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Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muslims. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

While 60% of the country’s population are Malays, non-Malays find the narratives of race and religion outdated and reflecting poorly on political leadership

  Malaysians now looking for a new narrative of diversity and inclusiveness, not just Malay unity

No easy battle ahead for Pejuang


IT looks certain that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic), who now heads the Pejuang party, will defend his Langkawi parliamentary seat in the impending general election.

The former prime minister, who turns 98 next year, does not have much choice as he is the only candidate from his party who has a realistic chance of winning.

Although he has announced that his newly-formed movement Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA), led by Pejuang, will be contesting in 120 seats, he should not be too ambitious.

In the Johor state election in March, all 42 Pejuang candidates lost their deposits.

In GE15, the field is expected to be crowded with Opposition parties, which will not be helpful to his coalition of Muslim-Malay political parties and non-governmental organisations.

Most of the coalition leaders are has-beens and unknowns while even the electorate still has no idea what Pejuang – or the coalition – really stands for.

That, however, has not stopped Dr Mahathir, who was twice PM, from saying he “would reluctantly accept the responsibility of leading the government for a third time if needed”.

The Malay Mail reported him as saying at a GTA forum at the Bangi Convention Centre last week that “he would prefer a less taxing role, one that would allow him to advise or be an expert consultant to the prime minister”. But he was quick to add: “If the insistence were to be incessant, I would find it hard to only think about myself.”

“So, if the insistence is there, I will accept,” he said when asked about his willingness to assume the mantle for a third time.

“However, it cannot be for the full term,” he told the audience in Bangi. “Maybe just for a year.”

With due respect to Dr Mahathir, a seasoned political player, he may have been trying to boost the confidence of his audience ahead of the polls.

Heading a fledgling political party and a hurriedly put-up coalition, Dr Mahathir would surely want to instil hope and belief that victory is possible and that he can become a PM for a record third time.

Dr Mahathir may be good at setting records, but it would not be wrong to suggest that most Malaysians do not share his enthusiasm. In fact, we are quite horrified at the thought.

His political detractors, especially those in Umno, would want him stopped as Pejuang’s entry could split the Malay voters.

The same sentiment is shared by Perikatan Nasional led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

While Dr Mahathir’s coalition talks of uniting the Malays and Muslims, the other two similar coalitions think it will be the other way around.

He has no friends in the Opposition either. Prior to his resignation as prime minister in 2020, Dr Mahathir had been meant to pass the post to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but he never did so, claiming there was no formal agreement setting a deadline for him to do so.

Dr Mahathir is still respected by non-Malays for his two decades as PM but that admiration took a huge dent after the collapse of the 22-month old Pakatan Harapan government. He has been blamed for the downfall as he quit as PM.

Worse, his occasional racist remarks have alienated many non-Malays.

While 60% of the country’s population are Malays, non-Malays find such narratives of race and religion outdated and reflecting poorly on political leadership.

Political leaders around the world have become younger – many are even in their 30s and 40s – and voters are looking for new ideas and a better Malaysia.

But Dr Mahathir still talked of race, saying at the Bangi convention that “he only wished to see his vision for the Malay community come to pass under a caring and trustworthy government”.

At 97, it is very hard for Dr Mahathir to change his beliefs.

His legacy is already ruined, but he can earn a last round of respect if he talks of bringing Malaysians together.

It is unfortunate that as the nation celebrates 65 years of independence, our political leaders still want to harp on Muslims and Malays as if other Malaysians, including the large non-Muslim bumiputra population in Sabah and Sarawak, do not exist at all.

The Chinese population may be declining but it remains an important 25% and playing a crucial role in Malaysia’s economy. The same goes for the Indians.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s “Keluarga Malaysia” campaign may be seen by some as mere political rhetoric, but it resonates with the call for diversity and inclusiveness.

Dr Mahathir’s problem is that he cannot let go. In March, he “confirmed” that he would not defend Langkawi due to health reasons but in June, he changed his mind, saying he “may” defend his seat if no suitable candidate is found.

Now, it is almost sure he will be a candidate.

Dr Mahathir deserves a rest from politics. He was discharged from hospital early this month after a bout of Covid-19 and in February, he had to undergo a procedure for a heart problem.

Seriously, he needs to know when to exit the stage. No one is indispensable and there is nothing worse than old scripts and sequels. It really turns off the audience.

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PAS’ politics of desperation, lies and deception

 

 

 

Saturday, November 13, 2021

PAS’ politics of desperation, lies and deception

 


Are my ears fooling me, or did I hear PAS president Abdul Hadi saying that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition was formed to fight extremist forces in the country?

Did he say that these extremist forces are now operating in Melaka?

The self-righteous Hadi thinks that he can say whatever he wants simply because he comes from the holier than thou religious party, the bridge between heaven and earth.

As they say, it takes a thief to know another thief.

It is well known that Hadi is a racist and religious extremist. His political strategy is based on the principle of divide and rule, not just non-Muslims but also among Muslims.

Hadi thinks by labelling others as extremists, he can emerge as a moderate and respectful leader.

But unfortunately, it is too late in the day for this. He and his party are beyond redemption.

Gone are the respectful days of PAS’ former spiritual leader, the much beloved Tok Guru, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Maybe Hadi, since he knows so much about the extremist forces, should go one step further to name and shame them.

Maybe he should elaborate on the extremist forces that sought to amend the Constitution. What was the amendment about?

It is typical of wishy washy Hadi to say things in general to escape the responsibility of getting into specifics or details.

He fears that once he gets into these details, he might be exposed for his lies and deception.

Can Hadi name the extremist forces operating in Melaka. Is it the much disliked DAP and its allies?

By talking about extremism in Malaysian politics, is Hadi pressing the panic button in anticipation of a possible electoral disaster in Melaka?

Is there a real fear in the ranks of the members of the PN coalition that the Melaka election might be their Waterloo?

Hadi is a very desperate political leader.

If the PN is wiped out in the state election, PAS and Bersatu might not have a national presence to face the next general election (GE15).

Calling others extremists is an indication that all is not well with PAS or its leadership.

Its role in the federal government with ministerial appointments has certainly dented the religious stature of the party.

P Ramasamy is a Penang deputy chief minister.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/sudan-ends-30-years-of-islamic-law-by-separating-religion-state/articleshow/77976896.cms

 Sudan ends 30 years of Islamic law by separating religion, state<br />
Islam is getting in trouble. Sudan is the first country to ban Islam: See how the world is acting fast on the  threat posed by Islam and its barbaric Sharia Law!

Many Christians in US, Europe who became Muslims are doing Ghar Vapsi

Japan has  always refused Muslims to live permanently in their country and they  cannot own any real estate or any type of business, and have banned any  worship of Islam.Any Muslim tourist caught spreading the word of Islam will be deported immediately, including all family members!

Cuba rejects plans for first mosque!

The African nation of Angola and several other nations have officially banned Islam!

A record number of Muslims (over 2,000) deported from Norway as a way of fighting crime. Since these Muslim criminals have been deported, crime has dropped by a  staggering 72%. Prison Officials are reporting that nearly half of their jail cells are now vacant, Court Rooms nearly empty, Police now  free to attend to other matters, mainly traffic offenses to keep their roads & highways safe & assisting the public in as many ways as  they can!

In Germany alone, in the last year, there were 81 violent attacks targeting mosques!

Austrian police arrested 13 men suspected jihad recruiters!

A Chinese court sends 22 Muslim Imams to jail for 16 to 20 years for spreading Islamic hatred & have executed 18 Jihadis; China campaigns against Separatism (disallowing  Islamist to have  their own separate state).Muslim prayers banned in govt  buildings & schools in Xinjiang (Western China). Hundreds of Muslim families prepared to leave China for their own safety & return back to their own Middle Eastern countries!

Muslim refugees  beginning to realize that they are not welcome in Christian countries because of their violent ways & the continuing wars in Syria & Iraq whipped up by the hideous IS who are murdering young children & using  mothers & daughters as sex slaves!

British Home Secretary  prepares to introduce 'Anti-Social Behaviour Order' for extremists & strip dual nationals of their Citizenship. Deportation laws also being prepared!

The Czech Republic blatantly refuses Islam in their country, regarding it as evil!

Many US states- A new controversial amendment that will ban the recognition of "foreign laws which would  include Sharia law"!

The Polish Defense League issues a warning  to Muslims. 16 States have all Introduced Legislation to Ban Sharia Law!

Many Muslims in Northern Ireland have announced  plans to leave the country to avoid anti-Islamic violence by Irish locals. The announcement comes after an attack on groups of Muslims in the city of Belfast, Groups of Irish locals went berserk & bashed  teenage Muslim gangs who were referring to young Irish girls as sluts  & all should be gang raped, as per ''Sharia  Law''.

Even hospital staff were reluctant to treat the battered Muslim Patients, the majority were given the Band-Aid treatment & sent home with staff muttering ''Good Riddance''!

North Carolina bans Islamic "Sharia Law" in the State, regarding it now as a  criminal offence!

Dutch MPs call for removal of all mosques in the Netherlands. One of the Members of the Dutch Parliament said: "We want to clean Netherlands of Islam"! Dutch MP Michael DeGraaf spoke on  behalf of the Party for Freedom when he said, "All mosques in the  Netherlands should be shut down. Without Islam, the Netherlands would  be a wonderful safe country to live in, as it was before the arrival of  Muslim refugees''!

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Sunday, April 4, 2021

Smear campaign serving

The US has found the world order quickly shifting and is feeling uneasy with the challenge from China.

Beautiful diversity: Today, there are 25 million Muslims living in China. Here, Muslim devotees are praying at the Nanxiapo Mosque in Beijing to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. — The Star
 
 THE legend of Admiral Zheng He (more commonly known as Cheng Ho to most Malaysians) has always fascinated me, being a history student with Peranakan roots in Penang.


In fact, I took the opportunity to travel to Nanjing, China, to pay respects to the great man at his tombstone.

The only snag was, Zheng He’s resting place remains a mystery, he who led historic voyages to South-East Asia and eastern Africa.

His remains have never been found, leading many to believe he received his final rites at sea during his last voyage, sometime in 1433.

But Zheng He is not a Uighur (pronounced as wee ger). He was from the Hui ethnic group, which comprises Muslims.

The history of Islam in China goes back more than a staggering 1,300 years.

While Zheng He is probably one of the most famous Muslims, there were others during the Ming rule, Muslim military generals including Mu Ying, Hu Dahai, Lan Yu, Feng Sheng and Ding Dexing.

There was also the famous Confucian Muslim scholar, Ma Zhu, who served during the Ming dynasty. The name Ma is the Chinese counterpart to Muhammad.

Today, there are 25 million Muslims living in China. The Hui is the largest group (48%), followed by the Uighur (41%), and together, they make up about 90% of the total Muslim population. The other Muslims include Kazakh (6,1%) and Dongxiang (2.5%), followed by the Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Salar, Tajik, Bonan and Tatar groups. They live mostly in Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan, and even in Beijing and Xian.

My trips to China have taken me to Xinjiang by air, road and train, where I spent weeks meeting these beautiful ethnic minorities.

I travelled on the Silk Road and tried imagining how ancient traders treaded the same path. Famed Italian merchant, Marco Polo, probably used the same route in the 13th Century to look for spices, silk and carpets.

My journey took me across the Taklamakan desert on long overnight trains to Turpan (or the Flaming Mountains), the setting of the famous Chinese novel Journey to the West, of the Monkey God fame.

The trip concluded in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the far northwest of China.

Urumqi was a major hub on the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty’s golden age, and today, it has one of the world’s largest bazaars.

Walking through the markets reminded me of the souq in the Middle East, being surrounded by the blue-eyed Uighur and their distinct Turkish looks, while blonde Russians, all speaking Mandarin, were among the other Chinese. It was an exotic place, indeed.

As a “banana” (a term describing a Western-educated Chinese with Western world views, and can’t speak Mandarin), I was lucky to have scholars from Universiti Malaya explain the historical and academic aspects of China.

I have also travelled to Xian, where China’s ancient capital, Chang’an, is located. It was home to more than 10 dynasties.

It was a delight for me to step into the mosques and immerse in local Muslim culture. Islam has long been part of Xian history, where the terracotta soldiers stand guard.

But today, Xinjiang is in the international news for all the wrong reasons. Damaging words, including genocide, have been hurled at it. The grim and gruesome word means killing many people from an ethnic group with the aim of wiping it out.

There is little evidence, if none at all, to prove genocide, but it’s such a strong emotive word that it recalls the Holocaust and Khmer Rouge killing fields in Cambodia.

The Xinjiang cotton fields are alleged to have practised forced labour, even though it’s common knowledge that machines are required for large scale productions. There have also been accusations of rape.

Nothing is spared in the mind games between the two superpowers (US and China) to discredit each other.

Reports on the issue have come thick and fast from CNN and BBC, almost on a daily basis, in fact.

It’s hard to ignore that since the protests in Hong Kong began, they have become more involved in instigative journalism than investigative journalism.

Since the racist campaign by Donald Trump, where China was blamed for the spread of the coronavirus, Americans and many ill-informed Westerners have looked at ethnic Asians – especially those with Chinese features – negatively.

They have lumped all Orientals together as Chinese, just like how some think turbaned Sikhs with beards must be Taliban.

Now, under the Biden Administration, there is little difference, except perhaps Joe is less antagonistic, though the anti-China sentiments remain.

From the coronavirus to Huawei, and Tik Tok through to purported spy scholars and the South China Sea, and now Xinjiang cotton, it has become a concerted campaign.

We all know the US has little love for Muslims anywhere in the world.

The US has dropped enough bombs in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, as well as imposed sanctions against Iran, to substantiate that claim. The US has also turned a blind eye to the plight of the Palestinians.

These assaults were launched on the pretext of destroying weapons of mass destruction owned by the Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi regimes, though we now know fact from fiction.

While the two weren’t angels (but more dictators), the fanatical Islamic State took over after the two were deposed and worsened the situation.

Now, the attention is China. It’s the perfect villain – communist rule, no elections and a campaign against Muslims in Xinjiang.

Most Americans can neither pronounce Xinjiang nor point it out on a map, although that seems a moot point to them.

The truth is, the US is jittery because its dominance is over. The world order has changed.

While the US was busy executing its campaign in the name of upholding human rights and western values, and burning trillions of dollars on arsenal, the Chinese spent the last decades building their nation and eradicating poverty.

No one should be surprised when China overtakes the US in the world economy. It didn’t happen overnight, though.

Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou may not be representative of the whole of China, especially compared to third-tier cities and rural areas, but credit where it’s due for the absence of homeless colonies in the cities.

As a Malaysian who has regularly visited China, I feel poor whenever I’m there. The glitzy skyscrapers, efficient transport system, low crime rate, affluence and orderly city administration has shown that China has certainly arrived.

The Chinese have become visibly wealthier and sophisticated, and while their tendency to flaunt their wealth rubs many the wrong way, they have simply become what the early rich Americans used to be. The rich Chinese are loud and brash, but along the way, they – just like the Americans did then – will change.

Rather than demonise China and its people, the US could do well with promoting its values, many of which are universal in nature, such as the rule of law, protecting individual rights, improving living standards and driving the engine of innovation.

The US remains the preferred destination for most people seeking migration.

The immigrants, including Muslims who refused to integrate, could have chosen Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, Kuwait or Senegal, but they picked the US.

We embrace American culture and its lifestyle, especially Hollywood movies, Disneyland, burgers, Coca- Cola and music. That speaks volumes of how most of us admire the US.

While the Chinese are now at a stage where they are content with growth and material wealth, they will eventually question issues like environment, inequality and self-suffrage, when they find themselves without a safety net.

The expansion of the middle class has always been similar all over the world. When the stomach and pockets are full, people have time to talk about democratic ideals.

But for now, the chaos and destruction in Hong Kong and racism in the US have given reason for China, and Chinese all over the world, to push back, or even detest the aggressive campaign by the US. This is nothing more than blatant bullying.

It isn’t fair play, unlike what the US claims, because there’s clearly a lack of respect for competition.

We all believe “democracy is the worst system of government, except for everything else, ” as Winston Churchill said. It’s loud and messy, as we know, but power is more diffused in democracy, where it’s equally shared through the population, as James Stavridis, a retired US Navy admiral put it.

The Xinjiang campaign will come back to haunt the US. Unlike other Muslims in China, the Uighur have indulged in ISIS activities, including being actively involved in Syria, where many combatants are members of an Al Qaeda offshoot.

Reuters and Associated Press have reported of at least 5,000 Uighur in ISIS operating in Syria and Iraq.

Many of them from the outlawed Turkistan Islamic Party, are pushing for an Islamic state in Xinjiang, which China surely won’t tolerate.

That perhaps explains why China takes a different approach to the Uighur compared to other Muslims, though these actions remain open to debate.

But here’s the irony – while the US and its western allies are busy drumming up the issue, the powerful Muslim countries led by Saudi Arabia, along with 36 other countries, have defended China’s policies in Xinjiang in a letter released in 2019.

The world is not keen on getting entangled in an escalating trade war between the US and China.

We want both countries to work together, if they really believe and practise what they preach to the rest of us, the minion nations. And if they do, the world stands to benefit immeasurably.

 Wong Chun Wai

Wong  Chun Wai Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in Penang, and has served The Star for over 35 years in various capacities and roles. He is now group editorial and corporate affairs adviser to the group, after having served as group managing director/chief executive officer. On The Beat made its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his 50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.

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BBC's Beijing correspondent John Sudworth left the Chinese mainland without notifying Chinese officials or fulfilling any departure-procedures required of a foreign resident journalist in China. He has "fled" to Taiwan and made himself the center of a breaking news. Some people in Xinjiang plan to seek legal redress against him and sue him for spreading misinformation.

 

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Sunday, September 1, 2019

'Maju' together for true Merdeka

Collective responsibility: We need to sacrifice for the good of society so that the next generation can have a better life.

YESTERDAY I read a heart-wrenching piece by one of our towering Malays in academia, Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, entitled A meaningless Merdeka”, where he laments on the sliding down state of the nation and our failing society. His utter despondency on the futility of trying to save our beloved Malaysia in a climate where in his words, “"peddler of religious capitalism comes to this country blaring insults... and ministers have dinners with him”" and "“Old Malaysia has just been given a new lease of life by a heart bypass”", seem like the norm today among the real thinking-class of Malaysia. His article hit every point like a nail-gun to the head.

Tajuddin was scathing and uncompromising in his words. I quote – "Malaysia is on a certain road of destruction…" and he continues with this damning pronouncement – " I can definitely say that Malaysia is a failure".

If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that the failure that is Malaysia is ours. You and me. Not someone else's. We collectively failed. We did not do enough, and we did not do it early enough to right the wrongs. We did not do say no and stop when we should have.

We cannot blame politicians for being politicians. We cannot blame religious charlatans for being charlatans. We cannot blame opportunists and extremists to do what they do. They will do what they do because we allow them to and today we reap what we sow.

The fact is Malaysians have had it good. We got our Independence when the British Empire was in decline, washed up after two world wars and really wanted out. Even when we fought the communists the British were still here helping us along the way. In no way does that diminish the contributions of our heroes but we, as a society, never needed to see the prolonged cruelty, bloodshed and loss of a war for independence. Indonesia did. India did, a war of attrition like no other. We just did not.

We let others do the “fighting” for us and they managed to get it as best they could, and we continue to make a living from this natural paradise called Malaysia. We compromise our ideals because "let'’s not make waves and hurt our rice-bowl".

Well, more and more of our rice bowl is being taken away and more and more of our opportunity and dignity are being crushed because we didn't want to stand and be counted for what is right. Lo and behold, those that we left to do the fighting for us are the ones that seem to be taking them away and giving them to those who are making the most noise. Am I right or am I right?

Because we are selfish. We just care about what happens to us and not to those around us. We don'’t have the tradition of sacrificing for the good of society so that the next generation can have a better life or building a better society because we never needed to really fight for it.

Ours is – let me take care of me and mine, and then we blame others for the loss that we must face. Ladies and gentlemen, human beings are inherently selfish if you allow them to be.

Less than 50 years ago, the blacks in America had to adopt Ghandian civil disobedience, march together with liberal whites for years and years just so they can vote, go to schools and universities together. They were beaten, some to their deaths. Their leaders were shot and killed.The blacks in America had to adopt Ghandian civil disobedience, march together with liberal whites for years and years less than 50 years ago just so they can vote, go to schools and universities together. They were beaten, some to their deaths. Their leaders were shot and killed.

From ground up: Only a few Malayans had to take arms in the nation's struggle for freedom, like these local women who joined the Malayan Home Guard troops during the height of the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s. - National Archive
What have Malaysians done to achieve equality in the last 60 years? Really, what? What have we done? I tell you what, we worked and sent our children away and abandoned the only place we know as our homes. We abandoned our less fortunate friends and families, that is what we did.

We complained at home and we kept quiet outside of our home. We allow the violence that was May 13 to shut all of us up and every truth was swept under the carpet. And we wonder why we are today, instead of living in a more equitable society, worse off and less equal. While the politicians live in luxury, and the religious charlatans and extremists roam free. Tepuk dada tanyalah selera.(To each his own.) This Merdeka, one year past the euphoria of May 9, again I say, I am convinced more than ever, that looking at politicians will not be the answer to the salvation of this nation. I believe the salvation for Malaysia will come from a class of citizens who, despite the prejudiced environment and the institutionalised discrimination we must live in, see the world for what it could be rather than what it is now.

These are the people who have decided that they are going to make the necessary changes to obliterate these divisions in their private and public lives. These people are the moderates, the liberals and the progressive thinking individuals, cutting across all racial and religious lines.

If you are one of these individuals then MAJU (Malaysian Action, Justice and Unity Foundation) is where we will organise and change Malaysia. Imagine a million such people under a wide tent, literally putting their names behind the movement. Imagine the resources at our disposal and the decibels of our collective voice under this one banner. We can change Malaysia.

This is how we change our society. We cannot wait for others to agree with us. We cannot expect politicians and elected officials to lead us. We must be the ones to take the initiative and mobilise and show a different narrative for this nation.

We must show the narrative of what it means to live in a society where freedom of religion is real, not where you say there is freedom and yet you stop others from exercising theirs. A narrative where Islam is kind and compassionate, and not dogmatic and judgmental. We must show how we can build a science-centric society that will take Malaysia to the next level.

We must change draconian and cruel laws. We must have laws that protect the weak and the marginalised instead of continually having our weakest sacrificed at the altar of commercial interests. We must make our society fair and equitable for all without regard for race or religion. That is the beauty of democracy. It is meant to perfect a better union. Do not wait until democracy is usurped and theocracy reigns in Malaysia.

It is imperative that progressives, moderates and liberals of Malaysia organise. We must be bold in our vision but we must conduct activism within the limits of what the law provides; and that is what standing on a platform together as citizens afford us.

We intend to change how civil liberties and humanitarian concerns are addressed, not on piece-meal basis but over an encompassing agenda. To do that we need the weight of numbers of our citizens behind us. You need to stand and be counted. You can no longer be anonymous. We must have the courage of our convictions. And with that we can even change the face of politics and political discourse in Malaysia. Time is not on our side. We must have a sense of urgency. Come with me and let’s build a progressive tent no one could ever dream of in Malaysia. Let us MAJU together and truly MERDEKA.
Siti Kasim
The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sunday Star.  Source link




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'Maju' together for true Merdeka

Collective responsibility: We need to sacrifice for the good of society so that the next generation can have a better life.

YESTERDAY I read a heart-wrenching piece by one of our towering Malays in academia, Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, entitled A meaningless Merdeka”, where he laments on the sliding down state of the nation and our failing society. His utter despondency on the futility of trying to save our beloved Malaysia in a climate where in his words, “"peddler of religious capitalism comes to this country blaring insults... and ministers have dinners with him”" and "“Old Malaysia has just been given a new lease of life by a heart bypass”", seem like the norm today among the real thinking-class of Malaysia. His article hit every point like a nail-gun to the head.

Tajuddin was scathing and uncompromising in his words. I quote – "Malaysia is on a certain road of destruction…" and he continues with this damning pronouncement – " I can definitely say that Malaysia is a failure".

If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that the failure that is Malaysia is ours. You and me. Not someone else's. We collectively failed. We did not do enough, and we did not do it early enough to right the wrongs. We did not do say no and stop when we should have.

We cannot blame politicians for being politicians. We cannot blame religious charlatans for being charlatans. We cannot blame opportunists and extremists to do what they do. They will do what they do because we allow them to and today we reap what we sow.

The fact is Malaysians have had it good. We got our Independence when the British Empire was in decline, washed up after two world wars and really wanted out. Even when we fought the communists the British were still here helping us along the way. In no way does that diminish the contributions of our heroes but we, as a society, never needed to see the prolonged cruelty, bloodshed and loss of a war for independence. Indonesia did. India did, a war of attrition like no other. We just did not.

We let others do the “fighting” for us and they managed to get it as best they could, and we continue to make a living from this natural paradise called Malaysia. We compromise our ideals because "let'’s not make waves and hurt our rice-bowl".

Well, more and more of our rice bowl is being taken away and more and more of our opportunity and dignity are being crushed because we didn't want to stand and be counted for what is right. Lo and behold, those that we left to do the fighting for us are the ones that seem to be taking them away and giving them to those who are making the most noise. Am I right or am I right?

Because we are selfish. We just care about what happens to us and not to those around us. We don'’t have the tradition of sacrificing for the good of society so that the next generation can have a better life or building a better society because we never needed to really fight for it.

Ours is – let me take care of me and mine, and then we blame others for the loss that we must face. Ladies and gentlemen, human beings are inherently selfish if you allow them to be.

Less than 50 years ago, the blacks in America had to adopt Ghandian civil disobedience, march together with liberal whites for years and years just so they can vote, go to schools and universities together. They were beaten, some to their deaths. Their leaders were shot and killed.The blacks in America had to adopt Ghandian civil disobedience, march together with liberal whites for years and years less than 50 years ago just so they can vote, go to schools and universities together. They were beaten, some to their deaths. Their leaders were shot and killed.

From ground up: Only a few Malayans had to take arms in the nation's struggle for freedom, like these local women who joined the Malayan Home Guard troops during the height of the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s. - National Archive
What have Malaysians done to achieve equality in the last 60 years? Really, what? What have we done? I tell you what, we worked and sent our children away and abandoned the only place we know as our homes. We abandoned our less fortunate friends and families, that is what we did.

We complained at home and we kept quiet outside of our home. We allow the violence that was May 13 to shut all of us up and every truth was swept under the carpet. And we wonder why we are today, instead of living in a more equitable society, worse off and less equal. While the politicians live in luxury, and the religious charlatans and extremists roam free. Tepuk dada tanyalah selera.(To each his own.) This Merdeka, one year past the euphoria of May 9, again I say, I am convinced more than ever, that looking at politicians will not be the answer to the salvation of this nation. I believe the salvation for Malaysia will come from a class of citizens who, despite the prejudiced environment and the institutionalised discrimination we must live in, see the world for what it could be rather than what it is now.

These are the people who have decided that they are going to make the necessary changes to obliterate these divisions in their private and public lives. These people are the moderates, the liberals and the progressive thinking individuals, cutting across all racial and religious lines.

If you are one of these individuals then MAJU (Malaysian Action, Justice and Unity Foundation) is where we will organise and change Malaysia. Imagine a million such people under a wide tent, literally putting their names behind the movement. Imagine the resources at our disposal and the decibels of our collective voice under this one banner. We can change Malaysia.

This is how we change our society. We cannot wait for others to agree with us. We cannot expect politicians and elected officials to lead us. We must be the ones to take the initiative and mobilise and show a different narrative for this nation.

We must show the narrative of what it means to live in a society where freedom of religion is real, not where you say there is freedom and yet you stop others from exercising theirs. A narrative where Islam is kind and compassionate, and not dogmatic and judgmental. We must show how we can build a science-centric society that will take Malaysia to the next level.

We must change draconian and cruel laws. We must have laws that protect the weak and the marginalised instead of continually having our weakest sacrificed at the altar of commercial interests. We must make our society fair and equitable for all without regard for race or religion. That is the beauty of democracy. It is meant to perfect a better union. Do not wait until democracy is usurped and theocracy reigns in Malaysia.

It is imperative that progressives, moderates and liberals of Malaysia organise. We must be bold in our vision but we must conduct activism within the limits of what the law provides; and that is what standing on a platform together as citizens afford us.

We intend to change how civil liberties and humanitarian concerns are addressed, not on piece-meal basis but over an encompassing agenda. To do that we need the weight of numbers of our citizens behind us. You need to stand and be counted. You can no longer be anonymous. We must have the courage of our convictions. And with that we can even change the face of politics and political discourse in Malaysia. Time is not on our side. We must have a sense of urgency. Come with me and let’s build a progressive tent no one could ever dream of in Malaysia. Let us MAJU together and truly MERDEKA.
Siti Kasim
The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sunday Star.  Source link




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