Saturday 7 September 2013
Countdown to destroy Bajrangbali Temple at Inda crossing at Kharagpur, West Bengal.
Save Bajrangbali Temple at Inda, Kharagpur, reach there in thousands.
Swarnamay Pandey | Hindu Existence Media | Kharagpur | 05 Sept 2013::
After the order passed by the Honb’le Calcutta High Court denying
illegal Imam and Muezzin honorarium given by Mamta Banerjee’s Govt. of
West Bengal, some Hindu youths gathered to a Bajrangbali Temple near
Inda More (crossing) within Kharagpur municipality area with an exalted
mood and they distributed some sweets between them. Being annoyed with
the High court order and exaltation expressed by public, now local TMC
Councillor Sri Mayna Chatterjee of Ward no. 2 and Babla Sengupta, the
husband of Councillor of Ward No. 1, Smt Amiya Sengupta, along with 4
Muslims went to Kharagpur (Town) Police Station on Tuesday evening
(03/09/2013) and complained against this Bajrangbali Temple only, while
several such Masjids and Mazars have sprung up in nearby areas.
Then and there, Police tried to destroy
it and sent RAF, imposed Sec. 144 and dispersed the over 400 crowd
mainly Hindu youths and women in the morning of 4th Sept when they were
peacefully protesting against the atrocities without indulging in any
violent act or roadblock etc. Local Hindus who worship at the temple
sent a deputation letter to Kharagpur S.D.O signed by over 500 people.
Now the administration have covered the temple with large black
polythene and denying local Hindus for their rights of religious
freedom in Secular India.
Today on 5th September, 2013, Thursday at
4.30 pm, the time has been set by police given in the notice for
destruction of the Bajrangbali Mandir as served in its wall of the
temple and RAF has cordoned off the area but locals are pledging to save
it by staging peaceful protest demonstration.
As per the latest report came in, the
Police and Administration is hatching a conspiracy to destroy the temple
at the dead of night as the protestant worshipers of the temple are
thronged nearby to resist the temple destruction.
Save Bajrangbali Temple at Inda,
Kharagpur, reach there in thousands. Please make a phone call to Smt R
Vimla, IAS, SDO (Kharagpur), Land 03222-225345 (O) and 03222-278859 (R),
Mobile – 9434006180; SDPO Kharagpur 03222 – 255973 and Sri Arunav Das,
WBPS, IC, Kharagpur (T) PS – Land 03222-255967, Mobile – 9732627070.
As per
latest reports from Kharagpur, the temple still survives. Devout Hindus
of the area and RSS, Bajrangdal, Hindu Jagran manch teams are watching
the situation very closely.
Muslim cleric arrested for abducting 11-year-old girl
Sex determination test adds to women’s woes
Interviews by Killid confirm there is greater violence against women at home when they have daughters
By Kreshma Fakhri
It has become socially acceptable for pregnant women to undergo sex determination tests across the country.KreshmaFakhri investigates.
Female Afghans are not safe even inside their mother's womb,say activists and human rights defenders. The ultrasound sonography machine is being widely misused for pre-natal sex determination not only in Kabul but also in many cities and provinces.
Khost
In Khost families celebrate when anultrasound test identifies a male foetus. Earlier the celebration followed the birth of a male child.
Dr Tasalwho has a diagnostic centre in Khost says up to 80 women come to him daily for sex determination tests. "Those who don't have a sonbeg doctors to abort the foetus if it is a girl. They say they will be beaten and subjected to psychological violence at home."
Another Khost doctor, Jumazar, says he has seen families distribute candy worth thousands of Afghanis at news of a male foetus. There is no such celebration in the case of the foetus being female.
Jawas Khan who lives in a village in Musakhil district, Khost province, says he knows a woman who bore five daughters, and when the sixth daughter was born the milk in her breast ran dry from anxiety. "Most of the families look at their daughters like they are not creatures of God. As if the world has been made only for men," he observes. The gender bias is so strong that Farooq, also from Khost, say families are ashamed when daughters are born.
NasratHabib, a sociologist in Khost, observes the hold of patriarchy makes families think, "Girls are a problem".
Nangarhar
Interviews by Killid confirm there is greater violence against women at home when they have daughters.
Maryam is one such victim. She has two daughters. She says her husband Mirwais took her for an ultrasound in MokhaberatChowk in Jalalabad City on her second pregnancy. The sonograph showed the foetus was female. "My husband got angry in the clinic. He beat me," she says. Thereafter the beating at home only increased. "He divorced me and sent me to my father's house," she adds.
Nargis, 40, who has two daughters, was similarly divorced. She has been living with her father in a rented house, and is worried about her children's fate. "My husband had two other wives and when I produced daughters successively he threw me out of the house. It was three years ago that he gave me a divorce," she says.
Dr Jan Aqawho runs a private clinic in Nangarhar says more than a quarter of patients coming for an ultrasound want to know the sex of the foetus.
The doctor says many times the men beat the women as soon as they find out they are carrying a female foetus. Not enough is being done to spread the awareness that it is the male chromosome that determines the sex of the child.
Kabul
The situation in the capital is not any better than in the provinces. Some people say women here willingly resort to illegal abortions because they know their families are against daughters. Abortion is banned unless it is a medical emergency.
Mary who has three daughters and one son told Killid: "I want another son. I am looking to adopt a male child." She says she is scared to get pregnant "in case it is a daughter".
Dr Nasrin Oryakhil, administrative director ofMalalai Maternity Hospital in Kabul confirms there is widespread son preference in Afghan society, and says it is the result of lack of both awareness and rights of women.
"Unfortunately the custom is still existent in Afghanistan that families are not interested in having daughters andthey only want to have sons," she says.
She shares the case of a woman with seven daughters who gave up her eighth daughter for adoption immediately after the delivery at the hospital saying her husband would not accept the newborn or "feed her".
Oryakhil believes this desperation for a male child is a result of "pressure" from families on women. "Patients show all kinds of reaction to the pressure. Some go into depression after the delivery. Others have no milk to breastfeed their newborns. All this is the result of imposed pressure on the woman by her husband and family. Otherwise a mother has a kind heart. She loves even her disabled child," she says.
Oryakhil urges doctors not to reveal the sex of the foetus to patients whatever the pressure. She believes this single factor leads to greater violence against women. When the foetus is female, she says, "Women are insulted, sometimes not fed, not taken to a health centre. This is really a problem."
KarimaSalek, director of Kabul's women's affairs department, confirms sex determination tests endanger the life of the mother and increase violence against them.
MawlawiJanatGul, a religious scholar in Khost, urges people to remember, "God's mercy shines for many days on a family in which a girl is born - contrary to the birth of a boy."
Jakim uses Friday sermon to attack non-Muslims over use of Allah
Four days before the Allah issue returns to court, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department
(Jakim) today hit out at non-Muslims for challenging the Muslim faith by insisting on using the word.
The Islamic authority, in its Friday sermon today, claimed that apart from Allah, the words solat (prayer), tauhid (belief in God), Rasul (prophet), Kaabah and Haji (holy pilgrimage) were exclusive to Muslims.
"The position of Islam is being threatened from every corner. We must be aware of our responsibility in this issue. These are the rights of Muslims that cannot be intruded by anyone as it will affect the beliefs and thoughts of Muslims,” said Jakim in the sermon.
“Are we prepared to hear non-Muslims calling their churches ‘Rumah Allah’ and calling their Gods ‘Allah’? This will threaten the faith of young Muslims.
“The non-Muslims are out to confuse Muslims by claiming that all religions are equal."
Jakim then urged Muslims to unite in protecting the purity and identity of its religion.
Last month, the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church failed in its bid to strike out the government’s appeal against the High Court’s landmark ruling in 2009 which held that Catholics who use Bahasa Malaysia in their worship and the Al-Kitab (the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia, pic) have the right to use the word Allah to refer as their God.
The controversy began when former Home Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar signed an order prohibiting the Herald from using the word Allah in the Bahasa Malaysia pages of its weekly publication.
This led to KL Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam filing a judicial review application in 2009 to allow Herald to use the word Allah.
The High Court subsequently allowed the church’s application and lifted the Home Minister’s ban.
The Herald is published in four languages, and has been using the word Allah as a translation for Almighty God in its Bahasa Malaysia-language section, which caters to the Sabahan and Sarawakian Catholics studying and working in the peninsula, since September 1995, but the government argued that Allah should be used exclusively by Muslims.
Though the Catholic Church brought the suit against the government, other Christians and even the Sikh community have made it clear that the word Allah should not be exclusive to Muslims, pointing out its centuries-long usage in Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as in the Middle-east for more than 2,000 years. – September 6, 2013.
‘Reveal your secret pact with Najib’
A disgruntled MIC CWC member feels belittled and betrayed for not being told the details of the pact.
PETALING JAYA: KP Samy, a MIC central working committee (CWC) member, today called upon the party’s top leaders to reveal the ‘agreement’ they reached in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
The veteran CWC member said that 630,000 party members were kept in the dark over the secret pact agreed upon by these leaders to avert contest for the president’s seat.
Samy sent an official letter to the MIC headquarters today, urging the party leaders to convene an emergency CWC meeting.
The emergency meeting is requested in order to compel the party leaders to explain what really transpired during the meeting with the PM.
Samy claimed that seventy percent of the CWC members have agreed on the emergency meeting.
“CWC members were not aware of what transpired during the meeting. We have to be transparent, so we know why certain actions had been taken.
“The leaders are duty-bound to explain to party members on what exactly transpired during the meeting,” said Samy.
On Aug 18, Najib met MIC’s top leaders, namely president G Palanivel, deputy president Dr S Subramaniam and vice presidents, M Saravanan and S K Devamany, supposedly to discuss party polls, especially the race for the president’s post. Until then Subramaniam was touted to challenge Palanivel for the top post.
After the meeting, Palanivel hinted strongly that there will be no contest for the top two positions, i.e. president and deputy president; and that they would not face ‘strong challengers’.
Palanivel only affirmed that there will be contest for the three vice presidents’ posts and CWC positions.
Palanivel re-elected without contest
Sources meanwhile said that a compromise was reached between the two leaders upon the intervention by BN chairman Najib.
The MIC president is elected by the 4,000-odd branch chairmen. He faced no contest when nominations closed last weekend.
Contest for other posts including deputy president, vice presidents and 23 CWC members will be carried out during the party election coming November. Leaders for these positions will be picked by some 1,500 divisional delegates.
Samy also called upon the MIC leaders to explain issues on certain assets, mainly the Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) and AIMST University.
“These assets amount to about RM1.2 billion. I challenge the leaders to clarify the ownership of these assets.
“We want to know if they belong to MIC or retired politicians. I expect the leaders to explain with proof of course,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: KP Samy, a MIC central working committee (CWC) member, today called upon the party’s top leaders to reveal the ‘agreement’ they reached in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.The veteran CWC member said that 630,000 party members were kept in the dark over the secret pact agreed upon by these leaders to avert contest for the president’s seat.
Samy sent an official letter to the MIC headquarters today, urging the party leaders to convene an emergency CWC meeting.
The emergency meeting is requested in order to compel the party leaders to explain what really transpired during the meeting with the PM.
Samy claimed that seventy percent of the CWC members have agreed on the emergency meeting.
“CWC members were not aware of what transpired during the meeting. We have to be transparent, so we know why certain actions had been taken.
“The leaders are duty-bound to explain to party members on what exactly transpired during the meeting,” said Samy.
On Aug 18, Najib met MIC’s top leaders, namely president G Palanivel, deputy president Dr S Subramaniam and vice presidents, M Saravanan and S K Devamany, supposedly to discuss party polls, especially the race for the president’s post. Until then Subramaniam was touted to challenge Palanivel for the top post.
After the meeting, Palanivel hinted strongly that there will be no contest for the top two positions, i.e. president and deputy president; and that they would not face ‘strong challengers’.
Palanivel only affirmed that there will be contest for the three vice presidents’ posts and CWC positions.
Palanivel re-elected without contest
Sources meanwhile said that a compromise was reached between the two leaders upon the intervention by BN chairman Najib.
The MIC president is elected by the 4,000-odd branch chairmen. He faced no contest when nominations closed last weekend.
Contest for other posts including deputy president, vice presidents and 23 CWC members will be carried out during the party election coming November. Leaders for these positions will be picked by some 1,500 divisional delegates.
Samy also called upon the MIC leaders to explain issues on certain assets, mainly the Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) and AIMST University.
“These assets amount to about RM1.2 billion. I challenge the leaders to clarify the ownership of these assets.
“We want to know if they belong to MIC or retired politicians. I expect the leaders to explain with proof of course,” he said.
English ‘must pass’ subject from 2016
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also said that vernacular schools will receive equal support as public schools from the government.
UPDATED
KUALA LUMPUR: English will be made a mandatory passing subject for all students sitting for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) from 2016, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister announced today.
He said the government has placed emphasis on English to strengthen students’ grasp of the subject, with an intention of producing a globalised generation.
“English will be given emphasis and as announced earlier this year, it will be made a compulsory passing subject for SPM students by 2016,” Muhyiddin said today during the launch of the National Education Blueprint (PPPM) 2013-2025 here.
“To realise this, the ministry is currently in the process of increasing contact hours (between teachers and students) in classes so deeper immersion in the English language for the students,” he added.
Muhyiddin also said that English teachers will be made to undergo the Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) to gauge their knowledge in the language.
“The first batch of 5,000 teachers have participated in the training by the British Council. Nine thousand English teachers will undergo the same training in October,” he said.
Along with English, Muhyiddin said that the government will continue to place strong emphasis on the Malay language to uphold unity and national identity among the people.
“To strengthen both languages, the PPPM has highlighted a few initiatives. Among those are to improve the Malay curriculum in vernacular schools.
“For students who are weak, additional classes will be conducted outside schooling hours and this will not affect teaching time and their other classes,” he said.
‘More hours in vernacular schools’
Asked to elaborate on what he meant by “increasing contact hours”, Muhyiddin said his ministry was mulling increasing schooling hours in vernacular schools about one or two hours a day.
“Initially, we proposed to increase contact hours by 270 minutes a week. This was accepted by Tamil schools but there was strong opposition by the Chinese schools.
“Eventually, we came to a compromise and the current proposal stands at 240 minutes a week. That would mean an extra one to two hours a day in contact hours to improve Malay curriculum in vernacular schools,” he added.
Muhyiddin acknowledged that some vernacular schools have two schooling sessions, thus the government would study the proposal thoroughly before implementation.
“We will implement it through several phases. It won’t be at once. We will find the way to accomodate students and teachers, as well as parents,” he said.
The Pagoh MP also assured that all vernacular schools will receive equal access, equity and education quality like government schools.
“The government has no intention to neglect any school stream in the country. The existence of vernacular schools is protected under section 28 of the Education Act 1966 and I want to state that the use of (Tamil and Chinese) as a language for education has never been denied.”
UPDATED
KUALA LUMPUR: English will be made a mandatory passing subject for all students sitting for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) from 2016, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister announced today.He said the government has placed emphasis on English to strengthen students’ grasp of the subject, with an intention of producing a globalised generation.
“English will be given emphasis and as announced earlier this year, it will be made a compulsory passing subject for SPM students by 2016,” Muhyiddin said today during the launch of the National Education Blueprint (PPPM) 2013-2025 here.
“To realise this, the ministry is currently in the process of increasing contact hours (between teachers and students) in classes so deeper immersion in the English language for the students,” he added.
Muhyiddin also said that English teachers will be made to undergo the Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) to gauge their knowledge in the language.
“The first batch of 5,000 teachers have participated in the training by the British Council. Nine thousand English teachers will undergo the same training in October,” he said.
Along with English, Muhyiddin said that the government will continue to place strong emphasis on the Malay language to uphold unity and national identity among the people.
“To strengthen both languages, the PPPM has highlighted a few initiatives. Among those are to improve the Malay curriculum in vernacular schools.
“For students who are weak, additional classes will be conducted outside schooling hours and this will not affect teaching time and their other classes,” he said.
‘More hours in vernacular schools’
Asked to elaborate on what he meant by “increasing contact hours”, Muhyiddin said his ministry was mulling increasing schooling hours in vernacular schools about one or two hours a day.
“Initially, we proposed to increase contact hours by 270 minutes a week. This was accepted by Tamil schools but there was strong opposition by the Chinese schools.
“Eventually, we came to a compromise and the current proposal stands at 240 minutes a week. That would mean an extra one to two hours a day in contact hours to improve Malay curriculum in vernacular schools,” he added.
Muhyiddin acknowledged that some vernacular schools have two schooling sessions, thus the government would study the proposal thoroughly before implementation.
“We will implement it through several phases. It won’t be at once. We will find the way to accomodate students and teachers, as well as parents,” he said.
The Pagoh MP also assured that all vernacular schools will receive equal access, equity and education quality like government schools.
“The government has no intention to neglect any school stream in the country. The existence of vernacular schools is protected under section 28 of the Education Act 1966 and I want to state that the use of (Tamil and Chinese) as a language for education has never been denied.”
Perkasa: Beli hakcipta Tanda Putera dan buat filem CD
Presiden Perkasa membuat cadangan ini agar lebih ramai orang muda menghayati erti kemerdekaan negara.
PETALING JAYA: Presiden Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) Datuk Ibrahim Ali hari ini mencadangkan agar hak cipta filem Tanda Putera dibeli oleh kerajaan dengan dana terkumpul dari syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC).
“Saya cadangkan kerajaan membeli filem itu dengan dana terkumpul dari syarikat GLC dan diterbitkan dalam bentuk cakera padat untuk edaran umum untuk program Memperkasa Kesedaran Rakyat: Membina Jati Diri melalui Sejarah.
“Ia langkah positif untuk sambutan Hari merdeka dan Hari Malaysia,” kata Ibrahim dalam satu kenyataan media.
Filem sutradara Datuk Shuhaimi Baba, Tanda Putera memfokuskan kepada pentadbiran Perdana Menteri kedua, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.
Penayangan filem ini mengundang kontroversi sejak tahun lepas apabila dikatakan mengandungi adegan di mana seorang pemimpin kanan DAP membuang air kecil ke atas bendera Malaysia.
Filem ini mula ditayangkan pada 29 Ogos namun gagal mendapat keuntungan sewajarnya.
Ibrahim berkata langkah itu wajar dibuat kerana terdapat golongan muda yang tidak dapat menghayati sejarah kemerdekaan negara.
Selain itu beliau turut menyatakan agar Tanda Putera digunakan sebagai sebahagian daripada modul latihan peserta Pusat Latihan Khidmat Negara.
Cadangan Ibrahim untuk mempromosi filem Tanda Putera ini pertama kali dicadangkan.
Empat hari lalu, Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Razali Ibrahim mencadangkan filem ini dijadikan bahan pembelajaran di peringkat universiti.
PETALING JAYA: Presiden Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) Datuk Ibrahim Ali hari ini mencadangkan agar hak cipta filem Tanda Putera dibeli oleh kerajaan dengan dana terkumpul dari syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC).“Saya cadangkan kerajaan membeli filem itu dengan dana terkumpul dari syarikat GLC dan diterbitkan dalam bentuk cakera padat untuk edaran umum untuk program Memperkasa Kesedaran Rakyat: Membina Jati Diri melalui Sejarah.
“Ia langkah positif untuk sambutan Hari merdeka dan Hari Malaysia,” kata Ibrahim dalam satu kenyataan media.
Filem sutradara Datuk Shuhaimi Baba, Tanda Putera memfokuskan kepada pentadbiran Perdana Menteri kedua, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.
Penayangan filem ini mengundang kontroversi sejak tahun lepas apabila dikatakan mengandungi adegan di mana seorang pemimpin kanan DAP membuang air kecil ke atas bendera Malaysia.
Filem ini mula ditayangkan pada 29 Ogos namun gagal mendapat keuntungan sewajarnya.
Ibrahim berkata langkah itu wajar dibuat kerana terdapat golongan muda yang tidak dapat menghayati sejarah kemerdekaan negara.
Selain itu beliau turut menyatakan agar Tanda Putera digunakan sebagai sebahagian daripada modul latihan peserta Pusat Latihan Khidmat Negara.
Cadangan Ibrahim untuk mempromosi filem Tanda Putera ini pertama kali dicadangkan.
Empat hari lalu, Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Razali Ibrahim mencadangkan filem ini dijadikan bahan pembelajaran di peringkat universiti.
Ex-IGP Musa leaves MyWatch
The former IGP has formed a crime prevention NGO, Malaysia Community Care Association, with reason for his departure from MyWatch unknown.
PETALING JAYA: Former IGP Musa Hassan has left the crime prevention NGO MyWatch and the reason for his departure to form a similar NGO – Malaysia Community Crime Care Association (MCCCA) – is unknown.
However, a MyWatch official told FMT that the NGO had been allegedly used by certain quarters as a front for their personal gains.
As such, MyWatch is having a meeting this morning where the pro-tem committee will be discussing on the NGO’s structure and revisit its vision and mission on combating crime in the country as the direction of MyWatch was unclear.
Musa’s departure also saw the majority of MyWatch members crossing over to MCCCA, with former MyWatch secretary-general V Ravindran informing FMT that his leaving MyWatch to join MCCCA as a committee member was due to his being sidelined in several MyWatch matters.
The former IGP helmed MyWatch after its patron R Sri Sanjeevan was shot in an attempted assassination in his hometown Bahau at Negeri Sembilan in June.
Meanwhile, when contacted V Ravindran, who is also MCCCA pro term committee member, said he was not happy with the way MyWatch operated and this led to his departure from the anti-crime NGO.
“I find some unethical and disturbing facts surrounding the way MyWatch was operated,” says Ravindran.
He also pointed out that the police should conduct a thorough investigation on Sanjeevan’s shooting and come out with fair and transparent outcome.
MCCCA which held its first meeting today is expected to hold another meeting before its launch.
PETALING JAYA: Former IGP Musa Hassan has left the crime prevention NGO MyWatch and the reason for his departure to form a similar NGO – Malaysia Community Crime Care Association (MCCCA) – is unknown.However, a MyWatch official told FMT that the NGO had been allegedly used by certain quarters as a front for their personal gains.
As such, MyWatch is having a meeting this morning where the pro-tem committee will be discussing on the NGO’s structure and revisit its vision and mission on combating crime in the country as the direction of MyWatch was unclear.
Musa’s departure also saw the majority of MyWatch members crossing over to MCCCA, with former MyWatch secretary-general V Ravindran informing FMT that his leaving MyWatch to join MCCCA as a committee member was due to his being sidelined in several MyWatch matters.
The former IGP helmed MyWatch after its patron R Sri Sanjeevan was shot in an attempted assassination in his hometown Bahau at Negeri Sembilan in June.
Meanwhile, when contacted V Ravindran, who is also MCCCA pro term committee member, said he was not happy with the way MyWatch operated and this led to his departure from the anti-crime NGO.
“I find some unethical and disturbing facts surrounding the way MyWatch was operated,” says Ravindran.
He also pointed out that the police should conduct a thorough investigation on Sanjeevan’s shooting and come out with fair and transparent outcome.
MCCCA which held its first meeting today is expected to hold another meeting before its launch.
Lim’s Malay political secretary branded a traitor for suggesting a UiTM type college for non-Malays
Rita Jong, TMIThe young Malay political secretary to DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang is being called a traitor to her race - all because she proposed that an institution like Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) be set up for non-Malays.
Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud has been heavily criticised by several quarters for even suggesting the idea, and has been labelled as "a Malay who does not know her history" by Umno leaders.
Umno Selangor state liaison chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar said Dyana Sofya has also been used by DAP and that she should understand the philosophy behind the setting up of UiTM which was founded by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara).
He also urged the young girl to read up on how DAP was set up with the help of PAP in Singapore.
"She should understand the background of DAP. Tunku Abdul Rahman himself was willing to exclude Singapore from Malaysia.
"The 'Malaysian Malaysia' slogan by PAP was clearly against our country's principle.
"She made a racist statement. She does not know her history and hence, she has no patriotic spirit. UiTM is clearly protected under Article 153 of the Constitution. This is our right. Don't question it," he told The Malaysian Insider when asked about Dyana Sofya's suggestion.
He said Malays had sacrificed a lot for other races, for example the Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) which has set a quota for non-Malay students to enrol in the college.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah echoed Noh's sentiment.
Saifuddin, who was also the former Higher Education deputy minister, said UiTM's objective was clear, that was to help Bumiputera students, especially those from rural areas.
He said this privilege should not be questioned, as there were 19 other higher learning institutions, which were open to other races with no entry quota limitations.
"Leave UiTM be. This university needs to play a role in helping Bumiputera youths. We don't see a need to open UiTM to other races.
"Some people said that the small group of non-Bumiputera students who entered UiTM would affect the Malay students' excellence. This, however, has no scientific evidence.
"There are many other institutions which focus on one race and still be successful, for example, Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar and Kolej Tuanku Kursiah. Both have excelled despite the dominance of Malay students," he said.
Saifuddin also said Malays had never questioned other non-Malay parties in setting up colleges or universities for themselves.
UiTM former vice-chancellor Tan Sri Ibrahim Abu Shah also took offence with Dyana Sofya's suggestion and said that Bumiputera students were still lagging behind compared to the achievements of other races.
He said the Malay students ratio based on critical learning fields was still low, hence UiTM was set up to bring a balance of expert workforce in Malaysia
"If UiTM accepts non-Bumiputera students, our country will deteriorate as there would not be an understanding between races in Malaysia.
"I don't see a need for this," said Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Kebangsaan (Perkasa) viewed Dyana Sofya as "young and naïve".
Its secretary-general, Syed Hasan Syed Ali, said without UiTM's policy in protecting the rights of the Malays, Dyana Sofya would not have been the product of UiTM.
"Over my dead body first. It is UiTM's education philosophy which has made her successful today," he told The Malaysian Insider.
Dyana Sofya, who hails from Ipoh, Perak, is a UiTM law graduate.
In fact, Lim, who is also the Gelang Patah MP, had personally announced her entry into DAP at a special media conference.
Last Sunday, Dyana Sofya told the media that a higher learning education institution like UiTM should be set up for non-Malays.
She had said she felt sorry for her non-Malay friends who were denied the right to pursue their education at higher learning institutions.
She had also said that the Malaysian education system should move past the race-based system and should be more need-based. - September 6, 2013.
As ‘Allah’ appeal nears, JAKIM calls for ‘holy struggle’ among Muslims
JAKIM
stressed today that the ultimate goal of the group, which it failed to
name, is to confuse Muslims and put every religion on equal terms, which
will then lead to a 'sea of apostasy'. - AFP pic - See more at:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/as-allah-appeal-nears-jakim-calls-for-holy-struggle-among-muslims#sthash.aGnkTqFx.dpufKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 — Just days before the "Allah" row returns to court, Islamic authorities today slammed their opponents for deigning to challenge for the use of the term, and called upon Muslims to unite in a "holy struggle" against enemies of the faith.In today's Friday sermon read out at mosques nationwide, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) also laid claim to a list of words asides from "Allah" that it purports to be exclusive to Muslims and prohibited to non-Muslims.
"It is only natural in life, something which is renowned and staunch will always suffer from threats and attempts to shake its superiority," said the sermon uploaded online.
"Such as the position of Islam and its adherents today, threatened from every corner whether in social, jurisprudence or faith, including the use of the word Allah."
Last month, the local Catholic Church failed to strike out Putrajaya’s appeal against the 2009 landmark High Court ruling that upheld Christians’ right to refer to God as “Allah”.
The appeal will be heard on Tuesday next week.
JAKIM stressed today that the ultimate goal of the group, which it failed to name, is to confuse Muslims and put every religion on equal terms, which will then lead to a "sea of apostasy".
"The words Allah, solat (prayer), tauhid (oneness of God), Rasul (messenger), Kaabah, Haji (holy pilgrimage) are the rights of Muslims which cannot be invaded by any quarters as it will affect the thoughts and belief of Muslims," it added.
Non-Muslims are barred from using up to 35 other Arabic terms, besides "Allah", in every state except for Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory.
Malacca has reportedly banned the most number of Arabic words and phrases compared to the other states.
In Selangor, the Non-Islamic Religion Enactment 1988 (Control of Propagations Among Muslims) listed 25 words that cannot be uttered by non-Muslims either orally or in writing, including "Allah", "firman Allah" (God’s decree), "solat" (daily prayers), "Rasul", "mubaligh" (missionary), "mufti" (cleric), "iman" (faith), "Kaabah", "Qiblat" (the direction in which Muslims pray), and "Haji".
Non-Muslims are also banned in Selangor from using 10 other phrases such as "subhan-Allah" (Glory be to God), "insha-Allah" (God-willing), "astaghfirullah" (forgive me God), "masha-Allah" (God has willed it) and "Allahu Akbar" (God is great).
Non-Muslims found guilty of using the words may be fined up to RM3,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both.
These phrases are commonly used by Christian Arabs, and also by Christians in the Balkan nations which were previously ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
Yesterday, an international Muslim NGO had alleged that the Catholic Church's fight to use "Allah" is part of a failed colonial-era strategy by Christians here to proselytise Muslims.
In an open letter addressed to "Malaysian church bodies and Christians", the International Muslim Consumer Association (IMCA) said that by using "Allah", the church was attempting to package Christianity into "more palatable terms and concepts" for non-Christians in the country.
It then asked Malaysian Christians to "walk the path of Christian righteousness" and retract their request to use the word "Allah" to prevent any conflicts.
Last month, Muslim activists had alleged a global Christian evangelical conspiracy behind the “Allah” row, as they described a clandestine agenda to colonise Islamic souls and countries.
In a feature run in Malay daily Utusan Malaysia’s weekend edition, Mingguan Malaysia, they claimed the Christian insistence on using the Arabic word “Allah” was out of a desire to proselytise to Muslims, even challenge the Federal Constitution and the Malay rulers.
Religious tensions have been long been simmering in Malaysia in recent years, with the latest controversy surrounding a proposed law on child conversions to Islam deepening divisions between the Muslim majority and religious minorities.
The “Allah” row erupted in 2008 when the Home Ministry threatened to revoke the Herald’s newspaper permit for its reference to God as “Allah”, prompting the Catholic Church to sue the government for violating its constitutional rights.
Christians subsequently argued that the word predates Islam and that their right to use “Allah” in a non-Muslim context was affirmed by the government’s own 10-point solution issued in 2011.
The 2009 High Court decision upholding the Catholic Church’s constitutional right to use the word “Allah” had shocked many Muslims that consider the word to only refer to the Islamic God.
It also led to Malaysia’s worst religious strife, with houses of worship throughout the country coming under attack.
Muslims are Malaysia's largest religious group, followed by Buddhists. Christians are the third-largest at 2.6 million, according to statistics from the 2010 consensus
Anwar Ibrahim & reformasi: From the eyes of an ordinary citizen - Anas Alam Faizli
“No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones.” (Nelson Mandela)
Growing up, I remember sifting through my father’s collection of old newspaper clips. One reported that a certain persona by the name of Anwar Ibrahim was about to join Umno. That paper clip was from 1982.
Many in Anwar’s circles and followers at the time viewed him as their next hope for a leader that could strongly challenge the government. Needless to say that move to join Umno was not welcomed by many; my mum, a member of JIM included. In 1996, while tabling the budget in Parliament -an annual event where I await with bated breath for him to introduce a new vocabulary – a practice he was famous for – Anwar was surprisingly spotting noticeable breakouts.
Mum responded “Baru nak matang lah tu…(he is probably just about to mature…).” The consternation she felt then remained.
The financial crisis a year later shook most of the tender South East Asian economies, while Anwar was at the pinnacle of his political career. I did not really understand my parent’s remark then about how Anwar would soon “get it”. I soon did.
I watched 2nd September 1998 unravel on television while I was on campus down south. I will never forget that moment; sitting down dumbfounded trying to gather my thoughts.
From then onwards, keeping track of Anwar’s ceramahs around the country, news and developments, became daily affairs. Anwar’s famous: “Ini adalah konspirasi dan fitnah jahat untuk membunuh karier politik saya”– echoed in mind every day.
More arrests were subsequently made in that period, under the draconian ISA. The late Fadzil Noor then lead a coalition of political parties and NGOs known as GERAK. GERAK held massive protests to free Anwar. The reformasi movement then gathered momentum, initially as an Anwar-specific cause.
But what it evolved into was something far greater. It united all opposition, NGOs and Islamic movements and revolutionized to become something bigger. Amidst major differences, opposition parties then realized that there existed transcendental values that they all fiercely subscribed to -such as justice, liberty, and freedom. This realization had major uniting capabilities. Activists made up of PRM, ABIM, JIM and men who left Umno then decided to form ADIL, an organization which eventually graduated to become the Parti Keadilan Rakyat that we know today.
At the height of it all was Sunday 20th September 1998, where the largest ever demonstration took place in Dataran Merdeka, under the Reformasi umbrella. The crowd that had gathered at the National Mosque for Anwar’s landmark Reformasi speech, rallied on to Dataran Merdeka for another speech, then on to Jalan Raja Laut and ended up in front of EPF.
The energy and conviction I felt and witnessed being among the crowd at the time reminded me of our next-door neighbor. Only five months prior, Indonesians ousted their own President Soeharto.
Malaysia had never witnessed such resolute. But the important thing to note is that it was not all for Anwar alone. It was a show of deep unhappiness towards the grave injustices that the government seemed to be able to inflict against someone as high up as the deputy premier. What then was left for the ordinary rakyat.
We finally realized then how deep and structural were the extent of the government’s tentacles controlling the country’s police force, state media and the entire judicial system.
That very same night, balaclava-clad commandos stormed into Anwar’s private home and roughly seized him. Nine days later, he made his first public appearance with a black eye. Malaysia had just witnessed the death of democracy.
What happened after, we all knew and followed. Anwar was put on a controversial trial, found guilty, and sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment. How could the once number two Malaysia, be politically imprisoned, brutally beaten, and emotionally vilified to beyond any human extent, I wondered. Anwar Ibrahim became Malaysia’s most controversial prisoner of conscience.
Reformasi
Reformasi breathed new life into Malaysian youth of the 1990’s, at a time when youthful zeal and activism spirit had diluted in favor of material wealth and pleasure. This was a contrast from the youth of the 70s, whose idealism were more pro-poor, intellectually-driven, and in line with the spirit of merdeka, fitting of a recently liberated nation. It is a mass movement that was manifested by rakyat from all walks of life, whose birth was spontaneous, honest and pulsing of the rakyat’s aspirations. It still very much is; it belongs to everyone, within and out of political parties, young and old.
Fifteen years on, Malaysians have perhaps experienced an unconventional politically maturing process witnessing Anwar and our reformasi. We inherit a Malaysian with various realities to embrace; a rigged election system, highly racially sensitized plural society, a government who has overbearing control over all economic, judicial and social aspects of the country, and spatially and demographically unequal standards of living, amidst many others. It is not easy to change status quo, a system that has deeply entrenched for the past 50 years. Not easy, yet not impossible.
The man who triggered reformasi
The reformasi movement was borne out of the struggles of many political personalities, without whom it could not have materialized as it did, too many to credit without risking injustice. This piece is not about Anwar Ibrahim, as many will easily be led to believe, but it is about the man who triggered reformasi.
A revolutionary varsity student leader in his UM days, Anwar later co-founded one of the pioneering civil society organizations of late 1970s Malaysia, known as Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM). His tendency to highlight the plight of the poor and vulnerables, and criticize the government vocally booked him a 20-month stint ISA stint in 1974 after the Baling incident.
Post 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution, Malaysia felt the heat from the rise of Islam in the global scene. We witnessed for the first time the proliferation of Islamic-based civil society organizations. This proved a bonus to PAS, whom at the time was welcoming home waves of new young professionals from abroad who embraced the idea of new dynamism in the party. It helped raise the party’s profile amongst foreign-trained barristers, doctors, engineers and economists, posing a significant challenge to Umno’s political hegemony.
Anwar Ibrahim seemed like the viable solution and heir for Tun Mahathir and Umno; a man seen and known for his sound Islamic principles and honorable background, coupled with remarkable literacy in occidental thought and philosophy. Anwar was about to become an influential political figure, climbing the political ladder up to some of the most important positions in a country; as the finance minister and the deputy Prime Minister. Known to be neither unwavering under pressures of corruption nor compromising to cronyism, he had a political career that was not easy to bring down. That fateful September, the sky fell down onto him in a political and economic saga that forever scarred the face of Malaysian political history. But not all was lost. As widely remarked, cleaning sewage water is almost impossible when swimming in it; rather it has to be done from outside the gutter. The man probably needed to learn that. A lesson that he had been paying dearly since.
Building blocks towards a new age reformasi
In November 1999, Malaysia saw the nascent opposition force leading to the 10th General Election known as the Barisan Alternatif. For the first time in history, the opposition garnered the highest ever votes from the Malays. That record had never been challenged even up to this day. Barisan Nasional was salvaged by Chinese and Indian votership, which perhaps at the time were probably politically and economically unready to seriously challenge status quo.
In 2004, Barisan Nasional (BN) turned the tables in a landslide victory. Re-delineation exercises had allowed for substantial gerrymandering, winning BN 24 out of 25 new seats, and more than 90% of the parliament. The retirement of Mahathir, who then already made enough anti-fans for himself, too ushered in fresh support for Umno and Barisan Nasional. It was a personal struggle for me to believe that change was ever going to be possible in Malaysia.
The period before the next 2008 General Election saw the opposition making significant headways, building a forte. Anwar too was already a free man, and was beginning to truly attempt to unite the various parties to form a formidable opposition that the government had no choice but to reckon with. The introduction of needs-based policies also attracted significant new interest especially the non-Malays into its stable. It’s only fair considering the vast new inequalities that were emerging from decades of favoritism-based policies, leakages and misappropriation of resources.
Leading up to the 2008 12th General Election, the waves of change was felt even earlier on. I actually took unpaid leave to come home for the voting and campaign period- from an overseas posting at the time. The opposition won five states and formed Pakatan Rakyat which includes PKR, PAS and DAP. Call for change had begun to creep up from the rakyat from all walks of life to show its teeth.
Knocking down the incumbent ruling party off of its comfortable two-third parliamentary majority was by no means a small feat. It prompted five years of the government launching various “transformative” efforts on the part of the government. As a result, we are now entering supposedly the next phase of growth with endless possibilities. Pun very much intended, if I may. Sure, we are building more highways and train tracks. Yet what is lacking is arguably the required political will power to undertake the softer and real transformation we so badly need.
That very same period provided the opposition time to reorganize and work with their differences to productively form a coalition with its own development plan, its own manifesto and its own budget proposition. It was the first time ever Malaysians could critically compare alternatives to these documents proposed by the government.
Rejuvenating reformasi
Moving forward post 13th General Election, we ask ourselves again, where do we go from here? The natural question now is whether Anwar should make way for the formidable line up of fresh and younger personalities in PKR and Pakatan Rakyat whom clearly have been gaining their own strong following. Is the way forward now a post-Anwar Ibrahim era, which entails institutionalizing and strengthening of the underlying political system? Better structure will allow for the natural development of a continuous pool of talent and leadership, but is it enough?
Strong leaders have historically proven to be the ultimate source of unification to bring about waves of change that ripples above and beyond those laid out by an institution or system. That kind of strong leadership was the only way substantial Malay votes in 1999 could have shifted, a two-thirds majority for the government in 2008 could have been denied, and a game-changing 52% mandate onto PR for 2013 could have been witnessed.
Anwar Ibrahim too is now a different man. From a youthful varsity leader, to a charismatic Islamic leader, to a Deputy Prime Minister, and even down to being an inmate, Anwar’s bruises could have not been only physical. The wisdom and maturity could not have been without blood, sweat and tears.
Two general elections passed after his release and Anwar stuck to his guns. But to claim ownership of the reformasi can only mean one thing; that he steps up to the presidency post of the party himself, to make reality the reforms that he himself had envisioned for the country. Time is ripe for him to take the mantle, step up the challenge again, be democratically elected and rise up as the President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat. It is the implicit hope of the Rakyat, for him to articulate his vision for Malaysia particularly on his young and future masses.
Anwar Ibrahim triggered the reformasi. Now he needs to rejuvenate it too.
* Anas Alam Faizli is an oil and gas professional. He is pursuing a post-graduate doctorate, co-Founder of BLINDSPOT, BANTAH TPPA and tweets at @aafaizli.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Growing up, I remember sifting through my father’s collection of old newspaper clips. One reported that a certain persona by the name of Anwar Ibrahim was about to join Umno. That paper clip was from 1982.
Many in Anwar’s circles and followers at the time viewed him as their next hope for a leader that could strongly challenge the government. Needless to say that move to join Umno was not welcomed by many; my mum, a member of JIM included. In 1996, while tabling the budget in Parliament -an annual event where I await with bated breath for him to introduce a new vocabulary – a practice he was famous for – Anwar was surprisingly spotting noticeable breakouts.
Mum responded “Baru nak matang lah tu…(he is probably just about to mature…).” The consternation she felt then remained.
The financial crisis a year later shook most of the tender South East Asian economies, while Anwar was at the pinnacle of his political career. I did not really understand my parent’s remark then about how Anwar would soon “get it”. I soon did.
I watched 2nd September 1998 unravel on television while I was on campus down south. I will never forget that moment; sitting down dumbfounded trying to gather my thoughts.
From then onwards, keeping track of Anwar’s ceramahs around the country, news and developments, became daily affairs. Anwar’s famous: “Ini adalah konspirasi dan fitnah jahat untuk membunuh karier politik saya”– echoed in mind every day.
More arrests were subsequently made in that period, under the draconian ISA. The late Fadzil Noor then lead a coalition of political parties and NGOs known as GERAK. GERAK held massive protests to free Anwar. The reformasi movement then gathered momentum, initially as an Anwar-specific cause.
But what it evolved into was something far greater. It united all opposition, NGOs and Islamic movements and revolutionized to become something bigger. Amidst major differences, opposition parties then realized that there existed transcendental values that they all fiercely subscribed to -such as justice, liberty, and freedom. This realization had major uniting capabilities. Activists made up of PRM, ABIM, JIM and men who left Umno then decided to form ADIL, an organization which eventually graduated to become the Parti Keadilan Rakyat that we know today.
At the height of it all was Sunday 20th September 1998, where the largest ever demonstration took place in Dataran Merdeka, under the Reformasi umbrella. The crowd that had gathered at the National Mosque for Anwar’s landmark Reformasi speech, rallied on to Dataran Merdeka for another speech, then on to Jalan Raja Laut and ended up in front of EPF.
The energy and conviction I felt and witnessed being among the crowd at the time reminded me of our next-door neighbor. Only five months prior, Indonesians ousted their own President Soeharto.
Malaysia had never witnessed such resolute. But the important thing to note is that it was not all for Anwar alone. It was a show of deep unhappiness towards the grave injustices that the government seemed to be able to inflict against someone as high up as the deputy premier. What then was left for the ordinary rakyat.
We finally realized then how deep and structural were the extent of the government’s tentacles controlling the country’s police force, state media and the entire judicial system.
That very same night, balaclava-clad commandos stormed into Anwar’s private home and roughly seized him. Nine days later, he made his first public appearance with a black eye. Malaysia had just witnessed the death of democracy.
What happened after, we all knew and followed. Anwar was put on a controversial trial, found guilty, and sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment. How could the once number two Malaysia, be politically imprisoned, brutally beaten, and emotionally vilified to beyond any human extent, I wondered. Anwar Ibrahim became Malaysia’s most controversial prisoner of conscience.
Reformasi
Reformasi breathed new life into Malaysian youth of the 1990’s, at a time when youthful zeal and activism spirit had diluted in favor of material wealth and pleasure. This was a contrast from the youth of the 70s, whose idealism were more pro-poor, intellectually-driven, and in line with the spirit of merdeka, fitting of a recently liberated nation. It is a mass movement that was manifested by rakyat from all walks of life, whose birth was spontaneous, honest and pulsing of the rakyat’s aspirations. It still very much is; it belongs to everyone, within and out of political parties, young and old.
Fifteen years on, Malaysians have perhaps experienced an unconventional politically maturing process witnessing Anwar and our reformasi. We inherit a Malaysian with various realities to embrace; a rigged election system, highly racially sensitized plural society, a government who has overbearing control over all economic, judicial and social aspects of the country, and spatially and demographically unequal standards of living, amidst many others. It is not easy to change status quo, a system that has deeply entrenched for the past 50 years. Not easy, yet not impossible.
The man who triggered reformasi
The reformasi movement was borne out of the struggles of many political personalities, without whom it could not have materialized as it did, too many to credit without risking injustice. This piece is not about Anwar Ibrahim, as many will easily be led to believe, but it is about the man who triggered reformasi.
A revolutionary varsity student leader in his UM days, Anwar later co-founded one of the pioneering civil society organizations of late 1970s Malaysia, known as Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM). His tendency to highlight the plight of the poor and vulnerables, and criticize the government vocally booked him a 20-month stint ISA stint in 1974 after the Baling incident.
Post 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution, Malaysia felt the heat from the rise of Islam in the global scene. We witnessed for the first time the proliferation of Islamic-based civil society organizations. This proved a bonus to PAS, whom at the time was welcoming home waves of new young professionals from abroad who embraced the idea of new dynamism in the party. It helped raise the party’s profile amongst foreign-trained barristers, doctors, engineers and economists, posing a significant challenge to Umno’s political hegemony.
Anwar Ibrahim seemed like the viable solution and heir for Tun Mahathir and Umno; a man seen and known for his sound Islamic principles and honorable background, coupled with remarkable literacy in occidental thought and philosophy. Anwar was about to become an influential political figure, climbing the political ladder up to some of the most important positions in a country; as the finance minister and the deputy Prime Minister. Known to be neither unwavering under pressures of corruption nor compromising to cronyism, he had a political career that was not easy to bring down. That fateful September, the sky fell down onto him in a political and economic saga that forever scarred the face of Malaysian political history. But not all was lost. As widely remarked, cleaning sewage water is almost impossible when swimming in it; rather it has to be done from outside the gutter. The man probably needed to learn that. A lesson that he had been paying dearly since.
Building blocks towards a new age reformasi
In November 1999, Malaysia saw the nascent opposition force leading to the 10th General Election known as the Barisan Alternatif. For the first time in history, the opposition garnered the highest ever votes from the Malays. That record had never been challenged even up to this day. Barisan Nasional was salvaged by Chinese and Indian votership, which perhaps at the time were probably politically and economically unready to seriously challenge status quo.
In 2004, Barisan Nasional (BN) turned the tables in a landslide victory. Re-delineation exercises had allowed for substantial gerrymandering, winning BN 24 out of 25 new seats, and more than 90% of the parliament. The retirement of Mahathir, who then already made enough anti-fans for himself, too ushered in fresh support for Umno and Barisan Nasional. It was a personal struggle for me to believe that change was ever going to be possible in Malaysia.
The period before the next 2008 General Election saw the opposition making significant headways, building a forte. Anwar too was already a free man, and was beginning to truly attempt to unite the various parties to form a formidable opposition that the government had no choice but to reckon with. The introduction of needs-based policies also attracted significant new interest especially the non-Malays into its stable. It’s only fair considering the vast new inequalities that were emerging from decades of favoritism-based policies, leakages and misappropriation of resources.
Leading up to the 2008 12th General Election, the waves of change was felt even earlier on. I actually took unpaid leave to come home for the voting and campaign period- from an overseas posting at the time. The opposition won five states and formed Pakatan Rakyat which includes PKR, PAS and DAP. Call for change had begun to creep up from the rakyat from all walks of life to show its teeth.
Knocking down the incumbent ruling party off of its comfortable two-third parliamentary majority was by no means a small feat. It prompted five years of the government launching various “transformative” efforts on the part of the government. As a result, we are now entering supposedly the next phase of growth with endless possibilities. Pun very much intended, if I may. Sure, we are building more highways and train tracks. Yet what is lacking is arguably the required political will power to undertake the softer and real transformation we so badly need.
That very same period provided the opposition time to reorganize and work with their differences to productively form a coalition with its own development plan, its own manifesto and its own budget proposition. It was the first time ever Malaysians could critically compare alternatives to these documents proposed by the government.
Rejuvenating reformasi
Moving forward post 13th General Election, we ask ourselves again, where do we go from here? The natural question now is whether Anwar should make way for the formidable line up of fresh and younger personalities in PKR and Pakatan Rakyat whom clearly have been gaining their own strong following. Is the way forward now a post-Anwar Ibrahim era, which entails institutionalizing and strengthening of the underlying political system? Better structure will allow for the natural development of a continuous pool of talent and leadership, but is it enough?
Strong leaders have historically proven to be the ultimate source of unification to bring about waves of change that ripples above and beyond those laid out by an institution or system. That kind of strong leadership was the only way substantial Malay votes in 1999 could have shifted, a two-thirds majority for the government in 2008 could have been denied, and a game-changing 52% mandate onto PR for 2013 could have been witnessed.
Anwar Ibrahim too is now a different man. From a youthful varsity leader, to a charismatic Islamic leader, to a Deputy Prime Minister, and even down to being an inmate, Anwar’s bruises could have not been only physical. The wisdom and maturity could not have been without blood, sweat and tears.
Two general elections passed after his release and Anwar stuck to his guns. But to claim ownership of the reformasi can only mean one thing; that he steps up to the presidency post of the party himself, to make reality the reforms that he himself had envisioned for the country. Time is ripe for him to take the mantle, step up the challenge again, be democratically elected and rise up as the President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat. It is the implicit hope of the Rakyat, for him to articulate his vision for Malaysia particularly on his young and future masses.
Anwar Ibrahim triggered the reformasi. Now he needs to rejuvenate it too.
* Anas Alam Faizli is an oil and gas professional. He is pursuing a post-graduate doctorate, co-Founder of BLINDSPOT, BANTAH TPPA and tweets at @aafaizli.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Govt Values Role Played By NGOs In Nationbuilding - PM
PUTRAJAYA, Sept 6 (Bernama)-- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
said the government always appreciated and recognised the role and
contributions of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in efforts to
develop the country.
As an open and rational government, he said it always heard the voice, views and ideas that were contructive from NGOs in the country in the interest of the people and nation.
"In the latest political landscape following the process of globalisation and advances in Information and Communciations Technology (ICT) and the like, the role played by NGOs has never been more important.
"As such, as a government, besides getting support from political bodies and various institutions, we cannot ignore the role played by NGOs in the country.
"My message is, the recognition of NGOS in the context of nation building cannot be understated. The voice and role of NGOs is growing more and more important by the day.
"As the government, it is only right that we give due space and opportunities so that the role of NGOs will be taken into consideration by the government," he said.
Najib said this at a Hari Raya gathering for Malay NGOs at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya, Friday.
Also present were his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and leaders representing 45 Malay NGOs from all over the country.
Najib said even though the approach between UMNO and Malay NGOs were different, the objectives and principles of struggle were the same, which was to champion the interest and success of Malays in the country so that they continued to be the role model to the Muslim community in the world.
"Our principles and objectives do not differ in the context of Islam, the Malay race and country. Maybe our approach is different but the struggle is the same.
"I hereby repeat that the government today is not much different either as we determine our struggle based on Syariah principles," he said.
To ensure the position and interest of the Malays continued to be assured, he said a major assembly with the theme 'Empowering Malay Economy' would be held at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam on September 14 which would be joined by Malay NGOs.
According to him, the position and wealth generation of the Malays was never seen from the aspect of ownership of valuable corporate equities but also in the larger context of property ownership, savings and intellectual property.
"We also cannot focus on certain individuals only but also in whatever policies to develop the Malay economy, which must be comprehensive so that most Malays would feel that under the government of the day, each individual would receive the opportunity and support," he said.
Touching on the recent fuel price hike, Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government had only reduced the subsidy for fuel and did not raise the price of petrol.
He said giving huge amount of subsidies would be detrimental to the country in the long run.
--BERNAMA
As an open and rational government, he said it always heard the voice, views and ideas that were contructive from NGOs in the country in the interest of the people and nation.
"In the latest political landscape following the process of globalisation and advances in Information and Communciations Technology (ICT) and the like, the role played by NGOs has never been more important.
"As such, as a government, besides getting support from political bodies and various institutions, we cannot ignore the role played by NGOs in the country.
"My message is, the recognition of NGOS in the context of nation building cannot be understated. The voice and role of NGOs is growing more and more important by the day.
"As the government, it is only right that we give due space and opportunities so that the role of NGOs will be taken into consideration by the government," he said.
Najib said this at a Hari Raya gathering for Malay NGOs at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya, Friday.
Also present were his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and leaders representing 45 Malay NGOs from all over the country.
Najib said even though the approach between UMNO and Malay NGOs were different, the objectives and principles of struggle were the same, which was to champion the interest and success of Malays in the country so that they continued to be the role model to the Muslim community in the world.
"Our principles and objectives do not differ in the context of Islam, the Malay race and country. Maybe our approach is different but the struggle is the same.
"I hereby repeat that the government today is not much different either as we determine our struggle based on Syariah principles," he said.
To ensure the position and interest of the Malays continued to be assured, he said a major assembly with the theme 'Empowering Malay Economy' would be held at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam on September 14 which would be joined by Malay NGOs.
According to him, the position and wealth generation of the Malays was never seen from the aspect of ownership of valuable corporate equities but also in the larger context of property ownership, savings and intellectual property.
"We also cannot focus on certain individuals only but also in whatever policies to develop the Malay economy, which must be comprehensive so that most Malays would feel that under the government of the day, each individual would receive the opportunity and support," he said.
Touching on the recent fuel price hike, Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government had only reduced the subsidy for fuel and did not raise the price of petrol.
He said giving huge amount of subsidies would be detrimental to the country in the long run.
--BERNAMA
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