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Between God and Allah

Wall Street Journal
Jan 14, 2014

Malaysia tries to stop Christians using the Bahasa word for God.

For nearly 200 years non-Muslim residents of present-day Malaysia used the Arabic and Bahasa word “Allah” to refer to God. Seven years ago, the government began an unnecessary and provocative push to ban them from doing so in print. Now Malaysian police are accusing a Catholic priest of sedition after he announced that churches in the state of Selangor would continue using the A word in their local-language services.

At the heart of the dispute is prominent Catholic priest Lawrence Andrew. In 2007, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar banned Father Lawrence Andrew’s church newspaper from printing “Allah.” Father Andrew fought the ban in the courts and eventually lost in the Court of Appeal last October. In November, the sultan of Selangor took the campaign a step further and extended the ban to Bahasa-language Bibles and churches. Now Father Andrew is being investigated for violating the edict under the draconian Sedition Act. Continue reading “Between God and Allah”

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The ‘Allah’ Issue in Perspective – Part 2

By Kee Thuan Chye
news.malaysia.msn.com
14 Jan 2014

Yesterday, I looked at the ‘Allah’ issue from the time it started to what it has become today, and how we are now trapped in a web of confusion spun from diverse interpretations of the Court of Appeal’s decision on the use of the word ‘Allah’ by The Herald, as well as the “one-policy, two-countries” implication arising from Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 10-point solution.

In the midst of such confusion, how do we judge who is right – those who claim that ‘Allah’ is exclusive to Muslims or those who insist that it is their constitutional right to practise their religion the way they have been doing it for ages, including referring to God as ‘Allah’?

How do we deal with the rising fervour on both sides, Muslim and Christian, as they seek to defend what they think is right? With Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of The Herald, who said on December 27 that Christians would continue to use ‘Allah’ in all Selangor churches, and with the Solidariti Umat Islam Klang members who protested in public against his statement?

How do we deal with Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria’s demand for the arrest of the Malays who turned up at a church in Klang to show solidarity with Christians? Continue reading “The ‘Allah’ Issue in Perspective – Part 2”

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The ‘Allah’ Issue in Perspectiv​e — Part 1

By Kee Thuan Chye
news.Malaysia.msn.com
Jan 13 2014

As the ‘Allah’ issue rages on, particularly after the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raided the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and seized 300-plus copies of the Bible in Malay and Iban on January 2, let’s take a moment and look at it in perspective.

How did it start?

Not, as falsely claimed by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, because Malaysia has become more liberal and Malaysians are testing the limits of their “new-found freedom”. Not, as he says, because some groups “purposely come up with something to annoy people” or that they want to run down other religions.

That is the usual kind of poppycock for which he has of late been fond of spinning.

The whole mess started in 2009 with Syed Hamid Albar, who was home minister then, banning the Catholic weekly The Herald from using the word ‘Allah’ in its Bahasa Malaysia section. Prior to that, there had been no issue. Christians in Sabah and Sarawak had been using it for ages, long before they joined the Federation of Malaysia. No one had raised a hue and cry. Continue reading “The ‘Allah’ Issue in Perspectiv​e — Part 1”

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Show courage in ‘Allah’ row, Zaid tells Pakatan

The Malay Mail Online
January 14, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) must stand firm in its support of non-Muslims’ use of “Allah” and not allow itself to be cowed by fears of a backlash from the Muslim community, former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today.

The former PKR member said the pact should have shown the courage to support the proposal of three Selangor DAP assemblymen to amend the state law at the centre of the current religious row, instead of criticising them for their “hastiness”.

“Pakatan can only lead the country if it is brave enough to offer solutions to the difficult religious and ethnic issues that Umno seems adept at creating.

“Pakatan can only be stronger if they can take on Umno on these issues by presenting comprehensive solutions and not shying away as they are prone to do,” he wrote on his blog today. Continue reading “Show courage in ‘Allah’ row, Zaid tells Pakatan”

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First Cabinet meeting of the year is the farce of the decade – decision not to have a decision!

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak disappeared for ten days just before 2013 and the start of 2014, leaving behind a government which seems not only clueless but rudderless about the clutch of five national crises which came to a head during this period – nation-building, economic, educational, security and on good governance.

When Najib resurfaced to chair the first Cabinet meeting of the year after a disappearance of 10 days – will the Prime Minister’s Office please inform Malaysians where he went to as no one knows where was our Prime Minister between Dec. 25 to January 5! – Malaysians heaved a sigh of relief, expecting that there would at last be leadership and direction to end the drift and lack of leadership and vision in the critical 10-day transition from 2013 to 2014.

But a great disappointment was in store for Malaysians for there was only deafening silence from the Cabinet the whole of yesterday. Continue reading “First Cabinet meeting of the year is the farce of the decade – decision not to have a decision!”

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Silence is golden for some Barisan leaders in latest ‘Allah’ row, say analysts

by Eileen Ng
The Malaysian Insider
January 09, 2014

Several top Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders are sitting out of the latest row over who can use the word “Allah”, believing reticence is better than stepping on a political landmine, say analysts.

There have been no statements from top leaders of MCA, MIC and Gerakan, who mainly represent non-Malays and non-Muslims in BN, since a firestorm ignited over Christians insisting they are not bound by a Selangor royal decree and the seizure of some 300 Malay and Iban Bibles by the state Islamic authorities.

“It is a no-win situation for them, so in this case, silence is golden,” Professor James Chin, a political analyst with Monash University Malaysia, told The Malaysian Insider.

He also said that component parties were caught in a bind as anything they say would offend either religious or political groups. Continue reading “Silence is golden for some Barisan leaders in latest ‘Allah’ row, say analysts”

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Was AG Gani Patail remiss in his duties in failing to carry out a comprehensive briefing of top government officials on the 10-Point Solution to resolve the Bible controversy which would have averted the Jais raid on BSM?

It has been reported that the Selangor police have wrapped up their investigation against Father Lawrence Andrew over his allegedly seditious remarks on the “Allah” issue.

According to a report on Astro Awani, Selangor police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said that the investigation papers for the case will be submitted to the Attorney-General’s office as early as today.

The police chief also confirmed that the case is being investigated under Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948.

Including Andrew, the editor of Catholic weekly The Herald, a total of 99 individuals have had their statements recorded on the issue.

Malaysians are asking why the police acted so swiftly on the Father Lawrence case when it has as yet to act on the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and the confiscation of Malay and Iban Bibles, which were not only illegal and unconstitutional but clear violation of the 10-Point Solution endorsed by the Federal Cabinet in April 2011 to resolve the Bible controversy.

The Jais raid and the confiscation of the Malay and Iban Bibles would not have taken place if there had been good understanding and proper respect for the 10-Point Solution, both in letter and spirit, by both Jais and the Malaysian police. Continue reading “Was AG Gani Patail remiss in his duties in failing to carry out a comprehensive briefing of top government officials on the 10-Point Solution to resolve the Bible controversy which would have averted the Jais raid on BSM?”

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Jais wrong as Allah ban only for Herald, not Bibles, say critics

by V. Anbalagan
The Malaysian Insider
January 08, 2014

Selangor’s religious authorities were wrong to seize Malay and Iban language Bibles and must return them as the ban on using the word Allah is only for the Catholic weekly Herald, say lawyers and politicians.

They said the Bible, be it in any language, was never banned in Malaysia and as such, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) had no right to seize the holy books from The Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) last Thursday as the Allah issue only centred on the Herald case.

Human rights lawyer Andrew Khoo Chin Hock said the Court of Appeal ruling last October that barred Herald from using the word Allah had included Bibles in the 10-point solution endorsed by the federal Cabinet in 2011.

“So Jais’s raid and seizure has no basis at all because the 10-point solution covers the holy book,” Khoo told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the agreement that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government had made with the Christian community ahead of the Sarawak state election. Continue reading “Jais wrong as Allah ban only for Herald, not Bibles, say critics”

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In faith, human will and intellect cooperate with grace

– May Chee Chook Ying
The Malaysian Insider
January 06, 2014

Yesterday was an epiphany of sorts. It was our (my husband, daughter and I) first time at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. Beautiful church, meaningful service that kept us rooted to the pew (I’m truly guilty of wanting to run out in the midst of some homilies, so help me, God!) and much, much, more than that – that picture of grace that greeted us outside the church.

Cameras were clicking away. As usual, the “roses” held court, but I did notice some “thorns” mingling around.

Kudos to Azrul Mohd Khalib and other coordinators of the “solidarity gathering” who managed to band together Malaysians of different religions and ethnicities to turn up at the church as early as 8am to be one with their Christian brothers and sisters.

This “In the Name of Allah” initiative is truly reminiscent of the one in Egypt where we saw Muslims protecting Christians during mass, and Christians forming a circle around their Muslim brethren while they prayed during protests.

All of you who turned up yesterday at The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, including Marina Mahathir, members of the Sisters of Islam and fellow Malaysians who are non-Christians, you have our utmost respect and thanks. Continue reading “In faith, human will and intellect cooperate with grace”

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Najib perlu bertindak segera untuk menghentikan sebarang serbuan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh pihak berkuasa Islam ke atas agama lain kerana kegagalan berbuat demikian akan menjejaskan mesej yang beliau sampaikan bersempena perayaan Krismas dan Tahun Baru

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak perlu bertindak segera untuk menghentikan sebarang serbuan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh pihak berkuasa Islam ke atas agama lain kerana kegagalan berbuat demikian akan menjadikan mesej yang beliau sampaikan bersempena perayaan Krismas dan Tahun Baru hilang makna dan hilang kredibiliti.

Dalam tempoh kurang daripada sepuluh hari selepas Najib menyampaikan dua ucapan Krismas – satu dalam majlis Hi-Tea Krismas rasmi di Kuala Lumpur dan satu lagi dalam majlis Rumah Terbuka Krismas peringkat kebangsaan di Pulau Pinang – mesej kesederhanaan, keharmonian dan kerukunan hidup antara kaum telah dinafikan menerusi serbuan haram oleh Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) dan polis ke atas premis Persatuan Alkitab Malaysia dan rampasan sebanyak 350 naskhah Alkitab berbahasa Melayu dan Iban.

Dalam ucapannya, Najib menyebut bahawa lebih baik untuk Muslim dan Kristian tidak berbalah tentang perbezaan di antara mereka, sebaliknya mencari titik persamaan “untuk memelihara keamanan, keharmonian dan kestabilan negara,” sambil menggesa kedua-dua kelompok itu untuk memahami sensitiviti kedua-dua agama supaya masing-masing tidak tersentuh.
Continue reading “Najib perlu bertindak segera untuk menghentikan sebarang serbuan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh pihak berkuasa Islam ke atas agama lain kerana kegagalan berbuat demikian akan menjejaskan mesej yang beliau sampaikan bersempena perayaan Krismas dan Tahun Baru”

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Apakah Umno telah berubah daripada sebuah parti pembina negara menjadi parti pemusnah negara dengan sokongan Muhyiddin terhadap protes di luar gereja dan Noh Omar mempertahankan protes Umno Selangor terhadap Kristian?

Peristiwa-peristiwa yang berlaku pada beberapa hari pertama tahun baru 2014 membuatkan rakyat Malaysia berfikir tentang masa depan negara ini.

Salah satu persoalan meresahkan rakyat Malaysia ialah sama ada Umno telah berubah daripada sebuah parti pembina negara menjadi parti pemusnah negara dengan sokongan Muhyiddin terhadap protes di luar gereja dan Noh Omar mempertahankan protes Umno Selangor terhadap Kristian.

Pada hakikatnya, sokongan yang diberikan oleh Muhyiddin dan Noh Omar terhadap tindakan haram dan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan oleh Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) yang menyerbu Persatuan Alkitab Malaysia (BSM) dengan bantuan penuh Polis membangkitkan persoalan serius tentang keikhlasan, keseriusan, dan komitmen para pemimpin Umno terhadap jaminan asas kebebasan beragama yang diberikan oleh perlembagaan untuk semua rakyat Malaysia, selain Penyelesaian 10 Perkara yang disahkan oleh Jemaah Menteri pada April 2011 untuk mengakhiri kontroversi Alkitab.
Continue reading “Apakah Umno telah berubah daripada sebuah parti pembina negara menjadi parti pemusnah negara dengan sokongan Muhyiddin terhadap protes di luar gereja dan Noh Omar mempertahankan protes Umno Selangor terhadap Kristian?”

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Five national crisis scorching the country should top the agenda of a National Reconciliation Summit of BN and PR leaders

For ten days between the Christmas National Open House 2013 in Penang on December 25 and the 2014 New Year monthly morning assembly of civil servants in the Prime Minister’s Department this morning, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak disappeared from the public view.

Apart from the 2014 New Year Message on New Year’s Eve, which would have been drafted by his coterie of highly-paid consultants well in advance, there was not a word from the country’s Prime Minister although the country had never swirled and whirled with more disturbing developments and events which included:

• The deepening economic crisis caused by a series of price hikes and looming avalanche of more price hikes in the coming weeks and months culminating in the introduction of the GST at six per cent in April 2015;

• Crisis of deteriorating national educational standards for the past decade, with the country heading further south with the results of TIMSS 2011 and PISA 2012, and the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin making himself “scarce” from public to avoid having to “square the circle” of how Malaysian students can perform several educational miracles under the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 to catapult to top-third of TIMSS and PISA international educational assessments when Malaysian students have continued to plunge in international educational standards;

• Crisis on the corruption front, despite the biggest budgets in past few years for the anti-corruption agency, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. In the last 19 years when Transparency International maintained its Corruption Perception Index, Malaysia achieved the dubious distinction as one of the countries which had been downgraded both in TI CPI ranking and score, as well as losing out to several countries which had lower CPI ranking and score in 1995.
Now, we are at the risk in the near future of being overtaken by countries including China and Indonesia which had been behind Malaysia and at the bottom of TI CPI in 1995. Continue reading “Five national crisis scorching the country should top the agenda of a National Reconciliation Summit of BN and PR leaders”

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Has UMNO transformed from a nation-building to a nation-destroying party with Muhyiddin supporting protests outside Churches and Noh Omar defending Selangor UMNO protesting against Christians?

The first few days of the 2014 New Year have provided much food for thought for Malaysians concerned about the future of the nation.

One of the question vexing Malaysians is whether UMNO has been transformed from a nation-building to a nation-destroying party with the Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin supporting protests outside Churches and the Selangor Umno Chief Datuk Noh Omar defending Selangor UMNO protesting against Christians.

In fact, the support given by Muhyiddin and Noh Omar to the illegal and unconstitutional Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) fully aided and abetted by the Police raises the serious question about sincerity, seriousness and commitment of UMNO leaders’ to fundamental and constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion for all Malaysians as well as 10-Point Solution to end the Bible controversy endorsed by the Cabinet in April 2011.

As there is no dispute that the Jais raid on the BSM and the confiscation of the 300 copies of the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia and another 10 in Iban is a clear transgression of the 10-Point Solution arrived at between the Federal Government and the Christian community on April 2, 2011, which was reiterated in an official letter from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Bishop Ng Moon Hing, chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia on April 11, 2011, Muhyiddin and Noh Omar (who was a Cabinet Minister in 2011) must now declare whether they still support the 10-Point Solution or whether they want to dissociate themselves from the accord! Continue reading “Has UMNO transformed from a nation-building to a nation-destroying party with Muhyiddin supporting protests outside Churches and Noh Omar defending Selangor UMNO protesting against Christians?”

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IGP Khalid should explain why the police aided and abetted in the illegal/unconstitutional Jais raid on BSM when it is the first duty of the police to protect the constitution and uphold the law

The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar should explain why the police aided and abetted in the illegal and unconstitutional Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) when it is the first duty of the police to protect the constitution and uphold the law.

Instead of tarnishing the police image and professionalism with “fairy tale” conspiracies like a plot to “topple the government” on New Year’s Eve in Dataran Merdeka, which has been proved to be a total pack of lies, Khalid would be doing something productive to restore public confidence in the independence, efficiency and professionalism of the police force if he could explain and convince Malaysians that the police had not aided and abetted Jais in an illegal and unconstitutional act.

There is no doubt that without police back-up, Jais’ illegal and unconstitutional raid of BSM and the seizure of over three hundred copies of Malay and Iban Bibles would not have taken place.

Didn’t the police have the proper constitutional knowledge and legal advice that it is unlawful and unconstitutional to trample on the rights of all Malaysians in the exercise of their fundamental constitutional rights with regard to freedom of religion?

Is the police ignorant and unaware that the Jais raid of the MBS and seizure of the Malay and Iban Bibles would be gross violation of the 10-Point Solution to end the Bible controversy? Continue reading “IGP Khalid should explain why the police aided and abetted in the illegal/unconstitutional Jais raid on BSM when it is the first duty of the police to protect the constitution and uphold the law”

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Politics and religion a tinderbox of tension

Anisah Shukry | January 3, 2014
Free Malaysia Today

Malaysia’s leaders and Islamic scholars are just using Islam to serve their own interests, says former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia would be better off separating religion from politics, rather than using matters of the faith as a tool to crackdown on political dissent, said former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.

Weighing in on Harussani Zakaria’s statement that those who protested at the New Year’s Eve anti-hike rally were bughah (traitors), Mohd Asri said he was disgusted at the blatant misuse of religion by “so-called scholars”.

“Religion has been used as a political weapon to the point that an announcement was made permitting the bloodshed of the weak. I’m not asking for separation of religion from politics, because that is not a habit of Islam.

“But at the same time, if religion is merely used as a weapon to serve political interests, it is better for the two to be separated,” the Islamic scholar wrote on his blog drmaza.com yesterday.

Harussani, who is the mufti of Perak, reportedly said yesterday that it was haram (forbidden) for Muslims to participate in the mass protest against the rising cost of living.

“…all the protestors should be arrested for being traitors to the government and accordingly in Islam, bloodshed is permitted on the bughah,” Harussani was quoted by Malay daily Berita Harian. Continue reading “Politics and religion a tinderbox of tension”

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Muslim-Christian ties deteriorate while extremists celebrate

by Sheridan Mahavera
The Malaysian Insider
January 04, 2014

What’s up with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais)? This seems to be the catch-all phrase when describing its raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia office on Thursday where some 300 Bahasa Malaysia and Iban Bibles were seized.

And the more some leaders and pundits struggle to come up with answers through the fog of silence that shrouds Jais, the more it looks like “politics” instead of “law” emerges as an explanation.

This latest incident also highlights (again) the persistent contradictions and problems in the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) handling of the “Allah” issue.

Also, it reflects a deep gap in the understanding of Islam, not just among Muslims, but also the authorities who are supposed to be in charge with regulating its practice. Continue reading “Muslim-Christian ties deteriorate while extremists celebrate”

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Abide by the Federal Constitution; Focus on achieving harmony and unity — Bar Council Malaysia

Christopher Leong
President
Malaysian Bar
The Malay Mail Online
January 3, 2014

Jan 3 — The Malaysian Bar is concerned by reports that Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (“JAIS”, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department) had on 2 January 2014 conducted a raid on the office of the Bible Society of Malaysia (“BSM”), confiscated more than 300 copies of the Alkitab (Bahasa Malaysia bible) and Bup Kudus (Iban bible), and arrested the President and the Office Manager of BSM. It is also reported that the President and the Office Manager have been required to present themselves to JAIS officers on 10 January 2014.

It is alarming that the religious body or enforcement agency of one religion would purport to have jurisdiction or purview over other religions. This is not what is envisaged under the Federal Constitution. The actions of JAIS are purported to have been carried out pursuant to the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) Enactment No 1 of 1988 of Selangor (“said Selangor Enactment”), in particular sections 9 to 13 thereof.

The said Selangor Enactment is stated in its preamble to have been enacted pursuant to Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution, which provides that State law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam. The purpose of the said Selangor Enactment is therefore an enactment against the propagation of other religions to Muslims or the proselytisation of Muslims. Continue reading “Abide by the Federal Constitution; Focus on achieving harmony and unity — Bar Council Malaysia”

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Najib must act immediately to guarantee a stop to any further illegal and unconstitutional raids by Islamic authorities on other religions or his assurances whether in Christmas or New Year messages mean nothing and lose all credibility

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, must act immediately to guarantee a stop to any further illegal and unconstitutional raids by Islamic authorities on other religions or his assurances, whether in Christmas or New Year messages, mean nothing and lose all credibility.

Less than ten days after Najib’s two Christmas Speeches, one at the Federation of Malaysia’s Christmas Hi-Tea in Kuala Lumpur and the other at the national-level Christmas Open House in Penang, his message of moderation, harmony and co-existence have been thrown to the winds in the unprecedented and unconstitutional raid by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) and the police at the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia and the seizure of about 350 copies of Malay and Iban Bibles.

Najib had said that rather than choosing the path of fighting over their differences, it is better for Muslims and Christians to find a common ground “to preserve the peace, harmony and stability of the country”, urging both groups to understand the sensitivities of each other’s religions so as not to offend another.

Najib said: “Muslims should not hurt the feelings of Christians and likewise, Christians should not hurt the feelings of Muslims.”

But this was the sentiment that was trampled upon in the illegal and unconstitutional raid by Jais at the Bible Society of Malaysia yesterday. Continue reading “Najib must act immediately to guarantee a stop to any further illegal and unconstitutional raids by Islamic authorities on other religions or his assurances whether in Christmas or New Year messages mean nothing and lose all credibility”

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For 2014, church leaders seek respect, equality before Constitution

by Boo Su-Lyn
The Malay Mail Online
January 2, 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — As religious tensions from the five-year-old “Allah” controversy spilled over into the new year, senior Christian clergymen here have appealed for mutual respect from Malaysian Muslims with a reminder that they too have the right to practice their faith according to the precepts of their own religion.

Asked for their wishes for the year ahead, several church leaders here said they want the constitutional rights of Christians recognised and an end to the hate-mongering fueled by the tussle over on word – “Allah” – which has divided Malaysians along geographical and racial lines.

“We are not expecting Malaysia to be a Christian country. The main thing is respect.

“Respect and recognise that each individual has the right to choose whatever they believe,” said Rev Datuk Jerry Dusing, president of the evangelical Sabah Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB).

“That’s the central tenet of human rights,” the head of Sabah’s second-largest church told The Malay Mail Online in an interview on his hopes for 2014. Continue reading “For 2014, church leaders seek respect, equality before Constitution”

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Will ‘The Heat’ wilt from Government heat?

– Kee Thuan Chye
The Malaysian Insider
December 17, 2013

The relatively outspoken weekly newspaper The Heat has been given a show-cause letter by the Home Ministry and reportedly told to tone down its fervour. And this has come about only three months since the paper sparked to life in early September.

This shows how tightly the Government still controls the media, and how difficult it is for any print publication to be critical of the ruling party. It also blows to bits the promise that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak made in September 2011 that he wanted to establish in Malaysia “the best democracy”. Unless, of course, he has a radically different understanding of “democracy”.

The online news website The Malaysian Insider had reported that the action taken by the ministry was believed to have been prompted by The Heat’s front-page article on Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor’s “spendthrift” use of public funds – on overseas trips, utilities in their official residence, the hiring of consultants, the use of the Government’s private jets, allocations for the Prime Minister’s Department. Continue reading “Will ‘The Heat’ wilt from Government heat?”