Umno must avoid PAS’s old blinkered views, says Asri

By G. Manimaran
Bahasa Malaysia Editor

October 24, 2010

Asri described Umno as adopting the hardline stance that was once the hallmark of PAS. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Umno must be practical in its approach and must shed its narrow views which were no longer relevant now, Islamic scholar Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said.

The former Perlis Mufti described Umno’s tackling of issues now was similar to PAS’s approach in the 1980s, noting that the Islamist party has progressed by presenting itself as a moderate alternative.

In the past two years, PAS has been seen as becoming more progressive and this was highlighted by Umno delegates during the party’s recently concluded annual general assembly, which also tabled a motion on religion and education.

Asri stressed that Umno and other political parties must consider the country’s multi-racial composition when expressing their views on religion or risk Islam becoming politicised.

 “In my opinion, it is sad to see that Umno has recently played up issues that made it look like PAS in the 1980s. When PAS is beginning to assert itself as a moderate party, Umno instead are trying to play up issues that are unnecessary.

“Like issues where Muslims cannot enter mosques, cannot pray for non-Muslims, the issue of gambling money, [these] have made Umno seem to have views which are narrow and not relevant to a government [of a country] with different races and religions,” he wrote in his blog.

Asri added that pro-Umno media have also highlighted extreme religious opinions by certain Islamic scholars, which he described as unfavourable to Barisan Nasional.

“Finally Islam has become the victim, Umno must be regarded as dangerous.

“Political ideas with knowledge should be promoted. Political yes-men without thinking must be avoided. This happened when Islam Hadari was propagated and others just nodded without giving critical view. The slogan then finally buried Umno itself,” he said, referring to the concept introduced by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Asri was grateful, however, that he was invited to attend Umno’s assembly, but insisted that he will not join any political parties in the near future.

“Our politics should go further than just filing in forms. Politics should not be about affiliations but be based on thoughts and ideas. Politics are measured by views and ideas and this is what I have been trying to do,” he said.

But he noted that there was still space to have difference of opinions in Umno compared to other political parties and was impressed with Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s call for open politics in a new political era.

 “I am sorry but the [the party’s] other wings are still following to the beats of yesterday and have yet to mirror a new political era,” Asri said.

The Islamic cleric added that the public today wanted the political parties to compete in healthy manner.

“They (political parties) should be a market of ideas that benefit the country. They should be an open market which provides fresh and quality products, and anyone who manages to provide with the best products will [get] the people’s vote,” he said.

According to Asri, it was not a party’s role to merely expose the weaknesses of its opposition when they themselves do not provide any new ideas.

“Politics is not simply talking about others but forgetting yourself and not be able to bring us anywhere.

“The greatness of a political speech is not in cursing your opponents but it is great when you are able to give views and ideas that can develop the country,” he said.

Asri said narrow political interpretations of Islam must be rejected because political Islam offered great breadth and was widely-based on public interest.

“Political Islam is very broad, flexible and practical but it is always underpinned by the revelations. Not all that is said by Islamic teachers can be accepted. Politics has its unique discipline that requires Islamic knowledge for the benefit of the people and country.

“Just learning a few things in religion does not guarantee a deep understanding of politics in Islam,” he added.

Tuanku Faris proclaimed new Ruler of Kelantan

September 14, 2010

KOTA BARU: A day after denials from state authorities about a so-called proclamation ceremony, the 41-year-old Regent of Kelantan Tuanku Muhammad Faris Petra Ibni Sultan Ismail Petra has been proclaimed the new Sultan of Kelantan.
Fifteen of the 17 members of the State Royal Succession Council decided to select the Regent to take over from his ailing father Sultan Ismail Petra Sultan Yahya Petra, 60.
In other developments:
> Two members of the council who did not attend yesterday morning’s meeting to decide on the successor were Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is an uncle of the Raja Perempuan of Kelantan, and Tengku Amalin Aishah Sultan Ismail Petra, the youngest daughter of the Sultan.
> Council secretary Datuk Mohd Aiseri Alias stressed that the proclamation was in accordance with the state constitution.
> Senior state exco member Datuk Nik Amar Nik Abdullah hailed it as a new era for Kelantan.

KELANTAN’S NEW SULTAN
Tuanku Muhammad Faris Petra
Date of birth: Oct 6, 1969 Education: He received his early education at the Fatima Convent kindergarten, Kota Baru (1974 to 1975) and completed his primary school education at Sekolah Rendah Sultan Ismail 1 (1976 to 1981).
He studied at the Alice Smith School and Oakham School, Rutland, Britain from 1983 to 1989 and graduated in diplomatic studies and Islamic studies at St Cross College, Oxford and Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, respectively.
The Sultan studied diplomatic relations and business administration at the Huron University College in London besides taking a diplomatic relations course at the Deutsche Stiftung Internationale Entwicklung in Berlin and European business administration at the European Business School in London.
The oldest of four siblings, he was made the crown prince in 1985. He was appointed as Regent on May 24 last year after his father, Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Ismail Petra, suffered a stroke.
The Sultan is an avid reader and fan of 4WD vehicle expeditions, horse sports, bowling and archery. He also follows the development in and outside the country.
Tuanku Muhammad Faris Petra is involved in many charity organisations and has been appointed the Commander of the 506 Territorial Army Regiment with a rank of Brigadier-General (Honorary).

Islamic gold dinar move sparks debate about legitimacy of dollar

By MUSHTAK PARKER | ARAB NEWS

Published: Aug 16, 2010 00:19 Updated: Aug 16, 2010 00:19

The announcement last week by the Kelantan state government in Malaysia that it is introducing gold dinars and silver dirhams as legal tender alongside the Malaysian ringgit, is a damp squib of a failed attempt at financial UDI (unilateral declaration of independence).

Perhaps more importantly, it betrays the financial and monetary policy illiteracy which has been symptomatic of the ruling PAS administration since it won power at the state level in 1990. PAS is the Islamic Party of Malaysia which has a running battle with UMNO (United Malays National Organization), over who really represents the Muslims in the southeast Asian country. UMNO is the dominant party in Barisan Nasional, the coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence.

The fact that PAS announced the introduction of the coins at the onset of the Muslim holy month of fasting, Ramadan, smacks of cheap political opportunism trying to ride on the emotional and religious sympathies of Muslims. Talk about a "Shariah currency" is as misinformed as it is inaccurate.

PAS would have had much more credibility had it tried to introduce the coins say in the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis and its attendant credit crunch in 2008.

But then PAS like most Islamic parties including the National Salvation Party of Necmettin Erbakan and the party of Hassan Al-Turabi in Sudan have proven to be disastrous in power, partly because of an outdated and inflexible authoritarian and patriarchal view of the state and the dominance of men in power. PAS is the party that introduced religious apartheid in Kelantan where women have separate check-outs at supermarkets or Muslim women are spot-fined RM50 if they do not wear the hijab in public.

It is in the economic and financial policy sphere that Islamic parties, especially PAS, are so naïve that a so-called Islamic gold dinar or Islamic finance is a panacea and would solve the problems of the world simply because of its faith-based philosophy and ethos.

However, it would be equally naïve to suggest that PAS is the only party in Malaysia involved in the exploitation of Islam as a political tool, especially in the economic and financial space. UMNO itself is a past master in this.

The question of an Islamic currency is not new. In fact, there is already a functioning Islamic currency in place - the Islamic Dinar (ID), which is the unit of accounting of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the multilateral development bank (MDB) of the Muslim world. The ID is equivalent to one SDR (Special Drawing Right), the unit of accounting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The ID has successfully served the Muslim MDB since its establishment in 1975.

If Muslim countries want a unified currency, the ID of the IDB would be an ideal one to consider. However, as the problems related to the proposed monetary union of the GCC countries and the euro zone suggest, unified currency, whether a fiat paper based on gold or silver, is a highly complex issue especially in a globalized economy and financial system where the disparities in individual economies only serve to exacerbate these complexities. In the 57 countries this could be more true. Of the 56 IDB member countries, over 21 are classified as LDC (least developed countries) and, according to UN definitions, are some of the poorest countries on earth.

In the Malaysian context it is also not new. The governments of both Prime Ministers Mahathir Mohamed and Abdullah Badawi did toy with the concept of the Islamic Gold Dinar (IGD) to be used to settle accounts between participating Muslim central banks. One of the architects of the IGD concept, which is effectively a metallized version of the Bilateral Payments Arrangement (BPA) pioneered by Malaysia, is Nor Mohamed Yakcop, former Minister of Finance II and currently a Minister in Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak's Office.

The BPA is a unique bilateral payments and trade settlement arrangement between Malaysia and developing countries which at the time bypassed the need for costly correspondent banking in London, New York and Frankfurt.

Under the IGD, there would be an IGD exchange which uses the gold dinar as the accounting unit for trade between Malaysia and her trading partners. Malaysia even set up a company promoting the gold dinar, IGD Practice (Labuan) Sdn Bhd, which even took a 34 percent stake in the Kazakhstan Gold Mining Corporation, which in turn owns the Artul Trud Closed Joint Stock Company, which operates the Bolshevik Gold Mine, said to be one of the largest in the world.

Despite Nor Yakcop's assertion that the IGD concept is workable, it never saw the light of day because it was ill-thought out, limited in scope and failed to attract the support of most of the Muslim countries, who cannot deal with a concept of ceding sovereignty, albeit in this case partially, because of the nature of their governance systems which range from absolute monarchies to military industrial dictatorships.

The Kelantan state move may be a reaction to the above failed initiative. At the same time it could also be a riposte to the 1 Malaysia policy of Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak. The inculcation of a single Malaysian identity as the 1 Malaysia policy seems to suggest, according to many Malaysian Muslims is far too premature, insubstantive and politically immature. This especially at a time when the Malay Muslim ownership of Malaysian economic GDP is still low (less than 30 percent) in terms of per capita per population. Hence also a growing underlying unease at any suggestion that the Najib government would abolish the New Economic Policy (NEP) which is Kuala Lumpur's affirmative action policy or (Bumiputra Empowerment Policy) in favor of the majority Malays.

The Islamic gold dinar move has also resulted in an unintended debate in some of the most unexpected circles about the legitimacy of the US dollar as the international currency. This is a legitimate and pertinent debate which has attracted the likes of Nobel laureates to the bleary-eyed barefoot economists to some of the delusional Islamist economists.

There is a case for the replacement of the US dollar as the new international currency. But whether it will be a going back to the Gold standard pre-Bretton Woods must remain a moot point. The Chinese, the world's largest capital owners today, have long argued for this. But for the moment they are a hostage to their massive holdings of US Treasury bonds which together with the Japanese holdings effectively underwrite the obscene US budget deficit, which in reality is not fully payable.

As for the Kelantan government move, no sooner had the Kelantan Chief Minister Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat announced the launch of the currency, his Economic and Finance Minister Husam Musa was forced to issue a humiliating retraction that the gold dinar is not a currency but an alternative to barter trade in the state.

Earlier he had stressed that the state would strive to expand the use of the gold dinar and silver dirham in all transactions, including paying civil servants' remuneration. "We have over 1,000 shops that have signed up to our campaign and agreed to accept the dinar and dirham for the purchase of goods," he told local reporters at the launch.

The Najib government let loose Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussin to remind Kelantan that under Malaysian law, currency matters came under the purview of the federal government and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the central bank, which earlier already issued a rebuke to the Kelantan state government in this respect.

Hussin even suggested that the federal government may take some punitive measures against Kelantan, which have had long-time grudges (some of which may be legitimate especially pertaining to the distribution of oil and gas revenues to the state government) against the ruling Barisan Nasional Coalition.

The Kelantan authorities are bemused by the furore their action has caused. "Several news report about the dinar being Kelantan's second currency are not accurate and have caused confusion. I do not see why this issue has to be blown up following Kelantan introducing the use of the dinar, as it has been around since the beginning of Islam," Hussam Musa stressed. However, he added that there were still many technicalities that had to be addressed by the state government over the use of the currency.

Malaysian state launches Islamic currency

A Malaysian state on Thursday launched the Islamic dinar and dirham as an alternative currency, allowing the golden and silver coins to be used as legal tender alongside conventional banknotes.

Authorities in northern Kelantan state, which is ruled by the Islamic opposition party PAS, said the Islamic currencies would be used in many shops in the state in addition to the national currency, the ringgit.

"We have over 1,000 shops that have signed up to our campaign and agreed to accept the dinar and dirham for the purchase of goods," state cabinet minister Husam Musa told AFP.

He said signboards have been erected in the main market in the state capital Kota Bharu to show the conversion table between the dinar and ringgit, and participating shops will display stickers to encourage people to use the coins.

"The response has been very positive and all the coins which were worth a total of 2.0 million ringgit (629,000 dollars) have been sold out at the launch today," said Husam, who is in charge of economic and finance planning.

According to Islamic law, the dinar measures 4.25 grams of gold, while the dirham is 3.0 grams of pure silver.

A golden coin is equivalent to about 582 ringgit (183 dollars) while the silver coin is worth around 13 ringgit but their values fluctuate according to market prices.

Husam said the dinar and dirham currencies can also be used dealings with state goverment agencies, such as paying "zakat", or alms for the poor.

There has been a long debate in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country with large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, to introduce the coins as legal tender nationally.

Former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose administration promoted a moderate form of Islam that emphasised economic and scientific development, shot down the proposal to use the Islamic currencies.

But his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, was an advocate of the dinar system and urged Muslim countries to use it as a trade instrument.

The debate has died down since current Prime Minister Najib Razak came to power last year.

Widening income inequality: A challenge to 1 Malaysia

Dr Chandra Muzaffar

August 09, 2010

AUG 9 — Widening income inequality is a major obstacle to the unity and solidarity that 1Malaysia envisions.

Since Merdeka (Independence) in 1957, the top 20 per cent of income earners in Malaysia have benefited much more from economic growth than the bottom 40 per cent. It is significant that the report of the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) on the New Economic Model (NEM) admits that, “The bottom 40 per cent of households have experienced the slowest growth of average income, earning less than RM 1,500 per month in 2008.” 

The wage trend in Malaysia recorded only an annual 2.6 per cent growth during the past 10 years, compared to the escalating cost of living during the same period. It explains why almost 34 per cent of about 1.3 million workers earn less than RM700 a month, below the poverty line of RM 720 per month — a point emphasised by the Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam, recently.

It is not difficult to fathom why workers earn so little and why income disparities are so glaring.  The huge influx of unskilled, lowly paid foreign labour into the country since the late eighties has played a big part in depressing wage levels at one end of the spectrum. At the same time, the liberalisation of the financial sector and the privatisation of public enterprises in Malaysia as in so many other countries have led to the elevation of incomes at the other end of the spectrum, thus contributing to widening inequalities.

The government is attempting to respond to the challenge by reducing our dependence upon foreign workers and by improving wage levels and working conditions in certain sectors of the economy. It plans to increase the per centage of the bottom 40 per cent households with SPM qualification and above, from 30 per cent in 2009 to 45 per cent in 2015.  Both government and private companies are expected to help workers garner new skills that will enable them to earn better incomes.

While there is a degree of support for these measures, many private employers, it appears, are against one of the fundamental demands of workers unions for ameliorating the plight of the poor--- namely, a basic minimum wage for all workers. 90 per cent of countries have laws that provide for a minimum wage in one form or another. In most cases, various criteria are taken into account, including the needs of the workers and their families, the prevailing economic situation, and the social environment. 

Many economists and sociologists today feel that the term “minimum wage” itself, which is the product of an earlier era, should be replaced with the term “living income” and linked to the dignity of the human being. A living income is a minimum level of income by which all human beings can provide for themselves and their dependents the five basic material human needs — food, housing, clothing, health care and education. These needs are vital for protecting human dignity.

It is because governments, the owners of capital, and other powerful elements in the upper strata of society have failed to protect the dignity of the masses that there is  growing alienation and discontent in many parts of the world.  China is an example of a country whose phenomenal growth rates since the early nineties have benefited a minority, rather than the majority, which is why social unrest is on the rise, as the respected Chinese Academy of Social Sciences acknowledges. Similarly, India’s much lauded economic success has not transformed the lives of its teeming millions. A recent United Nations study has shown that one-third of the world’s poor live in conditions of utter destitution in that country. It is one of the reasons for the rapid spread of the Naxalite rebellion in various districts in India. Even the “red shirt” protest movement in Thailand that galvanised a huge segment of the rural poor has been described by some analysts as an expression of the anger and disillusionment of the marginalised.    

The bottom 40 per cent in Malaysian society is nowhere as desperate as the poor of China or India or Thailand. Nonetheless, there is alienation. Some of this alienation manifested itself through the ballot-box in the March 2008 General Election. The tremendous increase in crime rates, and numerous cases of social delinquency that surfaced between 2006 and 2008 may also have been the consequences of alienation and marginalisation. It is also quite possible that a segment of those at the bottom of the heap — especially the youths — feel marginalised by a society which they perceive panders more to the glitz and glitter of the elite than to their yearning for recognition and respect. How the alienation of the poor and those who are struggling to make ends meet will express itself in the next few years, no one knows.

This is why it is imperative that the government continues to address the challenge of low incomes and widening inequalities in society. It should not be distracted by a small group motivated by self-interest and blinded by a myopic notion of “market forces determining wages.”  If 1Malaysia is premised upon inclusiveness, it must not only ensure a living income for the bottom 40 per cent but also reduce the yawning economic and social disparities that are an affront to human dignity.  

* Author is the chairman of 1 Malaysia Foundation Board of Trustees 

Policeman dies while fleeing sex raid in Malaysia

An off-duty policeman trying to flee religious police carrying out a raid on illicit sex died after falling from a hotel room in northern Malaysia's Kelantan state, police confirmed Sunday.

"The 33-year-old lance-corporal climbed out of his hotel room window when religious affairs department officials raided his room in the early hours of Saturday," a senior police official, who declined to be named, told AFP.

He said the man was believed to have jumped or fallen from the third-storey window and "all the religious officials found in the room was a woman by herself and a pair of men's trousers.

"The officer was still alive when he was found on the hotel grounds but died in hospital later," he added.

The woman was released after questioning, and investigations into the incident were continuing, he said.

State police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi confirmed to AFP that one of his men had died in the incident but refused further comment.

Under Islamic law, which operates alongside the civil code in multicultural Malaysia, "khalwat" -- close proximity between a man and a woman who are not married -- is forbidden.

Teams from the state religious departments routinely carry out raids in the country's hotels, entertainment facilities and parks in a bid to catch unmarried couples canoodling or having casual sex.

PKR first family split on Khalid

Sunday June 27, 2010

Analysis

By JOCELINE TAN

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has been damaged by the criticism against him but he will probably survive as Mentri Besar after the PKR retreat ends today.

SOMETHING intriguing is happening in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s family.

It looks like the three politicians in the family are on different paths regarding the crisis over Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s leadership of Selangor.

Anwar has not uttered a word since the issue exploded. As PKR’s ketua umum or supreme leader, he is trying to remain statesman-like and stay above the fray.

But the Permatang Pauh MP is also torn between the two men at the centre of the crisis. He had personally brought Khalid into PKR and made him party treasurer before Khalid found fame as Selangor Mentri Besar. On the other hand, he and party vice-president Azmin Ali go back a long way and their ties are quite unshakable.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on the other hand, seems inclined towards Khalid particularly after her long-time political secretary Faekah Hussin quit to become Khalid’s political secretary. The move had her blessings and is seen as Khalid’s way of telling his detractors that the party president is on his side.

But their daughter Nurul Izzah, who is Lembah Pantai MP, is clearly among the MPs critical of Khalid going by her comments that Khalid’s good intentions are not always in line with the thinking of party leaders.

If this powerful political family can be so divergent on the issue of Khalid’s future, what more those at the PKR retreat in Shah Alam where the issue of Khalid is expected to take centrestage today.

But Khalid’s political future will not be decided by the end of today because a retreat of this nature does not have the power to replace a mentri besar.

The ultimate decision on Khalid will have to be made by the PKR supreme council although some say that it is basically Anwar’s call.

But the discussion at the retreat will enable the leadership to weigh the political cost and benefit of Khalid staying or going.

He is digging his heels in and has tried to rally forces in the state behind him. Selangor Youth chief Khairul Annuar has issued a series of press statements supporting Khalid.

On Thursday night, representatives from 17 Selangor divisions met in the official residence of the Mentri Besar where the consensus was that although Khalid had his flaws, now was not the time for him to go.

Ordinary people in Selangor were quite taken aback when the issue broke. They had no idea that elements in PKR had issues with Khalid.

He enjoys a good public image and has been fairly competent. He is a nice man, uncontroversial and as his supporters often say, at least he is clean.

They say he is trying to get rid of the Umno way of doing things by separating politics from the running of the state.

But as those in his party say, it is not a compliment to be told you are doing a better job than Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. Anyone, they say, can do a better job than Khir. They say Khalid’s most outstanding achievement so far is issuing free water and that is not enough.

Selangor is to PKR what Penang is to DAP and Kelantan is to PAS. These are the Pakatan Rakyat exhibition states, their so-called “Pakatan Zone” and their means of showing the people that they have what it takes to do a bigger job.

Pakatan politicians are of the view that Kelantan is in cruise mode and Penang is meeting expectations. Selangor is not doing any worse or better than before.

“In sports, we call it running on the spot,” said a party insider.

The group of MPs petitioning for the replacement of Khalid has been slammed and told that they do not have the locus standi to ask Khalid to go because they are not from Selangor.

But Selangor is crucial to PKR and Pakatan’s quest to capture Putrajaya. Selangor is Pakatan’s frontline state. It has to shine and sparkle in order for Pakatan to break through to the next level.

As such, said the disgruntled MPs, they have the right to question how Khalid is managing Selangor.

Pakatan will not lose Selangor even if Khalid continues in his current I-know-best style. But neither will the coalition advance to Putrajaya.

“The question is whether we are here just to retain our market share of the seats or to take Putrajaya. DAP and PAS will go on whether or not we win Putrajaya, the next general election is not a zero sum game for them. But for PKR, it is a zero sum game. We win the Federal Government or we are finished,” said the political insider.

If Khalid survives, he will not be able to continue in his I-know-best style. A hint of what may follow from the retreat lies in the interview that Nurul Izzah gave to a Pakatan-friendly news portal.

She has called for a development masterplan for Selangor drawn up with input from party leaders and which the mentri besar and his team will implement according to a time frame. The aim of the plan is to make Selangor a model PKR state. Khalid will no longer be allowed to act on his personal belief but according to a defined blueprint.

In the meantime, Khalid’s long week in politics will continue today.

Fiesta Kelantan hambar: Hanya 300 hadir

Jun 17, 10 10:13am

Di sebalik pemulauan kepimpinan kerajaan negeri termasuk Menteri Besar, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat pada perasmian Kelantan Fiesta 2010 malam semalam, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak juga tidak hadir pada majlis itu. Harakah Dailymelaporkan walaupun mengikut jadual asal, majlis itu akan dirasmikan oleh Najib, tetapi beliau digantikan oleh Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. Lebih mengecewakan penganjur bersama program itu, Red Carpet Worldwide, apabila hanya kira-kira 300 sahaja yang hadir dalam suasana hujan lebat mencurah-curah selepas Maghrib. Bahkan, ada di kalangan pengunjung yang berpatah balik kerana tidak selesa berada pada majlis itu, ditambah pula bekalan elektrik turut terputus. Ini menyebabkan sistem pembesar suara gagal berfungsi yang memaksa Mustapa yang juga Pengerusi Perhubungan Umno negeri berucap menggunakan pembesar suara. Petang semalam, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kerajaan Tempatan, Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Negeri, Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan berkata kerajaan negeri memulau majlis perasmian itu yang sepatutnya disempurnakan oleh Pemangku Raja Kelantan dan dihadiri Najib di pekarangan Stadium Sultan Mohammed Ke-IV. Ini kerana, katanya pihak penganjur mungkir janji dengan tidak membenarkan Mursyidul Am PAS itu berucap. Menurut Takiyuddin, mengikut perjanjian asal, Pemangku Raja, Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra akan merasmikan fiesta itu dan Menteri Besar turut berucap, tetapi keputusan terbaru tidak membenarkan Nik Aziz berucap di samping tidak dirasmikan oleh Pemangku Raja. Siaran langsung dibatalkan Berikutan itu, katanya semua acara melibatkan kerajaan negeri seperti persembahan 1,001 pesilat dan pembuatan gendang terbesar turut dibatalkan. Sementara itu, Perdana Menteri yang membatalkan persetujuannya untuk merasmikan Fiesta Kelantan itu bergegas pulang ke Kuala Lumpur dengan penerbangan pada 10.30 malam. Berikutan itu, RTM juga membatalkan siaran langsung yang dirancang. Namun, RTM menerusi Berita Jam 8 masih lagi mewar-warkan keberangkatan Pemangku Raja Kelantan untuk merasmikan program Kelantan Fiesta 2010 di samping menyatakan akan menyiarkan program itu secara langsung melalui TV1. Tindakan terus menghebahkan keberangkatan Pemangku Raja dipercayai sebagai strategi untuk menarik rakyat Kelantan ke majlis tersebut. Ia dilihat sebagai tindakan terdesak. Adalah dipercayai jemputan untuk Nik Aziz berucap ditarik balik kerana ada pihak yang tidak mahu ia disiarkan secara langsung seperti yang dijadualkan sebelum ini.

Nik Aziz says ‘no way’ to PAS-Umno unity talks

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 09, 2010

KOTA BARU, June 9 — Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat dismissed today any possibility of unity government talks with Umno, amid speculation that some leaders in PAS and the Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin are eager to engage in the name of Malay unity. The PAS spiritual advisor denied that there were still plans within PAS to reach out to Umno to discuss plans on forming a unity government based on “Malay and Islamic” interests.
“Absolutely not. There is no way that PAS would even consider unity talks with Umno,” said Nik Aziz.
In an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider, the Kelantan Mentri Besar claimed that PAS and Umno would not see eye-to-eye because the principles of both parties are vastly different.
“Umno rejects Islam. Umno puts fear into people because PAS was talking about the concept of an Islamic nation.
“But for Umno, it’s a case of Malays first (Ketuanan Melayu) versus PAS’ Islam first (Ketuanan Islam),” Nik Aziz told The Malaysian Insider.
The veteran politician claimed that shortly after the 2008 general elections, when PAS had amassed many parliamentary seats in Kelantan, Umno had approached the Islamist party on the proposal of a unity government.
But Nik Aziz was quick to condemn Umno’s move in 2008, stating that PAS considered Umno a “liar” and that it had learnt from the mistakes of the past.
“As far as I am concerned, right now there are no longer any talks. The last time there was,” said the Kelantan MB.
He recounted how PAS had in the past briefly joined Barisan Nasional (BN) and that it resulted in a divided PAS.
According to Nik Aziz, back in 1971 PAS had joined BN’s bandwagon when the late Tun Abdul Razak extended an invitation to the Islamist party.
“Umno was desperate back then, especially after the May 13 riots in 1969. When PAS joined BN, PAS Kelantan was split into four splinter groups, and we were not united because each group supported a different idea,” he said.
Nik Aziz pointed out that Umno eventually “kicked PAS out” of the BN coalition.
“We learnt from our mistakes. This decision is not my decision, it was the decision of the muktamar,” said the PAS man.
But party insiders say otherwise.
The PAS annual general assembly, which starts tonight with an opening address by Nik Aziz,  is expected to see some top party leaders coming under fire from the delegates over lingering suspicion of possible unity talks with political foe Umno.
According to PAS members, top of the list to be grilled is its deputy president, Nasharudin Mat Isa, who survived last year’s party election in a three-cornered fight with then-vice presidents Datuk Husam Musa and Mohamad Sabu.
Also in the delegates’ sights is Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Hasan Ali, who is seen as close to Umno.
In what was the party’s most divisive polls last year, Nasharudin’s followers were labelled pro-Umno despite repeated denials by the Bachok MP.
Husam, on the other hand, launched his campaign with a promise to strengthen Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and end what he claimed to be attempts to abandon the coalition.
The election was also seen as a fight between the “professionals,” who favour strengthening PR, against the “ulama” faction, who is said to prefer working with Umno in the interest of Islam.
When asked what would happen if the issue of PAS-Umno talks were brought up during the AGM, Nik Aziz said that the party would not stop anyone from airing out their views.
“If you want to bring it up its fine, but we have to be able to defend your reasoning (of wanting unity talks.)
“Why would you want to join (forces with) Umno?” said Nik Aziz.
This year’s muktamar will be held in Kota Baru from today till June 13, where over 1,000 delegates are expected to attend.
The newly-formed non-Muslim wing, the PAS Supporters’ Congress, will also participate in the muktamar for the first time.

PAS plots capture of Umno states in next polls

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 13, 2010

Khalid speaks at the PAS muktamar in Kota Baru June 12, 2010. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KOTA BARU, June 13 — PAS will launch a  vigorous campaign to win 60 federal seats in the next general election to again deny the ruling Umno-Barisan Nasional the two-thirds Parliamentary majority.
The bold plan, which was unanimously passed during the PAS annual general assembly yesterday, will be executed to “ensure that PAS attains as many Parliamentary seats as possible to replace Umno as the core of national politics based on leadership by Islamic values.”
The proposal titled “PAS action plan for the 13th general elections” sees PAS eyeing 37 Parliamentary seats currently dominated by mainly Umno MPs in addition to retaining the Islamist party’s own 23 seats.
The proposal outlines a breakdown of potential seats to be won by PAS:

• Seats where PAS lost by less than 13,000 votes (in 2008) = 13 seats
  
• Seats where PAS lost by less than 10,000 votes= 8 seats
  
• Seats where PAS lost by less than 5,000 votes= 16 seats

“We are planning a takeover of Umno seats,” PAS Shah Alam delegate Khalid Samad told The Malaysian Insider.
The Shah Alam MP claimed PAS’ success in penetrating Umno-stronghold areas in Johor during the last general election showed that support for the party had been on a steady increase.
“Previously, PAS had contested in Johor but lost our deposits. But now this is no longer the case.
“What is happening now is that there is a shift where Malays are slowly gravitating towards PAS because we practice a new kind of politics... that fulfils the needs of a multicultural society. It can be done and has been done in Pakatan-ruled states now,” said Khalid.
PAS had won the state seats of Sungai Abong and Maharani, both in Johor, in Election 2008 much to Umno’s surprise as the southern state is its fortress and birthplace.
“If we keep up with the same working spirit, with PAS’ co-operation within Pakatan Rakyat (PR), we can replace Umno.
“The Islamic way is the way we want.
“So in preparation for the 13th general election, we should not look left, or right ... we are on the right track,” said Khalid.
The motion had been brought up by the delegates from Kubang Kerian, Pokok Sena, Kubang Pasu, Jerantut and Bandar Tun Razak.
The proposal is seen as PAS’ attempts to solidify its position within the PR coalition and distance itself from alleged PAS-Umno unity talks.
Various reasons for the Islamist party’s failure in the last elections have been identified as:

1. The domination of mainstream media by Barisan Nasional (BN) whereby PAS still has problems in reaching out to rural Malays because their opinions are shaped by what they read in BN-influenced news media.
   
2. Postal votes are the primary weapon used by BN to win areas like Pekan and Bagan Pinang.
   
3. Communities in rural areas like Felda and villages are “closed societies”, which could be seen during the Hulu Selangor by-election where Malay voters rejected PR.
   
4. A high number of unregistered voters (Elections Commission states that 4.39 million voters have yet to register).
   
5. The imbalance of support and influence for PR in Sabah and Sarawak as opposed to Peninsular Malaysia.
   
6. PAS’ untrained election machinery in these areas.
   

The proposal further put forth a 15-point action plan in response to the problems identified as hindering PAS from winning more seats:

1. A preparation of an alternative media that can rival the BN-controlled mainstream media, and focused on reaching to rural Malays.
   
2. A special fund for the 13th general election be set up to prepare election machinery.
   
3. A serious and systematic approach in getting voters to vote. Minimum target is one million voters in the whole country.
   
   - The Malaysian Insider

Nik Aziz: PAS’ future with Pakatan, not BN

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

June 10, 2010

KOTA BARU, June 9 — Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat tonight set the pace for the PAS annual general assembly, stressing to members that they should never accept Barisan Nasional (BN) as political partners.

In his opening address of the PAS AGM here, the party spiritual chief said that PAS needed to work hard to strengthen Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as an alternative coalition to BN.

“Pakatan Rakyat needs to work together. We cannot cooperate with those who encourage various evils in society,” said Nik Aziz.

The Kelantan Mentri Besar said that the political history of the country was proof of the “painful” lesson that PAS had learnt when it had joined BN.

“Back then when we joined BN for the purpose of unity, but it was a bitter lesson for us.

“PAS almost crumbled because of unity attempts with BN. There is a lesson to be learnt from this...BN is an unfaithful partner,” said Nik Aziz.

The PAS spiritual leader’s stern reminder to party members comes amid rife speculation that top party leaders have been engaging in unity talks with long-time political foes Umno.

Earlier today, in an interview with The Malaysian Insider, Nik Aziz dismissed any possibility of unity talks with Umno.

The PAS spiritual advisor has vehemently denied that there are still attempts coming from within PAS to reach out to Umno based on “Malay and Islamic” interests.

“Absolutely not. There is no way that PAS would even consider unity talks with Umno,” said Nik Aziz.

In the exclusive interview, the Kelantan Mentri Besar claimed that PAS and Umno could not see eye-to-eye because the principles of both parties were vastly different.

“Umno rejects Islam. Umno put fear into people because PAS was talking about the concept of an Islamic nation.

“But for Umno, it’s a case of Malays first (Ketuanan Melayu) versus PAS’ Islam first (Ketuanan Islam),” said Nik Aziz to The Malaysian Insider.

Using the results of the Sibu by-election as a barometer, the 79-year old politician said Sibu was proof that “BN had been rejected by non-Malays.”

The Kelantan PAS commissioner claimed that BN’s base support right now are the Malays.

“PAS, as an alternative to Umno has to be active in getting Malay support. Our priority is secure Malay support,” said Nik Aziz.

Besides that he stressed that PAS can use its increasing popularity to “introduce Islam to non-Muslims.”

“Malaysians have to know that Islam does not belong to the Malays. The PAS Supporters’ Congress is a gift from Allah.

“PAS needs to move forward to introduce Islam as a way of life.”

Nik Aziz also said that the PAS Women’s Wing needed to do more to attract more women members.

Judi bola: Politik dan ekonomi

Nathaniel Tan believes this world is full of people, he was born to love them all. He blogs at www.jelas.info and tweets @NatAsasi

May 26, 2010

26 MEI — Saya penagih poker. Kebanyakkan orang menganggap ini bermaksud saya suka judi, dan mereka tidak 100 per cent salah.
Sebenarnya, di kalangan pemain poker sendiri ada spektrum yang merangkumi pemain yang bersifat amat konservatif (“nits”) dan yang bermain secara lebih mengambil risiko (“loose/aggressive”). Saya biasanya dikira konservatif.
Saya tidak berminat mana-mana lain permainan yang melibatkan perjudian — terutamanya di kasino.
Pertamanya, saya tidak suka bergantung kepada nasib. Dalam poker, walaupun unsur nasib memang ada, menang kalah serta jumlah yang terlibat boleh dikawal sedikit dengan kemahiran dan disiplin.
Satu lagi sebab saya mengelak dari kasino, mainan nombor dan sebagainya diungkap baik dalam pepatah Inggeris “The house always wins.”
Maksudnya, permainan di kasino, judi nombor, dan sebagainya telah distrukturkan supaya badan yang mengawal permainan itu selalu untung dan tidak mungkin rugi sama sekali. Walaupun kadang kala (sebenarnya cukup jarang sekali) kita boleh menang, dalam jangka masa panjang, syarikat judi itu selalu menang.
Dilihat dari sudut lain, maksudnya orang yang judi selalu kalah.
Itulah sebabnya konglomerat judi di merata dunia selalu mengaut keuntungan yang luar biasa, dan nilai sahamnya tinggi sekali.
Saya tidak berapa layak untuk menilai soal judi bola di Malaysia dari segi moral, tetapi saya rasa berbaloi juga kita mendekati soalan ini dari segi ekonomi dan kebajikan rakyat.
Seorang rakan di universiti jurusan ekonomi dulu menulis tesisnya berasaskan dua soalan mudah: a) Patutkah sebuah kerajaan menganjurkan loteri? b) Pada keseluruhannya adakah loteri ini menguntungkan atau merugikan rakyat?
Soalan berkenaan penganjuran loteri secara langsung oleh kerajaan berpaksikan beberapa aspek. Keuntungan dari loteri ini boleh diandaikan sebagai sesuatu cukai (walaupun suatu cukai yang biasanya hanya dibayar oleh golongan miskin dan serdahana). Hasil cukai tersebut secara teorinya boleh digunakaan balik untuk manfaat masyarakat am.
Walaubagaimanapun, jika loteri atau mana-mana mainan judi yang lain dianjurkan oleh pihak swasta, manfaat ini amat dikurangkan kerana kebanyakan dari hasil untung disalurkan ke konglomerat (dalam kes kita: Berjaya, saudara Tan Sri Vincent Tan, dan pihak-pihak politik yang disokongnya) dan bukannya balik kepada rakyat (kecuali cukai kerajaan yang kecil — halalnya cukai ini mungkin boleh dipertikaikan).
Mainan judi sebegini jelas pada keseluruhannya merugikan rakyat. Jumlah duit yang dimenang melalui judi bola oleh golongan menang, contohnya, sudah tentu cukup kurang dari jumlah yang hilang oleh golongan kalah. Kesimpulannya, rakyat secara keseluruhannya lebih miskin selepas Piala Dunia dari sebelumnya.
Kita juga harus tanya: Siapakah yang biasanya berjudi sebegini? Dalam isu judi bola, dan lebih lagi untuk mainan nombor, kebanyakkan pemain terdiri daripada rakyat yang berkedudukan ekonomi rendah ke serdahana.
Ini bermaksud perluasan aktiviti judi yang menarik rakyat dengan janji-janji untung mudah dan besar sebenarnya memiskinkan lagi rakyat yang sudah cukup dibebankan dengan masalah ekonomi.
Ada yang berhujah bahawa pemberian lesen judi bola adalah berpatutan kerana sah atau tidak, kegiatan ini tetap berlaku — lebih baik ia diregulasasikan, dipantau, dan sebahagian keuntungannya dialirkan kepada kerajaan.
Ramai pula berbalas bahawa jika pendekatan ini logik, maka ia harus diperluaskan untuk merangkumi aktiviti-aktiviti seperti pelacuran, pinjaman wang melalui Ah Long dan sebagainya.
Saya ingin bertambah bahawa lesen judi bola juga akan memperbanyakkan nombor orang yang akan berjudi. Mereka yang dulunya takut untuk melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti yang tak sah dari segi undang-undang akan kini menampil untuk mengambil kesempatan peluang baru ini.
Memang sukar untuk kita percaya penganugerahan lesen judi bola tanpa apa-apa tender kepada Vincent Tan dan Berjaya tiada kaitan langsung dengan hubungan dekat Tan dengan pihak-pihak berkuasa.
Nama Tan kerap muncul dalam perbincangan melibatkan wakil-wakil rakyat yang telah melompat parti dalam setahun dua ini, dan kita terpaksa tanya dari mana datangnya dana untuk semua “hadiah-hadiah pilihanraya” di Hulu Selangor, Sibu dan seterusnya. Ramai juga mengaitkan lesen judi ini dengan “tabung dana” untuk pilihanraya umum ke-13 yang dirasai kian mendekati.
Usaha-usaha menggunakan cara haram untuk mengaut keuntungan yang meningkatkan beban ekonomi rakyat demi menyokong aktiviti-aktiviti yang lebih haram lagi haruslah dipantau dengan dekat oleh rakyat, dan jika didapati memang benar, dibantah sekeras-kerasnya.
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. - The Malaysian Insider

PAS mulls plans to win more Malay votes

By Adib Zalkapli

May 24, 2010

PAS Youth, under Nasrudin, has been tasked with gathering information for the strategies. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — The central PAS leadership will meet after the upcoming annual muktamar to finalise their strategies to win over Umno strongholds in the next general election, which have thus far resisted their charms.
The Islamist party has engaged the services of an opinion polls researcher to identify the concerns of the Malay voters, especially in the west coast and the southern peninsula, which is solid Umno country.
“We are still having problems convincing the rural Malays who do not have access to the new media. Those who still rely on television as their source of news,” said PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan in confirming the retreat, which will be held sometime in July.
Nasrudin described the retreat as the final preparation before the party heads to the 13th general election that must be held by 2013.
“As soon [as] after the muktamar, we will start our work. By that time, we [are] already in the final round before the time comes for general election,” Nasrudin told The Malaysian Insider.
PAS will hold its annual muktamar from June 9 to 13. The retreat was supposed to be held earlier this month but had to be postponed because of the Sibu by-election.
The party’s Youth wing has been tasked with gathering information to be tabled during the retreat.

Bagan Pinang showed that PAS still was unable to penetrate Umno strongholds. — file pic

Nasrudin, however, refused to disclose the early findings, adding that all research outcomes would be presented to the central leadership. PAS and its partners in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have not been able to make significant inroads into the Umno-controlled Malay heartland.
The Islamist party lost badly in the Bagan Pinang by-election late last year. The Negri Sembilan state constituency was approximately 66 per cent Malay.
In Hulu Selangor PR, through PKR candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, lost in the by-election due to the party’s failure to win the rural Malay votes in the constituency despite increasing the support levels in the Chinese-majority town centre.
The campaign in the Malay-majority semi-rural Hulu Selangor was led by PAS leaders, including its spiritual advisor, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who made last minute visits in the constituency’s Felda settlements.
In the Sibu by-election last weekend, the party helped DAP in the campaign in Muslim majority areas, which were strongholds of Sarawak’s Malay/Melanau party, PBB, but failed to make significant inroads.
Apart from the challenge of breaking Umno’s monopoly of the rural Malay vote, PR was also competing against Malay rights group, Perkasa, led by Datuk Ibrahim Ali and which has been gaining popularity since its inception in 2008.
“In trying to win the Malay votes, it does not mean we will be trapped into fanning racial sentiments. Our aim is increase the Malay support but at the same time we will make sure that we will not lose the non-Malay support,” said Nasrudin, who added that PAS would not violate PR’s common policy framework in its drive to win the Malay votes. - The Malaysian Insider