Perkasa: G25 the real racists and extremists

Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has denied claims made by the group of ‘eminent Malays’ (G25), who said that the NGO comprises extreme and religious fanatics.

He instead shot back at the group, denouncing them as the "real" extremists and racists who were hiding behind the label of ‘moderation’.

“The group of ‘eminent persons’, as well as the liberals and moderates, are the real extremists and racists.

“They are shrouding behind such a stand to hide their extremist and racist agenda from being revealed and ridiculed by the majority of Malaysians,” Ibrahim Ali said in a lengthy statement today.

He added that the attack on Perkasa was to divert the attention of the public from the main purpose of the NGO, which is to “defend the sanctity of Islam, uphold the federal constitution, the sovereignty of the Malay rulers and the socio-economical welfare of the indigenous (bumiputera) people”.

“The attack on Perkasa was also done as a reverse psychology strategy, to wage a psychological war by implying Perkasa as extremist and racist.

“They (the G25) are ignorant about the goals of Perkasa, which is to defend the rights of the indigenous people and the federal constitution,” Ibrahim Ali stressed.

The G25 became prominent when it wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak last month, urging for the voice of moderation and asking him to show leadership in the wake of intolerant voices from right-wing groups such as Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) and Perkasa.

We are not 'extremists', Isma refutes G25

Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) today denied claims made by the eminent group of Malays (G25) who said the NGO comprises extreme and religious fanatics.

Isma deputy president Aminuddin Yahaya said until today, Isma does not know why its members have been labelled “extremists”, for they operate within existing structures.

“I don’t understand why people say we are extreme when we only defend the constitution and Islam,” Aminuddin told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

“We defend the constitution because it is perfect enough in that it has the rights of the Muslims, non-Muslims, the bumiputera, as well as non-Malays.

“But there are certain quarters who want the same rights, not just in terms of economy, but in all matters, including Islam,” he said.

'Learn about constitution and Islam'

Aminuddin then went on to advise the 'Eminent Malays', who include former top civil servants, to learn about the constitution and Islam so that they understand the issues properly before issuing any statement.

He said that this was because statements made by the G25 previously were influenced by media reports that dub Isma as an extremist NGO.

“They (G25) are very much influenced by media reports that call us extremists and fundamentalists.

“We think that they are more influenced by the media that purposely tries to weaken the friends of Islam.

“We suggest that they (G25) look at the constitution. Learn knowledge on Islam so that they understand more. They have retired, so they seldom read about the constitution and Islam anymore,” Aminuddin said.

G25 became prominent when it wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak last month, calling for the voice of moderation and asking him to show leadership in the wake of intolerant voices from right-wing groups such as Isma and Perkasa.

Najib won’t give up cheap politics for Eminent 25

Zaid Ibrahim says PM prefers ideas that divide the people and appeal to the delusional rather than the more liberal ideas of the Eminent 25.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has said he is doubtful that anything positive will come of the meeting between the group of Eminent 25 Malays and the prime minister should he agree to see them.

He said this was because Najib Razak was not willing to give up on playing “cheap politics with the country’s future”.

In his latest blog entry, Zaid said, “He (Najib) will probably tell the group the same old story: that Islam and the Malays are under attack.

“He will say that only a strong authoritarian rule, underpinned by the lethal mixture of race and religion that UMNO/PAS offers, will help the Malays to be in power.”

Zaid said these were ideas Najib knew would appeal to the “delusional” even if they were ideas that did not work and were “divisive” to the country.

He also said Najib should realise that if progress was what he was after for the country, he had to stop making religion an important aspect of his government.

Zaid also said that if there was only one message the group should convey to the PM, it would be that he withdraw his earlier statement that Malaysia was an Islamic state.

He argued his point saying, “There is no Islamic state in the world that is prosperous and democratic, or that respects the dignity of individuals.

“If he wants Malaysia to be peaceful and progressive for many years to come, he must not make religion the central policy of his government.”

Pointing out that the PM was also trying to make religion the government’s business, Zaid said, “When it comes to finding God’s way, the people must be left to find their own path—this is not the Government’s business.”

He said the PM should instead find good leaders to govern the country well and improve the people’s welfare instead of “building their spiritual lives”.

Saying he didn’t see Najib wanting to affirm Malaysia as a democracy like the one his own father helped establish, Zaid said, “…the Eminent 25 must not be too hopeful that, at the meeting, the PM will buy into the contents of their open letter.

“They must not hope that he will support democratic government and the protection of civil liberties and rights of minorities.”

He said the Eminent 25 could only hope for a change if they “forcefully and categorically state their position clearly, and convey to the Prime Minister that there are indeed Malays who will fight to save this country from the dangerous politics he is playing”.

Make PM listen, NGO heads tell Mahathir

Three prominent Muslim NGO leaders met with former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad last week with the hope that he would pressure Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to act on their concerns.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) chairperson Dr Farouk Musa described the meeting held last Tuesday, as a private initiative.

Farouk clarified that the three leaders did not represent the G25 agenda, despite their respective organisations supporting the 'Eminent Malays'.

He said the hudud issue was the main thrust of the meeting, which was also attended by Sisters in Islam (SIS) founding member Zainah Anwar and Movement for a Just World (Just) chairperson Chandra Muzaffar.

"It was not on the G25 agenda, it was a private initiative by the three of us.

"We wanted to voice out our concerns about what is happening in this country - the rise of the voices of extremists and all the Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) and Perkasa issues.

"They are doing whatever they think it right, and nobody is saying no to them," Farouk said.

When it was pointed out that Mahathir is the patron of Perkasa and considered by many to be part of the problem, Farouk explained that the former prime minister's voice "carries weight".

"Najib does not listen to anyone else. It's only Mahathir, who can say something that he would probably listen to," he added.

Mahathir stood up against hudud

Farouk elaborated that Mahathir has a major influence over the people, and had stood up against the Islamic agenda of PAS and hudud before this.

"What worries us is that even the government and ministers have been enticing PAS to table the hudud bill.

"As civil society leaders, we understand that the reason for them to entice PAS is to break up Pakatan Rakyat," he said.

Farouk said during Mahathir's (right) reign, he had "put a stop to it" when the hudud agenda became a prominent issue.

"So, we want Mahathir to advise Najib on the hudud agenda, which we think is going to break the country apart," he stressed.

Farouk also reiterated that the meeting was about hudud and its effects on the country.

"It was not about us representing G25 or anything like that. No, they would have to do their own work with the PM. This is our own private initiative," he added.

Moderate Muslim groups meet Dr M to discuss G25 open letter

In a bid to get Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to meet with moderate Muslims, three civil society leaders met privately with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad last week to discuss their concerns about the lack of national leadership and Putrajaya's inaction against worsening religious and racial rhetoric.

The groups – Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF), Sisters in Islam (SIS) and Movement for a Just World (JUST) – sought out Dr Mahathir in the hopes of getting Najib to meet with the group of 25 prominent Malays, now dubbed the G25, who signed an open letter appealing for rational discourse on Islam.

The meeting with the former prime minister came about last Tuesday after Najib snubbed the G25's requests for a meeting with him.

The three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are among 93 other groups that have expressed support for the G25, which have urged Najib to address religious and racial tension and exercise his leadership in guiding Malaysia back to moderation.

JUST chairman Dr Chandra Muzaffar and SIS founding member Zainah Anwar, when contacted by The Malaysian Insider, confirmed that there was a meeting but refused to divulge details, stressing that it was held in private.

IRF chairman Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa told The Malaysian Insider that the meeting with Dr Mahathir was to discuss the current situation in the country.

"He (Dr Mahathir) wanted to have a look at their (G25) statement and their stand first.

"We arranged for the meeting to allay our worries about the current situation in the country and Tun M agreed. In fact, he was also not happy with what is happening now," Dr Ahmad Farouk said.

The request by the G25 to meet Najib was thwarted after the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) claimed that the 25, who are retired leading civil servants, had to meet them first if they wanted to meet Najib.

MPM claimed that the Prime Minister's Office has appointed it as an intermediary to meet the G25 and that they would plan a closed-door meeting, but this was refuted by G25 spokesperson Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin.

MPM is a caucus of more than 200 Malay NGOs. This ethnic group is the largest in Malaysia and in recent times, conservatives from within have grown more vocal about communal rights and privileges under the government's affirmative action policies for Malays and Bumiputeras, leading to polarising and inflammatory rhetoric in public.

Dr Ahmad Farouk, who is also the former deputy chair of Bersih 2.0, said that Najib's refusal to meet with the G25 did not make sense, as even United States President Barack Obama himself had met with NGO during a visit here.

"No point in us talking to MPM or the likes of them, we have to meet Najib and tell him clearly.

"In fact, when I was still with Bersih, we wrote to Najib to request a meeting but he never replied. This shows that he doesn't care about the country."

He compared Obama's readiness to meet with representatives from 10 NGOs in April last year when he made a trip to Malaysia as part of his Asia tour, with Najib's refusal to meet the G25.

"Najib should be pressured. When Obama came to Malaysia, he met with representatives from 10 NGOs.

"If Obama was willing to meet us then, Najib should have learnt from there. Look at how Obama treats civil society," the IRF head said.

Dr Ahmad Farouk also suggested that the G25 meet with Dr Mahathir to discuss the issues they had raised in their open letter.

"They (G25) can take the initiative to meet Dr Mahathir. From there, it can be a stepping stone to meeting Najib."

The open letter decried the "lack of clarity and understanding" of Islam's place within Malaysia's constitutional democracy, as well as a "serious breakdown of federal-state division of powers, both in the areas of civil and criminal jurisdictions".

They also called on Najib to establish an inclusive consultative committee and called for dialogue on Islamic laws.

Signatories of the letter were former high-ranking civil servants, including directors-general, secretaries-general, ambassadors and prominent individuals.

Since it was published on December 8, public support for the content of letter and for its 25 signatories has been strong, with many writing to media organisations expressing their thanks and solidarity with the signatories, while an online petition called #iam26 has drawn thousands of signatures.

Last week, Noor Farida said G25 had grown in number, with 10 more Malays, many of whom were former but influential members of the government service, adding their names to the group. – January 7, 2015.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/moderate-muslim-groups-meet-dr-m-to-discuss-g25-open-letter#sthash.PxGXkyBX.dpuf

10 more eminent Malays join 'Group of 25'

Ten additional prominent Malays have joined the group of ‘Eminent 25’, group spokesperson Noor Farida Ariffin announced.

Former diplomat Noor Farida declared more members would be joining the group, which currently includes highly influential former civil servants.

“Dear friends, it is with pleasure that we announce the names of the new members of the G25”, the former diplomat to the Netherlands declared in a short statement yesterday.

The new inclusions are:

• Alwi Jantan – former deputy secretary-general of the Prime Minister’s Department
   
• Rafiah Salim – former vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya
   
• Nazir Ariff – prominent businessman
   
• Ahmad Mokhtar Selat – former ambassador and former deputy secretary-general of Asean
   
• Anwaruddin Osman – former Petronas Dagangan Berhad managing director
   
• Baharuddin Musa – former deputy secretary-general of Defence Ministry
   
• Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman – Universiti Malaya dean of the medicine faculty
   
• Ariff Abdul Kareem - former executive director of MIER and former dean of UM economics and administration faculty
   
• Tawfik Ismail - former Member of Parliament and son of the late deputy prime minister Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman
   
• Shazal Yusof Mohd Zain – former corporate finance executive for the Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad

The ‘Eminent 25’ group on Dec 8, 2014, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, calling for the voice of moderation by asking him to show leadership in the wake of intolerant voices from right-wing groups such as Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) and Perkasa.

The former top civil servants, comprising judges, ambassadors, and scholars, said in the joint letter that it was time for the moderate Malays to speak out against extremists.

The group on Tuesday said that they were only interested in meeting Najib to discuss the issues that they have raised and have declined to meet any other agencies.

This includes declining to meet the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), which wanted to meet the group to discuss religious issues they raised.

After the open letter was published, many Malaysians have come out to express support for the group and their stand.

In support of the call for moderation, a few other groups of individuals and NGOs have also come out to voice their concerns.

They include young Muslim activists, and a multi-ethnic cluster ‘KamiJuga25’ (We, too, are 25)

 

G25 growing with more influential Malays, says group coordinator

Ten more Malays, many of whom are former but influential members of the government service, have joined the group of 25 prominent Malays who signed an open letter appealing for rational discourse on Islam, the group’s spokesperson, former diplomat Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin (pic), said today.

In a brief statement to the media, Farida, the former Malaysian ambassador to the Netherlands, wrote: “Dear friends, it is with pleasure we announce the names of the new members of the G25.”

They are Tan Sri Alwi Jantan, former director-general, Public Services Department; Tan Sri Rafiah Salim, former vice-chancellor, Universiti Malaya (UM) and former assistant secretary-general, United Nations; Datuk Seri Nazir Ariff, businessman; and Datuk Ahmad Mokhtar Selat, former deputy secretary-general of Asean.

Joining them are Datuk Anwaruddin Osman, former managing director and CEO of Petronas Dagangan Berhad; Datuk Baharuddin Musa, former deputy secretary-general of the Defence Ministry and first director-general of the Tourist Development Corporation; and Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, dean of the UM's Faculty of Medicine.

Professor Dr Ariff Abdul Karim, the former executive director of MIER and former dean of UM’s Faculty of Economics; former member of Parliament Mohamed Tawfiq Tun Dr Ismail; and Shazal Yusof Mohd Zain, the former corporate finance executive for the Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad complete the list of newcomers.

The original group of 25, which comprises retired civil servants and influential leaders, had published an open letter on December 8 asking for a rational dialogue on the position of Islam and Islamic law in a constitutional democracy.

In their open letter, they had asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to address religious and racial tension and exercise leadership in guiding Malaysia back to moderation.

The letter decried the "lack of clarity and understanding" on the place of Islam within Malaysia's constitutional democracy, as well as a "serious breakdown of federal-state division of powers, both in the areas of civil and criminal jurisdictions".

It also expressed concern at how religious authorities were "asserting authority beyond their jurisdiction" and that fatwa issued had violated the Federal Constitution as well as the consultative process.

Among the proposals it recommended was the need to promote awareness about the diversity of views and interpretations in Islam.

Some members, in individual comments to the media, had singled out groups like Perkasa and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) for politicising Islam, prompting Perkasa to mull taking legal action against them.

“We are not going to be lenient anymore. We will take action against any party who makes baseless allegations against Perkasa,” Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali told The Malaysian Insider on Tuesday.

But Farida said she was happy that Perkasa was following the law in addressing their grievances instead of breaking it.

“The Malay rights group wants to sue G25, so sue us, let the courts decide,” she told The Malaysian Insider.

Public support for the letter's contents and for the 25 signatories has been strong, with many writing to media organisations expressing their thanks and solidarity with the signatories, while an online petition called #iam26 drew thousands of signatures. – January 2, 2015.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/g25-growing-with-more-influential-malays-says-group-coordinator#sthash.0kCHoiBy.dpuf

Another 11 eminent Malays join Group of 25

The newcomers read like a list of who’s who from all walks of life.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: The ranks of the Group of 25 Eminent Malays were bolstered on Friday by 11 new equally eminent persons, according to the Group’s spokeswoman Noor Farida Arifin, a former Ambassador to the Netherlands.

The 11 newcomers include former Umno lawmaker Mohamed Tawfik Ismail, the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Abdul Rahman, and former Universiti Malaya (UM) vice-chancellor Rafiah Salim.

Others joining them are Alwi Jantan, formerly a deputy secretary-general in the Prime Minister’s Department, and former ambassador and ex-ASEAN deputy secretary-general Ahmad Mokhtar Selat.

Also on the list are the former chairman of the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) Abu Huraira Yazid, former Petronas Dagangan Berhad managing director and CEO Anwaruddin Osman, former Defence Ministry deputy secretary-general Baharuddin Musa, UM dean of medicine Professor Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, former executive director of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) Professor Ariff Abdul Kareem, businessman Nazir Ariff and former senior banker Shazal Yusof Mohd Zain.

The Group of 25 penned an Open Letter on December 8 calling for respect for the Federal Constitution, and expressed concern at the creeping Islamisation and desecularisation amidst increasing polarisation.

They called for dialogue among all concerned parties to pull the country back from the brink.

Zam: 'Eminent 25' making things worse for Najib

 

Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin has accused the ‘Eminent 25' group of making things worse for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and further ruining the latter's reputation with their statements.

In a blog posting, Zainuddin called the views espoused by the group - comprising mostly of former top civil servants and ex-judges - as "ultra liberal" in nature, and does not take into account the sensitivities of Muslims and Malays in the country.

He was flaying the group for recently questioning the need to demolish a surau in Mersing, Johor because a group of Buddhists had conducted prayers there.

The comments were made by the group's spokesperson, Noor Farida Ariffin, published in the Sunday Star last week.

"If such thoughts had come from DAP or non-Malays, then it would have been considered as being seditious, but just because it came from a Malay and Muslim with a high stranding in society, this issue had been looked at silently by the Home Ministry," he said.

"This is an example of how the Eminent 25 are adding problems for Najib (left) even though the PM has not recovered from the trauma of wanting to repeal of Sedition Act, though he dropped that intention later," Zainuddin noted.

"They are worsening Najib's image because the group is believed to be supported by Najib," he said.

He also claimed that the "public talk" right now is that the group is backed by the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM), which has liberal Umno ex-deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah as its CEO, with The Star CEO Wong Chun Wai in its board of directors.

As such, Zainuddin said that it comes as "no surprise" that The Star is promoting the Eminent 25 in order to cover their "hidden agenda” of promoting “non-Malay bigotry" by "pointing fingers at Malays and Muslims".

"In my next posting, I will show how the Eminent 25 have insulted Umno," he added.

The group rose to prominence after penning an open letter to Najib on Dec 7 condemning rising extremism in the country.