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• Muslim scholars urged Muslims to unite
• ‘Declare war against deviant teachings’
• Bersih’s aims for ‘one-on-one with PM’
• BN partners: Najib should talk to Anwar
• The 7 threats against Muslims in Malaysia, according to Perkasa’s Zulkifli Noordin
• Zahid orders action against Mat Sabu over alleged Syiah links
• Call to set up Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah institute
• Malaysian lecturer escapes jail over bribery charges in Perth
• 'Make Sunni Islam official religion'
• Tee Yong: We can work with anyone

Muslim scholars urged Muslims to unite Posted: 06 Dec 2013 06:55 PM PST (NST) - Disunity among Muslims will only benefits the enemies of Islam, said Ummul Qura university aqidah profesor Lutfullah Khaujah. He said it is better for Muslims to focus on similarities to foster unity, than to fight among themselves due to disagreements between different groups. "The enemies of Islam will rejoice if Muslims fight among themselves over some differing views," "Muslim should instead focus on the basic tenets of Islam which everyone agrees on as the basis to unite," he said. Speaking at a press conference at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday, Lutfullah said Muslims in Malaysia are fortunate to have the presence of Islam highlighted prominently by Islamic institutions such as the syariah court. Also present at the press conference were Masjidil Haram imam Halid Ali Alablaji Al Ghamidi and the Saudi Arabia embassy Islamic counsellor Dr Abdul Rahman Al Belaihi. Umno Youth exco Fathul Bari Jahaya acted as interpreter for them. Asked about allegations in opposition-friendly websites that Halid was a Wahabi sect follower and the Friday prayer at PWTC led by Halid being void, Lutfullah said there is no such thing as a Wahabi sect. "We are of the Hambali sect and part of the ahli sunnah wal jamaah (Sunni). The term 'Wahabi' has never been part of the Muslim lexicon," he said. He pointed out that such differing views will only drive Muslims to fight among themselves. Commenting about the contention that hudud implementation is a prequisite for an Islamic country, he said Muslims should emulate Prophet Muhammad where Islamic laws are concerned. "Even the prohibition of alcohol came in stages, beginning with highlighting its negative effects and then the banning of those who had consumed alcohol from the places for solah (prayer)," he said. Lutfullah and Halid both lauded the proposal to add ahli sunnah wal jamaah to define Islam in the Constitution. Halid said it will help curb the spread of teachings that are detrimental to Islam. "The Muslims in Malaysia should stand behind the government in its efforts to strengthen Islam and its institutions," He said the presence of Islam is already strong in Malaysia and further strengthening should be done in stages.

‘Declare war against deviant teachings’ Posted: 06 Dec 2013 06:39 PM PST (Bernama) - An all-out war must be carried out against deviant teachings as they could divide the Muslims and go against the teachings of the Sunnah Wal Jamaah, which is practiced by Muslims in Malaysia. The Syiah ideology which originated from the Middle East not only went against the faith but could also destroy the country due to the differences in religious practices. The ideology had already been declared as 'haram' or forbidden by the National Fatwa Council at a special discussion or 'muzakarah' in 1996 and must be addressed aggressively by the authorities and the Islamic Religious Council as it clearly threatened the Muslims' faith, thus affecting solidarity among Muslims in the country. Strongly upholding the Sunnah Wal Jamaah, independent preacher Mohd Fikri Che Hussain said Umno, as the largest Malay and bumiputera political party championing the Islamic cause, must act quickly to check the Syiah ideology. "As is the case in countries like Syria, the Syiah proponents are embroiled in civil wars because of the differing ideologies between the Syiah and 'Ahlul Sunnah'. Thus, before the situation gets out of hand, the government must take stern action," he told Bernama. The fact is that there are 81 deviationist groups that were actively operating throughout the country. According to the chairman of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah Organisation Malaysia, Abu Syafiq Mohd Rasyiq Mohd Alwi, five of the groups were the Syiah, al-Arqam, Hizbut Tahrir, Wahabi and Tarikat Naqshabandi teachings. Mohd Fikri said the Islamic education system in schools and the universities must be strengthened and streamlined by focusing on their faith so that the future generation would not be easily influenced and deceived by deviationist teachings. "The threat from the Syiah will only be apparent in countries which did not take action to suppress its influence," he said. Actually there are advantages and disadvantages in the proposal to define Islam according to the practice adopted by the 'Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah' in this country. The head of the Muslim Transformation Bureau, Malay Consultative Council, Mohamed Ghazali Md Noor conceded that the proposal was good but required in-depth discussions and must be studied in detail in a wide context. "Islamic bodies in the country such as the Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) and other non-governmental organisations must be proactive and effective in carrying out such efforts, besides tightening enforcement," he said. Former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa believed the proposal was a good move but there must be follow-up action too. Acknowledging that Islam was facing major challenges that not only involved the Syiah teachings, but also the demands of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which were hiding behind human rights movements, Mohd Fikri wanted the government to be more sensitive to the current environment. "The younger generation nowadays are seen to be keen to be closer to religion. What is feared is that they get involved in deviationist teachings and went against the teachings of the Sunnah. Thus, the government must look into this development," he added.

Bersih’s aims for ‘one-on-one with PM’ Posted: 06 Dec 2013 06:30 PM PST The coalition intends to meet with the prime minister for the first time to discuss the appointment of a "fair and neutral" election commissioner. Anisah Shukry, FMT Frustrated with the Election Commission's (EC) unceasing "ineptitude", polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 has announced its intention to engage directly with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to discuss electoral issues plaguing the country. The meeting, which Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah hopes will take place within the next year, will focus on the flaws in the election process and the role of the EC. "We can't do it this year, as it is already coming to an end. But we do have the intention to meet with the prime minister, and with him alone, so we will be communicating with him soon," she told FMT. Maria, who was elected chairperson in Nov and came into the position just this month, said the coalition was bypassing the EC to meet Najib directly because he had the powers to appoint the election commissioners. "So if the PM is going to appoint a new chief, we are hoping he will take into consideration all the flaws that we bring up to him during our proposed meeting, and therefore appoint someone more fair and deserving of the position," said Maria. This will be the first attempt by the coalition to directly engage with the prime minister in a one-on-one meeting. Previous efforts such as inviting him to its events, as well as holding global rallies have so far failed to garner positive attention from Najib, despite the massive influence Bersih wields. However, Maria said she would not be pessimistic over the chances that Najib would agree to a meeting with Bersih when they write to him. 'Take responsibility for your mistakes' Meanwhile in a statement yesterday, Bersih took the EC to task for allegedly failing to take responsibility for its errors during the 13th general election – most notably over the issue of the easily washable indelible ink. "The (EC's) statement admitted to the failure of the indelible ink but evaded responsibility for them…the statement did not acknowledged(sic) flaws in procurement process of the so-called indelible ink used for GE13, which cost taxpayers RM7.1 million. "Nor did the EC take responsibility for its ludicrous excuses following widespread discontent over the failure of the indelible ink," office-bearers of the coalition's steering committee said in a joint statement. The coalition was referring to the EC's 11-page post-mortem statement released a week ago detailing seven flaws in its handling of the May 5 polls. In the statement, the EC acknowledged that the ink had stained ballot papers, its implementation was not explained thoroughly, and that the ink could be washed off and took to long to dry. But it further added that they had since improved from feedback given by the media, and the two subsequent by-elections was testament to that. Besides indelible ink, the post-mortem statement touched upon the lack of training and briefing of the election workers, its difficulty in detecting a person's residential and bankruptcy status during nomination, and the difficult EC officers faced when executing their duties during the campaign period. READ MORE HERE

BN partners: Najib should talk to Anwar Posted: 06 Dec 2013 05:56 PM PST Anisah Shukry, FMT In an unexpected turn of events, Barisan Nasional component parties MCA, MIC and Gerakan said they welcomed engagement between Pakatan Rakyat and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, "as long as it benefits the people". Their openness to the possibility of inter-party discussions flies in the face of comments made by Umno leaders that Najib was "too busy" to accommodate Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's invitation to talk on matters of national unity. "To me, there is no harm with any discussions. I think that it is good to discuss among each other how the country can improve. There has been too much politicking this year," said Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong. "Election is over, 505 is over, so let us all work together to build the nation. I think the prime minister has a lot of plans to move the country forward, so let's put aside our differences," he added. He warned the PKR de facto leader not to politicise every issue and to use the talks, should they take place, as a platform to support what was good for the people. MIC central working committee member S Murugesan said that as prime minister of Malaysia, Najib should be open to talks with "everybody". "But of course, whatever the terms are must be agreed upon by the component parties. For instance, the discussions should be strictly about what can be done to benefit the country, and not for politicking. "As the prime minister of the country, I believe that he should be able to discuss with anyone for the benefit of the country." Former MIC vice president SK Devamany also welcomed the talks, adding that remaining a fractured government would only harm the rakyat. Time for real 'inclusiveness' The Perak state assembly speaker said the Pakatan-Najib discussions would be in line with the "inclusiveness" ideal as outlined in the New Economic Model, which he said he had worked on during his time as deputy minister in the prime minister's department. "All parties must play a role in bringing the country forward, and this is facilitated by us all coming together. "Pakatan Rakyat should come before the prime minister with a full proposal on how we can help the rakyat. The more we are fighting, the more the rakyat will suffer," Devamany told FMT. READ MORE HERE

The 7 threats against Muslims in Malaysia, according to Perkasa’s Zulkifli Noordin Posted: 06 Dec 2013 05:07 PM PST   Hasbullah Awang Chik, TMI  Perkasa today highlighted seven threats to the survival of Malay-Islam in Malaysia and warned Putrajaya that the 14th general election may turn out to be a "Christianisation Tsunami" if the threats are not dealt with seriously. The vice-president of the Malay rights group, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin, said the threats included Pakatan Rakyat, Singapore, non-government organisations (NGOs) and liberal Malays. He pointed out that the move by Christians to drag the Allah issue to court was provocative and one which insulted Muslims. "Their failure in the appellate court did not deter them as they attempted to drag it into the international arena using the United Nations. "The Christian movement has received support from a faction of Malays who are hell-bent on capturing Putrajaya at all costs. "If the 13th general election was labelled as a 'Chinese Tsunami', I would not be surprised if the 14th general election turns out to be a 'Christianisation Tsunami'," Zulkifli was quoted in today's Utusan Malaysia. He then trained his guns at the DAP, saying that the Chinese-based party is the main threat to Muslims because of its "chauvinistic, racist, extremist and anti-Malay attitude which is strongly prevalent within the party". Zulkifli highlighted the controversy surrounding Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, who was forced to apologise publicly to the staff of the Penang Municipal Council for calling them "kucing kurap", as an example. "As the majority of the Penang Municipal Council staff are Malays, calling them 'kucing kurap' proves how chauvinistic and racist the party is," Zulkifli said, adding that Ooi had failed to issue an immediate apology. "It is as if apologising to the Malays is an insult. Remember how DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua labelled the officers and staff of the Registrar of Societies as Umno's running dogs?" Another threat mentioned by Zulkifli was Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Calling PKR irrelevant, he blamed Anwar for causing a split among the Malays in his quest to take over Putrajaya. "Pakatan Rakyat has given a political lifeline to DAP to penetrate into constituencies which it had previously been unable to enter. "This is a coalition which is led by a man who has been hauled to court twice on moral charges involving his own staff," he said, referring to the two sodomy charges against Anwar.  READ MORE HERE

Zahid orders action against Mat Sabu over alleged Syiah links Posted: 06 Dec 2013 04:56 PM PST   (MMO) - Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today issued an order for religious authorities to clamp down on PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu over his alleged links to the banned Syiah movement. Addressing a packed auditorium on the last day of Umno's 64th general assembly, Zahid — who is also an Umno vice-president — said his ministry will no longer tolerate any elements that are seen as a threat to national security. "PAS, set aside politic interests. This is about akidah (faith) and national security... I am surprised how their party elections installed a Syiah as the number two leader in PAS," he said in his winding up speech, in a clear reference to Muhamad Sabu. "We are done laying low. Jamil Khir, KDN gives you the power to take action against (that) PAS leader," he said to thunderous applause from the over 2,000 delegates. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/zahid-orders-action-against-mat-sabu-over-alleged-syiah-links

Call to set up Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah institute Posted: 06 Dec 2013 04:53 PM PST   (MMO) - Johor Umno has urged the government to set up an institute on Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah in an effort to ward off the spread of Syiah and deviant teachings.  Johor Islamic Religious Committee chairman Abd Mutalib Abdul Rahim said Johor already had such institute which was found to be effective in containing liberalism, pluralism and Al-Arqam.  "Previously, there were only a handful of them, but now they have a number of followers. They used to be a covert operation, but now they operate openly and dare to challenge the authorities.  "Ironically, we are still trapped in comfort zone. We have not been taking action against them until the problem gets out of hand," he said when supporting the motion on religion and education at the 2013 Umno General Assembly here today.   Hence, Abd Mutalib said the institute could play a major role in curtailing falsehood and deviant beliefs.  Perlis Umno proposed that the Home Ministry take action against the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) under 'Ops Cantas' for poisoning the minds of the people.  Its representative, Ramli Sharif said stern action should be taken against Comango for denigrating Islam and disrupting unity.

Malaysian lecturer escapes jail over bribery charges in Perth Posted: 06 Dec 2013 09:35 AM PST (Bernama) - A Malaysian-born Perth university lecturer has escaped imprisonment after admitting he took thousands of dollars in bribes to increase exam marks for students who would otherwise have failed. The Australian Associated Press said Foong Tuck Cheong, 54, pleaded guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court in June to three charges of corruption and two counts of bribery following a Corruption and Crime Commission investigation into offences committed at Curtin University in 2012. Foong increased the marks of two students who should have failed units for their Bachelor of Applied Science (Construction Management and Economics) degree. One student paid him A$3,000 (RM8,800) and the other paid A$1,500. For a third student - whose father in Malaysia had known Foong for many years - he increased the mark on one assignment and gave him a pass mark on another project even though the assignment had not even been submitted. Judge Philip McCann today sentenced Foong to 16 months jail, suspended or two years. He said the offences were very serious and had the potential to cause serious damage to Curtin University's reputation. While it was important to send a message to others that jail would follow such offending, and that academic integrity was taken seriously, McCann acknowledged Foong's behaviour was "irrational and out of character", and accordingly suspended the sentence. It followed Foong being told he was about to be made redundant after 24 years with the university, which left him "emotionally devastated" and affected his judgement. Foong was also fined A$6,000 for his actions relating to the Malaysian student.

'Make Sunni Islam official religion' Posted: 06 Dec 2013 09:23 AM PST   (NST) - The Home Ministry will be referring the suggestion to insert the Sunnah wal Jamaah (Sunni) word for Islam in the Federal Constitution to curb the spread of deviant teachings in the country. Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said he would forward the motion to the government for discussion to weed out the threat of deviant movements. "The move might be necessary to protect the sanctity of the teaching of Sunnah wal Jamaah and to stop the spread of other teachings in the country," he said in response to a proposal by Penang Umno delegate Datuk Shabudin Yahaya in his Islamic and education motion yesterday. The Tasek Gelugor Umno division chief was supporting the call by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Shabudin said the move was necessary to weed out deviant teachings disguised under the Islamic religion, such as Shia, which were becoming more widespread within the country. He proposed the government establish a commission to safeguard the interests of Islam and the rights of Muslims. "It is crucial for the government to set up a commission to supervise, manage and handle the interests of Muslims and address threats to Islam as the country's main religion." Puteri wing delegate Isfarina Mohd Bali from Ipoh Barat stressed on moderation, a value which Islam emphasised in many aspects of a Muslim's life. She said the country and the party must take a firm stand in facing threats that might endanger the sanctity of Islam. "We have to stand united in defending the faith. We also have to fortify and improve existing syariah laws, judicial facilities and Islamic institutions," said Isfarina, who seconded the motion. She said non-governmental organisations should also come together to defend Islam. Isfarina then called for religious education to be given throughout the life of a Muslim. "I cannot stress how important religious education for Muslims is, as without faith, there will be no guidance or direction." Bernama, meanwhile, reported that Kelantan Puteri Umno leader Norwahidah Patuan had proposed setting up a counselling house to help abused children and women with domestic problems. Besides counselling services, she said, motivational talks and religious education could also be arranged for participants. "Puteri should be on the front line on issues of abused children and women, as well as marital problems and social problems among teenagers." Norwahida, who is also Jeli Puteri Umno leader, said when addressing social problems, the movement should not only focus on the victims, but also the victim's family members. For this purpose, she said Puteri Umno should set up a secretariat in Kuala Lumpur. She also proposed the setting-up of a political academy to mould young people into credible and great leaders, who are capable of understanding and pursuing Umno's aspirations.

Tee Yong: We can work with anyone Posted: 06 Dec 2013 08:47 AM PST (The Star) A group of 15 MCA candidates headed by Labis MCA chief Datuk Chua Tee Yong says it is able to work with other contenders after the party's Dec 21 polls. Chua, 36, and Kampar division chairman Datuk Lee Chee Leong, 56, are going for the vice-president's post while the rest are vying for a central committee member post (see table). There are 31 posts open for contest – president, deputy president, four vice-presidents and 25 central committee members. Chua said his team only filled up about half of the seats for contest and hoped others would get a chance. "This is different from the past where each faction came up with candidates for the entire line-up, resulting in very fierce fighting. "Nevertheless, anyone who is qualified to contest can do so," he said during a gathering of some 800 party grassroots leaders nationwide to show support for his team at Wisma MCA here yesterday. On the team's winning chances and whether they got blessings from president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who is his father, Chua said: "We hope the 2,380-plus central delegates will give us a chance. The president has only one vote." While factions were inevitable in any political party, Chua said it was important that everybody would unite after the election and work for the good of the party. Chua said his line-up, comprising professionals, including two medical doctors, and businessmen, had the expertise and experience to contri­bute effectively to the party. Seven of them were in their 30s and 40s and this was in line with the party's need to groom young leaders, he said, adding that the more senior leaders would guide them. The 15 said in a joint statement that there would be hope for the MCA if all in the party could accept their differences and unite as one formidable team to face the challenges ahead.  READ MORE HERE

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Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• ‘Fighting PAS is a jihad’
• It's Buyer Beware in the Malaysian Franchise Industry
• History not on the side of MCA’s peace plan
• Anwar, the Lone Ranger?
• Pakatan looks jaded and tired

‘Fighting PAS is a jihad’ Posted: 06 Dec 2013 04:58 PM PST   (Fz) - Kelantan Umno declared that their quarrel with PAS for all these years was not due to reasons such as hate, revenge or over colours but it was all in the name of jihad, a religious duty of Muslims. This declaration was made by Ketereh delegate, Ahmad Termizi Musa during his speech on the closing day of the Umno General Assembly today. "Umno is fighting PAS not due to the name. Umno is not fighting PAS because of the colours. Umno fights PAS not because of hate. Umno fights PAS not due to revenge. "Believe me my dear Muslims, we fight PAS because it is a jihad," said Ahmad Termizi. Ahmad Termizi was speaking in the context of the situation in Kelantan where he said that the state government has been using its religious schools as platforms to mould the youth towards their own political beliefs. He said that parents were keen to send their children to religious schools that cater to both religious and academic syllabi. "A majority of parents are interested to send their children to religious schools that integrate religious studies with academic studies," he said. However, according to Ahmad Termizi, the Kelantan education department receives a lot of applications from parents to send their children to National Religious Secondary Schools (SMKA).  More than 5,000 applications are received, but there are insufficient places available as Kelantan only has six SMKAs. This means it could only provide about 1,200 places, so the balance of 4,000 applicants do not get places in SMKAs. So parents who wish to send their children to religious schools resort to sending them to state government schools which are often Arabic-centric religious schools. "Kelantan is a very different state when compared to others. It is not the same with other states. "What is happening that makes us worry is that children who are sent to learn at Arabic religious schools of the state government are moulded to meet their (PAS state government) needs and benefit their political struggle. "That is how they have maintained their governance for more than 23 years," he told delegates. Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/%E2%80%98fighting-pas-jihad%E2%80%99

It's Buyer Beware in the Malaysian Franchise Industry Posted: 06 Dec 2013 11:11 AM PST   There has also been criticism of the Malaysian Franchise Association's lack of effort in promoting ethics within the industry by its membership. Part of the problem may appear to be in the way the Perbadanan Nasional Bhd (PNS) is promoting grants and start-up loan packages to businesses. The question is whether this is encouraging predator consulting practices within the industry.   Murray Hunter & David Teoh The possibility of becoming a successful entrepreneur in Malaysia is a dream shared by many. This avenue was widened through encouraging the formation of franchises where potential entrepreneurs could easily purchase a 'proven' business model and benefit from that successful business concept.  In the mid 1990s the Malaysian Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs was given the responsibility under the Franchise Act 1998 to develop and regulate the industry. Singer was the first company to introduce franchising to Malaysia in the 1940s. The first F&B successful franchise in Malaysia was the US A&W, which opened its first outlet in Petaling Jaya in 1963. Very soon afterwards many other successful outlets were opened all around Klang Valley. In the following decades, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Kenny Rogers were established in Malaysia.  The concept of franchising was soon seen as a means of creating new Bumiputera entrepreneurs. Under the then Mahathir Government, retired public servants were encouraged to become entrepreneurs through buying into a franchise. The then deputy domestic trade minister Abdul Kadir bin Sheikh Fadzir became the public proponent of franchising, organizing seminars and workshops on the concept all over the country.  Franchising in Malaysia became a massive growth industry with the setting up of the Malaysian Franchise Association in 1994, attracting a number of consultants and brokers into the action. A screening and selection system, as well as a number of bureaucratic requirements were enacted, making the procedure to become either a franchisor or franchisee very cumbersome. Consequently, after a very hopeful beginning, the combination of bureaucracy, regulation, procedure, and plain dishonesty among some franchisors has brought misery and suffering to many unsuspecting franchisees. Franchising was seen by some as a means to make quick money.  The Franchise Development Program (FDP) requires franchisors to undertake a number of steps and procedures before they can be registered under Section 6 of the Franchise Act. Registration enables a company to be eligible for a grant, RM 100% for Bumiputera companies, and RM50% for non-Bumiputera companies. The catch here is ministry officials require franchisors to employ a consultant, usually of their choosing to aid the process, where fees may be as high as 40% of the total grant available. Many unhappy franchisors have suggested to the authors that some collusion exists in this process between consultants and officials. Most consultants are not registered with the US based and internationally recognized International Franchise Association (IFA). These consultants commonly approach potential franchise businesses promising to expand their businesses through franchising. They arrange for grants without much scrutiny over the franchising viability of the businesses they have been engaged to develop franchise models. Consequently the market is full of many dubious business models.  This results in franchises that have little real potential for franchisees to make a go of it. Successful SMEs that go down this track are poorly advised and often fall into financial difficulties. Franchisees who sign up with them don't last long in business. The only group who has profited out of this process is the consultant.  The problem today is there are so many franchises up for sale, some bona fide and some non-bona fide, the quality on offer varies widely. Nascent entrepreneurs with little or no experience make the assumption that regulated franchises have been screened for business model viability. What more, some franchises like TuitionMall.com or Pusat Bahasa Titian Jaya imply that the company has a connection with Cambridge, when this is not the case.  The Malaysia franchise Association vetting system lets down unsuspecting potential franchisees. It's really buyer beware in the franchise market.  A number of franchisors see franchising as a means to extract money from franchisees, rather than a means to develop a brand and business. For example two Kuala Lumpur entrepreneurs signed a franchising agreement with an F&B franchisor based in Johor. The franchisor encouraged the franchisee to install a music box and have a band at the venue for extra franchisee costs outside the royalty agreement based on sales turnover. As a result the franchisee business became commercially unviable and the franchisor insisted on a legal remedy which cost the two entrepreneurs their full investment of over RM600K. This appears totally irresponsible for any franchisor who is interested in nurturing its brand and business, but rather only interested in extracting as much as it can through franchise fees without concern for long term viability.  Most franchise agreements have been drawn up in favor of franchisors and when a business becomes unviable, franchisor requirements put the business into financial trouble.  A litigation lawyer disclosed to the authors that due to the unfairness of the Franchise Act in its favoritism towards franchisors, very few franchisees have been successful in gaining any legal remedy from unscrupulous franchisors. Most court decisions have been made in favor of franchisors.  The franchise industry has made many successful consultants like Abdul Malik Abdullah of D'Tandoori fame, but unfortunately there are a large number of local franchise failures, that tend to be hidden with all the hype about the success of the industry. Even though the industry can point to the success of many local franchises like Nelson's and Marrybrown, the vulnerability of any successful branded franchise can be seen in Secret Recipe going into receivership in Australia.  There has also been criticism of the Malaysian Franchise Association's lack of effort in promoting ethics within the industry by its membership. Part of the problem may appear to be in the way the Perbadanan Nasional Bhd (PNS) is promoting grants and start-up loan packages to businesses. The question is whether this is encouraging predator consulting practices within the industry.  The industry is full of consultants and brokers, who conduct courses and workshops which may encourage the vulnerable into inappropriate products and businesses. Many franchisors are reckless and over sell their ideas to gullible people who lack any sense about doing due diligence on a business concept. Some consultants are charging up to RM160K to secure company registration as an approved franchisor.  The onus is on the Malaysian Franchise Association, as many within its membership desire, to do its part in cleaning up the industry. One of the franchise traps that is bringing many small franchisees undone, are the extra charges over and above royalties that crafty franchisors are demanding from franchisees.  Potential franchisees need to look very closely at any franchise they may consider signing up to. This will require a review of how the business model works and scrutiny about both how much the business would cost to operate on a monthly basis, the potential revenue, and total payments required to be paid to the franchisor through the agreement. Is the planned location suitable for this franchise? Potential franchisees should go and look at the operations of other franchisees and talk to them about the franchise business, focusing particularly on the relationship between franchisor and franchisee.  Potential franchisees should look at what they are getting for the fees they pay. How much is the franchisor putting back into brand support and promotion? They should ask who is the franchisor and do they really have the affiliations they claim to have? Is the franchisee entitled to new products? If so, are there any extra, one up fees besides royalty payments? In the event of financial difficulties or the need to close down for any reason, can the franchise agreement be easily terminated? Does the franchisee have the necessary skills and knowledge to run the business and what sort and duration of training is offered by the franchisor? Most importantly, does the franchisee have sufficient financial backing to undergo this venture? Surprisingly, these types of questions are rarely asked by new entrepreneurs.  Finally what should also be considered from the national perspective, is the affect on national creativity and innovation from the franchising phenomenon. Although, the thinking behind franchising is that those who engage in franchising are less likely to fail in a new business, the framework of franchising itself frowns upon franchisees who themselves innovate. Thus franchising on a wide scale may have the effect of suppressing entrepreneurial creativity. Franchising kills creativity.

History not on the side of MCA’s peace plan Posted: 06 Dec 2013 09:01 AM PST   The MCA will hold its party poll on Dec 21. Liow, former president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and Vice-president Gan Ping Sieu are expected to engage in a three-cornered fight.  Chen Shaua Fui, Fz.com Some might think a "peace plan" would stop the internal sword-fighting after the party poll, but the history of MCA politics has shown that this is not going to work. Furthermore, this will strengthen the perception that MCA leaders are after party posts and personal political interest, and this is exactly why the voters deserted them in the 2008 and 2013 general elections. Ng Nyen Fah, Director of the Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies said that the unity plan or peace plan had been forged at least twice before, but it did not stop the party infighting that has brought MCA to its lowest point now. Ng was referring to the unity plan forged by the former BN president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to get Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek - who had engaged in a fierce internal battle - to retire together in 2005. The other plan, Ng recalled, was in 2008 in which Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy retired together after the poor showing of the party in the 2008 general election. He pointed out that these plans only managed to stop the bleeding of the party for a while after the new leadership took over, and after the honeymoon period, the infighting continued. "This is because the plan was forged by those who were in the top posts who belonged to different factions - but MCA does not belong to these two factions. Many MCA grassroots members do not belong to any faction. They merely go for any faction that serves their best interests," Ng said. He stressed that this is exactly how MCA continues to work. The leaders and grassroots are focused on their own interests, and do not have an ideology. MCA has always been a service-based party, and it claimed that it represents the voice of the Chinese community. However, the political landscape has changed. The party had suffered its worst showing in the May 5th general election, in which the party only managed to retain seven parliamentary seats and 11 state seats. Senior MCA leader Datuk Yap Pian Hon also reacted strongly to the peace plan in the making. "This plan will kill democracy in the party as the new leadership will be arranged after negotiations," Yap told fz.com in a phone interview. He said this will not make MCA look good to the voters when it should be talking about reform, transformation and democratisation. Yap, who is also a former vice-president, said the plan may work in the short term but the infighting will happen again because the team that was put in place was not chosen by the grassroots according to their assessment of the candidates. "The central delegates must be given the opportunity to assess these leaders' performance and goals and then make their choice. Then the new team that is born will not be monopolised by certain factions," he said. Yap said a free and fair party poll will ensure that the party can retain quality leaders and be respected. Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/history-not-side-mca%E2%80%99s-peace-plan#ixzz2mkLYufNV

Anwar, the Lone Ranger? Posted: 06 Dec 2013 08:57 AM PST   If the Malays from PAS and Umno coalesce via the Islamic binding factor, why then should the Malays in Pakatan be left out to suffer and not enjoy the various sweetened pies?  Narinder Singh, FMT  Is Pakatan Rakyat shrivelling away to the point that they may lose the momentum before the next general election? With the recent moves made by their affiliate PAS in opening possibilities to Umno to form a united Malay stand in the country with Islam as the foundation and binding factor, Pakatan may well be losing their Malay support. After all how many Malays have benefited under the Pakatan umbrella, and Anwar has definitely lost significant magnetism in keeping his loyal supporters. Just take Khalid Ibrahim, the Selangor Menteri Besar for an example. Despite projecting a calm image on the front, it is obvious that he has broken ranks with his party boss, Anwar. If there was one party that took on the tide and piggy-backed Pakatan in the last general election, it is the DAP. DAP knew that with the Malays backing Pakatan, it will be a golden opportunity to get their votes, especially in grey constituencies. And that is what exactly happened. The so-called ultra-modern Malays, in particular young urbanites, were too carried away and bit the bait with all the various promises made by Pakatan for them. It was crystal clear that the Chinese tsunami did turn the tables on Barisan Nasional. And it will be foolish to dream on that they will have a change of hearts come the next general election. BN can kick MCA and Gerakan out for all you care as they will never in the next millennium be able to harness Chinese support back, no matter how much more money they throw to them. Umno and the rest of their partners may well keep their voters happy in Sabah and Sarawak. Forget about the Chinese here. They are gone for good to the DAP, not even Pakatan. As mentioned, Pakatan was just the initial catalyst that has outrun its own function by providing DAP the Chinese support. Now, that brings us to ponder what will Pakatan do when they are basically left with only non-Umno Malay support? The Malays in Pakatan will be compass-less and will eventually get steered out of the Umno- Bumiputera masterplan agenda radar if they hold on to their association with Pakatan for too long. For one, Pakatan cannot sustain them on mere rhetoric and shallow agenda. Pakatan just does not have the financial means or they are just to stupidly and arrogantly stingy. With PAS making in-roads and courting Umno, Pakatan will be left in a limbo because on one hand they do not want to be perceived as being too Islamist, hence their silence on the muzakarah between Umno and PAS; while on the other they are trying their level best to keep friendship with DAP. READ MORE HERE

Pakatan looks jaded and tired Posted: 06 Dec 2013 08:52 AM PST   Selena Tay, FMT  At this point in time, Barisan Nasional seems to be gaining momentum while Pakatan Rakyat seems to be pushed into a corner. One thing for sure is that Pakatan must put some semblance of order in its house in due course so as to avoid floundering during the Sarawak state polls which must be held by 2016 the latest. Recently though, Pakatan leaders have been finding themselves on the receiving end in the Selangor state assemblymen salary hike issue. A salary hike is okay but an increase of over 100% is difficult to be explained although it may be justified as the PKR-led Selangor state government can afford it. Still, this state government which has always boasted about its financial prudence as one of the hallmarks of its administration is now finding itself in a tough spot due to this salary hike move. What more when Pakatan has always touted that Selangor is a model of cost-conscious management and wise administration. This being the case, a too-substantial salary hike will certainly be frowned upon by some members of the public at times like this. Yes, the timing is way out indeed. Of course BN leaders are also having a field day attacking Pakatan over this issue but if the MPs' salary is also hiked up tremendously, then it is a case of pot calling the kettle black. Back to the Selangor matter, doing damage control after the pay rise is announced shows that Pakatan leaders did not act in cohesion nor was there much discussion before this move was implemented. In future any major change in policy involving administration and finance should be discussed and a general consensus be reached before implementation because blunders like this can cause fence-sitters to swing their vote towards BN. In addition to proper discussion before execution, Pakatan's plans must also be clearly explained to the citizens. For example, this columnist's Christian friends are worried that if Pakatan comes into power, hudud will be implemented immediately. Many Christians are ignorant of the fact that PAS intends to first file a motion in Parliament to amend the federal constitution before implementing hudud. From here we can see that due to a lack of information, many voters can still be confused about Pakatan's stand on certain issues and if the confusion is not cleared up, it can be detrimental to Pakatan and cause people to doubt Pakatan's ability to govern the nation well. Pakatan leaders must now focus on being a strong opposition. It is good that a roadshow called 'Faham GST, Tolak GST' will be launched in KL in two weeks time on Dec 20 to educate the public about GST (Goods & Services Tax) so that the citizens can know more about GST. Right now there are still many people who do not really comprehend what GST really is simply because of skewed information from the media. Fresh approach Pakatan leaders must be at the forefront on all issues facing the public and the current main issue is the rise in the cost of living due to the hike in petrol prices, electricity tariff, etc. Therefore Pakatan MPs leading a protest in front of KL City Hall on Monday, Dec 16 at 11am to protest the assessment hike is certainly a good idea as we have elected these Pakatan MPs to be our voice. Also kudos to KL's Pakatan lawmakers for opening counters in night and morning markets to collect petition signatures from the citizens who are against the hike, the sum of which is ridiculous. Moreover KL City Hall has billions in revenue. It is time too for Pakatan leaders to go for a retreat in order to re-draw their roadmap. This is a necessity due to the GE13 loss. Pakatan leaders cannot be carrying on in the same manner as before because improvements need to be made in administration and the mechanics of operation. Pakatan should now re-focus and set its goals a little differently. There needs to be some re-alignment and re-adjustment. In short, Pakatan needs to re-strategise. There must be renewal and rejuvenation as Pakatan now seems jaded and tired. There must be a fresh approach and fresh impetus in the way of doing things. This is so that Pakatan can come back with renewed vigour to champion for the people's welfare and wellbeing. Pakatan must avoid blunders and fluff-ups that is happening now. There is no better time for Pakatan to re-invent itself as the present time as the next general election is still a long time in coming.

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DAP Kedah tolak sesi dialog bersama Zairil Posted: 06 Dec 2013 06:48 PM PST Bendahari DAP Kedah, Law Theng Hooi berkata, penolakan dibuat kerana Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) tidak mengiktiraf lantikan jawatankuasa interim. Sehubungan itu, semua cawangan sepakat menolak dialog itu dan tidak akan patuh kepada mana-mana arahan jawatankuasa eksekutif pusat (CEC) kerana belum diiktiraf ROS. "Memang kita bertegas dari dulu lagi bahawa tidak akan mengiktiraf jawatankuasa interim DAP Kedah kerana ROS belum mengiktiraf pelantikannya. "CEC tidak mempunyai hak dan kuasa untuk melantik Zairil sebagai Pengerusi Interim kerana kita masih mempunyai pengerusi yang sah," katanya kepada Sinar Harian, hari ini. Difahamkan, dialog akan berlangsung di Alor Setar pada 9 Disember dan Sungai Petani 10 Disember. Beliau yang juga Ketua Cawangan DAP Taman Kristal, Mergong berkata, ahli tetap yang ingin hadir dialog itu tidak akan dihalang. "Kami (DAP Kedah) tidak akan halang kalau ada ahli yang nak hadir dialog bersama Zairil. Tetapi semua cawangan DAP negeri ini sepakat tidak hadir," katanya. Menurutnya, sebagai sebuah parti yang mengamalkan demokrasi, DAP pusat seharusnya memberi penjelasan kepada jawatankuasa interim mengenai situasi yang sedang berlaku dalam DAP Kedah agar tidak menjadi lebih keruh. Theng Hooi turut menyarankan jawatankuasa interim yang dilantik CEC dapat memberi laluan kepada jawatankuasa yang sah, berdasarkan pengiktirafan yang diberikan oleh ROS, 4 Disember lalu. Pada masa sama, beliau menggesa dialog berkenaan tidak diteruskan demi keharmonian parti. "ROS mengeluarkan surat pengiktirafan bahawa Lee Guan Aik adalah Pengerusi DAP Kedah yang sah dan CEC tidak mempunyai hak untuk melantik jawatankuasa interim bagi menggantikan Guan Aik berikutan lantikan CEC juga belum diiktiraf. "Sekarang ini terpulang kepada DAP pusat dan ROS untuk menentukan sama ada dialog itu mendapat kebenaran. Kita ada undang-undang dan perlu patuh kepadanya. Kalau tidak dibenarkan ROS, maka satu tindakan undang-undang perlu diambil kepada mereka yang terbabit," katanya. Sebelum ini, Zairil berkata, akan mengadakan dialog bersama semua cawangan DAP Kedah bagi menyelesaikan masalah dalaman yang berlaku. Menurutnya, ia tetap diteruskan meskipun ROS mengiktiraf Guan Aik sebagai Pengerusi DAP Kedah yang sah. Zairil dilantik oleh CEC DAP bagi menggantikan Guan Aik, selepas DAP pusat menghantar satu surat kepada Guan Aik pada 10 Mei lalu.

Kenapa Umno masih memimpin kita? Posted: 06 Dec 2013 10:29 AM PST Ramai kehairanan kenapa Umno dan BN masih berkuasa walaupun berbagai isu dan kelemahan yang kita ketahui dan sedang diratapi oleh umum. Pimpinan Umno tidak mahu berubah kerana mereka yakin rakyat tidak memahami isu buruk mereka dan akan terus diberikan kuasa terhadap mereka walau seburuk mana perangai dan sikap mereka. Kekurangan kesedaran orang Melayu yang masih menyokong Umno itu sebenarnya diperkuatkan oleh kegagalan pembangkang juga. Malahan pembangkang sebenarnya yang menambah kelemahan dan sikap tidak mahu berubah orang Melayu, khususnya ahli-ahli Umno, yang dianggap pembangkang sebagai bebal itu. Itu sebabnya saya tidak pernah menggunakan istilah kasar-kasar terhadap Umno walaupun selemah mana pun pemikiran pemimpin mereka kerana mereka juga tidak mahu terjebak dalam situasi keluar daripada "mulut buaya tercampak pula dalam mulut naga". Isu yang membuatkan pembangkang mendapat kerusi kemenangannya itu bukannya sokongan terhadap parti pembangkang itu 100%. Mereka mengundi pembangkang kerana rasa marah dan geram mereka terhadap Umno itu. Setelah pilihan raya berlalu ramai yang saya temui melalui perjumpaan-perjumpaan kecil yang mereka marah dengan Umno tetapi bolehkah pembangkang menyejukkan jiwa mereka? Saya telah menyebut tentang kekuatan persepsi terhadap sesuatu pertubuhan atau kumpulan itu adalah terletak kepada manusia yang memimpinnya. Pembangkang masih tidak mempunyai pemimpin yang sebenarnya "viable" untuk dijadikan pemimpin utamanya. Pembangkang sekadar mempunyai pemimpin yang boleh menggerakkan untuk mengumpulkan manusia yang tidak berpuas hati terhadap kepimpinan yang menyandang kuasa kerajaan semata-mata. Rakyat tidak mahu seorang pemimpin utama yang masih menjadi persoalan dalam hal peribadinya kerana kekurangan dalam imej dan persoalan peribadi merupakan persoalan yang utama dalam memilih pemimpin utama kerajaan. Rakyat sedang berada dalam keadaan serba salah. Itu sebab mereka terpaksa juga mengekalkan kepimpinan yang mereka tidak suka untuk memastikan peralihan kepada pihak lain itu tidak menjadi pilihan yang silap lagi. Pihak pembangkang juga tidak menunjukkan kesatuan yang erat di antara pemimpin utamanya dan semakin hari semakin jelas Anwar tidak mempunyai kemampuan untuk memberikan keyakinan untuk menjadi pimpinan alternatif. Keadaan ini tidak menampakkan penambahbaikan dan jika ditimbang-timbang kerajaan tetap berada di tangan Umno lagi di dalam pilihan raya akan datang. DAP adalah parti yang sudah sampai ke peringkat "saturation" dan parti itu sudah memenangi semua kerusi yang sepatutnya dimenanginya. Parti ini sudah sampai ke tahap optima dan graf kemajuannya tidak mudah untuk menunjukkan kenaikan selain penurunan selepas ini. Sokongan orang Melayu terhadap parti itu tidak mungkin menaik lagi dan pilihan raya yang lepas merupakan sokongan Melayu tertinggi kerana keadaaan Umno dan BN yang sedang dalam ketenatan semasa itu. READ MORE HERE

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• The Islamic taxation system
• Land Of The Savages
• To Gelak or Cry?

The Islamic taxation system Posted: 06 Dec 2013 12:08 PM PST   PAS being a party that is supposed to champion the religion of Islam should take the initiative to revamp the Islamic taxation system in the country. They can initially implement the system in the 3 states under the PR governments. I believe if the tax collection is done efficiently in the various states in the country, the zakat revenue can reach a whopping sum of more than one billion ringgit annually!   Awang Abdillah    Zakat  is the 4th tenet of the Islamic faith. It constitutes the tax revenue and sadaqah (alms/charity expenditure) of the Islamic (welfare) taxation system.   However, many Muslim governments do not implement it fully to protect the economic interests of those in power or fail to comprehend the virtues of the Islamic taxation system. Zakat is a mandatory payment for those earning the profits from their business entities and earn personal incomes above certain amounts respectively, and those who own different kinds of non-productive assets above certain values respectively.   The virtues of zakat are many. Firstly, the tax money is used to redistribute the wealth of the country to those in need and to uplift their economic well-being. Secondly, the system reduces the stocking and concentration of wealth and riches in the hands of the few that lead to greed for materialism and worldly pleasures. Thirdly, the tax cleanses the hearts of Muslims and their wealth and riches from ill-gotten sources. Fourthly, zakat money can be spent to reduce the incidences of crime and vice.   The standard rate of zakat payment is at 2.5% annually (rates may vary according to different items) on the economic wealth of Muslims namely the net profits of businesses and personal incomes; and on their riches namely the non-productive assets such as luxury houses and cars, jewellery, cash deposits in banks and other properties in the country and overseas, above certain amounts or values respectively.   The tax should be paid directly to those in need or through Islamic institutions such as Tabong Zakat, Baitulmal board or the department of Zakat for subsequent redistribution. The tax money is not a saving or an investment fund or business working capital. Hence, it cannot be used for purposes other than to be given to those in need. The main category of those eligible to receive the sadaqah (charity/alms money) as stated in Surah Tauba verse 60 are the poor and needy, those employed to administer the collections, whose hearts have been reconciled, who are in bondage and in debt, those involved in the cause of Allah, and the wayfarers.   Under the present circumstances we may include other specific groups in the list - widows, orphans, the homeless, students, the sick and disabled, couples/families facing financial woes, religious bodies or organizations in dire need of funds and the like. However, another category of those that need attention are youths both boys and girls who are prone to influences to commit crime and vice. In most cases, street crimes and vice are committed by youths who do not have money.   Hence, the zakat taxation system is quite comprehensive in tackling many economic and social problems besetting the Muslim community. PAS being a party that is supposed to champion the religion of Islam should take the initiative to revamp the Islamic taxation system in the country. They can initially implement the system in the 3 states under the PR governments. I believe if the tax collection is done efficiently in the various states in the country, the zakat revenue can reach a whopping sum of more than one billion ringgit annually!   All Muslims who own profitable enterprises, high incomes and own properties and assets should declare the amount and value of their wealth and riches to these institutions for the purpose of tax assessment.   How zakat money can reduce crime and vice   Compared to the other races in Malaysia, the Malays/Muslims are poor financially due to their weak economic performance. Financial shortcomings is one of the main causes of crime, vice and family woes. Savings is one form of overcoming the financial shortcomings and sustaining the economic well-being and dignity of an individual/community. Savings can be utilized in times of recession when businesses turn bad, as a better source of business capital than borrowing, an important source of bank credit, and to keep crime at bay.   It can be observed that those youths with no proper jobs or unemployed and without having bank savings or cash in their pockets are very often prone to crime and vice. This deprivation creates a feeling of hopelessness and loss of human dignity tempting them to commit crimes such as snatch thefts, robbery, rape and the like, and vices such as drug addiction and prostitution.   Sadaqah money can help to reduce the high rate of divorces among Muslim couples too. Tabong zakat or Baitulmal boards can go a long way to help these youths by contributing to their savings deposits, or cash handouts to those target groups to reduce incidences of crime and vice, which then will help reduce costs to the government in the maintenance of peace and security in the country.   PAS clerics can help to prepare a comprehensive guideline on the different tax rates and the categories of taxable items based on the Quran and the Hadiths, for Muslims in Malaysia.

Land Of The Savages Posted: 06 Dec 2013 11:58 AM PST   To a contractor's bulldozer operator, a candi in the Bujang Valley is a pile of rocks. Rocks are rocks. He was there to do a day's honest work to remove the rocks.    Yussof Condred   Once, in a remote village of the Amazon jungle the native villagers trapped a beautiful bird of a species thought to have gone extinct long ago. The news raised a great deal of excitement among scientists of the west. When they visited the village with a view to studying it at close range they only found the feathers and bones of the bird. The native savages had eaten the bird! To them, a bird is a bird. You can't expect them to understand and appreciate the significance of their find.   Closer home, to a contractor's bulldozer operator, a candi in the Bujang Valley is a pile of rocks. Rocks are rocks. He was there to do a day's honest work to remove the rocks. So is he any different from the savages who ate the rare bird?   Now going up another rank of hierarchy, the project manager was reported to have said he would have left the site alone if he had known. Since he didn't know, in this context, is he different from the bird-eaters?   What about the well-educated officials who approved the project? Did they know?   President of Badan Warisan, Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, was reported to have said 'for the developer to plead ignorance was "no plea at all".' But mainstream Malaysian society is not interest in history or heritage relics. Are we satisfied with living in a land of savages?

To Gelak or Cry? Posted: 06 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST   Party members attend Umno's annual assembly were told, "Malay millionaires are important because Malays are Muslims. When Malays are rich, Islam would be defended. If Malays are poor, Islam would be sidelined" So to protect the sanctity of a religion, money is the key factor. Not morals, faith, deeds. Aqidah, Iman, Ibadah semua tak payah kot. Yang penting adalah kejutawanan seseorang. Now I learned something new. Fikri Fisal  http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/more-malay-millionaires-can-guard-islam-says-umno-delegate "More Malay millionaires needed to protect Islam" - Haniff Koslan (oh he's a Datuk). Excuse me for I need to release this uncontainable force called laughter from my body. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ok that's enough. No just a little bit more. HHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OK. CUKUP. ****** I was debating with my alter-ego on which statements made in the UMNO AGM would make the statement of the year. Apparently the search is over. Haniff Koslan emerged winner hands-down. So to protect the sanctity of a religion, money is the key factor. Not morals, faith, deeds. Aqidah, Iman, Ibadah semua tak payah kot. Yang penting adalah kejutawanan seseorang. Now I learned something new. Mungkin saudara Haniff tersilap cakap. He probably meant to say "... to protect capitaLISM" but pronunciation dia mungkin kurang jelas lalu reporter media mendengarnya seperti "... to protect Islam". Really, Mr Haniff. There is no need to say that to justify the Bumiputera affirmative action policies. Affirmative action is done for the sake of social engineering. I will not waste time here debating on whether it's justified or not. But just know that it is a socio-economic-political policy. Don't you dare use the name of Islam to justify the Bumiputera policies. Let you be reminded of what Tun Abdul Razak said:  "The NEP incorporates the two pronged objective of eradicating poverty, irrespective of race and restructuring Malaysia society to reduce and eventually eliminate the identification of race with economic functions..,". It was implemented for the sake of national harmony, and nothing more. Please don't embarrass yourself, your party, and your nation and your religion. Islam does not need your statements to protect itself. Islam does not need me, you or anyone else to protect itself.  "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian", - (Al-quran 15:9, Sahih International) And of course, Islam does not need Bumiputera policies or Malay millionaires to protect itself. Islam is perfect.  PS: Please discuss real issues that would benefit the well-being of the citizens of the country next time. That is the amanah of your party. Tau kan golongan yang pecah amanah golongan apa?

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