1. FZ (http://fz.com)
Malay Bible - DAP tells Puad to show proof, 8 January 2013
PETALING JAYA: DAP today demanded for Umno supreme council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi to show proof that DAP is printing 100,000 Malay copies of the Bible using the word ‘Allah’.
Otherwise, he should withdraw and apologise for the claim he reportedly made during a press conference in Putrajaya on Monday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said.
“DAP has never been involved in religion believing that religion is a matter of personal faith for the individual that should neither be exploited nor politicised.
“Further, DAP has neither the resources nor the ability to afford to print and distribute 100,000 copies of a Bahasa Malaysia bible,” he said in a statement.
Puad was quoted as saying: "The opposition party (DAP) is planning to print at least 100,000 copies of the Holy Book and will be distributing it for free in several states, including Kedah and Kelantan”.
Lim said he will direct DAP leaders to lodge police reports tomorrow for action to be taken against the Deputy Education Minister and the three newspapers which carried the report today.
DAP will also consider other legal measures against Puad and the three newspapers, he added.
2. Christian Post (http://global.christianpost.com)
Malaysia 'Bible-Burning Festival' Over Use of 'Allah' Threatens Country's Stability, 24 January 2013
by Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter
Tensions between Muslims and Christians in Malaysia have quickly escalated in the recent days following the advocacy of a "Bible-burning festival," an idea fueled by a parliament member's recent comments.
The controversy stems from recent comments made by independent parliament member Ibrahim Ali, founder and leader of Perkasa, a non-governmental Malay Supremacy organization which advocates the rights of the Muslim Malay majority in the country.
In a recent media program, Ali reportedly advocated that all Muslims burn Bibles which give reference to God as "Allah," as extremist Muslims in the country believe that term belong solely to Islam, according to The Malaysian Insider.
Following this controversial proclamation, a small, unknown group has created flyers advocating a "Bible-burning festival" in the Penang state of the country for Sunday, Jan. 27.
"To Muslims who have copies of al-Kitab, bring them over to make our Bible-burning session merrier," reads the text on the flyer, which was also reportedly published on the Malaysiakini web portal, according to RT.com.
Additionally, the flyer reportedly suggested that a Bible-burning would "teach [Christians] a lesson."
Malaysia's National Evangelical Christian Fellowship's chairman the Rev. Dr. Eu Hong Seng recently told Christians in the Asian country to maintain moderation in response to parliament member Ali's recent comments.
"This unfortunate proposal to burn Malay Bibles containing the word 'Allah' serves as a serious reminder to all Malaysians to be more measured in our responses the next time we hear of some unreasonable people in the West wanting to burn other people's Scriptures because we too have our fair share of unreasonable people," Eu said in a three-paragraph statement, according to The Malaysian Insider.
"We are a peace-loving people who will continue to pray for the well being of our great country," the Rev. Eu added.
Some are calling for the prosecution of Ali due to his recent comments, arguing that they violate the country's penal codes regarding seditious acts.
"This incident together with the contemptuous statement by another Perkasa leader against a judge and the judiciary suggest that Perkasa is allowed to behave with impunity," Bar Council President Lim Chee Wee, who oversees professional lawyers in the country, said in a recent statement, as reported by Reuters.
The latter part of Lim's statement is in reference to a letter written by another Perkasa leader in early January of this year attacking a high court judge presiding over a defamation case.
The contention between Malaysia's minority Christian and majority Muslim population regarding the use of the word "Allah" in the Bible dates back to 2010, when a high court ruled that the Roman Catholic Church also has the right to call their God "Allah," along with the Islamic religion.
Additionally, in March 2011, the Christian Federation of Malaysia, which is comprised of the nation's largest Christian denominations, spoke out against the reported detainment of imported Bibles written in the national Bahasa Malaysia language.
The umbrella Christian organization suggested that the seizures are linked to the 2010 debate regarding use of the word "Allah" in the Christian faith.
As Reuters points out, this recent controversy among Christians and Muslims comes at an unstable time for the country, when an upcoming election must be decided by April 2013.
In order to maintain power, the ruling Barisa National coalition of Prime Minister Najib Razak must reportedly seek the vote of the country's majority Malays, as the coalition has substantially lost the approval of the country's 25 percent ethnic Chinese population, a substantial number of which are Christian.
3. (http://www.wnd.com)
EXPERT: ISLAM DEMANDS SUBJUGATION OF CHRISTIANS, 18 February 2013
'Jihad isn't an interior spiritual struggle, but a serious obligation to subdue non-Muslims'
by ANITA CRANE
Editor’s Note: Three American scholars, two Christians and one Muslim, spoke to WND about the threat of political Islam. They say there will be further trouble unless Americans understand the threat and learn how to resist it. This interview with Catholic psychologist William Kilpatrick is the second part of the series. In part one, Robert R. Reilly of the American Foreign Policy Council said America is hurting itself by working with U.S.-hating Muslims.
WASHINGTON – Catholic psychologist Dr. William Kilpatrick is warning that Christian Americans are naïve about Islam and working towards their own extinction.
“We often hear that the true Islam is a religion of peace that has been hijacked by a minority of violent extremists,” Kilpatrick told WND. “If that’s true, why not open the books on Islam? Islam deserves the kind of inspection and scrutiny that Christianity has received for decades.”
Kilpatrick, author of “Christianity, Islam and Atheism: The Struggle for The Soul of The West,” said alarms should be sounding.
“Muhammad said that he came as a ‘warner,’” wrote Kilpatrick in his book, published in November. “Among the banners that can be seen in various Muslim demonstrations in Europe is one that reads, ‘Islam – our religion today, your religion tomorrow.’ For anyone who follows the pronouncements of Islamic religious authorities around the world, there can be little doubt that this is their goal.”
Kilpatrick chronicles Islam’s war on Christian civilization as a war on universal human rights. He cites three factors working against all people of goodwill: cowardice or malice by secular governments, naïve Christian leaders and irreligious or atheist news media preaching indifference.
Indifferentists purport that all religions are equal and valid, except Christianity. Among them are secular media who whitewash Islam’s history and agenda, charging instead that Christianity is guilty of intolerable extremism.
Islam on the rise
Islam certainly is on the rise, but it’s difficult to discern whose demographic statistics are accurate, if any. The latest Vatican research shows 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, while the Pew Research Center claims Muslims slightly outnumber Christians at 2.2 billion compared to 2.18 billion, respectively.
Fight back against the legal attack from the Council on American-Islamic Relations on the First Amendment by making a contribution to WND’s “Legal Defense Fund.” Donations of $25 or more entitle you to free copy of “Muslim Mafia” – the book so devastating to CAIR that the group is trying to ban it.
In America, U.S. Census Bureau figures, released by the Association of Religion Data Archives, are incomplete because some 158 million people refused to reveal their religions. Still, 2.6 million U.S. residents declared themselves Muslim; roughly 137.2 million claimed to belong to a branch of Christianity; and 58.9 million of the Christians declared themselves Catholic. A higher count of 77.7 million Catholics, courtesy of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, is probably more accurate as it’s based on parish registration.
Why, however, does the Obama administration appear to favor Muslims and adopt policies that infringe on the rights of Christians?
Kilpatrick told WND he’s “alarmed” that critics of Islam, such as himself, eventually could be charged with “hate crimes.” As noted in WND exposés, Obama’s Justice, Defense and Homeland Security Departments refuse to classify religiously motivated attacks by Muslims as terrorism. As WND reported, after Obama took office in 2009, DHS sent a memo to law enforcement officials in the states labeling outspoken Christians and others “right-wing extremists,” further urging them to monitor such Americans as likely terrorists.
Robert R. Reilly, author of “The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist,” criticized the Obama administration for favoring political Islam but said Islamists won’t win if Americans return to their Judeo-Christian roots.
Kilpatrick likewise criticized Obama’s policy toward the Islamic world.
“In our failure to understand Islam, we’ve helped to bring to power some of the most extreme Islamists, such as the Muslim Brotherhood,” he said.
But the problems don’t begin with government. Many professing Christians, the majority of voters who elect lawmakers and the president, ignore religious differences to everyone’s peril.
“Excessive emphasis on tolerance and sensitivity has resulted in a dangerous knowledge gap for Christians,” said Kilpatrick. “The main victims of Islam are Muslims. Should Christians be more worried about offending the sensibilities of some Muslims or should they be concerned about the men, women and children who are oppressed by Islamic laws?”
Several refugees from Islamic countries, whose identities are being kept confidential, spoke to WND verifying Kilpatrick’s claims.
One Muslim lady happily dresses like an American when she’s in the U.S. On Islamist requirements for women to be suppressed under a burqa or hijab, she said, “Those are men’s rules.”
A young woman who fled with her widowed mother and sister from one Muslim-ruled country to another said until they gained asylum in the U.S., almost none of their human rights were recognized.
Still others said that before the Arab Spring, they had befriended Catholics or other Christians and secretly converted to Christianity.
Christian refugees from Islamic nations are deeply concerned about Obama’s domestic and international agendas.
While some Muslims come to the U.S. to wage jihad, others say coming to America was “everything” because they believe in freedom as it’s expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Where should Christians begin?
“Tolerance needs to be balanced with justice, and justice seems to require that Christians be provided with a fuller account of Islam, because their survival may depend on that knowledge,” said Kilpatrick.
Jihad “isn’t an interior spiritual struggle,” he said, “but a serious obligation to subdue non-Muslims.”
That means, he said, many Western Christians “are going to be woefully unprepared for the kinds of things that are already happening to Christians in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria and Sudan.”
“The Islamic faith is founded on a blunt rejection of basic Christian beliefs, but you would hardly know it from reading official church statements or from listening to prelates,” Kilpatrick stressed. “Instead of informing their flocks that Islam rejects Christ and requires its people to work toward the eventual subjugation of Christians, many Christian leaders have been more intent on emphasizing the common ground that Christians and Muslims share.”
Kilpatrick pointed to the Second Vatican Council declaration “Nostra Aetate” as focusing almost exclusively on the similarities between Muslims and Christians.
“That approach was in keeping with the spirit of change and openness that marked the [1960s] council because it seemed to fit with the prevailing circumstances in the Muslim world at the time,” he said. “The search for shared beliefs and values arose when the militant side of Islam was kept in check by secular rulers.”
Despite Kilpatrick’s critique, the last two popes haven’t shied away from criticizing political Islam.
In his 1994 book “Crossing the Threshold of Hope,” Pope John Paul II praised Muslims for their “fidelity to prayer,” but critiqued the impersonal depiction of God in the Quran.
In part, he wrote: “Whoever knows the Old and New Testaments, and then reads the Quran, clearly sees the process by which it completely reduces divine revelation. It is impossible not to note the movement away from what God said about Himself, first in the Old Testament through the prophets, and then finally in the New Testament through His Son. In Islam all the richness of God’s Self-revelation … has definitely been set aside.”
Pope John Paul wrote of his efforts to stop human rights violations of fundamentalist Muslims trying to impose their religion on others, especially Christians, but ended the chapter diplomatically by saying the Church is always open to dialogue.
Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t accept Islamic violence against Christians when, for example, someone publishes an irreverent cartoon of Muhammad.
“Intolerance and violence can never be justified as response to offenses, as they are not compatible responses with the sacred principles of religion,” he said.
The reaction to Benedict’s 2006 address on faith and reason at the University of Regensburg was cause for pause because Islamists waged international riots, they bombed Catholic churches in Israel and shot a Catholic nun to death in Somalia. Despite death threats and numerous Islamic governments calling for a retraction, Benedict continued preaching the Gospel and human rights with delicate diplomacy, even in Muslim majority countries.
Shortly after the violence, Pope Benedict issued two apologies but no retraction. He said, “At this time, I wish also to add that I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims. … Yesterday, the cardinal secretary of state published a statement in this regard in which he explained the true meaning of my words. I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect.“
Even at Regensburg, Benedict XVI was diplomatic in discussing the widespread Muslim rejection of reason.
“Without descending to details,” he said, “such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the ‘Book’ and the ‘infidels,’ [Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus] addresses his [Muslim] interlocutor with a startling brusqueness, a brusqueness that we find unacceptable, on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: ‘Show me just what Mohammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.’ The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable.”
In part, the fury was ignited by media who merely featured Pope Benedict quoting the emperor without the pontiff”s critique of his “unacceptable” “brusqueness.”
In America, Kilpatrick is worried about the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has been holding “dialogues” and conferences with Muslim organizations and leaders since 1996. The USCCB has made blanket statements condemning critics of Islam, but cites no examples. Last year they collaborated with the Islamic Society of North America, and Kilpatrick urges the bishops to investigate ISNA before taking further action.
Kilpatrick said, “Any adequate response to the threat from Islam will require us to push Muslims to rethink their faith on the most basic level. Critics of Islam tend to avoid the main question in favor of secondary questions. The secondary questions are: Is Islam a religion of peace? Is Islam compatible with modern values? Are women treated fairly under Shariah law?
“The main question is: Did Muhammad receive a revelation from God? That’s the heart of the matter. As long as Muslims believe that Muhammad received his marching orders from God, the Islamic jihad will continue.”
The Quran says Allah first gave his doctrines and rules to the Jews, but they changed His sacred word. He then revealed His doctrines to Christians, but they lied in saying Jesus was His son. So, according to Islam, Jews and Christians are infidels. The Quran also condemns the concept of the Holy Trinity and incorrectly states Christians believe the Trinity is God the Father, Jesus and His mother, Mary. Therefore, according to the Quran, Muhammad was the last prophet.
“First of all, the God of the Quran is sort of a dictator,” Kilpatrick said. “Muslims refer to themselves as ‘slaves of Allah,’ and He’s a very capricious dictator. Muslims describe Him as ‘pure will.’ Therefore, He’s not really held to the rules of reason: He can say one thing and then contradict it a little bit later in another verse.”
Muslims have developed a doctrine of “abrogation,” the overriding of teachings that appear first in the Quran with others that appear later, he said.
“If two passages in the Quran contradict each other, the earlier passage is abrogated by the latter passage,” Kilpatrick explained. “Thus, almost all the peaceful passages are in the early part of the Quran, and so they’re canceled by the latter more warlike passages.”
One could argue that Christians also consider themselves slaves of God. However, Christian slavery – Christian servitude – is voluntary. Paul, in Romans 6:20-23, describes it this way: “When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Kilpatrick discussed Muslim doctrines on hell and heaven.
“Unbelievers are going to hell, and it’s described in detail in many, many places. Of course, they believe in Paradise, which is described as a garden of earthly delights with food, refreshments, couches, pavilions and jewels – for the men,” he said.
“According to the Hadiths, Muhammad is reported to have said that when he looked at hell, he saw many more women than men. So there’s a bias against women.
“I might point out that ideas have consequences,” Kilpatrick continued. “Given the account of heaven in the Quran, it might make men want to shortcut the process of getting there, and the only sure way of doing that, according to Islamic tradition, is by killing and being killed in the way of Allah. And so we see all the martyrdom operations and bombings.
“It’s quite interesting that on September 11, the airline apparently made a mistake and Mohamed Atta’s luggage was left behind in Boston. When [authorities] opened his luggage, they discovered a wedding suit, a bottle of cologne and a long letter expressing his desire to meet his 72 wives in heaven.
“The best way to secure peace and show our love for Muslims is to offer them something better,” Kilpatrick advised.
He believes the “something better” is the truth about God as the rational creator and redeemer, Whose love, justice and mercy are the keys to everlasting joy.
4. New Straits Times (http://www.nst.com.my)
‘Syirik’ for Muslims to support ‘Allah’ use in Malay-language Bibles, 4 March 2013
By Adib Povera | adibpovera@nst.com.my
ALOR STAR: Muslims who support the word Allah to be used in Malay-language Bibles could be considered as committing syirik (the act of destroying one’s faith and make one turn against Allah), a Grand Imam from Saudi Arabia said.
Al-Hafiz Mohammad Sharif Mohammad Ibrani, who is the Grand Imam for the Abbad Mosque in Mecca, said the use of the word Allah in Bibles was an act similar to equating Allah to the God of those who believe in the Bible.
He said Islam, as stated clearly in the Quran, forbids its followers from comparing Allah with any form or substance.
"It is wrong to include the word Allah in Malay-language Bibles since they are not the holy book for Muslims.
"We also know that those who preach the Bible do not accept Islam as their religion. So, why do we need to include the word Allah in Bibles," he told reporters after leading a special prayer for Malaysian security personnel stationed in Lahad Datu in Sabah to fight the Sulu terrorists, at a mosque here on Tuesday.
Mohammad Sharif said he feared Muslims would be confused and lead them to chaos and disunity if the word Allah was allowed to be included in Bibles.
"It is just impossible to compare Allah with Gods believed by followers of other religions.
"I learned that according to the Bible, God has a son and this is against the teachings of Islam.
"If Muslims support or allow the word Allah to be used in Bibles, it means that they support and believe the teachings found in the Bible," he said.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had drawn the ire of many Muslims when he proposed, in his Christmas message last year that the word Allah be allowed to be used in Malay-language Bibles.
5. National Catholic Register（http://www.ncregister.com）
Ahead of Elections, Religious Tensions in Malaysia (1163), 3 June 2013
The country's 1 million Catholics are caught in the middle as Muslim-led parties face off over whether minorities have the right to use the word ‘Allah.’
by SIMON ROUGHNEEN
KUANTAN, Malaysia — Standing at the doorway of the main mosque in the east-coast city of Kuantan, Mohamed Abd Karim’s voice changes pitch, the hushed, affable tones of previous moments giving way to a forceful certainty.
“'Allah' is for Muslim only,” he says, arms and hands rigid and emphatic, where moments before they lolled by his sides.
He is discussing whether or not Christians and other religious minorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia can use the word “Allah” when referencing God in services or in literature. The term came to Malaysia many centuries ago, when Arab traders brought Islam and the Arabic language, but it was subsequently adopted by Malaysian Christians in their Malay-language literature.
In 2007, Malaysia’s Home Ministry banned a daily Catholic newspaper from using the word, on the grounds that only Muslims could use it. The Catholic Herald appealed the decision, and, in late 2009, Malaysia’s high court said that “Allah” could be used by non-Muslims, a ruling that prompted arson attacks on churches and Sikh temples and then pig heads being left in front of mosques in retaliation.
The dispute re-emerged in recent weeks, with Perkasa, a hard-line Malay group that is linked to Malaysia’s governing coalition, aiming to stage a Bible-burning event in response to one of Malaysia's opposition parties — the Chinese-Malaysian-led Democratic Action Party (DAP) — calling for Christians to be allowed to use the word “Allah” in a Christmas message. The Terry Jones in-reverse bonfire was to take place in the state of Penang, but it did not proceed in the end.
Some observers see the controversy as contrived and politicized, as Malaysia is getting ready for an election that will take place sometime in the first half of 2013, though, at the time of writing, no date had been set.
“It is more a political thing, lah,” says Gregory Francis, speaking after Sunday Mass at Kuala Lumpur’s St. John’s Cathedral. “We have had the word ‘Allah’ in the Malay Bible for a long time.” Francis is one of the 7% of Malaysians who have ancestral roots in India, a legacy of British colonial rule in both countries.
Political Dynamics
The governing National Front coalition has held office since Malaysia became independent in 1957, a longevity rarely seen in electoral democracies. However, the opposition, another coalition, had its best-ever showing in 2008 elections and, according to leader Anwar Ibrahim, is confident that it can win this time around.
The main party in the government is the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which draws its support from Muslim Malays, who make up 60% of the country’s population. The opposition is made up of People’s Justice Party, led by Anwar, the DAP — popular among the 25% of Malaysians who are of Chinese ancestry — and Malaysia’s Islamist Party, known by its Malay-language acronym PAS.
UMNO and PAS are fighting hard for the rural Muslim vote, and, to some, the re-ignited “Allah controversy” is an attempt to rouse a sense among Muslims that their faith is under attack from others.
The issue could be about forcing PAS to backpedal, given that the party, which dominates in some eastern regions of peninsular Malaysia, has said in the past that Christians and others should be allowed to use the word “Allah” in their local language Scriptures, citing history and Islamic jurisprudence. But the government has sought to capitalize. Speaking in the east-coast city of Kuala Teranganu on Feb. 23, Prime Minister Najib Razak said that a vote for the opposition would weaken Islam in Malaysia, saying that PAS had compromised Islamic principles due to its alliance with the DAP.
“When DAP belittled Islam, made statements that offended the Muslims, what did PAS do? They did nothing and bowed down to DAP leaders,” Najib said, addressing what government-linked press said was a 40,000-strong crowd.
The “Allah issue” has some Malaysians perplexed, however. “In Arabic-speaking countries, they don’t seem to have a problem when other religions use the world ‘Allah,’” says Lee Jiayi, a 23-year-old engineer and Buddhist.
First-Ever Nuncio
The row means that the recently appointed apostolic nuncio to Malaysia, U.S.-born Archbishop Joseph Marino, will be stepping into a potentially awkward sectarian dispute, one that could spiral as political stakes rise around elections.
Archbishop Marino is the first-ever nuncio to Malaysia, a position that came about after the Holy See and Malaysia established diplomatic ties in 2011. Around 1 million Malaysians are Catholic, out of a total population approaching 29 million.
Welcoming the appointment, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib said that “Pope Benedict XVI and I vowed to work together to increase understanding between Christians and Muslims,” adding that “the appointment is a testament to this commitment. It is my hope that we can continue to build greater unity between world religions.”
But unity between world religions within Malaysia has been compromised, it seems, by the row over “Allah.”
Father Dominic Santiago is a priest at St. Francis Church in Georgetown, in Penang, where a majority of the population is Chinese-Malaysian. He says that the nuncio’s appointment is timely, but adds that the “Allah issue” affects other religions as well as Christianity.
Pointing to a statement posted near the church door, issued by the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism that says any ban on use of the word “Allah” would compromise freedom of religion rights in Malaysian law, Father Santiago says that “the feeling is that we are being bullied over this, with the election in mind.”
・Register correspondent Roughneen covers Southeast Asia for several publications.
He’s on twitter @simonroughneen, and his articles can be seen at SimonRoughneen.com.
6. Free Malaysia Today (http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com)
If Malaysia needs me, I will go to combat, 8 March 2013
by M Amuthaganesh, via e-mail
Today morning I awoke with a heavy heart, recalling the incident that has occurred in Lahad datu since Feb 12. I went to the temple and prayed for the people and the armed forces in Sabah and wished them well. As I am driving to work, I recall all the controversial theories and propositions put forth by our foreign and local media, cyberspace blogs, politicians and everyone else. The more I think about it, the more I feel that everyone is missing the point. Let’s look at it objectively.
Current crisis
The crisis of the Sulu sultan is not new and the claim has been ongoing for years. I am sure many would have read the various versions of the role of Sultanate Sulu, the confusion over the real heir, role of Philippines, the British and Malaysia. I would not go into any details or make any judgments. I will not say whether the claim is valid or illegitimate. I will not say that the Sultan has acted with emotions rather than rationale or that Malaysia should have just given the increased tariff demanded.
No one knows the full picture of the scenarios within these stakeholders. So, it is not within anyone’s capacity to make a judgment. What I would say is that going into any country with arms is equivalent to being an agent of terrorism. Forget the fact that it shows that you are serious – there are many other avenues to deliver the same message. Remember that the majority of the populations in Sabah are civilians and such a crisis threatens their life and livelihood.
You are causing innocent civilians to go into starvation and their occupation deprived. You are destroying the beauty of Sabah and Malaysia needs to protect it. No war or battle is without collateral damage, whether intentional or unintentional. Interestingly, some of your own families are there in Sabah and you are willing to put them at risk with your actions. Can this be called aspirations and ambitions of any human being?
Why now?
I have been reading about why the crisis has occurred now and the many theories from the opposition and the ruling party. I understand the general election is just around the corner and everyone needs their 15 minutes of fame on the current crisis. Let me tell you my opinion on why any intruder would want to invade Malaysia.
Racial and religious divide
Not soon after the deaths of respected and heroic policemen in Lahad Datu, a prominent journalist suggested that Chinese and Indians should be sent to the frontlines rather than Malays. Responding to this, I saw many blogs justifying why Malays should be sent first as they are bumiputeras and Chinese and Indians are being treated as second class citizens.
Even my wife retorted that this is not my business when I told her that I am willing to be drafted to go to Lahad Datu to do my share for the country. Maybe her emotions for me would have played a part in that retort. Nonetheless, I feel ashamed and disgusted when Malaysians bring in race in the midst of battling for our country.
It doesn’t matter that Malays are sent in first, other races will follow suit and fight for our brothers. It doesn’t matter now if you have been discriminated before and you feel cheated as a citizen because affirmative policies. It doesn’t matter whether there are allegations of Ibrahim Ali threatened Bible burning or Ridhuan Tee insulted Hinduism. We should not keep referring to the darkness of the past when confronting a national threat.
This is the kind of mentality that invaders will relish and celebrate in the first place. A disunited nation riffed with racial undercurrents in the past years is bound to be weak and when war is upon us, disunity will be the folly that will end us in grief and provide celebrations for invaders.
Priorities by politicians
I saw the priorities of both Barisan and Pakatan in the ensuing battles in Lahad Datu. What amazed me is that both parties are interested in implicating each other in the crisis rather than coming up with acute and strong solutions. I am bench-sitter and my allegiance lies with neither party. I have left it to the campaign period to decide, which is what the parties should rightfully do too. Provide your theories and accusations during your campaign period, not now!
Why are you spending precious time in internal bickering when there is a real threat existing at the nation’s doorstep? Don’t spend those moments accusing Umno or PKR of masterminding or inefficiency in handling – provide real solutions for the problem. Everyone has a talent to complain but leaders should have a talent to provide solutions. Again such political instability or misguided priorities are important precursors for inviting invasion.
Now, I am done with pinpointing our problems, Let me try to follow my own advice and offer a solution although I am not a leader nor do I have a party.
What Malaysia means to Malaysians?
This is our country, this is our motherland. This country will not forsake us and we should not forsake it. We can go to any developed country in the world and they will only care for you as long as they can afford it. Trust me, I know and I have been around. When push comes to shove, your adopted country will be the first to throw you out. But not your motherland, Malaysia. Malaysia will take care of you and she will strive her very best to make sure you don’t suffer.
She will take you into her palm and weep for you if you are in pain. I am a Malaysian – full stop. That’s it. No Malay/Indian/Chinese/Kadazan/Iban first, Malaysian second or any such rhetoric. I am a Malaysian – full stop. And I believe most Malaysians feel the same way as I do. Whether you are a rickshaw driver in Penang or multinational company CEO from KL or a doctor from Sabah, we all have our love for this country.
We enjoyed the life she provided, right from childhood till our elderly days. Right from the day Tunku Abdul Rahman gave us Merdeka till Lee Chong Wei almost won the Olympic gold medal, we stood by Malaysia with our lives. Malaysia is a pillar of our existences. If that pillar is destroyed, what will become of our existence?
What is our duty?
I pose this question to every Malaysian. In a family, brothers and sibling always fight and bicker. Some even go to extent of not talking to each and harbour hatred towards one another. But if the mother of the family is in duress, every one of the brothers will unite together as one, forgive each other for all the previous mistakes and protect their mother with a vengeance incomparable to anything else in this world.
Similarly, we Malaysians bicker over races, religion and much other stuff. But now our motherland is being threatened and invaded by intruders, are we going to still be divided and forsake our mother? Or are we going to unite and show the world once and for all that Malaysia is protected by Malaysians?
As far as I am concerned, if Malaysia needs me, I will go to combat whether trained or untrained and I will protect my motherland. I am sure this notion will be shared by all Malaysians regardless of stature race, economic affluence and gender. We will show all invaders that Malaysia is for Malaysians.
I will end this article with a slogan that I have only used as a tool for sarcasm and cynicism before, but I will use it with full patriotism now: MALAYSIA BOLEH!
7. Malaysian Insider （http://www.themalaysianinsider.com）
(1) Freedom of religion at stake in Malaysia, 25 February 2013
by Wan Hilmi (loyarburok.com)
FEB 25 — When a religious controversy arises, there will be a lot of hoo-ha among Malaysians — no matter how unproductive it is to debate about it.
While Primer Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Cabinet members are trying so hard to promote unity through their 1 Malaysia concept, there is, arguably, zero tolerance among Malaysians when it comes to religious and/or racial issues despite the fact that we have been living together for more than 50 years. Does this show that the 1 Malaysia concept has failed to achieve its objective?
The most recent controversy is the usage of the word “Allah” in Bahasa Malaysia bibles. In my humble opinion, this so-called controversy is a non-issue provided you have fairness, justice, rationality and reasonableness in mind.
Despite the clear provision of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion, there are still individuals and bodies acting against it, showing how childish and foolish some can be. The Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS), alongside with the Selangor Sultan’s decree, prohibited the use of the word “Allah” by all Christians.
There are also certain individuals who claim “Allah” to be a term exclusive to Muslims only. The Perak mufti stated: “Do not continue challenging, insulting Islam.” It is submitted that Christians should not be prohibited from using the word “Allah” in their Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible because to do so would be limiting and restricting the right of Christians to manage and practise their own religion.
Just imagine if Muslims were a minority in Malaysia — where they would be prohibited from calling the Azan using a loudspeaker, prohibited from performing Friday prayers as it causes traffic congestion – would these prohibitions not be frustrating to Muslims, if they were to exist?
Freedom of religion, in my opinion, is not just about allowing any religion to be in existence. It also includes, but is not limited to, how religions are to be managed and practised by their respective followers. My argument is premised on two notions — the constitutional point of view and the Islamic point of view.
From the constitutional point of view, it is absolutely clear that Article 11 of the Federal Constitution guarantees and protects freedom of religion. Article 11(1) states:
Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.
Furthermore, Article 11(3) stipulates that every religious group has the right, inter alia, (a) to manage its own religious affairs. Of course, it is admittedly true that this freedom is not absolute. The only restrictions are public order, public health and morality, as stated in Article 11(5). It would be an exaggeration to suggest that usage of the word “Allah” in Bahasa Malaysia Bibles falls under any of these restrictions because I believe it is still within the scope of Articles 11(1) and 11(3) of the Federal Constitution.
Apart from Article 11, Article 3(4) is also a relevant provision in the context of this apparent controversy. This is because certain individuals, purporting that the word “Allah” be exclusive to Muslims, have relied on Article 3(1) which states that Islam is the religion of the Federation. This was the basis of their argument that to allow Christians to use the word “Allah” would be to make all religions equal. It is unfortunate to note that one of these individuals is our former Chief Justice.
These individuals also claim that Islam is far more superior to any other religion in the Federation by virtue of Article 3(1). It is submitted that Article 3(1) cannot be read alone, but must be read together with Article 3(4) which states that nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of the Constitution. In other words, the constitutional right of freedom of religion in Article 11 is not extinguished notwithstanding the adoption of Islam as the religion of the Federation.
It is also pertinent to note that the term “Islam” in Article 3(1) only refers to the ritualistic and ceremonial role of Islam, as stated by Tun Salleh LP in Che Omar Che Soh vs PP [1988] 2 MLJ 55. Thus, Article 3(1) does not bring any significant impact towards the other provisions of the Constitution, including the provisions on fundamental rights.
Now, looking from the Islamic point of view, I am certain that — although neither a religiously-trained ulama nor an al-Azhar graduate myself — Islam does not prohibit usage of the term “Allah” by Christians in spite of the differences between Islam and Christianity in terms of aqidah (Faith). Islam believes in the concept that “Allah is Esa (One)”, while Christianity believes in the concept of the Trinity. Despite this fact, it is submitted that Christians should not be prohibited from using the term “Allah”.
Some individuals argue that it is wrong to allow them to do so because Christians do not subscribe to the view that “Allah is One”. If this argument were to be propounded, it would mean we are trying to shove Islamic beliefs down the throats of Christians. This is completely inconsistent to Islamic values and evident from the Surah (Chapter) of Baqarah, verse 256: “Let there be no compulsion in religion.”
On top of that, nowhere in the Quran is it explicitly stated that prohibition on usage of the word “Allah” by other faiths, particularly those of Abrahamic ones (Christianity and Judaism). In fact, there is a verse in the Quran which permits it — in the Chapter of Hajj (the Pilgrimage), verse 40, for example: “Had not Allah Checked and Balanced the aggression and excesses of one set or group of people by means of another, there would surely have been destruction of monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundance…”
Furthermore, “Allah” is “God” to the whole universe — regardless of ethnicity, skin colour and, most importantly, faith. This is evident from the Chapter of Fatihah (the Opening), verse 2: “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.”
If “Allah” is the God or Lord of the whole universe, why then do some Malay-Muslims, purporting to champion and protect the “sanctity” of Islam, claim exclusivity of the word “Allah”?
I find it safe to conclude that allowance of the usage of the word “Allah” by Christians is in line with principles of the Federal Constitution as well as those of Islam, a religion of a Mercy to Mankind — Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin. Perhaps some Malaysians, particularly the Malay-Muslims, should open their hearts and minds so as to set themselves free from being unreasonably suspicious towards our Christian brothers and sisters.
Instead of spreading suspicion and hatred, would it not be better if we spread love and embrace the differences between us? Instead of building walls and preaching about the differences between Islam and Christianity, would it not be better for us to build bridges and find common ground between us, for the sake of love, peace, tolerance and humanity? loyarburok.com
・This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
(2) Sabah ustazah, Catholic priest siblings say religion bonds them, 28 February 2013
bY BOO SU-LYN
KENINGAU, Feb 28 — As the debate over who can use the word “Allah” to describe God simmers in Malaysia, a Sabah family where there are Muslims and Catholics are showing the way for inter-faith understanding.
Ustazah Nooraidah Hidayah Dakun, 45, and Catholic priest Father Francis Dakun, 44, were born to animist Dusun parents in Tambunan, but they and their 10 siblings willingly converted to Islam and Christianity during their teenage years. Their parents converted to Catholicism in 2000.
Nooraidah, who lives in Keningau, said she has her own copy of the Malay-language bible Alkitab to learn more about Christianity.
However, her younger brother, who is a Catholic priest, said he and his four Catholic siblings do not try to convert their other seven Muslim siblings out of respect for their choice of faith.
“We do not see religion as something that separates us, but as something that brings us closer,” Nooraidah told The Malaysian Insider this week.
The Dakun family’s mix of religious beliefs is in stark contrast to the peninsula, where cries to burn the Alkitab ring out and where the majority of Malay-Muslim voters claim the exclusive right to call their god “Allah”, according to a recent survey.
Francis, who is a parish priest of the 15,000-strong congregation in St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Keningau, said that the words “Allah Bapa (God the Father)” are used in the Bahasa Malaysia Sunday service that sees a regular attendance of 2,000 to 3,000 people.
“The word ‘Allah’ is very normal for us. The whole of Sabah, in particular Keningau, has no problem using the word. Even the Muslims respect it,” he toldThe Malaysian Insider.
Nooraidah agreed, pointing out that the word “Allah” is in the Alkitab and has been long used by Christians.
“That issue has never cropped up here. People don’t even care about it,” she said.
She also pointed out that the Quran requires Muslims to read all religious scriptures, including the Bible, to learn more about other religions.
Nooraidah said she had converted to Catholicism when she was 12 and had longed to become a nun. But she converted to Islam three years later after she said an inner voice repeatedly told her, “we must be saved when we are alive, and we must be saved when we are dead.”
“In my dreams, there was something telling me to embrace Islam, saying that I would be the one to lead,” she said.
The ustazah said she converted to Islam secretly as her parents, relatives and the Dusun community were against Islam.
Nooraidah’s father and grandmother were spiritual healers, also known as “bobolian”, in the Dusun community. Every year after the harvest season, thebobolian would perform a protection ritual called “menerebung” for the family that included slaughtering a pig and drinking alcohol called “tapai”. Tapai is wine made from the tuber of the cassava plant.
“Tapai is very important in strengthening friendships. The community said that Islam should not come here,” said Nooraidah.
Nooraidah pointed out, however, that her father accepted her religious beliefs after five years.
“When I was searching for Islam, I found the word ‘Allah’ in a Christian book. It meant that I had finally found it... Allah in Islam is Allah SWT. He is the one that I have been looking for. Finally, I converted to Islam. I am not afraid while I live, and I am not afraid after I die,” she said.
Francis, who teaches at the St Peter’s College (Major Seminary) in Kuching, Sarawak, said he converted to Catholicism at the age of 14.
“I had many Catholic friends, so I’m more inclined to be with them,” he said.
Francis added that he and his family celebrate Christmas and Hari Raya together back in Tambunan every year.
He said that his father, who died in 2003, had built two kitchens after the conversion of his siblings into Islam and Christianity.
“My brothers and sisters in Islam don’t take pork. The other Christians would like to eat that kind of pork, so we don’t mix the cooking utensils,” said Francis.
Nooraidah, however, said that the family now used only one kitchen as the non-Muslims have stopped eating pork during joint celebrations, although alcohol would still be served outside the house.
“Before this, my father was conscientious and built separate kitchens. But now, everyone understands... we have Chinese friends inviting us to their Chinese New Year open house and they automatically order Muslim catering. Our neighbour asked us over for Christmas. He ordered Muslim catering too,” she said.
There is a restaurant in Kota Kinabalu where Chinese and Malay mixed rice dishes are sold during lunch, which is a rare sight in Kuala Lumpur.
Francis pointed out that religious debates among siblings were common only during their initial years of conversion.
“We seldom talk about that (now). We concentrate on how we can live together... for us, we make use of religion as a source of unity,” he said.
“If we keep on arguing, quarrelling, there is no point because the purpose of religion is for harmony, for love. So we follow that value. We realised that we are not converting each other because we realise that respect is more important... If the person already chooses their own belief, so let them choose as long as they are happy,” added the priest.
According to Francis, there are about 40,000 Catholics in Keningau, which is a timber and agricultural town located in the interior of Sabah, a two-hour drive on a misty mountainous road from Kota Kinabalu.
While Christians make up just under 10 per cent of the country’s 28 million population, it forms the biggest religious group in east Malaysia, where bibles in the national language are widely used.
The “Allah” dispute first arose in the early 1980s when the Home Ministry, then under the Mahathir administration, first banned Malay-language bibles shipped in from Indonesia.
But the Najib administration came up with a 10-point formula in April 2011 to resolve the issue before the Sarawak polls, where Christians make up nearly half of the state’s population.
In its 10-point resolution, the Cabinet through its minister Datuk Seri Idris Jala, assured the huge Bumiputera Christian population inSarawak and Sabah that they were free to bring in and use their bibles in Malay as well as in indigenous languages.
Muslim and religious leaders of other minority faiths in the peninsula have been at loggerheads over the use of “Allah”, following the 2009 landmark High Court judgment that awarded the Catholic Church the right to publish the word in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly newspaper, Herald, catering to its large Bumiputera Christian following in Sarawak and Sabah.
Muslims are Malaysia’s biggest religious group at 60 per cent, while the minority Christians have been at the forefront of issues confronting the non-Muslim community.
Independent pollster Merdeka Center, which surveyed 1,021 voters in Peninsular Malaysia at the end of January, reported yesterday that 83 per cent of Malay voters — which formed 59 per cent of the participants — say only Muslims are entitled to call god “Allah.”
A significant 34 per cent of the Malay voters also backed federal lawmaker Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s call last year for Muslims to torch Malay-language copies of the Bible that describes the Christian god as “Allah”.
The founder and president of Perkasa, a right-wing Malay group, had sparked a potential faith crisis in December in response to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who urged Putrajaya to lift a ban on Malay-language bibles in Sabah and Sarawak, where the word “Allah” has been in use for centuries.
(3) Save Selangor to maintain position of the Malays, Bumiputras: Dr M, 10 March 2013
SHAH ALAM, March 10 — In the last stretch before GE13, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dropped all pretense for a Bangsa Malaysia and has gone for the Malay vote and slammed the Opposition for listening and accommodating the views and needs of the non-Malays.
State news agency Bernama quoted the country’s longest-serving prime minister as saying that Selangor must be saved from the opposition to ensure the rights and position of the Malays and Bumiputras are maintained in the state.
Dr Mahathir said the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had taken over Selangor’s economy and now had great ambition to control politics in the state.
“Prior to this, when Selangor was under the Barisan Nasional (BN), we could see the economic growth was prolific and the Malays and Bumiputras had a place, so we lived more happily than previously.
“If the opposition wins and administer Selangor, the position of the Malays and Bumiputras will be shunted aside. Because of this, we must act quickly to convince the people of Selangor to topple the opposition government and replace it with BN which is led by Umno.
“Our sacrifices will be in vain if Selangor cannot be saved,” Dr Mahathir said at the closing of the convoy ‘Save Selangor’ organised by Selangor Perkasa here, today.
Also present was his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Selangor Perkasa president Abu Bakar Yahya.
More than 3,000 took part in the motorcycle convoy to USJ, Subang Jaya and Rantau Panjang, Klang from 10am by carrying the Malaysian, Perkasa and BN flags.
The convoy also visited the grave of the late L/Kpl Mohd Azrul Tukiran at the Rantau Panjang Muslim Cemetary and had tahlil prayers for policemen killed in an ambush at Kampung Seri Jaya, Simunul, Semporna on March 2.
Dr Mahathir said, the weakness of two Malay parties in the opposition, resulted in disrespect for the race and risked the special privileges of the Malays and Bumpiutra being done away with.
“We also want to stress that Bahasa Melayu and Islam are the official language and religion of our nation. So they must respect our rights as how we respect their rights.
“But, because the leadership of the Malays in the opposition pact is very weak, they often just follow their colleagues including when pressed for the word Allah to be used (in the Bible).
“When they proposed to strip the special privileges of the Malays, the opposition, which purportedly had two parties with Malay leadership, willingly complied. If we are not careful, we will lose altogether our rights on our own soil and they (opposition) will get rid of all efforts to develop the Malays and Bumiputras.
In Klang, Dr Mahathir reminded the people not to allow emotion to rule the day when choosing the government in the 13th general election.
He said the people should be wise when making the choice as their votes would determine their destiny and that of the next generation.
“We must use our good judgment to evaluate the performance of a government and if our judgement is clouded by emotions, then we may choose a wrong government, much to our detriment.
“Vote a proven party that has been responsible to the voters and willing to serve the people,” he said at the “The Future of the Malaysian Race” forum.
(4) Should Malaysia be saved from Dr Mahathir?, 11 March 2013
by Bangsa Malaysia
MARCH 11 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad may not be standing for elections anymore but ultimately he is just like any politician who will do or say anything to stay in power.
As evidence just take a look at his latest remarks about saving the Malays from the opposition.
As reported in The Malaysian Insider yesterday he has dropped all pretense for a Bangsa Malaysia and has gone for the Malay vote and slammed the Opposition for listening and accommodating the views and needs of the non-Malays.
State news agency Bernama quoted the country’s longest-serving prime minister as saying that Selangor must be saved from the opposition to ensure the rights and position of the Malays and Bumiputeras are maintained in the state.
Really? The Malays and Bumiputeras need saving?
Dr Mahathir often talks about the Malays having short memories but he seems to have forgotten that in 1999, he would have lost the elections if it was not for the support from the non-Malays.
He had lost huge chunks of support from Malay voters in the fallout from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking and prosecution for sodomy, and had to depend on the overwhelming support of non-Malay voters to ensure BN remained in power.
But he seems to be contradicting himself now and is only gunning for the Malay vote for BN.
Yesterday Dr Mahathir said the weakness of two Malay parties in the opposition, resulted in disrespect for the race and risked the special privileges of the Malays and Bumputera being done away with.
Funny how he did not admit that in 1999 it was his weakness and that of Umno under him that forced him to campaign hard for the non-Malay vote.
One wonders what he would have said in 1999 if the opposition parties had suggested that his weakness as the leader of Umno would risk the special privileges of the Malays.
But that would mean applying the warped logic of this man.
As a result of Dr Mahathir’s logic it is perhaps a waste of time to remind him that the special privileges of the Malays and Bumiputera communities are a result of constitutional provisions.
Regardless of who is in power in Putrajaya the special privileges remain in place in the Constitution.
What Dr Mahathir is now doing on behalf of BN and Umno is playing the race card to appeal to the insecurities of what he hopes are significant numbers of Malay and Bumiputera voters.
Just look at what he said yesterday when he talked about an alleged disrespect for the Malay race and how a vote for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would risk the special privileges of the Malays and Bumputera being done away with.
In his words: “We also want to stress that Bahasa Melayu and Islam are the official language and religion of our nation. So they must respect our rights as how we respect their rights.
“But, because the leadership of the Malays in the opposition pact is very weak, they often just follow their colleagues including when pressed for the word Allah to be used (in the Bible).
“When they proposed to strip the special privileges of the Malays, the opposition, which purportedly had two parties with Malay leadership, willingly complied. If we are not careful, we will lose altogether our rights on our own soil and they (opposition) will get rid of all efforts to develop the Malays and Bumiputeras.”
Who are “they”? Dr Mahathir does not say but one will have to guess that “they” means the non-Malays.
Also who exactly is proposing to strip Malays and Bumiputeras of their rights?
Or is the name of the game to make things up?
Surely Malaysia’s greatest statesman, the architect of Bangsa Malaysia and a modern progressive country does not make things up.
If so Malaysia and Malaysians would surely need to be saved from this man.
・Bangsa Malaysia reads The Malaysian Insider.
・This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
(5) Selangor skewers Dr M’s record in defending Malay interests, 13 March 2013
bY IDA LIM
KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 ― Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary today slammed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s for his inconsistent defence of Malay and Bumiputera interests, following the former prime minister’s plea for the group to back Barisan Nasional in Election 2013.
Faekah Husin also defended the state’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration from Dr Mahathir’s recent remarks that the special rights of Malays and the position of Islam will be threatened if the pact retains its hold on Selangor in Election 2013.
“Dr Mahathir is still singing an old song; song of racism and to frighten Malays and to refresh racial clashes, after he planted seeds of hatred towards other races and adherents of other faiths among the people during his 22 years of rule,” she wrote in an open letter to Dr Mahathir dated today.
Faekah pointed to Umno’s alleged abuses when it had been in power in Selangor, saying that the party once led by Dr Mahathir owns hundreds of acres of land in the state that they allegedly only paid a minimum premium of RM100 per acre.
She said that much of these plots of land were sold for hefty profits to private development firms owned by non-Bumiputeras, adding that this pointed to the hypocrisy of Umno. But she was quick to say she was not questioning the non-Bumiputeras’ ownership of land.
“We also found out that during Umno’s rule in Selangor, thousands of acres of Malay Reserve Land in the city were retracted and converted to freehold status,” she said, claiming that the plots of Malay Reserve Land were shifted to those in the rural areas such as Panchang Bedena, Sabak Bernam and Hulu Selangor.
She then highlighted the PR administration’s success in collecting a RM390-million debt from Talam Corporation and returning it to the poor community in Selangor, which she said was largely Malay.
“Why is Mahathir quiet when we revealed Talam owed RM392 million to the people of Selangor for almost a decade which Umno failed to claim? Does Dr Mahathir knows that the Pakatan Rakyat government has the political strength to collect these debts?” she asked.
Faekah also disputed Dr Mahathir’s remarks on religion, saying that the PR administration in Selangor did not interfere in Islamic affairs but left these in the hands of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS).
She also listed Selangor’s efforts to look after the interests of the Muslims, saying that JAIS receives funds of over RM130 million annually ― the highest allocation in the budget of the country’s wealthiest state.
She also said the Selangor government had from 2008 to 2012 spent over RM405 million to build mosques and religious schools and RM46 million to restore the same, before pointing out that the allowance of Fardhu Ain Class (KAFA) school teachers were revised from RM400 during Dr Mahathir’s rule to RM1,300.
Faekah then claimed that there were frequent threats to do away with religious schools during Dr Mahathir’s rule, saying that the former Umno president had made many offensive statements, including purportedly saying that Malays are weak in their studies because they are tired after going for religious classes in the afternoon.
The Malay community ― the largest group of voters in both Selangor and Malaysia ― is also Muslim by law, and both BN’s Umno and PR’s PAS have sought to woo them ahead of Election 2013.
Last Sunday, Dr Mahathir said Selangor needed to be saved from PR, saying that the Malays and Bumiputeras in the state had fared better when BN had been in power.
“If the opposition wins and administers Selangor, the position of the Malays and Bumiputeras will be shunted aside. Because of this, we must act quickly to convince the people of Selangor to topple the opposition government and replace it with BN which is led by Umno.
“Our sacrifices will be in vain if Selangor cannot be saved,” Dr Mahathir said at the closing of the convoy ‘Save Selangor’ organised by Selangor Perkasa.
Dr Mahathir also said the weakness of the two Malay parties in the opposition resulted in disrespect for the race and risked the special privileges of the Malays and Bumiputera being done away with.
“We also want to stress that Bahasa Melayu and Islam are the official language and religion of our nation. So they must respect our rights as how we respect their rights.
“But, because the leadership of the Malays in the opposition pact is very weak, they often just follow their colleagues including when pressed for the word Allah to be used (in the Bible).
“When they proposed to strip the special privileges of the Malays, the opposition, which purportedly had two parties with Malay leadership, willingly complied. If we are not careful, we will lose altogether our rights on our own soil and they (opposition) will get rid of all efforts to develop the Malays and Bumiputeras,” he had said.
(6) ‘Allah’ appeal set for May, 14 March 2013
by DEBRA CHONG, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 ― (to be continued below)
