Roslan Hamid's Blog, page 180

Transformasi (perestroika) akhiri kuasa Umno-BN?

****************** Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ***************** Renungan ******************* "Wafatkanlah aku dan keadaan Islam dan gabungkanlah aku dengan orang-orang saleh." (Maksud Ayat 101 Surah Yusuf) ******************** KUASA besar dunia suatu ketika dulu, Kesatuan Soviet (USSR) tumbang selepas presiden terakhirnya, Mikhail Gorbachev memperkenalkan rancangan pembaharuan yang dinamakan ‘perestroika’ dan ‘glasnost’ pada akhir 1990-an. ************************ Pembaharuan inilah yang akhirnya menyebabkan Gorbachev sendiri tersingkir daripada jawatan presiden dan membuka laluan kepada kewujudan 15 negara baru termasuk Rusia yang dipimpin Presiden Boris Yeltsin (sudah mati) pada 1991. ************************ Apakah rancangan pembaharuan Gorbachev itu? Antaranya ialah membuka pintu Soviet Union kepada dunia Barat. Kesatuan Soviet akhirnya terdedah kepada ketidak-tentuan yang membawa kepada kemerdekaan republik-republik dalamnya dan akhirnya jawatan Gorbachev sendiri tercabar dan akhirnya beliau terpaksa menyerahkan jawatan kepada Yeltsin. ********************* Di negara kita pula, Umno-BN pimpinan Najib Razak yang terdesak untuk melakukan pembaharuan semakin tersepit dengan parti-parti komponen berasaskan perkauman semakin disisihkan rakyat, bertindak melaksanakan pelbagai program transformasi termasuk dari segi politik. ********************** Bercakap mengenai kuasa; jika Soviet Union yang perkasa itu akhirnya tumbang, di tanah air kita, apalah sangat dengan Umno-BN yang dianggap sesetengah pihak terlalu kebal untuk terlerai daripada kuasa. ********************* Komunis Soviet yang melakukan penindasan paling dahsyat ke atas rakyat pun hanya mampu bertahan 70 tahun; tidakkah ia menunjukkan bahawa Umno yang mendominasi kuasa lebih 55 tahun juga berada dalam kedudukan sangat genting? Kata orang jika Tembok Berlin di Jerman pun boleh runtuh, apalah sangat ‘tembok perkauman’ Umno-BN? *********************** Sekalipun Najib kini giat dengan program transformasinya, pelbagai pihak menyatakan Perdana Menteri Kelima, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi adalah bagaikan Gorbachev yang membuka laluan kepada berakhirnya empayar terbesar dunia itu. ************************ Jika Gorbachev memulakan program pembaharuan perestroika dan glasnost, Abdullah melaksanakan pembaharuan di peringkat bawahan (rakyat) dengan salah satu slogan terkenalnya ‘bekerja bersama saya bukan bekerja untuk saya’. Abdullah juga terbabit dalam usaha penambahbaikan pasukan polis dan pencegahan rasuah dan sama seperti Gorbachev yang kehilangan kuasa, beliau juga turut disingkirkan oleh juak-juak yang tidak sabar berkuasa. *********************** Pembaharuan tidak dapat dielakkan Gorbachev selepas kejatuhan satu demi satu negara blok komunis di Eropah Timur dan kini Umno-BN juga tidak dapat mengelakkan pembaharuan yang pantas melanda negara terutama dengan kemajuan dunia teknologi informasi dan komunikasi (ICT) yang menyaksikan satu demi satu ‘sandiwara’ dan ‘kebobrokan’nya termasuk dalam isu Bersih terdedah. ************************ Dalam kes Abdullah pula, selepas diasak kuat oleh tokoh dan orang dalam partinya sendiri, beliau menyerahkan jawatan walaupun hakikatnya beliau menang pada pilihan raya umum ke-12 pada Mac 2008. Tetapi prestasi kurang memberangsangkan Umno-BN pada pilihan raya itu selepas berlaku kebangkitan rakyat yang menyaksikan lima negeri jatuh ke tangan Pakatan Rakyat, menyebabkan Abdullah terlalu tertekan, lantas menyerahkan kuasa. ************************* Gorbachev yang masih hidup (sekalipun isterinya Irina mati beberapa tahun selepas kehancuran Soviet Union) dapat menyaksikan detik-detik pedih kehancuran negaranya, tetapi bagaimanakah nasib Abdullah dan PM Keempat Dr Mahathir Mohamad agaknya? Masih sempatkah mereka menyaksikan kehancuran parti mereka, seterusnya gabungan perikatan BN dan akhirnya tertawannya Putrajaya di tangan pesaingnya? *********************** Walau apapun dihadapinya, syabas diucapkan kepada Abdullah kerana beliau telah merintis jalan kepada kebangkitan rakyat. Kebangkitan rakyat ini bagaikan tidak dapat dibendung dan buktinya Pakatan Rakyat menang pada setiap kali pilihan raya kecil sehinggalah mereka digagalkan di Bagan Pinang oleh calon bernama Isa Samad yang kini dilantik sebagai peneraju Felda. Isa adalah liabiliti kepada Umno-BN kerana kes politik wang (rasuah)nya, sekali gus memudahkan Pakatan dalam usahanya ke Putrajaya. *********************** Apabila Gorbachev tersingkir, Yeltsin cepat-cepat mengambil alih kuasa. Pengganti Abdullah, Najib Razak pun begitu, demikian juga Muhyiddin Yassin yang tidak sabar-sabar untuk ke jawatan nombor dua, kini dikatakan ke jawatan nombor satu. Namun kedua-duanya tidak dapat membendung kebangkitan rakyat yang sebenarnya sudah bosan berada dalam cengkaman Umno-Perikatan (BN) sejak lebih setengah kurun lampau. ************************ Namun kebosanan rakyat itu sebelum pilihan raya 2008, tidak dapat disalurkan kepada perikatan parti atau pihak yang dapat menyaingi Umno-Barisan Nasional. Ini kerana parti-parti saingan Umno-BN yang berjuang sendirian, jelas kelihatan tidak boleh digantungkan pengharapan. ********************** Pakatan Rakyat hanya terbentuk selepas pilihan raya itu yang membabitkan kerjasama longgar PAS, KeADILan dan DAP. Namun selepas dilambung dan diuji badai dan samudera, pakatan itu kian mantap walaupun cuba digegar oleh Umno-BN dengan panahan beracun seperti isu kerajaan perpaduan Melayu, perbezaan perjuangan PAS-DAP dan sebagainya. Berdasarkan perkembangan semasa, INI KALILAH untuk rakyat mengakhiri kuasa monopoli Umno-BN selama 55 tahun seterusnya mara ke Putrajaya. Ingatlah, jika Soviet komunis boleh terlerai apalah sangat Umno-BN! ************************ Jika Gorbachev yang menerajui empayar paling hebat gagal menahan tumbangnya kuasa beliau di Kremlin, mampukah Najib dan sekutunya mempertahankan Putrajaya daripada jatuh ke tangan Pakatan. ****************************** Sewajarnyalah Najib dan rakan-rakannya belajar daripada Gorbachev dan Abdullah yang berundur secara baik bagi membolehkan peralihan kuasa berjalan secara aman dan lancar. ****************************** Jika Gorbachev dapat menerima kejatuhan itu dengan hati terbuka, lantas banyak menghabiskan masa tuanya di Amerika dan negara Barat lain (termasuklah ketika pemergian si isteri tersayang), tidak usahlah Najib menyebut-nyebut pasal bermandian darah atau berpisah nyawa daripada badan bagi mempertahankan kerusi empuk dan mahligai bergemerlapan di Putrajaya. *************************** Mungkin adalah lebih baik merancang pemergian jauh-jauh bersama isteri tersayang ke UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand atau mungkin ke negara pewaris Soviet Union, Russia yang ditinggalkan Gorbachev!

Side stories while marching to Stadium Merdeka

**************************** In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. **************************** Reflection **************************** "Anyone who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God..." (Nisaa 4:80) *************************** I planned this narration about my ‘encounter’ with the ‘events’ and peoples during my ‘walk’ to Stadium Merdeka during the ‘kebangkitan rakyat’ (peoples' awakening) rally on 12 January to be published earlier but it had to give way to an article which attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in conjuction with his birthday on 12 Rabiulawal 1434 Hegira or on the 24th January 2013. ********************** During that historic day, I alighted at the Masjid Jamek LRT station at about 11.00 am and marched with hundreds and then thousands of Pakatan Rakyat supporters to Stadium Merdeka via Jalan Petaling. ******************* While in the vicinity of Jalan Petaling, I saw a few buntings and banners with words such as ‘Mari Rampas Tanah’ (MRT – Let’s confiscate land). Clearly residents and shop-owners there were against the government’s move to build an MRT (Mass Rail Transit) station and having an underground line in their area. ********************** I saw a huge poster with these words penned on it: “Kami dan kroni bergandingan. Hari ini warisan kami dimusnahkan. Esok, kami halau kalian.” (Yesterday we treasured our cronies. Today, we accept the heritage erased. Tomorrow we celebrate neighbourhood destroyed). *********************** Looking at the gestures of the mostly Chinese shop owners and helpers there, I guessed they were totally against removing or reallocating their premises there. A Chinese who was walking alongside me, said businessmen in that area were furious and eager to give a good lesson to those politicians involved directly or behind the project in the coming general election. ********************** While walking on a ‘kaki lima’ (five foot way) of the shops in Petaling Street, a Malay middle-aged man suddenly stopped me and asked whether I was LanH, the columnist in Harakah. When I replied ‘yes’, he gave me a warm handshake and then started ‘pouring out his heart’. He said he was a fan of LanH who came from a far-away ‘kampung’ in Terengganu; “so please LanH highlight my plight.” ******************** “I am very concerned with the large number of immigrants in the country. Because of this situation I was without a job; employers even those running palm oil estates in rural areas in Terengganu preferred them to locals. ******************** “I then went to Kuala Lumpur to search for jobs. It was worse here. Almost all sectors such as construction is dominated by foreigners. Even helpers in restaurants and ‘gerai’ (stalls) are immigrants. ******************* “A word of caution to Muslims; beware the restaurant and ‘gerai’ that you patronize, not all those so called ‘mamak’ premises are run by Muslims. Even those eateries which employ ‘tudung clad’ Indonesian helpers must be checked first because a few are non-Muslim what’s more some of their employers are non-Muslim.” ****************** Regarding this issue pointed out by this fan of mine, I remembered receiving an e-mail from a family member stating: “During our routine travel from my home town Melaka to Parit Buntar or vise versa, we usually took a rest at of the many R&R along the highway. At one time, we could see there was a stall which had at its top the name of a non Muslim owner but the workers were Indonesian wearing tudung selling various type of food and surprisingly many Muslims including one ‘purdah’ donning family bought food from that stall!” ******************** Near a road junction, about 200 meters from the main gate of Stadium Merdeka, a group of Indians who identified themselves as members of Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (PAS Supporters Wing) of Perak stopped and asked me to make contribution to help Pakatan’s struggle to Putrajaya. Their willingness to work hard stole my heart; if non-Muslims have high faith in PAS, then it would be a shame if Muslims themselves distanced themselves from the Islamic party. ******************** Well the peoples’ rally attracted a wide spectrum of society. There were punk groups, guys with Mohican hairstyles and participants wearing masks with smiling faces. A man with his monkey pet on his motorcycle was seen moving up and down the road along Stadium Merdeka. ******************* One good development was that policemen on patrol were seen smiling and having good conversation with the people. Some were seen willingly posing with participants to have their photos snapped. A group of youth was seen posing in front of the police station near the entrance of Stadium Merdeka with a banner which read: “Kami sayang polis” (We love the police). ******************* The event in Stadium Merdeka was scheduled to begin at 2.00 pm. I planned to perform my ‘jamak’ (combine) ‘zuhur’ (midday) and ‘asar’ (late afternoon) prayers before entering the stadium. Thus I headed for Masjid Al-Bukhary at Jalan Hang Tuah which was about a kilometer away from Stadium Merdeka. ********************* The masjid was jammed with participants of the rally. I guessed that more than 5,000 people where there. Before taking my ablution, I went to the toilet area and was caught off guard as the queue waiting to use the restrooms was more than a 100 meters. It took me more than an hour to ‘finish my business’. ******************* After prayers, I followed participants who moved in groups to Stadium Merdeka. While walking up the hills and passing Stadium Negara, I saw traders on both sides of the road having brisk business. People were seen flocking food stalls; a ‘kambing bakar’ (grilled mutton) station was pulling a huge crowd. ********************* It was also the first time during rally organised by the Opposition that traders were left alone in peace to run their businesses. Some were seen selling commodities such as sound ratters and whistles which were normally ‘banned items’ during rallies. ********************* While ‘inching’ my way to the stadium, I saw a touchy sight – a group of women were seen performing their ‘solat’ under the shade of trees. A few were in their white ‘telekung’, while the rest in their ‘daily attire’ which covered their ‘aurat’. ******************** At the gate, I jostled my way through and how lucky I was as I managed to have a seat on the terrace of the stadium. Well, it was a great feeling; witnessing the the uprising of the rakyat. Looking at the faces around me, I could feel the rakyat’s determination and spirit to lead the way to bringing change for the best for all Malaysians!

Ramai pemimpin cakap tak serupa bikin…

******************** Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ********************** Renungan ******************* "Dan janganlah kamu menghampiri zina, sesungguhnya zina itu adalah satu perbuatan yang keji dan satu jalan yang jahat yang membawa kerosakan." - Maksud Ayat al-Quran Surah al-Israa': 32 ************************ SEORANG agamawan terkenal ditanya: “Jika agama benar-benar berkesan, mengapa berlaku banyak kejelekan di dunia ini?” Beliau bertanya balik, “Dengan banyaknya sabun, mengapa pula terdapat ramai orang busuk di dunia ini?” Agama, seumpama sabun (mengikut pandangan cendekiawan itu), mestilah diaplikasi secara peribadi jika seseorang itu mahu penghidupannya lebih bermakna). ************************** Namun hari ini semakin ramai pemimpin pandai cakap tetapi tak pandai bikin (tak praktikkan apa yang mereka syarahkan). Misalnya, mereka mengesyorkan rakyat hidup secara wasatiyyah (sederhana) tetapi mereka hidup boros, termasuk 'menghanguskan' wang kerajaan bagaikan harta milik sendiri. *********************** Ada pemimpin melaungkan ikut cara Islam, tetapi anak isteri mereka sendiri berpakaian tidak menutup aurat sepenuhnya (ini perkara asas), jadi apa cerita ini? ******************** Benar, dunia dipenuhi 1,001 kejelekan. Lebih membimbangkan kejelekan dan kebaikan bercampur-aduk diutarakan sesetengah pemimpin, sekali gus membingungkan orang awam seperti kita untuk memahami sesuatu isu ataupun membuat pilihan. Demikianlah semakin hari semakin sukar golongan awam seperti kita mencari kebenaran dalam sesuatu isu itu. ********************** Setiap tamadun, apatah lagi agama menyanjungi ketelusan. Agama membenci sikap hipokrit (bermuka-muka) dan dalam istilah agama Islam ia dipanggil munafik. Hipokrasi (bersifat munafik) adalah kejahatan tahap tertinggi dalam masyarakat. Ia wujud dalam diri kita dan dalam semua peringkat masyarakat, dalam kelas atasan dan rendah. Kita semua biasa dengan sifat munafik ini - dalam politik, pengiklanan, media massa, perubatan dan paling menyedihkan dalam agama. ****************************** Di kalangan tokoh politik, sifat hipokrit boleh disaksikan secara terang-terangan menjelang satu-satu pilihan raya. Biasanya, sebelum sesuatu pilihan raya, sesebuah parti atau calon itu akan membuat pelbagai janji manis, tetapi selepas pilihan raya, kebanyakannya dilupakan. Ini satu ciri munafik - mungkir janji. Ada pemimpin bercakap berdegar-degar mengenai rasuah dalam parti, tetapi dia tetap bersama parti itu dulu kini dan selamanya. Kemudian ada pemimpin apabila harga minyak naik, menghebohkan 'ubah gaya hidup' tetapi dia dan anak isteri hidup bermewah-mewah. Bukankah ini hipokrit namanya. ******************************** Pembohongan ini akan mendatangkan kesan negatif kepada anak-anak. Jika orang tua sudah mengajar mereka berbohong, hampir pasti sifat buruk itu akan diteladani. Kata orang jika guru kencing berdiri, pasti anak murid kencing berlari. *********************** Kemudian kita lihat pula pembohongan yang dilakukan oleh sesetengah media kita. Kalau tersilap lapor, boleh dimaafkan tetapi jika sengaja menyiarkan laporan tidak benar semata-mata untuk memuaskan pihak tertentu, ia akan 'melahirkan pembohong' dalam masyarakat kita. **************************** Contoh klasik pembohongan media ialah mengenai perhimpunan Bersih 1.0, 2.0 dan 3.0 serta Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat pada 12 Januari lalu. Akhbar Melayu melaporkan hanya beberapa ribu orang saja hadir sedangkan akhbar alternatif dan agensi berita asing melaporkan puluhan malahan ratusan ribu hadir. Gambar-gambar yang disiarkan oleh mereka membuktikan perkara itu. **************************** Amalan munafik pemimpin menjerumuskan negara ke lembah kehancuran. Apa yang ditonjolkan oleh pemimpin, menyerlahkan sikap munafik (seperti tidak menepati janji, bercakap bohong dan pecah amanah) akan menjadi ikutan rakyat negara ini. Apabila pemimpin zalim, rakyat pun zalim; apabila pemimpin berbohong rakyat pun jadi pembohong; dan apabila pemimpin pecah amanah dengan mengamalkan rasuah, rakyat pun terikut sama. ***************************** Jika pemimpin melakukan pembunuhan; pembunuhan pun akan berleluasa dalam negara. Jika pemimpin kaki rasuah, rakyat juga gemarkan rasuah. Jika pemimpin kaki judi, kaki betina, rakyat pun mempunyai kecenderungan yang sama. Namun apa yang malangnya, pemimpin jahat ini mempamerkan dia baik sangat macam malaikat. Maka terkeluarlah daripada mulut mereka ungkapan seperti “Ikutlah Islam sepenuhnya!” ************************ Apabila pemimpin negara bertindak merampas sesebuah negeri secara rakus, rakyat yang tidak diberkahi juga bertindak melakukan kejahatan sama. Sudah tentu kejahatan yang dilakukan adalah dalam skala lebih kecil seperti Pengerusi JKKK merampas atau ‘mengsonglap’ duit peruntukan kampungnya atau pengerusi masjid menggelapkan duit derma orang ramai. Semuanya bagaikan matlamat menghalalkan cara seperti disebut Machiavelli. *********************** Mutakhir ini semakin ramai pemimpin cakap tak serupa bikin. Sungguh menghairankan dulu mereka bermatian-matian menegakkan parti masing-masing; sekarang ini pula melompat parti, menyerang dan menafikan apa yang mereka perjuangkan dulu – tidakkah ini namanya mempamerkan sifat munafik paling hebat? Munafik itu adalah mereka yang mempunyai cirri seperti pecah amanah, pembohong dan gagal menunai janji. ************************ Ya, seruan agama semakin diuar-uarkan tetapi semakin banyak orang jahat, sama seperti sabun makin banyak tetapi terlalu ramai orang busuk, demikian mungkin ada kebenaran kata-kata agamawan tadi!

The 'unwise' leader...

******************** In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Reflection ********************** The Declining Day (Al-'Asr) 1. By the declining day, 2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss, 3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. ************************** EVERYONE is a leader, says an ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher) during a ‘tazkirah’ (Islamic session) at a masjid near my house recently. In the office, there is a leader; at home the husband is the leader and when he is away, the position falls to the wife. ************************* Ibn ‘Umar reported, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Everyone of you is a ruler and everyone of you shall be questioned about those under his rule; the king is a ruler and he shall be questioned about his subjects; and the man is a ruler in his family and he shall be questioned about those under his care. *********************** ‘The woman is a ruler in the house of her husband, and she shall be questioned about those under her care; and the servant is a ruler so far as the property of his master is concerned, and he shall be questioned about that which is entrusted to him’.” ********************* “But how often have we had to face unwise leaders,” commented the ustaz. "For example in the office, there are bosses who call for a meeting a few minutes before the 'azan’ (the call of prayers), in the house the husband demands his wife to serve lunch at 1.00 pm when is about time to perform the ‘zuhur’ (mid-day prayers)." ********************** Then there are husbands who take their families to the ‘pasar malam’ (night market) or to have dinner at ‘gerai’ (stalls) and restaurants just before ‘maghrib’ (dusk) prayers. They would be there for an hour or two; by the time they go home, the time for ‘maghrib’ prayers would be over. ************************* There are also bosses in office that call for meetings on Friday starting at 11.00 am and sometimes their discussions drag on until 1.00-1.30 pm. This situation puts pressure upon some workers because they have to rush to the masjid for their Jumaah prayers. Sometime ago we heard of a female boss dragging on with her meeting without allowing her male colleagues to take time off for Friday prayers. *********************** Tales of these ‘unwise’ leaders do not stop at the home and office, but is also rampant among top brass of the country. For example it was well known that the Prime Minister would start delivering his annual budget speech at 4.00-4.30 pm when the call for Asar (late afternoon) prayers is about to be aired and he would continue on perhaps until 6.30 pm when the next ‘solat’ time (maghrib) would be called in a few minutes time. ************************ Then there some top guns especially in private sectors calling for press conferences or having functions beginning at 7.30 pm when a practising Muslim is about to perform his maghrib prayers. As for the ‘maghrib’ prayers period is short, this situation put a good Muslim in a very tight situation. ********************** The ustaz said, a wise Muslim leader would plan his schedules and that of his colleagues and inferiors in accordance with ‘solat’ times. If this is not the case, then why would the religious authorities and even media such as newspapers, even those in English; provided and print schedules of prayer times? ********************* “If we know the solat time for zuhur is at 1.15 pm, then why start a meeting at 1.00 pm? Isn't it proper to start the meeting at 2.00 pm after those involved have performed their prayers.Why must we start a budget speech at 4.30 pm; why not begin it at 5.00 pm?” asked the ustaz. ******************** The ustaz said leaders must be fair in their undertakings including the usage of time among their subjects. They just can’t ‘rob’ or take time as they wish from their workers. If it is ‘solat time’, they have to adhere to the needs of the workers; furthermore it is their rights to answer the call of Allah to perform their prayers. ******************** He said a fair leader or leaders who uphold justice are among seven groups of people that would be rewarded and sheltered in the Hereafter. The Prophet say: “There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: A JUST RULER; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah's sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: 'I fear Allah', a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.' (Narrated by Abu Hurairah, Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim) ************************ A just leader (including a father, a boss in the office and of course top guns of the country) should be fair to his/her inferiors in everything including the usage of time. Our time should be spent wisely; we should divide it into accordingly for example our time with The Creator (Allah SWT), our fellow office workers, our wives, childdren and. ********************** If a leader upholds justice, then he is on the right track to get recognition for the Prophet s.a.w. say: "He who obeys me obeys Allah, and he disobeys me disobeys Allah; and he who obeys the Amir (leader) obeys me, and he disobeys the Amir disobeys me; and the Imam is an armour for protection, the battle is fought for his defence and through him protection is sought. So if he commands the doing of duty to Allah and does justice, he has a reward for it; and if he does otherwise he shall suffer the consequences of it." ********************** 'Ubadah ibn Samit said, "The Prophet invited us, so we swore all allegiance to him; and among the conditions which he laid down on us to follow was this, that he had a promise from us to hear and obey, whether we like or disliked and order and whether we were in adversity or ease, even if our rights were not granted; and that we should not dispute the authority of those entrusted with it, adding unless you see an act of open disbelief in which you have a dear argument from Allah." ********************** When Caliph 'Umar appointed governors the condition laid down upon them were: "You shall not ride a horse that is not of Arabian breed; you shall not eat bread made from fine flour; you shall not wear fine clothes; and you shall not shut your doors against the needs of the people. If you do these things punishment shall descend on you." - Pearls of the Prophet (Islamic Outreach-ABIM) ******************* In Surah An-Nisa’ (Woman) 58, Allah SWT says. "Verily Allah commands you that you restore deposits to their owners, and when you judge between people, you judge with justice; verily good is the admonition Allah gives you; verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing." ***************** Regarding judging between people, this verse points to a very important subject. It is the proposition of observing justice in government. The verse, conveying the command of Allah, says:"... and when you judge between people, you judge with justice; ..." ****************** The term' deposit' has a vast meaning. It includes any physical and spiritual capitals. In this article, we discussed among others the father's influenced on his children including injecting negative traits such as taking them to 'pasar malam' or going out to eat during maghrib time. Our children are also the deposits of Allah with us. We must not neglect training and educating them. ***************** Beyond than that, our existence and whatever power Allah SWT has given us are the deposits of Allah, and we should try to protect them carefully. So why take our children out for dinner during maghrib time and to the boss at the office why having a meeting at 1.00 pm?

Tetapkan tarikh PRU 5 tahun sekali

******************* DENGAN nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ******************** Renungan *********************** Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda, maksudnya: "Jika salah seorang antara kamu minum maka janganlah bernafas di dalam bejana (tempat air minum). Jika kamu ke bilik air maka janganlah menyentuh kemaluan dengan tangan kanan, dan janganlah beristinjak dengan tangan kanan." (HR. Bukhari dan Muslim) ********************************** BEKAS Menteri Penerangan, Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir dalam satu wawancara baru-baru ini berkata bahawa alangkah eloknya pilihan raya umum hanya diadakan secara tetap selepas kerajaan memerintah tamat tempohnya selama lima tahun. ********************** Antara lain, beliau berkata: “Tarikh akhir hayat Parlimen 28 April. Maknanya elok sangatlah semua jabatan kerajaan tidak terlibat dalam urusan yang boleh ditafsirkan sebagai berkempen untuk satu pihak. Ada juga kita dengar cadangan daripada pihak kerajaan sendiri, agar Parlimen dibubarkan dengan sendirinya pada 28 April. Ini satu cadangan yang cukup saya sokong dan ini pembaharuan yang amat baik untuk generasi kita akan datang. ******************************* “Biarlah apabila kerajaan itu dipilih, maka dia akan berkhidmat dalam satu penggal yang cukup. Lepas itu biarlah rakyat menentukan, baik buruknya dia, berdasarkan rekod dia untuk lima tahun itu. Kalau kerajaan yang ada sekarang buat keputusan begitu, saya mengalu-alukan. Ini adalah satu pembaharuan, satu transformasi politik yang cukup bijak. **************************** “Hampir dua tahun, rakyat macam tak ada ketentuan. Banyak pelabur-pelabur 'wait and see' (tunggu dan lihat). Pelabur-pelabur yang nak buat macam-macam, dia 'wait and see'. Apabila nak buat pilihan raya, siapa nak menang. siapa nak kalah. Jadi kita rugi amat banyak. Pegawai-pegawai kerajaan pun tak dapat tumpu pada kerja-kerja dia. Orang-orang politik pun banyak main politik, tak tumpu pada kerja-kerja membuat kebaikan dan perbelanjaan pun semua banyak habis. Satu benda yang cukup rugi. Kalau dah dipilih untuk lima tahun, biar dia serve 'full five years'. Lepas tu bubar dengan sendirinya. ****************************** “Ini peluang keemasan untuk pihak kerajaan mengamalkan dasar baru ini. Maknanya, dah dekat sangat 28 April. Biar Parlimen, hayat dia mati dengan cara automatik. Lepas tu, isytihar, okey mulai sekarang kita nak pinda sikit, undang-undang pilihan raya ini supaya selepas ini semua pilihan raya ini akan diadakan tiap lima tahun sekali. Kerajaan yang dipilih akan 'serve' (khidmat) untuk rakyat selama lima tahun.” *************************** Kita menyambut baik usaha penetapan tarikh pilihan raya umum ini dan percaya ia mengandungi banyak manfaat kerana sudah diuji dan membuahkan hasil yang cemerlang di banyak negara dunia hatta di Amerika Syarikat dan jiran kita Indonesia. Malah untuk pilihan raya (Pemilu Indonesia) berikutannya, tarikhnya sudah pun diumumkan – 9 April 2014. ***************************** Kebanyakan negara demokrasi dunia mempunyai jadual pilihan rayanya. Mungkin negara kita satu-satunya di mana ketua kerajaan (perdana menteri) mempunyai hak menentukan tarikh pilihan raya. Beliau berhak memanggil pilihan raya sekalipun tempoh mandat pemerintahan lima tahun belum tamat. Biasanya pilihan raya dilangsungkan pada ketika parti pemerintah yakin ia mendapat undi dan sokongan kuat rakyat. Ataupun pada ketika parti pemerintah berada dalam keadaan kuat dan selesa. ********************************** Berdasarkan ini teka-teki tarikh pilihan raya membayangi negara buat tempoh masa yang panjang. Misalnya untuk PRU13 ini, sejak akhir 2011 lagi sudah diheboh-hebohkan akan diadakan pilihan raya tetapi semuanya tidak menjadi sehingga kini. Sepanjang tempoh ini ‘politiking’ amat panas, menjadikan banyak kerja dan perancangan bukan saja di pihak kerajaan tetapi rakyat tergendala. *********************** Misalnya, perbahasan hangat terjadi agar pilihan raya tidak dilangsungkan pada waktu tertentu seperti musim haji; semua ini menyumbang kepada ketidak-tentuan yang boleh membawa kepada pelbagai hal negatif seperti pembaziran masa dan tenaga manusia. *************************** Sehubungan itu kita melihat bahawa ada keperluan mendesak untuk meminda undang-undang pilihan raya termasuklah menetapkan tarikh pilihan raya hanya selepas mandat sesebuah kerajaan memerintah sudah tamat. Apabila tarikh pilihan raya sudah ditetapkan awal, tidaklah urusan pelbagai pihak tergugat akibat ketidak-tentuan itu seperti yang berlaku sekarang ini.

10 tahun sudah berlalu, masanya sudah tiba (ini kalilah…)

***************** Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ***************** Renungan ******************* "Dan janganlah kamu menghampiri zina, sesungguhnya zina itu adalah satu perbuatan yang keji dan satu jalan yang jahat yang membawa kerosakan." - Maksud Ayat al-Quran Surah al-Israa': 32 *********************** MELALUI tulisan-tulisan lama saya sejak reformasi kebangkitan rakyat 1998, ada saya coretkan pandangan pemimpin PAS Melaka ketika itu seperti Dr Mujahid Yusof (pernah menjadi Ketua Penerangan PAS Melaka) bahawa orang Melayu-Melaka memerlukan tempoh sekurang-kurangnya 10 tahun untuk berhijrah menyokong parti Islam. ********************** Jadi pada PRU13 yang mesti diadakan tahun ini, bermakna tempoh 10 tahun yang dinyatakan itu sudah sampai, jadi apakah PAS berpeluang mendapat sokongan dan undi yang cukup untuk sekurang-kurangnya menghantar seorang wakil di DUN buat pertama kalinya. ********************* Daripada 13 kerusi ditandinginya (Dun Melaka ada 28 kerusi), apakah PAS mampu mencatat sejarah di bumi yang terlalu membangga-banggakan legenda Hang Tuahnya (kini sebuah kompleks raksasa perkampungan Hang Tuah dalam peringkat akhir pembinaannya di Kampung Duyong) ini? *********************** Sekalipun saya sempat berbual-bual dan mendapat pandangan beberapa pemimpin dan ahli akar umbi PAS Melaka, tidaklah saya berhajat mencelotehkan apa yang mereka perkatakan itu sebaliknya menyiarkan sebuah artikel lama saya yang disiarkan dalam sebuah akhbar bertarikh 3 Disember 1999. ************************* SEBUTIR PERMATA DARI PANTAI TIMUR *************************** Ketika membaca al-Quran selepas solat subuh pada hari pengundian (29 November 1999 ), saya terdengar orang memberi salam. Saya bergegas ke tingkap. ******************* Sekalipun, hari masih gelap, saya dapat mengecam orang itu ialah kakak ipar saya. Dia menetap di Terengganu selepas berkahwin dengan orang negeri itu. ********************** Saya hairan mengapa dia balik sendirian dan tiba pada waktu subuh pula. Mana suami dan anak-anaknya? Tetapi pertanyaan hati itu segera mati apabila saya teringatkan bahawa hari itu ialah hari mengundi. Mungkin dia mahu mengundi, fikir saya. ******************** Memang benar. Kakak ipar saya itu sanggup menempuh perjalanan yang jauh (kira-kira 10 jam menaiki bas ) secara sendirian semata-mata untuk mengundi. ************************ Suaminya mengundi di Terengganu sedangkan dia di Melaka. Beliau rela meninggalkan suami dan anak-anak buat sementara waktu bagi membolehkannya menunaikan tanggungjawab kepada agama, bangsa dan tanah air. ********************* Undinya kepada parti Islam adalah mahal kerana ia menuntut pengorbanan. Undinya adalah ibarat permata yang dibawa dari Pantai Timur untuk menyinari perjuangan PAS di selatan Semenanjung (Johor, Melaka dan Negeri Sembilan) yang begitu suram. ********************* PAS kelihatan masih asing di negeri-negeri ini. Tiada calon PAS, sama ada di peringkat parlimen atau negeri yang meraih kerusi dalam pilihan raya ke-10 ini. Ringkasnya, angka 0 adalah sinonim dengan PAS di negeri-negeri selatan ini. ******************* Sekalipun sedih dengan perkembangan ini, hati terubat apabila menyedari peningkatan jumlah undi yang dirauh calon-calon PAS di negeri-negeri ini. Dulu fenomena ' hilang wang pertaruhan' adalah biasa kepada calon PAS. Kini tidak lagi. Ertinya, pengaruh PAS sudah meningkat secara beransur-ansur tetapi tidak cukup kuat untuk membolehkannya mencatat sejarah gemilang seperti di Kelantan atau Terengganu. ********************** Gambaran betapa ramainya orang menghadiri ceramah PAS tidak boleh dijadikan kayu pengukur kekuatan PAS di negeri-negeri ini. Hampir semua hadirin ceramah-ceramah adalah lelaki, tidak seperti di Pantai Timur, di mana golongan wanita turut hadir. ********************** Di negeri-negeri selatan, kebanyakan wanitanya masih jauh tersisih daripada arus perjuangan PAS sedangkan lebih 50 peratus pengundi adalah wanita. Pendeknya, hati wanita negeri-negeri ini masih gagal didekati, apatah lagi ditawan. ************************** Bagaimanapun semangat dan pengorbanan yang ditunjukkan oleh kumpulan atau individu seperti kakak ipar saya yang bersuamikan orang Terengganu itu, membayangkan bahawa tempias PAS akan terkena negeri-negeri selatan ini. Insya Allah jiwa orang Terengganu atau Kelantan akan meresap ke dalam tubuh orang Melaka, Negeri Sembilan dan Johor suatu hari nanti. *********************** Persoalannya bila? Seorang kawan saya berkata, ia memerlukan 10-30 tahun lagi. Bersabarlah menunggu detik bersejarah itu dan renungilah kata-kata hikmat – seriibu langkah bermula daripada langkah pertama dan kota Rom pun tidak dibina dalam masa sehari! *************************** Kini lebih 10 tahun sudah berlalu, apakah ‘ini kalilah’ (PRU13) seperti diungkapkan beberapa pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat Sabah, untuk rakyat Melayu-Melaka mencatat sejarah di bumi ber-TUAH!

‘Everthing will vanish except Islam’

********************* In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ****************** Reflection ****************** The Declining Day (Al-'Asr) 1. By the declining day, 2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss, 3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. **************** “At 50 you will realize that the ‘nikmat’ (gift) of God will be taken away from you one by one,” said an ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher) who was giving a lecture on lessons to be learned from the birth of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (Maulidur Rasul) at a masjid near my house recently. ********************** One ‘nikmat’ is we have to give way on food, said the ‘ustaz’. He said one will realize that at 50 his/her teeth would start falling, so he/she would have the ‘nikmat’ of eating good but ‘tough’ food such as beef declining as the days went by and when one is tested positive for having hypertension and is confirmed a diabetic then his/her ‘normal’ diet would have to go as well. *********************** “Then it is the time for ‘no more sugar please’ or please, no ‘kambing’ (mutton) for me.’ So you would realize that the ‘nikmat’ of having good food was being taken away from you. *********************** “As you get matured religiously, you will realize that everything you ‘own’ would not ‘stick’ with you. Your black and beautiful hair would be gone, being replaced by ‘silver’ ones; your body and bones would ache; your youthful look gone gone and when you look at the mirror an old tired face would stare back at you!” ******************** At times while reminiscing our fate including our lost ‘ability and beauty’, we would question ourselves; why were we sent into this world and where we are heading for? On why we were sent into this world, in Surat Adh-Dhariyat 51:56 (The Winnowing Winds) Allah SWT says, with the meaning; “I have only created jinn and men, that they may serve Me.” Yes, human existence along with jinn is to worship Allah SWT. *************************** “Then would came a fateful day when your 'roh' (soul) leaves your body. Your body would be buried six feet underground in your grave. So everything would vanish from you except for one that is ‘Islam’. If you are a practising Muslim, your ‘amal’ (good deeds) would be by your side, but if you don’t have any…how are you going to face those days which is 'kekal' (forever)…,” says the ‘ustaz’. **************************** So we have to be ‘syukur’ (thankful to Allah SWT) for being Muslims. And among human being to whom should we be thankful in bringing us on the straight path as Muslims? He is none other than Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. whose birthday scholars believe falls on the 12th Rabiulawal (for this year it is on Thursday, January 24th). *********************** Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. had brought the words of God and before him there was a line of prophets from Adam to Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Daud (David), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus). They were the main prophets from more than 124,000 prophets, all inviting mankind to the path of true peace and obedience to one true God. ************************** The main prophets too had the ‘kitab’ (books of Allah) with the al-Qur’an which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad as the final guidance to mankind until ‘kiamat’ (end of the world). So use the Qur'an to guide our lives. *********************** Human beings are weak and unknowledgeable so they had to depend on Allah SWT who at His mercy sent prophets and His books as their guidance. The job of human beings was to follow and obey Allah SWT instructions contained in the Qur’an and examples shown by the Prophet s.a.w. *********************** A book ‘Pearls of the Prophet – A Guide to successful life from the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’ has this note about Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. “It is remarkable that his career covered all possible spheres of life such as that of a preacher in a mosque, as a worldly man amongst family and friends, as a man of piety, as a leader, as a soldier, a reformer, a politician, a statesman, an administrator and finally as a ruler of a vast kingdom. ********************* “He had the privilege therefore of not only laying down rules of guidance in all such capacities but also gave a practical illustration of these rules. It is these sayings and doings of the Prophet that form the subject matter of Hadith – a guide to successful life from the Prophet.” ******************** Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is the unanimous choice of scholars as the greatest man in history. Hart in his book ‘The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History’ ranked the Prophet first, while Lamartine / Histoire de la Turquie / Paris 1854 asked; If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad?” **************** So western scholars have acknowledged that Prophet Muhammad is the greatest man and of course the greatest politician of all time, so who are we to stray away from his way in life including in politics? ****************** Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., the final Prophet and Messenger of God, taught us the full and complete meaning of Islam (surrender and commitment to the will of God) through his words, his actions and the revealed Book – the Holy Qur’an. ****************** Some Muslims nowadays are not practicing the Prophet’s teaching in its truest sense; they are giving the wrong impression about Islam. They seem to follow and adhere to what benefits them and abandon the teachings that are against their interests. ******************* The ‘ustaz’ reminded Muslims to show their love for the Prophet by always remembering him by way of pronouncing the ‘salawat’ (salutations to the Prophet) and to adhere and follow all his teachings and actions. ******************* So what are the teachings of the Prophet s.a.w. or to cut short what is Islam that would safe us in this world and after our death when we were buried six feet underground? In the book ‘Essence of Islam’ (Islamic Outreach-ABIM), it is stated that Islam means complete submission or surrender to the will of Allah SWT (The Most High). ***************** Islam also means peace and the way to achieve peace. Islam teaches that there is only one God, who is called Allah in Arabic. Since the time of emergence of the first man on earth, God in His mercy raised among men numerous prophets or messengers and the last of all the messengers was Muhammad s.a.w. *************** Islam is not a new religion. It consists of the same basic message which God has given in all true religions, and all prophets brought this same message for our guidance. ****************** Muhammad s.a.w., the final Prophet and Messenger of God, taught us the full and complete meaning of Islam (surrender and commitment to the will of God) through his words, his actions and the revealed book, the Holy Qur’an. *************** All Muslims actions are governed by the principles of ‘halal’ (permissible) and ‘haram’ (forbidden, unlawful or sinful). It is ‘halal’ to be involved in business activities but ‘haram’ in practising ‘riba’ (usury). **************** Only ‘Islam’ (our ‘amal’or work) would help us when we are buried deep inside our graves – everything else would vanish from us; where would be our status, power, posts, positions, youthful looks, strengths, cleverness, monies, luxury cars, bungalows, lands and so on; they are of no help at all. ***************** But the Prophet s.a.w. had given us the assurance that after death there would be three things that could continously benefit a person: 1) sadaqa (charity) 2) knowledge that he spreads, and 3) children who pray for him. So 'grab' these things before it is too late!

Umno – dulu, kini dan…menyusahkan rakyat

***************** Dengan nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang; selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Renungan ****************** "Apabila seorang manusia meninggal dunia, terputuslah semua amalnya kecuali tiga perkara iaitu sedekah jariah, ilmu yang bermanfaat dan anak soleh yang mendoakannya." (Hadis laporan Muslim) ************************ Dulu, semasa aku kecil Umno dan kapal layar cukup kuat di kampungku. Apa tidaknya, ayahku pun pernah jadi ‘ranas’ (runners) untuk Umno masa pilihan raya. Dapatlah $10 (dulu belum pakai tanda RM). Tok guru aku pun kuat sokong Umno. Katanya, orang Melayu bukan undi calon (kalau wakilnya bukan Islam), tetapi pemimpin teratas, Tunku atau Tun Razak. *********************** Pengalaman masa kecilku dengan Umno, sedikit saja. Jadi aku tidak mahulah sentuh Umno zaman Tunku, Tun Razak dan Hussein Onn. Masa itu aku tidak peduli bab politik. Yang aku tahu belajar dan terus belajar, maklumlah nak jadi orang pandai. Disebabkan orang tuaku bantu Umno dan tok guruku pun orang Umno, aku kira Umno masa itu oklah. ********************* Aku nak cerita Umno selepas tahun 1986. Tahun itulah aku mula bekerja sebagai wartawan. Jadi tahulah aku sikit sebanyak pasal cerita Umno ini. Tahun 1986 ini, pemimpin Umno berkelahi besar. Tup-tup Musa Hitam ‘resign’ daripada jawatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Sebelum itu, dia dan Mahathir Mohamad dikatakan bagus ‘kliknya’. Pemimpin 2M. Ini menyebabkan ada dua kumpulan dalam Umno. Ada geng Musa Hitam ada geng Dr Mahathir. ****************************** Peletakan jawatan Musa Hitam menyebabkan Umno berkrisis sepanjang tahun. Pemimpin menyalahkan satu sama lain. Sebagai pemberita, aku diheret ke sana, ke sini. Sanusi Junid, kata macam ini, Anwar Ibrahim kata macam itu pula. Ghafar Baba pula lain ‘story’, Khalid Yunus pula lain pula cakapnya. ********************** Perbalahan pemimpin Umno ini habiskan ‘current’ saja. Buat aku penat, dan orang lain penat. Sepatutnya mereka bersatulah, membangunkan bangsa, negara dan agama seperti yang sering dia orang ucapkan. Ini asyik bergaduh aja. Apabila bergaduh banyaklah tenaga, wang ringgit dan apa saja dibelanjakan untuk tujuan tidak berfaedah. ************************** Kemudian tahun 1988 berlaku satu kejadian teramat dahsyat. Sebab asyik saman menyaman dan tidak puas hati, dalam satu kes, mahkamah putuskan Umno parti tidak sah. Ertinya Umno sudah mati. THE END. Apabila Umno sudah mati, aku sebagai wartawan lagi susah. Kena berkejar sana, berlari sana, buat liputan. Bukankah pemimpin Umno ini menyusahkan rakyat saja. Bergaduh sampai parti diisytiharkan sudah mati. Apabila parti mati barulah mereka berpuas hati, agaknya. ********************** Apabila Umno mati, ada geng pulak dalam Umno. Punyalah dia orang menyusahkan wartawan seperti saya dan banyak orang lain. Kejap kena kejar PJ, kejap kena pergi Bangsar. Pada satu majlis di PJ, aku dengar Rais Yatim dan Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah) lanyak cukup-cukup sama Dr Mahathir. Belasah sana, belasah sini. Itu tidak kena, ini tidak kena. Yang kena (bagus) dia orang saja. Turut hadir Rahmah Osman, mana agaknya puan ini sekarang? ************************* Apabila Umno sudah mati, Dr Mahathir hidupkan Umno Baru. Masa mula-mula Umno Baru ini hidup, dalam suratkhabar, dituliskan Umno Baru, kemudian Umno (B) kemudian tidak pakai apa-apa lagi, Umno saja. Hakikatnya, parti yang ada sekarang adalah Umno Baru. Umno lama dah mati. Umno B inilah yang banyak menyusahkan rakyat, dulu, kini dan…(tak beranilah aku tulis sebab besok siapa tahu). ********************** Sepuluh tahun kemudian (1998), Umno sekali lagi menyusahkan rakyat. Besar juga kesnya. Kali ini Timbalan Presidennya merangkap TPM, Anwar Ibrahim dipecat. Apabila dipecat, Anwar pun buatlah ‘tour’ jelajah Malaysia, cerita dia dizalimi. ******************* Selain Anwar, turut berceramah satu negara adalah salah seorang Naib Presiden Umno ketika itu, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Tujuannya untuk menenangkan ahli-ahli Umno. Ketika Anwar dipecat, Abdullah ada di Durban, Afrika Selatan, menghadiri Sidang Kemuncak Komanwel atas kapasitinya sebagai Menteri Luar, mewakilkan Mahathir. ********************** Apabila balik (atau bergegas pulang?), Abdullah pun memulakan siri ‘slow talk’nya kepada ahli-ahli Umno – menerangkan keadaan. Abdullah menjelajah kampung dan bandar, menceritakan keadaan sebenar. Beliau berusaha mengurangkan ‘damage’ yang sudah berlaku kepada Umno. Apa perkara sebenar yang diceritakan Abdullah itu? ********************* Pada masa Anwar dipecat, saya sudah ‘resign’ daripada tugas sebagai wartawan. Saya sudah bosan dengan dunia kewartawanan begitu. Tetapi saya tetap mengikuti perkembangan semasa. Suatu hari saya sempat mengikuti ‘talk’ Abdullah kepada ahli-ahli Umno di Dewan Masjid Al-Azim yang terletak dalam Kompleks Masjid Al-Azim di tengah-tengah bandar Melaka. *********************** Apa Abdullah cakap mengenai Anwar? Katanya, dia pun sedih dengan pemecatan Anwar. Mereka sama-sama dari Penang. Kongsi banyak perkara. Kongsi banyak rasa. Tetapi ada satu perkara yang tidak boleh ada dalam Umno, katanya. Ini kerana Anwar telah BUAT BENDA ITU. Kerana sudah ‘buat benda itu’, Umno tidak dapat terima Anwar, katanya. ********************** Demikianlah Umno berpecah lagi. Menyusahkan rakyat saja. Bukankah lebih baik semua tenaga yang ada digembleng untuk kebajikan rakyat. Ini asyik bergaduh saja, dulu, kini dan… Apabila banyak wang, tenaga, dan fikiran digunakan untuk bergaduh dan menaikkan diri sendiri, bila agaknya bangsa Melayu ini dapat ditolong. ***************************** Kalau betullah Umno dah tolong orang Melayu, baguslah. Tetapi aku percaya jika orang Umno, terutama pemimpinnya tidak bergaduh besar sepanjang masa, macam anjing dan kucing, maka lebih banyaklah orang Melayu sudah tertolong. Apabila pemimpin asyik bergaduh macam mana rakyat nak jadi baik. Kata orang bapa borek, anak rintik. ********************* Sebab apa pemimpin Umno ini asyik bergaduh? Salah satu sebabnya aku ingat, dia orang tidak amal Islam sepenuhnya dalam kehidupan. Jika terima Islam sepenuh, selamat dunia akhirat. Taklah selalu gaduh-gaduh macam sekarang. *************************** Orang Umno mahu ingat parti sendiri pun pernah mati, nanti Melayu pula akan mati. Kesian Hang Tuah dengan ‘Melayu Tak Hilang Dari Dunia’nya. Itu tak logik. Cukup masa orang Melayu juga akan lenyap. Malah dunia pun akan lenyap. Kiamatlah 'geng'. Takkan 'brother' sudah lupa Rukun Islam? ****************** Jadi kepada pemimpin dan orang Umno, tolonglah jangan menyusahkan rakyat, dulu, kini dan…seperti yang awak sudah buat selama ini.

Jangan kerajaan saja berubah, nasib rakyat tetap sama…

******************* Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Penyayang, selawat dan salam ke atas junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Renungan ********************* "Dan janganlah kamu menghampiri zina, sesungguhnya zina itu adalah satu perbuatan yang keji dan satu jalan yang jahat yang membawa kerosakan." - Maksud Ayat al-Quran Surah al-Israa': 32 *************************** ANTARA pemimpin kontemporari yang saya gemar amat-amati pemikiran termasuk melalui tulisan beliau adalah Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu. Baru-baru ini beliau menjadi pengerusi penganjur Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR). Antara ‘mutiara kata’ yang pernah beliau ungkapkan antara lain bermaksud: “tidak guna kerajaan berubah jika nasib rakyat tetap sama…” **************************** Semasa HKR 12 Januari lalu, saya mendengar ‘mutiara’ ini diulang-ulang oleh beberapa pemimpin yang berucap dan juga juruacara. Antara lain, “power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Dan ada menyatakan, “NGO (pertubuhan bukan kerajaan) terus jalankan peranan anda sekalipun kerajaan sudah berubah.” ********************** Ya, NGO perlu berperanan menegur kerajaan semasa. Oleh kerana sifat semua manusia dan organisasi yang dianggotai mereka tidak maksum, semuanya perlukan teguran. Malah khalifah Islam awal seperti Sayidina Abu Bakar r.a. dan Umar r.a. mengalu-alukan orang menegur mereka. *********************** Jadi apabila seorang bekas menteri besar sebuah negeri paling kaya tidak lama dulu bercita-cita menjadikan negerinya sifar pembangkang, hal itu membayangkan dia gila kuasa dan akibatnya dia kini merana dan terhina pula. ************************* Demikian juga wartawan selalu diingatkan berperanan menjadikan akhbar (media massa) sebagai ‘the fourth estate’. Ia bertujuan untuk memeriksa kuasa pemimpin dan kerajaan. Akhbar menjadi penegur; apatah lagi jika sesebuah pihak itu (termasuk kerajaan) mempunyai kuasa besar (seperti tiadanya pembangkang). *********************** Jika akhbar gagal berperanan maka jadilah pemimpin ‘orang gila kuasa’. Kuasa mutlak membawa kepada kehancuran; jadi pada pandangan saya Pakatan Rakyat ketika ini adalah kerjasama politik sangat ideal kerana masing-masing pihak boleh menegur satu sama lain kerana tiada satu pun pihak yang dominan. *********************** Ya berceloteh mengenai teguran ini, e-mel ini mungkin dapat memberi manfaat kepada kita semua. ********************* “Tuan penulis, saya ikuti tulisan tuan di sebuah akhbar harian nasional sejak saya bersekolah lagi. Baru-baru ini saya ada baca artikel tuan tentang gambar pemimpin bertajuk ‘Gila pamer gamber, gila mengampu…’. Saya berpendapat tulisan tuan agak mengelirukan dan ‘bias’ kerana beberapa persoalan yang tuan timbulkan seolah-olah tidak dibuat oleh penyokong dan pimpinan PAS. *************************** Tuan merujuk maksud hadis Nabi s.a.w. tetapi perincian ulasan tersebut amat ringkas. Saya juga adalah ahli PAS. Tindakan menggantung gambar/foto pemimpin turut dibuat oleh ahli/penyokong PAS malah lebih hebat berbanding oleh Umno-BN. Apabila ada ceramah, akan digantung ‘banner’ info program yang meletakkan gambar muka penceramah yang tersengih dan ayu itu. ************************** Lebih hebat jika ada yang menggantung foto-foto Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang, Tuan Guru Dr Haron Din malah gambar arwah Ustaz Fadhil Mohd Nor pun ada. Bagaimana dengan baju-T, rantai kunci, poster, pelekat bergambar yang bersepah dijual oleh peniaga merata tempat dan dipakai oleh penyokong-penyokong. Mungkin di Melaka tiada, wallahu'alam. ********************** Setahu saya belum ada lagi penyokong Umno yang berniaga gambar-gambar pemimpin mereka serta dibeli oleh penyokong melainkan diberi percuma. Maknanya penyokong PAS-Pakatan Rakyat lebih ke hadapan dalam mengekspresikan sokongan mereka. Mungkin juga boleh dikatakan taksub. Saya bukanlah orang yang cukup arif dalam ilmu agama, sekadar fahaman saya jika foto tersebut tidak melibatkan seluruh tubuh badan adalah dibenarkan dalam ijtihad ulama. Contohnya gambar muka separas bahu atau separas dada. *********************** Cuba tuan lihat di Kedah, bukan setakat banner di tiang elektrik tepi jalan tetapi penuh ‘billboard’ gergasi wajah MB Kedah, Dato’ Seri Ustaz Azizan Razak di serata negeri. Saya orang Kedah jadi saya nampak. Kadang kala naik jelik sampai orang kata MB Kedah ni MB billboard. Berapa kos? Siapa yang dapat tender? Siapa yang keluarkan kos? Nampak membazir pun ada. Pantang ada perayaan dan hari kebesaran negeri atau Pusat maka akan naik poster/billboard yang baru manakala yang lama dibuang. ************************ Contoh yang amat nyata, di Kawasan Bukit Gantang sedang giat menaikkan poster/banner/bunting berwajah pemimpin seperti Dato’ Seri Nizar Jamaluddin /Ustaz Idris Ahmad bersaiz besar. Sampaikan kenderaan rasmi kegunaan pusat khidmat MP Bukit Gantang iaitu van dan 4WD turut mempunyai wajah di sisi pintu. ******************** Itu yang penyokong Umno sebut muka Nizar nampak kat pintu kereta saja, orangnya bayang pun tak ada. Saya harap tuan sebagai wartawan berpengalaman puluhan tahun menulis dapat mencari isu-isu yang lebih membina minda pembaca. Bukan sekadar mengkritik Umno-BN secara membuta tuli seolah-olah PAS langsung tiada kesalahan. Bagaimana justifikasi tuan sedangkan orang PAS turut lakukan yang sama? Jangan kuali kata belanga bontotnya hitam.”

Simply irresponsible reporting!

********************* In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. ******************* Reflection ***************** The Declining Day (Al-'Asr) 1. By the declining day, 2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss, 3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort  one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. ******************** As usual, on the morning of January 13, a day after ‘Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat’ (the peoples uprising rally) in Kuala Lumpur, I read my papers and was shocked to see the headline of a Sunday edition of a daily which read ‘Simply irresponsible’ regarding what it called ‘the Opposition-led rally’. ******************** Under that headline, there were three subtitles which read; ‘Children, banners with provocative messages present’, 'Anwar threatens trouble if Pakatan loses election’ and ‘rally organisers did not adhere to all conditions, say police’. ********************* Three pictures were shown on the page; the lead picture showing a woman who was about to close her shop, another picture showed rubbish on the roadside and lastly a tired toddler who was fast asleep on his toy bicycle. ******************* Then while flipping through the pages inside, I noticed reports filed in by 15 REPORTERS (based their bylines printed on a page) on the peoples’ rally were mostly on the negative side of the event such as mentioning ‘condition not heeded at rally’, ‘children spotted in rally locations’ and ‘most in the dark over rally’s objective’. ********************* The pictures printed inside the pages too were to give a bad impression on the rally. There was a big picture (covering more than a half page) showing rally participants entering an almost empty Stadium Merdeka. Other pictures showed parents bringing in their children along and shops being closed. ****************** Although it was estimated that more than 100,000 people (PAS Deputy President and chairman of the organizing committee of the rally, Mohamad Sabu claimed 500,000 people thronged Stadium Merdeka and its vicinity, the paper failed to publish any pictures of the said crowd. *********************** Flipping through the pages of the daily and seeing that kind of reports and pictures being filled in by 15 journalists (oh, that a big crowd to be added to the number of participants) on the rally (the number of photographers covering the event was not mentioned) and browsing a few Malay dailies on that historic event, I could not help but recall my younger days as a reporter when I was assigned to cover South Africa first multiracial election in April 1994. ************************ In that election, African National Congress (ANC) headed by Nelson Mandela took part for the first time, won more than 60 percent of the votes but fell short of getting a two-thirds majority. Thus it had to share power with the white’s National Party (NP) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) to form the National Unity Government in which Mandela became the first black to be sworn in as President of South Africa. ******************* Prior to the elections, rallies were held; I attended one called by ANC which was held in First National Bank (FNB) Stadium in Soweto, a vast black township on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Some 100,000 people attended the rally in which the guest speaker was Mandela. ******************* In the stadium, I witnessed the uprising of the ‘ordinary’ South Africans; they roared and cheered wildly ‘Viva Mandela’ and ‘Viva ANC’ when their leader arrived and made a speech. ******************* When I was in Stadium Merdeka I could not help but compare it to the events I witnessed in the FNB Stadium. The scene and spirit of the people were almost the same. That spirit brought to the demise of the ‘white government’ and ended apartheid that has gripped the nation for several centuries. ******************** The event in South Africa is history so could readers just imagine what would happened after attending the rally in FNB Stadium, I filed in reports to be sent to my editors in Kuala Lumpur saying that children were seen there, some shops were being closed and the rally organizer did not adhere to the conditions imposed by police. ****************** If I did that, perhaps the editors would curse and shouted to me over the phone; “What rubbish and nonsense you are writing, you are just wasting our time and money for sending you there. What are you doing in the stadium? Are you blind; I read reports by international news agencies that 100,000 people attended the rally; why did you send that rubbish instead?” ****************** Regarding the coverage on the peoples’ rally in Kuala Lumpur, perhaps some reporters might have filed in ‘the usual stuff’ but their reports were ‘spin’ by their editors. If this is the case, I pitied the reporters involved; perhaps they should have a thought about their future in that news-house. ***************** Perhaps too before the reporters were sent on their beat, they were assigned and told to gather news within the scope given by their editors – “Ali, you focus on children attending the rally”, “Lim, you look up for conditions not heeded” and “Siva, be attentive to bad words spoken by their leaders.” ********************** Mass media especially newspapers in Indonesia (our neighbour) turned sides to almost 360 degrees from pro-Suharto to pro-rakyat during their revolution that saw the demise of that dictator who held helms for decades. How's about our own media? The Indonesian media played their roles well during the transitional period which led to the process of free and fair elections that saw leaders such as BJ Habibie, Gus Dur, Megawati dan Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) becoming presidents. ****************** Unfortunately, our media especially the Malay and English press has failed badly. Instead of playing a huge part in reforming readers, they force them into the underside of the coconut’s shell just like the ‘peribahasa’ (proverb) ‘bagaikan katak di bawah tempurung’ (like the frog under the coconut shell). ***************** They are taking the wrong step because nowadays more and more readers are receptive to the new media including on-line news portals, blogs, facebook and twitter. It is in this new media, events, ideas, thought, critics and so on are shared thus awakening the masses on happenings around them including corrupt practice and mismanagement of those in power. ******************** Unable to read balance reports from the traditional media, the new generation turns to the new media. Regarding the peoples rally, there are hundreds of pictures in the internet showing Stadium Merdeka and areas surrounding it were filled to capacity; so who are the main target to be fooled by the papers concerned? ******************** Back to our main stream media; not long ago, they are front runners in splashing and blowing reports about people’s power in far away countries such as Tunisia, Syria, Egypt or even our neigbours, Thailand and Indonesia, but one question is why they keep silent on the almost same development in our beloved country. **************** Why silence on abuse of power, corruption, and mismanagement and so on of a chosen few including those who were found guilty at party levels. It’s shocking that some of them still hold top government political post such as chairman of certain agencies and spearheading state governments. ***************** The main stream media is merely tools of those few in power thus failed to acknowledge the growing needs and inspiration of the rakyat; the majority of them have to face hardship in life because of the rampant increase in price of essential goods such as flour, gas, petroleum and sugar. ****************** The mass media failed to notice (or purposely failed to) those negative traits, thus turn a blind eye on them but have tendency to blow up developments involving the people’s power in far away countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. ******************** So do our mass media fit the Malay ‘peribahasa’ (proverb) – ‘kuman di seberang lautan nampak, bangkai gajah di depan mata tidak nampak’ which literally means germs in far away lands you could be see but the carcass of a dead elephant under your own eyes could not be noticed! And so this Umno-BN regim wants to keep the rakyat under the 'tempurung'. They event can’t notice the hundred thousands of people walking the streets of Kuala Lumpur even it is under their own eyes. ***************** Hundred thousand of ‘rakyat’ were attending the peoples’ rally on January 12, yet there were no ‘actual’ report and pictures about it by the majority of our main stream media but they could have reports and pictures spread out on the uprising of the peoples in Egypt, Thailand and Indonesia…oh that was simply irresponsible reporting! ********************* Comment ***************** Recently I read a Malay daily at a coffee-shop and while flipping across pages of its Sports section I was surprised to see two full pages allocated to four digits and Toto results. Is this ‘development’ more important than the peoples’ uprising since some of our papers ‘blackened’ the news and pictures of the rally?