Anything but UMNO: Movement calls for change in Malaysia

Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak tables the national budget in parliament today, the first in a new political cycle after the May elections.

Economists point to the huge government debts and deteriorating fiscal position, while NGOs say Malaysia's widening gap between rich and poor, and ongoing ethno-exclusive pro-Malay policies must end.

Malaysian lawyer and activist, Haris Ibrahim thinks 40 percent of Malaysians live below the poverty line.Mr Haris, who's a member of the movement, Anything But UMNO, was denied a visitor's visa to Australia last month.He's since been given one, on a private visit and also to deliver several public lectures.Haris Ibrahim says he was surprised by the initial refusal of a visa by Australian authorities.

Presenter: Sen Lam

Speaker: Malaysian lawyer and activist Haris Ibrahim, a leading member of the group, 'Anything But UMNO'

HARIS: I was, although I thought with the pending sedition charge, and the fact that I had to disclose it in the form, I thought that might pose a little bit of a question, but I had expected that if there were any concerns around that, the least I would get, would be to step into the (Australian) High Commission to perhaps, clarify.

But having said that, I understand that perhaps that decision was taken, albeit to me erroneously, but in the best interest of Australia.

LAM: What was the reason given to you by the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur?

HARIS: I had a sedition charge that was hanging over my head, I was on bail and owing to my work with the movement, Anything But UMNO over the last two years, I have not been in gainful employment, so I think the concern was that the application did not disclose a sufficient incentive to return Malaysia, after I had concluded my business here. I think the concern was with the pending charge, Haris might come to Australia and say, "Hey, I ain't going back!"

LAM: You were scheduled to give a talk when a visa was refused you last month .. many people of course are now anticipating your address at the Australian National University next week. What's your message to these Malaysia-watchers? What's your primary message there?

HARIS: I think alot of people are speculating, as to was the election on the 5th of May as dirty as many might suggest? We just had the People's Tribunal concluded. There're many people who are asking "Where do we go from here?" Many people who're concerned about what we see or we've been seeing the last couple of months since the elections. The race, religion rhetoric, the recent Alllah issue, the ban on the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims, by Christians. There're alot of issues that Malaysians overseas are looking at and are asking, "Where is the country going to?"

We've seen international reports that suggest that the economy of Malaysia is on the verge of a disaster. Now, those questions are being asked. Alot of the Malaysian diaspora would like to know where the nation is going, and what can they do, to take it back in the direction that our forefathers had intended - one people, one nation - all equal.

You'll forgive me, but from the 6th of May (the day after elections) I had said I did not recognise Najib Razak as my prime minister, I do not recognise his regime as the legitimate government of Malaysia, because there was wholesale fraud on the 5th.

We've seen the UMNO (party) elections just conclude and Zahid Hamidi, the Home minister of a government i don't recognise and therefore, I do not recognise his position - but for the purpose of this programme, let's acknowledge that Zahid does have that position - He was heard to say that a known notorious bunch of gangsters should carry on with what they're doing, that there may a policy on the part of the Malaysian police, to shoot first when there is evidence, rather than to allow for due process.

Now, should I to be encouraged then, by his recent huge victory at the UMNO elections? Is that a message of the kind of leadership that Najib is going to bring, to take this country forward, One Malaysia? Sorry sir, I beg to differ.

LAM: It's a very bleak picture you're painting of Malaysia. Where do you see all this heading, because UMNO is not going to hand power or its position to the opposition, or to Pakatan Rakyat. Where do you see this heading, in the next five years?

HARIS: In the short term, we need to very closely monitor the economy, to see whether we can in fact survive the huge foreign debt that this regime and its predecessor has built up. If we do survive this. We are expecting price hikes over the next one year. Whether the general population and most specifically, the forty percent to fifty percent who live below the poverty line indicator - the real poverty line indicator - not the one that has been contrived by the government. If we do in fact, go into GE14 (the 14th general elections), it is a battle to take the truth to the masses in the heartlands.

I serve the 40 percent who are marginalised, and if they are prepared to wait it out, then, I will serve them to wait it out. If they cannot sustain their daily lives, having to wait out four years, I'll (also) serve them.

LAM: I think you might find that many Malaysians would be very nervous to listen to your message to take the streets and to institute (regime) change right now. I think they might prefer to wait out the next four years.

HARIS: Again, like I said, if those Malaysians you speak of, make up the forty percent who're marginalised, then I will listen to them. But if it's the middle class who're concerned that their life-style may not be maintained, the numbers who are marginalised are growing. And history has taught us, the history of revolutions will teach us, that when the numbers who're marginalised are large enough, they will come around and change the way of life of the middle class. Now they (the middle class) don't want that to happen - so stand with the marginalised now.

LAM: You left what might have been a fairly comfortable life practising law, in exchange for the uncertainties and the stress of activism. What was the deciding factor? What drove you to the seachange?

HARIS: Over the years, as I worked on the ground, I have seen the injustice, the inequality that has been perpetrated, that has been served to the forty percent, and I think I reached the point, where I said this cannot go on.

It began to make, as you said, the 'comfortable life' that I had, seemingly meaningless, when around the corner, I had to pass abject poverty to get to my comfortable home.

You reach a point where it becomes meaningless, if your fellow Malaysians, so many are deprived of the basic opportunities that you've been given, that you've had, simply because of ethnic considerations.

I don't enjoy the Cuban cigars anymore, I guess I find the comfort in perhaps seeing little incremental improvements, if at all we can manage them. And that more than makes up for any loss of comfort that I've had to undergo.

LAM: And do you draw comfort also from the younger generation of Malaysians who seem to be demanding more of their leaders?

HARIS: Undoubtedly. I tell you the young Malaysians give me hope. The young Malaysians give me hope that even as we appear to be in a state of seeming hopelessness, we will see light at the end of the tunnel. God willing.

Winners and losers in Umno polls

The Umno elections are over, and here are the winners and losers.

Winners

• Datuk Seri Najib Razak

He wanted the status quo and he got it. He may be the butt of jokes in urban Malaysia for staying silent on all important issues in the country and for believing that all problems can be solved by tossing money around but in Umno, the man is in a strong position.

All his men – Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein – were elected as vice-presidents yesterday. Also protecting his flank are Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Wanita Umno leader Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil.

Even if Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad goes on a rampage against Najib, it is going to be just noise because the former prime minister will not have a power broker in a senior position in Umno to shake Najib.

Najib is in a much stronger position in his party than he was just after the May 5 general election. But will he do anything with this mandate or will he remain Mr Anonymous?

• Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

If as expected Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin does not contest the next general election, guess who is in running to become the deputy prime minister of Malaysia.

Not bad for someone who was detained under the Internal Security Act in 1998; who until a couple of years ago was staring at political oblivion, the price for being a close associate of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Not bad for someone without the gravitas or the intellectual heft of some of Malaysia's former DPMs, heavyweights such as Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman and Tun Musa Hitam.

But who are we to say anything? Umno absolutely loves his fighting talk and right-wing rhetoric.

• Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
• Remember that classmate of yours who did not do much throughout the year, crammed for the last month and somehow managed to pass the SPM? Remember him following the same path for STPM and scraping through?

Now think of Hishammuddin Hussein. He did not perform well as Education Minister and only snared a slot as the vice-president in the last party polls, thanks to the last-minute intervention of his cousin, Najib.

This time around, he needed the whole cavalry to take him over the finish line. Even Shahrizat mobilised Wanita Umno to help the man who put in a poor, poor shift as the home minister.

On his own, he would have been an also-ran.

• Khairy Jamaluddin

He retained his position as the Umno Youth chief so comfortably and has positioned himself as the reformer in the party (it is just branding because in Umno a reformer is someone who says he is a reformer. Walking the talk is optional).

With Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir out of the picture and Dr Mahathir's ability to influence Umno on the wane, expect Khairy to take a higher profile in the party.

Also expect him to contest the vice-presidency at the next party polls. Not a bad few months for someone once best known as the son-in-law of Tun Abdullah Badawi.

Losers

• Malaysia

Is this the best the ruling party can offer Malaysians? Yes. This is the Umno dream team: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Shafie Apdal, Hishammuddin Hussein. One of these chaps could end up as the prime minister.

There is Zahid who till today has been unable to answer allegations of cronyism raised against him by Dr Mahathir in 1998 or still has that case of allegedly assaulting his daughter's friend hanging over him.

And sandwiched in between is a litany of statements bordering on chauvinistic, seditious or just plain ridiculous.

Shafie is the colourless, under-performer from Sabah while Hishammuddin is best known for waving the keris during the Umno assembly in 2006 and watching crime become a serious problem on his tour of duty as the home minister.

But this is the best Umno can offer. A bit like the Malaysian football team: a pale shadow of the great teams of Arumugam, Soh Chin Aun and Mokhtar Dahari.

• Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad

The former prime minister still has some pull in Umno but is not nearly as influential as what his bloggers and supporters and family would like to believe. Without the Mahathir surname and intense campaigning by his father, Mukhriz would have been thrashed.

Still, few people remember losers, or the margin of defeat. In Umno, it is even more cruel. Few have time for losers. Party members only respect power and gravitate to those with the scent of power.

For Dr Mahathir, this is the second consecutive election that he has been unable to make his presence count for the candidate of his choice. In GE13, despite campaigning for Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Nordin both were defeated by candidates from PAS in Pasir Mas and Shah Alam respectively.

• Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam

The man played the race card to the hilt and painted himself as a victim of the Chinese tsunami but he performed worse than expected. He was quietly confident of even snatching the third vice-president's slot. So why did he perform so badly?

The electoral college may have been extended but the real power brokers are the 191 division chiefs. It is they who set the voting pattern for their delegates and, truth be told, the majority of them did not want to antagonise Najib who had already indicated that he wanted the status quo retained. 

Pakatan’s economic principles lead to a better Malaysia – Raja Ahmad Shahrir

As often repeated in the mainstream media, Malaysia has huge, almost boundless, economic potential. Blessed with abundant natural resources, a diversified workforce and strategic geographic location, Malaysia has been able to grow rapidly in the last couple of decades with relative ease.

The challenge, now is to sustain growth in a more competitive world. Although not officially endorsed, this represents Pakatan Rakyat's core thinking around economic management.

Let me begin by stating our core guiding principles that will be our compass in developing a potential PR administrative plan.

Our core beliefs, our basic economic philosophy are the following: A market economy, economic equity; and means-tested redistribution and comprehensive political reform. I will now deal with them individually.

Implementing a humane economy

We believe in a market economy. It menas that as a rule, the government will not interfere in the fundamental operations of the free market mechanism. Businesses will be given full facility to operate and flourish, hard work will be rewarded and the forces of supply and demand will, ceteris paribus, determine the equilibrium pricing of goods and services.

But it will not be a laissez-faire or "leave it alone" economy because while transactions between private parties may be sacrosanct, history has shown that unbridled free enterprise has led to much abuse and exploitation of the weak. We have all seen how the financial crisis of 2008 brought the global markets to their knees, with a toxic mixture of greed and banking deregulation.

The reality is that “ceteris paribus” is a fiction because many things are not equal. So, in pricing, there are situations where the government must act.

True, decisions on investments and resource allocation should, as a rule, be determined through markets. But where you have monopolies, cartels and mismanaged state corporations ganging up to skewer the pricing mechanism, that is no longer free market. In such situations, government intervention is no longer a question of choice but a moral imperative.

The philosopher Michael J. Sander argues that the world is in danger of becoming a “market society” where everything is for sale and where the markets have become detached from morals. A market society based on price tags cannot differentiate worthy or unworthy causes.

Therefore, he argued, rightfully, that a free market should only be used as a tool and not as an all encompassing way of life. What we want is a market economy, not a market society.

The Pakatan market economy will be a regulated market with an interventionist slant. It will still be very much a free market economy but a market with a human face. In other words, it will be a humane market economy.

Protecting the poor, benefiting the middle and rich

Our second core belief is our commitment to economic equity. We will do our level best to improve the livelihood of the bottom 40% households, who earn less than RM1,500 a month.

For the businessmen in the crowd, I am sure none of you fall under this category. So you may ask, what has economic equity got to do with me? Why should my income tax be used to help the bottom 40%?

If the poor can earn better income, they will become better consumers of the goods and services that you produce. If they have better income, their children will be better educated, and grow to be your future productive workers, innovators and directors. It’s a simple circle of life: improve the livelihood of the poor and they in turn power economic growth.

Our target is to ensure the bottom 40% achieve a household income of RM4,000 a month.

Our economic equity is essentially based on social justice, which is to introduce an equitable redistribution policy based, not on race, but on economic means testing.

The NEP has been grossly abused, and while it served its purpose at the formative stages, it is no longer in tune with the times.

Our new policy will be based on needs. That means the poor, the needy and the marginalised will never be neglected.

The Malays and the Bumiputras still comprise the largest group in this category. So, any suggestion that they will lose out is totally unfounded. But it is a more equitable policy because we know that poverty cuts across all races and the best measure for affirmative action is means testing. No ethnic group will be left out.

This policy is not directed just towards poverty eradication but economic upliftment as well. With means testing, we will work towards a more equitable distribution of the nation’s economic pie.

Implementing structural changes, without fear or favour

One important dependency of real economic impact is the implementation of comprehensive political reforms in Malaysia. Without these reforms, impediments to higher growth will remain.

Crony capitalism prevents many of the budding and genuine entrepreneurs from climbing up the economic ladder, while crony subsidies and crony monopolies ensure that the rich continues to be rich or becomes even richer.

The government must have the resolve to remove these structural economic advantages to certain parties. In most cases, implementing such changes involves self-interest.

Is the ruling government able to remove monopolies and/or oligopolies in telecommunications and trade imports that continue to support partisan causes?

Umno-BN has no uniting cause; unless you consider plundering the rakyat, to be a valid common goal. BN operates with Umno as the big brother, all other component parties just follow in their footsteps.

As the propaganda goes, this is a recipe for a stable government; in reality though, there is a terminology for this kind of government; authoritarianism. Authoritarianism restricts freedom and breeds corruption.

The government has been going into overdrive to paint a negative picture about PR’s ability to rule, much less implement economic policies. The government says that PR is too fragmented; DAP is too Chinese, PAS is too Islamist, and PKR is too multi-racial. It is true that we are different, but what PR has in common makes it herculean. PR is united in a common belief of social justice and a real desire to see a better future for all Malaysians. - October 19, 2013.

Public enemy number one

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has nothing but contempt for other races but the thuggish character is given an important portfolio in the cabinet of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He wields considerable power with his control over the police force, and that is when he becomes a dangerous man, an extremely venomous politician.

With his bigoted streak, Zahid has only the non-Malays, mainly Indians, on his crosshair. He has issued orders to his men in blue to open fire first and talk later when they come across suspected Indian gang members. This admission explains the spate of mysterious shootouts in which suspects are gunned down in cold blood without given the space to surrender.

Zahid has a perverted sense of justice to justify the killing of bad hats. He claimed the majority of the gang members are of Indian ethnicity whose victims are mostly Malays, “our race!” So he is justified in issuing the “licence to kill” order to his race in the police force to gun down all these Indian suspects without any warning. Not satisfied, he trained his gun on the Chinese as well for their alleged links to the underworld and mischievously implied their wealth is ill-gotten. Zahid’s declared enemies are the Indians and Chinese, whether criminals or law-abiding citizens.

Now every Indian and Chinese citizen has become a target for the trigger-happy sharpshooters who only have to get some evidence, solid or flimsy, to take out human lives. Witnesses to a crime committed on Malays only had to shout “Indians” and Zahid’s boys will descend on them, shooting from the hips.

Zahid is not acting in a responsible or sane manner in dealing with crime. Granted, bad hats must be severely dealt with, but when action is taken based on racial profiling, it amounts to gross injustice. Zahid sees in every Indian or Chinese criminal traits that must be wiped out at the shout of a command. Even innocent non-Malays might become victims of the over-zealous police who are only answerable to their imperious boss.

How will Zahid react when people take to the streets to demand fair play? It is not too difficult to second-guess his response. Armed with new draconian police laws, he will mow them all down because they are all “criminals”. They are all “criminals” because they are all mostly non-Malays. Based on his diseased logic, it is all right to detain, beat or shoot them. When he was the defence minister, he was ready to use the full might of the army to crush the Bersih protesters who happened to be mostly non-Malays who only want free and fair elections.

Zahid seems to cradle the thought that as home minister he can do what he wants with human lives. Torture them. Shoot them. Or even use his Tiga Line mobsters to do the dirty job. Soon his prisons will be overflowing with casualties as his “shoot first, talk later” policy goes into top gear. Fear will stalk the land as every Indian and Chinese home worries over the fate of their sons and daughters.

Zahid is no defender of all Malaysians. Neither is he an advocate of press freedom. He hates the press especially the alternative media and will have no hesitation to crush them. As press czar he can dispense or withdraw a publishing licence at his whims and fancies, and find ways and means of disrupting the online forces. By muzzling the press, Zahid will have a free hand in all his cloak-and-dagger operations.

The tension between Zahid and the people, particularly the non-Malays, will increase as the uncouth minister tightens his grip on domestic life. Never mind Najib: he will not interfere with what Zahid will do. He will not sack him because he needs a roughneck to ride roughshod over the people. The home minister will stand tall and haughty but he will never earn the respect of the people. Zahid is public enemy number one.

Talibanism in Malaysia?, Iskandar Dzulkarnain

Lately, the rise in incidents deemed as an insult to Islam has led a Malaysian minister to proclaim that the government practises zero tolerance towards religious insults. From bak kut teh, dogs and lately pig heads sandwiched between ketupat. Such incidents are becoming a little too much to stomach. 

Adding insult to injury, the public and even politicians are starting to accuse Umno and BN of religious intolerance and likening our modest religious practises to Talibanism. What is so wrong about Talibanism? Talibans are also Muslims, although they were wrongly condemned by the international community for destroying some useless ancient relics carved into the hillsides of Afghanistan. 

The Talibans have great respect for their womenfolk and take great pains to protect them from the clutches of evil men. That is why they deter women from appearing in public without a male escort and fully clad in the burqa. Women are also barred from appearing on the balconies of their home. To the Talibans, a woman’s place is in the home, that’s why they have been denied an education or to work in public. 

Saudi Arabia also has similar practises to the extent of disallowing women from driving. However, women in this country are taking advantage of liberal laws to hog the education bandwagon, pursuing careers while forsaking wholesome family duties to bring up the kids.

 Malaysian Muslim men are more than capable of taking care of the family needs without the need of a working spouse. If Muslim Malaysian women, like the Talibans were to stay at home, deserving Muslim male students would not have to compete for dwindling places in universities. Instead, women are overtaking male students at their expense in universities, and have carved for themselves careers of their own. Some have gone on to become ministers in the cabinet and unlike honest male politicians, some of them got themselves into scandals with cows, sports and AP permits. Women are also appearing everywhere in the city uncovered, exposing themselves on TV and movies and subjecting themselves to risk of molest and rape, while some of them are participating in the unfeminine act of driving. 

They arm themselves with the latest information tools like iPhones and iPads tweeting away like Jack the sparrow and sharing photos on Facebook. Some do Yoga or dance the Poco Poco in their spare time. Yes, Malaysian women are becoming too liberal and not spending enough time entertaining their husbands, causing many men to reluctantly remarry again. 

Imagine, if a Malaysian Muslim were to win the Miss Universe contest, not only will the whole world start to ogle at her uncovered looks, but aliens from outer space would zipped onto earth in flying saucers to catch a glimpse of the most beautiful creature in the universe. 

If women, like the Talibans stayed at home, there would be adequate vacancies in the overbulged civil service and enough jobs for all the males in the country. There would be no more idle talk or office romances and men would concentrate and focus on their work without any feminine distraction. Is it a surprise why many leaders have declared that liberalism and pluralism is destroying this country? 

Umno’s civic duty to Muslims: Although, Umno and BN have not done a very good job of governing the country as they are not perfect, they will however not shirk from their civic duty of protecting the sanctity of Islam and Muslims in this country. Although Umno knows that it is taking a very big risk and the ire of liberal Malays for propagating the true Islamic path for Muslims, it will not deviate from its duty to ensure that Muslims stay in line. 

If PAS were allowed to take over Umno’s rule, there would be chaos and even more religious freedom which may be detrimental to the future of Muslims. Many see the move by the ulamaks to take over the Erdogans in PAS as timely. Some PAS leaders have expressed their fear that PAS has deviated from its original goal to uphold Islam by trying to appease the non Muslims. 

The position of Islam in this country has always been under constant threat. The Ramadan bak kut teh greeting by the Alvivi duo is one fine example. Luckily, they are bona fide Malaysian citizens, or they would have been deported and their PR stripped like the Singaporean who allowed non Muslims to use the surau. Malaysia is an Islamic country and we do not practise multi-faith prayer halls like in other countries, hence the demolition of the surau was justified and timely. 

Even in Perlis and Kedah, Muslims have been warned to abide by a fatwa against marrying Shiite followers or following their practises. This goes to show how stern the government is against deviant threats. And lately, Muafakat secretary-general A Karim Omar claimed that there were many Muslim apostates who became Christians, but continued to masquerade as Muslims frequenting mosques and fasting during Ramadan to hide their identities to avoid being persecuted.

 And lately, the revelations by Father Augustus Chen’s have also sent cold shivers down the spines of Umno leaders. Luckily, JAKIM has done a wonderful job to counter such threats by embarking on missionary programmes to spread the true message to non Muslims nationwide in shopping centres and other establishments. 

Government’s good intentions :This is also why we should not accuse Umno of using religion to gain Malay support politically and morally, as many liberal Muslims have gone astray due to opposition propaganda and dumped BN in GE13! Yes, Umno is very afraid and desperate. It has run out of ideas and strategies to unite the ummah. PAS is a like a thorn in the flesh dividing Muslims like nobody’s business. If liberal Muslims continue to reject Umno outright, how is Umno going to continue protecting their absolute rights? 

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proven his mettle as the most suitable Home Minister by his outspokenness when he usurped the role of the court to declare that non-Muslims must respect the rights of Muslims and stop using the word Allah which is exclusive and an absolute right of Muslims. “This is not a matter of rights but this is more than an absolute right, the word ‘Allah’ is an absolute right for Islam, full stop,” Ahmad Zahid has concluded. 

That’s why it is so unbecoming of ex de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim to tweet that “the only people who are challenging Islam are the lousing unthinking Muslims”. Everyone knows that Muslims will not challenge Islam so his tweet hardly makes any sense. After all, Malaysia does rank at the top for religious tolerance and the commonsense index. His other remark that Malaysia was once richer than Korea but now the Koreans are four times richer than us is also very unfair. Malaysian Muslims unlike others do not covet riches in this world; that’s why there are hardly any rich Muslims in this country compared to the nons.

 But it is appearing that non Muslim rights are overriding the rights of Muslims in this country while Muslims are feeling more and more alienated in their own country. It also can be clearly seen that the “Allah” issue is exclusive only to Malaysia as expressed in a recent forum due to a “Christian virus of pluralism” as echoed by one panelist. The banning of The Lamb of God metal band from performing in this country shows that the government is determined to protect Muslims at all costs from deviating further from the truth. And because of such deadly threats to Muslims in this country, NGOs like Perkasa, Pembela, Jati and Isma are starting to fight back by championing the rights of Malays and Muslims in this country. 

Malaysians in this country should remain calm, patient and collected until the government and religious authorities have removed such threats from weakening the faith of believers. Until then, we should continue to place our trust and future on BN and hope that all these external threats would be wiped out by the turn of the next century.

The A-G's report and the public trust

Islam has many lessons to impart on how to be honest, faithful and trustworthy.
THE Auditor-General’s Report 2012 points to the fact that much need to be done to improve our public service.
Wastage or poor management of Government proceeds and assets is patently manifested in cases of improper payment, works and supplies not according to specifications, poor quality services, and unreasonable delays.
To ensure the Government’s activities are managed efficiently, prudently and in line with its objectives, the public servants need practical wisdom and skills.
But, as highlighted in the report, there is negligence in obeying specified rules and procedures, lack of clarity in planning, and lack of management skills.
Trust is the mainstay of religion and faith; and how far dishonesty is from both of them.
The Prophet said that “the one who does not possess honesty, does not possess Faith (la imana li-man la amanatan lahu); and the one who does not keep his pledge, has no religion (wa la dina li-man la ‘ahda lahu)”.
Another narration from Abu Umamah gives the following signs of hypocrites: “when he gets financial opportunity, he acted unfaithfully in taking from the property; when he is commanded in religious matters, he disobeys; and when he encounters enemy or difficult situation, he becomes a coward (not taking appropriate action).”
Masruq ibn al-Ajda’ states that “nothing is more grievous to God than one’s being untrustworthy”.
Reflect, for example, the Quranic story of the prophet Musa who – during his journey to Madyan, a town of northwestern Arabia – watered the goats belonging to two girls and did not ask for any reward.
After returning home, one of the girls praised him to her aged father, the prophet Shu‘ayb, and said: “O my (dear) father! Engage him on wages. Truly the best of men for thee to employ is the (man) who is strong and trustworthy (al-qawiyy al-amin).” (al-Qasas, 28:26).
Obviously, while capability, strength and power (al-qawiyy) are the requirements of a good employee, he should also be honest, faithful and trustworthy (al-amin).
A dishonest person may lie about his capability or qualifications, presenting himself as something he is not competent of.
Hence, for example, the case of fake degrees.
Trustworthiness lies in the employee’s intellect, while capability in his competence.
Both are based very much on one’s true knowledge and learning. It is a combination of the honour of steadfastness with the dignity of honesty and integrity.
Hence, the importance of upholding integrity applies to diverse areas, including the task of preparing reliable human capital, which involves staff selection and manpower recruitment.
As Muhammad Baqir Najm-i Thani (an adviser on statecraft for Mughal Emperor Jahangir) puts it: “Efficient civil servants and skilful employees are the adornment of any government.”
When employees of the Govern-ment are characterised by the quality of honesty, the foundations of the nation are more intact and the people, too, are kept safe from the public servants’ injustices.
However, if their conduct is tarnished by dishonesty whereas they are having great influence over the functioning of the Government, they will afflict innocent people with misfortune.
What is worse, not only people, even livestock are not spared from such a mismanagement.
For example, the A-G’s Report highlights how livestock deaths were as high as 74% at one state agriculture department’s special rearing station.
The Government should search for prudent and learned personnel and not opt for negligent and incompetent individuals.
Otherwise, to quote Najm-i Thani again: “It would be like tying a head ornament to the feet, or hanging footwear on the head ... Wherever skilful people perish, and ignorant and ridiculous people assume the reins of power, there complete confusion overtakes the dignity leading to disaster for the nation.”
The A-G’s Report also highlights cases where poor attention is given to impact or effectiveness of public programmes or projects.
“When you want to do something,” says the Prophet Muhammad, “ponder on its consequences. If the consequence is good (rushd), proceed with it; if the consequence is offence (ghayy), terminate it.” (narrated by Ibn al-Mubarak from Abu Ja‘far al-Hasyimi).
This is called muhasabah. Indeed, knowledge of the self implies self-examination.
Firstly, it is one’s observing whether the carrying out of one’s duties has been executed in the proper way; and, secondly, one’s correcting any deviation from what is proper.
Allah says in the Quran: “Let every soul look to what he has sent forth for the morrow (the Day of Resurrection),” (al-Hashr, 59:18) as one’s acts will become one’s provision for the next life after death.
 
> Dr Mohd Sani Badron is Senior Fellow/Director at Ikim’s Centre for Economics and Social Studies. The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.

Teacher, siapa orang Hindu ni - Cheryl Fernando

• 1902

   
  Share

I teach in a school where all, except two, of the students are Malays. As a result, they are hardly aware of the existence of other races. It doesn’t help that I have a name like Cheryl Ann Fernando. “Adik Fernando Torres ke? Cikgu orang apa?” were the most common questions when I first started teaching.

My students find it hard to comprehend how I can be Indian and Christian at the same time. When I mentioned once how I was going to the church, they stared at me in silence. “Gereja tahu tak?” I asked. “Tak tahu la teacher!”

So, for the next ten minutes, I did a mini lesson on places of worship. The next week, I showed them pictures of the different races, their traditional costumes, places of worship and celebrations. I explained to my students how race is different from religion.

A few weeks later, when I asked them who won a competition, they said, “Sekolah yang banyak orang Hindu tu cikgu”. Hindu? I then realised that my students referred to Indians as ‘orang Hindu’. Again, I explained clearly the difference. My religion is Christian, my race is Indian and I’m a Malaysian, I told them repeatedly. They looked at me skeptically, “Okay, kalau macam tu, cakap sikit bahasa orang Kristian dan esok pakai baju orang Kristian,” said my 13 year olds. It took great strength not to laugh. Again, we went through another round of explanation.

I had a mini lesson with my students on the derogatory terms they often use to refer to Indians and Chinese. I made it clear that we do not hurt others with words, be it people of your own race or anyone else. I echoed the words of another fellow teacher and reminded my students that people are really divided into two types, the good and the bad. It is up to them to decide what they want to be. I also told them how we all share something very special – citizenship in this country. That is why, although I am an Indian, I still teach in this school because I know I am teaching the children of Malaysia. They listened quietly.

We went on a school trip recently with students from other schools. Before the trip, I warned my students to be respectful of other races. I gave them the simple logic of how if they liked me, then they would like any other Indian person out there. The same goes with a Chinese person, I said, referring to the other teacher who was the only Chinese person in school. Towards the end of the trip, I was shocked to see my Abdullah walk side by side with Sharvin. “Abdullah ada kawan baru?” I asked. “Ye teacher. Nama dia..Kevin..eh, tidak..Sharvin,” he answered and walked away happily.

After the trip, I did a little reflection with my students and they all said how surprised they were at how friendly the Indian and Chinese students were. They were excited with their new friendships and told the rest of the school what a wonderful trip it was. “Walaupun mereka main lagu Hindu..oh sorry, lagu India dalam bas..kita masih gembira”, said Nabil.

I am not going to end this article with a ‘could have, would have, should have’ lecture on our education system. But, I will tell you that nation building starts in our classrooms. It starts in our schools. We need to educate our students and help them understand the different races in our country and then move forward to see beyond it. We need to stop talking about the problems and start teaching. Only then will we see the difference.