I was struck by one Q & A in Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s final interview as Prime Minister on 31st March 2009, as published by The Star yesterday, viz;
Q: You talked about progress Muslims made in earlier years and how we must emulate their efforts. But we must examine the Islam practised then. It was so free, lots of freedom to research, to think and implement. When you introduced Islam Hadhari, I thought this would bring it back to that era. But under you, Islam has gone to be more repressive. Just look at the lectures given by the ustaz on RTM1, they are so narrow and parochial.
A: It is a big problem – overseas the idea is welcome. Even Indonesia. But here it is all in a mess. Because we are fighting each other politically. Some PAS members do not like the idea. It is a battle that goes on. Changing of the mind. To do anything like that is not easy.
I have given myself that role. When I talk about democracy and freedom of discourse, it is not an easy job to do. But you have to allow people to enjoy it.
When people like it, the freedom, they think it is very nice. But I would have managed it better. I think up to now, nobody can silence the papers anymore. I don’t like the word takut (scared). Takut is not the way. Being reasonable is very important as well as being correct. Scaring does not work.
No denial whatsoever from Abdullah that under his Islam Hadhari, “Islam has gone to be more repressive…so narrow and parochial”.
Just total evasion of the problem created during Abdullah premiership as a result of the yawning gulf between promise and reality – whether as posed by the questioner or in other fields such as fostering national unity, promoting inter-religious and inter-civilisational dialogue, anti-corruption or to end Malaysia’s “first-world infrastructure, third-world mentality” malaise
“But I would have managed it better.”
he thought he did a good job!?
” think up to now, nobody can silence the papers anymore.”
HUH??? say it again.
and what is the philosophy of ‘takut’? i thought this is a word to describe him. :P
Scaring people huh? So dats wot umno is all about. Scaring people. Its must be a pretty scary party then. Coz it can then go round with its fangs and cape to scare people real bad huh.
Silly fool. Wrong. Umno is very protective of the people. Umno uses ISA to protect innocent people.
“Umno uses ISA to protect innocent people.”
taiking
umno gurantees that the more innocent you
are the more protected you will be.
Can anyone show me where Islam is not repressive, narrow, and parochial?
Islam UMNO style mah…divisive and hypocritical.
Hey guys, can freedom and demoncracy work hand in hand with Islam?. Look at arab countries in the middle east,say saudi arabia,Iran,Syria or even Jordon,there’s hardly any freedom and demoncracy at all, right guys ? Look closer,parisktan,some kind of demoncracy is seem but the country is very much disunited and currently in a political turmoil.Now look at our neighbour Indonisia,corrupted to the core,racial problem etc etc.These are all Islamic country but none enjoyed any success in term of freedom and demoncracy. Why,is it because Islam is undemoncratic,practise violence and racism and hence as seen there isn’t any peace at all in the Islamic world.
Quote
When people like it, the freedom, they think it is very nice. But I would have managed it better. I think up to now, nobody can silence the papers anymore. I don’t like the word takut (scared). Takut is not the way. Being reasonable is very important as well as being correct. Scaring does not work.
End Quote
I am more afraid about the ‘nobody can silence the papers anymore’ and you would think why would anyone in the free country do that unless you have some skeletons to cover. If not press should be your friend especially what they report is the truth not incomplete or total lies like our MSM now.
What is striking about the interview? While Badawi did not disagree that religion had gotten more repressive, in no way has he figured out how he got is all so wrong and could have succeeded..
Managed it better? PAS the problem? It was a strategic execution mistake. He should not have gone out on a limb without having the machinery to take on the challenge on something so sensitive to the Malay as religion. In fact, he should not have even add religion in his agenda at all from the start until he took care of other issues like corruption first. The truth is like many who are deeply Islamic in this country, he believes religion offers answer to fundamental social and political issues when its really never a good idea to mix religion and politics most of the time. He was looking for easy answers in places where there was none like all who believe mixing religion and politics is a good idea.
The man had PAS on the ropes in his first election and Islamic Hadhari was criticised like crazy. Why were they a problem? Again, the man is blaming the wrong parties and factors when he should have taken a step back and said maybe PAS became a factor because his children corruption was giving PAS ropes to hang his dubious ideas on using religion in politics.
The man should never have touched religion, he had it in the bag already and was not disciplined enough to keep it there.
DEar Uncle LIm,
Can you specify what the so called Ustaz in RTM1 said?
Dear Boycotlocalpaper,
Have you ever visited Oman, Qatar, Bahrain or UAE? Perhaps you forget which civilization killed Jews through systematic pogroms for thousands of years not to mention how many millions of natives were slayed for refusing to profess the army of ‘the Cross”.
shamshul anuar Says:
Have you ever visited Oman, Qatar, Bahrain or UAE? Perhaps you forget which civilization killed Jews through systematic pogroms for thousands of years not to mention how many millions of natives were slayed for refusing to profess the army of ‘the Cross”.
[b]
No, I have not visited Oman, Qatar, Bahrain or UAE. Have you visited these countries? Can Lina Joy freely practise her new found religion without being persecuted in the countries you mentioned? [/b]
shamshul anuar Says:
Perhaps you forget which civilization killed Jews through systematic pogroms for thousands of years not to mention how many millions of natives were slayed for refusing to profess the army of ‘the Cross”.
[b]
Which civilization killed Jews? Arab civilization is one of them. That explains the reason why the Jews fled to Europe as they were persecuted by the Arabs. Have you conveniently forgotten the fact that in the 7th century, the Arabs invaded Palestine, Syria, Egypt, & Persia, & force the natives of these countries to convert to a religion with the symbol of a crescent? Those who refused to convert were persecuted. That also explains why the Europeans tried to reconquer back the land from the Arab invaders. But that was a long time ago and as far as I know, you are allowed to freely practise your religion in Europe unlike Pakistan and Arab countries that are still intolerant towards other religions.[/b]