabinet ministers are allegedly still implicated in many corruption scandals? The British policemen describe "invisible handcuffs" being used to metaphorically shackle the women, at a house in south London. Sadly, Malaysians know only too well what it is like to be restrained by "invisible handcuffs", with civil servants and students suffering most from Umno-Baru's enforced enslavement. It is alleged that teachers who vote for the opposition can be traced by the serial number on their ballot papers. This is a means of control and it forces everyone who values his job to vote Umno-Baru. It is also alleged that civil servants who attend opposition ceramahs face a bleak future. They are denied promotions, unlike their peers who climb speedily up the career ladder. This means of control ensures loyalty to Umno-Baru. Civil servants are not enamoured of Umno-Baru policies, but they are forced to toe the line. Students who attend opposition marches also allege discrimination by the college authorities. Scholarships may be withdrawn. Student leader Adam Adli faced a severe punishment and was suspended from college. The subtle message is that if you are anti-Umno-Baru or anti-BN, your career prospects and future will be severely restricted. These are not the acts of a democratic government, but more the by-products of a tyrannical government. As long as we think we cannot escape Umno-Baru, we will forever be their slaves. Read more at: http://www.theantdaily.com/news/2013/11/26/emotionally-blackmailed-malaysians-desire-change-fear-act |
| The missing moral compass in our leaders Posted: 25 Nov 2013 10:35 AM PST 
The opposition must not just offer a change of personnel in Putrajaya but a new kind of real, moral leadership that sets high standards of right and wrong in public affairs and inspires others not to be law-breakers or obedient slaves, but to be responsible citizens who will not fear their government. Zaid Ibrahim, TMI Lately, quite a few of our newspapers have had to retract their stories and apologise as part of defamation settlements. The spate of suits filed against mainstream newspapers, including the "New Straits Times" – and the regularity with which that once-august institution has had to apologise – has become a national embarrassment. All this implies that journalistic standards at the paper are, at best, questionable. Worse, it indicates a dismal lack of professionalism and the abandonment of the principle by which journalism is governed: the dedication to truth. The basic duty of a reporter is to present a story with as much balance and objectivity as possible. Higher up the chain, editors will always be subjected to the interests of the outlet's owners – and this is true the world over – but a certain minimum standard must be observed at all times. The problem is that our minimum standards are in the gutter. Perhaps owners and publishers don't care too much about ethical principles and good journalism. Perhaps what's "fair" and "unfair" are bothersome and unnecessary details that clash with political will. Now, most of us know that the component political parties of Barisan Nasional own most of the major newspapers in Malaysia. As such, it's incumbent on these owners to address the present situation which is, to put it mildly, deplorable. Journalists can't exercise the standards they aspire to if their editors don't or can't let them. In our country today, it has become difficult to write and print fair, balanced, or even accurate and truthful stories without upsetting owners. Sadly, it seems as if some journalists have had to transform themselves into "political warriors" who are concerned only with the political victory and power of their paymasters. Anything can be justified in the service of these twin goals. Other journalists don't have much choice. They must follow orders if they want keep their jobs, let alone climb the ladder. One can't blame them for trying to earn a living in these uncertain economic times. Can we look to the opposition for good examples? Unfortunately, not all their political leaders practise the same level of integrity and fairness they expect from government leaders. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has so far seemed unable to use purely moral and ethical arguments against the Government in a way that Dr Martin Luther King and Gandhi struggled against gross injustice and dictatorship. Even Nelson Mandela, branded a "terrorist" in his youth, grew into a compassionate elder statesman who harboured no ill-feelings against those who imprisoned him for 27 years. Can you imagine any Malaysian politician today displaying even half that magnanimity? Over the years, Anwar has not been able to inject into our political culture the same values that he accuses the Government of lacking. He has not been able to impart with conviction the belief that, as a society, we must possess core values that guide our entire community, including the practice of national and party politics. He has been unable to provide the guidance that will enable the people of our country to discover their own moral compasses. Perhaps this is too tall an order. Perhaps Malaysians are "not ready" for this kind of responsible democratic engagement. What is Anwar's own example? If you recall, on May 5 (polling day) this year, he tweeted that "PR has won….#ubah" while news spread of a 9pm press conference at the One World Hotel. Pakatan Rakyat did not win. It was nowhere near winning a parliamentary majority. Why was he so cavalier with the truth? Why did he say, weeks before the election that he would retire if Pakatan failed to win – when he had no intention of retiring? Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/zaid-ibrahim/article/the-missing-moral-compass-in-our-leaders |
| UN official says Malaysia should reverse Allah ban Posted: 25 Nov 2013 03:56 AM PST 
Reuters Malaysia should reverse a ban on a Christian newspaper using the word Allah to refer to God, a UN official said today about a decision that fanned religious tension in the mainly Muslim country. Malaysia's second highest court ruled in October that the Catholic weekly, Herald, could not use the word Allah to refer to God, in a landmark decision on an issue that has fanned religious tension in the majority Muslim country. "Freedom of religion or belief is a right of human beings, not a right of the state," the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, said in a statement. "It cannot be the business of the state to shape or reshape religious traditions, nor can the state claim any binding authority in the interpretation of religious sources or in the definition of the tenets of faith," he said. The chief judge in the Malaysian court said the word Allah was not an integral part of the faith in Christianity and that its use by the newspaper would cause confusion. Since then, confusion has reigned over the interpretation of the ruling, with government ministers, lawyers and Muslim authorities giving widely diverging views on its scope. Critics of the ruling have said it casts a chill on religious and minority rights in Malaysia, which has substantial minorities of non-Muslim ethnic Chinese and Indians. "The current case may affect the right of all non-Muslims in Malaysia to use the word Allah while referring to God," the UN official said. Lawyers for the Catholic paper had argued that the word Allah predated Islam and has been used for centuries by Malay-speaking Christians in Malaysia's part of Borneo island. They said they planned to appeal against the decision in the country's highest court. Christians make up about 9% of Malaysia's 28 million people. Muslims are the majority at about 60%. |
| MB Khalid: Too late to change now Posted: 24 Nov 2013 07:47 PM PST 
Meena Lakshana, fz.com Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today took in stride Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's comments about him at the PKR Congress yesterday. Commenting on the Opposition leader's bittersweet praise for him, Abdul Khalid said as a leader of a state government which is at the helm of implementation, he needs to do so carefully so as not to waste public funds. "It is good. I must be very careful in implementation. We know what we want to do in the state," he told reporters when met at the Annexe Gallery of the state assembly. "We are extra careful with how we implement things because it is the people's money. If we lose the people's money, no matter how good your intentions are, it reflects badly on you," he added. Asked if he felt a need to change his ways to implement programmes at a faster rate, Abdul Khalid said with a laugh: "It is a little too late to change now." Abdul Khalid said he deemed Anwar's comments as constructive as Pakatan Rakyat always holds discussions on how best to serve the community. While praising him yesterday, Anwar also added somewhat cheekily that Abdul Khalid was slow in implementation. "Khalid is a good friend and a great leader. This is proven with the amount of money he has brought to the state coffers," he has said in his wrap-up speech during the congress. "When I advise my friend (Abdul Khalid), it does not mean I am scolding him. "He is a loyal person and he listens attentively when there is a discussion. It is just that he implements slowly what I tell him," said Anwar. Meanwhile, state Backbenchers Club leader Mohamed Azmin Ali also brushed off the remarks as constructive criticism. "We should view this as something good, not negative," he said.
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| Now’s the best time for Anwar to lead PKR, says Azmin Posted: 24 Nov 2013 07:35 PM PST 
Mohd Farhan Darwis, TMI It is time that opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim led Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and help towards the restructuring of the party, said PKR's deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali. "It is no secret. PKR accepts and admits that Anwar's leadership is needed," Azmin said in Shah Alam today. Azmin, a protege of Anwar, said the suggestion for the opposition leader to take up the presidency during yesterday's special PKR national party congress is a sign of "acknowledgement by the delegates". The Gombak MP stressed that the party needed to restructure itself to avoid stagnation. "We cannot remain at the same level for too long. A party based on reformation should take into account the voices of the grassroots," Azmin said. "This is a good start and we will continue to work on placing Anwar at his rightful position in the party," he added after attending the state legislative assembly meeting. Yesterday, PKR Selangor's secretary Amirudin Shari proposed that Anwar take over the presidency since it is allowed according to the party's constitution. Amirudin said that the suggestion is to depose of speculations that Anwar may take over the position in next year's party elections. However, Anwar dismissed talks of party leadership by telling the press that it is too soon to discuss such matters. READ MORE HERE |
| Have you ever met Satan? Posted: 24 Nov 2013 06:50 PM PST 
Hence, in short, Satan was a later-day belief of deviationist teachings that early practitioners of the Abrahamic faith rejected as nonsense. And now KTemoc Konsiders may be sent to jail for posting a photograph of an opera singer dressed as a Viking, which some people say is actually a photograph of a fallen angel called Satan, which the original Abrahamic faith says is utter nonsense and does not exist. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Did you read yesterday's Bernama news report below? It seems KTemoc Konsiders is guilty of insulting Islam and of posting a photograph of a woman symbolising Satan. At first I thought it was a picture of an opera singer dressed up as a Viking and singing her heart out. It appears I was wrong. It is a picture of Satan after all. I confess that I will have to take the word of this Amir Amsaa Alla Pitchay because I have never personally met Satan (I think no one on earth has ever met Satan as well) -- so I do not know what he or she looks like. According to Amir Amsaa Alla Pitchay, though, this is what Satan looks like. 
To be honest, I have been influenced too much by western 'leanings' and I had always held to the idea that Satan looks like this: 
Or maybe like this: 
But then this is all western propaganda meant to mislead Muslims. Satan does not look like that at all. Satan looks like the photograph in the piece by KTemoc Konsiders. Actually, the original Hebrew term, Satan, is a noun from a verb meaning primarily 'to obstruct' or 'to oppose' -- as it is found in Numbers 22:22, 1 Samuel 29:4, and Psalms 109:6. In the Book of Job, Satan is a member of the Divine Council, the sons of God, who are subservient to God. In the Septuagint, the Hebrew Satan in Job and Zechariah is translated into the Greek word diabolos (meaning slanderer), the same word in the Greek New Testament from which the English word devil is derived. In Judaism, Satan is a term used since its earliest biblical contexts to refer to a human opponent. Satan is rarely mentioned in Tannaitic literature but is found in Babylonian aggadah. In Medieval Judaism, the Rabbis rejected these Enochic literary works of the Biblical canon, making every attempt to root them out. Traditionalists and philosophers in Medieval Judaism adhered to rational theology by rejecting any belief in rebel or fallen angels, and viewing evil as abstract. Hence, in short, Satan was a later-day belief of deviationist teachings that early practitioners of the Abrahamic faith rejected as nonsense. And now KTemoc Konsiders may be sent to jail for posting a photograph of an opera singer dressed as a Viking, which some people say is actually a photograph of a fallen angel called Satan, which the original Abrahamic faith says is utter nonsense and does not exist. Isn't Malaysia an interesting country to live in? It turns people into idiots. 
***************************************** (Bernama) - A non-governmental organisation, Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim Malaysia (IRIMM), today lodged a police report against a blogger for allegedly making a mockery of the word Allah. IRIMM president, Amir Amsaa Alla Pitchay, said the blogger had on Nov 17 posted an article, with the title 'Can Sing But Cannot Read Allah In Selangor'. He said the article also contained a picture of a woman clad in an attire that symbolises a satan and holding a cane while saying "AAAAAaaaLLL". "The action hurts the feelings of Muslims in the country. Such a picture should not have been posted," he said when met by reporters after lodging the report at the Dang Wangi police station. He said the Home Ministry should issue guidelines to the media and bloggers on publication of articles which touched on the sensitivity of Muslims in the country. IRIMM also lodged a report against MCA Youth leader Wee Ka Siong over a statement issued by the latter on Nov 15 in response to an order by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor over the use of the word 'Allah'. Police report in Penang Meanwhile, another NGO known as Persatuan Mukabuku Pulau Pinang today lodged a police report against a Facebook account holder for allegedly insulting the Malay rulers. The association chairperson, Salleh Ismail, claimed that the comments by the Facebook account holder, who used the name 'Kumaran Muthiah', on the Seven Wills of the Malay Rulers were rude and could threaten the peace and harmony in the country. He told reporters after lodging the report at the Lebuh Pantai police station in George Town today that such an action could also create a rift among the various races in the country. Malaysian citizens should realise that the Seven Wills of the Malay Rulers were the foundation for peace and prosperity, he added. |
| You scratch my back and I scratch your back Posted: 24 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST 
And this, I suppose, is the more important question. The opposition wants to keep this matter buried so that no questions will be raised as to why none of the election petitions mention what the opposition allege had happened. But what, however, is the government going to get in return by helping the opposition keep the details of the election petitions a secret? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Normally, I don't face much problems getting my hands on any document that I wish to get my hands on, in particular documents related to civil suits and court cases. After all, once filed in court, these are public documents not covered under the Official Secrets Act. Most times, the parties involved in these legal disputes would gladly give me copies of the relevant documents even when I do not ask for them. No doubt their intention in giving me those documents is so that Malaysia Today can give their court case maximum publicity. I suppose if we can help these people win their case in the court of public opinion then it becomes a bit more difficult for the court to fiddle with their case. The case has already become too high profile and the public would be watching the developments of this case. Hence the judges would not dare 'play around'. But in the case of the 58 election petitions filed by Pakatan Rakyat, I am having problems getting copies of the documents. I would have thought as soon as the election petitions were filed Pakatan Rakyat would want to publish copies of their claims in the Internet for all and sundry to see. I then contacted the 'other side', hoping that the defendants would gladly give me all the copies I wanted. However, much to my surprise, even the government side did not want me to give me any copies. And that was certainly a surprise. What are they trying to hide? Why do they want to keep the details of what has been filed a secret? Is it not the right of the public to know? Don't they want the public to know since this matter is of great public interest? Then I found out that they want to keep the details buried because negotiations are currently being held by both sides in this conflict to try to settle the matter out of court. They realise that if the cases continue then all the details would become public. An out of court settlement would mean that the details would remain buried. I can understand the government wanting to keep things buried since it is the government that is being accused of cheating in the May 2013 general election. But why would the opposition want to also keep things buried since it is to the advantage of the opposition to reveal in what way the government cheated? There were supposed to have been 40,000 or more foreigners (Bangladeshis, and probably Filipinos and Indonesians as well) who voted as phantom voters. There were supposed to have been blackouts or power failures at various places during the counting of the votes. Three (3) ballot boxes were supposed to have been hijacked and/or disappeared after voting ended and the polling stations closed. All this was supposed to have happened on Polling Day -- and is the case against the government. And we assume that the 58 election petitions filed by the opposition would mention all these discrepancies -- the case against the government. Alas, I was told that none of these issues are mentioned in the election petitions. No 40,000 phantom voters -- Bangladeshis or whatever. No blackouts -- not even in a single constituency. And no hijacked or missing ballot boxes -- not even one. Why are all these not raised in the election petitions? Anwar Ibrahim stated very clearly in his speeches and press conferences that they have solid evidence of all these events to support their allegation. But none of this evidence was attached to the election petitions. In fact, the election petitions do not even mention these things. Is this why they want the issue buried? If the election petitions do not mention all this then I can quite understand why the opposition would like to bury this issue and not allow the documents to become public. But what I cannot understand is why is the government also keen to keep it buried? What is the government going to gain by helping the opposition keep this matter buried? And this, I suppose, is the more important question. The opposition wants to keep this matter buried so that no questions will be raised as to why none of the election petitions mention what the opposition allege had happened. But what, however, is the government going to get in return by helping the opposition keep the details of the election petitions a secret? Politics is strange, is it not? Sometimes, in politics, compromises need to be made for the benefit of mutual gain. And in the meantime the Malaysian public, the voters, are being made into suckers. While the politicians from both sides of the political divide stand up on stage and say all sorts of things, behind the scenes they are talking about mutual gain and how 'you scratch my back and I scratch your back'. *************************************************** Najib dakwa Anwar buat "pusingan U" mengenai kewujudan 40,000 pengundi Bangladesh (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak mendakwa Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim membuat "pusingan U" setelah gagal membuktikan tuduhannya terhadap kewujudan pengundi warga Bangladesh semasa pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU13) lalu. Perdana Menteri itu berkata beliau memiliki bukti Anwar pernah membuat dakwaan sedemikian menerusi teks ceramah dan juga daripada media-media pro-pembangkang Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "Apabila saya kata 40,000 warga Bangladesh itu tidak betul, tidak ada bukti, Perdana Menteri Bangladesh pun kata (tuduhan) itu tidak mungkin, dia (Anwar) pusing kata bahawa dia tidak kata begitu." ''Tetapi muka depan akhbar Suara Keadilan ada (tulis) tentang 40,000 Bangladesh itu, ucapan dia (Anwar) juga sindir kepada kita bahawa rakyat tidak sokong kita, yang sokong adalah rakyat Bangladesh dan Filipina," kata Najib yang dipetik berkata dalam akhbar Utusan Malaysia hari ini. Najib ketika berucap pada seminar Pemerkasaan Ekonomi Nasional di auditorium Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan semalam menegaskan beliau juga diberitahu oleh sumbernya malah mendengar sendiri ucapan Anwar yang membuat dakwaan tersebut. ''Saya dengar ucapan dia, saya banyak sumber yang dengar ucapan dia, (tetapi sekarang ini) dia nak nafikan pula,'' katanya lagi. Pada 20 November lalu, Anwar menuduh Najib dan Barisan Nasional (BN) memperdaya Parlimen apabila mendakwa PR mengatakan 40,000 warga Bangladesh dibawa masuk untuk didaftarkan sebagai pengundi. Beliau berkata, PR sudah menyiasat dan tiada bukti menunjukkan PR membuat dakwaan tersebut. "Kami bercakap mengenai pengundi dibawa dari Sabah dan Sarawak tetapi tidak berkata apa-apa mengenai 40,000 warga Bangladesh yang didaftarkan sebagai pengundi." "Tuduhan tersebut sengaja diadakan dan cuba diputarbelitkan oleh penulis blog Umno," kata Anwar dalam sidang media di Parlimen. Ketika pembentangan Bajet 2014 pada 25 Oktober, Najib dalam ucapannya menyentuh mengenai perpecahan populasi di Malaysia dan secara berseloroh, berkata peruntukan tidak termasuk dengan 40,000 rakyat Bangladesh yang dibawa masuk sebagai pengundi hantu ketika PRU13 seperti didakwa pembangkang. "Sehingga ke hari ini tidak ada siapa pun yang melihat mereka bahkan bayang pun tiada. Cukuplah dengan penipuan ini dan bertaubatlah kepada Tuhan," kata Najib. Mengulas mengenai hal itu, Anwar berkata, ia tindakan tidak bertanggungjawab membuat tuduhan tersebut malah meminta Perdana Menteri Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina menafikan kerajaan membawa masuk rakyatnya untuk didaftarkan sebagai pengundi dalam PRU13. |
| Ex-EC head joins Perkasa to boost Malay power Posted: 24 Nov 2013 03:33 PM PST 
(MM) - Former Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman has joined Perkasa to keep the dominant Malay community in power, a news portal reported today. Abdul Rashid reportedly opened the Malay right-wing group's Federal Territory annual general meeting yesterday, where he was quoted as saying that the three redelineation exercises during his term at the EC, which were done "in a proper way", had ensured the continued political dominance of the Malays.
"This land has always belonged to the Malays. It's in the history," Abdul Rashid was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insider.
"We did it in a proper way. Not illegally. The people who lost in the past general elections claimed that we did it wrong. But if we did, how did Barisan Nasional (BN) lose to the opposition in Kelantan, Penang and Selangor?" he added, referring to the redrawing of electoral boundaries.
The EC — which has been accused of gerrymandering to give more weight to rural constituencies, where the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) typically enjoys strong support — has said that it will begin redrawing constituency lines at the end of the year.
Polls watchdog Bersih, however, warned the EC last September that a repeat of the massive street rallies for electoral reforms was "inevitable" if the electoral roll is not cleared of irregularities.
Abdul Rashid was quoted as saying yesterday that Malays have to retain their political power because Malaysia belongs to them, noting that the it was first called the Malay Federation, and after independence, it was changed to Malaya, and finally, the peninsula was known as West Malaysia after Malaysia was formed in 1963.
"Our aim is to get all the Malays of eligible age to register and to vote. Our numbers are bigger. Not only I want Malays to be in power, but also we must be stronger," he reportedly said. 
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| No place for rockers in PAS leadership Posted: 24 Nov 2013 03:28 PM PST 
(The Star) - Singers and rockers are welcomed into PAS but are not taken seriously as prospective leaders. This was clearly seen in the defeats of several entertainers vying for posts in the party and harsh criticisms against the organisers and participants of a rock concert to mark the just-ended PAS 59th muktamar here. Singer Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin (picture) and comedian Sulaiman Ibrahim, popularly known as Aishah and Man Raja Lawak respectively, in their fields, failed miserably in their bid to be among the chosen leaders in PAS. Wan Aishah, a defeated parliamentary candidate in the May 5 general election, received the third-lowest votes for the central committee posts and fourth lowest in the Muslimat central committee polls. Sulaiman came last in the PAS Youth central committee election. Even PAS education bureau chief Datuk Abu Bakar Chik was not spared the humiliation of being discarded by die-hard party delegates. The vice-president contender received the lowest votes, attributed to his drum-playing stage appearance at the Gig Green Zone concert. The event could have also been the reason why PAS culture and arts bureau chairman Dr Muhamin Sulam lost in his bid to secure a seat in the central committee. However, in his speech before the delegates, he adamantly defended the show as being in line with the party's campaign theme, PAS for All. "Yes, we had long-haired youngsters clad in jeans performing rock metal on stage. This suits the youngsters. "PAS for All is about inclusiveness. Perhaps, that is why we (Pakatan Rakyat) won two terms in Selangor but only one term in Kedah (2008-2013) and Terengganu (2000 to 2004)," he said, to responses of "oohs" from the floor. He called on the delegates to accept the artistes as well as all proponents of culture and fine arts into their fold. Alor Setar PAS delegate Adnan Saad was clearly furious when he lambasted the organisers of the concert. Saying he was shocked to see metal rockers performing on stage at an event organised by PAS, he exclaimed: "This is worse than Umno." |
| Clear message but BN washing its hands off non-Malays Posted: 24 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST 
Sonia Ramachandran, The Ant Daily Most of the non-Malays turned away from the ruling Barisan Nasional in the 13th general election, with both MIC and MCA getting a drubbing. This swing towards the opposition Pakatan Rakyat carried a clear, unmistakable message: the government of the day has not been doing enough for the Indian and Chinese communities. It should have prompted the BN government to rectify the situation; instead the government appeared to have washed its hands off the Indian community. This seemed to be the attitude taken by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim who said the "Indians at the top should help their own kind who are 'at the bottom' instead of blaming the government over problems faced by the community". It was a puzzling remark to political analyst Prof James Chin who asked: "Why doesn't he [Shahidan] say that the top Malays should help the poor Malays? Why does the government help the Malays only? "This is typical of Umno ministers who think that the entire government and entire country belong to the Malays only. Is it any wonder that the non-Malays in the country voted against Umno in the last general election?" Shahidan made the remarks on Nov 22 in Parliament in response to a question by M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat). He reportedly said that Indians were successful with a high ratio for academic excellence and that Indian lawyers outnumbered both Chinese and Malay lawyers. Shahidan added that 30 per cent of the country's doctors came from the Indian community, but that there was "a big gap between those who are top achievers and the dropouts". He also reportedly said that the two MIC cabinet ministers and two deputy ministers in the federal government proved that the administration gave utmost consideration to the community. Kulasegaran, however, disagreed, saying that the government had failed the Indians with ineffective policies and that in the absence of government support, the community had to work very hard to achieve any form of success. Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng (picture) feels Shahidan's statement is a reflection of the dichotomy within Umno. "On the one side, the liberals and progressives would like to represent the interests of all Malaysians and I think Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak falls within this category. That's why when he took over from [Tun Abdullah Ahmad] Badawi, a lot of liberal programmes under the 1Malaysia umbrella were implemented. "On the other hand, people like Shahidan are conservative right-wing leaders who believe that Umno has already given a lot to the other communities by allowing them to stay here," he said. The way forward for the country, said Khoo, would lie with Najib. "At the end of the day, Najib would have to decide whether to rule using the conservative platform or continue to serve on BN platform where Umno serves all communities, including the Indians. "At the moment, the BN platform needs a lot of tweaking and rejuvenation to ensure it continues working as it has over the last 50 over years," he said. |
| PAS-sing the leadership baton Posted: 24 Nov 2013 03:13 PM PST 
The PAS election has ushered in new stars who will eventually replace the party's ageing and ailing ulama. But the big surprise was Salahuddin Ayub who again came in as the top VP with 917 votes against the 849 votes garnered by Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan. Joceline Tan, The Star DATUK Husam Musa has been under a great deal of pressure even though he has tried not to show it. But the dam finally broke and his emotions bubbled to the surface when the Kelantan politician went on stage to make his speech as vice-president on the last day of the PAS muktamar. At the end of one of his most fiery speeches ever, he paid tribute to Datuk Mahfuz Omar, the Pokok Sena MP whom he had beaten by only 16 votes. He said that he won although he may not be as qualified as Mahfuz – and that was when his lips started to quiver and he almost broke down. Husam's political career has been rocky and he has been under severe attack in the last few months over issues such as his ambitious scheme to have a party headquarters in Putrajaya. Holding on to the VP post will provide him with some sort of lifeline. The close finish between him and Mahfuz was the reason for the delayed announcement of the VP results. There was a request for a recount and the results were only announced yesterday. Husam had won by the skin of his teeth. He beat Mahfuz by only 16 votes. But the big surprise was Salahuddin Ayub who again came in as the top VP with 917 votes against the 849 votes garnered by Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan. This is Salahuddin's crowning moment and shows that he is accepted by those from the ulama as well as the professional/activist groups. He is now in a position to go for the deputy presidency, if he were ambitious. When the newly re-elected deputy president Mohamad Sabu peers behind his shoulder, he will probably see Salahuddin rather than an ulama trying to overtake him. It is a big win for Salahuddin considering the fact that he is no longer a YB, having lost in the last general election. But he is a likeable personality, with what is known as typical Malay manners. At the same time, Tuan Ibrahim's future is quite assured. He is regarded as "president material" among the PAS hierarchy. In fact, some of them say he may be the first person to become president without having to first pass through the deputy president's post. His winding-up speech said as much about what he is all about – a man whose priorities are less about posts and power and more about applying Islamic principles in politics. His speech was full of episodes and lessons from the life of the Holy Prophet. There are actually more senior and learned ulama than the hardline and stern-faced Tuan Ibrahim. But unlike them, Tuan Ibrahim is younger, healthier and does not need to go about with a walking stick. PAS' top ulama names are ageing and sickly. Mursyidul Am Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat only appeared for the opening ceremony. However, he looked unwell and did not show up again after that. Another leading ulama, Datuk Harun Taib, who is Dewan Ulama head, was absent on the final day. His deputy Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed delivered the winding-up speech on behalf of the wing. Harun does not like to deliver long speeches ever since he suffered a stroke several years ago. But some suspected that Harun was peeved that Mat Sabu won again. The ulama group was rooting for Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah but their prayers went unanswered. Another big ulama star, Datuk Dr Haron Din, did not show up at all. Dr Haron, who has a history of heart problems, is apparently unwell and in hospital. Even the witty Permanent Speaker Datuk Abu Kassim Abdullah looked quite grey. However, he was still full of pantun and jokes about PAS leaders with more than one wife. Everyone burst into laughter when he teased their new Dungun MP: "Dungun pernah dimenangi, kali ini kita dapati. Isteri satu, anak satu, memang kita tak puas hati." It was a gentle jibe at the MP's slow progress in family and polygamous matters. This has been such a controversial election year. First there was the aggressive campaign that many were not comfortable about. As recent as 10 years ago, campaigning was frowned upon and those going for posts did not canvass for votes. There was also widespread dissatisfaction over the problem-ridden polls from the postponement of balloting for the central working committee (CWC) to the delayed results for the vice-presidents' contest. The PAS leadership had been adamant to avoid what happened at the DAP election last year but their own was even more problematic. These people had better look at themselves before they attack the Election Commission again. This has been a pivotal election. It confirmed that the ulama voice no longer commands the attention it used to have. Delegates rejected the ulama candidate for the No. 2 post as well as called for a review of the party's partnership in Pakatan Rakyat. The message they are sending is that they are alright with the inconsistencies of coalition politics. It was also their way of telling the ulama circle that the party is not going to win Putrajaya if it keeps harping on issues like hudud law and the Islamic State. The party that has once taken such great pride in being an Islamist party has become another mainstream party. |
| Stand up to allies on Islamic affairs, Islamist group tells PAS, Umno Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:57 PM PST 
(MM) - Following PAS' show of readiness, Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) has offered itself today to facilitate a discussion between the Islamist party and Umno in an attempt to implement Islamic administration in Malaysia. Predicting resistance from PAS and Umno's allies in both Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and Barisan Nasional (BN), ISMA also told the two parties to stand up to any pressure from others.
"PAS is urged to not be bound and bow down to urges from DAP and must show its strength in achieving the goal of implementing Islam. PAS must be ready to exit PR if their political allies do not agree (with them)," said ISMA deputy president Aminuddin Yahya in a statement here.
"Likewise, Umno must be brave in facing any urges from MCA and MIC."
Aminuddin described PAS' remark as a stepping stone towards unity among Muslims, and urged Umno to accept PAS' offer without any conditions.
"ISMA is ready to be the middlemen. Therefore, it is hoped that this call is not just rhetoric, but was born out of PAS' sincerity to exalt Islam in Malaysia," he added.
"We've been waiting for this. Umno is urged to accept this call unconditionally. It will test how sincere Umno is in making the unity of the community a reality."
According to PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yesterday, PAS is willing to sit down with Umno on the issue of implementing an administration that is based on Islam in the country.
"If they (Umno) say they are committed to implement an administration that is based on Islam, let us 'muzakarah' (sit down and talk).
"PAS is ready to do this. You media, report this," he said in his closing speech at PAS's annual muktamar (conference).
Hadi also told the delegates present that PAS would go ahead with implementing hudud laws in Kelantan irrespective of whether its PR partner DAP accepted it or not.
This followed media reports yesterday quoting DAP chairman Karpal Singh as saying that the DAP was firm in its stand that hudud laws should not be implemented and that Malaysia should not be turned into an Islamic state.
Buried in the run-up to the 13 general election, PAS had dusted off the covers on hudud at its annual congress to discuss revising the Federal Constitution to make the strict Islamic penal code become part of federal laws.
Its Kuala Krau division, together with the Islamist party's women's wing, raised the issue on Saturday with their proposal which they hope will pave the way forward for Pakatan Rakyat-led states to enforce the controversial criminal laws without interference from the BN-controlled federal government. |
| GLCs sidelining Bumiputera-owned advertising agencies, CEO claims Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:53 PM PST 
(MM) - Advertising agencies owned by the Bumiputera have been unfairly sidelined by government-linked companies (GLCs) who favour internationally owned agencies instead, a chief executive officer has said. Datuk Shafri Mohamad, who also works in the local multi-billion advertising industry, claimed that local agencies were unable to compete because of an existing prejudice against their ability to deliver work of international standards.
"This is the bitter reality and biased attitude that has to be continually faced by Bumiputera advertising agencies, although we actually have wider experiences, skills that are on par internationally and proven capabilities," Shafri wrote today in Utusan Malaysia's business section, having pointed out that many Malaysians in the advertising industry here had picked up awards.
Earlier, Shafri voiced support for the prime minister's call for GLCs and ministries to boost the Bumiputera's stake and participation in the economy, saying that it was unfair for the country's largest group to lag far behind other ethnic communities.
He said few Bumiputera-owned agencies win tenders to produce advertisements for GLCs and local giants, saying that they were usually awarded a small slice in comparison to international agencies who take the bulk of the contracts.
On top of the local advertising agencies' inability to rely on international firms for projects, local firms have displayed a preference for internationally owned advertising agencies, Shafri lamented.
"This is the dilemma that we still face until today. The attitude of berat sebelah (biasness) and preference of internationally owned agencies has stunted the growth of locally-owned agencies," the founder of local advertising agency Astana International Sdn Bhd wrote in the piece titled "Agensi periklanan bumiputera turut dianaktiri oleh GLC" (Bumiputera advertising agencies treated like stepchildren by GLC").
He then proposed to setting up of the Accredited Bumiputera Advertising Agencies association, inviting agencies fully owned by Bumiputera to join it.
"Through this unity, we will be able to open up brighter opportunities to improve the competitiveness, share skills and experiences to increase the percentage of Bumiputera involvment in the national economy," he said.
On November 3, Utusan blamed government-linked companies (GLCs) for using allegedly "racist" advertising agencies that placed a low priority on advertisements in Malay-language newspapers, claiming that it would affect the national language.
Utusan claimed that many of the leaders of GLCs had handed over decisions on advertisements to the advertising industry, which in turn have many "racists" and foreigners calling the shots.
In an opinion piece under the name of Awang Selamat, the moniker used to represent the Umno-owned paper's collective editorial voice, Utusan suggested that such GLCs were risking the "sovereignty" of the national language in the local advertising industry by opting to take their business to English-language and vernacular newspapers.
Utusan also suggested that consumers should withdraw their support from such GLCs.
On November 9, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan reportedly said he had directed GLCs to send more advertising ringgit to Umno-linked Utusan and Berita Harian.
Pointing out that the top 35 GLCs spent only 3.7 per cent on their combined advertising budget to Utusan, Ahmad Maslan said Malay language newspapers must receive more support in light of their "struggle" for the country. |
| Top-secret exposé: Singapore helping US spy on Malaysia Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:45 PM PST 
(MM) - Neighbouring Singapore is a key partner of the "5-Eyes" intelligence group which was revealed to have tapped telephones and monitored communications networks in Kuala Lumpur, according to more top secret documents leaked by intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden. In a report by Australian media group Fairfax Media today quoting Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad, it was revealed that Singapore is a key "third party" providing the ring — made of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — access to Malaysia's communications channel.
Singapore was included in a map published by NRC, which showed the US' stranglehold on trans-Pacific communications channels through interception facilities on the US' West coast, Hawaii and Guam.
The facilities, in turn, tap all cable traffic across the Pacific Ocean, and links between Australia and Japan.
In August, Fairfax had reported that the Singaporean intelligence is a partner of Australia's electronic espionage agency, the Defence Signals Directorate, to tap the SEA-ME-WE-3 cable that runs from Japan, via Singapore, Djibouti, Suez and the Straits of Gibraltar to Northern Germany.
This access was allegedly facilitated by Singaporean telecommunication operator Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), which is owned by Singapore government's investment arm Temasek Holdings.
Singapore's head of civil service Peter Ong, who had previously been in charge of national security and intelligence co-ordination in its prime minister's office, is the government's representative on the telco firm's board.
It is believed that SingTel had been responsible in expanding the ties between Australia and Singapore's intelligence and defence in the past 15 years, said the report.
According to Fairfax, Malaysia and Indonesia had been key targets for both Australian and Singaporean intelligence even since the 1970s, since most of its telecommunications and Internet traffic goes through the island city-state.
Last month, Snowden had revealed that the US runs a monitoring station in its Kuala Lumpur embassy to tap telephones and monitor communications networks.
A map originally published by Germany magazine Der Spiegel and sighted by Fairfax, showed 90 electronic surveillance facilities worldwide, including in US embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Yangon.
Dated August 13, 2010, the map however did not show any such facilities in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and Japan, which are the US' closest allies.
In August, Australian intelligence sources had confirmed that top-secret intelligence tool XKeyscore — which was revealed by on-the-run Snowden — has been used to spy on Malaysia among other Asia-Pacific countries.
The XKeyscore programme boasted that by 2008 over 300 terrorists had been captured from intelligence gathered by the tool. 
|
| PAS’s political partners are the ‘true enemies of Islam’, columnist says Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:42 PM PST 
(MM) - PAS's political partners are "enemies of Islam" and are slyly using the Islamist party to merely win political control, controversial columnist Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has said. In his column in Sinar Harian, Ridhuan Tee said he had repeatedly warned PAS to be wary of the political parties that he termed collectively as "ultra kiasu", appearing to allude to PAS's allies in the opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat — the secular-based DAP and urban-centric PKR.
The local academic said that PAS's allies were allegedly more trusting of Umno's apparently more open stance towards Islam in comparison to PAS's more orthodox Islamist credentials.
"Ultra kiasu only wants PAS's votes to rule a few states where their numbers are quite big, like Penang, Selangor and Perak, and not impossibly, Malacca and Negri Sembilan after this.
"Ultra kiasu knows it will not win without PAS's support. To fulfil that evil ambition, the ultra kiasu is forced to cooperate bermuka-muka (two-facedly) with PAS. Although its political goals are very different: one wants Islam, another is very much against Islam," the senior lecturer at the National Defence University wrote in an opinion piece titled "Ultra kiasu musuh Islam sebenar" (Ultra kiasu the true enemies of Islam).
Ridhuan Tee slammed the utlra kiasu which he claimed was proven to be "anti-Islam" and against anything related to the religion, saying that they purportedly support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) despite a ban by their religions.
He accused PAS's partners of cunningly maintaining their stand against Islam while working with the party, later claiming that the ultra kiasu has shifted its strategy from merely controlling the economy to grabbing both economical and political power.
"Look at the way the ultra kiasu adapts itself. Last time, it did not talk to PAS at all, because PAS wants an Islamic country. The ultra kiasu knows, without PAS's support it cannot rule certain states. Therefore, the ultra kiasu changed its strategy but are still firm about its stand against Islam. This is the cunning of the ultra kiasu," said Ridhuan, who is also a Chinese Muslim convert.
Although Ridhuan believed that PAS was aware of the ultra kiasu's allegedly evil intentions, he said the party was willing to work with it due to its deep hatred of its arch-rival Umno.
Last Thursday, the Islamist party's ulama wing called on PAS to leverage its membership in the PR federal opposition to implement Islamic law in the states administered by the pact.
In stressing its call for PAS to re-examine its partnership with DAP and PKR, the wing, consisting of Islamic clerics, questioned whether it has benefited Islam, even as they conceded that it has succeeded politically.
But last Friday, party delegates came out strongly in the PAS muktamar (annual conference) to reaffirm their wish to stay in the federal opposition pact, citing success in the May 5 general election in which the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition were denied the popular vote for the first time since 1969.
On the same day, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang conceded today that the party has never felt that it is a "passenger" in the
coalition, even as he admitted that the "tahaluf siyasi" is yet to be perfected.
The term "tahaluf siyasi" that means "political consensus" and is used to describe PAS's working arrangement with its allies in PR.
Following Election 2013, PR now governs Penang, Selangor and Kelantan, losing Kedah after its one-term rule there.
PAS saw its political fortunes diminish in last May's national polls when it bagged 21 parliamentary seats, two fewer than what it won in the watershed 2008 General Election, when the opposition denied BN a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
The Islamist party trailed behind PR partners DAP, which increased its parliamentary representation by 10 seats with a tally of 38, and PKR, which despite losing one seat, still managed a respectable 30 spots in Parliament. |
| Mimpi dan Realiti PPPM 2013-2025 – Bahagian II Posted: 24 Nov 2013 01:42 PM PST 
Persoalannya, mengapa hal ini dibiarkan berlarutan agak lama sehingga para pelajar kita sendiri dijadikan bahan ujikaji dan bahan eksperimen yang belum tentu berjaya terhadap sistem-sistem yang pelbagai rupa? Ahmad Syafiq Amir Dalam tulisan saya di Bahagian pertama yang lalu, saya telah sebutkan secara jelas situasi serta Laporan PISA dan TIMMS yang memeranjatkan banyak pihak dengan keadaan semasa sistem pendidikan kita. Lebih mendukacitakan saya sebagai salah seorang ahli masyarakat ialah apabila hambarnya penglibatan mahasiswa mahupun para bakal guru untuk tampil ke hadapan membincangkan isu ini secara lebih serius dalam mencari konklusi yang jitu. Maka dalam tulisan saya di bahagian kedua ini, suka saya melihat dan mengajak para mahasiswa di luar sana merenungi Falsafah Pendidikan Cinta dan bagaimana manusia yang bergelar mahasiswa harus segera bangkit dan bukan harus nyenyak didakap mimpi yang ternyata fantasi.
Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan dan Falsafah Pendidikan Cinta
Semua yang pernah melalui pendidikan formal tentunya mengetahui apa itu Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan (FPK) yang dihafal sejak di bangku sekolah lagi. Tidak perlulah saya menulis kembali setiap patah perkataan yang terdapat dalam FPK ini kerana anda dapat mencari dan membacanya di mana-mana walaupun pada kulit buku latihan anak-anak sekolah. Tetapi, saya terpanggil untuk bicara di sini lima prinsip teras yang terdapat dalam FPK tersebut, iaitu usaha berterusan untuk memantapkan Jasmani, Emosi, Rohani, Intelek dan Sosial para pelajar, sejak di bangku sekolah rendah sehinggalah akhir hayat. Walau bagaimanapun, suatu kepincangan yang ketara dilihat apabila sistem pendidikan yang diamalkan sejak berdekad-dekad ini lebih mementingkan hanya satu aspek, iaitu aspek Intelek semata-mata. Di mana silapnya sehingga empat aspek yang juga terdapat dalam FPK ini tidak diambil serius dan seolah-olah dilupakan dalam sistem kita sendiri. Lebih malang, sistem penilaian yang hanya berasaskan peperiksaan yang ternyata menguji tahap kecerdasan minta intelek pelajar, dan bukannya penilaian yang holistik yang menguji segenap aspek. Buktinya, benarlah pendedahan yang dikeluarkan dalam artikel sebelum ini bahawa nisbah akademik dan kokurikulum hanya 90:10 sahaja. Persoalannya, mengapa hal ini dibiarkan berlarutan agak lama sehingga para pelajar kita sendiri dijadikan bahan ujikaji dan bahan eksperimen yang belum tentu berjaya terhadap sistem-sistem yang pelbagai rupa?
Sudah tiba masaya kandungan falsafah ini dikaji dan diteliti semula oleh para ilmuan dan ahli-ahli akademik. Sudah tiba masanya untuk menghentikan segala macam retorik yang berkepentingan peribadi. Sudah tiba masanya juga para pendidik dan mahasiswa diberi peluang dan ruang untuk bersuara dan melontarkan pendapat sebagai generasi muda yang bersama-sama terlibat dalam sistem pendidikan ini. Jangan pula suara orang muda seperti kami dihalang dek kerana berlainan ideologi partisan mahupun berlainan mazhab pendidikan. Sebaliknya, para ilmuan, pendidik, mahasiswa dan golongan muda harus diberi peluang yang luas untuk bersama-sama mencorakkan dimensi serta warna-warna pendidikan supaya terus diyakini dan bukannya diragui.
Secara peribadi, saya sangat tertarik dengan falsafah Pendidikan Cinta yang mula dipelopori dan diperkenalkan oleh gerakan anak muda yang memfokuskan pendidikan. Falsafah dan idea ini lahir hasil pemikiran kritis Anas Alam Faizli dalam artikelnya http://aafaizli.com/cinta-sebagai-pedagogi-dan-falsafah-pendidikan-negara/ serta segolongan generasi muda Teach For The Needs (TFTN) yang mempunyai hasrat dan keinginan yang sangat tinggi untuk melihat mobiliti pendidikan diberikan secara saksama kepada semua murid corot, anak-anak yatim dan miskin. Mereka telah menganjurkan Forum Pendidikan Cinta membahaskan isu pendidikan serta akan mengadakan Konvensyen bertemakan Pendidikan Cinta pada 21 Disember 2013 tahun ini. Pendidikan Cinta yang menekankan rasa kasih dan sayang dan menganggap golongan pelajar yang ketinggalan di belakang ini yang perlu dibantu dan diberi dorongan dan bimbingan yang sepatutnya. Tanpa cinta, kita tidak akan mampu memberi cinta. Rasa cinta dan kasih akan hadir jika kita menganggap semua makhluk Tuhan yang Maha Kaya ini sebagai sama di sisi semua masyarakat kita. Falsafah pendidikan berasaskan cinta ini bukanlah mengajar anak-anak kecil untuk bercinta, tetapi cinta yang diungkap di sini bermaksud kasih dan sayang kepada tiga golongan yang saya sebutkan sebelum ini tanpa perlu disisihkan dalam masyarakat. Mengajak mereka 'bercinta' dengan ilmu adalah sebesar-besar tanggungjawab sebagai seorang ahli pendidik, masyarakat, khususnya mahasiswa dan mahasiswi. Lihatlah bagaimana anak-anak yang tidak bersemangat ke sekolah. Renungilah bagaimana anak-anak yang tidak bersemangat untuk belajar, apatah lagi meneroka ilmu-ilmu baharu. Lihatlah riak wajah mereka apabila diminta menyiapkan kerja-kerja tambahan dan latihan dan sebagainya yang dianggap sebagai suatu 'beban' yang maha dahsyat buat mereka! Kenapa hal ini berlaku? Jawapannya mudah, kerana mereka tidak diajak dan tidak didorong untuk bercinta dengan ilmu dan tidak pula diajar untuk mencintai ilmu setulusnya. Penekanan pihak sekolah yang ingin menjaga status dan pencapaian semata-mata membuatkan mereka sangat tertekan mendepani hidup sebagai seorang pelajar. Hidup sebagai seorang pelajar bagaikan masa terburuk buat mereka yang terlalu ditekan itu dan ini. Kehidupan sebagai pelajar tidak lebih daripada menyiapkan kerja rumah saban hari dan saban minggu. Mereka dipaksa menyiapkan kerja sekolah yang bertimbun, tetapi mereka tidak diajar untuk bercinta dengan ilmu yang mereka peroleh. Inilah 'penyakit' sebenar kemerosotan sistem pendidikan kita saban tahun. Ilmu yang diperoleh semata-mata untuk peperiksaan tidak akan membawa kita ke mana-mana. Ya, mereka perlu dijar bercinta! Mereka perlu diajar apa itu nikmat bercinta dengan ilmu. Kerana dengan ilmulah, mereka akan diangkat dan dihormati dalam rencam hidup yang semakin menggila ini! Maka tidak hairanlah apabila didedahkan kepada kita, murid-murid mahupun mahasiswa kita sendiri terlalu lemah 'softskills' dan kurang daya tahan. Tidak hairan juga apabila dikata pelajar kita kaya akademik, tetapi 'they are zero'.
Mahasiswa dan Tanggungjawab Sosial
Tanggungjawab kita semua sebagai pelapis kepimpinan negara bukannya terletak kepada nilai CGPA setiap kali peperiksaan. Nilai dan rasa kita sebagai pemimpin generasi muda bukanlah terhenti setakat novel-novel cinta yang dibaca dan dikhatam entah kali yang keberapa. Tetapi maksud sebenar MAHASISWA itu merentasi sempadan sosial.
Tanggungjawab mahasiswa bukan hanya sekadar mengingat fakta-fakta di dalam buku akademik semata-mata, tetapi penglibatan kita dengan situasi sebenar di alam reality itulah yang mampu membentuk diri kita menjadi seorang mahasiswa yang berguna dan berjasa. Mahasiswa perlu lebih kerap turun padang dan bersama-sama anggota masyarakat dalam menyelami kemelut hidup antara komuniti. Contoh mudah, lihatlah dan pandanglah wajah-wajah anak-anak yatim dan miskin, berdampinglah dengan mereka dan lihatlah bagaimana tahap capaian mereka dalam pendidikan yang serba kekurangan. Lihatlah dan renungilah wajah-wajah insan ini dikala kita semua masih berada dalam limpahan nikmat dan rezeki, mereka pula berhempas pulas berkerah keringat untuk kelangsungan hidup. Tanggungjawab mahasiswa bukan sekadar hebat dan petah bicara di dewan kuliah mahupun dalam sesi tutorial semata-mata, tetapi menyelami dan merasai hidup sebagai sebahagian ahli komuniti itulah yang perlu diasah dan dipupuk. Mahasiswa akan sentiasa bermimpi dan terus bermimpi selagi tidak merasai pengalaman yang berlainan dengan kebiasaan hidup mereka sehari-hari.
Agak memalukan apabila melihat segelintir mahasiswa mahupun bakal guru masih 'bermimpi' yang enak ketika segolongan yang lain telah lantang berhujah soal ekonomi, pendidikan, masa depan dan berdiskusi mencari konklusi kepada kemelut yang semakin gila. Agak memalukan mahasiswa dan bakal guru masih lagi berangan-angan dan masih berkirim 'ucapan' dikala rakan-rakan seangkatan yang lain telah selangkah dihadapan meninggalkan mereka untuk survival hidup masa muka. Agak memalukan juga apabila mahasiswa masih lagi bercakap soal mencari 'bakal imam' dan 'bakal makmum' yang entah apa-apa. Agak memalukan mahasiswa dan bakal guru yang masih tidak sedar akan beratnya tanggungjawab yang ada di atas jemala mereka. Agak memalukan juga apabila mahasiswa masih lagi berlumba-lumba bercakap pasal 'bonggol' yang tinggi atau sang donut Book Of Records. Adakah ini mahasiswa yang akan meneraju negara masa muka? Adakah ini orang-orang yang akan berhujah ekonomi di zaman kemelesatan dan adakah ini orang-orang yang boleh diharapkan berhujah soal banyaknya ketirisan di zaman inflasi yang semakin memuncak? Ayuh mahasiswa! Ayuh mahasiswi! Buktikan anda salah seorang yang akan memimpin negara dan anak-anak watan dengan idea-idea anda dan bukannya dengan omonga kosong picisan di facebook mahupun twitter!
Sebuah Mimpi Rentas Realiti
Benar, bermimpi tidak salah. Benar, bermimpi tidak menyalahi fitrah kita sebagai manusia yang marjinal lagi kerdil. Benar, hanya orang gila dan tidak waras sahaja yang tidak mempunyai mimpi. Kenapa? Kerana dengan mimpi, akan lahirnya fantasi dan realiti. Dengan mimpi jugalah, segala macam perkara yang luar biasa yang tidak pernah dijangka dapat dizahirkan melalui perbuatan yang maujud. Jadikanlah segala mimpi kita realiti. Jadikanlah segenap fantasi yang kita lakarkan demi masa depan dan hasrat masa muka menjadi zahir di hadapan setiap mata yang melihat. Janganlah pula kita menjadi hamba kepada dua penyakit yang biasa kita dengar; Pandirisme dan Bebalisme. Mahasiswa dan bakal guru bukan dilahirkan untuk menjadi Pak Pandir Moden. Mahasiswa juga bukannya dilahirkan untuk bebal dengan segala rencam dan Pak Turut dan Pak Angguk kepada segala macam kegilaan zaman melinium. Buktikanlah diri kita sebahagain yang merasa perit dan derita sebahagian masyarakat yang lain. Infakkanlah diri kita kepada masyarakat di luar sana dan wakafkanlah diri kita sebagai wakaf yang berguna untuk masa hadapan anak-anak watan yang tercinta! Kerana sebaik-baik mimpi, adalah mimpi yang menjadi realiti..
*Ahmad Syafiq Amir merupakan penuntut Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia dan juga sukarelawan Teach For The Needs. |
| Experts' Opinions of the Lynas Rare Earth Refinery Project in Malaysia Posted: 24 Nov 2013 01:32 PM PST 
"To my disappointment Lynas has not done that and the Malaysian Government has not acted in its duty of care to make Lynas do that in the interest of its citizens and the environment and for the country's long-term well beings." Save Malaysia This morning, about 150 concerned Malaysians attended a seminar to gain an in-depth understanding of the Lynas rare earth refinery project in Malaysia from imminent international and local experts at the Mandarin Court Hotel. The experts have shared their knowledge of the issue and expressed concerns for Malaysia. Expensive Toxic Legacy in the Making Gerhard Schmidt, a Senior Scientist and a toxic and radioactive waste expert from the Oeko Institute in Germany has done a thorough analysis and evaluation of Lynas' waste and pollution blue print. He said, "In Europe, past mistakes have costed the public a lot of money to clean up decades later till today, not counting the health care costs that might have resulted from the hazards. The Malaysian Government should take the scientific advice to require Lynas to manage its waste and pollution to international best practice standards and not to leave another expensive toxic legacy." SMSL has requested for meetings with the two regulators – the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) and the Department of Environment (DoE) as well as for a plant visit at the Lynas plant whilst our experts are around. The government did not respond and Lynas wanted the visit to happen in December, by which time the experts would be gone. Dr Peter Karamoskos, a nuclear medicine physician and radiologist and the public representative on the Radiation Health Committee of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) explained to the audience how international radiation safety standards are set and promoted. He commented, "The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acknowledges that radioactive waste poses a threat to human health and therefore must be managed properly in a scientifically sound manner. We cannot determine if a project is safe until there is transparency both at the company and the governmental levels. In the case of Lynas, the lack of transparency is a major problem. Malaysia really has to make sure its regulation is implemented to prevent any runaway risk to the public for many generations to come." Financing of a Toxic Project The Lynas project was made possible through finance provided by the Japanese Government through the Japan Oil, Gas and Metal Corporation (JOGMEC). Professor Yoshihiko Wada from the Doshisha University in Kyoto said, "We have to work together to fight the tyranny of economic supremacy that put profit above people and the environment. We need to make the Japanese Government more accountable for their financing. We have to make sure that their investment is done in accordance with their own established 'Environmental and Social Guidelines.'[1]. "I urge concerned Malaysians to use this leverage to exert political pressure on the Japanese government. We can request for formal inquiries that can be submitted through Members of the Diet (Parliamentarians), as well as educating the mainstream media.", he added. Is a safe rare earth plant possible? If Lynas is serious about its corporate social responsibility and to live up to its 'green' image, the findings and recommendations of the Oeko evaluation report should have prompted the Australian company to change or at least initiate the following: • a completely new waste management concept to comply with international best practice, • build new interim storages for their wastes with a really thick liner underneath to prevent leaks, • a site for a Permanent Disposal Facility (PDF) with excellent isolation conditions and nominated in consent with the then-affected communities, • an additional cleaning stage for acids in their off-gas treatment stage added. Mr Schmidt remarked, "To my disappointment Lynas has not done that and the Malaysian Government has not acted in its duty of care to make Lynas do that in the interest of its citizens and the environment and for the country's long-term well beings." Mr Tan Bun Teet from SMSL concluded "Our government kept claiming that the Lynas plant is scientifically safe. This is why we have sought scientific input from credible and independent scientists and professionals who can provide us with their opinion and views without prejudice, fear or favour. We will continue to campaign on the Lynas issue to build a safer Malaysia. This is just another step we have taken." [1] Refer to the publication of JICA and JBIC, "Safety and Standard Policy"of JOGMEC |
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