1Malaysia. We don't need tolerance, we need respect.

For 1Malaysia to work, we do not need tolerance. No! Tolerance will only delay the inevitable, the decay of relations between all the groups living in Malaysia. What is needed is respect. The need to respect our differences and to live with them.

Being different is the key-stone of nature. All things are different, even identical twins are not truly identical. Our individuality gives us our personality. It is this that needs to be allowed precedence in Malaysia. Yes, we are different, we believe different things, we disagree yet lets live together and learn to understand what makes us different and find ways to come to a consensus on what can be shared values.

Yes, we are different yet our differences are what makes us unique. It is what makes Malaysia unique.

Yes, we are different, and yet we are all equal. We are Malaysian. We are equal. Equal opportunities. Equal say. Equal rights. No-one above the other. All allowed to carve a living on this fair country we call Malaysia.

We don't need tolerance, we need respect.

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ISA for Crimes of Opinion

It seems the ISA is being used to detain and question any person who holds an opinion which goes against the current (insecure) government. Reporters, Bloggers, Opposition MPs and even Innocent Citizens are placed under this draconic act. What was their crime?

The Crime of Opinion.

Opinions deemed able to incite the populace to rebel or to induce fear among the populace. The latest case is another weird incidence where the ISA was used to question a SUARAM activist, Cheng Lee Whee, for making a report on the Johor Police website concerning the arrest of 27 people at Kampung Baru Plentong Tengah. Her report on the police portal was deemed able to caused worry among the populace and thus, the writer questioned. The odd thing was, why use the ISA? Isn't there a Sedition Act that can be used or is this simply a case of no case?

I believe Lee Whee did not commit any crime and thus she is uneligible to be questioned nor arrested under any law. So the police (wise folks these people) decided to use the ISA which can be used as long as the Home Minister sees it fit. The only crime Lee Whee committed was a Crime of Opinion. Whatever she wrote did not go down well with the Johor police and they decided to take action.

This is a worrying state of affairs for Malaysia. If the citizens are not allowed to voice out their opinions then why have a nation in the first place? The basic component of any nation is the citizen. It is the citizen who works and earn a wage which in turn is used to pay taxes that support the government. Those same taxes are used to provide wages for the police force and Ministers in office. Yet, the establishment seems to have forgotten that they are suppose to safe-guard the interest of the populace rather than their own interest.

What is wrong with a citizen reporting on the perceived abuse of power by the police force via official channels? It is not as if Lee Whee is going to organize a rally to drum up local support to criticize the arrest of these 27 individuals. Instead she posted her opinion on the Johor Police portal for all to see and evaluate. For that she was brought in for questioning under the ISA. This in itself is abuse of power by the Johor Police and Home Minister.

If there was a crime committed than please use the available laws and not the ISA. Allow Lee Whee her day in court to defend her report and seriously look at why people are not happy with the arrest of the 27 individuals. Why shoot the messenger? Read the message and allow the court of law to decide.

In this regards, the government (via the Home Minister) has seriously lost its case in the Court of Public Opinion.

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Irresponsible (incoming) Prime Minister

Will this get me into trouble? I think it will because going by track record, most people who written critically about him have been put into prison. ISA and all have been used and well I may even be strapped to C4 and made into fireworks.

The person I'm talking about is our Incoming Prime Minister (IPM). When asked about the accusations concerning the Altantuya case especially in light of the SMS messages that appeared on Malaysia Today, he merely replied by pointing out that Abdullah Badawi has commented on it.

"Was there any abuse of power?" The reporter asked.

"Oi, my boss already say, he thinks I am not the kind of guy to abuse my power," was the reply.

Having Abdullah Badawi answering for you is kind of cute in a way because then you are cleared of every charge without having to acknowledge or deny anything. How convenient, we all should do that or at least work for bosses like Abdullah Badawi. In truth this reply by IPM is really irresponsible. It clearly shows a leader who would wash his hands clean of any fault and point it at another guy. Childish behavior like this have no place in the highest office of Malaysia.

Abdullah Badawi believes he is incapable of abusing his power. This is what Abdullah Badawi believes in but it may not be the truth of the matter. If what we read in the SMS are true and if they show a non-abuse-of-power, then surely the state of our governance in Malaysia is so, so poor. Minister's can and will be involve in court cases or police investigations if it is detrimental towards them. Abdullah Badawi's statement and IPM affirmation of that same statement suggests that the actions of IPM in the SMSes should be expected of all our high-ranking ministers.

Why can't IPM answer for himself? Deny the allegations and tell the truth. Stop trying to hide behind other people or abuse the laws (ISA) and make your problems disappear (literally).

I see trouble times ahead with IPM in power. There will be increased persecution of people who bring out the truth in governance. Bloggers may end up cell mates with RPK and anyone speaking up against the establishment may find themselves turned into impromptu Roman Candles of the exploding kind.

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Raya visiting by Hindraf and Anwar's "Idol" Image

It's been an interesting Raya week, to say the least and its incredible how the smallest of things can be turned into an issue akin to the countries economic woes.

Firstly on the cards, Hindraf paying a visit to the PM's open house over at PWTC on the first day of Raya. Government Main-Stream-Media (MSM) has spun the incident into something way beyond what it should be. Utusan Malaysia even called for stern action against Hindraf for creating a ruckus at the gathering. The RPK fellas also where there along side their Hindraf brothers and they too took a lot of slack from the MSM. It is reported that various individuals and bodies have asked that sterner action be taken against these people, who are deemed as disruptors of a grand celebration.

So this whole issue has been blown out of proportion. Why can't, for the sake of national peace, this incident be downplayed? Raya visiting can also make the news and this incident with Hindraf has further cemented people's opinion that these guys are mere trouble makers.

Secondly, someone in Batu Caves decided to erect a large poster of Anwar Ibrahim and this has made headlines. Yup, a poster (for lack of a better name) can also make news. Apparently, it hit the news when the Mufti of Perlis called it an idol. PAS was quick to come out to say it is perfectly alright to have the poster and it's not an idol or carved image.

So the nation is heading for a hard time economically and we have our leaders fighting over Raya visiting and a large poster of Anwar. All these are mere smokescreen to the true state of the nation. The KLCI tumbled 14 points yesterday, markets around Asia are reacting to the US financial crisis which is underway now. If everyone is watching all these sensational news, then who is watching Malaysia?

Scanning through the news MSM is feeding the populace, it seems clear that they are trying hard to win back the trust of the people. News, nowadays, seem balance; just that BN gets all the front portion of the paper while news on PR gets a place close to the obituary.

Not all things are bad and should be politicized. Yes, I bet you the Hindraf folks would have never made the news if they did not identify themselves as being from Hindraf. The huge poster of Anwar may not have been an issue if it was an image of Pak Lah. So what really is the problem? Would a visit by Hindraf to a public open house be detrimental to the nation's security? Would a poster be detrimental to the believers of various faiths in Malaysia? So what is the issue?

Only in Malaysia!

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Malaysian Government's censorship of the Internet.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) order to all the 21 ISPs to block Malaysia-Today.net is really a throw back to the stone age. Raja Petra Kamaruddin has vowed to fight this injustice and bring MCMC along for the ride.

Clearly there is now a move to censor the Internet in Malaysia. Main Stream Media (MSM) is so controlled, that only news favoring the current BN government is allowed while the rest is covered over, Malaysians have turn to alternative media especially portals and blogs for news. It is no secret that such bias reporting cost the BN dearly during the previous election. Yet they still did not learn their lesson, repeating it again in Permatang Pauh. Now, the BN government is taking it a step further - control of the Internet.

Word is out, that sooner or later; such control will also be extended to the blogosphere. Blogs deemed "un-appropriate" would be blocked on the ISP level. This goes against everything the MCMC stand for and it is obvious the directive came from the top ranks of the Malaysian BN government.

This does not augur well for Malaysia. Too much forced control would ultimately create chaos and the people of Malaysia are not going to let that happen any time soon. The government seems bent on dictating what we see, hear or know and this overbearing attitude towards the general citizen merely shows how the BN government view it's citizens. We are only good when we vote for BN. Outside of that, we are opposition. Any form of opposition is automatically deemed bad or evil and requires banishment or censorship.

MCMC please do not insult our intelligence. The citizens of Malaysia are wise enough to determine what they can read and comment on. And a little criticism is good for a nation. Too much sugar is never a good thing, we all need a bit of bitterness too.

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13 reasons why BN can win Permatang Pauh.

BN has a fighting chance to win Permatang Pauh for very simple reasons:

1. Pakatan Rakyat got lazy and the people of Permatang Pauh can't see beyond the present day,



2. RM200 is good enough to get my vote for BN, cause I can buy groceries and drink coffee after that,



3. EVERYTHING Najib Razak promised for the Chinese and Indians will be fulfilled including giving scrap metal licenses,



4. I believed everything EZAM said about Anwar, not withstanding the fact he really bitter he didn't get all he wanted in BN,



5. I believed everything SAIFUL swore about even when the whole swearing ceremony is turning out to be a scam,



6. I totally believe that BN has got it's act together after the 12th General Election and we're going to see better days,



7. The IMMEDIATE fuel decrease had nothing to do with Permatang Pauh,



8. The Government will not give a BONUS to the 1.2 million civil servant if Anwar wins, even when civil servants are suppose to serve the CURRENT government and not BN,



9. EVERYTHING the main stream media said about Permatang Pauh was true even though Khairy Jamaluddin has a holding stack in Media Prima which has a hand in ALL main stream media you get on television,



10. All the BN ceramah was well attended which means people of Permatang Pauh are throwing their support behind BN,



11. The voters of Permatang Pauh DO NOT MIND waiting another 5 years until the 13th General election when they'll hear the same promises BN promised them for the by-election,



12. Permatang Pauh voters DO NOT LIKE change, so staying with the status quo would mean things would get better,



13. and Permatang Pauh voters just DO NOT LIKE Anwar Ibrahim.

So you think you have more reasons?

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BN propaganda hitting them in their own faces in Permatang Pauh

It's interesting to see that as we are nearing the Permatang Pauh by-election polling day, the amount of pro-BN propaganda churned out by the main stream media and BN ministers has hit a level that skims the bottom of the barrel of human decency.

BN has attacked Anwar Ibrahim both directly and indirectly. Character assassination plots extend further than just the sodomy charges, now there is even a charge that Anwar Ibrahim acted inappropriately towards a datuk's wife. On top of all that, Anwar Ibrahim's pass performance in government is back under the spotlight.

It is ironic why BN never point to the fact that whatever Anwar Ibrahim put into place when he was a BN minister was fully endorsed by the BN administration at that time. It was not a decision, solely, made by one man but a decision made by the establishment; so pining the responsibility on only Anwar Ibrahim is wrong all together.

In-direct action against Pakatan Rakyat has also intensified during the days leading up to and also during the campaign period for Permatang Pauh. The arrest of the Perak Keadilan Exco Members screams bloody "political conspiracy", a charge Najib Razak denied. But the timing of all these things point sole to the under-hand tactics employed by BN to build perception of the negative kind towards Anwar Ibrahim and also towards Pakatan Rakyat. Old tactics are employed with the hope of turning the voters towards their UMNO candidate.

But BN will fail in this regards. These tactics may have worked in the past but not anymore. The voters that stepped out to vote during the 12th General Election for Permatang Pauh are still the same who would vote on the 26th August 2008. The angry sentiments of the voters towards BN are still fresh and these are the sentiments that would guide voters to vote come 26th August 2008. With the blatant attacks by BN, both directly and in-directly towards Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat, the voting public in Permatang Pauh feel their intelligence insulted. All that is portrayed in main-stream-media about the resounding support BN is getting from the Permatang Pauh people does not tell the real story.

PAS was quick to note, the people you see in those pro-government news reports are party workers. The general public's turn out is minimal. The support for Anwar Ibrahim is huge and it does not get reported in main stream media. Such bias reporting by main stream media (an old BN tactic) is actually helping the Pakatan Rakyat's cause.

Having Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) screaming his head off, calling for Anwar to take the oath (much like Saiful did) to prove his innocence is not going to help either. KJ himself has much to answer, over his role in the whole sodomy debacle especially when he had fore-hand news about Anwar's arrest even before the rest of parliament knew about it. Having KJ present in Permatang Pauh would only aggravate the situation because he is really not that popular among the populace who see him as merely getting where he is by virtue of being the Prime Minister's son-in-law. As Kit Siang pointed out, KJ is the richest unemployed man in Malaysia. As member of parliament, KJ is neither here or there, making lots of noise but little to show for.

Najib giving out the RM 300,000 cheque to Lee Chong Wei in Permatang Pauh has not helped anything at all. It merely shows the blatant abuse of power practiced by BN all this while, which the public is very much aware of now. Najib could have presented the cheque in Kuala Lumpur rather than in Permatang Pauh.

So why fly Chong Wei to Permatang Pauh? Propaganda stunt and it was such acts that irked the people during the 12th General Election. The BN never learnt their lessons. The people are not interested in BN's show of power or supremacy, instead they just want a leader who would meet their needs. Not just show or tell them what to do but actually get their hands dirty are really bring about change in Permatang Pauh.

The BN propaganda machine has got it all wrong. Discrediting Anwar Ibrahim in order to gather the Malay votes, pumping funds towards the Chinese and Indian communities and scare tactics in places outside of Permatang Pauh will not do any good for them. The general public has wised up to everything BN has to offer. The blatant abuse of power on all levels of the government is glaring and no amount of bias reporting by main stream media can cover it up. The misdeeds of the BN politicians that have gone unpunished all this while is heavy on people's mind.

All the calls for Anwar to swear his innocence in the sodomy charge should by right be balanced out by calls for Najib to swear his innocence in the Altantuya's case or KJ's to swear his non-involvement in the running of the country by proxy.

Najib was right to say that everything they do now is considered political conspiracy because the rakyat is also looking at your pass deeds not just merely what you are doing now and it is not just limited to things in Permatang Pauh but to everything that the BN government is doing.

Permatang Pauh is going to be more than just a lost of a parliamentary seat for BN. A lost in Permatang Pauh would further erode every inch of credibility BN has as an institution that governs this country.

Permatang Pauh has cemented further the resentment the rakyat has towards BN and this would only translate towards more votes for Anwar Ibrahim.

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By whatever means possible - Religious versus Civil Court

The Malaysian law clearly states that sodomy is a crime and that is the law Anwar Ibrahim is being charge with. It is a charge for consensual sex between two of the same gender. Now, if the act was forced upon Saiful then why not just charge Anwar with rape? If it's consensual sex then why not charge Saiful too? Isn't that the letter of the law and Malaysia does pride itself as being a nation that has laws, if not why bother telling America off when it commented on the events in Malaysia?

Still, why bother swearing on the Quran when there is no real provision for it (pertaining to sodomy) in the Syariah courts? And may I point out (I'm no expert) that producing four(4) witnesses is used in a case of adultery or rape. Now, sodomy is different (if you go literally), so does this mean in Syariah law sodomy amounts to rape and adultery? Saiful would need to produce four(4) witness and not swear on the Quran to prove his innocence because regardless of his swearing on the Quran, he still needs to produce the four(4) witness.

If you want to follow the Syariah way of doing things then better follow ALL the requirements. But then swearing on the Quran IN a mosque is not part of the requirement. So really, what is going on here?

It clearly points to one thing. The distrust, Saiful has for the function of Law.

If this case was as clear cut as it is supposed to be, then the Law would have been sufficient to prove the innocent from the guilty. So far, all we have are drama upon drama and the police seem to be cooking everything as they go along. Saiful made a police report first and by right, the Law takes precedence over all things. The Law swung into action, of course Anwar countered with the apparatus of the Law, while Saiful went into hiding (with aid from the police) and the courts took action. Yet Saiful pulls another stunt by initiating this swearing on holy book thing, obviously an attempt to gain what he wants since the Law was unable to swiftly do what he wanted. So now, which takes precedence - Syariah Law or Civil Law? Is this crime of Sodomy a case for Syariah or Civil courts? If Saiful treated it as a religious matter then he should have reported it to the Syariah court first and allow that court to take it due course. Yet he didn't and the whole thing is a muddle of sorts for me.

This then clearly points to an act of desperation by Saiful. Interestingly, Saiful's father now wants Anwar to follow suit and swear on the Quran that he never did commit Sodomy with Saiful. Again pushing something that is not asked for in Syariah law. Why? Why should Anwar even comply to such a request? Even if Anwar swears his innocence with the Quran in hand, what would it change? Nothing. It merely brings us back to square one - who is telling the truth? It merely points to the fact that someone is lying and the need to prove one's words is tantamount.

Who can prove better their case would win and that needs to be done in a court of Civil Law. Back to that place again, so this whole business of swearing on the Quran amounts to no more than a show of perceived innocence. It is unnecessary to do something that is not asked for by the Syariah Courts neither should statements be made in the public domain, challenging one another to prove one's innocence.

Ironically, I recall some BN ministers calling Anwar to swear by the Quran his innocence. I guess they too are ignorant of the fact that it is something that has no mention in the Quran.

It is sad to see that religion is used as a tool to validate a claim that could have been properly dealt with in the Civil Courts. Religion is used as leverage to twist the results of the Civil Courts to one's liking. If religious court, seemingly seen as higher due to its divine links, proves that Anwar is a sodomite than the Civil Court must follow suit even if the burden of proof say otherwise.

That seems to be Saiful's game.

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The Widening Religious Divide

Forget tolerance and all that talk about respecting other peoples beliefs. Forget about cultivating open dialogue or free discussions in Malaysia. The people are just not ready for such things. In fact some are just too immature for any form of high level thinking. This includes those in the seat of power in this country. As long as we hide behind the excuse of "tolerance" and "religious sensitivity", Malaysia will forever be in the backwaters.

Discussing religious ideas in an open arena would not damage the religion. The belief system would remain intact and God would remain who He is. The Creator of the Universe has no insecurity issues but those He created seem to be very insecure about their beliefs.

Would open discussion derail the faith of many?

There is a Religious Divide that cuts across Malaysian society and it is eating away at any notion of a Bangsa Malaysia. Religion should be a personal matter and should not be used as a tool to oppress or put down another human being. Too many wars have been fought along religious lines and many more will be fought as long as we have people who think and believe in their superiority over others.

The religious zealots are do not only have an insecurity issue but they also have a superiority complex. This is a human trait especially when one is brought up in an environment where one is taught that he/she is superior to other people of other religion. But such superiority delusions also breed insecurity issues where any perceived "attack" on their religion is taken as a personal attack. And in the case of the disruption of the Bar Council open forum, most of the protestors came to defend their own insecurity issues.

If the religion is strong then it will stand the test of time and words.

I'm sadden by the whole event. It just shows how far we are from real dialogue among people of different religions. When will we ever have the forum to sit down together and discuss the various tenets of our beliefs, not to criticize but to understand and to take the path of being at peace with our neighbors?

Forget tolerance, being tolerant means we put up with one another's quirks and mis-deeds. Instead, lets just point out what bothers us and come to an agreement on how to tackle the issue. Stop sweeping the matter under the rug, using excuses such as "religious sensitivities". Just say it out and lets have a good discussion about it.

Would open discussion make you or me less a Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Hindu?

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The Malaysiakini Google search blockage is bad for Malaysian bloggers.

It is an open secret among Malaysian bloggers that in order to get yourself listed on the Malaysiakini blog list, you have to have a reference to Malaysiakini. Literally, you must have the word "Malaysiakini" listed within your posting in order for it to be listed. Malaysiakini employs a GOOGLE search which spiders through the net, looking for any mention of the word "Malaysiakini" and then when finding one, it creates a link-back to the article.

It is a good thing to be listed on the list whereby a blogger can see his hit counter strike the thousands within a short time-frame. This in turn creates revenue for the blogger either through ADSENSE or NUFFNANG adverts. Not bad, considering Malaysian bloggers are desperately trying to create reach for their article and make a buck along the way. In leans times like the ones we face now, any form of passive income is welcome and what better way to earn money then by writing? Malaysian bloggers need all the help they can get, for the channels for Malaysian bloggers to make a small profit from their blogs are limited, minute even. Malaysiakini has that ability to help and develop Malaysian bloggers who are on par with their fellow brothers/sisters bloggers of the world.

But in recent months, Malaysiakini has started pruning this list, blocking some articles from being listed. Apparently, some bloggers have wised up and added the word "Malaysiakini" in the title of their posting. This is prime area for the GOOGLE spider bot to search and almost guarantees a listing on the list. What you have then, are articles that have content which does not refer to any Malaysiakini article and borders on personal opinion or advert-post. The primary goal of the said blogger is to merely get listed, the content is secondary.

Like the moniker, a bad apple spoils the whole barrel, this has lead to this pruning exercise by the Malaysiakini administration staff. I can understand why the Malaysiakini administrators are doing this, it is mentioned in their advisory where they use the term "lazy blogging" yet I also see the harm that this form of pruning does.

I can think of two areas where Malaysiakini irks me the most.

(1) It goes against the very independent ideals of Malaysiakini.

Malaysiakini strives to be an independent news portal for Malaysia. In fact, it is the only one of its kind for Malaysia. Yet, the very people that remain independent (bloggers) are restricted from having their articles appearing on their listing. Independent views constitute independent news even if it may be just an opinion because it can be news for some people.

Malaysiakini should encourage citizen reporting rather then mere referencing their own articles. Citizen Reporters are independent and they are not paid to write about the events happening around them. Their views showcase the actual grass-root feelings the people have towards the situations affecting Malaysia. Malaysiakini should open a channel whereby Malaysian bloggers can submit their RSS feeds and get listed on the Malaysiakini portal. Encourage responsible reporting and highlight bloggers who are contributing well. In time the bad apples will rot away and the good ones will remain fresh in the barrel.

(2) Isn't pruning Censorship?
Malaysiakini screams when the Malaysian government wants to introduce any form of control within the Malaysian blogosphere. Yet they practice a form of censorship on their own portal. By removing bloggers whom they deemed not worthy to be listed, Malaysiakini themselves are applying the very measure of control they so fervently speak against. By this act of pruning, Malaysiakini only allows those postings that are favorable to their own ideals and in turn stifle the only channel most Malaysian bloggers have to air their opinion. This very act by Malaysiakini leaves a bad taste in the mouth of this blogger.

My suggestion for Malaysiakini is simple - Malaysiakini should stop pruning the GOOGLE search results and instead encourage Malaysian bloggers to submit their RSS feeds to the portal.

The very nature of a portal works in this manner yet labeling oneself a portal and being a portal are two different things. If Malaysiakini calls itself a PORTAL than it should act like a portal. Portals collect information from different sources. In this case, Malaysiakini should source out Malaysian bloggers for Malaysian news and views. The only criterium for inclusion into the listing can be set by the administrators and Malaysian bloggers should submit based on the categories set by the Malaysiakini administrators.

We need portals like Malaysiakini in Malaysia where news is stifled and filtered by the current administration. We allow the current BN government to do the censorship and pruning of news but (please) Malaysiakini should not do it themselves. If you advocate freedom of expression then please practice it yourself.

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