It's "Merdeka"? Mmm ... It's Black out there.

[A black flag was used by Muhammad to represent his religion.[2]

It has also been stated that it will be the flag of the army that will fight the Dajjal.
Islam has not symbolized itself with any particular object or symbol, but due to political reasons a flag was required to give a standard for Muslims, especially during the wars. The Prophet used flags of different colors in different Ghazwat (campaigns commanded by the Prophet) and Saraya (campaign commanded by any Sahabi). The major flag of the Prophet was known as "Al- Uqaab", it was pure black with and without symbol or marking. Its name and color was derived from Quraish's national flag.]

The "Secular" Controversy

(NOTE: This was first published here on 24/o5/2008)

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"Had Allah willed He could have made you all one community? But He made you as you are (diverse) as a test. So vie one with another in good works. Unto Allah you will all return, and He will then inform you of the meaning of differences within you."
[Quran 5:48].

"Many of our perceptions are distorted by our prejudices, particularly if we perceive those prejudices to be convictions".
- Ravi Zacharias

**************************************

There is this constant "threat" of a spiritual war - at least in their minds.
In their fervour, the "religious right" never tire of debating on these matters.
These "necessary wars" go on ad infinatum, ad nauseaum, so as to keep the "fire of God" burning in the hearts of men.
Of late there have been a few articles published in Malaysia Today, catering to this debate - controversies starting with the Hijab, scarf, "sexy" school uniforms , and then the question of the "secular state".

Let us take the Malaysian political climate into consideration.
Here is a "Pakatan" at it's infancy (not a formal coalition, in the real sense of the word - they don't even have a common symbol or identity as yet) that is trying to achieve a paradigm shift in our political structure.
There are two stumbling blocks for this pact, towards achieving unity in purpose.
One is the question of "the secular state" - a tussle between the staunchly "secularist" DAP, and PAS - which is passionate about being Islamic.
The other is that of the agent provocateur on the sidelines who needs to dismantle this "pact", so as to perpetuate their racist/ religious hegemony in the interests of the "putra elite".

The debate about "Islamic State/ values" is the perfect tool to drive a wedge between the parties mentioned above, and have no doubt in my mind that it would be used to the hilt by the agent provocateurs to achieve their goals. Is it possible that more of these controversies would be highlighted by the Putra-philes so as to jeopardize the "uneasy pact" of the "Pakatan Rakyat"?.

Anyway, although the "secular" spirit has been articulated in general in our constitution without specifically stating it, many have failed to understand and accept this fact. To many a staunch Muslim, "Secular" is a "four-letter-word" - at least, as they understand it.

The argument often brought about is that the Malaysian Federal Constitution does not say that Malaysia is a secular state. Those who espouse this argument, need to understand why the constitution is worded in such a way.
Allow me to quote from The Australian Achievement: From Bondage To Freedom by Dr. Mark Cooray
"The rule of law requires both citizens and governments to be subject to known and standing laws. The supremacy of law also requires generality in the law. This principle is a further development of the principle of equality before the law. Laws should not be made in respect of particular persons. As Dicey postulated, the rule of law presupposes the absence of wide discretionary authority in the rulers, so that they cannot make their own laws but must govern according to the established laws. Those laws ought not to be too easily changeable. Stable laws are a prerequisite of the certainty and confidence which form an essential part of individual freedom and security. Therefore, laws ought to be rooted in moral principles, which cannot be achieved if they are framed in too detailed a manner."

For one thing, DAP needs to articulate what it means to be a "Secular State". They need to be able to articulate their ideas, so as not to alarm the "religious".
They need to be able to convince PAS and Islamists alike, that "secularism" isn't the "dirty word in Islam" (a popular notion in the Islamist's camp), that it is made out to be. For this to happen, DAP definitely needs to understand and relate to the philosophical basis of "secular humanism", Islam & the "Islamic politician's" psyche better, instead of simply "defining the constitution" and harping on the "secular state" rhetoric.
They need to have a think-tank who can articulate the idea that Islam is compatible with "secular humanism", as opposed to the stereotype perceptions.

There is a belief among the religious that "secular humanism" is "anti-God".Myths are created towards propagating these ideas while the achievements of "secularists" are conveniently ignored or belittled.

The advocates of theocracies need to understand that-
"Humanists are staunch supporters of freedom of religion, belief, and conscience, as laid out in both the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These rights protect the freedom of religious belief equally with the freedom of nonreligious belief, the freedom of religion equally with the freedom from religion.
Secular humanists would actually oppose advocacy of their worldview by schools or the government because that would violate the neutrality of a secular society, and the rights of religious believers. Secular humanists believe that a healthy society supports a variety of worldviews, just as it supports a variety of political parties. They also believe that religious and philosophical views should be every bit as open to debate and discussion as political beliefs." -10 Myths About Secular Humanism

PAS on the other hand, needs to articulate their ideas on an "Islamic State" better.
One that can be inclusive in its ideas based on "Universal Values" (which are incidently, very Islamic), by not espousing arbitrary repressive laws that belonged to a different time, age and culture, which are supposedly "Islamic". They should understand that resigning one's fate to "God-ordained" laws without sufficient intellectual debate or consensus, isn't an option in this era of ICT.

It is ironic that there are many prominent Islamic thinkers who believe that the philosophical/moral/ethical premises of the Constitution of USA is far more "Islamic" and superior than that of many a "chest-thumping Muslim" nation of the OIC - and rightfully so, too.
Academic debate on these matters at our hallowed halls of educational excellence is however, quite constipated at best (and we have the HP6 ideologues of our nation to thank for that) - usually dwelling on "accepted ideals".
These topics are deemed too "sensitive" - just as mentioning "May 13" was, not so long ago (unless it was to threaten for votes, of course). Our leaders believe that the masses are simply incapable of civilized conduct, and would foam at their mouths with the first mention of any misconception.

PAS should be aware that the lack of open inter-faith dialogue and exagerated sensitivities help "those with vested interests", in demonizing PAS in the eyes of the non-Muslims. It aids them further, should the masses remain in ignorance and get emotional in response to perceived insults, without rationally addressing their fears and insecurities.
It is a formula for governance that has worked well over the centuries for the despotic regimes of theocracies, monarchies and many a pseudo-democracy or socialist state.
Therefore, one would do well to pay heed to what Voltaire meant when he said :-
“So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannise will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.”

Therefore, what matters isn't really the populist rhetoric of politicians advocating "virtuous" systems of governance (based on debatable ideas deemed "holy"), but the well defined and thought out set of progressive values and ideas that allow for freedom and embraces humanity as a whole, in all its diversity.

===================================

"It will not do to cling to the cause and wish the result away.
Reality does not play mind games.
What is more, to anesthetize the mind in order to abort what comes to birth
when wrong ideas are conceived and borne in the womb of culture,
will only kill the very life-giving force of the nation that nurtures the idea."
-Ravi Zacharias

=================================

Related articles:

• The Myth of Secularism :Religion and Politics are Mutually Constitutive - M.A.Muqtedar Khan
• 10 Myths About Secular Humanism
• Religious Politics - Seeds of Fascism?
• A Malaysian Disease of Fear and Apathy

I'd pick the Devil I know .....

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Today's Islamic fundamentalism is also a cover for political motifs.
We should not overlook the political motifs we encounter
in forms of religious fanaticism.
-Jurgen Habermas
========================================

During the last elections, we had the religious right in this country agreeing to tone down their religious big0try and rhetoric - in the interest of gaining votes for power. They stopped asking for an Islamic State.

Reassurances were given by the leaders of PAS, DAP and PKR, which culminated in the signing of The People's Declaration which lacked of explicit statement on this matter (of the Islamic State). The issue of the PAS vote was written in I did mention this in the comments section of MalaysiaToday when it was revealed that - however, the comment wasn't given heed.

Back in 21/11/2007 when I wrote The PAS factor - A Viable Alternative?, (which was published in MalaysiaToday), I had posed a few questions as follows, (to which there was no real reply):-

PAS,
-Don't you realize that your policies are 'exclusivistic'?
-Don't you realize that you are the ones keeping BN in power?
-That you are instrumental to their existence?
-That you complement their intentions?
-How many of you actually understand and are tolerant of the sentiments, culture, religions and lifestyle of the Kufr? (By this I do not mean the 'negligible' Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis and Pahang populace).
-Do you intend to start policies of Islamic this and Islamic that?
-Do you plan to impose nationwide dress code and gender segregation should you gain power?
-Would you endeavour to abolish "immoral" entertainment outlets?
-What about education? Wanna promote madrasahs?
-Take a good look at your policies and ask yourselves - Are you the Trojan Horse party?

Despite the lack of response, I agreed to give PAS the benefit of doubt and lend them my support (no matter how insignificant it may be) with the formation of Pakatan Rakyat. This was simply in the interest of helping the reform process required to save the nation. It was no means an endorsement of PAS's "fundamentalist" ideas of repression and bigotry.
However, events of late indicate that they are (or at least they have within their fold) Trojan Horses, who serve to prop-up Umno.

The following was a comment I left on Merdeka? What Merdeka? on People's Parliament:-
"“1-Black Merdeka” it is, Haris.
However, this “Merdeka”, I declare that I’m willing to vote Umno/BN to let Malaysia be damned if our PR (PAS, mainly) and Umno reps cannot get their act together to accept the fact that we are a SECULAR Democracy.
If the mullahs of PAS/Umno cannot be silenced, and are too powerful for our chickenshit reps who don’t have the courage to openly declare that we are a secular Democracy, then so be it- let Malaysia be damned with the (Umno or PAS) Taliban-Calibans!
I am so sick of these moronic bigots ….."

*******************************************
"Those who would give up essential liberty,
to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790), Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
*******************************************

Upon gaining power however, PAS appears to have let power get the better of them, and have started imposing its will upon its electorate and sabotaging the ideals for which Pakatan Rakyat stands for, and umwittingly (or by design) playing to Umno's tune.
Of late, through Hassan Ali, Nasharuddin, Nasruddin (and maybe others as well, like Zul Nordin of PKT), they have started once again calling for the imposition of "Islamic" values upon a people who are unwilling to accept them. They conveniently tell non-Muslims "not to interfere" in matters that "don't concern them" - while they hold their Muslim brothers hostage to edicts pronounced by clerics. They are quick to claim that "Islam is under attack" by secularists, while they disregard the fact that we have become far more "Islamic" than what we were for the last century or so. (Well, Umno does the very same thing .., but at least they understand the virtues of secularism.)
It reminds me of what Hitler's Reichsmarshall Hermann Goering said - that "people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and attack the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger". This approach of PAS, I'm certain, will rip to shreds, the fabric of the nation, which depends on its secular nature as envisioned by the founders to remain progressive and competitive.

The anxiety among the electorate of the Islamists subverting our Secular Democracy, and betraying the Federal Constitution as seen in other countries, is very real. Despite their "PAS for All" slogan and the non-Muslim votes that have given them much power - I sincerely hope that they do not forget that they are for now, just being given the benefit of doubt, pending reform of the BN.

The saddest part of it all, is the fact that nobody dares to silence them - neither the PR nor BN. The rational Muslim whimpers and whispers, when faced with these wannabe godmen who shout out loud at them, with their "wisdom". Meanwhile, the non-Muslim leader simply remains silent because they don't with to provoke the "rage-boys". (Read Haris Ibrahim's "Who is MB of Selangor? Hassan or Khalid?") This is simply because they are plain CHICKEN -they FEAR being labeled as "unIslamic", "anti-Islam" or even being accused of being a "secularist"(so now that has become a four-letter word!!) and whatever else is seen as the usual Islamic bogeyman.

Taking that into consideration, barring the possibility of a real reform in the attitudes of the leadership of PAS or its withdrawal/expulsion from the Pakatan Rakyat pact - I'm prepared to give my vote back to Umno, and let Malaysia be damned if it loses its civil liberties and secular nature. I would rather have Malaysia sink into corruption with UMNO with our secular nature intact, rather than live with the theocratic "cavemen" of the "Talibans". At least the descent with Umno wouldn't be as steep.
It's just the lesser of two evils - should the two remain the only choices left ......

========================================
"So this is how liberty dies-
With thunderous applause."
-'Senator Amidala', Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
====================================

Where is the Spirit of Merdeka?

[In anticipation of "Merdeka" Day, I'd like to rehash one of my earliest articles- first published here on 23/01/2007 (see archives) - long before the formation of Pakatan Rakyat.
The question of a PAS vote and an Islamic state was also being hotly debated in MT back then.
This was also published in Malaysia Today, and the title was actually given by RPK. It has been edited a little (in Arial font at the end) so as to be a little more relevant in today's context.]

It is common knowledge that the Utopian Malaysia does not and will never exist.

The best that we can do is to be aware, voice out where we can be heard, and hope that whatever that is mentioned is worth something towards development of new ideas in nation building. The Malaysia as we know it today, isn't what was envisioned by the those who hoped for nationhood during “Merdeka”.

The spirit of Merdeka has been subverted by racists and the religious zealots over the years, and has been replaced by chauvinism – racial and religious. It all somehow points to the political “coup” that was engineered during the events that led to the May 13, 1969.

So we had a much publicized "social contract", wherein the people themselves didn't know the cancer that was prescribed as a medicine, which was to cure all the ills within. Unfortunately, we are a society so paralyzed by symptomatic solutions one has to wonder whether we will learn anything from this mindless atrocity.
What we have now is an idea that has been entrenched so deep in the psyche - that to remove this “cancer” called the New Economic Policy would be, akin to killing the “goose that lays the golden eggs” for the beneficiaries. The beneficiary has become a hideously obese and grotesque, addict of a monster, who cannot live without his crutch and his regular “fix”. If he doesn't get his fix he would gnaw on his fingers till he bleeds, rave and rant, and wave his little weapon with threats against all those who try to help.

He does not see or understand reason.
His perception and values have become so twisted , that he does not recognize himself when he looks in the mirror. He chooses to destroy his reflection by destroying the mirror , as he says that it is only an illusion – “it isn't and will never be real”. The only good that sees, are ways to satisfy his gluttony and cravings. To justify him, the audience of unthinking little monsters applaud. All who choose to disagree, are said to be “biting the hand that fed them”.

The very hideous cancer that is destroying the nation as a whole, has become a symbol of pride and arrogance, for a political agenda so consumed by itself. To abide by the contract, to the advocates, mean defeat and shame - not honour. They have failed so miserably to even convince themselves that they are on the right track, that they look for scapegoats all around them.

Having failed in its shortcut to an economic miracle, the advocates of the system (clamouring for issues and a new agenda to perpetuate their greed and envy) now choose to preach intolerance, “arabization”, and religiosity in the name of God, to further isolate, and “drug into a stupor” a beautiful people that was once open to change.
Even if we aren't too accurate in our assessment, much of what that has been passed off for Islamization by the govt was nothing more than frothy God-talk - mindless, thoughtless, and in its exploitation of people, heartless.
The “one-upmanship” practiced by the various institutions that espouse religious chauvinism, is in fact a pathetic display of their failures and insecurities.

They need to feel that they are “winning” and wish to gloat about their “success” in being the defenders of their misplaced priorities - while hiding the enemies within, behind a cloak (turban or beard, too) of religiosity.

Then again there are those who see the folly of race/ religion politics, but intend to oppose the system by simply voting for an opposition who are themselves part of this system of apartheid, by virtue of the racial make-up of their membership. They, the people, vote because they think it makes difference, when in fact, these votes are only perpetuating the system by lending it legitimacy.

All political parties in Malaysia are race based. Most hide behind the façade of a non racist constitution. At least the original members of the Alliance aren't hiding and make no apologies about that fact ..... in fact, they don't apologize for anything when flaunting their agenda of greed and robbery.

Dear Sir- lets call a spade, a spade.
Malaysia is a one party state. UMNO.
PAS is out of the equation by virtue of its religious/political convictions.
DAP is glaringly Chinese. PKR - no agenda or alternative “formula”.
All are Lame ducks.

The rest (read component parties of BN) are in it for their share/spoils in the grand scheme of things, and to bow before the almighty powers. There can only be one kind of a viable opposition – one that is truly multi-racial in its membership. One that espouses universal values. One that is led by a Malay majority. In the Malaysian political landscape, these criteria are sorely lacking.

Politicians today, seek convenient excuses to perpetuate the status quo of racist politics - they blame the people for this, when it is they who have created this predicament. They forget that they as leaders, should be playing the music which the people dance to. They choose ignore the fact that it is their job to lead, and not be led by the mindless mob, in a siege-mindset.
Although the ruling party is actually aware of this, faced with the "ideological frankensteins" it has nurtured for 50 years, it is powerless to reinvent itself - and find itself being led by unthinking extremists bent on creating a fascist state. PAS on the opposition front is faced with the same predicament where its conservatives (under the Hadi-Nasha leadership) - who seek refuge in religious orthodoxy - are concerned. They both appear to advocate a confrontational approach in dealing with those outside their fold - and so, breed much resentment and uncertainty among the rakyat.

As such, Malaysia today is a nation that has lost its conscience.
Lets hope that the soul still lives.

The Dumbing-Down of Bolehsia.

******************************************************

Whatever Mahathir's lazy and myopic Vision 2020 may say, it is my belief that a "first-world " nation is built on the foundation of viable philosophical ideas nurtured by their intellectuals and politicians - and not the physical attributes as in KLCC, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya etc. Rather than investing in intellectual growth, the myopic authorities we have would rather spend our limited resources at their disposal, to create physical monstrosities in their pursuit of material wealth. As a result, we have the common man gawking at the physical progress, with little spiritual/intellectual growth that makes such physical growth sustainable.

New ideas are more often than not, demonized and dismissed even before it is discussed in a civilized manner. Mob mentality is subtly encouraged by the authorities, to prevent discussions or forums that highlight progressive ideas or the failures of the Umno warlords in ruling the country. A free Media and Democracy which is the saving grace of the nation, are subverted by fascists who reason that religious bigotry, racial dominance and racism has to remain the paramount priority.

The ruling elite, through the Information and Education ministries however believe otherwise - and as such, indulge in the systematic emasculation of the electorate which surrenders itself to them (read Umno). Unknown to many Malaysians, the real target of this dumbing-down, is non other than the Malay people themselves - so that they are easily hoodwinked into submission to the "glorious Umno leadership". This group of Malay elite have managed to successfully indoctrinate a clueless people that they, and only they can be and will be the sole guardians of the Malay people - and as such, are indispensable. The basic simplistic "philosophy" that they propagate is this - "Malay dominance under the Umno elite - at any cost". It doesn't matter if they are corrupt and plunder the country's resources. Never mind if, a generation of unthinking graduates are created. Never mind if we have a nation of pseudo-intellectual "basket-weavers" and rempits. Never mind the numerous bogus degree/ PhD holders. Never mind the refusal of PR status for the numerous professionals (and/or spouses). What matters is that we have Umno to represent a people satisfied with their own mediocre standards of "Cemerlang, Gemilang and Terbilang".

Today, you have the moronic Muhyiddin and Khairy defending a disbarred Rohaizat (who also denies having an unregistered second spouse), as a worthy candidate, while saying that it matters not if he has a credible past, and all that matters is that he can "bring development" under the BN banner.
We also have the Malay MSM/tabloid propagating fascist ideas like - "Democracy is meaningless if Malays were to lose political dominance" and that Malays are cowards for not "rising up against the boldness of the non-Malays". There was once a commenter on MalaysiaToday (long before the March 8 "tsunami"), who even said that he "would rather swing from tree to tree in the jungles with the comfort of knowing that Malays rule the the country, than achieve progress while living under the political dominance of 'pendatangs'"! The strangest part of it all is the fact that we have a cadre of political midgets who strive to defend mindless remarks such as these, by regarding them as "Malay nationalists"!

There is this "lazy" habit which is adopted and encouraged by the BN elite - that of seeking the easy way out and neglecting the use of clear, definite and precise expressions to articulate complex ideas that abound. Simplistic understanding of complex problems coupled with ideas that pander to the lowest social denominator appear to be the standard response in all that come to light - and the rest are just swept under the carpet. It is as clear as daylight that there is an “impediment” in their ability to conceive philosophical problems in a clear and unambiguous manner, or to articulate their response to it in a coherent manner. This "lazy" attitude is also seen in many of the projects undertaken by the ruling elite of this country. They are more concerned about the propagation of simplistic ideas, that highlight the differences between communities, so as to create confusion and mutual suspicion among the people - to make their role of "peacemakers", indispensable.

Chief among those are attempts at creating an academic community of politically enslaved intellectual amoebas, whose job is to twist and spin ideas that perpetuate the narrow & fascistic agenda of politicians, who seek to consolidate their grip on power.
One significantly lazy idea (among others), was the "formula for the short-cut to success" which was masterminded by none other than our dear Tun Dr. Mahathir - the introduction of PPSMI. He even went on to claim that Malaysians (especially the Malays) will be stupid if they did not accept PPSMI!!
(**Excuse me, TDM sir, but I don't think Umno needs any help in achieving the “Stupid” status – you got them there long ago - even with the English education which you had).
This myopic idea was mooted with total disregard for the necessity to develop scientific/literary/commercial progress in the Malay language, which remains the one identifying and unifying factor of the Malay majority and the nation as a whole. The fact that the emasculation of the language would affect its role as a tool of progress for the vast majority of Malaysians who are now more well-versed in Malay than English, was totally ignored. The linguistic disconnect which the vast majority of under-privileged may suffer would also be a serious destabilizing factor in the long run.
This is not to imply that English is to be disregarded or ignored - on the contrary, proficiency in English has to be developed in tandem with that of Malay as a tool of communication in society, trade, research and in literature – through increased utilization.
One more new "lazy" idea that has come out (of Mahathir too?) of late is the idea of having the Chinese media translate themselves into Malay- for the benefit of those who are too lazy to learn and translate the language themselves!

One can also see the lack of reading material (original or translated) in the Malay language when it comes to higher levels of knowledge in any and all fields - be it the arts/ literature, Law, science, mathematics, politics, philosophy, religion. No effort is also made on part of the authorities to encourage the translation of classics in foreign languages. Almost all of the educated class (except for the vast majority of the half-baked academics) are forced to do their thinking in English, and due to the limited nature of the Malay language, are unable to translate complex ideas coherently into Malay.

It is quite clear that the Umno elite chooses by design, to systematically paralyze the minds of ordinary Malaysians (mainly the Malay community), while appearing to strive for excellence and progress. Unknown to many, the truth is exactly the opposite of what they claim. Contrary to what many of their followers believe, it is in Umno's interest that they make the “Myth of the Lazy Malaysian”, become reality. What they want is none other than the dumbing-down of Malaysians, to create a community rich with graduate "basket-weavers", who take pride in their ability to be unthinking pseudo-intellectual zombies. To do otherwise, would spell doom to the future of UMNO as we know it. It is just to bad that Umno has miscalculated in its arrogance, and so BN is now on shaky ground - and as such, its days are numbered.

With the control over the mainstream media it had for propaganda, it did not figure the internet in the equation - they realized too late that they cannot have a monopoly on the media, unless it wishes to go back to the stone age. They do not control knowledge or information any longer, as the internet has "liberated" the media to a certain extent. Using the Police and the MACC, no matter what they do to subvert Pakatan state governments and Democracy for now - (which they may very well succeed, considering Umno's power, bigoted/racist mindsets and PR's poor "planning, organization & teething problems")- it is just a matter of time before Malaysians rise up once again to emancipate themselves, and throw these Umno warlords out of the corridors of power for good.

****************************

"I say, let these powers be abused, and you will see
how the people in the country will rise against it.”
- Tun Dr. Ismail, debating the ISA

***************************************

BERNAMA said ....

Spot the difference contest

Posted by admin

Friday, 21 August 2009 20:11

Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat was reported to have said that Umno people will not go to heaven. This has upset many Umno people who want to go to heaven -- and I am hoping they will go as soon as possible. Anyway, what did Nik Aziz really say? Malaysia Today is holding a spot the difference contest. There are no prizes for the right answer though. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Nik Aziz’s statement as reported by Buletin Utama TV3: ‘‘Tiada sebab langsung orang Islam tolak Islam. Islam yang dibawa oleh UMNO ini Islam kacukan, Islam plastik. Macam duit palsu, ubat palsu, makanan palsu. Ini Islam palsu yang dibawa UMNO." ‘‘Islam ini tidak boleh bawa ke akhirat, tidak boleh bawa ke syurga, dia boleh bawa dekat pintu kubur. Bertengkar atas muka tak habis-habis dengan Melayu sendiri boleh bertengkar.’’ Nik Aziz’s statement as reported by Bernama: Mursyidul Am Pas Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat berkata, anggota UMNO tidak akan masuk syurga kerana parti itu mengamalkan ajaran Islam palsu dari Palestin. Katanya, terdapat perbezaan antara Islam yang didakwah oleh Pas dan Islam yang diamalkan oleh umat Islam daripada kalangan anggota UMNO. “Islam bawah UMNO tidak ke mana dan tidak boleh bawa seseorang itu ke syurga. Berdasar perkara itu, saya percaya penduduk di kawasan Permatang Pasir akan memilih calon Pas sebagai wakil rakyat mereka,” katanya kepada pemberita di Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN) di sini hari ini selepas proses penamaan calon bagi pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pasir. Comments (1) ... written by shamadz72, August 21, 2009 20:14:46 Plastik = Palestine? Muahahaha.... These reporters really need a babelfish translation for Bahasa Kelantan to bahasa Malaysia baku

The Shit Splattered- will "they" clean it up or spread it around?

What an EXPLOSIVE saving grace - Looks like there are people of conscience within the system, who just cannot take the shit doled out to them, and the institutions of state.

There has been a letter from some who claim to be employees at MACC - the letter which has held up the inquest that has been going on. Although the letter did not seem to have a letterhead, the envelope bearing the letter, apparently bore "an insignia" ....
These people have come out with an unsigned letter alleging involvement of "unseen hands" - the Timbalan Pengarah & the one and only (drum roll, please ......) Khir Toyo!!!!
This TP fella was apparently the last to see TBH, and did not punch out at 6.10 am that very morning - despite being quite meticulous about punching out!!!

This is just as was suspected by the general public all along.

The person implicated has apparently made attempts to cover up his dastardly act by wiping away finger prints and evading DNA sampling ...... and when sampling was done, it was apparently done "in private" as opposed to the sampling of others which was done in public.

As expected, the letter has been published on Malaysia Today.

(English translation of the MACC exposé letter)

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

In another "development", Muhyiddin seems to be so laughably "blur sotong", as the article below (also published in Malaysia Today) indicates:-

Muhyiddin: Singapore threatened war if not given water

Posted by admin

Thursday, 20 August 2009 15:16

Malaysia Today talked about the greatest land scam in Malaysian history and Muhyiddin talks about Singapore threatening to go to war with Malaysia over the supply of water (Bernama) - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday regretted opposition claims that he had sold a piece of land to Singapore when he was Johor mentri besar. He said he was being slandered so that the people would hate him and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government. "I wish to clarify that (during my tenure as Johor mentri besar) I had never sold even an inch of land to Singapore and that this (allegation) is a mere slander," he said at a ceramah at Tanjong Putus in conjunction with the by-election for the Permatang Pasir state seat here last night. The Deputy Prime Minister said the opposition made the allegation because it did not know that a water treatment plant had existed in the Sungai Lingu area in Bandar Tenggara, Johor. "I have to reply because the opposition is spreading lies... what actually transpired was that when I was the mentri besar, I received a call from Dr Mahathir (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) one day," he said. Muhyiddin said Dr Mahathir had summoned him to attend a meeting in Kuala Lumpur with then visiting Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew over gas pipeline and water supply issues. He said during the meeting between Dr Mahathir, the then finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, Lee and him, Lee had pressed for adequate water supply to the republic from Johor. "Lee said Singapore was ready to go to war if Malaysia did not want to supply enough water and expressed his regret over the stalled water supply project from Sungai Lingu. "I said we did not have the money and Lee said Singapore was willing to bear the cost and when completed, the assets will be owned by Malaysia, so Singapore had merely footed the bill," said Muhyiddin. EDITOR'S NOTE Malaysia Today wrote about something else and he replies something else. See the article here: http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/25804/84/

What’s happening, man?

(from Malaysia Today)

Posted by admin

Thursday, 20 August 2009 11:19

By Hakim Joe In 1965, D.R. Seenivasagam of PPP (then in Opposition), made allegations of corruption against the education minister Abdul Rahman Talib of UMNO in Parliament. ART challenged DRS to repeat these accusations outside Parliament which DRS promptly did. ART took DRS to court for defamation. After a long trial, DRS lost and resigned from Parliament. He was then posted to Egypt as the Malaysian ambassador. In 1977, former UMNO Youth Chief and Selangor MB, Harun Idris was arrested on corruption charges relating to the Muhammad Ali-Joe Bugner boxing match in Kuala Lumpur in 1975. He was found guilty on various charges of corruption and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. In 1981, Harun was released after receiving a royal pardon from the Agong on advice from TDM. In 1981, Malaysian government’s failed attempts to corner the world tin market caused the Malaysian taxpayers in excess of RM1.6 billion. To cover the losses, Makuwasa was secretly setup in 1984 as a Bumiputera trust company and allocated allotments of public share issues at preferential prices, allotments that should have gone to EPF instead. However Makusawa, despite such favourable intervention by the federal government, lost money instead of making a massive profit. Also in 1981, Malaysia purchased 26 units of the British Alvis Scorpion tanks. First, its recommended Rolls-Royce gasoline engines were replaced with slower diesel ones making the 90km/h vehicle now only doing a top speed of 60km/h. Secondly, the .75mm guns were replaced with .90mm guns making it so heavy that the aluminium turret had to be replaced by a steel turret. This in turn made the vehicle so top-heavy that troops using it were scared that it will topple over. The tanks had also had to be stopped every time it fired its gun, making it literally a sitting duck. In 1983, there was the BMF scandal involving Bank Bumiputera in Hong Kong. Its losses were the largest of bank failures in the world then. BMF gave loans after loans to Hong Kong property group Carrian and ended up losing over RM2 billion in all. To top it off, a Bank Bumiputera internal auditor sent to Hong Kong was found murdered and his body dumped in a banana plantation. Tengku Razaleigh (BBMB Chairman) and Musa Hitam (DPM) were both implicated in the BMF scandal and during Hisham Shamsuddin’s (BBMB Executive Director) subsequent trial in Hong Kong, his lawyers claimed that he was merely following direct instructions from TDM and MH. Also in 1983, Malaysia took first delivery of its 186 SIBMAS armoured personnel carriers. This was supposed to be a rapid deploying vehicle that can be loaded into an airplane and flown to East Malaysia in case of trouble with Indonesia or Singapore. However, this carrier was so big that its tires had to be deflated before it could be loaded into an airplane. When the local media reported on the vehicle’s lack of combat effectiveness, they were threatened with prosecution under Malaysia’s Official Secrets Act. In 1987 during the Kampung Baru rally, then UMNO Youth chief Najib Razak vowed to bathe the keris with Chinese blood. He is the current PM of Malaysia. In 1989, the Parliamentary deputy speaker D.P. Vijandran from MIC was accused of starring in a few home-made sex videos which he denied. He was however convicted in 1994 on a perjury charge relating to the tapes, and was jailed and fined. He lost his appeal in the High Court, but the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour in 1998. In 1994, the Malacca CM Rahim Thamby Chik was accused of having sex with a minor. He denied the accusations but had to quit as CM after photographs surfaced on the media. RTC was cleared in the same year by the Attorney-General. He is now a member of the UMNO Supreme Council. Also in 1994, BNM made the biggest losses (over RM30 billion) from foreign exchange trading. Nor Mohamed Yakcop was implicated but never charged. He is now the Minister in the PM’s department. In 1995, Stamford Holdings sued former Johor CM Muhyiddin Yassin for alleged conspiracy in acquiring land in Johor through the Land Acquisition Act. In 1999, Stamford Holdings was awarded RM405 million. MY is now the DPM of Malaysia. In 1996, Eric Chia and government-owned Perwaja Steel made a loss of RM10 billion of which 40% were bailout money infused by the Federal Government. ACA’s report on this scandal was never released and the Auditor-General’s report was never made public. Eric Chia was later charged with CBT to the amount of RM76.4 million when he allegedly authorised NKK Corp of Japan to deposit that amount into the account of Frilsham Enterprise Inc instead into Perwaja accounts. He was later acquitted. In 1997, Mat Taib was forced to resign as Selangor MB after he was charged in Australia over currency irregularities amounting to RM3.8 million. He was however found not guilty after he pleaded that he did not understand English and therefore did not understand the currency regulations. Mat Taib is currently the UMNO Information chief. In 2002, Defense Minister Najib’s best friend, Abdul Razak Baginda brokered the purchase of 3 submarines from France and received RM510 million in commissions. In 2003, just after his ascendancy to the MCA presidency, Ong Ka Ting was photographed together with Ong King Ee aka Jackie Chan, the “dragonhead’ of the notorious Sio Sam Ong triad. Also in 2003, former Malacca CM and Land and Development Minister Mohamad Adib Adam brokered the purchase of 18 Sukhoi-20MKM jet fighters and received RM384 million as commission. In 2004 PSC-Naval Dockyard, owned by Amin Shah failed to make delivery of 6 patrol boats. Subsequent investigation by the Auditor-General showed that the ministry had paid out RM4.26 billion to PSC up to December 2006 although only RM2.87 billion of work had been done, an overpayment of RM1.39 billion, or 48 percent. In addition, Malaysia’s cabinet waived late penalties of RM214 million. Between December 1999, according to the Auditor General, 14 “progress payments” amounting to RM943 million despite the fact that the auditor general could find no payment vouchers or relevant documents dealing with the payments. In 2005, then UMNO Youth Chief Hishamuddin started his annual keris waving at the UMNO Annual General Meeting. This was to be the onset of an annual action until the keris was retired after the 2009 UMNO AGM and presented to him as a souvenir. In 2009, he was promoted from Education Minister to Home Minister. Late in 2005, 2nd Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop announced that Bank Islam reported a loss of RM700 million. Subsequent investigation reports were never released. No White Paper was ever tabled in Parliament. In 2006, Zakaria Mat Deros was accused and found guilty of not submitting construction plans of his Istana Idaman. He was then the Port Klang assemblyman and a member of the Klang Municipal Council member. Follow up investigations also revealed that ZMD has not paid the assessment for another property for 12 years and that his family was operating an illegal satay restaurant on government reserve land. ZMD was dropped from the Selangor Barisan Nasional line-up for the following general election. Also in 2006, then Matrade chairperson and Minister of International Trade and Industry Rafidah “AP Queen” Aziz was accused by former PM TDM of corruption related to the issuance of Approved Permits for importing foreign vehicles. RAA was never charged in court but lost her Wanita UMNO chief position in the 2009 party elections after a handover plan was reneged by the eventual winner. This year also saw Mohd Said Yusof of UMNO allegedly asked the Melaka Customs and Excise Department for special treatment in the handling of an illegal timber import shipment from Indonesia. When this was denied, MSY told the press that although he felt the decision was right, some discretion should have been exercised in order to aid the Bumiputera entrepreneur whose interests were affected. The affected company Binyu Sof Enterprise was in fact his own company. The biggest event in 2006 was reserved for Abdul Razak Baginda, a close pal of PM Najib, who was arrested for complexity in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. PM Najib was also accused of involvement as a SMS transcript of his text messages to ARB was disclosed to the press. ARB was acquitted in 2008 but the two personal bodyguards of PM Najib’s wife were charged with the murder. The Altantuya murder case even eclipsed the Public Works Department’s announcement that the Malaysian government has paid a total of RM38.5 billion in compensation to 20 toll operators. In 2007, then Health Minister Chua Soi Lek was secretly taped having extramarital sex with another woman other than his legal spouse. He promptly resigned all his political positions but made a comeback in 2009. In the ensuing MCA elections, he was elected as the deputy president of the party. Also in 2007, Mohd Said Yusof together with Bung Mokhtar Radin made the infamous “bocor” sexist remark targeted at Fong Po Kuan. Both the UMNO politicians were forced to issue a public apology to all Malaysian women a few days later. 2007 also saw Samy Vellu announcing that Malaysian Government compensated Gerbang Perdana to the tune of RM257.4 million for aborting the planned construction of TDM’s crooked bridge over the Singapore Straits. It was later made known that the total cost of cancellation exceeds the actual construction cost by RM164 million. Gerbang Perdana was later awarded another RM470 million road works without an open tender being called. In 2008, Bukit Bendera MP Ahmad “Mamak” Ismail made racist remarks which led to his suspension from UMNO. He was initially removed as a MPPP councillor after being declared a bankrupt in 2006. Also in 2008, Deputy Education Minister Razali Ismail announced that the government has spent RM2.21 billion for the purchase of ICT equipment over the past five years. He was however unable to supply a breakdown on these purchases. In 2009, then SIL of former PM Abdullah fell out of favor of the UMNO Warlords and was accused and found guilty of corruption. KJ was however allowed to contest in the UMNO elections after a reprimand and was elected as the new UMNO Youth Chief. At the same venue UMNO Chief Minister for Malacca, Mohd. Ali Rustam was also found guilty of corruption but he was not as lucky as KJ. MAR was barred from contesting in the UMNO elections but allowed to keep his CM position but his political secretary Saadun Basirun was suspended for three years. Also in 2009, TDM accused MIC President Samy Vellu of “killing the Indians in Malaysia”. RM2 million only 50,000sf palatial mansion owner, former Selangor MB and dentist extraordinaire Khir Toyo soon followed suit uttering the same sentiments. What’s next? ================================================ NOTE: What next? We have a lawyer disbarred for CBT, who accuses his ex-partner of being at fault - because he wishes to stand for elections on an UMNO ticket in Permatang Pasir. Yusri Ishak alleged that the money was used by Rohaizat to help his friend-cum-client to finance a land transaction worth RM 130,000 which was to be reimbursed but the Umno politician's friend had failed to do so. Rohaizat then claimed the land, planning to sell it to remit the funds used to purchase it but to no avail, said Yusri, adding that that was one of the reasons why Rohaizat had failed to repay the co-operative. He also said some of the co-operative funds had been used to help another of Rohaizat's friends, a director in a housing development company, and also to manage the firm's branch in Ipoh. Asked yesterday about reports Rohaizat had been the subject of numerous complaints and how he had been fined twice by the Bar Council, the Deputy Prime Minister likened the fines to parking tickets. He said the Umno campaign was considering having Rohaizat put out a statutory declaration to clear the air on the controversy. "What Umno and Barisan Nasional information chief Ahmad Maslan said, that I was the one who absconded with the money, is a lie," Yusri told a press conference here organised by PAS. Party officials said they were giving Yusri a platform to explain himself. "It is impossible that Rohaizat is not aware of money flowing in and out of the firm's account of which he is also a signatory," said Yusri. Yusri, who is also a former Umno member, blasted Ahmad for describing Rohaizat as a "hero", saying that what the BN candidate had done was unethical and morally illegitimate although he is deemed "legally clean" by Umno leaders. "I think he has high ambitions to be a politician so he did not want to reveal the problems he was having with the Bar Council," he said. "So Umno leaders only realised this after nomination so they made me a scapegoat to defend themselves," Yusri said, adding that the accusation had impacted him and his family and forced him to come out and defend himself. Read: Rohaizat’s partner denies Umno’s accusation

Autopsy Report - Little Soft Tissue Injury for a 9-Floor Fall.

The TBH Autopsy Report(click on link for full report)

Glaring inconsistency - that's what I thought the report presented, in coming to the conclusion that the death was consistent with a fall from height.

Autopsy report does state injuries consistent with fall from height - that is, the fractures. However, I am perplexed by the fact that there was only a fracture along suture terminating as hairline fracture at vertex after a 9-floor (=/- 100ft) plunge ....

The soft tissue injuries (considering the many fractures) is quite another story though .....
Consider this - the minimal bleeding and internal organ injury (abdomen & head), considering the impact at possibly 1 ton momentum at which he must've hit the ground.

No mention of haemorrhage in eyes were ever mentioned ..... so it mut've been "clean & clear" as ever. (Listen to the video below - looks like Nizar had more common sense as an engineer ...)
Never mind that the organs - Kidneys and liver - were all intact (presumed from the omission of that statement in the report) - From what I presumed, among the soft tissues, the first thing to go, would've been the spleen with massive hemorrhage .... looks like he fell a shorter distance, or was possibly dead/dying at impact.

This then begs question - is that consistent with death due to a fall from a height of 9 floors? Could he have actually broken all those bones and yet caused so little soft tissue (abdominal & head) injury.

One last BIG question - where is TBH's watch?
Surely it must be at the premises ....

Something sure does smell fishy - bigtime!!!

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"Debating" - Umno Style ...

Rais believes debates crucial for 1 Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Debates not only provide an effective platform in moulding the country’s civilisation, they can also play a role in contributing to the realisation of the 1 Malaysia concept propagated by the government currently.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said debates could unite the people into reaching greater heights in terms of national development.

Clarification regarding UMNO Candidate for Permatang Pasir By-election, Rohaizat Othman

In response to inquiries from the media, we wish to clarify Rohaizat Othman’s status as an advocate and solicitor. The Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board struck Rohaizat Othman off the Roll of Advocates and Solicitors on 7 March 2008 after he was found guilty of misconduct. The Disciplinary Board’s decision arose from an investigation into the complaint lodged against Rohaizat Othman by the purchaser of a piece of real property. According to the complaint, Rohaizat Othman failed to refund almost RM 161,000 to the complainant after the transaction was aborted. Rohaizat Othman appealed against the decision of the Disciplinary Board to the High Court, and the appeal was dismissed on 12 August 2009. He is therefore legally disqualified from practising as an advocate and solicitor. The finding of misconduct is personal to Rohaizat Othman, as the Disciplinary Board would not hold a lawyer liable for the actions of his/her law partner(s). George Varughese Secretary Malaysian Bar

Gobala Charged used "criminal force"??!!

The Following was a message on Facebook:-
"Simon Tan Chian Heong : Gobala charged with obstructing police."

MalaysiaKini reports that:
"He was charged under Section 353 of the Penal Code for using "criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty"."

Criminal force in deterring the discharge of duty???? - WTF, if i may ask .....

I seriously wonder how, why or when Gobala did such a thing.
In fact, I thought it was exactly the opposite - the police appeared to be obstructing Gobala from being a peaceful public servant, being a cheerleader to his orderly and spirited party supporters. On video, it appears to me that he was being harassed by a platoon of them!
The Police seemed to zero in on him, and he was on the retreat, when he was arrested.
What "OBTRUCTION" are they talking about here???

Let us take a look at who's telling the truth ... after all, videos don't lie.

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BN's Disbarred Candidate!!

Umno fielded 38-year-old Rohaizat Othman, a syariah legal adviser, and he will face Penang PAS commissioner Mohd Salleh Man in Permatang Pasir.
Umno does things to to its image, and they cannot find a better candidate than the "virtuous" and "whiter than white" Rohaizat - a disbarred lawyer!!!!

Lets take a Look at the BN candidate:-
1. Malaysiakini reports that BN candidate for the Permatang Pasir by-election Rohaizat Othman, a lawyer, has been blacklisted by the Bar Council.
There is no such thing as "blacklisted", but - Section 94 (2) of the Legal Profession Act, 1976 provides that any “advocate and solicitor who has been guilty of any misconduct shall be liable to be struck off the Roll…” ( quoting Haris Ibrahim)

2. Apparently Khairy said, "He didn't say he's practicing lawyer lah. Said he qualified in law. Now not practicing.He's in the process of sorting out his licence now that the matter has been settled."

Here's the Best part: -
3. http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/147425-rohaizats-offence-a-personal-misconduct-ragunath-says.html

Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan told The Edge Malaysia that the proceedings under Section 103D of the Legal Profession Act 1976 involved misconduct of the individual lawyer.... Read More

"The offence was for personal liability and does not involve any other persons as Rohaizat was named by the complainant, and not his partner.

"Rohaizat was disbarred on March 7 last year and he appealed against the Bar Council decision to the High Court, which also dismissed his appeal on Aug 12 this year," he added.

Ragunath said the offence committed by Rohaizat involved stakeholders' money from Koperasi Pekebun Getah and there was no account for it.

"When the board looked into this matter and the order was made, there was no reimbursement to the stakeholders involving the sum of RM140,000.

"Even if you pay, the offence has been committed and it is a serious offence as this involves dealing with client's money.

"If you are an innocent party, you would not be found guilty by the disciplinary committee and the charge leveled under Section 103D is tantamount to criminal misconduct," he added.

On Sunday, Penang Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told a press conference that it was Rohaizat's partner who was involved in the scandal which resulted in Rohaizat being struck off.

Meanwhile at the nomination centre, when asked whether Rohaizat's credibility would come into question following the revelation of him being disbarred, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said: "There is no controversy with regards to his candidacy as we have done our homework.

"As far as the law is concerned, he has been declared eligible to contest and we believe the voters will understand when we explain to them what actually happened.

"We have our ways of explaining to the voters, the opposition can do whatever character assassinations they want.

"We will expose all their lies and the rakyat can judge for themselves," he added.

The Conversion of St. Jibby!!???.

There is a new spin in town - apparently, Jibby should be given a chance with his "1-Malaysia" project, as he should be given the benefit of doubt that (drum-roll and Beethoven's 5th Sympony please ....) -
Jibby might've had a "Damascus Experience"!!!!
I couldn't help laughing at that idea - Jibby? A Damascus Experience???!!
All I could say when I read this Bob fella who claimed to be with the blues was - OMG, WTF!! Anyway, I was polite in my answer which I have also given below - lest they complain something about insulting something (never mind that he might've insulted St. Paul's experience ....).

This has been tickling me all weekend - so much so, I had a dream last night .... of Jibby's "Damascus Experience". Using Parmagianino's painting of the Conversion of St. Paul, I have attempted to illustrate the nightmare I had last night of Jibby's "Damascus Experience", as it might be in Bob's imagination, the commenter in the post "Somebody Tasted Blood".

Note: I can hardly cram in all that I saw in my dream of his possible "Experience" .... but here's an image of some of the thing's I saw (with apologies to Parmagianino who drew the original Conversion of St. Paul)
So here goes the Comment from "Bob":-
I wonder why we think that the gay guy was responsible. He is intelligent. He would have covered all the bases.

My personal belief is that we need to take a step back and consider whether it was some pencil pusher, who was trying 2 win brownie points from his/her political masters.

I believe Najib is getting the short stick. Doc, u should understand that people can have a "Damascus" experience, and perhaps our PM has had one. That's why he is pushing the 1Malaysia.

Maybe a lot of other people dont like the 1Malaysia concept, and want to protect the status quo.

Anyway a house divided will collapse. So plz turn the other cheek, and lets support the "born-again" Najib. Give him a chance.

I am a "Blue" person, been "blue" for generations. But during the last elections, I told people that the Green, Light Blue, and rocket were OK choices as a lesson had to be taught. But the Green guys in my state, led by a pseudo-Keris holder is regretting his conservative nature in that he did not accept my mother's dentist offer.

Give Royal Blue a chance. He is trying to move away from the "Dark side". We should help.

BTW the chap from MUAR is a permanent resident of the Dark Side. So I wonder who is Luke?

I wonder also who are KuLi - Ben/? , Zaid Ibrahim, Anwar, LKS, LGE, ???

Bob


The following was my reply:-

Dear Bob,
I don't know which gay guy you're talking about, but the "Blues" definitely had their chance for 50 yrs.
As for Najib's !-Malaysia, it is one big "?" - it is a lie when you put it up against the hypocrisy of racism that the "blues" stand for.

And as for his repentance/reform needing "help" - I'm all for it .... only thing is, it is best done in a "monastry" and in abstinence. Not with all the trappings of wealth, luxury and power. Moreover, I believe that there are definitely many more in Malaysia who would be more than qualified to take his place.

What amazes me is the fact that many are willing to keep giving "the Blues" "a chance", when they have been given so many over 50 yrs. Trust isn't something the "blues" evoke - not anymore ....

I'd rather give others a chance, come what may ....

PS
The other personalities you mentioned - maybe you should read up more about their ideals and convictions to get to know about them.
I'm sure you cannot find decent reading material on the intellectually bankrupt "blues brothers", though.
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Hoping for PAS- With fingers crossed ...

In The Peole's Parliament,( Great, now assure the rest of us, PAS) Haris states that Zaid apparently told him in a phone conversation, “Haris, things will only get better. I’ll stake my life on this” .....
Well, I'll take that with a pinch of salt, belacan, budu, tempoyak or whatever - going by the track record of PAS so far, I think Zaid is betting against some heavy odds.

Umno, over the last 30 years under Mahathir, has evolved into a brain-dead organization - which would naturally become extremist in nature. Yes - Umno is EXTREMIST!! They are RACISTS!! They are grabbing at any issue that can "propel them with an image of being willing to go to extreme lengths to get what they want - and MCA finances them through it all.
Never mind that the word in town is that there are among Umno leadership who love "nightlife, butt-groping and single malt" - they have jumped the bandwagon of Islamism and sharpened their Islamist rhetoric.

It knows that PAS has become the darling of the masses with their moderation of late through TG Nik Aziz (Hadi is a different story lah ...), and a viable alternative to Umno - and they also know that PAS's simple-mindedness is Pakatan's achilles heel. "Islam" is definitely PAS's strength, but the simpletons who adopt "Islamism" as a political tool, is at once, also their weakness - and the problem is, they don't see the difference. Many within PAS (and without, too), still believe that being "Talibanesque" is being more Islamic.

Quite some time back (in 2007, I think) I had written that the problem with PAS's politics, is the fact that they have no moral convictions despite all their high-flung Islamist rhetoric. Their focus is often on the "clothes/cloak" of Islam, rather than the heart of it. They wouldn't blink an eye when they betray their voters when it comes to "Islamist" agendas. They are quick to fall victim to Umno's needling on Islamic matters (on the simplistic matters of "image" and not faith), and Umno knows this. Time and again they have successfully sent PAS into retreat just playing on emotions and the image factor - and many of the PAS ulamas are so incompetent, that they cannot debate with them on how Islam can be perfectly compatible with a secular state that upholds Islamic "VALUES" and principles, without depending on medieval laws and edicts to guide them.
Today, besides evoking anger among Muslims/ Malays and seeking to drive a wedge between Malaysians, Umno has gone on the offensive by attacking PAS's Islamic system/understanding - and they play up matters that strike the imaginations of the simple folk.
The Umno Youth under Khairy Jamalludin has gone out to town saying that a vote for PAS is a vote for DAP, and that “Maybe one day pork will be sold openly in Shah Alam” - and these simplistic arguments are bound to get the PAS fellas shrinking in their jubahs, with them rushing out to look at scriptures throwing common sense to the wind.

It remains to be seen if PAS can rise to the challenge and recalibrate their definition of Islamic values and principles which make life in a plural society a pleasure instead of an ordeal. So, I'm not so sure about Zaid's bet- not until he can say that Pakatan Rakyat is a formal coalition which adopts the People's Declaration as its blueprint, and abide by it - especially where our PAS and PKR jihadis (like Hasan Ali, Zul Nordin and Nasharidin) are concerned.
Meanwhile, I'll just keep my fingers crossed ....

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Related:-
The "Secular" Controversy
The PAS factor - A Viable Alternative?
The PAS "Cooperation" and Vote.