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Malays should not fear the DAP

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 02, 2012

JAN 2 — I am not going to respond to the xenophobic responses around news that Aspan Alias and Sakmongkol are about to join the DAP. No explanation will be able to change preconceived biases. So why bother? So we are about to join or have joined the DAP.

The DAP is a democratic party committed to the rule of law, good governance and good government. It abhors corruption and abuse of political office. To me those are attractive propositions. Umno, on the other hand, has turned its back on these. It harps only on one primal worry of Malays — when Umno is threatened it shares the threat with Malays at large. So a threat to Umno is translated mindlessly into a threat to Malays as a whole. Nothing can be farther from the truth. That is how Umno has approached politics in Malaysia basically — make its fears public, make the gains private for selected Malays within Umno.

I have only one message to that; those salad days and that halcyon period are over.

Umno is trapped by its own successes. Indeed its supporters and leaders assume ownership of the wrong things and end up digging in to support the wrong choices.

My answer is, if we do indeed change our political vehicle that is what we are actually doing. Don’t read our move as blasphemous or treasonable. The DAP is more relevant and functional in achieving a more democratic and abuse-free society. As a Muslim, we are changing wadah not aqidah.

So, I thought it would be more substantive to answer my critics by writing an article, why shouldn’t Malays embrace DAP politics? That’s the only way to dominate and conquer your fears.

How has DAP politics been inimical to the general political health of this country? Can any DAP Chinese leader be a PM when it’s contesting only at most 50-55 seats? Can any DAP non Malay leader harbour the dream of becoming a PM in a country dominated by Malays? Has the DAP threatened the institution of the Malay Rulers? The DAP has never done that or will not be mad to countenance such rebellious idea, but Umno, on the other hand, has insulted the Malay Rulers way back in the 1998 constitutional crisis. Can we reasonably accept the allegation that the DAP is instrumental in claims that Malays are being converted into Christians when most DAP members are themselves not Christians? We have to do better than that to take Malays as imbeciles. Only Umno seems to do that. Continue reading “Malays should not fear the DAP”

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Zakat funds abuse vs abuse of NFC funds

by Mat Zain Ibrahim
2 January 2012

For last year, several thousands of “Amils”(tithe collectors)were appointed nationwide. KL about 800 with a collection of RM7.5 mil. Selangor with 2437 amils that collected about RM16 mil.

The action taken against one amil in Kulaijaya for misappropriating RM19,510 should not undermine the integrity of the amils to be appointed for the coming Ramadhan 2012.

The action taken by Johor Police should be lauded and act as a deterrent to future amils.

However we are worried what would happen should many of the amils this year, make use of the tithes collected by themselves for personal matters after seeing what happened in MAIWP as confirmed by the Auditor General?

What would the Government say if many of the amils said they have used their collections first to pay for their medical expenses,or for preparations of their school-going children,or for performing Umrah or to settle several traffic summonses?,and that they would reimburse the money after getting some funds from somewhere?

If the Minister in charge of Islamic affairs can make use of the zakat funds, why can’t the amils? It is not a question of amount misused. The question is whether the zakat funds can be used other than those already stated in the Quran and the laws. Certainly the Zakat funds are not managed like “the Ah Longs” and “chettiars” run their business! Continue reading “Zakat funds abuse vs abuse of NFC funds”

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NEP’s Failure to Nurture Malay Entrepreneurs

by Bakri Musa
Chapter 11 : Embracing Free Enterprise
Encouraging Entrepreneurialism

As a long distance observer, let me suggest some reasons for NEP’s failure in this endeavor.

They all boil down to that basic defect of too much central planning and too rigid top-down command. Instead of trying to create an environment where budding Bumiputra entrepreneurs could thrive, the government went much further to actually select which individual Bumiputras would thrive and succeed.

These central planners presume to know the traits of a successful would-be businessman. That these planners—politicians and bureaucrats—have no experience in starting or running a business is conveniently ignored. Such hubris!

No surprise then that the pseudo entrepreneurs that the system produced were more adept in cashing in their close association with the politically powerful rather than being true creators and builders of wealth. They in turn perpetuated that same system in choosing their own set of suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors. Thus was born a class of Bumiputra entrepreneurs and businessmen more skillful at commercializing their political ties rather than being true wealth creators; a class of rent seekers and economic parasites rather than of genuine entrepreneurs. Continue reading “NEP’s Failure to Nurture Malay Entrepreneurs”