USTAZ FATHULBARI

Assalamualaikum

Mungkin ramai yang familiar dengan ustaz ni kerana baru-baru ini beliau menjadi agak popular dan tindakannya menjadi isu. Namun begitu, itu bukan isunya kerana isi yang disampaikan di dalam sedutan video ini yang membuat saya tertarik. Ini kerana jika dikira dari segi kecenderungan beliau secara politik, agak pelik bilamana beliau mengeluarkan kenyataan ini.

Ini kerana tindakannya bercakap benar sebegini boleh mengundang kemarahan orang di sekelilingnya yang memperjuangkan kebenaran isi video lucah ini.

LETS TALK ABOUT MONEY

I should not say that I am one of thousands Malaysian out there whom hardly surviving with their monthly pay. With a combine income of around RM10000, I should not complaining as I am living in a decent life up to my standard at least. I can't complaint much about not having enough as enough for me is actually luxurious for many people. I should say that I have the luxury to do and enjoy many things that many people out there could only dream of.

Maybe for many people who know me they can't see what I mean by a luxurious life but once again, luxury is very subjective. I should consider myself as a blessed servant of God as I have a stable income monthly, able to pay zakat, have a wife with her own stable income and many more. Therefore, it is absurd if I am complaining that I don't have enough.

It is pathetic if I say that I don't have enough when my current house mate here only earning a merely just a little more than a thousand per month. I should not complaint as I can go anywhere with a luxury of a car when many people scrambling to get into our pathetic public transport system. I don't have to complaint in the first place. So, why should I complaint then? That is exactly what many people will say.

Yeah, I should complaint for the many people out there who don't have the kind of luxury to earn a peaceful living with whatever income they bring home in our country. I should complaint because I don't think any single soul in our prosperous and wealthy country should suffer with this. I should complaint because despite the many good news about our economy, our people out there suffering like we are in a great economic depression.

I should complaint because despite the so called menial inflation rate, people are suffering with their daily necessities. Everything are not that cheap even though it seems cheap. Everything is going up with great pace except for the snail-like pace of our people's salary increment. Nothing here seems to be stagnant. Every single news of salary increases, bonuses, uprising oil prices will be 'celebrated' with an increase of prices of almost everything from toilet paper to milk powder.

Stagnation of purchasing power is not the correct word when it is actually diminishing. With all the stress of daily life to earn a decent living, we are further pegged back by the stress of how to make ends meet till the end of the month. People are stressed up to find ways to reduce their daily spending when they have left with nothing to be cut anymore. Worst still, the best 'soothing' advice from the government is people should save more and more when people are actually suffering to make any more save.

Too much complaint? Try asking your 'tukang sapu' friends or a factory worker and you will see the reality of how people is actually suffering. Is this fair to the people? Should they just keep quite and just be thankful with the kind of unfair treatment like this? Of course, as a Muslim we must be grateful with whatever we have but at the same time we should strive for a better one. When we talk about a better one means that we should try in whatever ways possible and permitted to have it.

Everyone deserve to live happily and everyone deserve to live peacefully without the unnecessary stress and pressure. So now should we only pray or try to do something with it? Should we start talking about customer power?

BOLEH TOLONG DIAM?

Assalamualaikum

Semenjak akhir-akhir ini saya semakin mual dan muak dengan pelbagai spekulasi yang sengaja dimainkan di media massa tentang isu video lucah yang seolah-olah menjadi sumber rujukan paling bernilai dalam sejarah Malaysia. Lebih penting dari segala isu utama dalam negara dan penderitaan rakyat jelata. Seolah-olahnya Malaysia akan 'kiamat' jika video ini tidak dibincangkan walau sehari.

Lihat sahajalah bagaimana media arus perdana memainkan isu video lucah yang belum tentu benarnya. Bukankah ia sangat menjelikkan sesiapa sahaja yang mengikutinya? Dari serendah-rendah kuli politik sehinggalah ke Perdana Menteri masing-masing tidak berhenti-henti bercakap mengenainya. Seolah-olah di Malaysia ini tiada yang lebih penting berbanding satu rakaman video lucah hitam putih yang disebar oleh, malangnya, orang yang mengaku Islam tetapi bertindak dengan cara dan sifat seseorang yang langsung tidak percaya kepada mana-mana Tuhan atau agama. Malahan integriti mereka pun diragui

Pendapat-pendapat ulama dan ahli agama yang menentang penyebaran dan perbincangan video ini diketepikan demi kerana kepentingan dan ketamakkan kuasa dan status quo masing-masing. Video ini diulang tayang hampir setiap hari samada dalam bentuk gambar pegun atau sebaliknya sehinggakan kita terfikir tiadakah perkara lain yang mereka boleh fikirkan selain seks. Semakin hari perasaan benci dengan kejelikkan sikap mereka semakin menebal dalam diri saya sehinggakan saya merasakan mereka-mereka ini tidak lebih dari segolongan manusia yang tiada akhlak tetapi malangnya dibiarkan menerajui negara.

Bukankah banyak lagi perkara yang lebih utama yang seharusnya dibincangkan di Malaysia ini yang jauh lebih penting demi kepentingan rakyat? Adakah 'makanan' seks ini cukup untuk menjadi negara yang berjaya dan terkehadapan? Setiap hari tanpa gagal gerombolan manusia tidak beridea ini mengulas dengan gaya kononnya intelektual mengenai isu ini dengan spekulasi-spekulasi baru dan hujah-hujah yang kadang-kadang kita terfikir kembali adakah golongan ini pernah bersekolah atau tidak.

Ramalan, spekulasi, khabar-khabar angin, manipulasi maklumat menjadi santapan harian mereka dan malangnya, santapan yang menjijikkan ini juga cuba disumbat ke kotak pemikiran rakyat dari setua 90 tahun sehinggalah kanak-kanak kecil yang masih belum kenal pun dengan apa itu alat sulit berlawanan seks. Bukankah golongan ini sepatutnya diklasifikasikan sebagai golongan tandus idea dan runtuh akhlaknya?

Saya tidak dapat menghadam cara pemikiran ini dan saya rasa malu bila memikirkan mereka ini adalah pemimpin negara kita yang dipilih oleh rakyat. Bala yang sedang menimpa kita ini adalah amat sukar diterima. Tiadalah yang lebih teruk dari dipimpin oleh orang-orang yang hanya tahu berspekulasi, berjuang demi kepentingan peribadi dan kroni, menyebar fitnah setiap hari tanpa cuba untuk bersikap lebih bertamadun dalam menangani isu.

Tiada langsung rasa malu dalam diri mereka seolah-olah ini adalah perkara biasa bagi mereka setiap hari. Malangnya mereka tidak sedar bahawa ramai rakyat Malaysia yang tidak kemaruk seks dan gemar mendengar alunan lirik seks ini. Penting sangatkah video seks ini dalam perkembangan kemajuan negara kita? Penting sangatkah video seks ini sehingga kita perlu menontonnya setiap hari di media arus perdana? Penting sangatkah video ini sehingga Perdana Menteri pun terpaksa mengulasnya?

Bukankah kita ada pihak berkuasa yang boleh menjalankan tanggungjawab mereka? Adakah mereka tidak percaya kepada pihak polis mampu menyelesaikan masalah ini sehingga perlu 'berjihad' hari-hari di media demi menegakkan kebenaran video lucah ini? Adakah ini kerja utama mereka? Jelik dan menjijikkan.

Percubaan mereka menjatuhkan maruah orang lain seolah sudah menjadi senjata yang makan tuan. Kelihatan di mata saya orang-orang inilah yang sebenarnya tidak bermaruah, kurang agamanya dan cetek pemikirannya.

Saya mohon lindung dari Allah dari penyakit hati mereka dan diberikan rahmat kepada rakyat negara ini dengan pemimpin yang jauh lebih baik dari mereka.

YASIN: BAK SUTERA DI HELAI MAWAR

BILA MELAYU KURANG KEYAKINAN DIRI

Isu Alkitab dan perkataan ‘Allah’ sekali lagi menjadi isu utama di semua saluran media massa yang terdapat di negara kita. Isu ini semakin hangat bilamana pihak kementerian dan menteri yang bertanggungjawab boleh dikatakan gagal untuk memberikan satu keputusan yang mampu memuaskan hati semua pihak. Dalih demi dalih yang diberikan hanya mampu menggambarkan kelemahan dalam membuat keputusan dan juga ketakutan mereka kepada apa yang bakal berlaku jika mereka tidak mampu meredakan kegelisahan di kalangan orang Melayu Islam di negara ini. Pelbagai pihak memberikan pandangan mereka dan seperti biasa pendapat-pendapat ini terbahagi pula kepada dua kem berbeza yang lebih menggambarkan kecenderungan politik pihak yang memberikan pendapat walaupun sbenarnya ia tidak seharusnya begitu.

Di sebalik kenyataan dari Sheikh Yusuf Qardhawi, Persatuan Ulama Malaysia, Ustaz Fathul Bari (Ulama dari Umno) dan kenyataan dari beberapa ulama dari PAS, isu ini masih menemui jalan buntu di mana keresahan orang Melayu secara umumnya masih tidak dapat diredakan secara baik. Ini boleh disahkan oleh kenyataan dari Mufti Perak Tan Sri Harussani yang mendakwa bahawa ramai orang Melayu yang tidak berpuas hati dengan masalah ini dan ketakutan beliau bahawa peristiwa yang serupa dengan insidens yang berlaku tahun lepas semasa isu ‘Allah’ sedang hangat bakal berulang. Seharusnya, jika difikirkan sedalam-dalamnya, pendapat seorang ini tidak cukup untuk menjadi kayu ukur tetapi keresahan ini ada asasnya. Persoalan mengapa Tan Sri Harussani tidak menjadi ‘peacemaker’ dalam hal ini tidaklah perlu dipertikaikan kerana pendirian beliau dalam hal ini amat jelas pada pendapat saya.

Tidak dapat dinafikan ketakutan segelintir orang Melayu dalam dalam hal ini tidak boleh dipandang enteng. Ketakutan ini diterukkan lagi dengan pendirian pemimpin yang tidak jelas dan kelihatan berdolak dalih dan juga mentaliti segelintir orang Melayu secara umumnya. Bila saya perkatakan mentaliti, ia membawa konotasi bahawa mentaliti ini adalah hasil dari ‘tarbiyyah’ pemimpin sedia ada sekarang. Mentaliti ketakutan dan rasa tidak percaya pada orang lain dan juga kurangnya keyakinan pada diri sendiri hasil dari dididik dalam suasana perlu dibantu sepanjang masa.

Mengapa saya katakan ramai di kalangan mereka kurang keyakinan diri dalam hal ini? Ini kerana isu perkataan ‘Allah’ yang sepatutnya menjadi peluang untuk mereka lebih dekat denga orang Kristian disalahertikan menjadi isu ketakutan mereka terhadap potensi peluang dakwah orang Kristian di bumi Malaysia. Ia seolah-olah menggambarkan betapa lemahnya penghayatan orang Melayu kepada agamanya menyebabkan mereka merasa ragu-ragu jika sekiranya orang Kristian dibenarkan menggunakan perkataan itu, pendirian mereka pada agama mereka akan goyah dan akan berbondong-bondonglah orang Melayu masuk Kristian.

Mungkin kelihatan dangkal bagi kebanyakkan orang tetapi inilah dia mentaliti yang membawa kepada isu yang tidak berkesudahan ini dan akan tetap menjadi isu selagi mana segelintir orang Melayu di Malaysia rasa kurang keyakinan diri dan masih lagi berminda dijajah. Apalah sangat jika difikirkan ancaman Alkitab versi Melayu dan penggunaan perkataan Allah ini jika dibandingkan dengan beratus tahun dijajah dan gerakan-gerakan lain yang mengancam integriti agama Islam. Walaupun kita boleh mengatakan bahawa bahasa itu mempengaruhi perkembangan sesuatu agama tetapi dengan cara opresi sebegini ia akan mengakibatkan pandangan kepada orang Islam secara keseluruhannya akan menjadi buruk. Orang Islam akan kelihatan tidak tolerans dan paranoid.

Kekurangan jatidiri dalam jiwa segelintir menjadi ‘archilles heel’ dalam sikap toleransi dan keterbukaan agama ini sendiri. Umat Islam seharusnya tidak takut dengan orang lain tetapi melihat perkara ini sebagai satu peluang dan bukan ancaman. Pendapat ulama-ulama, norma amalan masyarakat arab dan indonesia dan pelbagai lagi pendapat lain menjurus kepada umat Islam menjadi lebih terbuka da tidak takut dengan bayang-bayang mereka sendiri. Adalah tidak adil untuk kita menyekat ruang orang lain hanya kerana kelemahan kita sendiri untuk membina kekuatan dan jatidiri. — Zaid A. Rostam (malaysianinsider's reader)

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

ORANG MELAYU DAN PALESTIN SAMA SAHAJA

Assalamualaikum

Terbaca sebahagian dari petikan-petikan yang terdapat di dalam buku Dr Mahathir yang terbaru di dalam Malaysian Insider dan saya terasa terpanggil untuk sama mengulas kenyataan beliau tersebut dalam perspektif saya sendiri sebagai seorang Melayu walaupun pada pandangan saya Islam itu lebih penting dari bangsa saya sendiri. Apalah sangat jika saya nak banggakan dengan Melayu saya ini kerana di dalam susur keturunan saya adanya darah orang Cina Peranakan, Tamil dan Sinhalese.

Percampuran darah yang bermacam-macam itulah yang lebih membanggakan saya kerana nenek moyang saya telah membuktikan bahawa bangsa itu bukan masalah tetapi kepelbagaian itu membawa kebahagiaan pula. Saya juga berbangga kerana arwah datuk saya boleh bercakap lebih dari 5 bahasa kerana luasnya percampuran beliau dan ini tidak mungkin berlaku jika datuk saya seorang rasis seperti sebahagian orang Melayu sekarang.

Mungkin jika kita selak balik sejarah bagaimana negara ini ditubuhkan mungkin kita boleh berjumpa di mana punca menjadi terlalu rasis dan kadang-kadang perasaan tidak percaya pada bangsa lain itu terus tersemai dari satu generasi ke satu generasi yang lain. Tradisi pengklasifikasi ikut bangsa ini adalah peninggalan dari penjajah kita dan ia disambung terus oleh parti pemerintah dari semenjak merdeka lagi.

Dengan membezakan bangsa inilah bangsa penjajah berjaya memerintah negara kita dengan aman dan inilah juga pemerintah kita sekarang boleh kekal berkuasa. Dari masa ke semasa api perkauman disemarak dan dibakar secara halus ke dalam hati-hati setiap warga bangsa oleh parti-parti yang berjuang kononnnya demi bangsa. Si melayu diapi supaya jangan percaya si cina, si cina ditakutkan dengan si melayu, si india pula dihasut membenci melayu dan begitulah seterusnya sehingga sedikit sebanyak walau bagaimana kita cuba untuk tidak rasis, kita juga ada kecenderungan untuk berkelakuan begitu.

Saya selalu berjumpa dengan orang-orang yang begitu rasis sehingga saya takut dengan mereka. Takut kerana orang-orang inilah yang bila-bila masa akan memporak-perandakan negara kita pada bila-bila masa. Mana mungkin kita boleh hidup aman bergandingan tangan sekiranya kawan kita yang berlainan warna kulit dituduh sebagai pengkhianat negara, oportunis, zalim dan sebagainya? Mana mungkin saya boleh duduk diam dan tidak berasa apa-apa. Sudah pasti jika saya tidak berfikir dan telan sahaja apa yang dihamburkan saya juga akan jadi rasis seperti mereka.

Apabila Dr Mahathir menyatakan orang Melayu sama seperti orang Palestin. Nasionalis sehingga tahap rasis tetapi gagal menahan diri dari tarikan duit, saya tidak dapat elak dari menggambarkan puak tertentu sebagai orang melayu yang dimaksudkan. Di peringkat akar umbi cerita pasal pemimpin melayu menjadi kaya dengan menjual tanah melayu kepada bangsa lain bukanlah sesuatu yang pelik dan mereka inilah juga golongan nasionalis dan rasis yang dimaksudkan. Saya menganggap kenyataan ini sebagai sindiran kepada orang bawahannya dahulu dan bukan kepada umum.

Merekalah orang-orang yang bertanggungjawab menghilangkan banyak hak milik melayu kepada orang lain dengan cara yang tidak adil demi memenuhi kehendak nafsu mereka dan mereka jugalah orang yang sama melolong dan menghasut supaya orang melayu jangan percaya bangsa lain. Orang-orang lidah bercabang inilah juga yang menyebabkan Melayu tiada kuasa membeli seperti bangsa lain dan mana mungkin orang melayu bawahan mampu menahan diri dari menjual harta mereka jika desakan hidup lebih dahsyat dari nilai sebidang tanah.

Kenyataan ini seolah-olah sebagai satu sindiran yang amat tajam kepada 'rakannya' sendiri dan sepatutnya mereka tersedar bahawa merekalah sebenarnya keparat yang memundurkan melayu lebih jauh lagi. Ini semua puncanya bila agama tidak dibawa seiring dalam perjuangan. Bila perjuangan berdasarkan akal maka akal akhirnya akan dipengaruhi nafsu. Dan nafsu pastinya lebih hebat bila disaji dengan pelbagai kemewahan yang terhidang.

Bila agama diletak di surau, di masjid, di istana dan di jabatan agama, inilah hasilnya. Kemewahan menjadi tidak seimbang, yang kaya terus kaya, yang miskin terus melarat. Si kaya sembelih si miskin dengan harta yang tidak seberapa dan kemudiannya 'disedekah' pada rakan kongsi pelbagai bangsa yang sangatlah intim. Sedangkan pada masa yang sama sikaya berkuasa ini menghasut si miskin supaya terus benci bangsa lain dan mengkambinghitamkan mereka terus-terusan.

Terfikir, betapa mudahnya orang kita diperbodoh-bodohkan dan diperguna mengikut citarasa mereka. Walau tidak adil pun ia kelihatan, tetapi inilah hakikat masyarakat kita tidak kira bangsa. Keakraban hanya pada permukaan tetapi di dasar penuh dengan ketidakpercayaan, kebencian, hasad dan segala nafsu buruk yang tenggelam timbul mengikut arus semasa.

Dan modal inilah juga sebenarnya sumber mengekalkan kemenangan warga pemerintah dengan permainan sentimen perkauman mereka seperti juga perangai penjajah-penjajah kita.

Malaysian PM: Muslim Brotherhood Must Renounce Violence or Be Left Out

Assalamualaikum I was shocked when I read this article. It was a very bad article and I am grateful after 5 days, our PM clarified that it was miss quoted. When someone from the Muslim world said bad things about Dr Yusuf Qaradawi and his Muslim Brotherhood, you will definitely left wondering whether he is in the same camp with Muammar Ghadafi or Husni Mubarak. Such a highly regarded scholar like him with his enlightening and moderate view is called terrorist, it definitely tells something wrong with the leader who say it. At least not many in Malaysia read this and more, not many Malays like to read in English and it spare the blushes of the PM very much. I really hope he never utter all the said words in the article even though it is quite difficult to say how on earth they misquoted almost everything he said in the first place By Seth Mandel (23 February 2011) Since the beginning of the uprising in Egypt and the expected power shift in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic world has rallied around the Brotherhood and demanded that the West engage with them. But a crack in that unity appeared today when Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak said that the Muslim Brotherhood “shouldn’t be part of the process as long as they don’t reject violence and extremism.” “Anyone who wants to be part of the political process should adopt values that are compatible with democracy,” Najib said in an interview in Istanbul, where he is speaking at a conference on moderation. “It’s not just about having a vote and choosing your leaders; it’s also part of imparting the right values for democracy to work, because there are failed democracies as well.” Najib said he has “some concerns, deep concerns” about Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader. Those concerns center on Qaradawi’s support and justification for terrorism, which carries a great deal of weight given Qaradawi’s credibility as an Islamic scholar. It is exactly that type of Muslim leader that has led the Middle East astray, according to Najib. “We have lost a lot of ground to the extremists in the Middle East.” He offered his own country as a model to emerging Islamic governments in the Middle East, saying that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described Malaysia as “modern, progressive, and moderate.” “We shouldn’t want to impose on people, but people are welcome to study our experience and how we’ve done things in Malaysia. Perhaps it could be useful in their country,” he said. Too many leaders, Najib said, misunderstand moderation. “I think they’re not paying enough attention to the values associated with being a moderate,” he said. “Moderate doesn’t mean that you’re a wimp — far from it. It means that you’ve chosen a path because you believe that’s the only way for global harmony and peace.” — Seth Mandel is a fellow in the Foundation for Defense of Democracies National Security Fellowship Program

FATAMORGANA: HIJJAZ

Still 'feel' for this song for all the years

SPOT ON PM NAJIB

Assalamualaikum

Like it or not. Agree or disagree. Hate it? Love it. We should say congratulation to our current PM due to his effort to engage with the rakyat through the web world. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Email or whatever, he is spot on and use it to his advantages. His personal PR consultant (read Apco) has done a tremendous job in this by consulting our PM the best way to win the rakyat back.

Mind you, it is a million dollar contract for this consultant firm and it totally worth it at least for the image of the current PM if not for the country. Whatever complaints that we have on how the money was wasted for a PR stunt, it really work for the current government. Look at the approval rating for the PM and we should say he has more than half of the country behind him right now and mind you, it will continually improving. Despite the critics about 1Malaysia that does not seem to be true to the meaning and spirit, he did well in distancing himself from the general wave from his own camp that work against the 1Malaysia spirit.

His consultant knows that the way to engage with the youth is through the web and he use it to the fullest. Even though many of us are skeptical about who actually mind all the web account but don't forget, there are many who buy to the idea that he really do it all by himself despite his crazy work schedule which will make you unable to sleep all the night if you do it alone. He already admitted that he did all this by his own without helpers. A superman job by any means.

And don't forget his well managed 'kenduri's with his internet friends and all of us know what a big impact it can be.

So congratulation again.

The rakyat happy with him and all the effort by the media now is always trying to promote him as the true PM to everyone. He don't to do all the dirty things by himself. He has legion of followers who will do all the dirty talks. Whether you are talking about his deputy, NGOs who 'fight' for the Malay supremacy, BTN, past PM and medias are all doing the job for him indirectly but efficiently. Through this tactics, he can cover the non Malays and the others will make sure the Malays will come back to him. Clever? Should I say fantastic?

Even though he still unable to get the significant approval from the Chinese, but with at least 5% improvement from the Malays, I should say, he don't really need the Chinese vote anymore for the moment. Mind you, he also has the Indian votes currently in his bag. Happy? It is totally different from the year 1999 when the Malay ran from the UMNO and the BN during that time focussed on the Chinese and they win it big.

Not to mention with all the projects that he thrown whenever there is snap election, people see it in front of their eyes and no one can deny it. Can PR do it? No way without the help from the government agencies and the moneys from the country's coffer. He don't BN money to do all the campaign, everything are there to be use by them.

All this proxies are currently use to the maximum and it is fruitful. He is really a headache for the opposition. Issues that thrown upon him don't seem to be working and easily flushed out and forgotten except for the hardcore. Money wasted left and right not even notice by the majority of the rakyat except for the handful of them who reads.

Are the rakyat too stupid? Many think this is what we call as pragmatic. A vote for some one who seem to be working and portray to be just like that is common sense. And I should say (disregard my political stand) a resounding yes.

So a big comeback for our traditional ruling party in election to come? Reluctantly I should say yes for the moment. Am I happy? Yes I am always happy because I thing I am on the safe side right now that is: Islam. Will I change my allegiance? Should I put it this way: My life is not about roads, buildings, mega projects or fantastic PR stunt. Islam is holistic and I stick to that.

HAMZA NAMIRA: DREAM WITH ME

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.

ITU ADALAH HAK MEREKA

As Salam

Setelah beberapa artikel kebelakangan ini saya lebih selesa menulis di dalam bahasa inggeris, kali ini say ingin menulisnya dalam bahasa kebangsaan kita sendiri. Walaupun sumber maklumat saya kebanyakannya di dalam bahasa pengantara kedua negara kita tetapi bukanlah satu masalah untuk menulisnya di dalam bahasa Malaysia.

Kali ini seperti biasanya saya tidaklah berminat untuk menyebut mana-mana nama atau di mana ianya berlaku kerana bukan orangnya yang menjadi masalah kepada saya tetapi isu di sebalik kejadian-kejadian tersebut. Mungkin ramai yang masih ingat beberapa minggu lalu negara kita 'digemparkan' dengan 'kejadian' sepasang suami isteri yang baru berkahwin. 'Masalah' dan 'dosa besar' yang mereka lakukan adalah berkahwin dalam usia yang 'terlalu' muda iaitu suaminya berumur 23 tahun dan isterinya berusia 'baru' 14 tahun. Hampir setiap hari isu ini keluar di dada-dada akhbar kerana 'besarnya' dosa yang mereka lakukan sehingga menteri kita yang menjaga berkenaan hak-hak wanita dan NGO-NGO berlumba-lumba mengeluarkan kenyataan tidak menyokong 'tindakan' yang diambil oleh pasangan muda ini.

Walaupun mereka berkahwin dalam keadaan yang memenuhi semua syarat yang diperlukan oleh undang-undang negara ini tetapi kerana 14 tahun itu dikira kanak-kanak oleh mereka, perkahwinan ini menjadi satu dosa besar yang tidak boleh dibenarkan berlaku lagi. Sehingga pada satu ketika, pihak menteri ini memberi 'nasihat' kepada pihak mahkamah agar tidak menjadikan perkara ini menjadi kebiasaan di negara kita. Secara peribadi saya tidak nampak pun masalah di sebalik perkara ini kerana semua pihak yang terlibat di dalam perkahwinan ini sudahpun memberi restu mereka dan bukankah itu juga dikira sebagai hak peribadi mereka?

Ke depan sedikit beberapa minggu dan negara kita sekali lagi gempar dengan penemuan video aksi lucah di antara dua kanak-kanak bawah umur di mana si lelaki dalam lingkungan 9 tahun dan perempuannya 11 tahun. Gemparnya bukan dari segi masalah kebejatan akhlak mereka ini tetapi orang gempar kerana ada yang berjaya memiliki video ini dan 'seronok' menontonnya. Kemudian satu lagi kes berlaku di mana seorang ibu muda yang mengandung dalam lingkungan 24 minggu ditikam bertubi-tubi oleh kekasihnya (diulang: kekasihnya) di rumah perempuan tersebut dan sedang tenat di ICU.

Kemudiannya, seorang gadis 14 tahun mati disyaki dibunuh oleh dua orang remaja lelaki yang juga lebih kurang sebaya dengan gadis itu. Dan jangan lupa kes GRO yang sudi menjual anaknya yang masih di dalam kandungan kepada pembida tertinggi. Ke semua kes-kes di atas boleh dikelaskan dalam satu kumpulan yang sama: isu jenayah seksual dan ketirisan akhlak. Yang tidak memeranjatkan ialah, menteri yang beria-ia mengeluarkan kenyataan berkenaan pasangan kahwin muda di atas tidak pula berkata apa-apa tentang kes-kes yang lain.

Apakah masalahnya? Saya melihat bahawa masyarakat kita kelihatannya lebih 'selesa' dengan kisah mungkar sehingga responnya tidak seberapa tetapi menjadi 'ketakutan' bila ada orang cuba untuk melakukannya dengan cara yang betul. Apakah beza akhlak di antara pasangan cilik beraksi lucah, remaja 17 tahun mengandung luar nikah atau kanak-kanak lelaki yang disyaki membunuh dengan seorang kanak-kanak yang juga lebih kurang mereka yang mahu terus berkahwin?

Kesilapan besar bagi kita jika kita mengadaptasi akhlak dan norma masyarakat yang berseronok dengan seks bebas dengan nilai agama kita. Namun begitu, melalui isu-isu yang terbaru ini, seolah-olah kita sudahpun berada dalam lubang-lubang dosa itu. Masyarakat kita perlu ada jati diri. Menteri kita perlu ada jati diri. Jangan mudah tunduk dan patuh kepada desakan norma luar yang bagi kita nilainya lebih buruk dari binatang. Biarlah mereka menganggap kita apa sekalipun selagi mana apa yang dibuat selari dengan kehendak agama. Saya tidak terkejut sekiranya pasangan yang berkahwin di atas tidak berkahwin dan beranak luar nikah, tiada siapa pun yang akan kisah kerana perkara itu bukanlah dosa dari mata norma jahiliyah yang diadaptasi kebanyakkan masyarakat kita.

Dan sekiranya ada pihak yang beria-ia mempertahankan norma-norma agama ini, pastinya ada bergerombolan manusia pula yang menyalak kebebasan dan hak asasi manusia untuk masuk neraka dan menjahanamkan diri mereka. Jadi bukankah orang-orang yang memilih untuk mengikut agamanya juga ada hak kebebasan itu? Atau hak kebebasan ini hanya terpakai untuk pengikut jahiliyah untuk mempertahankan diri mereka dari agama dan Tuhan mereka. Agaknya mampukah mereka menjerit hak kebebasan bersuara bila mereka di depan Tuhan mereka? Sememangnya saya pun tiada hak untuk menahan sesiapa untuk memilih jalan yang mereka suka dan bersuara tetapi mereka perlu faham juga yang orang-orang seperti saya juga berhak untuk berkata-kata

Termangu saya memikirkannya dan tiba-tiba terasa lucu.

WIKILEAKING

Salam

Almost every day for the past few weeks, we have been bombarded with multiple surprises from the revelation by the Wikileaks. Even though I don't have the opportunity to read the site by my self but I do read multiple reports about it. Multiple countries have condemn in a strongest way and the biggest is of course our so called world police: USA.

I am not in the position to say whether whatever they said about our country are true or not but I do concern with all the revelations. To borrow the words from Wikileaks: our state is in a very confuse and dangerous state due to incompetent politician in power. In which ever side you are currently, all of us should be very concern with the very negative assessment about our country. Something must be very wrong in our country and obviously we can generally say that our leader is the mirror of the rakyat.

Are we so incompetent that we end up having incompetent leaders? Are we so naive that we are easily preyed upon again and again for the men in power? Or are we an ignorant lot that just swallow anything that anyone up there says? Are all the intelligent people in this country is not so intelligent in assessing the best for the country? Something must be very wrong here that we end up being mocked by our neighbor again. I am not talking that we need to exert our power (I even doubt we have the power) against our small neighbor but till when we keep on left behind to our industrious neighbor?

Once again the selective ways of reporting by the mainstream news line will do the trick for the government and multiplied the damage against the opposition. Fairness will never prevail in our system of information. It is our turn as the rakyat to really go and find as many information that we can get in order to have the comprehensive info.

By the way, do anyone know what is the different between penal code vs corruption or criminal breach of trust in Dr Khir Toyo's case? Why penal code not the other one? Any guest?

1Malaysia?

Salam

On thursday noon, few of the staff in the our department talking excitedly about an UMNO program at Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim. They are talking about all UMNO members were instructed to come down and joint the program as there are thousands of goodies for flood victim that they are also entitled too. A bit surprise because either I am so oblivious about the program or it is specially arranged for those selected group. I can also be consider as one of the flood victims and my neighbours too.

Less that I care about a gas stove or another new mattress as I don't need both. The reason, my gas stove is totally not affected by the floods as there is nothing electronic about it. Just a good wash and it is ready to be use again. Maybe thousands of people in Kedah are previously using electronic kind of gas stove, I have no idea. For me, it can be consider as an obsolete gift. Mattres: maybe cause 2 of my mattress 'perished' with the flood. Still, I don't need it as I think it is better to give to others that are really in need.

I am a bit disturb as when I ask around, many of us don't know about it and I wonder what happen. The next day, the paper tell all about it. The picture tells thousands words. Our beloved PM came down to past the aid to the flood victims and announcing the intensity of the aid at the same time. I wonder where is the state leaders? Where is the MB or his EXCOs. Aren't they are the one that should be there together with Perlis MB, Datuk Johari Baharom, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and all the UMNO bigwigs?

Aren't they invited to the program for their rakyat or there are two sets of rakyat in federal's point of view? Aren't 1Malaysia slogan is for all Malaysian? Why the discrimination? Is this program only for UMNO members? So why bother using the government money?

With my thought still bothered with the news, the DPM came out with another statement that can be seen as the current government policy about this. He said that development funds is only allocated to Barisan MPs and not others. It is not for Opposition MPs. Once again the discrimination and blatant use of power and no regards about fairness or whatsoever.

Is this the way to treat people as a whole? Are they dealing with kafir Harbi or a communist group or a militant? All the people are the Malaysian citizen too so why the discrimination?

Still wondering.

INSURED FOREIGN WORKER?

Salam

Quite sometime not writing anything in the blog. So much things happen but unfortunately i have no chance to comment about it. Foreign workers are always make headlines in Malaysia from the cheapest labor available in the country that can be 'bullied' to do anything in order to get maximum profits or runaway maids that giving headaches and heartache to thousands of Malaysian yearly. To like it or not, foreign workers are almost always at the disadvantage side of the society even though we try to rubbish it. We can't even give the best for the local workers (read: maternity leave) what can we offer to the outsiders. It must be worst especially the coolies and lower end workers.

Recently, someone up there talking about an idea to introduce compulsary insurance to protect the foreign workers in Malaysia. Eventhough the main reason is to reduce the high uncollected hospital bills from those workers due to unscrupulous, unethical and irresponsible taukes outside there but for me it is time now to really make this a reality.

It is high time now for the worker to be protected in this way as most of them are working in generally higher risk indutries in Malaysia. It is actually not a big deal for the bosses as it only takes another 200+ ringgit for every workers as to compare with the continuous profit that they can get from those very cheap and ever willing labours.

I read with disgust when one of the report in the newspaper talking about the objection from the bosses fraternity about extra burden that they need to carry that can erode into their profit. Those selfish lad outside there really make me crinch in shame. don't they care about their subordinates' wellbeing? Is this too much for them? I really think that they should act more humane and think about others too.

I am quite sure if we care about the welfare of those workers, the general view of our country will become better and left no bitter taste when all this guys left our country later.

THE SARAWAK DISASTER

Salam

I am copying the whole article from The Star newspaper just to share with all of you out there. Even though it was described as shocking but I am quite sure that the outside world will interpret it as a disaster waiting to happen. There are lots of bad press about Sarawak outside Malaysia. Whether it is about illegal loggings, totalitarian leaders, corruptions, exploitations and many more.

Maybe many of us done believe it but I was also in shock when I read one of the article about Sarawak in the National Geographic Magazine some where last year that was portrayed as very bad and of course embarrassing. I hope this can be a good call for all those concern about this state that we all know is rich with all the resources but remain somehow a bit lacking behind comparing with the peninsula state.

Obviously, something must be wrong somewhere. This is total disaster. We are talking about 50KM of logging debris not 50 meters and we are talking about the big and wide Sarawak river.

Come on..Please do something

SIBU: Logs and debris, stretching for 50km on the Rajang river, reached Sibu town at about 10am yesterday leaving many people shocked by the scale of what is turning out to be an environmental disaster. “This is unprecedented and beyond imagination,” Environment and Public Health Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said after assessing the situation at the Express Passenger Boat Terminal in the morning.

According to a statement from the Natural Resources and Environment Board, the source of these logs and debris were from the Baleh River and its tributaries above Kapit. Several days of heavy rain earlier this week in Putai and Nu ngun in upper Baleh had caused a massive landslide which brought down the logs and debris into the rivers. The high water level and swift current in Baleh River and its tributaries also washed the logs and debris along their banks.

Passage hindered: An express passenger boat trying to weave its way through the logs in the Rajang river as it leaves Sibu.

Wong said it was a serious natural disaster which had caught both the public and government off guard. “We haven’t started to calculate the amount of losses and the damage caused,” he said, adding that once the logs and debris had made their way out of Sibu, the authorities would start to check the foundation of the urin and Lanang bridges. It was estimated by a sawmill manager that the volume of the logs and debris would be more than 300,000m3. The situation was worse around noon when the whole area at the confluence of the Rajang and Igan rivers was completely logjammed. Most of the logs and debris flowed down the Rajang while some of them flowed to the Igan.

The map explains the events leading up to the logjam.

The Malay villages which were built on stilts on the right bank of the Igan were fortunate to escape calamity as the logs and debris flowed near the opposite bank. Meanwhile, Land Development Minister Datuk Seri James Masing blamed unscrupulous timber companies for the disaster. He travelled up the river to Kapit yesterday and was disturbed by what he saw. “There is still a lot of debris, making travel unsafe. There are also dead fish in the river. It’s an ecological disaster,” Masing, the Baleh assemblyman, told The Star.

He said that this was the third time in three years – the first was in 2008 at Sungai Gat and the second in Sungai Tunoh last year – that such an incident had happened and he feared that it would have far-reaching implications on the state, particularly on the timber industry. He said the state government had laid down rules for logging but what was happening clearly showed that the rules were not being followed.

“I have gone around the world telling people that we are doing logging correctly. Now this happens. What will people think of us? We must take action against these unscrupulous timber companies.” He said the authorities concerned must take their job more seriously and enforce the laws stringently

THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN

Salam

My first entry for the month and I would like to start it with one of a very interesting experience that I encountered recently. May be not that significant for many but for me it is very near to the heart and should be a concern to all too. As my daily activities goes, counselling, negotiating, teaching and many other thing is just part and parcel as a professional like me. As a Muslim, everything that I tell my client must be something that as accurate as possible and I am trying as best as I can not to make any empty promises or false hope.

As a Muslim too, Insya Allah is a must when you try to relay your messages and I, will always try to say it whenever I see my Muslim client. InsyaAllah is a word that should be use with the highest regards to the God and I dare not using it if I just trying to play around and not being serious. Not to say that I am good but it is just a way of respect to the word.

When I use the words recently to one of my client, I was a speechless when the client ask me back "InsyaAllah? are you sure or not? Because this involves thousand of our money for a flight ticket". I was speechless because I certainly know what is the reason why the client ask me back in that way even though the client is a Muslim. I know that in our daily live many of us not using this words seriously. Most of us use the words just to buy time or as a polite way to say 'no' or 'never'. I am sure that many of us out there will be a bit sceptical when someone give an answer of 'InsyaAllah'.

Not that we don't believe the words but it is because we are using it wrongly for a long time. InsyaAllah is not use a word of commitment. It is not use to say that we are 100% depend to Allah. It is not use to say that everything is with Allah's permission. At the end of the day the soul of the words become empty and for many, meaningless.

In this secular world, we should start to use this word as it is supposed to mean. This is our prayer and a way to remind us that everything in our life is under Allah's permission whether it will happen or not. It is a way to bring us to the reality that we have God and stop our over reliance of human ability that is definitely Allah's. Instill the spirit of every single thing in our life is depend on Allah and why not we start with the proper usage of the word INSYAALLAH:)