A Threat to the Economic Stability & National Security

I am the least disturbed by the ministerial swap in Finance and Defence portfolios as announced by Abdullah Badawi yesterday. Abdullah is taking over the Defence Ministry from Najib Abdul Razak, his deputy, and handing over the Finance Ministry to the latter in exchange. Whether or not the move is an implicit confidence in Najib's ability to managing the nation's economy is anyone's guess. Abdullah has even inferred that the transition of power to Najib would be sooner than 2010 if the latter performs.
But I am overwhelmingly disturbed by Abdullah's accusation of Anwar Ibrahim being a threat to the economic stability and the national security of Malaysia. Is this a way to prepare the minds of the people at large that Anwar would soon be detained under the ISA ? Is this a credible pretext to silence Anwar politically forever ?
Anwar has failed miserably in his claim of wresting power from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) on 16th September which despairingly went by uneventful. But he still maintains that he has the numbers to effect the change in government anytime soon. His persistent claim of having the support of at least 31 MPs from the BN must have pricked Abdullah's conscience to acting immediately in response. Is detention under ISA the answer to frustrate Anwar in his quest to become the next prime minister ?

Definition of Terrorism

The eminent Dr. Yusuf al-Qardhawi defines a terrorist as one who intendedly kills human beings without regards to whether they are ordinary citizens or military personnel, without considering whether they are guilty or innocent, without distinguishing the oppressed from the oppressors.

A US Army Manual defines 'terrorism' as the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature.... through intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear.
The British Government defines it as the use, or threat, of action which is violent, damaging or disrupting, and is intended to influence the government or intimidate the public and is for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, or ideological cause.
Going by the US and the British definitions, no reference is made to the legitimate struggles for freedom, independence, or resistance to occupation, oppression.
It follows that the resistance movements in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the freedom-fighters in Kashmir, Kurdistan, Southern Philippines, Chechnya, Southern Thailand & Xinjiang are therefore NOT terrorists.

Cracks in UMNO

Muhyiddin Yasin, the Minister of International Trade & Industry, has called upon Abdullah Badawi, the Prime Minister, to hasten the transfer of power to someone else instead of waiting for 2010 to effect his Succession Plan. Abdullah has retorted that he would stick to the original plan and it was improper for Muhyiddin to raise the issue now after it has been endorsed by UMNO Supreme Council. Najib Abdul Razak, the heir-apparent, has advocated that the succession plan should be decided by grassroot members of UMNO inferring that he is NOT fully committed to such plan. Tengku Razaleigh, a former cabinet member, pointed out that there was no legal provisions under the UMNO Constitution to deal with leadership succession plan. Zaid Ibrahim, the apparent Law Minister, has challenged Abdullah on the recent use of the Internal Security Act to detain journalists and politicians without trial. Both Muhyiddin and Zaid have indicated that they are ready to face the music for what they have advocated against Abdullah.
Are these events supposed to be the preamble to the much-anticipated political crossovers of BN MPs to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) tomorrow ?

Al-Quran, Surah Ali Imran : 69 ~ 74

In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

69. It is the wish of a section of the People of the Book to lead you astray. But they lead astray (not you) but themselves, and they do not perceive.

70. You People of the Book ! Why do you reject the Signs of Allah of which you are (yourselves) witnesses ?

71. You People of the Book ! Why do you clothe Truth with falsehood and conceal the Truth while you have knowledge ?

72. A section of the People of the Book say : 'Believe in the morning what is revealed to the Believers but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back.

73. And believe no one unless he follows your religion. Say : 'True guidance is the Guidance of Allah. (Do you fear) lest a revelation be sent to someone (else) like that which was sent unto you ? or that those (receiving such revelation) should engage you in argument before your Lord ?' Say : 'All bounties are in the hand of Allah; He grants them to whom He pleases; and Allah cares for all, and He knows all things'.

74. For His Mercy He specially chooses whom He pleases, for Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded.

Sadaqallah ul 'Azeem.

What Sedition ?

I read from the History of Islam that following the exodus of the Muslims from Makkah to Madinah on the Hijrah led by the exalted Prophet Muhammad S.A.W., the hosts in Madinah were referred to as the 'ansar' whilst the migrating group from Makkah the 'muhajirin'. It was a way of identifying the people between the two groups.

In Malaysia (Tanah Melayu or Malaya previously) the Malays and the aborigines have usually been all along identified collectively as the 'indigineous' people, and the other races would therefore fittingly be called the 'non-indigineous' in order to distinguish a former from the latter. But such other races as Chinese and Indians were not identified as such but was instead referred to as the 'migrant races' at one time or another in the recent past.
As part of the terms for the Independence of Malaya imposed by the British colonialists upon the Malay leaders, the Malays ought to grant citizenship to the migrant Chinese and Indians, and in return those migrant races should recognise certain rights & privileges of the Malays under what is known as the 'Social Contract' of Malaya.
I find it extremely enigmatic when reference to the Chinese community as a 'migrant race' by an UMNO divisional head recently became a big controversy among the Chinese political leaders in the MCA and Gerakan (both BN components) calling it seditious (which is severely punishable under the Law).
It appears to me that the Chinese now refuse themselves to be recognised as a 'migrant race'. Are they now demanding to be classified as the 'indigineous people' just like the Malays or the aborigines ? Are we going to see a Malaysian History re-written subsequently ?

Current Parliamentary Composition before 16th September

BN, the current ruling party, only holds 63.06% (140) of the total 222 seats in Parliament while the Opposition PR commands the balance at 36.94% (82). In order to wrest control of Parliament, hence the Federal Government, the People's Front (PR) would need a defection of at least 30 MPs from the ruling BN party to reconstitute the composition to 112 seats (50.45%) of PR against 110 (49.55%) of BN for a simple majority.
Short of the required two-thirds majority (148 seats), the new PR government, if ever formed, shall NOT be in a luxury to revoke or amend existing laws nor legislate new ones. So what would be the benefits of the planned "regime change" by Anwar Ibrahim to the ordinary people at large ?
Under the collective PR banner, PKR currently has 31 seats, DAP has 28, PAS 22 and Independent 1. Going by an ethno-religious classification, the PR is represented by 43 Muslims and 39 non-Muslims while the BN at 89 and 51 respectively. Will the composition change drastically as a result of the defections after 16th September so as to substantially misalign or unshackle the Malaysian power structure for good ? Is that what Anwar wants in his political adventurism vis-a-vis the Malay-Muslim majority in the long terms ?

Winds of Change in Malaysia's Political Landscape

According to a local poll conducted a few days ago, 86% of the respondents believed that Anwar Ibrahim could unseat Abdullah Badawi and the ruling National Front (BN) from the reigns of power on Malaysia Day, 16th September. While I would welcome the 'regime change' from BN to PR (the People's Front), deep inside me I have overwhelming apprehensions about Anwar's real political orientation and allegiance of his premiership as he is purported to have stricken well-endowed acquaintances with US heavyweights such as Al Gore, a former US Vice President, and Paul Wolfowitz, a former Chief of the World Bank, among others. Wolfowitz, if you would recall, was the US State Department Chief for Asia Desk during the Reaganite administration. Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the US from 1981 through 1989. Surely Anwar was no stranger to Wolfowitz then as Malaysia , being part of Asia, was directly under the latter's 'thumb'.
If Anwar eventually turns out to be the new Prime Minister of Malaysia, I am eager to see whether Anwar would, upon his elevation, immediately scramble to fly to Washington to pay his personal homage to George W Bush, and subsequently ratify the Free Trade Agreement with the US soon after.
My big question is whether Anwar will be instrumental to expanding US hegemony to Malaysia wholesale, or what ?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, INTAN....

It's 5th September. Happy Birthday, Intan.... May Allah bestow you with His utmost Grace and Compassion. Though alone by myself, I will not want to miss this occasion for anything else. I love you and will not stop loving you despite your absence.
It has been a year and a half now since you departed from this world, leaving me groping in the dark without a candle. You were the candle enlightening me in the streaks of darkness. Life seems almost empty without you as I don't have you to come home to. May Allah provide you with everything pleasant in the Barzah.

Who Killed Benazir Bhutto ?

An assasination attempt was made today on Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister of Pakistan and the Taliban immediately claimed responsibility. Did the same group kill Benazir ? I tend to believe so. But why did they kill her ?
Benazir was a longtime US lackey and so is Pervez Musharraf, the recently deposed president of Pakistan. Soon after being made the prime minister, Gilani went to Washington to pay homage to George W. Bush continuing Benazir's legacy of being staunchly pro-US. Gilani must have made deals with Washington to renege on the re-instatement of the judges sacked during Musharraf's rule. He must have also agreed with Washington not to prosecute Musharraf after his (Musharraf) political departure. And these have led Nawab Sharif to withdraw from the coalition government under Gilani. Now that Zardari, late Benazir's husband, is pursuing to become the next president of Pakistan.
Whether it is Musharraf, Benazir, Gilani or Zardari, they are all American proxies in the Sub-Continent, including Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. But Hamid Karzai is a real US puppet. No wonder the Taliban is going after their blood.
Do we have the likes of Musharraf or Benazir in our midst ? I believe we do.

Will You Please Shut Up, Khir Toyo !

Khir Toyo is unhappy about the appointment of village heads in the State of Selangor where he was previously the Chief Minister. The new State Government under Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is said to have picked up members from PKR and PAS to be the new heads.
What's wrong with that ? Surely, when government changes so will ministers. Khir Toyo, you had done a lot worse than that when you were the Chief Minister. Did you ever appoint PAS or PKR members as village heads when you were in power previously ? You installed your own people to be members of mosque committees in the state dismissing the choice made by local congregants. You even removed Imams of mosques who were seen to be not on your side, not to mention restrictions imposed on respected Islamic scholars against giving tazkirah (discourse) at the mosques. You even forcefully closed down 'surau' (musalla) whose congregation was of different political affiliation than yours.
As Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly now, your time and energy should be better spent on other major issues befalling the State. Please don't stoop that low by championing matters deemed to be "red herrings". Don't be petty. You are certainly more worthy than that.

Which Heads Will Roll ?

Confidence is mounting each day among PKR supporters of Anwar Ibrahim in toppling the BN Government of Abdullah Badawi on 16th September, which is about 2 weeks away. Anwar has declared that upon his elevation as the new premier, he would immediately release all detainees now being incarcerated in detention centres under the Internal Security Act (ISA) which legalizes detention without trial. I would rather urge Anwar to abolish the draconian ISA altogether.

What else ? I think all the group editors, chief editors, and editors of the mainstream media who have served diligently as the mouthpiece of the ruling parties shall have to go unconditionally. Next would be the vice-chancellors or rectors of the public institutes of higher learning who have shown to be working for the ruling party instead of protecting academic freedom in public universities or colleges. What about the chiefs of the Government-Linked Corporations (GLCs) who have been handpicked by a certain minister ? We shall see.

Would we see an early retirement of the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General when Anwar comes into power ? I hope not.