Of Migration & Freedom

Mother once mentioned to me that music from eastern America are more smooth and easy-going, whilst those from western America are more lively. From that on, I took interest in the expansion of civilisation.

The early settlements of America were on the east coast. Later, people migrated further westwards seeking new life, and we can tell from cowboy movies that the people in the west were more lively and free, if you like.

In the modern day, migrations are more inclined towards Australia. Professionals, refugees, and asylum seekers would head for Australia or other developed countries in search of better jobs, liberation, and quality of life.

They would leave their countries that were in turmoil, dictated, or economically devastated, not to mention the legislation and constitution.

Among those who migrate are the Muslims. Many who migrate seek better space to practice their faith, whilst some too try to be free of it.

No matter where we are, we can never be seperated from the teachings of Islam. Even though some countries regard religion as a mere hobby, does not mean that we too can treat Islam as a hobby. Islam is not just a religion, it's the way of life.

Being in a non-Muslim country, our responsibility is to uphold its teaching and showing to others what Islam is all about. But because appealing Muslims disregard their religion, and took to the life of no limits, Islam is thus considered by others as nothing but a plain ideology.

A few days ago, I was watching the news. News on crimes, hoodlums, and vandalism are common. But what shocked me is that the name of the perperators were not Nigel, Bruce, or Harry. No sir, the names were Mohamed Yasin, Abou Nasser. These are names of Muslims. Muslims committing crime in a non-Muslim country.

No wonder Muslims, immigrants are being hated all around, even though they know very little about Islam, and many do not consider readin about Islam before making personal theories. Just because you live in a free country, doesn't mean that you can be stupid and act freely.

Remember this; you are a Muslim. You live by the Book and Sunnah which describes everything that you do in life. No matter where you go, they must never be segregated. You are in a deprived land, you live by it. If you are in a free country, you still live by it.

There's no use nor benefit trying to copy their ways of life, dressing, for Allah has already reminded us,

And the Jews will not be pleased with you, nor the Christians until you follow their religion. Say: Surely Allah's guidance, that is the (true) guidance. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper.

[Al-Baqarah, 2:120]

Stick to your religion no matter where you are, and live by it. If you stick to the teachings of your religion, you will unite with your fellow Muslims, and with united Muslims, this religion shall be ridiculed no more. People will respect Islam and its worshippers.

Arrests at Malaysia opposition demo (Al-Jazeera)

Article taken from Al-Jazeera English

UPDATED ON:
Thursday, May 07, 2009
11:01 Mecca time, 08:01 GMT

At least 12 people have been arrested in the northern Malaysian city of Ipoh during opposition-led protests over the government's takeover of a state assembly.

The arrests on Thursday come amid an increasingly tense showdown between the ruling National Front coalition and the opposition alliance over who rules the state of Perak.

Opposition leaders had called for protests outside the assembly which was due to meet on Thursday for the first time since the previous state government was ousted.

In response police, some wearing riot gear and backed by water cannon, surrounded the assembly building and set up a 500 metre exclusion zone.

Several people wearing black, the colour chosen by the opposition to protest against the takeover, were arrested.

Jenice Lee, an opposition state assemblywoman from the state of Selangor near the capital Kuala Lumpur was among those detained.

"I am an elected representative, I am not fighting you," she said as she was dragged away.

Lim Kit Siang, a senior member of the national parliament with the opposition Democratic Action Party, was also barred from entering the assembly building.

He said the government's move had turned the area around the assembly into a "war zone" and said the refusal to allow protests was "a national and international disgrace".


Stand-off

The protests are the latest stage in a stand-off between the ruling coalition and the opposition, which last year scored its best ever result in national elections, taking control of five state governments.

In February however, in a move led by Najib Razak, Malaysia's recently-installed prime minister, three opposition politicians in the Perak assembly were convinced to switch their allegiance to sit as independents.

That deprived the People's Alliance coalition of its majority in the state.

In the run-up to the protests in Ipoh, police arrested a further 19 people, including a politician from the country's Islamist opposition and a voting reform activist.

Mohamad Sabu, the vice president of the Pan Malaysian Islamic party (PAS), was arrested in Kuala Lumpur in a move that a police spokesman said was linked to the situation in Perak where he was due to lead prayers on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Wong Chin Huat a voting reform activist was arrested and charged with sedition after he urged Malaysians to wear black to protest the Perak takeover.

He faces up to three years in jail if convicted.

The spate of arrests have raised concerns among opposition leaders of a crackdown against critics of the government.

Najib, who took office on April 3, came to power promising to "uphold civil liberties" and demonstrate "regard for the fundamental rights of the people of Malaysia".


'Draconian'

But Anwar Ibrahim, the head of Malaysia's opposition, said that despite Najib's "rhetoric of tolerance" the arrests showed the prime minister was "bent on using tough, draconian measures".

"That the campaign for people to wear black can be deemed as seditious and a threat to national security, this is ridiculous," he told Reuters ahead of Thursday's protests.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister is to stand trial in July for sodomy, charges he says are politically motivated.

The former deputy prime minister-turned opposition figurehead was imprisoned on corruption and sodomy charges in the late 1990s, although the sodomy conviction was later overturned.

Dozens held at Malaysian protest (BBC)

Article tken from BBC


Page last updated at 16:03 GMT, Thursday, 7 May 2009 17:03 UK

Dozens of people in Malaysia have been arrested for taking part in opposition-led protests over who controls the parliament in the state of Perak.

Police were deployed outside the state legislature, while inside ministers scuffled and shouted at each other.

The state has become the focus of a power struggle between Malaysia's ruling party and the main opposition.

The opposition lost its majority when three legislators defected to become independents earlier this year.

The Sultan of Perak fired the alliance's administration and asked the National Front to govern, but there is still no real agreement over who is in charge.

The high court will decide on the legitimacy of the new state government next week.


Speaker surrounded

The wrangling in Malaysia's second largest state has been going on for months.

Perak was one of five states that voted for the opposition in the March 2008 elections, in which the ruling party lost its two-thirds majority for the first time since the country's independence from Britain in 1957.

But earlier this year, three state legislators defected to become independents, tipping the balance in favour of the governing National Front coalition.

Thursday's violence happened as the National Front was holding its first parliamentary session since ousting its rivals.

Activists broke through police lines, and the speaker of the assembly, who oversees proceedings, was surrounded and forced from the chamber by plain-clothes police officers.

He had refused to stand aside after a pro-government member was chosen to replace him.

According to the BBC's Robin Brant in Kuala Lumpur, this is the first time in Malaysia's history that police have intervened in parliamentary proceedings.

There were no violent clashes but dozens of protestors were arrested, including several opposition members.

The opposition is campaigning for fresh state elections.

Najib Razak - who became the head of the ruling party and Malaysia's prime minister last month - was seen as playing a prominent role in the power struggle.

Scuffles at Malaysia parliament (Al-Jazeera English)

(Article grabbed from Al-Jazeera English - Asia Pacific)

Scuffles have broken out outside a state parliament in northern Malaysia after riot police and supporters of Malaysia's ruling coalition blocked members of the country's opposition from entering the building.

The incident took place on Tuesday as about 100 members of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (People's Alliance) tried to enter parliament in the town of Ipoh in the northern state of Perak.

A group of 28 opposition legislators accompanied by their supporters had been trying to hold an emergency session of the assembly but found their way blocked by a makeshift fence and dozens of riot police.

"Go back!" several government supporters shouted as pushing and shoving broke out between the rival groups.

Both the governing and opposition coalitions claim they have the right to rule Perak, which has been embroiled in a tense political and constitutional crisis since January.

The state has had no function government following the defections of several opposition legislators in January.

'Double standards'

Police did not intervene, but stepped in to push back the opposition supporters when they approached the makeshift fence.

"This is utter rubbish. Elected representatives are not allowed to go inside," A Sivanesan, an opposition legislator, told the Associated Press.

"It is not in accordance with the law. The police [are] practicing double standards."

The crisis in Perak highlights the growing uncertainty in Malaysian politics after the ruling party suffered its worst ever election loss last year.

In the March 8 national polls, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition lost control of four states including Perak, as well as its long-standing two-thirds majority in parliament, conceding a large number of seats to the opposition.

Unconstitutional

Last month opposition legislators protested after claiming the state sultan had acted unconstitutionally in appointing Zambry Abdul Kadir, a BN member, as chief minister without waiting for a vote of confidence in the state assembly.

Following the sultan's endorsement, V Sivakumar, the state parliament's speaker and a member of the opposition coalition, suspended the legislature.

He later called for opposition members to gather for an emergency session – a move seen as symbolic rather than having any real prospect of returning the opposition to power.

After being blocked from entering the state parliament the opposition legislators retreated to a side street where they held the emergency session in the open air.

The meeting unanimously passed a resolution of confidence in the ousted government led by Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

"We are the rightful government ... Now the state has two chief ministers, one that is legal, one that is absolutely illegal," he said.

"The crisis must be solved ... through the dissolution of the state assembly."

Sidang DUN Perak: "Jika di atas pokok pun ia sah" (HarakahDaily)

Artikel dipetik dari laman web HarakahDaily

Abdul Aziz Mustafa
Wed Mar 04, 09 3:29:34 am MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Mac (Hrkh) Persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Perak semalam tetap sah walaupun diadakan atas pokok, kata pensyarah Pusat Pengajian Sejarah, Politik dan Strategi Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Prof Madya Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff.

"Jika di atas pokok pun ia sah", Bernama memetik pandangan beliau ketika ditanya mengenai kesahihan "persidangan tergempar" itu yang diadakan di bawah pokok di luar bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan yang menempatkan Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak, di Ipoh pagi semalam.

Persidangan itu, yang dipanggil oleh Speaker DUN Perak V. Sivakumar, berlangsung selama kira-kira 30 minit bermula 10.20 pagi, dihadiri semua 27 ADUN PAS, DAP dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Mohammad Agus, yang juga seorang penganalisis poltik berpandangan bahawa tiga usul yang diluluskan itu juga sah dan tidak boleh dicabar di dalam mahkamah.

Usul-usul itu ialah menyatakan sokongan kepada Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin sebagai Menteri Besar; membubarkan Dewan bagi membolehkan pilihan raya negeri diadakan; dan mengesahkan keputusan Speaker Sivakumar melarang Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir dan enam anggota exco kerajaan negeri daripada menghadiri persidangan dewan.

"Sebelum ini Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak hanya ditangguhkan dan tidak dihentikan. Jika ditangguhkan, maka Speaker mempunyai kuasa untuk mengadakan persidangan tergempar itu tanpa mendapat perkenan Sultan," katanya.

Sementara itu, Presiden Majlis Peguam Malaysia Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan berkata perkara yang berlaku di Perak di luar dugaan dan membabitkan isu perundangan yang kompleks.

Sungguhpun ia tidak munasabah untuk satu pandangan konklusif mereka, sesetengah perkara itu hendaklah ditangani sebagai satu perkara prinsip, katanya dalam kenyataan.

Beliau menanyakan sama ada dibenarkan untuk mengadakan persidangan Dewan Undangan di luar Bangunan Sekretariat Negeri.

"Tentulah, Bangunan Sekretariat Negeri di mana Dewan Undangan Negeri patut diadakan.

"Bagaimanapun, Speaker dan Adun Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) dilarang daripada mengadakannya di satu tempat yang sesuai oleh polis dan ini membangkitkan isu serius mengenai kesahihan tindakan polis.

"Dengan itu Speaker tersebut tidak ada pilihan tetapi untuk bertindak dalam apa yang dilihat sebagai kuasa yang luas untuk mengadakan persidangan ini di tempat lain," kata beliau.

Beliau berkata ada pandangan berbeza, tetapi keadaan itu di luar dugaan dan Aturan Mesyuarat mungkin tidak meliputi sepenuhnya seperti keadaan yang tidak diingini, menyerahkan kepada Speaker dengan kuasa untuk bertindak mengikut keadaan kes itu.

Sreenevasan berkata keadaan itu tidak boleh dipertahankan daripada kritikan dan hanya mendesak untuk satu perkara iaitu pilihan raya negeri.

"Kini ada harapan untuk ini berlaku. Biarlah rakyat menentukan," tambah beliau._

PAS ada 'Baiah' elak lompat parti - Ustaz Hadi (HARAKAHDAILY)

(Artikel diambil dari laman web HARAKAHDAILY)

KEPALA BATAS, 23 Feb (Hrkh) - "Baiah merupakan akuan bersumpah di hadapan Allah s.w.t dan kepimpinan dalam parti ketika dilantik menjadi calon dalam setiap pilihan raya sama ada umum atau kecil."

Presiden PAS, Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang mendedahkan, PAS nyata mempunyai rahsia tersendiri untuk menyekat Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) daripada mengambil sikap melompat parti kerana tindakan itu bukan sahaja membelakangkan kehendak Allah s.w.t bahkan meninggalkan amanah manusia yang mahu seseorang Adun itu melaksanakan tugas dengan cemerlang.

Katanya rahsia tersebut ialah 'Baiah' yang merupakan akuan bersumpah di hadapan Allah s.w.t dan kepimpinan dalam parti berbanding parti lain ketika dilantik menjadi calon dalam setiap pilihanraya samada umum atau kecil.

"Perbezaan kekuatan Adun-adun PAS ialah 'Baiah' berjanji dengan Allah s.w.t sekiranya kami menipu, khianat, menyeleweng kami akan dilaknat oleh Allah.s.wt, oleh malaikat dan segala yang melaknat.

"Itulah yang tiada dalam parti lain kerana masing-masing mengambil agama suku, politik suku, " ujarnya ketika berceramah di pekarangan Markaz Tarbiyah PAS Pulau Pinang di Pongsu Seribu, Kepala Batas baru-baru ini.

Beliau yang juga Ahli Parlimen Marang, Terenganu memberitahu, walaupun ada Adun atau kepimpinan yang melompat keluar parti, semua pihak boleh melihat di mana 'kedudukan' mereka tika ini.

Sambungnya, golongan terbabit kehilangan maruah dan kehebatan bahkan jika berada dalam parti lain hanya sekadar melukut di tepi gantang bukan lagi diberikan kepercayaan sebagai kepimpinan sepertimana dalam PAS sebelum ini.

"Kita tengok mereka yang lari dari PAS apa yang mereka perolehi sebagai hukuman di dunia.

"Mereka hilang maruah, hilang kehebatan dan tidak ke mana walhal golongan terbabit mempunyai pengetahuan agama yang tinggi. Itulah perhitungan antara dosa dan pahala, " tegasnya.

Justeru itu, PAS tetap berusaha mengajak parti lain untuk bersama PAS memperjuangkan kedaulatan demi menjaga maruah yang tinggi tidak kerana pandangan manusia sebaliknya kerana Allah s.w.t.

PAS katanya, tidak memaksa parti lain terutamanya bukan Islam menerima Islam semata-mata menjatuhkan Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) yang sudah menyelewengan amanah rakyat dengan melakukan berbagai kekejaman dan kezaliman.

Menyentuh mengenai peralihan kuasa antara Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dengan timbalanya, Dato' Seri Najib Razak sepatutnya belum lagi waktunya kerana Perdana Menteri tidak lagi 'selesai' dengan amanahnya terhadap rakyat sebagaimana janjinya sewaktu mula memegang tampuk pemerintahan daripada mantan Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad beberapa tahun lalu.

Janji Abdullah katanya untuk menyelesaikan masalah kehakiman, rasuah, polis, SPR dan pekerti kalangan kepimpinan Umno masih jauh. "Beliau seharusnya berusaha untuk tanganinya sehingga selesai bukan memberi jalan berundur kepada orang lain yang pastinya mempunyai agenda lain dalam pentadbiran baru kelak.

"Penubuhan Suruhanjaya Kehakiman, Suruhanjaya Polis, Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah tidak setakat itu sahaja malahan kena bersama parti lain di luar BN kerana ia bukan masalah Umno. Ia masalah semua rakyat dan ia perlu dengan sistem demokrasi yang betul, " Kata Ahli Parlimen Marang itu.

Beliau berucap di dalam program anjuran Dewan Pemuda PAS Negeri Pulau Pinang itu lagi.Turut berceramah pada malam itu ialah Ketua Dewan Pemuda PAS Negeri, Ustaz Hafiz Nordin dan Naib Presiden PAS, Haji Mohamad Sabu yang turur dihadiri oleh Pesuruhjaya PAS Negeri, Ustaz Saleh Man. - azm_

Rally @ U.M.

Today is Friday. As always, during lunch break I would walk to the Taman Jaya station 10 minutes away and take the LRT to Universiti Malaya for Friday prayers at Masjid Ar-Rahman.

Earlier, Gayathri said she will lend her car to me so that I can go to the masjid at Section 14, and be back in time for Kumaresan and Nadhir's birthday surprise which was to take place at Secret Recipe (which I missed), just across the road.

However, since she had other matters to attend to, I had no choice but go to U.M.. After prayers, as I was changing into my pants, I heard a chant of TAKBEER outside in the courtyard. I went out to see what it was.

It turned out that the students were holding a rally, stating that they have sent a memorandum to the Agong requesting him to act as the middle-man in the Perak case, and at the same time, chanting "Kuasa Rakyat", and promoting tonight's forum which will state the current Perak issue.

It was very exciting for me, as I've never experienced such an event back in UiTM. If there were any, it would be the infamous rally of August 2008, which I had to admit, internally exposed the 'stupidity' of some of its students.

I could not stay long, as I had to be back in PJ by 2.30; a 20-minute journey away.

Perak people robbed, shortchanged (Malaysiakini)

(This article was taken from Malaysiakini)

'It can be assured that there will be serious repercussions come the next general elections if the BN is allowed to govern Perak in this way.'


On Perak gov't collapses - BN claims power

Meng: If this is the beginning of Najib's politics, it bodes danger for the country and the rakyat. It is obvious that this is a man familiar only with cloak-and-dagger politics.

From his meeting with Saiful the sodomy accuser to Jamaluddin the Perak rep, everything smells of a rat.

This latest move by Najib is nothing more than a coup and not a proper transfer of power.

The people of Perak have been robbed and shortchanged and I can assure you that there will be serious repercussions come the next general elections if the BN is allowed to govern Perak in this way.

It is hoped that in this darkest hour, the Perak sultan in his wisdom will call for the dissolution of the Perak state assembly to make way for state elections.

If His Highness does not, then the rakyat will surely protest and will return with a vengeance at the next general elections.

Either way, the Barisan Nasional government is nearing its end. They are about to be checkmated.

Vivian Lim: After losing in two free and fair by-elections, Najib finally claims victory in Perak by undemocratic means. I was born and grew up in Perak.

The people of Perak gave victory to Pakatan Rakyat on March 8. Now Najib has, with one shake of his witch's broomstick (and God knows what else) taken away from Perak a government led mainly by people who serve the rakyat.

I appeal to Hee, the ex-DAP state assemblyperson. Please think. If you left DAP because of the ‘bad' guys there, do you honestly think Najib and his cronies are better?

Some things are more important than money or revenge. Rightly or wrongly, you will forever be remembered as someone who denied Perakians true democracy, and delivered them into the hands of their corrupt oppressor.

Do you honestly think you will get much joy out of being a part of BN? If it were not for DAP, you would not have risen from clerk to deputy speaker.

I also appeal to all Perakians and Malaysians to stand up in whatever way you can, defend what little democracy we have left before it is all taken away.

As I am writing this now, I do not yet have news of the Sultan of Perak's decision. I pray that His Highness will do what is wise, just and courageous.

I will not appeal to Najib. We all know there is no point in that.

Prema Subramaniam: As a resident of Perak, it is really a disgrace for Barisan Nasional to pinch the Pakatan Rakyat state representatives.

We pray that our Sultan will cede to Nizar's request and immediately dissolve the state assembly. All the BN representatives will lose their deposits if a snap elections were to be held.

The three state assembly persons who defected to BN are capable of doing anything for their personal gain.

For them, their self interests are above party interests. PR, please vet all your candidates before letting them stand for snap polls.

Perakian: To our benevolent Sultan Azlan Shah. I am a born-bred Perakian. Batu Gajah was my home for the first four years of my life before my family shifted to Ipoh where we still stay in.

Hence, I plead to you, my dear ruler, that you will exercise your excellent judgment and discernment to hear the hearts of Perakians, your people.

Yesterday was indeed a dark day for Perak when we saw a power struggle being conducted instead of nation-building. We have hopes of a better Perak, one that is growing economically and in stability.

And I believe Perakians have seen glimpses of development since Pakatan Rakyat governed the state.

Verily, the PR state government is far from perfect, far from ideal, but I believe this government ought to be given a more significant chance to serve the people of Perak.

I am not a lawyer, hence, I do not know how to speak the lingua franca of law and legalities. But, I do know that the Perakians have spoken on March 8, 2008 and we have chosen the PR government to represent us.

At least, let us decide once again on who we believe can govern this state well. Let us have the government we voted for, not one that barges in through crossovers.

The time has come for nation-building to be the country's and the state's highest priority.

This responsibility and privilege has become even more significant under such trying economic times, where the man-on-the-street is hard hit and the poor become even poorer.

Peter Ooi: It is rather sad that the Perak government under Pakatan Rakyat has to dissolve after hardly having served the state for less than a year.

It had to dissolve not because of its incapability to govern or administer efficiently but because of a few its elected representatives found it fit to desert their parties.

But whatever reasons these reps may have to leave, they are not acceptable to the public.

They were elected using the manisfestoes of their parties. It is the ideals and principles of the said manifestoes that the voters believed when they cast their votes.

Any rep leaving the party after having won is no better than a dishonest salesman who hoodwinks customers into buying products only to find that product's quality does not measure up to what was claimed.

Besides, it is common that large amounts of money be involved in trying to 'buy' reps from the opposite camp.

If the government is serious in combatting corruption, this is one area that it could completely eradicate corruption. Pass a law forbidding party hopping. When party hopping ends, corruption ends.

As long as party hopping is allowed, no government can rule effectively and efficiently. Every one is a suspect.

Thus, the powers-that-be would spend most of their time keeping track or spying on the ‘suspects' instead of concentrating on the day-to-day running of the country.

If Najib is serious in combatting corruption, make party-hopping against the law. Right now the rakyat in Perak are suffering due to uncertainties in the government.

Francis Rozario: The Perak sultan has the prerogative to dissolve the state assembly or to ask for a vote of confidence and if the current Perak MB does not receive such a vote of confidence, the ruler may then appoint another person who commands the majority of the assembly.

It is not necessary to dissolve the assembly at all but if there is a stalemate, then the sultan will have no alternative but to dissolve the state assembly.

Whilst this is a burden on the taxpayer, it is nonetheless necessary. It will help the rakyat to tell Najib that he is not PM material as this whole issue smells of his own personal involvement.

It is time the peole speak and if Perak goes for elections, the people must speak loud and clear.

Andrew Khoo: So much for the immorality of party-hopping and switching of allegiances.

Not that BN held the moral high ground before, but it certainly cannot claim it now and in the future.

G-man: All I can say is how disgusted I am by the conduct of the three defectors from PKR. This goes to show it was all about money and never about the people.

The reps for PKR were voted in for the parties they represented, not the individuals.

And it doesn't surprise me to see two corrupt politicians join the rest of these corrupted as they say birds of a feather, flock together.

The right thing to do is to call for a fresh mandate from the people and let them decide again.

23PSI: The wresting of control of Perak is a hollow victory - one without the support of the electorate.

BN may have succeeded in swinging the representatives over, but the electorate it has not. This only serves to make BN more repugnant than it already is.

Richard Teo: Its sickening. Once again the will of the people has been frustrated by the BN government which has used their power and money to lure the required number of reps to take over the Perak government.

It does not take a genius to know where the Pakatan Rakyat weakness was centred. The two reps who defected were involved in a corruption case which was scheduled for hearing on Feb 10.

What was offered to them is a matter of conjecture but their disappearance during the first few days of the Chinese New Year holidays indicated some kind of deal was struck and the two PKR member was going to hop over to BN in order to save their skin.

It would be interesting to see how the corruption case will now proceed. Most likely the powers-that-be behind the BN government will arrange for some kind of show trial which will eventually exonerate them of any guilt.

The only way for Perak to have a government of the people and for the people is to have a snap election which will finally decide which coalition should have the mandate to form the state government.

This can only happen if the Perak Sultan plays a pivotal role by being non-partisan in his decision to call for a snap election. For a democracy to survive and flourish, the sultan must pay heed to the wishes of its people.

The March 8 election which swept Pakatan Rakyat to power was no accident. If BN is allowed to frustrate the will of the people, then change will not happen because they have deemed it fit to cast aside the aspirations of the people.

This is a testing time for our democracy and the Perak Sultan's decision will no doubt indicate which direction our fledgling democracy will be heading.

Dian Abdullah: Twist and turn, here and there. Well, now it is up to the Sultan of Perak to do the right thing. That is to dissolve the state assembly and let the people decide again.

The arrogant manner Umno had continued with will not last long. In fact, if fresh elections are permitted, I am very sure the people of Perak will teach and even shame Najib and Umno beyond repair.

The Perak people have benefitted much during the short period under MB Mohd Nizar. Though many obstacles were put in front of him by Umno, he never once lost his cool.

Instead, he continued dutifully with his work. This is what the people have observed and I believe the royalty has noticed that too.

Like all Malaysians, I truly believe many more people have become sick and tired of the way money had been used to purchase power and position.

Umno stands to lose all rights and positions in Perak for a long, long time. The people of Perak will do their ‘kung fu kick' and seal their fate.

Aliran Executive Committee: Aliran is alarmed that the duly elected legitimate government in Perak is being toppled through immoral party-hopping thus frustrating the will of the people.

These party hoppers do not represent themselves but they are the representatives of the people. In the last election, these individuals were not elected solely on their individual merit.

Votes were mainly cast for the Pakatan Rakyat in rejecting the BN. If the people had chosen to cast their votes on the merit and qualification of candidates, many of them would not have been elected.

It is very clear the votes were meant for the party. These individuals have no right to now nullify the electoral process.

It would only be morally right that the state assembly be dissolved and fresh elections be held. Let the people decide again who should form government.

An alternative government should not be allowed to emerge through defections under such questionable and dubious circumstances without seeking a fresh mandate from the people in line with their aspirations.

Michael: Nizar is still the MB of Perak. The existing state assembly recognises him as the MB to date.

He will only lose his post via a vote of no-confidence against him in the state assembly and not outside the state assembly ,in concordance with the laws of Perak.

Until the next state assembly meeting is conducted to sack him, he is still the lawful MB. This is different from the absence of a valid state assembly (as normally happens immediately after a fresh election) when the party with the simple majority is allowed to form the government.

Therefore, His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Perak will not be wrong should he decide to dissolve the state assembly upon the request by the current MB.

Unless, of course, our beloved sultan thinks that BN will be able to form a more stable and united state government.

Jamaluddin oh Jamaluddin...

Beberapa hari yang lalu, saya terbaca satu artikel di Harakahdaily, menyatakan bahawa Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, ADUN Behrang, di dalam tempohnya sebagai wakil rakyat KEADILAN ada menyebarkan khabar angin menyatakan bahawa Menteri Besar Perak, YAB Dato' Seri Haji Ir. Mohd. Nizar Jamaluddin adalah 'patung boneka' parti DAP.

Seingat saya, Jamaluddin bersama - sama dengan Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham serta YAB Menteri Besar adalah calon - calon Menteri Besar Perak yang baru ekoran kemenangan Pakatan Rakyat di dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-12 tahun lalu.

Jamaluddin oh Jamaluddin...mengapa dengan dikau, wahai Ludin?

Adakah engkau di dalam kesedihan yang teramat kerana tidak dicalonkan? Sungguhpun engkau hanya sekangkang kera daripada menjadi orang teratas negeri Perak?

Jamaluddin oh Jamaluddin...

Tidakkah engkau sedar? Andaikata engkau yang menjadi Menteri Besar sekalipun, nescaya engkau juga akan turut dilabel 'patung boneka' DAP.

Entahlah, Ludin. Aku malas nak layan perangai engkau.

Palestin...

لا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرِينَ لِعَدُوِّهِمْ قَاهِرِينَ لا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَصَابَهُمْ مِنْ لَأْوَاءَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُمْ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَأَيْنَ هُمْ قَالَ ‏ ‏بِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ ‏ ‏وَأَكْنَافِ ‏ ‏بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ



"Akan sentiasa ada wujud sekumpulan dari umatku yang terus menegakkan kebenaran dan tegas mendepani musuh. Tidak memudaratkan perjuangan mereka walau dipinggirkan dan dirintangi kesusahan kecuali ujian (Ilahi) sehinggalah datang ketentuan Allah. Mereka akan tetap sedemikian."

Bertanya para sahabat, "Ya Rasulullah. Di mana mereka itu?"

Baginda S.A.W. menjawab, "Mereka berada di Baitul Maqdis dan di kawasan sekitarnya."



"There will always exist amongst my ummah, a group that will constantly uphold the truth and firmly face the enemy. Their struggle shall not be affected though reclused and resisted by hardship besides tests (from Allah) until Allah's will comes. They shall remain so in that way."

The companions ask, "Where are they, O Messenger of Allah?"

The Messenger (pbuh) replied, "(They are situated in) Baitul Maqdis and the areas that surround it."


SOURCE: THE MUSNAD OF IMAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL

A Middle Class Malay Perspective

(Artikel ini diambil dari laman The Star Online edisi 14 Disember 2008)

IN the strident and unnecessarily unpleasant debate over the concept of ketuanan Melayu and the Malay community’s political future, the quiet voices of urban middle-class Malays have yet to make themselves heard.

As a partial corrective, I spoke to several members of a tribe that, while small in number, is intriguing from a social anthropology perspective.

The Malays of the anak Datuk class – the children of senior civil servants and technocrats whose parents’ careers in public service predated the Mahathir era – are interesting in that their values and ideas about Malaysia must have been formed at least in part by their families’ experiences of nation building.

As their parents made the country, it stands to reason that they would have a considerable emotional stake in how it develops in the future.

Even within this rarefied sub-caste of children of the Establishment who are not themselves involved in politics, however, their feelings about ketuanan Melayu show a marked diversity.

Fahmi Fadzil, 27, is a writer and performer. He is the son of Datuk Fadzil Yunus, the former director-general – and later general manager – of the Felda group of companies, and Datin Fauziah Ramly, a senior civil servant who was most recently a Commissioner with the Public Service Commission.

I asked him what he makes of the concept of ketuanan Melayu.

“I never grew up thinking about it very much. My parents never spoke to me about it. Even when I was in college the whole matter was never really present in how I saw things.

“I think because I live in KL – and especially because my parents came from that group of earlier middle class Malay civil servants – I don’t think I would subscribe to ideas of ketuanan Melayu.”

But does he subscribe in any way to the idea that the Malays are the natural leaders – or in some way the owners – of Malaysia?

“No. On my father’s side I’m the fourth generation born on this peninsula, on my mother’s side just the third generation, so I see myself as a pendatang too. I don’t subscribe to the idea of a natural leadership role for the Malays.

“More than that, as a Muslim, I don’t see the need for this. There is no such thing as one group being ethnically superior to another.

“The thing I remember most from school, from kelas agama, (is that) from the early days of Islam there was a clear message that you were all the same. Whether you were Arabs or not, you are all the same now.

“We should be talking about values and principles held by people rather than subscribing to simplistic ideas of certain ethnicities being the owners of the land. I don’t subscribe to that, and even if I did, I think the rightful owners would be the Orang Asal.”

Datuk Zahim Albakri, 45, the director and actor, is the son of Datuk Ikmal Hisham Albakri, the first Malay architect and the first President of Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, who designed the National Library, Putra World Trade Centre, and the Bank Bumiputera headquarters in KL.

Zahim’s grandfather, Datuk Seri Mustafa Albakri, of the Malayan Civil Service, was the first Commissioner of the Election Commission and the first Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal.

For Zahim, coming to grips with the concept of ketuanan Melayu means dispelling ambiguity: “There seems to be a confusion between the bumiputera policy (the New Economic Policy) and the idea of ketuanan Melayu. The bumiputera policy was a reaction to the riots of 1969, whereas ketuanan Melayu, in the Constitution, I don’t think is particularly giving special privileges or rights to the Malays, it’s to ensure that the Malay Rulers have a certain place, to ensure that those institutions continue.

“I grew up in a family where we were brought up with the understanding that the Malay rulers are there, and this is our history, our culture.

“I grew up with my granddad being proudly Malay, and proudly Orang Perak. There was this sense of being proud of our culture. But never were we made to think that being Malay gave us a right to something beyond.

“I was brought up (to believe) that every citizen in Malaysia was equal. I was never brought up believing that Malays should have more than everyone else.”

How would he feel about a non-Malay Prime Minister?

“I have no problem with a non-Malay PM. It should be about their competence. It should be the best person for the job.”

The composer Datin Saidah Rastam comes from a family steeped in public life. Her maternal grandfather was Perak’s 14th Datuk Panglima Kinta, who held 56 public service posts at the time of his death. Her father is Datuk Rastam Hadi, the former managing director of Petronas and former deputy governor of Bank Negara. Her husband is the urbane lawyer-turned-banker Datuk Charon Mokhzani (who, with exquisite politeness, declined to be interviewed for this article).

Says Saidah, “I think the races should be treated equally and the biggest thing that makes me uneasy about the concept of ketuanan Melayu is that it’s increasingly being used in fascist ways.”

She believes that the NEP “was a necessary thing at the time, given the racial tensions, but that’s different from the concept of Malay supremacy”.

She points to the historical record: “Tun Razak said that that was only for that time, and this NEP thing would end at some point, so that’s different from the notion that there’s an inherent Malay supremacy that can’t be questioned, which I’m very uneasy with.

“I’m somebody who benefited from the policies which favoured Malays – at the outset I’m happy to admit that. But looking at things today, my personal view is that we should give everybody equal opportunities because the policies favouring Malays haven’t been used properly.

“And given that the people who are supposed to safeguard the correct implementation of the policies are the same ones who benefit from them, I’m not optimistic that those policies will be correctly implemented.”

Dain-Iskandar Said is a writer and film director. His father was Datuk Mohamed Said Zain, a diplomat and intelligence officer.

He sees the concept of ketuanan Melayu as “outmoded, out of step with the times we live in, when the world is becoming more and more global. The world over, people are bringing down barriers of race, yet we are trying to instill and install those outmoded values.”

In his eyes, there are many aspects to the problem. “First, what is a Malay? Most Malays I know are some kind of mix, so who defines being Malay? Who are the guardians of the definition?

“The definition of ketuanan Melayu seems to be Umno; it always seems to lead back to Umno’s agenda.

“I’m not saying that outside of it it’s not valid; it may be valid to a lot of people. I can understand that. The main problem is the way it’s implemented. The tone of it is fascistic.”

For him, the promotion of the tenets of ketuanan Melayu “exposes deep insecurity, because if you really believe you are leading this country, what are you so scared of? I don’t think any of the other races want to take that away from you. They can’t, because in the Constitution are enshrined certain precepts.”

Dain argues that our debate is impoverished. “While many of us middle class Malays can be liberal and open, there’s never been any kind of infrastructure that supports ideas or traditions of openness.

“So on the one hand you have people who are willing to be open and liberal, but on the other hand it is so easy to destroy it, because there is no critical, intellectual or educational infrastructure to support those ideas.

“When you attack something that has no support, it is so easy to play to the rural Malay masses, to instill that kind of fear, and make people feel extremely powerless.

“There’s no tradition of talking critically about race and identity politics. You’re almost suspended in a vacuum.”

This is a vacuum that we need to fill with the plurality and diversity of our opinions. It has always been the position of Wide Angle that Malaysia’s many problems and tensions should not be ignored; they need to be addressed by continued, forthright yet respectful debate by citizens, and the issue of ketuanan Melayu is no exception.

Zon S&T: The PMH secretariat that was generated by brotherhood

Last night, as I was clearing my laptop of unwanted, expired files, I encountered a folder labelled "Persatuan Mahasiswa Hadhari". In it was another sub-folder labelled "Sekretariat Kejuruteraan". In it were numerous files of my/our works in ye olde days, consisting of the draft of the first ever copy of PMH's official newsletter, the Raudhah Tribune, programme reports, minutes of meetings. My God, how the years have passed.

It was the middle of Ramadhan in 2005, I attended the first Annual General Meeting of PMH, which was then newly established, being only a month old. It was during this meeting that the first official president, Yusfizal Mat Yusof, who would later become one of my closest companion, was elected.

Without even realizing it, I was nominated for the post of Chairman for the division of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering by my friend, Azmil Abrar, who was also the founding father of PMH, and won uncontested.

The initial stage of enliving the division was a tough one. Unlike other chairpersons of other divisions, I knew no one in the Majlis Tertinggi (High Council). Furthermore, I've never met them before. One night, as it happens, I came face-to-face with the president himself. From there, I asked him of what I am currently supposed to do. He told me to firstly recruit students from my faculty, and fill in the posts of vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer, and relevant bureaus.

In the first round of recruitment, there were only 6 people; 4 girls, 2 guys. This was predicted of course since, in my days, engineering students were somewhat isolated from the world of religious societies and activities. Furthermore, the term Hadhari in those days was a strong political sentiment. I took this oppurtunity to explain as to how the term came into existence, plus the REAL objectives of this society

This was followed by assigning posts to them. Since not all of them were electrical students, automatically the division of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering was born. Alhamdulillah, in the weeks to come, a generous number of students called / sms-ed expressing their intention to be recruited. Not only from the engineering faculties, but also from the faculties of pharmacy and medical.

Since we were not assigned any special tasks by the High Council for that particular semester, we were free at our own will to plan our own activities / programmes. Amongst all listed, the one activity which lasted until today was the establishment of PMH's official newsletter.

Only three were involved in generating this newsletter, including myself, as many others were involved in final-year presentations, say nothing of those who signed-up, but never turned up.

The name given to this newsletter was Qaulul Mujaddid, later renamed Qaulul Jadid. It was a simple one; one-paged, and only one simple article (extracted from the book, Laa Tahzan). The beauty of it is that, as it was not official, being but a test-drive, we were not funded. So, each of us (including those not involved in this newsletter) contributed any RM1, RM5, RM10 that we had so that this 'project' can initiate.

Following the success of this newsletter, distributed like hot cakes, we decided to upgrade the newsletter. Since we were nearing the examination period, plans were made for the newsletter to be presented in front of the High Council next semester, and acquire the rights to manage it.

The next semester, the newsletter project was successfully presented during a meeting with the High Council and EXCO members. We were acquired the rights. I mentioned our intentions to rename and regenerate the newsletter. An EXCO member, Khulailah suggested the name SOUNDS OF HEAVEN. I took this name to the division meeting, and after considering, and using the arabic term of HEAVEN which translates it as RAUDHAH, we renamed the newsletter, RAUDHAH TRIBUNE. And thus, a newsletter was born; with multiple pages similar to the size of a standard magazine. We were funded by the Islamic Center of UiTM (CITU).

During that semester, many left UiTM, not to mention the only surviving division being that of electrical and civil. And so, we combined our division and renamed it, GABUNGAN FAKULTI - FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN. That semester, apart from the newsletter project, we were assigned to establish a public forum. It was the first tough challenge ever for us, having no experience whatsoever, with limited assistance. Alhamdulillah, despite certain glitches, the programme went on well.

The following year, Yusfizal was replaced by Zul Husni, of whom I would later make a companion out of him. In the earlier stages, I was no longer associated with the division. I was an EXCO member for a week, until the Student Affairs' Unit asked me to resign due to technical glitches. I was assigned Head of Publications, in charge of the newsletter established previously.

I was never happy. One of it being that 'while I was gone', the High Council-elect made modifications to the newsletter, even changing the name. Alhamdulillah, they changed the newsletter back to its original state after multiple arguments. But, upon all, I was working with bureaucrat-minded people.

In February, Zul Husni reestablished the society divisions, including my former division, which was renamed SEKRETARIAT ZON SAINS & TEKNOLOGI (Secretariat of the Science & Technology Division), which comprised of all engineering faculties, plus pharmacy, medical, and dentistry faculties. I was recalled to lead the secretariat.

My first order of the day, was to recall all those who were previously part of the division, and still in UiTM. There were a large number of fresh members too, most of them from the pharmacy, dentistry, and medical faculties. Amongst all, they were people who were willing to engage themselves in any given task/activity.

We had our first assignment from the president, and it was this assignment (programme) that contributed to the landslide popularity of this secretariat. Not the succession of the programme, but the management, and the people who were involved in it; most of them being freshies with no experiences, but performing high rank tasks (in those days, it was common for a certain task of high rank to be distributed among closest friends and those with connections to influenced individuals).

Later, after being informed of the possibility of being transferred to Penang, I vacated my post, only to receive a letter by Zul Husni a week later, insisting that I replace him temporarily as president of PMH, since I 'had nothing better to do'.

My two years being in the division was a memorable one. Despite the 2007 half being a promising one, with all the popularity earned, I was more devoted to the 2006 half.

Compared to 2007, in 2006 we were nobody in the eyes of many. We started humble, no cable no nothing. Everyone struggled to keep the division going. Everyone had their share of responsibility and contribution. We were strongly attached to one another, being a community of less than 10.

The initial success of this secretariat / division was not based on bureaucracy. It was based on the flexibility of performing a given task. It was not based on the number of strengths, it was based on the strength of the heart.

Obama's victory speech

...I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; it grew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organised, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory...

(Click here to read more)


Source: BBC NEWS

The day I indulged myself in politics...practically

During my school years, I wore a songkok to school. Initially, it was a sign of protest to Mr. Ang Tun Seng, who was then the disciplinary teacher for the afternoon period. He disallowed the wearing of the songkok as it was not listed in the school's dressing code. The year was 2000.

In 2003, I was appointed president of the Islamic Society. At the same time, we had a new headmistress, Pn. Norhayati Alias, whom I was close with 'til she was transferred to the Ministry. My juniors (anak buah) in the afternoon period complained to me of the neverending peril of Ang Tun Seng and his songkok issue. Seeing the oppurtunity of the current position I was currently in, I forwarded this matter to the headmistress for further actions.

A couple of weeks later, I was informed that the headmistress has warned all teachers and staffs not to restrict students from wearing the songkok at any given time.

A junior of mine told me shortly, that "we have won the battle". To me, the battle may have proved successive, but the war is yet to cease, as I found out later throughout the respected year.

I soon learnt that the Islamic Society is not just about organizing ceramahs, religious-based activities. It is also about performing da'wah upon others. In those days, organizing an event was easy, as the headmistress pays special attention to the society.

But that was short-lived, as she was transferred to the Ministry 8 months after she was appointed headmistress. Rumour has it that the transfer was planned by certain staffs, since, compared to previous headmistresses, she was a strict and firm one, and not one of the staffs are to play-the-fool while she's in charge.

I'll remember her as the one person whom I dearly respect.

My career does not end there. In late 2005, I was appointed the first chairman of the Engineering Division Secretariat of the newly established Persatuan Mahasiswa Hadhari (PMH), a religious-based society in UiTM Shah Alam. I was re-appointed the same post in early 2007, only that the secretariat has been renamed to Secretariat of The Science & Technology Division.

Throughout the period, I still indulged myself in da'wah activities, only that my method of performing so has been upgraded from the previous experiences obtained during my days in the Islamic Society, in which I learnt how to know and understand the mentality of those who are my targets, and organize something in a way that they are able to accept mostly, if not fully.

Alhamdulillah, they proved to be a success, though I do not deny that there were times when things went wrong. But from it, I learnt to be calm, as those under my guidance would look up upon me for solutions. I had experiences being under someone in certain activities. And, dear me, the tantrums he would be in, not to mention us being the victims of those that we did not commit.

And, it is from these experiences, that I taught myself not to inherit such attitudes, as I know how much it would hurt those under my guidance. My intention was for them to gain knowledge and experience, not as my punching bag.

Today, I am a retiree, or veteran as some of my friends describe me as. Most of the time, I would sit alone in my own world planning for the future, while people would come to me seeking my opinion regarding the things I have performed in the past that are about to be performed.

Yet, I do not deny, at times I would be called upon, to participate myself as a committee member of certain activities.

Truly knowledge does not come to one ready-to-use. They come in forms of experiences, for us to mould and shape, to be used whenever and wherever possible, for the benefit of us and the benefit of others.

One of the factors that man is respected for, is his knowledge and experience. Not to say that I am one of them, of course. Besides, I remain in cognito of whatever it is that I possess within me, be it good or bad, beneficial or otherwise.

Hindraf hanya bermasalah dengan Umno BUKANNYA Islam

(Artikel ini dipetik daripada akhbar HARAKAH, bil. 1385, edisi Isnin, 27-30 Oktober 2008)

KUALA LUMPUR: Pemimpin Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), P. Waythamoorhy mengulangi bahawa pihaknya hanya bermasalah dengan Umno, dan bukannya dengan orang Melayu dan Islam.

"Tuduhan bahawa Hindraf adalah pertubuhan pelampau dan dakwaan (bahawa Hindraf) mengisytiharkan orang - orang Melayu dan Islam sebagai satu - satunya musuh meraka adalah tuduhan yang tidak masuk akal sama sekali dan pembohongan tera - terangan," katanya.

Hindraf juga, kata beliau yang kini berada dalam pelarian di England, tidak pernah menjadi pertubuhan keagamaan.

Ketika mengumumkan pengharaman Hindraf, Menteri Dalam Negeri Dato' Seri Syed Hamid Albar berkata, ksan kegiatan Hindraf itu, akan mncetuskan kebangkitan penentangan sebahagian rakyat keturunan India terhadap kerajaan serta menimbulkan kebencian di antara orang Melayu dan India di negara ini.

Menyangkal dakwaan itu, Waythamoorthy berkata, Hindraf hanya membangkitkan hal - hal masyarakat India dan hak - hak penganut agama Hindu yang sah di sisi perlembagaan negara dan dekarasi hak - hak asasi manusia sedunia.

"Kami sentiasa menyatakan bahawa kami tidak pernah mempunyai sebarang masalah dengan orang Melayu dan Islam tetapi kami mempunyai masalah yang serius dengan Umno, yang bersifat pembuli dan mengamalkan polisi - polisi pecah dan perintah yang bersifat perkauman dan ekstremis untuk terus berkuasa di Malaysia," Malaysiakini memetik beliau berkata.

Sementara itu, Parti Gerakan menyifatkan keputusan kerajaan mengharamkan pertubuhan Hindraf seagai tidak wajar kerana langkah itu akn menutup sepenuhnya isu - isu yang diutarakan kumpulan berkenaan selain menimbulkan masalah - masalah lain.

"Kebanyakan isu yang dibangkitkan oleh pertubuhan itu adalah berhubung dengan keadaan ekonomi, tahanan ISA, hak asasi kemanusiaan dan kawasan tapak ibadat yang mrupakan perkara asas tuntutan badan buka kerajaan yang lain," kata Timbalan Presidennya, Dato' Chang Ko Youn.

Untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut tentang HINDRAF, sila klik di sini / Click here to read more on HINDRAF

Scientific Deductions of The Syari'ah Law

This article is the continuation for the article Islamic Judiciary & The Perception of Man.

Alas, I have left most of my resources back in Kuala Lumpur, as I had never expected my stay in Penang to be extended until the end of the year, furthermore to have any access at all to write out my thoughts on any available medium.

However, I can still recall an article I published in 2006 on a newsletter of one of the university societies that I participated actively back in Shah Alam. The article emphasised on the benefits of performing 100 lashes on an unmarried person, stoning to death on a married man commited of adultery.

An unmarried person has full antibody within him, whilst a married person's antibody is only about 10% of the original capacity. This antibody is vital in neutralizing any foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses; in this case, any viruses formed as a result of adultery.

To activate the antibody, man must be in pain. Therefore, what better way than whipping.

However, for a married person, no matter how much pain he/she is in, the remaining antibody is insufficient to fight off the viruses. And it is these viruses that contribute to Sexually-Transmitted Diseases (STD). That is why the person is sentenced to be stoned to death, not only to stop the spread of the virus, but the stoning itself humiliates he/she who has commited adultery, and as a lesson to others.

Is Syari'ah law really a threat to human rights as so described by those who know not of its knowledge? Think again...

Islamic Judiciary and The Perception of Man @ The Islamic Syari'ah Law

The Islamic Syari'ah Law is not something unfamiliar in this country, let alone the world. It is something mentioned by almost anybody anywhere.

In Malaysia, Islamic Syari'ah Law is commonly spoken of, mostly by the members of the political party, Pan-Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). There are people who support the idea of implementing the law as part of the Malaysian judiciary system.

But then, there are too, those who oppose the idea. One would guess that those who oppose are non-Muslims. In a way, yes, Lim Kit Siang, and Karpal Singh among the top ones. Muslims should accept and face this reality, as they are not Muslims themselves, thus they know less the knowledge of Islam. That is one reason why it is essential to perform the da'wah (preach/explain/teach) to them (non-Muslims)

Surprisingly, there are among Muslims who too, oppose the idea of a Syari'ah judiciary system. When compared among the two, it is the Muslims who oppose more than the non-Muslims.

When the non-Muslim is asked why, his/her explanation is simple, he/she fears that there will be the advantage of Muslims upon non-Muslims, and that they fear that the judiciary system will weigh more towards those who are Muslims.

But, when the Muslim is asked for the reason of opposing, the so-called reasons are as follows:

1. That the Malays* will not progress, as his hand(s) is/are amputated.
2. That development will come to a halt, as all the bricks are being used to stone married Malays who have commited adultery.
3. That restaurants and hawkers will serve 'Hand Soup' as Menu-of-The-Day to customers.
4. That women will be stripped of their human rights.

In response to the non-Muslim's perception, let it be known that Islam is a religion that is fair to all. When it comes to justice, Islam does not judge one by race, religion, power, nor wealth.

In response to the Muslim's perception, oh my God!!! What a bloody nincompoop. Do you really have to be that daft??? You are a Muslim, you have been taught the teachings and knowledges of Islam since when you were but a child. And yet, you make these perceptions. Let it be known to you, that mocking the word of Allah, is the same as mocking Him, and that can lead to you being denounced from Islam altogether.

It might be true, in a way, if the Malays will not progress, IF AND ONLY IF...upon implementation of the Syari'ah law, the Malay community would directly walk out into the streets and declare mass robbery, looting everything in their path.

Despite the fact that the number of crimes in this country are never at rest, one will not have to expect the wrongdoers to be sentenced daily, or on a regular basis. Why?

The Chinese have a saying,

"Kill one to warn a hundred"

All it takes is for one to be sentenced, and that is enough to warn the others not to follow his/her footsteps. Furthermore, who would want to walk on the streets exposing his 'sentence' to the public? It would be total humility.

Feared of being wrongfully sentenced? In Islam, once someone is being found and sentenced/confessed guilty, he/she would then be asked as to why the crime is performed. If the accused admits the fact that he/she has been forced/threatened/beyond his or her will, the charge upon him/her will be dropped. If however, he/she admits to doing it at his/her own will, without any external force, only then he/she will be charged.

Verily, throughout the years, science has deduced the benefits of the Syari'ah law sentence. But this, I will publish under a new article, insya-Allah.


*Malay: Based on the Malaysian Federal Constitution, a Malay is a native who practices Islam as his/her religion