THE “ALLAH” CONTROVERSY

1. Malaysia is a multi-religious country where people can adhere to their own religion even though Islam is the official religion. For most of the time the followers of the different religions have lived in peace with each other. We do not see the kind of violence between the followers of different religions as found in Northern Ireland, Lebanon and the Indian sub-continent.

2. Malaysians respect each others’ religions and the rights of the religious practises of their followers. We avoid commenting on other people’s religion even though we may have furious debate within each religion.

3. Unfortunately now we have this controversy on the use of the name of God, Allah. Many years ago this controversy was settled through the acceptance that the Christians of Sabah and Sarawak could continue to use the word Allah in their Malay language bible and teachings but these should not be used in the rest of the country.

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PENGUATKUASAAN SECARA AUTOMATIK (AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM)

1. Di negara-negara dimana terdapat kereta bermotor, undang-undang diadakan untuk menentu had laju kereta. Tujuannya ialah untuk mengurangkan kemalangan di jalanraya kerana memandu terlalu laju. Tidak ada sesiapa yang membantah terhadap penentuan had laju.

2. Malangnya ada pemandu yang tidak menghormati undang-undang. Mereka pandu dengan kelajuan yang kerterlaluan. Dan berlakulah kemalangan dengan kehilangan nyawa.

3. Undang-undang sahaja tidak mencukupi. Penguatkuasaan undang-undang diperlukan. Dan polis pun ditugas untuk mengesan kelajuan yang berlebihan kereta bermotor di jalan-jalanraya.

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ELECTION

The original Malay version of this article, which is at the end of this translated variant, was published in Mingguan Malaysia of Jan 20th 2013.

1. Everywhere I go, in Malaysia and in foreign countries, people ask me when the elections will be held.

2. I wish I know but the Prime Minister has not told me anything, and in practise only the Prime Minister can determine the date. Of course it cannot go beyond the 5-year term of Parliament.

3. The next question is whether the Barisan Nasional will win. My answer is that it will win. But the margin is important. Malaysia cannot afford a hung Parliament, nor can it afford a weak Government. Both would be bad for Malaysia as everyone would be focusing on politics and the economy and development would be largely neglected.

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LIBOR

1. The world is Eurocentric. We trust Europe and Europeans almost unreservedly. The standards are set by them and we follow these standards unquestioningly.

2. Thus banking! The so-called conventional banking system was invented by the Europeans. Today the whole world accepts and practices this banking system.

3. Lately the Islamic banking (no interest) system has been introduced. But it is no match for the Western initiated “conventional” banking system.

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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1. Two things happened in the U.S. recently which are worthy of comment.

2. Firstly Obama’s candidate to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, Susan Rice, announced her decision not to take up the post because of criticisms by the Republican Party over her comments and handling of the killing of the U.S Ambassador in Libya.

3. Although she claims she had done no wrong and Obama still wanted her to be Secretary of State, she decided not to accept the post. She felt that her appointment would damage Obama’s administration and the Democrats and she did not want this to happen even though she is innocent.

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BERTAUBAT

Artikel ini telah disiarkan di dalam akhbar Mingguan Malaysia pada 6 Januari, 2013.

1. Harun Din, pemimpin PAS menyuruh saya bertaubat kerana saya telah berkata dalam bahasa Inggeris “Better the devil you know than the angel you don’t”.

2. Mungkin kerana Harun Din tidak mahir dengan loghat pepatah Inggeris maka ia fikir ini bermakna saya sanggup bersama dengan syaitan. Makna sebenarnya pepatah ini ialah “lebih baik orang yang dikenali daripada orang yang tidak dikenali”.

3. Kalau Harun Din fikir saya bermaksud lebih baik saya bersama syaitan yang saya kenal daripada malaikat yang saya tidak kenal dan ini salah di sisi agama, maka dia bolehlah suruh saya bertaubat. Tak apalah.

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AMANAT HADI AWANG

This article appeared in the New Straits Times on Jan 3, 2013

1. From its inception the leaders of the Pan Malayan Islamic Party (PMIP) now known as PAS (Parti Islam SeMalaysia), in their quest for support condemned UMNO members as infidels (kafir) for cooperating with non-Muslims. This was followed in April 1981 by Hadi Awang’s statement that UMNO members are kafir (infidels) because UMNO perpetuates the constitution of the colonialist, perpetuates the rules and regulations of the infidels, perpetuates the rules of the pre-Islamic Arabs, the Jahiliah. Because of these things the struggles of PAS constitute a jihad (holy struggle), their speeches are jihad, their donations (to PAS) are jihad. Because of their struggle (war) against these people (UMNO members), if they die they become syahids (Islamic martyrs) they die in Islam. He said that they don’t have to be a Jew, don’t have to be a Christian, don’t have to be Hindu or Buddhist, they become infidels if they separate politics from religion.

2. The effect of these two pronouncements is far more than is generally known. They have resulted in a deep split among the Malay Muslims who are all Sunnis and followers of the same Imam, Imam Shafie. Usually the splits within the Muslim community are due to the interpretations and teachings of different Imams. Thus the Sunnis and the Shiahs are so deeply divided that they regarded each other as non-Muslims. As a result they have been fighting and killing each other for more than a thousand years.

3. There was no such division among Malay Muslim until PAS was formed. Immediately PAS declared that those who did not join it are infidels (kafir). But the most potent cause of the split among Malay Sunnis is due to the pronouncement of Hadi Awang, presently the President of PAS. His diatribe against UMNO and condemnation of UMNO Malays as kafirs (apostates or infidels) has resulted in the rejection of PAS members of UMNO Imams during prayers. They would hold separate prayers behind their own Imam.

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BOKO HARAM

BOKO HARAM

1. Di Nigeria hari ini terdapat kononnya gerakan Islam yang bernama “Boko Haram”. Saya tidak pasti makna “Boko” tetapi bunyinya semacam dengan “Buku” dalam Bahasa Melayu. Mungkin yang dimaksudkan dengan “Boko” ialah Kitab Injil.

2. Walau apa pun maknanya yang jelas ialah kumpulan “Boko Haram” ini sedang membunuh orang Kristian dan menyerang gereja mereka. Tetapi mereka juga membunuh ramai orang Islam, bahkan lebih ramai orang Islam yang dibunuh dari orang bukan Islam.

3. Inilah yang sering berlaku apabila sekumpulan orang Islam anggap hanya mereka sahaja yang betul-betul Islam dan orang Islam lain tidak Islam dan boleh dibunuh.

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