My Blog

Wibawa Suruhanjaya Terus Dipertikai, Kini Masa Untuk Menyelamatkan Negara!

 

Sesungguhnya kesan siasatan seandainya Suruhanjaya benar bebas dan wibawa adalah besar sekali dan mampu menggugat seluruh sistem pemerintahan Umno. Perhatikan saja penglibatan tauke judi mengusung bekas Peguam Negara Mohtar Abdullah ke percutian mewah, VK Lingam dan Eusoff Chin (lihat foto).

Kenyataan Dato’ Murad bahawa beliau diarah oleh Dr Mahathir, dan melibatkan sekali lagi Vincent Tan dan menteri Umno sekutunya Tengku Adnan untuk memfitnah saya. Akhirnya Murad menegaskan VK Lingam mengarah beliau mengaku salah jika tidak beliau akan dipenjara!

VK Lingam meyakinkannya bahawa sudah “diatur” penyelesaian dengan Eusoff Chin dan Mohtar Abdullah.
Maka tepat ulasan saudara bila mengaitkan peranan hakim hacks, serta rasa meluatnya Abang Mie, Warga Malaysia, mahasiswa chooi, pang5 dan lain-lain.

Kini masanya kita bergerak menyelamatkan negara!

Usul zan mengenai kabinet bayangan sukar diterima buat sementara waktu. Kuan mengulas mengenai sikap korporat kaya yang menolak negara kebajikan. Alahai mustahil saudagar kaya yang memunggah kontrak dan saham rakyat mengerti makna kebajikan!

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Jadual lawatan DS Anwar Ibrahim ke Kelantan,Terengganu, Kedah,Perlis,P.P,KL, Selangor

SEBARKAN kepada teman-teman anda.

Dapatkan Jadual penuh Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim 1-6 Februari 2008 sempena lawatan ke Kedah,Perlis,Pulau Pinang,Kuala Lumpur,Selangor,Kelantan,Terengganu di www.anwaribrahimblog.com

 1/2/08 (Jumaat)

Lawatan Kerja DSAI ke Kedah - Kangar Program

Untuk Dihubungi: Zamri 013-4845000 (Kedah), Ghani 012 410 2490 (Perlis)

3.15pm High Tea bersama Masyarakat Felda

Tempat: Lubuk Merbau, DUN Pedu

4.15pm Sepetang bersama Masyarakat

Siam

Tempat: Naka, DUN Pedu

5.30pm Amanat kpd Petugas BA

Tempat:

Padang

Terap di Kuala Nerang

7.30pm Maghrib dan Tazkirah di Kuala Kedah

 9.00pm Perjumpaan Masyarakat Cina

Tempat: Kelab Hokkien, Kangar.

 10.30pm Ceramah Perdana

Tempat: Titicai, Utan Aji, Kangar

 

2/2/08 (Sabtu)

Program Election Dry Run Negeri Pulau

Pinang

– Diketuai oleh Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Untuk Dihubungi : Dr. Mansoh 012 430 3512, Hj Malik 019 445 1005

 

2.30-4.00pm HCTV Forum Media Interview,

Han

Chiang

High School

Auditorium

4.00pm Program bersama dengan masyarakat Cina

Tempat: Kuala Sungai

Pinang

(Parlimen Balik Pulau)

5.00pm Majlis Sepetang Bersama DSAI

Tempat: N. 39 Pulau Betong

7.30pm Solat Maghrib & Taskirah

Tempat: surau Bayan Baru

8.30pm Majlis bersama masyarakat Cina

Tempat: Kampong Naran (DUN Batu Maung)

9.30pm Indian Prog

Tempat: Iniras Restaurant,

Brown

Garden

10.30pm Ceramah Perdana

Tempat: Kg Batu Maung di Parlimen Bayan Baru 

 

3/2/08 (Ahad)

Untuk Dihubungi: Zuraida 019 385 4238

2.30-3.30pm Pelancaran Program "Dari Wanita untuk Wanita, Dari Wanita untuk Semua"

Tempat: Corus, Hotel, KL

 

Program

Kota

Raja

Untuk Dihubungi: Dr. Xavier 012 2860595

9.30pm Ceramah Perdana DSAI

Tempat: Pekan Lama Sri Muda

 

11pm Ceramah Perdana DSAI

Tempat: DUN Seri Andalas

 

4/2/08 (Isnin)

Untuk Dihubungi: Faisal 019 223 2002

9.00-10.00pm Ceramah Perdana DSAI Kelana Jaya Prog

Tempat: Pusat Khidmat Masyarakat Kelana JayaB2-G-29 Desa Mentari,

Sg Way

(belakang Kontena Nasional)

 

Untuk Dihubungi: Faisal 019 223 2002

10.30-11.30m Ceramah Perdana DSAI Subang

Tempat: Markas PAS

Kg Sg Kayu Ara Damansara Utama

(berhampiran plaza tol Dsara NKVE)

 

5/2/08 (Selasa)

Lawatan Kerja Ke Negeri Kelantan

Untuk Dihubungi: Nik Mahmood 019 338 9229

 

6.00 PM - Majlis Asyura di Seri Cemerlang,

Tempat: Jalan Kebun Sultan,

Kota

Bharu

7.00 PM - Solat Maghrib di Masjid Muhammadi, Kota Bharu

8.00 PM - Solat Isyak & Tazkirah di Masjid

Kota

9.45 PM – Ceramah Umum DSAI

Tempat: Kampung Telaga Bata, Tumpat bersama Dato'

Kamarudin Jaafar, Dato' Husam Musa dan calon DUN KeADILan Pengkalan

Kubur

11.00 PM - Ceramah Perdana DSAI

Tempat: Dataran Stadium, Kota Bharu bersama Nik Mahmood

Nik Hassan, Saifuddin Nasution, Takiyuddin Hassan, Tuan Guru Nik Abd

Aziz Nik Mat

 

6/2/2008 (Rabu)

Lawatan Kerja DSAI ke Negeri Terengganu

Untuk Dihubungi: Faris 012 370 1319

 

5.00pm Majlis Perjumpaan Rakyat

Tempat: DUN Bandar (Parliament K. Terengganu)

 6.00pm Majlis Perjumpaan Rakyat

Tempat: Kuala Nerus (DUN Seberang Takir) - Parliament Kuala Nerus

7.30pm Sembahyang Maghrib and Taskirah

Tempat: Seberang Takir

 9.00pm Ceramah Perdana

Tempat: DUN Permaisuri- Parliament Setiu

9.30pm Ceramah Perdana

Tempat: DUN

Kota

Putera - Parliament Besut

--
Sim Tze Tzin
Political Coordinator
The Office of Anwar Ibrahim
No 17 Jalan 16/2, Seksyen 16
46350 Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia
03-7956 6444 (T) / 03-7956 5444 (F)
ttsim2007@gmail.com

Ceramah Perdana Di Kelana Jaya, 4/2/2008 (ISNIN)

Allahyarham Aris Chris Fernando

Jam 1 pagi di Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, saya menerima berita yang amat menyedihkan dari dinda Rusli. Kita kehilangan sahabat malah selaku ahli keluarga, pendukung setia agenda Reformasi, peguambela handal - dan buat saya rakan karib setia bersama terutama tatkala menanggung derita di penjara Sungai Buloh.

Chris mulannya bersahabat dengan kanda Allahyarham Rani dan mula akrab dengan saya Azizah, anak-anak dan keluarga sebaik saya dipecat. Beliau bersama dengan barisan peguam secara sukarela, pro bono membela saya, bekerja bertungkus lumus dengan gaya dan kepetahan istimewa. Chris diiringi anakandanya yang dikasehi Marisa. Sepanjang berulangalik ke penjara, beliau amat mengharapkan saya bebas awal agar dapat menghadiri upacara perkahwinan anaknya.

Saya amat terharu di atas pemergiannya, seolah-olah abang kandung saya sendiri. Chris adalah teman karib, memahami isi hati saya, membantu mendorong memperkuat semangat dan keyakinan saya tatkala di Sungai Buloh.

Saya mendapat berita keuzuran tenat Chris akibat serangan jantung pagi tadi sebelum menaiki pesawat ke Kota Kinabalu. Azizah sempat menziarahnya di IJN tengahhari tadi dan melaporkan bahawa keadaan beliau membimbangkan. Dan saudara Zulkifli Nordin menyampaikan berita perkembangan melalui SMS.

Maria dan keluarga diharap bersabar menempuh dugaan, yang mengejutkan kami semua. Saya akan cuba membatalkan sebahagian program pagi nanti untuk berlepas pulang awal mengiringi jenazah Allahyarham Chris.

Didoakan semoga Allah swt mencucuri rahmatnya ke atas roh Allahyarham Rizal Chris Fernando dan menempatkannya bersama salihin.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Undi kami, pendidikan percuma kepada semua rakyat - Anwar Ibrahim

Zaili Muhammad
Fri | Jan 18, 08 |  4:44:03 pm MYT
petikan: www.harakahdaily.net

TANGGA BATU, 18 Jan (Hrkh) - Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengumumkan satu lagi tawaran kepada rakyat Malaysia sekiranya memberikan kemenangan kepada Barisan Alternatif untuk memerintah dalam pilihanraya umum akan datang.

Anwar berkata, beliau akan mempastikan pendidikan secara percuma diberikan kepada semua pelajar dari sekolah rendah sehingga ke peringkat Universiti.

"Turun harga minyak masih ada untung lagi, untuk itu kita akan pastikan semua sekolah rendah, menengah dan universiti anak-anak dan ibubapa tak payah bayar semuanya percuma.

"Pendidikan dari sekolah rendah percuma sehingga ke universiti percuma, RM 4.50 tak payah bayar RM 100 tak payah bayar, jangan ikut macam menteri keris kata RM 4.50 tak payah bayar tapi RM 100 kena bayar," katanya sambil disambut dengan laungan takbir oleh orang ramai.

Katanya, keuntungan daripada hasil minyak petroleum yang diperolehi oleh Petronas sepatutnya boleh dinikmati bersama seluruh rakyat Malaysia sekiranya ditadbir secara adil dan saksama.

Menurutnya, keuntungan hasil minyak yang dinikmati negara sekarang ini sebanyak RM 80 bilion dan kalau diturunkan sedikit harganya untuk meringankan beban rakyat takkan negara akan bangkrap ketika berceramah di Balai Islam Pantai Kundur, di sini, baru-baru ini.

Turut sama berceramah pada majlis tersebut ialah Pesuruhjaya PAS Melaka, Ustaz Abdul Ghani Abdul Rahman dan antara pimpinan yang hadir ialah Yang Dipertua PAS Kawasan Tangga Batu, Ustaz Khamis Saat serta Ketua Angkatan Muda PKR, Samsul Iskandar Mat Akin.

"Saya selama 8 tahun menjadi Menteri Kewangan harga minyak di paras RM 1.10, walaupun masa harga minyak dunia naik melambung harga tetap sama juga, sekali aje naik 3 sen menjadikan RM 1.13 kemudian turun balik RM 1.10.

"Kalau nak banding harga minyak jangan bandingkan dengan Singapura kerana negara itu tak ada minyak," kata beliau.

Sambil itu, beliau turut memberi amaran bahawa sekiranya BN menang lagi pada Pilihan Raya Umum kali ini harga minyak akan naik lagi kerana mereka langsung tidak memikirkan permasalahan rakyat. - mr

Jadual Lawatan Anwar Ibrahim Ke Melaka,Kuala Selangor,Tanjung Karang,Sabah,Bandar Tun Razak,Pahang (17/1/08-22/1/08)

Program Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim (17/1/08 – 22/1/08)

SEBARKAN melalui e-mail,blog,sms,friendster,myspace,facebook, dan sebagainya. Jumpa anda di sana!

Layari:- www.anwaribrahimblog.com

Lawatan Kerja DSAI Ke Melaka

[Khamis, 17 Januari 2008]

Contact: En Khalid 012 315 2928 / Shamsul 019 341 3312

5.30 pm High-tea Bersama Masyarakat Cina Bhg. Tangga Batu di Restoran Tong Suen, No. 10, Jalan CP1, Taman Cheng Permai, Cheng, Melaka

7.15 pm Solat Maghrib dan Tazkirah di Baitul Qura, Pokok Assam, Paya Rumput Jaya (Sg. Udang)

8.00 pm Jamuan Makan Malam Rakyat Bersama DSAI (program bermula dari 7.00 ptg) di Restoren Mengkuang, Taman Mengkuang, Paya Mengkuang, Masjid Tanah, Melaka

9.00 pm Ceramah Perdana Di Padang Sekolah An-Nuriah, Batu 11, Sg.Udang, Melaka

Lawatan Kerja DSAI ke Kuala Selangor dan Tanjung Karang

[Jumaat, 18 Januari 2008]

Contact: Zaki 019 3695944

7.15 pm Maghrib

8.00 pm Jamuan Mesra dengan Rakyat di Pekan Ijok

9.00 pm Ceramah Umum di Batang Berjuntai

10.00 pm Ceramah Perdana di Sg Gulang-Gulang (DUN Permatang)

11.00 pm Ceramah Perdana di Asam Jawa (DUN Bkt Melawati)

Lawatan Kerja DSAI Ke Sabah

[Sabtu, 19 Januari 2008]

Contact: Hj Umsery 016 8329888, Christina Liew 016 831   4629

2.45 pm Visit Datuk Dr Jeffrey

3.05 pm Dialogue with Chinese Community di Kota Kinabalu

6.45 pm Ceramah Umum di Jalan Bundusan, Penampang

8.30 pm Ceramah Perdana

[Ahad, 20 Januari 2008]

9.30 am Ceramah Umum di Kg Karukan, Beaufort

12.00 pm Solat Zohor & Makan Tengah di Rumah Hj Ramli Dua

1.00 pm Ceramah Umum di Perkarangan Tokong Cina, Sipitan

Lawatan Kerja DSAI ke Bandar Tun Razak

[Ahad, 20 Januari 2008]

Contact: En Salleh 012 9073621

9.00pm Ceramah Perdana di Seri Labuan Flat, Bandar Tun Razak

Lawatan Kerja ke Pahang

[Selasa, 22 Januari 2008]

Contact: Zakaria 019 234 0997

1.30 pm Solat Zuhor di Masjid Muazam Shah (DUN Muazam Shah, Parlimen Rompin)

2.00 pm Jamuan tengahari bersama rakyat di Restoran Mutiara Muazam Shah

4.30 pm Solat Asar di Masjid Chini 1

5.00 pm Minum petang bersama rakyat di gerai Chini (DUN Chini, Parlimen Pekan)

6.30 pm Minum petang bersama masyarakat Cina di pekan Gambang (DUN Lepar, Parlimen Paya Besar)

Pertabalan Ketua Imam Khalifah Besar Silat Seni Pusaka Gayong Malaysia

Sudah sekian lama Wakil Adat dan Guru Khalifah Silat Seni Pusaka Gayong Malaysia mempelawa saya untuk menerima tugas tersebut (selaku Khalifah Besar), saya akhirnya akur. Alasan Cikgu Majid Isa, Setiausaha Agung Persatuan Silat Seni Pusaka Gayong Malaysia dengan restu Puan Siti Fadhilah Dato’ Meor Abd Rahman ialah bahawa perlantikan tersebut adalah di atas wasiat allahyarham Dato’ Meor dan muafakat semua ketua adat. Jawatan tersebut belum terisi sejak peninggalan allahyarham Dato Harun Idris.

Menteri Besar Kedah, Setiausaha Politik PM cuba melarang mereka dari meneruskan acara di Madrasah An-Nahdah Kubang Semang. Malah Cikgu Majid sendiri diugut dengan pelbagai ugutan yang membabitkan pekerjaan beliau. Namun amanah tetap amanah, wasiat kekal wasiat.

Alhamdulillah majlis disempurnakan dengan sempurna sepanjang Sabtu lepas. Majlis diserikan dengan persembahan anak-anak gayung dan perbarisan gayung.

Penyertaan generasi muda dari desa, mahasiswa dan graduan cukup memberansangkan. Mutu persembahan pencak mereka hebat dan petah sekali.

Harapnya akan ada yang berani ‘bersilat’ di gelanggang yang sama adil dan sama rata selepas ini..

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Sekitar Upacara Perlantikan:

Gambar-gambar kunjungan ke Selayang

Suruhanjaya DiRaja Video

Semalam saya ke mahkamah sebentar saja kerana selaku saksi saya tidak dibenar menghadhiri perjalanan mahkamah.

Peguam mewakili Majlis Peguam bersama peguam saya telah mengemukakan permohonan supaya Tan Sri Haidar, dan Tan Sri Steve Shim mengundur diri atas alasan bercanggah kepentingan kerana terlibat keputusan menghukum saya, Wee Cho Keong, kes Wall Street Journal yang melibatkan peguam VK Lingam dan keanggotaan dalam Yayasan Perdana Dr. Mahathir. Dato Zaitun pula terlibat dlm pendakwaan kes saya dan Wee Choo Keong.

Seperti yang diduga Panel menolak permohonan tersebut

Saya dijangka memberi keterangan salepas En Loh yang mengakui orang yang didalam rakaman bersama VK Lingam. Beliau menyebut bahawa anaknya membuat rakaman tersebut pada 21 Disember, 2001.

Ikutilah siri drama berikutnya!

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Speech delivered by Anwar Ibrahim at the Regional Outlook Forum 2008, 8th January, Singapore

Islam dan Demokrasi di Malaysia: Ucapan DSAI di Singapura

They say that the great divide between Islam and democracy may be summed up in a few phrases: it is a zero sum game because democracy’s gain is Islam’s loss while Islamization and democratization are contradiction in terms. The very topic given to me would logically lead to the inference that this is a battle to be fought on an uneven playing field. In fact, the word “Islamization” would conjure a kind of negative imposition on society, even if the process may be confined to Muslims. We know that recent events in Malaysia have given rise to the concern that the process has led to state sanctioned intrusion into the religious practices of citizens who profess other faiths. I shall talk about that later but for now, let us go back to this question of names and labeling.

Unlike the phrase “Islamization”, “democratization” immediately suggests positive associations. There is generally no confusion as to what constitutes the essence of democracy itself. Democracy is not just about elections or the popularity of leaders. It is about human rights, rule of law, and freedom and by that, I mean fundamental liberties in its widest sense. Democracy is also about maintaining and protecting the sanctity of constitutional principles, which are the crowning glory of the compact of the people. And when fundamental liberties are eroded, the rule of law gives way to the rule of man. I must pause to add that these are moral imperatives of Islam too.

As succinctly stated by Muhammad Iqbal, the structure of Islam embodies the principle of movement, and this is known as Ijtihad. Unlike the Mosaic tablets, the Shari’ah was never cast in stone and evolves continuously through this dynamic process. To talk of finality and absoluteness is therefore to deny the dynamism that is central the Shari’ah itself. In order to maintain a middle ground, the essential ingredients of an Islamic methodology must then be conceived not in a unipolar, nor even bipolar, but a holistic perspective which will be universal and eternal in appeal. Notwithstanding these internal debates continues within Muslim societies, with Fazlur Rahman’s assault of orthodoxy, and that “Islamic Intellectualism has remained truncated.”

And just as immediately, I must lodge a caveat against the assumption of the truth of the expression “democratic society in Malaysia.” I am not being cynical here but I believe we may legitimately ask the question: “Do we really have such a society in Malaysia?”

I believe that the 40,000 Malaysians who gathered two months ago in Kuala Lumpur to demand for free and fair elections will say ‘no.’ The thousands of Indians who were drenched in chemical-laced water fired from police water cannons will say ‘no.’ And the hundreds of peaceful citizens who were violently dispersed just last Saturday night for holding a candlelight vigil to protest the use of the ISA will say ‘no.’ And neither Islam nor Islamization has anything to do with it.

This brings me to the point that if we were to look at the issue of Islam and democracy from the empirical angle, I daresay that the threat to democracy is not Islam at all. On the contrary, we see Indonesia and Turkey decisively choosing the democratic system rather than the traditional Shari’ah system. In addition, as for Pakistan, what we are seeing is in fact a classic scenario of secular autocrats and dictators raising the bogey of Islamic radicalism in order to subvert democracy and maintain their hold on power. The fact therefore remains that many Muslim nations ruled by secular regimes are dictatorships of varying degrees on the one hand and autocratic regimes or sham democracies on the other.

Before I come to the central issue about Malaysia, let me just try to put things in perspective about Islam in Southeast Asia. While Mohammad Abduh’s modernism in the Arab world lost steam by the second half of the last century, it was more readily embraced into mainstream Islam in Southeast Asia, avoiding the intra-civilizational clash unfolding in the Middle East. Modernity and moderation came hand in hand for the region. They did not throw away the baby with the bathwater. Natsir and Hamka, leading exponents of what they felt to be the Islamic worldview, which included the love of knowledge, promotion of democratic values and inclusiveness, was readily embraced. The writings of Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana, and Soedjatmoko among the most ardent advocates of Westernization ways were also well received after separating the wheat from the chaff: ideas about modernizing the education system were accepted while outright adoption of western ways was rejected. I daresay that it is this feature of Southeast Asian Islam that has enabled Indonesia recently to make its quantum leap from dictatorship to democracy. This is not to deny that radicalism can and does in fact pose a serious challenge to the region but for radically different reasons, political repression and marginalization being the chief causes – as we witnessed in Aceh until recently, and which remains a major problem in southern Thailand and southern Philippines.

Malaysia too, during the formative period of independence and nation building, placed great emphasis on constitutionalism with Islam being given its pride of place in the private realm. Recognizing its multicultural and multi-religious society, Malaysia’s Muslim leaders were generally more inclusive. If I am using the past tense, it is because today, this sense of inclusiveness is under serious threat. With a combination of chauvinism and religious bigotry, irresponsible politicians exploit public sentiments in order to garner support. One may say that radicalism may actually be on the wane and I will not argue with that but the problem, at least in Malaysia, is not radicalism. The real issue is what I would describe as state-sponsored Muslim Puritanism borne more by racist sentiments than religious principles. It is the kind of theology that leads to the rejection of the constitutional freedom of other faiths to espouse and practice their religion in the manner they so wish.

It preaches the exclusivist doctrine that Muslims must constantly prevail over non-Muslims. It is this theology that prohibits Muslims from using the Islamic greeting of “Assalamualaikum” to non-Muslims or even more audaciously, that forbids non-Muslims from using the Islamic greeting for Muslims. The self-proclaimed guardians of this theology will have no compunction in breaking up families separating mothers from their children or incarcerating them for purposes of religious ‘rehabilitation’. Goaded by chauvinistic sentiments and emboldened by this theology, the authorities will not bat on an eye in tearing down places of worship. Moreover, it is this theology that has orchestrated a whispering campaign to label me a pro-Hindu just because I supported their legitimate demands and that their temples should not be wantonly destroyed.

Some thirteen years ago, I had the honor of addressing a gathering of Catholic priests and scholars at the Atheneo de Manila University in the Philippines. Among other things, I had quoted the following passage from the Qur’an:

“O mankind, We have created you male and female and have made you made you nations and tribes so that ye may know one another. Lo, the noblest of you in the sight of God, is the one who is the most righteous.” Al-Hujarat 49:13

This verse is addressed to all humanity, so had the religious authorities bothered to check the Qur’an they would have known better than to advise the Home Ministry that only Muslims have the birthright to be ennobled in the sight of God. Are the guardians of the religion laboring under some form of proselytizing zeal that drives them to believe that this puritanical stance would induce non-Muslims to “see the light and embrace the truth”? If this were their idea of an Islamic worldview, then I would say that they have completely missed the heart of the Islamic message, which is primarily a message of love and understanding, of compassion and tolerance and of peace. It tells us to strive for justice, fight oppression and oppose tyranny. There are many tribes and communities, cultures and languages and all these will impinge directly on our worldview. Yet we must never lose sight of the fact that humankind is only one.

And as for the ridiculous nonsense of appropriating the word “Allah” only for the use of Muslims, and that other religious faiths are not allowed to use it, a quick check with the Qur’an will tell them that God’s command in this regard is unequivocal:

“Say that we believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender” Al-Ankabut 29:46

To my mind, this verse clearly underscores an inclusivist approach to religion, and not one that attempts to build walls of exclusivity. It demonstrates undoubtedly that Islamization is not the issue. Respecting the constitutional rights of all citizens of all faiths is an Islamic imperative. Honoring the social compact which places such rights as sacrosanct which should not be trampled upon for whatever reason is also an imperative. What, therefore, is the rationale for this overzealous display of intolerance?

Desperate politicians are not averse to exploiting religious sentiments in order to get political mileage. For some reason, it is the belief of this administration that playing the puritanical card would be the best bet for the Umno dominated ruling coalition to secure electoral success in the coming elections. It is no secret that a significant shift has already taken place among the non-Malay electorate leaving the ruling party to refocus their strategy on the Malay Muslim heartland. By holding themselves out to be the staunchest defenders of Islam, they hope to garner greater support from conservative Muslims. This is to be executed in tandem with a superbly orchestrated government controlled media campaign as well as incessant character assaults on Muslim leaders who preach the message of moderation and inclusiveness.

Islam is universal but if the notion of this universalism is to mean anything, it would require that its values of justice, compassion and tolerance be practiced everywhere. Islam regards freedom as one of the higher objectives of the divine law in as much as the very same elements in a constitutional democracy become moral imperatives in Islam - freedom to speak out against tyranny, a call for reform and the freedom of conscience. These aberrations are indeed cause for alarm for all those who cherish freedom and democracy and I am convinced that Muslims too are equally appalled by this reckless display of narrow mindedness and intolerance.

Thank you.