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To classify someone a Firaun is the ultimate insult in Islam. You can call him a dog or a pig. He can still live with that. But to call a Muslim a Firaun is something really mean.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
(Bernama) -- The Civil Movement Against Corruption (Gerak) has sought the help of the Sultan of Selangor to advise Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to go on leave until the investigation into the cattle issue is over.
Selangor Gerak chairman Mohd Nazree Mohd Yunus said the Menteri Besar should go on leave to ensure that the investigation would not be jeopardised.
"We have evidence on the irregularities in the purchase of the cows for Aidiladha sacrifice," he told reporters after handing a memorandum to the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharifuddin Idris Shah, at Bukit Kayangan Palace, here, today.
The memorandum was received by the Sultan's aide-de-camp, naval commander Ahmad Ramli Kardi.
Gerak has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, claiming that Khalid had financed the purchase of 46 cows worth RM110,400 for Aidiladha slaughter with state money.
It claimed that the cows were distributed in Abdul Khalid's parliamentary seat, Bandar Tun Razak, which is in Kuala Lumpur, not Selangor.
Meanwhile, Abdul Khalid said: "There was no issue. It was merely an alm. If that is considered an irregularity, I do not know what else to do."
He was speaking to reporters after attending the presentation of a cheque for RM1 million from the Selangor Zakat (Tithe) Board to Yayasan Amal Selangor for the Gaza Palestinian Fund at the palace today. The cheque was presented by Sultan Sharafuddin.
Meanwhile, Abdul Khalid's political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said there was no instruction from the Menteri Besar to the Selangor State Development Corporation (SEDC) or the Selangor Industrial Corporation Sdn Bhd to donate cows for sacrifice in Bandar Tun Razak.
"The donation was made by the SEDC and its subsidiaries and associate companies without the use of state money or on the order of the Menteri Besar or his officers," he said.
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(The Malay Mail) -- Despite the looming threat of being hauled up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), campaigners for candidates eyeing Umno’s top posts in March are not too perturbed.
Campaigning, according to some lobbyists, continues to be aggressive despite the close attention of the MACC which had arrested and charged several party members for alleged money politics.
Several division chiefs and delegates who spoke to Malay Mail said campaigning would continue as normal.
“Really, there is nothing to fear. It is true that money is being handed out but these are for transportation or fuel money and not to buy the delegates’ votes,” said one division chief.
A delegate said the amount dished out was too small to buy votes as they did not even cover the expenses incurred in attending the election in March, and the various meetings prior to the event.
“RM300 or RM500 is too small an amount to buy votes. Let’s be practical about things here.”
“Surely, a vote is worth a lot more. Taking fuel money is not a guarantee that a delegate will vote for a candidate.”
“In any case, can accepting fuel money be defined as corruption in this case? These are tokens for attending meetings,” he said.
Those caught might want to challenge the authorities in court, and perhaps, find out the hard way that they have been holding on to a wrong notion, but whatever the outcome, quite a number of them felt that those who have been caught were “plain unlucky”.
“These were cases of them being set up by their enemies, who could very well be campaigners themselves,” said the division chief.
While some are unshaken, there were those who fear the crackdown and have stopped giving out “token money”.
“This does not mean that lobbying has to stop. It has to go on. How are we going to tell the delegates our visions and plans?” said one aspirant.
Some candidates, on the other hand, have called on the party headquarters to organise get-together events for them to meet the delegates. They said this would deter money politics or other activities deemed unethical.
“The party leadership had said the party headquarters would organise get-together events to introduce the candidates. However, we are coming to the end of January with no news of such gatherings,” he said.
The jostling for positions in the March party polls is one of the most intense as party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is stepping down to pave the way for deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak to take over.
Najib, who will take over the president’s post uncontested, will be looking for candidates from among those successfully voted in March to fill some Cabinet positions as well.
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Yes, that appears to be what fills up the newspapers these days -- corruption, abuse of power, arrogance of those in power, violation of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, police brutality and excess use of force, and what have you.
Some of you may already know the story of Moses -- Musa, if to the Muslims. Moses was ordered by God to go meet the Pharaoh of Egypt and appeal to him to abandon his ‘sesat’ ways and return to the religion of Abraham. (And that is why the Quran says that all those followers of Moses and Jesus who follow the way or adeen of Abraham are the true submitters. And that is also why Kofi Anan in his speech in the UN said: we are all children of Abraham).
Anyway, Moses, although reluctantly, did just that. (Moses knew that the Pharaoh was one mean son-of-a-bitch and the less you cross his path the better, if you know what I mean).
The Pharaoh asked Moses what’s so special about his God. Well, Moses replied, my God can give life and can take life.
The Pharaoh then sentenced Moses to death, for no reason whatsoever. He then pardoned Moses. “See,” said the Pharaoh, “I have just taken your life and I gave you back your life. So I too am God. I too can give life and take life.” (Okay, maybe he did not use those exact words but that was basically what the Pharaoh said).
The stories in the Holy Books are not for entertainment purposes. They are meant as a guide and to demonstrate what our characteristics mean. Sure, these may be stories of the past, but they are as relevant today as if they happened this morning.
People who think they have the power of life and death over others have the characteristics of the Pharaoh -- Firaun, if to the Muslims. And Firauns are arrogant sons-of-bitches who think that they are second to God (sometimes they think they are God). And the Holy Books want us to remember that there is still a Higher Power above us and that one day we shall face the wrath of this Higher Power for all the sins we have done to mankind.
Even when we screw up the environment in the pursuit of easy and quick wealth we eventually pay for it when Tsunamis, landslides, and so on, hit us and bury us in our sleep. Sometimes, we who perpetuate the crime do not suffer the retribution. Sometimes others are the victims while we escape punishment. But those who get punished are not really that innocent. When we stand by and do nothing about what others do to the environment we are as guilty as those who are directly responsible. So we pay the price of the folly of others.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi talks about the ‘Little Napoleons’. A more accurate term would be ‘Little Firauns’. Malaysia is rife with Little Firauns. These are those arrogant sons-of-bitches who think that they have the power of life and death over you. And they will not hesitate to abuse this power if you ever disagree with them.
To classify someone a Firaun is the ultimate insult in Islam. You can call him a dog or a pig. He can still live with that. But to call a Muslim a Firaun is something really mean. I was told that when Ezam Mohd Noor, the then Parti Keadilan Nasional Youth Leader, called Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ‘Mahafiraun’, the old man was extremely hurt. He had been called many things but he can take all that. But Mahafiraun was just too much. Mahathir really took offence to that and it is said it hurt him deeply.
By the way, Ezam is behind GERAK, the NGO that is screaming until the cows come home about the cows that Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is alleged to have donated to his constituency. GERAK is upset that Tan Sri ‘abused his authority’ by purchasing 46 cows worth RM110,400.
That reminds me of the Pendang and Anak Bukit by-elections in Kedah soon after the PAS President, Ustaz Fadzil Nor died. Umno sent hundreds of cows and camels to the voters. These poor animals were slaughtered and the meat was distributed to the voters in Pendang, basically a Malay-majority seat. Umno managed to grab that parliament seat from PAS on the carcass of cows and camels.
Last night I was with a few friends and we started talking about the alarmingly high number of extra-judicial killings. One chap commented that over the last ten years about 1,500 detainees have died while under police custody. He said he was going to compile a list of names and publish it in his Blog. Another chap commented that an estimated 90% of those killed are Indians.
This reminded me of the CPO of Johor who used to be the CPO of Terengganu when I first met him. As soon as he took over as the Johor CPO the newspapers carried reports about the many criminals shot dead at the scene of the crime. I congratulated him on the success of the police in Johor since he took over and asked him about the high number of ‘killed at the scene’ cases.
The CPO replied that he has instructed his men to not bring back any prisoners. They are to be eliminated. If any police officer brings back a prisoner he would be demoted and assigned to traffic duty. That is why they shoot criminals on sight and don’t bother to arrest them,
This CPO was later asked to resign because it was discovered he was behind the luxury car theft syndicate. It seems they steal expensive cars from Singapore and smuggle them into Malaysia to be registered as ‘imported reconditioned cars’. (Now you know what some of the APs are used for). Also implicated in this syndicate were the Customs Department (who approve the ‘imports’) and the Road Transport Department (who register these ‘imported reconditioned cars). It was a ring involving three government departments.
Not long after the CPO was forced to resign he suffered a stroke and was bed-ridden. He never got to enjoy his millions of ill-gotten gains.
One day, while I was enjoying my coffee in Starbucks, a friend pointed out a Malay man struggling to walk into Bangsar Village, aided by two members of his family. According to my friend, the man, who had suffered a severe stroke and could hardly stand up un-aided, used to be a police chief.
It seems, according to my friend, this one-time police chief was the man who investigated the kidnapping of a certain infamous Chief Minister’s son. The six Indian ‘kidnappers’ were eventually arrested. But the police chief kept the ransom money and executed the six kidnappers, as dead mean tell no tales.
“How do you know this?” I asked my friend. He replied he had attended their funeral and all had bullets holes in the back of their skull. Invariably, the ransom money, which the police confiscated, disappeared.
Well, this police chief has also suffered a stroke and can no longer enjoy his millions of blood money, just like that CPO of Johor and the many others who I do not wish to tell their stories yet.
Today, we are still seeing this arrogance perpetuated. It is still the shame shit, only different cows this time. And while GERAK makes much ado about some cows, the pigs get to rip us off in our sleep. But the Higher Power eventually teaches these Firauns that they are not God. And God swallowed Pharaoh when the parted sea closed back. And this time the sea of Malaysian voters will swallow the Little Pharaohs who think they are God and have the power of life and death over us.
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