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THE CURIOUS CASE OF ERYKAH BADU!!!

2012-03-08T15:59:00.003+08:00

There were some people who were not happy with Erykah Badu’s decision to wear a niqab on stage at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. The niqab covers the face and is worn by some Muslim women.

In Malaysia, Erykah Badu’s concert scheduled to be held last Wednesday at the KL Convention Centre was banned. The Minister of Information announced on the eve of the concert that it could not proceed because a promotional photo of Badu with the Arabic word for Allah painted on her bare shoulders was "an insult to Islam."

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said he had proposed the cancellation of the concert from the aspect of security and importance of giving respect to religion, race and the socio-culture prevailing in Malaysia.

“If the concert had gone ahead, according to the police, there would have been a possibility of it developing into a situation that may lead to social excitement. It could lead to quarrels due to the religious sensitivities, like what had happened in other places in the world”. “The strong grounds in terms of the integrity of the religion, race and the Government itself had to be taken into consideration besides security factors,” he said.

He said the artiste’s move to inscribe the word “Allah” in Arabic on her body and not cover it up was an insult to Islam and was a serious matter. The Minister seemed to have reacted to a picture of Badu with the Arabic word Allah painted on her shoulder appearing in a local daily. It appears the Minister made his decision solely from looking at the picture.

We now know that the said picture was an old picture taken was a photoshoot of a body art referencing "The Painted Lady", a character from the 1973 surrealist film The Holy Mountain by Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. In the film, "The Painted Lady" was a character who had various names of God etched on her skin.

BADU HAS SINCE POINTED OUT THAT SHE HAS NO TATTOOS.

Unfortunate that the information was not available to the Minister of Information who chose to act without adequate information.

Curious that the Minister had not chosen to meet with the organizers or the singer who was present in Malaysia at the time, citing his busy work schedule.

Curious that the Minister chose to punish the organizers of the event, the singer and her Malaysian fans when it was not their fault that the local daily decided to use an old picture totally unrelated to her concert in Malaysia.

Curious that the Minister of Information whose portfolio also includes multimedia communications did not take the trouble to find out more about the singer, what she stands for, the content of her music, etc. In fact if he or his officers had only taken the trouble to Google, they would have found out the following;

Erica Abi Wright born February 26, 1971, better known by her stage name Erykah Badu is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, activist and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical stylings and sense of fashion. She is known as the "First Lady of Neo-Soul" or the "Queen of Neo-Soul".

Badu’s style is a prime illustration of Neo-Soul in that it focuses on the contemporary styles of the genres soul and hip hop and it sends out a deeper message as opposed to common R&B music. The songs in Badu’s album, “Baduizm” exemplifies her personal take on life. Her philosophy features ideologies from African influences, with fusions from the Nation of Islam and the Five Percent theologies, the complex views of the ancient Egyptians, and Southern African-American folk traditions. The majority of Badu’s music is greatly influenced by her beliefs of the Nation of Islam and her African roots and heritage

Badu also remains an activist in her hometown of South Dallas. Her charity organization, Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development (B.L.I.N.D. 501c3), provides community-driven development for inner-city youth through music, dance, theater and visual arts.

In the publication VegNews Magazine, July–August 2008, Ms. Badu stated: "Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure"

I can only pray that the intentions of the people who made the decision to cancel the concert were as pure as they claim it to be. As Erykah Badu herself has said she is well aware that there is an election around the corner.

Curious that Pakatan Rakyat politicians who are usually quick to come to the defense of those who have not be given a fair hearing chose to remain silent, worse when the Wanita Wing of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS have chosen to support the ban. I assume based on the same old picture of Erykah Badu. Clearly they have a long way to go from being the alternative they claim to be.

Erykah Badu has since left Malaysia to perform for a jazz festival in Indonesia the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation.

When asked if she would return to perform in Malaysia if the opportunity presented itself, she said: "I have faith in people's ability to evolve. That's why I do what I do.".

Good Cop, Bad Cop!!!

2012-03-05T11:55:00.003+08:00

DATUK Seri Najib Razak apologized for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) past mistakes that cost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and four states in 2008.

It appears that with this apology he is hoping that Malaysians will kiss and make up with his coalition and once again give him the 2/3rd majority he so desires.

Usually when somebody apologizes for something, the recipient of the apology is quite clear what the apology is for and there is an implied understanding that what caused the need to apologize is never repeated.

In this case, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin said although the Prime Minister admitted Barisan Nasional’s (BN) mistakes, “there is no need to list out our weaknesses; that is in the past”.

So the Good Cop apologizes, and the Bad Cop says no need to list reasons for apology.

I don't know about you, but this good cop, bad cop routine is getting a bit tiring.

One thing is for sure, it was the 2/3rd majority that made the BN arrogant once, I think we must help the BN ensure it will never again succumb to arrogance.

A 2/3rd majority is bound to make any coalition arrogant, let's make sure we never make that mistake again.

MACC powers to be increased???

2012-02-28T09:45:00.006+08:00

I find it strange that the PM is talking about increasing the powers of the MACC. My understanding is that the MACC Act already provides the MACC which such extraordinary and draconian powers unavailable to most enforcement agencies in the world.

In July of 2011, a Royal Commission of Inquiry called for a proper system of checks and balances to be installed to prevent abuse of power by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers.It said this was necessary as testimony provided by MACC officers had shown a “strong sense of arrogance” that they were accountable to no one while exercising their power under the MACC Act.

It specifically referred to their “distorted interpretation” of Section 31(3) which allows an officer to search premises without prior authorisation on the belief that a delay could result in destruction or loss of evidence.

It therefore recommended that the law be amended to prevent further abuse and misinterpretation as well as provide better protection to witnesses and suspects.

This included a proposal to delete Section 5(6) which confers a deputy public prosecutor's powers on the MACC's chief commissioner.

It suggested the clause “or an officer of the commission of the rank of chief senior asst comm or above as authorised by the public prosecutor” found in several sections of the Act including Section 31(3) be deleted as well.

So before the PM or anybody else talks about increasing the powers of the MACC, can we first clear up its abuses and put in place the necessary check and balances.

As it is we still don't really know what happened to to Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed and how to they came to be found dead after a visit to the MACC.

Its not the Opposition Stupid!!!

2012-02-22T10:36:00.004+08:00

Don't forget to get a copy of the Malay Mail today, that is if you want to catch my fortnightly column which is out today. :)

Today's piece is titled "Do you trust your government?"

In addition to what I have written in the column, I would just like to add that the government has only itself to blame for people not trusting them. Slogans alone will not cut it any longer, Shout 1Malaysia all you want, but if your Ministers, your own political party, your clerics, your government servants, and the rest just pay lip service to it and just talk about One race, One religion then good bye trust. It is most telling that UMNO is quick to attack the opposition but does not touch the Ibrahim Alis, the Hassan Alis and the Harussanis.

I keep saying you are not going to lose the elections because of the opposition party stupid, they are just the recipients of an opportunity you provided.

So if you want to be thrust out of government, carry on.

I believe - Anas Zubedy

2012-02-21T11:32:00.001+08:00

Dear Brother and Sister Malaysians,

I believe…

‘Until we give NO FREE RIDE to every candidate, no matter which party they may represent, we cannot stand proud and say "WE, THE RAKYAT, ARE IN CHARGE”.’

I believe that a single voter can make a difference. You and I, we are powerful!

I believe that we, the rakyat, are in charge. I believe that our votes and actions count for everything.

I believe that as we, the rakyat, move for the good of the nation, we are changing our nation for the better. I believe that we the rakyat are more powerful than all the party machineries put together.

I believe we can win when we do the right thing. I believe that God is with us when we are genuine, truthful and have faith in Him. I believe.

I am looking for fellow believers.

I am writing to you as a fellow Malaysian, a fellow believer with a heart for Malaysia. Let’s find ways as rakyat to work towards changing Malaysians and Malaysian politics for the better - with love, care and mindfulness; not with anger and hatred.

It is our collective responsibility to ensure we improve the quality of our lawmakers, regardless which party they are from. We are the real third force. This moment in time calls us as rakyat to act to make sure we get only our best people to represent us in parliament. When we get the best, it does not matter which party they are from.

If we grant the mandate for unfit Malaysians to become our leaders, we are directly responsible for letting our nation fall to neglect. So let’s work. Let’s work to make sure only the smartest, uncorrupted, hardworking, sound and healthy candidates are elected.

I need to convince you that when we believe, we can make a difference…

This is what we can do to ensure we have good leaders after the next elections:

Make an appointment with the potential candidates for your voting area and go meet with them. Go individually, or better still gather a few friends/family from the same voting area and go together.

Before you meet them, make sure you have decided what you want to ask from them. List down your wishes. Remember to use your Reason, Conscience and the Constitution as a guide. For an example, go to http://www.letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-letter-to-nurul-izzah.html

When meeting your potential candidates:

Things to bring

Your wish list from your MPs/ADUNs

A video recording device (your phone camera will be good enough)

What to do:

Choose to be respectful. Tell them you have a list of what you look for when deciding which leader to vote. Tell them that it will help you decide how to vote if they promise to keep this ‘halal contract’ between you, a rakyat, and your political representative.

Be clear: let them know that regardless of your political inclination, you will choose whoever is better at representing the rakyat. If anything, you want to be guided only by Reason, Conscience and the Constitution.

Show them your wish-list and ask them to choose which of the requests they agree with. The more they agree with, the more likely you will vote them.

Record a video of their clearly stated promise to keep to these wishes. Request that they say,

‘I, _________, if elected as an MP/ADUN, promise to (items on the list which they agree with)’.

This is how we can cause the ripple effect:

Once you have the recording, spread the news - post it up to your Facebook and link it to your Twitter, blogs, and other social media platforms. As a way to share it with other like-minded Malaysians, link the video back to http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Free-Rides/254891967906392

This ‘halal contract’ is your lasting proof and accountability check. If, at any time after elected, your MP/ADUN fails to keep his promise, you can follow up with this proof to remind him, and the rest of the nation, of his/her promises.

One rakyat in each voting area is all it really takes. You can be that person.

When, because of our actions, we make this country better, one day we will look back and know that the reason we made a difference was because we believed.

I believe. Do you?

anas zubedy

Fans against Racism in Sports, Really???

2012-02-20T10:08:00.006+08:00

Not all is what it seems, this does not just apply to politics.

In sports too, many a time what is said is rarely a reflection of what is actually meant, take for instance the clash between Suarez and Evra, the way some sports fans reacted to the whole incident was if they were paragons of virtue willing to stand up to racism wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head.

As in politics, one has to look beyond what is presented, one has to put things in perspective, for at the end of the day it may have been just one group of sports fans taking advantage of the situation to win public opinion against a rival team.

Which is probably why the same people who had much to say about racism when it came to Suarez had nothing to say when ESPN ran its offensive headline "Chink In The Armor", clearly a racist reference to Jeremy Lin the New York Knicks star point-guard.

Which is why I say when it comes to sports fans, like politicians, we have to be careful about the motives, before we join in the labeling of who is or is not a racist.

RIBA!!! Isu Halal dan Haram di Malaysia

2012-02-16T10:02:00.004+08:00

Semalam di Twitter Jaya hangat dibicarakan soal RIBA, ada kawan-kawan yang berkeras mengatakan keuntungan berlipat ganda yang diperolehi oleh bank-bank yang menawarkan produk pinjaman Islam dinegara ini adalah halal dan tidak bersifat RIBA.

Bagi saya Islam itu satu agama holistik dan seharusnya sesuatu itu yang hendak dilaksanakan diatas nama Islam seharusnya secara menyeluruh.

Islam tidak membenarkan sipemiutang yang kaya dan berkuasa menekan sipeminjam yang miskin, tidak membenarkan mendera sipeminjam dengan mengambil segala hartanya apabila beliau tak dapat bayar balik hutang kerana ditimpa sesuatu bencana yang tidak dapat dielaknya.

Disini saya menekankan aspek KEADILAN dan aspek KEPERIMANUSIAAN.

Di Malaysia, terdapat produk pinjaman Islam dimana bank mendapat keuntungan luar biasa, kadang2 sehingga dua kali ganda. Denda bayaran lambat begitu tinggi sehingga mencecah nilai ansuran satu bulan. Ada juga bank yang menawarkan produk pinjaman Islam yang berkeras menuntut balik pinjaman dari keluarga dimana peminjammya sisuami sedang menghidap kanser dan tidak mampu bayar balik, ada banyak lagi contoh dimana Bank yang dikatakan menawarkan produk Islam ini langsung tidak mahu mendengar rintihan dan rayuan sipeminjam yang bukannya tidak mahu membayar dengan sengaja. (sipeminjam hilang kerja dan sebagainya)

Dibawah ini adalah terjemahan artikel Yusof Qardawi tentang Isu Riba yang saya petik dari wwww.media.isnet.org

Islam dalam memperkeras persoalan haramnya riba, semata-mata demi melindungi kemaslahatan manusia, baik dari segi akhlaknya, masyarakatnya maupun perekonomiannya.

Kiranya cukup untuk mengetahui hikmahnya seperti apa yang dikemukakan oleh Imam ar-Razi dalam tafsirnya sebagai berikut:

1. Riba adalah suatu perbuatan mengambil harta kawannya tanpa ganti. Sebab orang yang meminjamkan uang 1 dirham dengan 2 dirham, misalnya, maka dia dapat tambahan satu dirham tanpa imbalan ganti. Sedang harta orang lain itu merupakan standard hidup dan mempunyai kehormatan yang sangat besar, seperti apa yang disebut dalam hadis Nabi:

"Bahwa kehormatan harta manusia, sama dengan kehormatan darahnya."

Oleh karena itu mengambil harta kawannya tanpa ganti, sudah pasti haramnya.

2. Bergantung kepada riba dapat menghalangi manusia dari kesibukan bekerja. Sebab kalau si pemilik uang yakin, bahwa dengan melalui riba dia akan beroleh tambahan uang, baik kontan ataupun berjangka, maka dia akan mengentengkan persoalan mencari penghidupan, sehingga hampir-hampir dia tidak mau menanggung beratnya usaha, dagang dan pekerjaan-pekerjaan yang berat. Sedang hal semacam itu akan berakibat terputusnya bahan keperluan n-tasyarakat. Iran satu hal yang tidak dapat disangkal lagi, bahwa kemaslahatan dunia seratus persen ditentukan oleh jalannya perdagangan, pekerjaan, perusahaan dan pembangunan.

(Tidak diragukan lagi, bahwa hikmah ini pasti dapat diterima, dipandang dari segi perekonomian).

3. Riba akan menyebabkan terputusnya sikap yang baik (ma'ruf) antara sesama manusia dalam bidang pinjam-meminjam. Sebab kalau riba itu diharamkan, maka seseorang akan merasa senang meminjamkan uang satu dirham dan kembalinya satu dirham juga. Tetapi kalau riba itu dihalalkan, maka sudah pasti kebutuhan orang akan menganggap berat dengan diambilnya uang satu dirham dengan diharuskannya mengembalikan dua dirham. Justru itu, maka terputuslah perasaan belas-kasih dan kebaikan.

(Ini suatu alasan yang dapat diterima, dipandang dari segi ethik).

4. Pada umumnya pemberi piutang adalah orang yang kaya, sedang peminjam adalah orang yang tidak mampu. Maka pendapat yang membolehkan riba, berarti memberikan jalan kepada orang kaya untuk mengambil harta orang miskin yang lemah sebagai tambahan. Sedang tidak layak berbuat demikian sebagai orang yang memperoleh rahmat Allah.

(Ini ditinjau dari segi sosial).

Ini semua dapat diartikan, bahwa riba terdapat unsur pemerasan terhadap orang yang lemah demi kepentingan orang kuat (exploitasion de l'home par l'hom) dengan suatu kesimpulan: yang kaya bertambah kaya, sedang yang miskin tetap miskin. Hal mana akan mengarah kepada membesarkan satu kelas masyarakat atas pembiayaan kelas lain, yang memungkinkan akan menimbulkan golongan sakit hati dan pendengki; dan akan berakibat berkobarnya api terpentangan di antara anggota masyarakat serta membawa kepada pemberontakan oleh golongan ekstrimis dan kaum subversi.

Sejarah pun telah mencatat betapa bahayanya riba dan si tukang riba terhadap politik, hukum dan keamanan nasional dan internasional.

PAS, PKR and DAP, who calls the shots?

2012-02-14T12:57:00.003+08:00

PAS spiritual leader TG Nik Aziz has urged opposition leader DS Anwar Ibrahim to retract his statement supporting of Israel's national security concerns.

This is going to be an interesting study of how Pakatan Rakyat functions as a coalition, many Malaysians not happy with the Barisan Nasional and who are looking for regime change fail to see beyond their anger at the present coalition in federal government and are ready to hand over power to a party that is hardly even sure of who is in charge.

In this blog post, I would like to focus on PAS, they have a leadership structure that is unique. They have at the apex a body called the Ulama Council and TG Nik Aziz is supposed to be head honcho, whereas the President of PAS is supposed to be TG Hadi Awang. Now depending on who you talk to, they will either tell you that the PAS President is the most important man in the party while there are others who will disagree, and mind you I am talking about PAS members themselves not being sure.

So in this particular issue who will Anwar have to listen to, Hadi or Nik Aziz?

What happens if Anwar decides to not listen to either?

For some funny reason I am reminded of Luiz Suarez being forced to appologise to Patrice Evra, Liverpool seem to be in a dilemma, there is now talk that the Liverpool owners may have to sell Suarez.

If Anwar chooses to remain silent or worse decides not to retract his statement, will PAS decide that he has to go? Does PAS have the will or the power? What is the role of DAP in all this?

It is understandable that Pakatan Rakyat wants to project a united front by professing to support Anwar Ibrahim as their man for the position of Prime Minister should they come to power at the federal level. But they have yet to present to Malaysians any sort of coherent structure that would prevent a free for all in the case of a dispute.

I do not know about you, but I think Malaysians deserve to be treated better by a coalition seeking their vote to come to power.

1Care, The Issues!!!

2012-02-10T11:43:00.006+08:00

Healthcare in this country, let's look at things in perspective.

Nobody in Malaysia will disagree that by and large the Ministry has done well, so what is it that can be improved?

1. Waiting Time - much improved over the years but still inconsistent, there are times when one has to wait for hours.

2. Negligence - we still hear of staff negligence, reduced yes, but can be better

3. Accountability - as tax-payers of course we want to hear that our tax money is spent wisely for the right reasons, and benefit us. Hearing of contracts given to familiar cronies still irritate the most discerning of us.

4. Responsibility - we want health care professionals to be more responsible in how they treat patients, to uphold their own Hippocratic oath

5. Allocation- A bigger budget for health care services than the current budget, we cannot understand why there is a need for our defense budget to be bigger than our healthcare budget when that happens.

So based on the list above is 1Care going to improve the above, if it does then I doubt anyone will complain.

Now we come to the BIG NO NOs ;

1. You cannot expect people to be happy if they have to pay more than the current taxes they already pay, income tax, road tax, security tax (to keep housing areas safe because the police cannot do so)

2. A private party benefiting from 1Care and yet there is no corresponding improvement in service

3. Limiting the tax payers choice of doctors, and their choice of hospitals

As usual the government has started off on the wrong foot:

1. Limiting the number of stakeholders in discussions, who represents the private sector employees? MTUC?

2. Allowing information to come from sources other than from government first

3. Contradicting statements from different officials within the same Ministry

Which brings me to make the following observations:

1. This government is still arrogant when dealing with the rakyat

2. It still does not understand the power of the new media in spreading information,

3. There is a disconnect between politicians and civil servants

Malaysian First in your Malay Mail!!!

2012-02-08T16:08:00.003+08:00

My column today in the Malay Mail is on what it means to be a Malaysian.

My column is called Malaysian First (cheesy as it may sound) is going to be a fortnightly. The Chief Editor of the Malay Mail Mr Terence Fernandez has pledged that they will not censor any of my articles as long as they do not touch on personalities. True to his word, my article today was published in full.

This makes for an exciting journey for me, one that I look forward to with relish.

I have much to say and I intend to pull no punches, so watch out for my column.

Thank you for reading :)

Syurga dan Neraka!!! Siapa lebih mengetahui?

2012-02-06T12:21:00.001+08:00

Pada zaman Bani Israil dahulu, hidup dua orang lelaki yang mempunyai sikap yang berbeza. Lelaki yang pertama suka berbuat dosa sementara yang kedua rajin beribadah. Setiap kali ahli ibadah itu melihat temannya berbuat dosa, ia meminta rakannya itu untuk berhenti daripada perbuatan dosanya itu.

Suatu hari, ketika rakannya itu sedang melakukan suatu dosa, ahli ibadah itu berkata "Berhentilah daripada membuat dosa." Rakan nya itu menjawab "Jangan pedulikan aku, terserah Allah untuk menilai perbuatan ku. Adakah engkau diutuskan oleh Allah untuk mengawasi apa yang aku lakukan?".

Ahli ibadah itu menjawab"Demi ALLAH, dosamu tidak akan diampuni oleh Nya dan kamu tidak akan dimasukkan ke dalam syurga Allah."

Setelah kedua-duanya meninggal dunia, Allah s.w.t telah menghakimi kedua-duanya dihadapanNya. Allah menyoal lelaki ibadah itu " Adakah kamu lebih mengetahui daripada Ku? atau adakah kamu dapat mengetahui apa yang telah berada dalam kekuasaan Ku?"

Kemudian kepada ahli maksiat itu Allah s.w.t berkata "Masuklah kamu kedalam syurga berkat rahmat Ku". Sementara kepada ahli ibadah itu "masuklah orang ini kedalam Neraka"

Hadith riwayat Ahmad 2/323;Abu Daud. 4901;Ibn Mubarak dalam kitab al-Zuhd, 314; Ibn Abi Duniya dalam Husnuzh Zhan,45; al-Baghawi dalam syarh al-Sunnah; 14/385.

PM Hottest on Twitter?

2012-02-02T09:59:00.003+08:00

PM Hottest on Twitter claims the NST.

Are the number of followers DS Najib Razak reflective of that statement? From my reading of his tweets there is very little wit or humor or for that matter information on national policy, neither does he interact with his followers, and these are the essential ingredients for one to follow another on twitter.

So how is it that DS Najib Razak has so many followers, could it be that people are just following him because he is the Prime Minister of Malaysia and it would be a natural choice for Malaysians to follow their Prime Minister?

Would DS Najib Razak have as many followers if he did not occupy the position of PM, would he be as popular if he was just DS Najib Razak President of UMNO and opposition leader?

Questions to ponder?

Pot calling the kettle Black!!!

2012-01-31T14:55:00.003+08:00

When we set standards for others to follow, then as expected we would be expected to adhere to the same.

But if you observe Malaysian politicians, you will rarely find this the case, politicians from both sides of the fence shoot from the hips, and immediately forget what was said and commit the same transgressions.

Case in point, do you notice the mushrooming of pictures of the Menteri Besar of Selangor on billboards and banners across the State? Remember when the PR folks used to be so critical of previous MBs of the State for doing the same? Wasn't so long ago was it?

This is just one small case in point, the Israel issue is another, both sides have no problem dealing with the Israelis when they find a need to do so, and both will find good reason to link the other and demonize them for doing so when they need to.

Its all just one big merry-go-round I tell you.

The New Malay Mail !!!

2012-01-30T12:39:00.005+08:00

After a hiatus of more than a month, the new Malay Mail hits the streets today. It may still be too early to predict how things are going to pan out for this 116 year old paper. But judging from the content of today's paper, and if it sticks to presenting the news fairly and without fear, then I predict it will not be too long before it becomes the nations number one English paper.

Get a hold of the copy to day or go to http://www.mmail.com.my/ to see what I mean.

Front page today the Vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya Tan Sri Prof Dr Ghauth Jasmon says the country’s oldest institution of higher learning “has never been good”, explaining that UM’s reputation has always been the product of public perception.

Inside the pages of the Malay Mail there seems to be a good mix of news reporting covering views from both the political coalitions in the country today.

Lets see if they can continue to do what the other MSM's would like to do but fear to do.

Kudos to the people in charge.

World Bloggers and Social Media Awards!!!

2012-01-26T11:28:00.002+08:00

I have never entered my blog for an award before, feels kind of strange to promote my own blog, but what the heck if Madey can do it, why not me :)

So pls vote, click on the icon on the left of my page that has World Bloggers and Social Media Awards link and vote for my blog.

If you like what I write of course ;)

Remember, if I don't win, its all your fault :p

The Poor Malaysian Consumer!!!

2012-01-26T10:06:00.003+08:00

If you're active on social media, you'd be aware there isn't a day in Malaysia that goes by where a Malaysian would not be disgusted or pissed off at the service he/she received from some company or rather. Most of these companies, it seems are of the GLC/monopolistic type.

It appears that in Malaysia these companies act with impunity. Quick on the draw when payment is in default but slow to respond to complaints or even refunds when service or product is poor.

An efficient, inexpensive and informal redress machinery is essential for consumer protection. In Malaysia the court system is rightly or wrongly generally perceived to be unable to satisfy consumer needs. This was the reason for the establishment of the Tribunal for Consumer Claims in 1999 and the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims in 2002.

And yet still it seems that Companies in Malaysia regularly take advantage of Malaysians for the simple reason that Malaysians do not seem to possess a culture of redress. I do not know why, maybe it has to do with our culture of deference to authority (some call it feudalism)

Whatever it is, time to simplify the process, if only we had a system where a person could send a complain via SMS, and we had an efficient agency that would swing into action and set up a sting to verify the complaint.

But then again this is Malaysia, its still only 50 years since Merdeka and I may be asking too much :)

An Ad for an Ad!!!

2012-01-25T11:39:00.002+08:00

One, If you have to take out a TV Ad to prove that you have done good work, then you're either insulting the intelligence of people who chose not to vote for you or the good work you claim to have provided may not have meant much after all.

Two, it is not for you to claim credit for the work which you are paid to do, it is for the voters to decide if you deserve the credit and they do so with their votes.

Three, claiming that the ads were the work of your supporters and not of your own does not absolve you from the sin of spending money on ads when the money could have been better spent on the poor.

Shame on you.

Gerakan Matters!!!

2012-01-20T10:12:00.005+08:00

I must admit, I have a very low opinion of Malaysian politicians, there are exceptions of course, but like I said, exceptions.

Believe me when I tell you, I speak with 20 years of experience and up close. I have been a member of Gerakan for 11 years now.

I joined Gerakan because it was supposed to be multi-racial, it was supposed to be a party of intellects, it was supposed to be the Conscience of BN. WRONG on all counts. Its mostly mono-racial, hardly any evidence of intellect left and the party is mostly unconscious.

Why I do stay? I am hoping for a revival. Of course I know this will only happen if Gerakan loses badly again, and all the insincere blokes feel there is little point in hanging around. It's ok, I am in no hurry :)

Time to just say No! - Proton

2012-01-19T14:23:00.005+08:00

Malaysians pay more for locally-made Protons here than they would if they bought them overseas.

Why do Malaysians allow themselves to be conned in such a manner? National Pride?

The world over a local car would cost locals cheaper or as the very least of the same price if they were to buy it elsewhere, but not Proton. Malaysians have to pay a much higher price just to own their own national car, whereas a Proton is made cheaper for a foreigner in a foreign land.

ILLOGICAL?

If not you must at least appreciate the irony...

Proton is no longer a joke, it is a tragedy. People who support this 'project' claim it benefits a few thousand Malaysians by providing them jobs, so therefore this is a case of millions of Malaysians having to suffer so that a few thousand can continue getting a salary.

Whose great big idea is this? Whose legacy are we continuing to support? At what cost?

Time to just say NO!

Protons more expensive in Malaysia than overseas

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2012/01/18/protons-more-expensive-in-malaysia-than-overseas/

Patrick Lee

PETALING JAYA: Saudi Arabians pay less for Malaysian-made Proton cars than we do, an independent think-tank revealed.

Citing the Finance Ministry, the Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) said that Saudis only needed to fork out at the most RM43,570 for a brand-new Proton Waja, Gen-2 or a Persona between 2008 and 2009.

Malaysians, on the other hand, were expected to cough up RM52,999 for a “standard Waja or Persona”, and RM52,988 for a Gen-2 in 2011.

“The fact that local cars are cheaper overseas makes little sense,” REFSA said in a statement.

“Proton cars are locally assembled, and utilise a good amount of locally-made spare parts. These Malaysian cars are not levied import tax, so what is impregnating the price tags?”

A quick search on the Internet showed that Saudi Arabia was not the only country selling Protons cheaper than what Malaysia offered.

According to Australian vehicle listing website RedBook (www.redbook.com.au), the cheapest 2011 Gen-2 model (GCM, 1.6 Manual) was priced at AU$15,990 or RM51,727.

The cheapest automatic Gen-2 1.6 M-Line, on the other hand, according to Proton’s website (www.proton-edar.com), was priced at RM54,538. Manual Gen-2 1.6 H-Lines were priced at RM57,038 onwards.

Those prices, according to the national car website, were just prices in Peninsular Malaysia. Protons sold in Sabah and Sarawak were found to be at least RM2,000 more.

Citing Malaysian Automative Association (MAA) president Aisha Ahmad, REFSA said Malaysians were paying more for their Protons because of painfully high taxes.

“The burden comes from excise duty and sales tax, which are a minimum of 65% and 10% respectively… Aisha said in January 2011 that every car sold in Malaysia had been levied 65% to 105% excise duties, not including 10% sales tax,” the think-tank said.

This, it added, meant that Malaysians could expect to fork out a minimum of RM15,000 every time they bought a RM35,000 car.

In comparison, Thailand’s excise duty, REFSA said, was a mere 35%.

According to a Malaysian Insider report, Malaysians were paying an estimated RM6 billion through excise taxes on cars every year. Quoting the MAA, the report said that the government had imposed these taxes because it “needed the money”.

Open letter to PR leadership council

2012-01-03T17:25:00.002+08:00

Dear Sirs,

I am writing this open letter so as to ensure that it is widely read and with the hope that someone who is capable of representing at least some of you respond.

It has been sometime now that I have had this feeling that as a federal opposition block with the opportunity to govern in some states in Malaysia, there is much more that you could do in dispelling some doubt among Malaysians that you can be better than the little that you present of yourself currently. There is this large body of doubt among Malaysians that we have not seen the best of you nor the worst.

In many developed countries around the world, its citizens have a fairly good idea of what each political party stands for on many key issues. This does not seem to be the case in Malaysia, we seem to know what the ruling federal party is about as we are still governed by many of its policies, for better or for worse. But in the case of the federal opposition in many cases, especially in issues deemed sensitive, you have chosen to be silent.

It is only in the economic sphere that we seem to have some information of what you intend to do if you come to power, but in many other key areas you seem to have been strangely silent. This may seem like a good strategy now, but it is in my humble opinion that it is this lack of transparency that makes people hesitant about who they intend to vote for.

I am sure that a principled coalition as yourself would want to win for what you represent rather than winning sorely on the basis that the other side has overstayed their welcome.

I fervently hope that you can make your position clear on the following issues that have been nagging me in these past few years and I am sure they are of concern to many right thinking citizens as well, as they would provide an insight into the true motivations of your coalition.

1. Capital Punishment

Most developed countries consider the death penalty as barbaric. States and countries around the world are slowly but increasingly abandoning the death penalty as an instrument of punishment. In Malaysia, of course, the death penalty still exists and is still used. Indeed, people are constantly exhorting that its use should be extended.

What are your views? I hope you can be specific and not provide an answer that is neither here nor there as politicians are fond of doing.

2. Canning as corporal punishment
Some developed countries view this punishment as cruel as it leaves a permanent physical and psychological scar on the recipient. It is in some countries considered uncivilized for a state to carry out such punishments.

What are your views on the matter?

3. Islamic law

Over the last few years this subject has generated much interest. Most would agree that some of the laws implemented have been lopsided, and thus are considered manifestly unjust. An example would be how drinking and khalwat in 5 star hotels mostly go unpunished as they appear out of reach unlike the raids often conducted on establishments frequented by people who cannot afford ‘protection’.

What are your views with regards to this lopsided implementation of Islamic laws? How would you do things differently

4. Civil Service
It seems there is a tendency to mollycoddle and provide preferential treatment for those working in government when compared to those working in the private sector, although the private sector contributes to nation building just as much.

It has become common knowledge that the size of the civil service workforce has become difficult to manage where in some positions there is one person doing the job of two and yet in other positions two or three persons doing the job of one.

How would you recommend overcoming these problems and improving the benefits of private sector workers?

5. Non-governmental organization personnel
For years these dedicated group of people work for below average salaries and sacrifice themselves for the nation. And yet their needs are rarely addressed, no government recognized benefits, rarely any recognition. And yet they pay the same taxes and contribute no less.

How would you make working for an NGO less of a burden?

These are just some of the many questions I feel would give an insight into how your coalition can win peoples trust if answered sincerely, at the very least they would provide a barometer of your thoughts on other key issues. The list is never ending, maybe there will be other forums, your views on abortion, euthanasia, healthcare, aging and host of other key issues would be most welcome.
I do not ask this of the Barisan Nasional as most people already know them for what they are, but I ask this of you as you still remain an unknown quantity, in most developed countries by now, they would already more or less know who would be their likely ministers even before an election, unfortunately even this is a luxury to us.

I pray for a speedy response and wish you all the best.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Doss

Concerned Citizen

Tengok cermin!!!

2011-08-09T13:35:00.000+08:00

Menunding jari tanpa muhasabah diri
oleh Jahamy

"Oh umatku,
mengapa asyik menunding jari,
tiada erti kah muhasabah diri?

tiada melekat kah dihati
firmah Maha Ilahi
tiada ditukarnya apa yang pada suatu kaum
sehingga mereka menukar apa yang dalam diri sendiri?

Masih kah tidak difahami
firman Maha Suci
Tidak diubah rahmah yang diberi
sehingga diubah apa yang dalam diri?

Tengok cermin, tanya sendiri,
tak kan asyik menunding jari?

Salam.

Allah by any other name....

2011-04-19T20:24:00.002+08:00

By NH Chan

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com

Q: Why do Christians use the word ‘Allah’ in their Malay language Bible and not ‘Tuhan’?

A: It is because Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same God as the God of Abraham.
Before we all get confused, it is necessary to point out at the outset that the word which is spelt ‘Allah’ is an English word because it is written in English.

The word which bears the same spelling in the National Language is a copy of that word which was first spelt in English in the sixteenth century. The English word ‘Allah’ is the phonetic spelling of the Arabic word for God.

We all know that the Malay word for god is tuhan. We also know that the God of the Muslims is Allah which is actually what this word sounds like in Arabic.

Since most of us do not read or write Arabic, we tend to take the phonetic spelling of the Arabic word for God as used in English dictionaries.

However, from the point of view of Christians, Christians worship the same God as Muslims do. The God of Christians and the God of Muslims is the same God as the God of Abraham.
So that if you are a Christian, the choice of using the word ‘Allah’ in their Malay language Bible is obvious since Christians also worship Allah which is the Malay language equivalent, since Malay uses the same English phonetic spelling – of the God of Muslims. In this country to be Malay is to be a Muslim.

Christians will not use the word ‘God’ in their Malay language Bible because God is an English word and therefore it is an inappropriate word if it is used in a Malay language Bible.

In a Malay language Bible only Malay words should be used. But ‘tuhan’, although it is a Malay word for god, is not an appropriate word to use in the context and sense of the Bible.

Christians who use Malay in their Bible will never use ‘tuhan’ for their God because ‘tuhan’ is other people’s god; it is not the God intended in the Bible.

Just as Malay Muslims will never use ‘tuhan’ for their God even though it is a Malay word for god because their God as well as the Christians’ God is the same God that Abraham (Ibrahim) worshipped – no one really knows exactly when Abraham lived – a traditional view is 1750 to 1500 BC.

Here is an example why ‘tuhan’ is unsuitable to Muslims and Christians. Taoism is common among the Chinese – not all Chinese because there are also Chinese Christians and Chinese Muslims – indeed there are more Chinese Muslims in China then the entire population of Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia combined.

In China a Chinese Bible is written in Mandarin and ‘Allah’ is written in Chinese phonetic characters to represent the sound of the Arabic word.

A Taoist worships many gods both in heaven and in hell – I always think it is because the Chinese people want to play it safe, because either way they have appeased the deities.
I don’t think any Christian or Muslim who uses Malay would worship tuhan even if you say tuhan is a Malay word for god! This is because they only worship their own God who was the God of Abraham (Ibrahim).

In the English Bible the name for God in Christianity is spelt with a capital G to mean the only God.

‘Allah’ is Arabic for God. Monotheism is the belief that there is only one god. In today’s world, the reality is only Jews, Christians and Muslims worship only one god who was the God of Abraham.

The Muslim God is spelt in any English dictionary as ‘Allah’ since the sixteenth century and it means ‘the name of God among Muslims’.

In Malaysia it is also spelt exactly the same way as the English spelling when the National Language came into being after Merdeka. Both languages use Roman letters in their alphabet.

Glossary
Allah is Arabic for The God – for al-Ilah, i.e. al (the) Ilah (God): see Collins English Dictionary which gives the etymology of the Arabic word for God:
[C16: from Arabic, from al the + Ilah god; compare Hebrew eloah]

If you do not already know, Arabic is the language of the Arabs who is one of a branch of the Semitic race. Aramaic pertains to the northern Semitic languages, the biblical name for ancient Syria. And Hebrew is a person belonging to the Semitic race descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Jewish is their language: The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.

Also in the same Dictionary of English Etymology you will find:
Semite Hebrew, Arab, Assyrian or Aramaean, regarded as a descendent of Shem (Gen. X): see The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.

Collins English Dictionary:
Semite or Shemite n. 1. a member of the group of Caucasoid peoples who speak a semitic language, including the Jews and Arabs as well as the ancient Babylonians, Assyrians and Phoenicians.

Semitic or Shemitic n. 1. A branch or subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Araimaic, Amharic, and such ancient languages as Akkadian and Phoenician.
Shem n. Old Testament. The eldest of Noah?s three sons (Genesis 10:21).

NH Chan is a former Court of Appeal judge. This article first appeared in Loyar Burok.

Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

2011-03-05T00:16:00.002+08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miroslav-volf/god-versus-allah_b_829955.html

Doesn't matter whether you're Christian,Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist all Malaysians should READ the article above, copy and paste it in your browser to read :)

Peace, Shalom, Salam

Dice!!!

2011-01-28T21:39:00.000+08:00

'But, my friend,' demanded Blowbroth, ' in what way do you determine the degree of obsurity of the claims put forward by the litigants?'

As you other gentlemen do,' replied Bridlegoose, 'that is to say by the number of bags [of documents] brought in by either party.And then I use my little dice, as you other gentlemen do, to conform to the law. Of course I have large dice as well, fine and most proper ones, that I use, as you other gentlemen do, when the matter is more fluid; that is to say when there are fewer bundles.'

‘And after that,’ asked Blowbroth, ‘how do you pronounce judgement, my friend?’

‘As you other gentlemen do,’ replied Bridlegoose, ‘I pronounce in favour of the party to whom fate first awards a good throw of the judiciary, tribunian, and praetorial dice. So our laws ordain.'

‘Yes, my friend,’ said Blowbroth, ‘but since you settle your judgements by chance and by the fall of the dice, why don’t you put things to the hazard on the same day, at the precise hour when the parties at variance appear before you? Why all this further delay?

'Like you other gentlemen, I consider that time ripens all things; with time all things come to light; time is the father of truth. That is why, like you other gentlemen, I suspend, delay, and postpone judgment, so that the case, being well ventilated, sifted, and debated, may in course of time come to its maturity, and so that the decision by dice, afterwards ensuing, may be borne more patiently by the losing party.'

François Rabelais (c. 1494 - c. 1553),

Pantagruel (1532)

Reason!!!

2011-01-22T20:05:00.000+08:00

'Reason!' exclaimed Janotus; 'we use none of that here. You wretched, worthless traitors, there isn't a more depraved bunch than you on the whole face of the earth, as I well know...'

At these words they framed a charge against him; and he, in his turn, served them a summons. In the end the case was adjourned by the court - it is before them still - and at that point the Masters made a vow not to clean off their dirt, and Master Janotus and his supporters vowed not to wipe their noses, until a definite judgement should be delivered.

True to their vows they have remained dirty and snotty to this day. For the court has not yet fully sifted the documents; and the judgement will be given at the next Greek Kalends, that is to say never ... These swallowers of the morning mists [judges who get up early to get the bis cases] make the suits pending before them seem both infinite and immortal; and by so doing have recalled and confirmed the saying of Chilon ... thet misery is the companion of lawsuits, and that those who plead in them are wretched creatures, since they come to the end of their lives long before they attain the rights they lay claim to.

François Rabelais (c. 1494 - c. 1553),

Gargantua (1534)