Archive for August 1st, 2007

50 Years of Merdeka – rumblings, rantings, reflections

Posted by Kit in nation building on Wednesday, 1 August 2007

This 50years independent of my country Malaysia …
by Nizam Mashar

What else should we expect from this country of ours …
50 years of independent, even 50 years of independent,
when a child sees frogs and birds as monsters,
and McD, Big Bird Sessame, Sinchan and Barbie as their friends and buddy,

when man and women, “car”ing while the hens are sleeping and back when the owl had rest,
for the dime, dollars, cent, ringgit and rupiah,
and more more more more,
for what ever cost; friends, family, corruption, nepotisme, oppression
… are another bussiness plan of the day,

when the academia, write and research, -for the sake of the world NOOOOOOOOT,
its for the three little word,
read me PhD, spell me PhD, write me PhD,
and the glitters that comes with it,
the benefit of my studies are for the TNCs whose paying me,
or the government who spend money to put me unreadable thesis in the library,
what farmers? what fishermans? what people? … they are no scholars who intellectually capable to pronounce PhD.

When business maintain…
Business as Usual…
The word “sustainable development” can always be put anywhere in the “EMP” (“environmental managment plan”),
The independent scientist in our payroll; says them; can always put the label on our containers saying “Safe and Healthy ” with enriched vitamin C,
and of course nothing to worry …
As the man, woman, tua, muda, child, youth, have been cast the make believe spell of our Advert Mania and “Macam-macam ada”

when the sivil servant is read as political servant,
which eat, drink and what ever had been “aku janji”,
and the fear of demotion, salary cut, transfer, ISA, AUKU, and macam-macam lagi,
is far ever important than the nation, the people and their least dignity
… if ever they still have one … Read the rest of this entry »

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Open Invitation to Malaysians – August 10 Parliamentary Roundtable to reaffirm 50-year nation-building principle that Malaysia a secular state with Islam as official religion

Posted by Kit in Constitution, Parliament on Wednesday, 1 August 2007

I have today sent invitation to political parties, professional, civic, religious and human rights organizations and MPs to a Parliamentary Roundtable on Friday 10th August 2007 in Parliament at 10 am to reaffirm the Merdeka social contract and the Malaysia Agreement on the occasion of the 50th Merdeka anniversary the fundamental nation-building principle that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic state.

I am also issuing an Open Invitation to all Malaysian organisations and citizens to the Parliamentary Roundtable as follows:

Dear Malaysian,

OPEN INVITATION to Parliamentary Roundtable on Friday 10th August 2007 to reaffirm Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement on the occasion of 50th Merdeka anniversary that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as official religion and not an Islamic state
_______________________________________

When Malaya achieved independence in 1957 and Malaysia was formed six years later in 1963, a national social compact was reached that the nation shall be a secular state with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic State.

The Merdeka social contract and Malaysia Agreement that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic state was given expression in the Federal Constitution, articulated by the founding fathers of the nation including the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein and given full recognition by the highest court in the land.

For over four decades, there was national consensus of the secular character of Malaysian nation-building which was only disrupted in the past six years, raising questions about the national commitment to protect and sustain this fundamental cornerstone of Malaysian nation-building.

A Parliamentary Roundtable to reaffirm the Merdeka social contract and the Malaysia Agreement that the nation is a secular state with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic state is being convened in Parliament on Friday, 10th August 2007 at 10 am. (Bilik Taklimat)

This is to send out a clear and unequivocal message on the occasion of the 50th Merdeka anniversary of the nation in 2007 that the Merdeka social contract and the Malaysia Agreement that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion and not an Islamic state must continue to be the bedrock of the Malaysian nation-building process. Read the rest of this entry »

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