Najib and Hishammuddin should apologise for their irresponsible, insensitive and maladroit handling of the “Allah” controversy


The announcement by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of a RM500,000 allocation to the Metro Tabernacle Church in Desa Melawati to help it to relocate to new premises in Batu Caves after experiencing the worst case of a series of church arson in the past few days is commendable and a step in the right direction but it cannot undo the grave damage whether to nation building or to Malaysia’s international reputation as the best location for foreign investment, tourism or educational opportunities.

The claim by Najib that his 1Malaysia slogan is not affected by the spate of church arson attacks only demonstrates the seriousness of the denial syndrome of the Najib premiership even before the end of his first year as Prime Minister.

When Najib visited New York end of November to attract American investors and boost trade and investment ties between Malaysia and the United States, he was dogged by Malaysia’s adverse international image, not only by our endemic crime rate but also controversies over moral policing and religious disputes.

Najib found out first-hand that it “takes us months” to clear up adverse international publicity like the case of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, even before the implementation of the order for six strokes of the cane for drinking beer.

If “Malaysia Kartika” is googled, it turns out 263,000 results – which is small fry if the “Allah” controversy is googled, as a google search for “Malaysia Allah” turns up 7.1 million finds, proof of the enormity of the damage the current “Allah” controversy is doing to Malaysia’s international image.

The adverse international image arising from the “Allah” controversy and the attacks on the places of worship would probably haunt all Najib’s investment trips overseas to attract investors, tourists and students in the rest of his premiership!

Najib has called for a halt to “finger pointing” and denied that Umno should be held responsible for the spate of church attacks.

There is no doubt that those in power would have no hesitation or compunction in blaming PAS, PKR or DAP for the religious sacrileges committed against places of worship if they could pin some relationship, however remote, fictitious or chimerical.

In this case, however, no one would believe in any such allegations. On the other hand, there is substance to believe the involvement of Umno hands in the incitement of religious hatred and intolerance over the Kuala Lumpur High Court judgment on the “Allah” controversy, as pointed out by DAP Selangor State Secretary and State Assemblyman for Kampung Tunku, Lau Weng San in his statement on his blog.

When Hishammuddin said last Thursday that the government did not prohibit the people from expressing their views over the use of the word “Allah” by the Catholic weekly magazine Herald and Najib defended Hishammuddin’s stand on plans by several organizations to stage demonstrations to protest against the use of the word “Allah” by other religions, many feared the worst and the worst had come to pass.

How was it that Najib and Hishammuddin could not see what the majority of Malaysians could see?

This was also why I had asked whether Najib and Hishammuddin would be so “benign and tolerant” if demonstrations were to be held in support of the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s Dec. 31 judgment that the Herald may use the term “Allah”?

Najib and Hishammuddin should not only apologise for their irresponsible, insensitive and maladroit handling of the “Allah” controversy, the Cabinet should on Wednesday institute an independent inquiry whether Umno elements were behind the spate of religious incitements resulting in the church arson.

The single greatest challenge of the Cabinet on Wednesday is whether it is prepared to make amends for its past failures in allowing the “Allah” controversy to reach its present combustible point.

The biggest mistake of the Barisan Nasional Cabinet Ministers was to allow the the former Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to disrupt the religious equilibrium by imposing the ban on the use of Allah by Herald.

Why no other Cabinet Minister, whether from UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, the Sabah and Sarawak parties had spoken up in Cabinet to stop such a ban because of long common usage of the practice particularly in Sabah and Sarawak predating the formation of Malaysia in 1963 we well as world-wide in the Middle East and Indonesia?

This mistake was compounded by the haste with which the government appealed against the KL High Court judgment and secured an instant “stay”, without first allowing a full and balanced discussion and decision by the Cabinet last Wednesday on what is the appropriate response of the Barisan Nasional government, representing not only Umno, but also MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the Sabah and Sarawak component parties of Barisan Nasional.

The Cabinet on Wednsday should make amends for its failure of leadership on the issue and seek to resolve the “Allah” controversy by convening immediately and urgently an all-party/inter-religious roundtable to restore the inter-religious equilibrium, amity and harmony before the 2007 ban by the Home Ministry on the Catholic Herald on the use of “Allah” to steer the country away from irresponsible incitements of religious discord, intolerance and hatred.

  1. #1 by storm62 on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 2:18 pm

    these umno pm & hm are masters of denial syndrome…..so don’t waste your time asking them to apologise.

    they will show you their crooked knife instead.

  2. #2 by tenaciousB on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 2:32 pm

    they will never front up to it, those are the ideals of UMNO ‘deny all allegations, contiune with cronysm and nepotism’.

  3. #3 by negarawan on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 2:43 pm

    The ingredients are there for another May 13, if the non-Muslim population lose patience with the demonstrations and attacks under the UMNO-umbrella, but fortunately they are more rational than militant in their thinking. The business world is keeping a close watch over what’s going on, and already many investment decisions have been affected. Gone were the days during the P Ramlee era when the relationship between the races were cordial and gentle. The UMNO leadership starting from Razak had destroyed everything. I was in Singapore a couple weeks ago and was amazed at the interracial harmony that really exist there. The Malays there have a completely different mindset. While aboard a bus, I witness how a Malays lady with her young daughter helped an old Chinese lady get down the bus, and they were full of genuine smiles for each other. The UMNO and BN leaders in Malaysia are utter failures and are too stupid and proud to admit that Lee Kuan Yew did the right thing to form a non-communal party. The result speaks for itself clearly………

  4. #4 by vsp on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 3:10 pm

    Najib is adamant that “1Malaysia” is still intact. Everybody knows, unless he is a buffoon, that “1Malaysia” is about multibillion advertising contracts. Najis is indirectly correct, the gravy train will still go on. And to who did he boast this fairy tale to? – to some 7,000 Umno supporters in Hulu Selangor.

    But for the others: what the heck, if there is really a “1Malaysia”, why were 3 churches being torched over a non-issue?

  5. #5 by ktteokt on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 3:17 pm

    Three different people with authority gave three different directions on the demonstrations.

    The PM said, “Leave it to the police!”
    The HM said, “Don’t spill over!”
    And the IGP said, “Don’t do it!”

    Who is right and who shall we follow? This created confusion amongst the ordinary citizens and also the demonstrators!

  6. #6 by a-malaysian on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 3:26 pm

    Please read the two speeches by PAS and umno Presidents one day after the Church bombing and the protest at the mosque and take this poll:

    Poll : Which Party Do You Trust And Are More Sincere When Talking About Islam To The Non Muslim Malaysians

    GE 13 – Change The Federal Government No matter what, we must ensure that racist umno bn do not regain the power like they had for over the past fifty two years.

  7. #7 by vsp on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 3:46 pm

    The mighty Roman Empire fell not because the early Christians fought them with the might of arms. Their founder was crucified on the cross and their leaders initially fled with terror but was later imbued with a power that feared no death nor persecution. The Christians were fed to the lions; they became the entertainment and blood sports of the Roman consumer public; they were chased into the catacombs; when they were stroked on the right cheeks, they offered their left cheeks in submission; they did not cursed and threatened the Romans with suicide bombing but they prayed for their salvation. In the end, their passive resistance and strong faith eviscerated the might and the arrogance of the Roman empire.

  8. #8 by boh-liao on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 3:57 pm

    LKS, any comments on your DAP’s Jawi assemblyperson Tan Beng Huat
    Also, pls comment on your other Jawi DAP councillor who was dropped from her post n ingested paraquat
    Drama king n queen leh n great acting

  9. #9 by son of perpaduan on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 4:27 pm

    Amno is mother of funding all terror network in SEA. Look at southern thailand, southern phillipine, indonesia and many more in indochina.

  10. #10 by tenaciousB on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 4:55 pm

    BN has failed as a government, 52 yrs and all we’ve achieved is nothing but superficial wonders…we may have one of tallest buldings, fancy skyscrappers and so on but the citizens at the grassroot levels are still immatured and incapable of critical thinking.

    BN allowed or perhaps encourages radical religous views to prosper. Time to change the government.

  11. #11 by Richardqed on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 5:00 pm

    Thanks to the Botak and his successor Kerismuddin for creating this issue out of nothing. Thanks to the Sleepyhead Phak Lah and his successor for making stupid statements to support their home ministers and encouraging all this acts of terrorism from Umno supporters.

    Rakyat will remember Umno during GE13.

  12. #12 by lee wee tak_ on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 5:14 pm

    whether UMNO is involved can be assessed as follows
    1) UMNO controls BN and in turn control the country and security forces and judiciary

    2) the religious terrorists are allowed to protest while candle holders, teddy bear givers, cyclists, lawyers visiting police station and coffee drinkers are arrested

    3) it is human nature that when it is known that no reprisal are forthcoming, one would dare to perform mischief

    the return of a meagre RM0.5million of tax revenue collected in exchange of moving a church from its original location in Melawati to Batu Caves signifies a removal of a rightful site and perhaps result in more hassle & cost for travelling for some of the existing church members

    The IGP also flip flop from saying he is not aware of attacks to telling churches to hire their own security….another disappointing show from a man rated above full points for his KPI report

    The act is perform, according to some reports, are done by youths on a motocycle. Sounds like some mat rempits (or is it mat gemilang) who can do many things for RM50 and a bohsia tucked in.

    for the first time ever under BN administration rule, after decades of deliberate racial segregation policies and practices, Malaysia has degenerated into religious violent conflict

    I thought Badawi administration was bad, this is even more abject. at least we had siti and jane’s wedding to celebrate….

  13. #13 by tenaciousB on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 5:35 pm

    Well said lee wee tak_

    Even monkeys can be trainned to do something right but when you have an emotionally driven bunch with half past knowledge of their own religion this sort of things happen.

    The 13th GE is the most important thing for all of us who detests this government.

  14. #14 by drngsc on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 5:45 pm

    I often feel that Najib doesn’t know what he is saying. The hold cabinet too. What they are saying is incoherent, ridiculous and bordering on insanity. They have right and wrong all mixed up. God help us all. Like Dompok said, it is time to pray.

  15. #15 by AhPek on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 5:50 pm

    ‘The single greatest challenge of the cabinet on Wednesday is whether it is prepared to make amends for its past failure in allowing the “Allah” controversy to reach its present combustible point.’ kit

    These goons are adept at using racial and religious issues to political advantage and they have track records to show.They will capitalise on them to the hilt especially in times when they feel they are in danger of losing their vote banks.So Kit if you think you could persuade them to make such amends you are certainly living in a make-believe world!
    Are you saying that UMNO will come to acquiesce in Al Azhar’s non rejection of Egypt’s Coptic’sChurch practice of using the word ‘Allah’ for the last 1,000 years? Or that UMNO has suddenly discovered that Al Azhar’s 1000 years of scholarship has much credibility to emulate.
    Tell me,Kit is it not true that UMNO is a bankrupt party and have nothing to offer?Is it also not true that they need sensitive issues like this just to remain relevant amongst the Malays and also to keep the party from disintegrating?

  16. #16 by Justitia on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 5:55 pm

    //The Cabinet on Wednsday should make amends for its failure of leadership on the issue and seek to resolve the “Allah” controversy//

    Fat chance. Rather than using the opportunitiy to unite, Najib has used it to divide and sow the seeds of discord. This is more than a failure to lead or failure of collective leadership. We are dealing with an evil, devious, and insincere Najib that is hell bent on keeping UMNO in power come hell or highwater. He has calculated that the Christians are an easy target to further his evil and devious goals since they are a minority that has traditionally preached love instead of hate and is unlikely to retaliate in kind. What is wrong with his calculus is that right thinking Malaysians are rallying around Christians against the burning of churches by cowards who does their deeds in darkness. These right thinking Malaysians have gone beyond Najib’s empty sloganeering of 1-Malaysia demonstrating what true Malaysians are in standing up for each other’s rights and welfare.

    At the end of the day, this is another reason among all the others to vote UMNO and their lapdogs in BN out.

  17. #17 by gofortruth on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:00 pm

    UMNO tries to cook up a storm to take over Selangor but sensing that the plot may not succeed, they now get their hired goons to make attacks in other states to make it looks like its a nation wide issue and not just restricted to Selangor. What sick leaders we have taking charge of our country??????

  18. #18 by StPeter on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:07 pm

    Kerishamudin warned the blamers today….! Is he with terrorists or blamers?’Amen’

  19. #19 by yhsiew on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:13 pm

    I personally think it is wrong to forbid non-Muslims to use the term “Allxh” as it merely reflects religious intolerance of the government. Such restriction does not even exist in fundamentalist Islamic countries such as Iran and Yemen.

    For a democratic Malaysia, it is more appropriate to pass law to prohibit people to use religious terms (be they Islamic, Christian or Buddhist) to cause blasphemy and profanity or to insult/ridicule/offend believers of the faith.

  20. #20 by jus legitimum on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:18 pm

    Everyone should use their votes in GE13 to throw out the bunch of racists and religious fanatics that run the current government.

  21. #21 by son of perpaduan on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:20 pm

    Everyone of you not to be surprise, we must not fall into umno dirty tactics. Negarawan is right pertaining harmony and peace in Singapore but if you look up at the north side, southern thailand is another sad example cause by someone who care for their political agenda gain but poor peoples espeacially muslim and the buddhist became victim of this so call insurgency struggler. Today five pigs slaughter, the next day five cows was slaughter too. At the end, people who live there no matter muslim or buddhist mourn their love one who was victimise of terror funding group.

  22. #22 by monsterball on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:32 pm

    I love the Christians practicing forgiveness…hope and charity….shaming the culprits.

  23. #23 by monsterball on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:33 pm

    I love the Christians practicing forgiveness…hope and charity….shaming the culprits…and we all know who the master mind is…don’t we?

  24. #24 by monsterball on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:37 pm

    “Najib did the right thing”..may probably be Mahathir’s comment….but he is smart to keep quiet..not letting the cat …out of the bag.

  25. #25 by ekompute on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:54 pm

    “The announcement by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of a RM500,000 allocation to the Metro Tabernacle Church in Desa Melawati to help it to relocate to new premises in Batu Caves after experiencing the worst case of a series of church arson in the past few days is commendable and a step in the right direction but it cannot undo the grave damage whether to nation building or to Malaysia’s international reputation as the best location for foreign investment, tourism or educational opportunities.”

    The Altantuyaa controversy and the attempts to wrest control of “Opposition” states aside, I think Najib is doing quite a creditable job. It is hard to change UMNO’s rotten culture overnight. UMNO is heading for the big longkang in the next general election and if it loses, I would still say that Najib has done his best to save UMNO, but not those other monkey ministers who are still living in the past.

  26. #26 by ekompute on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 6:58 pm

    “Why no other Cabinet Minister, whether from UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, the Sabah and Sarawak parties had spoken up in Cabinet to stop such a ban because of long common usage of the practice particularly in Sabah and Sarawak predating the formation of Malaysia in 1963 we well as world-wide in the Middle East and Indonesia?”

    Why mention MCA, Gerakan, MIC and Sabah and Sarawak parties? They have been eunuchs for far too long and their aim now is to enrich themselves, rather than jeopardize their pot of gold.

  27. #27 by k1980 on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 7:19 pm

    So many places attacked within 48 hours prove that the attacks are coordinated and well-planned.

    “There are extremists in this country and the government seems unable to do anything,” said Wilson Matayun, a salesman who attended Mass at St Anthony’s Church in Kuala Lumpur. “I am losing faith in our government. I pray it does not get worse.”

    http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/10/world/international-uk-malaysia-religion.html?ref=global-home

  28. #28 by yhsiew on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 7:25 pm

    Miri church attack makes it seven
    =====================

    Four churches in the Klang Valley were hit by petrol bombs on Friday while one was hit last night in Taiping. A Malacca church reported it was splashed with black paint while a priest in Penang had his car splashed with red paint.

    A convent school in Taiping was also the target of an attempt with petrol bombs found near its guardhouse overnight. Church authorities believe it was meant for the St Louis Church next door.

    http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/49125-miri-church-attack-makes-it-7-

  29. #29 by isahbiazhar on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 7:42 pm

    The government should apologise and allow anybody to use the word Allah.The judgement given is clear enough for anybody to understand.Any appeal will further make the situation worse.When PAS has given the green light the rest should follow.We do not want religion to be the property of anyone.One can take the bible, the Torah, the Veda, the Quran etc and read irrespective of the religion one professes.We want Malaysians to enter the house of worship without fear of being questioned.God,Allah,Deivam etc belongs to nobody.The New Year had a bad introduction for the country.We should use this episode to live in harmony.

  30. #30 by Godfather on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 8:20 pm

    These weak leaders pander to the extremists and moderates because they have no backbone. They are so hungry for power they will want to be nice to everyone. They will listen to everyone and will support all and sundry. This is not leadership. This is main-main guli.

  31. #31 by Jong on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 9:35 pm

    Orang pun dia, Hantu pun dia!

    Well done, RM500k of tax-payers money to appease the victims of Church firebombs/arson! But, he dared not even give a minute of his time to one distressed church member Agnes, to hear her out. She called out to him …”Mr Prime Minister, Mr Prime Minister…”

    Why did he ignore her and what was he afraid of? Was he afraid she might embarrass him? … must be his guilty conscience!

    Watch this video from Malaysiakini

    http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/18337/najibs-gift-to-torched-church-rm500k-for-move.html

  32. #32 by lee wee tak_ on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 10:04 pm

    thanks, tenacious

  33. #33 by James on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 10:35 pm

    Irreversible and irreparable damage has been committed against the business environment in this country by the shameful arson cases against the holy houses of worship. It will literally take years to change the perception of foreign investors and foreign tourists to want to come here. That is not all.
    The brain drain will be further accelerated with intelligent and capable talents originating from Malaysia migrating to overseas or staying away from this bigotted place. The ruling parties MUST be accountable for all these repercussions from the cowardly arsons cases.

  34. #34 by mendela on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 11:17 pm

    Read my lips:

    The current bombing of the churches will sure hasten the demise of UMNO and all its cronies!

    UMNO is digging is own grave now, big and deep!

  35. #35 by boh-liao on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 11:32 pm

    How lah 2 expect other ministers 2 speak up in Cabinet to stop such a ban
    Either their b@lls or their eggs got squeezed by d cousins
    Aiyoh mak, how 2 speak up ah, painful lah, lagi want 2 keep d iron rice bowl mah

  36. #36 by pulau_sibu on Sunday, 10 January 2010 - 11:48 pm

    I am of Chinese origin and I don’t want my ancestors to be associated with Allxh. I know my ancestors cannot be from the Middle-East or of Arabic origin. That is why many Chinese are against those who converted into Islam. Here, we have so many people who wanted their God be named Allxh. I could not understand it or try to make sense out of this series of events.

  37. #37 by ekans on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 12:17 am

    I’m sure that the Pekan MP’s RM500k allocation is appreciated, but I hope that the Pekan MP realises that no amount of money can measure and restore the damage that had been done by these insidious attacks to the credibility of his ‘1 Malaysia’ campaign.
    The Pekan MP is not wrong to say that the rakyat shouldn’t believe those who point their fingers at UMNO over these unwanted incidents, but it would be much more credible if he could prove those ‘finger-pointers’ wrong in the first place.
    So, when will the PDRM nab those demons who perpetrated these attacks?
    When they also finally nab those responsible for sending live bullets and death threats to YB Karpal and attempting to firebomb YB Theresa’s home?

  38. #38 by yeeyuket on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 12:46 am

    The slow action of police to arrest perpetrator is unacceptable. They know who are behind it. No parties should use religion to gain political mileage.

    Delay action will allow the situation descent the country into a terrorist state that it is very hard to reverse. The fire bomb tactic may be used to torch the hotel that patronize by foreigners like other nations.

    BN Government is the blame not only for unable to defuse the situation but it may seem to go against religion Harmony under the constitution.

  39. #39 by ekans on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 12:54 am

    Someone who is obviously a Sabahan or a Sarawakian had posted this comment at http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/49125-miri-church-attack-makes-it-7-

    “written by super_jas, January 10, 2010.
    This is the influence of the Malayans. We entered the Federation and this is the influence that is spreading. If 1963 never occured I don’t think this problem will ever arose”

    Sabahans and Sarawakians are getting increasingly unhappy over UMNO’s BN attempts to exert further political influence over them from the Peninsular. If this goes on, our Sabahan & Sarawakian friends should not give further ‘fixed deposit’ votes to UMNO’s BN anymore.

  40. #40 by yhsiew on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 2:13 am

    I bet Najib’s private inter-faith dialogue to solve the “Allxh” issue will only take place after UMNO loses the appeal at the Appeal Court.

    The private inter-faith dialogue will be canceled if UMNO wins the appeal!!

  41. #41 by frankyapp on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 2:19 am

    Yeap,don’t worry ekans,this time around Sabah and Sarawak voters would withdraw all the fixed deposit from the Umno’s bank and put them all into the PR’s bank.

  42. #42 by ringthetill on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 2:31 am

    A sad sign of failed leadership? I bet it is.

  43. #43 by boh-liao on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 2:43 am

    No doubt abt it, NR n his cousin hv failed us
    Fr murders, corruptions, lost jet engines, to stirring up racial tensions n fear
    Time 2 b accountable n step down with honor

  44. #44 by monsterball on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 6:39 am

    In spite of the IGP assurances that the police will come hard onto the culprits……more and more burning are on.
    You see Najib never made a furious or serious warming to the culprits too.
    The donations means nothing…if he and IGP are not catching the culprits.
    The reasons…let every Malaysian…go and conclude.
    All corruptions matters…Teoh Beng Hock’s death and…..Mongolian model death…Kugan;s death…PKFZ and Mahathir RM100 billion ripped off…all not important anymore.
    Malaysians are naturally concern about their jobs and businesses.
    Mahathir did a stunt…confronting Rulers…to divert Malaysians attention too.
    It is like a English football game…year in year out…bookies make millions from suckers…and if you trace the pattern…it is always the same,.year in year out.
    So if you trace the pattern …how UMNO intend to rule forever…you can see the similarities.
    However ..after the 12th GE…the People’s Power is real ….and cannot be easily fooled.
    This is our only hope….provided 13th GE is on going.
    I am sure Najib will try his best to delay it …as long as possible.

  45. #45 by ablastine on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 7:35 am

    I always thought that politicians know what is best for them but our PM and HM seem to deviate very much from the mean. I wonder how their interests can be served by stirring the hornest nest of racial and religious sensitivities. Don’t they see that the church burning hooligans and stupid extremists won’t be able to give them the vote to survive in the next election. What is the point of overtly supporting anarchy when they jolly well know that it is going to destablise the country-unless of course that is their primary aim in the first place to test try emergency rule. In fact the best and easiest way for these UMNO dudes to survive and even prosper is to simply do what the oppositions want them to do. With the immense power in the hands of the Prime Minister, does he need to pander to the whims of the extremist in his camp. It is almost a certainty that if he has the resolve to kick out half of the most hated and corrupted in his party and cabinet and replace them with honourable figures his popularity will rocket up. If he tackles corruption headon by giving MACC complete independence and again kick out bias extremist there he has a good chance of winning the next election. If he scraps the OSA, Printing Press Act, ISA and control NEP from being exploited, he does not even need to campaign to win the next election. But no he cannot and will not do it and has to resort to dirty means to try to retain power. Perhaps it is because it is in their blood to play dirty or their brains too small to even know what is good for them. Perhaps he simply does not have the balls to face the corrupted onces in his party even when he owns them.

  46. #46 by Bigjoe on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 7:52 am

    The basis of UMNO/BN rule is that when it comes to real important things like economics, peace and harmony, religious tolerance, you are suppose to be able to count on UMNO/BN. That formula had worked as other parties preached more ideal ideologies. The problem is UMNO/BN made so many compromises that the formula don’t work anymore.

    UMNO/BN cannot be counted on the truly important things. Its not surprising it peace and religion first. Look at the crime rate in the last few year and peace had become unreliable for a long time now. It should have been war but we have no major conflict with anyone or with would have our ass kicked. In fact, we failed already its just the terrorist decided its better to use Malaysia as a jumping platform into Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. If they target us, bodies would be everywhere. The only shoe left waiting to drop is economics. Like our crime rate and our religion tension, the problems have festered for a long time now and its only waiting for oil to run out. GST is the beginning of many more taxes to come.

    Najib’s challenge is no less than systematic decline that have been around for a long long time. Its unfair but hey, the man he most afraid off Mahathir is the one he owes the most to. Life is full of shit and he got to take the shit as the good. If he did not have take the shit, he really could never have made it to PM.

    He want to be angry? Look at what he have and the man that put him there..

  47. #47 by waterfrontcoolie on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 8:53 am

    This is a reminiscence of the KKK? reacting out to morbid fear, in this case surely not because of faith but the power to govern. I think this is the worst strategy thought out by UMNO. Once released, it stayed on the emotions of all parties, as this is an emotional issue, no later explanation can erase the trauma of those hurt. When vsp talked about the fall of the mighty Roman empire, religion might have contributed but it was its arrogance of its power that it would never fall and ended up doing things just as foolish. All DYNASTY will end sooner or later, the last emperor would be the most fumbling acting without even some ‘commonsense’!
    The Will of Heaven can not be denied!!

  48. #48 by taiking on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 9:22 am

    Najib said umno was not responsible and people should stop pointing their fingers at umno. And you know wot? He is right. Look! Umno is no longer in control of situation in the country and their own members. This is because najib is no longer in charge. Mamak and muhideen are now de facto leaders of umno. In fact, najib is now back to his former self. So boys, najib’s fence sitting days are back.

    Now the “all_h” issue again. Those umno idiots, if they are unhappy with justice lau’s decision they are entitle to voice their reasons. No one would stop them if they do so. As a matter of fact, we too would like to be enlightened. They may do so softly/gently or even loudly/vociferously. That would be a matter of choice or style. But the question is this: Must they always protest violently by inflicting property damage and by issuing threats of bodily harm and worse, death? This is wot they do all the time. Incidentally, I believe that this is also the reason why they are wary of rallies and demontrations by the rest of us. To them rallies and demonstrations must lead to violence for that is their way of disagreeing with issues.

    Such is the attitude of a bully who uses his position of advantage to lord over his victims. Of graver concern than the fire-bombing of churches is the hacking and defacing of the judiciary website and the posting of the threatening message “MESS WITH THE BEST, DIE LIKE THE REST“. They obviously want to make sure that their victims are without legal recourse. The police is clearly on their side. They have no doubt about that. Its the judiciary. Not all judges are on their side. All of us still harbour some hope that in the event a matter is brought before the court a fair and lawful end would be found. Those idiots dont want that to happen. They want to dictate the end result and the judges to stamp their legal approval merely.

    Now this is the attitude of wot i call a Tuan Rempit McBully.

  49. #49 by taiking on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 9:31 am

    “Molotov cocktail” – Najib’s 2010 gift to catholics (and christians) in the country.

  50. #50 by taiking on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 9:34 am

    Cheers.

  51. #51 by a2a on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 9:39 am

    When it was used by christian to refer GOD in bible, it is GOD blessing to this land of his works to unite the two religions Christian and Islam friendly to each other.

    But those touched by devil and become his agents are trying to stop his work and blessing in this land. Trying to divide GOD blessing works in this land into curse, quarrel and fighting.

  52. #52 by boh-liao on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 10:36 am

    Watch d movie “Changeling” n see how public officials, polis, expert, doctors, nurses worked in cahoots with each other 2 bully n suppress d general public
    At dat time, d officials n polis had too much unbridled power n they totally abused their power 2 dispose of ppl that they did not like
    They were supposed 2 serve d ppl, their bosses, but they became d evil bosses

    Until ppl power broke d despotic political infrastructure n d sadistic n corrupt polis force
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling_(film)
    We cannot fail 2 see familiar happenings in this country
    Things that happened in 1920s Los Angeles r still happening here
    Despotic racist politicians in cahoots with sold-2-d-devil Em ACC officers, polis officers, pathologists, forensic scientists
    Where’s our people power, wake up, don’t b afraid n b real bosses again

  53. #53 by k1980 on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 10:39 am

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/world/asia/11malaysia.html?ref=global-home

    Anwar Ibrahim implied that the government was behind the current tensions. “This is the last hope — to incite racial and religious sentiments to cling to power,” he said. “Immediately since the disastrous defeat in the March 2008 election they have been fanning this.”

  54. #54 by taiking on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 11:10 am

    More churches torched over the weekend???

    Najib is not in control.

    If it wasnt umno’s doing, then umno is not in control of the country.

  55. #55 by Onlooker Politics on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 11:29 am

    “Here, we have so many people who wanted their God be named Allxh. I could not understand it or try to make sense out of this series of events.” (Pulau_Sibu)

    Pulau_Sibu,
    Please try to understand that this is not going to be an issue of “whose God is better or whose God is bigger” but it should be an issue of the rights of religious freedom.

    You may be a believer in the Chinese Traditional Belief such as worshipping the ancestors as a practice of showing reverence to the ancestors in order to appease the dead souls. Just put yourself into a hypothetical situation whereby the statues being built at your ancestors’ graveyard or the statues of “Tua Peh Gong” which you worshipped at the bury ground of your ancestors were to be prohibited by the Law. What would you feel if you were forced by the hypothetical law to have to remove all the statues, which you worshipped at the bury ground of your ancestors or at home?

  56. #56 by Cinapek on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 12:11 pm

    “..Why no other Cabinet Minister, whether from UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, the Sabah and Sarawak parties had spoken up in Cabinet to stop such a ban…”

    It is such balless response of the other members of the BN coalition that led to the mess today. If those Cabinet ministers from the BN component parties had enough guts to stand up to UMNO’s bullying and stop their stupid racist and religious intolerant intent when UMNO moved to stir up the mess with the banning of the Allah word, it would have nipped the issue in the bud. Instead their silence and eunuch approach encouraged and emboldened UMNO ministers to stoke the issue to new heights.

    Learn from your mistakes. Stop them now before more damage is done. The last thing you shoul;d do is to capitulate and compromise because it will embolden them further and encourage them to commit even more extreme actions leading to unmitigated disaster.

    Unless of course if that is what BN wants.

  57. #57 by Motorist on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 4:44 pm

    The two cousins [i]apologize[/i] and [i]take responsibility ???[/i]

    You must be joking, YB Lim.

  58. #58 by ktteokt on Monday, 11 January 2010 - 10:10 pm

    Actually, Najis is a very smart guy! You see, his UMNO guys go about in a “church-burning” spree and he turns back and say the government will pay RM500K to reinstate the church! Whose money is that may I ask? We, the idiotic rakyat of Malaysia is actually paying for these LUNATICS to have a good round of FUN!

  59. #59 by tanjong8 on Tuesday, 12 January 2010 - 8:00 pm

    Mr Lim,

    I like what you wrote But one point.

    What you provided the 2 guys with ideas to get themselves out of the mess which they created ?

    UmnoUtusans are not repentent and are still coming out with their articles to justify what they had done and said !!!

    The only way is to give them the boot when the time comes.

    Our preparation begins now, now !!! to chuck these scums into the rubbish bin of history !!!

You must be logged in to post a comment.