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• Anwar to testify in Sabah RCI
• Hearing of appeal against Anwar's acquittal for sodomy
• Don’t sacrifice national unity for political agenda, MCA tells politicians
• Hadi’s son-in-law says he’s PAS backbone and saviour
• Ban Syiah books
• Raya dog video: Chetz held in Segamat
• Pua: Hidden debts behind negative Fitch Ratings outlook
• DPM: Education blueprint to be implemented in spite of Dong Zong protests
• Policing the police
• Wee says school head’s apology insufficient, suggests ‘severe action’
• Dogs In Islam; An Insult Or Just Misunderstood?
• Kelantan Banning Shisha Too

Anwar to testify in Sabah RCI Posted: 31 Jul 2013 11:40 PM PDT The PKR de facto leader also did not announce the much speculated new Sabah PKR line-up said to be led by Lajim Ukin. Luke Rintod, FMT PKR supremo, Anwar Ibrahim, today said he is ready to testify before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah. "I am ready to testify before the RCI. Tomorrow we will have a meeting with the authority in Kuala Lumpur for the RCI to fix the date I am to appear and I will come here," he told a press conference here soon after a breaking-of-fast dinner with PKR leaders in a hotel here. The opposition leader, who was at one time a deputy prime minister and deputy Umno president, said he would share with the RCI hearing whatever information that was available to him while he was in Umno. Anwar arrived in KK late this afternoon and went straight to a meeting with his Sabah PKR liasion committee at the hotel. Also present at the meeting were state party chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini, as well as PKR assemblymen including Lajim Ukin, Wilfred Bumburing, Christina Liew, Jelani Hamdan, Jeremy Uku Malajad and Terence Siambun. Flanked by Lajim and Ahmad Thamrin, the charismatic top leader of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) also revealed that the party would decide on a new line-up of Sabah PKR a month from today. "Today's meeting held that Thamrin would continue as Sabah liaison chief until the party headquarters decides on a new line-up next month," he said. Anwar also said that he had advised the party leadership here to also give roles to senior leaders especially Lajim for him to help strengthen PKR programme in the state. READ MORE HERE

Hearing of appeal against Anwar's acquittal for sodomy Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:36 PM PDT (Bernama) - The prosecution's appeal against Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's acquittal in a sodomy case will be heard over two days from Sept 17. Court of Appeal deputy registrar Darmafikri Abu Adam fixed the dates in chambers today when the case came up before him for case management. Meanwhile, Anwar's lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who was present at the case management proceedings, said the defence would be filing an application to disqualify Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from appearing as the lead prosecutor in the appeal. She told reporters that Darmafikri had fixed the same dates to hear Anwar's application to disqualify Muhammad Shafee from leading the prosecution in the appeal. Shafee's appointment to lead the prosecution was by way of a fiat (decision) which was signed by Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail on July 2 this year. At the case management proceedings, Darmafikri also instructed Anwar's lawyers to file the application to disqualify Muhammad Shafee before Aug 23. Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badarudin appeared for the prosecution. On Jan 9 last year, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur acquitted and discharged Anwar on a charge of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 26. He was alleged to have sodomised Mohd Saiful Bukhari at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara between 3.10 pm and 4.30 pm on June 26, 2008. High Court judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled that there was penile penetration but it was uncorroborated by other evidence. He had held that the court could not be 100 per cent certain on the integrity of samples taken for DNA testing from Mohd Saiful Bukhari as the samples could have been compromised before they reached the Chemistry Department for analysis. Meanwhile, Muhammad Shafee, who was at the Palace of Justice for another court matter, told reporters that he was not aware of any grounds to disqualify him as public prosecutor. He was responding to questions from reporters on Anwar's move to file an application to disqualify him as public prosecutor. Muhammad Shafee said Anwar's lawyers did not mention the grounds when they objected to his appointment in the Court of Appeal on July 22 this year. Asked whether there were valid grounds to disqualify him, Muhammad Shafee said "not that I am aware of", and added that he would reply to Anwar's application once it was filed. On July 22, when Ram Karpal Singh, another of Anwar's lawyers had raised an objection to Muhammad Shafee's appointment, he was told by Justice Datuk Ramly Ali, who chaired a three-member panel, to raise the matter at the next hearing date. Ram Karpal Singh later told reporters on that day that the defence was objecting on the grounds that it might not be proper for him (Muhammad Shafee) to represent the prosecution as Anwar's case was politically motivated, and that he (Muhammad Shafee) had been appointed in the past to represent Umno in several court cases.

Don’t sacrifice national unity for political agenda, MCA tells politicians Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:52 PM PDT Elizabeth Zachariah, TMI Public figures should not sacrifice national unity for the sake of their personal political agenda, MCA said today, referring to the outcry over a video clip of a Muslim dog trainer washing her dogs. MCA publicity chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie (pic) said instead, they should be cautious and restrain from making baseless allegations. "Although we understand that many political parties are now in the process of holding their party elections, we urge all quarters to be cautious with whatever comments they utter," she said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today. Her comments came on the heels of a controversial YouTube clip of Maznah Mohd Yusof, 38, celebrating Hari Raya with her dogs, causing an uproar this week among Muslims who deemed it to be insulting to the religion. Police arrested Maznah yesterday for questioning over the video that was first uploaded three years ago. Before she was identified, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had blamed non-Muslims for the video, saying "the callousness of some towards Islam and Muslim sensitivities" could spark disharmony among Malaysians. "Is this a manifestation of the assumption of some quarters that we (Muslims) are weak and that they could walk all over us?  Or that we are afraid to react when others insult the sanctity of Islam? No Muslim has made fun of other faiths," he had said during an event. Heng, who called the video "provocative and displays irresponsible behaviour", hoped the incident would be able to alert and educate the public to be more cautious and sensitive. "It is regrettable that this video comes at the heels of similar incidents such as the Alvivi buka puasa greeting, shower room canteen controversy and "balik India dan China" slurs by a school principal. READ MORE HERE

Hadi’s son-in-law says he’s PAS backbone and saviour Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:46 PM PDT Hasbullah Awang Chik, TMI Addressing party critics, the son-in-law of the PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has described himself as the "backbone" in the fight against those out to undermine the credibility of the party's leadership. Zaharudin Muhammad said all his actions in the party was aimed at protecting Abdul Hadi, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, and deputy president Mohamad Sabu from those within the Islamist party who wanted to discredit them. Zaharudin, or Din Ayam as he is popularly known, said he was forced to become Abdul Hadi's "supporting entity" in the party during the last general election as there was a group within that wanted to see the party do badly. He said this in a statement posted on his Facebook page following a report in The Malaysian Insider that highlighted his growing influence in the Islamist party through Abdul Hadi, which has had tongues wagging. Zaharudin criticised The Malaysian Insider for equating his relationship with Abdul Hadi as being on the same footing as former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, the Youth and Sports Minister. "I am amused by this comparison with the Umno experience. If this is the case, who in PAS is the equivalent of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Najib?" he asked in a statement posted in his Facebook page yesterday. "Is this an attempt to topple Abdul Hadi by the 'Mahathir PAS' the way Mahathir toppled Pak Lah? Who is the Najib PAS who will replace Abdul Hadi?" he said referring to the country's longest serving prime minister and Abdullah. Zaharudin said he would provide witnesses to his claim that he was not the source of the problems in the party but, rather, it was those out to topple the president. The influential Syura Council member also denied that he was the cause for the Pakatan Rakyat's defeat in the Kota Damansara seat in the May 5 polls. "Who is to be blamed then for PR defeats in Sungai Acheh, Labuan, Bukit Besi and other state and parliamentary seats where PAS and PKR had overlapping claims for the same seats?" He said the claim that the Parti Sosialist Malaysia (PSM) candidate Dr Nasir Hashim would have won if PAS had not fielded a candidate is flawed. Zaharudin said his critics' assumption that the 7,312 votes received by the PAS candidate would have gone to Dr Nasir is wrong. READ MORE HERE

Ban Syiah books Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:37 PM PDT The government should also have more detention depots to cater for the rising number of illegals detained. (Bernama) - The Home Ministry was been urged to immediately ban printed materials such as books and novels written by Syiah followers on the deviant religious doctrine. Senator Noriah Mahat said the ministry should also take stern action against any such individual so that their writings would not erode the faith of Muslims in the true teachings of Islam. "If it is not controlled, I fear for young Muslims because they could be easily influenced by Syiah teachings as they are a curious lot," she said when debating on the Supplementary Supply Bill (2012) 2013 in the Dewan Negara yesterday. Noriah said she meanwhile supported all efforts by the Home Ministry in combating Syiah activities in the country, whereby the government had already banned the Malaysia Shia Organisation based on Section 5, of the Societies Act 1966. On another matter, Noriah suggested that the government increase the number of detention depots to cater for the rising number of illegals detained before being repatriated. "Considering that the number of illegals has reached 1.3 million (as at August 2012), surely we need more detention depots for the illegals to avoid congestion," she said. She added that urgent action was required to solve the presence of so many illegals in the country due to the arising problems which could affect security and order in the country.

Raya dog video: Chetz held in Segamat Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:23 PM PDT Maznah Mohd Yusof, better known as Chetz, is to be remanded there following public outcry over her controversial video deemed to be "insulting Islam". Anisah Shukry, FMT Dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof  is now in Segamat and will be remanded till tomorrow afternoon after having spent a night in police lockup here. Her counsel Latheefa Koya, in a text message this morning, said: "She has been brought to Segamat…just spoke to (Investigating Officer) Inspector Othman. "He confirms she (is) currently being taken to the magistrate in Segamat to be remanded. I am trying to get a lawyer to represent her. (Being further remanded) is a normal procedure. "But it is an abuse of power as there is no need to bring her all the way to Johor just (because) a police report was apparently lodged there." She later confirmed that the police had obtained a two-day remand against Maznah. Lawyers for Liberty tweeted last night: "Even if the report was made in Segamat, it's no reason to take her there. PDRMsia has taken her statement. She (should) be released". In a following tweet, they wrote: "@PDRMsia ni betul tak masuk akal, saja nak salahguna kuasa. Jadi kalu ada 100 repot suluruh negara, Chetz akan dibawa merata2? Kerja bodo". (The police are not making any sense, they are just abusing their power. So if 100 police reports were made across the whole country, Chetz will be brought all over the nation? This is foolish.) Police arrested Maznah also known as Chetz under Section 298A of the Penal Code as well as the Sedition Act yesterday evening after a three-year-old video of her bathing her dogs and wishing viewers Selamat Hari Raya resurfaced online the day before. She was brought to the Bukit Perdana Commercial Crimes Department at around 5pm, where she had her statement recorded by the police as well as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). 'No forgiveness for such a video' The controversial video was uploaded by user "acaiseven fiska" two days ago, who titled it "Video menghina Islam. 1 hari di hari raya" (video insulting Islam. 1 day in Hari Raya). But Maznah has clarified to the media that her intention was to remind Muslims to celebrate Hari Raya with animals and humans. "I have no intention to demean Islam. I made the video for fun but later decided to 'educate' outsiders on dogs and cleanliness," the 38-year-old was quoted as saying by news site Mynewshub.com. But many, including the Director-General of the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), see her video as insulting Islam. READ MORE HERE

Pua: Hidden debts behind negative Fitch Ratings outlook Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:04 PM PDT Pua said the government was ignoring warnings on spiralling hidden debts as it continues spending money without fear of increasing its budget deficit. — File pic (The Malay Mail) - "In reality, if both official government debt and government-guaranteed debt are put together, our debt to GDP ratio will be a much higher and worrying 68.9 per cent," Pua explained. DAP MP Tony Pua fingered the Najib administration today for Fitch Ratings' negative reading of Malaysia's finances, saying it was due to Putrajaya's penchant for hiding debts that led to its credit rating revision from "stable" to "negative". This comes following the global ratings agency's recent report that Malaysia's public finances are its "key rating weakness", and warned of future negative shocks should no reforms and measures be taken by the federal government to remedy the country's financial standing. "We call upon the government to follow the reform (of) its outdated accounting practice of 'off-balance sheet financing' and recognise fully these hidden debts as the federal government debt commitments," the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said in a statement. Fitch's report noted that the federal government debt rose to 53.3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of 2012, up from 51.6 per cent at the same period the year before. The general government budget deficit had also increased from 3.8 per cent of GDP in 2011 to 4.7 per cent in 2012, coming from a 19 per cent rise in public wages expenditure in a pre-election year. Putrajaya has always maintained that federal government debt is well below its targeted ceiling of 55 per cent of GDP, but Pua stressed that the figure does not include government-guaranteed debt which is hidden. In December 2012, Fitch had warned Putrajaya that its reliance on off-balance sheet funding could make the 55 per cent ceiling meaningless. Fitch also highlighted recently that government-guaranteed debt has jumped from nine per cent of GDP at end-2008 to 15.2 per cent by end-2012. "In reality, if both official government debt and government-guaranteed debt are put together, our debt to GDP ratio will be a much higher and worrying 68.9 per cent," Pua explained. He accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of ignoring warnings on spiralling hidden debts as it allows Putrajaya to continue spending money without fear of increasing its budget deficit. "By channelling development expenditure to off-budget measures, it enables the Najib administration to paint a false perception of financial prudence, that his government has the necessary political will and financial discipline to reduce the country's fiscal deficit," he added. To remedy the problem, Pua also called on Najib to ensure that all privatisation projects are tendered competitively and government procurement be open and transparent. Pua also urged Najib to cut down unnecessary spending in the Budget 2014, expected to be tabled in October this year, by reducing "Supplies and Services" expenditure which ballooned to RM33.7 billion in 2013 compared to RM23.8 billion in 2012. According to Bank Negara Malaysia, the federal government debt currently stands at RM508.9 billion in the first quarter of 2013 compared to RM501.6 billion in the previous quarter. Government-guaranteed debt is at RM147.7 billion in the same quarter.

DPM: Education blueprint to be implemented in spite of Dong Zong protests Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT Muhyiddin receiving business tithe amounting to RM150,000 from Ahmad (L) during a ceremony at a surau in Bakri, Muar yesterday. (fz.com) - Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the government would really like to see all children in the country, regardless of their race, be it Malay, Chinese, Indian, Orang Asli or the ethnic group in Sabah and Sarawak, to attend national school for the sake of racial unity. The National Education Blueprint (PPPM) 2013-2025 will be implemented as planned beginning Sept 6 in spite of the protests from the United Chinese School Committee's Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong).   Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said there was no reason for Dong Zong to continue protesting the government's move to transform the national education system because it would not affect the status of the Chinese language in national education.   "When I want to launch it, they started to protest. Recently, Dong Zong had even held a convention in protest of the implementation of the PPPM, which they claimed would diminish the Chinese language.   "I would like to challenge them to read every sentence in the PPPM and try to find any word that proves that we are trying to diminish the Chinese language. Let me tell them, there is none.   "The government wants to uphold the status of Bahasa Melayu and to improve the quality of education in national school where Bahasa Melayu is used as the medium of instruction. What is wrong with that?" he asked.  READ MORE HERE

Policing the police Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:45 PM PDT   While policing the police has become a major concern, Barisan Nasional (BN) political leaders are of the view that the Malaysian police force suffers badly from a "negative perception" of being corrupt. They are of the view that the success and achievements of PDRM are often not highlighted. Christopher Fernandez, FMT  In the past, drug abuse was the most feared enemy of Malaysians. Now, corruption has become Public Enemy No. 1. What is worse is how Malaysians view law enforcement agencies in the country. Malaysians are up in arms that law enforcement agencies in the country have become heavily corrupted and have a strong dislike for having to deal with these public authorities. They have come forward in droves to channel their displeasure through different paths especially social media. Malaysians have the idea that corruption is now a very serious matter in this country. But once again, it is the Polis DiRaja Malaysia or PDRM that has topped the list of complaints lodged with Suhakam against law enforcement agencies for violation of human rights. According to Suhakam's 2012 annual report, of the 202 complaints made against the Police, Prisons, National Registration and Immigration departments, PDRM tallied a total of 126 complaints. Inaction or no action by the police accounted for 44 complaints, abuse of power 43 complaints and use of excessive force 39 complaints. This is similar to the previous two years with 113 out of 156 complaints in 2011 and 125 out of 212 in 2010. Suhakam's damning verdict The Suhakam annual report states that the complaints against cops were related to assault of arrested persons during interrogation to compel them to confess. This clearly shows the wanton and brazen act of power and position abuse by the police. Other complaints included allegations of unlawful arrest which is re-arresting those who have been freed; extended remand by producing the arrested person in the magistrate's courts in several districts; and complaints of intimidation to pressure those who complained against the police to withdraw their reports; and acts of biasness. Owing to the gloomy findings of Suhakam against the police, follow-up measures have been recommended by the commission which is to fit every interrogation room with a closed circuit television, a doctor to examine the suspect before and after interrogation and for every complaint against an officer to be investigated either by Bukit Aman or the state police headquarters. In the latest global corruption survey by Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M), the police and political parties are discovered to be the most corrupt public institutions in the country. This is according to the 2013 survey, which polled 1,000 Malaysians between September last year and March this year. Respondents were asked to rate public institutions on a scale of 1 (least corrupt) to 5 (most corrupt). The police were rated 4 and political parties were rated a close second at 3.8, making PDRM the worst culprit. It was discovered in this survey that 39 percent of the respondents believed corruption has become worse compared with 37 percent in 2011. However, 87 percent of those polled agreed ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption. Generally, the perceived effectiveness of the government's action in fighting corruption has decreased. Even the perception that the government's effectiveness in dealing with corruption has suffered, dropping to 31 percent from 40 percent in 2011. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/08/01/policing-the-police-2/

Wee says school head’s apology insufficient, suggests ‘severe action’ Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:35 PM PDT   (The Malay Mail) - The apology by the SMK Alam Megah headmistress over her "balik India, China" remarks is insufficient as it had come with a claim that she had also insulted her own race when making the jibe, MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong (picture) said today. The former deputy education minister pointed out that in her apology yesterday, the school head had claimed that apart from telling the Chinese and Indian students to return to their home country, she had also told the Muslims to "balik Indonesia". "The dichotomy over citizenship is satirical," Wee said in a statement here. "If the allegations are found true, her behaviour calls for severe action and nothing less." He said it was okay to reprimand the students if they had indeed been disruptive when the national anthem was being sung during the school assembly, but her use of such incendiary comments was unreasonable. "The incident alone reflected our country poorly, but her apology even more so builds a seemingly intolerant and zealot image of Malaysia," he said. "We are all rakyat Malaysia; patriotic and proud. Besides Malaysian citizens, any person who resides in Malaysia legally, with the necessary work permit and visa, whether he/she may be an investor, diplomat, expatriate or even the humble migrant worker does not deserve to be subjected to such bigoted hurls. "Statements such as hers must cease immediately as they can taint Malaysia as racist, thereby putting off would-be investors and international relations," he added. According to MIC leader A. Prakash Rao yesterday, the school headmistress admitted to making the jibe and apologised for her remarks but pointed out that apart from addressing the non-Malays, she had also told the Malay students to "return to Indonesia". "She has promised to meet the students on Friday to apologise to them," news portal Malaysiakini reported the MIC leader as saying after he visited the school. On Tuesday, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan confirmed that the headmistress was under probe for making the incendiary remark. According to reports on Monday, the headmistress had purportedly lashed out at non-Malay students for being unruly during an assembly, allegedly telling them to "Balik India dan China" (Go back to India and China). The latest incident in Shah Alam is reminiscent of the 2010 case where the headmistress of Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau in Sungai Petani, Kedah accused Chinese pupils there of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during Ramadan, before ordering them to "return to China" if they could not respect the culture of other races. The same year, the head of a school in Kulai, Johor had labelled non-Malay pupils "pendatang" (immigrants). Although both school heads later apologised, the incidents and others in the same vein led to accusations of perceived tolerance for racism within the government and the civil service that some blamed on programmes conducted by the National Civics Bureau (BTN).

Dogs In Islam; An Insult Or Just Misunderstood? Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:30 PM PDT   (Malaysian Digest) - How many of us who cry foul that the video is an insult actually bother to research and find out about what Islam says about dogs?  And how many of those who are non-Muslims understand the concern pertaining to dogs in Islam before crying foul that Muslims are being overly sensitive in the case of this video, or any other instances related to dogs?  Dogs and Muslims are a very touchy subject, no doubt. Just on the heels of Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee's 'bak kut teh' Ramadhan posting on their Facebook account, an old video uploaded several years ago has gone viral purportedly insulting Islam by associating Aidilfitri with dogs. For the most part, Muslims hold on to the belief that dogs are haram in Islam. To associate a holy celebration such as Aidilfitri with dogs is seen to be as a blatant insult and insensitive. However, how much do we really understand about the position of dogs in Islam? How many of us who cry foul that the video is an insult actually bother to research and find out about what Islam says about dogs? And how many of those who are non-Muslims understand the concern pertaining to dogs in Islam before crying foul that Muslims are being overly sensitive in the case of this video, or any other instances related to dogs? Before the age of borderless information, for the most part, we accept things and do not question much. We were taught that dogs are haram and we stuck to it without questioning.  But today, people have questions and as in the nature of questions, it has to be addressed. In light of the video incident, we at Malaysian Digest, would like to attempt to break down this matter and bring to light several explanations on dogs in Islam to give a clearer perspective to our readers so you can make your own conclusion on whether the video was an insult to Islam or not. Or could we be overly sensitive and quick to jump without thinking of how it makes us look in the end? The first thing that is clear to most Muslims and is not far from being the truth is that owning dogs in Islam is not like owning cats or hamsters or birds or fishes. Another thing that is also apparent but is overlooked by ignorant Muslims is that dogs, like any other animals, must not be mistreated or harmed. Animal cruelty is a big no-no in Islam because Islam is a religion that is full of compassion.  Muslims must not only treat humans with respect, but also all living things. To the understanding of this writer, there is no where in Islam that states a Muslim can be cruel to animals.  In a well-documented report, it has been said that the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself taught that a prostitute, and in some versions, a sinning man, secured their places in Heaven by saving the life of a dog dying of thirst in the desert.* Therefore this clearly illustrates the point that Muslims are not to be cruel to dogs, or any other animals for that matter. Now on the matter of portraying dogs equals to insulting Islam, it is rather subjective and resides in a grey area. The best to do, of course, is not to quicky arrive at a conclusion that in the end will only serve in creating unnecessary tension. Another thing that is apparent in the instance of Chetz Yusof and the dog-Raya video she made in 2010 is that, at best, it was not the most appropriate way to 'educate', as she reasoned. Knowing full well that she lives in Malaysia, a country that is sensitive when it comes to racial and religious matters, what is perhaps an effort to educate can be misconstrued as an attempt to provoke. The late film director, Yasmin Ahmad, also wanted to educate the public about dogs. She too received flak, but the way she attempted to educate was not too provocative. Yasmin featured a scene in her movie Gubra, where an Imam touched a dog before going to the mosque to do his prayers. What we need to note before jumping and saying that it was insulting for her to portray that scene is the fact that the dog was dry. If the dog was dry and the person touched the dog with dry hands, there is no issue. One only needs to samak (washing the body part that came in contact with the dog with sand and water) if either dog our toucher was wet. Therefore to say that Chetz Yusof's video was an insult to Islam, is probably jumping the gun a little.  But the video is provocative in manner, in that Chetz played on the sensitivity of Malaysian Muslims, without attempting to further explain on the position of dogs in Islam. Perhaps it can be said that Chetz herself is not aware of the full explanation of dogs in Islam, choosing only to take one side of the explanation that suited her. That is the case with many today, who choose to only take half the explanation of something that suits their lifestyle, while leaving out the rest that they feel are too imposing. Malaysian Digest spoke to Ustaz Daud Che Ngah, who said that a Muslim can keep dogs for guarding purposes, but this is based on three conditions: 1. Must get the consent of their neighbors, if the neighbors are Muslims. 2. Must be put in an area where they are free to ease themselves. 3. Must not be used to hunt other animals. However Ustaz Daud also noted that dogs are not to be kept as pets like cats, because it is considered 'najis mughallazah'. He added that a dog's owner can touch his or her dog, provided both are dry, and if either one is not, the owner needs to wash himself with sand water, and six times after with water (air mutlak). Another local Islamic scholar, Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin, meanwhile, told Malaysian Digest that dogs are not the enemies in Islam. "Scientifically, the viruses a dog carries are not the same as cats; Muslims can keep dogs for safety but they must not be together in the house, or sleep together with their owners," he said. "Islam does not tell us to go and kill dogs," Dr Asri added. We also spoke to another scholar, Ustaz Rosdi Long, who echoed the statements made by Ustaz Daud Che Ngah and Dr Asri. He added that a dogs position in Islam is not exactly like pigs, whereby it is stated clearly in the Quran that pigs are haram for Muslims. Therefore different scholars have had differing views when it comes to dog ownership in Islam. Meanwhile, on a website, www.islamicconcern.com*, an article says that it is not haram to own a dog, though it is not hygienic to keep a dog in the house; and it is not haram to touch a dog or any other animal. If the saliva of a dog touches you or any part of your clothing, then it is required of you to wash the body part touched and the item of clothing touched by the dog's mouth or snout.  With the basic explanation given above, a conclusion can be made that Chetz video is more an indication of Chetz' lack of intelligence rather than a blatant insult of Islam. Islam is a religion filled with compassion, as mentioned earlier. Sometimes it is the people who turn it into something that is not. News reports yesterday said that Chetz Yusof has been hauled in by the police for questioning over the video. Another important thing to note is that the video was posted by her in 2010.  The police should also consider arresting the individuals who were responsible for recirculating the video these past few days, with the captions of 'Lagi Video Menghina Islam,' which is clearly more provocative than the video itself. Among the first few accounts on YouTube to cause Chetz's video to go viral is TheHarimauTV and acaiseven fiska. A recent update on the situation of Chetz Yusof is that she is being sent to Segamat IPD where a police report was initially lodged against the video she made.

Kelantan Banning Shisha Too Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:28 PM PDT   (NST) - "Based on my experience in other issues, we (state Fatwa Council) will normally agree with whatever decision made by the National Fatwa Council," he said. Kelantan is set to issue a fatwa to ban shisha smoking to be in line with a edict on the matter made by the National Fatwa Council. State mufti, Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamed, said the fatwa would be issued after the state's religious authorities had complied with specific procedures, including receiving royal consent. "Firstly, I will meet the state's Fatwa Committee members after Hari Raya. Then, I will take our decision to the board members of the state Islamic and Malay Customs Council. "Once they have agreed, we will submit the document to Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V to get his consent to enable the fatwa to be gazetted," he said yesterday. He said once gazetted, the fatwa could be adopted by local authorities, such as the Kota Baru Municipal Council, as a reference before they enact their own by-laws. "Based on my experience in other issues, we (state Fatwa Council) will normally agree with whatever decision made by the National Fatwa Council," he said. The shisha smoking issue became the topic of national headlines recently, especially after it was reported that substance abuse by youths in several states were linked to shisha. Kelantan will join Perlis, Perak and Malacca in declaring shisha as haram. The National Fatwa Council declared shisha smoking as haram for Muslims on July 19. Its chairman, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husin, was reported to have said that Muslims were also prohibited from providing shisha-smoking services or any activity associated with shisha. He had said the council decided to prohibit shisha after listening to advice from experts from the Health Ministry and studying medical and scientific evidence.

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Don’t damage a child’s psyche Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:48 PM PDT   From disrespecting the sanctity of a human being to manipulating and politicising racial sentiments, the Education Ministry's obtrusive actions have wrecked the very fragile racial ties in the country. Jeswan Kaur, FMT  Last September the Education Ministry embarked on a mission to brainwash students and forewarn them against the 'harm' in embracing human beings from a different sexual orientation. The ministry went so far as to to sanction a set of guidelines to 'educate' parents and students on rejecting all notions of homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism. The then deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi was only too happy to take on the mission of eradicating the existence of the lesbian, gays, bisexuals and transgender communities. For starters, a so-called parenting seminar was held on the topic of LGBT by the Yayasan Guru Malaysia Berhad and Putrajaya Schools Parent-Teacher Associations Consultative Council. Leaflets stereotyping the LGBT groups were made available to the participating parents; they were told to be wary should their off-springs take an interets in V-neck T-shirts which the parents were told were the 'trademark' of homosexuals. Then in April this year the Education Ministry decided to 'pep up' its anti-LGBT stand with the government-funded free-for-all musical 'Asmara Songsang (Abnornal Desire) which kicked off in March. A blogger who had reviewed the musical remarked that it was "as narrow minded and bigoted a view as one could get". But is the Education Ministry or the Barisan Nasional-led government perturbed by the hate and malignant culture it is so busy propagating in schools? Don't damage a child's psyche From its 'hate people who are different' mission, the Education Ministry has moved on to yet another soul-destroying step, this time 'teaching' the Muslim students and teachers to disregard the feelings and sentiments of the non-Muslims natives of this country. When the non-Muslim students of a school were 'forced' to eat in a makeshift canteen near the school's toilet simply because the school decided to shut down its canteen to observe the fasting month of Ramadan, Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan did not find the issue of the school disrespecting the basic rights of a child to a clean environment a big deal. In fact, Kamalanathan dismissed any hint of racial discord taking place at the school and went on to support the school's alibi that the canteen was closed to facilitate renovation work. Knowingly or otherwise, this insenstitive act by SK Seri Pristana has opened up a can of worms, one whose stench travels way back to the Education Ministry's four-walls. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/08/01/dont-damage-a-childs-psyche/

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Queering Malaysian Malay-Muslim cohesiveness Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:07 PM PDT My recent chapter in Queer Sexualities: Diversifying Queer, Queering Diversity entitled "Malaysian Masculine Exposé: Queering the Politics of Non-Heteronormative Malay-Muslim Men" argues that non-heteronormative Malaysian Malay-Muslim men confront and lay bare political agendas which rely on the heteronormative assemblage of masculinity and sexuality. This assemblage, which has assumed spaces of privilege, converges with, affects and is influenced by issues of religion, ethnicity, patriarchy and citizenship. Insistence on performativities of masculinity and men's sexuality serve to undergird an imagined "Malay-Muslim cohesiveness." While "non-heteronormative" refers to a gamut of gender identities and sexual expressions that defies gender and sexual conventions, I use it in reference to men whose lives are incongruous with socio-cultural and religio-political endorsements of masculinity and heterosexuality as essentialised and stable traits. Any variation of or divergence from these definitions is unequivocally excoriated as deviant and/or sinful. In queering the aforementioned political agendas, I challenge the normalisations and uncritical acceptance of these intersecting issues, and foreground the lived experiences of non-heteronormative men. My aim is to expose how the imagined Malay-Muslim cohesiveness belies the real intent of political security and power. The topic of sexuality is one which continues to be held in great sensitivity among many Malaysians. The sexual activities of Malaysian Muslims are often subjected to surveillance and penalties. Religio-political institutions such as Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia or Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur are assiduous in stampeding on the private sexual lives of Malay-Muslims, irrespective of heterosexual or homosexual expression. In this regard, sexual subjectivities have become unwitting pawns in political strivings. In my work, I specifically focus on two warring Malaysian political parties – the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). UMNO's presence in the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional or the National Front (BN) is so formidable that its position in the federal government has eclipsed that of other component parties. History has borne witness to how UMNO and PAS have struggled to "out-Islamise" each other in order for one to wrestle moral authority from the other. Additionally, the efforts of UMNO and PAS to out-Islamise each other are also attempts to "out-Malayise" and "out-Malaysianise" each other. Section 160(2) of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia conflates the ethnic identity of a Malay person with the praxis of the Islamic faith, thus constructing the Malaysian-Malay-Muslim triadic identity. This UMNO-PAS crusade is evidently not embarked upon for gratuitous purposes, as the emergent champion of morality commands greater political credibility. I wish to highlight three particular areas in which the UMNO-PAS rivalry has unfolded. First, both parties engage in mutual vilification by invalidating each other's "Islamness." Second, the competition for moral – and by extension, political – legitimacy has materialised in the Malaysian heteropatriarchal and masculine systems of Islamic family laws. In such religio-legal matters, the ruling UMNO/BN-led government clearly favours Malay-Muslim men, as evident in marriage and paternal rights. Third, UMNO and PAS actively foster the vilification of all non-heteronormative persons, including especially non-heteronormative men. I argue that Malaysian men elicit greater religio-political and socio-cultural capital over women, particularly in Muslim societies. While such a disposition may lead to the imaging of women as subservient to men, it is "manness" in male bodied-persons which claims centre stage. Thus, the imagined "Malay-Muslim cohesiveness" that is built on heteronormative masculinity is crucial for UMNO and PAS as they scramble towards religio-political ascendancy. Heteronormative masculinity becomes the metonym for strength, power, uprightness and religiosity. Conversely, non-heteronormative expressions of gender and sexuality are feminised, and perceived as weakness and subjugation. From this perspective, non-heteronormative Malay-Muslim men become entrapped in ideologies that act as collateral for the UMNO/BN-PAS political rivalries. READ MORE HERE

#ServeSomethingNice: Feeding the Homeless of Kuala Lumpur for 17 Days Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:03 PM PDT I would like to share the story of a group who dedicates their time to help the poor and the homeless. Kechara Soup Kitchen is a non-profit charitable body that feeds the poor and homeless of Kuala Lumpur. They are located in Jalan Imbi. Their soup kitchen is open for the poor and homeless every day and every Saturday the Kechara team and their volunteers roam the streets of Kuala Lumpur at night to give food for the homeless. I find Kechara Soup Kitchen's selfless service to the poor heartwarming and compassionate.  They forego their Saturday night fun just to see the homeless receive a bit of food and basic supplies. This is why I want more people to learn about what they are doing. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from their generous act and take it to do it ourselves in the future. As a part of our #SaySomethingNice projects, we at zubedy are looking for donation for Kechara Soup Kitchen. As the campaign is 17 days long, we feel that it's best if we are able to find our friends who want to fund food and supplies for Kechara Soup Kitchen during this period. Your donation will go a long way to help the homeless of Kuala Lumpur who are elderlies, dying patients, victims of natural disasters, children, as well as cast members of society. There are two ways which you can help. You can sponsor a slot of your choosing. Your donation will be used to buy vegetarian food and basic necessities such as toiletries, vitamins, and ointment for the poor and homeless. You can also participate as a volunteer on a Saturday night with the Kechara team. Read more at: http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2013/07/servesomethingnice-feeding-homeless-of.html

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• Thanks to Maznah, a statement is made
• Why my friend Chetz made that video
• Religious sensitivities – respect begets respect
• In the Dog House for being kind

Thanks to Maznah, a statement is made Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:33 PM PDT FMT LETTER: From Stephen Ng, via e-mail This is Malaysian politics. To be more precise, this is Umno Baru politics. It is all mixed up – a bit of religion, race and even sex – depending on what's expedient for the day. A big "hoo-hah", and after a while, it all dies down. Compared to someone like Tok Guru Nik Aziz, to some extent, it shows the shallowness of Islam as practised by some of our politicians who turn a molehill into a mountain. Not even the Deputy Prime Minister is spared. The moment a video clip of an unknown person bringing a few pet dogs into the mosque, Muhyiddin Yassin had immediately jumped the gun by hitting out at non-Muslims. I quote: "This shows that there is no deep understanding within society. Muslims do not insult the religion of non-Muslims such as Christianity and Hinduism. But non-Muslims are insulting our religion." In a way, this is also seditious, as it creates further tension between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. Thankfully, in Malaysia, the Muslims are generally more tolerant, compared to the examples set by people the likes of Ibrahim Ali, Zulkifli Noordin and even Muhyiddin himself. Fair enough that he should ask for stern action to be taken against the culprits for tarnishing the image and sanctity of Islam. However, Muhyiddin should realise that he is a Deputy Prime Minister of the country. He is not speaking as the deputy president of Umno Baru. He is correct to point out that there is basically shallowness in the way how people practice their religion. I felt touched when I first learnt from a fellow Chinese gentleman about the humility of this man, Tok Guru Nik Aziz. When he wanted to travel to Kuala Lumpur for his party meeting, he asked to get a ride from two lawyers who were on their way back to Kuala Lumpur. His reason for not using his official vehicle: "This is a party meeting. The official vehicle is for official use only." Later, when reaching the toll gate, Nik Aziz asked the two lawyers. "Which way are you going? You can drop me here, if you are going in another direction." When the lawyers expressed their concern for his safety, Nik Aziz said, "Allah will look after me. Surely someone going in my direction will recognise me and give me a lift!" Such is the humility of Nik Aziz. I have not heard him make any derogatory remarks against Christianity or Hinduism, but probably Muhyiddin is right if he had referred to Nik Aziz or he has been sleeping on his job as Deputy Prime Minister when one after another incident unfolded. History has recorded many of these 'ugly' incidents where Muslims have insulted the Christians and Hindus – and I need not repeat myself here – that religious and racial sentiments have been played up countless times by Umno Baru leaders, raising the ire of the larger Malaysian population. I thank Maznah Mohd Yusof for making a statement through her video clip. I believe all Malaysians should stand up for her courage to speak up against the bureaucracy of religion. For that, she was arrested yesterday and now risks being labeled as anti-Islam. I quote her once again: "I love my religion. I think these people should learn about their religion first, and not misinterpret my video." How can someone like Maznah insult her own religion when she is a practicing Muslim? Between her and someone like Ibrahim Ali, I would say that Maznah is more likely to be a genuine Muslim girl than the Perkasa president. She has not even uttered a derogatory word against her religion, in the way that Zulkifli Noordin and Ibrahim Ali had done to both the Hindu and Christian community. If it had been the slightest tinge of insult, as in the case of the non-Muslim blogger couple, Maznah would have been arrested for insulting Islam. The whole roof would collapse, when NGOs linked to Umno like Jati and Perkasa take it to the streets. It's time for Umno politicians to realise that the nation is getting agitated with their behaviour. They have not only staged out sex scenes and used them against Anwar Ibrahim, or attempt to discredit him using sodomy, but they have become religiously phobic about everything. Over a small issue like the invitation to Buka Puasa with 'bah kut teh' – considering that there are so many versions of the favourite Chinese cuisine – our leaders and media have hyped up the entire thing, calling that an insult to Islam. This is despite the fact that the couple having apologised if they had offended any party. Umno Baru leaders should realise that in modern day, Malaysians do not play up to their games anymore. The more that they create an issue out of a molehill, the more agitated people become with their style of leadership. Pushing to the extreme just for illustration sake, if things are allowed to carry on the way it is, before long you cannot even print the word, "Al Quran" in the newspapers. The reason is because people use newspapers for all sorts of activities around the house.

Why my friend Chetz made that video Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:30 PM PDT FMT LETTER: From Aneesa Alphonsus, via e-mail Chetz Togom or Maznah Mohd Yusof is my best friend. Today, she's being harassed, hounded and harangued for a video she made three years ago on how she spent that particular Hari Raya with her dogs. I was there when the video was shot and since TV stations are not taking the trouble to find out why she made that video, I'm going to tell them and all the others who are screaming for Chetz's blood why she made that video. It was late morning when she took her dogs for a walk. When she came home, Chetz cleaned herself, then she washed the dogs' paws as she planned on bringing them into the house for some treats. When I asked her why she did it this way, she said, "No special reason, I just want people to know that having dogs isn't a dirty thing. We clean them and we clean ourselves well." That was it. It has nothing to do with all the fuss about "ambik air sembahyang dengan anjing" (taking abolution with the dogs) that some irresponsible media quarters are harping on as are some bloggers who don't know head or tail, pun not intended, about the situation. Then there is the question of the takbir Raya. Chetz put it in the video because it reminds her of her late grandmother who raised her, plus the fact that it is significant to Hari Raya. What is the harm in that? How does this show disrespect to Islam? I want to add that she has also been given a very hard time by certain individuals who berated her for being a Muslim who rescues and works with dogs. When she shares videos about noted Islamic teachers and scholars speaking about dogs being permissible in Islam, the retorts, among others, include. " Why must you help dogs? Why can't you help people?" So now, Chetz has to help who they think she should? Anyone who knows Chetz will attest to how much respect she has for her faith and religion. She has battled inwardly with several of her choices in regards to helping dogs, and has been troubled numerous times because of this. It takes courage to do this. It takes courage to go through something like this – to follow what your heart and conscience tells you, to the chagrin of people who react so unfairly to something they don't care to find out more about. Chetz is a good person and she has never, not once, said anything against her faith and religion. To think that a harmless video made over three years ago is being dredged up now, makes one wonder why? Why now? And is the video so offensive that it warrants death threats? Who gives anyone the right to say, "I'm going to find a gun a shoot this person who made the video"? Is it really that severe? Watch the video again and see for yourself if there is any intent to offend Islam. It saddens and disappoints me that with so many issues that should be brought to the fore, some quarters are choosing to make something out of nothing. This is what the mob mentality is about. To journalists, news editors, bloggers, Facebook and other social media users, I ask of you, please use discernment and see if something really warrants such a harsh response. What if it were you, or someone you loved, or someone who know who is being persecuted wrongly? Wouldn't you wish they were given the proverbial fair trial before judgment? What happened to the being given the benefit of the doubt, or does this not apply when it comes to religion.

Religious sensitivities – respect begets respect Posted: 31 Jul 2013 02:18 PM PDT In my school days, school canteens used to sell both halal and non-halal food in stalls side-by-side. No Muslim children ever bought from the non-halal stall, but non-Muslims did buy food like nasi-lemak from the Muslim stall. Then they sat at the same table to eat. There was no question of hurting the sensitivities of anyone. FMT LETTER: From Ravinder Singh, via e-mail So-called "religious sensitivity" is a thing of the mind. It is not something external like the heat from a fire that one can feel, but purely a state of mind. It is what one chooses to make of something. A thing done or said by someone to another of a different race or religion is seen one way by a broadminded person and another way by a narrow minded person. It is seen one way by a wise person and the opposite way by a fool. A rational person interprets it differently from an irrational person. In interpreting one should take into account the manner, tone, context, occasion, etc. in which it is said. It is akin to a normal person seeing a rope for what it is, and a psychiatric patient seeing the same rope as a dangerous snake and trying to kill it before it attacks him. Remember, the mind is not only capable of playing games under different conditions and circumstances, it can also be conditioned into such a state by external hypnotic pressure. Such pressure can even make a normal person who is unable to resist such pressure, see the rope as a snake. People's minds can be manipulated by those who have power over them by the constant harping on something. Teachers, including BTN teachers, therefore have the great power of making or breaking a nation by what they teach their charges. Politicians, as leaders, also have such power. Knowing this, our former medical doctor Prime Minister had chosen the way of running his administration on the premise that telling a lie and repeating it would finally have the people believe it is the truth. But repeating lies is like blowing and blowing into a balloon. Some day it will burst. One question of "religious sensitivity" is that of eating and drinking by non-Muslims in the month of Ramadan. It is now being bandied about that for non-Muslims to eat or drink when in the company or presence of Muslims is to hurt the sensitivities of the Muslims. This was never an issue in the good old days. Muslim scholars have said that Islam does not forbid non-Muslims eating in the presence or company of Muslims in the month of Ramadan. So who started this nonsense and why? In my school days, school canteens used to sell both halal and non-halal food in stalls side-by-side. No Muslim children ever bought from the non-halal stall, but non-Muslims did buy food like nasi-lemak from the Muslim stall. Then they sat at the same table to eat. There was no question of hurting the sensitivities of anyone. The Indians did not say that by eating beef next to them the Malays children were being insensitive to their religious beliefs (it is pantang for Indians to eat beef). Similarly the Malay children did not complain that the Chinese students, by eating pork dishes next to them, were not being sensitive to Islam as pork is haram to the Muslims. So how and why did the question of non-Muslims being insensitive to Muslims by eating in their presence or company become an issue? Last week, I was at the BNM Penang branch for a discussion on a banking matter. Two officers attended to me, a Malay lady and a Chinese lady. As we sat down, the Malay lady put a plastic glass of mineral water before me and said "this is for you". I felt so touched by this gesture and respect shown to me as a non-fasting person who would need to quench my dry throat. Did she, as someone who was fasting, do something wrong by giving me the water? Yesterday I was at another meeting in KL at an office manned by a dozen staff. It ended at 2pm and a non-Malay staff and myself went for lunch nearby. The staff said she was so hungry as she had not taken any drink or snack the whole morning as she was afraid of doing so in the office (it has a coffee corner) during puasa month as it would be insensitive to the Muslim staff. I was taken aback to hear this. How the words and actions happening around us today have put the fear of offending Muslims if one were to eat in their presence. Why should it be insensitive to my Muslim friends if I have to eat or drink in their presence? As a non-fasting person, my mealtimes are morning, afternoon and evening. When mealtimes come, I feel the pangs of hunger. A fasting Muslim, as told to me by fasting Muslim friends, does not feel the pangs of hunger during the daytime. This is because the body has received the normal amount of food, with the difference that meal-times are changed from daylight hours to night-time hours. Within two or three days of the start of fasting, the body adapts to the new schedule of mealtimes. So could Muslim scholars please put this issue in its proper perspective. Do I have to hide myself from my Muslim friends when I am eating during fasting hours in the fasting month? Why should they feel I am being insensitive to them if I eat in their presence?

In the Dog House for being kind Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:39 PM PDT   I am a Malaysian Muslim and I am NOT INSULTED by Maznah's actions. I am however insulted by extremist routinely ploughing my sensibilities with their "sensitivities".  Shenaaz Khan, President of Malaysian Animal Welfare Society  The arrest of dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusuf is appalling and reflects the flimsy fabric of the Malaysian Muslim faith. The contention that the act of walking a dog past a mosque and washing its paws are akin to burning the Quran is ludicrous and displays a dreadful disposition towards dogs. The chorus of outrage led by seven NGO's i.e. Pertubuhan Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM), Selangor State NGO Secretariat, Malay Army Veterans Association (PVTM), Badan Amal Tarbiah Sejagat Malaysia (BATAS), Pak Long Nusantara, Cahaya Haluan Amanah Insan Malaysia and Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim Malaysia (IRIMM) exhibits the abysmal ignorance of Muslim "champions" in this country. This clan have clearly vacated their minds of knowledge and dogged it with doctrine. Hitherto the video, these sinless soldiers have remained silent on almost all other un-Islamic practises. They appear to not be "insulted" by some Muslim men collecting wives as if they were stamps, leaving many women and children in a state of destitution. They are certainly not "insulted" by how corporations and hotels have turned the humble act of fasting into a feasting fiesta of gluttony!  And rape and incest by their brethren is mere kitchen matter, unworthy of their divine intervention. Yet, this harmless video has compelled them to don their guerrilla garbs and Ray bans and start their pilgrimage up the pavement of righteousness!   Believing themselves to be vastly superior to others, these virtuous vigilantes had the audacity to state that Maznah had "committed a grievous insult towards all Muslims in Malaysia". Well dear feckless NGO's, I am a Malaysian Muslim and I am NOT INSULTED by Maznah's actions. I am however insulted by extremist routinely ploughing my sensibilities with their "sensitivities". And I am repulsed further by how quickly the authorities went wildly out of control to persecute Maznah, yet remain apathetic to brutal animal abuses. And why have the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and the Department of Veterinary Services, the self proclaimed animal welfare crusaders, remained silent on this ridiculous fiasco? While they use the new Animal Welfare Bill as a tool to publicise their efforts in combating animal cruelty, have they made it known that this new law does not preclude animals unacceptable to a faith? Should they not applaud Maznah's treatment of animals and encourage others to do the same? Malaysia's legacy for animal cruelty is set to outlast the sun. Animal abusers, wildlife traffickers and repugnant zoo operators and pet breeders still evade justice and continue to roam our streets but a kind, animal-loving person like Maznah is hauled up, finger-printed, mug-shotted and chucked in jail to pander to religious zealots! Using Section 298A of the Penal Code for causing disharmony on the grounds of religion clearly reflect the inability of the authorities to make a distinction between Islamic principles and Muslim prejudices. And while there appears to be a crime wave in this country, animal lovers are being assailed by the authorities for promoting unity, tolerance and animal welfare! This madness must cease. Maznah should be commended not condemned. She has committed no crime and therefore must be released.

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Malaysian politics of the future Posted: 30 Jul 2013 05:29 PM PDT Everyone was involved in this race, religion, language and royalty battle -- including Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Anwar Ibrahim -- with everyone claiming to represent the voice of the Malays. So all this actually started in 1988 and not 2008 -- 20 years before the Great Political Tsunami of March 2008. Most people look at 2008 as the 'turning point'. 2008 may have been when it 'broke'. But 20 years earlier in 1988 was when the cancer started. It is just that not many people noticed the cancer until it reached 'stage four' 20 years later in 2008. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 'Non-Muslims are insulting our religion' Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Muslims "do not insult" other religions. (Bernama) - Action that touch Muslim sensitivities must stop or else it will create tension just like what is happening in other Muslim countries. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the action by certain quarters should not happen in a country that is enjoying the peace. "This shows that there is no deep understanding within society." "Muslims do not insult the religion of non-Muslims such as Christianity and Hinduism." "But non-Muslims are insulting our religion," he said at the breaking of fast with orphans of Rumah Amal Kasih Bestari here last night. The Deputy Prime Minister called for stern action to be taken against the culprits for tarnishing the image and sanctity of Islam. "The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Home Ministry must act fast to prevent a recurrence." ***************************************** Years ago if I was to insert a caption below the above photo of Iranians at prayer that said "Iranians helping to look for Ayatollah Khomeini's contact lenses" most, Muslims included, would have taken that as a joke. Today, Muslims would consider that as an insult to Islam if it were done by a non-Muslim and blasphemy if done by a Muslim. How times have changed. We have lost our sense of humour. Everything, even if done in jest, is now seen as an act of provocation and an insult (or blasphemy). What has happened to our country? Nothing happens overnight. Cancer takes years to reach the terminal stage. Rust takes years to eat into metal. Rot takes years to destroy wood. Hate takes a generation to divide society. And now that time has come when Malaysian society has become divided, as it never has before -- even worse than in 1969, which is touted as the blackest day in post-Merdeka Malaysian history. How did we reach this stage where intolerance, suspicion, hate, and more, have pitted Malaysians against one another? We need to take a walk down memory lane to understand what is happening in Malaysia and to recognise how politicians -- as what has happened in many other countries all over the world as well -- have pushed Malaysia to the brink of a civil war. Yes, it is easy to blame Umno for the current state of affairs in Malaysia. But it takes two hands to clap. It takes two to tango. It takes two sides to go to war. So no one is exempted in this hate campaign that is currently threatening to engulf Malaysia in one of its worst crisis in history. I have said this before, many times, and I will say it again. Malaysian politics is about the 3Rs: race, religion and royalty. The acknowledgment of the existence of the 3Rs was the foundation of Merdeka. It was how Malaya gained Merdeka. Without the agreement regarding the 3Rs Merdeka would have been almost impossible. Malaysians of all races took 12 years to negotiate the Merdeka Agreement to resolve the issue of the 3Rs. Most Malays uphold and hold dear the 3Rs. Most non-Malays oppose and detest the 3Rs. That one issue alone almost derailed the negotiations for Merdeka. Neither the Malays nor the non-Malays could agree on the matter. Finally they had to meet in the middle somewhere and both sides had to compromise in the interest of gaining Merdeka. But the Malays were not entirely happy with the Agreement. And neither were the non-Malays. But that is what compromises are all about. It is not about making one side happy. It is about both sides sacrificing something for the sake of coming to an agreement that would otherwise not have been possible. The four things that the Malays would not let go were, first, the acknowledgment that the Malays are the original people of the country. And that was why the Federation of Malaya of 1948 was translated into Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. Hence Malaya meant Melayu to the Malays. As a trade-off (compromise) the Malays agreed to give the non-Malays citizenship although this meant the large majority Malays would now be reduced to a smaller majority of the population of post-Merdeka Malaya. Next was the issue of religion. Islam would be acknowledged as the religion of the Federation but all the non-Islam religions would be free to be practiced as long as the non-Muslims do not propagate their religion to the Muslims or 'interfere' with Islam. Third, the Malay Language would be acknowledged as the official language of the Federation -- Bahasa Kebangsaan -- while the non-Malays would be allowed their vernacular schools to educate their children in their mother tongue. Finally, the Monarchies would be maintained, although reduced to a mere Constitutional Monarchy, who would be head of Islam in the states as well as at federal level (the Agong). And it would be considered sedition and punishable by law to question or dispute these four points in the Merdeka Agreement. Furthermore, the fact that we refer to Malaysians of different races and religious persuasions as Malays and non-Malays or Muslims and non-Muslims demonstrates that Malays and Muslims come first and all 'others' are called nons -- non-Malays and non-Muslims. This is a sort of 'psychological' divide that was planted into the minds of all pre-Merdeka Malaysians. Malaya is 'Tanah Melayu'. Malays are the 'owners' of the country. Malay is the language of the country. Islam is the religion of the country. And the monarchs are the rulers of the Malays -- the Raja-Raja Melayu, as the Malays would call them. This was all agreed during the time of my grandfather. I, too, am now a grandfather of five grandchildren. Hence we are talking about five generations ago or more than 100 years of Malaysians if we take 25 years to represent one generation. As I said, this was planted into the minds of the Malays five generations ago. So how do we erase that from the minds of the Malays after five generations of regarding that as being 'The Agreement'? To question any one of those four points would be seen as a breach of agreement. And if you want to terminate that 'Agreement' then you will also need to terminate the other 'compromises' that came with that 'Agreement'. That is how the minds of the Malays work. The Malays think they have sacrificed (gave) certain things to gain certain things. Hence if you take back what they gained they too would want to take back what they gave. And how do you make the Malays understand that what they 'gave' was to the immigrants (China- and India-born Malayans) whereas the present generation of non-Malays are not immigrants but Malaysian-born? This would be the duty of the leaders and politicians to educate the Malays so that they can understand that the 'Agreement' was made with the Chinese and Indians from China and India. Today, most of these people are no longer alive (they came to Malaya between the mid-1800s to about 1920). Those Chinese and Indians in Malaysia still alive did not come from China or India (unless they are 100 years old or older). They were born in Malaysia. Hence that would make them Malaysians and not Chinese or Indians. A sensible or thinking person would understand this. But when the leaders and politicians keep playing up the issue of the 3Rs and constantly remind the Malays of their 'special rights' and that the non-Malays do not have these same rights -- plus the 'other side' keeps questioning these 'rights' and push the Malays into a 'siege mentality' -- we will get what we are seeing in Malaysia today: a great divide based on race and religion. As I said earlier: it is easy to blame Umno for the current state of affairs in Malaysia. But it takes two hands to clap. It takes two to tango. It takes two sides to go to war. So no one is exempted in this hate campaign that is currently threatening to engulf Malaysia in one of its worst crisis in history. The government side 'fights' to uphold these four points plus the 'special position' of the Malays. Hence the Malays believe in these things while the non-Malays become bitterly opposed to them. The opposition, on the other hand, questions and opposes these four points plus the 'special position' of the Malays. Hence the Malays believe they are under siege while the non-Malays believe they are subjected to a great injustice. And it will be a never-ending story for many generations more to come. Negotiating Merdeka was not easy. It would have been easy had it been the Malays versus the British with the non-Malays being less than 10% of the population. But the non-Malays were not less than 10% of the population. They were almost half the population. Hence it cannot be the Malays versus the British. It had to be the Malays, Chinese and Indians versus the British. And this was the difficult part about the negotiations for Merdeka. You had to balance the needs and aspirations of all the three races and not just that of the Malays -- which would have been much simpler. It is time that we, the rakyat, take the politicians from both sides of the political divide to task for what Malaysia has become. This is all their fault. They should teach Malaysians of all races proper Malayan history. The 3Rs should no longer be a political weapon in the pursuit of power. Leave the 3Rs alone. No need to argue about it. This matter was agreed before Malaya gained Merdeka. The government does not need to 'fight' to uphold it because sensible Malaysians do not want to remove Islam as the religion of the Federation, remove Malay as the language of the Federation, or abolish the Monarchy and turn Malaysia into a Republic. The non-Malays, in turn, should not whack Islam and call it an outdated and primitive religion, or whack Bahasa Malaysia and call it a low-class language, or propagate the abolishing of the monarchy on grounds that it is a total waste of money. We know these are 'sore points'. So why do we want to play up these sore points knowing it is just going to rub people the wrong way? The Malays will never compromise on these issues. So let us see how we can navigate around it rather than meet it head-on in a confrontation. As I said earlier, this problem did not develop overnight. Just like cancer, rust and rot, it took a long time to come to what it is now. And both sides of the political divide contributed to this. Let us go back to the story of Merdeka. As I have explained, Merdeka was gained against the backdrop of a compromise on the 3Rs. No one race gained everything it wanted. Everyone had to sacrifice something to gain something else. In 1957, after 12 years of 'bickering', Malaya gained Merdeka. And that was because the British only agreed to talk to the liberals and not to the extremists or conservatives. Then, slowly, over another 12 years, the extremists strengthened their hold on Umno and ousted the liberals. And that was basically what 'May 13' was all about -- the catalyst to oust the liberals. Then, for the next 12 years, Malaysia rebuilt itself from the ashes of 'May 13'. Tun Razak created the multi-racial Barisan Nasional and Hussein Onn -- a.k.a Bapa Perpaduan or Father of Unity -- rebuilt national unity. Then, in 1981, Dr Mahathir Mohammad took over and he focused on trying to turn Malaysia into another Japan, Korea or Taiwan. It was all about the economy and he was obsessed with beating Singapore even if he had to take shortcuts that were less than kosher and at times immoral if not illegal. Then, six years later, Umno split into two. And, for the next ten years or so, the Malays (meaning Umno and the other Malay parties such as PAS and Semangat 46) were embroiled in the politics of the 3Rs with each side trying to present itself as the true fighters (perjuang) of their race, religion, language and the royalty (Raja-Raja Melayu). Everyone was involved in this race, religion, language and royalty battle -- including Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Anwar Ibrahim -- with everyone claiming to represent the voice of the Malays. So all this actually started in 1988 and not 2008 -- 20 years before the Great Political Tsunami of March 2008.   Most people look at 2008 as the 'turning point'. 2008 may have been when it 'broke'. But 20 years earlier in 1988 was when the cancer started. It is just that not many people noticed the cancer until it reached 'stage four' 20 years later in 2008. And now the cancer is terminal. Many of those who were in Umno back in 1988 are now in the opposition. But they too contributed to the problem when they were still bickering in Umno and fighting for power within Umno. Today, they wash their hands of the problem and blame Umno for it. Yes, if seen from 2008 that may appear like it is true. But then 1988 was when the cancer first started. It took 20 years from 1988 to 2008 to become a problem. So now they need to take responsibility and do something about it. Don't just shout at Umno to stop this 3Rs politicking. The opposition too must do the same. And as long as the 3Rs politics is a proven recipe for Umno to retain power don't expect Umno to stop using it. No, I am not saying Unno is innocent. I am saying we are not innocent as well. And as long as we continue doing what Umno is doing then we lose the moral high ground to whack Umno for using the 3Rs politics. In short, a whore cannot call another woman a prostitute.

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