Islam and democracy can co-exist, says Anwar Ibrahim's daughter
Nurul Izzah Anwar, the daughter of freed Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, says the Arab Spring has shown that Islam and democracy can co-exist and propel the opposition into power in Malaysia at elections later this year.
Mrs Nurul Izzah, 31, who has been touted as a potential future prime minister, revealed that in her fight to clear her father’s name and her work to ensure the forthcoming elections are democratic, she had received physical threats against her four-year-old daughter.
She is a young Muslim woman leader with a sense that change is now a real possibility in Malaysia after over 50 years of being dominated by the ruling National Front.
Her father, Mr Anwar, 64, was arrested in the aftermath of the 2008 election over allegations he sodomised a male aide, but was cleared of the charges last month.
His release has rejuvenated the opposition, opening the way for a challenge to the ruling party at elections expected later this year.
“We felt vindicated and overjoyed [by Mr Anwar’s release], but stress that this is only the beginning. Much reform still needs to take place,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“However, my family and I can’t really describe how wonderful it was that he was declared innocent as we always said he was.”
Mrs Nurul Izzah was elected to parliament in 2008, when Malaysia's opposition coalition won 37 per cent of the vote, shaking the foundations of the National Front that has ruled the country since independence from Britain in 1957.
One of the reasons the opposition gained such a foothold at the last election was the use of blogs and the internet to spread their message of change.
“The print media and television does not give any air time to the opposition, and so the only way to circumvent this is to rely on the internet,” Mrs Nurul Izzah said.
“The key is communicating with the electorate and ensuring that this election is free from fraudulent practises.
“I am in touch with the Foreign Office, and we hope that Britain will send observers to ensure that the election is carried out in a proper, fair and open manner.”
Stating the Arab Spring that swept north Africa and Middle East last year will “certainly” have an impact in Malaysia, Mrs Nurul Izzah said: “What happened in Egypt and other parts of the Arab world served as reassurance that Islam and democracy can and should co-exist, and this is very important to Malaysia. We must now ensure change takes place in Malaysia.”
A pro-democracy rally held in Kuala Lumpur last July was forcefully broken up by police, who fired teargas and arrested 1,400 people.
“We are not dealing with just any government,” Mrs Nurul Izzah recalled. “We are dealing with a Malaysian government that’s so afraid of losing power. They were so brutal in cracking down on dissent. It was crazy. I was myself manhandled and almost arrested and I’m a member of parliament.”
She also revealed that she had received phone threats that her daughter would be harmed if she continued her reform agenda.
“I received a threat against my daughter – she’s four and half years old – that she will be harmed if I continued to support my father and the ideals of the party,” she said.
“However, we have to continue to pursue our agenda. It’s about fighting for a better Malaysia. I am fearful but also confident that good sense will prevail.”
Unsurprisingly, the opposition, led by her father’s People's Justice Party (PKR) party, intends to review Malaysia’s archaic sodomy laws.
“The sodomy laws are archaic and will need to be revamped,” she said. “At the same, Malaysia is an Islamic, conservative society and the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman is very much the prevailing culture of what’s acceptable in Malaysia.”
However, Mrs Nurul Izzah was cautious when it came to discussing reforms of Islamic laws that, among other decrees, ban Muslims from drinking alcohol and have led to high profile cases such as the sentencing of a female Muslim model to be caned for drinking beer.
“I believe that we must respect public space, but also not encroach into people’s private lives,” she said. “I’m a Muslim woman, I wear what I want to and no-one tells me what to do.
“But what is more important - fighting corruption or ensuring someone stops drinking at a particular spot? My priority is eradicating corruption.”
Mrs Nurul Izzah would not be drawn on whether she would allow music acts such as Beyonce – banned from appearing in Kuala Lumpur in 2009 – to perform if she became prime minister in the future.
“I would push very strongly for Radiohead to come first and then we can discuss dress later,” she said.
Nurul Izzah Anwar once again challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to debate policies outlined in Pakatan Rakyat’s Orange Book with her father, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“We will win, because we are right,
and because reason is on our side.”
of the moral dimension of justice become greater. As John Rawls has said, laws and institutions, no matter how efficient and well arranged, must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust.
In a real democracy, sham trials will not see the light of day because the principles of justice and due process will prevent the arbitrary use of prosecutorial powers. Unfortunately, we have now become familiar with this scenario in various parts of the world: first, because of the fear of losing power, a strategy is unleashed with the sole aim of crushing the political threat. This is done by neutralizing the leader or leaders. Trumped-up charges are leveled no doubt aimed at putting them behind bars for good. Then, despite the best efforts of lawyers to mount a fool-proof defence, the judgment is a foregone conclusion.
The point is when the rule of law is crushed under the tyranny of politics the administration of justice becomes farcical and perverse. We would expect that in a real democracy, the use of the judicial process to bring down political opponents will not be tolerated. However, where judges are unable to stand up to the political masters, those prosecuted for political reasons are condemned even before the trial begins. At every step along the arduous path to finality, all manner of obstacles are thrown to frustrate them in their effort to secure a fair and just trial.
We see the work of the ubiquitous unseen hand here, its invisibility made possible because of the utter lack of accountability and transparency in governance. Because of this, not only do we see the substitution of the rule of law by the rule of men but we see the entire system and process of governance being turned on its head.
Without accountability, those who wield power can get away with anything. Contracts and projects worth millions of ringgit, even hundreds of millions, are doled out without any regard to proper and due process. There are also ventures which have cost the nation billions and when they fail, the ones responsible for the fiasco not only go unpunished but actually get to benefit from it. We may shake our heads in utter disbelief but the reality is staring us in the face. That is why taking justice seriously is no longer an option but an imperative.
As government is power, we must hold to account those who wield that power. The moral imperative lies not in accountability for the sake of political expediency but in the dictates of justice. This imperative must apply to all those holding power regardless of whether they are from the Federal Government or State Governments. Access to information is essential to enable citizens to challenge actions of public officials and to seek redress for misconduct. While freedom of information laws will secure open government by fiat, the question remains as to why the moral imperative seems to evaporate along the corridors of power. In this regard, I am proud to say that, the government of Selangor has passed the Freedom of Information Enactment in spite of the obstacles thrown in its path. This is part and parcel of the Pakatan Rakyat reform agenda. In terms of governance, there shall be no compromise on accountability and transparency. We see what is wrong, we make good and we move forward. On the other hand, the Federal Government appears to be hell bent on turning back the clock.
They say that this enactment is bad law because it contradicts the Official Secrets Act. On the contrary, we say that it is the Official Secrets Act which is bad law because it violates the basic guarantees of the Federal Constitution. And more importantly in the context of justice, we believe we are on the right side of the moral argument because if there is nothing to hide, why is there a need to keep secrets? If we can defend our actions, why do we need to hide behind secrecy laws?
The amassing of wealth through corrupt means, the abuse of executive power for material gain, and the squandering of tax payers’ money – these are some of the hallmarks of the failure to have accountability and they impact directly on the question of justice. Every ringgit squandered or misappropriated is every ringgit that should rightly have gone to the people for their benefit, for free education, and for free health care. The demands of social justice alone therefore warrant the absolute need for accountability.
In Islam, the idea of social justice or al-Adala al-Ijtima’iyya enjoins upon the equitable distribution of wealth while protecting the higher objectives of the Shari’ah or al-Maqasid al-Shari’ah. Among these is the safeguarding and preservation of property, that is, protecting the wealth of the community from being pillaged and plundered by those in power. By extension, good economic governance is a moral imperative and any government which prides itself as being responsible to the people must be committed to a sound and balanced economic agenda.
This is why we have a reform agenda that aims at reducing the socio-economic inequities of the people while at the same promoting healthy economic growth. In this agenda, we welcome domestic and foreign private-sector investment initiatives, generate full employment opportunities, and ensure robust development that adds long term value to the economy. But we will have no truck with the rent-seeking practices, crony capitalism or ostentatious and wasteful development of our predecessors. Sustainable development is not a mere numbers game. As an integral part of the notion of justice, development must proceed on an even keel with the other elements so as to enhance the quality of life and uplift the dignity of all. We are not saying that this can be achieved at the blink of an eye. Indeed, with Federal power still concentrated in the hands of an elite few the odds are heavily stacked against us. The path ahead is fraught with danger and obstacles. But despair not. Let us fortify our resolve to take justice seriously and fight for the future of our generations. For in the words of Anatole France: “We will win, because we are right, and because reason is on our side.”
Thank you
Nurul Izzah Anwar once again challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to debate policies outlined in Pakatan Rakyat’s Orange Book with her father, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The PKR vice-president made the statement today while addressing Umno’s denial that it was behind a recent sex tape scandal implicating Anwar.
“Indeed, if these claims have any basis, the acid test is for the Umno MPs to urge their president to agree to a public policy debate between the leader of Pakatan Rakyat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“This will reveal Datuk Seri Najib Razak as either a true political warrior or merely a political pirate like some of his predecessors who continue to fire salvos from the sidelines,” she said.
Anwar, the 63-year old political veteran, has charged that top Umno leaders had masterminded the sex tape scandal in a bid to bury his political career.
Earlier today, Umno supreme council member Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan stressed that attacks on Anwar have always been about his and PR’s policies, and that Umno would never stoop so low.
The video hit media headlines on Monday when a mysterious “Datuk T” invited selected media personnel to Carcosa Seri Negara to view the recording.
The trio of Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik, businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay, and Perkasa treasurer and former Umno senator Datuk Shuib Lazim have since been unmasked as “Datuk T”.
Today, Nurul Izzah also issued a challenge to the Sarawak chief minister to debate with PKR Sarawak’s chief, in light of the Sarawak election next month.
“In the same spirit, I repeat Keadilan’s calls for the current chief minister of Sarawak Pehin Seri Taib Mahmud to accept the invitation to a public policy debate with Baru Bian, the PKR Sarawak chief.
“Let us see if Umno and the other Barisan Nasional component parties dare to accept this challenge, for it will reveal if they are truly for a Malaysian politics that is about the contestation of ideas and policies, or if they are really for character assassinations and political piracy,” Nurul Izzah said.
“We will win, because we are right,
and because reason is on our side.”
of the moral dimension of justice become greater. As John Rawls has said, laws and institutions, no matter how efficient and well arranged, must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust.
In a real democracy, sham trials will not see the light of day because the principles of justice and due process will prevent the arbitrary use of prosecutorial powers. Unfortunately, we have now become familiar with this scenario in various parts of the world: first, because of the fear of losing power, a strategy is unleashed with the sole aim of crushing the political threat. This is done by neutralizing the leader or leaders. Trumped-up charges are leveled no doubt aimed at putting them behind bars for good. Then, despite the best efforts of lawyers to mount a fool-proof defence, the judgment is a foregone conclusion.
The point is when the rule of law is crushed under the tyranny of politics the administration of justice becomes farcical and perverse. We would expect that in a real democracy, the use of the judicial process to bring down political opponents will not be tolerated. However, where judges are unable to stand up to the political masters, those prosecuted for political reasons are condemned even before the trial begins. At every step along the arduous path to finality, all manner of obstacles are thrown to frustrate them in their effort to secure a fair and just trial.
We see the work of the ubiquitous unseen hand here, its invisibility made possible because of the utter lack of accountability and transparency in governance. Because of this, not only do we see the substitution of the rule of law by the rule of men but we see the entire system and process of governance being turned on its head.
Without accountability, those who wield power can get away with anything. Contracts and projects worth millions of ringgit, even hundreds of millions, are doled out without any regard to proper and due process. There are also ventures which have cost the nation billions and when they fail, the ones responsible for the fiasco not only go unpunished but actually get to benefit from it. We may shake our heads in utter disbelief but the reality is staring us in the face. That is why taking justice seriously is no longer an option but an imperative.
As government is power, we must hold to account those who wield that power. The moral imperative lies not in accountability for the sake of political expediency but in the dictates of justice. This imperative must apply to all those holding power regardless of whether they are from the Federal Government or State Governments. Access to information is essential to enable citizens to challenge actions of public officials and to seek redress for misconduct. While freedom of information laws will secure open government by fiat, the question remains as to why the moral imperative seems to evaporate along the corridors of power. In this regard, I am proud to say that, the government of Selangor has passed the Freedom of Information Enactment in spite of the obstacles thrown in its path. This is part and parcel of the Pakatan Rakyat reform agenda. In terms of governance, there shall be no compromise on accountability and transparency. We see what is wrong, we make good and we move forward. On the other hand, the Federal Government appears to be hell bent on turning back the clock.
They say that this enactment is bad law because it contradicts the Official Secrets Act. On the contrary, we say that it is the Official Secrets Act which is bad law because it violates the basic guarantees of the Federal Constitution. And more importantly in the context of justice, we believe we are on the right side of the moral argument because if there is nothing to hide, why is there a need to keep secrets? If we can defend our actions, why do we need to hide behind secrecy laws?
The amassing of wealth through corrupt means, the abuse of executive power for material gain, and the squandering of tax payers’ money – these are some of the hallmarks of the failure to have accountability and they impact directly on the question of justice. Every ringgit squandered or misappropriated is every ringgit that should rightly have gone to the people for their benefit, for free education, and for free health care. The demands of social justice alone therefore warrant the absolute need for accountability.
In Islam, the idea of social justice or al-Adala al-Ijtima’iyya enjoins upon the equitable distribution of wealth while protecting the higher objectives of the Shari’ah or al-Maqasid al-Shari’ah. Among these is the safeguarding and preservation of property, that is, protecting the wealth of the community from being pillaged and plundered by those in power. By extension, good economic governance is a moral imperative and any government which prides itself as being responsible to the people must be committed to a sound and balanced economic agenda.
This is why we have a reform agenda that aims at reducing the socio-economic inequities of the people while at the same promoting healthy economic growth. In this agenda, we welcome domestic and foreign private-sector investment initiatives, generate full employment opportunities, and ensure robust development that adds long term value to the economy. But we will have no truck with the rent-seeking practices, crony capitalism or ostentatious and wasteful development of our predecessors. Sustainable development is not a mere numbers game. As an integral part of the notion of justice, development must proceed on an even keel with the other elements so as to enhance the quality of life and uplift the dignity of all. We are not saying that this can be achieved at the blink of an eye. Indeed, with Federal power still concentrated in the hands of an elite few the odds are heavily stacked against us. The path ahead is fraught with danger and obstacles. But despair not. Let us fortify our resolve to take justice seriously and fight for the future of our generations. For in the words of Anatole France: “We will win, because we are right, and because reason is on our side.”
Thank you
By Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin
When “bad” things happen to us, it might not be so bad after all. It just might be a lesson and training tool for our future growth and progress. Remember, everything that ALLAH allows to happen can be looked at negatively or we can look at it in the vein that the Creator designed it, get a positive boost from it.
There is a famous Islamic saying that says: “Whatever good befalls you it is from ALLAH –and whatever bad happens to you is from yourself. Interesting quote, is it not? It is plain that everything that happens to you is not pleasant. But if you choose to look at it as bad, then the bad is from you. That “misfortune” becomes a large boulder on your shoulders which doesn’t have to be there.
But if you choose to look at the lesson it brought, or the opportunity it affords you, then that is from ALLAH. God is preparing you for something greater. He is strengthening you to be better-prepared for something you are going to need that strength for further down the road. It is similar to the Ramadan fast we just completed. ALLAH orders us to fast at least yearly so that we can gain strength to resist the evil temptations, and other challenges, that confront us daily. So when a so-called “bad” incident happens to us, we must recognize that ALLAH allowed it to happen for His own reasons. It is up to us to look deeply into it and get some benefit and good fortune from it.
A fellow that attends our masjid got his car stolen recently, actually from in front of his own house. As he was telling me about it, he seemed so heartbroken because he was starting a new job and needed his transportation to get to work.
“You just can’t win,” he told me. “Every time things start looking up, something comes along to pull you back down,” he wailed. His mind was so heavy that he actually started blaming the missing car on some conspiracy directed at him.
Then a miraculous thing happened. Because of his believing faith in ALLAH, the brother took on another attitude without any prodding or help from me. He said, “You know, maybe ALLAH is trying to tell me I need to be more careful in my activities. First, I did not park the car where it would not be so accessible. Second, I may not have locked it, and third, I neglected to use a club, which I had been thinking to get for a long time, but never did.” He realized his responsibility in what happened to him and was able to shoulder the blame and not blame others for what happened. In other words, he recognized the good that came from ALLAH, and the bad that came from him.
As things turn out, ALLAH blessed him to immediately procure another vehicle, better than the one he had, and additional income to pay for it.
When something “bad” happens to you, don’t look for blame. Be reflective and think of what you can do to rectify the situation. You most probably will think up on something that will raise you to a higher level than you were on. If you are down, don’t look down. Look up. Whatever level you are on now, you can go up. You don’t need to sink further. A rising tide in the sea raises all ships – big and small.
Make your intention to repent of your sins and ask ALLAH to increase your faith in following His Word, to the best of your ability.
As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin
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