Anti-Christianisation rally fizzles out with poor turnout |
- Anti-Christianisation rally fizzles out with poor turnout
- Slander from an Islamic perspective — Nawawi Mohamad
- Where will the MCA president contest?
- Nightwoods - By Charles Frazier - Book Review
- more sex please , we're Malaysians ! ( pt.2 )
- Bodoh, Bangang atau Bahlul? – Episode 13
- Anti-Christianisation rally fizzles out with poor turnout
- Deputy Minister: Withdraw Aziz Bari suspension...
- MCA and hudud: Part 3
- Guan Eng takes Shahrizat to task over attacks against his son
- Low turnout dampens anti-apostasy rally
- 1 Million In Charge March
- MCA and hudud: Final part
- Gutter politics or sordid politicians? — Lim Mun Fah
- Aliran: Action against Aziz Bari mocks Academic Freedom and Intellectual Integrity
- Where will the MCA president contest? — Sakmongkol AK47
- Aziz Bari – a critical test case
- Despite graft claims, Malaysia offers to fund RM9b Bangladesh bridge
- Islam itu Melayu, Melayu itu Islam
- Losing the race
| Anti-Christianisation rally fizzles out with poor turnout Posted: 22 Oct 2011 12:30 PM PDT  By Yow Hong Chieh October 22, 2011 SHAH ALAM, Oct 22 — Barely 5,000 Muslims were tucked into one corner of the 100,000-capacity Shah Alam Stadium here today, for the intended one million rally to stem the alleged threat of Christianisation. In contrast to the usual packed seats for Selangor's home football games, Himpunan Sejuta Umat supporters barely weighed down the bleachers despite heavy publicity in the press throughout the week. The poor showing forced organisers to start the rally at 3.40pm, more than 90 minutes after it was scheduled to begin, to allow latecomers trickling in to boost turnout. Despite having a far lower turnout than the July Bersih rally for electoral reform, Himpun speakers talked up today's rally as a united showing of Muslim resistance to alleged injustices against Islam at the hands of other faiths. MORE TO COME Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Slander from an Islamic perspective — Nawawi Mohamad Posted: 22 Oct 2011 04:00 AM PDT OCT 22 — Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said : "Do you know what backbiting is?" They said, "God and His Messenger know best." He then said, "It is to say something about your brother that he would dislike." Someone asked him, "But what if what I say is true?" The Messenger of God said, "If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him." (Muslim) One of the hallmarks of righteous behavior is good speech. If a Muslim feels at all uncertain, he should keep quiet. This doesn't mean that a person can't engage in casual conversation, but rather that he should guard his speech and choose his words carefully. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Whomsoever protects his tongue from unlawful utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse, I shall guarantee him entrance into Paradise." (Bukhari and Muslim) What else does Islam say about this particular sinful act? Allah says; "O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, verily some suspicions are sinful. And spy not nor backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear God, verily, God is the one who accepts repentance, Most Merciful." (Quran; 49: 12) Islam is a religion of peace, love and compassion. Lies, suspicion, back biting, slander and gossip is not allowed in Islam. In fact they are considered amongst the most destructive of sins. They cause hostilities between people of the same household, and between neighbors, friends and relatives and could lead to the destruction of society. Here as always Islam stresses on society. Islam demands that our relationship with mankind should be one of sincerity and responsibility. It should be one where we have respect for the honour, reputation and privacy of others. Islam teaches us that we are not only held accountable for our own attitudes and actions but also for anything else over which we have control or influence over, in our society or the world around us. The differences that exist between human beings in the world should urge them to become acquainted with each other and to cooperate with each other in various walks of life Allah says: "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other'' (Quran; 49:13) Slandering can be done through speaking, writing, nodding, hinting, texting, twitting, e-mails or signalling. Why do people slander against others? There are many reasons besides ignorance of the prohibition of slandering and the gravity of this sin, to get things off one's chest such as hatred and malice; to hurt or harm the person being discussed or someone else that could be hurt indirectly, many would just be joking or fooling around. Just as slander is unlawful for the one who says it, it is also unlawful for the person hearing it to listen and acquiesce to. It is obligatory whenever one hears some one begin to slander another to tell him to stop if this does not entail manifest harm to one. If it does, then one is obliged to condemn it in one's heart. Thus the slandering incident should not have been highlighted by the media even. Unfortunately slander which is the malicious, false and defamatory statement, had recently befallen on an innocent 11 year old non-Muslim boy and previously on several important individuals in our society and it seems that this incident has continued unabated. But since this has already happened, what could be done? This sinful act must stop. Islam teaches us that if people are being ridiculed in our presence, we should defend their honour. If we neglect this, we shall deprive ourselves of ever needed help and mercy from God. The present scenario entails such situation. The above slander on the 11 year old child is the violation of the right of non-Muslims to be treated with kindness and total justice when not acting with hostility to Islam and Muslims. Allah says "Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with justice." (Quran; 60:8) It is also the violation to his right to privacy and non-interference in his affairs except that which is manifested so that it is harmful to society. The citizens have a right to privacy and not to be spied upon. Islam even prohibits the government to spy on its own people whether Muslim or non-Muslim. It is another violation of his right not to be exposed to public indecency and the likes. Abu Darda(ra) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said "Allah hates the profligate and the obscene" (Tarmizi). Furthermore what had been said about the boy is not true at all. What can the boy do? He can just engage a lawyer and sue the accuser in the Malaysian courts. The parents has been consoling him and if everything goes well, it would be a magnanimous act on their part to forget the whole matter and move on. The sin committed will be a burden on the slanderer in this world and in the hereafter. Those who indulge in such acts are oblivious of the fact that they are only harming themselves. They will be ridiculed and be worthless in this world. Then on the Day of Resurrection both the wrongdoer and the wronged will stand before God, Who is the Just Judge. A slanderer is an evil person and his or her testimony is rejected; that person is blacklisted and cannot be accepted as witness in the Shariah Court. If he chose to seek justice under Shariah Law it should be under takzir; a misdemeanour committed by Muslims; crimes that are not specifically detailed on the type and form of punishment in the Quran so judges are free to punish the offender in any appropriate way. The punishment may not be more severe than the punishment of a hudud crime. But still it can range, depending on the crime or circumstances, from death to imprisonment, financial compensation to even community service. The punishment is meant to fit the crime. To redeem himself or herself of the sin committed, he or she must repent, ask for forgiveness from the victim and repent and ask forgiveness from God too. Please note that this is entirely a different form of slander as accusing an innocent woman of adultery which specifically falls under the sub Hudud Law that is Qazaf. Takzir crimes should be set by legislation and to clearly state the form of slander act and as mentioned in my previous article, Muslims must prepare these documents comprehensively before implementing the Shariah Law in Malaysia. Does it mean that all forms of slander are not allowed in Islam? Some situations allow us to inform others of what someone has done. It is allowed for us to inform the authorities when someone does injustice to us or others. It is allowed for us to inform someone who can help a perpetrator from committing further vice. It is also permissible for us to tell whoever seeks our advice on a person for business dealings or marriage. In this case it is not allowed for us to hide what we know about the person so that the enquirer will not be deceived. All these are lawful. * Nawawi Mohamad reads The Malaysian Insider. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.  The Malaysian Insider :: Side Views Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Where will the MCA president contest? Posted: 22 Oct 2011 04:00 AM PDT A few days ago we heard the plans by the MCA president to contest in the next GE. He hasn't decided where to context profes! sing hum ility that even though he's president and a winnable candidate, he can't impose his will anywhere. So where will CSL contest now that he has revealed that 3 MBs of Johore, Perak and Negeri Sembilan have offered him seats to contest? It's difficult to believe by that admission; it's also true that the MCA president hasn't got a place to contest. How is that possible when he has declared, or self-declared that he is a winnable candidate? The more important question here is MCA a winnable party? In a speech celebrating the oncoming Deepavali celebrations, Chua declared that he has received invitations from the MBs of Johor, Perak and Negeri Sembilan to contest. The speech made in Seremban is significant in several aspects. For it was in Seremban in 1982, the MCA presiden then, Lee San Choon contested in Seremban against the then DAP chairman, Dr Chen Man Hing. Lee San Choon won after MCA and BN spent millions of Ringgit directly inducing voters to vote for the MCA president. That was the costliest victory won by an MCA president. MCA literally went on a spending free on that day- it bought everyone it can shove money to. Malay votes were delivered by the usual suspects of political wheeler dealers. The contest was dubbed as the clash of the Chinese Titans. Cua Soi Lek must be thinking that it's possible for him to repeat that feat. He is now the MCA president. But one ingredient to that thinking is missing- the men representing his opponent in Chinese leadership are not standing in Seremban. Lim Guan Eng is in Penang and Lim Kit Siang is in Perak. So for CSL to repeat the feat of a former MCA president he has to choose a battleground where his appropriate opponent stands. That was what the contest between Lee San Choon and Chen Man Hing represented. It represented not only a contest between money power of the MCA and the dogged determination of D! r Chen; it was in reality, a contest to earn the bragging rights as to who is the leader of the Chinese community. Lee San Choon was out to prove that there can only be one tiger on top of the mountain. To me then, CSL must retrace the steps taken by Lee San Choon in its entirety. He must stand in a place where he will contest against a worthy opponent. Now is the time to show his much talked about strength in character. That can only be proven if he either takes on Lim Kit Siang or Lim Guan Eng. That clash will prove once and for all, which Chinese leader is more relevant to the community presently. Let us write in to support the idea for CSL to fight either Kit Siang or Guan Eng. We want to see the much fabled aggressiveness of CSL on a different But the idea of CSL contesting in Seremban is also titillating; if CSL chooses to do battle in Seremban, now is the time for the Seremban folks to redeem what their predecessors did in 1982. Let the Seremban folks give CSL the biggest blow-job ever!  Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Nightwoods - By Charles Frazier - Book Review Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:30 AM PDT Among James Fenimore Cooper's many literary offenses, Mark Twain charged, was "surplusage." The word's undue thickness perfectly matches its meaning. It also feels of a piece with Cooper's own prose, and likewise Charles Frazier's: elegantly archaic-sounding, rough-cut and contrived. Such artifice was both praised and panned in Frazier's previous novels, "Cold Mountain" and "Thirteen Moons," which featured archetypal structures, self-consciously literary effects and studiously historical details. At their best, these books offer powerful sequences, in Homeric and Virgilian patterns, about thoughtful men and brave women trying to make sense of traumatic, large-scale events — the Civil War, the Trail of Tears — as they unfold in their private lives and relationships. At their worst, these books offer something more like baroque costume drama starring hothouse Southerners with M.F.A.'s: their words and interior lives are so incessantly stylized and exquisitely evoked that they come across less as believable people than as literary confections straight out of Willy Wonka's Faulkner Factory. "Nightwoods," Frazier's new novel, is a departure from its predecessors in some respects. It's set in the early 1960s rather than the 19th century, and it involves no literary or historical elements of comparable grandeur and gravity. Indeed, based on its premise, the new book feels remarkably stripped down: a young woman named Luce, the caretaker of an old lodge in small-town North Carolina, becomes the guardian of the twin children of her murdered sister. In turn, she must defend them from Bud, their former stepfather, who killed their mother while they watched, and who believes the traumatized children know the location of some stolen money. As a setup, this promises suspense and mystery, to which Frazier adds family tension (when Luce's lawman-cum-drug-addict father buddies up with Bud) and romance (after the shy, handsome grandson of the lodge's deceased owner visits his inheritance and falls for Luce). It's too bad the writing gets in the way of the storytelling — or, to be truer to Frazier, it's plangently unfortunate the writing style gets all up and troublesome-like in the whisper-leaved way of the true and fine telling of this terrible and valiant tale of priapic violence and distaff recompense. A little girl doesn't hurt her nose, she "pierced the wing of her nostril." Bottles don't spill or break, they are left "shattering with spewing concussion" and falling "in festive breakage." Furniture doesn't just age with time and use, but instead is "buffed to a pale silver nub by many decades of buttocks." Writing that invites this much attention, that so strives to concentrate our attention on its effects, has to achieve more than precious and overwrought evocation. Likewise when Frazier draws on history, it's only for period details: we learn the names of the car magazines and cigarette brands and pinball machines and endless other such items you could find in small-town North Carolina in the early 1960s, but nothing of lunch-counter protests or Freedom Riders or the Civil Rights movement, which must have been making at least faint noises even in the most remote reaches of the state. To conjure a specific time and place in its material charms but effectively ignore its most significant human complexities is thin verisimilitude, if not cheap ornamentalism. But as the novel is drawing to a close, Frazier finally tells a straight-up good story. The children run off to the woods, where they must survive by their wits, with Luce and Bud racing to find them, only to square off against each other. Decorous prose and rank imagery also surround the stronger work here, though without overwhelming it. In fact, the final pages of "Nightwoods" make for some enjoyable reading, provided your imagination and spirits haven't already been flattened by all those decades of buttocks Frazier has surplusaged at us. Randy Boyagoda's second novel, "Beggar's Feast," was recently published in Canada. He is a professor of American Studies at Ryerson University, and is writing a biography of Richard John Neuhaus. Read More @ Source Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| more sex please , we're Malaysians ! ( pt.2 ) Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:30 AM PDT  Saturday October 22, 2011PETALING JAYA: The Obedient Wives Club (OWC) stirred up fresh controversy when its founder claimed that spiritually, a man can have sex with all his wives simultaneously. Here we go again......sigh ! Sex, sex and more sex ! What a way to run a country ! Sex seem to be uppermost in her list of priorities in this trying times ! (see my earlier post here ) Club founder Hatijah Aam, who is also the author of the controversial book Seks Islam Perangi Yahudi Untuk Kembalikan Seks Islam Kepada Dunia (Sex in Islam Wage War Against Jews To Return Islamic Sex To The World), said that when a man reached the highest spiritual level, "he can appear in multiple apparitions and have sex with his wives even though they are in separate locations". ...yaaah...right you pervert ! He'd be out there masturbating thinking of his many wives ! "We never said that a man can have an orgy with all his wives on the same bed. Ohhhhh what a spoilt-sport this woman turns out to be, coming out with this new defensive denial ! Just when I was contemplating conversion ......sigh ! "That is not allowed. And why not....everything else screams of pure lustful sex, no ? "What we meant is when a man has reached the highest spiritual level, he will be granted the ability to have sex with his wives spiritually," she said. For God's sake get real woman ! Which planet are you from ? "This is how men who were at war in the past satisfied their needs," she said at a press conference here yesterday from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, via Skype. Hey moron.....those babarians raped every child, women and camel they laid their eyes on ! The club is going ahead with the global launch of the controversial sex guide despite protests from women's groups.Hatijah said the book would soon be launched globally in countries where OWCs have already been set up, including Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Britain and France. This sex starved "prostitute's" ( I'm using her term from an earlier declaration on why women need to be prostitutes in bed when satisfying their husbands ) making the Kamasutra look like a Mills & Boon romance novel, yes ? However, the club does not intend to launch the book in Malaysia. This "brain-drain" of launching her book elsewhere is most encouraged....we have a country to run ! "The book was meant to be circulated among our members only. Members ?......forgot to mention sex starved cult members, aye ? Are our women that hard-up of sex ? What am I missing here ? "We knew that the public's reaction to the book would be negative because they do not understand the concept," said Hatijah, who is also the wife of late Al-Arqam founder Ashaari Muhammad. What concept my dear horny Hatijah ? The concept of plain wanton sex cloaked as a religious act ? If multi-partner sex orgies was religious all porno stars will ! surely g o to heaven....and your late and randy hubby will surely be still having "spiritual sex" from his grave....ahah ! Women's group Hatijah defended the importance of the detailed sex guide on grounds that sex is God's gift to married couples and they should be educated on the ways to approach it. And orgies are the devils creation which I'd happily and readily partake in....woot woot ! "Sex is the main reason people get married. And in a wa! y, the c limax is like heaven on earth," said Hatijah. hahahaha.....sex WAS the main reason you got married you nympho ! Just what is this woman smoking, huh ? I'd like some too ! She also explained that like praying, sex between married couples was also a pious act. "So, why can't we teach people how to do that in a pure way?" she asked. Somebody hold her down.....it's a gang-bang ! POSTED BY SHANGHAISTEPHEN  Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Bodoh, Bangang atau Bahlul? – Episode 13 Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:00 AM PDT . I had discontinued the Bodoh, Bangang atau Bahlul series a few months ago. Sometimes I felt that I was being cruel calling people Bodoh, Bangang or Bahlul. However, many things that happened over the past week made me realize that dumb people are survivors. They will survive any form of ridicule, lacerations, criticisms, etc. – heck they will even survive a thermonuclear war. They are here to stay. So, reluctantly, I forced myself to revive the BBB series.  The BBB series continue – this time starring a multitude of actors ranging from a Christian preacher to Malaysian COW to Indonesian protestors and PAS members. Christian radio group predicts end of the world An Oakland-based Christian radio group that predicted the end of the world in May said it did its math wrong –- and rapture is now expected to occur Friday. Preacher Harold Camping's Family Radio International posted a special message on its website on Thursday with a lengthy explanation about the Day of Judgment, which is expected to last five months. That "Day of Judgment" began on May 21 -– the date Camping had predicted as the end of the world, the website said. But it is now expected to last through Oct. 21. Bodoh, Bangang atau Bahlul ? Read the rest of the story here. A man can have spiritual sex with all his wives simultaneously The Obedient Wives Club (OWC) stirred up fresh controversy when its founder claimed that spiritually, a man can have sex with all his wives simultaneously. Club founder Hatijah Aam, who is also the author of the controversial book Seks Islam – Perangi Yahudi Untuk Kembalikan Seks Islam Kepada Dunia (Sex in Islam – Wage War Against Jews To Return Islamic Sex To The World), said that when a man reached t! he highe st spiritual level, "he can appear in multiple apparitions and have sex with his wives even though they are in separate locations". Bodoh, Bangang atau Bahlul ? Read the rest of the story here Malaysia stole Indonesia's land ? For two days last week, a bunch of Indonesians protested over an allegation by an Indonesian MP that Malaysia had illegally taken 1,500ha of Indonesian land in Camar Bulan in northern Kalimantan and 800m of coastline in Tanjung Datu bordering Sarawak. The allegation came from no ordinary MP, but a retired army major general, TB Hassanudin, the deputy head of the parliamentary defence and foreign affairs commission. Despite there being no evidence, the group persisted in protesting. Bodoh, Bangang atau Bahlul ? Read the rest of the story here Snoop squads to spy on women KOTA BARU: A PAS representative has suggested the formation of volunteer snoop squads to spy on workers at business premises who fail to adhere to the local councils by-laws requiring them to wear the proper clothing. Ahmad Baihaki Atiqullah (PAS-Pasir Tumbuh) said such squads were needed as the councils were short of enforcement officers to check on those flouting the by-laws. (Note : many PAS fellows have had a long history of obssession with women's clothing) Bodoh, Bangang atau Bahlul ? Read the rest of the story here Monyet King also says Sometimes I wonder whether we are living in the 21st century or in the Stone Age.  Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Anti-Christianisation rally fizzles out with poor turnout Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:00 AM PDT  Some of the rally participants holding up their opinion during the Himpun rally at Shah Alam Stadium, Selangor October 22 2011. — Picture by Choo Choy May In contrast to the usual packed seats for Selangor's home football games, Himpunan Sejuta Umat supporters barely weighed down the bleachers despite heavy publicity in the press throughout the week. The poor showing forced organisers to start the rally at 3.40pm, more than 90 minutes after it was scheduled to begin, to allow latecomers trickling in to boost turnout. Despite having a far lower turnout than the July Bersih rally for electoral reform, Himpun speakers talked up today's rally as a united showing of Muslim resistance to alleged injustices against Islam at the hands of other faiths. "We hope this will inspire bravery in ourselves and our leaders that will drive change in laws, policies... and the attitudes (of Malaysians), especially among those who continue to convert Muslims," Himpun co-chairman Dr Yusri Mohamad said. The Malaysian Insider :: Malaysia Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Deputy Minister: Withdraw Aziz Bari suspension... Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:00 AM PDT Deputy Minister of Higher Education Saifuddin Abdullah today advised the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) rector to retract the controversial suspension of law professor Abdul Aziz Bari. When contacted, the deputy minister (right) confirmed the veracity of the SMS. On Thursday UIA not onlysuspended Aziz from his lecturing duties but also revoked his access to UIA for comments made over the Selangor sultan's recent decree on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church controversy.  'Rector contradictory'When contacted today, Aziz said that Zaleha's public statements in the past few days have been "conflicting and contradictory" to the university's show cause letter. "I was shocked when reading what she had said this morning. She was reported by the media to say that my suspension is for seven days (from Oct 19 to 25). "But the letter states that I have to respond to the show cause letter on Oct 2! 5, and t hat the suspension is indefinite," he toldMalaysiakini. The media had quoted Zaleha (right) saying making the statement at a press conference yesterday, justifying the university's decision to suspend the academic pending investigation. Aziz also refuted the rector's claim that he was never restricted from entering the UIA campus. "The letter specifically states that I will need permission from the dean to enter the faculty," he said, adding that UIA had also copied the letter to the university's security department.  The law professor added that by varying the terms and conditions of the action taken against him, the university is also jeopardising their legal position."They cannot just change the terms without informing me," he said, adding that his lawyer will issue a statement on the matter. He also lamented that Zaleha's comments are also "defamatory" to him, as it implies that he has been making untruthful statements in the media about the university. Asked on the student protest(left) and the slew of support received from colleagues from the academic and legal fraternity, as well as from politicians, Abdul Aziz said the response has been "touching". "I feel encouraged. I believe this is a watershed moment, where an academic's suspension has erupted in protests," he said. source:malaysiakini! Timbalan Menteri: Tarik balik penggantungan Aziz Baricheers. Posted by ali allah ditta  Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Posted: 22 Oct 2011 03:00 AM PDT By Stanley Koh Few will disagree that politicians are often trapped in history and history in them. MCA politicians should take heed. Unfortunately, when they throw stones at their rivals, they often forget that they live in a house of glass. When in 1993 the Kelantan government proposed the law allowing hudud punishments, the two Umno representatives in the state assembly supported it. The law, formally called the Syariah Criminal Code (11) Enactment 1993, was passed in November of that year. There was no public outcry and the MCA leadership did not threaten to leave Barisan Nasional. The only justification for the silence was that the then prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had already objected to the passing of the bill. Fast forward to the present. MCA President Dr Chua Soi Lek recently said he would pull his party out of BN if its political master, Umno, ever decided to impose hudud. Is he in fact trying to rehash the anti-hudud position that his party took during the campaign for the 1999 general election? The results showed that the ruse worked. Five years earlier, the MCA publication Guardian featured an article by Dr Ling Liong Sik, in which the then party president remarked: "The MCA has always chosen partners who are moderates and are willing to discuss. Malaysia has no room for extremists and religious fanatics." Was he referring to PAS and hudud? The answer lies somewhere in a subsequent sentence: "The DAP, being a party of opportunistic bankrupt politicians who are constantly criticising for the sake of criticism, are a threat to the wellbeing of all Malaysians. I am grateful the hudud law issue has exposed the DAP." Taliban types At the MCA-organised forum in 2001, held soon after Mahathir declared Malaysia an Islamic state, Abdul Hamid Othman of the Prime Minister's Department suggested that MCA should watch out for "Taliban-type" Malays. "We must tell our people that we are already an Islamic state," said the prime minister's religious adviser. He acknowledged that Mahathir's announcement might frighten the non-Muslims but explained that the idea was to prevent the emergence of the Taliban types. Hamid in fact tried to teach MCA how to explain the issue to its constituents. He said they should be told that the Malaysian-style Islamic state would be based on locally established traditions and practices as well as universal practices suitable for Malaysians. These would be unlike the practices associated with such countries as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which were, according to him, based on local traditions and not necessarily Islamic. He noted that while men and women were segregated at Saudi airports, for instance, there was no such segregation inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Zainah Anwar, the executive director of Sisters in Islam, spoke at length on the impact of Islam on legal and political systems and the concerns it raises. Among other things, she said: "Islam 1,400 years ago granted women equal rights unheard of in other religions and societies—the right to divorce, rights of ownership and disposal of property, dowries and the banning of female infanticide. "We believe that our fellow Malaysians who are non-Muslims have the right to seek clarification, understanding and to express their concerns, their confusion in these uncertain and difficult times as to what is going on in the Muslim world in general." She said one of the main concerns of her movement was the "injustice and discrimination" against Muslim women at the hands of religious authorities. "The challenge for us today, and in many Muslim countries, is the main political conflict—not so much between Muslims and others, but rather among Muslims with contending visions of Islam and the shape of the nation state. And in this battle on what is Islam and who practices the right Islam, it is the status of women that is the first casualty. "Hence, it is not surprising that in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Eqypt, Iran, Morocco and many others, Muslim women and women groups are at the forefront in challenging traditional religious authorities and governments in the use of Islam and interpretation of Islam that discriminate against women. "For most Muslim women, rejecting religion is not an option. We are believers. As believers, we want to find liberation, truth and justice within our own faith. We feel strongly we have the right to reclaim our religion, redefine it, to participate and contribute to an understanding of Islam—how to codify and implement in ways that take into consideration the realities and experiences of our lives today." Constitutional guarantees Zainah's view was that the hudud provisions were discriminatory because women could not qualify as witnesses. "The issue arises at a time when the Malaysian government, at least at the leadership level, recognises equality between men and women in this country and are responsive to calls by women groups to amend all laws discriminative against women." She said all Malaysians, regardless of religious persuasion, had the right to enjoy the constitutional guarantees of equality. Zainah also expressed concern that religious authorities wielded too much power. "The process of lawmaking on matters of religion reflects the fear and ignorance of many officials and politicians on Islam," she said. "They seem so ready and willing to abdicate their responsibilities and refuse to challenge any drafted legislation by the religious authorities no matter what the effect is. No matter if it violates the constitution, that it discriminates against women. "In effect, many people, many Muslims equate the opinions of those in religious authority to the word of God. Therefore, they should not be challenged or questioned. "This trend in law making—and policy making—is a reflection to me of the increasingly obscurantist trend of Islam that is taking root in Malaysia." She argued that the continuous demand for an Islamic social order could lead to conflicts at the political, social and government levels on what should constitute "true Islam". "We live in a country where people historically have been open to change and outside influences and fertilisation of cultures and religions, and who today can confidently embrace the challenges of change, diversity and pluralism," she said. "We have a government that at policy level believes in equality. Therefore, the kind of Islam that evolves in Malaysia must necessarily take into consideration the rights of other citizens in a democratic state. There are realities that do not exist in many other Muslim countries. "We are in a privileged position and in a strong position to provide a model Islamic country."  This entry was posted on Saturday, 22 October 2011, 4:42 pm and is filed under Islamic state, MCA. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Lim Kit Siang Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Guan Eng takes Shahrizat to task over attacks against his son Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:31 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Lim Guan Eng has slammed Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil for her silence over allegations of sexual harassment levelled against his teenage son. The Penang chief minister said today the women, family and community development minister has "failed to condemn those who lie about innocent children or use innocent children as their object of fun to score political points."
The DAP secretary general urged the senator to be "pro-active and courageous" in upholding the Child Act 2001 and United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child. Pro-Umno bloggers had claimed that Lim's son had assaulted a 16-year-old schoolmate and tried to escape punishment by using his father's name. Khairy had also weighed in on Monday, writing on micro-blogging site Twitter on Monday, "Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada" [Maybe he destroyed Kampung Buah Pala because he wants to replace it with Kampung Buah Dada] in response to another tweet by pro-Umno blogger PapaGomo. Lim had denied the allegations on Tuesday, saying he was furious with the "barbaric lies" made about his teenage son by "pro-Umno ferocious beasts." His colleagues in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have come out strongly in support of the DAP secretary-general against what they call "the lowest gutter politics" seen in decades. Sensing growing public anger, Umno MPs have been quick to distance themselves from the allegations. The DAP held a press conference on Wednesday claiming the photograph of the purported "victim" used by Umno bloggers was that of 21-year-old chess grandmaster Anya Sun Corke who is studying at Wellesley College in the United States. Corke denied yesterday ever meeting or hearing of the 16-year-old schoolboy. She said she was "shocked, dismayed and baffled" as to how her photo was used without her knowledge or consent. Lim pointed out that the Child Act 2001 stipulates that every child is entitled to protection and assistance in all circumstances. But no protection was afforded to his child when his photo was plastered all over the blogs and some media outlets, he said. Furthermore, he said, this contravenes Article 16 (Protection of Privacy) of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which Malaysia is a signatory, that no child should be subjected to libel or slander. "I speak for every parent when I say we live for our children. We work to provide a better life for them. We struggle to ensure their world is better than ours. We strive to protect them from the evils of the world, especially when they are still young." The Malaysian Insider :: Malaysia Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Low turnout dampens anti-apostasy rally Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:30 AM PDT Barely 4,000 people have filled the 100,000-capacity stadium to mark the start of the assembly of a million believers. UPDATED
Barely 4,000 people have filled the 100,00-capacity Stadium Shah Alam and the past 90 minutes have been filled with performances by nasyid groups as the organisers wait for more seats to be filled. Two notable names have since graced the event: Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, and PAS Selangor executive council member Hasan Ali. Himpun (gathering of one million believers) is being held to "defend Islam" and reject apostasy among Muslims and was mooted after the controversial raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) on Aug 3. It claims to have the backing of 200 NGOs representing four million Muslims nationwide. Himpun's co-organiser, Mohd Yusri Mohamed, last week insisted that the rally was not anti-Christians amid rumblings of uneasiness that it could spark further racial tensions. The organisers today kept to their word after learning that a group not associated with Himpun was distributing a booklet entitled "Siapa Bertanggungjawab Kristiankan Melayu Di Selangor" (Who Is Responsible for Christianising Muslims In Selangor?). One of them, Badrul Sani, ordered the booklets confiscated and the distributors reported to the authorities. "This is a peaceful rally!" he thundered. "We will not allow any unauthorised material to tarnish this rally."  Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:30 AM PDT So the number game is out again on who can muster the largest number to show their power or at least tell others they got the majority to do what they like. The Himpun rally today is about...er.... defending an official religion... saving souls... humiliating other religions...insecure people...a political infiltrated and infected cause...UMNO infected...PKR tacit support... living up to world democracy preaching...openness of the government...freedom of association...Saturday stroll in the park...peaceful...protect God...show who is in charge? Perhaps they are all those above or none of the above. But we are told it is to defend someone's God, believers and nothing to do with threatening anyone's pagan belief. You see if you think yourself having the true God and true or THE religion, others are false gods and you can't even call those religion but rather pagan worship right? The idea conceived out of the blue or was it some Messianic voice suddenly decided to call for a gathering of his believers to feel shioksendiri huh? Is not connected to the recent Christian gathering being accused of trying to convert their believers? The organisers must think the rest of 26 million people who do not believe in the march as morons. Peaceful gathering which should be allowed and so the police has every reason to issue the permit? Weren't the Church holding their peaceful gathering to help society too? Why was their gathering being rudely intruded upon while this probably will be provided escort. Would we see FRUs, water cannon, helicoptors circulating, RELA fellos out in full force in this HIMPUN? If they are absent, it is a clear evidence the government is supporting it and bias towards other celebrations. Even a candle light gathering got them in jitters and arouse their anger and condemnation. This 1 million is like some Saturday stroll gathering to BN government since their security apparatus (sounds like our government behaves similarly to those Ar! ab state still killing their own people, right?) One wonders how an official sponsored religion spending billions and billions of taxpayer's ringgit for their places of worship, education system, even special institutions, special exclusive burial sites and almost unhindered application of their jurisprudence in a civil society can feel threatened by others who don't even have such luxuries but have to beg for some handouts and often find themselves at the mercy of religious squads! With such humongous advantage including the security apparatus at their disposal, these 1 million feel threatened huh? What if 1 million non Muslims request to hold a similar one at another stadium, we know what the police response will be right? The organisers can call the gathering what they like and try and convince the other 26 million their noble intentions, they are kidding themselves, others and God, unless God is on their side no? So why suddenly the need to remind the Muslims who's in charge and who is threatening them huh? It's nothing about praising God really because today is not some religious festival happening to commemorate anything at all. So today's march is to remind others don't mess with this race or religion because we can do you in or away anytime, right? So non Muslims, noone faults you if you decide to find your God at another abode. Go ahead because it's really not worth your sacrifices, pay taxes and what not and still feel you are treated like second class citizens or third actually as the illegals are given even more care and attention than you! Today is a march of the I's. Islam is in charge, I am a Muslim, I have every right to convert others, I will make sure anyone who touches one of my brothers or leave the flock will be condemned, punished and this right is even blessed by the Almighty it seems! Injustice in treating and threatening the rights of others? And a march of the Insane, Insecure and Insincere too huh? When BolehL! and lead ers including 1Malaysia proclaims to the world and even the Arab nations, it is a model Islamic state there is really so much truth in it. The only thing is it is a MODEL to show how religion and those who use religion will bring about a failed nation. Now isn't BolehLand a good history learning lesson MODEL on how its social engineering policies will lead the nation to, and what not to do if you don't want you country to be in the state it is today. Considering a country that wants to wipe off its history and write a new one, today's supposedly 1 million march is itself a history lesson. It is a history lesson of these fellows living out the actions of ancient behaviour that history has shown those who use religion has always ended in some of the great conflicts that have caused men to kill each other in the name of God. And as in all revolutions, it starts with a march, no? Welcome to BolehLand, Truly seeing history in action, i.e. where living a past historical event happens every day in this modern era. Check out the calendars that are officially accepted in BolehLand - there is a Gregorian as well as an Islamic one. Tells very much who is in charge right? YAHMEH!!! Read More @ Source  Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:30 AM PDT By Stanley Koh At a 2006 forum to discuss problems that non-Muslims face as Malaysian officialdom continues to assert the predominance of Islam in the country, a prominent scholar acknowledged – "with "sadness", he said – that there was great confusion about the religion, especially among Muslims themselves. Syed Ali Tawfik al-Attas, director-general of the Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim), said that Muslim administrators and Islamic activists generally had a poor understanding of the Islamic view of "knowledge" even as they examined the religion with a fine-tooth comb. "That is the problem with the Muslim world," he declared. He explained that in Islamic scholarship, knowledge is generally separated into three types: interpretation of the meaning of what is perceived, revealed knowledge, and derived knowledge that is beneficial. This effectively means that non-beneficial knowledge is not construed as knowledge. He stressed the importance of having the correct understanding of such terminologies as "freedom", "democracy" and "Islamisation" and the equal importance of recognising that they were open to different conceptualisations. Citing an example, he said the word the Arabs use for "democracy" could be translated as "preservation of the mind", which implies a wealth of meanings. "Yet, this preservation is today limited to halal-haram issues," he said, adding that this was one symptom of "the truncation and tragedy of Islam". The forum that Syed Ali addressed, which was organised by a group of think-tanks, shed much light on issues raised during the 2001 forum that MCA held following Dr Mahathir Mohamad's declaration that Malaysia was an Islamic state. Many of those issues centred around the unhappiness of non-Muslims with the arrogance of the civil service in deciding on and implementing policies that affected the religious practices of non-Muslims. Syed Ali's presentation made it quite clear that such arrogance was born of ignorance. The Moorthy controversy Referring to the case of Everest climber Maniam Moorthy, who died in 2005 and was buried as a Muslim in the face of his family's objections, Syed Ali said it would not have been such a big issue if the officials in charge had been more knowledgeable and less arrogant. He explained that in Islam it does not matter where one is buried. He said the Moorthy controversy illustrated how it was the mind of Muslims, and not Islam itself, that was limited. At the MCA forum, representatives from the Inter-Religious Council of Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism spoke of difficulties in getting approval for land on which to build places of worship and even for the renovation of those places. Rev Wong Kheng Kong said civil servants carried out their work with a clear bias for Islam instead of sticking to the constitutional provisions on religious rights. He feared that Mahathir's declaration would make matters worse. "There is a need to have an absolute definition of the declaration," Wong said. "Otherwise, things will be up to the whims and fancies of people in power. There will be problems. Civil servants are already interpreting the laws with an Islamic bias. For example, no other building can be taller than a mosque." He cited various other problems faced by non-Muslims, including their having to adhere to Islamic norms in attire and the preparation of food. Hachenran Singh, who represented the Sikhs in the inter-religious council, lamented that non-Muslims under an Islamic state would be considered "protected persons" instead of "full citizens". A representative for the Hindus complained that non-Muslims were not allowed to practise Syariah law even if they had the qualification. Shad Saleem Faruqi of Universiti Teknologi Mara advised non-Muslims to seek judicial reviews if they felt they had been victimised by overzealous civil servants. "Civil servants must give reasons for their decisions," he said. "If the reasons are frivolous, I think a judicial review is possible." Abdul Hamid Othman of the Prime Minister's Department said the government was aware that some administrators suffered from an excess of zeal. He claimed that there had been occasions when the Prime Minister stepped in personally to ensure the release of funds allocated for non-Muslim houses of worship. "When we talk about the Islamic state, the most important thing is administration of the lives of citizens," he said. Essentially, he explained, an Islamic government has a duty towards God to ensure that it administers with justice for everyone. Political purpose Several speakers at the MCA forum described Mahathir's declaration as an example of the exploitation of religion for political ends. "If you tell us that this declaration is a joke and that the PM has made a joke because he wants just the Malay votes, then, in two months the topic will be closed," said a speaker from the inter-religious council. "But if the government is serious in making the declaration, then I think there is a big problem. "How come our non-Malay leaders do not have the courage – and maybe the dignity, I don't know, I hope not, but with a sense of dignity at least – to stand up and say to the PM, 'There is something wrong with the declaration'?" Zainah Anwar of Sisters in Islam said there was a need for "younger voices" among Muslims to question and challenge misinterpretations of religious beliefs and practices. Is labelling more important than ensuring a fair and equitable governance, which is what Islam espouses? Should Mahathir's declaration remind us of these words of Alice in Wonderland: "How can you make your words mean different things?" It seems that to the MCA leadership the answer should sound like this: "Yes, you can. It depends on who is in charge." This entry was posted on Saturday, 22 October 2011, 4:46 pm and is filed under Islamic state, MCA. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Lim Kit Siang Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Gutter politics or sordid politicians? — Lim Mun Fah Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:30 AM PDT OCT 22 — Some bloggers have made accusations against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's son of sexual molestation and instead of condemning the acts, some politicians have taken the advantage to attack their political opponent. Even MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has admitted that such a phenomenon of which social values are greatly distorted is a practice of gutter politics. However, Chua also claimed that Malaysian politicians have started practising gutter politics since the 2008 general election. He also said that the Pakatan Rakyat stands on moral high ground only when it is affected. There is neither condemnation nor action for righteousness. He just casually blames gutter politics. In reality, the practice of gutter politics to attack opponents can indeed be found everywhere. It is dirty and, at the same time, harmful. Even more terribly, although some politicians knew that the rumour was groundless and the so-called victim was a foreign girl who has never been in Penang, they still took the advantage to stir up troubles or just watched with folded arms, letting the lies ferment and hurt those who are innocent. Is it necessary to make politics so horrible? When unscrupulousness becomes the last tool to fight the battle, when politicians who look prim and proper distort social values and even slander bully children of their opponents to fight for power and status, how many basic human norms are left in society? When politicians set a bad example instead of a good one, what else wouldn't be done by villains in society? Sadly, it seems like our politics is bending towards gutter politics, particularly in the Internet era when politicians can speak "freely" online. Abusive, libellous, discrediting and pornographic remarks, as well as various kinds of scandals, might be exciting but they are also confusing, causing people to be unable to distinguish between right and wrong. As American author and humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or better known by his pen name Mark Twain, said: "A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes," the malicious objective would have been achieved while damage would have also been done before the truth is revealed. Politics is not dirty by nature and it is some politicians who are sordid. Politics must not abandon the principles of reasoning and facts and it must pursue rationality. Once politicians abandon the basic competition rules of righteousness and fairness, and resort to dirty and nasty political means to achieve their objectives, politics would then no longer be able to manage the crowd, but harm the public instead! — mysinchew.com * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified. The Malaysian Insider :: Side Views Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Aliran: Action against Aziz Bari mocks Academic Freedom and Intellectual Integrity Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:00 AM PDT October 22, 2011 www.themalaysianinsider.com Aliran: Action against Prof. Aziz Bari is "a mockery of intellectual freedom and integrity"
His suspension comes in the wake of his publicly expressed opinion regarding the recent decree by the Sultan of Selangor over the controversial Jais raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church. Many Malaysians share his opinion and look up to him as a brave academic who did not betray his conscience in expressing an honest opinion without fear or favour. This intellectual freedom of expression must be the hallmark of an institution of higher learning. It is rare individuals like him who inspire students to speak the truth and defend what is right. He is an asset to IIUM. The action taken by the university against the learned professor is baffling. The university is It is expected of the professor to share his knowledge and expertise with the rest of us. That is the primary purpose in recruiting the best lecturers to teach and mold our youngsters to be responsible citizens. If anyone disagrees with his view, he or she should do it intellectually and in a civilised manner to enhance an understanding of the issue at hand for both the academic fraternity and the larger community. A sledgehammer such as the Sedition Act should not be used to suppress healthy discussion. It has not been proven that his views are invalid and without merit. Malaysians should be told why his views are wrong. We should indeed start a debate to discuss this issue in a civilised manner as befitting a civil society.
Besides, the measure of an intellectually vibrant institution of higher learning is recognised and honoured when there are open discussions, debates and dissenting opinions. The prevalence of a lacklustre follow-me mentality — symptomatic of the larger political and feudalistic culture — will be the death knell of a university. Aliran calls upon the IIUM authorities to lift the professor's suspension immediately and cease all other similar actions that would only smear and sully the university's academic reputation.         Read More @ Source Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Where will the MCA president contest? — Sakmongkol AK47 Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:00 AM PDT OCT 22 — A few days ago we heard plans by the MCA president to contest in the next general election. He hasn't decided where to contest, professing humility that even though he's president and a winnable candidate he can't impose his will anywhere. So where will CSL contest now that he has revealed that three mentris besar of Johor, Perak and Negri Sembilan have offered him seats to contest? It's difficult to believe by that admission; it's also true that the MCA president hasn't got a place to contest. How is that possible when he has declared, or self-declared, that he is a winnable candidate? The more important question here: is the MCA a winnable party? In a speech celebrating the oncoming Deepavali celebrations, Chua declared that he has received invitations from the MBs of Johor, Perak and Negri Sembilan to contest. The speech made in Seremban is significant in several aspects. For it was in Seremban in 1982 the MCA presiden then, Lee San Choon, contested in Seremban against the then DAP chairman, Dr Chen Man Hin. Lee San Choon won after the MCA and BN spent millions of ringgit directly inducing voters to vote for the MCA president. That was the costliest victory won by an MCA president. The MCA literally went on a spending free — it bought everyone it could shove money to. Malay votes were delivered by the usual suspects of political wheeler dealers. The contest was dubbed as the clash of the Chinese Titans. Chua Soi Lek must be thinking that it's possible for him to repeat that feat. He is now the MCA president. But one ingredient to that thinking is missing — the men representing his opponent in the Chinese leadership are not standing in Seremban. Lim Guan Eng is in Penang and Lim Kit Siang is in Perak. So for CSL to repeat the feat of a former MCA president he has to choose a battleground where his appropriate opponent stands. That was what the contest between Lee San Choon and Chen Man Hin represented. It represented not only a contest between money power of the MCA and the dogged determination of Dr Chen; it was in reality a contest to earn the bragging rights as to who is the leader of the Chinese community. Lee San Choon was out to prove that there can only be one tiger on top of the mountain. To me then, CSL must retrace the steps taken by Lee San Choon in its entirety. He must stand in a place where he will contest against a worthy opponent. Now is the time to show his much talked about strength in character. That can only be proven if he either takes on Lim Kit Siang or Lim Guan Eng. That clash will prove once and for all which Chinese leader is more relevant to the community presently. Let us write in to support the idea for CSL to fight either Kit Siang or Guan Eng. We want to see the much fabled aggressiveness of CSL on a different stage. If he insists that he must contest against his equivalent as party president, he can opt to contest against the indomitable Karpal Singh, the DAP chairman. But the idea of CSL contesting in Seremban is also titillating; if CSL chooses to do battle in Seremban, now is the time for Seremban folk to redeem what their predecessors did in 1982. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com * Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008). * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified. The Malaysian Insider :: Side Views Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Aziz Bari – a critical test case Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:00 AM PDT Prof Aziz Bari has become a critical test case whether Malaysia is moving towards greater democrartisation, academic excellence and enhanced International oompetitiveness or the reverse. The suspension of Aziz by IIUM could not have come at a worse time for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's National Transformation Programme whether government, economic or political. It has firstly thrown into doubt Najib's political will, commitment and stamina whether the Prime Minister and his administration are prepared to see through the wide-ranging government, economic, educational and political reforms without which Malaysia stands no chance of escaping from two decades of middle-income trap, overtaken by one country after another most notably Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea. Malaysia cannot expect to achieve the goal of a high-income developed nation unless and until we can produce world-class universities, not just in the eyes of Ministers but acknowledged internationally. The failure of any Malaysian university to get into the recently-released Times Higher Education (THE) World Top 400 Universities Ranking 2011-2012 is powerful testimony that Malaysia is not doing enough to train, retain and recruit talents to transform our economy into a knowledge economy so as to restore our international competitiveness. The suspension and persecution of Aziz Bari for expressing his views and comments will be a message to the international academic community that Malaysia is not prepared to accept and respect academic freedom resulting in worsening of brain drain of Malaysian talents and condemning the Talents Corporation to failure to attract brain gain from the Malaysian diaspora and the world intellectual resources. Politically, Aziz's suspension has come as a slap-in-the-face for Najib's recent claim of wanting to make Malaysia 'the best democracy in the world". If Najib is sincere, then the curbs and fetters undermining academic freedom and excellence like the Universities and University Colleges Act should be repealed! But instead we have the Aziz Bari persecution – reminder that the undemocratic mentality and mindset of repression in key institutions in the country are still in full control of the levers of power despite all the sloganeering about democratization and political transformation. Why was Aziz Bari arbitrarily suspended at variance with Najib's call for democratisatio and government, economic and political transformation? Is Najib being sabotaged from inside his party and government? Najib's should direct that the suspension of Aziz by IIUM be revoked immediately and cause an investigation why his call for democratization and government, economic and political transformation is being flouted so blatantly by his own subordinates in government and party! This entry was posted on Saturday, 22 October 2011, 4:51 pm and is filed under Education, university. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Lim Kit Siang Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Despite graft claims, Malaysia offers to fund RM9b Bangladesh bridge Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:00 AM PDT Advertisement The Malaysian Insider :: Malaysia Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Islam itu Melayu, Melayu itu Islam Posted: 22 Oct 2011 02:00 AM PDT  Dear Editor, I want to bring to your attention an article in the himpun.org website, apparently written by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ridhuan Tee Abdullah from Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia. The article contains some offensive words as follows: 1. Perhimpunan yang bertemakan "Selamatkan Akidah", secara tidak langsung mahu memberi amaran kepada bukan Islam supaya tidak mencampuri urusan orang Islam dan jangan sekali berani memurtadkan mereka. 2. Jangan biarlah negara ini menjadi Singapura yang kedua. Begitu juga dengan Pulau Pinang. Ia mesti dipertahankan sehingga titisan darah yang terakhir. Jika tidak, kita akan menyesal dan dikutuk oleh generasi akan datang kerana gagal mempertahankan kalimah yang mulia ini. 3. Apakah kita masih buta? Bagaimana populasi penduduk yang hanya 10 peratus boleh membina sebuah gereja terbesar di Asia dalam sebuah negara Islam? Tidak! cukupla h dengan pembinaan patung tertinggi di dunia di Batu Caves. Jangan ulangi kesilapan demi kesilapan. 4. Barulah ketika itu orang lain tidak berani memijak kepala kita lagi. Selamatkan akidah umat Islam! I want your organisation to highlight this issue, which I believe it is in the public interest to so. The article also contains the following statement, which I do not see any logic: Islam itu Melayu, Melayu itu Islam. Lebih istimewa lagi yang memeluk agama Islam, pun boleh dikira sebagai Melayu mengikut perlembagaan, walaupun bukan Melayu dari segi keturunan.
Regards, Shamsher Singh Thind
FULL ARTICLE: Selamatkan Aqidah Umat Islam  Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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| Posted: 21 Oct 2011 11:30 PM PDT OCT 22 — The topic of race is often referred to as "sensitive" in Malaysia. In other words, don't talk about it in public — and incessantly in private. Yes, I have written about this topic before. However, even after four years in the country, it still blows my mind. Practically everything here is racialised, from religion to politics, education to food, marriage to sex, crime to opening a bank account. With great assurance, the average Malaysian can talk at length about what Malays, Chinese and Indians do and how they think. Recently, I accompanied my Social Science class to a National Anti-Discrimination Conference organised by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the human rights NGO Pusat Komas in KL. This two-day conference made it clear that the issue of race is deeply embedded in the psyche of the nation and this reality is not going to change any time soon. The conference was attended by a wide variety of people from different areas of Malaysian society — NGOs, political parties, activists, etc. Some notable individuals in attendance were Irene Fernandez of Tenaganita, activist Fahmi Reza and poet Samad Said. Unfortunately, some attendees were only there to say they were there, which is a polite way of saying they were snoozing most of the time. Overall, the conference was a positive. However, some of the panels — especially the politicians — were frustrating to observe. On the bright side, I was so proud of my students. They were asking great questions and demonstrating critical thinking, proving, even at age 18, they would make better leaders than many members of the current administration. First, where does one begin to talk about race in a land where the talk about race never stops? Perhaps it is best to address the misconception of what "race" is all about. "Races," as they are discussed and understood in Malaysia, are incorrect. I hope we can all agree that we are all homo sapiens, members of one race or species. If we can all agree on that, then politicians can stop abusing the social construct of "different races". Granted, there are ethnic differences amongst us, but these are fluid and complex. They are not direct determinants of culture, religion, food choices, sport choice, sexuality, criminality, etc. A basic science education proves all this. Humans today have evolved from early hominids that left Africa and we all share common genes. Go back far enough, and we're all family. But not everyone wants to be "educated". Many continue to reap the benefits of this memetic virus of ignorance and perpetuate it. Malaysia has not always been racialised. The concept of race, according to historian Dr Farish A. Noor, was introduced relatively recently with colonialism. Despite the fact Malaysia achieved independence over half a century ago, many citizens are still treated as colonial subjects by the powers-that-be. This is ridiculous. Malaysia, for all of its accomplishments, still has political parties based on racial lines. The United Malays National Organisation, the Malaysian Chinese Association, the Malaysian Indian Congress. This is laughable. During my early days in Malaysia, I watched the unveiling of the prime minister's 1 Malaysia Campaign: an expensive public relations initiative which has confused a lot of people, and indoctrinated others to think that "the campaign" is changing how the average Malaysian views race. It seems the campaign is nothing more than pictures of children from different ethnic groups holding hands and smiling. A member of the government's 1 Malaysia team spoke at the conference. When pressed to explain what 1 Malaysia actually does, he struggled to say anything substantial. If those in authority want to take this issue seriously, I have a few suggestions. I am not a political expert, but I am aware there have been approximately 600 amendments to Malaysia's constitution, so why not try a few more: 1. Get rid of race-based politics. It is makes a great country appear backwards. Malaysia is no longer a colonial subject! 2a. Abandon the New Economic Policy. No other country, apart from South Africa, has a race-based policy stipulating benefits for the majority. Furthermore, "Malays" do not have a situation comparable to the black population of post-apartheid South Africa. The current NEP creates unnecessary resentment between different ethnic groups and ending it will promote social cohesion. 2b. Install a merit-based policy to take the place of the NEP. Provide assistance in education, employment and housing to any Malaysian who truly needs it. By using need instead of race, this new policy will help to de-racialise Malaysia. 3. Abandon 1 Malaysia. Take that money and inject it into programmes like Chow Kit Kita, Food Not Bombs, Stop Motion Project and other grassroots action projects. These art, living, women-empowerment, sexuality and sports programmes are what make Malaysia great and will continue to bring people from different ethnic backgrounds together. 4. Race should not and cannot determine who we are and what we think. People of the race "Malay" in the context of Malaysia are legally born "Muslim" and cannot leave Islam. Malays and non-Malays in Malaysia grow-up indoctrinated with the idea that to be Malay is to be Muslim. This unnaturally creates the idea that race DOES determine other factors like religion, culture, food preferences, language etc. Giving all peoples in the country freedom of religion would help de-racialise Malaysia. 5. Remove "race" from all forms! Unless ethnicity is relevant to the form being filled out, do away with it. Aku Bangsa Malaysia! Malaysians need to say "enough!" to the way things are done. Those in charge won't do anything until voters make it clear that things must change. For the last 50 years, Malaysians have been buying race-based politics. It is time for Malaysian consumers to demand a better and more logical product. The current product is not meeting the people's needs. We rush out and buy the latest gadget because it can do one task slightly better than the old one, yet we keep buying obsolete politics. It is important to emphasise that I don't think this race obsession has anything to do with the average citizen. The average citizen just wants to earn an honest living, take care of friends and family, and feel free from outside threats. Solving the threat of ethnic tension would be a welcomed change. The problem surrounding race in Malaysia is a top-down phenomenon. I believe the situation can be greatly improved if those in power take this issue seriously. Now I await the comments of readers. Many will say I'm preaching to the choir, but perhaps will offer additional solutions. Others will just look at my profile picture and tell me I have no business, as an outsider, talking about Malaysian issues. Such comments only prove my point, so I welcome such feedback. I can imagine a better future for all of Malaysia's peoples. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Read More @ Source Courtesy of Bonology.com ® Politically Incorrect Buzz & Buzz 
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"Shahrizat's failure to reproach or condemn Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin for perpetuating a lie that my 16-year-old son sexually outraged the modesty of his classmate shows that she has failed in her ministerial duty," Lim (picture) said in a statement.
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