- PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, circa 2017

COMMENT | PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s winding-up speech at the recent PAS muktamar was a knicker-twisting statement for some people. Hadi said the same thing nearly a decade ago, as evidenced by the quote that opens this piece.

The PAS information chief at the time, Nasrudin Hassan, said this in defence of his boss’ speech. “He was stressing the importance and need for Malay-Muslims to be the core of Malaysia’s political system and administration.”

It would be extremely easy to write a piece condemning such statements and Hadi (above), but this would ignore the underlying reality faced by non-Muslim Malaysians when it comes to participation in the political process and policymaking. The reality is that from post-69, all cabinet decisions are defined by not spooking the Malays.

And since the non-Muslim power brokers have been handmaidens to the Malay political establishment, the argument could be made that there is already an unofficial “Malay/Muslim-only” cabinet in substance if not in form.

Multi Racial : The two countries that progress the most in the last 4 decades are the two that segregate religions and race from.politic. the two countries are China and Singapore. This tells us a lot. 

So if political parties continue to use religion and race to rise to power, they will only slow down the progress of the country or worse still bring down the country. Hope Malaysians will learn from this and never vote such parties to power.

FitnessPro : Sometimes I am confused. While Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, does this mean that the so-called defenders of Islam can go around on a rampage to bully others? 

I am referring to the demolishing of century old Hindi temples, restricting the usage of certain words in Christian worship, and now an Islamic-proselyte started attacking the Chinese by questioning why aren't the Chinese using Bahasa Malaysia to celebrate the Hungry Ghost festival, aka, Pesta Hantu Lapar? 

Now, after the UMNO and PAS general assembly, they are firing up the youths to gather for a mega-assembly for the sake of the Malay-Muslim community. If I were to organise a mega-assembly only for the Chinese youth, would the Malays feel threatened? 

Without organising, I know the answer would be a resounding YES!! And then, the lies and accusations would flood the social media atmosphere baselessly. What is the purpose of the mega Malay youth gathering? What is the purpose of re-writing history and to hide certain profound truths about our national identity? 

Are the future generation of Malaysia building their foundation based on lies, half-truths and exaggerated truths? Yes, Hadi spoke the quiet truth loudly, without fear for any repercussion. It is sad, but true. It is depressing, but we need boldness to face the truth. I pray for a peaceful, harmonious and a united Malaysia one day. 

As we celebrate Malaysia Day this Wednesday, may we truly understand what it means to be a Malaysian in the first place. May God put all these politicians who strive for division in cold storage and may God raises up a generation of politicians who are selfless, brave and bold with wisdom and fear of God in their hearts.

BlueCondor7717 : So much honest truth but absolutely bitter to swallow

 

Yesterday I posted about my book. Major General Datuk Toh Choon Siang responded to my book. 

This was his response." Bro Swami, every memoir deserves to be judged for what it is ie. a personal account of a life lived, not a court judgment. 

Whether one agrees with every conclusion or not, no one can deny that it takes courage to put decades of svc, sacrifice n painful experiences on the record. As fellow soldiers, we know that loyalty doesn't mean silence. 

Sometimes the most loyal act is to speak honestly about what we witnessed so future generations can learn from both our victories n our shortcomings. Your book is more than a war story; it preserves a chapter of Malaysian mil history thru the eyes of someone who served it. 

It invites reflection, not blind agreement. Respect for a memoir lies in engaging its ideas with reason, not dismissing them because they make us uncomfortable. Well done, bro. Nonetheless, there'll always be nay sayers.

Proud Tradition

Also my dear friend and warrior Lt Col Idris Hassan : Well done Maj Swami. I agree with every word said by Gen Toh Choong Siang. Unfortunately my lack of writing skills prevents ms from adding on to what the Gen has already said.

From my friend in the US :  Glad it's getting good coverage in the US academic circles. Also wanted to say that your book is also in the Cornell library: Cornell University.

Lt Col Ivan Lee : Well done Swami, a book deserves the recognition and appreciation for the service you have given. This will go down in history for future generations to read and learn from you.

The powers that be in the Military should push their young front line officers and NCO's to read this book. It covers leadership, training, physical hardship, loyalty of a soldiers under adverse conditions, that you must love your soldiers who are under your command. That your boys will fight the way you train them.

Malaysiakini : COMMENT | Race and religion took a back seat during this year’s Merdeka celebration.

The feel-good speeches, however, overlooked a crucial question: have we truly evolved into an inclusive Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family), an idea introduced by former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in 2021.

The concept faded when the MACC started an investigation into the Malaysian Family campaign funds for its alleged links to Ismail Sabri’s administration. The Malaysian Family concept was replaced by Malaysia Madani after Anwar Ibrahim took office in late 2022.

Different slogans, same spirit: to unite Malaysians in an extended family unit, which by definition comprises several generations living together with shared responsibilities. When one family member falls, another reaches out to pull them up. When one succeeds, the entire household rejoices.

But unlike a biological family, a national family does not grow organically. It requires deliberate scaffolding - a concept in education where teachers support students in their learning and grasping of new content.

As students understand more, and as they begin to take on more content on their own, teachers gradually step aside.

Exile : Malaysia is approaching an unavoidable generational change in political leadership. Anwar Ibrahim, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Abdul Hadi Awang belong to an era that is drawing to a close. 

The real question is not whether change will come, but whether the old guard will allow a new generation to emerge without trying to manage the transition from behind the scenes. Eric Loo is right to identify the cracks appearing in our national family. 

But cracks do not necessarily mean collapse. They can also create openings for renewal. The rakyat is certainly aware of the present uncertainty. What perhaps receives less attention is the opportunity contained within it. Nature abhors a vacuum. New leaders, new alliances and perhaps even new political ideas will emerge. 

They may not come from the personalities or parties we presently expect. The responsibility of today's senior leaders is therefore not to choose their successors or attempt to micromanage politics from retirement. 

It is to leave behind institutions strong enough for the next generation to compete fairly: an independent judiciary and enforcement agencies, stronger Parliament, decentralised government, cleaner political financing and genuinely democratic political parties. 

Malaysia does not need another generation living in the shadows of its political patriarchs. Anwar, Zahid and Hadi can make their final contribution by allowing the transition to happen. The cracks Eric Loo identifies are real. But through those cracks there may also be room for something new to grow.

Yet over the past three decades, the historical narrative promoted by the Education Ministry and other public bodies has become increasingly Malay-centric and Islam-oriented.

The contributions of the Orang Asli, Chinese, Indians and other communities have been reduced, marginalised or omitted, while some long-established accounts have given way to questionable claims.

This is not an argument for diminishing Malay history or the importance of Islam. Both belong at the heart of our national story. The issue is whether they should be elevated by pushing other peoples and civilisations to the margins.

A national history worthy of Malaysia should help every citizen understand how our country was shaped by many communities, influences and struggles. It should educate, not elevate one community’s past at everyone else’s expense.

GalaxyM : The MMs should accept diligence competition and honesty in order to help them to become responsible and accountable people. The country cannot be successful if 3 quarters or more of the population are pampered and adopting the dependency mentality.

KNSamy : Some 'nationalistic Malay political leaders' must have planned to rewrite the history of this nation showing just the Malays were the main players in the making of this nation. 

The gradual changes in the text-books show this clearly. Unfortunately, we have had many history professors, academics, NGOs and individuals who just witnessed the.........

Around the start of the sixteenth century, Muslim pirates from Algiers began to terrorize the Christian Mediterranean. Like their terrestrial counterparts, they too were indoctrinated in and emboldened by Muhammad’s promises: “A campaign by sea is like ten campaigns by land,” the prophet said in a hadith, “and he who loses his bearings at sea is like one who sheds his blood in the path of Allah”—that is, he is rewarded either in the here or hereafter. The piratical lust for booty was, accordingly, heightened by dreams of “martyrdom.”

When Suleiman “the Magnificent”—better known among Muslims as Suleiman “the Ghazi” (jihadi/raider)—became Ottoman sultan in 1520, he instantly took the most notorious of these Barbary pirates, Khair al-Din Barbarossa, into his service and helped him prosecute the sea jihad on Europe.

The ensuing reign of terror forced Europeans along the Mediterranean coast to relive the days of their ancestors in the centuries before the Crusades, when the Middle Sea was first inundated with jihad and slave raiding. Over the following two decades, hundreds of thousands of Europeans were enslaved, so that, by 1541, “Algiers teemed with Christian captives, and it became a common saying that a Christian slave was scarce a fair barter for an onion.”

Despite the seaborne jihad’s successes, “You will do no good,” a seasoned corsair counseled Suleiman, “until you have smoked out this nest of vipers.” He was referring to the Knights of the Hospital of St. John—aka the “Hospitallers”—who came into being soon after the First Crusade (c.1099) but were now headquartered in Malta.

Suleiman had evicted them from Rhodes in 1522—whence for two centuries they had frustrated all Ottoman naval attempts—and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had bequeathed the island of Malta to them in 1530. They were the emperor’s response to the sultan’s pirates—and, for more than three decades, a thorn in Suleiman’s side.

In March 1565, after having finally decided to eliminate this “headquarters of infidels,” as it was known among Muslims, Suleiman dispatched one of the largest fleets ever assembled—carrying some forty thousand Ottomans—to take the tiny island, which had a total fighting population of eight thousand.

Pius IV implored the kings of Europe to come to Malta’s aid, to no avail: the king of Spain “has withdrawn into the woods,” complained the pope, “and France, England and Scotland [are] ruled by women and boys.” Only the viceroy of neighboring Sicily responded, but he needed time to raise recruits.

Jean Parisot de Valette, the Master of the Knights—“his disposition is rather sad,” but “for his age [seventy-one], he is very robust” and “very devout”—made preparations for the forthcoming siege, including by explaining to his men what was at stake: “A formidable army composed of audacious barbarians is descending on this island,” he warned; “these persons, my brothers, are the enemies of Jesus Christ. Today it is a question of the defense of our Faith as to whether the book of the Evangelist [the Gospel] is to be superseded by that of the Koran? God on this occasion demands of us our lives, already vowed to His service. Happy will those be who first consummate this sacrifice.”

On May 18, the Ottomans commenced nonstop bombardment, first targeting St. Elmo, one of Malta’s key forts. “With the roar of the artillery and the arquebuses, the hair-raising screams, the smoke and fire and flame,” a contemporary wrote, “it seemed that the whole world was at the point of exploding.” The vastly outnumbered and soon wearied defenders, who were ordered to “fight bravely and sell their lives to the barbarians as dearly as possible,” did just that; and for every Christian killed defending the fort, numerous Muslim besiegers fell.

After withstanding all that the Ottomans could throw against it for more than a month, on June 23, St. Elmo, by now a heap of rubble, was finally stormed and captured.

Virtually all 1,500 defenders were slaughtered. The same grisly fate Salah al-Din (Saladin) had centuries earlier consigned to Islam’s staunchest enemies—the Knights of the Hospital and Temple at the disastrous Battle of Hattin (1187)—was again meted out to them.

Pigging at the Landing Point

All of Captain Ivan Lee's men

More Pics here.......

Darling of the West, Worlds terror epicentre, Pakistan, is used by them as a strategic tool in Asia (especially India) and West Asia by giving them free $Billions every year and state of the art weapons to keep the terror game going. Stupid West has been hit by Pakistan ie 9/11 NY, 7/7 London, Australia- Bondi, France - journalists Charlie Hebdo and many more including Bali, Mumbai, Delhi, Kashmir and many temples but the WEST close their eyes to Pakistan Terror. What a shameless lot.

We can’t undo the past, the wasted years and the lost lives sacrificed on the altar of that manifestly untrue proposition, but Bosch Fawstin, an ex-Muslim cartoonist targeted by ISIS, has made an important point.

Dear President Trump,

For the commemoration of the 25 years since the atrocity 0f 9/11, could you please undo some of the damage that Bush caused with his big lie of ‘Islam is peace’? I’m not asking for much, just a simple acknowledgment that Islam does not mean peace. That islam means submission. Submission to a malevolent god who exhorts Muslims to murder non-Muslims.

Or simply say that ‘Islam does not mean peace’. It would make a difference, as the truth always makes a difference when a president speaks it, especially a truth that not only the Islamic enemy wouldn’t want you to speak, but even your own advisors.

Just having Trump say, “Islam does not mean peace” would be an important admission and a reversal of the lies for which so many Americans died. One of the stand-out things about the original Trump campaign was his willingness to speak the unspeakable. Including the fact that Muslims celebrated in New Jersey on 9/11.

Hypocrite

Jamil was detained by the MACC for seven days and released after his remand ended. Let us be clear. Being charged does not mean he is guilty. But it does raise another question: What was his responsibility as the minister overseeing Tabung Haji?

He was religious affairs minister from 2009 to 2018. During that period, Tabung Haji came under his ministerial responsibility.

The royal commission of inquiry has since exposed serious weaknesses in its governance. Among them were four hotel leases in Mecca and Medina between 2015 and 2017, involving about RM1.54 billion in upfront payments.

The RCI found weaknesses in due diligence and risk controls. Rental payments later fell into arrears, prompting Tabung Haji to take legal action in Saudi Arabia.

This was not a small administrative mistake. This involved more than RM1.5 billion. So where was the minister?

Jamil has said Tabung Haji decisions followed recommendations from the board and that he relied on its governance processes. But is relying on the board enough? More importantly, is simply accepting its recommendations enough to discharge ministerial responsibility?

As the PAS president did not elaborate, it is necessary to look at his earlier statements on the matter. In launching the 62nd PAS Muktamar in Pengkalan Chepa, Hadi said, “We intend to take a new approach to revive what was implemented by Islam 1400 years ago”; that is, he wants to implement Islam that was practised in the seventh century.

At a dialogue session of his party with Indian NGOs on Feb 4, 2018, Hadi was reported as saying “... that there would be two cabinets should the Islamist party come into power. One (is) a cabinet that decides on national policies. This must consist of people who adopt the national ideology and faith. This cabinet will then appoint an executive cabinet to carry out the policies, and the members can be non-Muslims...” 

Have you all heard about the Duku Ilang?

Veteran 1972 : When Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia, they did not join an Islamic state. Malaya became Malaysia. The Malaysia Agreement was reneged on by UMNO,  PIS wants to take it a notch higher. That's Arab Nationalism. 

You guys are Malays have some semblance of pride in your heritage. Get rid of your Arabic names, incidentally many are synonymous with Jewish names. If you go against the Constitution you are no different from The Communist Party Of Malaya. Look at the Indonesians they are proud of their Hindu heritage.  No one is interested in your faith. 

Tomorrow is the 25th Anniversary of 911 in the USA, the internet is your downfall. 

Key Terms and SafeguardsFounding Conditions: Formed based on conditions requested by Sabah (the "20 Points") and Sarawak (the "18 Points"). State Autonomy: Reserved local authority and special safeguards for Sabah and Sarawak regarding immigration, religion, native customary rights, language, and state finance. 

Immigration Control: Sabah and Sarawak retained autonomous control over entry into their respective territories. Point 1 – Religion While there was no objection to Islam being the national religion of Malaysia, there should be no State religion in North Borneo, and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to North Borneo. 

No amendment modification or withdrawal of any special safeguard granted to North Borneo should be made by the Central Government without the positive concurrence of the Government of the State of North Borneo. The power of amending the Constitution of the State of North Borneo should belong exclusively to the people in the state. More.....

@edynoorreduan

DEPAN ZAHID, ASYRAF DAN AZALINA, MBNS TokMail dakwa telah dipaksa ‘sign’ dokumen lucut Tuanku Muhriz (Laporan Straits Times). Adakah ini bermakna permainan politik Umno menjatuhkan Raja Melayu di Negeri Sembilan?

♬ Epic Music(863502) - Draganov89

Malaysiakini : Three Umno top leaders have denied accompanying Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim to meet the state's disputed territorial chieftains last month.

This is amid intense speculation that Umno's top leadership have decided to back the chieftains in deposing Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as state ruler to make way for a rival claimant to the throne - Tuanku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Jaafar.

This followed The Straits Times' report that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, and information chief Azalina Othman Said were present at the meeting where Ismail (above) claimed he was forced to sign a document affirming the chieftains' decision to remove Tuanku Muhriz.

Met on the sidelines of the Umno general assembly yesterday, all three denied being present when Ismail met the chieftains.

Asyraf said that, as a national leader, he does not get involved in state affairs, while Azalina flat-out denied it.

EmEmKay : Something is clearly brewing inside Umno, and this latest report only reinforces that impression. The first red flag is the "timing" and "platform". 

Why is such a politically sensitive story about internal Umno manoeuvring surfacing in a Singapore newspaper first, instead of in Malaysia? And why now – right in the middle of the.....

VP Biden : Who leaked the information to the Straits Times in Singapore is more pertinent. And naming Zahid as one of the influencers. Something is brewing in Umno. 

They have smelled power due to PH inactions. They are gunning for Zahid to take the umno throne. The No.2 in umno is from NS , don't forget. Zahid will need to guard his back n determine who he wants to be friends with, PH or Pas ( who are favoured by the .........

Wannabe Camel Jockey

Malaysiakini : COMMENT | Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, the infamous Chinese Muslim convert, slammed Penang for declaring the Hungry Ghost festival as official state heritage because the wandering souls "could not be seen".

"What's the real Malaysian identity?" he asked in his Facebook post on Sept 5, just five days before the Seventh Spooky Lunar Month ends. That was such a cheap shot against his own ancestors' culture. Perhaps the restless spirits can visit him to prove they are "real".

But is belief based on physical sightings? Has anyone actually seen God? Or Heaven? Non-Malays rebutted Ridhuan (above) by joking that he needed only to look in the mirror to see a ghost. Sure, he's not a literal one, but he rather resembles a malicious spirit – in the flesh.

We can laugh at the toxic bug spray of racist saliva from Ridhuan, but on social media, many people applauded him for bashing Chinese culture.

On one Facebook post, he got 15,600 likes. There were many comments supporting him too. One "Nino" denounced Penang for portraying itself as a state with a Chinese identity. "Ini bertentangan dgn semangat kebangsaan Malaysia. Apa tujuan sebenar Kerajaan DAP? (This is against the national spirit. What is the real purpose of the DAP state government?)"

hrrmph : "agama, syurga, neraka, bumiputera, bahasa, raja, menteri, mulia, suka, duka, jaga, jati" are Sanskrit? One fine day, one "illustrious" professor will tell us that these words originated from the Malays. 

When reality fails one's belief of one's "greatness", just change the storyline. If you ignore contradictory records that does not please your ego, they will not exist in your mind. 

Say it to everyone around you, gather those of like mind and you will have a whole kampung (maybe the whole nation) thinking the same and so, it gets easier and easier to ignore the world outside. Soon you can even charge and imprisoned people who dare to point out the realities of the world. Sounds familiar?

MarioT : It is simple, to understand their motives and objectives, Andrew. It is more a publicity stunt to claim I am holier than thou. But by doing so, they become hostile to their own existence. 

My forefathers were Hindus and I am a Catholic and it never prevented me from respecting everyone's way of life. Wisdom tells me that I have a choice to choose but should never condemn or look down on others' practises.

Timestream: The Persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt

A religious group is being harassed, imprisoned, and murdered for its faith on a staggering scale—affecting nearly 400 million people worldwide, much of it in the Muslim world.

A crisis of this magnitude should dominate the headlines. Instead, it is met with silence. Why does the West refuse to see it? Raymond Ibrahim, who has been monitoring and writing on the Muslim persecution of Christians for 20 years, breaks it all down.

Islam has a phobia of any religion other than its own. Raymond, you are a modern Knight fighting for Christendom. To me it looks as if those in Power - in the West - are actively helping in the persecution of Christians. Look at the UK, praying in your head outside an Abortion Clinic gets you arrested, charged and prosecuted. I'm Assyrian and they butchered 50% of our population under Ottoman Turkey in the 1915-1925. Only 2 people of my entire family survived the genocide.