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‘Malaysia, don’t go our way’ call rings out

by M Krishnamoorthy
Malaysiakini
Nov 25, 10

Malaysians were urged not to take the path of religious fanaticism and not allow politicians to exploit religious or racial issues when campaigning for votes.

“If politicians use religion or race to sway the people’s minds then the country may head for disaster,” said Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa in a public talk to an audience of over 200 last night at the Hussein Onn Eye Hospital.

Organised by MRA/ Initiatives of Change Malaysia, they concurred that religious leaders should be sincere, fair and mediate conflicts without any agenda for political advantage.

“Neither should politicians use religious leaders to influence the people, and in countries which have used such propaganda have torn their social fabric and were doomed,” Pastor Wuye said.

The net result of any wrong actions by politicians will be a political tsunami and governments can be brought down if religion or race is preached the wrong way to win the people’s support, Ashafa stressed. Continue reading “‘Malaysia, don’t go our way’ call rings out”

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The tragic case of a lunch meal: Revisiting corporal punishment in schools

By Shazeera Ahmad Zawawi (loyarburok.com)
November 18, 2010

NOV 18 — On November 5, a mother complained to the Sarawak Education Department that her son was caned by his teacher for bringing pork to school. As you notice (of which I hope you do), I did not mention the religious or ethnic background of the boy at all. There are two reasons why I left out those layers of fact.

First, I felt sick with how recently our statesmen, bureaucrats or politicians are missing the plot to this sad incident. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, for example, called for an investigation of the boy’s religious status before conclusions can be drawn on why he was caned. Our independent parliamentarian, Zulkifli Nordin, utilised this issue against PAS and got into an unnecessary argument with Dr Zulkefly Ahmad, another parliamentarian from the Islamic party. Apparently, the righteous fight and egoistical call to defend Islam trumps a poor child’s “wrong” selection of lunch meal.
Continue reading “The tragic case of a lunch meal: Revisiting corporal punishment in schools”

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Halal? Haram? Heck if I know…

By Hafidz Baharom

It’s really surprising that people want to talk about halal and haram, but not just in Penang. It’s truly impressive, in Penang, how a bunch of geriatrics say that they don’t want money from any source that is considered haram.

It seems as if we are back to the same holier-than-thou mentality in politics that was visible in the 70s, where even graveyards and grieving for a dead relative were politically segregated. This was the age when Umno and PAS supporters were so passionate to the point that the arguments clearly extended after death.

There should be no paranoia when it comes to the question of halal and haram. Not in this nation where we are opening up to the rest of the world to prove that we are, in fact, truly a moderate Muslim majority nation that in all honesty respects the rest of the population as equals. That was the true Malaysian goal.

What we have now in the 1 Malaysia campaign, is a farce. A cover-up of gigantic proportions. All talk and no “meat”, per se.
Continue reading “Halal? Haram? Heck if I know…”

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The Life Story Of A 100 Ringgit Note

by Richard Loh

I was having a beautiful dream, sleeping among the other 100 ringgit notes banded in stack of 100, when suddenly the loud noise from the opening of heavy metal door woke me up. The lights were switched on and by now all other denominations notes were wide awake as well.

We were inside a strong bank vault with two armed security guards guarding the opened vault. Inside, all new notes comprising of the various denominations were stacked separately from the old notes.

I was part of the new note, under the 100 ringgit denomination. I was just released yesterday, after being dressed so beautifully in colors with security input and a serial number which I supposed was to be my name, from the authority of Bank Negara to my new owner, the Bank.

The old notes were laughing at us, the new notes, and I asked why they are laughing at us. One 5 ringgit note started yelling, afraid that we could not hear him because the bankers inside the vault were talking so loudly. “You all are going out to face the world, you will be squeezed, splashed with saliva, argued and fought over, love and hate, all kinds of hands will be touching you and you may get to travel all over the world. The Chinese New Year is just a week away and you all will be in great demand. We the old notes are tired and needed some rest, so good luck to you all.” Continue reading “The Life Story Of A 100 Ringgit Note”

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Don’t turn cash aid matter into a religious issue

By Thomas Lee

More than 40 Muslim senior citizens have returned cash aid from the Penang state government due to suspicion and uneasiness over the sources of the funding.

Bernama quoted an imam from Pulau Mertajam, Saidin Chik, 72, as saying that he decided to return the money as he learned that it was from non-halal activities.

“I received a RM100 aid sometime this year, but I heard over television and read in the newspapers that the money was from gambling activities. We have been praying everyday and suddenly we get a cash aid from non-halal sources and spent it. What is going to happen to our prayers?” he said.

Saidin told reporters this after handing over the money to Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim on Wednesday 29 September 2010.
Continue reading “Don’t turn cash aid matter into a religious issue”

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No place for religious bigotry

by Thomas Lee
My Sinchew
29.9.10

The Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) should be commended for taking a firm stand against a so-called Christian preacher for attacking and insulting Islam in a series of videos posted on YouTube.

Certainly, there is no place for such a bigoted hostile attitude toward those of another faith from one’s own in our plural nation, with its multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual population.

As a Christian myself, I am very ashamed and disgusted with such intolerance, and the fanatical and uncompromising pursuit and propaganda of the Christian faith by the immature and uncouth preacher, who has brought shame to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The CCM is right in clarifying that the so-called preacher had acted in his individual capacity representing his own views, but it is incorrect to say that there is an “official view of the churches in Malaysia”, as there is none, although generally the Christian community abhors and loathes such destructive religious zealotry.

The assault on the people of another faith is not in the teaching of the Lord Jesus. Such bigotry is judging and degrading the human persons created by God in his own image on the basis of preconceived and bias opinions, and that is evil. It is definitely wrong, even sinful, when we participate in thoughts and actions that are based on pre-judging and condemning people of other faiths. Continue reading “No place for religious bigotry”

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Najib should first ensure religious tolerance is practised at home in Malaysia before offering advice on religious tolerance to President Obama

by Dr Chen Man Hin

In the first place, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should not assume that Malaysia is a Muslim country. Malaysia is a multireligious society. while Malays who form 55% of the population are Muslims, the other 45 per cent are Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, animists, atheists, etc.

Religious tolerance – there is limited religious tolerance in Malaysia. Islam is favoured by the government and is regarded as the ‘big brother’ of religion.

There is a consultative council for religions but Islam is not a member – , although invited to join. Islamic leaders prefer to stay away.

Dialogue between Islam and other religions is limited. The attitude is that Islam is superior.

The word ‘ALLAH’ is regarded as sacred and is not allowed to be invoked or used by religions other than Islam. This is religious intolerance as the word Allah is freely used in the Middle East by all religions, which has been the practice even before the advent of Islam. Continue reading “Najib should first ensure religious tolerance is practised at home in Malaysia before offering advice on religious tolerance to President Obama”

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When is Najib going to provide leadership and take a stand against Malaysians “whose heads are not right” who have caused unprecedented inter-racial and inter-religious strain?

Speaking at the Interfaith Relations Working Committee luncheon yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the world contained individuals whose heads were “not right”.

He was referring specifically to the recent threat by an American pastor to burn the Quran and the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre by terrorists who “hijacked Islam” and said such conflicts were caused by ignorance.

He said: “Without understanding and knowledge, there can never be goodwill and understanding. We need to know the beauty found in every religion.”

What Najib said yesterday is very correct but Malaysians are entitled to ask why he had not provided leadership to take a stand against those in Malaysia “whose heads are not right” in the past 18 months of his premiership resulting in the escalation of the rhetoric of racial bigotry and religious extremism despite his proclamation of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” policy? Continue reading “When is Najib going to provide leadership and take a stand against Malaysians “whose heads are not right” who have caused unprecedented inter-racial and inter-religious strain?”

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Malaysia’s religious problems: The way forward

by Pak Sako
Centre for Policy Initiatives
Saturday, 18 September 2010 15:06

“You are my brother and I love you. I love you worshipping in your church, kneeling in your temple, and praying in your mosque. You and I and all are children of one religion, for the varied paths of religion are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being, extended to all, offering completeness of spirit to all, anxious to receive all.

“I love you for your Truth, derived from your knowledge; that Truth which I cannot see because of my ignorance. But I respect it as a divine thing, for it is the deed of the spirit. Your Truth shall meet my Truth in the coming world and blend together like the fragrance of flowers and becoming one whole and eternal Truth, perpetuating and living in the eternity of Love and Beauty.”

— Kahlil Gibran, A Tear And A Smile (1914)

Religious pluralism is a cornerstone for achieving harmony in societies with people of varied faiths. Yet in multi-religious Malaysia politicians shy away from discussing religious pluralism. It is difficult to get straight answers about their stand on or commitment to it.

Take for example the recently concluded panel discussion on ‘National Unity through Religion, Law and Shared Values’ at UCSI University in KL. It is unclear whether religious pluralism or religious bigotry were fruitfully discussed. The contents of the discussion are not made public enough. It can be gleaned from news reports that there were barely satisfactory answers to barely satisfactory questions.

What is conspicuous is that there is an excruciating lack of focus on the heart of the issue.

Here I refocus attention on what really matters. Continue reading “Malaysia’s religious problems: The way forward”

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No place for God?

By Thomas Lee

Professor Stephen William Hawking, the author of the 1988 runaway world best seller A Brief History of Time, has declared the dreadful finality that there is no place for God in theories on the creation of the Universe.

Britain’s most famous theoretical physicist and cosmologist had asserted previously that a belief in a creator was not inapposite with science, but in his latest book The Grand Design, he deduces that the so-called Big Bang was an ineluctable consequence of the laws of physics.

According to wire news reports this week, Hawking says in his new book, being serialized in The Times of London, that there is no need to invoke God to set the Universe going.

“Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something,” Hawking said in the book co-written by US physicist Leonard Mlodinow, challenging Sir Isaac Newton’s conviction that the Universe must have a designer or creator as it could not simply have emerged out of nothing and chaos.
Continue reading “No place for God?”

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Door to any house of worship open

by Azly Rahman

“I sincerely and genuinely reiterate that my visit to the Surau Al-Huda was not politically motivated, and had no motive to put into question the sanctity of suraus and mosques,” Serdang Mp Teo Nie Ching said on Saturday…

Teo explained that she had visited the Kajang surau on Sunday, Aug 22, as their MP, in order to hand over to them the state government’s monetary contribution for repairs to the surau fence… She had timed her visit in order to break fast with the surau’s committee members and congregation…

“Since I was invited to say a few words, I in all sincerity gave a brief explanation of the state’s education programmes that benefit the people of Selangor,” she said, adding that she welcomed advice from all parties on better execution of her duties… (Malaysiakini report, Aug 28, 2010)

The Perkasa panic over Teo’s visit to a surau in Kajang intrigues me. The latter had gone there in humility to present a state donation to repair the fence. She is now a sensation and forced to mend fences. She may be meeting with the biggest religious head of the state – the Sultan. There will be repercussions. There has already been.
Continue reading “Door to any house of worship open”

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Secular Aspects of Blessed Ramadan

By M. Bakri Musa

A friend from Canada who moved to California many years ago decided recently to return to the cold north. When asked why, he replied that while he absolutely enjoyed the year-round sunshine and the salubrious climate of the Golden State, he found the lack of seasons disorienting.

“I could not get anything done,” he claimed, “Every day was too nice and I would postpone to the perpetual ‘next day’ doing my gardening, cleaning the garage, or even reading my favorite novel.”

My friend’s observation reverberates in me this middle of Ramadan. Yes, California lacks a definite season, but the fasting ‘season’ forces me to shift gear mentally, behaviorally, and in many other ways just as surely as the falling snow in January and the glorious sunshine in July did to me when I lived in Canada.

Nonetheless, my Canadian friend is on to something profound. One theory explaining the more advanced development of the people of the temperate zone is that the definite seasons disciplined them to plan, or at least be prepared for the inevitable adversities ahead.
Continue reading “Secular Aspects of Blessed Ramadan”

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Are you at home, minister?

By Kee Thuan Chye

COMMENT Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said this at the press conference in 2009 in which he defended the cow-head protesters: “In this day and age, protests should be accepted in this world, as people want their voices to be heard. If we don’t give them room to voice their opinions, they have no choice but to protest.” He should of course be held accountable for this statement.

Why then did the police clamp down so hard on the people taking part in the anti-ISA candlelight vigil on Aug 1? Why did Hishammuddin not come out to advise the police that this voicing of the people’s opinions was acceptable and room should be given for it?

Why was he so understanding towards the cow-head protestors – who were potentially more threatening to national security because they displayed violence against a sacred icon of the Hindus – and so intolerant of the people participating in a peaceful demonstration, some of whom were reportedly singing the national anthem when the police moved in on them?
Continue reading “Are you at home, minister?”

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Whose credit? Not MCA’s, of course

By Thomas Lee

The cabinet decision to allow school heads to decide on the setting-up of non-Muslim religious societies in schools, without the need to obtain approval of the state education director, is certainly welcome.

The decision, however, should not be taken as something magnanimous on the part of the federal government for according this “concession” to the non-Muslim community.

The fact is that it is not something to be considered as a concession or a privilege given by the federal government, but a fundamental right provided for in Article 11 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution and enshined in the human rights covenants and conventions of the United Nations.

Hence, the federal government, in particularly the Education Minister, should apologise to the non-Muslim students for unilaterally restricting and depriving them over the years of their fundamental human and constitutional right and freedom to practice their religious faiths, through the unwarranted and unjustified action of the Little Napoleons in the Education Ministry.
Continue reading “Whose credit? Not MCA’s, of course”

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Who decided on the Cabinet gag order yesterday on any public discussion of “Allah” controversy?

Who decided on the Cabinet gag order on any public discussion of the “Allah” controversy announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin after the Cabinet meeting yesterday?

Was it with the full support of the four MCA Ministers and all other non-Muslim Cabinet Ministers – or did they express and register their protest and objection?

Malaysians had been told that the Cabinet operates on the principle of consensus – which means that if there is one Minister objecting, a decision on a new policy or measure would not be taken by the Cabinet.

If so, if the four MCA Ministers had spoken out against the gag order and asked the Cabinet to consider resolving the long-protracted “Allah” controversy by deciding that the Home Ministry should withdraw its appeal against the Lau Bee Lan judgment in the Kuala Lumpur High Court in January this year
Continue reading “Who decided on the Cabinet gag order yesterday on any public discussion of “Allah” controversy?”

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MCA, stand firm or close shop

By Thomas Lee
MySinChew.com

The arrogance of Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in giving a stern warning on Monday 3 August 2010 to the MCA over the “Allah” issue simply cannot be stomached and tolerated.

If the MCA has any dignity and integrity, it should not allow itself to be so severely rebuked and dictated to publicly by an “equal” partner in the Barisan Nasional coalition.

The MCA is right in standing up for the right of the non-Muslim community to be allowed to freely practise and express their religious faiths using any word they deem fit in Bahasa Malaysia, which is their national language.

The MCA is absolutely right to ask the federal government, of which it is purportedly an essential component, to rescind the ban on non-Muslims using of the word “Allah”, after Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein expressed regrets over the decision to ban its use by his predecessor. Continue reading “MCA, stand firm or close shop”

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Will the 4 MCA Ministers ignore Muhyiddin’s most improper/unwarranted “stern warning” and raise at Cabinet tomorrow issue of Home Ministry withdrawing its appeal on “Allah” controversy?

The Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Umno President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had acted completely out of turn in issuing a most improper and unwarranted “stern warning” to MCA to accept the decision of the government and should not trigger another debate on the word “Allah”.

Does this mean that the MCA leadership, despite having four Ministers in Cabinet, are not allowed to raise in tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting a proposal to ask the Ministers to take a policy decision to withdraw the Home Ministry’s appeal against the Lau Bee Lan judgment of the Kuala Lumpur High Court in January which allowed the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its publication, Herald?

Such a proposal in tomorrow’s Cabinet would be most timely, appropriate and fully in accord with the national interests in view of the admission by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that his predecessor Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar should not have banned the word “Allah” from being used by the Catholic Church.

Are there two classes of Ministers – those who can raise issues in Cabinet and ask for policy decisions to be made or reviewed and the lower class of Ministers who cannot raise issues which are regarded as “sensitive” by the first class of Ministers?
Continue reading “Will the 4 MCA Ministers ignore Muhyiddin’s most improper/unwarranted “stern warning” and raise at Cabinet tomorrow issue of Home Ministry withdrawing its appeal on “Allah” controversy?”

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Cabinet should make a decision to withdraw the appeal against Lau Bee Lan judgment on the Allah controversy

The Cabinet should make a decision to withdraw the appeal against the KL High Court judgment of Lau Bee Lan on the Allah controversy now that the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has admitted that his predecessor, Tan Sri Hamid Albar should not have banned the word “Allah” from being used by the Catholic Church.

Speaking at the Fourth Annual Malaysian Student Leaders’ Summit yesterday, Hishammuddin admitted that this issue will continue to haunt his ministry “for a very long time”, saying: “We should have let the sleeping dogs lie.”

With Hishamuddin’s admission, the Cabinet should do what it had failed to do these past six months after the Lau Bee Lan judgement in January, i.e. take a policy decision that the Home Ministry should withdraw its appeal against the High Court judgement allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia sections of its newspapers, Herald, to demonstrate the government’s seriousness and commitment to resolve the issue through inter-religious dialogue.
So far, Cabinet Ministers had been denied the right to consider whether the Home Ministry should withdraw its appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court judgment on the “Allah” controversy.
Continue reading “Cabinet should make a decision to withdraw the appeal against Lau Bee Lan judgment on the Allah controversy”

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Bolstering and Breeding Bigotry in Bolehland

By Martin Jalleh

The light, lenient, ludicrous and laughable court sentences on the cow-head protestors lends credence to the growing belief that Umno lives and lasts on bigotry

On 28 August last year, more than 50 people, shortly after their Friday prayers, marched from the Selangor state mosque in Shah Alam to the Selangor State Secretariat to protest the relocation of a 150-year old Hindu temple to their neighbourhood.

Amidst strong chants of “Allahuakbar!” they dragged and paraded the severed and bloodied head of a cow. One of their leaders shouted “I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension (if the temple relocation takes place)”.

Some of them made fiery speeches, spat on the severed cow’s head, kicked it, stomped on it, dumped it in front of the gates of the State Secretariat and proudly posed for photos, as police stood stoically, silently and submissively by.
Continue reading “Bolstering and Breeding Bigotry in Bolehland”

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Discipline the Little Napoleans

By Thomas Lee
MySinchew
26.7.10

It is indeed a relief that Deputy Prime Minister cum Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has given an assurance that non-Mulsim religious clubs or societies are not banned in schools.

Muhyiddin has pledged that school clubs and societies related to non-Muslim activities that have been in operation for decades need not be disbanded.

He said the Education Ministry has not issued any directive for such clubs or societies to close.

If such is the case, then disciplinary action must be taken against the officials of the Selangor Education Department and certain school heads who have been flexing their muscles to curb religious activities by the non-Muslim students in the schools.

The recent case of the Klang High School being ordered to close its non-Muslim religious clubs is not an isolate case. Continue reading “Discipline the Little Napoleans”