Dreaming of a high income economy? Legislate 1Malaysia now

Malaysia now has to deal with legal complexities which were never there before in 1963 but now affecting our livestyles because of economic progress.

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept was supposed to unite all races, specifically, bring Sabah and Sarawak closer to Peninsula Malaysia as 1Malaysia.

The people welcome the overarching concept of unity in diversity, a 1Malaysia happy family, happily connected to each other, to and fro the Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsula – to work, to play, to live in peace.

It got Air Asia Berhad flying 1Malaysia back and forth more busily than a bee. LRTs, Monorails, KTM Komuter and Rapid KL buses are moving more and more 1Malaysians back and forth kampungs to towns and cities daily.

This pot has melted so that now we cannot easily distinguish easily who is a Peninsula Malay/Chinese/Indian or a Sabahan, a Sarawakian or even an Indonesian anymore.

Multicultural 1Malaysians living in harmony, each assured of their right to practice religions as appropriate as safeguarded by customs and customary rights agreed upon since 1963.

And then it happen, with a High Court ruling on 31 Dec 2009 which ruled that the Herald can use the word ‘Allah’ in its Bahasa edition.

News reported of hurt feelings of Muslims of Peninsula Malaysia, with anecdotal evidences like, “My friends all never use Allah in their prayers.”

Is that the situation with our Sabah or Sarawak friends?

UPKO President, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok testified it has been customary for Sabah and Sarawak Christians using word Allah in their prayers.

“With the greatest of respect to those who may feel uncomfortable with me mentioning this, the Christian community, not unlike the Christians in Indonesia and the Arab world, has been using this word for a long time. And it will be a herculean task for the government, if indeed it wants, to enforce the prohibition of the word in Christian worship.”

We read news of groups representing rights of Muslims of Peninsula Malaysia appealing to the Agong and Sultans to protect their rights to exclusive use ‘Allah’.

Aren’t the states of Peninsula Malaysia already doing it?
The State enactments have been protecting Muslim rights for a very long time already.

Malaysia has the Federal Law and State Laws and we live them, yes?

But then we hear politicians Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom (PM’s office) and Datuk Clarence Bongkos Malakun (Justice of Peace, Deputy President of Sabah Kadazandusun Culture Association) advising non-Muslims who are using the term ‘Allah’ to stop doing so in the name of preserving peace and to placate hurt feelings.

Why are lawmakers asking rakyat of the states of Sabah and Sarawak (who has been assured of their customary practices in 1963) to give up their customary rights?

It also begs the question, is it legal to ask Sabah and Sarawak Malaysians working in Peninsula Malaysia, who are exercising the customary usage of “Allah” in their prayers, to relinguish their right in religion when in Peninsula?

We remember the guarantees which Sabah and Sarawak asked for, from the Cobbold Report which recorded:

“The non-Muslim communities are most insistent that there should be complete religious freedom as to worship, education, and propagation, in the Borneo territories.

We recommend the insertion in the State Constitution of a specific provision to this effect.

“There remain the provisions in the existing Federal Constitution of Malaya that Islam is the national religion and that certain public expenditure may be incurred for Islamic purposes. All Muslim communities would welcome the provision that Islam should be the national religion of the Federation. But even with guarantees of freedom of religion for the Borneo States, we have met with strong resistance from many non-Muslim communities to the idea that these Federal provisions should apply to the Borneo territories. We consider that this is a matter for the peoples of the Borneo territories (which have a non-Muslim majority) to decide for themselves at a later stage when fully elected representative bodies have been constituted. We recommend therefore that the Federal provisions should not be extended to the Borneo territories in the meantime.” “

Malaysia laws needs serious attention and ministration by its legislators to conduct regular maintenance and fine tuning the health and position of the laws of Malaysia.

Our Yang Berhormats cannot continue to dodge the effects of modernity or to abdicate its duty to provide a legislative framework that works to protect personal and business rights.

Legislation, not rhetoric is crucial to the Malaysia aspiration to transform herself into a high income economy.

Back up the legislation as an unflinching assurance to foreign investors that their investments will be safeguarded by the Laws of Malaysia if they take their business to Malaysia.

Legislate for 1Malaysia transformation now.

By: Ho Aoi Ling
The writer was a former Senior Research Executive with MCA think tank, INSAP.

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Reference links:

http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/storydetails.php/Daring-speech-by-Tan-Sri-Bernard-Dompok/3346-2-1
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/157199-jamil-khir-other-church-leaders-should-adopt-same-approach.html

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/49845-four-reasons-for-controversial-allah-ruling

The news, a tragedy and a higher love

Just look and listen at how the TV presenter (the lady at -04:10, 1:50 and at the close) expressed her empathy to the victims of the family of a tragic family dinner shootout.

This is how media people should strive to be, so that the media is human again.

Which brings me to Malaysia tv, radio, newspaper and online media. I hope they will learn the power of empathy to connect with the masses.  The current unpolished treatment by the media and also the uncivil comments left in the internet… it is not too late we learn how to better treat another human being with aspiration of a higher love. Soon. A tall order for Malaysia’s 13th General Election.

P/S: My greatest sympathies to Patrick Knight on his dear loss. May he and family be strong.

Save MCA! Choice morsels for Ong Tee Keat and Chua Soi Lek supporters

MCA members a bit slow one.

After 5,000 years of culture, the chinese of Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) still cannot decide whether to uphold Confucius values or MTV values. (To sex or not to sex up, that is the question…) Some so ‘takut mati’ due to many donkey years of Mahathir serfdom and close association with the Ling kingdom have pleaded for truce aka scared shit to change.

As me maid has gone awol, this Bananachinese, while shopping for groceries from le wet market will also perform another great selfless act.

Yes! The great Banana will big heartedly venture to the cyber market to search for great chefs to cook up big bites and inflated bits every now and then to juice up them MCA feeble minds.

First serving from me take away kitchen, tada!

(Tell me if you need more salt & pepper, etc, will you?)

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Big bites serving:

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I still want to see Ong Tee Keat in Transport ministry until he has fulfilled the mission of putting all those involved in PKFZ scandal including Mr. ATM in jail. Wishful thinking…….
~ chef True Malaysian

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We need leaders whom we can respect. Birds of a feather flock together. People who voted in Chua Soi Lek are probably like minded people. School students laugh at leaders like him. Some say if Chua can do such things and be accepted, it is okay for them to be involved in immoral activities too. Society will forget and later reward them. He should stay away from politics and focus on social services. Doesn’t MCA have leaders of honour?
~ chef Malaysian 1957

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Yes, by all means get the EGM convened! Let the MCA members decide. This is as it should be.
~ chef Loyal malaysian

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Inflated bits (as insisted by the Edison Chen stable)

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Please reinstate CSL and install him as the president. In gratitude he may share his success secret of how to lie to family and his “arcane viagra consumption” techniques especially for all the old folks in the picture.
~ chef Ichigo

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I thought, Cina hold on to their culture value tightly but it looks like some Ah Pek in MCA don’t. If they do, CSL pasti kena mati lemas di sangkar babi! Kalau CSL lead MCA then Edison Chen will be the best candidate for VP! This is Ah Pek style of Malaysia Boleh!
~ chef Budaya Apek

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I am so happy! Uncle Chua can now focus on movie acting career full time. Woo hoo!
~ chef Dillon Yong

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BC: Calm down and get yourself together, Dillon.

Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

Used to be when our forefathers wished everybody ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’, it really meant to Fa Cai (Prosper $$$).

Nowadays, due to current standards of political correctness, Fa Cai now is taken to denote prosper in wellbeing, health, etc.

Used to be sounds of them festively noisy chinese gongs, drums and earth shattering firecrackers from the 1st to 15th day of the Chinese New Year.
My mom told me, how in her teenage days, Chinese New Year meant watching the local sifu doing his kungfu stuff with the dragon’s head – prancing on the ground and taking high leap up the roof to the accompaniment of the robust ‘dong, dong, dong, chiang!’ rhythm from the dragon dance troop.

Huh… my mom’s exciting experience I would never be able to feel (!)

Recently, on a trip to Melaka, I heard a damn good singer doing his stuff in Jonker Walk. Chang Xue Chung, I think his name is.

Here, play this for your mom and pop and bring them back to their glorious youth era again.

Hope everybody’s homecoming reunion trip is working out, especially our homeland brothers and sisters.

Happy New Year!

110% sure I’m not mad!!! Correct, correct, correct.

Family dirty linen decked out on the washing line in the Royal Commission on Lingam videotape parade.

According to Malaysiakini, names of several judges – apart from former chief justice Mohd Eusoff Chin who has been implicated earlier – were brought up for the first time during Thirunama’s testimony today. They included former Court of Appeal judges Lamin Yunus, Mokhtar Sidin and serving Court of Appeal judge Low Hop Bing and former Industrial Court chairperson W Satchithanandhan.

Another hot witness coming up???

Thirunama worked for Lingam between 1995 and 1996, which included doing odd jobs at the lawyer’s legal firm where he met Lingam’s secretary, Jeyanthi. Jeyanthi was instrumental in arranging the New Zealand trip for Lingam.

“She came to see Lingam to collect a cheque. Former Industrial Court chairperson Satchithanandhan told me she (Jeyanthi) was giving a lot of troubles to Lingam and she wanted to reveal many things about (Lingam and the) judges,” Thirunama claimed.

And now, let’s reveal all in this hot new video…

Best Chinese New Year message from Ong Tee Keat

If you are like me, who squirms and wiggles from massive allergic reaction to the normal doodahdoodah messages from your normal politicians, you’d praise high heavens and its angels for sending you somebody to give your ears something better to listen and brains to digest.

Especially for something as big as CNY. Nothing is as big as CNY for us Chinese. Therefore, the CNY message must be befitting and not insult our intelligence or test our patience for the long year ahead.

I recommend you this nice CNY message to send to your family, friends and everybody (that makes the sender looks intelligent for once.)

MCA must make more of him. I like thinking politicians who dare to say the unsaidable in the government.

Malaysiakini and Malaysia-today must also give space lah to highlight the better politicians from MCA. We seldom hear news of this one on the net.

Heard rumours Ong Tee Keat looking for a constituency to park himself this GE…

Thaipusam IS public holiday for KL

Yeap folks, election is coming and the goodies are rolling out…

PM suddenly woke up and realised our Indian brothers/sisters need an additional public holiday. Samy Vellu said over TV3 that since 1986, Thaipusam was not a public holiday for KL.

I never knew this PM can be such a nice guy and so considerate to the Indian community. Perhaps…someone must have reminded PM about making Thaipusam a public holiday wef. 23/1/08.

Would PM have announced a holiday if the general elections were not around the corner?

Sniff, sniff, sniff… it doth somewhat smells somethin’ like an open bribe to our Indian brethrens.

Maybe the HINDRAF 5 deserve some credit for getting us this fast tracked public holiday. Poor Samy after 28 years was unable to do it.

Whilst we are at it, can I propose that Good Friday and Easter Sunday be declared a holiday for KL? Can? Can?

UMNO the naughty mullah

Nice diversion, this Chua Soi Lek naughty thingy. So titillating, that we’ve put more important issues to the backburner. Latest body snatching and this new dilemma imposed onto the people’s peace –

“I don’t know whether the basis of the government’s ban on the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims is political or religious. But if in today’s age of globalisation we are stopping people of one religion from using the words ‘belonging’ to another, I don’t know where we are heading.”

This was among the question raised today by Malaysian Gurdwara Council head, Harcharan Singh following reports of the UMNO government’s ban against allowing the use of purportedly ‘Islamic’ terms e.g. ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdulllah Mohd Zin announced on 3 Jan. that the cabinet had disallowed Catholic publication Herald from using the words Allah (God), solat (prayer), Kaabah and baitullah (House of God) in its weekly’s Bahasa Malaysia section. Abdullah, who oversees Islamic religious affairs, said the prime minister had directed him to clarify the matter so that the public would not be confused. “One of the reasons given to uphold the restriction is because that it has long been the practice of this country that the word Allah refers to God according to the Muslim faith,” said Abdullah, according to The Star.

“It was only proper for other religions to use the word God and not Allah when referring to their God in respective beliefs,” Abdullah added.

For centuries, Sikhs have used the words ‘Allah’ to refer to God as well as the Arabic terms ‘iman’ and ‘ibadat’ for faith and worship. “We have used the terms Allah and Rahim (Most Merciful), for example, extensively in our writings and in our prayers to refer to the One God. The word Allah is used in our main holy scripture.”

“Sikh gurus in India have used these terms for centuries, they have become part of the Punjabi language, and we are still using them today,” said Harcharan. “In addition to these words, we also use the terms ‘iman’ and ‘ibadat’ among the many other words (that are used by Muslims),” added Harcharan, whose organisation represents Sikhs in Malaysia.

“If the word Allah has been banned for use by non-Muslims, what’s going to happen to Sikhs and the practice of their religion?” he asked.

Why la, the UMNO government always dip their pinkies into these issues of personal spirituality? Leave the people alone to deal with their relationship with God! Go and focus on the business of government! Your mandate given in 2004 was not to become the official mullah of Malaysia!

Chua Soi Lek sex dvd: Woman detained

Got an sms newsflash that said a 29 year old woman was detained by police in Batu Pahat in connection with the dvd distribution.

The angles, rumours and speculations running amok now. Place your bets now: Political or sordid affair gone wrong or a syndicate’s revenge?

Hmmmm….

Chua Soi Lek’s parting gift to MCA?

Hmmmm….

Food for your thoughts and outlet for you to channel your views on this latest fiasco. Go forth and give it to MCA good here.

Compared with UMNO, MIC, Gerakan, etc, MCA’s the best of the BN lot. Or even when compared with the opposition. Why? Easy logic, just compare overall results brought to the community under their wing.  Rest assured, we’ll adjust our comparison when the ‘not yet in government’ opposition get their act together and give us some substance.

Thank you, Chua Soi Lek and good health to you.