Lessons Learnt from History

Anybody who looks at the pattern of events happening in Malaysia will come to the conclusion that BN is acting like a drowning person clutching at straws. GE13 was a disaster in spite of spending so much money with BRIM and other goodies, there is nothing much to show in terms of popular votes (total votes) which was much less than what PR obtained.

Price increases to cover the huge amount of money spent in GE 13 is expected because the cronies in GLCs  and other secret supporters would want to recoup what they spent during GE13. It is no surprise that every price increase seems to be easily allowed. We should be prepared for more bad news about price increases. The spin doctors, to keep the BN regime in power, will give all kinds of reasoning including illogical ones to deceive the people. Imagine PDRM getting worked up against people assembling to protest the rate increases by DBKL as though present and ex PDRM people are not and will not be affected by these increases. It reminds me of the famous saying by a Protestant priest and social activist named Martin Niemollar about the Nazis, ‘…………..when they came for me there was no one left to speak out’.

We have many retired IGPs, generals and other top officials joining the ranks of common people every year. They must be realizing the plight and fear of ordinary people, who are struggling with price increases, due to corruption in our society. A pension of RM4k ten years ago is today nearing poverty line to receive BRIM aid. It is for these people to sit back and reflect how did this happen? IGP sir, keep on punishing the common people by not allowing them to protest, your time too will come one day, when you too would want to express this second level of protest allowed in Islam; that is to voice out against wrongs openly.

The recent hanging of Molla, from Bangladesh, I hope is the finale of the biggest historical twist of an event, which started in 1947. Who in his right mind would have believed that East and West Pakistan which became independent as one nation, would one day break up with widespread killing. Bangladesh was formed with the help of India, who were once the arch common enemy of a united East and West Pakistan. The common bond of Islam was not good enough to keep both countries together because other elements came into play. There was massacre and genocide when Pakistan broke into two. I hope our Home Minister (HM) will study what happened in other countries, before he goes further in his attempt to disrupt Muslim unity by accusing some PAS leaders or any Muslim of being a Shiite.

Since PAS has been very vocal about Islamic teaching and way of life, taking them to task about doing things not in line with Malaysian Islam is a very serious matter for many reasons.  Umno’s Islamic credentials are questionable in many of the things they do. We see brewery and gambling companies’ chairpersons among its leaders. How Islamic are the ‘nawaitu’ or intentions in many things done in the country including Anwar’s sodomy 1 case? The courts found him not guilty so shouldn’t the accusers be punished? Even the lie about his ‘black eye’, put the whole government to shame. And then the way Altantuya’s murder case was handled. The known corruption cases of government purchases mentioned in our annual AG’s report. I can go on repeating many things that are obvious. Even take this ‘tutup aurat’ matter, what is our Malaysian official Islamic standard? You look at the Umno women’s sector and see the variety of interpretations of this aspect of Islam. Read the social media to know about the horror stories of corruption involving BN leaders.  In contrast, the PAS ruled Kelantan does not even allow gambling. The MACC and PDRM have helped to create a clean image of all PAS leaders.

The Shiite are about 20% of the Muslim population in the world. After the HM accused a PAS leader of being a Shiite on some flimsy grounds, many people started looking up for information about the Shiite. This is what The Economist, May 28, 2013 explains: ”Today the world’s 1.6 Billion Muslims (Shiite’s included) all agree that Allah is the only God and Muhammad his Messenger. They follow five ritualistic pillars of Islam, including the month for fasting and share a holy book, the Koran. There has never been a clash, between the Shiite and Sunni, on the scale of the thirty years’ War, which saw Christian sects fight each other in the 17^th century with great loss of life.”

Dear Mr. HM “Do we in Malaysia, need a fight like the 17^th century one mentioned above? On independence we only recognized Malay Muslims as Bumiputra, while all others went through the process of proving themselves Malaysians to get citizenship. Today we have Indian Muslims, Indonesian Muslims, Filipino and now even some Bangla Muslims as Bumiputras. The problem will start when one of these groups become dominant and corruption will make Islam take a back seat. Pakistan, born out of the same Indian origin, could not last, because of race factor like West Pakistanis, being Punjabis, Pashtoons and Sindhis while East Pakistan being Bengalis. Do we in Malaysia need to go on a witch hunt and divide our Muslims with this Shiite bogey, which is sometime unknown to many? If certain things in Shiism are not acceptable as Islamic in Malaysia, why doesn’t the government just ban the sect completely? We have a ridiculous situation where the HM is accusing a respected political leader with impeccable Islamic credentials as being a Shiite and he is denying it. Does the HM claim to know him better than all the top past, present, living and dead PAS leaders and members? This “I am holier than thou feeling’ has subjected Islam to ridicule, if you read The Economist between the lines.

During Ramadhan 2013, I watched many TV channel 106 programmes to improve my knowledge of Islam. The episodes by Ustaz Don, though interesting left many unanswered questions in my mind. Talking about the Quran, he stressed that whenever we hear the Quran being recited; we should listen to it and refrain from doing other things. My Haj in 1986, came to mind. During subuh prayers, only Malaysian and Indonesian pilgrims will disrupt the prayers when they recite the doa Qunut, silently. Imagine about 50,000, out of a million pilgrims, still standing in prayers while the others have finished their prayers. We Malaysians who understand the meaning love to recite doa Qunut during subuh prayers, while the mainstream followers including the Saudis do not do so. Whether we like it or not, we are disrupting others praying and disobeying what our Ustaz Don had said. Will the Shiite call us deviants when they criticize our brand of Islam? In his book Two Faces, Syed Husin Ali, wrote how he was abused while under ISA because he could not recite this doa.

O, Allah, guide us aright along with those who have been rightly guided and grant us safety along with those that have been granted safety and support us along with those that have been supported and add Your Blessings to what You have given us and save us from the harmful effects of what You have ordained ( i.e. lest I should be wanting in cheerfully submitting to your Decrees) as You alone disposes and no one can dispose against You. Anyone who is under Your Protection cannot be lowered and anyone who is opposed by You cannot gain dignity; our Lord; You are full of blessings and Most High, we beg forgiveness from You and repent before You and may the blessings of Allah be showered on the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). O Allah, forgive us and the believing men and women and Muslim men and women, unite their hearts with mutual love, set right their mutual affairs and help them against theirs and Your enemy. O Allah, let Your curse be on those unbelievers who prevent people from treading Your path, who reject Your prophets and fight Your chosen ones. O Allah, make difficult their plans, shake their feet and give them such punishment which is not turned away from a sinning people.

Another question I wish to ask our HM is whether he would punish a Shiite Muslim from Middle East, who converts to other religion in Malaysia? Touching on this Shiite issue is like disturbing a hornet’s nest. Let us wait and see how this drama will unfold.