Saturday, December 22, 2007

Kulliyah Sabtu (Terlepas Jumaat da...): Allah itu Tuhan

Tuhan Maha Besar! Tuhan Maha Besar! Tuhan Maha Besar! Tuhan Maha Besar! Tuhan Maha Besar! Tuhan Maha Besar! Tuhan Maha Besar! Dan untuk Tuhan Segala Pujian!

Tidak seperti tahun yang lepas, SiPM tidak berkorban apa-apa botol, mungkin kerana supply kami tersekat akibat banjir yang melanda Malaysia baru baru ini.

Tetapi tidak mengapa. Tahun ini kita ada ibadah korban yang sangat istimewa kerana hari ini Timbalan Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negeri telah mengorbankan akhbar migguan Katolik Herald kerana mengikut Johari akhbar mingguan tersebut telah menggunakan perkataan "Allah" untuk Tuhan.

Johari apabila ditemuramah oleh malaysiakini berkata, “Hanya orang Muslim saja boleh pakai "Allah". Ia perkataan Arab. Kita tidak boleh kasi ugama lain pakai kerana ia akan mengelirukan orang ramai."

“Kita tak boleh benarkan perkataan "Allah" ini dipakai oleh satu penerbitan bukan Islam, kecuali untuk orang Islam sahaja. Apabila perkatan "Allah" itu dipakai oleh orang Kaotlik, ini salah"

Tetapi apabila kita meng-google-kan topik ini, kita mendapat tahu bahawa perkataan "Allah" itu telah dipakai oleh orang Arab Kristian 500 tahun sebelum adanya Islam.

Johari... Johari, kalau dia jadi menteri di negeri timur tengah, habis orang arab kristian merusuh! Naya kita!

Agaknya apabila sesetengah ahli politik membaca atau mendengar benda yang pelik, mungkin ini yang dibayangkan mereka! ;)

Monday, December 17, 2007

Love Is My Religion

So the Indian NGOs have made their request to the Prime Minister for a Non-Muslim Affairs Department and Najib responded that the government will look into it.

The Deputy Minisiter said, "We have the Islamic Affairs Department in the PM's Department because Islam is our official religion".

He also said, “We don’t have similar posts for a non-Islamic Affairs Department. However, we also give equal concern to other faiths, including fulfilling their needs for places of worship and other related matters."

It may seem simple enough and an acceptable explanation but a quick look at the almost 60 Prime Minister's Departments and Offices we also have

  • Department of Syariah Judiciary
  • Department of Zakat, Wakaf and Haji
  • Institute of Islamic Understanding
  • Pilgrims Fund Board
  • Syariah Court of Federal Territory
Unlike the present party in power, SiPM will not need to find a right mechanism to help non-muslims as we will not hesitate to implement a Non Muslim Affairs Department, because that is simply what they want and it's a good thing... so do vote for us! :)

But we will not stop there, we will also implement a Department of Love, because at SiPM, love is our religion.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Kulliyah Jumaat: Keeping Up with the Joneses

Lawyers, Bersih, Hindraf, some more lawyers and Bersih. So who's next?

Before we know it, Hindraf may need to recruit mamaks into their fold and the 66 NGO representing Bersih maybe be desperate for volunteers as both organisations will have leaders and supporters being hauled into jail.

At one hypothetical extreme, the prison system will be filled to the brim and just maybe, new multi hundred million ringgit contracts will be dished out for new detention facilities for illegal protestors.

But back to real life, the Barisan Nasional government has not only caught trouble makers and put them in jail, but they too have NGOs, all 350 of them, condemning street protests and encourages the government to do what ever is necessary to keep Malaysia 'peaceful'.

So there you have it, predicting people->government scenarios

  1. apply for permit for demo -> don't give one
  2. participate in an illegal demo -> gas and shower them with chemicals
  3. have 66 NGOs sign memorandum -> have 350 NGOs sign memorandums
The list can go on but we must consider that this kind of keeping up with the Joneses is inevitably self-destructive, for both sides of the divide.

So what can the fence sitters do? Vote for SiPM! for we don't believe in keeping up with the Joneses this way but we would definitely have a go at Mrs Jones. After all all of us should make love not war right? ;)



Original YouTube video is from here.
Digitally remastered by SiPM.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Are the Indians Revolting?

Are the Indians revolting?

In light of what happened on November 25, 2007 with the Hindraf Rally, for all reincarnations of that question and all those who ask that question, the answer is yes and no!

As Hindraf leaders start their global tour to tell and shame, Malaysian politicians from all sides of the divide are piling on against each other to score points while others crack jokes about the rally and sub-segments of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia, eg.

# Ceylonese have formed CINDRAF demanding the government on the following: reduce coconut price - soothy is very costly; reduce hair cut price - most of the mamas and machans are bald; most of them go to Court Hill Pilliyar Temple, they demand to join the Mariamman Temple board (to become Vasul Raja like Datuk Natarajah). Please support them and pass this message to all makkals.

# Malayalees have formed MINDEF, demanding that aviyils and kottus are made cheaper, otherwise they will fuck up the Gulf.

# Punjabis are considering to form PUNDRAF, demanding for higher price for milk, higher interest rates for the money-lending business, higher wages for security services while asking for subsidies for ghee and atta flour imported from Australia. Please support them and pass this message to all sardajis.

You get the idea!

But pointing fingers and making demands is not the answer. The answer is to solve the ills that the Indian community (read Tamils) who are in the lower classes of society who have been represented by the MIC but to no avail.

In fact, one can say that the MIC has been an impediment to their community's progress in Malaysia unlike the other communities. Having said that, the community has its share of professionals and thinkers - a case of too many chiefs and too few Indians.

Lest we are accused of racism, the fact is that there are several political parties to represent seven percent of 26 million people. We count at least four that have Indians as their main ethnic composition apart from a few other multi-racial political parties.

So their cause remains fractured but the other sub-segments of the Indian diaspora unable to find a voice in MIC or the other parties are doing pretty well, in spite the New/National Economic Policy.

Be that as it may, we think the first step is going beyond Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's big ears and getting him as leader of the government of the day - to go to the ground and listen to their grouses.

Fact is, the Indians do not form any majority in any parliamentary or state constituencies but they can just almost make a difference as seen in the Ijok by-election.

But they are Malaysians and are equal before law and eligible for aid and support under the New Economic Policy.

What could help? A smart person who can weigh the issues and come up with solutions.

A man called Razak, actually!.

In the aftermath of the May 13th riots in 1969, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman had his deputy Abdul Razak Hussein to handle matters, giving birth to the New Economic Policy.

Now Abdul Razak's son, Najib, is deputy prime minister and could possibly be the Razak to Abdullah. However, Najib is no Razak but has had a Razak at his disposal.

The real Razak required is none other than Abdul Razak Baginda - a clever fellow who is now facing a murder conspiracy charge. In all the years he has served Najib, Razak has been the man who could see the heart of the problem and offer solutions.

But he is not available. And the government of the day will have to figure out something.

The Siber Party of Malaysia (M) would just say the simplest thing to do is to listen. Whether with MIC leader S. Samy Vellu around or without him. Listen to the grouses, explain what has been done and what can be done.

The last thing we need is threats and counter-threats. It won't solve the problems of the Indian community and the poor in other communities.

We are all Malaysians and this is a Malaysian problem. Not just one race or one faith. For that would indeed be revolting.