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If Allah is the name of God in Islam, can Christians also call their God Allah?

By N H Chan

The nomenclature of God

If you look up the word “Allah” in any English dictionary you will find this definition: Allah noun the name of God among Muslims; or Allah n. the principle Muslim name for God. In fact all English dictionaries are definite about the meaning of the word Allah; it is the name of God in Islam. Surprisingly the dictionary does not say that it is an Arabic word. Actually it is not strange at all. As I have already explained before, this Arabic word has become an English word since the sixteenth century when it was spelt using the English alphabet to represent the speech sounds of the Arabic word. It is only an Arabic word if it is written in the original Arabic text as distinct from the phonetic spelling in English.

If Allah is the Islamic God then, since Christians are not Muslims, could or should Christians call their God Allah?

The answer will depend on whether, as a fact, Allah in Arabic was first coined by the founder of Islam or that this Arabic word Allah had predated Islam and had been in existence as a name for “The God” – “The” meaning “the only one of its kind”, as in “the only God” – long before Prophet Mohammed’s Call, the legendary revelation of Allah in 611 AD. As a matter of fact, even before there was Jesus Christ, “Allah” meaning “the only God” was already a word in Arabic a Semitic language spoken by the ancient Arabs who belonged to the ethnic group of peoples known as the Semites.

Historically, therefore, the Arabic word Allah was not coined by Islam’s founder at all. According to the Bible, God made Abraham, his two sons Ishmael and Isaac and their descendants His people. Since then monotheism – a religious belief that there is only one God – was founded. The descendants of Abraham from the line of Ishmael (the Arabs) and Isaac (the Jews) worshipped the only God named Allah in Arabic and Eloah in Hebrew. In Arabic, Allah was derived from Al – Ilah meaning Al (The) + Ilah (God). In Hebrew God was Eloah with a capital E. Continue reading “If Allah is the name of God in Islam, can Christians also call their God Allah?”

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Chua SoiLek should not have too inflated an ego about himself or MCA

It should be the front-page headline news of the MCA newspaper The Star today, but it was tucked away in page 4, regarded as less newsworthy than Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding (entire front page with pic and headline‘You look beautiful’), “PM – Innovate to compete: Relying on foreign labour a threat to economy, SMEs told” (p 2), “A sea tunnel, after two bridges – Penang’s proposed third link in the pipeline” and “Hostile witnesses an obstacle, says MACC panel” (p 3).

It finally appears in p 4 of Star “Party will give up posts – MCA presidential council backs Chua’s stand” beneath another Chua SoiLek story “Stop fanning racial flame, SoiLek warns opposition”.

This is what even journalists in MCA’s own newspaper, the Star, think of the newsworthiness and importance of Chua’s “shock announcement”.

Many Malaysians thought that MCA leaders are finally taking a political stand because they are moved by the latest World Bank report entitled “Malaysia Economic Monitor: Brain Drain” and adverse news headlines like “Malaysia’s brain drain getting worse, says World Bank” and “NEP, brain drain holding back Malaysia, says World Bank” which said among other things: Continue reading “Chua SoiLek should not have too inflated an ego about himself or MCA”

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What offence has Anwar committed? Why is he being hounded?

by P. Ramakrishnan
29th April 2011

The scandalous porno tape, used in desperation to implicate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim allegedly engaging in sex with a prostitute in order to turn the tide in favour of the Barisan Nasional during the Sarawak election, refuses to fade away even after the Sarawak election.

It was a widely publicised news item and – according to some reports – the tape was even distributed in the longhouses in Sarawak to disparage and demean Anwar and present the opposition in poor light to gain political mileage for BN.

The police declared that the tape was genuine. The people were made to feel that very soon the sordid episode would be unravelled and the person in the tape exposed.

The various statements in the public domain created the perception that it was Anwar in the porno tape. The police conveyed the impression that it was a matter of time before Anwar was exposed as the owner of the Omega watch stolen by the prostitute. The Omega watch seemed to be the most important missing link to establish Anwar’s identity.

But to their utter disappointment there was no record of the purchaser in Taiwan, where the watch was apparently bought. The missing link went missing and they were no nearer the truth. Continue reading “What offence has Anwar committed? Why is he being hounded?”

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Sue gov’t, PAS urges dead gov’t officer’s family

By Hafiz Yatim | Malaysiakini

PAS central committee member Mohamad Sabu has urged the family of late customs officer Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed’s (below) family not to give up in seeking justice for his death.

Mohamad or better known as Mat Sabu, said he had visited the family of the Royal Customs Department’s senior assistant director last week where he gained the impression that they seemed resigned to his death with the possibility of not pursuing the matter further.

“This is the difference between the Chinese and Malays. The Chinese when this thing happened like Teoh Beng Hock, they will continue to fight to clear his name and seek justice. Now after two years, the issue is still hot.

“For Malays we should not leave it to fate but continue with the struggle. We should not be satisfied that yes, we have already received the body, and that is the end of the matter.
Continue reading “Sue gov’t, PAS urges dead gov’t officer’s family”

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“WE HAVE BETTER STUFF TO DO”

by Goh Keat Peng

“… the top anchors at all the networks had scurried into the briefing room. Once there, they received a presidential scolding for their concern with ‘silliness.’ Obama began his five-minute statement with the complaint that he wouldn’t be able to get the networks to break into their regularly scheduled programming for a speech on policy proposals. “I know that there is going to be a segment of people for which no matter what we put out, this issue will not be put to rest,” Obama said. “But I am speaking for the vast majority of the American people as well as for the press. We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We have better stuff to do. I have got better stuff to do. We have got big problems to solve. We are not going to be able to do it if we are distracted, we are not going to be able to do it if we spend time vilifying each other … if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts, we are not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by side shows and carnival barkers.”

The New York Times editorial on this press conference was entitled, “A Certificate of embarrassment”. It says in part:
Continue reading ““WE HAVE BETTER STUFF TO DO””

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Kit Siang: Soi Lek killing the people’s hope for change

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 29, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — Lim Kit Siang accused Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today of destroying the people’s hopes by dictating that they had no choice but to accept the status quo in the present administration under Barisan Nasional (BN).

This, said the DAP adviser, was reflected in Dr Chua’s recent reminder to the Chinese community that their hopes should be based on the political realities in Malaysia.

Lim insisted that the MCA president had missed the point when he challenged PKR to abolish Malay privileges, pointing out that the opposition had never argued over the special position of the Malays as enshrined under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

The point of contention, said Lim, was the BN government’s “blatant abuse” of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and refusal to implement needs-based affirmative action policies.

“His (Dr Chua’s) theatrics interest no one. Article 153 is not an article of controversy… it does not arise. The point of controversy is that the NEP must go.

“Dr Chua is just trying to create something out of nothing so that the people are distracted from the focal issues.

“Now that the people have some hope that for the first time, they have a proper alternative, he is trying to quash that hope,” Lim told The Malaysian Insider today. Continue reading “Kit Siang: Soi Lek killing the people’s hope for change”

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To explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger in my three days in Kuching, Sibu and Miri starting tomorrow

In my three days of visit to Kuching, Sibu and Miri beginning tomorrow, I will also take the opportunity to explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger as a follow-up to the 416 political awakening in the recent Sarawak state general elections with the twin objectives to accelerate greater political awakening among Sarawakians of all ethnic groups and deepen and strengthen DAP and Pakatan Rakyat political support in the state.

This will be in line with the decision of the DAP Sarawak State Committee at its meeting in Sibu last Sunday to give the nod to explore further the idea of a possible DAP-SNAP merger.

I propose not only to meet SNAP leaders and veterans but also to discuss the post-416 political scenario and challenges with a whole spectrum of Sarawakians. Continue reading “To explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger in my three days in Kuching, Sibu and Miri starting tomorrow”

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Nothing for Abu Kassim to gloat about as public stocks of two-year-old MACC lower than ever plumbed by its predecessor ACA in 41 years

In the past two days, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner had been bragging about the achievements of the MACC since its establishment on January 1, 2009.

On Wednesday, at the “Corruption Destroyer of Civilisations” forum in Shah Alam, he claimed that MACC investigations are above board and that it did not take sides where political parties were concerned when it came to corruption investigations.

He said: “For us, fighting corruption is in the interest of the people. Political affiliations are of no consequence.”

Abu Kassim can tell it to the marines!

Yesterday, when presenting the MACC 2010 Annual Report, Abu Kassim was preening for praise when he rattled out the MACC’s “achievements” – 944 people arrested and 381 charged last year with a 119% increase in success rate in securing conviction as compared to 2009, when MACC made only 500 arrests and 174 cases brought to court.
Continue reading “Nothing for Abu Kassim to gloat about as public stocks of two-year-old MACC lower than ever plumbed by its predecessor ACA in 41 years”

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When even Chinese PM could give full praise to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, when will DPM Muhyiddin give unreserved support to PM’s signature policy, declare that he is “Malaysian first, Malay second” and repudiate Utusan Melayu’s “1Melayu” call?

One of the headlines in today’s New Straits Times coverage of the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s visit to Malaysia reads: “Chinese prime minister all praise for Najib’s 1Malaysia”, reporting that Wen Jiabao was “full of praise for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for coming up with the 1Malaysia concept” when meeting Malaysian Chinese businessmen in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

This report immediately triggers the question:

When even the Chinese Prime Minister could give full praise to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, when will Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin give unreserved support to the Prime Minister’s signature policy, declare that he is “Malaysian first, Malay second” and repudiate Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu” call?

The declared objectives of 1Malaysia concept are indeed most laudable and praiseworthy – to create a more vibrant, more productive and more competitive Malaysian nation “where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society”.
Continue reading “When even Chinese PM could give full praise to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, when will DPM Muhyiddin give unreserved support to PM’s signature policy, declare that he is “Malaysian first, Malay second” and repudiate Utusan Melayu’s “1Melayu” call?”

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Malaysia’s brain drain getting worse, says World Bank

By Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 28, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — World Bank senior economist Philip Schellekens painted a gloomy picture of the Malaysian brain drain situation today saying that it not only grew rapidly but is likely to intensify, further eroding the country’s already narrow skills base.

Schellekens said that the number of skilled Malaysians living abroad has tripled in the last two decades with two out of every 10 Malaysians with tertiary education opting to leave for either OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries or Singapore.

“Brain drain from Malaysia is likely to intensify in the absence of mitigating actions,” he said at the launch of the World Bank report titled “Malaysia Economic Monitor: Brain Drain”. Continue reading “Malaysia’s brain drain getting worse, says World Bank”

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NEP, brain drain holding back Malaysia, says World Bank

The Malaysian Insider
Apr 28, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — More than one million Malaysians live abroad, the World Bank said today, adding that policies favouring Malays are holding back the economy, causing a brain drain and limiting foreign investment.

In a Bloomberg news service report today, World Bank senior economist Philip Schellekens was also quoted as saying that foreign investment could be five times the current levels if the country had Singapore’s talent base.

“Migration is very much an ethnic phenomenon in Malaysia, mostly Chinese but also Indian,” Schellekens told Bloomberg in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday ahead of the report’s release today.

Governance issues and lack of meritocracy are “fundamental constraints” to Malaysia’s expansion because “competition is what drives innovation,” he said. Continue reading “NEP, brain drain holding back Malaysia, says World Bank”

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Longing For A Free Mind (Part 8 of 14)

By M. Bakri Musa

The Mind of A Future Leader

It is within us to topple our personal as well as collective coconut shell. Of course, with enlightened leadership the process would be greatly facilitated. With skills and ingenuity we could leverage the very elements of our culture that had imprisoned us to instead free us.

Consider our excessive deference and unquestioning loyalty to authority figures. If perchance we were to be miraculously endowed with an enlightened leader, someone with an open mind and a growth mindset, who accepts and indeed encourages criticism of her leadership, then we would readily emulate her and our society would be transformed in short order.

Consider China; it long endured the stifling rule of communism under Chairman Mao who led that huge nation from one giant leap after another into the abyss. It took the diminutive and uninspiring leader in the person of Deng Xiaoping with a different mindset and a free mind to change direction, and the whole nation followed through, in their Confucian tradition of “follow the leader.” In one generation, that nation was transformed.
Continue reading “Longing For A Free Mind (Part 8 of 14)”

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Pakatan’s Chances of Winning the 13th General Election

By Kenny Gan

The 13th general election will be the most watched and anxiously awaited event in the annals of Malaysian political history. Previous general elections have been tame affairs where the result was never in doubt; it was only a matter of how many seats the opposition could wrest away from BN. But the next election will be different as BN faces a real threat of losing power to a united opposition.

To be sure, this is not the first time that the opposition parties have grouped together to challenge BN. In the 1990 general election, Tengku Razaleigh’s Semangat 46 forged a coalition with other opposition parties and in 1999 DAP, PAS and Keadilan formed Barisan Alternatif to take advantage of public revulsion over Mahathir’s cruel treatment of Anwar.

But these opposition pacts did not even manage to deny BN its customary two-thirds majority. They failed because the social forces at that time were just not in their favour. The minorities were controlled by racial and religious fears and the mindset of the people then could not accept being governed by any coalition other than BN.
Continue reading “Pakatan’s Chances of Winning the 13th General Election”

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What impression have we given to Chinese Premier Wen Jiaboa – a government crazed with sex scandals than with enhancing Malaysia’s multi-racial national unity or international competitiveness?

What impression have we given to Chinese Premier Wen Jiaboa in his short visit to the country?

That we have a government crazed with sex scandals than with enhancing multi-racial national unity or Malaysia’s international competiveness?

The largest English-language circulation newspaper in the country, the MCA-owned Star, put the Carcosa sex scandal on its front page – headlined: “Part 2 out – Another video clip on YouTube, Anwar’s family says it’s not him” while Wen’s historic visit to University of Malaya is relegated to Page 2!

The official visit of the leader of the most important nation in the world also fought a losing battle with “Sex video Part 2 on YouTube” even for front-page mention, whether its News Straits Times, Berita Harian or even the “1Melayu” Utusan Malaysia.

What a national shame and disgrace!

Wen Jiaboa would have been completely horrified if during his short visit to Malaysia, he had sighted the 8pm TV3 Prime News last night, which caused me to post five tweets in 30 minutes after I had been informed by incensed parents who were shocked and surprised by the “transformation” of TV3 into a porn channel: viz:
Continue reading “What impression have we given to Chinese Premier Wen Jiaboa – a government crazed with sex scandals than with enhancing Malaysia’s multi-racial national unity or international competitiveness?”

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1 BUMIPUTRA VS 1 MALAYSIA

by Mohd Arshad Raji
Blog mind NO EVIL
Saturday, April 23, 2011

1 Bumiputra…………..that’s something new to my ears. Is it similar or different from 1 Malaysia?

From what I gather, the two are vastly at divergence in purpose and contradictory at best. The former being a Perkasa creation talks about uniting all Malay parties (an impossible proposition as at now), while the latter being PM Najib’s aspiration of wanting to create a one Malaysian society that is comprised of the various ethic Malaysian races. It is the divergence that compelled PM Naijb to distance himself from 1 Bumiputra, although Utusan Malaysia, an UMNO controlled print media is supportive of the 1 Bumiputra idea. Tun Dr. Mahathir despite being closely associated with Perkasa, has himself declared that 1 Bumiputra has disastrous consequences.

Perkasa seems to have a penchant for sloganeering, and each time a slogan is drummed up, it catches the very heart of the Malays. One does not need further exposition. Just swallow and nod to all the howling of the Perkasa leaders of which they are extremely proficient. No reasoning or rational thinking is required. They just want others to know that the Malays must be superior because they are the majority. And Ibrahim Ali is just ever willing to draw out his kris, and for what? Continue reading “1 BUMIPUTRA VS 1 MALAYSIA”

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Najib’s no match for wily old Taib

by Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz
Free Malaysia Today
April 28, 2011

The moment he got wind of Umno KL’s plans to replace him, he swiftly moved to consolidate his grip over Sarawak.

COMMENT

It’s time for the boys on our side to rethink what has happened in Sarawak. A victorious and accordingly emboldened Taib Mahmud is now a cause for more headaches to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Umno.

Let’s replay the behind-the-scene incidents on April 16. On that night, after making sure he already had the numbers, Taib called the house asking family members to get ready.

He warned them that much depended on speed and that there was no time to lose. Taib then called the governor informing the latter to get ready by 10.30pm.

He arrived 15 minutes past 10.30pm and was sworn in as chief minister, even before the people in Kuala Lumpur could savour the win.

Taib had got wind of rumours that he will be replaced by someone more docile and favourable to Umno. Continue reading “Najib’s no match for wily old Taib”

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Most important ingredient for national unity

By: K.K. Tan
The Sun
Wed, 27 Apr 2011

DESPITE the debate on racial unity and attempts by the government to achieve it, there seems to be more disunity than ever. It appears that the silent voices of reason and moderation of the majority, who are in support of 1Malaysia, are drowned by the increasingly aggressive voices from a small minority of extremists.

Once again, the destructive and inflammatory proposal to punish a certain ethnic community in the post-Sarawak election blame game is being promoted to “force” a warped kind of national unity. I am not siding with any political party, but touching on a fundamental principle of democracy. Presumably, the punishment suggested would involve the denial of legitimate aid, funding and development to the areas concerned.

According to Newton’s third law, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Hence, the attempted punishment of voters by the Sabah state government in the Tambunan by-election of December 1984 backfired in April 1985 when the ruling party was routed and lost in the state election.

If such “punishment” didn’t work in 1984, it certainly will not work in 2011. These punishment promoters are effectively undermining 1Malaysia. Continue reading “Most important ingredient for national unity”

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10 questions about 1Malaysia Email

Oon Yeoh | Apr 26, 11
Malaysiakini

There’s been a lot of negativity about the 1Malaysia Email project to be handled by Tricubes. Perhaps a big part of that has to do with the fact that there aren’t actually that many facts released by Tricubes or the government about this controversial project.

We’ve heard bits and pieces about it through news reports, and an interview on BFM89.9 has shed some light on the project. But many questions remain.

Here are 10 key question that, if answered properly by either Tricubes or the government, would probably go a long way towards stemming the tidal wave of criticism the project has attracted thus far.

1. Why is it called 1Malaysia Email?

Apparently, the registered and approved domain email address will be [email protected]. So why isn’t it called MyEmail instead of 1Malaysia Email? Besides, doesn’t Tricubes know that roughly half the popular votes in the last election went to Pakatan Rakyat? That being the case, isn’t it a foolish strategy to brand an email service with name that is so incredibly politicised that it would alienate roughly half the electorate? Continue reading “10 questions about 1Malaysia Email”

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1Malaysia.con

Dean Johns | Apr 27, 11
Malaysiakiini

The 1Malaysia Email project is both a symptom and a symbol of the rotten Umno/BN regime. It’s as blatant a con as everything this god-forsaken government says and does, and clearly corrupt into the bargain.

Its pretext of providing “direct and secure communications between the citizens and the government” and a “one-stop centre for government services, providing value-added services such as social networking, checking bills online and payment” sounds as fishy – or, since it is an Internet scam, phishy – as all get-out.

It is clearly intended to provide the government with unchecked power to spam and snoop on Malaysian netizens in the present, and the option of forcing the people to do anything from conducting all their Internet communications and transactions to possibly even voting through this dodgy portal in the future.

This promises to be the final link in the web of deceit that Umno/BN has progressively woven to extend and defend its criminal misrule of the country, and ensnare the populace forever in its net.

And the manner of presenting the thing to the people has been as suspect as the project itself. Continue reading “1Malaysia.con”

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Horrible Disgusting: TV3 Prime News turns porn – will PM stand up for decency?

Tweets

Let every BN Minister DyMin MP SA declare stand -agree w TV3’s disgusting porno? PM Najib – r u going 2draw a line on whats decent or not?

All parents lodge police rpts agnst TV3. Lets have nation-wide campaign 2protect homes/children from such disgusting TV fare/gutter politics

TV3 boss/all responsible 4terrible bad taste violating homes children w such disgusting snippets shd be sacked or InfoMinister Rais shd go

Ord decent Msians feel violated in their very homes w such disgusting TVfare – turning TV3 into pornographic channel. No child safe at home.

Horrible Disgusting Complaints from those who watched 8pm TV3 Prime News which showed latest snippet of so-called Anwar Carcosa sex video.