Buddhism is King Kong religion, says Mamakutty's crony , convert ustaz

Buddhism is King Kong religion, says Mamakutty's crony , convert ustaz

Until today still no action taken , or is it there's no report on this buffalo ?

Pix: Ann Wan Seng is a member of the Perkim national council

Courtesy of Hartal MSM

By Sharifuddin A. Latiff

What is with these Chinamen who convert to Islam in Malaysia?!

One of the most well-known Muslim missionaries (pendakwah) is Ann Wan Seng, who’s a prolific speaker in Malay — like you-know-who.




Above is a screenshot of the Perkim website organization chart. The Perkim chairman is Mahathir, by the way.

But watch the video! (Below):



At 3:00, Ann says:

Bukan sekadar orang Cina menyembah agama Buddha. Mereka juga sembah berbagai dewa dan juga dewi. Mereka sembah Tua Pek Kong, mereka sembah Pau Kong, mereka sembah Datuk Kong dan barangkali mereka juga sembah King Kong (audience snickers).

Maka jadilah agama dia agama Kong Kali Kong.

Dan inilah keadaan yang sedia wujud itu (speaker laughs) di mana orang Cina sembah patung-patung ini kerana mereka yakin dan juga mereka percaya bahawa patung ini boleh mendatangkan kebaikan kepada mereka, boleh mendatangkan kesejahteraan kepada mereka, boleh memberikan keselamatan malahan boleh menjadikan mereka ini kaya-raya.

—00000—


Ann is wrong to conflate Buddhist teachings with the worship of Taoist deities. Even I know this. It just goes to show how shallow the knowledge of these Muslim preachers are. Spreading such ignorance and denigrating other religions is just as bad as BTN propaganda.

The YouTube video is three years old but it has only came to light and to the attention of the wider audience after the brouhaha created by blogger Mahaguru58. The president of the Muslim bloggers network Zainol Abideen made his police report against a Christian preacher whom he accused of insulting Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. six years ago.

In a tit-for-tat, the other side of blogosphere similarly highlighted this video to show that it is both sides doing the insulting.

However, only one side is making the police reports and the death threats.

The authorities are also one-sided in their warnings against perpetrators. Take for example the NFA against the two school principals who not only made racial taunts but were also religiously motivated in their actions.

And Malaysia wants to lecture the rest of the world on religious tolerance? Bah, humbug.

Read more: http://hartalmsm.wordpress.com/

When it was reported that a Malay Muslim convert to Christianity blasphemed against Prophet Muhammad PBUH, Muslims including leaders from the ruling BN/Umno regime screamed for his blood. Now lets see if these 'Holier Than Thou' Muslims especially those from Umno who are bedfellows with 'Kafir' (infidel) MCA, Gerakan, LDP, SUPP are going to go after Ann Wan Seng with equal fervor. Hello Chua Soi Lek! What ya gonna do?

Also read my previous article .

Buddhist want probe into Chinese ustaz's ' King Kong ' remarks

Buddhists want probe into Chinese ustaz’s ‘King Kong’ remarks

By Debra Chong

October 07, 2010

The preacher appears to make disparaging remarks on Buddhism and Chinese traditional beliefs in the clip.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Buddhist leaders have called on Putrajaya to investigate a popular Chinese Muslim preacher for allegedly ridiculing their religion and Chinese traditional beliefs in a video broadcast over YouTube.

The clip has gone viral on local political blogs and appeared to be in response to government criticism last week over a Malay Christian convert who insulted Islam in another YouTube video first posted six years ago but resurfaced recently.

Titled “Dialog bekas penganut Buddha”, the nine-minute long video shows a bespectacled man wearing a white skullcap said to be Ann Wan Seng, a Buddhist-turned -Muslim and currently a national council member of the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim), helmed by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. ( Buddhist -turned Muslim ) Bila sudah di potong , kepala pun sudah jadi macam anjing , selalu menyalak bila nampak apa 2 sahaja , tak guna otak ,

Subang Jaya Buddhist Association chief Chim Siew Choon said he was upset when he saw the video on YouTube.

“The relevant authorities should stop this. It’s very unhealthy. These sorts of things can cause disharmony,” he said.

Chim said the Buddhist-turned-Muslim had the freedom to comment on his former religion, but deplored the manner in which the latter had ridiculed Buddhism and confused it with traditional Chinese beliefs.

Babi Ann sits on the Perkim national council.

“He’s very confused. Why bring in Tua Pek Kong and Pau Kong? It’s got nothing to do with Buddhism,” he observed.

Based on what was uttered in the video, Chim added, the man displayed very shallow knowledge of his former religion and traditional Chinese beliefs.

Sek Chin Yong, from the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM), echoed Chim’s call for the authorities to investigate the matter.

“We leave it to the authorities to take action and investigate if they want to. No need for us to get upset just because he’s talking nonsense. We don’t want to fall into that trap,” said Sek, who questioned the motive of the person who uploaded the clip onto the popular video-sharing portal.

“Ann as a Muslim should not insult other religions. As a Chinese, he should promote the common good values to make these two different groups to know each other better, not incite Muslims or Malays to belittle Chinese traditional beliefs and customs.

“By insulting or denigrating others to raise himself is not a proper role for preachers. It’s also not a teaching of any religion,” Sek pointed out.

The YBAM secretary-general, however, said he did not think it necessary to file a police report to launch a probe and cautioned other Buddhists not to give in to their emotions.

“Personally, I don’t feel insulted. Why should I get angry or upset with what he said in the video? He’s not right,” Sek stressed.

First uploaded three years ago on October 18, 2007, the man alleged to be Ann can be heard making disparaging remarks in Bahasa Malaysia about his former religion and traditional Chinese worship:

“Bukan sekadar orang Cina menyembah agama Buddha. Mereka juga sembah berbagai dewa dan juga dewi. Mereka sembah Tua Pek Kong, mereka sembah Pau Kong, mereka sembah Datuk Kong dan barangkali mereka juga sembah King Kong.

“Maka jadilah agama dia agama Kong kali Kong.

“Dan inilah keadaan yang sedia wujud itu di mana orang Cina sembah patung-patung ini kerana mereka yakin dan juga mereka percaya bahawa patung ini boleh mendatangkan kebaikan kepada mereka, boleh mendatangkan kesejahteraan kepada mereka, boleh memberikan keselamatan malahan boleh menjadikan mereka ini kaya-raya.

[Not only do the Chinese worship Buddhism. They also worship all kinds of gods and goddesses. They worship Tua Pek Kong, they worship Pau Kong, they worship Datuk Kong and probably they also worship King Kong.

Which makes his religion Kong times Kong. ( Ustaz ini sudah jadi kong siau sebab dia sudah kena kong tau dan belakang nya sudah di kong kek oleh king kong .

And this is the current situation where the Chinese worship these statues because they are convinced and they believe these statues can bring them benefit, can bring them prosperity, can give them security and even make them wealthy.]

The Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) declined to comment on the issue when contacted.

“It’ll be more interesting to see what the Muslim groups have to say. How will they respond?” its president, Reverend Dr Thomas Philips, told The Malaysian Insider.

The non-Muslim council also said it will be meeting the Muslim groups today at the Cabinet’s recently revived Committee to Promote Understanding and Harmony Among Religious Adherents.

When asked, however, Philips said he did not plan to raise the video controversy at the meeting because “it’s been going on for some time now… and we can’t be dealing with every small matter like this that comes up”.

The video has garnered 15,330 views at the time of reporting and 87 comments on YouTube but likely spawned hundreds more after it was highlighted yesterday in controversial blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin’s Malaysia-Today website.

Inaction on racism: Cabinet slammed for impotence, irrelevance

Inaction on racism: Cabinet slammed for impotence, irrelevance

Hello RCI Lim . stop making an idiot out of yourself . The Cabinet should not be hold responsible for the comments by the two racists . You know who is responsible and who's Ministry it falls under . Don't tell me that you are not aware of all the racists issues all coming from one Moody Ministry and who is in charge of that Ministry . In case you are so dumb as to not knowing it , its the 2 Malaysia Moodyhidin . Malaysians are not fools , and stop making a fool of yourself with your silly accusation .

Malaysia Chronicle

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has accused Malaysia’s federal Cabinet of being “impotent and irrelevant” for failing to take action against two school principals accused of hurling racial slurs at their non-Malay pupils and the deputy director of the National Civics Bureau who allegedly called Chinese “slit-eyes” and Indians “drunkards”.

“All Malaysians await the outcome of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting – whether there is going to be more procrastination and “tai chi” over the gross indiscipline of the two errant school principals and the BTN deputy director in openly flouting Prime Minister Najib’s 1Malaysia concept,” Kit Siang said in a statement.

“I am waiting for the outcome of the Cabinet tomorrow to decide whether to move an emergency motion in Parliament on Monday to demand an urgent debate on these two issues.”

Muhyiddin rebuffs action

As Kit Siang pointed out, 55 days have passed since the first incident occurred in Kulai, Johor, where headmistress Siti Inshah Mansor had told her Chinese pupils to go back to China and likened the Indian ones to dogs because of the prayer strings they wore. A few days later a headmaster in Bukit Selambau was also caught making similar racist remarks.

Kit Siang

But despite the numerous police reports lodged by angry parents, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin – who is also the Education minister – has chosen to shield them. Although, he set up a task force to investigate their actions, he has refused to push for a speedy resolution despite widespread public anger. Muhyiddin is the deputy president of ruling party Umno, and has often resorted to race-championing tactics to gain political popularity.

The Najib administration has tried to downplay the incidents as unusual occurrences, with Prime Minister Najib Razak ordering a “zero-tolerance” towards racism. But so far, as in all his other edicts and policies, no concrete action has followed his words.
.
BTN exposed

Even the immediate response of Pakatan Rakyat leaders to his zero-tolerance pronouncement was that it would not work unless the National Civics Bureau or BTN was shut down, and its indoctrination courses for civil servants and undergraduates stopped immediately. Past attendees have complained that during these courses, BTN lecturers often described non-Malays in derogatory terms.

Perkasa man and Hamim

Although the Najib administration has often denied such accusations, last week, BTN deputy director Hamim Husain was caught personally making such remarks at a Puteri Umno function. So far, Hamim has issued an indirect denial and lodged a police report against the reporter and news organization that printed his comments.

"Another case of disgraceful conduct by public servants was discussed by the Cabinet last Wednesday – the derogatory, offensive and insensitive reference to the Chinese and Indian communities as “Si Mata Sepet” (“Squinty-eyed”) and “Si Kaki Botol” (“Alcoholics”) by the National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director Hamin Husin at a closed-door Puteri Umno function – but there was no satisfactory outcome although the open mockery of the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia policy by public servants further undermined Najib’s authority, credibility and legitimacy," Kit Siang said.

"The Cabinet meekly asked the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan to investigate the racist remarks by Hamim, who have meanwhile received the endorsement of Perkasa to lodge a police report under the tutelage of Perkasa. Where does the Cabinet come in on this. Do the Ministers have any leadership role? Or are they completely impotent and irrelevant!"

Cabinet orders probe into racist remarks

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:23

PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet has directed Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Sidek Hassan to investigate alleged racist remarks made by a National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director, two days ago.

Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam said the Cabinet expressed its disappointment over remarks made by BTN Federal Territory deputy director Hamim Husin during a closed-door function with Puteri Umno delegates.

"We want a report on a news portal which claimed that the deputy director made a racist statement.

"The Cabinet has asked the Chief Secretary to the Government to inquire into the matter before any action is taken," he told reporters here today.

Hamim was reported by a news portal as saying that it was the Malay rights to rule the country and urged them to unite in the face of threats.

Hanim had also purportedly described the Chinese as “si sepet mata” (slitty eyes) and Indians as “kaki botol” (alcoholics).

Yesterday, MCA and Gerakan leaders called for swift action against Hanim, including the possibility of the police investigating the matter.

They also lamented that such statements would lend a blow to the 1Malaysia concept.

- Bernama

Also read:

Samy: Protector Najib will save us from racist parasites

'Racist' officer: BN leaders see red, DPM in the dark

Chua: Punish those who play the race card

'Racist' officer: BN leaders see red, DPM in the dark

2 Malaysia Tak Nampak !!

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:09

By G Vinod

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional leaders, minus Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, today condemned yet another racial slur from a high ranking officer on the government payroll.

They also agreed that it had rendered another devastating blow to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's 1Malaysia campaign.

Muhyiddin, however, claimed to be in the dark and reserved his comments about the latest controversy.

The leaders were responding to a news report which claimed that National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husin had allegedly used derogatory terms to refer to the Chinese and Indians.

During a closed-door meeting with Puteri Umno delegates, Hanim had purportedly described the Chinese as “si sepet mata” (slitty eyes) and Indians as “kaki botol” (alcoholics).

Seeing red, MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok called for prompt action, including a possible investigation by the police.

“It is time to put a halt to these arrogant and intolerant bigots,” he said in a statement.

Loh said it was shameful that a public servant employed by BTN, which trains upcoming civil servants, had used such stereotypical derogatory terms from a bygone era.

He said Hamim should be instead advocating that all races work towards achieving the 1Malaysia concept mooted by Najib, which was founded on the idea of inclusivity.

“BTN, as a government body has a responsibility to cultivate trust, not racial prejudice and polarisation based on an 'us versus them' dogma,” he added.

Loh urged the Public Service Department (PSD) to take action against Hamim as his statement had hurt the feelings of the Chinese and the Indian communities in Malaysia.

MIC vice-president and Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam said since BTN was a government agency under the Prime Minister’s Department, the views could be interpreted as being the government's stand.

“If an officer from this agency is found to have passed such remarks, it can be construed as reflecting the views of the government. It will also reflect badly on the government, and have adverse effects on the 1Malaysia concept.

“Therefore, I urge the BTN director-general to immediately investigate the matter thoroughly, and take the appropriate action according to the report of the investigation,” he added.

'Running counter to 1Malaysia'

Gerakan Youth secretary-general Dominic Lau bayed for Hamim's dismissal, saying the degrading words were uncalled for, unwarranted and mischiveous.

“His open and blatantly demeaning descriptions of fellow Malaysians run counter to the prime minister's all-inclusive 1Malaysia concept which is supposed to be propagated to participants at BTN camps,” he said.

Both Loh and Lau urged the government to review BTN courses and if needed, overhaul it accordingly so that the course to train civil servants reflected a 1Malaysia outlook and did not become a breeding ground for racism.

“There were many complaints by participants that the courses were indoctrination programmes, outdated, racist, divisive and seditious in nature and should be changed. The recent ugly incident has once again reinforced the serious shortcomings of BTN,” said Lau.

When asked to comment on the issue at a function today, Muhyiddin said: "I am not aware of that speech."

The deputy premier added that he would check the matter first before commenting on it.

Also read:

Bigotry in school: 'Why the foot-dragging?'

Only Malays can rule ? ? ?: PAS' Siti challenges Puteri Umno to debate

Only Malays can rule ? ? ?: PAS' Siti challenges Puteri Umno to debate

Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

PAS MP for Kota Raja Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud has slammed Puteri Umno chief Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin for “blindly echoing” the recent statements made by former premier Mahathir Mohamad that the position of the Malays would be threatened if a non-Malay became Prime Minister.

She also challenged Rosnah to a public debate on the topic that has sparked widespread public misgivings amongst all the races.

“It is sad and disturbing that in this day and age, after 53 years of nation-building, there are still people who think like this. I am shocked that the police and the Home Ministry have not taken any action on remarks that are blatantly seditious,” Dr Siti Mariah told Malaysia Chronicle.

“I advise all Malaysians not to be frightened by this sort of talk. It is Umno beating the racial drum for votes because they have no other ideas and are too lazy to go to the ground and reach out to the people. It is of course nonsense. The Malays will not lose power, only Umno and BN will lose power. If the Puteri Umno chief is serious, then I challenge her to a public debate. Let us fix a time, venue and day. ”

Isn't this extremism

Rosnah’s comments follow similarly derogatory remarks from the deputy director of the National Civics Bureau Hamim Husin, who as a guest speaker at the Puteri Umno function, had also suggested that only Malays had the right to rule Malaysia.

Puteri Umno's Rosnah

“I believe and I’m confident that without a Malay filling the post of prime minister and other important posts, the position of the Malays will be eroded,” Malaysian Insider reported Rosnah as saying at the function.

"As what we have read and understood, even the opposition leader himself dares to sell the honour of the Malays by offering a second important post in the country if he becomes prime minister.”

It is worth noting that even as Rosnah and Hamim made their comments, her party president Prime Minister Najib Razak was urging the world to reject extremism at a United Nations general assembly.

“We must, and I repeat, we must urgently reclaim the centre and the moral high ground that has been usurped from us. We must choose negotiations over confrontation. We must choose to work together and not against each other. And we must give this effort utmost priority for time is not on our side,” Najib said in his maiden speech to the UN.

Chief hypocrite and little Napoleon hypocrites

DAP's Kor Ming

Pundits said their actions reflected the hypocrisy typical in Umno and demanded that the Home Minister investigate Rosnah, Mahathir and Hamim for making the inflammatory comments.

"If a non-Malay had made those sort of statements, he or she would have been detained for sedition if not the ISA. But do you think Najib will take any action against Mahathir, Rosnah or Hamim?” Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Even the cartoonist Zunar was arrested and remanded for one day just for drawing cartoons about Najib and Rosmah, and yet our Prime Minister wants to tell the world to choose moderation over extremism. Is this not hypocrisy of the greatest degree?"

Related Stories:

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Najib's Islamophobia offer to US - why say you what you do not...

Pakatan perintah: Umno BN hilang kuasa, bukan Melayu...

Racism not working, Dr M turns to Islam: Says PAS bad Muslims ...

Dr M warns Malays to lose power if Pakatan defeats BN

What can you expect from a senile old man still living in the eighties and with his body 5 feet 10 inches in the hole .

September 23, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — While declaring he was not a racist, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad appeared to play the race card for Umno today by warning Malays that they would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) came to power.

He also implied that a Chinese or an Indian could become prime minister if PR took federal power because there was no constitutional restriction on race for the position.

The former prime minister (picture) claimed the political marginalisation of the Malays had already become a reality in PR-controlled states even though those administrations were led by Malays.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Dr Mahathir has offered his expertise to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to deliver a big win for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general elections which could be held as early as next year.

His remarks to Umno Online today suggests he will play a big role in Umno’s campaign to consolidate support among conservative Malays and win over fence-sitters uneasy with PR administrations.

The former Umno president, who still commands widespread influence among Umno members and larger Malay community, pointed to the former PR mentri besar in Perak Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as an example of how Malay politicians had been sidelined by PR.

“We see Nizar in Perak...even though he was Mentri Besar he followed the instructions of DAP until he fell. The Chinese claim this was BN’s move to bring down a Chinese government.

“So they called it a Chinese administration and is it not possible that we can have a prime minister like Nizar, Malay in name and a Muslim but not really independent and a tool of others,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said that while Nizar represented PAS which supposedly champions Islam, he was actually used to get Malay support.

He pointed out that there was no requirement for the prime minister to be a Muslim or Malay. All that was needed, Dr Mahathir said, was that the person had the support of the majority in Parliament.

“There is no restriction in law. In our Constitution there is nothing to stop a Chinese or an Indian from becoming prime minister. What is needed is support from the majority. If the majority agree there is nothing we can do,” he said.

In a thinly-veiled reference to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Dr Mahathir said that PKR did not champion the Malays but was set up to realise “one leader’s” ambitions of becoming the prime minister.

“Unfortunately Umno dropped this person and in anger his chance was gone, so he set up another party. His struggle is not for race, religion and country but to become prime minister.

Dr Mahathir added that the public should not be swayed by PR because he said the opposition coalition’s aim was only to bring about the downfall of BN.

The former PM claimed that his remarks were not racial in nature but were being made for the sake of restoring stability.

Man of No Action plays Tai Chi , saying

"I cannot act against racist principals, says DPM "....Balls you have no power to act as Education Minister ? Who are you trying to kid ??

UPDATED @ 10:13:09 PM 23-09-2010

By Clara Chooi

September 23, 2010

SERI KEMBANGAN, Sept 23 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin claimed today he had no power to take action against the two school principals who allegedly uttered racial slurs, despite his position as the country’s Education Minister.

He explained to reporters here today that this was because disciplinary matters involving high-ranking civil servants comes under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Department (PSD).

“The minister cannot make a decision (on this). So cases that involve certain matters, including these principals who have high (pay) grades... If I am not wrong, their grades are between 48 and 52, so this has to be decided on by a disciplinary board under the (purview of the) PSD’s director-general,” he told reporters after opening the 10th regional seminar on the Criminalisation of Bribery at the Palace of the Golden Horses hotel here this afternoon.

Muhyiddin (picture) pointed out that the ministry, on its part, had already done its own research on the cases and had handed over its report to the PSD for further action.

“I have asked the PSD to mete out appropriate action. It is under their jurisdiction (to do so),” he said.

He added that he had already made the announcement and urged the people to wait for the PSD to make its decision.

Earlier this month, PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah told a press conference in Putrajaya that the department had already received a “six-inch thick” report from the Education Ministry on the matter.

“If there is a case against the principal, then the disciplinary committee will deliberate. A show-cause letter will be issued to the principal and she will be given the opportunity to defend herself,” he had reportedly said.

Siti Inshah Mansor, the principal of SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, had allegedly told students during an assembly that the Chinese could return the China and that the Indians resembled “dogs” with their prayer strings.

“Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu,” she had allegedly said last month.

Following the public uproar over her controversial statement, about 20 reports were lodged against the principal.

In the Kedah case, Ungku Aznan Ungku Ismail, the school principal for SMK Bukit Selambau in Sungai Petani, caused a national outcry when he too allegedly uttered racial slurs to his non-Malay students.

Ungku Aznan had allegedly publicly told a few Chinese students to go back to China for they were behaving disrespectfully when they were seen having breakfast in the school canteen during the Ramadan fasting month.

He later escaped stern punishment when he was merely reassigned to an office in the district education office at Kuala Muda in Sungai Petani, shortly after the incident, drawing flak from many political leaders, including those from MCA.

The government has come under fire for failing to act quickly on the matter, despite their swift action in the case of controversial rapper Wee Meng Chee or “Namewee”, who had produced a video in response to the incident involving the principals.

The opposition said the government was practicing “double-standards” in how it handled both matters, and have predicted that the Johor school principal would likely be let off with a mere slap on the wrist.

Racism taking place in Malaysia ?

Racism taking place in Malaysia ?

Really sad .............. Kelingggggg

(via email)
Please read urself n see how Malaysian Malays talk bad bout Malaysian Indians. I didn’t say that Datuk Pathmananthan is right or good person. But these Malays kutuk all Malaysian Indians as org tumpang, keling.. paria… org hitam, hati pun hitam.. its really sad… We need to improve our life style.. upgrade our status… we need proof it to them, who condemn us…
This scenario one of proof that Malays really dun like us.. I Flag all the comment n report it…

The importance of religious tolerance

Mariam Mokhtar

Sunday, 12 September 2010 09:00

COMMENT It should not be possible for one man, Pastor Terry Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Centre and his congregation of 50, to hold the world to ransom.

The reverend’s publicity stunt to burn the Quran has snowballed into something unpredictable. Instead of the desired attention, he has provoked worldwide condemnation.

The townsfolk at Gainesville, Florida have disowned him, and called him “crazy” and his plan “a stupid idea”. Christians have voiced their disapproval saying he does not represent them.

Various European newspapers allege that Terry Jones and his wife Sylvia, were expelled by members of his church, from Cologne, Germany, in 2007. It was claimed that he presided over “a climate of fear and control” and demanded “blind obedience”.

In Florida, Jones who owns an antique and used furniture business, was accused of treating his unpaid workers, who were ‘motivated by their Christian beliefs’, like slaves. Whilst he alternated between two homes, his workers lived in low-rent accommodation. Employees were frequently punished for disobedience and some worked 72 hours per week. His daughter Emma described her father’s church as a “cult”.

Setting fire to the Quran, or any other despicable act against other religions, are highly offensive.

The pastor’s plan, timed for the anniversary of 9/11 is like playing with fire. He has received over 100 death threats and now arms himself with a pistol.

Instead of believing he would be the defender of his faith, he has threatened the safety of all Americans worldwide. Gen David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan has warned that the lives of the American troops fighting the Taliban would be endangered.

The publicity stunt that the pastor assumed was praiseworthy, has incurred the fury of Muslims. He became the focus of world leaders, but for the wrong reasons. President Obama likened the pastor’s plan as a ‘recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda’. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia said it would ‘damage attempts to reconcile Muslims and the west’.

Mrs. Hillary Clinton, America’s Secretary of State deserves praise to be amongst the first (if not the first) high profile American to denounce Reverend Jones. But even the late intervention of her president may be insufficient to stop the backlash against Americans in the Muslim world.

At a time when Pakistan and American relations are under serious threat, this stunt has added further strain. The American flag was burned in Pakistan and violent protestors have already marched in Afghanistan, resulting in at least one death.

Terry Jones chose the anniversary of 9/11 to remind the world of the work of Islamist extremists. His protest which was supposed to be an organised church activity has now backfired.

Although he has cancelled his plan after listening to the voices of reason from within and beyond his shores, the world holds its breath to see if violent Islamist extremists will react further.

Malaysians have a lesson to learn from the stupid and ignorant Reverend Jones whose insensitivity and direct provocation have stirred racial, political and religious firestorms.

It is easy for agitators or mob leaders to whip up hatred with their bigotry, intolerance and fear-tactics.

It is important that we counter people similar to Reverend Terry Jones, who with their racism and ignorance, are merchants of hate and do their best to alienate good, decent citizens who only want peace and mutual respect.

Teaching teachers about racism

Teaching teachers about racism

Aizuddin Danian

The Ministry of Education released a statement recently directed to teachers and school administrators to be careful about making racist remarks.

In the circular dated Aug 26, ministry director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said he viewed seriously the allegations against a small group of people for making racist remarks in school.

"They are insensitive to the Government's efforts to make schools the place to cultivate the 1Malaysia spirit," he said.

"If investigations show that principals or teaching staff are guilty of racism, the ministry will take serious action against them."

Malaysian pupils should think of themselves as Malaysian

Better late than never, I'd say. Too late to stop the silly trainwreck of recent weeks, but probably good enough to ensure that future occurrences are much reduced. If there is one thing i like about Government servants, it's that they are highly predictable, and very lemming-like in their behaviour. If you tell them to jump, they'll jump. If you tell them to shut up, they'll shut up.

The thing that concerns me is that while we can control their behaviour, i wonder how much control to we have over their thoughts and hearts. Racism, as i mentioned earlier, is an ideological social disease. Just like any disease, doctors can suppress the symptoms and often completely miss the root cause.

Greater efforts need to be taken to ensure that racism stays out of our schools. Circulars and memos are simply not enough. Consider what was done in the US, perhaps we could do the same:

During the 2004-05 school year, site- and district-level administrators and the Board of Trustees went through the PEG's foundational two-day Beyond Diversity training. Beyond Diversity provides participants with agreements and conditions for having courageous conversations about race.

Many teachers expressed feelings of guilt and anger. Some teachers felt like they were being accused of being racist. Requiring teachers to select focal students based on race, language acquisition and academic status was questioned. Teachers wondered if focusing on a few students was fair to other students in the class.

Alimuddin

Addressing personal and institutional racism in schools is the challenge of the 21st century. Many educators are now calling the achievement gap the civil rights issue of today. Progress will be made only if educators are committed to continuing the conversation that focuses on race and student achievement.

Addressing personal and institutional racism will not be without conflict, as described by Frederick Douglass: "Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle."

Racism is not something that can be swept under the carpet with the hope that it will go away. You can't beat an ideological social disease by ignoring it. You need to confront it head on, you need to talk about it openly, you need to ensure that whatever deep-seated ill-feelings in the hearts of our teachers are flushed out into the open and debated.

Teachers are human beings too, they have feelings, thoughts, beliefs, likes, dislikes, loves and hates. But unlike other humans, they are directly responsible for the growth and development of our future. It makes perfect sense to invest positively in their role to eliminate racism from our children. - Volume of Interactions

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Guan Eng blames Muhyiddin for ‘racist’ civil service

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

September 06, 2010

Lim: Umno leaders should refrain from racist politics before pointing fingers to others.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today blamed Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for failing to act on reports of racism in the civil service over the past weeks.

Lim said that the move by the Education Ministry’s Director-General Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom in issuing a circular on August 26, warning that action would be taken against those “who made racist remarks” was irrelevant as it did not address the “real problem.”

“The Education Ministry’s latest circular to warn school principals and teachers against making racist remarks is irrelevant as it fails to address the real problems. Blaming the principals and teachers is merely an act of finding a scapegoat,” said Lim in a statement today.

Lim claimed that the warning should instead be directed to Muhyiddin, the education minister, for failing to act and condoning the racist remarks made by two school principals in Kulai, Johor and Kedah recently.

“Umno leaders should refrain from racist politics before pointing fingers to others. The buck should stop at Tan Sri Muhyiddin. If Muhyiddin continues to tolerate racist behaviour among Umno leaders and members, it is not surprising that it has infected the civil service, including school principals and teachers. Stern actions must be taken to resolve this problem, said Lim.

The Penang Chief Minister said that the Education Ministry’s move in issuing a circular reflected badly on the country’s education system, adding that principals, teachers and other school staff should themselves be aware that uttering racist remarks was wrong.

“By issuing the circular, it shows that something is seriously wrong with our education system. The principals, teachers and other school staff should already know a long time ago, even on the first day on their job that uttering racist remarks is wrong, illegal and against the basic principles of their vocation. It is such a shameful situation where teachers have to be reminded that racism is both wrong and bad. What will the students think?

“We have high hopes on our school principals and teachers. They are teaching our children to be good and responsible citizens. After 53 years of Merdeka, is this our education system’s greatest achievement?” said Lim.

The Najib administration has yet to announce whether it planned to punish Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor for allegedly uttering racial slurs.

Muhyiddin said last weekend that the buck was now in the hands of the “enforcement authority” to decide on what form of action to take against the Johor principal.

Before that, Muhyiddin had directed Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom to set up a task force to probe the incident.

Alimuddin had previously invited flak when he claimed shortly after the incident that it was merely a misunderstanding and had been settled between the principal and the school parents.

Siti Inshah entered the limelight recently after she allegedly told the SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman school assembly that the Chinese could go back to China and that the Indians looked like “dogs” when they wore their prayer strings.

“Muhyiddin should stop playing politics and seriously think of the impact on our multiracial country. Racism is beyond party politics; it is a cancer that can destroy all of us, regardless of one’s creed, colour and class,” said Lim.

Dealing with the Ridhuan Tees and Ibrahim Alis — Aston Paiva (loyarburok.com)

September 06, 2010

SEPT 6 — “The government should also initiate legal action against irresponsible writers, like the controversial Mingguan Malaysia columnist Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah who provokes the non-Malays with his weekly diatribe against them, saying that minorities who cannot respect the special position of Islam and the Malays should return to their ‘homeland’, which he means China and India.”

The above view was expressed by Thomas Lee Seng Hock in MySinchew.com.

Many Malaysians have come to adopt this view but I fully disagree with it.

Racism

The fact is, there will always be distinctions between people, if not at a physical level then at an ethnic level, i.e. customs, beliefs, practices, languages, norms, values, etc. There are even people who refuse to identify with any ethnic group despite how others may perceive them.

Racism as I see it stems from one’s unknowing or ignorance of a certain ethnic group. I think it is almost natural within human beings to fear something they don’t know or cannot comprehend. But the key here is what you do with that fear?

(i) Do you acknowledge that fear and try to overcome it by learning and getting to know a certain ethnic group; assimilating their goodness and sharing the good you have cultivated? Or;

(ii) Do you marginalise them and impose stigmas on them?.

There are very clearly two ways to go about this.

My Experience

I have had the opportunity of meeting three distinct groups of Malays in my life:

1. The Malays that put their hands out to me and greet me like a brother. Where, in five minutes, it becomes apparent we won’t need to use words like “Malay”, “Chinese”, “Indian” or “lain-Lain”; that we’re just people;

2. The Malays that shake my hands and are sceptical about me. They treat me like a friend but aren’t too sure internally whether a person besides a Malay can be sincere or not.

They are in cognitive dissonance; trying to understand why I am not a “greedy Chinese”, an “untrustworthy Indian” or just “out to deprive them of their Malay rights” — as told to them by Biro Tatanegara, Umno, Utusan Malaysia, the Malay Rights NGOs and sometimes their own family members.

Both viewpoints are in conflict, both don’t sit well together and they feel uncomfortable about holding these two conflicting viewpoints.

These people need time and exposure to what they have been made to fear; in time, they will eventually discard what doesn’t sit well with their experiences with non Malays.

3. The Malays who just despise those who aren’t Malays and who seek every opportunity to hurt them, almost always verbally.

What do we do with these people? Simple. Don’t marginalise them!

Reach out to them instead and show them how wrong they are. Make them realise that we’re all here just to be happy; that to be hateful is a waste of time. I know it sounds almost “hippie-ish”, but truth is, I can’t think of any better way and I don’t think there is any better way.

These people take a longer time to convince and sometimes you may never succeed.

Most times what is said by these people can be hurtful and downright nasty but we will not convince them if we be as them. It in fact will only give credence to the prejudices they have of you. To punish them for their views and to hate them for it is only going to make matters worse.

The Political Solution

We must never punish anyone for their views or the language they use.

Justice Brandeis, writing in the 1927 American case of Whitney v California 274 US 357 (1927), said the following wise words:

“Those who won our independence believed that the final end of the State was to make men free to develop their faculties… They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness, and courage to be the secret of liberty. They believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth; that, without free speech and assembly, discussion would be futile;… that the greatest menace to freedom is an inert people; that public discussion is a political duty, and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government… But they knew that order cannot be secured merely through fear of punishment for its infraction; that it is hazardous to discourage thought, hope and imagination; that fear breeds repression; that repression breeds hate; that hate menaces stable government; that the path of safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and proposed remedies, and that the fitting remedy for evil counsels is good ones.” [emphasis is mine]

I cannot help but agree.

Ridhuan Tee and Ibrahim Ali are indeed known for saying crazy things; perhaps hired to do so, perhaps not.

Most of what they say easily convinces you that they MUST come from another planet, but there is no point if we penalise them for what they say.

Penalising them will only force them to take their views underground and give them validation and that in turn will give them more support. We have no right to silence someone merely because our feelings are hurt. We must sit down and debate it out till the cows come home and then let “others” decide whose idea they favour. The favourable idea gets the vote and then we work on making it a reality.

There is no other civil way to deal with racism ala Ridhuan Tee and Ibrahim Ali, if we don’t provide good counsels as remedies to their evil counsels.

It is easy to let our emotions run unrestrained and say ”Use the Sedition Act on him!” or “Use the ISA on him!”; that is a coward’s way of dealing with the problem. As long as Acts like the ISA and Sedition exists, till then will Malaysians continue to be shackled, repressed and un-Merdeka.

As long as Acts like these exist and can be used on citizens, regardless of whether it is Ridhuan Tee or Karpal Singh that it is used on, then we are not free people. In time, one day, it might also be used against you or me.

There are no shortcuts here ultimately — just a lot of patience, common sense and reason.

DPM spouts zero-tolerance for Namewee, not headmistresses

DPM spouts zero-tolerance for Namewee, not headmistresses

Muhyiddin himself accused of being racist

Malaysia Chronicle

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyddin Yassin has reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance policy for racism, but it was clear that for him, racism was only meant for the non-Malays.

His remarks made at a press conference on Thursday defending the police action taken against controversial rapper Namewee, while maintaining a deafening silence on two Malay headmistresses accused of hurling racial taunts at their pupils were denounced by members of the political opposition.

Lee Boon Chye

“It is shocking that this sort of outright racial bullying can be so blatantly and openly pursued by Umno leaders. It shows the level of degradation. It is as though the other races are dead to them, we are not on the Umno radar at all,” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

Only Namewee, nothing on the headmistresses

Muhyiddin told reporters Namewee's behavior could have an "adverse effect" on the country, but did not specify how. The 27-year old rapper, whose full name is Wee Meng Chee, had produced a three-minute video clip lambasting two Malay headmistresses for their alleged racism.

The clip sparked near immediate retaliation with the police sending three patrol cars to his home in Muar, Johor to pick him up for questioning.

However, the two school principals escaped similar humiliation and are instead being investigated by the Education authorities and the Public Service Department. Muhyiddin, who is also Education minister, made matters worse by declining to comment on their cases, choosing instead to focus on Namewee.

Namewee at his studio

“Even though previously there are certain parties who have accused the government of not being firm against racism but we have studied this matter (Namewee) because what is important is that we do not want any racial tension between the different communities which could have an adverse effect on the country,” Muhyiddin told a press conference.

“That is why if there is someone who wants to voice their opinion in a democratic country, they are bound by laws especially the Sedition Act. That is why the government has decided that we must be more firm, regardless of race, against actions and statements that can escalate racial tension. We want to avoid this.”

Who is the real racist

It has already been nearly a month since the complaints about the two principals first erupted but Muhyiddin declined to set a definitive time frame on when a decision on the pair could be made.

“We have transferred the case to PSD and we hope they will make a decision immediately. That is why it was transferred last week and the PSD director has been asked to make a decision as soon as possible,” he said.

Siti Inshah, the headmistress of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in Kulai had said in a speech in early August:

“Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu.”

“Chinese students are not needed and can go back to China or Foon Yew School. As for the Indian students, the prayer strings that they wear around their wrists and necks make them look like dogs and only dogs are chained up like that.”

Despite calls for her sacking, Education director-general Alimuddin Mohd Dom had tried to cover up her case, claiming that it had been amicably resolved. But parents and other civil rights groups lodged police reports against her and Muhyiddin was forced to set up a task-force to re-investigate the case.

Tian Chua

As for Namewee, in his music video that was peppered with the vulgar and obscene words typical of his generation of rap musicians, his lyric “You tak baca? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya?” (Don’t you know? Who made Malaysia prosperous?) was seized on by Umno leaders, who accused him of intentionally humiliating the Malays and creating racial tensions.

Public sentiment no longer with BN

Pundits have said Namewee’s video was a ‘godsend’ for Umno to reinforce its pitch to the Malays that it was the sole defender of their rights.But in doing so, it has created even further ethnic tensions.

An influential overseas think-tank Economic Intelligence said in a report released a day ago that public sentiment no longer favored the BN and as such, it no longer expects snap general elections to take place in 2011. It predicted Prime Minister Najib Razak will defer the 13th national polls to sometime in 2012.

“I won’t discount that possibility even though at the moment I still believe elections will come earlier rather than later. But the longer Najib delays, the better it is for Pakatan. Umno can’t change any more, what moves can it make?” PKR strategic director Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"It can only get worse and it will sink to new depths just to impress the Malays. They don’t care about the Chinese but don’t underestimate the Malay sense of fair play. When Umno over-does it, there will a backlash – just like in 1999 when Malays protested the persecution of Anwar Ibrahim and voted for the opposition.”

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