Malaysia is fifth in illegal money chart

Assalamualaikum

Congratulation to Malaysian for this 'achievement'. We should be 'proud' of ourselves living in the country.

By Shannon Teoh (Malaysian Insider)

January 20, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 — Illicit money outflows from Malaysia tripled to US$68.2 billion (RM208.1 billion) in 2008, from US$22.2 billion in 2000, according to a report by US-based financial watchdog Global Financial integrity (GFI) released this month. The country also had the fifth largest amount of illegal money outflows between 2000 and 2008, among developing countries. GFI defines illicit financial flows as generally involving the transfer of money earned through illegal activities such as corruption, transactions involving contraband goods, criminal activities, and efforts to shelter wealth from a country's tax authorities, said the programme’s website.

The report titled Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2000-2009 said that illicit financial outflows from Malaysia totalled US$291 billion (RM888 billion) in that period. It said that the increase was “at a scale seen in few Asian countries.”

“The volume of illegal capital flight from Malaysia has come to dwarf legitimate capital inflows into the country in recent years,” said the report.

Top of the list of 125 developing countries was China at US$2.18 trillion in that period while Philippines, at 12th, was Malaysia's closest regional neighbour at US$109.3 billion. Zimbabwe was 73rd at US$4.1 billion and Myanmar at 85th with US$2.9 billion. The report said that it is clear that significant governance issues affecting both the public and private sectors have been playing a key role in the cross-border transfer of illicit capital from the country.

It noted that there have been media reports that large state-owned enterprises such as national oil company Petronas could probably be driving illicit flows. GFI said its research indicates that political instability, rising income inequality, and pervasive corruption are some of the structural and governance issues that could be driving illicit capital from many developing countries.

“In the case of Malaysia, the additional factor could well be the significant discrimination in labor markets which move people and unrecorded capital out of the country,” it stated.

GFI identified deliberate trade mispricing - which allows companies to avoid paying taxes — as the cause of 54.7 per cent of illicit outflows from developing countries. The report said that between US$1.26 to US$1.44 trillion flowed out from developing countries alone in 2008.

“Increasing transparency in the global financial system is critical to reducing the outflow of illicit money from developing countries,” the report said.

According to GFI, illicit financial flows pertains to the cross-border movement of money that is illegally earned, transferred, or utilised. The Washington-based GFI says that it promotes national and multilateral policies, safeguards, and agreements aimed at curtailing the cross-border flow of illegal money. It is a programme under the Center for International Policy, which was founded in 1975 to promote a US foreign policy based on international cooperation, demilitarization and respect for human rights, according to its website

PICTURE PERFECT

Assalamualaikum

Let we start with the first picture above. According to the news, there are two jokers caught on camera gleefully doing this heinous thing oblivious that what they are doing are actually being recorded. The more important is, this is not a joke at all. From recording, the two 'mangkuk' who dare to use the word 'jihad', most likely a Malay guy, one with a long hair and another with a baseball cap and a SHORT!! I really can stand this. And more, what is the significant of the slaughtered chicken there? This is what we call a barbaric mentality done by someone with minimal brain cells. Shame on you.

The police should act on the video and report fast. Catch both the culprit and give them a prolong rehabilitation to the true islamic teaching. If they are not repented after that, make sure they stay somewhere where there is no human around so they will never have the chance to put on shame to the religion.

The picture above should be entitled double standard. If anyone can remember an incident where a DAP rep was detained under ISA despite no evidence that she ever complaint about azan. Mind you, she has prove from the mosque reps. Almost the same situation, but totally different treatment altogether. The one before was turn into a national issue for weeks with the PAS as a partner was labelled as a party that condone the kind of attitude from a DAP members and what not.

The argument here is not that the guy should be detained under ISA but why there are two sets of treatment for a wrongdoing that has the evidence and the other one with only an accusation? Why the one that was being accused was treated like real criminal and the one with evidence was not even criticized by their Muslim counterpart?

The third picture was part of the statement purportedly by our two prominent leaders in the country. Unfair statements to say the least but overtly insulting. Someone must clarify this purported statement.

Should I say the picture above 'tells' our level of morality? According to the news, bunch of people stopped haphazardly at the highway to scooped in as many coins as possible making as if it is theirs' while the owner pleaded unsuccessfully to stop them from taking his money. I think if this is true, all the one who get caught on camera should be sentence for a daylight robbery. Shameful on those bunch of people and it seem that even the police officer there can't stop those uncivilized people.
SPR chairman anyone? Anyone must still remember his joke early this week about proxy voting and after days of critique by so many Malaysian crossing the political divide, he suddenly come out today denying SPR ever think about it. What is this nonsense?

And I assure you that there are many more picture evidence of the intolerant and somewhat ridiculous people around us that are actually managing us. Suddenly I remember the Wikileaks report about the leader in the country.

May Allah protect us from this group of people

SELANGOR LAGI.....

They will ask thee about intoxicants and games of chance. Say: "In both there is great evil as well as some benefit for man; but the evil which they cause is greater than the benefit which they bring." And they will ask thee as to what they should spend (in God's cause). Say: " Whatever you can spare." In this way God makes clear unto you His messages, so that you might reflect.

Al Baqara 219

O you who have attained to faith! Intoxicants, and games of chance, and idolatrous practices, and the divining of the future are but a loathsome evil of Satan's doing: shun it, then, so that you might attain to a happy state! By means of intoxicants and games of chance Satan seeks only to sow enmity and hatred among you, and to turn you away from remembrance of God and from prayer. Will you not, then, desist? (Al Maeda 90-91)

Assalamualaikum

Hadis riwayat Abu Daud ada menyatakan tentang sepuluh golongan yang dilaknat oleh Allah tentang penggunaan arak ini iaitu: peminum arak, penuang minuman arak, pembeli, penjual, pemerah untuk dirinya sendiri/orang lain, orang yang meminta diperah untuk dirinya/ orang lain, pembawa dan orang yang meminta untuk dibawa. Begitulah beratnya larangan tentang arak ini sehingga Rasulullah menyenaraikan 10 golongan tersebut untuk menunjukkan bahawa umat Islam tiada pilihan lain melainkan menjauhkan diri dari perkara ini. Secara dasarnya, bukanlah susah sangat untuk mengelakkan diri dari yang satu ini kerana kita ada beribu lagi pilihan minuman lain jika tujuannya untuk menghilangkan dahaga mahupun untuk mendapatkan keseronokan.

Namun begitu, masyarakat Islam kita sekarang berlainan pula keadaannya. Arak sudah menjadi seakan air kosong. Mengambilnya tidak lagi menjadi satu perkara yang memalukan. Jarang yang saya berjumpa di tempat saya bertugas berasa segan atau malu bila menceritakan bahawa dirinya mengambil minuman ini. Bahkan ada yang menjawabnya dengan rasa bangga kerana sudah mencuba minuman syaitan ini. Begitu normalnya umat Islam mengambil arak sehingga dosanya tidaklah lagi menjadi satu hal dan sekatan.

Mungkin inilah kesannya bila negara majoriti umat Islam tetapi pemikirannya tidak islam dan tidak mahu menjadi lebih islamik. Tolonglah! menjadi lebih islamik tidak menyebabkan kita menjadi radikal tetapi kita akan menjadi orang-orang yang masyarakat agama lain berasa selamat apabila mendampingi kita.

Adapun halnya dengan orang-orang beragama islam yang menjadi salah satu dari 10 golongan di atas lagilah tidak menjadi hal kerana dengan beralasan bahawa selagi tidak meminum arak tidaklah berdosa, mereka terus-terusan mencari rezeki dari sumber haram tanpa memikirkan bahwa apa yang mereka lakukan sebenarnya secara tidak langsung merosakkan masyarakat melalui kesan besar arak ini dan merosakkan keturunan mereka dengan membesarkan dan memberi makan dari sumber haram. Ketidakfahaman ini bukan sahaja di kalangan orang islam tetapi berjangkit juga kepada orang bukan islam yang sememangnya memahami islam melalui perlakuan/perbuatan dan apa sahaja yang disampaikan oleh orang islam walaupun apa yang diterima itu kebanyakkannya tidak menggambarkan islam.

Bila ini berlaku, akan keluarlah komen-komen dari pemimpin bukan islam yang bagi mereka betul tetapi hakikatnya adalah tidak tepat dan boleh menjadi satu penghinaan kepada umat islam yang tahu. Baru kelmarin kita membaca berkenaan rancangan MPSJ untuk melaksanakan salah satu enakmen syariah melalui larangan umat islam bekerja di tempat-tempat yang menghidang/menjual arak. Rancangan ini secara dasarnya amatlah disokong kerana umat islam sememangnya tiada pilihan lain dalam perkara ini. Namun begitu method pelaksanaannya seharusnya diperhalusi kerana menarik balik lesen perniagaan tuan punya premis bukanlah satu idea yang baik.

Sememangnya saya mahu melihat ianya dilaksanakan dari segi roh undang-undang itu tetapi bagaimana mereka mahu melaksanakan itu yang perlu ditimbang semula. Ini kerana tanpa method yang baik, percubaan untuk melaksanakan undang-undang ini bukan sahaja akan gagal tetapi mungkin mendatangkan fitnah pula kepada orang islam.

Yang menjadi masalah bagi saya adalah apabila undang-undang yang disokong oleh pemimpin islam di Selangor (baca pemimpin pakatan sahaja) tiba-tiba disanggah oleh seorang pemimpin bukan islam pada hari esoknya. Nampak seperti kenyataan pemimpin bukan islam ini akan digunapakai dalam isu yang melibatkan orang islam dan undang-undangnya. Seperti ada dua bahagian pula di Selangor ini. Satu yang agak pro dengan syariah komplians dengan methodlogi yang tepat manakala satu lagi pihak mempunyai pandangan yang agak islamophobia dan berat sebelah. Mungkin ramai yang tidak faham apa yang saya maksudkan tetapi cubalah baca komen YB Teng Chang Khim, YB Ronnie Liu dan YB Hannah Yeoh dalam hal ini dan anda akan faham.

Saya tidak bermasalah dengan mereka kerana apa yang dinyatakan oleh mereka melambangkan kecetekan ilmu mereka tentang agama kita dan mungkin keserongan pandangan mereka tentang islam namun sebelum mengeluarkan kenyataan seharusnya mereka merujuk kepada rakan-rakan pemimpin muslim mereka untuk memberikan pandangan yang tepat dan tidaklah memalukan diri sendiri dan menakutkan penyokong islam mereka. Saya bersetuju dengan pandangan YB Ronnie berkenaan metodologi pelaksanaannya harus diperhalusi tetapi kenyataannya selepas itu saya berpendapat harus diperbetulkan.

Selangor sememangnya dipenuhi dengan kontroversi dan jika bukan BN yang mencetusnya, saya nampak PR pun apa kurangnya.

DON'T TRY TOO HARD

As Salam

It is common practice nowadays in our country or maybe globally, people are trying too hard to convince others to buy whatever they think are right. Whether it is about their ideology, products or whatsoever, people are trying their level best to convince other to the edge blatantly annoying and piss others of.

Same to do with our political scenario nowadays where people try to convince other with whatever they have to convince that they are the saint and the other site are the big demons. Try to read the mainstream medias or tabloid and you will understand what I mean by this. Telling the truth, watching the RTM or TV3 news will definitely pissed me off nowadays as the extent of their effort to demonise other while giving the picture like they are the saints is too much for me to bear. There is no more impartiality in their reporting and makes you wonder are we dealing with human with the vulnerability of doing something wrong or we have a totally different level of human manning our country right now. Like the prophet?

This is not because I am a pro-opposition but as a Malaysian, I think we deserved to hear a well balanced kind of reporting that excessively lacking wherever you try to get the information from one media. Everyday, we need to read more than one resources just to get the clearer view of an issue. A single source means we will end up having a tunnel vision just like many Malaysian out there that don't have the luxury of getting info from other resources. Don't we deserve to be treated like normal human being not like a group of moron who knows nothing about the world than?

Nowadays, I think, Malaysian as a whole are fast becoming more info savvy and they should stop treating us like a spoon-fed 2 years old toddlers. A more balanced reporting will definitely give a better perception towards the current government policies and information dissemination. A tunnel vision kind of information will definitely drive many of us off from the government instead of making us stay with them. Unfairness will only leads to their demise instead of power. They should start to act like a group of man with brains not just a low IQ tool of the government.

Media is the image of the current government and if many of us see them as a below intellectual kind of institution, the kind of image will definitely goes to the government. We know that this kind of approaches are very useful to the rural and less connected people as they don't have the kind of choices that we have but until when they want to continue be like this? They should be more gentleman and it will definitely win hearts. Don't be cowed by your own shadow and be realistic and embraced the world with eyes wide open.

Unfairness even in reporting will only leads to feeling of injustice. It will further breeds hatred and sense of revenge an the vicious cycle will continue to go on an on and on. The culture of blackmailing, stabbing, sabotaging and manipulating will go nowhere except destruction of a civilization. Only the uncivilized will keep on hanging on this kind of mentality and definitely people will choose the more civilized one in the future.

Something for them to ponder or maybe they can just continue their act and wait for their own demise.