Three BN ministers were not speaking from a position of strength when they labeled PKR politician Nurul Izzah Anwar a traitor and a sinner for saying in an Indonesian newspaper, that Malaysia’s new, multimillion ringgit submarine is defective.
She also highlighted the problems plaguing our navy and expressed doubts about the New Economic Policy (NEP).
?Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom said, Those who tarnish their country’s image with the aim of causing turmoil are regarded to have sinned.
The truth hurts, but Jamil is mad to brand people who are critical of the Malaysian government as ‘sinners’.
He then said: We should love our country and be prepared to defend it, as defending our own country is a jihad (holy war) which carries a big divine reward.
Calling the defence of one’s country a jihad is wrong.
The las?t idiot who used a similar pejorative term was George W Bush. He used the expression ‘crusade’, to describe his country’s response to the Sept 11 attacks.
Terms like ‘crusade’ and jihad produce a negative reaction in both Christian and Muslim communities.
Bush’s use of the word ‘crusade’ evoked a visceral reaction worldwide because it portrayed bloody, violent images of the battles between Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages.
So, whose sentiments is Jamil appealing to? He is trying to discredit Nurul Izzah and deflect attention from the faulty submarine.
At some point or other, most of us have condemned corruption, abuses of power, nepotism, racism, cronyism, injustices and cover-ups. Are we the sinners or are the corrupt politicians the sinners?
Jamil’s use of jihad alienates the Chinese, Indians and Malays. He is defending patriotism as a Muslim trait.
But if ?Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi can call on politicians to stop politicising national defence issues, then Jamil should stop making these religious issues.
When he branded Nurul Izzah a penderhaka (traitor) who has damaged Malaysia’s image in the eyes of the world, he was wrong.
The country’s reputation has already been tarnished by the protracted sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim, Teoh Beng Hock’s suspicious death, the farcical cross-examination of Dr PornthipRojanasunand at Teoh’s inquest, the Port Klang Free Zone scandal, the impotence of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the denial of justice for Penan girls who were raped.
By accusing Nurul of ‘exaggerating the problems in this country’, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein only managed to raise the ire of the public.
Stagnant politicians
Thus, it seems facetious of the Royal Malaysian Navy to wade in and lodge police reports against both Nurul Izzah and Malay Mail reporter Marhalim Abas over the claims that the country’s first submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, was unable to dive.
The job of this journalist was to disclose the failings of the submarine, just as Nurul Izzah was doing her job as a politician.
?The three ministers condemned Nurul for not mimicking the actions of past and current politicians, who keep quiet about indiscretions.
Are we to heap praise on the former defence minister, Najib Abdul Razak, for his two-year silence over the theft of two fighter-jet engines? These engines surfaced in Paraguay, and were returned, after attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail flew there to secure their ‘release’.
Jamil’s talk of traitors reminds us of the service personnel who sold state secrets to foreign agents. What happened to them?
Nowadays, Malaysians are more critical and are not afraid of asking probing questions. But instead of embracing change, some politicians and NGOs, like Perkasa, are happy to stagnate.
No inner peace
On the eve of the 53rd Merdeka celebrations, our attempts to demolish the walls between the races are hampered by the people who don’t like change.
We have chosen to move forward instead of looking back, like Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Ibrahim Ali and Ahmad Ismail, who have all lost their bearings.
We should focus on the needs of all, so that everyone can contribute. This is impossible because of the unfair quota system in our public universities, which hampers development. Or, the preferential business terms which stunt growth.
After decades of autocracy, our politicians have forgotten to listen and engage. They keep the non-Malays at arm’s length and fail to acknowledge that able Malays are confident of abandoning the worn-out NEP, to embrace change.
People who are absorbed in their own problems, like Ibrahim Ali, will not make a difference or leave the world a better place.
Are we prepared to do what is right? While some of us demanded justice for Teoh, A Kugan and Aminulrasyid Amzah, others were content to look the other way.
?Racist comments were recently uttered by two school principals. A swift response under Najib’s new policy of zero-tolerance has not materialised.
Many politicians only pay lip service to important issues, so does this mean they lack discipline?
Bung Moktar Radin broke the law with his illegal polygamous marriage. His disregard for Syariah law and contempt of court only fuelled resentment.
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor’s ‘s life disintegrated because of a pint of beer but the brewing deals of Muslim politicians would leave many in a drunken stupor.
Malaysians appear to be more religious today, but we seem to lack inner peace.
Muslims claim ownership of the word ‘Allah’ and force people to behave. The moral police run wild and wreak havoc. Their constant checks on behaviour, endanger those who risk their lives trying to escape from the raids. In an effort to prevent teenagers having underage sex and the ensuing problem of abandoned babies, child marriages have been made legal.
On the eve of Merdeka, it is a shame we still have these problems of corruption and disunity.
Nurul Izzah is right to highlight these problems. Is the feeble-minded BN elite aware of the deplorable role it played in these sorry affairs?
Have a Happy and Peaceful Merdeka!
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘realspeak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.
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The funny thing about it is that these feeble minded politicians are propelling Nurul to national stage and coming into her own with these attacks. After she got swept into office in 308, she has actually been losing grounds with the weaker-will constituents although slowly gaining respect with the more urban and educated crowd.
But she really has come into her own in the last few months even with great ideas like starting Utusan Rakyat, taking on Perkasa. She is starting to be a contender for national leadership.
BN leaders have made a mess of this country and turned it into a huge Jamban.
And now everyone is talking and shouting about 1Malaysia.
As is always the case – alot of slogans but no Blue Print and Action.
Nobody in the 18 million odd population has the guts to ask for
the Blue Print to bring about 1Malaysia.
It is a beautiful concept but are the leaders sincere to make it happen ?
Where do you start ?
Perhaps you can consider these few points :-
1.Abolish the ISA.
2.Abolish Bumi Status.(so-called)
3.Practise complete Religious Freedom.
4.Completely revamp the Civil Service and other privatised (piratised ) utilities
like TNB,TM,PETRONAS,POS MALAYSIA etc.
5.Use English as the medium of instruction in schools
6.STOP changing policies every 3 or 5 years.
7.Leaders of Islam be non-obtrusive in their zest to practise the religion.
8.Above all Have only 1Legal System for 1Malaysia.
If you can’t implement all these for a start don’t hope for 1Malaysia to happen.
Nurul Izzah can only be called a traitor and deserves to be stoned to death if she ……
(1) Received RM500 million from the purchase of the 2 scorpenes
(2) Was involved in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scam
(3) Was Chua’s bed partner in his infamous video
(4) Was involved in Sime Darby’s loss of billions of taxpayers’ money
all very relevant points except the most important thing that we must do first.
1.Elect a capable Prime Minister with strong leadership skills to really forge all the races to work towards the nation’s progress; based on meritocracy and a needs based assistance programs for all races.
First thing first. Free the malays. Let them discover their true abilities. Let them realise their enegy and their desire to achieve. The energy the malay youths channeled into worthless activities like hell driving is energy that can be tapped for the success of the nation. But for so long Umno wanted them to continue as hell drivers by tying them to the wrong notion of ketuanan and privileges.
a true politician is one who will stand his/her ground on the national soil, and not to condemn one’s country internationally.
I do understand the needs of those politicians to take the international stage in order to fight or voice their concerns about their own countries. Why not do it here, in our own soil?
What i am afraid of is the fact that this type of statement will open more ways to others to show disrespect one’s country..and not to forget the demonstration staged by the Indonesians-it shows how disrespectful they are of our country..and I cannot imagine our own politicians going there and badmouthing our own country..i just don’t get it
maybe it’s because the MSM are so biased that it does not get reported?
Now the message gets passed on indirectly – with the Minister attacking her views, some folks will get to know the submarines had some issues, one of which being they were purchased without the maintenance budget!
Give me just one (not 10) good solid reason for needing those submarines. To be honest, in the event of an arm conflict with our neighbours, all they have to do is to spend a tiny fraction of the money we’ve paid for the subs ( not to mention 750,000 Ringgit DAILY maintainance cost to keep the subs sea going) to some foreign expert mercenaries & they will remove our subs in minutes.
Very costly & lousy move for Malaysia. Those who are getting juicy & fat commissions out of the sales (deals) are the ones ripping the nation apart.
//Give me just one (not 10) good solid reason for needing those submarines. //gofortruth
to load up all the bangsat negara when they lost the GE13. they need an escape pod to other countries. maybe brunei. cannot dive is ok. brunei is near. i am sure they wont go to indonesia. bendera gang waiting to rip them apart there.
undertaker888 #10
Where Brunei got want them? Only go there to kacau …… will confuse the muslims there with their own brand of Islam ……. Non muslims cannot enter surau or masjid, non-muslim women ”dirty” ….. rasuah itu dosa, kalau komisyen ok dan boleh.
Ohhh. They already paid in advance. the two oil parcel given to Brunei by bodowi. but this price does not include mamak. that’s why he is hopping mad.
Ohhh. Ya ah. I never thought of that. Those thieves are not so dumb afterall.