Politik, Legislatif, Dasar dan Tadbir Urus

By William Pesek Bloombergview.com If Malaysian leader Najib Razak thought he already had problems at home, now he also needs to worry about a “Jokowi effect” spreading from neighboring Indonesia. On Monday, fresh-faced Joko "Jokowi" Widodo took the helm of the world’s fourth-most-populous nation. Throughout Southeast Asia, young voters have been gripped by the rise of this small businessman -- effectively a nobody -- to his nation’s highest office. Jokowi isn't the scion of any political dynasty or wealthy family, the normal routes to power in Southeast Asia . He’s a self-made outsider known for hands-on solutions and personal incorruptibility. Voters have to ask themselves why Jokowi’s story can’t be replicated in their own countries, many of which are crying out for more credible, effective leaders. Najib has particular reason to be concerned. His personal background -- as the son of Malaysia's 1970s Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein -- is one of privileg...

My article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 17/10/2014 After more than 57 years of independence, it is indeed sad that we have yet to achieve the much desired one-nation and one-identity concept which stresses on equality for the citizenry regardless of race, culture or belief. The running of our nation’s affairs is still heavily dependent on race-based policies. In addition to all those race-based policies and systems, some followers of one particular religion have also systematically evolved into a machinery of threat and fear in order to control and subdue others into submission. A large number of elected representatives from the ruling party have also proven to be unable to articulate and analyse logically on issues of distributive and regulative justice. Instead, it seems that they prefer to harp on issues involving race, religion, the rulers, as well as fan hatred, violence and suspicion among Malaysians. Other concerns which are equally disturbing are the unjust poli...

By Peter Hartcher While Indonesia marked another democratic advance on Monday, democracy in neighbouring Malaysia goes backwards. Indonesia inaugurates the man that most voters chose to be leader, while Malaysia concludes a sham trial to destroy the man that most voters chose to be leader. Indonesia is conducting the first transfer of power from one directly elected president to another. Illustration: John Shakespeare And Malaysia? It remains under the control of the same party that has ruled continuously since independence in 1957. "While Indonesia is making huge progress, we are rewinding and the democratic space is going back to the Mahathir era of the 1990s," says Malaysia's opposition treasury spokesman, Rafizi Ramli, during a visit to Australia on Monday. "We have not recovered from last year's election." There is more than democracy at stake. A professor of political science at Monash University's Malaysian campus, James Chin, says...

By Richard Spencer, The Telegraph He has been in prison before, and has no wish to return. But when Anwar Ibrahim, long-serving figurehead of Malaysia's opposition, steps back on a plane he knows that may be exactly where he is headed. "Quite a few of my friends have tried to persuade me to stay away," he told The Telegraph on Friday. He would not be the first politician in flight from his government to seek refuge in London. "It is very difficult, particularly for my family. But when I started this case for reform in Malaysia I knew it was not going to be easy. "We are facing not just a political party but a whole system that is corrupt and repressive. But if people like me can't stand up against these atrocities what can we expect from young people?" Mr Ibrahim has been at the heart of one of the longest-running and most personal legal battles in world politics. Once upon a time, he was an internationally respected finance minister and deputy to Ma...

Indonesian scholar Dr Ulil Abshar Abdalla has waded into Malaysia's controversial "Allah" edict, saying Muslims who believe the word is exclusive to Islam were “confused” and noted the Arabic term predates Islam. Ulil, who was denied entry into Malaysia this month for allegedly opposing its Islamic stand, said Muslims did not have a monopoly of the word “Allah” as it was a general term to refer to God. Malaysia has declared “Allah” is exclusive only for Muslims, who are the majority among the 30 million population. “The term ‘Allah’ comes from two words which are ‘Al’ ‘and ‘Ilah’ which means God. “If we mention the word ‘Allah’, it is translated as God. The people of Mecca also used the word ‘Allah’ before Islam came,” he said in a recent telephone interview with The Malaysian Insider. Ulil said it was wrong for people to claim that Muslims alone could use the word “Allah” as it had been in use among the Arabs during the pre-Islamic era. “If Muslims now feel that the w...

Putrajaya is showing its "fundamentalist" stripes and is insulting the intelligence of Malaysian Muslims with its ban on Indonesian Muslim scholar Dr Ulil Abshar Abdalla from entering the country, say critics. Ulil's sponsor, the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) chief Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa said the government was showing its inconsistency in promoting moderation by preventing Ulil from visiting Malaysia to speak against religious fundamentalism. Former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, meanwhile, called the government "fundamentalist" and said this episode was just the latest event that showed how extremist Malaysia had become. Zaid also called on Commonwealth countries leaders to stop being "polite" to Malaysia and to make it answer for its actions. "The government thinks that we do not have a mind of our own and we need to be guided on what to hear, what to read and what to think. Could there be anything more condescending than that?" F...

Mengimbas lebih 2,000 tahun, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim mengumpamakan keadaan semasa di Malaysia dengan Athens di mana pemimpinnya menghukum Socrates kerana mempromosikan 'idea berbahaya' kepada anak muda. Socrates, kata bekas menteri undang-undang itu, sebaliknya hanya meminta warga Athens mengemukakan soalan. Sama dengan keadaan sekarang, kata Zaid, orang Islam di Malaysia tidak dibenarkan mendengar pandangan berbeza kerana mereka kemudiannya mungkin belajar bertanya soalan. Beliau mendakwa pemimpin yang ada sungguh mengecewakan dan mementingkan diri sendiri. Menulis di blognya, Zaid turut membangkitkan persoalan bagaimana orang Melayu dan Islam akan menjalankan kewajipan mereka jika mindanya kaku. “Bagaimana mereka akan lakukannya tanpa kemampuan berfikir secara kritikal dan bertanya soalan? “Apa yang mereka tahu bagaimanapun menerima membuta tuli segala ritual yang diluluskan Jakim (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia), tetapi ini tidak akan memacu minda aktif yang diperlukan untuk...

By John Malott, former US envoy to Malaysia Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department or de facto law minister Nancy Shukri has spoken. The Malaysian government has spoken . It is okay to say to burn the Bible. So - Burn, Baby, Burn. We are just “defending” Islam. So Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali is “off the hook” and will not be prosecuted for offending the 30 percent of Malaysia’s population - 6 million people - who are Christian. The Malaysian government has officially told Ibrahim Ali, “Keep on spewing your ignorant, racist nonsense. It is okay. Nothing will happen to you.” I am sure that Ibrahim loves it. The Malaysian government has sanctioned his pompous, arrogant, ignorant, racist rhetoric. Malaysia’s biggest blowhard is now reveling in his self-importance. But what if I said we should burn other Holy Books in order to defend my religion, Christianity? I can imagine the outrage. But I have not said that. Nor has any responsible Christian leader in Malaysia or anywhere else i...

How did we get here, when Datuk Ibrahim Ali's threat of burning Malay Bibles is not seen as an offence just because it appears that he was defending the sanctity of Islam? Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri's written parliamentary reply on behalf of the prime minister speaks volumes about the double talk and double standards in enforcing the law in Malaysia. There has been some outrage but not enough to tell Putrajaya that there cannot be double standards for those who can simply threaten and get away with their threats in the name of religion. The sad fact of what is happening in Malaysia is that the government of the day appears to have forgotten the concepts of justice and fairness. Some people are hauled up, others aren't. Prosecution appears arbitrary, persecution appears mandatory for the few who are critical of the government. And this is a sure way for the implosion of what has been built up through the years. People are tired of the doubl...

By Shannon Tiezzi The on-going protests in Hong Kong have obvious (and important) implications for Hong Kong itself as well as for mainland China. But the protests will also play an important role in Taiwan. How Beijing handles the protests in the coming days will affect both cross-strait relations and Taiwan’s domestic politics. Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce on September 29, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou gave voice to Taiwan’s concern over the situation in Hong Kong. “I fully understand and support Hong Kong residents’ demand for free nomination and election of Hong Kong’s chief executive, and urge the mainland authorities to listen carefully to the voices of Hong Kong residents and handle the matter in a peaceful and cautious manner,” Ma said . Ma also urged the protestors to “to express their views in a peaceful and rational manner.” Ma concluded, “It is our belief that it will be a win-win situation for both Hong Kong and the Mainlan...

By Ng Kee Seng TheAntDaily.com Indonesia was condemned for barbaric beheadings during the 1998 worst ever religious extremist violence that saw more than 1,000 murdered. The world’s most populous Muslim country has learnt its lessons well after that disaster. Today, its economy is forging ahead much faster than Malaysia, attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs) with ease. Although Indonesia was also included in a French travel advisory list to be vigilant over Islamic State (IS) threats, the inclusion of Malaysia must be shocking. On Sept 27, The Malay Mail reported that France has issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to be vigilant in several countries, including Malaysia over fears of a threat from IS militants. The advisory comes after French tourist Hervé Gourdel was beheaded in Algeria on Sept 24 by terrorists claiming to belong to IS, and as local police intelligence revealed that Malaysian nationals are among those who have travelled to Syria to join th...

Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) should realise that the political landscape has changed and no amount of suppression will make the rakyat vote for them, says Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. The Global Movement of Moderates chief executive said silencing dissent would only make people dissatisfied to the extent that they might support the opposition instead. Saifuddin, who was once a deputy higher education minister, told The Malaysian Insider that Umno and BN should understand the changing times and what citizens really wanted. "The rakyat want their role to be recognised, they want their voices and opinions to be heard, they want to have a say in the nation's decision-making," said the former Temerloh MP and Umno Supreme Council member. Saifuddin was commenting on an opposition exposure that 60 Umno division leaders had urged the Attorney-General and the inspector-general of police to crack down on government critics. This meeting, allegedly held on August 14, was cited by PKR...