Utusan & Ibrahim Ali: Why are they above the law?

I refer to the recent statement by the Prime Minister in an Oxford lecture that moderation is the best course of action.

My question is, if the prime minister can make such a statement, why is there no firm action taken against Utusan like suspending the editors?

Especially when they carried the ridiculous report of a Christian state conspiracy between the church and a DAP leader?

It only proves that Utusan is untouchable due to its ownership by Umno. By the same token, the prime minister would be reluctant to even punish Ibrahim Ali because of his links to Umno.

It is clear that the prime minister is playing a dangerous game of inciting religious hatred and causing a 'fear psychology' to the Malays that Islam is under threat from other faiths.

It all boils down to one thing, that the 1Malaysia concept is an utter failure and that Umno can never change but need to be removed in the next general election.

This is quite similar to the Christian headgear issue worn by Tengku Razaleigh which caused fear among the Malays in the 1990 general elections and ensured the retention of the two-thirds majority of BN in Parliament.

It also proves that Umno is being two-faced and that people like Ibrahim Ali and Utusan will continue to use the race and religion cards to incite hatred and fear in the people until the next general election, as long as there is no firm action by the government.

This lack of action may risk further damage, as the previous incident of firebombing of a church in Desa Malawati proved last year over the "Allah" issue.

It is such people like Ibrahim Ali who feel insecure just by relying on unsubstantiated reports by Utusan with no basis whatsoever.

It would be inconceivable to even think that anyone in their right frame of mind would conspire to set up a Christian State when they are only a minority.

As such, Umno's refusal to brand Ibrahim Ali an 'extremist' proves two things to be true of BN - that 1Malaysia is a sham and Najib's premiership is two-faced.

Sarawak for Change

What it means to be part of the cell

In Psalm 92:12-15: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green…” I begin to reflect on my cell leadership for the past 6 years and realised that in order to stay fresh, I would need to be rooted in my understanding of the purposes for which God has called me to serve Him.

This is because the Psalmist says that we have to be planted in the house of the LORD in order to flourish, bear fruit and stay fresh. For example, the cedar of Lebanon is an evergreen tree that can live for a thousand years and is a symbol of eternity, strength and endurance, because it is deeply rooted in fertile soil.

If we settle in fertile soil, like being planted in a cell, where the Word is deeply rooted in our lives, we can flourish, stay fresh and bear fruit. In order to do that, we need to pray that God will use us through the cells which make up His Body (the Church) to bless others in our community.

As a devoted Christian, we should never ask the question, "what’s in it for me, if I join the cell?" Rather, we should ask, "what can I do to serve others in need in the cell?" "For even Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many,” (Mark 10:45). Only then, we can look forward to cell meetings joyfully with a Christ-like character of serving others.

It is all about serving God, whenever we come to the cell. How do we serve God more effectively, if we are not planted in a cell? As Christians, we need to own the purposes of the cell and not just the cell programs. We need to own the presence of God and not just the presence of a leader. We need to own the people around us who are in need and not just the pastors or leaders. In other words, we need to have a sense of ownership as a royal priesthood of believers, to “serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.” (Ephesians 6:7).

In Acts 2:42-47, “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles…” The early Church had a great sense of ownership in everything they did, because they had the same passion for a shared vision. They simply devoted themselves for a greater cause and the Lord added daily to their number. There can be no unity in the cell without devotees. When we devote ourselves for a greater cause which is the extension of God's kingdom; unity and transformation of society will be there.

Let us have a sense of ownership of the cell by sharing the same passion for a transformed society, through strong and united cells that are planted in the house of the LORD that will flourish, stay fresh and bear much fruit for His kingdom.

We will certainly make a difference in transforming society by being a devotee for the Lord in impacting cells and owning the vision of building God's community and making known His glory!

Sham sodomy trial won't fool anybody

Sham sodomy trial won't fool anybody
Ashvin Raj | May 12, 10 3:20pm

I refer to the report on PM accused of plotting Anwar sodomy trial where PM Najib has been implicated in this shameful conspiracy to frame Anwar.

The rot in the Malaysian judiciary started in 1988 by the then PM, Dr Mahathir which was perpetuated by his successors like Pak Lah and Najib to secure their political hegemony. Our system of justice which was once held in high esteem internationally prior to 1988 has been destroyed by Dr Mahathir.

Justice has sunk so low that it has reached rock bottom and lost the respect of well-meaning Malaysians who must be disgusted with the latest sodomy trial against Anwar.

Even an ordinary layman, who has not studied law, would make better ‘judges’ that the ones sitting on the bench. They would know that this charge is nothing but a conspiracy to remove Anwar Ibrahim and hope that Pakatan Rakyat will lose its direction and collapse without his leadership.

It is obvious from this sham sodomy trial that the judiciary no longer commands the confidence of the citizens and will not as long as the sodomy trial on Anwar persists with the aim of diverting attention away from other pressing issues such as corruption and the long list of deaths at the hands of the police.

Judges seem to deliver judgments to please the executive rather than satisfy the requirements of impartiality in the interest of justice. The sodomy trial on Anwar is nothing but a waste of time and judicial resources with the sole intention of serving a political purpose.

By right, there should not be any form of interference by the executive in the Anwar sodomy trial if justice is to be done.

But it seems like justice will never be manifestly seen to de done, as long as the prime minister has ways to manipulate our system of justice where past history has proven that.

Sibu for Change!

I am a Malaysian First

I refer to the recent dare by Nazri to Kit Siang to delete the word "Malay" in the Federal Constitution. It seems to me there is a hint of superiority complex in his challenge and blatant disregard of the implication of Muhyiddin's statement that he is a Malay first.

Nazri simply misses the point by daring PR to table a motion to delete the word "Malay" in the Constitution, which is not an issue here. The point here is that when UMNO ministers say there is nothing wrong in being a Malay first, they are in effect rendering the 1Malaysia concept totally meaningless.

After celebrating 52 years as an independent nation, I would have thought that we had matured over the years and consider ourselves as Malaysians first. But it seems to me that certain UMNO politicians have chosen to use the Constitution as a 'carte blanche' for the furtherance of their political hegemony, simply because the 'special position' of the Malays are guaranteed under the Constitution.

Such a stance taken by these politicians smacks of arrogance and only sets the clock backwards for Najib's 1Malaysia with no real change or transformation in sight, despite the introduction of the New Economic Model and Government Transformation Programme which are mere propaganda tools for the ruling coalition.

UMNO's rallying cry has always been Ketuanan Melayu, kissing of the keris, a Malay dominated cabinet and civil service. With that in mind, the 1Malaysia slogan is becoming a big joke coming from the mouths of UMNO leaders. Being a Malaysian citizen and coming from a mixed Chinese and Indian parentage, I would certainly find it difficult to mention my race first, as I have always considered myself to be a Malaysian first.

Muhyiddin has certainly set a dangerous precedent by his statement that he is a Malay first, as this would only perpetuate BN's racial politics which will undermine national unity and ignoring the fact that there are mixed-race Malaysians who cannot be stereotyped.

Why would UMNO want to politicise their race first and not find their true identity as Malaysians first? Are they not proud to consider themselves as Malaysians first? Do they not realize that we all belong to the human race irrespective of our skin colour and different cultures.

Are we not tired of certain politicians who try to fit us into boxes that leave a multi-racial person like me feeling disgusted and left out? Are we not able to find wholeness and security of being a Malaysian first and our ethnicity second?

The fact that UMNO leaders would want to be defensive of Muhyiddin's statement only goes to prove their psychological insecurity to even regard themselves as Malaysians first but as Malays first.

Seek dialogue to resolve "Allah" controversy peacefully

I refer to the Malaysiakini report 'Allah' issue: Home Ministry gets stay order
and to the recent issue about the High Court reversing the home ministry's ban on the use of the word 'Allah' for the Catholic weekly newsletter, 'The Herald'.

Calmer heads are needed to resolve the issue about the term 'Allah' and we should not let our emotions run high as this will only cause unnecessary tensions on the religious harmony which we have long enjoyed for many centuries.

This is evident by the fact that East Malaysian Christians have been using the word 'Allah' for the past 400 years as revealed by the Herald's editor, Father Lawrence Andrew.

When we are calm, we are able to reason together in peace. The suggestion by opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang to convene an inter-religious conference to reach an out-of-court settlement for this controvery is an excellent proposal for the government to seriously consider to maintain religious harmony in the country.

This is to avoid any protracted legal tussle in the courts which will not benefit either party in the long run.

The important issue here is not about who is right or wrong but about strengthening national unity through the concept of a '1Malaysia'. All parties need to have an avenue for inter-religious dialogue to resolve any contentious issues between Malaysians of different faiths.

If different religious groups sue each other in the courts of law, does it not mean that we are '2Malaysia' and not '1Malaysia' when it comes to religious freedom? If religious sentiments continue to be fanned by extremist groups, they will only derail any effort by the government to foster national unity through its '1Malaysia' concept.

The government should not have bowed to pressure by certain quarters in filing an appeal against the High Court's decision but should have respected the rights of all Malaysians of different religions to practice their faith without any hindrance or restrictions.

The way for the government to respect religious freedom is to form an inter-religious conference to settle this issue over the term 'Allah' out of court and reach an understanding between all parties involved without any recourse to the legal system.