مهاتير محمد's Blog, page 58
January 7, 2013
AMANAT HADI AWANG
1. From its inception the leaders of the Pan Malayan Islamic Party (PMIP) now known as PAS (Parti Islam SeMalaysia), in their quest for support condemned UMNO members as infidels (kafir) for cooperating with non-Muslims. This was followed in April 1981 by Hadi Awang’s statement that UMNO members are kafir (infidels) because UMNO perpetuates the constitution of the colonialist, perpetuates the rules and regulations of the infidels, perpetuates the rules of the pre-Islamic Arabs, the Jahiliah. Because of these things the struggles of PAS constitute a jihad (holy struggle), their speeches are jihad, their donations (to PAS) are jihad. Because of their struggle (war) against these people (UMNO members), if they die they become syahids (Islamic martyrs) they die in Islam. He said that they don’t have to be a Jew, don’t have to be a Christian, don’t have to be Hindu or Buddhist, they become infidels if they separate politics from religion.
2. The effect of these two pronouncements is far more than is generally known. They have resulted in a deep split among the Malay Muslims who are all Sunnis and followers of the same Imam, Imam Shafie. Usually the splits within the Muslim community are due to the interpretations and teachings of different Imams. Thus the Sunnis and the Shiahs are so deeply divided that they regarded each other as non-Muslims. As a result they have been fighting and killing each other for more than a thousand years.
3. There was no such division among Malay Muslim until PAS was formed. Immediately PAS declared that those who did not join it are infidels (kafir). But the most potent cause of the split among Malay Sunnis is due to the pronouncement of Hadi Awang, presently the President of PAS. His diatribe against UMNO and condemnation of UMNO Malays as kafirs (apostates or infidels) has resulted in the rejection of PAS members of UMNO Imams during prayers. They would hold separate prayers behind their own Imam.
4. PAS members even build their own mosques, refuse to eat meat slaughtered by UMNO supporters, reject the validity of marriages officiated by UMNO kadis, and bury their dead in separate burial grounds.
5. Members of the same family who are UMNO followers are shunned by those who support PAS.
6. In fact PAS members truly believe that the 3 million UMNO members, their families and their supporters are not Muslims. They are all kafir or infidels and apostates.
7. Malays are not usually violent but there have been deaths such as those in Memali where police personnel and PAS supporters lost their lives. Because we don’t have the regular violence and killings as occurred in other Muslim countries where the Muslims are divided into Shiah and Sunnis, the split and animosities between the Muslim Malays are not so noticeable. It is only during elections that this split becomes a factor.
8. PAS members have become so fanatical in their support for the Party that even when the Party and the leaders breach their own injunctions they continue their blind support of the party. Thus after saying that UMNO is kafir because it works with kafir, now that PAS has done exactly the same, PAS members continue to support their party. Their fanaticism seem to blind them to the hypocrisy of their leaders.
9. It is perhaps worthwhile to examine the pronouncements of Hadi Awang because most PAS members look up to him as infallible and sinless (ma’asum). What indeed does Hadi mean when he made his amanat of 1981.
10. He said that PAS is opposed to UMNO because it had perpetuated the constitution of the colonialist. Which part of the constitution is he referring to?
11. The constitution adopted by Malaysia upon independence provides for :
a) A constitutional monarchy;
b) A parliament elected by the people;
c) An Executive Prime Minister and Cabinet from the party or representatives who have the support of the majority in Parliament;
d) The separation of power between the executive, the legislative and the judiciary;
e) The rule of law and equality before the law;
f) Trials conducted by the courts where the procedures include evidence by witnesses and also circumstantial evidence;
f) The monarch to appoint the Prime Minister or Chief Minister based on the support of the elected legislators but may not dismiss the Government so formed unless a vote of non-confidence has been passed against the Government concerned;
g) Freedom to believe in and practice other religions and
h) No imposition of Islamic law on non-Muslims.
12. There are elements of the western non-Muslims concepts of governance in all these and more. If PAS consider their acceptance make UMNO kafir, what would PAS replace them with. Would PAS want the:
a) Constitutional monarch to be replaced with an absolute monarch?
b) Would PAS wish to replace elected Parliaments with a Dewan made of nominees of the absolute ruler?
c) Would PAS accept a Prime Minister and his Cabinet appointed by the monarch even if they are not supported by the majority of the members of the Dewan?
d) Would the separation of power between the executive, the legislative and the judiciary be abolished?
e) Should there be no rule of law?
f) Should trials be conducted without need of duly-appointed judges in legally constituted courts?
g) Should courts only find an accused person guilty if there are four witnesses of high-standing to vouch for the facts of the crime?
h) Should constitutional evidence such as DNA and thumbprints be rejected?
i) Should the monarch be given the power to appoint and dismiss the Government at his whim and fancy?
13. To clear the air and to give the religions basis for the pronouncement of Hadi Awang that the constitution is colonial, he must explain how the Malaysian Constitutions has to be changed so as not to be a perpetuation of the colonial constitution.
14. I suspect he would answer that I am not qualified to question him as I am not a religious scholar. But I would be living under Hadi’s constitution if his PAS adorers were to give him victory in the 13th General Election. As a citizen I must know what I would be in for, even if the DAP and its supporters don’t want to know. And I believe many citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims would want to know.
15. DAP may believe that they would be able to handle Hadi and his “Amanat”, but the DAP struggle to do this will destabilise the country, preventing it from developing and growing.
January 2, 2013
CHANGE
2. He promised to close down Guantanamo Detention Camp.
3. He promised to stop trials of detainees by Military Courts.
4. He promised to pull out from Iraq and Afghanistan.
5. And many more.
6. Now four years into his first term he has failed to keep his promises.
7. Guantanamo is still holding so-called terrorists; still torturing them. No military courts but no trials by civilian courts either.
8. Instead of pulling out from Iraq and Afghanistan he approved a “surge” in the troops sent to this area. Later he pulled out some troops but American soldiers are still in the two countries.
9. Making promises during campaigns for elections is easy. Keeping them is a different matter. The best hope is that people’s memory is short. They would normally forget the promises.
10. Now the opposition in Malaysia have copied Obama and is promising change.
11. Give them a chance they say. The BN has ruled this country for 55 years. It is time to change. They will change this into a welfare state. Everything will be free. No fees for education. No tolls. Large subsidy for petrol. 20% royalty to oil producing states etc..etc.
12. The Socialist and Communist have tried this welfare state idea. They failed. Malaysia has no ideology. But the reality is that all Governments need money in order to develop the country and to subsidise living cost for the people. But when Government foregoes taxes, tolls and fees, it will have less money. But it will still have to spend money on running and maintaining utilities, expressways, schools, hospitals, operational and development cost, pension, subsidies, etc.
13. So where does the Government get necessary funds.
14. Borrowing is okay if the money is invested and giving a return to repay the loans. But borrowing money in order to just spend will lead to non-payment of debts.
15. That’s what happened to Greece. It’s bankrupt now. The whole of Europe cannot put it back together again.
16. Admittedly the BN has ruled this country every since independence. But look at the record and compare it with other countries which gained independence at the same time. Compare it even with the developed West. They are in deep financial trouble and try as they might, they have not been able to overcome the crisis.
17. Remember 1997- 8 crisis. The then Deputy PM and Minister of Finance tried the IMF solution without the IMF loans. Banks and companies were faced with the threat of bankruptcy from non-performing loans. Imports cost more. Cost of living shot up.
18. The track record of the Minister of Finance then was bad although there is a fondness of claiming success brought about by other people as his success. PNB, UIA and Islamic banking were part of the claim.
19. Now as leader of the Opposition he is claiming to bring about change. What good change did he introduce when he was in the Government. All he was interested in was getting up the leadership ladder of UMNO in order to become Prime Minister. How he achieved his objective does not bear scrutiny.
20. Five years for the Anwar or Hadi-led opposition to govern is dangerous. Many things can be destroyed in five years. We have some experience of this. Besides the Opposition as Government will ensure there will be no return for the BN. Officer in the Government will be used to “gempar” (threaten) whoever tries to change Government. We know this has happened before.
21. Already we see this person who claims to fight for free speech suing and resorting to the courts to shut the mouths of his critics. Other powers of the Government will be similarly abused. Nepotism and cronyism will be employed as indeed they are in the party he now heads.
22. The record is there. Malaysians must not allow themselves to be hoodwinked as I was hoodwinked by the appearance of religious piety in the past.
23. The BN has listened to the people and has changed many laws and policies. All that the people need to do is to urge the BN to carry out whatever change the people desire. But changing the Government can and will result in this country becoming unstable and unable to grow.
December 15, 2012
BOKO HARAM
BOKO HARAM
1. Di Nigeria hari ini terdapat kononnya gerakan Islam yang bernama “Boko Haram”. Saya tidak pasti makna “Boko” tetapi bunyinya semacam dengan “Buku” dalam Bahasa Melayu. Mungkin yang dimaksudkan dengan “Boko” ialah Kitab Injil.
2. Walau apa pun maknanya yang jelas ialah kumpulan “Boko Haram” ini sedang membunuh orang Kristian dan menyerang gereja mereka. Tetapi mereka juga membunuh ramai orang Islam, bahkan lebih ramai orang Islam yang dibunuh dari orang bukan Islam.
3. Inilah yang sering berlaku apabila sekumpulan orang Islam anggap hanya mereka sahaja yang betul-betul Islam dan orang Islam lain tidak Islam dan boleh dibunuh.
4. Kita orang Melayu di Malaysia semuanya terdiri dari Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah dan berimam dengan Imam Shafie. Sepatutnya kita tidak menghadapi apa-apa masalah fahaman Islam yang berbeza-beza. Malangnya Islam diperalatkan oleh segolongan politikus sehingga berlaku tuduhan bahawa orang yang tidak bersama dengan parti mereka tidak Islam dan murtad. Walaupun mereka tidak ganas seperti “Boko Haram” tetapi permusuhan oleh orang yang anggap mereka sahaja yang Islam dengan orang yang tidak bersama dengan mereka yang didakwa tidak Islam berjaya memecah-belah dan melemahkan orang Islam di negara ini. Apabila lemah maka mudahlah orang Islam diperkosa oleh orang lain.
5. Kita sering dengar tokoh-tokoh agama mendakwa bahawa orang Islam itu adalah bersaudara. Tetapi ayat Al Quran ini hanya dibibir mulut sahaja. Amalannya berlainan.
6. Kata pihak yang memurtadkan seteru politik mereka, mereka memurtadkan seteru politik kerana tidak melaksanakan syariat Islam. Benarkah? Apa yang dilakukan oleh kita dilakukan juga oleh negara-negara lain yang diiktiraf sebagai negara Islam dengan penduduk yang diterima sebagai penganut agama Islam. Jika kita murtad maka kebanyakkan orang Islam didunia ini tentulah murtad juga. Kenapakah yang mendakwa tiga juta orang UMNO murtad tidak pula mendakwa umat Islam di negara-negara yang kononnya tidak laksana syariat Islam adalah murtad? Sebabnya ialah kerana tidak menguntungkan politik mereka.
7. Apakah yang dimaksudkan dengan syariat Islam? Ada yang berpendapat bahawa oleh kerana penyanyi dibenarkan menyanyi di Malaysia maka ini bermakna Kerajaan Malaysia tidak mengamalkan syariat Islam. Kalau ini bermakna tidak mengikut syariat Islam maka hampir semua negara Islam tidak mengikut syariat Islam.
8. Kita harus ingat di Malaysia bukan sahaja ada orang Islam tetapi 40% dari penduduk Malaysia terdiri dari bukan Islam. Sesuatu yang tidak disukai oleh Allat SWT yang disebut dalam Al Quran ialah mereka yang mencetus huru-hara. Dalam melaksanakan syariat Islam di Malaysia cara yang sesuai ialah dengan tidak mencetuskan huru-hara. Kelonggaran yang diberi dalam perlaksanaan syariat Islam membolehkan kita bertindak dengan mengambilkira keadaan dalam melaksanakan hukum-hukum Islam. Yang suka menjadikan Islam agama yang keras dan tidak bertimbangrasa serta tidak berperikemanusian ialah pentafsir yang berkepentingan. Demikian ada orang Islam yang menganggap orang tidak berjanggut tidak Islam dan perlu disembelih. Demikian juga gerakan Boko Haram yang membuat syarat-syarat tersendiri untuk diterima sebagai orang Islam dan membunuh orang yang tidak patuh pada syariat ciptaan mereka.
9. Pelaksanaan syariat Islam di Malaysia mungkin berlainan dari penguatkuasaan syariat Islam di negara yang penduduknya semuanya Islam. Kita tidak ambil kisah dengan amalan dan budaya orang bukan Islam. Kita tahu apabila percubaan dibuat untuk memaksa bukan Islam amal nilai hidup Islam seperti tidak membenar lelaki potong rambut wanita dan sebaliknya, akhirnya ia hanya memalukan orang Islam dan Islam apabila terpaksa dibatalkan. Demikian juga dengan tuduhan khalwat yang dilakukan oleh orang bukan Islam.
10. Sebaliknya apabila syariat Islam dibuat dengan menyediakan bank Islam yang bebas dari riba, Universiti Islam, Pengurusan Tabung Haji bagi menentukan amalan ini lebih sempurna, perkembangan ajaran Islam dengan mengadakan sekolah-sekolah agama, pengurusan zakat yang lebih tertib dan berbagai lagi, tidak ada huru-hara yang berlaku. Demikian dengan penguatkuasaan undang-undang Islam di kalangan orang Islam dan penentuan undang-undang yang terpaksa dikenakan kepada penganut-penganut agama yang berlainan yang tidak bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam.
11. Menggalakan gerakan seperti Boko Haram atau memurtadkan orang Islam tanpa usul periksa bukan cara kita, bahkan bukan cara Islam pun.
12. Janganlah sesiapa cuba menghalalkan perbuatan salah mereka dengan menyalahguna undang-undang Islam. Mereka yang berbuat demikian perlu bertaubat. Sudah tentu mereka wajib tarik balik dakwaan kononnya ahli UMNO murtad. Ingatlah bagaimana dahulu PAS mendakwa UMNO kafir kerana bekerjasama dengan orang bukan Islam. Seperti yang dijanji dalam Al Quran tuduhan ini kembali kepada yang menuduh kerana mereka sekarang bekerjasama dan berpeluk-peluk dengan orang kafir, bahkan sanggup mati mempertahankan pemimpin orang kafir…….perbuatan mereka mengikut mereka sendiri menjadikan mereka kafir.
13. Janganlah hendaknya dakwaan oleh mereka bahawa orang UMNO murtad akan kembali kepada mereka. Orang Islam tidak perlu berlaku ganas kerana agama Islam tidak menyuruh kita melaku ganas atau ketidakadilan kepada sesiapa.
Agama Islam adalah agama keamanan, agama yang mengajar kita supaya melaku adil dan tidak mencetuskan huru-hara.
December 11, 2012
PALESTINE
1. I am happy that Palestine is now half-recognised by the United Nations.
2. Why there cannot be full recognition is evidence that we live in a world where there is no justice, where the rule of law prevails not, where might is right.
3. There was no state of Israel where it is now. There was only the state of Palestine then.
4. Now there is a state of Israel but no state of Palestine.
5. Why? Because Israel, this artificial creation of the West, together with its satellite, the United States of America, is against acknowledging the existence of the state of Palestine.
6. There is only a Palestinian Authority, a meaningless entity found nowhere else in the world.
7. And this entity is not allowed to collect all the taxes due to it. “Generously” Israel and the United States undertake to collect the taxes for the Palestinian Authority.
8. The taxes obviously belong to the Palestinians. Now, to punish the Palestinians for seeking to be half-recognised by the United Nations, Israel and the United States threaten not to hand over the taxes they had collected to the rightful owner.
9. Arm-twisting like this is totally unacceptable especially by the so-called democratic countries. But this open manifestation of hypocrisy is only to be expected. In all the dealings regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, there has never been any instance when justice and fair play have been shown. Always it is about the strong taking what they will and the weak giving in what they must.
10. This is the world in which we live today.
مهاتير محمد's Blog
- مهاتير محمد's profile
- 141 followers
