Malaysian History - Are We Condemned to Repeat It?

During school days my favourite lesson used to be History. I loved History because it was something you could read as a story. 

A story of how a Hindu prince from Indonesia seeks refuge and founded Malacca. A story on how Malaya gain independence without much bloodshed and how Sabah & Sarawak was coerced, cajoled and "cheated" to join the Federation of Malaysia. 

Today we are at a crossroad. The debate is on our Malaysian History for our school syllabus and the debate is not getting any better. In fact, there has been a lot of mistrust against our Education Ministry on this issue.

Well, what can you say when the person in-charge of the said ministry is a racist bum who openly supports Perkasa.

Frankly, if we cannot decide what our History is even after 53 years journeying as a nation then we have failed miserably to live as a nation which our fore-fathers has envision. 

I personally believe that History is about finding and telling the truth and sometimes the truth can be cruel especially to the powers that be. Can our politicians live up to that scrutiny and bare it all especially to our young ones in school?

I doubt it. Simply because they have not been able to withstand any alternative views which is contrary to their own world view.

For example think of Mahathir. He was a person who could not tolerate any dissent during his administration.

So any view that is contrary to that politician or his political party is considered seditious or dangerous and they are labeled as traitors, un-patriotic or whatever.

George Santayana once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

For the past 53 years this country has been repeating the sins of the same government without fail. From 1969 we have never truly learned from our tainted past. 

Why? We have only been conditioned to learn about the dark side of our Malaysian History. Till today our politicians has never failed to raise the specter of May 13 as a reminder to the non-Malays.

Sad to say after May 13, there were other racial riots e.g. in Kampung Medan in Selangor and in Kampung Rawa in Penang both in the 1990's. Did we learn anything people?

We are a people preferring to live in the past hoping that the past could come and rescue us (read:UMNO/BN).

We must go back to our foundation on what constitute as our Nation's History . Also, not forgetting about our colorful past during the time of Tunku till Hussein Onn. Those were the good old days of national unity before the tyrant Mahathir came into the picture.

As a country we need to reclaim our History from the hands of these BN politicians which has been tainted by numerous scandals and what not. Should we entrust our national treasure to this bunch of goons? I fear that this day light robbers are already getting an upper hand today.

Let’s wake up and make BN history once and for all!

A Tribute to Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu

I guess he was more than the Father of Development for Penang. By bringing in the MNC's in large numbers and putting up KOMTAR and the Penang Bridge in the 70's and 80's, Penang became a catalyst for the rapid  industrialization of this country and develop a penchant for mega projects in whole of Malaysia (in the 90's) under the 4th PM of Malaysia of you  know who!

But I must say that me and my friends would always be grateful to him as he has managed to create jobs not just for his generation but also mine and the generations to come. We Penangites don't really need to leave our shores in search for better pastures but in fact has been a haven to attract the world's best to come here.

 His visionary and pioneering spirit has made Penang to what it is today. That is why we Penangites opted for a radical change 2008 GE as what our parents did a generation ago in 1969 under Dr. LCE leadership. It was the same yearning which is to have a credible leadership, a man who walks the talk and a leader who would deliver!

We Penangites have been so fed-up with Dr. Koh Tsu Koon because even though he was Dr. LCE political secretary Dr.KTK did not possess at all the same spirit of his predecessor. He was a coward and a good for nothing Chief Minister of Penang. What a far cry from Dr.LCE!

With this I give my condolences to Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu's family and the rest of Penangites as well for having lost a legendary stalwart. May you Rest in Peace!

Chong Eu a great Penangite, a great Malaysian, and a great patriot

Chong Eu a great Penangite, a great Malaysian, and a great patriot

Kenneth Lin speaks at SDP rally

Check out a young 16 year old Singaporean speaks up for his countrymen against the tyrant Lee Kuan Yew. Listen to Kenneth who also shared how God played a role in him becoming an agent of change in Singapore politics. It was truly the LORD's doing. Amazing!

Patriotism & the Little Napoleans

In 1995/6 after my STPM exams I went to the Penang Police HQ (Penang Rd) to apply for the post of Police Inspector. The requirement was a STPM qualification at that time.

Once there we were given a physical routine check up and those who were qualified were given the application form. Simple as that!

But went it came to my turn the officer in charge refuse to hand-over the application form to me on the basis that my STPM results were good. My physical check up was fine.

He said “kamu tak payahlah masuk polis. Buang masa aje dengan result yg bagus cam tu”. (You don’t need to enter the Police Force. Just a waste of time since you have a good STPM results.)

What the hell? Still, I tried to reason with him that I really wanted to be in the police force and wiling to sacrifice my public university entry for this. He said better don’t waste your time here!

Undeterred, I went to see my relative who was a clerk in the police force then. He told me it’s a dead end and there is no way they will ever hand over the application form to me! That was truly a bombshell!

Here am I trying to give my best to the country but my country refuse my service. And all because the application was ‘hijacked’ by a certain police officer.

I love Law but my STPM result did not allow me to pursue a degree in this line. So, the next best thing for me was to enter the Police force which was about upholding the rule of law.

Now Zahid Hamidi let me ask you this. Who is the un-patriotic one? The police officer or me?

It was those Little Napoleans who stood in my path to serve my country the way I know best. In fact, there could be many others who have had the same experience like I did and I hope you could start to share about it as well.

Let me say this again to you Zahid Hamidi do not underestimate our sense of patriotism to our country. Do not think that we will just stand by idly and do nothing when our country is in danger.

And one of the greatest dangers in Malaysia today is politicians like you who downplay the contribution of other races in nation building. Also, let us not forget that our country is being plundered to the maximum by thieves from your own party and you still have the cheek and gall to talk about patriotism.

It’s total bull-s and your hypocrisy really stinks to the highest heaven. And please do us a big favor by looking at yourself in the mirror before you ever talk about the meaning of patriotism.

Even at that age my sense of duty and patriotism to my country was strong and still is. But when the moment of truth arrived the first step to serve my country was dashed just like that!

Over to you Zahid Hamidi.

A Malaysian Tale 3

1) Rafidah, Shahrizat & Jean Abdullah meet GOD onJudgement Day.

GOD says 'I understand all of you are from Malaysia , which
to the Bumis, is also known as 'heaven-on-earth'. Here too you all shall
be treated according to status. You shall meet the who's who of the
Malaysian cream of the crop.

You can see two giant gates over there. On one is stated Bumi & the
other Non-Bumi. Just go to the respective gates & mention your name. BUT
remember, should your claim turns out to be false, you shall be condemned to the
tortures of hell for all eternity and lose any chance of
redemption whatsoever."

Jean goes over first. She stands outside the Bumi
gate and mentions her name. The digital display flashes "DLL" and a ear-
piercing alarm rings out. The gate opens to reveal a chamber of raging fire of
intense heat. 'Welcome to hell' booms a burly turbaned Sikh as he pulls her
in. His name tag reads as Irwan Shah Abdullah@DJ Dave@Sukhdave Singh.

Rafidah & Shahrizat are caught by surprise but smile at each other
knowingly. Next goes Shahrizat. She too stands outside the Bumi gate &
mentions her name. The digital display screen flashes "MAMAK" and
another ear-piercing alarm triggers. The gate opens to reveal an icy
cold chamber way below freezing point. 'Welcome home, I'm Mamoothy', says
a sarcastic voice who's name tag reads as Mahathir s/o Mohd Kutty.

Rafidah who is very sure of qualifying, walks over haughtily to the gate
which she feels is her birth-right. Just as she mentions her name, the digital
display flashes "INDIAN" .There is a thunderous flash and the gate opens to
reveal a pot-bellied figure with a trident in hand & nothing else on
except a wig. A familiar voice rings out 'Selamat datang Paduka, Kemaluan saya
amat besar, tetapi walaubagaimana pun.......'.He can't go on as he is
salivating and panting heavily. She is too shocked for words and turns
around in time to hear GOD say just before the gate closes forever "Your
particulars in our record shows your middle name to
be AP instead of binti....."

2)  AP birthday to you
AP birthday to you
AP birthday to rAPidah
AP birthday to you

Many AP returns of the day, rAPidah!

Malaysian Education System in Emergency

After reflecting my schooling years I have to agree with my friends that those who started school in 1983 with the new KBSR format felt like guinea pigs. I do too!

Then, the standard 5 exams were change to standard 6 with the UPSR format. Well, I thought things were fine until they change the year end school holidays from December to October. We had to start our new school year in December. Remember?

I felt that was really weird starting our school term at the end of the year. HHhmmm. Our Christmas holidays had to be cut short and Christmas was never the same again.

And by that time I had a sense that other sort of changes was coming soon and I dread that. We just had to go thru the motions and study hard while thinking what sort of changes was coming next. I resented that feeling.
Later we were in Form 1 under the KBSM thingy and life went on as usual. The SRP was later replaced by the PMR exams and SPM and STPM so far has not been change.

Recently, our Education Minister DPM Muhyiddin Yasin were` suggesting that UPSR & PMR to be scrapped. The reason is our education system is too exam oriented.

For a start why not the ministry conduct an investigation on our Chinese and some of our Tamil schools. What are their strengths and their methodology. We do not need to go far as the solution to our predicament is only a stone's throw away!

And during the UMNO General Assembly he suggested to make History a passing subject.

Why the sudden rush to change our education system again and again? Does he know what he's doing?

Somehow he doesn't inspire confidence to those who really take education seriously.

It was also DPM Muhyiddin who scap the teaching of Science and Maths in English previously.

Well, for one our young minds are not your guinea pigs anymore. We are not your lab rats that you or UMNO think can experiment with. We had enough of this so called changes that actually doesn't make sense to us at all.

Secondly, the less changes by you people make on our education system is better. I know this is one ministry everyone wants to make a mark for themselves. And Muhyiddin you are of no different.

Any changes has to be backed by a proper study which engages all sections of society. What is so difficult in doing that? Plain lazy or for political expediency? I think we all know the answer!

Thirdly, please stop politicising our education system. After all your brand of politics is rotten to the core and I'm afraid our schools are already becoming a sad reflection of that rotteness.

Imagine the kind of students that is being produced from this type of rotten and failed system. Is our system churning out the best or are we producing the rempits, alongs and gangters all the way?

Instead please spend our country's reseouces to train our teachers and recognize them whoever they are. They are guru to our young minds and their contribution to our nation is priceless. I believe this is one step which is very much lacking today and  DPM Muhyiddin you can make a huge difference by doing so.

Finally, I think we all know what needs to be done in our education system. A total overhaul needs to be executed and it must always start from the head. And I believe we will have that opportunity not very long from now. 

A Budget for Poor Lazarus?

Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame."

But Abraham said, "Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us."

He said, "I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house; for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won't also come into this place of torment."

But Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them."

He said, "No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent."

He said to him, "If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead."
– Luke 16:19–31, World English Bible

Budget 2011 was never a people’s budget. It’s really for “a certain rich” strata of society who has all the fine things in life. Their everyday wants and needs have been taken care off by the numerous “blood sucking” systems without a care for tomorrow. I think we can recognize these groups of people in Malaysia. Can you name some of them?

Not only are they well connected but they are also well protected. From the Executive arm to the AG chambers the powers that be continues to feed them thru various means (nepotism, cronyism, back door appointments, money politics, patronage system, corruption etc) and gets the rich to become richer & bolder but the poor poorer.

The high society of today continues to usurp and be blind to the plight of modern day Lazarus and their intention is to grab whatever that is left from the men and women on the street. Look at PLUS Highway & EPF, 100 storey Heritage Tower & PNB etc.

We could have used this money to build low cost houses for the needy or give scholarship to our poor students. This is what Affirmative Action really is!!!

But as we can see, most of the allocation in this Budget will be or has been given to their families and the well connected cronies of the powerful.

At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what happens to Lazarus or what he feels as he is always kept at the wayside and fringes of society –“ was laid at the gate.” He has neither a voice nor connection to pull any strings except to wait till kingdom comes!

Today’s the rakyat were only given “crumbs” from the budget which doesn’t make much of a difference in our lives.

The Lazarus of today are left to fend for themselves and were in no way taken into account in the BN government plans to become a high income country whatever that means to you.

Who are the modern day Lazarus? Where is he/she today? They are considered to be the Least, the Last and the Lost of our society.

In this parable the rich had no name given by Jesus except Lazarus. Do you know who are they or their names?

And do you know what their daily struggles are like? Is it the dubious inflation rate of 2-4%, high cost of living & food, sense of alienation, hopelessness for the future, children’s education, medical, transportation, bills to pay etc. 

Somehow it bothers all of us that this budget gave low or no priority to the majority of people who are struggling for their day to day bread. It’s never a rakyat’s budget after all. It’s a complete farce to all thinking and feeling Malaysians!

But does that mean it’s wrong to be rich? Absolutely no. If not, what is Abraham doing in heaven with Lazarus? As Scriptures says, Abraham was a very rich men with livestock, silver and gold (Gen 13:2).

Does the end justify the means? Well, this is something for all of us to reflect upon.

Charles Swindoll said...

The World Needs Men & Women...

Who cannot be bought;

Whose word is their bond;

Who put character above wealth;

Who are larger than their vocations;

Who do not hesitate to take chances;

Who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;

Who will be as honest in small things as in great things;

Who will make no compromise with wrong;

Whose ambitions are not just their own selfish desires;

Who will not agree just because everybody else does it;

Who are true to their friends through good and evil;

Who are not afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;

Who say “no” with emphasis, although the rest of the world says “yes.”

A Malaysian Tale 2

Say Cheese

Three dead bodies turn up at the mortuary, all with very big smiles on their faces. The coroner calls the police to show them what has happened. A Detective Inspector is sent and is taken to the first body.

'Clinton, 60, died of heart failure whilst in bed with his mistress. Hence the enormous smile, Inspector,' says the Coroner.

The DI is taken to the second dead man. 'Suharto, 70, made a pile from government funds, and spent it all on whiskey. Died of alcohol poisoning, hence the smile.

'Nothing unusual here', thinks the DI, and asks to be shown the last body.

Ah,' says the coroner. 'This is the most unusual one. Dr. Mahathir, 75, struck by lightning.'

'Why is he smiling then?' inquires the Inspector.

To which the coroner replies, 'He thought he was having his picture taken.'


Miracle Failure

After he put Anwar in jail, Mahathir received a lot of criticism from different sources. Everything he did was sure to get the journalists and diplomats screaming at him about corruption and cronyism etc. Finally, he was so fed up that he called all the journalists and diplomats to Johor Bahru.

Now, for all of you, I'm going to do something which you all cannot complain about.' and he magically stepped onto the waters of the straits of johore and walked the full 1 km to the other side without falling into the water. The onlookers were amazed and Mahathir was sure he'd get some compliments in the news tomorrow.

The next day, Mahathir was shocked to find in newspapers across the planet

The Sun 'Mahathir Can't Swim'

The New York Times 'Mahathir crosses borders without going through immigration'

The Straits Times 'Mahathir uses propaganda to curry F(L)AVOR!

Najib, are you afraid of offending Perkasa?

Najib, give us a break and spare us your rhetoric!

Najib, where is your action against the 3 civil service who uttered derogatory words on the Indians & Chinese as far back as 2 months ago? Why the silence? Are you afraid of offending Perkasa?

Who are you to tell Malaysians “to stop being overly communal…” It is you who need to heed these words.

After all, you have not been able to control your own UMNO and Perkasa from being communal and racist. And on top of it you have the cheek to say that UMNO must work with all NGO’s and this would include the racist & primitive Perkasa?

And what are you implying here? That it’s ok for UMNO to be communal but not anybody else. If you want to put a stop to all these racist rant and slant than that it is imperative for you to start with your own backyard. You’ve got no choice Najib!

Najib you said you are encouraging UMNO to fight and help the other races. What’s the big deal? The sun shines on all men and women. Aren’t they Malaysians after all? Haven’t they supported BN enough all these years so that your cronies can milk our land to the max?

Najib for the Chinese & Indians who have made their home here this is our Promised Land. This was our land of milk and honey seen by our forefathers many generations ago. And this country continues to be our home no matter what you or your UMNO/BTN/Perkasa says it is.

So, please stop saying that we are pendatang’s. Because for the simple reason we are not. And we hope that you will put a stop especially to your own UMNO members and the civil service who have become quite un-civilized the last few years as they increased the race rhetoric to Malaysians generally.

Seriously Najib, give us a break lah!!!

Mahathir's Dilemma

Let me first say that many people your age would be seeking to quiet down and enjoy the remaining balance of your life with their love ones. But somehow I find this a complete surprise as this is not the case with you.

Even at this age you are able to shake the government to its core. Look at Pak Lah and now Najib and his 1Malaysia program.

And I guess you are doing this coz something is bothering you. We know what is it but it would be great if we could hear it from the horses’ mouth as you claim you are “past self-interest” and all.

Anyhow, back to your latest venom on “the country we all love.”

Dr. M, you said that we Malaysians don’t understand 1 Malaysia. Do you really think that we are such dumb fools not able to comprehend this slogan? For your info, it simply means Unity. In our context it’s Unity in Diversity!

That’s it. Now the next question is do we need 1Malaysia? Of course we do. It’s precisely because of people like you and those in the primitive group Perkasa whom you are the spiritual advisor to.

Dr. M, we need 1Malaysia to work for our children’s future. But somehow you and Perkasa think otherwise. You and your proxy Muhyiddin think it will not work. You and some bigoted and racist civil servants feel that 1Malaysia should fail.

Why? Are you afraid of loosing something? Seriously, tell us what is it.

Then you claim that the Malays have a different understanding of 1Malaysia than the rest of the non-Malays.

You claim that the Malays wants us to adopt BM as our national language. Who hasn’t? Even the East Malaysians with a variety of their indigenous languages has done that. In addition, you want the non-Malays to give up their mother tongue and more importantly their education system as well.

In your own words the Chinese civilization system has been around for four thousand years and this has made them more resilient and knowledgeable. And now you want to destroy a part of that very fundamental institution (education) which has sustained the Chinese over the centuries? What are you up to?

Well, it is not the non-Malays who don’t want to learn BM. It is you who disallowed the use of BM in schools as far as teaching of Maths and Science was concerned.

It just doesn’t make sense what you are saying now and did the last time you were a PM of “the country we all love.”

Well, we Malaysians know very well that you are a flip-flop men too. On one hand you could be preaching about Bangsa Malaysia but on the other you could be talking about Malay supremacy with ease! And that hasn’t stop since your Malay Dilemma days.

Dr. M, your blog says that the non-Malays interprete 1Malaysia as amending the constitution. Give us a break! It was you who have amended the constitution many times without fail when you were in power all those 22 years. Did the opposition ever tried to amend their state constitution that they were controlling? Not at all! Did they ever said they were going to? NO!!!

It was you who amended the powers of the rulers not once but twice. And now you are talking about the Malays loosing power.

I believe no non-Malays wants to amend Article 153 in our constitution. I think it’s there to fulfill a purpose and ensure that economically we Malaysians will have a fair share of the economic pie and stand on our feet. Did you do that when you were in power for 22 years as a dictator? Obviously you didn’t do enough so that you could harp on this issue over and over again.

And instead you fed and fattened your cronies like the cows of Bashan! And the poor who really needed the 30% help did not get to see it. What happen to the RM54 billion bumi share which at present is left with RM2 billion only? Surely, you would know something about this. Why the silence, Dr. M?

In addition, most of our national coffers fall victim to your cronies’ uncontrolled hunger for greed i.e. EPF, Socso etc. Under your premiership corruption and money politics become the order of the day. As you went to create UMNO Baru, you also created a new political culture which was based on greed and patronage. And this system of governance (read:Mahathirism) is still in play today especially thru one of your boys Najib.

Please do not hide behind the façade of Malay unity to protect your self interest or the interest of your cronies. And I think you need to grow up and behave as an elderly politician. Look at Tunku and learn from our Bapa Kemerdekaan.

Stop the nonsense and allow us to forge our way ahead for the “the country we all love.”

We could use less people like you to become Bangsa Malaysia. If only you could let us be!

The Utter Tyranny of Detention Without Trial - a very true and recent story

Most of you may have read that Azean Irdawaty's son, Benjy, was recently arrested for apparently in possession of 800grams of cocaine, and 140grams of methamphetamine. If true, that would make him a presumed trafficker under our law. The death sentence would be staring at his face.
However, they only charged him with being in possession of 0.24grams of metaphetamine. What happened to the 800 grams of cocaine? And 139.76 grams of metaphetamine which he supposedly have?
To top it up, today, the Star reported that the "powder" found was not cocaine after all!
After bail was granted, he was re-arrested under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985. This Act is the drug version of the ISA. It allows detention without trial.
In addition, Amer Hamzah, his lawyer, was manhandled by the police. Lawyers are planning a protest walk tomorrow.
Read Benjy's story as told by his sister, Elza.
On March 11th, he was arrested at his apartment's parking lot in Segambut. Police brought him to an apartment he rented in Kepong, and after entering, claimed that in that residence, he possessed 800grams of cocaine, and 140grams of methamphetamine, and accused him of processing and trafficking, putting him under the risk of being charged under Section 39B, which carries the death penalty.
On March 12th he was remanded for 7 days. When my parents inquired if we can engage a lawyer, the Investigation Officer told us "No need".
On March 17th, after our family waited more than an hour, we were allowed to see him for the very first time, under supervision.
Again my mother asked if we should get him a lawyer, again the I.O advised against it, claiming "Lawyer tak boleh buat apa-apa sekarang. Buang duit je. (Lawyer can't do anything now. It's simply a waste of money)."
On March 18th, his remand was extended another 7 days. The magistrate inquired why there was no lawyer present for him, and whether he was made aware he had the right to a counsel of his choice. He replied "No." Therefore, he requested for one, and only nine hours later, did the I.O call to inform my mother, who promptly engaged Amer Hamzah Arshad. But the very next day, the police used their Executive authority under Section 28A that vetoed his right to a counsel. All requests made by our lawyer to visit him was denied.
Only after we complained to SUHAKAM, did the police allow Amer to visit him.
On the last day of his remand. After the investigations were concluded. For only 15 minutes.
On March 25th, he was brought to court, and charged under Section 12(2) for possession of 0.24grams of metaphetamin in his Segambut residence. Nothing the police claimed they found in the Kepong residence, the cocaine and shabu that was "already packaged to be distributed" or the so called "cocaine processing mini-lab" was brought to court.
Because there WAS none.
He was released on bail. A trial date was set. He was so close to being free, and seeing his 4 year old son again.
But as he was signing the papers of his release, the Plainclothes were outside waiting.
Not two steps after he came out of the bail department, without any explanation, they re-arrested him. Amer was restrained from protecting him, and only after Amer repeatedly asked them to show their I.D, did they do so. Still, no explanation was given to the family. We were merely told to go to the Headquarters and speak to Inspector Kang. The same guy who claimed my brother possessed the cocaine they NEVER found.
He never saw us, he was "in a meeting." He wasn't too occupied to give the press a statement, but was unavailable to see us.
We were told by the new I.O for this case, and the DSP (the guy who signed the papers denying my brother the right to a counsel) that they are detaining him for 60 days under the Special Preventive Measures Act (LPK), after which, they could further detain him for 2 years if found guilty.
Guilty according to THEM. For under this act, it is a detention without trial, like the Internal Security Act. Any information gathered from "witnesses" and "investigations" will never be disclosed to him or his lawyer, or the court. He will also not be able to defend himself against any allegations. Under this act, he will never have his day in court.
On March 25th, my brother, Ben, was denied his Constitutional rights.
For 2 weeks, our family went through hell. Sleepless nights, press waiting outside our door, Ben had asthma attacks after the police delayed themselves in acquiring the requested medication for 3 days, Mama, who is a cancer patient herself, suffered chest pains and lost her voice.
We felt it was all worth it, for we would be able to have him back.
But now, a new nightmare has begun.
Whether or not Ben is guilty, should not be for the Police to decide. If they HAD the evidence to strengthen their warrant for re-arrest, why was it not brought to court? Why is Ben not given a chance to defend himself? How can we ever know the authenticity of these so called witnesses and their statements? If there were ANY to begin with?
Under this act, I could simply be caught for any crimes of drug offences the police accuse me of, because they can claim they have enough information (even if they have absolutely nothing) and detain me. For 60 days, for 2 years, and even EXTEND it after.
Acts like this and the ISA are licenses for ARBITRARY arrest and detention. Anytime. Anywhere. Anybody.
My family and Amer will not back down. We will fight for Ben's right. We will speak up for all of those who were silenced before us, who will be silenced hereafter.
But we seek your help. In any way at all, help us fight this. Re-post this, write on your blogs, write to your local representative, to our newspapers, and together we shall use our voice, our art, our space, to stand up not just for Ben, but for all our rights.
Liberty is a Constitutional right. It's time to get it back.
I have said it many times and I will say it again. Detention without trial is inhuman, unjust and is an affront to civil society. It causes more damage than the damage which it is designed to avert.
And it breeds abuse. And laziness on the part of our authorities. Why bother to investigate when the so caled "bad guys" could be detained without trial?
The above story is but ONE of the thousands of untold stories about detention without trials.
It is but ONE of the agony, anguish and anger which is felt about this utterly uncivilised affront to fundamental liberties.
Do you all want this to happen to you or one of your family members?

A Malaysian Tale

While walking down the street one day a Malaysian Boleh Minister is tragically hit by a truck, and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We have never had a high official from Malaysia, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”


“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one day in heaven. After that you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I have made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the Yang Berhormat.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules,” says St. Peter.

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator, and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and dressed in the finest batik there is. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then indulge themselves in lobsters, caviar and the most expensive food there is.

Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell, and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the doors re-open on heaven, where St. Peter is waiting for him.

“Now it’ s time to visit heaven.”

So, another 24 hours pass, with the Yang Berhormat joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp, and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the day is gone, and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”

The Yang Berhormat reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said this before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think Ai yam better off in hell.”

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open, and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The Devil comes over to him, and puts his arm around his shoulder.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the Yang Berhormat, “Yesterday I was here, and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage, and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The Devil looks at him, smiles and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning, just like you did during a Malaysian election…… Today you have voted.”

SO, VOTE WISELY IN THE COMING ELECTION!

Still want to vote for the devil you know?

Top 10 Reason Why 1Malaysia is Dead!

Why I think 1Malaysia is as good as a dead cat? The facts is just below:-

1) UMNO & Ketuanan Melayu - Kerismudin started to raise the keris in two of UMNO General Assembly. Some said it is a call to war! Against whom? Against 1Malaysia. It is very un-becoming of you to behave such as this knowing the kind of legacy your father and grandfather left & wished for Malaysia.

2) Khairy Jamaluddin speech where he said that the rakyat had been deprived of the UMNO President's speech because a certain race (Indians) monopolised the newspaper distribution. Who asked you to organized the UMNO General Assembly on Deepavali day? There goes 1Malaysia to the drain.

3) Ahmad Ismail during the Permatang Pauh by-ellection calling Chinese as pendatangs. What the hell men? What about you? Where did you came from? Go and check your roots first! On top of it when Ahmad was suspended from UMNO we see UMNO Secretary General (Tengku Adnan) sitting just next to him in the said press conference. Wither 1Malaysia.

4) Nasir Safar - Who said Chinese women came to work as prostitutes and Indians as beggars to Malaya. The Advisor who happen to be the closest to the 1Malaysia PM is the last person on earth who should utter such words. But not in 1Malaysia dude!

5) Perkasa & Ibrahim Ali - Should I say more? The mother of all frogs who is hell bent to become a hero here is spewing venom (literally sometimes) wherever he goes. They have made their intentions well known that the NEP is here to stay for good. But this so-called "hero" has got no guts and the brains to take up Nurul Izzah's challenge to debate on the special position of the Malays as stated in the constitution. And as days goes by UMNO is seen as not only outsourcing its dirty job to Perkasa but becoming ever more kowtow-ing to it as well. And if UMNO kowtow to Perkasa i wonder what is the position of the other BN component parties? Ahh...the whole of BN is also kowtow-ing to Perkasa lah!

Najib, I hope you are reading this!

6) Mamak Mahathir - They say never give a microphone to an Indian coz he might not want to leave the stage. Well, I say never ever vote another Indian to power as he might rule for another 22 years (well, look at Samy Vellu too) and systematically destroy all fundamental institutions of this country e.g. judiciary, police force, race-relations, human rights abuses, etc etc. He is back with a vengence to break whatever unity that is left in this country so that his hold on the gravy train is ever more secured for himself and his family. Nazri has aptly called him the "Father of all Racist".

Huh...more to come guys...!

7) The cow head incident - A group of extremist paraded a cow's head in Shah Alam and was given a big welcoming by Kerismudin in his office after that. Then, they were just given light punishment and got away scot free. Do you still think 1Malaysia exist? Hang on there guyz...

8) Allah issue - Non Muslim's are not to use this word as it supposedly would confuse the Muslims. But Christians has been using this word since Biblical times esp in Middle East & even in Indonesia. If there is confusion then the onus is on the confused party to educate themselves so that this confusion/ignorance can be addresed. Not restricting the Christian and Sikh community from using Allah in their worship. Due to this issue, several churches were burnt and vandalized around the country. Najib, your 1Malaysia is Smoke on the Water!

Is this what your 1Malaysia is all about Najib?

9) School head from Johor (Siti Inshah) uttered racist words to a group of Chinese students that they can go back to China and Indians who wear the prayer strings look like dogs. Lets not forget another school head from Kedah too who did utter the same deragotary words on some Chinese students. But till today the 1Malaysia goverment has failed to take any disciplinary action on these 2 headmasters. In fact, DPM Muhyiddin Yassin said there is nothing much he can do as his hands are tied. What the hell???

And...the top 10 reason why 1Malaysia is dead:-

10) The latest racial slur alledgedly by BTN deputy director Hamim Husin calling Chinese "mata sepet" and Indians "kaki botol". Till now, the 1Malaysia goverment feels the BTN course is needed in this country. Many groups has called for its abolishment but to no avail. This 1Malaysia goverment is very adamant in pushing thru its racist indoctrination to the impressionable young minds thus creating a very divided nation. In fact, this BTN course has become a curse which our country has to endure for time to come. We need to get to the bottom of this. Scrap BTN once and for all or we will scrap you UMNO/BN in GE13!!!

People, perhaps these are the Top 10 reasons why Najib's 1Malaysia is a good as dead. All the policies that this Najib goverment implement or try to has found its way to the monsoon drain.

So Najib, I don't think you should try so hard to convert the Rakyat. You should start with your own downline first as they are the root-causes of this Tragedy.

In fact, if you were to see the above incidents it all started with your UMNO leaders, advisors and mentor then trickle down to the civil service.

The rot starts with the head and you are that Head Najib!!!

How did our PM’s fared as leaders?

As we celebrate our nation’s 47th birthday I have a bad feeling that things could be worse moving forward. I mean socially, politically and economically we have stopped making great strides in making the great leap forward to become high income nation (I’m still not sure why we need to be a high income nation but that’s for another day). There is still much talk about Malay supremacy, pendatang, corruption, human rights abuses, a subservient judiciary and many many more.

It’s simple why this is so. It boils down to the kind of leadership we have in this country. I must say we’ve been blessed to a certain extent of having capable & dedicated leaders in the past from Tunku to Hussein Onn’s time.

But it has been a downward spiral ever since. Our leaders have failed to live up to their call. They have failed us to the most extreme. They have in turn become agitators of the worst kind and willing to bend down at whichever angle as long as they satisfy their huge deep pockets and ego with the rakyat’s hard earned money.

How do we make sense of these leaders? Is it their leadership styles or the reality they were in or the principles they use to dictate the outcomes?

Personally, it all boils down to the values they follow. What sort of values were we experiencing during their stint as PM of Malaysia? Let’s look at them below:-

Dr. Mahathir…sold the righteous for silver and the poor man for a pair of shoes (Amos 2:6). This was Mahathir’s legacy. This was the man who did the unthinkable of dismantling the judiciary and selling it to the highest bidder. In 1988, Mahathir sacked Tun Salleh Abbas the then Lord President of Malaysia and 5 other Supreme Court judges. These were respectable and proven to be capable Supreme Court judges. For Mahathir, there can never be anything Supreme in this land except Maha-thir! This was a devastating and terrible blow to our justice system and we have never recovered to our former stature since then.

Few years later, there came a video clip about VK Lingam allegedly intervening into the judicial appointments process of Malaysian judges. Our judiciary who once used to command respect worldwide has become the laughing stock of the nations. Even Badawi remarked that our country has never recovered from this terrible tragedy hence the need to apologize and compensate the sacked judges in 2008.

But how do our nation recover from this mess when our justice system is so subservient to UMNO and the powers that be. Can the little man & women look up to our judiciary to seek justice for themselves? Or do they need to take justice in their own hands to have their own brand of justice?

And who could ever forget Operasi Lalang in 1987. It was a darkest night for all freedom loving Malaysians. It was a day where we were as good as having a military emergency in our country. It was also a day when the 2 culprits (Najib & Lee Kim Sai) ran to Australia like cowards but those who were not guilty of inciting this racial sentiments were detained for some up to 2 years. For nothing!

This was the largest single swoop (106 detained) in our Malaysian history and I pray there will never be such as this. This brought a climate of fear on all levels of Malaysians and tightened Mahathir’s grip on our country’s politics. From now onwards it was his way or the highway. Our freedom & rights were thrown & trample upon and many of the detainees were never the same again. Many fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, husband, wife were taken to Kamunting for an indefinite period of time and this left deep scars and nightmares on their loved ones.

This was Mahathir greatest legacy. These 2 incidents left a deadly mark on our nation’s political & social landscape. It is never to be forgotten and it should never be. How do we recover from all this is left to be seen as any damage control has been futile so far. The very essence of justice and human rights were forever lost in Malaysia and only with the change of the present government I believe we can fully restore our confidence in the judiciary system.

Abdullah Badawi…When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly (1 Sam 28:5).

This was the guy who got whacked left and right from Mahathir until he was ousted. But hey, to some extent it was Badawi who manage to open up democratic space in Malaysia for change to happen. And the rakyat thought they needed him as he was a far cry from the autocratic Mahathir. He became the first PM to have garnered the highest number of parliament seats and also created history by loosing two-thirds majority eventually. With the highest number of seats he was still unable to steer the country out of money politics and the nation became more divided.

During his tenure, the racial and religious divide became more visible and there was no solution at sight. Badawi was a man too afraid to call the shots even with such high support from the public. Many religious conversion issues were not solved and left to the local Islamic bodies to take control. It was during his time that Little Napolean or Little Mullah began to rear its ugly head. The UMNO warlords began to flex their muscles but Badawi just kept quiet throughout his term. It was during his term as PM Hishammudin or fondly called as Kerismudin started to raise and kiss the keris at the UMNO General Assembly for the first time. It was so offensive to all Malaysians that this became the battly cry for the opposition during the 2008 general election and the rest as they say is history.

The legacy of Badawi was total inaction and flip flops in everything he did. He was not in control of the ship but was led by fear itself. There was no intellectual capacity from this man and no way was he going to be another long term premier. And for this he was kicked out by his very own UMNO members.

Najib & Rosmah…and the cows of Bashan (Amos 4:1)! This couple came in with huge baggages from Altantuya case to Perkasa! Needless to say they were the targets of Raja Petra who has vowed to bring them down at whatever cost! The alleged injustices they have committed would have sent any leaders packing and running for their lives to a different country (like Zimbabwe or Myanmar or even Mongolia).

Najib may turn out like Pak Lah with the latest grapevine saying that Mahathir has decided that Najib must go! But I will not say much of this couple as they have a long way to go or maybe not. There has been a lot of plans especially about KPI’s, NEM and the Transformation Plans for us. But none has even started what more to produce results.

It really seems to be a downhill for us as long as UMNO/BN continues to lead our country. Change is possible if only we really want to work towards it!

Will you?

Another Malaysia is Possible!!!

A Reflection on Merdeka & Thanksgiving Day

Some of us could be wondering how Thanksgiving holiday came about in America. Well, for a start it is quite similar to our Merdeka story. After all, America too was started by a group of immigrants from Europe, Africa and later Asians.

The first wave of immigrants came in 1621 and many died the same year due to famine. Only with the help of natives (Red Indians) they survived. The natives taught & help them to grow crops in their new land and in turn the immigrants help the natives to subdue their enemies with guns which they had.

Their partnership soon grew and became a win-win situation for all. To celebrate this partnership the immigrants & natives decided to share their food among themselves and thus born the tradition of Thanksgiving Day in America today.

I guess that was their Social Contract. That in coming together for survival they forge a partnership that was formidable in years to come. Today, America has grown to become the most powerful & prosperous country in the world. And the foundation to their success was their belief of coming together even though they were very different. They knew that a New World is Possible and they made it happen!

Now, coming back to Malaysia. Around 100-150 years ago the British brought in the biggest wave of immigrants from China & India. These people came to Malaya to survive as they believe at that time this was the land of opportunity like America too.

Similar to the Thanksgiving story, some years later the Malays forge a partnership with Chinese & Indians to drive out their enemies British. Don’t you think there is an irony here? The British who brought the Chinese & Indians to work here were at last driven out by the very same people together with the natives.

Somehow, one couldn’t do without the other. We needed to work hand in hand so that Malaya could be free. And yes we did achieve independence in 1957 without any bloodshed.

And with this new found Independence our Social Contract came into being. It was inked as the Federal Constitution of Malaya. This and only this I believe is our contract.

And for the first few decades Malaysia was doing remarkably well especially economically. There were some major upheavals like the Singapore expulsion, Indonesian Confrontation and May 13 1969 but looking back this was a young & fledging country. We needed to do some re-balancing and changes and moved on.

And now 53 years later after being called a tiger economy we are on the verge of being the sick men of Asia. Literally! Our FDI and economic figures don’t seem to generate any confidence and hope in near future and for our children.

Our neighbors whom we used to import maids from (Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thai etc) are running ahead of us and trailing new grounds.

Our political masters who has been in power since the day our Constitution was inked have amended it countless of times (650 times as of 2006). Groups are questioning about this document and any discussion on certain parts of it is God forbidden. Recently, someone did say that our NEP has been bastardized. Can the same be said of our Constitution?

But, what was the original intent of the Social Contract? Was it to turn our country into dictatorship or where racism is the order of the day? What happen along the way?

Our unity is fast becoming a novelty so much so we need slogan after slogan to remind us of how things were in “Once upon a time in Malaysia”.

Frankly, I believe our success as a nation lies in the very lines of our constitution. This was the basis of our togetherness. This document was not only meant to remind every generation what Malaysia means to us but that of everyone’s right & dignity is fully protected in this land of ours.

Somehow, we are still attracting immigrants today. Look at the Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Myanmar’s, Philippines etc are still flocking to Malaysia to earn a living and maybe hoping to settle down here in future if possible. If these people can see the value of Malaysia why can’t we?

Well, a little imagination may help us. Read the constitution and understand it.

Yes, Malaysia will face many walls, setbacks, crossroads and what not but our constitution is there to guide us. It is our Bible our Koran our Baghavad Gita of this country.

If we use it wisely we can come out of this mess which we have created after all these years. We have to, we need to and we must make Malaysia Possible!

Only then we can proudly proclaim Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka with gusto!!!

damian

p/s we are still in Merdeka season as September 16 is just around the corner!

The Relationship between Faith and Politics

19 July 2010 By Tricia Yeoh

I was invited last Friday to speak at an event jointly organised by Empower and SIRD (Strategic Information and Research Development Centre) entitled “I am what I believe”. A rather intriguing topic to begin with, the objective of the forum was to bring a diverse range of youth together to discuss the role of religion in politics and the fine workings between the two. The speakers represented the fields of law (Aston Pava from the Bar Council), feminist activism (Nazreen Nizam from Sisters in Islam), social and community work (Mrithula Shiva from the URI, United Religions Initiative), and public policy (myself).

Though I did not have a text, I was asked to prepare a summary of what I wrote for the purposes of their record-keeping and report. So here is a rough outline of what I said last Friday evening at MBPJ, with about 30-odd young people sacrificing their night out to have some solid discussion on the religious-political sphere in Malaysia.

The Relationship between Faith and Politics

Tonight I will speak on two over-arching topics in relation to faith and politics; the first will outline my personal background and the reasons for which I subscribe to the principles I believe in today, and thereafter I will try to address the problems that are currently being faced in Malaysia.

I’d like to firstly put a caveat that I am not speaking on behalf of the state government. However, because I do wear that particular hat, I do have a certain amount of experience and exposure in the realm of policy-making from a state government’s point of view. Hence, I speak as a policy analyst, one with experience in government, and one who happens to have been brought up in the tradition of the Christian faith.

My heritage is therefore one of Christian tradition. Having grown up in an environment of relative conservative spirituality, the ‘church’ had us believe that much of what constitutes Christianity is essentially to do with one’s spiritual health – the relationship between self and God, the divine. Most of our teachings were centred upon how to improve one’s spirituality, with a particular focus on the afterlife. However, as I started becoming exposed to public issues such as corruption, injustice, cost overruns (such as the Istana we are now faced with), abuse of power, discrimination of minorities and a host of other issues, I realised that the public-private divide was a myth, for someone whose faith so fundamentally describes the personhood of someone.

Again, I am only speaking based on my own experience. The division between the public and private spheres in this instance was difficult, especially since the ethos that drove me as a person – those very principles of justice, honesty, truth, accountability – were the same things that I would project onto the public sphere. Faith and politics were hence intimately intertwined insofar as social justice was concerned. For example, the efforts to fight slavery in the past stemmed precisely from faith principles (or the interpretation of what those religious principles were to that particular group of advocates).

My premise is therefore that for those whose faiths so intensely drive their being, it is not possible to extricate one from the other. The problem arises, however, when there are varying interpretations of opinions on public morality; or when policymakers begin to take it upon themselves to consciously legislate public morality. This, again, is entirely possible, if and only if, the leader concerned is able to rationally consider what is the greater good for all. This means that policy decisions must be made for ALL from different backgrounds, and these differences must be taken into consideration.

Living in Southeast Asia and Asia, for example, it is inevitable that any of us would have had some sort of exposure to religion growing up and even at present. To say strictly that there IS a separation of the two is utopian for some but impractical for most. Given this reality, how then do we approach decision-making for the public at large?

Let’s focus on Malaysia right now. The problem in our country is that there is a tight and interrelated nexus between the issues of race, religion and politics. Race and religion so fundamentally describe identity. The nexus is therefore between identity and faith, identity and power, which are extremely strong ties. Without delving too deeply into history, the Iranian Revolution in 1979 without a doubt spurred Muslims in Malaysia towards a religious wave. Again, this is too sweeping a generalisation and I am not doing justice to historical political discourse, but what resulted from these trends were the emergence of political parties in a race towards being more Islamic than the other: UMNO and PAS. I do not doubt the genuine intentions of many, but there have certainly been strategic steps taken for political expediency purposes, on both sides. Therefore this establishes that religion in Malaysia ties too closely with politics for us to have a rational discussion on the theoretical relationship between faith and politics – or rather, the prescriptive notion of what ought to be in place.

In addressing the issue of a secular vs. an Islamic state, I believe the definition of the term secular or secularisation is interpreted differently by different quarters, and therein lies the difficulty of discourse. A secular state does not necessarily mean one that is completely non-religious. This just means that the country is not legally defined or shaped or dictated by those religious principles, for example as mentioned above the legislating of public morality. In any case, even without those legal tags that we place upon Malaysia, can we not be satisfied to say that the country is in fact Muslim in ethos nevertheless?

The more interesting question to me, therefore, is then to what extent can personal beliefs inform our policy decisions? Should they at all? In the courts, through government administration? I believe that faith can inform and influence our decisions, but only to the extent that it benefits the greater good for all. The important consideration is that of people of multiple religions being affected as a result of any public policy decision.

And yet, more and more issues besiege us daily. There are the issues of the “Allah” controversy, temple relocation, church-burning, Kartika and caning as a result of alcohol consumption, apostasy and the list continues. My personal conviction is that we ought to ask ourselves where we are at the cross-roads, where we want to go and how is it we are to get there? We must be able to work on faith principles and common values that can be applied to the public sphere. I can think offhand of initiatives such as working on poverty, the right to water, refugee issues, humanitarian aid, and so on. There is a need to recognise common ground, that of respect, dignity, trust. The Common Word Document that was sent by leading Muslims around the world to the Church community was an epitome of such respect for a common belief in one God and that of loving thy neighbour.

This work has to begin with the young, as I believe some would be too encumbered with baggage of their own beliefs and that of their heritages (including that within the Christian faith) to progress further. More people of such thought projections should be empowered to speak up and express their opinions, without the religious agenda being hijacked by a select few. More avenues must be given, such that religious views are not exclusive to those who are legally or administratively given the right to speak or define one’s personal beliefs. We must be able to break free from the insecurities, fears of identity that have burdened our own communities for far too long.

What are the right avenues to work on this agenda? Through profession (the vocation that one chooses to take up i.e. law, policy), involvement in civil society (NGOs like Perkasa are powerful but to speak up means forming and joining other NGOs to have a critical mass and show voice and power), politics (being involved in actual decision-making or supporting those in politics who share your views), the media and Internet (Web 3.0 is powerful as a source of influencing opinions far and wide). Ultimately, it’s about education and opening of the mind. Remember this. Leaders make decisions based on what they believe the people want. Enough people believing and displaying publicly that they desire traditional, classical religion to be less defined within the law, will eventually lead the way to that end. This, after all, is democracy.

Tricia Yeoh maintains a blog at http://egalitaria.wordpress.com/

Food for Thought!

If God had been a Liberal there wouldn't have been Ten Commandments, there would have been Ten Suggestions. ~ Malcolm Bradbury, After Dinner Game

Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~ Ronald Reagan

A politician is a fellow who will lay down YOUR life for his country. ~ Texas Guinan

A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing. -- Martin Luther

In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise.-- Richard Halverson

Our Unity has become a Novelty!

Dr M is spewing such venomous words these days and there seem to be no letting go from this grand old man of Malaysian politics. And he seems to be just fine for a man of his age. I always thought that when you grew older you tend to mellow down somewhat but not for this fellow.

There has also been much condemnation from across the board such as Zaid Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, ArtHarun to the man on the street. I too would like to say a few words about his latest article (Is meritocracy racist?).

He ended his article with 3 words; “So be it”.

Dr M, when you wrote that article of yours you mean to say you do not care whatever happens to this country? That you do not care that this country is ruled by incompetent leaders? That you do not want to see the Malay race stand on their own feet. Why?

When you said those last 3 words you mean to say come what may this country of ours must continually depend on a group of racist and bigoted people so they can still be in power so you and your family can still suck out every last penny from this land.

You are such a mean person to encourage your own people to feel weak & inferior just because you think so! But after all you are not a true Malay by heritage aren’t you?

Come on la. You think we can’t see through your words. We thinking Malaysians know that you do not have the welfare of the Malays at heart. If you do then you would have encourage & propel them to greater heights.

If you did you would have made sure they reach their full potential and the 30% Bumiputera equity long time ago. After all, you were a dictator for 22 years in Malaysia. What stopped you?

I for one know that the Malays (and others) have begun to stand on their own feet. In fact, they have started to think & feel on their own. And that worries you to the core.

You are afraid that if the Malays start to think & feel for themselves you are in trouble. And you are already in trouble because the power base which you have been depending on & manipulating all this while is no longer under your thumb anymore.

And lastly Dr M you have turn our unity to such a novelty! Turning our melting port of Malaysia to the burning port of Asia.

I just hope your last 3 words will be your last 3 in public. But hey, who is there to stop you. After all you are a firm believer of free speech no?

The Boiling Pot of Malaysia Truly Asia

First they managed to capture Perak successfully. Then, it was Selangor’s turn but failed even with all the sand mining fiasco. Kedah was their next move but somehow it fizzled out and they got uninterested. Now, the attack is on my home state Penang.

I am talking about UMNO/BN “strategy” to seize all these states at whatever cost. In Perak & Selangor the issue was mainly money, royalty & illegal sand mining to initiate a change of government. In Penang UMNO specifically used Religion to bring down the PR government here.

This is where it gets interesting. UMNO knows pretty well when politics mix with religion for some selfish dubious means you are inviting trouble. Big trouble I mean. After all Utusan is always there to exaggerate any of this issue to the hilt and mind you it did.

The Penang government responded swiftly by doing several things like challenging UMNO to make a police report and doing its own investigation.

But what does this show? I believe it shows a few things:-

- UMNO’s (im)morality in using their very own religion (Islam) for selfish end while they claim to be defender of that very faith. This is Realpolitik for you!
- UMNO knows no bound whatsover when they use Religion in despicable way to re-gain the Malay support which has ben dwindling since GE2008.
- UMNO’s desire to see Penang goverment destroyed at all cost. That was the end in their mind. If their campaign succeeded there would have been terrible consequences for sure. After all UMNO was playing with fire when they brought this issue out.

So, do you think Religion matters now? It does matter to me for I do not want to see any religion for that matter to be twisted and manipulated by a select few for their own selfish gains.

I also think it does matter to UMNO especially when it suits their narrow, crooked and twisted agenda!

How about you Malaysians?

Never to Caesar what belongs to God!

Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God (Matt 22:21). ..Never to Caesar what belongs to God!

Many of us would like to think that the above words from Jesus were to divide faith from our public domain (politics included). But what was in Jesus’s mind when He answered with those powerful words above? Let’s see what the context was.

Some Pharisees & Herodians were eager to put Jesus in trouble with the authorities. I’m sure they had some grudge on Him after He called them a tomb, snakes and what not.

They wanted to get more than just even with Jesus. They wanted to finish Him off.

So, they threw Him a question “Should we pay or shouldn’t we pay taxes to Caesar?” (Matt 22:17)

This was a very specific but dangerous question brought about by 2 groups of dangerous people. If Jesus was born in Malaysia and He happen to answer them wrongly the authorities would have Him charged under the Sedition Act of course!

Look at His answer:-
- Firstly, Jesus accused them of trapping Him (Matt 22:18)
- Secondly, He asks for a coin from them. Most probably He wanted to expose their hypocrisy coz they are not supposed to carry/bring in a heathen coin into the temple (Matt 22:19)
- Lastly, He climaxed it with an answer “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” a brilliant example of Jesus’s skill thinking on His feet! (Matt 22:21)

This narrative shows that we have an obligation to both. By no means are we to substitute one for God’s area and the other areas.

But what happens after paying taxes to the government? Do we have a say on how it should be used for the benefit of its people/rakyat?

Jesus didn’t say much on that. So, does that mean we are supposed to be quiet when WE KNOW pretty well that our taxes is being used for questionable projects/ventures?

That our money is being used as a source of wealth to feed cronies & the wanton greed of their families.

That our taxes is being used to further plunder & corrupt our country.

What is our response then? Pray, pay & obey?

How about you?

Welcome!

Hi everyone,

Yes, so I’ve made it into the bloggers cyber world. This is really exciting from me actually. To be able to pen down my thoughts, words, ramblings and what not into the World Wide Web.

And, what is this Reality Bytes all about? What is really biting or bothering you now? For some it would be their jobs, their next meal, their children’s education/welfare, security, faith/religion, cost of living, housing, corruption, bills to pay, medical, insurance etc. For some it would be the politics in this country Malaysia and the way religion/faith is played out here. Is it good or just the opposite? Or is there a connection between the two?

Ever wondered why this is happening? I do but somehow the answer that I found is quite unsatisfactory. Hence, the need to share openly what’s on my mind. As they say two heads are better than one and I’m not doing this alone. Hoping your ideas or musings no matter how insignificant you think they are can be shared on this blog.

So, with this I welcome all of you to Reality Bytes (realitybytesdmd.blogspot.com).

damian