1. Today (June 29, 2021) there are 6,437 new cases. It was 5,000 plus these last few days. One hundred and seven people died today bringing the total to 5,108. There had been quite a number of suicides.
2. Clearly the lockdown has not reduced the number of new cases or deaths. But the MCO will be continued from today for more days. Will the number of new cases decrease? Probably not. But we are instructed to continue with lockdown and MCO until the new cases are reduced, But when? After that more days of lockdown and so on. And the cases will remain high and more would die and more would commit suicide. Already the strain is unbearable. But more lockdowns. More of the same.
3. It is always more of the same. The people will suffer, will die, will commit suicide. For the Government, this is okay. The Government remains in power. Parliament will not sit until the Prime Minister advises the King.
4. What about the people. They will continue to suffer. That is alright so long as the Government continue to be in power. That is important. The sufferings of the people is not important.
5. They are without money, without food. They are desperate. They are killing themselves. That’s okay. Not enough beds. Well quarantine at home. You get worse. No oxygen. You die. But that is preordained.
6. The people must appreciate that certain businesses must go on. We cannot afford to lose 2 billion Ringgit a day. If we have to starve, to die, that is the cost we must pay.
7. Now your friends and members of your family are dying. That is not the Government’s fault. The virus does not discriminate.
8. So accept the lockdown, accept the MCO. It is good for you. Eventually, the pandemic will be over. If you survive you can still enjoy life. Just imagine, you can actually vote in the next election and the Government you choose will be sold at the highest price. The backdoor is open. There is money to be made.
9. Politics are what matters. Remaining as Prime Minister, becoming Prime Minister – that is very important.
10. People getting sick, people dying, people committing suicide, starving, being broke, divorcing etc. etc. – all these are okay as long as the Prime Minister is Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers get their good pay to do nothing.
11. Don’t have Majlis Pemulihan Negara. Let the country be destroyed. Let the new case remain high. The King must listen to the advice of the Prime Minister. The King is a constitutional monarch. The Prime Minister is the absolute King.
12. No problem. Give the same medicine i.e. impose lockdown, MCO and SOP. Make it difficult for vaccine to be imported. Can make money – why not. What is a few deaths, a few suicides? Yes. Let there be more deaths and more suicides.
13. Have more of the same.
THE NATIONAL RECOVERY PLAN
** This article was published in THE EDGE DAILY, June 28, 2021
1. The Government has announced a National Recovery Plan. Unfortunately it is more of a time table for recovery based on the number of new cases and the dates the lockdown would be loosened. How the reduction is to be achieved during the stipulated period is not explained. The virus may not oblige and continue to plague the nation despite the time table.
2. We are now seeing a rise in the number of new cases. When the number decreased to 4000 plus, we believed that it must be due to the strategy adopted by the Government. But then the figure started to rise again. On June 18 new cases increased to over 6000. This figure does not seem to accord with the time table.
3. Actually the recovery plan should focus on the action to be carried out to reduce the number of the new cases. We know the measures that have to be taken.
4. We know for example the SOP is intended to reduce the spreading of the pandemic. We also know that the MCO is also intended to reduce infection. But the increase in the number of new cases mean that the SOP and the MCO have not been effective.
5. The question is why? The Government needs to study the situation. Is it because people are disobeying Government instruction? For example the masks are not worn properly or the social distancing is not practiced.
6. We know about clusters. Why are there these clusters? What happened? The workers for example may be lax in practicing the SOP. They are not very disciplined. No one is overseeing their obeying the SOP.
7. The workers go to work in buses. The workers’ buses may not be sanitised. Maybe there are too many on the buses.
8. The workers have to walk from the bus to the work place and back. Do they keep their distance from each other? And at the place of work are they separated from each other far enough. How do they behave during coffee break or when they are being briefed?
9. Many live in workers’ quarters. Some of these are well constructed but some are hastily-built huts. Do they keep their social distances while in their quarters? How far are their beds from each other?
10. Yes, there are many occasions when the workers expose themselves to infection. Merely ordering them to obey the SOP is not enough. The authorities, the police, RELA and frontline people must ensure that the SOP is followed properly. Merely imposing fines is not enough.
11. Everyday more than 6000 new cases are identified. We do not have enough beds for all of them. Some with mild symptoms have been asked to quarantine at home. As we all know mild cases can become serious. At home members of the family cannot go near them. With the virus one of the effect is to have difficulty in breathing.
12. At the hospital oxygen would be given. But at home there is no oxygen. The family members feel distressed watching their family members unable to breathe. He may die and the family members could not handle the deceased. But can they just do nothing? They may want to do something. When they go near the deceased, they may get infected. Then we are going to see a cluster. And the number of new cases will increase.
13. Vaccination is effective in reducing cases. But there also we find problems. Just registering is a problem. People in the rural areas, especially old people may not have handphones, or may not know how to register online. They may be too old, incapable.
14. Initially the vaccination centres are in the urban areas.
15. I can go on. But it is clear that the management of the pandemic is not very good. It is improving now but more can be done with less hassle.
16. This is about the pandemic. What about the economic, the finances, the social problems. Already people are committing suicide. There are lots of domestic quarrels and beating up.
17. Some politicians believe that what we need to do is to have a Parliament. Yes this is good and necessary. But many seem to think that all that is needed is to change Government. I think a change is needed. But the likelihood is to get another weak Government with paper thin majority. The concern would be about becoming Prime Minister – that’s all.
18. With all these problems some people only see opportunities for making money. Maybe this has contributed to the shortage of vaccine.
19. The Government is listening and doing something. But there are lots more things to do. Only professionals with vast experience can come up with ideas to tackle all the four crises.
MAGERAN – MAJLIS PEMULIHAN NEGARA
1. Pada 1969, apabila berlaku rusuhan di Kuala Lumpur, Kerajaan Perikatan mendapat persetujuan Yang di-Pertuan Agong untuk isytihar darurat.
2. Susulan dari itu Kerajaan, iaitu Perikatan, menubuh sebuah badan yang dinamakan MAGERAN (Majlis Gerakan Negara) bagi menangani masalah yang mencetus rusuhan di Kuala Lumpur.
3. Masalahnya ialah:-
i. Kemenangan Perikatan yang kurang dari dahulu.
ii. Pendapat orang Melayu yang tidak puas hati kerana merasa tidak terbela serta tidak mendapat nikmat dari kemerdekaan.
4. Tun Razak sebagai Pengerusi MAGERAN berjaya mendapat penyertaan parti lawan, iaitu Gerakan, Parti Progressive Perak, PAS dan Sarawak United Peoples Parti ke dalam Kerajaan. Perikatan bertukar menjadi Barisan Nasional.
5. Untuk masalah kedua Tun Razak memperkenal Dasar Ekonomi Baru.
6. Di masa yang sama Kuala Lumpur dipisah dari Selangor dan pemilihan ahli Majlis bandaran ditamatkan.
7. Tindakan Tun Razak melalui MAGERAN berjaya menstabilkan negara selama lebih dari 40 tahun.
MAJLIS PEMULIHAN NEGARA (NATIONAL RECOVERY COUNCIL)
8. Kali ini keadaan adalah lebih teruk. Walaupun di waktu darurat diisytihar masalah COVID-19 tidaklah begitu serius, tetapi darurat gagal.
9. Ini menyebabkan jumlah katil di hospital tidak mencukupi sehingga pesakit terpaksa dikuarantin di rumah. Ada yang maut di rumah kerana tidak dapat dirawat, khusus dengan bekalan oksigen.
10. Selain dari wabak, tindakan MCO menyebabkan ekonomi merosot dan kewangan Kerajaan terhakis teruk.
11. Di masa yang sama pula politik menjadi kucar-kacir kerana kelemahan Kerajaan. Ini disusuli dengan banyak masalah sosial termasuk membunuh diri.
12. Majlis Pemulihan Negara tidak akan ganti Kerajaan. Majlis ditugas untuk mengurang kes baru sehingga tercapai herd imuniti.
13. Selain masalah kemerosotan ekonomi dan kewangan akan dipulih oleh Majlis.
14. Untuk politik Parlimen akan bersidang dan tindakan Majlis akan dibentang kepada Parlimen. Percubaan untuk hapuskan Majlis Pemulihan Negara tidak akan diusahakan oleh Parlimen.
15. Yang menjadi masalah politik ialah percubaan merampas kuasa. Malangnya jika Kerajaan ditukar, Kerajaan baru juga akan menjadi lemah kerana majoriti yang tipis. Tindakan politik hanya akan meneruskan masalah.
16. Masalah persekolahan juga akan dikaji dan ditangani oleh Majlis.
17. Selain dari empat perkara ini, perkara lain tidak akan disentuh oleh Majlis. Sementara itu Kerajaan boleh menangani urusan-urusan biasa asalkan tidak menyentuh empat perkara tadi.
18. Majlis tidak diletak dibawah Kerajaan tetapi akan lapor secara langsung kepada DYMM Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
19. Kewujudan Majlis akan tamat apabila negara mencapai herd immuniti atau sebelum PRU 15.
20. Majlis in diperlukan untuk memasti keputusan-keputusan pelan tindakan untuk membantu rakyat dapat dibuat dengan segera dan dilaksanakan tanpa melalui terlalu banyak proses birokrasi.
21. Ahli-ahli Majlis akan terdiri dari pakar-pakar perubatan termasuk ahli psikiatri, pakar-pakar ekonomi yang tidak partisan dan berpengalaman di dalam membantu Negara mengatasi krisis, pakar pelaburan yang berpengalaman, penggerak sosial yang telah bukti keupayaan membantu rakyat ketika pandemik, tokoh-tokoh perundangan yang tidak partisan dan beberapa tokoh politik yang tidak bertindak mewakili parti. Keahlian tidak akan lebih dari 20 anggota. Tidak ada politik dalam Majlis Pemulihan Negara.
22. Nama-nama mereka akan disembahkan kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong untuk perkenannya. Ahli-ahli Majlis akan berkhidmat secara sukarela, tanpa gaji kecuali diberi elaun yang perlu. Mereka perlu menganggap perlantikan mereka sebagai satu khidmat Negara atau national service.
23. Jika Yang Di-Pertuan Agong dan Majlis Raja-Raja menerima cadangan penubuhan Majlis Pemulihan Negara ini, nama-nama mereka akan dipersembahkan untuk perkenan.
CONTAINING COVID-19
1. By now everyone should know that the best way to reduce the number of new cases of infection by COVID-19 is to inject vaccines. It does not matter which vaccine, whether Western, Russian or Chinese. Vaccination has reduced the number of new cases in the UK, US and apparently in China.
2. But in Malaysia, so far only 3% of the 32 million people have been vaccinated. It is 40% in the US, a much more populous country.
3. People want to be vaccinated. Yes, there are those who believe in coconut water or that vaccination kills. But there are lots and lots of people who are anxious to be vaccinated.
4. But the process is tedious. You have to make online registration. You have to go to the small number of centres for vaccination.
5. Old people in the kampung may not have mobile phones, may not know how to register online, may not have good transport, may be unwell, etc. So if they cannot go to the vaccine centres why not bring the vaccines to them.
6. I have seen pictures on TV of people driving cars being vaccinated, while still sitting in the driver’s seat. It must have speeded things up. So send the teams to the people. Don’t wait for them to come.
7. The Government has the power to seize property under the emergency. There are properties to be seized for use as a vaccination centre. In Langkawi we have the huge LIMA exhibition centre and several hotels which are empty. Seize them and add more vaccine centres.
8. Malaysia has more public dewan, than any country in the world. Also we have more hospitals, public and private, where there would be space to convert to temporary vaccination centres.
9. Good to reduce the passengers on train but when trips are also reduced the trains are crowded.
10. The Government should stop its monopoly of import of vaccines. Let registered pharmaceutical companies import the vaccines and let them do the vaccination. There are responsible companies which will not cheat. Records should be kept of course. The important thing is to increase by many times the rate of vaccination.
11. The need to vaccinate is urgent. Forget politics. You are killing people by being dilatory. You will not be popular for that.
12. With new cases at 9000 per day there will be not enough beds and other apparatus. People are being sent home and some of them have died. More will die. No matter how you speed up vaccination, the number of new cases will take time to diminish. The reason for easy infection is due to the people not observing social distancing. This is especially so when working, when going to work, when returning and in workers buses. There is no one ensuring that the people stay far apart.
13. Please Government, please do not let so many be killed.
The Sputnik
14. No. It is not the space craft. It is the Russian vaccine. It is used in Russia and in many countries. Germany has approved it. And I believe reputable medical journals have approved it.
15. Why is Malaysia not using it. The Russians have offered 6 million doses. They have been told to answer 400 questions. We want to know if the monkeys have been saved.
16. We will wait for the 400 answers. A few hundred people may die. But that is okay.
SOP
1. Angka kes baru sudah meningkat. Sejak tiga hari dahulu angka kes baru mencecah lebih dari 7000. Besar kemungkinan jumlah akan meningkat lagi.
2. Peningkatan jumlah ini membuktikan SOP kurang atau tidak berkesan. Tetapi ramai orang yang tidak dijangkiti. Kenapa begitu ramai yang dijangkiti tiap hari tetapi ramai yang tidak dijangkiti atau belum dijangkiti. Mungkin mereka yang mengurus wabak ini tahu.
3. Dua hari sudah semasa saya dalam perjalanan balik dari pejabat saya –Perdana Leadership Foundation (Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana) saya lihat pekerja projek – berada ditepi jalan menunggu bas pekerja.
4. Mereka bercangkung sederet. Lebih kurang dua puluh orang beratur. Yang ternampak jelas ialah mereka tidak amal jarak sosial. Boleh dikatakan tidak sedikit pun pemisahan antara mereka disepanjang jalan. Ada yang pakai pelitup ke bawah dagu dan mungkin juga satu dua tak pakai pelitup langsung.
5. Saya tak fikir mereka sudah disuntik. Tetapi yang jelas ialah mereka tidak ikut SOP. Cara mereka dekat diri antara mereka tetap memudahkan jangkitan.
6. Saya percaya ditempat-tempat kerja lain pun cara pekerja abaikan SOP tentu begitu.
7. Tidak ternampak tandil atau overseersesama mereka yang boleh menegur cara SOP mereka.
8. SOP memang baik tetapi cara SOP diamal oleh pekerja-pekerja dan orang ramai juga tidak seperti dikehendaki. Jangkitan memang mudah.
9. Di masjid kita memang menjauhkan diri semasa sembahyang. Tetapi lepas sembahyang jemaah tidak jauhkan diri di antara mereka. Semasa keluar dari masjid, seperti biasa mereka mendekat diri antara mereka.
10. Saya berpendapat pihak polis dan frontliners lain perlu tentukan jarak sosial diamal dengan baik.
11. Memandang bahawa virus ini boleh ditiup angin, adalah lebih baik jarak perpisahan sejauh dua meter.
12. Semasa bekerja, pekerja tidak mengikut jarak antara mereka. Demikian juga ditempat beli belah.
13. Ekonomi akan merosot kerana lockdowntetapi lebih baik kemerosotan ekonomi dari kematian.
14. Saya tak hendak komen bagaimana darurat berkesan dalam pengawalan wabak COVID-19.
DARURAT
1. Ternampak jelas darurat tidak berjaya mengurang wabak COVID-19. Dari 2,000 sehari di waktu darurat diisytihar, jumlah kes baharu sudah meningkat kepada hampir 7,000.
2. Hasil sebenar yang jelas dari darurat ialah kedudukan Perdana Menteri tidak boleh dicabar dan kuasa Perdana Menteri mengatasi Perlembagaan Negara dan semua undang-undang.
3. Namun dengan kuasa tanpa had ini, bukan sahaja wabak COVID-19 tidak dapat dikawal tetapi keadaan ekonomi, politik, dan sosial menjadi lebih teruk lagi. Angka prestasi ekonomi dikatakan lebih baik dari sebelum wabak, tetapi rakyat tidak sedikit pun merasai kebaikan ini.
4. Kononnya sebanyak Ringgit 600 billion sudah dibelanja oleh Kerajaan dalam masa hanya lima bulan. Tetapi di mana pergi duit ratusan billion ini. Bukan mudah untuk belanja duit sebanyak ini. Beli vaksin ke? Tak akan habis 600 billion beli vaksin. Apa harga vaksin? Siapa yang membeli? Kenapa sedikit sangat yang sudah diterima?
5. Lockdown seluruh negara memang mengundang masalah ekonomi dan sosial. Penjual makanan tetap tidak dapat berniaga. Apa kata jikalau mereka diupah sebagai tukang masak public kitchen. Kita perlu bekal rakyat yang dikurung dengan makanan.
6. Sebenarnya di U.K. hanya suntikan sekali sahaja vaksin AstraZeneca sudah dapat kurangkan kes baru sebanyak 70%.
7. Di Amerika 128 million orang sudah disuntik dan angka kes baru amat kurang. Jika benarlah suntikan menyebabkan kematian ramai, dari 128 million yang disuntik tentulah ratusan ribu yang maut. Dapatkah disembunyi jenazah yang begini banyak. Nak simpan di mana.
8. Mereka yang suruh minum air kelapa untuk selamat diri sebenarnya mengkhianati masyarakat. Merekalah yang ingin lihat ramai mati kerana tidak disuntik.
9. Sebenarnya cara terbaik untuk selamat diri dari jangkitan selain dari suntikan vaksin ialah dengan menjauhkan diri dari orang lain. Lebih dari satu meter lebih baik. Kalau perlu kerja, jauhkan diri dari pekerja lain. Bukan sahaja semasa bekerja atau sembahyang tetapi juga semasa berjalan pergi balik ke tempat kerja.
10. Menjauhkan diri dari orang lain menjadi penting kerana virus ini boleh airborne – ditiup angin. Memang susah. Tetapi tidak ada jalan yang senang melawan COVID-19.
11. Mereka yang tidak dijangkiti hingga kini ialah mereka yang amal SOP dengan baik. Tetapi mereka yang berkuasa hendaklah tentukan SOP diamal dengan baik oleh semua. Menentu SOP dipatuhi lebih baik dari mengena denda yang tidak dapat dibayar oleh orang yang sudah miskin kerana tidak dapat bekerja dan berniaga.
12. Inilah sebabnya Kerajaan perlu sediakan makanan untuk mereka yang kebuluran kerana COVID-19.
13. Jika Kerajaan punyai wang, gunakan untuk lawan COVID-19. Membekal makanan, upah untuk tukang masak memerlu peruntukan yang tinggi. Tetapi berbaloi. Tak payahlah kontrak-kontrak diberi di waktu ini.
14. Lockdown tetap akan jejaskan ekonomi. Kita tidak ada pilihan. Ekonomi yang rosak boleh diperbaiki. Kematian kerana COVID-19 tidak ada pemulihan.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
1. Whatever may be the cause of the present flare-up of the pandemic, what must be accepted is that dealing with it, attempting to reduce the number of new cases will cost a lot of money.
2. This pandemic is peculiar because it prevents normal work from being done. It requires people to distance themselves from each other. The necessary lockdown means no income and for many no food even. Yet the lockdown is perhaps the only way to prevent exposure to the virus and infection. And infection may mean death.
3. When we first experienced the attack, the whole country had to accept total movement control. There were no cars on the streets and no pedestrian. After one month we congratulated ourselves on the success of the measure. New cases numbered in two digits and death did not exceeds ten.
4. We became over confident. We believed we know how to manage the pandemic. And we held elections in Sabah. And since then, we have seen increases in the number of cases to frightening levels. At the peak there were more than 6,000 a day (May 19, 2021).
5. We did not learn anything. The month of Ramadan is the month of bazaars. Everybody enjoy the bazaars. Certainly many regard the bazaars as a means to make extra incomes. And the Muslims love the food that go on sale at the bazaars.
6. I suppose the Government did not want to be unpopular by banning the bazaars. The Government must know that the crowds would be uncontrollable. And sure, enough as soon as the bazaars open, the cases increased. From under 2000, the daily new cases shot up to more than 4000 a day. Panicked the bazaars were suddenly banned.
7. It was a good example of flipflop that the people cannot accept. The food hawkers had bought the ingredients for their products for the whole month. Now they would lose all their money as there is no way for them to recover their capital.
8. Whatever may be the immediate cause of the spike the urgent need is still to reduce the number of new cases. We are definitely going to be short of bed, apparatus and even oxygen if the number doubles.
9. It is right to reintroduce the Movement Control Order (MCO). But now we are much less strict in doing so. We need to confine people to their homes. There should not be any excuse for crowds to form. Staying apart must be applied even among the frontliners.
10. Confining people at home means they will have no money and no food.
11. The Government must accept the responsibility of keeping people alive. For food there should be public kitchens where food is prepared, packaged and delivered to the homes.
12. It is important that the quarantined people should not come out to collect the food at the kitchens. This will cause crowds to gather. Couriers should be recruited to deliver the food to the houses. There should be no contact between the delivery boys and the householders.
13. Hotel kitchens should be utilised to prepare and package the food. The home quarantine should be for at least one month. The police and the military should be very strict in ensuring the people don’t come out to shop or do anything.
14. The cost must be borne by the Government. It will be costly but the Government must do it.
15. Vaccination must be speeded up. We should accept whatever vaccine that had been used in other countries extensively. A special effort must be made to get kampung people to be vaccinated.
16. Masks must be worn, and hands washed all the time. Frequent tests should be carried out to ensure all infected people are identified and quarantined.
17. In many countries even the first jab of vaccines can help reduce the number of new cases. But even those who had the vaccines need to be tested again and again.
18. The Government claims it has finished more than 600 billion Ringgit in the fight against the pandemic. If so we should have the capacity to deal with the pandemic. But obviously we have not. We must know why. 600 billion Ringgit is a lot of money. It is not easy to spend that money in such a short space of time.
19. We have to be serious about the fight against COVID-19. If not we are going to see a lot of people die who could have been saved.
ACCOUNTING
** This article was published in THE EDGE DAILY , May 10, 2021
1. Business people know well that keeping accounts when doing business is essential. It is the only way to know whether you are profitable or losing money.
2. When I was a boy, I was familiar with Malay padi farmers. They were friends of my mother. Off and on I would go to stay with the farmer’s family in Teluk Chengai. I and my brother had to walk on the muddy track, crossing little creeks on bridges of coconut tree trunks.
3. At night we would set short fishing rods along the bunds. Then next morning some of the rods had fresh water fish struggling after having swallowed the bait of little frogs.
4. The family was very poor. They had only about an acre of land to grow paddy. When I asked them how much they made in one year, they were unable to tell me. They clearly did not know how much they made.
5. I did not ask but it became obvious to me that they kept no records of any kind. Certainly, they had no account of their padi business. They seem to think that the whole of their harvest was their profit. They did not know how much effort and money they had put in to get their harvest.
6. I believe that this is the weakness among Malays when they do business of any kind. They keep no record of their costs and the returns they get.
7. Maybe things have changed now. But I suspect that many Malay small businesses keep no record of what they spend and what they make from their business.
8. I would like to suggest that elementary accounting be taught at all levels in the schools. In fact, if we can, even at the kindergarten level.
9. They need not learn anything complex. All they need is to record their expenditure on their business and their incomes. They might also add the value of the labour they themselves contribute. The items which should be included in their record of expenditure must be detailed in the lessons. And of course, the money that they earn in the course of doing business must be recorded.
10. Every month they should record the balance so as to bear in mind how well they are doing. Obviously if the monthly record shows their expenditure is more than their income, they should try to find out why. If the money is diverted to other things unrelated to the business, they should stop the practice.
11. It is well known that new entrepreneurs who had borrowed money often spend a portion of the loan on cars and briefcases. Others spend the money on entertainments and treating friends. Sometimes as much as 50% of the loan is used for non-business affairs.
12. What this means is that the interest that has to be paid for the 50% invested would be doubled. Doing business with 50% of the loan, to make money to pay on 100% of the borrowed would be extremely difficult if not impossible. And so the business fails.
13. Many Malays are from families whose parents are wage earners. The children are given pocket money to spend. How the money is earned is of no concern to the children. The money is always there.
14. This develops in the children a comfortable feeling. Money will always be there. This attitude is not good in adult life when money needs to be earned. And invariably the amount earned is not enough when money is spent without caring about what is earned.
15. With this attitude invariably the amount spent would exceed the amount earned. This is when resort is made to borrowings including from Along. The end is well known.
16. But if a habit of recording the money earned and spent, the person would become aware when he is overspending. Then he would stop or think hard before spending beyond his means.
17. With this, there will be less problem with money and with the likes of Along.
ISLAMIC EDUCATION
** This article was published in THE EDGE DAILY , May 3, 2021
1. Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. But the Constitution provides for other religions which can be practised freely.
2. Since Islam is the official religion, it is incumbent upon the Malaysian Government to provide Islamic religious education in schools. The idea is to make Muslims knowledgeable of their religion. For those who wish to become Islamic scholars special Islamic schools are provided right up to university level.
3. The curriculum for the religious classes are prepared by the religious scholars. Sometimes they become overzealous and want the students to have deep knowledge of Islam as if they are all going to be religious teachers and ulama’s.
4. Besides this they stress on the compulsory rituals that Muslims must follow. To this they add many rituals which are not compulsory. Some of these may not be in conformity with Islam.
5. The stress on the Islamic way of life is minimal. Yet Muslims like to point out that Islam is not just a religion but is also a way of life. This involve the dos and don’ts, the merit and demerit, the rights and wrongs, the permitted and the forbidden. Together they shape the way of life of the Muslims. If Muslims follow the way of life of Islam they should be successful in life.
6. But as we all know Muslims are not doing well. In Malaysia all Malays are Muslims but the majority of them are poor, not successful in business, and generally in life.
7. Malays are pious. They are seen to be performing their prayers, they fast, they pay zakat (tithes) and they perform the haj. They never neglect to affirm their faith in the one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is His Prophet (messenger).
8. But beyond that what they do in life is not in keeping with the teachings of Islam. If one reads the Quran in a language one understands, (Malay or English) one cannot help but notice that many of the injunctions are not followed by most Malays.
9. Enjoined to regard each other as brothers, we see them deeply divided. They are fond of accusing each other as not being Islamic, not being Muslims even. And politically they fight each other.
10. The Quran forbids Muslims from killing, especially of fellow Muslims. But Malays do get involve in wars fought in the Arab countries.
11. The Quran stresses repeatedly that when you judge you must uphold justice. But there are Malays who disregard justice when they propose that Muslims and non-Muslims be punished differently for the same crimes. For the crime of stealing, they prescribed chopping off the hand for Malays and two-month jail for non-Muslims. Is this just?
12. A woman who has been raped must produce four witnesses or she would be accused of false accusation and punished. Yet in the case of Yusuf and Zulaikha in the Quran, the fact that the shirt of Yusuf was torn at the back was accepted as evidence that it was Zulaikha who was chasing Yusuf even though there were no witnesses.
13. The Quran stresses that you must not cheat in business, that you must be good witness and uphold the truth and be trustworthy.
14. And there are many injunctions and advise in the Quran which would make Muslims good honest people who would be successful in life.
15. If the Malays are unsuccessful in life it is because they don’t follow the injunctions of the Quran. They don’t follow because they are not taught seriously to follow all the injunctions of the Quran or even some of them. They do not follow because normally their parents should teach them. But now both father and mother are working and have little time to raise their children the way advocated by Islam.
16. Since this is no longer possible, the schools must take over the task of instilling in Muslim children the value system of Islam which influences the way of life of Muslims.
17. It is therefore important for the educational authorities to re-examine the curriculum in schools. The best time to instill values is when the children are young. So the teaching of the Islamic values must begin in the kindergarten. Throughout school life the Muslim children must be taught and examined on Islamic values and the way of life of Muslims.
18. The teachers have to be retrained and new textbooks written based on the Quran and the verified hadiths.
19. Just as the early Muslims were able to build the great Islamic civilisation, so will modern Muslims achieve their renaissance and secure Islam, the Muslims, the Muslim nations from being insulted, oppressed and unable to protect themselves as enjoined in the Quran.
20. Malaysia has a chance to reform the teachings of Islam. We should do this now as we still have the capacity. We should teach Islamic values and the Islamic way of life as found in the Quran and the verified hadiths.
21. We must not leave the interpretation of Islam to the teachers alone. Even the great scholars are mere men, and they will be bias in keeping with the version of Islam in their communities.
22. There is only one Quran. It contains the messages of Allah to Muhammad for mankind. Although there are allegories which lend to different interpretations, most of the messages are direct and clear. We cannot go wrong if we follow the clear messages. Thus we cannot misunderstand the injunction for Muslims to regard each other as brothers, nor can we fail to understand that Islam forbids killing a man, be he a Muslim or a non-Muslims.
23. Having read the Quran many times in Malay and English, I feel sure that if Muslims follow the injunctions in the Quran they would uphold peace and brotherhood, avoid wars and be just in the governance of their countries.
TOURISM
1. Tourism is not doing well. How can it when the COVID-19 pandemic does not allow people to be close to each other; when the spread of the disease is due to people with early infection carry the disease to wherever they go.
2. I am glad that Malaysia has found a solution that will bring torrents of tourists to the country.
3. It is, I am told, by appointing a candidate who had lost in several elections and losing his deposit as well, to be a senator and making him a Deputy Minister for Tourism.
4. And we have no money. We have spent RM600 billion.
5. Congratulations.