I have received the following very angry email from MS, with a very ferocious heading which I am using – breaking a rule of this blog:
Couldnt help feeling this angry today. I know at my age, I am supposed to be mellowing out, looking forward to a nice chilled day and now what? I find myself with the same amount of righteous anger as I had when I was 16 – going through puberty and finding the world most unfair that my mum wouldnt allow me to have my first pair of cargo pants!
I was sitting in the banana leaf shop this morning having a roti and a coffee when a group of JAWI officers entered the premises. 10 officers to be exact, into this little shop. They spent a good 20 minutes going through the place (and it is a small place!) and finally one officer writes out a writ and gives it to the cashier. They then left. Curious, I asked the cashier what that was all about and he replied that they were not allowed to have their little altars and pictures of their deities in their shop “because otherwise, Muslims cannot come into their shops” . What utter nonsense! Are we still living in the Malaysia that is so “famed” for its “religious tolerance”?? The shop is not a mamak shop. It is an Indian Banana leaf shop. Why would it be surprising that they should have signs of their religious beliefs in their own space? I didnt think that sort of thing was illegal (please correct me if I am wrong). What is wrong with this picture? Will it come down to the point when my Muslim friends should not visit my home just because I have a cross or a chinese altar there? PLEASE!
Better yet, I discovered as I was leaving , that the JAWI personnel had targetted the other 3 banana leaf shops along that row of old shops (near the vets office – off Jalan Maarof). There were at least 4 nos of vans for the officers , ALL double parked on the main road and causing an inconvenience to the other road users. Is there a separate set of laws that govern these people? Notwithstanding the fact that they are trampling all over the definition of religious tolerance in this country , they also flaunt the general laws of the land. This makes me really angry and sad about the state of our country.
I now find it difficult to speak up for Malaysia when there are arguments comparing Malaysia to other countries. It is sad that we can have the once world tallest building and still think like we came out of the jungle yesterday.
My Personal Big Sad Day today
MS
#1 by DarkHorse on Thursday, 28 June 2007 - 6:59 pm
“Here is my proposal, Mr Lim. Please organize the minorities en masse, put us on boats, and, let us leave M’sia. The Vietnamese did it, with great sucess albeit with great hardship too. Let us also emulate their struggle and success.” buvan.govindasamy
Enough of the cynicism. Why do you keep visiting a blog which you feel should be closed down?
#2 by lchk on Thursday, 28 June 2007 - 7:18 pm
Realworld wrote:
“Oh deary me! Resorting to arms now is it??
I wonder if Ichk will ride over in his “white horse†and give this guy an earful?”
As stated previously, I will only write what and when I please.
You must have a fragile ego to assume that people are picking on you.
#3 by dawsheng on Thursday, 28 June 2007 - 7:37 pm
Enough of the cynicism. Why do you keep visiting a blog which you feel should be closed down?
Because it haven’t closed down??
#4 by Count Dracula on Thursday, 28 June 2007 - 7:45 pm
To: Endangered Hornbill
Food for thought:
I am not a Jew. Hath not a non-Jew has eyes? Hath not a non-Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food though non-kosher food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winters and summer, as a non-Jew is? If you prick us, do we not bleed, if you tickle us, do we not laugh? [deleted] If we pass by a Jew, as a non-Jew are we to feel that we do not deserve to be passing you by, that we have polluted the air that you breathe? If a non-Jew offers his seat while in a bus to a Jew, is a non-Jew to understand that a Jew would never sit where minutes earlier a non-Jew has been sitting? If you poison us, do we not die? If you take our money do we not have less of it to support our families and provide for our sustenance? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest. We will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a non- Jew, what is his humility? Revenge: if a Jew wrong a non-Jew, what should his sufferance be by Jewish example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
#5 by lpn on Thursday, 28 June 2007 - 8:33 pm
If I were that shop owner I’ll just put up a sign in arabic/malay/indian/chinese that says “Kedai ini Tak Halal” and be done with it.
#6 by mybangsamalaysia on Friday, 29 June 2007 - 12:22 am
Is this news going to be limited to this blog ….. withness and victims please stand up and those in overseas stop calling yourself Malaysian if you refuse to speak up and come back, dont hide yourself and just read this for fun. Show the government the power of its citizen. WHERE IS MIC AND SAMY VALLU… checking building hah?
#7 by Godamn Singh on Friday, 29 June 2007 - 6:34 pm
Face-value: “I have to agree with few comments in here. If they found the idols of other religion is offensive, then leave the place. No one is putting a gun to their head to eat there. What has become to this country?”
“The Government are really playing with fire here.”
Welcome to the kitchen. Where have you been the last 49 years!!!
Are you that blind and ignorant?? Do you understand the meaning of “politicization of religion” in Malaysia. They don’t teach this in school.
#8 by swee_ann_tweety on Friday, 29 June 2007 - 9:52 pm
this is totally intolerance!
If JAWI has the right to do this, they might as well close all Bak Kut Teh shops in Klang. They might as well close all pubs that serve alcohol in KL.
Of course if the Indian shop has a sign saying Halal and the altar is there, it’s a bit grey.
#9 by RealWorld on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 1:04 am
“You must have a fragile ego to assume that people are picking on you.” – Ichk
What has my ego gotta do with this thread?? Talk about digressing from the subject!
Walk the talk dude.
#10 by cherasusie on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 5:38 am
Hi,
“Of course if the Indian shop has a sign saying Halal and the altar is there, it’s a bit grey.”
maybe non malays should wear a sign to say we are kafir so the muslim won’t touch us…?
my advise to these so holy idiots is, don’t shake hand with people until you ask whether they eat pork or not…by the way, a lot of muslims go around do unholy things, they should not be touched too.
best is for all holy super-holy muslims to leave malaysia and go to afghanistan or somewhere, where the swords rule…and stop giving everyone a hard time here, we have better things to do.
let’s move forward, cheers!
#11 by Godfather on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 8:17 am
RealWorld asks for evidence to my assertion that his party UMNO is nothing more than a bunch of thieves. Now this is a deviation from the topic at hand, but I cannot allow the issue to be unanswered.
In every country, taxation is used to benefit the rakyat. You impose taxes – direct and indirect – and these go into the nation’s Treasury. In Bodohland, various forms of taxation are imposed on the rakyat but some go into the pockets of UMNOputras as though they have the right to the country’s treasury. The AP issue is one. Why does 70 pct of APs go to one person ? Why does the person who dishes out the APs give hundreds a year to her niece ? We suffer from high car prices year in year out – and this system still continues (although it will be discontinued in 2010, not due to pressure from the rakyat but through AFTA rules).
Take liquor and medicine labelling. UMNO allows several cronies to have the right to stick labels on products and imposes a charge to those who buy them. One beneficiary is even the brother of a minister. Is this not daylight robbery ? Can I have a licence to certify bottled water as halal ?
Another way of stealing from the rakyat is the wanton inflation of contract prices for public facilities. If a road can be built for RM 100 million and is “awarded” without tender for RM 200 million, that is theft. If a palace can be built for RM 300 million and the contract is awarded without tender for RM 1 billion, that is clearly theft and is criminal. How many such cases are there ? Isn’t this the reason why there are no open tenders for government contracts ?
Some time ago, a bunch of UMNOputras “forced” the sale of a coal mine to TNB. TNB paid hundreds of millions for the coal mine and recently sold it back to the Indonesians for (I think) 15 million ringgit. Do you want the list of UMNO people involved ? Is this not theft ?
RealWorld goes on to ask why if UMNO are thieves the rakyat continues to vote them into power. It’s precisely because with the money that they steal they can buy votes and control the media. We don’t have a free mainstream press. Cases of theft are not reported or pursued. We will get there, slowly but surely. Then we will expose these UMNOputras for what they are – just common criminals stealing from the country.
#12 by ethnicmalaysian on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 1:26 pm
Some very good posts, some over the top (understandably so given the emotional content of the whole issue). But reading RealWorld and Diaperhead’s comments illustrates very clearly how the Malay/Muslim perceives these incidents :
1. Linking these actions to the fact that ‘protection of the dignity of Islam’ and the position of Islam as the official religion of this country as the Constitution is under threat. And usually it goes like this – action by religious authorities impinge on rights of the non Muslims, the non Muslims object, the Muslims view these objections as a ‘threat to the position of Islam’ and hence the need to protect and justify such actions. However irrational and twisted this ‘logic’ is, this unfortunately is how these Muslims view it. It again is the siege mentality, the propagation of fear that Islam is under attack everywhere around the world (hence link to Chinese oppression of minority Muslims), as well as in M’sia. And it is something that Umno excels in – whipping up fear, demonising the minorities, divide and rule (not unlike the fascists and to some extent the colonial Brits).
2. Which brings me nicely to the second point – why is the rakyat continually voting for a govt that is supposedly so bad, in every elections since independence. This is because Umno has succeeded very very well in instilling fear and ignorance through decades of propaganda in the state controlled vernacular media. Read the letter by Eddie Wong in Malaysiakini which articulates this point very well . Another point which should not be overlooked is this, our country and the economy has come this far is in spite of, rather than because of Umno. Our country has been blessed with bountiful resources and pure luck (with rising oil prices) that has allowed us to survive and thrive this far despite of the destructive policies, rampant corruption, greed and hypocrisy.
And the cheek to ask where is the evidence that Umno is stealing from the country! Heavens above…
#13 by Godfather on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 5:18 pm
RealWorld:
Look at the little red dot down south. They had nothing when they left the federation in 1965. We had everything – oil, tin, rubber, pepper, tea, timber. 40 years on, they have reserves in excess of US$200 billion, and we have reserves of US$72 billion. Their per capita income is 3 times that of Bodohland. And you know why ? BECAUSE THEY DON’T STEAL.
#14 by lakshy on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 9:20 pm
I think realworld is a misnomer. Someone is in denial, probably like most of the malays!
Malaysia is on a planned route to further arabicization. Probably even talibanization. So I strongly suggest that we get out while we can.
When I said skilled persons, I meant cooks, masons, carpenters, teachers, fitters, welders etc too!. To the clerks and waiters etc, I suggest you get a skill that they want or need. Check the Immigration Australia website to see the preferred skills.
Malaysia is no longer a country for all malaysians. It would be for the good of the country if the majority race does wake up and realize that they need the minorities help to do well. But until they wake up from their deep coma, its best for the other races to leave with their MONEY and let this country go the same way like most other muslim nations in the world.
Sell all shares held in companies and let the malays buy them up so they can have control of 70% of the equity and let them still claim they have less than 30%. At that point in time, nobody will really bother what they have to say. Then lets see where this beloved country of ours heads to.
#15 by lakshy on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 9:31 pm
Isolated incident my a**! First you have the body snatchers. Then you have the breaking up of families, all in the name of one particular religion.
Then you have subversion of the const*tut*on which is the supreme law of the nation to make it subservient to syariah law.
My god all of this is isolated?
And at the same time that we declare construction of hundreds of malay schools, how many chinese and indian schools are being built?
and we have an absent pm going on a roadshow harping about hadhari!
#16 by lakshy on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 9:35 pm
In some muslim countries polygamy is forbidden as they interpret the point about treating all the women equally as not possible to achieve for mortal man.
Of course lah, if you are 55 with a 50 year old wife and you marry a 30 yeor old woman, can you honestly say that you will treat them equally? heyyyyy! Looks like Malaysia Boleh!
#17 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 10:11 pm
Quotes in response to the raid on the Indian Muslim restaurant in Bangsar and on the Indian restaurant “at the corner”.
“It has nothing to do with the legitimate rights of non-Muslims and non-Malays to practice their religion!â€Â
“You can always place altars and other religious symbols away
from public view. Nothing to do with religious tolerance or intolerance.â€Â
“It would be different if it involves religious symbols in your house.â€Â
“What if I tell you that Moses a prophet to all three great religions Christianity, Judaism and Islam was so angry with the use of idols when he came down from Mt. Sanai that he broke the stone tablet containing the 10 commandments!?
Stone idols (not American Idol) is a no-no to Jews and Muslims – both strong believers of the Old Testament. Even a photograph according to some is a no-no but this is controversial.â€Â
“I am not advocating that religious symbols offensive to the ‘religion of the federation’ referred to under Art. 3 of the Federal Constitution, be removed.
I am, however, asking if such a view is not contrary to the said constitutional provision.â€Â
I don’t see how ‘ethnicmalaysian’ could come to the following conclusion:
“Some very good posts, some over the top (understandably so given the emotional content of the whole issue). But reading RealWorld and Diaperhead’s comments illustrates very clearly how the Malay/Muslim perceives these incidents …â€Â
#18 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 10:17 pm
Sorry I missed this one from DiaperHead:
“True. It is not a question of taking offense from the presence of religious symbols placed in private property like your house. An eatery or restaurant or whatever has an standing invitation to all as visitors. Some of these visitors (and I am using the word ‘visitor’ in a legal sense as opposed to ‘trespassers’) may order their food and then notice the presence of for example Chinese altars used for praying or Vishnu or the Goddess of Money or Jesus staring at them. What then?? Of course it is their fault.
But what of Article 3 of the Federal Constitution which states that Islam is the ‘religion of the federation’? Are these empty words??”
#19 by lpn on Saturday, 30 June 2007 - 11:58 pm
I think it’s time for ALL premises to put up ‘Non -Halal’ signs like ‘Tak Halal’ or ‘Bukan Islam’ to inform those of the Muslim faith to KEEP OUT – and be done with it. period. Just like the Magnum or 4-D or TOTO outlets.
#20 by mabert on Sunday, 1 July 2007 - 11:30 am
Real world, trust me on this one,when it comes to over zealous religious implementation when sometimes crosses boundaries to non- muslims, it is not an isolated one anymore. This is what worries the rest of us, the minorities.
#21 by lakshy on Sunday, 1 July 2007 - 2:54 pm
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE? Why I guess it means that all non muslims must be tolerant of the cacophony that crackles out of mosques 5 times a day, some at ungodly hours!
And to have tv programmes interrupted to hear quranic verses read out!
Well I guess the non-malays who cant be tolernt to all this “noise” better just leave. Who is holding you back? This is not your nation. This is the Malay-nation!
#22 by i_love_malaysia on Tuesday, 3 July 2007 - 1:08 am
“This is not your nation. This is the Malay-nation!” – lakshy
You have lost the battle even before it begins when you have such mindset that this is the Malay-nation and not yours!!
#23 by malaysia_4_all on Wednesday, 4 July 2007 - 1:36 pm
malaysia is for all of us ,Indian Chinese n malay.when the merdeka time,the 3 nation leader not co-operated,until now we wont achive merdeka,,,,,if the malay peole know the merdeka mean they wont do like this,,very sad,,in malaysia everybody got right until they not over the right….our pm also said….why they do like tht….pls datuk lim kit siang do something ,,if not dunno want hapen ,,,,
#24 by raikrish69 on Friday, 6 July 2007 - 9:42 am
Dear Bro/Sis,
This issue is not just an issue for LKS to voice it Parlimen. Did any of you voice this to the PARTIES that you voted the last time around. You probably know that this problem has exsisted for a long time.We all chose to ignor it , for convenience, hoping it will go away .Unfortunately the ‘authorities’ did not face any resistant, so they continued to extend their dominance. You want to make changes….make that VOTE of yours count. Spread the word amongst your immediate family members and friends. We can all over come a lot of other issues if the ‘OPPOSITION’ can be given a much stronger mandate to oppose those whom are in rule.
#25 by wanchenghuat on Monday, 9 July 2007 - 8:23 pm
If this continues to go on, you will see a pattern of people trying to get themselves out of the religion. It saddens me to see such happenings in our country..
#26 by Aiman on Sunday, 15 July 2007 - 11:39 am
My Fellow Malaysians,
Appaling isnt it….
For example in a flight, to watch muslims Drink alcohol to glory and then ask the flight attendent whether the food is “Halal” etc etc..
Why cant they ask for their passport and refuse to give them alcohol? On the grounds that it is Haram?
On a MAS flight…..scared they will lose the arab customers? No free alcohol! This particular group were arabs
Hypocrisy from the word go!!!