The Sound of Music ....

Azaan

drrafick

| January 15, 2011 at 11:58 PM | Categories: Malaysia My Home

| URL: http://wp.me/p8MXu-1fP

1. I love Siti Norhaliza. She has a beautiful voice with a matching face. I would say I truly enjoy her singing. One of my favorite numbers is Cindai, a song written by Hairul Anuar Harun. This melodious song will survive a 1000 years. The rhythm is an adaptation of old rhythm that is synonym with Zapin music from Johor which I suspect is probably hundreds of years old. Since she moved to my neighborhood, it is my hope that I will bumped into her while shopping for fish and vegetables at our local supermarket. So far no luck yet.
   

2. By now everyone must be wondering why I am writing about Siti and the titled is Azaan. There are similarities when it comes to melody. When my daughter ask me why this people are burning effigies in Pantai over the issue of Azan, it was difficult for me to answer. I took her into my car and put on the Cindai CD. I told her to listen when the volume is set at 3. Both of us enjoyed the song. Then I raised the volume to 12 and my 8 year old girl said, "Papa tak best la …. Bring down the volume pa". Then I told her does she understand why people in the neighborhood complained about the Azaan? She said yes.
   

3. The word Azaan is derived from the Arabic word "adhān", from the root word of "adhina" which means "to announce" or "to invite". The history of Azaan started in Medina when the prophet Mohamed pbuh consider various methods of informing the Muslim then the time pray. It was decided back then the way to announce the time for prayers is via the Azaan as to be different from the way of the Jews (which uses a horn) and Christians(which uses a bell). The objective is to announce time of prayer to people in the surrounding neighborhood. In this context the neighborhood within a particular mosque is known as the kariah member of the mosque.
   

4. Like listening to Siti Norhaliza singing, I feel that it is important that the member of a kariah hear the Azan in a soothing manner. The technology is there which should be maximized. You don't need a 1000 MW speaker to blast an Azan because the people that are very close to the mosque will hear it as noise rather than Azan. We should look at using sound mapping tools, geographical terrain and putting repeater station in ensuring that all members of the kariah should hear a lovely soothing Azan. The technology is there and the solution is available. Allah gave us brain to think and use this technology in a way of goodness without offending others.
   

5. Whatever the case maybe, I find this man in robes and burning effigies are bringing a foreign culture to our land. They are not defending Islam but rather defaming it. That picture is now circulated all over the globe showing how bad Muslims are. As a Muslim, I would like to urge the authorities to take action against this group of people for defaming Islam in such a manner. They have also incited unnecessary tension in their community. A complaint should have been addressed professionally and now by shouting and burning effigies. What they have done is totally unjust. As a Muslim, all I can say is "saya malu".

BERSIH 2.0: All Hell Breaks Loose with Proxy Voting « The People’s Parliament

BERSIH 2.0: All Hell Breaks Loose with Proxy Voting

January 17, 2011

PRESS STATEMENT

BERSIH 2.0 urges the Election Commission to withdraw its proposal of proxy voting, warning that all hell may break loose when proxy voting is abused, threatening even the legitimacy of the next government.

BERSIH 2.0 will organise a public forum later this month on absentee voting reform, which is the real solution to help address the issue of absentee voters. The coalition hopes EC Chairperson or his representative will participate as a panelist to respond to the public’s concerns.

BERSIH 2.0 stresses that proxy voting is highly vulnerable for democratizing countries like Malaysia because it may succumb to vote buying or coercion, resulting in disenfranchisement. Bosses may ask employees to sign away their voting rights.

So will superiors their subordinates, husbands their wives (or vice versa) and parents their children. In the most absurd scenario, loan sharks (Ah Longs) may even force every of their debtors to be registered as voters and then sign away their ballots, which can then be traded to political parties.

BERSIH 2.0 warns that, widespread disenfranchisement will erode the legitimacy of the new government – whichever parties are elected – and land the nation into political chaos. There are already enough allegations of bosses controlling employees’ voting in East Malaysia and under the current postal voting system, coerced proxy voting in military barracks and police stations.

BERSIH 2.0 says that the way to help address the issue of absentee voters is to make postal voting available to all and mandatory to none. All voters with reasonable grounds to be away from their constituency on polling day should be allowed to vote by postal ballots, provided they apply in advance, say, three weeks before polling day.
Under the current system, postal voting is imposed on military and police voters, but available as an option to only overseas bureaucrats and students and election officials.

BERSIH 2.0 expresses regret that the EC plans to propose 30 changes to the electoral process to the Cabinet without consulting civil society and political parties. Nothing was raised in BERSIH 2.0′s meeting with the EC last November.

BERSIH also criticizes the EC, whose independence is provided for by the Federal Constitution, for reducing itself to a subordinate body of the Cabinet by seeking the latter’s permission for any changes. It has failed to fulfill its constitutional mandate and, therefore, not gain public confidence.

Issued by

Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee

Contact:

SC members — Wong Chin Huat @ 019 350 2823 or Maria Chin Abdullah @ 013 342 2931

Posted by Haris Ibrahim
Filed in Defend our electoral process

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