In his opening speech for the International Conference on Religion, Law and Governance in South-East Asia on Saturday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the tremendous force of religion must be harnessed to advance social and national unity.
He said: “A sign of our times is that religious and spiritual values take on renewed importance for human fulfillment. This is most relevant for stability and peace in fostering new openness between religions.” (Star 31.1.10)
Yesterday, Najib called on Malaysians to stand united against crude attempts to disrupt harmony in the country including the recent spate of incidents on houses of worship. (NST 1.2.10)
It must be a matter of grave concern that while Najib is preaching the tremendous power of religion to advance social and national unity, calling on Malaysians to stand united as a people, another government agency is guilty of a very crude attempt to disrupt harmony in the country virtually mounting an insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and vision and challenging the authority of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
In Parliament last November and December, the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) which had been given a budget of more than RM600 million since 2,000, was exposed as a government agency which had been guilty of anti-national activities, creating more racists than Malaysian nationalists with its divisive, racist and seditious brain-washing by pumping communal poison and inciting racial hatred and animosity in the guise of “national civics courses”.
Now, another powerful government agency has reared its ugly head to openly challenge Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and policy and the authority of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
It is indeed most shocking that on the same day that Najib was launching the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Thursday, JAKIM (Islamic Development Department) of the Prime Minister’s Department was organizing a forum for 800 civil servants which was tantamount to an insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and vision.
At this Jakim forum, speakers including civil servants like Zamihan Mat Zin from the Institut Latihan Islam Malaysia, Mohd Aizam Masod from Jakim’s research department and Mahammad Nasir Disa, deputy chief of Syariah Research Department of the Attorney-General’s office made speeches which were completely inimical and detrimental to Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and spirit, turning the forum into an inflammatory and incendiary gathering going against all notions of a 1Malaysia objective and vision.
At the Jakim forum for civil servants, Christians were blamed for provoking Muslim anger by challenging the ban on their use of the word “Allah” and politicians, particularly those from Umno/Barisan Nasional were also blamed for failing to defend Islam, with Zamihan for instance openly blasting politicians for being vocal only on Malay rights but doing little for Islam.
Zamihan even went as far as suggesting that a repeat of the May 13 racial riots was possible if the Christians, whom he accused of practising “extremism” did not “back down”, uttering the threat: “Who knows, there might be a Feb 13?” (Malaysian Insider 28.1.10)
The special forum for 800 civil servants organised by Jakim last Thursday, and the divisive, intolerant, incendiary and inflammatory speeches raising the spectre of another May 13 must be condemned in the strongest possible terms as downright irresponsible and anti-national as they run contrary to the proclaimed objectives of the 1Malaysia slogan and vision advocated by Najib.
Why didn’t the Police lodge a police report against the Jakim forum for incitement and sedition to initiate investigations? How many other such forums have Jakim and other government agencies organised?
It would appear that in Najib’s government, the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Or is this deliberate?
What is 1Malaysia? Malaysians have been told that 1Malaysia “means that we embrace our diversity of ethnicity, religions and beliefs and, by being inclusive, build mutual respect and acceptance into a solid foundation of trust and cohesiveness”.
The Jakim fire-and-brimstone forum for the 800 civil servants stood for the very opposite of this 1Malaysia definition made worse with the threat of another May 13 incident – turning it into an act of insubordination which was no less than an open insurrection by Jakim to rally civil servants to oppose Najib’s 1Malaysia concept.
This Jakim insubordination and insurrection must occupy top spot in the agenda of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. The Cabinet must condemn it in no uncertain terms and take strong and commensurate action as I will demand a full explanation of the Jakim insurrection and the Cabinet response when Parliament reconvenes on March 15.
#1 by Bigjoe on Monday, 1 February 2010 - 11:19 am
“A sign of our times is that religious and spiritual values take on renewed importance for human fulfillment”???????
Its a lot of yancy (not fancy) word that don’t mean much. Its in all his speeches. I know Najib is not much good in writing his own speech but his speech writers are pretty crappy if you ask me. They don’t understand his weakness and particularly using flowery words just looks ‘fluffy’ when he says it.
During Mahathir days, Jakim as taken to task by Mahathir more than a few times and yet they persisted. Jakim recalcitrant is a perfect indication of how the religious right view Najib – they think he has no moral weight with them religiously speaking. That is why they dare to defy him and Hishamuddin despite him asking them to back down. Najib can’t reign them in and he can’t persuade them either. But he knows him joining them in a virtriol is an even bigger disaster. If Muhiyiddin is to take down Najib, it begin with the religious right which is why you hear him clearly voicing much more opinion and all of them for the religious right.
#2 by Jamesy on Monday, 1 February 2010 - 12:11 pm
Zamihan even went as far as suggesting that a repeat of the May 13 racial riots was possible if the Christians, whom he accused of practising “extremism” did not “back down”, uttering the threat: “Who knows, there might be a Feb 13?” (Malaysian Insider 28.1.10)
——————————————–
MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP, why so quiet, that I could hear a pin drop?
I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another May13/Feb13 in the making. Certainly this forum is aimed at inciting racial and religious hatred and it is most unfortunate nobody in component parties in BN condemned the seditious speeches. I remembered Hishammudin waving his keris and UMNO youth members behind the platform instigating, threatening and inciting another May 13 and all political parties and Malaysian public condemned it. However, not one in the political arena condemned the Jakim forum except those in the Pakatan. Are they underestimating the Jakim forum for civil servants as to what they could be capable of? No insider in the police force lodge any police report for obvious political reason, whereas political slaves such as MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP are too chicken-out.
I suggest someone in the Pakatan lodge a police report for sedition.
#3 by Motorist on Monday, 1 February 2010 - 12:50 pm
Sadly, this country is now filled with racist & religious intolerant bigots, who grew up with UMNO’s propaganda & brain washing of (superior) race, religion & (their exclusive) country concept. Innocent school children are brain washed with these propaganda since std 1 !!
Is it no surprise that these bigots grow up spewing racial superiority & non tolerant religious speeches that espouse the glory of the (superior) race & religion?
Is it no surprise that UMNO upper echelon closes one eye? After all, isnt this their true face? Besides, minions spewing out propaganda are loyal mindless minions who can be told what to do, not how to think independently.
Isnt it good for UMNO that the minions have a noisy sideshow that distract the public attention from the failures & corruptions of the ruling regime?
Isnt it good for the upper echelon of UMNO that these minions do not question the wholesale robbing of the country coffers & resources?
The old saying of “keep your peasants stupid lest they’ll revolt against you” aptly apply to UMNO philosophy. The more stupid the rakyat is kept, the more control they have over the rakyat & the more they can steal with impunity.
#4 by jus legitimum on Monday, 1 February 2010 - 8:15 pm
This is another example of ‘cakap tak serupa bikin’.What can we expect from the ala Zimbawe politician?
#5 by monsterball on Monday, 1 February 2010 - 10:27 pm
If one keeps listening to Najib’s speeches and his interpretations of race and religion matters…you will get confused.
Just read and try to think like him….knowing all things he keep saying are nonsense…and valueless.
It is his ways….to advertise and promote UMNO.
Will he succeed to fool Malaysians…..that’s what matter most.
With Lim Kit Siang non stop exposing him…giving Malaysians his thoughts and opinions..which majority Malaysians value and trust….Najib can never fool Malaysians anymore His double talks…sweet nothing and slogans…are pai8nting his character.
Najib cannot be trusted at all…no matter what he says …do or promise.
All are not sincere. All are for fooling Malaysians……..to trust him and UMNO.
If a PM can deny knowing a lady…being murdered…which there are photos pointing out..he really knew her.,.,.that itself is pointing out…who is the real Najib.
#6 by son of perpaduan on Monday, 1 February 2010 - 10:50 pm
Please don’t ever talk about religion value!!! Nobody ever deserve that,except only one, he is Tok Guru. In Malaysia one and only one is HIM. Everybody should admit that.
#7 by chengho on Tuesday, 2 February 2010 - 6:42 am
Karpal is a better Tok Guru than Nik aziz .
#8 by dagen on Tuesday, 2 February 2010 - 11:49 am
Another may 13 jakim warned.
May 13 was instigated by umno (dont forget that!) and was directed at chinese in the country. Then there were about (wot?) 30% chinese in the country. The situation then was (wot?) something like 50% malays vs 30% chinese. So it was chinese (lesser in number) with economic power vs malay (greater in number) with political power. Not that unequal a match-up, really. (Of course umno abused the police and military to their advantage.)
Now once again umno (with jib’s “cannot stop protest” approval) through jakim is trying to instigate a muslim vs christian/catholics may 13. Take a look at the numbers. We have something like 60% muslim vs 9% christian/catholic. Wow. That is (umno-backed) institutional bullying all the way, if you ask me!
But can the instigation succeed? Nah. No way. The 9% christians/catholics are not of one race. It actually comprises several races, including a small number of malays; and very importantly, a sizeable number of sabahans and sarawakians – the twin pillars of umno’s political strength. They cant be chipping and chisselling away at their own support. That would be foolish.
In any case, not all the 60% muslims in the country are supportive of umno’s stand. In fact many remained neutral and took the pragmatic stand of “there is nothing wrong with non-muslims’ use of the word allah”. Look at chengho for instance – an umnoputra in cheongsam. He has never voice any objection here to the use by non-muslim of the word allah. So the point is you dont send you men to the front line if you are not confident that your support is following closely behind. That would be suicidal.
In the end umno would just look like little rascals kicking up a huge fuss over a dead (well actually non) issue. And the best thing is this is not one issue they can come clean or
which they can hope to salvage themselves. They are caught between the warewolf and the vampire. The next best course of action, sabotage the opposition controlled states and start a massive media campaign to cloud the allah issue.
Err but the cloud will clear-up one day, fellas. We might even get to catch a glimpse jib in undies.