PM Najib, Bereskan Rumah Sendiri Dulu Sebelum Membantu Amerika Syarikat Tentang Islamophobia

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Azmi Anuar

Perdana Menteri Najib Razak mahu membantu Amerika Syarikat menangani Islamophobia supaya masyarakat di sana lebih memahami Islam dan menghapuskan persepsi negatif terhadap agama itu.

Apabila direnungkan, mungkin matlamat pertama itu telahpun tercapai tanpa apa-apa bantuan dari pihak kerajaan Malaysia.

Rakyat Amerika Syarikat boleh membaca dan melihat berita setiap hari bagaimana setengah-setengah penganut Islam di Malaysia menjiwai agama mereka.

Contoh paling menonjol ialah bantahan terhadap pembinaan rumah ibadat agama lain dengan membawa kepala lembu sebagai tanda protes. Terhapuskah persepsi negatif tentang agama Islam dengan tindakan penganut-penganutnya yang sebegitu rupa?

Acap kali apabila ada ura-ura untuk mendirikan rumah ibadat agama lain, terdengarlah bantahan yang berapi-api menidakkan hak penganut bukan Islam. Laungan membantah kedengaran lebih hebat apabila cadangan seperti itu muncul di kawasan yang mempunyai majoriti penduduk beragama Islam.

Apalah salah penganut bukan Islam? Memang benar, mereka mungkin hanya minoriti di sesuatu kawasan, tetapi itu bukan alasan atau sebab untuk membantah sedemikian rupa.

Penganut agama Islam yang bermastautin di sesuatu tempat mungkin atau benar-benar amat bimbang akan pengaruh agama lain jika dibiarkan mula bertapak di persekitaran mereka. Bukankah ini perasaan sama yang diluahkan oleh seorang paderi di Florida, Amerika Syarikat yang mahu membakar Al-Quran?

Perasaan bimbang ini juga muncul di kalangan penganut-penganut bukan Islam ketika cadangan membina Pusat Islam berhampiran bekas tapak [serangan 9/11] World Trade Centre di New York.

Nasib baiklah, penduduk Amerika Syarikat lebih berpandangan luas dan menerima segala bentuk dan ragam rakyatnya. Tentu sekali TIDAK di Malaysia.

Tanggungjawab Muslimat berkeluarga

Satu demi satu peristiwa yang melibatkan penganut agama Islam dan yang bukan Islam berkesudahan dengan air mata dan hati yang luka, berkecamuk. Manakan tidak, anak sendiri yang belum mengerti apa-apa sewenang-wenang diIslamkan.

Percanggahan yang tidak punya penamat kerana pemerintah tidak mempunyai iltizam dan tidak bersungguh-sungguh mahu menyelesaikannya secepat mungkin.

Bukankah keluarga bahagia asas sesebuah negara? Kalau suami isteri tidak dapat hidup bersama lagi, perlukah anak-anak menjadi korban?

Anak-anak juga menjadi mangsa di kalangan penganut agama Islam apabila ramai bapa yang mengabaikan tanggung-jawab mereka setelah perceraian disahkan. Walau bagaimana benci atau marah terhadap bekas isteri, tanggungjawab sebagai seorang bapa tidak akan luput sehinggalah anak-anak itu dewasa dan boleh berdikari.

Realitinya amat menyedihkan dan sentiasa menyakitkan hati. Turun naik mahkamah syariah tidak mendatangkan hasil yang diharapkan, arahan potongan gaji amat sukar dilaksanakan, mencari bapa yang lari entah ke mana besar kemungkinan hanya usaha sia-sia dan si ibu jugalah yang terpaksa bertungkus-lumus membesarkan sendiri anak-anak.

Adakah ini salah satu persepsi positif Islam yang hendak ditonjolkan ke khalayak dunia?

Dunia sudah tahu, dan Malaysia contoh terbaik bahawa, keluarga TIDAK mendapat keutamaan. Bertentangan sama sekali dengan ajaran agama Islam yang tulen.

Apabila mayat yang terkujur, orang tersayang yang telah meninggalkan dunia ini, dirampas dan dikuburkan mengikut aturan agama lain walaupun tidak ada tanda-tanda yang menunjukkan bahawa semasa hayatnya dia telah menganut agama Islam, tentu sekali seribu satu soalan muncul.

Pihak pemerintah berkata proses mendaftarkan penganut agama lain yang memeluk agama Islam akan diperlicinkan supaya peristiwa rampas-merampas mayat tidak berlaku pada masa hadapan. Setakat ini belum ada tanda-tanda konkrit bahawa apa yang dikatakan itu telah terlaksana. Sementara menunggu proses birokrasi ini mencapai penghujungnya, apalah nasib keluarga lain yang mungkin menghadapi masalah yang sama?

Inilah keadaan semasa di Malaysia, negara "Islam" yang mahu membantu Amerika Syarikat menangani Islamophobia.

Memang Amerika Syarikat tidak sempurna tetapi sekurang-kurangnya di sana ada ruang untuk suara-suara lain memberikan pandangan.

Memang ada yang ekstremis tetapi secara keseluruhan golongan majoriti mempunyai pandangan yang sederhana, tidak keberatan memberi peluang kepada golongan minoriti.

Jiwa Islam yang tulen

Sejarah Amerika Syarikat sendiri memperlihatkan detik-detik bantahan dan bangkangan terhadap apa juga golongan yang tidak menurut norma golongan majoriti. Golongan minoriti menyesuaikan diri supaya masih boleh mengamalkan kepercayaan dan tradisi mereka dan pada masa yang sama tidak bertentangan pula dengan jiwa negara tersebut.

Inilah yang telah hilang dari proses pengIslaman jentera pentadbiran dan birokrasi negara. Jiwa Islam yang sebenarnya, yang perlu ditonjolkan semula ke mata semua. Bukankah ayat pertama dalam Al-Quran ialah 'Iqra' (Bacalah)?

Bukan menghafal Al-Quran, atau membaca dengan tajwid dan lagu yang betul sahaja tetapi membaca dengan kritis, menyoal, berdebat, merumuskan dan mencapai sesuatu untuk kebaikan semua.

Bukan sahaja untuk umat Islam tetapi untuk semua.

Lihat sahajalah perdebatan tentang sama ada orang bukan Islam boleh masuk ke dalam masjid. Bagaimana orang bukan Islam hendak lebih rapat dan mempunyai persepsi positif tentang Islam jika mereka dilarang mendekati rumah ibadat, tempat berkumpul orang Islam.

Takut, bimbang?

Perasaan takut dan bimbang sentiasa dicanangkan sebagai jawapan terhadap pelbagai soalan yang membabitkan penganut bukan Islam. Takut dan bimbang, yang bukan Islam mempermainkan atau mempersendakan agama Islam.

Kalau benar begitu, menjadi tanggungjawab penganut agama Islam itu pula untuk memberi penjelasan kepada yang bukan Islam. Bukan dengan menghalang tetapi menerima dengan hati terbuka bahawa yang bukan beragama Islam mahu lebih rapat, memahami apa ada di sebalik nama Islam itu.

Penganut agama Islam di negara ini sendiri kadang-kadang terlampau cetek pengetahuan mereka tentang agama-agama lain yang dianuti oleh rakan-rakan mereka. Contoh termudah ialah larangan memakan daging lembu yang diamalkan oleh penganut agama Hindu.

Sering terjadi hidangan yang disajikan oleh penganut agama Islam untuk rakan-rakan mereka tidak mengambil kira larangan agama ini dan terkotai-kotailah sekumpulan rakan-rakan beragama Hindu tanpa makanan yang sesuai.

Ada ketika mungkin mereka bernasib baik juga jika dapat menjamah kuih-muih, buah-buahan atau makanan ringan yang lain sebagai pengganti.

Malaysia membantu Amerika Syarikat menangani Islamophobia? Hentikanlah. Bereskan rumah sendiri dulu.

PERKASA, UMNO'S BLOOD-SUCKING PARASITE

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Perkasa is a Parasite Which Rides on UMNO's Back

Kudos to Nazri Aziz, Khairy Jamaluddin and other Umno leaders who are against the idea of working with Perkasa.

Unfortunately, some hardliners in Umno are still stubborn in defending the racist movement, believing that an unholy liaison with Perkasa could win them more Malay voters.

However, it is a fact that Perkasa needs Umno more than the other way round. These hardliners may have misread the ground.

Can Perkasa really win more Malay votes for Umno? There are several fallacies surrounding this belief:

1. More than 60% of Perkasa membership are Umno members
   
   Which means that the movement has not been able to attract the Malay community especially the fence sitters in a big way.
   
   Most of the urban Malays would find an association with Perkasa as regressive and racist;
   
   
2. Perkasa needs an organisation like Umno to play its role as a Devil's advocate.
   
   Without the support and a tacit association with Umno, it is not possible for Perkasa to play its role effectively. Perkasa needs Umno to be afraid of its 'influence'. It is unlikely that the right wing organisation can get its way with both Pas and PKR. But the presence and association with Perkasa poisons Umno's role and leadership in BN. Perkasa needs an organisation to threaten and Umno fits the bill.
   
   
3. Umno leader and Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said right-wing group Perkasa was merely championing the people's rights as spelt out in the constitution. "In my view, Perkasa is not being provocative or encouraging people to hate each other unlike the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf)."
   
   As an education deputy minister, Puad should be send back to school to learn the constitution and history of Malaya.
   
   Many groups are doing a far better job than Perkasa in championing the people's rights as enshrined in the constitution. These organisations have been pushing for the recognition of indigenous people in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia to be accepted and respected for their Bumiputera rights.
   
   Umno is only focusing on the Malays albeit not all Malays - only those who are well-connected or aligned to the party. Perkasa is doing a bad job even in standing up for the rights of common Malays.
   
   
4. . However, hardliners in the party and chiefly Dr Mahathir needed a platform.
   
   Perkasa allows them the platform to continue to holding Umno at ransom. Take this platform away, these hardliners can no longer practice their brand of politics - very little ideas but a lot of chest beating.
   
   
5. Even the Perkasa founder, Ibrahim Ali, is an opportunist.
   
   Seeing an erosion of support for BN/Umno, he was motivated to create Perkasa to renew his waning political fortune.
   
   Unfortunately, Perkasa was created using the wrong formula. It sounded like Umno post-2004 - arrogant, hostile and brash. Perkasa cannot become mainstream but merely serving fringe interest of hardcore ring-wing within Umno, Pas and PKR.
   
   Neither is Ibrahim daring enough to register his movement as a political party and participate in the next general election. It will expose the level of support for his organisation.
   
   I expect most of its candidates to lose their deposit. Perkasa is only creating a smokescreen to hide its real strength and support base.

Why would Perkasa threaten Umno if it can stand on its own feet?

PM Najib should not flip-flop on his decision to alienate Perkasa. If he cannot be decisive about this tiny threat and issue, can his leadership be counted on to make a stand on larger issue such as race relations and the NEP?

Sickening Abuse of Taxpayers' Money to Promote Partisan Politics

These are Tax Payers' Money
NOT Barisan Nasional (BN) Money

Deliberately Confusing the Malaysian Public
Between Government and Ruling Political Parties

Chinese Rapper NAMEWEE Made a Cult Hero by PERKASA Street Thugs

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Malay rights pressure group PERKASA has declared 'WAR' against controversial rapper and film-maker NAMEWEE, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, following the launch of his debut album last night.

About 70 people turned up at the Chinese Assembly Hall in Jalan Maharajalela here tonight to stage a protest against Namewee.




The group was seen carrying Perkasa banners and Namewee’s pictures that were later set on fire, while some hurled abuse at the rapper who was launching an album in the hall.

Namwee said he is not afraid of Perkasa and believes that the police will protect him.

The young performer will kick off the tour tomorrow at the private New Era College in Kajang. It is owned by Chinese education NGO Dong Zong.

Its youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah said members are ready to act as "panglima perang dan hulubalang Melayu (Malay warriors)," and are willing to tail the rapper throughout his upcoming promotional tour.

“If he was so brave why didn't he step out yesterday?...If he is trying to act like a Tionghua (Chinese) hero, then why did he not have the guts to face Malay warriors last night? We only wanted to talk. We accept news (of his tour) with open arms. If he performs inside (a hall), we will 'perform' outside too,” he said when contacted today.

He added that Wee could only hide behind his Youtube account previously, and that he hopes to hide now behind the police and the electronic media.

About 100 policemen, including the Federal Reserve Unit from Dang Wangi, were present to ensure peace and safety.

Wira Perkasa Malaysia head Arman Azha Abu Hanifah, who headed the gathering, tried to enter the hall but was prevented by police.

The group later wanted the police to call Namewee out of the hall but police did not heed their request.

Arman Azhar later told reporters that the gathering was to protest against Namewee who had disgraced the nation through his controversial video clips and albums which were racists in nature.

Arman Azhar said, “We want him (Namewee) to openly apologise to not only the Malays but the people of Malaysia. What he has done has certainly damaged racial harmony and unity.”

Namewee said this is NOT the issue, as his intention is to “address racism”.

Meanwhile, Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman said nobody was arrested during the protest since they followed police instructions and dispersed when instructed by police.“We asked them to disperse within 40 minutes and they followed the instructions,” he said.

Nazri Aziz PISSES ON Utusan Malaysia Editors aka Awang Selamat in Open-Letter

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Quote

"... Untuk menjadi seorang RAKYAT MALAYSIA, TIDAK semestinya ANTI-Melayu. (To be a MALAYSIAN does not necessarily mean to be ANTI-Malay.)

Mengapa tidak boleh saya menyifatkan ANDA sebagai RASIS, apabila anda kelihatan kecewa dengan pujian dan respons-respons positif yang saya terima daripada bukan Melayu dan cuba untuk meletakkannya sebagai negatif terhadap diri saya. (How can I not dub you a racist when you seem to be upset with the praises and positive responses I got from the non-Malays and attempt to put it as something negative on me).

Adakah hanya komen dan pujian orang Melayu perlu diambil kira dan yang lain-lain pula diketepikan, atas alasan yang sendiri yang tahu. (Are the comments and praises of the Malays [the] only [ones that] count, and the rest can go to you-know-where?)

Anda mempunyai perjalanan yang begitu jauh untuk menerima bahawa Malaysia adalah sebuah negara milik rakyat Malaysia yang terdiri daripada semua kaum, yang menzahirkan kesetiaan mereka kepada tanah lahir mereka ini. (You have a long way to go in accepting that Malaysia is a country belonging to Malaysians of all races who swear their loyalty to the land of their birth.)

Yang perlu anda ingat sepanjang masa ialah bukannya apa yang anda fikirkan perlu, tetapi apa yang khalayak membuat tanggapan tentang anda. (What you have to bear in mind is not what you think you are but what the public perceive of you .)

Sedih untuk diperkatakan di sini bahawa bukan Melayu menganggap Utusan sebagai rasis. (Sad to say, the NON-Malays perceive Utusan as racist, period.)

Dan, itu sebabnya saya membawa isu SAYA RAKYAT MALAYSIA TERLEBIH DAHULU dan orang Melayu kemudian, sekiranya anda tidak faham apa sebabnya. (And that is why I brought up the issue of Malaysian first and Malay next, in case you don’t understand why.)

Apa pun Awang, saya tidak tahu siapa anda sebenarnya. (By the way, I still do not know who YOU are, Awang?)..."
-Dato Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz

Surat dibawah ditulus oleh Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz untuk membalas tulisan Awang Selamat yang bertajuk “Lagi Jawapan buat Nazri Aziz” yang diterbitkan oleh Mingguan Malaysia hari ini.

Daripada: Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Padang Rengas
26 September 2010

Kepada: Saudara, tidak kira siapa anda sebenarnya,

Sudah pasti saya akan respons kepada rencana tulisan saudara.

Jika kita percaya pada kebebasan bersuara, biar diketahui bahawa ia bukan sahaja diberikan kepada akhbar, tetapi juga kepada orang perseorangan.

Dalam menggunakan hak saya untuk membalas dan untuk mempertahankan diri saya, sila jangan membuat tafsiran bahawa saya cuba untuk mengelak kritikan terhadap diri saya. Saya sememangnya berhadapan dengan kritikan-kritikan sejak sekian lama pembabitan saya dalam politik dan saya masih berdiri di mana saya berada sekarang.

Saudara Utusan menulis bahawa dia menerima banyak SMS untuk menjustifikasikan yang dia menerima sokongan terhadap artikel mengenai diri saya (minggu lalu). Saya tidak mahu bercakap mengenai SMS dan emel-emel yang saya terima kerana dia tidak berupaya untuk mengesahkannya, tetapi saya pasti dia juga telah dimaklumkan bahawa komen-komen yang dinukilkan oleh orang ramai yang membaca portal, menunjukkan saya juga menerima banyak sokongan daripada rakyat, sebagaimana dia mendakwa menerima dalam jumlah yang banyak.

Mengapa tidak boleh saya menyifatkan anda sebagai rasis apabila anda kelihatan kecewa dengan pujian dan respons-respons positif yang saya terima daripada bukan Melayu dan cuba untuk meletakkannya sebagai negatif terhadap diri saya, khususnya yang datang daripada Kit Siang dan Guan Eng.

Dengan berbuat demikian, anda dengan jelas meletakkan diri anda sebagai, kita orang Melayu, menentang bukan Melayu. Adakah hanya komen dan pujian orang Melayu perlu diambil kira dan yang lain-lain pula diketepikan, atas alasan yang sendiri yang tahu.

Anda mempunyai perjalanan yang begitu jauh untuk menerima bahawa Malaysia adalah sebuah negara milik rakyat Malaysia yang terdiri daripada semua kaum, yang menzahirkan kesetiaan mereka kepada tanah lahir mereka ini.

Sememangnya saya adalah betul apabila bercakap mengenai pengalaman sifar anda dalam politik kerana anda menulis “apabila Melayu tidak mengundi”.

Biar saya menyebut bahawa analisis anda menunjukkan bahawa “apabila BUKAN Melayu tidak mengundi”, kesannya adalah sama.

Anda tidak faham langsung apa yang cuba saya terangkan iaitu “apabila majoriti rakyat Malaysia tidak mengundi”, maka kita semua berhadapan dengan masalah.

Salah satu perkara yang paling buruk untuk dilakukan ialah memberi alasan-alasan terhadap kegagalan anda dengan mengatakan yang lain juga gagal berbuat demikian. Ini adalah sikap mengaku kalah dan pastinya menganggap sebagai satu takdir.

Mengapa tidak anda melihat di sekitar anda dan saya pasti bahawa anda boleh mengenal pasti akhbar-akhbar yang telah berjaya dan menggunakannya sebagai contoh untuk berusaha menaikkan bilangan pembaca akhbar anda. Saya suka mengikuti akhbar Utusan yang lama dan saya mahu anda bekerja keras ke arah menjadikananya akhbar yang gemilang semula.

Saya amat gembira dengan sokongan anda kepada Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) dan bagi memastikan kami boleh berjaya. Saya mahu anda menunaikan apa yang anda perkatakan dan menyokong dasar 1 Malaysia, yang merupkan ilham Perdana Umno dan Pengerusi BN. Beliau berusaha dengan bersungguh-sungguh untuk menang dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang, maka janganlah mencetuskan suasana yang sukar buat beliau.

Awang tidak perlu memberitahu saya mengenai kedudukan Utusan sebagai sebuah Institusi Melayu dan perjuangannya sama seperti Umno. Sebelum anda menyertai Utusan, saya telah berada dalam Pemuda Umno, bermula sebagai anggota Exco sehingga sebagai Timbalan Ketua dan sebagai Pemangku Ketua Pemuda Umno pusat untuk satu tempoh selama satu setengah tahun. Ini adalah bukti kelayakan saya.

Jika saya berada sebagai seorang pemimpin Malaysia pada hari ini, banyak kredit harus dihulurkan kepada Tun Mahathir. Kerana beliau saya berada di sini seperti hari ini dan banyak terhutang kepada beliau. Saya hanya mahu “sifu” saya terus membantu saya dan kepada yang lain-lain agar menjadi pemimpin yang baik di negara bertuah ini dan tidak membezakan negara ini hanya kerana kaum, kepercayaan, agama dan gender.

Untuk menjadi seorang rakyat Malaysia tidak semestinya anti-Melayu. Saya berharap yang ini akan difahami oleh semua.

Akhirnya, dalam usaha menyebarkan mesej kepada publik sebagaimana didakwa oleh Awang, adalah penting mesej-mesej anda keluar dengan jelas dan terang buat mereka. Ini kerana anda tidak boleh dipanggil setiap kali untuk membuat penjelasan.

Yang perlu anda ingat sepanjang masa ialah bukannya apa yang anda fikirkan perlu, tetapi apa yang khalayak membuat tanggapan tentang anda. Sedih untuk diperkatakan di sini bahawa bukan Melayu menganggap Utusan sebagai rasis. Dan, itu sebabnya saya membawa isu saya rakyat Malaysia terlebih dahulu dan orang Melayu kemudian, sekiranya anda tidak faham apa sebabnya.


Apa pun Awang, saya tidak tahu siapa anda sebenarnya.

Related Article

English Translation of Dato Seri Aziz's Open Letter

Nazri responds to Utusan Malaysia’s Awang Selamat

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The following is an open-letter by Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz in response to a Mingguan Malaysia editorial today entitled, “Lagi Jawapan buat Nazri Aziz”,by Awang Selamat.

FROM: Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
PADANG RENGAS,
September 26, 2010

To: Mr Whoever You Are in Utusan Malaysia

Of course I will respond to your article.

If we believe in the freedom of speech, let it be known that it is not only given to the Press but also to the individual.

In exercising my right of reply and to defend myself, please do not interpret it to mean I am stifling criticism against me. Far from it; I have been criticised all my years in politics and I am still here where I am.

Mr Utusan said that he got a lot of SMS to justify that he received support for his article on me. I do not want to talk about the SMS and emails that I received because he will not be able to verify them, but I am sure he has also been informed that comments made by ordinary people reading the portal have shown that I, too, have support from public just as he claimed he has — if not more.

How can I not dub you a racist when you seem to be upset with the praises and positive responses I got from the non-Malays and attempt to put it as something negative on me, especially those coming from (Lim) Kit Siang and (Lim) Guan Eng?

By doing this you have clearly defined your position as “we Malays against you non-Malays”.

Are the comments and praises of the Malays [the] only [ones that] count, and the rest can go to you-know-where? You have a long way to go in accepting that Malaysia is a country belonging to Malaysians of all races who swear their loyalty to the land of their birth.

I am right about your zero experience in politics because you wrote “When the Malays don’t vote”.

Well, let me tell you our analysis has shown that “When the NON-Malays don’t vote”, the effect is the same.

You have never understood what I have been trying to say, that the most important point is that “When the majority of Malaysians don’t vote” then we all are in trouble.

One of the worst things to do is to offer excuses for your failure by saying others failed too. This is a defeatist attitude and a sure recipe for doom. Why don’t you look around? I am sure you can find other papers which succeed and use them as incentive to work in increasing your readership. I like the Utusan of old and I want you to work hard towards making this paper great again.

I read with extreme happiness your support for Umno and Barisan Nasional and to ensure that we will succeed. I want you to walk your talk and support the 1 Malaysia policy which is the brainchild of the President of Umno and Chairman of Barisan Nasional. He is working very, very hard to win the next General Election, so please don’t make it difficult for him.

Awang does not need to tell me about how Utusan is a Malay institution and that its struggle is the same with Umno. Long before you joined Utusan, I have been in Umno Youth — right from being appointed exco member to the post of deputy leader — and for one-and-a-half years acting leader of Umno Youth Malaysia. That is my credential.

If I am a Malaysian leader today, a lot of credit must be given to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. I hold him responsible for what I am today and I owe him a lot. I just want my “sifu” to continue to help me and the others to be good leaders of this blessed country of ours and not to divide us by race, creed, cult and gender.

To be a Malaysian does not necessarily mean to be anti-Malay. I hope this will be understood by all.

Finally, being involved in the dissemination of messages to public as claimed by Awang, it is very important that your messages come out loud and clear to them. At the end of the day you cannot be called upon to explain all the time. What you have to bear in mind is not what you think you are but what the public perceive of you.

Sad to say, the non-Malays perceive Utusan as racist, period. And that is why I brought up the issue of Malaysian first and Malay next, in case you don’t understand why.

By the way, I still do not know who YOU are, Awang?
- Dato Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz

Journalists’ Union demands Utusan Malaysia Abolish UNETHICAL Policies

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National Union of Journalists (NUJ) president Hata Wahari demanded today that Utusan Malaysia abolish editorial policies which go against “journalistic ethics” in order to tackle a severe drop in its readership circulation.

The newly-minted union president claimed that the Umno-owned daily’s existing policies had resulted in a sharp decline in the paper’s circulation in recent years.

Hata said in a statement today:

“NUJ Malaysia is worried with the decline in mainstream newspapers’ circulation especially Utusan Malaysia’s. Utusan’s total circulation has dropped from 213,000 to 169,000 ( minus 21 per cent) between the years 2005-2009 as released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) on September 10 last year.

We feel that the drop in Utusan’s overall circulation is due to several factors, most of them being the policies that are currently adopted by the chief editor and senior editors in Utusan. These policies are against the ethics of journalism.

Utusan practises biased reporting whereby it only reports positively if it involves BN while all negative reports will be directed towards PR and the states which the opposition coalition governs.

The newspaper also does not give an opportunity for an accused to answer certain allegations by choosing not to publish it. In this matter, Utusan adopts an approach where it does not publish statements made by political parties or individuals who criticise the newspaper.

Utusan Malaysia only publishes news for the benefit of one race, causing Chinese, Indians as well as other Bumiputeras to no longer be interested in reading the newspaper even though they can read and write in Bahasa Malaysia. Utusan as a newspaper has to take into consideration the needs of other races.

If these policies continue to be implemented, Utusan’s circulation will continue to drop in the future. Perhaps one day Utusan Malaysia will be reduced to be inserted within the pages of Kosmo, since comparatively the Malay tabloid has been experiencing a steady increase year after year.”

Hata, who is also an Utusan journalist, claimed that the Malay daily’s reporting was “biased” in nature, saying that positive coverage revolved around Barisan Nasional (BN) while negative reports were specifically reserved for Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

The NUJ president cited the example of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s responses to Utusan columnist Awang Selamat which had not been carried by Utusan.

Utusan, in continuing its attacks against Nazri, claimed yesterday that the minister’s criticisms against the Umno-owned daily had been “unfounded” and unbecoming of an Umno minister.

In its weekend edition Mingguan Malaysia, Awang Selamat slammed Nazri for questioning the daily’s agenda and for pointing out that Utusan’s readership circulation had dwindled over recent years while online news portals were attracting more readership.

The columnist, whose pseudonym is used by Utusan editors, maintained that Utusan was a “Malay institution,” and that the paper’s agenda was in the national interest, dismissing Nazri’s recent allegations that the daily had become “racist” in its reporting.

Awang also defended Utusan’s drop in circulation yesterday, claiming that it was a trend that was currently being experienced by many other newspapers in Asia.

The columnist also claimed that online news portals were “feeding off” news reports and articles from Utusan without the paper’s permission, and that without the issues being reported by Utusan, these online news portals would lose their readership value.

But Hata maintained today that Utusan was only publishing news for the needs of one race, saying that this had inadvertently caused non-Malay readers to stop reading the Malay daily.

Hata dismissed Utusan’s claims that its online readership had increased, claiming that an increase in Utusan Online did not mean an increase in revenue because the bulk of Utusan Online’s profits was obtained through Internet advertisements.

The NUJ president painted a bleak picture of Utusan’s future.

Pemimpin PAS TIDAK Iklas dan Jujur dengan Pengundi

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PAS Tak Ikhlas
Dengan Pengundi



Mustaffa Ali of PAS was asked:

Do you want to win the elections and form the next federal government OR do you want to propagate Islam?

His reply was:

Propagate Islam.

PAS leaders had said PAS is NOT concerned about whether it wins the general elections or not, as long as it can use the "political platform" to propagate Islam.

By using the political platform PAS would be able to talk about Islam, they explained, otherwise PAS would have no platform to stand on to talk about Islam.

If this is true and if it is still the policy of PAS. then the party must declare this to the voters.

PAS should be honest about its intentions -- that is, it wants to talk about Islam and NOT to win elections.

Then the voters can decide whether to vote for PAS or not.

Or else PAS is being DISHONEST and is taking the voters for a ride.

These types of PAS leaders should get out of politics and concentrate on doing missionary (dakwah) work and let the politicians do the job of winning elections and of changing the government.

PAS has to be clear on what it wants and this mission and vision statement must be made public.

If NOT, then PAS is NOT an honest party.

The reality of politics (is) about winning the general elections and about changing the government.

PAS, however, is talking about saving my soul and about making sure I get to go to heaven and not to hell.

We are on two different wavelengths here.

Malays would say: Macam ayam dengan itek bercakap.
-Raja Petra Kamarudin

RELATED ARTICLE

Grow up, PAS supporters

by

Raja Petra Kamarudin

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We are still seeing a lot of venom being spitted out because of my article on Hudud. The trouble is these people appear to think they have every right to propagate Hudud (just because they happen to be Muslim-Malays) and others have absolutely no right to oppose the issue.

They appear to have forgotten one very crucial issue. PAS is a political party. Therefore, whatever PAS says and does is politics. That is all it is. Politics. Nothing more nothing less.

Any political party is allowed to propagate and promote its objective, aspiration, ideology, mission, vision, manifesto, and what have you. This is the right of all political parties. And in that same spirit, any citizen of Malaysia has the right to disagree with what these political parties stand for. It just happens to be that PAS promotes the Hudud issue. And those who do not support this issue are allowed to oppose it.

• What if PAS promotes the issue that every Malaysian citizen must be given a free cow? Do we have right to oppose that if we disagree with this idea?
  
  
• What if PAS says that Malaysian males of the age of 15 must be allowed to vote and for females it should be the age of 11 because that is the age of puberty?
  
  
• Can we disagree with that proposal on grounds that Malaysians of age 11-15 are just too young and instead propose that all Malaysians of the age of 18 should be allowed to vote since they can get married and can drive a car at that age -- so they should be also allowed to vote at that age?
  
  
• PAS members and Malaysians in general scream that Barisan Nasional and Umno do not respect the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. But do the PAS supporters respect the Constitution?
  
  
• Article 8 (1 and 2) of the Constitution says all Malaysians must be treated equal. So how can Muslims suffer a different punishment from non-Muslims for crimes they commit? Is this not a violation of the Constitution?
  
  
• And is PAS respecting the Constitution by proposing different punishments for crimes based on your religion? The Constitution says there must be no discrimination based on religion.
  
  
• PAS requires non-Muslims to pay ‘Islamic’ tax other than income tax. Muslims pay zakat and non-Muslims pay kharaj. Is this not a violation of Article 11(2) of the Constitution?

Why scream about Barisan Nasional and Umno not respecting the Constitution when we too do not respect it?

We scream blue murder when it suits us. But we also violate the Constitution when it suits us.

This is what these emotional PAS supporters are overlooking.

PAS is a political party. And everything they say and do must be seen as politics. And in politics we have a right to agree, disagree, and agree to disagree.

So what if PAS happens to be talking about Islam or Islamic laws? It is still politics since PAS is a political party. And in politics we have every right to agree or disagree with what you say and do.

Grow up, PAS supporters. Stop acting like bloody spoiled children who throw tantrums every time someone does not agree with you. You are still far from matured.

And until you show maturity do not expect us to show you respect.

Respect must be earned. Stop demanding that we show you respect when you have not earned it.

Ketua Pemuda PAS Nasrudin Hassan, Sila Guna Otak Kamu Sebelum Buka Mulut

Pemikiran Kurang Matang

Quote

"....The issue (here) is the quality of the PAS Youth leader's (Nasrudin Hassan) argument.

If this is the best that PAS can offer in terms of leadership, then I do not have much hope for this party.

PAS leaders like Nasrudin Hassan need to think things through carefully BEFORE they open their mouths, or else people might start forming an opinion that all PAS leaders are outdated and narrow-minded country bumpkins.

Nasrudin Hassan needs to present his case and convince Malaysians that things would IMPROVE by removing the British system in favour of an Islamic system.

By just quoting the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya as an example of a failed system WITHOUT further explanation on HOW Hudud could have prevented her murder is a stupid argument, not befitting someone of the status of a PAS Youth leader.

The failure of the present system is NOT because it happens to be a British system and that by abolishing it in favour of an Islamic system all our problems would be solved.

The failure of the present system is because the so-called Muslims managing the system are corrupt to the core.

Nasrudin Hassan, please study history. Once upon a time the western world also implemented God’s law. But the church was so corrupt that injustice prevailed.Innocent people suffered because they opposed the church and/or the kings.

In the name of God, religious people killed those who did not kowtow to the powers-that-be.

Life began to improve only when the people revolted and overthrew their corrupted leaders and got rid of God’s laws in favour of democratic republics.

We have been down this road before.

So NO , the answer does NOT lie in God’s Laws. In fact, God’s Laws were actually the PROBLEM because it was so easy to manipulate the so-called Word of God and no one dared question the injustice lest they be accused of being anti-God.

If the system is not working, then don’t change the system. Get rid of the people who are manipulating and corrupting the system.

My dear Nasrudin Hassan, "JUSTICE", which is supposed to be the foundation of Islam, can only be achieved if Muslims understand what the word "JUSTICE" means.Currently they do NOT.

Muslims talk about justice. But there is no justice in their hearts. Their hearts are black with injustice.This is where the problem lies...."
-Raja Petra Kamarudin

Nasrudin Hassan : Is This the Best Type of Leader that PAS Can Offer?

Excerpts: Read here for more

The PAS Youth chief, Nasrudin Hassan, wants the Islamic criminal laws known as Hudud to be implemented in the country.

He said, “The existing legal system has not been successful, so there is a need for an alternative system,” and he cited the gruesome murder of businesswoman Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others as an example of the failure of the current system.

By just quoting the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya as an example of a failed system without further explanation on how Hudud could have prevented her murder is a stupid argument not befitting someone of the status of a PAS Youth leader.

If this is the best that PAS can offer in terms of leadership then I do not have much hope for this party.

Nasrudin Hassan's Narrow-Mindedness

The issue is the quality of the PAS Youth leader’s argument.

Why is the present legal system bad? And how can Hudud improve things?

This is where Nasrudin Hassan needs to present his case and convince Malaysians that things would improve by removing the British system in favour of an Islamic system.

The failure of the present system is not because it happens to be a British system and that by abolishing it in favour of an Islamic system all our problems would be solved. The failure of the present system is because the so-called Muslims managing the system are corrupt to the core.

He whacks the system and blames THAT for the problems facing the country. The system is not working so we abolish the system and we replace it with another more workable system.

Is it really a system failure or an implementation (human) failure? Any system, when badly or wrongly implemented, or implemented with mala fide intent, will fail. So is it a system failure or a human failure?

Nasrudin Hassan said, “We have opened up our doors to everyone including our partners in Pakatan for a discussion. I don’t think that goes against the spirit of Pakatan Rakyat that aims to form a just government,”.

My dear Nasrudin Hassan, justice cannot be achieved this way. Justice, which is supposed to be the foundation of Islam, can only be achieved if Muslims understand what the word justice means. Currently they do NOT .

Muslims talk about justice. But there is no justice in their hearts.

Their hearts are black with injustice. This is where the problem lies.

Corrupt Muslims Fail the British System

The Muslim political leaders are corrupt. The Muslim civil servants are corrupt. The Muslim judges are corrupt. The Muslim police officers are corrupt. The Muslim MACC officers are corrupt. The Muslim public prosecutors are corrupt. The Muslim lawyers representing criminals are corrupt and they bribe judges to fix their clients’ cases.

In fact, there are as many corrupt non-Muslims as there are corrupt Muslims.

But it is the Muslims and not the non-Muslims who are asking for Hudud to be implemented so I am focusing my argument on the so-called righteous Muslims who are actually very corrupt and not righteous at all.

You mean to say that every single PAS leader and member is above corruption?

Come on! Some PAS people are also corrupt. As what Ibrahim Ali said: the only difference between PAS and Umno is that the PAS people utter ‘Bismillah’ before they take a bribe whilst Umno people do not.

The Muslim political leaders are corrupt. The Muslim civil servants are corrupt. The Muslim judges are corrupt. The Muslim police officers are corrupt. The Muslim MACC officers are corrupt. The Muslim public prosecutors are corrupt. The Muslim lawyers representing criminals are corrupt and they bribe judges to fix their clients’ cases.

Malaysia can abolish the present legal system. Malaysia can adopt Islamic laws such as Hudud.

But if Muslim judges, police officers, MACC investigators, lawyers and public prosecutors can be bribed to rig cases, then no system in the world will work.

The Problem with Implementing Huddud Laws in Malaysia

1. First of all, PAS told us that all Islamic laws, Hudud included, would not apply to non-Muslims but only to Muslims. If this is true then why quote the example of the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya? This woman was allegedly killed by Indian Hindus, not by Malay Muslims.
   
   
   And since Hudud applies only to Muslims then it does not matter whether Malaysia does or does not implement these Islamic laws. It would not have deterred these Indian Hindus from killing Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya because they would have been exempted from these laws anyway.
   
   
2. Now, if Hudud, an Islamic law, will also apply to non-Muslims, then why only Hudud? There are many Islamic laws, Hudud being just one of them. If Hudud will apply to non-Muslims as well, then all the other Islamic laws must also apply to non-Muslims.
   
   
   

   • Will non-Muslims get arrested for drinking beer?
     
     
   • Will non-Muslims get arrested for not attending the Friday prayers in the mosque?
     
     
   • Will non-Muslims get arrested for bonking a woman who is not his wife? And so on.

If the answer is ‘no’, if non-Muslims are exempted from all these Islamic laws, then they should also be exempted from Hudud, which is one of many Islamic laws.

Is this fair?

Non-Muslims can commit serious crimes and get exemption from Islamic laws. Muslims who commit serious crimes get punished under Islamic laws.

So Muslims who commit murder get dragged into the public square after Friday prayers and get beheaded. Non-Muslims relax in jail.

So, if I get arrested and charged for murder, all I need to do is to tell the court that I had in fact renounced Islam a long time ago and then I escape punishment under Hudud.

Or will I instead get charged for apostate and get put to death for leaving Islam? So, I escape the punishment for murder under Hudud but I still die for apostasy.

So you see, PAS leaders like Nasrudin Hassan need to think things through carefully before they open their mouths or else people might start forming an opinion that all PAS leaders are outdated and narrow-minded country bumpkins.

Hudud is merely the punishment. But before the criminals can be punished they must first be put on trial.

• For a fee the AG’s Chambers can declare that the case is NFA (no further action) because of ‘lack of evidence’.
  
  
• For a fee the police can declare that they investigated the case and found no evidence of guilt.
  
  
• For a fee the judge can declare that no prima facie case had been made against the accused and discharge the accused without the defence being called.

Can Hudud solve the crime problem when cases can be rigged and criminals can bribe Muslim officials to get off?

What about if they fabricate evidence against a political enemy of those who walk in the corridors of power and an innocent man is punished? An innocent person can face punishment if the police, AG and judge say that the person is guilty even if that person is not.

Can Hudud prevent this from happening? How can Hudud ensure that the system remains free of corruption and abuse?

Nasrudin Hassan and PAS Leaders Must Broaden Their Minds First

Nasrudin Hassan, please study history.

Once upon a time the western world also implemented God’s law. But the church was so corrupt that injustice prevailed. The church eliminated the enemies of the many kings of Europe by using God’s laws as the weapon. Innocent people suffered because they opposed the church and/or the kings. In the name of God religious people killed those who did not kowtow to the powers-that-be.

We have been down this road before. And life began to improve only when the people revolted and overthrew their corrupted leaders and got rid of God’s laws in favour of democratic republics.

So no, the answer does not lie in God’s laws. In fact, God’s laws were actually the problem because it was so easy to manipulate the so-called Word of God and no one dared question the injustice lest they be accused of being anti-God.

If the system is not working then don’t change the system. Get rid of the people who are manipulating and corrupting the system.

Even Present System of Government is Also NOT Working

The Westminster system of government also does not seem to be working. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat garners 50% of the popular vote but can’t win 50% of the seats.

Barisan Nasional can still form the federal government even if they garner only 45% of the popular vote. Pakatan Rakyat would have to garner 60% of the popular vote to be able to form the federal government.

This means, under the present system, Pakatan Rakyat can NEVER form the federal government because it is impossible for it to garner 60% of the popular vote with the election fraud, phantom voters, postal voting, gerrymandering, and so on, going on.

So what do we do?

• Do we abolish general elections?
  
  
• If we do then how do we choose our government?
  
  
• Or do we just let the military run the country?

What we must do is to get rid of the corrupt Muslims heading the Elections Commission (SPR). It is the Muslims in the SPR who are the problem.

And no Islamic system can improve things if the Muslims who are supposed to be the implementers are corrupt.
-Raja Petra Kamarudin

UMNO Yang Hilang Kuasa, BUKAN MELAYU

Quote

"....Masyarakat Melayu diindoktrinasi melalui pelbagai cara termasuk penggunaan NGO untuk berlakon sebagai mangsa dengan tujuan untuk mengeliru dan membantutkan seluruh anggota masyarakat supaya kekal terpasung fikirannya dan emosinya baik oleh kerajaan penjajah dan kini melalui penggantinya, UMNO.

"Politik Ketakutan" menggunakan Perkara 153 Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagai alat untuk penipuan yang penuh terdesak.

Kita perlu melawan usaha-usaha ini (untuk) mengubah Minda Melayu daripada KEBIMBANGAN PALSU tentang kehilangan identiti dan pembangunan ekonomi kepada daya positif yang akhirnya mencipta masyarakat yang penuh keyakinan dan tidak lagi terkongkong.

Bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir sekali lagi memainkan api perkauman apabila beliau menyatakan Melayu akan hilang kuasa kalau Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memerintah.

Saya berpandangan kenyataan itu sebagai tidak bertanggungjawab dan merupakan sebahagian usaha terdesak untuk menjejaskan kestabilan negara.

Saya dengan rendah hati membuat tawaran untuk berdebat dengan Tun Dr Mahathir supaya 'kebimbangan' Melayu - yang pastinya tidak melibatkan keseluruhan masyarakat - yang disebut itu dapat dijelaskan, sama ada kerana Takut Melayu Hilang Kuasa atau Hilang Harta?
-Nurul Izzah Anwar,
MP Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur

UMNO Yang Hilang Kuasa, BUKANnya MELAYU

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Wawancara itu dipetik media arus perdana dengan menyiarkan kenyataan Mahathir yang mendakwa kuasa politik Melayu akan hilang sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat mendapat kuasa seperti yang berlaku di Perak sebelum dirampas oleh BN.

Pagi tadi saya dikunjungi oleh seorang rakan karib yang mengatakan rasa terkejutnya dengan tersiarnya berita muka depan utusan mengenai kenyataan Mahathir yang maksudnya "Melayu akan habis", kata saya sebenarnya "Mahathir yang akan habis" bila Pakatan Rakyat menang.

Kenyataan terbaru Mahathir itu bagi saya menggambarkan kebimbangan dirinya sendiri sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat berkuasa kerana segala kemungkaran yang pernah dilakukannya semasa menjadi PM satu masa dulu akan dibongkar.

Ahli parlimen Bukit Gantang, Datuk Seri Muhamad Nizar Jamaludin mengatakan Tun Dr Mahathir dikuasai otak perkauman berhubung wawancaranya itu yang mengingatkan bahawa orang Melayu bakal kehilangan kuasa dan suara jika Pakatan Rakyat berjaya mengambil alih tampuk pemerintahan negara.

Dakwaan Mahathir yang disiarkan dihalaman hadapan akhbar rasisi utusan kelmarin jelas merupakan kenyataan bersifat perkauman

"Umno pasti hilang kuasa dan suara jika Pakatan Rakyat memerintah negeri-negeri dan pusat. Tun Mahathir kata Melayu hilang kuasa dan suara. Ini kenyataan rasis dan hasutan," kata Nizar menerusi twitternya.

Beliau memberi jaminan, yang akan hilang kuasa jika Pakatan menduduki Putrajaya adalah Umno dan bukannya orang Melayu.

Keadaan yang sama telah berlaku kepada kawan baiknya yang juga bekas Presiden Indonesia, Suharto yang telah berdepan dengan pembongkaran segala kemungkaran sehingga diseret ke mahkamah semasa dipenghujung hayatnya.

Mantan presiden Umno itu mendakwa, walaupun menteri besarnya Melayu dari PAS iaitu Muhamad Nizar tetapi kerajaan itu dikuasai oleh DAP. Bagi saya ini satu lagi kenyataan yang sangat tidak bertanggungjawab dan tuduhan liar tanpa bukti.

Kenyataan Mahathir bagi saya untuk mengembalikan sokongan orang Melayu kepada UMNO dan Mahadhir sudah sangat terdesak dengan berjuang dengan Perkasa yang rasisi itu.

Malah bagi saya Perkasa yang tidak jelas halatujunya menjadi pilihan dan dahan berpaut yang sangat rapuh kepada perjuangan akhir hayat Mahadhir.

Sesungguhnya UMNO dan Perkasa sudah ditolak oleh orang Melayu yang sudah lama kehilangan kuasa akibat oleh pemimpin Melayu yang mementingkan perjuangan peribadi kroni serta kepentingan kelompok kecil sehingga kuasa politik dan ekonomi Melayu terhakis sekian lama.

Sesungguhnya dengan wadah Pakatan Rakyat, khususnya PAS , saya melihat dengan keadilan Islam yang berjuang tanpa batas bangsa, sebenarnya inilah yang akan menyelamatkan kuasa Melayu yang dimaksudkan.

Apa artinya kuasa sekiranya Melayu merempat dinegaranya sendiri.
-DRS. KHALIL IDHAM LIM

Related Article

MAHATHIR Bersikap Tidak Bertanggungjawab Dengan Usahanya Menjejaskan Kestabilan Negara

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Semalam 23 September bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir sekali lagi memainkan api perkauman apabila beliau menyatakan Melayu akan hilang kuasa kalau Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memerintah. Katanya juga dia bukanlah bersikap perkauman.

Dr Mahathir juga menggambarkan bahawa orang Cina atau India mungkin menjadi Perdana Menteri jika PR mengambil alih negara, kerana Perlembagaan tidak menghadkan jawatan itu kepada mana- mana kaum.

Saya berpandangan kenyataan itu sebagai tidak bertanggungjawab dan merupakan sebahagian usaha terdesak untuk menjejaskan kestabilan negara.

Selain penggunaan isu perkauman untuk Umno juga memakai satu-satunya pendekatan yang mereka mahir, iaitu 'Politik Ketakutan'.

'Politik Ketakutan' menggunakan Perkara 153 Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagai alat untuk penipuan yang penuh terdesak.

Masyarakat Melayu diindoktrinasi melalui pelbagai cara termasuk penggunaan NGO untuk berlakon sebagai mangsa dengan tujuan untuk mengeliru dan membantutkan seluruh anggota masyarakat supaya kekal terpasung fikirannya dan emosinya baik oleh kerajaan penjajah dan kini melalui penggantinya, Umno.

Matlamat ini tidak lain dan tidak bukan untuk mengekalkan dominasi politik oleh sekelompok kecil elit Melayu yang rapat dengan pusat kuasa, melalui rasuah, salah guna kuasa dan secara berterusan mengabaikan perlembagaan. Malang sekali kerana tindakan mereka ini dibantu oleh MCA, MIC, Gerakan dan parti komponen BN lain yang terus membisu dan membuang tanggungjawab yang sepatutnya digalas.

Kita perlu melawan usaha-usaha ini dengan menekankan 'Politik Berlandaskan Harapan dan Kebebasan' yang akan mengubah Minda Melayu daripada kebimbangan palsu tentang kehilangan identiti dan pembangunan ekonomi kepada daya positif yang akhirnya mencipta masyarakat yang penuh keyakinan dan tidak lagi terkongkong.

Oleh itu, dengan matlamat untuk bertukar pendapat, demi mewujudkan 'Malaysia Yang Lebih Baik Untuk Semua Rakyat', saya dengan rendah hati membuat tawaran untuk berdebat dengan Tun Dr Mahathir supaya 'kebimbangan' Melayu - yang pastinya tidak melibatkan keseluruhan masyarakat - yang disebut itu dapat dijelaskan, sama ada kerana Takut Melayu Hilang Kuasa atau Hilang Harta?
-Nurul Izzah Anwar
MP, Lembah Pantai,KUALA LUMPUR

As a Former Leader, Mahathir is Irresponsible and Racially Divisive

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“Irresponsible and desperate attempt to destabilise the nation,” said Nurul Izzah Anwar, MP for Lembah Pantai, in her response to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s warning that Malays would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) came to power.

According to Izzah , not only has the race card being used to incite but also to perpetuate the only approach that UMNO and its leaders (past and present) have used with impunity which is the ‘Politics of Fear’.

Izzah said,

..“The ‘politics of fear’ uses Article 153 as a political instrument of deceit and despair.

The Malays are indoctrinated through all means available including using NGOs to continue to ‘act’ out a victim mentality narrative that degrades, confuses and paralyses a community to remain enslaved intellectually and emotionally first by the colonial masters and now by its new reincarnation, UMNO.

The aim (is) to maintain political hegemony by the ruling Malay elite few who have enriched themselves through corruption, abuse of power and undermining the constitution relentlessly.

Sadly, they have been assisted by MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the other BN component parties by their silence and omission to act responsibly.

We must fight back by emphasising on the ‘Politics of Hope and Liberation’, which will transform the Malay Mind from the false fear of losing their identity and economical development to a positive force that will create a confident and liberated community.

Therefore, with the aim for a constructive engagement to build a ‘Better Malaysia for All Malaysians’, I humbly offer to debate with Tun Dr. Mahathir to clarify if his ‘fear’ for the Malays is really about loss of power or in reality loss of wealth for the chosen few (Takut Melayu Hilang Kuasa atau Hilang Harta)?”.

Utusan Malaysia has today reported Mahathir’s statement that Malays would lose power if PR came to power.

He implied that a Chinese or an Indian could become prime minister if PR took federal power because there was no constitutional restriction on race for the position.

DPM-cum-Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin Says He CANNOT Act Against RACIST School Principals: Malaysians Respond

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UNBELIEVABLE !!!
WHAT AN IDIOT
OF A MALAYSIAN MINISTER!!

An Example of Leadership Irresponsibility

- Unfit to Lead the Nation

MALAYSIA's Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Malaysia's Education Minister claimed today he had NO power to take action against the two school principals who allegedly uttered racial slurs.

He explained to reporters here today that this was because disciplinary matters involving high-ranking civil servants comes under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Department (PSD).

Earlier this month, PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah told a press conference in Putrajaya that the department had already received a “six-inch thick” report from the Education Ministry on the matter.

1. Siti Inshah Mansor, the principal of SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, had allegedly told students during an assembly that the Chinese could return to China and that the Indians resembled “dogs” with their prayer strings.
   
   “Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu,” she had allegedly said last month.
   
   Following the public uproar over her controversial statement, about 20 reports were lodged against the principal.
   
   
2. In the Kedah case, Ungku Aznan Ungku Ismail, the school principal for SMK Bukit Selambau in Sungai Petani, caused a national outcry when he too allegedly uttered racial slurs to his non-Malay students.
   
   Ungku Aznan had allegedly publicly told a few Chinese students to go back to China for they were behaving disrespectfully when they were seen having breakfast in the school canteen during the Ramadan fasting month.
   
   He later escaped stern punishment when he was merely reassigned to an office in the district education office at Kuala Muda in Sungai Petani, shortly after the incident, drawing flak from many political leaders, including those from MCA.

The government has come under fire for failing to act quickly on the matter, despite their swift action in the case of controversial rapper Wee Meng Chee or “Namewee”, who had produced a video in response to the incident involving the principals.

The opposition said the government was practicing “double-standards” in how it handled both matters, and have predicted that the Johor school principal would likely be let off with a mere slap on the wrist.

Malaysians' Response

Read here and here and here for more

• Imagine, the Minister of Education HAVE NO POWER to take action !! What does this imbecile moron of a Minister think the rakyat are fools or what. He is so stupid that he can utter this comment without blinking an eye. God save Malaysia.
  
  
• What a joke ! The number 2 man in Malaysia?
  
  
• REALLY...??? D PM has no jurisdiction! Since when does politicians/ministers have NO power over civil servants! Its almost unheard of. Most ministers, if offended, will turn ballistic and will transfer the officer (regardless of grade) within 24 hours. Don't you know that these politicians/ ministers are Almighty, and God help those civil servants who cross their paths. If you dont believe me, ask the DG of Tourism Malaysia! However and strangely, this DPM wasn't offended at all by the Principal's statement, so he did the sane thing and went to sleep ignoring it. Good advice by Badawi. Also, from DPMs perspective, its a good move, as he was probably more concern with offending Pekasa.
  
  
• OMG, what happens to the country IF this guy becomes the next PM!
  
  
• How nice to be a MALAY in Malaysia.
  
  
• If a NON-Malay principal were to make racist remarks, would he suddenly find the power to take action?
  
  
• Tentu la tak bolih take action. Tetapi when that Chinaman sing about makan banana, immediately police swing into action. Ini la dia Muhyddin, bila orang UMNO, tentu ada immunity from prosecution.
  
  
• When it implicates his own people the authority is delegated but when the curse is against his people he will jump and proceed with action immediately. Response does not seem to originate from DPM, base on the shallowness of the answer.
  
  
• If ONLY you were not so stubborn to maintain that you are Malay FIRST. That to me, was the greatest damage done. You are inculcating and encouraging many racists to be more racist. Has it ever occurred to you that since your pronouncement, many of your community have become bolder and extreme?
  
  
• Itulah UMNO...atas meja salam-salaman,bawah meja senapang dah sedia untuk tembak.Jadi saya di sini berharap rakyat Malaysia...jadi-jadilah dengan BN dan keluar mengundi PR untuk perubahan berlainan dan telus in the next general election.
  
  
• No it is not that I cannot take action against them, it is I am AFRAID to take action against them.
  
  
• Incompetent minister, just imagine if this guy becomes PM, it will be nightmare.
  
  
• What to expect! Being a racist himself, he supports those school principals .
  
  
• Ajaran kita sebagai manusia semakin merosot di negara ini. Guru besar semua ni, kalau anda tahu apa masuk nya menjadi contoh kepada murid-murid anda, sila letak jawatan. Kerajaan pulak tidak membuat apa-apa sebagai disiplin. Memalukan..
  
  
• . As a DPM and Education Minister, YOU are powerless? The report is 6 inches thick just for confirming these principals uttered racist slurs? We know your modus operandi to drag the cases on and on until the rakyat lupa because they lupa easily, right?
  
  
• By government circulars, this may be correct, but as the Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister of the country, he can easily instruct the PSD to initiate the action to sack the principal, or at least, Muhyuddin should say he thinks the principal should be sacked, and then instructs the PSD to follow up.
  
  
• As a DPM, sure YOU can instruct the Public Service Department to discipline the two school principals, this is common sense.
  
  
• It is completely rubbish to say that he has no authority to investigate and discipline those who made seditious slurs within the school compound. If our DPM as the highest Minister in charge of Education cannot discipline his sub-ordinate, who else is more powerful than him. Perhaps he should just resign and take full responsibility for the seditious remarks made by those two school principals.
  
  
• DPM is right that he could not because if he take action on the racist principles, there would not be many left in MOE, including himself!!! Got it!!!
  
  
• Not only did this guy decide to do nothing, he turns around and insult your intelligence with a dumb excuse. Or the government of Malaysia has just surrendered the country to the generals running the ministry of education.
  
  
• When he was just another minister in Badawi's government, he openly called for Badawi, the PM then to step down. Now as DPM and also the Education Minister he claim he can't even instruct that the delinquent headmistresses be disciplined. C'mon DPM, you can't fool us all the time. What you have said plus the poor education system these days only confirms that he is not fit to be the DPM and Education Minister.
  
  
• Great... now all schools can run wild because the Minister of Education has disclosed that he cannot touch the school heads. ... We are not stupid. If there is a will, there is a way. There is just an absence of ;WILL here (not to mention brains), I am sure you can think of something more intelligent. If it were someone from the PR they will probably be charged with sedition or transferred to Sek Keb Pulau Jerejak.
  
  
• What nonsense message are you delivering to insult our intelligence !!! If its some other races doing these insulting remarks ( especially from the opposition front ) , even the navies will go down on them !!! As such, Muhyiddin, the LESSER you talk or do anything or better still , you have an early RETIREMENT , the better Malaysia will be !!! By the way, the whole admin education department should be OVERHAUL !!!
  
  
• Hendak seribu daya; tak hendak seribu dalih!! This attitude or mindset as exemplifies by DPM is the very thing that pushes Malaysia down. Apa boleh buat, bukan dalam bidang kuasa atau taaluk saya - typical response from bureaucrats. If this is the kind of leaders that we have, we are doomed from the start!
  
  
• He is not Malay first in the actual fact! He is UMNOPutra first !!!
  
  
• Frankly, I do not agree with the DPM. In any chain of command, the DPM has the authority to instruct the Home Minister (read the IGP) and the Chief Secretary (read PSD DG) to take the appropriate actions to prevent these kind of incidents from happening again. These incidents which are very offensive (read seditious) to the 2 largest minority groups have already created unhealthy conditions in the country. The worst case scenario is that when no stern actions are taken, other senior civil servants are encouraged and will continue to belittle the minority groups in the country. Why? Simply because there is absolutely no fear of punishment for their inappropriate actions.
  
  
  

Daim Zainuddin: UMNO Godfather of Mahathir's Cronies and Malaysia's Financial SCANDALS

Read here for more on "FinanceTwitter"

Quote

".... Daim Zainuddin , the Mr Moneybags of UMNO, can easily become the richest man in Malaysia if his wealth is OPENLY declared.

Mahathir and Daim were intimate friends from the same village in Alor Setar.

Daim was so influential during Mahathir’s administration that Musa Hitam, Deputy Prime Minister, couldn’t get Mahathir’s attention when Musa commented about Daim’s dealings in awarding HUGE projects to his cronies such as Tajuddin Ramli, Halim Saad, Wan Azmi, Samsuddin Hassan, Rashid Hussain, Amin Shah and others.

As Finance Minister, Daim practically ordered banks to lend money to any companies he desired. Daim and his cronies also profited tremendously from shares allocated from company listing (IPO) on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

As the Finance Minister, Daim persuaded Mahathir for absolute power in running the Economic Planning Unit and the nation’s Treasury. Projects were awarded directly to “preferred” companies aka cronies.

Daim was so influential politically and monetary that he can influence the ups and downs of the local stock exchange.

His boss, former PM Mahathir was speechless when confronted by not only Chairman of Japan’s banks but also former Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that Daim Zainuddin’s demand on the quantum of commissions was simply outrages.

Eventually Mahathir the PM had to relieve Daim Zainuddin of his position (as Finance Minister) lest the PM wish the whole world to know about the irregularities.

Of course Daim Zainuddin was linked to many scandals over his journey in wealth accumulation...."

The Return of Daim Zainuddin’s Monopoly Game

by

"financetwitter"

If there’s an award for the best dressed wolf in sheep’s skin, you can be sure of only one winner – Tun Daim Zainuddin.

The former finance minister is perhaps the politician former Prime Minister Mahathir least has to worry simply because Daim was not an ambitious politician.

Daim loves money and young women more than anything else and this includes power that comes with the position as Finance Minister.

And Mahathir was freaking comfortable with such person. Furthermore Mahathir and Daim were intimate friends from the same village in Alor Setar. Daim was so influential during Mahathir’s administration that Musa Hitam, Deputy Prime Minister, couldn’t get Mahathir’s attention when Musa commented about Daim’s dealings in awarding huge projects to his cronies such as Tajuddin Ramli, Halim Saad, Wan Azmi, Samsuddin Hassan, Rashid Hussain, Amin Shah and others.

Daim, the Mr Moneybags of UMNO, can easily become the richest man in Malaysia if his wealth is openly declared.

During his day as the Finance Minister, Daim persuaded Mahathir for absolute power in running the Economic Planning Unit and the nation’s Treasury. In short projects were awarded directly to “preferred” companies aka cronies.

As Finance Minister, Daim practically ordered banks to lend money to any companies he desired. Daim and his cronies also profited tremendously from shares allocated from company listing (IPO) on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

At one time Daim Zainuddin was so powerful (and greedy) that his boss, Mahathir, was speechless when confronted by not only Chairman of Japan’s banks but also former Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that Daim Zainuddin’s demand on the quantum of commissions was simply outrages.

Daim was so influential politically and monetary that he can influence the ups and downs of the local stock exchange. Eventually Mahathir had to relieve Daim Zainuddin of his position lest the PM wish the whole world to know about the irregularities.

Godfather Daim's Financial Scandals


Of course Daim Zainuddin was linked to many scandals over his journey in wealth accumulation.

1. Daim was allegedly illegally acquired 40.7% of UMBC in 1984 while he was already Finance Minister.
   
   
2. He also owned substantial stake via nominees in previously Development & Commercial Bank, Rashid Hussain Berhad, Bank of Commerce, United Asian Bank, Southern Bank, and Ban Hin Lee Bank before their mergers in the 1990s when he was still Finance Minister.
   
   
3. Daim’s name is also linked in the RM8 billion controversial electrified double-tracking railway project spanning from Gemas to Johor Baru.
   
   It seems CREC (China Railways Engineering Corp.), a Chinese company that has Daim Zainuddin’s finger-prints and was awarded the Letter of Intent, is fighting tooth and nail with Najib’s administration because the PM wanted the project to be awarded to another company. Najib’s crony and golf buddy Tan Kay Hock was allegedly asking RM500 million commission of which RM200 million was for Najib’s family.
   
   
4. One of his cronies, Tajuddin Ramli, recently created havoc when he exposed that it was former prime minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin who instructed him to buy shares in Malaysia Airline System (KLSE: MAS, stock-code 3786) to help Bank Negara (Central Bank) recover from foreign exchange losses in 1994.
   
   
5. And now another (Daim) crony tycoon Halim Saad who was bailed out in the 1997/1998 Asia financial crisis is making headlines in the local stock market.
   
   Halim Saad controlled now defunct Renong Group which in turns owned PLUS and UEM Group Berhad. Both PLUS and UEM are now owned by Khazanah.
   
   It was reported that Halim and Daim are the man behind Asas Serba, a company which proposed to tale over 25 toll expressways in the Peninsular Malaysia.
   
   Asas Serba has offered 20% cut in toll rates in its RM50 billion bid for the acquisition as a carrot to lure the ruling government to accept the proposal. Politically this is attractive since the government could cheer the voters while the government could save RM114 billion (from 2010 until 2038) in a lopsided agreement that allows the concessionaires to raise toll rates every 3-years.
   
   The contender was from Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, one of Najib’s many cronies, who is offering RM45 billion to take over all assets of highway concessions with a 10% toll reduction across the board. The proposal also includes a promise not to increase toll rates in the remaining years of the concession.
   
   The whispers on the street were that Syed Mokhtar is already monopolize the nation’s sugar (that’s right, Robert Kuok no longer the Sugar King) and rice industry so should the same person be crowned the Highway King as well?

However out of all the concessions, the biggest is PLUS Expressway Berhad (KLSE: PLUS: stock-code 5052) which is also the only toll operator owned by the government.

But there’re more questions than the excitements about the PLUS possible acquisitions:

• Why is the government rushing to cash-out their “cash-cow”? Does the de-facto ruling government somehow know they would lose in the next general election?
  
  
• Isn’t RM50 billion too costly a price to pay, not to mention difficulty in finding that amount of funds?
  
  
• Will other highway operators willing to sell their respective cash-cows?
  
  
• Is RM50 billion sufficient to acquire all the 25 expressways considering the bidders need to pay attractive premiums in order for the concessionaires (especially PLUS and Litrak) to let go of their goose that is laying golden eggs?
  
  
• If history were to repeat itself, will Santa Claus Halim Saad (or Syed Mokhtar) need another bailout at a later stage considering they do not have expertise in highway maintenance?
  
  
• If Asas Serba can offer 20% cut in toll rate and still able to make profit, why can’t the ruling government do the same?

A low-profile Daim Zainuddin who is known to be a great tactician does not seems to be bother about funding.

After all he owns Swiss-based ICB (International Commercial Bank) Group via Daim Limited’s 61.3% stake and if he desires he just need to pull his political connection strings to secure the funds. Daim plans his moves silently and with great care.

Nobody should be surprise if he has the backing of Mahathir to return to the corporate scene.

And does the return of Daim Zainuddin from overseas means the alleged RM3 billion cash in RM500 and RM1000 notes siphoned out to Indonesia has been successfully brought back and converted into “usable money” ready to be used?