REAL TARGET IS TO GET THE MALAYS TO RALLY BEHIND UMNO: Would another raid turn Christians against BN?

Not even two years have passed by and now the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) is again facing the possibility of another raid.

This time, it is by a federal agency using Section 63 of the Societies Act 1966, which, under normal circumstances, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) would not use.

A member of the Bible Society who spoke on condition of anonymity said that for the past 23 years, the society has always been up-to-date with its submission to the ROS.

“If there are any documents that the registrar would like the society to furnish, the staff would be more than happy to comply,” she said, dismissing that there could be any proselytisation work done by the society.

No basis

In the first place, it has never been the role of the Bible Society to carry out any proselytisation work.

Therefore, the raid carried out last year by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) under the instruction of the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) chaired by an alleged Umno strongman, was totally uncalled for and a sign of clear disrespect to the Christian community.

Thanks to Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, when the Bibles were subsequently returned, Mais requested that the Bibles be sent to Sabah, instead of going back to their rightful owners - the Bible Society.

During the raid, the Iban Bibles were also confiscated by Jais officers, which clearly showed the lack of sincerity by the parties concerned which claimed that the use of the name ‘Allah’ in the Malay and Iban Bibles was an attempt by the Christian community to weaken the aqidah (faith) of the Muslims.

Till now, no one has answered my questions: “How many Malay Muslims in peninsular Malaysia can read Bup Kudus in the Iban language? And, lying in the warehouse, when the Alkitab were being carted away, were they used in any proselytisation work or found in the hands of any Muslim?”

The Bible Society is there mainly to supply Bibles in different languages to the Christian community, and if the Alkitab is the main issue now why the ROS is using Section 63, then is Bahasa Malaysia after all the national language?

Within the scope of Article 11 of the federal constitution, the Christian community has “the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.”

Article 11 further states that every religious group has the right to manage its own religious affairs. In short, the Christians, like any other communities, want to exercise their faith with some peace of mind; and there should not be any interference from any party over the question of God’s name.

To use Section 63 is therefore excessive in the eyes of most people. The Christian community also question the timing of the visit by ROS, especially at a time when there is so much focus on religious persecution in Malaysia, both in local and international media.

Contrary to the constitution

Although the visit yesterday was postponed indefinitely, the idea of placing churches and other religious organisations directly under the supervision of the ROS runs contrary to the spirit of the federal constitution.

Article 11 safeguards the non-Muslims’ rights to ‘establish and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes’.

Why is it not possible for the government to allow a recognised body such as the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), for example, to register the churches and govern its own religious affairs?

Placing the churches and other religious organisations under the ROS could lead to abuses now and in the future, especially when they are officers who do not share the same faith, giving the perception that there is religious persecution in the country.

I am sure that yesterday’s episode was being watched closely by international groups as well as the church at large, both domestic and abroad.

BN’s stake at risk

Kurup

This raises the question why cabinet minister Joseph Kurup is so eager in explaining, instead of shooting down the Home Ministry’s latest standard operating procedure (SOP) which allows the Quranic Text Division of the Home Ministry to supervise the import of the Alkitab into peninsular Malaysia.

Kurup is supposed to be a native Christian from Sabah, but once implemented, he risks losing the respect of the Christian community in both east and peninsular Malaysia for failing to make a stand.

Confidence in both Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and especially Home Minister Zahid Hamidi would dip the lowest within the Christian community. Najib has failed to be the prime minister for all Malaysians, while Zahid will no longer enjoy the people’s trust.

The entire Barisan Nasional will suffer the backlash as well since they are connected with both Najib, Zahid and Kurup.

As the Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has warned: “There is no point having authority if you cannot influence the people. If you have authority but command no influence, it is a sign that you are not worthy of being a leader.” - M'kini

AFTER ALL THE RACIAL HAVOC THEY CAUSED! Perkasa now cries foul over 'hate speeches' tag

Malay rights pressure group Perkasa has cried foul after the group and Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) were accused of making "hate speeches" with impunity in Suaram's 2014 human rights report.

Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said Suaram was biased and deliberately tried to put Perkasa in bad light.

Syed Hassan said Perkasa's focus is defending the position of Islam, Malay rulers, Bahasa Melayu as the national language and special privileges of the Malays and the bumiputera.

He said these issues were all enshrined under the Federal Constitution.

"(Raising these issues) are lawful and as such, speeches made to defend these objectives cannot be deemed to be 'hate speeches'.

"On the other hand, those who deliberately challenge these aforesaid objectives and other articles in the constitution should be regarded as the 'culprits' of 'hate speeches' and should be duly charged and punished under the relevant laws," he said.

Syed Hassan also told Suaram that the definition of "hate speech" was debatable.

"There are two sides to the coin. "Hate speech" can be hateful and it can also be tolerable and acceptable. Depending on which side you are on! One must admit, it must be due to human failure when one chooses not to be objective in one’s own evaluation.

"For the relevant authorities to take appropriate actions and measures, they have to fall back on the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures.

"Upon reflection, many actions have been taken against offenders. That some had escaped actions can be be viewed as non-punishable offences by them. Trust in the system is paramount to good citizenship!" Syed Hassan added. - M'kini

AJK Surau Di Putrajaya Tampar Dan Sepak Budak Ketika Berbuka

SEBAGAI seorang yang diberi kepercayaan menjaga hal ehwal tempat ibadah, Ahli Jawatankuasa (AJK) Surau mestilah menunjukkan sahsiah yang baik kepada masyarakat.

Pastinya perkataan role model biasa juga didengar oleh golongan ini.

Justeru, adalah tidak patut apabila seorang AJK Surau di Persint 11, Putrajaya dikatakan menampar dan menyepak seorang budak lelaki sewaktu orang ramai berbuka puasa di surau terbabit baru-baru ini.

Menerusi status Facebook Memori Semalam, kejadian tersebut dikongsikan kepada umum.

Jom lihat ceritanya.

Sedih lihat peristiwa yg berlaku sebelum waktu berbuka puasa tadi di sebuah surau di Presint 11 Putrajaya.

Apabila seorang AJK Surau tersebut (memakai baju koprat sama warna hijau) telah menolak dan menampar seorang budak lelaki (dalam lingkungan usia 9 – 11 tahun) di waktu para jemaah sedang bersiap sedia untuk berbuka puasa.

Tak cukup dengan tangannya yg menampar dan menolak budak lelaki tersebut. Mulut lelaki tua tersebut memaki dan mengeluarkan kata2 kesat kepada budak tersebut dan menghalaunya keluar dari kawasan surau.

Hari ini sekolah agama yg menumpang di bawah kawasan surau tersebut mengadakan majlis berbuka puasa bersama pelajar dan ibu bapa di surau tersebut.

Walau pun mungkin budak lelaki tersebut ada membuat kesalahan, tidak sewajarnya dia di malukan dan diperlakukan sedemikian di hadapan kawan- kawannya dan para jemaah yg lain.

Inikah caranya orang tua yg dilantik sebagai AJK Surau menunjukkan cara bagaimana mendidik anak2 supaya mendekati dan mendampingi surau sebagai institusi yg melahirkan seorang muslim yg baik.

Diharap perkara sebegini tidak berulang.

Yg tua perlu menghormati yg muda jika si tua mahu dihormati oleh mereka.

Ramadan sepatutnya mendidik kita menjadi seorang yg penyabar, bukan menjadikan kita seperti seekor singa lapar yg menjadikan budak kecil mangsa kerakusan kita di rumah suci Tuhan yg empunya segala-galanya.

Mungkin terdapat kesalahan yang dilakukan oleh budak lelaki terbabit namun mengapa sampai sebegitu kejamnya tindakan AJK tersebut?

Mynewshub difahamkan perbuatan itu mungkin ada hubungkait dengan rasa tidak puas hati AJK berkenaan dengan ibu atau bapa kanak-kanak itu.

Andai benar, sungguh malang kanak-kanak itu dijadikan mangsa untuk melepaskan kemarahan.

Cadangan kami agar lantik sahaja AJK baru di surau terbabit kerana orang sebegini memang susah hendak dikikis sifat barannya.

Apa-apa pun, bulan yang mulia ini janganlah disia-siakan dengan hal seperti ini, seharian berpuasa menahan lapar dan dahaga namun mungkin sekelip mata sahaja boleh hilang keberkatannya. – MYNEWSHUB.CC

Oleh: hzq

‘License’ to be patriotic?

To those intending to buy vanity PATRIOT licence plates, there is one simple question: What is so noble and patriotic about owning these?

COMMENT

By TK Chua

What has become of this country? Have we got any reasoning and rationale left?

May I know what the logic is for a group of people or an NGO to be given a block of vanity number plates known as “patriot”?

How can they argue that the government loses nothing? If 10,000 numbers are given away, it means the government will issue 10,000 numbers less. Did the decision makers go to school in the first place? If the government gets only one million ringgit while the NGO gets RM10 million, we must be idiots to buy the story that the government loses nothing.

Who are theses “patriotic” NGO people anyway? Are the members of this NGO more patriotic than other Malaysians in the country? How do they define patriotism and what did they do that qualified them to label themselves as more patriotic than others? How do they promote patriotism – sing more patriotic songs, read more patriotic pledges, and wear more patriotic uniforms?

If I am a citizen working hard, creating value, paying my taxes, saving up, raising my kids and educating them properly, am I being patriotic?

Can we ever talk our way to becoming more patriotic? Samuel Johnson once said patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel. So be careful before calling oneself patriotic. When citizens are treated fairly, able to earn a decent living and live in a comfortable and secured environment, patriotism to the country will come naturally. On the other hand, when they are shortchanged, bullied, denied and cheated, no amount of patriotic talks are going to make a difference.

If today we have a patriotic NGO who will profit from Road Transport Department (JPJ) numbers, what is there for another group of parasites to start another “wira”, “hero” or “negarawan” NGO?

I think the government must decide what is rational and logical.

To those who intend to buy these vanity numbers, I wish to ask one simple question: What is so noble and patriotic about owning these numbers?

I think there is a difference between you being bestowed as a patriotic citizen and you driving around displaying patriotism in the front and back of your car. Instead of honouring you, some may despise you.

TK Chua is an FMT reader.

Kinabalu may have lost height after earthquake

Authorities warn the mountain was still unstable and the 100 aftershocks recorded so far extend to Tuaran and the South China Sea

KOTA KINABALU: Authorities in Sabah are conducting studies to determine whether the 4,095 metre Mount Kinabalu, the highest in Southeast Asia excluding Papua New Guinea, has become higher or lost height after the Richter 6 scale earthquake on June 5.

“A sensor would be installed soon on Kinabalu which was still unstable”

This was disclosed by geologist Felix Tongkul during a public awareness talk on the Ranau earthquake on Tuesday at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Recital Hall. “The mountain would take some time to stabilise although we are outside the Pacific Ring of Fire of earthquakes and active volcanoes which runs through Japan, Hawaii, the Philippines and Indonesia.”

Felix wanted to dispel wild theories circulating in the social media since the June 5 earthquake. “It was difficult to determine, despite advances in technology, where an earthquake would strike and when.”

“The reading of Kinabalu takes its cue from the exact location of the June 5 earthquake which was near the Mesilau Nature Resort in Kundasang, 20 metres from Ranau town. The earthquake was Richter 6 and not 5.9 as earlier reported,” said Felix. “In order to pinpoint the exact location of an earthquake, the readings from three stations must be taken and compared.”

Logically, he added, the mountain would have gone down within by at least a metre. “On the surface, this would show up as a few centimeters shorter.”

“The mountain was still in the phase of experiencing aftershocks, 100 being recorded so far, as the fault lines extend all the way to Tuaran and the South China Sea.”

Felix conceded that it was more likely that the mountain was now shorter and not higher given the magnitude of the earthquake that hit the Kinabalu area and Ranau.

He said the possibility of Kinabalu and the Ranau area being hit by another Richter 6 scale earthquake was quite remote. “This was based on previous records but it’s difficult to be precise as there are not enough records before the 1960s.”

The region, he recalled, had been hit by earthquakes in 1966, 1991 and 2015. “Between 1966 and 2010, no records were taken of smaller quakes and aftershocks.”

Ranau, he stressed, was in fact regularly hit by earthquakes, the previous one being last year when the area experienced a Richter 4.7 scale quake.

Sabah now has seven stations viz. Telipok, Ranau, Kudat, Telupid, Tawau and Sapulut and at UMS to detect earth movements and earthquakes.

Kassim Ahmad, the unwitting Jebat

Is he alone in defending democracy in Umno?

COMMENT

Malay scholar Kassim Ahmad may have unwittingly cast himself into the role of Hang Jebat by his latest blog post.

In his 1964 dissertation, Perwatakan dalam Hikayat Hang Tuah, Kassim had dared to challenge traditional Malay thinking by contending that Hang Jebat, not Hang Tuah, was the true Malay hero for his earnestness in defending honour and principles, even if it meant turning against the Sultan.

Fast forward 51 years to last weekend, and we find Kassim challenging Malay thinking once again.

The occasion this time was a press conference last Friday following a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council. Party President Najib Razak told the gathered press that the 59-member council had decided to postpone Umno’s general assembly and elections by another 18 months and that the decision complied with the party’s constitution.

The purpose, Najib said, was to enable the party “to focus on service to the rakyat, to reduce tensions within the party and to prepare for the 14th general elections.”

“The question Umno members and the rakyat ought to ask,” Kassim writes, “is whether the reasons are valid. Will the general assembly prevent service to the people? Will it really be an obstacle in the party’s preparations for the next general election?”

“I think otherwise,” he says. “The general assembly will cure everything.”

It will, he suggests, provide government leaders with a platform to brief delegates. It will also provide the delegates the opportunity to reprimand party elders and propose moves that the party should take.

“All this will only serve to improve service to the people and strengthen Umno to face the next general election,” Kassim adds.

Kassim thinks that deferring the general assembly will only increase criticism of Najib’s administration.

“It seems that Najib and the Supreme Council are afraid to face the delegates,” he says. “They appear intent on hiding certain weaknesses.”

“Yet, truth emboldens us while wrongs raise fears,” he says, adding that the Umno leaders must be brave enough to receive constructive admonishments and suggestions from party delegates, claiming that it will strengthen the party and bring it greater victories in the future.

Malay folklore tells the tale of the covenant struck between Sang Sapurba, of royal descent, and local chief Demang Lebar Daun, who abdicated his throne in favour of the former.

Agreeing that his descendants shall henceforth be the subjects of Sang Sapurba and his descendants, Demang Lebar Daun made one request – that his descendants be treated well by their new rulers.

“If they offend,” Demang Lebar Daun was supposed to have said, “they shall not, however grave their offence, be disgraced or reviled with evil words. If their offence is grave, let them be put to death, if that is in accordance with the divine law.”

Sang Sapurba agreed. “In turn, your descendants shall never, until the end of time, be disloyal to my descendants, even if my descendants oppress them and commit evil.”

The pact was agreed to, but with the provision that if either side departed from the terms, so would the other.

Fast forward now to the age of Hang Tuah. Perhaps it was Sultan Mansur Shah who broke the pact when he sentenced the loyal Hang Tuah to death.

“Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah (A just king is a king to venerate, a despotic king is a king to repudiate),” Jebat bellowed as he ran amok.

And so it is told that the Sultan, on learning that Tuah was still alive, summoned him and ordered the killing of Jebat. Tuah, ever loyal to the Sultan, obliged. Jebat, despite his loyalty to his comrade, would succumb.

Dictionary.com defines “democracy” as “a government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.”

Kassim Ahmad knows this. To him supreme power in Umno lies with its delegates. Which is probably why he questioned the decision of the body which by name is supreme – the Supreme Council of Umno – to cast aside the general assembly.

To him also, council members would have been like Tuah, showing misplaced loyalty to their leaders at a time when the people whom they were elected to serve had genuine concerns that needed to be addressed.

Who else then to play Jebat, anti-hero to the masses but defender of the honour and principles of true democracy?

Stand proud, Pak Kassim. Hopefully, you will not stand alone.

Menteri Cap Ayam henti umum harga minyak pada awam?

Tiada lagi notis pemberitahuan mengenai perubahan harga minyak kepada orang ramai dan hanya akan dimaklumkan kepada pengusaha minyak pada setiap hujung bulan, kata Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan Datuk Seri Hasan Malek.

Beliau berkata ini kerana perubahan harga minyak akan menjadi rutin memandangkan harga minyak dijangka sentiasa berubah setelah kerajaan melaksanakan penetapan harga runcit untuk petrol RON95, RON97 dan diesel mengikut kaedah Pengapungan Terkawal mulai 1 Dis tahun lalu.

"Setiap hujung bulan jam 12 malam, kita akan beritahu harga baharu kepada pengusaha minyak sama ada harga minyak turun, kekal atau ada peningkatan," katanya.