Don’t sensationalise Christian Malaysia issue’
Tarani Palani | May 14, 2011
[source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/05/14/dont-sensationalise-christian-malaysia-issue/]
A national non-Muslim council has urged all parties not to stoke further the 'Christian Malaysia' issue.
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taosim (MCCBCST) has called on the media to stop sensationalising the Christian Malaysia issue.
It has also urged all relevant parties not to ‘jump into conclusions’ and to wait instead for the full report on the incident to be released.
Speaking to MCCBCST president Rev Thomas Philips said it was important not to “jump into conclusions and create more issues”.
“The police are conducting an investigation, the (Home) Ministry has already come out with a statement, the Christian leaders have come up and said that there was no such (pledge)…there is no need (for other parties) to make (other) unnecessary claims and sensationalize the matter,” he said.
Thomas said no one should doubt that Islam is the religion of the federation and “everyone accepts this fact”.
The alleged “Christian plot” made headlines in Utusan Malaysia recently claimed that the DAP government in Penang, together with Christian leaders, was conspiring to replace Islam as the official religion and to install a Christian prime minister in Putrajaya.
The Utusan report was based on two pro-Umno blog posts. Both the DAP and the Christian leaders have denied this.
Police are currently investigating the matter.
The Home Ministry also announced on Thursday that Utusan has been given a warning over the article, a move some said was too light a punishment.
Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had met with a group of Christian leaders over the matter.
Najib did not apologise to the community but instead said that the Christian leaders had given a pledge to respect Islam as the official religion.
No apology
Tan declined to speculate on whether the PM was ‘sincerity’ in wanting to tackle the issue as no apology was rendered.
Earlier today FMT reported another Christian leader, Bishop Paul Tan of the Malacca-Johor diocese as being extremely “displeased and disgusted” with the outcome of the meeting with the PM.
He said the Christian leaders had become like “sheep being led to their slaughter” because they had not set a clear agenda for the meeting and hence had walked into the “trap” of conceding that Islam be safeguarded and the Christians agreed to this.
Following the 2008 general election, relious issues have been among issue which has reared its head.
In August 2009, group of Muslims protesting against the construction of a Hindu temple in Selangor paraded in front of the Selangor state secretariat with a severed cow’s head.
The group had marched with the bloodied cow’s head from a mosque to the Selangor menteri besar’s office where some of the protesters stomped and spat on the head and made fiery speeches.
The incident riled Hindus nationwide. Cows are considered sacred animals in Hinduism.
In January 2010, Muslims raged and ranted over a Dec 31, 2009 High Court ruling allowing Catholic weekly, The Herald, to use the term “Allah” in their Bahasa Malaysia publciation. The Home Ministry has appealed the decision.
But it led to widespread arson against churches and a gurdwara.
More recently the federal government detained around 50 000 copies of the Malay language bible Al-Kitab.
According to the federal government the issue has since been ‘resolved’.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
连环扣 塔斯林：将举报滥权 要求慕尤丁辞去教长职
[source: http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2011/05/08/37.html]
.....
连环扣 塔斯林：将举报滥权 要求慕尤丁辞去教长职
二零一一年五月八日 上午十一时十七分
（吉隆坡7日讯）《连环扣》全国行动小组主席拿督塔斯林表示，该组织将向警方及反贪委会举报副首相慕尤丁在处理《连环扣》上滥权，并要求慕尤丁立即辞去教育部长一职。
塔斯林指副首相滥权，介入了《连环扣》独立调查小组的调查结果及有关的更改建议。
“慕尤丁是专家吗？为什么他不听从调查小组的意见，更改谈及华人和马来人的篇章。”
塔斯林在一项新闻发布会指出，他不怕冒犯副首相，只想要确认不产生文化及宗教的冲突及误解。
他继指，本次报警也可以让民众看清警方的真面目。
“如果警方真的是为民服务的话，他们就应该进行调查。那时我们就知道‘巫统是警察，警察是巫统’或是‘巫统是巫统，警察是警察’了。”
他继续抨击国阵及教育部处理《连环扣》不力，并未对该组织对于连环扣更改的各种疑问做出一丝解答。
另外，出席该活动的林连玉基金会杜干焕表示，学生时代是确立道德观念、互相尊重等观念的时期，而教育部继续使用《连环扣》为教科书则将会灌输学生们错误的文化及宗教观念。因此他也要求政府撤除《连环扣》作为教科书的地位。
Monday, April 25, 2011
Malay Supremacy versus Malay Sovereignty
Malay Supremacy versus Malay Sovereignty
December 08, 2010
It is more appropriate for 'Malay supremacy' to be rephrased as 'Malay sovereignty' as the latter encompasses the position of the Malay rulers and their subjects and not just the purported master-slave relationship said the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.
Sultan Ibrahim said that when the British gave independence to this country, they returned Malaya to the owners - the Malay rulers and their subjects.
He said this was because prior to the arrival of the British and the advent of the other races, the Malay states were owned by the Malay rulers and their subjects.
"Even before the Malay states were made a federation, the Malay rulers and their subjects have accepted outsiders as guests and given them the opportunity to earn a living and develop Malaya together.
"When the states became a federation, the rights of the other races were respected and safeguarded by the Federal Constitution," he said.
The rights of all Malaysians should not only be respected and safeguarded but they should regarded as equals without any prejudice.
It is important to note that a new nation was established after Malaya was granted its independence from the British colonial power in 1957 and when a nationhood, Malaysia, was created in 1963. Malaya was not returned to only to the Malay rulers and their subjects but to the people who had inhabited both Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak prior to independence.
The new nation was given a new form of governance based on parliamentary democracy. A federal constitution was drafted and adopted to recognize the formation of a federation, a modern nationhood and to formalize a legal status, citizenship, for all races who had pledged their loyalty to Malaysia.
Any politicians, individuals or persons who refused to accept the spirit of Malaysia's nationhood and the equal rights of all Malaysians accorded in the federal constitutions are the real traitors.
Within the federal constitution, the role of constitutional rulers, the status of Bahasa Malaysia and Islam as an official language and religion of the federation are undisputed. But the constitution is silence on the notion of Malay supremacy. There is no such thing as race supremacy in the constitution.
It is unfortunate that the current government which has ruled Malaysia since independence has refused to accept the original spirit of the constitution. The ruling regime has allowed its members and leaders to continue to misguide and misinterpret the constitution to create an imaginary two-tier citizenship.
The divisive categorisation of Malaysians into either non-Bumiputera or Bumiputera is politically motivated. As a result, Malaysia's social division has become more pronounced compared to the past. It is unfortunate that Malaysia's political development is lagging far behind its economic development. Racial politics and the divisive categorisation of Malaysians according to their skin colour is outdated and outmoded.
Any attempt to insist that the Malay is a far more superior race compared to others is going to jeopardize nation building.
Unbelievably, some in the ruling regime are still harping on race supremacy. In this era, skills and knowledge are the ones that determine superiority and supremacy. Not colour of the skin or heredity.
Why waste time on Malay supremacy or Malay sovereignty? We should be grateful of our Malaysian sovereignty and try to work together to build our Malaysian supremacy based on real skills and knowledge.
Posted by Khoo Kay Peng at 11:44 PM
Quoted from: http://khookaypeng.blogspot.com/2010/12/malay-supremacy-versus-malay.html
December 08, 2010
It is more appropriate for 'Malay supremacy' to be rephrased as 'Malay sovereignty' as the latter encompasses the position of the Malay rulers and their subjects and not just the purported master-slave relationship said the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.
Sultan Ibrahim said that when the British gave independence to this country, they returned Malaya to the owners - the Malay rulers and their subjects.
He said this was because prior to the arrival of the British and the advent of the other races, the Malay states were owned by the Malay rulers and their subjects.
"Even before the Malay states were made a federation, the Malay rulers and their subjects have accepted outsiders as guests and given them the opportunity to earn a living and develop Malaya together.
"When the states became a federation, the rights of the other races were respected and safeguarded by the Federal Constitution," he said.
The rights of all Malaysians should not only be respected and safeguarded but they should regarded as equals without any prejudice.
It is important to note that a new nation was established after Malaya was granted its independence from the British colonial power in 1957 and when a nationhood, Malaysia, was created in 1963. Malaya was not returned to only to the Malay rulers and their subjects but to the people who had inhabited both Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak prior to independence.
The new nation was given a new form of governance based on parliamentary democracy. A federal constitution was drafted and adopted to recognize the formation of a federation, a modern nationhood and to formalize a legal status, citizenship, for all races who had pledged their loyalty to Malaysia.
Any politicians, individuals or persons who refused to accept the spirit of Malaysia's nationhood and the equal rights of all Malaysians accorded in the federal constitutions are the real traitors.
Within the federal constitution, the role of constitutional rulers, the status of Bahasa Malaysia and Islam as an official language and religion of the federation are undisputed. But the constitution is silence on the notion of Malay supremacy. There is no such thing as race supremacy in the constitution.
It is unfortunate that the current government which has ruled Malaysia since independence has refused to accept the original spirit of the constitution. The ruling regime has allowed its members and leaders to continue to misguide and misinterpret the constitution to create an imaginary two-tier citizenship.
The divisive categorisation of Malaysians into either non-Bumiputera or Bumiputera is politically motivated. As a result, Malaysia's social division has become more pronounced compared to the past. It is unfortunate that Malaysia's political development is lagging far behind its economic development. Racial politics and the divisive categorisation of Malaysians according to their skin colour is outdated and outmoded.
Any attempt to insist that the Malay is a far more superior race compared to others is going to jeopardize nation building.
Unbelievably, some in the ruling regime are still harping on race supremacy. In this era, skills and knowledge are the ones that determine superiority and supremacy. Not colour of the skin or heredity.
Why waste time on Malay supremacy or Malay sovereignty? We should be grateful of our Malaysian sovereignty and try to work together to build our Malaysian supremacy based on real skills and knowledge.
Posted by Khoo Kay Peng at 11:44 PM
Quoted from: http://khookaypeng.blogspot.com/2010/12/malay-supremacy-versus-malay.html
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Malaysia PM seen stalling on reform after disappointing vote
By Razak Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 | Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:13am EDT
KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will likely put key economic reforms on ice as he tries to rebuild voter support after his ruling coalition recorded its worst performance in 24 years in a local election in a key stronghold.
Bets are largely off for a snap general election to take place this year, with Najib expected to rethink his strategy of promoting inclusive growth in the Muslim-majority multi-cultural nation to win back the minority vote, analysts said.
In Saturday's state poll, Najib's ruling National Front retained control of its stronghold Sarawak, which accounts for a fifth of its parliamentary seats, but the opposition more than doubled its seat tally as ethnic Chinese mostly voted against the government. [ID:nL3E7FG07S]
Structural economic changes such as further scaling back fuel subsidies, introducing a goods and services tax and reforming a decades-old race-based policy would be relegated in Najib's list of priorities for now, analysts said.
"After the outcome in Sarawak, Najib will need a general election mandate before making any big moves," said Ibrahim Suffian, director at the independent opinion polling firm Merdeka Center.
"Enacting fuel subsidy cuts and a goods and services tax will just add to the political issues that he will have to deal with ahead of the general election."
The opposition won 15 seats in the 71-seat state legislature, giving the ruling coalition a two-thirds majority. But it was its worst performance in Sarawak since 1987 when the coalition won only 25 out of 45 seats.
In the last state election in 2006, the opposition won only seven seats. On Saturday, the ruling National Front's losses came mainly from areas dominated by ethnic Chinese, with its main Chinese party in the state losing 13 of the 19 seats it contested.
LITTLE CHANGED
Financial markets are expected to be little changed on Monday as past state elections have had minimal bearing on trade, although the expected delay in introducing reform could reinforce the stock market's laggard position versus its neighbours.
Najib took office in 2009 pledging to woo investment, widen the country's tax base with a goods and services tax and cut the country's subsidy bill and budget deficit which hit a 20-year high of 7 percent of gross domestic product in 2009.
Once a magnet for foreign investment, Malaysia has lost much of its shine as its neighbours move faster in implementing reforms amid strong economic growth.
In a March report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Malaysia ranked as the second least popular market after Colombia among global emerging market fund managers and tied with India for least favourite among Asia-Pacific asset managers.
Analysts are uncertain about the timing for the next general election after the Sarawak poll although most agree that Najib was unlikely to call one this year, as he might have if he had won more decisively in Sarawak. The next general election is not due until 2013.
Asked whether the state poll would be a barometer for calling a general election, Najib was quoted by local media as saying: "No, this is only at state level. There are other things to consider at Sabah and the peninsula as well."
Apart from highlighting ethnic minority unhappiness towards the government, the Sarawak poll has thrown up other political headaches for Najib including the retirement of the state's long-serving chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.
The ruling coalition campaigned on a promise of Taib's impending retirement to placate voters disenchanted with the state leader's alleged corruption and nepotism. But analysts say Taib's departure could create a leadership vacuum and increase political tensions ahead of national polls.
The poll result is also expected to help revive the People's Alliance opposition headed by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.
The Alliance has lost some traction of late as Anwar battles a lengthy court case involving charges that he sodomised a former male aide and more recently, that he was caught on tape having sex with an unidentified woman. Anwar has denied both allegations.
"With the opposition's gains, a new political configuration of politics has emerged, an important factor for Najib to consider before calling for the next general elections," said Johan Saravanamuttu, visiting senior research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. (Editing by Liau Y-Sing and Andrew Marshall)
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/17/malaysia-politics-idUSL3E7FH01D20110417
KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 | Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:13am EDT
KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will likely put key economic reforms on ice as he tries to rebuild voter support after his ruling coalition recorded its worst performance in 24 years in a local election in a key stronghold.
Bets are largely off for a snap general election to take place this year, with Najib expected to rethink his strategy of promoting inclusive growth in the Muslim-majority multi-cultural nation to win back the minority vote, analysts said.
In Saturday's state poll, Najib's ruling National Front retained control of its stronghold Sarawak, which accounts for a fifth of its parliamentary seats, but the opposition more than doubled its seat tally as ethnic Chinese mostly voted against the government. [ID:nL3E7FG07S]
Structural economic changes such as further scaling back fuel subsidies, introducing a goods and services tax and reforming a decades-old race-based policy would be relegated in Najib's list of priorities for now, analysts said.
"After the outcome in Sarawak, Najib will need a general election mandate before making any big moves," said Ibrahim Suffian, director at the independent opinion polling firm Merdeka Center.
"Enacting fuel subsidy cuts and a goods and services tax will just add to the political issues that he will have to deal with ahead of the general election."
The opposition won 15 seats in the 71-seat state legislature, giving the ruling coalition a two-thirds majority. But it was its worst performance in Sarawak since 1987 when the coalition won only 25 out of 45 seats.
In the last state election in 2006, the opposition won only seven seats. On Saturday, the ruling National Front's losses came mainly from areas dominated by ethnic Chinese, with its main Chinese party in the state losing 13 of the 19 seats it contested.
LITTLE CHANGED
Financial markets are expected to be little changed on Monday as past state elections have had minimal bearing on trade, although the expected delay in introducing reform could reinforce the stock market's laggard position versus its neighbours.
Najib took office in 2009 pledging to woo investment, widen the country's tax base with a goods and services tax and cut the country's subsidy bill and budget deficit which hit a 20-year high of 7 percent of gross domestic product in 2009.
Once a magnet for foreign investment, Malaysia has lost much of its shine as its neighbours move faster in implementing reforms amid strong economic growth.
In a March report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Malaysia ranked as the second least popular market after Colombia among global emerging market fund managers and tied with India for least favourite among Asia-Pacific asset managers.
Analysts are uncertain about the timing for the next general election after the Sarawak poll although most agree that Najib was unlikely to call one this year, as he might have if he had won more decisively in Sarawak. The next general election is not due until 2013.
Asked whether the state poll would be a barometer for calling a general election, Najib was quoted by local media as saying: "No, this is only at state level. There are other things to consider at Sabah and the peninsula as well."
Apart from highlighting ethnic minority unhappiness towards the government, the Sarawak poll has thrown up other political headaches for Najib including the retirement of the state's long-serving chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.
The ruling coalition campaigned on a promise of Taib's impending retirement to placate voters disenchanted with the state leader's alleged corruption and nepotism. But analysts say Taib's departure could create a leadership vacuum and increase political tensions ahead of national polls.
The poll result is also expected to help revive the People's Alliance opposition headed by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.
The Alliance has lost some traction of late as Anwar battles a lengthy court case involving charges that he sodomised a former male aide and more recently, that he was caught on tape having sex with an unidentified woman. Anwar has denied both allegations.
"With the opposition's gains, a new political configuration of politics has emerged, an important factor for Najib to consider before calling for the next general elections," said Johan Saravanamuttu, visiting senior research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. (Editing by Liau Y-Sing and Andrew Marshall)
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/17/malaysia-politics-idUSL3E7FH01D20110417
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Utusan calls for 1Melayu movement
Utusan calls for 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement
By Shannon Teoh
April 20, 2011
April 20 — Utusan Malaysia called on its owners Umno today to spearhead a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement involving all Malay parties — claiming DAP was intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership.
“What Umno needs to do now, in this pressing time, is to launch a wave of racial unity - 1Melayu, 1Bumi. Launch 1Melayu, 1Bumi immediately with other Malay parties,” assistant chief editor Datuk Zaini Hassan wrote in the Malay daily today.
In his Cuit column, he said that DAP’s slogans in the recently concluded Sarawak state election called for Chinese voters to change the Malay-led government, adding that they already controlled everything and was now aiming for political power.
“Only absolute political power has not been controlled by the Chinese, everything else has been taken. Now DAP bringing great slogans among them, Undi Untuk Ubah (Vote for Change), Enough is Enough and Selamatkan Malaysia (Save Malaysia).
“In truth, those slogans are aimed at no one else but specifically the Chinese. It is displayed proudly on the chests of DAP candidates and supporters in the Sarawak election so that the Malay leadership of Malaysia is changed,” he added.
In his column, he said that the Chinese community was a united force whose “brotherhood” was unmatched by any other race in the country.
He said that despite their different political stands, Chinese voters would unite when the time came to decide the fate of their community.
Zaini also said that the Chinese community helped each other economically and stood together unwaveringly to protect their culture, language and vernacular education.
“The Chinese language is a high priority and it is said that even Chinese who cannot read Chinese will still buy Chinese newspapers.
“In short, the Chinese are actually very fortunate to be in Malaysia. They have controlled everything. The top ten Chinese are Malaysian billionaires,” he wrote.
However, he provided no facts to substantiate the claim that the Chinese community was such a united force.
Zaini said that while DAP has united the Chinese politically, Malays have so far done nothing in response.
“They are a race that is quite comfortable, complacent and apathetic. In fact, their thoughts are quite disorganised,” he wrote.
Zaini said that if PAS refused to participate in the 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement, Umno could join hands with the dozens of Malay NGOs who were established because they were “thirsting to fight for the interests of the race that is increasingly being left behind.”
He added that Chinese component parties in Barisan Nasional (BN) would not be upset with such a move to unite Malays as Chinese were already united.
By Shannon Teoh
April 20, 2011
April 20 — Utusan Malaysia called on its owners Umno today to spearhead a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement involving all Malay parties — claiming DAP was intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership.
“What Umno needs to do now, in this pressing time, is to launch a wave of racial unity - 1Melayu, 1Bumi. Launch 1Melayu, 1Bumi immediately with other Malay parties,” assistant chief editor Datuk Zaini Hassan wrote in the Malay daily today.
In his Cuit column, he said that DAP’s slogans in the recently concluded Sarawak state election called for Chinese voters to change the Malay-led government, adding that they already controlled everything and was now aiming for political power.
“Only absolute political power has not been controlled by the Chinese, everything else has been taken. Now DAP bringing great slogans among them, Undi Untuk Ubah (Vote for Change), Enough is Enough and Selamatkan Malaysia (Save Malaysia).
“In truth, those slogans are aimed at no one else but specifically the Chinese. It is displayed proudly on the chests of DAP candidates and supporters in the Sarawak election so that the Malay leadership of Malaysia is changed,” he added.
In his column, he said that the Chinese community was a united force whose “brotherhood” was unmatched by any other race in the country.
He said that despite their different political stands, Chinese voters would unite when the time came to decide the fate of their community.
Zaini also said that the Chinese community helped each other economically and stood together unwaveringly to protect their culture, language and vernacular education.
“The Chinese language is a high priority and it is said that even Chinese who cannot read Chinese will still buy Chinese newspapers.
“In short, the Chinese are actually very fortunate to be in Malaysia. They have controlled everything. The top ten Chinese are Malaysian billionaires,” he wrote.
However, he provided no facts to substantiate the claim that the Chinese community was such a united force.
Zaini said that while DAP has united the Chinese politically, Malays have so far done nothing in response.
“They are a race that is quite comfortable, complacent and apathetic. In fact, their thoughts are quite disorganised,” he wrote.
Zaini said that if PAS refused to participate in the 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement, Umno could join hands with the dozens of Malay NGOs who were established because they were “thirsting to fight for the interests of the race that is increasingly being left behind.”
He added that Chinese component parties in Barisan Nasional (BN) would not be upset with such a move to unite Malays as Chinese were already united.
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