— Tan Sri Robert Phang
The Malay Mail Online
January 7, 2014
JAN 7 — Happy New Year! I am sure that all Malaysians wish and pray that this year 2014 would be a better year than last year. But are our prayers in vain when we are so divided as a nation and we are so petty as to quarrel over God?
When we make prayers, we do so in the name of God by whatever name we call Him. We have done so without much problem in the past because to God belong all things in heaven and on earth. We have done so since the independence of Malaya and the founding of Malaysia. Our beloved Prime Minister teaches us to wave our finger to say 1 Malaysia and yet today we are like a nation tattered.
As an old man past 74 years who has seen our independence and formation of Malaysia, I am troubled by the fractious state that we are in today. Our leaders are so articulate, our government’s cabinet is filled with highly qualified people and yet all that they seem to be capable of is to shout out rhetorics. But these are just hallowed cries with no sincerity to resolve one simple thing that should bind us together – our love for God.
I was troubled when JAWI raided Borders Bookstore and charged a Muslim store manager for doing nothing more than selling books. I congratulated Nik Raina Nik Rashid for being brave enough to not yield to the oppression by JAWI. I congratulated Tan Sri Vincent Tan and his son Dato Robin Tan when they fought the Borders case and won. As testimony, Malaysians today hailed Nik Raina as one of 10 inspiring Malaysians. That is the power of the ordinary people – to discern from right and wrong. And yet what has become of our country’s leadership?
Why do our leaders encourage religious bigotry? Perhaps the Minister of Home Affairs has forgotten that High Court Judge Dato Zaleha Yusof had declared state religious laws as ultra vires when it goes against the Federal Constitution? Again, perhaps the Minister of Home Affairs has forgotten that the same Judge had chided the Minister for abdicating his constitutional duties in not bringing law and order by clarifying the laws? What is the Attorney- General doing in keeping mum over these legal issues?
For that reason, I congratulate Selangor police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan for being bold enough to tell the UMNO protestors that they would be contravening the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) if they proceed to protest in front of the churches. I salute him for saying that the Police “will take stern action”. That sternness has since diffused the situation and the protest in front of Our Lady of Lourdes church did not materialise. I salute Marina Mahathir and her Sisters-In-Islam for their bravery in standing for solidarity in defending religious harmony and rational thinking.
Yet for all these salutations, I must remind our government leaders that they have failed in their duty to restore peace and harmony in our society. They should not allow opportunistic politicians to take centre stage, who seem to be fighting for popularity above their constitutional duties. All our government leaders have betrayed the trust we place in them to preserve law and order in a non-partisan way. Instead of restoring some semblance of rationality, they have allowed the situation to get out of hand.
On record, I am noted to be bold , constructive personality with a view to secure a very close objective in nation building. My forte is the prevention of crime, corruption and to promote and instil GOD relationship between the various committees, one nation , and the government of the day. Such it is my character to speak without fear or favour in addition to the above mentioned characteristic. Of course please only consider the actual role I am playing in this nation building direction.
I am not unaware that the things I have said above will gain me only disfavour with our government leaders. But my conscience is clear and the voice of truth cannot be suppressed. I am an old man and if what I have said will bring peril to myself, so be it, for in God I trust. I am sure God is looking at us from a distance and do not want us to quarrel over Him.
“Humbleness is good virtue, arrogance shall fall, the meek will rule the world”.
* Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang Miow Sin is a Justice of the Peace and chairman of the Social Care Foundation.
#1 by sheriff singh on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 8:20 pm
There will probably be 500 police reports lodged against you by noon tomorrow by very, very sensitive people who will claim you insulted this and that and heaven knows what.
The police will then call you in to record your statement and probably charge you under the Sedition Act 1948. All these under some unknown and obscure SOP. Charges of treason might also be possible with the AGC looking into it.
Are you ‘shivering’ yet?
#2 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 8:28 pm
B careful, old man!
U will hear fr d cow or beast fr Kuantan veri soon: No like UmnoB/BN gomen, GET OUT, OUT…..!!!!!! Return ALL ur titles, laduk n tan si n j piss
#3 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 8:59 pm
Kristiane Backer said in Kuching: “You know ‘Allah’ is an Arabic name for God. It is used in the Arab world by Christians for God… to describe (their) God. So why do we have to complain about that?”
Ai yo yo, nanti she will b called ka po chi n a lot of other names by Perkosa-UmnoB/BN, Jais, n other Muslim NGOs
She better watch out 4 her safety, nanti name also not in d entry data of M’sian Immigration Dept, like another beauty
Warm body masuk here, nanti don’t know what happens, pieces here n there, can or not 1
#4 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 9:01 pm
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ex-mtv-presenter-says-christians-use-allah-in-a-positive-sense-calls-on-mus
#5 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 9:04 pm
Kristi@ne B@cker said in Kuching: “You know ‘@llah’ is an @rabic name for G 0d. It is used in the @rab world by Chris tians for G 0d… to describe (their) G od. So why do we have to complain about that?”
#6 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 9:05 pm
Ai yo yo, nanti she will b called ka po chi n a lot of other names by Perkosa-UmnoB/BN, Jais, n other Mus lim NGOs
She better watch out 4 her safety, nanti name also not in d entry data of M’sian Immigration Dept, like another beauty
Warm body masuk here, nanti don’t know what happens, pieces here n there, can or not 1
#7 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 9:12 pm
In other Islamic nations, d word is also used by Chris tians
D word @llah became a controversial issue in M’sia
She/KB believed d issue had been politically-motivated
Of cos mah, as clear as day n nite, NO issue bcame AN issue 1, n LKS bcame an “old donkey” leh, LOL
#8 by Aristotle on Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 10:47 pm
Tell BN to tell Perkasa to shut up! What is Najib afraid of? But there again, come GE14, who is there to help BN again? Sigh, back to square one right?
#9 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 8 January 2014 - 7:46 am
The short simple answer to Mr. Robert Phang:
Because there is money and power to be had in it AND we Malaysian from the very top all the way to the very bottom are ugly GREEDY, no difference likely even worst at the top..
#10 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 8 January 2014 - 12:25 pm
D corrupt, incompetent, n apartheid Perkosa-UmnoB/BN has 2 MAKE SURE dat dis nation REMAINS DIVIDED, based on RACE n RELIGION so dat they can continue 2 rule n exploit dis nation
After GE-13, they realised dat they r MINORITY-elected gomen
Hence, they hv 2 CREATE another powerful issue (besides RACE) 2 split rakyat n 2 prevent rakyat fr being united
What is more powerful than RELIGION 2 DIVIDE rakyat?
Muslims against Christians, Sunni versus Shia, etc
Dis is Y G0d has been brought in 2 serve Perkosa-UmnoB/BN’s grand n evil DIVIDE-n-RULE design n we r quarrelling over G0d, faham!!!