You first have to know the meaning of the word

Give me atheist leaders any time. As Karl Marx said, “The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion.” And as Lenin said, “There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel.”

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Unbridled civil rights ‘recipe for disaster’, say BN MPs

(The Malaysian Insider) - Barisan Nasional MPs today defended the new laws regulating public assembly, saying that it showed progress and guaranteed more freedom compared to previous legislation.

BN leaders argued that the Peaceful Assembly Bill was favourable to “all parties”, and said the restrictions were necessary to keep society in check.

“Civil rights groups have to understand, unbridled rights is a recipe for disaster,” Umno MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan told The Malaysian Insider.

“Dissenting views must be heard, and it is included in the spirit of the law. The government has shifted its approach from a position of absolute power to advisory,” the Kota Belud MP said.

Citing the Police Act as an example, Abdul Rahman said new regulations were an improvement of the old Act.

He said the new laws did not require anyone to apply for a permit from the police, only a formal notification.

“You have to compare the new law to Section 27 of the Police Act. Some people are now complaining about the need to notify the police.

“That is needed for their protection, if you don’t inform the police how can they protect you if anything happens?” asked the BN backbencher.

Datuk Wan Junaidi Wan Jaafar said the new assembly law showed progress and that the government had satisfied the needs of all Malaysians.

“You want to have your right to a demonstration at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, but people who live there also have their rights.

“The law is more relaxed, and gives more work to the police,” said the Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker. (READ MORE HERE)

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The small-minded Barisan Nasional leaders are foaming at the mouth screaming about how more freedom, democracy and civil rights are being allowed Malaysians.

Yes, these are people who are leaders, Members of Parliament, Malaysia’s lawmakers, many who are even beneficiaries of a tertiary education, and supposedly very religious people. But I personally know uneducated fishermen and farmers who can think and talk better than these people.

And trust me on this because for 20 years I lived amongst fisherman and farmers and was the Chairman of the residents’ committee and of the local mosque, 70-80% who were fishermen and farmers. So I DO know how they think and talk.

To these Barisan Nasional people, civil rights is just about freedom to hold demonstrations (subject to the police allowing it to be held) and more freedom to speak your mind (as long as you do not criticise the Rulers, the religious department, the Malays, Islam, the Prime Minister’s wife, government leaders, or touch on whatever the government may consider ‘sensitive issues’ -- and the government will determine what constitutes ‘sensitive issues’).

See how narrow the concept of civil liberties and freedom is to these people? And they will determine what can and cannot be done and said. This, as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew said, is called ‘guided democracy’. And this is what Malaysia and Singapore practices.

Actually, civil liberties or civil rights extend to more than just ‘controlled demonstrations’ and ‘limited freedom of speech’. There are many things under the ambit of civil liberties. And this is something these so-called educated government leaders from both the government and opposition do not understand. And that is why we need to line them all up against the wall and shoot them dead, figure of speech of course, although literally would not be such a bad idea as well.

When we talk about civil rights we must look beyond just demonstrations and freedom of speech (although that would be a good start). For example, the right to clean and interrupted water supply is also your civil right. And are Malaysians being given this?

I wrote about this back in 2000 (see the ADDENDUM below) so I do not need to repeat what I have already said. Denying the people of Kelantan clean water (and this has been prevalent since long before Merdeka) is a violation of their civil rights.

Of course, if the Kelantanese were to kick out PAS and vote Umno into power then the state will be given the water it needs. This is blackmail. In the meantime how many Kelantanese need to die of Cholera and other water-borne diseases? Umno is prepared to allow Kelantanese to die just to punish them and blackmail them into voting for Umno.

Yes, Umno, is the largest Islamic party in the world, so claims Umno. And 97-98% of the Kelantanese people are Muslims. But it is okay for Muslims to kill Muslims for political considerations. And Umno has the gall to laugh at the state government for not being able to provide the Kelantanese with clean water.

1. Incumbent upon PAS government to provide quality water in Kelantan: Mustapa (READ HERE)

2. BN can resolve Kelantan water problem in five years (READ HERE)

3. Kelantan hospital faces dire water shortage (READ HERE)

4. Water problem in Kelantan getting worse (READ HERE)

5. 30 schools and 30,000 students hit by water woes (READ HERE)

As I have always said, we must be very careful with people who foam at the mouth and scream about Islam. These would normally be the biggest hypocrites. The more they talk about Islam the more we need to guard against them.

I never trust anyone who always talks about religion, whether they are Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists or whatever. Since time immemorial, people have been killed in the name or religion by people who claim to be doing God’s work.

Show me all those war criminals and mass murderers and I will show you people who have a religion. Okay, maybe some will now say that Stalin was an atheist. Actually, he was not an atheist. He did have faith. It is just that he was not a religionist. And there is a big difference between a religionist and those who believe that there is a God (theist). You can believe in God without being a religionist, which was what Stalin was.

Anyway, that is not the issue. The issue is many so-called religionists who foam at the mouth when they talk about their religion do not understand what civil rights means and have no respect for civil liberties. And this violates the so-called religion that they profess and try to preach to us.

Give me atheist leaders any time. As Karl Marx said, “The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion.” And as Lenin said, “There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel.”

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ADDENDUM

Killing the Kelantanese with no water

When the Anwar Ibrahim poisoning crisis erupted late last year, Mahathir pooh-poohed the whole matter by saying that Malays do not murder for political ends.

Not quite true!

Samad Goal was murdered in Kota Bharu - head split open with an axe. The "old timers" tell me, while he was giving a speech during a political rally. Dato Tahar was murdered - I was told, shot all over his body. Some people tell me Dr Burhanuddin Hilmi was poisoned. And those are only the ones I know about. And they were all murdered for political reasons.

Yes, Malays DO murder for political ends.

Is Mahathir now killing off the Kelantanese, his political rivals, by denying them water?

This is what Mahathir said recently, "However, the Kelantan government could not even ensure clean water for its people. When you turn on the tap, you get coffee instead''.

To Mahathir it is all a big joke - something to laugh about. The Kelantan opposition government cannot even provide clean water for its people. Mahathir thinks it is so funny.

Mahathir added that the Kelantan State government was seeking help from the Federal Government to overcome its water woes. "They are asking for 600 million Ringgit from us. If we have that kind of money, we will put it to good use".

Yes, that's right. If the Federal Government had 600 million Ringgit they would put it to good use. They would not give it to the Kelantan State government to provide water to its 1,500,000 people. That is not good use for the money.

600 million Ringgit can build an F1 racetrack. Foreigners can use the track to enjoy themselves. 600 million Ringgit can also build a beautiful tower in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. That is better use for the money. Water for 1,500,000 people in Kelantan is definitely NOT good use.

Kelantan has been facing a water shortage problem for the last 20 or 30 years - long before the opposition took over the State. In 1990, the state fell to the opposition. The Federal Government then suddenly decided to cancel the plan to spend 600 million Ringgit to improve the water supply in the State.

The members of the Kelantan Branch of the Housing Developers Association met the Minister-in-Charge of the State, Anwar Musa, to discuss the water problem with him. These developers could not hand over their houses to their buyers as there was no water supply and they were losing money because of it.

Anwar Musa told the developers, if they wanted water, they would have to vote in the Barisan Nasional the next general election. As long as the State was under the opposition they would get no water.

Then the Federal Government announced they were giving Kelantan State the 600 million Ringgit they required. There was much rejoicing. Kelantan, at last, would be getting water.

Then, when everyone's hopes were high, the Federal Government announced they would not, after all, give the State the money. All hopes were dashed.

Then it was announced the State would be given the money, but the Federal government would control it and decide how it is used. Then they said the State would not get the money.

This is a cruel game to play on 1,500,000 people who have not seen clean water for two generations. You build up their hopes, then you dash it again, just to see the smiles on their faces get wiped off.

Today, Kelantan is suffering from a Cholera outbreak. Mahathir is a medical man. He knows how and why Cholera is spread.

Does Mahathir announce the water embargo on Kelantan is off? Does Mahathir now give them the 600 million Ringgit promised and un-promised so many times?

No! Instead, TV3 parades people before their cameras to show them condemning the Kelantan Government for not being able to overcome the State water woes.

The water woes were there long before the opposition took over the State. It is not the opposition government's fault. They inherited the problem when they took over a State that already had no water.

This is a cruel game to play on the people of Kelantan. It is not funny, and Mahathir should wipe that smirk of his face. People are dying in Kelantan. And it's all because they have no water. And they have no water because the Federal Government is trying to bring the State to its knees.

Was it not Mahathir who condemned the US for its embargo on Iraq? Was it not Mahathir who said the embargo is causing the deaths of thousands of innocent children? Was it not Mahathir who called the Americans murderers for doing this?

Does Mahathir not see he is now killing innocent Kelantanese by denying them water? Is Mahathir so sure those dead from Cholera voted for the opposition? What if they did not? What if they did not vote at all? What if they are children and babies who are not even voters yet?

Mahathir, are you not a Malay? Are not the Kelantanese Malays? Did you not say Malays do not murder for political ends?

Mahathir, stop killing off innocent children and babies! Stop the Cholera epidemic in Kelantan! Give Kelantan the water they need! Give them the water they have been waiting generations for.

Most importantly of all, Mahathir, stop gloating. Wipe that smirk off your face. It is not as funny as you think. Denying the Kelantan people water does not prove how incapable the opposition is in running the State. It just proves you would gladly resort to murdering innocent babies just to defeat a political rival.

May God have mercy on you, Mahathir, for all those deaths in Kelantan!

Raja Petra Kamarudin (28 September 2000)