justifying ISA?

If you could just see facts flat-on, without that horrible moral squint… With a little common sense you could have made a statesman.

[Man for All Seasons]

So, according to Penang’s UMNO assemblymen, ISA is not against ‘nahi mungkar’ because – and I quote – “ISA was legislated to bring good and not evil” and that “it was used to control undesirable things.”

I wonder who decides what those “undesirable things” exactly are and “undesirable” to who actually? I sure would like to see the UMNO assemblymen spend a day or two under ISA detention to see whether any good can come out of it.

the islamic state – between vision and reality

Critics of the Islamic state project often raise the issue of a caliph/leader/sultan in an Islamic state – past, present and future – being a tyrant and the Islamic state inevitably being reduced into a dictatorship.

I do not think its entirely fair to dismiss such criticisms as stemming from pure ignorance.

If the classical Islamic state under the Umayyads or Abbasids were to be judged according to modern political standards, I think it is quite clear that it could categorized as different shades of authoritarianism or absolute monarchy. And the point that is often made is that it is only a small step away from being a benevolent monarch to a dictator.

Having said that, it is also unfair to assume that the establishment of an Islamic state or a caliphate will inevitably degenerate into a dictatorship or authoritarianism.

pengajaran daripada obama

“And if Allah had pleased He would have made you (all) a single people, but that He might try you in what He gave you, therefore strive with one another to hasten to virtuous deeds; to Allah is your return, of all (of you), so He will let you know that in which you differed”

[Qur’an, 5:48]

Saya pernah mengulas mengenai kebarangkalian pemipin daripada kalangan bukan Melayu atau bukan Islam bagi memegang tampuk pemerintahan negara, di mana saya menyebut bahawa secara prinsipnya, tidak wujud sebarang kekangan terhadap pemilihan seorang pemimpin bukan Melayu dan bukan Islam ke jawatan Perdana Menteri.

Sungguh, Perlembagaan Malaysia sendiri tidak meletakkan sebagai garis panduan daripada segi keutamaan sesebuah kaum bagi memegang jawatan tersebut; ianya tidak mengesyorkan atau menafikan ruang bagi sebarang kaum.

Saya fikir isu bangsa atau kaum yang boleh memegang jawatan Perdana Menteri di Malaysia lebih berkait rapat dengan situasi dan realiti politik Malaysia, selain daripada apa yang ditetapkan di dalam Perlembagaan.

utusan malaysia or utusan umno?

I contend that Brother Azmin Ali might have gone overboard in calling for the banning of Utusan Malaysia reporters from doing their coverage in the Dewan Rakyat.

Indeed, I become very suspicious each time any government official or politician express their desire to control, restrict and dictate what should be featured, published or covered in the media, especially when most of these individuals have a vested interest in these news providers.

Our fidelity to the notion of freedom of expression includes not only the right to say what we wish to say, but conversely to also hear what others have got to say about us.

UMNO, jangan jadi karut!

Pemuda UMNO rayu campur tangan Sultan Selangor

“Ekoran itu, enam persatuan kakitangan PKNS hari ini menyerahkan memorandum kepada Abdul Khalid dan mendesaknya menarik balik pelantikan Siew Moi itu kerana dikatakan tidak memenuhi aspirasi penubuhan PKNS bagi membantu meningkatkan sosial dan ekonomi bumiputera.”

Sejak bila wujud peraturan yang menetapkan bahawa usaha peningkatan sosial dan ekonomi bumiputra hanya boleh diterajui oleh orang Melayu? Lebih penting lagi, siapakah yang telah melantik UMNO sebagai penjaga de facto kebajikan orang Melayu? 

Jika dilihat susur galur sejarah penubuhan UMNO, sememangnya UMNO wajar dinobatkan sebagai parti politik yang senantiasa memperjuangkan kebajikan dan naiktaraf orang Melayu, dan kita seharusnya tidak menafikan kebaikan dan sumbangan yang telah dibawa oleh UMNO ke atas orang Melayu sejak zaman pra-Merdeka lagi. 

Namun, UMNO tidak boleh terus melaung-laungkan haknya sebagai pelindung kaum Melayu atas dasar dan sebab sejarah semata-mata, memandangkan kewujudan alternatif cara kerja politik bagi orang Melayu yang dibawa oleh parti-parti lain seperti PAS dan PKR sekarang.