BN (or is it Mahathir?) has a friend in Mugabe .......... and vice-versa?

Mugabe takes a holiday in Malaysia as Zimbabwe crumbles

HARARE, Jan 13 — While the people of Zimbabwe struggle with cholera, hunger, hyper-inflation and violent repression, president Robert Mugabe has decided to take a month-long holiday.

The 84-year-old leaders wife, Grace, has been accused of withdrawing £60,000 (RM330,000) from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to pay for the trip to their family home in Malaysia.

Thirty days after Mr Mugabe declared the cholera crisis over, the UN has revealed the death toll is still soaring with 1,778 confirmed dead.

Many people remain weakened and impoverished by one of the worst periods of pre-harvest hunger in years and 90 per cent of pupils are not attending school.

Most teachers are now on indefinite strike, meaning a charity set up last summer to pay school fees for impoverished pupils is now using its funds to feed youngsters and their families.

One child Educated Horizon has taken under its wing is 14-year-old Chipo. She had been selling tomatoes during the day and her body to truck drivers by night for 20p (RM1) a time.

The teenager from Chivhu, 100km south-west of the capital Harare, said: “I have two young sisters who look up to me, so I have to work hard. Whatever little money I get will help.”

Educated Horizon now feeds her family to keep her off the streets. London-based volunteer Herbert Dzinotyiweyi said, “We used to have the best education system in Africa. We were the lucky ones. How is the economy going to recover without an educated population?”

Mugabe’s spokesman defended his actions. He said the president was not so much on holiday but on leave to reflect on the Zimbabwean crisis. — Metro

The Herald Language Issue - What is it REALLY about?

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Ideas are far more powerful than guns.
We don't allow our enemies to have guns, why should we allow them to have ideas?
Print is the sharpest and the strongest weapon of our party.
-Joseph Stalin
============================

Late last 2007 after the Bersih Rally, (before the March 8 elections was announced), a controversy was created by the KDN/ Home Ministry of the one and only infamous Hamid Albar - the "Allah" issue with The Catholic Herald". [Read "Abdullah flip-flops Again" on Jeff Ooi's Screenshots , Malaysia Catholic paper may close in "Allah" row , and Monopoly on words —Farish A Noor]

Now, they (the HM of Hamid Albar) spin it to appear as if there is a hidden agenda to proselytize to Muslims by banning the Malay pages in the newsletter.
One might like to ask if it is as we are told it is - Is this really the issue?

I definitely don't think so.
It seems to me that there is more that meets the eye in this matter..... it's about the power to control the dissemination of information, and creating the perception of conflict, regardless of color or creed- although the Catholic Church was the scapegoat in this case.

Apparently, they only just realized after all these years, that Allah is used by Malay-speaking Christians in worship for decades, and moved to "patent" the Arab word for use by only Muslims!! The suddenly feel that the use of Malay in Christian publication could "weaken the faith of Muslims"!! Strange as it may sound, there have been many conversions to Islam (for various reasons) from Christianity, and there has yet to be any evidence that the Muslims are any less faithful to Islam, over the last century.

As if the idiocy of it all wasn't enough to make the Malaysian Govt the laughing stock of the world, they (the Home Ministry) then decides to prevent The Herald from publishing in Bahasa Malaysia - the National Language!!!
This they do, either in total ignorance of the Federal Constitution, or with some other diabolical plan in place- for the greater agenda of controlling publications in Bahasa Malaysia available to the general public.
With an erudite Attorney General to help them, the former appers to be an unlike possibility. Therefore, it appears to me to be the latter - simply so that the non-Malays/ Muslims will be faced with linguistic barriers when they attempt to communicate with Malay Muslims.

Considering their lethargy when it comes to improving education standards in Malaysia, it appears to me that they wish to keep the Malay electorate in the dark about many things, while painting "others" as the enemy - in line with sectarian and divisive politics. The ideologues who wish to control society are seeking sectarian flashpoints, so that the Malay/Muslim will feel threatened and start looking for ghosts under the bed.
They want distrust. They want suspicion. They want a seige mindset.
They want Fear!!

Many don't seem to understand that this isn't just about the catholic church or the herald per se, although it is the "flashpoint" - it is about your fundamental constitutional right they wish to take away, and set a precedent for future judgements.
Don't get misled by the issues they try to use, so as to set a precedent towards robbing you of your right to publish in any language you please.

Although I do not agree with the usage of "Allah" in Biblical literature, it is a known fact that that is the word which has been used in Malay Christian literature to denote "God", as opposed to "Lord" (or vice versa - I'm uncertain). In Mandarin/Tamil/Malayalam/Hindi/ Russian and what not, they have different words to illustrate the same "idea"/message.
Hence it is a word in Malay christian literature, long before DBP or any of us came into being, under Umno rule.

The point here is if they have the Constitutional Right to call their God what they wish, as they wish, and in whatever language they wish - even if it is Tom, Dick or Harry that they wish to use. Period.

It isn't the question of whether it is right or wrong thing in their religion, but rather, whether they have the constitutional right to practice their religion as they please, without infringing on the rights of others.
Last I read the constitution, their (the religious bodies) opinion is in accordance to the Federal Constitution, and the "little napoleans'" attempts to interfere in the affairs of their affairs, isn't.
The very fact that the Govt has backed down, and attempts at this subversion failed, is enough proof of this fact.

Don't be swayed by any other argument, as it would set a precedent on the politicians' ability to control your right to publish in any language you so desire, and would then snowball into further persecution and control of publications in various forms.

That's the whole simple issue - all other arguments are nothing more than diversions, in attempts at subverting the Federal Constitution and creating social conflict.
That brings us to the motives of those who intend to politicize this issue.
It is only when they create this apparent possibility of conflict that they can bring the people to surrender their rights to the politicians.
It is how all emergency laws are brought into existence - by playing up imaginary fears in the minds of the electorate.
It is how this whole "war on terror" concept has been sold to the world.
It is how ISA was sold to the Parliament.
It is how Malaysians gave up their rights ......
It is how they hope the citizens buy from them, the rope for the noose with which they will be hung.

Should Malaysians not realize the real issues that are at stake behind all the charade that the politicians and ideologues put up, they will unwittingly be giving up more and more of their rights to politicians who are bent on exploiting the citizenry. Should go on the day will come when the people will have no right left to speak of.
That will be the day when we will demand that tyrannical rule, so as to justify the need for social order. It will be a sad day for Malaysia when we "need" tyrants/ dictators to maintain social order - just as the USSR needed Stalin, Yugoslavia needed Tito, just as the Afghans needed for Taliban......

Like I said in my earlier post, it isn't too unlikely that in Malaysia, it may take the form of a Theocracy of an Islamic state - once there is enough division and chaos in place, to exercise the tyranny of the "majority", ruled by a minority "wise guys".
Let's hope and pray that Malaysian will wake up soon enough to prevent this.

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

"Who are the oppressors but the Nobility and Gentry; and who are oppressed,
if not the Yeoman, the Farmer, the Tradesman and the Labourer?
... your slavery is their liberty, your poverty is their prosperity;
yea, in brief, your honouring of them, dishonoureth the commonality...
Unlord those that are lorded by you."
- Ranter Laurence Clarkson, 1647 (p. 81), The Many-Headed Hydra

Is Hudud compatible with Democracy?

Therefore, questions of democracy, individual freedom and the right of the majority are stacked one against the other in scenarios such as these.
I personally feel that should the majority of people within a particular state willingly and freely wish to have the Islamic legal system implemented, they should be given the right....
That is what democracy is all about.
-Khalid Samad, Hudud & Democracy,
Malaysia Today/ TheNutGraph

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

Dear Khalid,
Allow me to first of all congratulate you on your ability to articulate your thought better than those who dreamed up a candidate (whom I support, given alternative) the for political contest. Given the scenario that unfolds in KT, wherein minorities are courted in this crucial by-election, it is strange that you do not speak as you should.

Dear Sir, you have grossly misunderstood the meaning of a true democracy. What you suggest is nothing more than the tyranny of the majority. Democracy isn't exactly just the "rule of the majority" as you'd like to believe, but also the protection of minority rights - for therein lies its true test. You do not get to exert the rule of majority, so as to subvert the rights of minorities.

Democracy is an ideal, wherein the people get to voice out their differences, and rule by consensus, without infringing on each others rights. It is essential with all its flaws, for the survival of the State. The social conflicts arising thereof are minimized with a "Constitution". To subvert this constitution on the premise of exercising democracy, would in effect undo the very democracy one might seek to exercise.
The creation of a parallel legal system, runs against the spirit of a secular Constitution which declares that all citizens are equal before the law. What you intend to do with the demise of the Umno "two-tier social contract" society, is to create another based on "Islamic Laws". It sets the stage for conflict between the supremacy of the Federal Constitution and exclusive "Religious Laws". It invites the fractured society which is bound to feed mutual distrust and suspicion.

It is simplistic of you to presume that practicing democracy, is to abide by the wishes of the majority (even if it subverts demoracy itself), wherein the minorities can be legitimately robbed of their rights, should the majority deem it worthy.
How can you even speak of "democracy" as the reason why we should allow the establishment of an Islamic State or a legal system, when you know that the real intention is to hijack democracy itself? In a democracy, a citizen ought to have his freedom of "choice" intact even after choices are made - does this freedom of choice exist in the Islamic state?

None would surrender his right to the freedom of choice unless he stood to gain something he deems worthwhile in one way or other. It is unfortunate that some believe that a person is relieved of this right at birth, should he be born Muslim, or converts into Islam. In an Islamic tradition/ Hudud/Qisas (and other religions too- although in those cases, there really isn't compulsion), one is deprived of making certain choices, once he chooses to embrace this system.
His choices are limited to that which is dictated by the norms of society. "laws" or opinions of "wise men"- from then on, the system decides what's best for him/her. This is something that's irreconcilable with democracy. By preventing this freedom of choice in a democracy, it is my opinion, that you have given up that right to demand that choice!
Stop this tyranny, and you shall earn yourself the right to demand a democracy, Khalid.

C.S Lewis once said, "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
Although your intentions may be noble, could you deny that the "Islamic State/Hudud" concept is anything but what is described by C.S. Lewis above, given the numerous precedents of "glorious civilisations" which we have around the world.

In no way do I intend to belittle the "deen" of Islam, which I'd support in spirit - given its good intentions at the time of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), in a barbaric society. The same goes to many a Christian evangelist, who might advocate that which you do - a theocracy- provided they were in the seat of power.
It isn't about religion here, Khalid - it is about grabbing political power and using "divine" inspiration to hoodwink the public, so as to hold on to it indefinitely. It's about using religion as the vehicle for control & repression by "godmen" politicians pretending to be "men of God", so as to fulfill their agenda to relieve the masses of their rights.

It's about Fascism under the guise of religiosity, devoid of spirituality.
Allow me to make it clear to you here that this isn't just an Islamic phenomenon - under the Papist "Holy" Roman Empire, similar systems of repressive rule resulted in the regressive and repressive regimes that brought about untold persecution and suffering for the "faithful".

It's about the death of Democracy under the Islamic state concept. It's about the psychological terror that you propose.
As Gandhi said, "The spirit of democracy cannot be established in the midst of terrorism, whether governmental or popular".

It is my observation that those who have little "reason" to substantiate their arguments on justice and rule of law (aka theocrats), seek refuge in "sacred texts" (which are often filled with contradictions, and steeped in mysticism and superstition) at the drop of a hat- so as to justify their point of view and actions, which may be irrational or plain criminal. If those books deemed sacred do not provide for answers, the answers are sought from man made texts which are claimed to be "inspired", and hence "semi-divine". Under the tyranny of a theocracy, any number of criminal action will be justified in God's name (with twisted reasonings), so that the elite can lead their hedonistic lifestyles. The little man is more often than not drugged into unthinking submission to "the voices of God which speak for them" in the corridors of power.

Dear Sir, you cannot understand humanity, if you were to depend on one school of thought- even if deemed perfect by virtue of faith, rather than reason. More so in a multi-cultural state like Malaysia. (Note that I do not refer to Malaysia as a nation - for nationhood is still a far-fetched dream, considering the sectarian politics propagated by selfish interests). It is essential that you understand the true spirit of our democratic constitution and the rule of law, before you seek to promote Hudud as the solution to all our ills.

The utopia that you seek resides in your mind and heart and does not depend on political power or government. Any effort to create it politically will be futile, and would create untold misery/conflict.
For the sake of nationhood, I sincerely pray that you would learn to embrace the true spirit of democracy (which protect the minorities' rights), instead of seeking to subverting their rights through the tyranny of the majority.
It is also hoped that you will not be influenced by the self-aggrandizement of highly "inspired" Godmen in certain political circles, in articulating your thoughts on statecraft.

Wallahu a'lam.

PS
Malaysia is currently facing a very uncertain future - there is a possibility of things turning for the worse, should Umno decide to sabotage the promise of progress under the PR govt of the future.
Considering the gullibility of a vast majority of the Malaysian Muslim/ Malay electorate to racial & religious provocation, and the spiritual/ intellectual/ moral bankruptcy of the "political elite", there is a very real possibility of Malaysia turning into an Islamic Theocracy in the not too distant future- more so, should PAS decide to pursue their ambitions through appealing to Umno's sectarian hate politics.

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

The most effective way to restrict democracy,
is to transfer decision-making from the public arena
to unaccountable institutions:
kings and princes, priestly castes, military juntas,
party dictatorships, or modern corporations.

- Noam Chomsky

What BN Gives KT for RM9,000,000,000.00

Old Men withThe Sixth Sense? - Hearing Voices, Having dreams

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The voices I hear....
Right now the voices tell me we ....
But the voices said we .............
We paid RM8 billion for KLIA Sepang.
What happens to the low cost terminal at KLIA....
These are of course only voices.................
After thinking up about raising buffalos in Langkawi,
Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must be congratulated for yet another great idea.
- Mahathir, "I Hear Voices", Che Det.cc

“I had this dream that we ..."
- Hadi Awang, on choosing the right candidate for KT
=================================

1. It sounds spooky. In his first posting on the new blog Mahathir speaks of "hearing voices" - must be ghosts he left behind to haunt the nation (and Pak Lah's sleep).

2. So sad that he only hears them - Malaysians have been seeing & living with them for 30 yrs, and he never saw it despite all the visions he sold the people!!

3. I liked the ending though - he spoke of buffaloes - he only likes them only when they have nose rings, though. That too only the two legged variety that he nurtured for 22 yrs.

4. So that's what the Mozzarella Cheese was all about - I wondered why! Now Langkawi, your many splendoured resort for "high-life", can be famous for buffaloes!!

5. Great, Tun - Now you hear Voices ...... these are the "ghosts" you have left behind.
So sad that you hear them only now. For 22 yrs, your never saw them being created and nurtured.

6. If you saw through your eyes (instead of just seeing with your eyes),
you'd have seen them long ago - so much for visions!!

7. At least, Hadi only had "visions" through dreams ....

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

“This life’s dim windows of the soul,
distorts the heavens from pole to pole,
and goads you to believe a lie,
when you see with and not through the eye.”
-William Blake

Education - Malaysia Style ...

Maybe they should be renamed Ministry of Persecution or something like that.
... any better idea would be welcome.
I was "tickled" to read a comment on MalaysiaKini (Vox Populi - below), describing the capacity of today's teachers' thinking faculties - needless to say, trained by the Ministry of "Education".
It looks like they "train" teachers to be stoopid!

Can you imagine your child being arrested for "illegal assembly" at a coffee shop in school compound!!??
My God! This is mind boggling - How pathetic can our Ministry of "Education" get!
With teachers-training like this, who needs schools?

Is it any surprise that the Home Ministry bans usage of BM by the Catholic Herald,
while we get kids becoming Rempits, drug addicts, or saying the things as reported Star/Metro in "Tudung-clad teens who are hooked on sex"??!!

So much for the "sexy"-Uniform/ "dress code" controversy, huh?

About time, some people realize that religious dogma indoctrination and outward religiosity doesn't translate into sound spiritualitycharacter or ethics.

The very 'macho' but braindead Malaysian defenders of Race/Religion

Is this the "Jaminan untuk anak-anak kita" which the keris-waving Hishamudin promises (I just heard that on the TV3 news - in KT, was it?)? Who needs a "Ministry" that peddles immorality, mediocrity, idiocy, and preaches bigotry/ hypocrisy to the kids under the guise of "education"?
Words such as these (mentioned in the article linked above) coming out from kids, would never even be dreamt of in the pre-Mahathirism days!

More & more, The Ministry/ Goverment appears to be prostituting education in schools, under their "Ketuanan" policies. I wonder what role BTN plays, in inculcating such "noble " values in the current crop of imbeciles who masquerade as teachers/ principals.
Whatever said and done, much "credit" has to go to the "Ministers of Education" since the inception of the NEP - especially during the time of Mahathirism vs. PAS ("Islamisation" period).

As much as I'd like to agree with Mahathir Jr. who proposed a single education system, (and disagree with DJZ on Mandarin "vernacular" education system), given the scenario in the comment below (and of course the abusive teacher - remember?), anything is better than the Sekolah Kebangsaan.
No thank you Mukhriz - your dad's "education" policies belong to the gutters, and stink to the high heavens. It highlights the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the Mahathirism/Umno/BN policies!

The kids would probably be better off left to their devices .....

On Malay-language edition of Catholic paper banned: editor

Mr Yest: My friend's daughter who attends a national school organised meetings with fellow Christians in her school to understand their religion better. The principal came to know of it and made it impossible for them to continue. So they met at a coffee shop.

The principal then reported them to the police for illegal assembly! I don't know how many brownie points he gained with masters at the education ministry but this is the reality. So it is not surprising that the home ministry acted in the way it did.

I suppose if the officials had been more fair-minded, their masters may have felt that they were giving ground to their own religion's ‘enemy' and may face the wrath of God.

We all know it took nearly 30 years for a church to be approved to be built in Shah Alam and the designated place was at the edge of the forest. We all know the restrictions placed on the height of the steeple of a church.

As long as people in government do not feel confident of their own religion, such repression will persist. Compared with the US, a country the Malaysian government has never ceased to preach about religious tolerance and other high-minded matters, Malaysia is still in the Dark Ages.

Ban on Bahasa Malaysia - is it Constitutional?

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1, 2009 (AFP) - A Catholic newspaper in Malaysia has been ordered by the government to cease its Malay language edition until courts resolve a ban on the paper's use of the word "Allah", its editor said Thursday.
-Herald newspaper editor Father Lawrence Andrew said the move was part of a series of restrictions put in place by the conservative Muslim government when it renewed the paper's licence on Tuesday.
-The Herald, circulated among the country's 850,000 Catholics, nearly lost its publishing licence last year for using the word "Allah" as a translation for "God," with authorities saying it should only be used by Muslims.

.........................................................

"The ministry's Publications and Quranic Text Control unit deputy secretary Abdul Razak Abdul Latif said the approval letter sent to the publisher outlined three rules that they must abide. They are:

- to cease the publication of Herald in Bahasa Malaysia until the court decides on its move to seek a declaratory relief that it is entitled to use the word "Allah";

- that the publication can only be sold in churches; and

- that it prints clearly on the cover that the paper is only meant for Christians."

- NST

###############################################

This order is unconstitutional!!
What has the "Allah" case got to do with the whole issue of publication in Malay!!!??? They are flouting the constitutional rights of every Citizen to use BM as the national language for intergration!

How can they ban the publication in Malay? I thought they want Malay usage to be popularized!! They want all Malaysians to unite in language. They want us to study in Malay. Some even suggest Malay be the sole medium of instruction in schools.

But all of a sudden, we cannot publish in Malay when it comes to our religious matters???? What's the problem?
You don't want Malaysians to love the language? Or is it that your faith is so flimsy, and you suppose that all Malay Muslims are like you?
Maybe it is just another way to divide the people and encourage mutual suspicion.

Don't they know that many Catholics/ Christians in Sabah/ Sarawak and also immigrant workers who are in Malaysia use Malay to worship? Are they preventing us from communicating with our Malay speaking co-religionists?

Next they will tell us that we can only worship and communicate in languages that are not spoken in Malaysia!!!

All you guys from different religions/ denominations who choose remain silent/indifferent on this travesty of justice and unconstitutional action by Mr. HM - your day will come!!