MALAYS must wake up like the Chinese: Don't allow Umno to PLAY HAVOC with your brain!

Dear Najib, the Malays are not fed up with DAP. They are fed up with MCA and UMNO. Likewise, the Chinese are fed up with MCA.

It is crystal clear that non-Muslims in this country cannot be defined as “kafir harbi” (those belonging to a war or the corrupt) or “kafir zimmi” (those with subordinate legal status). Muslims and non-Muslims are all lawful citizens of this country as they abide by the country’s laws and Constitution.

This has been acknowledged by PAS when UMNO is still meandering with the fact to suit their party-political ends.

In fact, the term “kafir” in the present context is seen as derogatory, which is why many Muslim scholars discourage its use and suggest the term "non-Muslim" instead.  Moreover, after the Prophet and his companions, there is no concept in Islam obliging Muslims to wage war for propagation or implementation of Islam.

The non-Muslims in the country are not at war with Islam. Neither are Muslims all out to gobble up the non-Muslims. It’s only that UMNO and MCA that are paranoid and are playing politics with Islam. But they cannot go on doing the double-dealing on Islam to confuse the rakyat using their media.

In any case, MCA’s stance of late on Islam is evident of an irrational fear or prejudice towards the religion and Muslims.

MCA and UMNO will be destined to lose

To majority Malays and Chinese they sense that UMNO and MCA are exploiting on religion for party and ethnocentric ends by using a few half-baked Islamic “scholars”.

Non-Muslims and DAP accept Islam as the official religion of the country and the Constitution also provides that they have the freedom to practise their respective religion. DAP is a multi-racial party unlike MCA which is Chinese-centric.

And if desperate MCA that is trying to salvage itself from the political quicksand feels that there is such thing called “hudud PAS”, it’s wise that they be salvaged by UMNO with “hudud UMNO” and see if MCA can accept the prescription.

The rakyat are eagerly waiting for this to happen, failing which MCA and UMNO will be destined to lose in the next general election.

By the way, is the MCA leader kosher enough to talk about Islam or any religion for that matter? Is he morally upright to talk about the sanctity of punishment when he is personally and evidently tainted with moral faithlessness?

Escalating crime and corruption rates

“To majority Chinese hudud is not an issue here. We have come to understand that hudud like any form of punishment is tempered with mercy. Mercifulness is an important attribute of God,” said a former MCA member in Pahang.

“We see nothing ‘ruthless’ going on in Kelantan which is under PAS. But we see escalating crime and corruption rates in the country under Barisan rule. This is more serious,” she added.

The rakyat are already immune to this dirty and cheap tactic by MCA, tolerated by its soulmate UMNO in Barisan.

More Chinese are becoming extra responsive to what Islam is, thanks to MCA and its Islamaphobic approach to politics.

“Islam is not that fiery a religion as wished-for by MCA. It’s simply the hudud, hadd or limit that can be accepted by any society. This simply means that as human beings there has to be ‘some limits’ in our activities to preserve law and order in society,” snapped a Chinese voter in Kuantan, Pahang.

“That’s about it. I strongly believe common sense prevails in Islam,” he added.

DAP has never rejected Islam as the official religion of the country.  In fact DAP lawmakers have even come up to defend Islam, unlike the MCA. MCA is solely using Islam to scare the Chinese and UMNO is using Islam to label DAP as anti-Islam.

It’s all political exploitation of religion to meet their selfish ends. But this modus operandi has backfired.

Integrity of UMNO and Barisan leaders

“Sorry, the rakyat don’t buy this mode anymore,” said a former UMNO lawmaker. “The strategy by MCA and UMNO here is all wrong. The rakyat are today talking about the loose integrity of UMNO and Barisan leaders. It matters most in the next general election,” he added.

“In fact MCA has been very vocal when it involves Islam and hudud and this has come from non- other than the leader himself. Why hasn’t UMNO reproached MCA for this insane tactic to blaspheme Islam?” asked a former UMNO member in Pahang.

UMNO’s silence on this sensitive issue has made Muslims crossed with MCA and they are fed up with UMNO for not chiding her soulmate in Barisan. They feel nettled to hear both UMNO and MCA – soulmates in politics – using Islam to confuse the rakyat.

It’s apparent that UMNO seems to ignore MCA’s stand on the issue of Islam and hudud for political reasons.  MCA’s deportment on this issue has destroyed its chances of winning Malay votes in the next general election and this is worrying UMNO.

But UMNO too is facing the same fate. For failing to reprove MCA, UMNO too will be losing Malay votes.

Will reject MCA

The Malays and Malaysians in general will reject MCA for at least two obvious reasons: Muslims and for that matter rakyat of any faith cannot accept a leader that condemns their religion. Muslims as well as Malaysians in general cannot accept a leader who is morally soiled.

Barisan is losing in this game of spiritual exploitation for political ends. Even when Islam is exploited by MCA and UMNO for political expedience non-Muslim support for PAS and Pakatan has been found to increase.

The manipulation of Islam by MCA and UMNO in the name of politics has not scratched rakyat’s positive perception of PAS, DAP and PKR.  Pakatan has in fact become a political force to be reckoned with in the country and this is worrying UMNO.

“Just like in Selangor, it’s so thoughtless of Barisan to use ‘water’ as weapon to attack the strong Pakatan government. The voters in Selangor will certainly not favour Barisan on this issue,” jibed another UMNO member.

“And now, at the national level they are ill-advised to make use of Islam to attack a resilient Pakatan coalition. This too has backfired,” he added.

“No. The rakyat, even those in the rural areas, understand what MCA and UMNO are trying to do. They are using Islam to scare the Chinese when the latter are not the least bothered about this. They are not that raw to chew this political garbage,” said a former MCA member in Kuantan who is now with PKR.

”Rakyat are more interested in knowing more about all the wrongdoings such as corruption involving Barisan leaders. Unbridled corruption in the nation, high costs of living and crime rates are bothering them most today, not Islam,” he added.

The man in the video

Seemingly, MCA and UMNO are left with no political ammunition other than using Islam for political convenience. This has incurred the wrath of the rakyat. UMNO is so desperate that it is willing to work with MCA that has a leader who is morally debatable.

UMNO leaders must have forgotten the famous statement, “I’m the man in the video,” made by a morally spoiled leader in MCA.

Muslims and non-Muslims are aware of the sex video involving an MCA leader that can be found in the YouTube. In fact, before every by-election in the past after the 2008 general elections the video tape had been distributed to the rakyat to tarnish the leader’s image, MCA, UMNO and Barisan.

This is bound to happen again just before the next general election.

This episode in MCA has made the party dip in popularity. And a leader of this moral standard is definitely not kosher enough to talk about Islam, hudud or for that matter on morality or religion. Perhaps only UMNO is left as a party that can accept such a depraved leader.  The rakyat in general has rejected MCA.

Angered the Muslims

UMNO has failed to rebuke MCA for spreading Islamaphobic ideologies. This has infuriated the Muslims in the country.

It could either be that UMNO religionists have not briefed him enough or the MCA leader is not kosher enough to talk about Islam.

The dye is now cast as the damage is done. The rakyat have rejected MCA and UMNO will face the same fate in the next general election.

And see the hypocrisy. After being bashed by the rakyat MCA chief is now saying that MCA is not spreading Islamaphobic ideologies. The MCA leader should thank his stars that he is living in a country where the Malay-Muslims are so accommodating that even when he humiliated Islam they have not pronounced any harsh diktat on him.

This only shows that Muslims in the country still adhere to reasons and rationality. It’s noteworthy that religion has always become a sensitive issue in many other countries – Muslim and non-Muslim.

Just imagine if such Islamaphobic rhetoric is spewed out in some other countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iran where the people’s tolerance threshold is relatively low. The person implicated perhaps would have been slapped with a severe decree like what happened to Salman Rushdie after he wrote the book “The Satanic Verses”.

UMNO being silent

Nonetheless, Muslims in this country are not at all happy with MCA’s recent Islamaphobic rhetoric, and UMNO being silent on this. Yet they have not resorted to any irrational reaction towards MCA leaders. The Muslims are mindful that those MCA leaders are not kosher enough to talk about Islam. And they will show their protest through the ballot box.

To Najib, let this be part of his aide-mémoire on politics. “The Malays are not fed up with DAP but with MCA and UMNO”.

Malaysia Chronicle