Are Malaysians STUPID or what?

Reading an appeal made by Borders bookstore manager Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah, I cannot help but organise my 26 foot soldiers (letters of the alphabet) into an army of words again.

This piece, which was initially put on the backburner, is now back on the screen again after reading that an appeal to the Agong by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s family has been disposed of.

I believe the time has come for the Agong to step in, when the prime minister of Malaysia chooses to remain silent on a number of issues that are tearing apart the Malaysian fabric of society. As the Agong had said in his speech recently, he is deeply concerned that the rising tension in the country.

“I have been on the throne for 57 years, even though I have witnessed many incidences, I have never been this worried about race and religious relations which are becoming brittle,” he was quoted as saying.

In fact, the way Nik Raina’s case has gone to the appellate court, shows that it is not only the non-Muslims are concerned in the way how religious uprightness is being upheld in the name of the religion and the Agong as the head of the Islamic religion in the Federal Territories.

As the present Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim, whom I have always admired since 1971, has the full responsibility over the way how Islam is being administered within the Federal Territories.

The G25 group of eminent Malays, who are said to be in discussions with the sultans, should raise this case before the Agong as well, as it affects the image of Islam in Malaysia.

His Majesty Tuanku Halim should also be equally concerned about how Islam is being perceived by non-Muslims as a result of the actions by some unscrupulous religious officers.

Nik Raina is the manager of Borders. Her job is to oversee the day-to-day operation of the bookshop, where it is impossible for her to even monitor the thousands of books being stocked on the shelves of Borders, including books on Anwar Ibrahim, the late Karpal Singh, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and even Najib Abdul Razak. If I recall correctly, there were also books on Chin Peng in recent years and no one made a big issue over it.

The Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) was also fully aware that there was no ban or fatwa (religious edict) outlawing the book by Canadian author Irshad Manji, titled ‘Allah, Liberty and Love’. It appears to me that the cart has been put before the horses.

This accounts for the ‘efficiency’ of Jawi officers, which now, I hope His Majesty Tuanku Halim would look into with earnestness. It has nothing to do with religion, neither do I know Nik Raina personally, but it is a matter of what’s right, what’s wrong.

Whatever is displayed on the bookshelves at Borders, ultimately, it is the Malaysian public who make the selection of books that they wish to purchase or read. Not many of us even bothered that there was such a book! Naturally, books that are not banned, Nik Raina has no reasons to even remove from the shelves, and for Borders, it is a commercial decision.

It is therefore ironic that, despite the case being ruled in her favour by the Court of Appeal in December last year, citing the prosecution against her as being “unreasonable, irrational and done in bad faith,” Jawi is now hell-bent to drag the case further by prosecuting her in the Shariah court.

Why prolong the case when the Court of Appeal has in fact established Nik Raina’s innocence? Moreover, the controversial book was only banned five days after the raid. I repeat, AFTER the raid. Does Jawi not understand what this implies for the ordinary citizens who follow Nik Raina’s case?

Ironies aplenty

In fact, same ironies exist in a number of other cases, but why are we allowing it?

For example, the rationale behind the confiscation of 300 copies of the Alkitab Malay Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia in January last year was because some claimed that the use of the name ‘Allah’ in the Alkitab would weaken the alqidah of the Muslims in peninsular Malaysia.

However, my question is why 23 copies of the Bup Kudus (Iban Bibles) were also being carted away? Are the Malays in peninsular Malaysia also capable of reading the Iban Bibles?

Why were these Bibles taken away when they were still in the Bible Society’s warehouse at its Petaling Jaya office? When they were returned, why were they not returned to its rightful owners from which they were taken?

Again, on another irony of ironies, allow me to quote Marina Mahathir based on a Whatsapp message that I received: “Some self-appointed defenders of Islam, including the chief of ‘1Malaysia’ have insisted that Catholics should use ‘Tuhan’ instead of ‘Allah’ to address the Catholic or Christian God.

“But in the national anthem, ‘Tuhan’ (not ‘Allah’) bless the country (...Tuhan kurniakan...). How now? If Malay-Muslims are that easily confused as portrayed by some politicians, they must be thinking that Malaysia is blessed by the Catholic or Christian God, and the Muslim God, ‘Allah’ is perpetually on leave.”

Marina further commented: “Perhaps, this confusion may cause the government to change the national anthem by replacing ‘Tuhan’ with ‘Allah’. But then again, non-Muslims will not be allowed to sing the national anthem. Then it would be non-Muslims turn to be confused. If this issues goes to the courts, even the judges will get headache and confused.”

With all due respect to Marina, ironically, it was her own father who first banned the Indonesian Alkitab in 1982, when Dr Mahathir Mohamad had barely become both the home affairs minister and the fourth prime minister of Malaysia.

The ironies are aplenty, but politicians should not think that Malaysians are stupid. Years ago, before the 2008 general election, an Umno division leader by the name of Ahmad Ismail uttered words that were highly seditious in nature, labelling the Malaysian Chinese community as “pendatang” (or immigrants).

However, during Syed Hamid Albar’s time as home minister, the Sin Chew reporter who quoted Ahmad in his speech, was arrested under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA), instead of Ahmad himself. Ironically, the Sin Chew reporter was told on the journey to Bukit Aman that she was arrested under ISA for her own safety.

Recently, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi boldly came forward to say that the police will now probe into the leak of the official letter that he wrote to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua.

It is a fact that Phua faced illegal sports betting charges in Las Vegas after being arrested during last year’s Fifa World Cup football tournament in Brazil.

Whereas Zahid should have been investigated by a Royal Commission of Inquiry, after coming under fire for writing the letter to the FBI, now it is the whistleblower who is being probed! The letter was first exposed by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Dec 31 last year.

In another development, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said, “If you want to tweet (write something on Twitter), tweet responsibly and do not instigate other people.”

This is ironic, the fact that Ismail Sabri Yaacob was clearly instigated the Malays to boycott against Chinese traders in one of his Facebook posts, but why was the Umno cabinet minister not being investigated or charged with sedition?

Let’s be professional about it, was a phone call to the minister sufficient to get his statement in what should be a proper police investigation?

Daily examples

Incidents of such things that do not make logical sense are plentiful in beautiful Malaysia, which sometimes drives me up the wall.

For example, on making a phone call to the Royal Customs and Excise Department to enquire about the goods and services tax (GST), the first question asked by the receptionist was, “Please give me your name and your company name for our record.”

My cynical answer, followed by a laughter, was: “My name is Hantu bin Ahmad and my company is Rumah Hantu Sdn Bhd.” I had to make a point - why bother to ask the names when there is no way to even verify the authenticity of the caller? Precious time is wasted!

The University Hospital (UH) Medical Records Department is another good example where some ridiculous policies have been drawn up, that should be reviewed immediately. While applying for her father’s medical report, a relative of mine was told that her father has to apply for the report himself.

“My father suffers from Alzheimers,” was not good enough for the officer in charge. My relative was asked to get the doctor at UH to write a letter to state that the father suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and would not be able to apply for his own medical report.

Why the need for the doctor to spend her time writing a letter when the hospital has the father’s medical records in the first place?

My conclusion is the same as that which was made by former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who called them the Little Napoleons. These are the little people wearing big hats.

Back to Jawi’s case, the department may have their own reasons for pursuing the case but I do hope that His Majesty Tuanku Halim looks at it squarely. Perhaps, Tuanku can restore some sanity into this nation? - M'kini