The political aspirations of Malaysia’s ethnic minorities are rising uncomfortably, threatening the country’s delicate racial balance,a fake analysts in Kuala Lumpur say.BUT PKR IS GROWING STRONGERAS EACH DAY PASSes
political discontent over 40 years of entitlement programs given to ethnic Malays helped fuel the results of the 2008 national elections that saw the opposition gain power in five states and the federal territory of Selangor.
Existing tensions have been exacerbated in recent weeks by a number of issues, including the suspicious death on July 16 of Teoh Beng Hock, an aide to a top opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader, whose body was found atop a building next to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters. He had been taken there to be questioned over allegations of wrongdoing by his boss but his death was ruled a suicide. The incident is only one of many unexplained deaths at the hands of law enforcement officials in Malaysia over recent years, but since the victim was Chinese, racial overtones have become unavoidable.
In addition, the MACC is believed to be investigating an unknown number of DAP lawmakers on corruption charges, leading to allegations that the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is using law enforcement agencies for political purposes. Barisan figures, however, argue that the MACC is after their people as well.
At the same time, the umbrella Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which made stunning gains against the ruling coalition in 2008, is fraying at the edges due to squabbling between the Malay fundamentalist Parti Islam se-Malaysia and the DAP, which is dominated by Chinese, over a variety of issues including an attempt by a DAP councilor to stop a PAS raid on beer supplies at a 7-Eleven, and the destruction of a pig slaughterhouse in the northern state of Kedah.
The DAP appeared today to put the blame for its dispute with PAS in Selangor on Datuk Hassan Ali by suggesting its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner’s state chief had acted recklessly in the interest of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN)
Malaysia has existed in an uneasy racial mix since July 1969, when hundreds were believed killed in pitched battles between Malays, who make up more than half the population, and the Chinese, who make up about 25 percent. The Chinese continue to control most of the country’s economic wealth despite the 1971 imposition of an affirmative action program for ethnic Malays called the New Economic Policy. Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, has called for an end to the NEP, charging that it has only enriched a handful of rent-seekers and cronies of the United Malays National Organisation.Infiltration of PAS by those who work for the Utterly Moronic Nazi Organization, put there to rend asunder Pakatan Rakyat from the inside. This Hassan Ali is obviously an UMNO secret agent (now a high profile secret agent!!) working towards this Najis Rosak objective with a promise of high office in UMNO after all is said and done ! Pakatan Rakyat should spring clean its ranks every 3 months and eject idiots like Hassan Ali.e that apart from the top level leaders of PAS, PKR, and DAP who truly understand, appreciate and respect each other’s political struggle and humbly, rationally, and quietly sit down to accomodate and/or seek middle ground about issues that affect the fundamental beliefs of each other’s party, those below them seemed quite ready at any instant to slit each other’s throat.
Jeff Ooi should also learn to be more tolerant of others’ views, including JIM’s, as this is a democracy we are trying to live in, and JIM can express its wishes as well as anyone else.
“Overlaid with the current problems is rising ethnic awareness,” said a longtime political analyst with a Kuala Lumpur think tank. “Hope that a multi-racial opposition would dilute ethnicity in politics hasn’t happened. Instead, the opposite has happened. A group in PAS feels ignored,Despite the fact that the Shah Alam mayor had acknowledged the seizures were unlawful, Hassan had used the seizures to call for Liu’s removal and start a campaign urging the state government to ban all open sales of alcoholic beverages in “Muslim-majority” areas.
“Dr Hassan’s reckless actions, which were taken without any consultation with either the state executive council or the state Pakatan Rakyat leadership, firmly begs the question of his hidden agenda, or slighted, or exasperated and is now flexing its muscles in Pakatan. And this group finds common ground with UMNO, which is prompting growing rapprochement between the two political parties.”
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who came to power in March, is attempting to pull together what one longtime political analyst called a “Singapore model” — economic liberalization coupled with political authoritarianism. Opposition rallies have been raided or declared illegal on a regular basis, even down to busting up a birthday party. The latest occurrence was an announcement Friday by Rais Yatim, the information, communications and culture minister, that the country is considering a “green dam”style Internet filter to stop access to undesirable websites,Looks like someone is trying to deliver Permatang Pasir to UMNO. Why only bring up this issue now? Why do it through that particular media? Why not work with Khalid to achieve what is achievable and not shout to gain attention for thinking aloud!
An intelligent person would have done otherwise but anyone obsessed with ego and entitlements will have clouded judgements!
PR must never allow themselves to be subservient to these sort of characters….remember Perak!
Khalid have been a quiet achiever, genuinely working hard for the people and he is seen to be committed and intelligent and have the same goals and objectives as espoused by PR. particularly pornography. Even the Chinese government has backed away from instituting such a policy in the face of international criticism.
Najib’s tactics appeared to be working at first. He came into office even less popular than his predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, tarred by a wide range of scandals ranging from allegations of bribery during his stint as defense minister to questions over his involvement in the murder of a Mongolian woman jilted by his best friend. However, his economic policies pulled up public approval sharply for UMNO, the leading ethnic party in the Barisan.What is this DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua hope to achieve. You all are behaving like little children. Why does Tony Pua have to prolong this public spectacle. How silly, why not leave or refer the matter to the statesmen/leaders in the party to handle. Did the MB gave his decision on the matter after all this isn’t the class one would expect coming from any publicity secretary. You guys are thirsty yet consumed with hate in that every time you are tested you fail. PR have some serious vetting to be done before the next GE. Hassan Ali note that your ill and untimely tact does none else a favor not even those Malays susceptible to alcohol consumption save UMNO/BN.
However, continuing public fury over Teoh’s purported suicide cut into Najib’s good news, especially after the water cannons and truncheons came out at a massive (by Malaysian standards) demonstration on July 31 to protest the government’s continued use of the colonial-era Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without habeas corpus. The demonstration drew as many as 20,000 participants; some 600 were arrested amid a haze of tear gas in the crackdown.
“If you’re Chinese you’d like to believe the Malays killed him,” says a lawyer connected to UMNO. “But so many Malays die in police custody. Prior to this, the MACC investigated 22 UMNO MPs and 12 were charged. But as soon as the MACC investigates five Chinese, it’s the MACC targeting Chinese. The DAP has made this into a race issue. No, we have a serious race problem in this country. Perhaps that’s what everybody wanted – push the envelope to see what happens.”
Certainly, there is plenty of envelope-pushing on all sides. In a flamethrowing article earlier this week in the UMNO-owned Malay-language Utusan Malaysia last week, journalist Noor Azam called on ethnic Malays “not to be cowards anymore and rise up to face the challenges being posed by the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia.” The article accused the DAP of manipulating Malay leaders in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition and warned that should it come to power, “Malay special rights and the NEP are no more.” He accused the opposition of stirring race hatred and called ethnic Malays “a race of stupid cowards, and people who are cowards will die before even their deaths.”
The temperature is set to rise higher during expected annual district and regional conclaves for UMNO, when the rhetorical pitch grows more intense. There is spreading anger among Malays over a remark by Jeff Ooi, a blogger and popular DAP activist from Penang, who called Jemaah Islah Malaysia, an Islamic missionary organization, extremist for advocating shariah, or religious law.
“That’s an insult to all Malays,” said the UMNO lawyer. “It’s an insult to all of Islam. All of us Malays would like shariah law.”
The question is whether the anger will play itself out in yet another by-election. The Pakatan Rakyat coalition has won five of six by-elections since the March 2008 national polls eliminated the Barisan’s longstanding two-thirds majority in the parliament.
On July 31, a PAS assemblyman from the Permatang Pasir district in Penang died of a heart attack. The lawmaker was PAS’s only representative in the Penang state. The by-election, for which the date has yet to be set, will determine whether the Pakatan coalition’s political strength is still rising.
In the most recent by-election, in the heart of opposition territory, the Pakatan candidate won by only 65 votes. Permatang Pasir is part of Anwar’s stronghold.
the kerala snake is scared Dr M slams Anwar’s street politics, Monash University Malaysia political scientist James Chin says that by democratising the party, IS GROWING STRONGERAS EACH DAY PASSesARE WE Malaysians are so incapable that we need a select few families to tell us how to live our lives?
I rather have ‘Anwar’s street politics’ than Umno’s racist politics.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than a maniacal opportunist.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the bigotry spewed by so many so-called ‘patriots.’
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the irresponsible and shallowness of most politicians.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the anti-Semitism spewed by some.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the corruption than has become Umno’s hallmark.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the hate-mongering and race-baiting by Umno’s mouthpieces.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than intolerance and narrow-mindedness.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than a dictatorship.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than censorship.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than most politicians’ hypocrisy.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the toxicity of Umno’s general assembly.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the spineless (‘Yes, Tuan’) politics of the non-Malay BN parties.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the harassment and intimidation of Umno politics.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the politics that has raped our people.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the thuggery of BN politics.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the nepotism of Umno politics.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the repression of Umno politics.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than Umno’s pandering to the religious bigots.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the Arabification of Malaysian society.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the erasure of multi-cultural Malaysia.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the Talibanisation of our civil liberties.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the rape and plundering of our national wealth.
I rather have Anwar’s street politics than the abuse and shredding of our constitution.
In other words, I rather have democracy.
G. Krishnan
I have said that one important moral principle for the debate is truth-telling. For decades, lThe political aspirations of Malaysia-being of our country has been a proxy battle for partisan politics. Industry interests and partisan fighting are once again threatening the current opportunity for a public dialogue about what is best for our system. What we need is an honest and fair debate with good information, not sabotage of reform with half-truths and misinformation.
The political aspirations of Malaysia’s ethnic minorities are rising uncomfortably, threatening the country’s delicate racial balance,a fake analysts in Kuala Lumpur say.BUT PKR IS GROWING STRONGERAS EACH DAY PASSesARE WE Malaysians are so incapable that we need a select few families to tell us how to live our lives?
Has Asia Sentinel became the lastest victim of BARISAN RMMILLIONS
political discontent over 40 years of entitlement programs given to ethnic Malays helped fuel the results of the 2008 national elections that saw the opposition gain power in five states and the federal territory of Selangor.
Existing tensions have been exacerbated in recent weeks by a number of issues, including the suspicious death on July 16 of Teoh Beng Hock, an aide to a top opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader, whose body was found atop a building next to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters. He had been taken there to be questioned over allegations of wrongdoing by his boss but his death was ruled a suicide. The incident is only one of many unexplained deaths at the hands of law enforcement officials in Malaysia over recent years, but since the victim was Chinese, racial overtones have become unavoidable.
In addition, the MACC is believed to be investigating an unknown number of DAP lawmakers on corruption charges, leading to allegations that the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is using law enforcement agencies for political purposes. Barisan figures, however, argue that the MACC is after their people as well.
At the same time, the umbrella Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which made stunning gains against the ruling coalition in 2008, is fraying at the edges due to squabbling between the Malay fundamentalist Parti Islam se-Malaysia and the DAP, which is dominated by Chinese, over a variety of issues including an attempt by a DAP councilor to stop a PAS raid on beer supplies at a 7-Eleven, and the destruction of a pig slaughterhouse in the northern state of Kedah.
The DAP appeared today to put the blame for its dispute with PAS in Selangor on Datuk Hassan Ali by suggesting its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner’s state chief had acted recklessly in the interest of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN)
Malaysia has existed in an uneasy racial mix since July 1969, when hundreds were believed killed in pitched battles between Malays, who make up more than half the population, and the Chinese, who make up about 25 percent. The Chinese continue to control most of the country’s economic wealth despite the 1971 imposition of an affirmative action program for ethnic Malays called the New Economic Policy. Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, has called for an end to the NEP, charging that it has only enriched a handful of rent-seekers and cronies of the United Malays National Organisation.Infiltration of PAS by those who work for the Utterly Moronic Nazi Organization, put there to rend asunder Pakatan Rakyat from the inside. This Hassan Ali is obviously an UMNO secret agent (now a high profile secret agent!!) working towards this Najis Rosak objective with a promise of high office in UMNO after all is said and done ! Pakatan Rakyat should spring clean its ranks every 3 months and eject idiots like Hassan Ali.e that apart from the top level leaders of PAS, PKR, and DAP who truly understand, appreciate and respect each other’s political struggle and humbly, rationally, and quietly sit down to accomodate and/or seek middle ground about issues that affect the fundamental beliefs of each other’s party, those below them seemed quite ready at any instant to slit each other’s throat.
Yes, Malays go berserk when you talk about conversions either into or out of Islam. Malays are only concerned about getting as many kafirs as possible to convert to Islam while ensuring that no one tries to leave Islam. They don’t really care what you believe in or what you do after you become a Muslim.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Four years ago, on 13 August 2004, Friday the Thirteenth to be exact, Malaysia Todaywas born. Friday the Thirteenth is the title out of a horror movie. It is supposed to be a day when your hair stands on end and you sit at the edge of your seat biting your nails. I just hope Malaysia Today is exactly that to those who walk in the corridors of power — their greatest nightmare that will continue to haunt them till the day they go to their miserable graves.
Today is not Friday the Thirteenth. But it is 13 August, the Anniversary of the ‘founding’ of Malaysia Today. So allow me to haunt those who walk in the corridors of power and those who wish to walk in the corridors of power. And true to what no holds barred stands for and in the spirit of taking no prisoners, no one is going to be spared today.
Okay, maybe I will miss out some targets. But this is not because I want to spare them. It is just that there are so many issues with so little space in which to expound upon. Rest assured those who were not ‘honoured’ today with a mention is not due to reasons that we have forgotten or forgiven them. We will certainly get to them in time, as there are no sacred cows inMalaysia Today.
First on my list, but certainly not in order of priority, is Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s stupid move to open UITM’s doors to Chinese and Indians. Does the Menteri Besar of Selangor not know that UITM is a national and not Selangor State institution? Okay, maybe he did propose that only 10% of places in UITM be given to the Chinese and Indians while Malays can still retain 90% of the places. Nevertheless, this is blasphemy as far as the Malays are concerned.
Can you imagine if in America they open the doors of their universities to blacks, even if it is just 10% of the places that are given to blacks? Certainly no American would want the 100% all-white universities to be contaminated with black-skinned people. There would be riots on the streets. Blood would flow. There would be total chaos and anarchy. Khalid had best leave things as they are and not try to become the champion of the poor, oppressed and downtrodden.
Okay, Khalid might argue that not all Chinese and Indians are rich. He can try to argue that there are Chinese and Indians who are even poorer than the Malays. He can even prove that many UITM students drive to the campus in BMWs and Mercedes Benzes. He can articulate to the best of his ability that government aid must be based on eligibility and merit and not based on the colour of one’s skin. Hey, this is not what the New Economic Policy is all about! The NEP is a race-based policy and not about helping the poor, oppressed and downtrodden. Sheesh, where has Khalid been all this while? And he claims to have come from the corporate world. You could have fooled me.
Is Khalid a Trojan Horse? Is he trying to sabotage PKR’s chances in the Permatang Pauh by-election? 70% of the voters in Permatang Pauh are Malays. Umno will be able to use this attempt to open the doors of UITM to the Chinese and Indians to ‘prove’ to the Malays in Permatang Pauh that PKR or Pakatan Rakyat are traitors to the Malay race. How could Khalid have been so stupid as to even suggest that UITM opens its doors to Chinese and Indians, even if it is only 10%? This will throw a spanner in PKR’s election campaign in Permatang Pauh.
Anyway, the good news is, Anwar Ibrahim may not be able to contest the Permatang Pauh by-election on 26 August 2008. The Elections Commission (SPR) and the Attorney-General are looking for ways in which to disqualify him. They know that Anwar will win hands down. The only question is whether he will win with a 15,000-20,000-vote majority or with a mere 5,000-8,000 votes. Umno can’t even find a candidate to contest against Anwar. Shariff Omar has declined, so has Ibrahim Saad. Both these Umno Penang warlords do not dare face Anwar in the by-election because they know they will be massacred. The only way out would be to disqualify Anwar on a technicality. So Khalid may not have harmed Anwar’s chances since he may not be contesting the by-election after all.
I always said that PAS is smarter and more matured than PKR. It has declared that it is even prepared to leave Pakatan Rakyat for the sake of Islam. See theMalaysiakini report: PAS rela tinggal Pakatan demi Islam(http://us2.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11303/84/ ). It is also proposing that a Malay-Islam Secretariat be set up as reported also byMalaysiakini: Usul urusetia Melayu-Islam ala Suqiu (http://us2.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11305/84/ ). And while everyone is so gung ho about the possibility of Anwar Ibrahim forming the new federal government in September, PAS has warned that it is only prepared to work with Pakatan Rakyat in the federal government if there are more Muslim than non-Muslim Members of Parliament, as reported by the New Straits Times: Condition for Pas to join any new govt (http://us2.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11285/84/ ).
Okay, PAS may not win much Chinese and Indian support after this. Maybe, come the next election, PAS will see its support in the Chinese and Indian areas diminish. But that is not too important to PAS. As long as it can form the state governments in Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis and Kedah that is all that matters. Better PAS be in control of just four ‘Malay’ states rather than it becomes part of the federal government if it means they have to be the minority partner in a Chinese and Indian majority federal government.
PAS is an old party. It is older than even Umno and far older than PKR, which is barely ten years old. That is why PAS is wiser and more matured, politically, compared to PKR. PKR needs to learn a thing or two from PAS. Khalid needs to also learn from PAS. There are far more Malay majority seats than ‘mixed’ seats. Getting Chinese and Indian support is not important. It is Malay support that counts. And this is where PAS is savvier than PKR. PAS knows which side its bread is buttered. PKR still thinks that equality, justice, fair-play, an end to racism, etc., is the road to Putrajaya.
Wise up PKR and try to learn from PAS if you want Anwar to become the next Prime Minister. It is racism and not any other ideals that will put you in the Prime Minister’s seat. You think if you play fair and expound justice and equality for the Chinese and Indians that is going to put you in power? If these were important issues to the voters then PKR would have been in power way back in 1999. If it did not happen ten years ago why should it happen now? Let me say that again in case you miss my point: racism and not justice is what will give you the Prime Minister’s job. And you had better not forget it.
Maybe Khalid can issue an apology. He should say sorry to the Malays that he has asked UITM to open its doors to the Chinese and Indians. Don’t ever again propose that 10% of places in UITM be given to the Chinese and Indians. Not even 1% will be tolerated, let alone 10%. This, of course, would be if you do not want Umno to use this issue against Pakatan Rakyat in the run-up to the Permatang Pauh by-election.
Hey, only 30% of the voters in Permatang Pauh are Chinese and Indians. 70% are Malays. Do you need to be a rocket scientist to understand who is going to give you that win? Surely it is apparent that the 70% voters are more important than the 30%. Even a fool would know this. And this is where PAS is no fool. They know why Umno won 79 seats all by themselves while PKR, DAP and PAS, combined, won only 82 seats. It is because racism and not justice is what counts.
Even then the Pakatan Rakyat 82 is not really 82. Ibrahim Ali sides with Umno. Zulkifli Nordin supports GPMS, an Umno outfit, in opposition to the Bar Council’s forum on conversion to Islam. Minus all those Pakatan Rakyat Members of Parliament who share Umno’s ideals and the 82 would probably be reduced to 70 or less. So Umno’s 79 is more solid than Pakatan Rakyat’s 82. In reality, Umno actually has 90 Parliament seats while Pakatan Rakyat has only 70. And Umno’s 90 is all by themselves while Pakatan Rakyat’s 70 is shared by three parties.
You really think that Anwar can form the federal government in September? Not by the way PAS and some PKR Members of Parliament are talking and acting. They are not concerned whether or not at least 30 Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament are going to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat. They want to make sure that these 30 Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament are Malays and not Chinese, Indians, Dayaks, Ibans, Kadazans, etc. And it has to be a new federal government that upholds the interest of the Malays, not the interest of Malaysians. Only that formula will be acceptable to PAS and some Members of Parliament from PKR.
It was interesting to note that 300 or so Malays demonstrated outside the Bar Council office on Saturday to protest a forum being organised there. Two days later, on Monday, the Bar Council organised another forum, but this time about the Sedition Act. There were no noisy Malays screaming and wailing outside the Bar Council office on Monday, acting as if they were possessed by the devil. In fact, there were hardly any Malays even in the hall. Malays were visibly absent from the forum.
Yes, Malays go berserk when you talk about conversions either into or out of Islam. Malays are only concerned about getting as many kafirs as possible to convert to Islam while ensuring that no one tries to leave Islam. They don’t really care what you believe in or what you do after you become a Muslim. What is important is that you wear this label that identifies you as a Muslim. Never mind if it is just a label worn externally. Never mind that beneath this label, in your heart, you don’t care a damn about Islam. What is in your heart is not crucial. That label that you wear externally is.
Take Monday’s Sedition Act forum at the Bar Council office as an example. Malays did not care a damn about that forum. In fact, Malays have no problems even if there are laws like the Sedition Act, Internal Security Act, and many more such laws. 51% of the Malays voted for the government that upholds such laws. More than three million Malays are members of Umno, the political party that upholds such laws.
Okay, you may argue that Islam is against these laws. You may argue that these laws are un-Islamic. You may argue that Islam forbids injustice, inequality, discrimination, racism, persecution, transgressions and corruption. You may argue that Islam makes it mandatory for all Muslims to oppose injustice, inequality, discrimination, racism, persecution, transgressions and corruption. You may argue that a Muslim who does not oppose injustice, inequality, discrimination, racism, persecution, transgressions and corruption is not a true Muslim. You may argue that God Himself has decreed that all Muslims must oppose injustice, inequality, discrimination, racism, persecution, transgressions and corruption. But 51% of the Malays who voted for Umno and the more than three million Malays who are members of Umno are only concerned that Khalid has proposed that 10% of places in UITM be given to the Chinese and Indians. They are not in the least concerned with what God said or what God has decreed in the Quran.
But try insulting Islam — even if they only perceive with their very narrow minds that you are insulting Islam — and see what happens. Try defiling the Quran by stepping on it or by flushing it down the toilet and see what happens. There will be 300 screaming and wailing Malays demonstrating on the streets, acting as if they were possessed by the devil. Okay, so these 300 screaming and wailing Malays, acting as if they were possessed by the devil, do not really uphold the spirit of Islam or adhere to the message of the Quran or comply with God’s decree. That is substance. That is not what counts. What does is form, the impression that one is upholding Islam, even though it is void of the spirit of Islam. And that was why not many Malays were interested in Monday’s forum on the Sedition Act at the Bar Council’s office.
Granted, 1,400 or so years ago, Prophet Muhammad too was subjected to the Sedition Act, even though, then, it was not yet called the Sedition Act — although the spirit of what they tried to do to Prophet Muhammad remains the same. Granted, the powers-that-be tried to silence Prophet Muhammad in an attempt to get him to stop speaking out against the government and against the official religion of Mekah at that time. Granted, they intimidated Prophet Muhammad with insults, abuse and ridicule — and finally, when they failed to silence him, they tried to bribe him with offers of power and money. Granted, when everything they tried to do to stop Prophet Muhammad from talking failed, they plotted to kill him. Granted, God commanded Prophet Muhammad to leave Mekah and to seek refuge in Medina where he would be free to speak and there would be no Sedition Act to prevent him from speaking. Granted, Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mekah is called the Hijrah and is very significant in Islam. Granted, the migration of Prophet Muhammad to escape the Sedition Act is so important that the first day of Hijrah is the first day of the Islamic calendar — also called the Hijrah Calendar.
But hardly any Malays who claim that they are true Muslims were at the Bar Council’s forum on Monday to discuss the Sedition Act because there was no screaming and wailing and acting as if one was possessed by the devil. Most of the people who were there were kafirs who demonstrated more Islamic qualities than Muslims themselves. And this is because even though these kafirs do not demonstrate the form of Islam, they do, however, possess the spirit of Islam and they do uphold the values of Islam. The true Muslims that Monday at the Bar Council forum were, unfortunately, the kafirs. But they did not scream and wail and act like they were possessed by the devil. They were civilised and discussed matters with decorum in the manner that Islam prescribes.
Jeff Ooi should also learn to be more tolerant of others’ views, including JIM’s, as this is a democracy we are trying to live in, and JIM can express its wishes as well as anyone else.
“Overlaid with the current problems is rising ethnic awareness,” said a longtime political analyst with a Kuala Lumpur think tank. “Hope that a multi-racial opposition would dilute ethnicity in politics hasn’t happened. Instead, the opposite has happened. A group in PAS feels ignored,Despite the fact that the Shah Alam mayor had acknowledged the seizures were unlawful, Hassan had used the seizures to call for Liu’s removal and start a campaign urging the state government to ban all open sales of alcoholic beverages in “Muslim-majority” areas.
“Dr Hassan’s reckless actions, which were taken without any consultation with either the state executive council or the state Pakatan Rakyat leadership, firmly begs the question of his hidden agenda, or slighted, or exasperated and is now flexing its muscles in Pakatan. And this group finds common ground with UMNO, which is prompting growing rapprochement between the two political parties.”
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who came to power in March, is attempting to pull together what one longtime political analyst called a “Singapore model” — economic liberalization coupled with political authoritarianism. Opposition rallies have been raided or declared illegal on a regular basis, even down to busting up a birthday party. The latest occurrence was an announcement Friday by Rais Yatim, the information, communications and culture minister, that the country is considering a “green dam”style Internet filter to stop access to undesirable websites,Looks like someone is trying to deliver Permatang Pasir to UMNO. Why only bring up this issue now? Why do it through that particular media? Why not work with Khalid to achieve what is achievable and not shout to gain attention for thinking aloud!
An intelligent person would have done otherwise but anyone obsessed with ego and entitlements will have clouded judgements!
PR must never allow themselves to be subservient to these sort of characters….remember Perak!
Khalid have been a quiet achiever, genuinely working hard for the people and he is seen to be committed and intelligent and have the same goals and objectives as espoused by PR. particularly pornography. Even the Chinese government has backed away from instituting such a policy in the face of international criticism.
Najib’s tactics appeared to be working at first. He came into office even less popular than his predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, tarred by a wide range of scandals ranging from allegations of bribery during his stint as defense minister to questions over his involvement in the murder of a Mongolian woman jilted by his best friend. However, his economic policies pulled up public approval sharply for UMNO, the leading ethnic party in the Barisan.What is this DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua hope to achieve. You all are behaving like little children. Why does Tony Pua have to prolong this public spectacle. How silly, why not leave or refer the matter to the statesmen/leaders in the party to handle. Did the MB gave his decision on the matter after all this isn’t the class one would expect coming from any publicity secretary. You guys are thirsty yet consumed with hate in that every time you are tested you fail. PR have some serious vetting to be done before the next GE. Hassan Ali note that your ill and untimely tact does none else a favor not even those Malays susceptible to alcohol consumption save UMNO/BN.
However, continuing public fury over Teoh’s purported suicide cut into Najib’s good news, especially after the water cannons and truncheons came out at a massive (by Malaysian standards) demonstration on July 31 to protest the government’s continued use of the colonial-era Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without habeas corpus. The demonstration drew as many as 20,000 participants; some 600 were arrested amid a haze of tear gas in the crackdown.
ANWAR STARTED STREET DEMO CULTURE,you ke“If you’re Chinese you’d like to believe the Malays killed him,” says a lawyer connected to UMNO. “But so many Malays die in police custody. Prior to this, the MACC investigated 22 UMNO MPs and 12 were charged. But as soon as the MACC investigates five Chinese, it’s the MACC targeting Chinese. The DAP has made this into a race issue. No, we have a serious race problem in this country. Perhaps that’s what everybody wanted – push the envelope to see what happens.”
Certainly, there is plenty of envelope-pushing on all sides. In a flamethrowing article earlier this week in the UMNO-owned Malay-language Utusan Malaysia last week, journalist Noor Azam called on ethnic Malays “not to be cowards anymore and rise up to face the challenges being posed by the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia.” The article accused the DAP of manipulating Malay leaders in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition and warned that should it come to power, “Malay special rights and the NEP are no more.” He accused the opposition of stirring race hatred and called ethnic Malays “a race of stupid cowards, and people who are cowards will die before even their deaths.”
The temperature is set to rise higher during expected annual district and regional conclaves for UMNO, when the rhetorical pitch grows more intense. There is spreading anger among Malays over a remark by Jeff Ooi, a blogger and popular DAP activist from Penang, who called Jemaah Islah Malaysia, an Islamic missionary organization, extremist for advocating shariah, or religious law.
“That’s an insult to all Malays,” said the UMNO lawyer. “It’s an insult to all of Islam. All of us Malays would like shariah law.”
The question is whether the anger will play itself out in yet another by-election. The Pakatan Rakyat coalition has won five of six by-elections since the March 2008 national polls eliminated the Barisan’s longstanding two-thirds majority in the parliament.
On July 31, a PAS assemblyman from the Permatang Pasir district in Penang died of a heart attack. The lawmaker was PAS’s only representative in the Penang state. The by-election, for which the date has yet to be set, will determine whether the Pakatan coalition’s political strength is still rising.
In the most recent by-election, in the heart of opposition territory, the Pakatan candidate won by only 65 votes. Permatang Pasir is part of Anwar’s stronghold.
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