What people expect in this brand new year - 2023.

It may be a new year may but I believe the hopes and expectations of the Rakyat remain the same in principle. 

Firstly, we all want to be able to live a life of dignity and have equal opportunities. Dignity is something essential to all human beings. It means being worthy of respect and honour. The opposite of this clearly means being treated as worthless or being disrespected. A true leader would do his/her utmost to ensure that the citizens have the opportunity to lead dignified lives. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”. 

A person’s self-worth and dignity can be lifted or destroyed by government policies and the laws of the land. A child who grows up being discrimination or ostracized from mainstream society simply because of the accident of his/her birth may become unhappy adult who feels oppressed. Only a leader with compassion, good conscience and who truly “fears” God can understand this. Therefore, a compassionate government should ensure that policies and processes exist that provide ample opportunities for those with talent to thrive. Policies should also exist to ensure the less fortunate among us, whether socially or economically, can lift themselves by way of positive assistance. 

Cruel discrimination in the name of race, religion or social status should never be allowed to be part of society, especially in a society that has a majority Muslim population like Malaysia. This is because any policy which is race based is clearly against the teachings of Islam. 

Furthermore, under the heading of “human dignity” are also economic and employment opportunities, positive working conditions, and equitable distribution of resources. I think it is time the government focuses again on small and medium enterprises, and cottage industries. There has been so much focus on mega projects that do not seem to benefit the common rakyat. Development in the country has also been too Klang valley-centric while the rest of Malaysia does not benefit. A proper policy would be able to create employment opportunities outside the Klang valley so that more balanced development can take place in Malaysia. 

Secondly, the government and political leaders should properly understand the provisions of fundamental liberties enshrined in Part II of the Federal Constitution – articles 5 to 13. Citizens themselves should familiarize themselves with these important provisions. You can only protect your rights if you know you have them. 

The Government should ensure that whatever policies that are passed strengthen these fundamental rights and not whittle them away. Parliamentarians should be engaging intelligently in debates and committed in ensuring that whatever bills that the Government passes does not contravene these Constitutional provisions. The Rakyat would be pleased to benefit from positive contributions from the minds of the parliamentarians rather than annoying sounds from their mouths. 

Thirdly, I hope that this Government is serious about and courageous in fostering true national unity. It is very sad that after more than 60 years of being independent we still allow blatantly divisive speeches, statements and politics to flourish in this country. 

I am not only referring to unity between the Malays and the non-Malays but between every Malaysian. And the Government ought to be wary of efforts to divide the Malays themselves for political reasons. They should also be vigilant of the rise of religious extremism which seems to be creeping quietly into Malaysia, posing serious security threats. 

Hence, it is my hope that this government addresses the issue of national unity substantially and designs long term policies that can unite Malaysians in striving for a common Malaysian Dream. Obviously, this effort must begin in the formative periods of Malaysian children. 

Fourthly, there needs to be serious efforts made to halt or reduce corrupt practices in all of our institutions and in all spheres of society. Corruption is not only cruel in the sense that scarce resources are diverted to feed the greedy rather that help the rakyat, but it also increases the costs of living. The negative effects of corruption are well known and I would not want to repeat it here. However, I have to emphasize that if there is real political will and efforts made, corruption can be significantly reduced. 

The Government should establish a task force or a committee with powers to come up with a way to tackle corruption in all institutions in the country. It is no doubt a major task but one that needs to be urgently undertaken. The corruption agency can audit lifestyles of even past political leaders to take back wealth that has been stolen through corrupt practices. If there is will, there is a way. The laws are certainly there.

Lastly, there needs to be continued respect for and upholding of the rule of law. Rule of law is a vast area that includes equality before the law, equal access to the law and so on. Essentially, adherence to the rule of law is the ordinary citizen’s last line of defence against oppression by the privileged or the powerful. Hence, our parliamentarians must ensure that any law approved is just. 

It is also important to ensure that whenever discretionary powers are given, as may be necessary, there are effective checks and balances. This is because, discretionary powers may also result in corruption, abuse and oppression. 

With this, I wish the readers: Happy new Year ! 

Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos.

Rishi Sunak Prime Minister of United Kingdom.

Rishi Sunak, the 42-year-old former finance minister becomes the first Prime Minister of UNited Kingdom of Indian origin. 

This is a hurrah for UK in crossing cultural borders, hopefully humanity's steps moving towards being human beings instead of being boxed into artificial man made constructs.

I wish Sunak the best in managing UK and hopefully, his foreign policy is humane. 

Extremism: Between Wrong Policy and Corrupt Ideology (Dr. Maher Hathout)

 

Should I blog again?

 I recall, when I first started blogging, I did so because that gave me an opportunity to unload much of my thoughts on diverse subjects. It was sort of like a self therapy.  

I could write on topics which I thought were important or current.  I wrote passionately and honestly. The good thing about your own blog is that you can decide what you want to write and how you want to write it. 

There are no editors editing your thoughts or ideas.

For  a while I was lucky to be given an opportunity to write for newspapers and other news portals.It has its advantage because of its reach. The disadvantage is that you may not have the complete freedom, understandably, to write what you wish, how you wish.  In other words, when you write for others, you may be constrained by their policies and worse, their mindset or mental limitations, which can be frustrating. 

I want to write as objectively as possible on topics that I think need to addressed. Or simply to express my thoughts on something at that particular moment in my life.

Now I am wondering......should I go back to blogging my thoughts?

Whats your views?

Thanks. 

END.

Smart, visionary leaders committed to mindset change the way forward in Malaysian politics

It is good to note that there are diverse views and debates as to how the Malaysian political scene can bring about a “new Malaysia”.

Former Malaysian diplomat, Dennis Ignatius, had called for older politicians to step aside and make way for younger leaders.

On the other hand, academician Prof Dr Tajuddin Rasdi is of the opinion that “New Malaysia can only come about through the painful birth process of a transition between old and young leaders, as well as Muslim versus Malaysian, leadership”.

Reading Tajuddin’s opinion in a Malaysian daily, he seems to suggest that political changes in the country cannot be achieved if “Malay sensitives” are not addressed.

He gave various examples, which apparently had not gone down well with the Malays – such as the Rome Statute issue – and had brought about the downfall of Pakatan Harapan (PH).

I would opine that the main reason PH fell was because of poor leadership, due to the weak structure within PH itself.

If PH had strong and cohesive leadership, dealing with issues like the Rome Statute and others, would have been a cakewalk.

Tajuddin seems to argue that only someone with “Malay and Muslim credentials” can “change” Malaysia and the Malays.

Under the current political circumstances, only a Malay Muslim can rise to the highest position in this country. That’s a given.

However, when you talk about creating a “new Malaysia”, there are several important factors to consider – other than a Malay Muslim leader.

Firstly, what kind of new Malaysia do you have in mind? Something that is “more Malay and more Islamic”? Whatever that means.

The notion of what kind of “Malay-ness” and what kind of Islam you want to create in the country is important.

This, therefore, will depend on the second factor – the quality of the leader itself.

If the leader is a political animal, we cannot expect substantial changes in society because he may end up being a populist, and a chameleon.

He may not have the moral courage, intellectual strength, and the political will to bring about radical changes needed to move the country forward and improve the people’s general wellbeing in the long run.

A Malay Muslim leader, who is going to forever pander to the so called “Malay Muslim sensitivities” for political expediency, will not bring about a much awaited “new Malaysia”.

Thirdly, we need a Malay Muslim leader with a true vision (and not one who copies someone else’s) which he believes is good for the country.

So, you need someone with brains, not just the academically qualified.

Of course, you will have advisors around you, but you must have the ability to look at things from different perspectives, possess macro-level thinking, even be prophetic, to a certain extent.

For this to happen, one must be a thinker, and as multi-knowledgeable as possible, and humble enough to learn as he/she leads.

I am fully aware and accept that pragmatically, the majority of the polity is Malay Muslim, and hence, you can manipulate them for power’s sake.

However, I am more concerned with the true wellbeing of the nation (the majority included).

Hence, to create a new Malaysia, the majority of the polity needs to be educated.

We have to go for mindset change and recognise leaders who will embark on that change.

We have to recognise the Malay Muslim leaders who want to free the Malay Muslims and other citizens from the shackles of political trickery shrouded in ethnicity and religion.

These are the much-needed characteristics of a Malaysian leader who will make Malaysia great, and its citizens grateful and proud.

Originally appeared in TwentyTwo13

Know the duties of your MPs.

By Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos.

WHEN the image of disruptive antics of some of the members of Parliament floods the mind, it is possible to overlook the important role that MPs play in a democracy like ours.

In our democracy, the Constitution is the supreme law of the nation. It decides how our government is supposed to run and sets out the roles of the executive, legislative, judiciary and the Agong.

The Malaysian Parliament is made up of Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara. During the general elections, we elect 222 MPs to the Dewan Rakyat as our representatives. Currently, we have the 14th Parliament in session which means that this Parliament is made of the MPs who were elected in the past 14th General Election. What are their roles in our democracy?

The most important role of the MPs is their legislative powers. They have the power to make the necessary laws for peace, order, development, good governance, education, national harmony, the environment and so on.

In short, all those laws that affect every aspect of our life in the country is made and passed by the majority of the MPs. This is a very important role because the kind of laws that are made will not only affect the development of the country but will impact directly on the quality of life of the citizen.

Please continue reading it by clicking on the link here ---> Through Many Windows.

Managing the rakyat’s frustrations.

A PERSON’s capabilities are only seen during times of crisis. The same is true for political leadership.

We do not say that a leader is great because he spends on grandiose projects using the taxpayer’s money to carve out his legacy. We only consider him great when he allocates the country’s resources wisely and thriftily to increase the general welfare of the people.

And when he spends the money to increase the number of educated citizens, in terms of thinking abilities, skills, citizenry, compassionate and humanitarian values, and ensures that every citizen who wants has access to free education up to the tertiary level.

A leader is loved when he strives to raise the dignity of the average citizen regardless of ethnicity, religion or social class. When he allocates budget to ensure that every citizen has access to affordable healthcare, housing, sustainable transportation facilities, employment opportunities, and the basic amenities required to live a life with dignity.

At the end of the day, the budget comes from the rakyat in terms of the taxes that he pays and the national debt that he and the future generation have to carry. It is not the personal resources of the leaders to do as they wish or to enrich themselves and their cronies by carving out the budget among themselves,

Continue reading by clicking on this link The Star/Through Many Windows

Managing diversity in life.

HERE are many truths in life. Most of the time it is ever present before us. However, there are people with vested interests who try to distort the truth and lead us on a road of delusion, far from reality. The road of delusion and denial of reality often ends with misery and sufferings. One such truth that we should remind ourselves and hold on to it steadfastly is the diversity of life.

All we have to do is to simply look at what makes up life. We are familiar with the seven colours of the rainbow. According to researchers, we can see about 1,000 levels of dark-light and about 100 levels each of red-green and yellow-blue. Botanists know the truth about the plant kingdom – there is no single but diverse types of plants that can be categorised in diverse ways.

The same holds true for the animal kingdom and everything else that exists on earth – there is variety and diversity, not homogeneity. If you look at nature, all creatures in nature, plants and animals, do not find diversity a threat to their existence. On the contrary, they accept that diversity is what sustains their survivability and existence on earth. There is no denial.

Humans, however, being the more intelligent being are still grappling with this truth of diversity both in the “secular and religious world views”. We have created various social constructs, ostensibly to assist us to understand human life and human communities better.

Many of these social constructs arise due to the nature of human interaction and the manner in which human beings have evolved over millions of years. Examples of social constructs are ethnicity, religion, languages, culture and so on.

These things exist because we have agreed that they exist. They become the norm and through time are taken to be “normal”. They may not exist in objective reality. For example, the definition or understanding of an “ethnicity” or “race” is clearly a social construct to define a group that has satisfied certain agreed and set criteria.

Is a Chinese baby brought up by Malay parents and embraces Islam and grows up as a Malay, a Malay or Chinese? Likewise what about the Malay baby who grew up as a German in Germany? Asking questions like this will make you understand the concept of objective reality and artificial constructs.

In any event, the moment you understand that there are diverse religions, cultures, languages, and ethnicity in the world, you will be able to peacefully understand and accept the existence of this diversity. You will not make the diversity as a cause for disunity, distrust, stereotyping or hatred. You will be able to see that beyond the clothing of social constructs lies humanity that needs to be awakened and respected.

It is false that all the good people are in one social construct and all the bad are in another social construct. The labels of religion and ethnicity or cultures do not determine superiority, it is the good conduct of human beings. Substance rather than form.

However, we have to be careful of the ignorant but loud and persuasive politicians that lead humans down the road of division and disunity exploiting the artificial social constructs.

These are the kind that sow distrust, hatred and disunity among human beings based on differences of religion and ethnicity. They do this to hold themselves out as champions of one ethnic group against another.

At the end of the day, people will see that these politicians and their own families become enriched to become elites of society at the expense of the divided country. These politicians are often supported by some the religious groups in their societies. Religion can also confer status, power and wealth if properly manipulated.

In Malaysia for example, there are still politicians who play the race card and religious groups who play the religious cards. The abuse of religion sometimes becomes very dangerous in our country where it has bred extremism and even exclusivity.

Shockingly, a decade ago, I have heard a Chinese Muslim academic in this country erroneously argue that Allah has created India for Indians and China for Chinese in allegedly Islamic terms. He was obviously pandering to a Malay crowd to argue that Malaysia is for Malays. These are baseless arguments without any basis in the Quran and Sunnah.

Obviously, this academic has not read the many clear verses in the Quran which teach that our diversity is a blessing and we are required to live peacefully together (Al Hujurat verse 13). That the oppressed in one part of the world have a duty to migrate to another (Surah An Nisa verse 97-100) and that it was Allah’s will to create diversity (Al Maidah Verse 48).

He was obviously equally oblivious to the fact that Allah had also chosen to place the Orang Asli, Kadazan Dusun, Muruts, Bidayuhs, Melanau and 33 other indigenous groups that communicate in over 50 languages and 80 ethic dialects in Sabah. His argument becomes more dangerous because he attempts to frame it in “Islamic” terms. I was too young to rebut then.

If we all take a deep breath and we do not either get drowned in our self-imposed ignorance or in our self-imposed “academic or religious” arrogance, our sense of compassion within each of us will allow us to embrace the rightful place of the other. Let us work towards that instead of being trapped by those who use secular or religious tricks to divide us.

END.

Stop the Political Madness !!!

by Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos

 Oftentimes, it is necessary to remind yourself that though you may have collective responsibility in society, you are not the collective but an individual.

This becomes essential in maintaining mental and emotional stability, a sense of morality and ethics and personal direction, especially in a society that has become characterized by confusion and disorder. As an individual, you certainly do not wish to identify with the chaotic society, assuming of course that you had not actively contributed to it.

Our contemporary society, with respect, has become chaotic as it is seen to manifest confusion and disorder at many levels.

Let us look at the political situation in Malaysia.

The society is still, with the puerile belief, that politics alone will solve our fundamental problems. Hence, the media and our entire life is largely bombarded with political news.

continue reading by clicking here ---> HERE

Altruism Out The Window !!!

 

Now this is a must read book, written by a 17 year old teenager. 

You can also order through Shoppee by clicking here 

You can read one of the interviews done with the author by clicking on - The Vibes

PUTTING others before yourself or performing actions for the greater good have always been taught as a noble mission. 

It is a milestone of success for society when it comes to human development. But eighteen-year-old Arif Imran brings challenging perspectives to deconstruct the values of self-sacrifice through his book, 'Altruism: Out the Window'.

https://www.thevibes.com/articles/culture/14993/altruism-societys-antidote-or-poison

Tegak Maruah Rakyat #Rakyat #Maruah #Rapera

Who Am I?

Be You & Not A Slave

Are we making fun of Allah 17 times a day ?

LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF COVID-19

The civil service may not have to worry about employment or salaries during and after the Movement Control Order (MCO).

The same may not be so for private sector employees. In fact, daily wage earners are already affected as businesses have been forced to close.

Companies may also resort to retrenchment, salary cuts and other measures.

Besides the economic consequences, a host of legal issues can arise – from contractual obligations to immigration issues such as visa renewal.

This is where the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department would want to monitor compassionately.

I do not know if the government will take the responsibility for the welfare of migrant workers or pass on the burden to the worker’s country. Besides humanitarian consideration, it may also involve international laws and trade treaties between the said nations.

The contracts of monthly wage earners may be subject to the Employment Act 1955. Issues such as retrenchment, wage cuts and forced annual leave may arise if their company is adversely affected by the MCO.

I cannot imagine the extent of the domino effect on the economic chain. The corresponding legal domino effect will see businesses trying to mitigate their legal losses.

It would certainly be tough to balance the welfare of the companies and the employees, especially when the business is adversely affected.

The financial aspect has always been a sensitive and difficult matter to handle. Hence, there may also be commercial contractual disputes ranging from the supply chain, the demand side or even ongoing or proposed joint ventures.

Some parties may use the pandemic as an excuse to get out of a contract. Some joint venture projects or terms of the contract may have to be revisited. These may require legal renegotiating or mediation.

The argument of whether Covid-19 may be considered a force majeure may also arise and would require looking into the contract document. Briefly, a force majeure clause in the contract may allow a party not to perform either the whole or part of the contract. There are many contracts without such a clause.

To continue reading, please click here.

Peace !

POLITICAL DISTANCING THIS RAMADAN BENEFITS MUSLIMS

Ramadan is here – when Muslims fast for a month from dawn to dusk to fulfill one of the pillars of Islam. I believe it is spiritually uplifting for each with their own experience.

There are also many “non-spiritual” benefits such as discipline, dieting and self-awareness.

The Ramadan experience this year, however, will be dramatically different due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There will be no Ramadan buffets in hotels, which together with others in the food and beverage sector, will be badly hit.

The positive side in this whole episode is the reduced politicising of the religion which has unfortunately become accepted behaviour in Malaysia.

It is an open secret, in the capital city at least, that politicians often use the fasting month to further their political presence by organising “iftar“. Hopefully, in the absence of such politically motivated sessions, our attention can return to the actual spirit of Ramadan.

Furthermore, most of those invited to such Ramadan buffets can afford their own food. Maybe this time around, the money saved can be used to feed the poor and needy.

Also, since much time will be saved from not socialising or networking, hopefully there will more thinking and introspection by our leaders on how to improve the collective happiness in the country.

I often wonder if politicians have the time to think, reflect and read since they are often busy attending programmes.

Continue reading by clicking here.

Peace !

The Legend Kenny Rogers - Rest In Peace.

 Undoubtedly, life for all of us must end sometime.  Kenny Roger's time on earth ended last night

The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family. https://ymlp.com/zbjSX9

Kenny Roger's songs were one of those experiences that had an impact on my life in many useful ways. His songs were not only entertaining with his miraculous voice, but for me equally instructive and inspiring in life.

Songs like "The Gambler" guided me many times in my life in many aspects of my life. "The Coward of the County" kept reminding me of being courageous in upholding principles and also patience.

When we listen humbly, I believe God "speaks" to us in many ways .   Inspiration, Truth and guidance does not always come from traditional sources like " religious folks". Micheal Jackson's songs , for example, has been an invaluable source to remind me of so many things, including God.

Kenny Rogers, For the good that your songs have done for me, I wish for you:

"Kenny Rogers, May You Rest In Peace".

Thank you for affecting my life positively.

Peace !

The compassionate face of Islam

MUSLIMS should welcome the announcement by Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs, that it will be the government’s policy to promote compassionate Islam.

Actually, I believe there is only an “Islam” whose teachings are primarily compassionate, a blessing and merciful. Anyone who reads the Quran will know that it describes itself as a “healing and a mercy to those who believe” (Al Isra (17) verse 82).

In fact, the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself is described in the Quran as rahmatan lil Alamiin for the whole world and the creations (Al Anbiya (21): verse 107).

Essentially, rahmah means love or affection and is often understood to mean the love of God for mankind and His creations where He has provided everything they need to develop and live on this earth. In other words, the Quran guides mankind to understand and appreciate this rahmah through its guidance.



Dr Mujahid also pointed out the use of state resources to confront “public sins” and “private sins” to show, I believe, that any use of religious enforcement powers must be tampered with common sense and compassion.

I believe real scholars of Islam know that there is an abundance of literature that discourages the deliberate attempt to expose private sins.

For reasons which I cannot understand, Dr Mujahid has been exposed to irrelevant criticisms by some Muslim religious experts implicit within which is the assumption that he is ignorant of the discourse in these matters.


Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/through-many-windows/2018/10/14/the-compassionate-face-of-islam-it-should-never-be-the-states-role-to-merely-punish-the-offender-or#yJmObO1TVuz0wQfl.99

Debunking the modern feudal mindset

In a democracy, every citizen has equal opportunities to prosper, progress and determine the way he wants to live his life in accordance with the law. 

THERE was a period in human history where feudalism was the economic and political system in society.

Western Europe had a feudalistic system from the 8th century onwards, and during various periods in history, so did India, China, Japan, much of Asia, including Malaysia and even England.

The strong became Kings or nobles and the rest of the people were either peasants or serfs. The feudal mindset is steeped in a master-servant or lord-slave relationship. Analysing it closely, you will see that it is actually founded on economic and political strength. The wealthy and the powerful lords over the poor and weak. The master is not to be questioned or accounted for in anything, and he is held in continuous awe by the ordinary people.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/through-many-windows/2019/05/05/debunking-the-modern-feudal-mindset#jiMw83ypHFIsWbLK.99

Who does Malaysia belong to?

TO whom does Malaysia belong to may sound like a hilarious question, but do not overestimate the capacity to which the human mind is used.

Experience and observation will tell you that many of us (sometimes me included), often make a choice of not thinking about things based on facts. Instead, we form conclusions based on conjectures and other people’s uninformed opinions.

So who does Malaysia belong to?

There are many ways of approaching this question. As I often tell the audience in my talks about “thinking”, we have to understand the question first before we can even attempt to seek an answer.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/through-many-windows/2019/04/28/who-does-malaysia-belong-to/#jy0kGLLpmxOFc5XH.99