Friday 1 February 2013

Crusaders and Jihadists of Malaysian politics




The Catholic Church's Herald newsletter is calling for an "upraising" against the government. Read it here -

Between Vatican diplomacy and the Herald's "uprising"


This is the same publication which wants to use the word "Allah" to describe the God/Gods of the Christians in its Malay language edition, which triggers the manipulation of the issue by the likes of DAP's Lim Guan Eng and insensitive reactions from the likes of Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali.

I'm not sure how the Catholic church works in this country....is it apolitical or is it  partisan? If the Herald is the official church newsletter, then that editorial piece running down the government (despite it being taken from other pro-Pakatan publication) should still be by right the official stand of the church too, right? Well, honestly I'm not sure. Hopefully one of you who are more familiar with the matter could kindly educate me on this.

Whatever it is, as far as I am concerned, the Herald is now a part of the Pakatan election machinery, the same as Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, Free Malaysia Today, Rocket, Harakah, etc. It is openly campaigning for Catholic Christians to join in an "uprising" against the BN government.

It sounds very much as if the Herald is calling for a crusade against the BN, the same way when Pas people were calling for Muslims to go on a jihad against the BN government and the ruling coalition (particularly Umno).

The Pas' jihad was initiated because the BN government had been deemed to have failed to set-up an Islamic state and implement an Islamic law in this multi-racial and multi-religious country. Please read this for context -

"Amanat Hadi" was an excerpt from a speech by the then firebrand young Pas leader, Abdul Hadi Awang, who is now the party president at Kampung Benggol, Peradong, Kuala Terengganu on April 7, 1981.

The "Amanat Hadi" translates as follows:
"Dear fellow Muslims, do believe,
"We are against Umno, not because its name is Umno. We are against Barisan Nasional not because it has been in power too long. We are against them because they have maintained the constitution of the colonists, maintained the laws of the infidels, maintained the regulations of the jahiliah (pre-Islamic civilisation). That is why we are against them. That is why we are facing them. That is why we are trying to fight them.
"Do believe my dear fellow Muslims,
"Our struggles are jihad, our speeches are jihad, our financial contributions are jihad. Be dependant on Allah in facing these groups because if we die while fighting them, our death will be syahid (martyrdom). Our death will be an Islamic death. We do not have to be Buddhists, we do not have to be Hindus, we do not have to be Christians, but we will be considered infidels if we practise the separation of politics and religion."
Pas may now claim that it is to set up just a "welfare state" if Pakatan wins the general election, but it has never dropped its Islamic state and hudud agenda. That was because the agenda is its main draw among the Malay Muslims. And the jihad tag remains. Please ask any genuine Pas supporter whether they consider Pas' struggles is a jihad. I am quite certain the answer you will get is in the affirmative.
Using religion as a political tool is very effective. Pas supporters are arguably the most passionate about their party's struggles. They sincerely believed that supporting the party will help them get easier access to paradise in the afterlife. Thus, for them sacrificing for the party will grant them blessings from Allah. It is after all a jihad, for them. That explains why you could find an 80-year-old grandmother from a kampung in rural Kelantan at a Bersih rally in downtown KL. She sincerely believes that by being there she is part of a jihad...and that taking part in a jihad means a sure ticket to paradise in the after life. It also explains why some "artistes" (who are mostly past their prime) could be found among Pas supporters. They believe that by joining Pas' jihad, they could offset whatever sins they had committed during their long years of involvement in the artiste world....well, it could also be because due to their fading career, and they needed a new audience to adore their "talents".
DAP seems to have catch up with Pas on this aspect of political strategy. Its leaders have actively been involved in church activities and certain elements from the churches have reciprocated in kind. And this was not restricted to the Catholic churches but also those of other Christian denominations.The Herald's open support for Pakatan is just the clearest example. 

And this DAP's religious weapon works brilliantly, especially among the Christian Chinese as could be seen during the Sarawak State election two years ago. Almost all urban areas with Chinese majority constituents were captured by DAP.
Here is, once again, the video of Guan Eng rallying the DAP's Christian troops hours before the electoral battle of the last Sarawak State election -


With Pas jihadists at one corner and DAP crusaders at the other, BN stands in the middle for the coming onslaught from both sides. 
My question now is this - if BN falls, what will stand between these two politically manipulated religious forces and prevents them from later on butchering one another like it was in a far away place a long time ago? The outcome could be catastrophic for multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia.

9 comments:

  1. 'My question now is this - if BN falls, what will stand between these two politically-manipulated religious forces and prevent them from later on butchering one another like it was in a far away place a long time ago? The outcome could be catastrophic for multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia.'

    Sounds logical..

    But another question that will be more logical would be..
    If BN falls..what will stand between those politically manipulated cronies and rent seekers and prevent them from rousing and instigating religious and race matters that will be catastrophic for multi racial and multi religious Malaysia. That's more realistic then what you worry about because as it is ..it is happening now with speeches by Perkasa and those so called NGOs in the name of defending Islam and the Malay race.

    Let's all hope for the best of Malaysia and get a government that it deserves. Good governance with integrity, transparency and graft free.
    Dont let people using religious and race matters to deviate us from our goals.

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  2. well, if BN fall % anarchy rules later...I will be among the 1st to fuckkk LGE & show him this is his reward for playing with racial & religious sentiments..

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  3. Bigcat, don't write shit ok ?

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  4. The Herald is doing the Roman Catholic Church and community a disfavour by taking sides in party politics and the church should rein them in on that.

    Religious institutions such as the Catholic Church can speak up in general on political matters such as justice, discrimination, poverty, etc. and on matters affecting their respective religious communities.

    Since many Sabahans and Sarawakians are Christian and want to use the word "Allah" for God in their Bible, it's an issue a church can being up to the government but not along party political lines.

    On another note, a lot can happen after the 13th general elections.

    Just last night, a fellow journalist said there is a strong belief that there will be a hung parliament which will result in an indecisive mess which will have a negative impact on the economy.

    The scenario you posed of a battle royale between PAS and DAP if Pakatan wins is also quite possible, while that posed by Anonymous above, that interest groups within BN could instigate trouble if BN loses is also quite possible.

    Politics in Malaysia has degenerated to a battle between different interest groups both within the ruling parties, within the opposition parties and between ruling and opposition parties.

    After all, Anwar Ibrahim led a faction against Dr. Mahathir and was defeated and thrown out of UMNO, so continues the faction fight from the opposition side.

    It's a similar situation in the Philippines and Thailand, where influential families battle each other under the guise of "democracy," "freedom," "human rights," etc for the people.

    The contest between the Aquinos and the Marcoses was one such battle between rival families jostling for power.

    Sure, the Philippines has "democracy," free speech, free press, human rights, etc. but is still corrupt, government services is inefficient, is mired in much inequality and poverty, with many of its educated citizens, even with university degrees, having to leave to work as maids abroad.

    Romania is the same. It had "democracy," there's free speech, free press, it's a member of NATO and the EU but there are few jobs and many of its citizens have to leve to find work in other parts of the EU.

    A young Romanian I've communicated with online says that there was plenty of employment during the time of Nikolai Ceaucescu, even though the church was persecuted during his time.

    An Orthodox Christian, he now complains about rampant abortion in Romania.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub1BAJCcmco&list=UUPNXdOnT5bj4KKD_MZGHJrg&index=10

    Well, it all comes with the package - take the liberal bourgeois path and other aspects of liberal bourgeois decadence come along with it.

    Ceausescu also made a big mistake after he split ideologically with the Soviet Bloc - i.e. he flirted with the west and got a big bank loan, then Romania had to struggle to pay it back. The people, including members of his party revolted and the Ceaucescu's were condemned to death in a show trial and unceremoniously executed.

    Meanwhile Stalin makes a comeback in Russia, especially among those who lived under his rule.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84NjWVexquw

    At the end of the day, economic well-being comes first among people. All major revolutions, uprisings and political sea-changes throughout history were primarily driven by dire economic conditions among the masses, including the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Arab Springs, the rise of Hitler, the rise of Mussolini, the fall or Marcos, the fall of Soeharto, the setback of the BN in the 2008 GE, etc.

    Ideals, ideologies, priciples, etc. did not move people in a major way until the economic conditions were ripe for them to flourish.

    The only other force more powerful than economic conditions is the fight for national independence and sovereignty, such as the anti-imperialist, anti-colonial struggles in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

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    Replies
    1. Why Dumno is like santanan? When Sarawak and North Borneo were under the British and in 1965 forms malaysia, they can use the word Allah. Now, they are worst than under the british and dumno is like santanan.

      We are worst than LOS and Pinoy. We have corruption and MACC and mata2 diraja is just a tool of santanan and no freedom. If the muslims in Middle East can have demostrations but not here.

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  5. Some cheap politician does not care what happens to the country. They would sell their soul to the devil for power. If there is any trouble as a result of their action, they would just hide at some foreign country. It is the normal people who would suffer.
    I was surprised when the opposition choose that chap as their leader. When he was in the govt they ridiculed him as corrupt and evil. Were the opposition then lying about this chap and that is why they choose him as their leader now? If they were lying then, what makes them not to continue lying now? In Islam lying is a great sin. Is lying not a sin in Christianity?
    The Christians in Malaysia wanted Allah as their god. However, in the past they say Allah is the name of the pagan Arab moon god. There is something fishy in their wish to have the pagan Arab moon god as their god. This just proves that the Christians are not honest. They can change their book and their god anytime they like. Is their belief very fickle? Is it not a sin for the Christians to change their god because their political leader wanted it?
    For me, let the Christians have their pagan Arab moon god. This shows how hypocrite they are. As Muslims, we can continue to pray to our original Allah.
    Ahmad

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  6. Your comments are visionary and truthful of things to come for a now peaceful, stable and prosperous Malaysia.

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  7. The Herald now officially join in and becomes political. It shows how desperate people in Pakatan right now. Religion now becomes one of their tools in their toolbox.

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  8. It may be that, subject to the next GE, that we'll all be growing long beards or wearing burqas. Maybe the stockmarket will crash and all government investment will end and we'll be out of jobs. Perhaps Malaysians really are sitting at home sharpening their knives for the neighbours throats and we're only restrained by the moral leadership of our politicians. But if this is true, we don't deserve a future. Other countries can change governments and life continues on for most people, but are we too immature to do this? We had Sultans as our Government, then the Colonial powers and now representatives that we have the right to choose. Were the founders of our nation wrong? Should they just have said lets appoint one party who can run this place for the next hundred years until the people can be trusted to vote for people to represent what's important to them. The fouders trusted the people then to be mature and be trusted to make the choice over who rules them. I think that they were right to trust the rakyat and because of this I don't fear our future. Whoever leads us is chosen by the majority of people in this country and I trust my fellow citizens. Politicians should fear the people, not vice versa.

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