My Appeal , this 13th Malaysian General Elections / Rayuan Saya untuk Pilihanraya Umum Ke-13 Malaysia (Part 4 / 5)

[English version after Malay version]

Warga Malaysia yang dikasihi, 5 Mei 2013, hari di mana semua pengundi Malaysia akan menentukan pimpinan negara yang seterusnya. Terdapatnya 5 perkara yang kita semua patut teliti dengan sepenuh minda dan hati yang murni apabila kita mengundi pada 5 Mei (505).

Bahagian 4: Harmoni, tolenrasi dan kepercayaan diantara semua rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum dan agama

Seorang pemimpin yang inginkan kuasa untuk penyelewangan akan memecah-belahkan rakyat dan seorang pemimpin yang inginkan kuasa untuk berkhidmat akan menyatukan rakyat. Sejak kebelakangan ini rakyat Malaysia telah dibubuh pemikiran cetek untuk memainkan perasaan ekstrem kebencian, tidak harmoni diantara kaum dan agama. Malaysia adalah sebuah Negara berbilang kaum dengan melayu-islam menjadi majority lebih daripada 60% di kalangan rakyat Malaysia. Pemimpin yang bermasalah, demi untuk mengekalkan kuasa telah menggunakan strategi “pecah dan perintah” dikalangan rakyat Malaysia.

…di samping menyemaikan ketidakpercayaan dan syak-wasangka diantara masyarakat dan agama. Parti komponen yang berbeza dalam barisan yang sama telah memainkan isu kebencian diantara masyarakat dengan parti MCA dalam Barisan Nasional yang terus menghina undang undang Islam dan nilai-nilai Negara berkebajikan yang berlandaskan Islam yang diperjuangkan oleh PAS (satu ahli dalam Pakatan Rakyat) di kalangan kaum cina. Sementara pada waktu yang sama, parti UMNO dan rakan seperjuangan PERKASA dalam Barisan Nasional menaburkan sentiment ekstrem dan penghinaan pada bangsa dan agama lain di kalangan kaum melayu  jika masyarakat melayu menyokong  ahli Pakatan Rakyat yang lain seperti DAP dan PKR.

Protest terhadap pembinaan kuil Hindu di Shah Alam oleh Kerajaan Selangor Pakatan Rakyat. (Protest against the building of an Hindu temple in Shah Alam by Pakatan Rakyat Selangor State Government)

Protest terhadap pemimpin DAP Lim Kit Siang dan Lim Guan Eng yang juga merupakan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang (Protest against DAP leaders Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng who is also the Chief Minister of the Penang State Government)

Protest terhadap pemimpin BERSIH Ambiga Sreenevasan yang memperjuangkan pilihan raya yang bersih dan adil. (Protest against BERSIH leader Ambiga Sreenevasan who fight for clean and fair elections in Malaysia)

Protest dan kencing atas gambar pemimpin Islam PAS (Protest by urinating on the potrait of PAS Muslim leader and spiritual leader)

Bahan kempen pilihanraya yang menyamakan pemimpin PAS Nik Aziz seperti babi (Election campaign material that equates PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz as swine)

----------

My fellow Malaysian brothers and sisters,  5th May 2013, a day when all Malaysian voters determine the next leadership of our nation. There are 5 issues that we can all ponder on with our mind, heart and conscience when casting our votes this 5th May (505).

Part 4: Harmony, tolerance and trust between all Malaysians regardless of race and religion

A leader who wants power to abuse will divide the people and a leader who wants power to serve will unite the people. Malaysians of late have been sowed with seeds of hatred, racial disharmony and fed with extreme racial and religious sentiments. Malaysia is multiracial nation with muslim-malay made up a majority of over 60% of the country’s population.  It seemed that tainted leaders who are on the brink losing power continue to resort to “divide and conquer” strategy.

…sowing mistrust between communities and religions.  Different parties in the same coalition incite hatred between communities with one party (namely MCA) in Barisan Nasional insulting Islamic laws and Islamic view of welfare/benevolent  state as suggested by PAS  (a member of Pakatan Rakyat) among chinese communities while another party (namely UMNO and ally Perkasa) in Barisan Nasional inciting distrust and insults on other religions among muslim-malay communities if they support other Pakatan Rakyat members of DAP and PKR.

Amaran terhadap mengundi (PAS) Pakatan Rakyat yang akan merosakkan bangsa dengan sembahyang di gereja, sekaligus menghina agama Kristian yang akan menghancurkan negara. (Warning against voting for (PAS) Pakatan Rakyat which will destroy the nation, religion and race by seeing future generations praying in churches, thus insulting the Christian faith of destroying the country)

Amaran terhadap mengundi (DAP) Pakatan Rakyat yang  akan  mengadai hak bukan  bukan-Islam di Johor seperti di Kelantan, dimana MCA/ BN menuduh rakyat Kelantan yang 95% terdiri Melayu memilih kerajaan negeri diterajui PAS untuk menindas orang bukan Islam sekaligus menghina nilai-nilai Islam. (Warning against voting for (DAP) Pakatan Rakyat which will turn Johor into another Kelantan, where MCA/BN accuse the people of Kelatan whom 95% are muslim-Malay of electing a state government led by PAS to oppress the non-muslim there, thus insulting Islamic values in the state.

_________________________________________________________________

Undillah untuk MENOLAK parti satu kaum UMNO, MCA, MIC dan kawan-ekstrem PERKASA (Barisan Nasional) yang memecah-belahkan rakyat Malaysia.(Vote against a race-based party of UMNO, MCA, MIC and ally-extremist PERKASA (Barisan Nasional) who divides the races and conquer Malaysians)

Undilah untuk parti DAP, PAS dan PKR (Pakatan Rakyat) yang berbilang kaum.

(Vote for a multi-racial party of DAP, PAS and PKR (Pakatan Rakyat) who unites all Malaysians)

Undi untuk Ubah

Vote for change

Joshua

Vote for Pakatan Rakyat where its ethnic-chinese leader asks Malaysians to fulfill the dreams of a great Malay leader, Dato Onn Jaffar who once dream on a multi-racial political party. Where Malaysians from different background will proudly called themselves Malaysian first and last.

[Malay] Bagaimanakah undi anda pada 5 Mei 2013, PRU-13 dapat turunkan kes jenayah?/ How to reduce crime rate by your vote on 5th May 2013, GE-13?

VOTE TO REDUCE CRIME RATE
Undi untuk turunkan kes jenayah

VOTE TO INCREASE POLICE FORCE IN FIGHTING CRIME
Undi untuk menambahkan polis dalam menangani kes jenayah 

VOTE FOR CHANGE
Undi untuk perubahan

VOTE FOR
Undi untuk Ubah

Shameless UMNO Supporters insult Al-Quran quote by Anwar Ibrahim

As Anwar Ibrahim introduced a former army general as a Pakatan Rakyat candidate for the Johor Parliamentary Seat for the upcoming 13th General Elections, a handful UMNO/ Barisan Nasional supporters showed up to disrupt the peaceful gathering. Truly a shameless and disgusting act!

 

Sementara Anwar Ibrahim memperkenalkan seorang bekas jeneral tentera Malaysia sebagai calon Pakatan Rakyat untuk bertanding di kerusi Parlimen Johor Bahru, sekumpulan penyokong UMNO/ Barisan Nasional datang buat kacau dan bising di perhimpunan Pakatan Rakyat tersebut. Satu perbuatan yang jijik dan tidak beradab!

 



 

Vote for progress, justice, humility and honesty!

Reject corruption, oppression, arrogance and insults!

 

 

May God Almigthy bless the upcoming General Elections and may His Will for a better Malaysia for all Malaysians be done as it is heaven.

 

Joshua

Sleepless villagers long to return to bombed homes

By Boo Su-Lyn

March 07, 2013

Media are barred from entering Embara Budi community hall. — Pictures by Saw Siow Feng

LAHAD DATU, March 7 — Tired of being squeezed with some 650 people into a community hall here with only four toilets, some villagers want to return to their flattened homes in Kampung Tanduo, which was taken over by Sulu gunmen last month.

The Kampung Tanduo residents said that they fled their village on February 12 to Kampung Tanjung Labian with just the clothes on their backs after some 200 Sulu gunmen arrived, but were forced to flee again to the Embara Budi community hall here last Monday as they feared the intrusion of the southern Filipino militants.

“We sleep on the cement floor; no blankets, mattresses or pillows,” Ben Harun told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

“It is uncomfortable. I can’t sleep well. There are too many people,” added the fisherman who was born in Kampung Tanduo, which is a seaside village in eastern Sabah.

People waiting for rations at the Embara Budi community hall.

 

Erlinda Hamid says no sanitary pads are provided.

Ben, 48, said that most of the villagers staying in the Embara Budi community hall are women and children, who are not placed separately from the men. Families sleep together in the blue-roofed hall.

Despite losing all his property and livestock — including 100 goats, 38 cows and 100 chickens — after Kampung Tanduo was pounded by air strikes last Tuesday, Ben longed to go home.

"I hope to return to Tanduo... we are suffering here,” said Ben, who was wearing a black T-shirt and checked trousers.

He pointed out that he has been wearing the same clothes for days and that he would just don a sarong after he washes those clothes.

The villagers at the hall yesterday received family rations including two bags of rice, two packs of chocolate biscuits, 10 tines of sardines, two tins of condensed milk, one bag of oil, one pack of fine salt and one bag of sugar.

“We cook food once or twice a day. We must save, if not it’ll be difficult,” said Ben.

The Embara Budi hall that houses 650.

Ben Harun says that people sleep on the cement floor without mattresses, pillows or blankets.

Children ran about outside the hall and in a nearby playground with rusty swings as The Malaysian Insider interviewed Ben through the fence. The police prohibited media from entering the hall that was mostly filled with villagers from Kampung Tanjung Labian.

It is understood that several hundred villagers have also been placed at a small town called Fajar Harapan, which is similarly off-limits to the press.

Clothes were hung to dry on the barbed fence surrounding the Embara Budi hall, and even on bushes outside the building.

I hope to return to Tanduo... we are suffering here. — Ben

The hall, which is located at a Felda Sahabat plantation, is surrounded by oil palm trees. Felda Sahabat has 57 plantations and is twice the size of Singapore. It is spread out across a hilly terrain with straight, narrow roads that the occasional egret crosses.

Embara Budi is located some 5km from Kampung Tanjung Labian. Gunfire could be heard yesterday afternoon from a checkpoint near the village.

Several military and police vehicles zoomed past the hall yesterday, even as the authorities announced that the search operations have been expanded from Kampung Tanduo to Kampung Tanjung Batu.

Armed Forces chief Gen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin admitted yesterday that the nine bodies found were of Filipino militants killed during last Friday’s shootout. Three more bodies have yet to be discovered. One Sulu militant was shot dead yesterday morning, bringing the total Sulu casualties here to 13.

Self-proclaimed princess Jacel Kiram reportedly said yesterday that Sulu militant leader Agbimuddin Kiram and his group of Sulu sultanate followers survived last Tuesday’s aerial assault since invading Kampung Tanduo on February 9.

Kampung Tanduo resident Erlinda Hamid, 22, said sanitary pads were not provided at the hall.

“I really wish to go home,” she said, as she breastfed her one-year-old daughter at a nearby cousin’s house that was filled with flies.

Kampung Tanjung Labian community leader Assaffal Alian, who is a Dusun, said that the rations were supplied by the National Security Council.

“Of course we want to go back as soon as possible. Life is not as normal as it’s supposed to be,” said Assaffal, 48, adding that he arrived at the Embara Budi hall last Monday.

Many southern Filipinos fled to Sabah in the 1970s to escape the civil war in Mindanao.

The sultanate of Sulu, which is a province in the southern Philippines, claims Sabah as its ancestral land and insists that it has done no wrong in intruding into the Borneo state.

Factory worker Farizan Bayah, 23, said that people have stopped harvesting palm oil, pointing to the dense oil palm plantations along the way to the Embara Budi hall.

“People are scared of getting kidnapped,” he said.

A silly comment from an opposition MP about Sabah crisis

A silly comment made by the opposition MP Tian Chua recently about the Sulu militants intrusion into Sabah has been blown into a huge issue no matter how you may want to intepret it.

 

There should not be any doubt on the heroic sincerity and passion to defend the sovereignty of country among our country's security forces and defense personnel in dealing with the armed militants in Sabah.

 

I urged MP Tian Chua to apologize and retract his remarks/ comments as it does hurt the feelings of the loved ones of those whom had died in the operation so far.

 

I would also like to urge those whose anger continue to burn against the MP that made the silly remark that Tunku Abdul Rahman- our Bapa Kemerdekaan Malaysia (Father of Independence) is also accused of being "worse than" and defamed and we should also stand up/ speak up against those who defamed our Bapa Kemerdekaan.

 

However, I believe that Malaysia's mainstream media have given far too much attention on this remark by the MP eventhough how silly it may be. Patriotic and peace loving Malaysians should instead divert their energy to pray and to contribute in support of the affected families and Sabahans. Not to forget that we should also analyze the intrusion issue as how we could help to secure a better future, more prosperous and a more secured Sabah for all Malaysians in general and Sabahans in particular in the up coming 13th Generel Elections.

 

Blessed are the peace-makers. May the peace of God be with everyone. I pray that a peaceful solution without further bloodshed can be reached sooner.

 

Joshua

 

 

Israelis & Palestinians' right to live peacefully...

The Israel-Gaza conflict is escalating towards an outbreak of full-scale war in the Middle East.

Both Israeli-Government and Hamas-led Government in Gaza are democratically elected by their people to fulfill the aspiration and the welfare of its people. Therefore, both governments have their responsibilities to carry out the governing responsibilites to SAFEGUARD and PROTECT its citizens' interest and well-being in long term.

• Launching rockets and threatening military ground offensive ARE NOT THE SOLUTION!
• Israelis and Palestinians both have EQUAL RIGHT to live peacefully and properously without being under constant fear and threat of violence and bloodshed.
• There is NO OTHER SOLUTION other than a TWO-STATES SOLUTION for a secured state of Israel and an independant state of Palestine living peacefully side-by-side.

Every nation and every individual has the right to defend itself but it seems that the RIGHT has abused by poor strategies in the long run.

• Ever since Israel managed to assasinate Hamas-Militant Leader in Gaza recently, hundred more of rockets have been launched from Gaza towards Israel, targetting cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
• Since Hamas launched hundreds more of rockets into Israel in retaliation, Israel's offensive campaign only intensifies and only contribute more to civillian deaths.

If both the Israeli and Hamas Governments continue its short-sighted campaign of violence and bloodshed now leading to greater civillian casualties, then both governments have FAIL to SAFEGUARD and PROTECT its citizens' interest and well-being in LONG TERM.

I suggest that:

• Both governments agree to an IMMEDIATE cease-fire as brokered by Egypt and sanctioned by UN.
• Both governments agree to the ONLY diplomatic solution with a secured Israel and independant Palestine living side by side peacefully.
• Both goverments conduct a nation-wide EDUCATION & AWARNESS campaigns for its citizen to be informed of the diplomatic solution.
• Both governments convene a parliament sanctioned NATIONAL REFEREDUM on the Two-State diplomatic solution simultaneously
• Israel ACCEPTS the indenpendence of Palestine and the right of the Palestinians and STOPS all provocative unilateral decision on developing controversial lands...etc.
• Palestine RESPECTS the existence of Israel and the safety of the Israelis and STOPS all provocative militant activities against Israel. Hamas must weed out its militants' wing and establishes a Palestinian Parliament sanctioned defense army along-side with West-Bank. Hamas MUST work along with Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas of West-Bank.

If every nation and individual only acts in the name of  "the right of self-defense", who then will acts in the name of "the right to live peacefully''?

So, Israel and Gaza must act in the name of "the right of its citizens to live peacefully" and not to hijack the nation's interest for self-serving purpose.

May God-Almighty bring peace to everyone's home and the love of God be felt in every heart He loved.

Joshua

Israel-Gaza escalating conflict

Reuters/Reuters - An explosion and smoke are seen after Israeli strikes in Gaza City November 18, 2012. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed militant targets in Gaza for a fifth straight day on Sunday, launching aerial and naval attacks as its military prepared for a possible ground invasion, though Egypt saw "some indications" of a truce ahead.

Forty-seven Palestinians, about half of them civilians, including 12 children, have been killed in Israel's raids, Palestinian officials said. More than 500 rockets fired from Gaza have hit Israel, killing three people and injuring dozens.

Israel unleashed its massive air campaign on Wednesday, killing a leading militant of the Hamas Islamist group that controls Gaza and rejects Israel's existence, with the declared goal of deterring gunmen in the coastal enclave from launching rockets that have plagued its southern communities for years.

The Jewish state has since launched more than 950 air strikes on the coastal Palestinian territory, targeting weaponry and flattening militant homes and headquarters.

The raids continued past midnight on Sunday, with warships bombarding targets from the sea. And an air raid targeted a building in Gaza City housing the offices of local Arab media, wounding three journalists from al Quds television, a station Israel sees as pro-Hamas, witnesses said.

Two other predawn attacks on houses in the Jebalya refugee camp killed one child and wounded 12 other people, medical officials said.

These attacks followed a defiant statement by Hamas military spokesman Abu Ubaida, who told a televised news conference.

"This round of confrontation will not be the last against the Zionist enemy and it is only the beginning."

The masked gunman dressed in military fatigues insisted that despite Israel's blows Hamas "is still strong enough to destroy the enemy."

An Israeli attack on Saturday destroyed the house of a Hamas commander near the Egyptian border.

Casualties there were averted however, because Israel had fired non-exploding missiles at the building beforehand from a drone, which the militant's family understood as a warning to flee, and thus their lives were spared, witnesses said.

Israeli aircraft also bombed Hamas government buildings in Gaza on Saturday, including the offices of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and a police headquarters.

Among those killed in air strikes on Gaza on Saturday were at least four suspected militants riding motorcycles, and several civilians including a 30-year-old woman.

ISRAELI SCHOOLS SHUT

Israel said it would keep schools in its southern region shut on Sunday as a precaution to avoid casualties from rocket strikes reaching as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the past few days.

Israel's "Iron Dome" missile interceptor system destroyed in mid-air a rocket fired by Gaza militants at Tel Aviv on Saturday, where volleyball games on the beach front came to an abrupt halt as air-raid sirens sounded.

Hamas' armed wing claimed responsibility for the attack on Tel Aviv, the third against the city since Wednesday. It said it had fired an Iranian-designed Fajr-5 at the coastal metropolis, some 70 km (43 miles) north of Gaza.

In the Israeli Mediterranean port of Ashdod, a rocket ripped into several balconies. Police said five people were hurt.

Israel's operation has drawn Western support for what U.S. and European leaders have called Israel's right to self-defense, but there was also a growing number of calls from world leaders to seek an end to the violence.

British Prime Minister David Cameron "expressed concern over the risk of the conflict escalating further and the danger of further civilian casualties on both sides," in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a spokesperson for Cameron said.

The United Kingdom was "putting pressure on both sides to de-escalate," the spokesman said, adding that Cameron had urged Netanyahu "to do everything possible to bring the conflict to an end."

Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, said the United States would like to see the conflict resolved through "de-escalation" and diplomacy, but also believes Israel has a right to self-defense.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said in Cairo as his security deputies sought to broker a truce with Hamas leaders, that "there are some indications that there is a possibility of a ceasefire soon, but we do not yet have firm guarantees."

Egypt has mediated previous ceasefire deals between Israel and Hamas, the latest of which unraveled with recent violence.

A Palestinian official told Reuters the truce discussions would continue in Cairo on Sunday, saying "there is hope," but it was too early to say whether the efforts would succeed.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli official declined to comment on the negotiations. Military commanders said Israel was prepared to fight on to achieve a goal of halting rocket fire from Gaza, which has plagued Israeli towns since late 2000, when failed peace talks led to the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising.

Diplomats at the United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit Israel and Egypt in the coming week to push for an end to the fighting.

POSSIBLE GROUND OFFENSIVE

Israel, though, with tanks and artillery positioned along the frontier, signaled it was still weighing a possible ground offensive into Gaza.

Israeli cabinet ministers decided on Friday to more than double the current reserve troop quota set for the Gaza offensive to 75,000 and around 16,000 reservists have already been called up.

Asked by reporters whether a ground operation was possible, Major-General Tal Russo, commander of the Israeli forces on the Gaza frontier, said: "Definitely."

"We have a plan. ... It will take time. We need to have patience. It won't be a day or two," he added.

Another senior commander briefing reporters on condition of anonymity said Israel had scored "good achievements" in striking at nearly 1,000 targets, with the aim of ridding Hamas of firepower imported from Libya, Sudan and Iran.

A possible move into the densely populated Gaza Strip and the risk of major casualties it brings would be a significant gamble for Netanyahu, favorite to win a January national election.

Hamas fighters are no match for the Israeli military. The last Gaza war, involving a three-week Israeli air blitz and ground invasion over the New Year's period of 2008-09, killed over 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Thirteen Israelis died in the conflict.

But the Gaza conflagration has stirred the pot of a Middle East already boiling from two years of Arab revolution and a civil war in Syria that threatens to spread beyond its borders.

One major change has been the election of an Islamist government in Cairo that is allied with Hamas, potentially narrowing Israel's maneuvering room in confronting the Palestinian group. Israel and Egypt made peace in 1979.

(Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Todd Eastham)

Public execution of a woman in Afghanistan

News and video of a woman being publicly executed for alleged adultery in Afghanistan went viral for the past few days. Leaders, activists and the public all cried outrage towards the appaling act of violence. No one has the right to condemn, especially outside the court of law, what more the right to execute. Whether or not if the woman did commit adultery or not is not for debate here, but the way she was treated, executed demands conscience and mercy of all right-thinking people who all us are created in the image of God to condemn this violent act!

Justification for the execution?

Whether Islamic or the Law of Moses found in the Bible, both faiths have strict laws against adultery. Adultery is a sin, no more or less than the sin of deceit/ lies, greed...etc. The Law of Moses which both Islam and Christian faiths subscribe to requires the accused woman's partner in crime to appear and to be punished as well. What the executors done certainly weren't following the Law of Moses, so the execution has no justification at all as it is definitely un-islamic and un-christian! It is barbaric, inhumane, unmerciful!

Christian approach?

There is no better example and explaination than the Lord Jesus himself to deal with the issue of adultery. The Gospel of John in the Bible (NIV Version), Chapter 8:

" But went Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn, he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground  with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?''. "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin".

~ Chapter 8, Gospel of John, Holy Bible

Therefore to all right-thinking people, it is not right to commit adultery (I'm not even sure if the poor woman who was executed was guilty of adultery or not), but whether she was guilty or not, we must all have a merciful heart like Jesus, what more we are all sinners and fall short the Glory of God. If Jesus did not condemn the adulterous woman in the Bible, what more are we as sinners to condemn others at present time?

Shame on those executors! May God have mercy on the woman's soul and may God have mercy on all us, who we should forgive and love each other just as Christ forgave and loves us dearly.

"Lord, teach us to be humble, teach us to merciful like you are and teach us to love one and another as you commanded us to. In the most precious, loving and almighty name Jesus, we pray. Amen"

Joshua

Malaysia- Best Democracy in the World- Mobocracy

Best democracy in the world – mobocracy
By Mariam Mokhtar
May 25, 2012

Free Malaysia Today

The Malaysians who oppose clean, free and fair elections, otherwise known as Umno and their cronies, have claimed two casualties; democracy and the rule of law.

In place of democracy, we now have mobocracy. S Ambiga and her neighbours have been targeted. Now anything to do with Bersih and the opposition are subject to mob attacks. How soon before the same happens to ordinary citizens like you, should you disagree with Umno policy?

The harassment of Ambiga is a calculated distraction. For the past 54 years, Umno has broken every rule in the book to continue its stranglehold on the country.

Then, along comes Ambiga and Bersih to reproach the government for its shoddy election practices. Bersih stands in the way of the continued Umno domination of Malaysia and the face which one normally associates with Bersih, is Ambiga’s.

Umno wants us to focus on protecting Ambiga, so that we will forget about Umno and the Election Commission’s (EC) electoral fraud.

It has been suggested that race, religion and her gender were in some way connected with Ambiga’s harassment.

To make these links is to overlook decades of known atrocities committed by Umno to control the rakyat. We cannot ignore the wider picture in an effort to seek easy answers and scapegoats to explain these abhorrent actions.

The tragedy of May 13 was blamed on worsening Malay-Chinese relations, the Memali incident on a banned Islamic sect and the murder of Altantuya on a greedy vindictive woman. Scratch beneath the surface and a different picture emerges.

The men who are intimidating Ambiga do so under strict orders from the top. These men include the “butt regiment”, a group claiming to be army veterans and the elite “petty traders” whose chief leads the life of a Bollywood film star. Both are aided by their mercenaries, the Mat Rempits.

Umno and their cronies have been spoilt by their continual abuse of the constitution and other initiatives which were meant to help all sections of the rakyat, not just a select few.

Tough future

With a stronger opposition party, and with Bersih demanding free and fair elections, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is backed into a corner. It is no surprise that Bersih received a violent reception.

Malaysians face a tough future because extremist elements within the government do not wish to relinquish power. The extremists have a strong sense of entitlement because of their wrong and unshaken belief that they deserve it; but why should one’s race and religious inclination be the determining factors in education, financial aid and welfare programmes? Why should others be held hostage by the extremists? Why exclude legitimate Malaysians from sharing Malaysia’s wealth?

What did the police do to stop the petty stall holders who distributed free burgers outside Ambiga’ house?

The deputy chief of police, Khalid Abu Bakar, seems incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong, and condoned the actions of the petty trader’s group. He made a mockery of the rule of law. He does not deserve his badge of office.

If he was more responsible, he could have stopped the thugs from perpetrating their act of civil disobedience and there would have been none of the farcical selling of lots outside Ambiga’s residence and none of the “butt” displays from so-called veteran soldiers.

No servicemen would dishonour his old unit. The butt-exhibitionists brought the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s name into disrepute, because all soldiers swear allegiance to King and country. They also brought shame to the Malay community.

Khalid’s stupidity was nothing compared to the silence of the Malaysian leaders who were mute when it came to these personal attacks on individuals. Did we hear our PM condemn the harassment? Did the Home Minister, under whose purview the police come, rebuke the mob-rule? Their silence gave tacit support to anarchy.

These mobs want to hold all of Malaysia to ransom. They are now attacking any Bersih talk, and have targeted ceramahs by the opposition. Last night, a senior citizen suffered head injuries when a talk by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, was pelted with stones and eggs.

So who will accept responsibility should a death occur in these attacks? One man risks losing the sight in one eye because the police fired tear-gas canisters directly at the crowd during the Bersih 3.0 rally of April 28.

Umno lackeys

These Umno lackeys have defied the rule of law. They invade residential areas, invite Mat Rempits to intimidate the public by revving their engines and racing around dangerously; they deface public property just so Umno can continue to govern. Reasoning with them is like reasoning with a toddler in a temper tantrum.

The IGP has no grip on policing just as Najib has no clue on how to govern his “best democracy in the world”. Mat Rempits are encouraged to harass and intimidate the rakyat through their acts of civil disobedience.

Najib tells the whole world he practises moderation but he is a leader who is frustrated by the power-struggles within his party. His government is weak and inefficient. Voting them in at the 13th general election will be like voting for the lunatics to run the asylum.

Now, Malaysia is ruled by mobocracy or mob-rule. Najib has said that he will “defend Putrajaya at all costs, and with blood, sweat and tears”; perhaps the mob-rule will be used to fulfil this promise. If mob-rule dominates, emergency powers will be swept in and Umno can continue to govern. There would be no need for GE13.

The divisive tactics used against Ambiga are not new. They were used in Memali and the May 13, 1969 incident. The reason has always been the same: to divide and rule.

It is time Malaysians snapped out of their delusions and make a stand.

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.

Syria Crisis

I have not been following the crisis in Syria closely but the crisis is far too disturbing and long. I believe that Dictator Assad of Syria fear of ending up like former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak if he gives up power now.

One life lost is too much to lose!

Here's a link to follow on the latest news:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16769156

Dictators and oppressive rulers have no place in leaderships neither in public or private offices.

Joshua

Muslim extremist in Malaysia threatens to wage war against minority christians of the nation

Muslim extremist in Malaysia threatens to wage holy war/ jihad or crusade against minority christians of the nation...

It is sad that it has been more than 48 hours now since this extremist MP threatens violence against minority christians of the nation...and yet the authority fails to act against this threat of violence...

His threat is based on an unfounded piece article or two.

Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng calls for prayers for peace in the nation.

There's nothing much ordinary citizens like myself can do except to speak up for truth, justice, peace, hope and love and to pray.

God bless us all.

Joshua