Those condemned to hell
By Zan Azlee

MAY 25 — Many years ago, I was a big fan of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, because I was a lover of wildlife and animals… just like him. I watched his shows on TV, wore khaki shorts (thankfully, I grew out of this phase!), copied his accent and even thought about dating his daughter once she grows up.

Then came the day he died, killed by a stingray while he was shooting an episode of his show. I was sad and I mourned. I watched his funeral service “live” on TV. He was a good man who fought for the preservation of wildlife and the environment. He was also a man who loved his family dearly and they loved him back.

Around the time of his death, I was having lunch with an “infidel” friend of mine… a Chinese guy from Jinjang (you can’t get more “infidel” than that, eh?).

“The Crocodile Hunter was a good man, wasn’t he?” asked “Infidel.”

“I believe so. Good man!” I answered.

“Was he a Muslim?”

“I don’t think so.”

“So he’s going to hell even though he’s a good man?”

Hmm… “Infidel” had a point there. As far as I can remember, I have always been told that only Muslims will go to heaven and non-Muslims go to hell. [Click to read the rest of the article at The Malaysian Insider]

Empowered by video
By Zan Azlee

MAY 18 — One of the main objectives of the existence of the media is to give a voice to normal people, or the rakyat. But sometimes, this objective gets lost when the media themselves get a bit overwhelmed (or big headed?) by all their obligations.

That’s why I always jump at the opportunity to help give a voice to the common folk, or the rakyat. That’s how, last week, I found myself in a small village called Kampung Sukau in Sabah, teaching locals how to tell stories using video. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]

Manipulating religion for worldly gains
By Zan Azlee

MAY 11 – One Muslim calling the other a kafir (infidel). Muslims simply declaring anything they feel like as being haram. All this while still in the heat of Bersih. What I am referring to is to the article in the New Straits Times which carried the headline ‘Nik Aziz the father of kafirs’.

And I am also referring to the country’s fatwa council declaring that it is haram for Muslims to be participating in Bersih rallies. The New Straits Times wrote that former IGP, Tan Sri Rahim Noor, says that PAS’ Nik Aziz is the father of kafirs. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]

Violence against Malaysia
By Zan Azlee

MAY 4 — I waited for almost a week before actually writing or posting anything much about the recent Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur. There were so many emotions, I wanted to make sure that I was calm and coherent before actually commenting on it. And now that everything seems ever so slightly clearer to me, the one thing that affected me most that Saturday was the violence that occurred.

The day had started early for me and walking all around the city, I felt the almost party-like atmosphere amongst all the Malaysians that had gathered. Dataran Merdeka, of course, had a heavy police presence. It was cordoned off with metal fencing and even scary-looking barbed wire. But, as I mentioned, the atmosphere was very festive and I guess the intimidation wasn’t working that well.

When the rally was in full force, I was standing alongside the leaders as they were giving their speeches and encouraging the people to sing. Once everyone was as close to Dataran Merdeka as possible, I heard the leaders declaring the rally a success and calling for the crowd to disperse. The crowd didn’t disperse and I made my way behind the barricade and police line with the help of my press tag. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]

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Democracy. It’s happening!
By Zan Azlee

APRIL 27 — The heat of the general election can be felt. Rumours have been rife about it happening in June, then September, and now back to June again. Squabbles are happening between the political parties. Squabbles are happening among the NGOs and squabbles are also happening among the normal rakyat.

Each political party is claiming itself to be the righteous one. NGOs are pushing their agenda, taking advantage of the heightened social awareness. The rakyat are scattered. Some are just blind faithful to the side they are supporting. Many are on the fence while more just think that there’s really no quality choice.

Then there’s the media. We all know how all these years the mainstream media has always been tightly controlled (or self-controlled) in favour of the party in power.

But it looks like things are changing. Last year, I was a “live” guest on a radio station and I happened to mention Bersih 2.0. I was immediately interrupted and censored. This year, that same radio station, on the same show I was on, actually had a whole episode discussing the upcoming Bersih 3.0 quite openly and honestly. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]

The state is God?
By Zan Azlee

APRIL 20 – I am actually dumbfounded as to where in the religion of Islam that says the Kedah state government is God? This is because, as far as I know, Muslims are actually only prohibited to ever question the will of God.

We are however, perfectly allowed, and even encouraged, to question what is not clear to us in order to understand it better. So, I am baffled as to why the Kedah state legislative assembly has decided to amend the Mufti and Fatwa Enactment (Kedah Darul Aman) 2008.

It was passed unanimously by the House that:

“Any fatwa decided by the state mufti or Fatwa Committee, whether gazetted or not, cannot be challenged, appealed, reviewed, denied or questioned in any civil or syariah court”.

As I have mentioned previously, I don’t really know they can do this because if I’m not mistaken, members of the Kedah assembly are ordinary people and not God. [Click to read the rest of the article at The Malaysian Insider]

Self-selected news, anyone?
By Zan Azlee

As a content consumer, I love New Media for everything that it is, which is an endless information source for content consumption. Anyone from anywhere who is interested in anything can find it New Media. It’s really just a limitless, almost infinite, source.

If you like mainstream music or even the weirdest kind of genre, you can definitely find it in New Media. If you like politics (from the local comical kind to the most complicated American kind), you can definitely find it in New Media. If you like alternative sports like BMX, skateboarding or body mutilation, you can definitely find it in New Media.

I can go on and on harping about the wholesome goodness of New Media as compared to traditional and conventional media. But hear me out now. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider.]

So what’s the fuss about then?
By Zan Azlee

APRIL 6 – Sometimes, we as adults, tend to overreact at the slightest cause. And usually, these slight causes are actually undeserving of any reaction whatsoever. Take for example a few weeks ago, approximately around the time of my little daughter Athena’s first birthday. She began to get the hang of walking for the first time. Everyone was so shocked and surprised the roof almost blew off the house.

All the handphones, still cameras and video cameras were whipped out in a flash. But of course, Athena’s actual first steps went unrecorded in all the chaos. Her mother started encouraging her to walk further and further. She would walk a few steps like Jackie Chan in “Drunken Master” and everyone would cheer insanely. [Click to read the rest of the article at The Malaysian Insider]

I’m a liberal Muslim!
By Zan Azlee

MARCH 30 — As a practising and continuously learning Muslim, I have to take it as my personal responsibility to comment on a recent quote by Datuk Salleh Mat Rasid. The Internal Security and Public Order director of the police said that social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have made Malaysians liberal.

He then continued to say:

“In a borderless world, human thinking will change greatly, particularly towards the liberal. They will say things which cannot be done can be done… This is what we’re afraid of because when the thinking of Malaysians is driven by negative things, specifically those that can threaten security and public order, it can lead to a situation where the country is no longer safe.”

I have to say that in my humble opinion, this has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard or read in all my years of being alive. [Click to read the rest of the article at The Malaysian Insider]