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Erdogan succumbs to the fog of politics

David Gardner
Financial Times
June 17, 2015

A striking collapse of judgement in a leader who once mesmerized his electorate

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant this week suffered another defeat at the hands of Syrian Kurdish fighters who captured Tel Abyad, a town that Isis had held since last summer, when it declared its cross-border caliphate and convulsed the heart of the Middle East.

The striking victory by the Syrian Kurdish militia, affiliated with the Democratic Union party (PYD), brings with it two momentous changes. The Syrian Kurds can now link up territory they hold from the border of the self-ruling Kurdistan Regional Government(KRG)in northern Iraq, through Tel Abyad, on the Turkish-Syrian border, and on westwards to Kobani, recaptured from the jihadis this year after a long emblematic siege that cemented the collaboration between PYD forces on the ground and the US-led coalition against Isis.

But second, the capture of Tel Abyad severs the Isis supply line from the Turkish border to Raqqa, the de facto capital of the caliphate it calls Islamic State. This is — for now — a body blow to the jihadis, and a real advance for the coalition after the recent Isis capture of Palmyra in central Syria and Ramadi in western Iraq. Continue reading “Erdogan succumbs to the fog of politics”

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Tiada lagi Pakatan

– Izmil Amri
The Malaysian Insider
16 June 2015

Al-Fatihah.

Selesai dimandi, dikapan, diratap kematiannya; jenazah Pakatan Rakyat kini diusung menuju kuburan sebelum ia ditanam dalam kubur cetek separas buku lali. Tragedi ini kita saksikan bersama lebih sepuluh tahun lalu, ketika DAP meninggalkan Barisan Alternatif.

Kubur cetek Barisan Alternatif menyaksikan kebangkitan semula kebangkitan roh muafakat politik baru yang sepanjang dua pilihan raya lalu berjaya menggugat kerusi kerajaan Umno dan Barisan Nasional.

PR juga mati, dan rohnya kini bergentayangan mencari jasad baru untuk dirasuk; bagaikan watak antagonis novel kanak-kanak Harry Potter; Lord Voldermort yang meski tiada berjasad masih “hidup” dalam berbilang juzuk, sebelum tiba masanya ia bangkit semula.

PR, muafakat tiga parti politik pembangkang; tiada lain sekadar jasad, yang sepuluh hari lalu dijangkiti penyakit bawaan Muktamar PAS, kini terpaksa di-euthanasia; ekoran sakitnya yang bersangatan dan tidak terubat lagi. Continue reading “Tiada lagi Pakatan”

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Reclaiming Malayness

Dyana Sofya
The Malay Mail Online
June 17, 2015

JUNE 17 ― Last weekend, Projek Dialog, a non-governmental social discourse project aimed at promoting healthy debate and understanding within multicultural Malaysia, organised a forum entitled Melayu dan makna-maknanya, or “Malay and its meanings.”

I had the honour of being a panellist at that forum, together with Dr Lawrence Ross from Akademi Pengajian Melayu, Universiti Malaya; Syed Muhiyuddin from HAKIM; Syahredzan Johan from Lawyers for Liberty, and Nurhayyu Zainal from Parti Sosialis Malaysia. The forum was moderated by Projek Dialog’s Yana Rizal.

The forum began with Syahredzan enlightening the audience on the Constitutional definition of Malay. According to Article 160 of our country’s highest law, a Malay is defined by three characteristics, viz. a person who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, and conforms to Malay customs.

This legalistic definition of Malayness is interesting, because it effectively means that Malay is a political construct rather than an ethnic concept. Technically, this means that a Malay in Malaysia need not necessarily have any Malay genes whatsoever. For example, only in Malaysia would a Javanese identify as a Malay. In Indonesia, for example, no Javanese would ever claim to be a Malay.

Curiously, the Malaysian definition of Malay also prevents other ethnic Malays from qualifiying as Malays. For example, the great Filipino nationalist, José Rizal, an ethnic Malay who is hailed by history as an icon of the Malay race, would actually not qualify as a Malay in Malaysia, by virtue of the fact that he was not a Muslim. Continue reading “Reclaiming Malayness”

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First signs of “threatened with death to born anew” 置之死地而后生 – PR’s “cease to exist” situation elicited neither joy nor celebration from UMNO/BN

PAS MP for Parit Buntar Mujahid Yusuf Rawa gave an interesting description of the present political scenario in his interview with Malaysiakini yesterday when he quipped: “We need to die to be reborn, to live anew.”

Mujahid cannot be more apt when he said in his interview: “Pakatan is just a name. What is more important is the substance.”

Mujahid is referring to a situation which is also described in Sun Tzu’s Art of War and expressed in the Chinese saying, 置之死地而后生zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu sheng – “threatened with death to born anew”.

We can already see the first signs of this “置之死地而后生zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu sheng” effect, as it has elicited neither joy nor celebration from UMNO/BN quarters, apart from half-hearted “I told you so” reactions. Continue reading “First signs of “threatened with death to born anew” 置之死地而后生 – PR’s “cease to exist” situation elicited neither joy nor celebration from UMNO/BN”

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Bekas pemimpin PAS dirai, Malaysia bakal saksikan muafakat politik baharu

Zulkifli Sulong
The Malaysian Insider
17 June 2015

Malaysia akan menyaksikan muafakat politik baharu tidak lama lagi selepas 18 pemimpin PAS yang disingkirkan dalam muktamar baru-baru ini melancarkan perhimpunan pertama mereka di Muar, Johor malam tadi.

Kumpulan dikenali G-18 itu bermesyuarat sesama mereka kira-kira jam 6 petang di sebuah hotel dan pada jam 9 hingga 12 malam, mereka berucap di hadapan kira-kira 3,000 penyokong, jumlah dianggap besar untuk satu ceramah politik di Johor.

Hampir semua mereka hadir kecuali Datuk Husam Musa yang tidak berapa sihat dan Dr Syed Azman Ahmad Nawawi yang berada di luar negara.

Antaranya, bekas timbalan presiden Mohamad Sabu, juga dikenali sebagai Mat Sabu, bekas naib presiden Salahudin Ayub, bekas ketua penerangan Datuk Mahfuz Omar, bekas bendahari Asmuni Awi, bekas pengarah pilihan raya Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, bekas ahli Jawatankuasa Pusat Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof, Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin, Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, Khalid Samad, Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, Zulkifli Mohamad Omar, serta ramai lagi.

Pengarah perhimpunan, Mazlan Aliman, merupakan satu-satunya anggota kumpulan progresif yang menang dalam pemilihan AJK PAS Pusat baru-baru ini. Mazlan melepaskan jawatan itu Isnin lepas. Continue reading “Bekas pemimpin PAS dirai, Malaysia bakal saksikan muafakat politik baharu”

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The demonisation of secularism

Zairil Khir Johari
The Malaysian Insider
17 June 2015

Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s own understanding without the guidance of another. This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude (dare to know)! Have courage to use your own understanding! (Immanuel Kant)

The discussion on secularism in this country is a problematic one, chiefly because the term has become trapped in the narrow framework of identity politics dominated by the hegemony of ethno-religious nationalist discourse. As a result, secularism is now an emotive expression invoked as a label to paint its targets as anti-religion. In the Malaysian context, that always means anti-Islam.

Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development (Jakim), the foremost religious authority in our country, for example, has issued warnings against conspiracies by “enemies of Islam” to manipulate them through ideas like secularism, pluralism, socialism, feminism and positivism. In May last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, added “human rightism” to the list of offending ideologies that threaten the faith of Muslims.

Why has secularism come to be so demonised? Continue reading “The demonisation of secularism”

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Academic freedom, critical thinking tools to fighting extremism, forum told

by Jennifer Gomez
The Malaysian Insider
17 June 2015

Universities have a role to play in preventing fanaticism and extremism from festering in society, academic Professor Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid said, warning that Malaysia was at a turning point.

Ibrahim, the deputy vice-chancellor of INTI-Laureate International University said extremism was taking hold and urged intellectuals to reclaim their fundamental rights.

He also said the Malays were “cultural prisoners” in Malaysia and that in many ways, the non-Malays were freer than the Malays in this country.

“When university people surrender and are not courageous and allow lesser thinkers take over because of their articulation and their loudness and their mechanism of power, they can actually oppress the masses.

“It is tragic when they oppress the intellectuals and the intellectuals accept the oppression,” he said.
Continue reading “Academic freedom, critical thinking tools to fighting extremism, forum told”

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Umno’s hypocrisy nauseating!

By P Ramakrishnan
Free Malaysia Today
June 16, 2015

Some Umno leaders seem to have taken leave of their common sense. They don’t make sense when they speak and there is no logic in what they say.

COMMENT

The reaction from two Umno leaders exposes their hypocrisy when they came out with their ridiculous statements with regard to the DAP’s willingness to build a mosque in Kampung Pasir Tumboh in Kelantan.

According to Kelantan Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, “The DAP’s plan to build a mosque in Gua Musang is an insult to Muslims in this country.”

Meanwhile, not to be outdone by Mustapa , Kelantan Umno Religious Affairs Bureau chairman Datuk Ashraf Wajdi Dusuki repeated the same silly statement: “The DAP’s plan to build a mosque in Gua Musang is an insult to Muslims in this country.”

Except for coming out with a sweeping statement claiming outrageously that it is an insult to Muslims in this country, none of them has cared to state in what way it would be an insult to Muslims if a mosque was to be built by DAP. Continue reading “Umno’s hypocrisy nauseating!”

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Let us move on, as there is no time to lose on polemics to rekindle hopes among Malaysians who want change that such a possibility is still alive and relevant in the 14GE through an alignment of political forces

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Maju terus, kita tidak boleh membuang masa dengan polemik, demi menghidupkan semula harapan rakyat Malaysia yang mahukan perubahan bahawasanya peluang itu masih wujud dalam PRU ke-14 melalui penyusunan semula kuasa-kuasa politik

Saya berkenan betul dengan cara Ahli Parlimen PAS Parit Buntar Mujahid Yusuf Rawa menggambarkan senario politik negara hari ini. Beliau menyebut: “We need to die to be reborn, to live anew.” (Malaysiakini)

Ini sangat hampir dengan pepatah Cina, 置之死地而后生 zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu sheng.

Inilah sebab di sebalik keputusan yang diambil Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Pusat DAP semalam, ekoran daripada usul Muktamar PAS supaya PAS memutuskan hubungan dengan DAP, selain pencabulan Dasar Bersama Pakatan dan prinsip konsensus secara berulang kali. Pakatan Rakyat tidak lagi wujud.

Keputusan untuk memuktamadkan bahawa Pakatan sudah tidak lagi wujud bukanlah langkah mengalah, bahkan satu tindakan untuk mengiktiraf realiti yang disokong dengan harapan dan keyakinan untuk masa akan datang. Continue reading “Let us move on, as there is no time to lose on polemics to rekindle hopes among Malaysians who want change that such a possibility is still alive and relevant in the 14GE through an alignment of political forces”

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Najib staged a second 1MDB “Nothing2Hide” disappearance when he absented himself from in Parliament yesterday to avoid having to personally answer the questions about the biggest financial scandal in nation’s history

In ten days, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak staged a second 1MDB “Nothing2Hide” disappearance when he absented himself from Parliament yesterday to avoid having to personally answer the questions about the biggest financial scandal in the nation’s history.

Not only Members of Parliament from both sides of Parliament, but ordinary Malaysians are entitled to ask why the Prime Minister can give a special briefing to over 1,000 UMNO division information chiefs and selected NGO representatives on Sunday on the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal, but he was not prepared to give similar briefing in Parliament the following day during the winding-up of the debate on the 11th Malaysia Plan?

Is this because the Sunday briefing for UMNO division information chiefs and selected NGO representatives was a tame one-way traffic and monologue while Najib would not be able to have a docile and timid audience in Parliament, especially as MPs, in particular DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua and PKR MP for Pandan, Rafizi Ramli would have endless minefields for the Prime Minister to negotiate if there is a genuine free-for-all in the Dewan Rakyat on the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal? Continue reading “Najib staged a second 1MDB “Nothing2Hide” disappearance when he absented himself from in Parliament yesterday to avoid having to personally answer the questions about the biggest financial scandal in nation’s history”

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Kerugian besar dialami PAS

A Shukur Harun
The Malaysian Insider
16 June 2015

Muktamar PAS berlalu dua minggu lalu dengan keputusan pemilihan pucuk pimpinan menolak sepenuhnya golongan sederhana dan progresif menerusi senarai “chai” iaitu kertas yang mengandungi senarai nama calon pimpinan PAS yang perlu dipilih.

Adapun “chai” itu berasal daripada bahasa China yang merujuk kepada ramalan nombor ekor.

Isu “chai” ini walaupun menggamatkan, tetapi ia berlalu dan menjadi bahagian daripada sejarah PAS itu sendiri walaupun tidak pernah difikirkan selama ini.

Kini selepas muktamar berlalu, pelbagai pihak merenung kesannya, iaitu bagaimana ikatan ukhuwah di dalam jemaah atau kasih sayang di kalangan jemaah PAS terhakis, sesuatu yang paling malang. Malah ia menjadi “the biggest casualties” bagi PAS itu sendiri sebagai sebuah parti Islam.

Maknanya, segala usaha pendukung PAS sejak setengah abad untuk memperkukuh ukhuwah di dalam jemaah yang lumpuh akibat perpecahan yang berlaku yang ketara sejak muktamar tahun lalu di Johor dan lebih ketara lagi pada muktamar baru-baru ini. Continue reading “Kerugian besar dialami PAS”

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DAP launches Impian Kedah/Perlis as part of Impian Malaysia to promote an inclusive vision to rally all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or class to unite on a common agenda of Malaysian unity, justice and prosperity

Tonight, I am pleased to announce another Impian Malaysia project, Impian Kedah/Perlis, following in the footsteps of Impian Sabah, Impian Sarawak and Impian Kelantan.

The Impian Kedah/Perlis project will be headed by Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Shaffee who is the Kedah Chairman of the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations, Malaysia (FPMPAM) and other members of Impian Kedah/Perlis are Dr. Tan Poh Teng, Nurul Shifa and Abdul Manan.

DAP is launching Impian Kedah/Perlis as part of Impian Malaysia to promote an inclusive vision to rally all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or class to unite on a common agenda of Malaysian unity, justice and prosperity.

Impian Kedah/Perlis, like Impian Kelantan, is born out of the two convictions: Firstly, Malaysia cannot be progressive and prosperous if Kedah and Perlis continue to be poor and backward in infrastructure development.

Secondly, that the people and states of Kedah and Perlis are entitled to the right to development compared to other states and not to be relegated as Malaysia’s poorest state. Continue reading “DAP launches Impian Kedah/Perlis as part of Impian Malaysia to promote an inclusive vision to rally all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or class to unite on a common agenda of Malaysian unity, justice and prosperity”

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Is Najib giving an undertaking to nation that he and all his Ministers will resign and retire from politics if the 1MDB scandal and all-related 1MDB issues are not resolved by the end of the year?

It has been reported that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has given his assurance to some 1,000 Umno divisional leaders and selected representatives of NGOs yesterday that the controversy surrounding the state investment arm 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) will be resolved by year-end.

This is indeed good news, but instead of broadcasting from the rooftops, the Prime Minister seems to be very coy about it, and Datuk Seri Najib Razak not only made it at a closed-door function but the report was not an announcement from the horse’s mouth but in the form of a leaked version by one or two persons who attended Najib’s special briefing on the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal – which would allow for a subsequent denial of its veracity.

Yesterday I asked why Najib, as the final approving authority for all 1MDB decisions, in law and in fact, was prepared to brief UMNO division leaders and selected NGO representatives but not in Parliament on the 1MDB controversy.

Malaysians are still waiting for Najib’s answer. Continue reading “Is Najib giving an undertaking to nation that he and all his Ministers will resign and retire from politics if the 1MDB scandal and all-related 1MDB issues are not resolved by the end of the year?”

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Re-Examining Three Defining Moments in Malay Culture

M. Bakri Musa (www.bakrimusa.com)
June 15, 2015

Three defining moments in Malay culture are worth recounting. First, the arrival of Islam; second, onset of European colonization; and third, the path we chose towards independence. I will examine how our culture had served us in those three instances; exemplary in the first and third, less so with the second.

It is fashionable these days to blame our culture for what ails our community. Our leaders would let us believe that our culture is our oppressor. When former Prime Minister Mahathir was asked what his greatest failure was, he unhesitatingly asserted his inability to change Malay culture. It reflected the height of arrogance on his part to even consider that he could do so.

Mahathir was neither the first nor the last to blame our culture; he however, went further to fault our very nature – our genes – as he asserted in his book The Malay Dilemma. Early in the 19th Century Munshi Abdullah also railed against our outdated ways while Pendita Za’aba, a century later, echoed similar sentiments. More recently there was Datuk Onn with his presumptuous membetulkan Melayu (correcting Malays). As is apparent, Mahathir has plenty of company.

These individuals are giants in our history. At the risk of appearing self-important or worse, stupid, I will nonetheless take them on, albeit with great trepidation. What those luminaries presumed to be the flaws of Malay culture, as with our fondness for immediate gratification, lack of savings, and apparent disinterest in education, are in fact universal weaknesses of the poor, marginalized, and/ or oppressed. Continue reading “Re-Examining Three Defining Moments in Malay Culture”

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Why is Najib, as final approving authority for 1MDB, in law and in fact, prepared to brief UMNO division representatives but not Parliament on 1MDB controversy?

The Sunday Star reported that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will brief UMNO division information chiefs today on the 1MDB controversy as he steps up efforts to counter mounting attacks against him on the issue.

The question that immediately comes to mind is why Najib, who is the final approving authority for all 1MDB decisions, in law and in fact, prepared to brief UMNO division representatives but not Parliament on the 1MDB controversy?

Najib is the final approving authority for all 1MDB decisions in law and in fact because Najib is responsible in law as 1MDB is a government company and as the Prime Minister as well as Finance Minister he must accept full and final responsibility for all of 1MDB actions although he may not be responsible for its day-to-day operations; and responsible in fact, because under Clause 117 of the 1MDB Memorandum and Articles of Association Agreement (M&A), the Prime Minister must give his written approval for any of 1MDB deals, including the firm’s investments or any bid for restructuring. Continue reading “Why is Najib, as final approving authority for 1MDB, in law and in fact, prepared to brief UMNO division representatives but not Parliament on 1MDB controversy?”

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Kata dah putus hubungan, tapi kenapa susah nak lepaskan jawatan?

Nomy Nozwir
The Malaysian Insider
13 June 2015

Pada minggu lalu, Muktamar PAS kali ke-61 berlangsung dengan menyaksikan golongan pro Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang menang besar dalam pemilihan parti tersebut.

Kemenangan terbesar golongan yang dikenali sebagai pro ulama ini juga membuat satu resolusi mengatakan akan memutuskan hubungan mereka dengan DAP, tetapi kekal dalam Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Ini macam sudah bercerai tapi masih hendak duduk serumah tidur sekatil.

Saya melihat hubungan “menage-a-trois” antara ketiga-tiga parti dalam PR ini sangat unik, memutuskan hubungan tetapi masih dalam satu kumpulan.

Beberapa ahli PAS yang tidak sebulu dengan golongan pro-ulama ini, seperti Mohamad Sabu, melepaskan jawatan sebagai seorang ahli lembaga pengarah di Perbadanan Air Pulau Pinang. Continue reading “Kata dah putus hubungan, tapi kenapa susah nak lepaskan jawatan?”

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DAP’s challenge to win the Malay hearts and minds

by C.K. Foo | TMI

The news that 80-year old national laureate, Abdul Samad Said, popularly known as Pak Samad, will be joining DAP may come as a surprise to many, but not to some others.

It is another feather in DAP’s cap, coming after a tumultuous week of mutual incrimination between the ulama leaders who gained control of PAS and DAP leaders, following the PAS muktamar’s decision to sever ties with DAP.

Some would ask, what is it that attracts some Malays to join DAP, like the octogenarian Pak Samad, and a twenty-something Malay girl, Dyana Sofya Daud, the latter who not only joined, but who took active part in DAP politics?

Similarly, ex-Umno politician, Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz, who joined DAP prior to the 13th general election and with the strong support of non-Malay voters won the parliamentary seat of Raub in Pahang.

Perhaps what attracted some Malays to join DAP is that the party has remained on course since it was established in 1966 by faithfully sticking to its mandate , i.e. to be a truly multiracial party staying above partisan politics of race and religion. Continue reading “DAP’s challenge to win the Malay hearts and minds”

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Time for realignment of political forces to keep alive the hopes of Malaysians for political change in 14th General Elections for an agenda for “Malaysian unity, justice and prosperity”

Today’s event is most significant for two reasons: the completion of the Impian Kelantan project to repair or build 60 houses in Kampung Pasir Tumboh which was destroyed in the Kelantan Great Flood which started on Dec. 22 last year.

Secondly, the announcement of National Laureatte Pak Samad’s membership of the DAP.

Both political coalitions in the country, Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakat, are going through an unprecedented turmoil and chaos.

The Umno/Barisan Nasional coalition is fighting a life-and-death struggle with the daily escalation of the titanic Najib-Mahathir battle, with the former Prime Minister trying to save UMNO for he is convinced that UMNO under Najib would lose the next general election.

The Pakatan Rakyat has also come to the end of the road with the PAS Muktamar motion last week cutting ties with the DAP.

Who will win the next general elections? Can UMNO/BN coalition survive for another general election? Continue reading “Time for realignment of political forces to keep alive the hopes of Malaysians for political change in 14th General Elections for an agenda for “Malaysian unity, justice and prosperity””