The right to religion and religion of

rights
BY SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

Both great forces need to be harnessed for the common cause of human
salvation.
AT a seminar at the University of Malaya on May 23, a monumentally significant issue
was explored: whether religion and human rights are compatible with each other?
At the very outset it was pointed out by the speakers that the topic poses many
interesting definitional and conceptual conundrums.
Questionable dichotomy: Religion and human rights cannot be regarded as two
separate, adversarial concepts because the right to profess, practise and propagate
ones religion is itself one of historys oldest and passionately sought-after human rights.
Likewise the ideology of human rights has become a new religion. Human rights theories
contain sweeping value judgments, commendable though they are, that rest on faith, not
facts. Many human rights assertions are similar to religious dogmas.
The overlapping between the concept of freedom and the concept of religion is also
evidenced by the fact that many human rights landmarks are founded on religious
theory. The American Declaration of Independence 1776, for example and the French
Declaration of the Rights of Man 1789 invoke the name of God.
Diversity in religious doctrine: Every religion, without exception, is a mansion with
many rooms. Every religion has a beautiful tapestry of doctrines, principles, beliefs and
fables that embrace the inter-connectedness of life, the importance of love, tolerance,
sacrifice and peace.
At the same time there is evidence throughout history that all religions have now and
then been abused to divide and denigrate and to justify wars, brutalities and
inhumanities.
Diversity in human rights theory: Just as with religion, the human rights theory is
wide, varied and expanding and has commendable as well as condemnable narratives.
Human rights jurisprudence incorporates first generation civil and political rights;
second generation socio-economic rights; and third generation development rights.
Most of the rights articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are compatible with religious theory.

Clashes: Despite many commonalities, one cannot deny that there are areas of clear
divergence between the secular theory of human rights and the sacred injunctions of
religion.
> Rights must go hand in hand with duties duties to oneself, ones family, community,
nation and the world at large. Human rights jurisprudence pays insufficient attention to
duties that complement rights. In religion, on the other hand, duties to God and to fellow
humans are paramount. The correlative rights are merely consequential.
> The right to personal autonomy treats pornography and blasphemy as part of free
speech. Drugs, drinking, gambling, abortion, surrogate motherhood, sexual orientation,
cross-gender dressing and free sex are regarded as part of personal liberty. The right to
life includes the right to extinguish life through suicide and euthanasia!
> Contemporary human rights thinking is that everyone is entitled to his own view of the
good life. He can do whatever gives him pleasure and live howsoever he wishes. The
concept of divine will, the world beyond and the concept of sin are regarded as irrelevant
or subordinate to the human rights quest.
Reconciling the irreconcilable: Those who wish to treasure both human rights and
religion need to find some ways to reduce conflicts and to build bridges between these
two great yearnings. The task is challenging but is worth attempting.
> There could be recognition that religion and human rights are overlapping circles at the
centre of which there are shared rights, duties and expectations. At the fringes, however,
clashes exist and need to be mitigated.
> Religion must be defended against vilification. There is no evidence that religion is a
greater threat to human rights than economics or political ideology or ethnicity. While
conceding that in the name of religion great atrocities have been committed in all
civilisations, it must be noted that wars, conquests, genocide, ethnic cleansing, use of
atomic weapons, regime changes, economic sanctions and blockades are more
common for political, ethnic or economic reasons than for reasons of religion.
> We need to accept the middle path of moderation in religion as well as in our demand
for freedom. Not every civil claim or demand should be canonised as a human right.
This nomenclature should be reserved only for those core beliefs over which there is
wide, universal, inter-civilisational agreement.
> While condemning atrocities in the name of religion (for instance those of the so-called
Islamic State in Syria), we must also express our outrage and disgust at how democracy
and human rights have been used by the West to bomb nations, overthrow regimes and
exterminate millions in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

> In the area of law and morals a distinction could be made between public and private
spheres. The state should not invade the private sphere except on the most pressing
grounds of security and public order. Some morally questionable claims, such as the
right of speech to pornography, should be punished only if the pornographer
trespasses into the public domain. While not legalising these sinful practices, the state
should observe its duty to respect individual privacy as long as a conduct remains in the
private sphere.
> A distinction between crime and sin should be recognised. Sins and sacrilege, atheism
and apostasy will be punished by God in the hereafter and need not be prosecuted by
the state through the agency of the law.
In sum, religion and human rights are both great forces that need to be harnessed for
the common cause of human salvation. One cannot deny, however, that in some areas
the core beliefs of religion come in conflict with the many modern-day cascading claims
of human rights. Though full reconciliation is not possible, the distance between religion
and human rights can be reduced.
> Shad Faruqi is Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM. The views expressed are entirely
the writers own.

In praise of moderation
BY SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

Moderation does not mean acceptance of evil. Moderates have a duty to stand up
for truth and justice but in a non-violent manner.
LATELY there have been several seminars on moderation and tolerance and I wish to
share my views with The Star readers.
Semantics: As with most concepts, moderation cannot be defined precisely and
objectively. Any judgment that someone is a moderate or an extremist is bound to be
subjective and afflicted by the problem that words are like amoebas and change shape
all the time. Whether being a moderate is commendable or condemnable is also a
matter of subjective judgment. Note how some noble citizens who believe in tolerance
and inter-racial accord are criticised by their brethren as traitors to their race and
religion.
Attributes: Moderation is a necessary way of thought and action in a multi-hued society
and a globalised world.

> Moderation is the absence of extremism in all aspects of life, whether politics,
economics or religion. It is the quality of being temperate, restrained, controlled,
measured, mild, gentle, fair, soft, sober and disciplined.
> It is about balance and reconciliation between conflicting interests rather than a
militant, uncompromising, all-or-nothing attitude.
> It is abhorrence of violence, whether in the name of religion, politics, economics or any
other ideology. The bogus Muslims of the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, the
Boko Haram in Nigeria and militant groups in Somalia are guilty of extremist and
abominable practices.
> Equally culpable are the leaders of Western nations who in the name of democracy
massacre millions of people in countries such as Syria and Yemen.
> Moderation requires respect for human rights not just ours but also those of others.
The first function of freedom should be to free someone else.
> Moderation entails a willingness to be objective. Dag Hammarskjold, the former
Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his book Markings, said that to be truly
objective, one must be prepared to be subjective from the other persons point of view!
> Moderation is an attitude of humility and accommodation that recognises that
disagreements are natural. Truth is multiple. Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact.
Everything we see is a perspective, not the absolute truth.
> Moderation is acceptance of the plural nature of our society and recognition of diversity
as an asset. It is, as Datuk Azlina Aziz says, about engagement, listening and cutting the
invisible barbed wires that separate them from us. It is about extending a hand over
the divide to those who may disagree with our views but have as much a stake in the
country as we do.
> It is recognition that unity does not mean sameness. It has to be a unity in diversity.
> Moderation is the fine line between racism (which is hatred for others) and communityconsciousness, which is a positive desire to uplift a community, not necessarily ones
own!
> Moderation is recognition that love for God must manifest itself in kindness towards all
His creations.
Caution: Moderation does not mean acceptance of evil. Moderates have a duty to stand
up for truth and justice but in a non-violent manner.

A pacifist but powerful protest against tyranny like that of Mahatma Gandhi (in South
Africa and India) and Martin Luther King Jr in the United States is within the borders of
moderation.
Cultivating moderation: Moderation is not something we are born with. It has to be
cultivated at home, in the school, mosque, church, temple, office and neighbourhood.
All of us have a role to play, big or small. For example, in February I was invited by the
predominantly Malay-populated Serenia Gardens Owners and Residents Association to
a Chinese New Year Dinner at their community hall. What was remarkable was that the
hall rests below a surau. After isyak prayers, dinner was served; a troupe of lion dancers
arrived; firecrackers lighted the firmament. The spirit of muhibbah glowed late into the
night.
Education: We need to reformulate our education system. National schools must be
truly national in their syllabi and in their ethnic composition of pupils and teachers. They
must promote interfaith studies. Most prejudices are born out of ignorance.
Law and politics: We need a Declaration on Religious and Racial Harmony to
supplement our Rukun Negara. Through a National Harmony Act, the law must provide a
statutory framework for reconciling race and religious conflicts.
The Internet and social media are often abused to fan hatred. No special dispensation
can apply to this form of free speech. However, what is important is that in initiating
prosecution, there should be equal treatment and equal harassment.
Media: Instead of highlighting pernicious acts of bigotry and demagoguery, the media
should celebrate acts of inter-communal harmony. There is heroism everywhere. Every
day thousands of ordinary citizens perform extraordinary acts of love and compassion
that transcend race and religion.
Religious faith: There is in every religion enough to unite as well as to divide. The
choice is ours. The Bible says: Do unto others as we wish to be done unto us. Likewise
the Prophet of Islam says: Shall I not inform you of a better act than fasting, alms and
prayers? Making peace between one another: enmity and malice tear up heavenly
rewards by the roots.
Let us then build bridges and dismantle walls; heal and reconcile and treat each other
with mutual respect. As we walk through the meadows of our mind, let us emulate Kofi
Anans advice to confront ignorance with knowledge; bigotry with tolerance; and
isolation with the outstretched hand of generosity.
Shad Faruqi, Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM, is a passionate student and teacher of
the law who aspires to make difficult things look simple and simple things look rich.
Through this column, he seeks to inspire change for the better as every political, social
and economic issue ultimately has constitutional law implications. He can be reached
atprof.shad.saleem.faruqi@gmail.com. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Abolishing wars, seeking peace

BY SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

Why should an organisation devoted to saving succeeding generations from the

scourge of war make it its business to authorise war?
SEVENTY years ago, the Charter of the United Nations solemnly proclaimed that the
people of the UN were determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of
war and to establish conditions under which justice can be maintained.
Peaceful resolution of disputes was the over-arching ideal of the Charter. However, the
Charter permitted two exceptions under which recourse to war was permissible:
> Under Article 51, a nation can defend its sovereignty against an armed attack.
> Collective use of force can be undertaken under Chapter VII of the Charter under a
resolution of the UN Security Council.
In the euphoria of the establishment of the UN, these two provisions were regarded as
just and fair exceptions to the prohibition on the use of force.
But with the tragic misuse of UN authorised interventions in Afghanistan, Libya and
Syria, one is made to wonder why an organisation devoted to saving succeeding
generations from the scourge of war and securing peace and justice should make it its
business to authorise the revolting actions that necessarily flow from war.
It is therefore timely to demand that the provision relating to collective use of force under
Chapter VII be reviewed or repealed.
Spiralling wars: In the 70 years since the inception of the UN, the world has
unfortunately witnessed many theatres of conflict. In a nuclear age, the savagery of war
has become even worse. The grounds on which war can be waged have expanded.
Anticipatory self-defence: Some powerful nations like the US and Israel have
interpreted the Charter to read into it the right of pre-emptory attack or anticipatory selfdefence.
Humanitarian intervention: A new ground of humanitarian war without the authority of
the UN has been established extra-legally by the American-European Union Alliance.
Regime change: Wars for the purpose of regime change were and are being waged in
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen.

Proxy wars: Many rich and powerful states are fomenting civil wars and supporting
armed mercenary forces for the purpose of subverting the sovereignty of other states.
Tragic examples are Yemen, Libya, Syria and Ukraine.
Privatising torture: Since the 90s, wars, incarceration in overseas prisons and torture
have been privatised. This is a wicked way of avoiding accountability under national
laws.
Terrorism: Unspeakable horrors are being committed by terrorist groups like the IS.
However, it must be stated that all terrorism, whether by private groups or state actors, is
an abomination. On the pretext of combating terrorism, many states are committing
atrocities both within their territory and abroad.
Targeted killings: Extra-judicial assassinations of the officials of other states or national
liberation movements are being carried out by drone attacks, special-forces units or
covert operations.
Humans as guinea pigs: Some nations are developing, deploying and testing their new
weapon systems in countries that they invade or occupy countries like Afghanistan,
Iraq and Gaza whose population has become a guinea pig for testing deadly weapons.
Threat of missile attacks: Threats of missile and nuclear attacks have become
standard language of foreign policy. This is a violation of international law.
Selective sanctions: In the name of human rights, sanctions are being enforced but in a
very selective way by the Security Council and by individual nations against their
opponents. This is despite overwhelming proof that sanctions hurt innocent civilians and
cause untold misery and deprivation to the weakest members of society.
The ICC: The International Criminal Court has gone into operation. But nations like the
US and Israel refuse to join it. The UN Security Council and the ICC have brought to
book a few war criminals. Sadly, the work of the ICC shows a terrible ethnic bias against
Africa. Mass murderers from the USA, EU and Israel remain immune.
Cold War reignited: The Cold War has become reignited and with it new theatres of
conflict as in Ukraine are causing massive loss of life.
Merchants of death: The arms trade continues unabated and ignites and fuels regional
wars and retards the search for political solutions to international disputes. All arms
traders are merchants of death but enjoy a prestige and wealth unknown to many other
professions.
Western exceptionalism: Western unilaterism is a sad reality of geopolitics today. In
the last decade itself, there were full scale invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq on trumped
up charges plus bombing of Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Syria. In Yemen,
Libya and Syria, western proxies are in the forefront of the so called civil war.
US drones blow up enemy combatants in many parts of the world with sickening
regularity. Despite its professed belief in democracy, Washington has a sorry record of
collaborating with right-wing military officers to overthrow elected leaders who do not do

Washingtons bidding. The latest victims are Morsi in Egypt in 2013 and Yanukovych in
Ukraine in 2014.
On July 3, 1988 the United States shot down an Iranian Airbus killing 290 passengers.
The Western world expressed only muted regret.
Genocide in Palestine: US and European complicity with Israel in the 67-year old
genocide of the Palestinians is an undeniable fact. As I write, Israel continues to butcher
children, women and civilians in Gaza.
Srebrenica: Dutch complicity in the massacres in Srebrenica is well documented.
Structural violence: Add to these military atrocities, the structural violence and
oppressive economic systems of the West. There is a desire to consolidate an
uncompromising version of corporatism that seeks total economic hegemony over Asia
and Africa.
Environment: An environmental catastrophe is awaiting the world unless we take
adequate measures to control the threat. Needless to say that part of the ecocide is
contributed by the use and misuse of weapons of mass destruction.
In sum, it is a pretty grim situation in the world today. What can be done to bring about a
more peaceful and just world? There are obviously no simple solutions. A
comprehensive, holistic approach is badly needed.
> Shad Faruqi, Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM, is a passionate student and teacher
of the law. He can be reached at prof.shad.saleem.faruqi@gmail.com. The views
expressed here are entirely his own.

Free speech is not absolute

BY SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

Rights per se have no value. It is in the use to which they are put; it is the restraint
and responsibility with which they are exercised.
THE massacre by Muslim gunmen of a dozen employees of the satirical
magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris on Jan 7 was an abomination, an outrage, an atrocity
and an evil deed without a name. It was a savagely disproportionate act of revenge.
However, it must be recorded that some Muslims had indeed moved the French courts
to prohibit the magazine from committing vile acts of blasphemy but had lost in the
courts. It is a matter of speculation how things would have worked out if the admirable

French (and European Union) apparatus against discrimination, racism and antiSemitism had been extended equally to give shade to the Muslim minority.
Europe is in the throes of Islamophobia. Geert Wilders, Theo van Gogh and Pim Fortuyn
of the Netherlands, Marine Le Pen and French Southern League, Northern League of
Italy, Democrats of Sweden, Peoples Party of Denmark and Freedom Party of Germany
are in the forefront.
How the heroic Enlightenment-inspired West must react to this affliction is a matter for
Europeans to decide. Outsiders like me can only react with concern to how educated
and otherwise wonderful people can delink Islamophobia from racism so that today in
Europe it is possible to be both anti-Islam and anti-racist.
For eight years, the irreverent, sadistic, rogue editors and cartoonists of Charlie
Hebdoused the delightful art of cartooning not for humouring but for hurting and
humiliating. The journalists defiled the sanctum sanctorum of all religions and pursued a
warped passion for blasphemy despite being told that they were offensive to the faithful
and risked danger to their innocent workers.
As we pray for the souls of those murdered, I hope that this tragedy will lead to
fundamental rethinking on a number of issues:
Western values: It is argued by some that Charlie Hebdo represented free speech and,
by extension, the value system of the West. To hold up the magazine as the standard
bearer of Western civilisation is to sully the West. Charlie Hebdo was a bigoted,
incendiary and racist publication. It specialised in Muslim baiting. It banalised Arabs and
Islam. Surely these are not Western values.
An absolute right: Many Westerners assert that freedom of speech is an absolute, nonnegotiable right. This view is not supportable morally or intellectually. Rights per se have
no value. It is what rights are for; it is the use to which they are put; it is the restraint and
responsibility with which they are exercised that is important.
The assertion that speech is an absolute right is a legal lie. No nation adopts an all or
nothing attitude. Everywhere, freedom of speech co-exists with laws against
defamation, contempt of court, privacy, confidentiality, public order, national security and
terrorism. Nowhere does one have the right to shout fire in a crowded cinema hall.
A Council of Europe Convention outlaws public provocation to terrorism. Edward
Snowden tells us that state surveillance of information is widespread in the West.
Public order laws are used regularly in the United Kingdom and Germany to criminalise
pro-Nazi ideas and any analysis that departs from the officially sanctioned version of the
holocaust. In February 2006, Austria jailed British historian David Irving for three years

for denying the holocaust. Across Europe there is legislation against hate speech,
racism, anti-Semitism and against defamation of whole groups.
The existentialist reality is that in the West, overt and covert censorship is widespread.
Only that it is more refined, non-governmental and decentralised.
For example, Israels barbarous treatment of the Palestinians is censored out of the
public domain. Any journalist, professor, activist, public official or clergy who dares to
speak critically of Israel or report accurately the brutalities of its illegal occupation is
made to pay a heavy price.
Spiritual aspect: Human beings are not merely physical creatures. There are also the
spiritual, emotional and psychological facets of our personality. Just as we have no right
to violate the physical person of another, we should have no right to injure the spiritual,
emotional side of anothers personality.
No advocate of free speech should have the right to denigrate our religion, our prophets,
our mother, father and other objects of our devotion to such an extent that our mind,
heart and soul find it difficult to bear the hurt and humiliation.
If the free speech advocate pushes us beyond the precipice, he should expect some
reaction. His Holiness the Pope said it plainly in Manila: You cannot provoke, you
cannot insult other peoples faith, you cannot mock it.
Concept of the sacred: What is missing in Western commentary on this Paris tragedy
is lack of understanding of the sacred. Even in this day and age many people feel
reverence towards their religion. Those who have lost this sense of the sacred have no
right to humiliate and caricature those who still have it.
False attribution: There is a general tendency in the Western media that whenever
wrongs are committed by Muslims, their religion is immediately given the blame. But a
similar attribution is not made, and rightly so, when atrocities are committed, of a
hundred-fold magnitude, by Christian leaders of the North Atlantic nations.
Selective condemnation: While we mourn the innocent who were brutally murdered in
Paris, we should also express indignation at genocide and war crimes elsewhere. Day in
and day out, innocent families are being butchered in Gaza. A 65-year-old genocide is in
place in occupied Palestine. United States and Israeli drones knock out homes and
mosques and extinguish lives regularly, mercilessly and in total defiance of law.
Compared to the Paris massacre (17 dead), several million have been killed in US-EU
initiated and financed military expeditions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Libya and
Syria. No bells toll for them.

While condemning the perfidy at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris, we should be
consistent in our commemorations and condemnations. As Martin Luther King once said:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
> Shad Saleem Faruqi is Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM. The views expressed here
are entirely the writers own.

English is a necessity
I REFER to the article Malaysians need to master English, says Dr M (The Star, Aug
11).
This advice coming from an elder statesman is certainly a timely reminder to all,
especially the younger generation.
Among others, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad advised Malaysian students to master
English, especially in Science and Mathematics, or risk being left behind due to a poor
command of the language.
In a fast developing and borderless world, a common medium of communication is vital.
Not surprisingly, because of its widespread usage and acceptance, English stands out
as an important medium. It facilitates communication, thus making it easy for two parties
to engage in a dialogue effectively.
Businesses involve transactions, both local and international, across borders and
cultures, and the communication, in most cases, is in English.
Failing to master this language may mean a loss in business or failure to secure projects
and international joint ventures.
The world is in a race and its not seasonal, unlike the Olympics that comes once in four
years. Its an ongoing race. Just like only the fit and disciplined athlete will succeed in a
race, only nations who are focussed and disciplined will excel on the global stage.
Look around you, and you will be able to identify the nations which lead the pack today,
and probably lead in the future too. These countries seem to have a formula for success.

Countries like Japan which have steadfastly placed their national language at the
forefront in international trade and transactions over the years, have begun to master
English, alongside Japanese, as a means of communication.
India alone is home to scores of native languages but English is taught in almost all
schools nationwide.
Similarly, in Malaysia, English is taught as a second or third language from primary to
secondary education. In short, by mastering English, you will not be handicapped. You
will be well-equipped to keep track of developments around you and compete evenly on
the global stage.
Technology advancements, inventions and discoveries, extensive research and
development in various fields are almost certainly documented in English. No amount of
translation, no matter how rapid, will be able to cope with the influx of newfound
information, knowledge and technology.
By the time these printed materials are translated, some of the information in them may
be obsolete. In other words, in order to remain relevant and on par, it has to be
understood in English.
Having said that, Im not negating the role and significance of other international
languages like Mandarin or French. It boils down to need and urgency. I will not hesitate
to learn Mandarin if I want to open up a factory in Shanghai or learn French if I want to
invest in Paris.
It is always an advantage to communicate in more than one language, especially if one
is engaged in business and trade, or the job requires communicating with customers, or
simply travelling. It saves you time, energy and frustration. There is no need to hire
interpreters or experts in individual languages or invest in bilingual dictionaries.
I recall reading a cartoon strip depicting a cat and its litter at the mercy of a few wild
dogs. Having nowhere to run, the cat lets out a scream Woof! Woof! The dogs, upon
hearing this, just turned and walked away. The cat turns to its litter and boasts, See the
advantage of speaking a second language!
Having highlighted the importance of mastering English, a pertinent point to note is that it
must not come at the expense of your mother tongue. Be proud of your mother tongue
as your heritage, identity, culture, traditions and religious beliefs are closely associated
to it.

Simply put, mastering English is a necessity. Mastering it alongside your mother tongue
will give you the best of both worlds.
JAGINDER SINGH
Batu Gajah

Getting tough with wildlife offenders

I WELCOME the recent suggestion by the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri
Richard Malanjum that wildlife offenders should be jailed instead of the mere on-the-spot
fine which is said to be ineffective.
Malanjum recommended stiffer fines and mandatory jail terms for offences such as the
killing of protected wildlife species and illegal logging at a workshop on Environmental
Protection in Sabah recently.
The learned judge has assured that his office will work closely with the relevant
government agencies to amend the specific legislation to make it mandatory for wildlife
criminals to be produced in court and subjected to stiff penalties.
It is indeed heartening to note that the learned judge has come out so strongly in favour
of punitive fines and jail terms for wildlife criminals.
I hope our federal wildlife enforcement authorities (Perhilitan) will take note of the
development in Sarawak and take the necessary measures to ensure that wildlife
criminals are not let off the hook so easily due to the inherent weakness in our
prosecution procedures.
It appears that there is a lack of seriousness among our enforcement officers and the
judiciary with regards to wildlife trade offences despite their tremendous impact on our
environment and society at large.
The public believes that the relevant authorities are not doing enough to prosecute
wildlife offenders in court and the judiciary is also being perceived as being too lenient
on wildlife criminals.
Perhaps the relevant agencies and the judiciary may not be aware of the immeasurable
impact of the illegal wildlife trade and its effects on biodiversity.

Due to this apparent lack of biodiversity awareness among the judges and other
members of the judiciary, many wildlife offenders are getting away with petty fines and
sentencing.
As suggested by Malanjum, there is a need to create awareness among our judges and
magistrates of the seriousness of the illegal wildlife trade and its impact on our
biodiversity.
If need be, specialised guidelines on effective sentencing should be placed at the
disposal of our judges and magistrates in the absence of adequate precedent-based
guidelines.
The courts should view the illegal wildlife trade and the killing of protected species
seriously and this must be reflected in their judgements.
According to a report by the World Wide Fund, the global wildlife population has
decreased by 52% between 1970 and 2014 and human activities have been singled out
by scientists as the major contributor to these wildlife losses (Wikipedia).
Our precious wildlife will continue to decline if we fail to take drastic steps to stop all the
illegal wildlife activities.
Wildlife offences should be viewed very seriously by our courts and deterrent fines and
jail sentences should be metered out.
Individuals or organisations who provide protection and collaborate with wildlife
offenders must be punished severely too.
Some of our endangered animals are being pushed towards extinction by wildlife
traffickers who are taking advantage of our weak enforcement and prosecution.
S. PARAM
Ipoh

New curriculum will be more examcentric

THE Malaysian education system has adopted a new paradigm with the introduction of
the Standard Curriculum for Primary Schools (KSSR). The intention was extremely noble
to diversify the method of assessment to gauge the progress of our students. It also
wanted to include questions deemed higher order thinking in order to produce
Malaysian students who are able to apply their syllabus in a wide range of settings.
One could argue that our education system has been tailored to fit into the method of
assessment used by an international assessment body such as Programme for
International Student Assessment (Pisa).
Like all systems, KSSR has its strengths and weaknesses that need to be examined
carefully and improved.
KSSR promises to move away from our traditional mode of assessment our national
examinations such as UPSR and PMR. We now have the school-based assessment to
be a second mode of assessment as in the case of UPSR and as a singular mode of
assessment as in the case of PMR. The intention was to move away from being an
exam-dominated education system.
However, the introduction of KSSR has led to our education system being much more
exam-centric.
Schools are still using exams as the sole way to measure student performance, and they
are now introducing four exams a year instead of two.
So, instead of removing stress, KSSR would be adding more stress to the current
students because each examination now counts as part of their UPSR and PMR grades.
For decades, Malaysian students have used school examinations as mere tests where
mistakes are tolerated. Students could fail their school examinations without fear
because they knew the national examination was more important. KSSR took this away.
This is also extremely unfair to students who are late bloomers.
Every 60% scored in the school examination now constitutes losing 24% of the final
UPSR grade. A student who averaged 60% in his school examination will now be
walking into his UPSR exam hall with a score of 36/60. A student with an average of
70% will walk into the hall losing almost 18% of his UPSR final grade.
Additionally, having non-standardised and standardised mode of examinations at the
same time to calculate the final grade is extremely unfair to students who are given hard
exam questions by their school teachers or who have tough graders as their teachers.

It punishes students who are stuck in the middle in good schools but who are,
technically, straight A students in a standardised exam like UPSR.
In the US, school-based exams are still used to determine a students progress.
However, standardised exam is also used as an extra gauge.
The Malaysian education system could have used the UPSR as our standardised exam
and our school-based assessment as our non-standardised mode of data collection.
Both help to give a more nuanced picture of a students achievement.
Its time to rethink how UPSR 2016 and PMR 2016 will be graded.
CONCERNED MALAYSIAN
Baltimore, US

Using paper bags is a better and

healthier alternative
I REFER to the recent proposal to ban the use of plastic bags in Selangor and replace
them with paper bags.
Paper bags, unlike plastic bags, are biodegradable and will soon decompose and blend
with the soil.
Paper bags are clean as you get a new one with every purchase and you throw it away
after a single use. Almost all Western countries use paper bags.
Reusable bags are a good idea but they become contaminated with repeated use,
especially if the bag was contaminated with blood, milk, sweat or other organic matter on
which bacteria can thrive.
Reusable bags should therefore be made of durable material that can withstand
thorough washing and drying in the sunlight at frequent intervals.
What is more ubiquitous than disposable plastic bags is the Styrofoam food container
which, like plastic bags, is not biodegradable.

In many countries, including India, hot watery takeaway food is packed in aluminium foil
containers.
These containers can be crushed and disposed off in the appropriate recycling bags or
bins for recycling.
In Japan, takeaway food is packed in edible food containers (which come in various
flavours).
You eat the container together with the food and there is nothing left to throw away.
M. GANESHADEVA
Kuala Lumpur

Your maid is not your slave

SOMEWHERE in the midst of your existence here on earth, you are bound to have
encountered one of these three scenarios: knowing an abused maid, knowing someone
close or who lives close to you who is abusing a maid, or read about abused maids.
Then theres the question: How would I treat a domestic helper? Wrong. The question
should be: How SHOULD I treat my domestic helper?
Its an extremely racking reflection every soon-to-be employer (or even current
employers) should meditate hard upon before even thinking about employing someone
to work in their home, or already has someone working for the family.
Everyone has been an employee at some point in their lives, maybe even all of their
lives. Have you enjoyed the way your bosses treated you?
Did you think you were treated justly? Were you compensated on time? Did your
workplace reward you for a job well done?
Were you subject to corporate bullying? Was your working environment passably
comfortable and inspiring?
Did your superiors constantly undermine your efforts and disregard your need to be
appreciated for a job well done?

Did your company care for

your health requirements? Were you sexually harassed at the office?
Has your boss, on many occasions, promised you a raise only to devour the offer at the
eleventh hour although you deserved it based on your statistically vertical progress?
Ask yourself these analytical and imperative questions.
Weve all been there, done that. Hated it, cursed our bosses, wished a train would
smash them into smithereens and at the end of the day, cry hours on end for the abuse
to be over. Why?
> Because you want to be happy doing your job? Yes.
> Because you want and need to keep your job to pay the rent or put bread on the table
for your family of four? Yes.
> Because you want to be treated fairly? Yes.
> Because youre not a slave? Yes.
Get the picture?
This applies to any working person whether blue collared, white collared or pink collared.
A housemaid cleans, cooks and babysits, just like your mother did in her child-nurturing
days. The difference is a housemaid gets paid for services rendered.
So how should you treat your housemaid? Like a human being.
You do not have the right to abuse her. You do not have the right to physically harm her.
You do not have the right to starve her.
You do not have the right to hurl vulgarities at or insult her. You do not have the right to
throw stuff at her. You do not have the right to molest, grope or rape her. You do not
have the right to enslave her. You do not have the right.
A housemaid is employed by you the same way you are employed by a company.
Theres a vacancy, a job that needs to be done, a salary to be paid, healthcare, a reward
system and, dont you forget, appreciation.
You are the company and the boss. You are also the Human Resources head should
she encounter a dilemma in her workplace.

Ive heard one too many stories of housemaids being brutally ill-treated, starved of food
and rest, raped, physically abused, etc.
The worst that Ive heard are of housemaids who chose suicide over their jobs and the
ones who literally went mental.
Here are your exclusive rights:
> You have the right to discipline your housemaid if shes not doing her job responsibly.
> You have the right to reprimand your maid if shes stealing, lying or playing truant with
the neighbourhood watch.
> You have the right to feed her three decent meals a day (not leftovers or expired food).
> You have the right to pay her salary in full and on time every month.
> You have the right to give her rest (or a rest day).
> You have the right to seek medical attention for her if shes unwell.
> You have the right to allow her an annual two-week holiday to return home.
If youre a neighbour, friend or just some stranger who happens to know an abused
housemaid, do the right thing and report it to the authorities.
Imagine if you were being held against your will on home ground or in foreign territory,
wouldnt you wish for someone to give you back your freedom? Be that someone.
Yes, some of you may have known housemaids from hell. Send them back to hell and
what I mean by this is to send them back home to where they belong.
Theyve come here for greener pastures, to get hired and paid, simply because their
home countries arent capable of feeding them.
If they arent doing what they are supposed to be doing, do the Trump: Youre Fired!
Slavery was never meant to exist. But it did, and then it died.
ANGELINE ROSE
Petaling Jaya

Be kind and courteous to

salespersons
ACCORDING to the Oxford Dictionary I accessed through Google, a salesperson is one
whose job involves selling or promoting commercial products either in a shop or visiting
locations to get orders.
To become a salesperson, academic qualifications do not play a major part as long as
you know how to promote the items and sell them. Depending on the company, you
might even get training to improve your sales skills.
But the sad fact is most people tend to think that being a salesperson is an easy job.
They think that all you need to do is show up, take care of the shop or store, and serve
the customers.
Having worked as a salesperson for the past 18 months, I feel compelled to say that it is
NOT an easy job.
Being a salesperson may not require a lot of academic intelligence or requirements but
you must have a strong mind, good heart and a tough faade to deal with various types
of customers with their attitude and behaviour.
Sounds simple, right? Wrong! You see, my friends, in our line of work as salespersons
we have to treat our customers like kings and queens, with the utmost respect and
kindness to the best of our ability.
Good service gives the company a good image and name while bad service will lead to
horrible things being said about the company almost immediately.
Salespersons have to spend at least 12 hours (or even more) dealing with people with
all kinds of attitudes and behaviour each and every day. And we have to do this smiling
when all we want to do is cry out in frustration.
The last thing we need at the end of the day is customers yelling at us for not giving
them what they want, or the boss scolding us for not providing good service.
Please, we are just human beings and deserve respect just like other people.

We are not a pole for you to vent your frustration and anger at.
We are working for the company. We are not the boss of the company so we dont have
the authority to change the discounts for the items you want despite your demands.
Asking for more discount when the price is already so low is simply ridiculous.
So, the next time you walk into a retail shop, please be as kind and friendly to the
salesperson as you possibly can even if you are having a bad day.
Treat the salespersons just as you would like to be treated.
FARAH-AALIA ABDUL JALIL
Kuala Lumpur

Conscience the all pervading eternal

force
I READ with interest Marina Mahathirs Musings on conscience That little voice in our
head (The Star, Aug 13.)
The writer has deftly written about the danger brought by leaders who get rid of traffic
cops so that they can run red lights with impunity.
Conscience, the all pervading eternal force, is forgotten in the course of time, though it
exists deep within man as a silent voice that keeps gnawing at his every transgression.
In a parliamentary democracy, the destiny of a nation and its people are in the hands of
its elected leaders.
Fortunate are the people whose leaders are visionaries and men of integrity who have
struggled tirelessly and sacrificed their lives for the greater good like Jawaharlal Nehru,
Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Lee Kuan Yew.
However, it is sad that there are in many democracies leaders who are materialistic and
power crazy.
In their quest for power and plenty, they brush aside this little inner voice, acting instead
on their own whims and fancies.

It is time that leaders place conscience, back on the compass of their political lives so
that whatever they do are in accord with the hopes and aspirations of the people.
S. SUNDARESON
Petaling Jaya

Observe the basic principles of

human rights
I REFER to the article A return to the Constitution (Sunday Star, Aug 16).
I commend the sentiments expressed.
It is a good thing for them to be widely read by concerned citizens who worry about the
direction this great country of ours seems to be taking in matters relating to the position
of Syariah law vis-a-vis the Constitution.
To me, the most telling and cogent point made were in the words of Emeritus Prof Datuk
Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi: A large part of what is referred to as Syariah law here in this
country is actually a mix of Malay adat (traditions) and Islamic law only from the Shafie
school of Islam. It does not encompass the majestic width, breadth and depth of Islamic
jurisprudence.
Basically, our Syariah law is confined to a very narrow definition of the law.
The Syariah laws enacted by the various agencies here reflect the wisdom of the
drafters of the law, not necessarily the wisdom of God.
It must be said that through the ages, the most destructive element of the human ego is
their insatiable desire to dominate their fellowmen. The most effective avenue for doing
this is by way of religion.
Granted that some among them do sincerely and passionately believe that they are
doing the work of God. But I plead with them: If they are sincere, they should
acknowledge that they are not one of a kind. There are others no less sincere who think
differently. There are others equally endowed with great intellect and of great learning

who have a right to their own opinions and judgments. Most of all, they are all equally
humble creatures made by God Almighty.
So, whether Muslim or Christian, Sunni or Shia, Catholic or Methodist, the difference is
the same it is what the devotee chooses to believe. No one should arrogate to
ourselves the exclusive right to believe. This is the basic principle of human rights
freedom of choice, freedom of thought and expression, freedom of association, and
abhorrence of imposing one mans beliefs on their fellowmen.
This over-arching understanding of human dignity and justice for all regardless of race
and creed must override all anomalies arising from different renderings of religious law.
A BELIEVER IN THE CONSTITUTION
Ipoh

Go easy on needy in difficult times

WE are thankful that Malaysians are a caring people and the Government too has done
its part to assist the needy.
The Welfare Department (Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat or JKM) identifies those who
are in need and grant them monthly financial subsidies. Those who qualify for such
subsidies include the physically and mentally challenged (due to birth defects or through
accidents) those who are infirm, and the elderly destitute.
While handicapped, many still manage to gain employment but they are usually lowly
paid. For this reason, the Government grants them a monthly subsidy of RM300 which is
credited to their account at Bank Simpanan Nasional. With the rise in the cost of living,
the Government was kind enough to increase this subsidy from RM300 to RM350 from
January 2015.
My daughter who is classified as a slow learner (orang kurang upaya) qualified for this
assistance and had been receiving the money through a monthly bank credit since 2011.
Till today, she is still paid below the minimum wage and is therefore entitled to the
subsidy.

However, as of May, her monthly credit stopped abruptly. When we asked about this at
JKMs Kuala Lumpur office, we were advised to wait for the following month as there
might have been some administrative hiccup somewhere along the line.
Unfortunately, over the next few months we were advised by the bank that no credits
were received. Each month I would check with JKM for an explanation but the staff, a
group of very helpful and compassionate individuals, could not shed any light on this
unfortunate development.
Obviously the matter is beyond them.
During my last call to the JKM this month, I was surprised to find a large number of
disgruntled people similarly trying to seek answers about non-payment of subsidies.
It is common knowledge that our Government is now facing various financial difficulties
such as lower revenue from petroleum and other commodities and it has become
necessary for it to review and rationalise subsidies granted in various forms.
However, I have to plead with the Government to go easy when dealing with the needy
who are now crushed between a rising cost of living and the deprivation of a much
needed government subsidy.
Please do not remove the subsidy entirely but reduce it if necessary so as to continue
sustaining those who need it for as long as possible.
MTL
Kuala Lumpur

Start a new school system that

prioritises English
I WRITE in response to the many calls from prominent personalities about making
English the top priority in our school system. I tend to agree with them.
The big question, however, is how to do it. I think we should change the education
system where we have national schools and national-type schools.

What we need is a system for all with English as the medium of instruction for learning
the English language, Mathematics, Science and the social studies, apart from Bahasa
Malaysia as the national language.
The learning of these subjects takes place between 7.30am and 2.30pm. In the
afternoon, from 2pm to 4pm, learning of the Tamil language, Chinese language, and
Agama Islam takes place. The school timetable starts at 7.30am and ends at 4pm with a
one-and-a-half-hour break for lunch provided free by the school. This system applies to
all schools.
There will be no more Sekolah Kebangsaan and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan. We may
name the school Sekolah Rendah Kuala Atok, Sekolah Rendah Khai Mun or Sekolah
Rendah Subramaniam.
As for the curriculum, we may just adapt or adopt Singapores school curriculum. For the
afternoon session, let the respective communities decide what is to be taught to achieve
their objectives.
In terms of implementation, there are many factors to consider. We may need the
minimum of six years from Year One to Year Six and concurrently from Form 1 to
Form 5. There are other things such as teacher requirements, logistics, and finance to
be considered.
Honestly, I feel that this suggestion may sound weird but for the sake of our future
generations as citizens of the world, we have to do something about it.
Finally, if this suggestion goes against the Constitution, our lawmakers can deal with it.
NORAWI
Kuantan

They dont deserve to be left in

nursing homes
READING the news about the demise of the 101-year-old mother who tended her
disabled son for 63 years, 101-year-old who cared for disabled son dies (The Star, Aug
8), gave the message that a mothers love has no bounds.

Having been a volunteer who visited nursing homes periodically and having talked with
the old folks there, I have found that most of the elderly parents wish their children would
take care of them in their old age.
I truly wish all those who proudly tell their friends and relatives that their mother is in a
good nursing home, where her daily needs like medication, bathing, cleaning and
changing of diapers are looked into and all they have to do is go and visit her, ask
yourselves this question: If I was like that 63-year-old man, would my mother have
dumped me in a nursing home?
The 101-year-old lady was not the only one, as we have read of such motherly deeds
before and it puts us to shame that when the tables are turned, we head for a nursing
home to solve the problem of caring for our elderly parents.
If a mother can do that for 63 years, remember that your mother needs nursing care only
when she becomes disabled in her old age. You are not stuck with nursing her for 63
years.
A SENIOR CITIZEN
Kuala Lumpur

Without fear or favour

THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Royal Malaysia Police
(PDRM) are two important institutions preserving the peace, harmony and security of the
nation and the rakyat.
Based on the important roles of these two entities, they are also expected to function as
a check and balance in transparency and checking corruption. Both institutions are
independent of one another.
The main challenge in police work occurs when the officers are vulnerable to corrupt
elements and misuse of power.
Apart from the strict internal measures that are in place, PDRM under the current
leadership has strengthened its Disciplinary Division and transformed it into the Integrity
and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS).

Externally, the Government has established the Enforcement Agency Integrity

Commission (EAIC) to monitor all operations and enforcement implementation.
The EAIC investigates all reports and complaints and has the authority to take legal
action on any offence or failure of the agencies involved in manaenforcement matters.
The MACC is more focused on corruption cases and abuse of power by parties and
individuals. The integrity and success achieved by the MACC is admirable and they
have even received international recognition.
To me, the issue that is the topic of intense debate concerning MACC and PDRM at the
moment is proof that both institutions are free in carrying out the duties that they have
been entrusted with.
In one instance, both are united as they are part of the Special Task Force to jointly
investigate a complex case involving national interest. It is proving that nobody is above
the law as even the countrys top leadership has not been spared from the investigation.
Besides sharing information, expertise and resources, members of the task force
including the Attorney-Generals Chambers and Bank Negara Malaysia must also
perform check and balance actions on things conducted in certain areas that are
exclusive to the respective institutions.
As mentioned by the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, the police
are only investigating the leak of classified information. That is all.
It is expected during the course of the investigations the police will question persons of
interest, check documents, make arrests, conduct raids and seize evidence all in the
name of investigating the case in accordance with the law.
All that has occurred are within the context of the law and within the premise of the
investigation.
All agencies should be allowed to perform their duties based on existing procedures and
jurisdictions, transparently and without fear or favour.
Certain parties always blame the Government for so-called intervening or influencing
investigations. Now, there is a foreign party that is trying to assert pressure and issue
statements in favour of or blaming the agencies involved in conducting the investigation.
It is not healthy. The investigation has not been concluded. Dont sentence or judge
anyone. Dont misuse civil servants as they are subjected to procedures and general
orders of service. Dont speculate. There are ways for certain parties to get explanations.

We also hope the countrys leadership will not make statements that might be
misinterpreted. The police is responsible to the Home Minister, who will surely be
informed and apprised of the latest developments in the case despite not intervening in
the investigation.
We are eagerly waiting for the explanation of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the
Home Minister, and the assurance of the IGP on this matter.
DATUK AYUB HAJI YAAKOB
Former Director, Bukit Aman Crime Prevention Department
(now renamed Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department)
Kuala Lumpur

We need to do more
IT is heartening to know that we as a nation are taking seriously the issue of combatting
human trafficking.
Recently, the United States upgraded Malaysia in an annual report on human trafficking
to Tier 2 Watch List status from the previous Tier 3. The upgrade was based on efforts
being made by Malaysia to meet the required standards and cited the countrys moves
to strengthen anti-trafficking laws and more than doubling its trafficking investigations.
Achieving the upgraded status was not without detractors, as there have been calls by
human rights groups and several US lawmakers to keep Malaysia on Tier 3 for, as they
put it, failing to suppress trafficking.
The US report organises countries into tiers based on trafficking records: Tier 1 for
nations that meet minimum US standards; Tier 2 for those that are making significant
efforts to do so; Tier 2 Watch List for those that deserve special scrutiny; and Tier 3 for
countries that fail to fully comply with the minimum US standards and are not making
significant efforts to do so.
Thailand remained for a second straight year in Tier 3 alongside countries with some of
the worlds worst trafficking records like Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe.
Singapore has been placed in Tier 2 for the fifth consecutive year. Last year, the
Singapore Government passed the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, which

prescribes penalties including mandatory jail terms and fines, and measures are being
instituted to protect and support trafficking victims.
Some have claimed that Malaysias upgrading is to remove a potential barrier to
President Barack Obamas signature 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). The US
Congress had recently approved legislation giving Obama expanded trade negotiating
powers but prohibiting deals with Tier 3 countries, such as Malaysia before the upgrade.
Be that as it may, the onus is clearly on our authorities, civil society and all of us to prove
to the world that we as a nation have zero tolerance towards human trafficking.
Malaysia made headlines in May when it announced that enforcement authorities had
discovered 139 grave sites and 28 or so abandoned detention camps used by peoplesmugglers. The camps were capable of housing hundreds, laying bare the grim extent of
the regions migrant crisis that has remained an issue of serious concern for decades.
As Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said at that time, the discovery of
the graves proved Malaysia was not hiding anything. Malaysia is committed and serious
about resolving the issue of human trafficking.
Human trafficking is big business. It is the most sinister and depraved business, trading
in human misery and human lives. Yet, it is the most notoriously lucrative business, far
more profitable than the illicit trade in drugs or arms or money laundering.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that US$150bil in illegal profits
are made in the private economy each year through modern forms of slavery.
The temptation for anyone, irrespective of status or position, to be lured into the trap of
condoning and colluding with the perpetrators of human trafficking is therefore very great
and real.
On the other hand, the hundreds and thousands of unfortunate human trafficking victims
are deceived by the promise of a better life in a better-off destination. That often proves
to be a dreadful dream; destined to a life of cheap or, worse, bonded slave labour; forced
into degrading activities; and, in many instances, death.
But over and above it all, the perpetrators and those who collude with them would have
made their fast buck and moved on in search of their next kill.
No country has been spared the scourge of human trafficking. Be it a sending,
destination or transit country, this disgrace to humanity involves the plight of almost 21

million women, men and children in various forms of modern slavery. And that number is
rapidly growing.
Thats why all countries must join the global effort to punish perpetrators and end
impunity by ratifying and bringing their law and practice in conformity with international
instruments such as the ILO Protocol and Recommendation on forced labour and human
trafficking.
This instrument complements and strengthens existing international law, in particular the
UN Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons.
We simply cannot remain complacent and pursue our own development agenda while
we leave behind those who are socially and economically exploited.
Lets do our utmost to build communities, nations and a world of social justice where all
people can live and work in freedom, dignity and equality.
RUEBEN DUDLEY
Petaling Jaya

Teacher trainees in a difficult

situation
GONE are the days when primary schoolchildren were quiet, obedient and sat still in the
classroom during lessons.
These days, most primary schoolchildren, especially from national schools, are quite
noisy, boisterous and inattentive, and are generally difficult to control in the classroom.
New teacher trainees assigned to primary schools for their practicum training bear the
brunt of handling these difficult children.
Though they have been trained to deal with difficult children in classrooms, the real
situation is quite overwhelming for these young trainees.

The teacher trainees from Teacher Training Institutes (TTI) come to the primary schools
with high hopes and dreams of teaching the small children with enterprising techniques
and games they learnt at the institute.
However, their dreams and hopes are dashed when they are rudely awakened to
naughty and hyperactive children who are unable to sit still in the classroom.
The teacher trainees are unable to conduct their lessons effectively because of the
difficult children who disrupt their lessons in the classroom.
The problem is aggravated if the class is packed with between 35 and 45 children.
When they are in numbers, primary schoolchildren who are nine or 10 years old can
traumatise a fresh teacher trainee with their mischievous antics.
As the children sit in groups, it makes it easier for them to do their usual antics, like
pinching or disturbing one another.
Senior teachers who go to the classes wield a rotan or a long ruler and the children are
quite scared to play or create problems during their class.
Teacher trainees, on the other hand, carry teaching aids and teaching kits to the
classroom. They are not allowed to hit or cane the children and so they have a difficult
time controlling them. They then spend a lot of time and energy managing the children
rather than teaching them.
Some primary schools knowingly assign teacher trainees to weak and problematic
classes where the children are naughty and mischievous.
Boisterous children with a short attention span, numbering over 35 in crowded
classrooms with poor ventilation and confined for a number of hours, can be a recipe for
mental breakdowns and nightmares for teacher trainees.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban

Focus on training graduates

THE number of unemployed graduates is increasing by day. According to J. Phang, a

chartered accountant and The Star columnist, the core problem is that the Education
Ministry is still operating within a Production Economy rather than a Knowledge
Economy mentality. They view production of graduates as their sole mission, not their
acceptability by industry.
In addition, the standard of English is declining among the younger generation. Thus, the
public and parents have to re-question the purpose of education. Today, universities
teach careers but without the broader function and purpose. A university degree should
not be functioning only to build a career but also to contribute to good citizenship and to
improve the quality of life.
Universities should review their curricula to produce graduates who are more marketable
and do not require Government expense to retrain them.
Without a doubt, education plays a central role in the pursuit of economic growth and
national development. If we want to predict the future of our nation, we should look at
what is happening in schools and classrooms.
Parents and employers have raised their concerns on our education system. Is the
system able to adequately prepare young students for the challenges of the 21st
century?
Comparing the achievement in performance bands and education spending per student,
Malaysia lags behind Thailand, Chile and Armenia who have similar but lower levels of
expenditure per student. Countries like Singapore and South Korea and cities like
Shanghai spend more on students, thus they have high performing achievements.
Through the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, the Government has outlined six
attributions for students if they are to become globally competitive. These are
knowledge, thinking skills, leadership, bilingual proficiency, ethics and spirituality, and
national identity (KTBLEN for short).
Specifically, the Malaysia Education Blueprint: Higher Education 2015-2025 outlines key
strategies to produce graduates who are able to create their own business and
enterprise. It includes six approaches:
1. Embed entrepreneurship elements across curriculum
2. Provide a conducive environment and ecosystem for student entrepreneurial
development

3. Enhance the competency and capability of academics

4. Enhance the involvement of industry players and entrepreneurs in the learning and
teaching process
5. Increase entrepreneurial intention among students, and
6. Develop an integrated system to assess students knowledge, values and 21st
century skills.
Graduate employability matters due to the high national budget allocated to education.
The allocation is increasing year by year. As such, it would be a waste of resources if the
graduates cannot contribute to economic output. In 2000, for example, the education
sector received about RM12.9bil or 22.85% of the Federal Government budget.
Some actions have been taken to address the issue of jobless graduates. In 2004, the
Higher Education Ministry called for double major courses at universities, expecting that
more opportunities in wider scope of works would be obtained.
What factors contribute to graduate unemployment? Basically, it is due to mismatch
between the skills obtained by students and qualifications required by industry, and the
oversupply of labour in an economy.
More precisely, a study by Md. Zabid Haji Abdul Rashid in 2003 for the National
Economic Action Council (NEAC) listed seven personal and six non-personal factors that
influenced graduate unemployment.
The personal factors include lack of work experience, work skills, English proficiency,
self-confidence, academic merit, networking and personality.
The non-personal factors are cost of finding jobs, transportation access, information on
available vacancy, intensity of competition, relative mobility, and poor networking.
It is interesting to note that employers highlighted that youths do not have good work
attitudes and thus they lose their jobs. Lack of work ethics among youths leads to a low
drive to achieve success, and low team spirit and work preparedness.
To face the challenges in their future work environment, it is important to equip students
with the knowledge-based society and professional skills.
Education institutions, especially colleges, must reconsider the relevance of the
programmes offered. The challenge is to prepare students with enough competencies,
skills and flexibility after their graduation.

We should also remember that, according to the Theory of Cultural Values (TCV), the
value of work in a persons life and its attitudes are influenced by specific cultural values
of the society. Thus, it is not suggested to blame the youths, as they are the products of
the system.
To be more creative and enterprising towards work, youths must be exposed to more
practical curriculum in the educational system to bring them closer to real-life
employment experiences.
AHMAD FAIZUDDIN
International Islamic University Malaysia

Light shines brightest when it is

dark
BY SOO EWE JIN

THE one time I felt really scared in an unfamiliar physical environment was many years
ago when my friend and I got lost in Taman Negara.
Because of a wrong turn, what was to be a simple two-hour track to a riverside lodge
took us nearly eight hours. The jungle was getting really dark. The leeches were having
a feast. And the sounds of wild animals in the distance made us shiver in our pants.
We eventually found our way to the lodge and quickly lit a kerosene lamp we had
brought with us.
In the heart of the deep jungle, the light was truly reassuring. After a dinner of delicious
instant mee and a tin of sardines, we turned down the lamp and lit some candles to
illuminate the lodge.
Those of us who live in towns may not fully appreciate the beauty of a lit candle in the
midst of total darkness. But it is really true that light shines brightest in the dark.
Life is not all sunshine. There are times when we feel like we are walking through very
dark valleys.

It could be due to the loss of a job, the death of someone very dear to us, or a recurrent
illness where treatment seems to bring more problems than the disease itself.
At times like this, it is only natural that we yearn to see the light.
A person lost at sea is encouraged when he sees the beacon of light coming from a
lighthouse. It signifies hope. But the light that we seek at times like this is not necessarily
from a physical source. It can come in the form of someone who is prepared to drop
everything to help us navigate through our tough times.
It could be someone willing to listen to you, with a box of tissue nearby, without saying a
word.
I have, in the past few weeks, felt like I was walking through a very dark valley with no
end in sight.
But it is always when I am at the lowest ebb that something invariably happens a light
shows up to brighten up my life.
Last week, I went to see my dentist and told her I would be a real challenge to her this
time.
My mouth can hardly open. And from what the doctors tell me, and my own research on
the Internet, this is one of the most troublesome side effects of radiotherapy and
chemotherapy.
I have been having trouble eating, and even brushing my teeth is difficult. I wondered
how my dentist would be able to use her tools to fix whatever problems she could find.
But she patiently went to work, and spoke to me gently with reassuring words.
The session lasted close to two hours and she managed to do five fillings. It was
amazing!
She told me not to lose heart over my mouth issue. Take things one day at a time, she
said. You will be fine.
And when I went to pay, the clinic assistant smiled and said: Doctor says no charge.
Though my dentist knew I could afford the bill, she must have wanted to do something to
cheer me up.
It was not about the money, but a reminder that I do not walk alone.

I wont deny her the opportunity to be the giver, and for me to be the blessed recipient.
There is joy in both giving and receiving, if done in the right spirit.
I got into my car and tears just streamed down. I had a good cry before I made my way
back to work. Suddenly, the dark valley I had been walking through in recent weeks
didnt seem so dark after all.
Executive editor Soo Ewe Jin appreciates being on the receiving end of kind words,
sincere fellowship and heart-to-heart conversations, underscoring the fact that the best
things in life are not only free, but priceless.
> The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.

Lets make sure green efforts dont

go to waste
FOR the diehard greenies, this is a move that is long overdue the compulsory
separation of household waste.
Come Sept 1, households in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, as well as six states
Pahang, Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Perlis and Kedah will be required to
separate their trash according to types under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing
Management Act 2007 (Act 672).
There have been attempts by some local authorities previously to implement this, but the
lackadaisical attitude of residents, as well as the garbage collectors, made such
attempts short-lived.
Environmentally-conscious residents will tell you that it is pointless to separate the waste
when the garbage collectors, despite your valiant efforts, simply put everything into the
truck. Of course, they are very sensitive when it comes to separating waste that can be
recycled for monetary gains.
Although the Government has pledged to take a soft approach in the initial stages to
make the people more familiar with what they have to do, it must also be firm once the
honeymoon period is over.

There must also be parallel efforts to educate the public on the benefits of waste
separation so that it becomes a natural habit eventually.
Many countries have already implemented compulsory waste separation. In Sydney, for
example, different days are allocated for different kinds of waste and the residents will
place the correct bin outside. It is also worthwhile to note that garbage collection is done
in the early hours and the work is over by the time the neighbourhood wakes up.
This is something that we should emulate because our garbage collection schedule
often runs smack in the middle of the morning rush hour traffic.
We want the pilot project, which comes under the Solid Waste Management and Public
Cleanliness Corporation (SWCorp), to succeed so that the other states will also be
covered.
In line with the waste separation, greater efforts must also be made to teach the people
how to do composting at home so that disposable food waste can be put to good use.
It is one thing to talk about loving the environment and being environmentally-conscious.
Many Malaysians do get worked up over the wanton destruction of our natural
environment such as our forests, rivers and sea.
But there are some things we can do from home to help protect the environment and
waste separation is a crucial first step.
Our landfills have limits and one estimate predicted that there will be a drastic increase
of 65% in our waste production with about 17,000 tonnes per day by 2020, filling the
maximum capacity of two out of three landfills at Jeram in Kuala Selangor and Tanjung
Dua Belas in Kuala Langat by 2035.
Waste separation has been proven to be effective in reducing waste and assisting
recycling attempts.
But in the long term, we must do our part to reduce our own consumption so that less
waste is generated. Instead of buying 10 pairs of shoes, two pairs might suffice.
Let us learn to treat nature with gentle loving care.

Unite under common values

BY WONG CHUN WAI

HOW we all wish that some of our leaders, including Cabinet Ministers, would think
before they speak. If there is an occasional slip, we can let it pass, but a few are simply
serial offenders.
The days of playing communal heroes, using a different line to speak to different ethnic
audiences and actually believing that they can get away with it, are over.
Even if the press is not there to record their stupidity, you can be sure that their
distasteful remarks will make its way into the social media. These are the analogue age
politicians who forget that the rest of Malaysia has gone digital. The moment they open
their mouth, someone in the audience would have the smartphone ready.
Some of our leaders appear to be still caught up in a time warp and remain disconnected
with Malaysians, especially the young.
Last week, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob called
for an alternative digital mall solely for Malay traders.
Most Malaysians, judging from the response in social media, found Ismails proposal
outrageous. More so, when he said it could be a second Low Yat Plaza, which just
reminds everyone about what happened there recently.
It was strange, however, when he said that while these traders should be Malays, he
was not sure if the suppliers would be Malays.
Earlier in the year, Ismail Sabri posted on Facebook allegedly urging Malays to boycott
Chinese businesses that refused to reduce their prices despite a drop in fuel costs.
The Prime Ministers Office later issued a statement saying Ismails comment was
targeted at unscrupulous traders and not at any particular race.
Those who know Ismail Sabri can vouch that he is really a nice bloke and ever helpful
but they cant understand why he keeps shooting himself in the foot.
In the last general election, the Bera MP beat his PKR opponent and an independent
candidate with a majority of 2,143 votes.
The seat has 50,997 voters of which 16,319 are Chinese, 30,088 Malay with the rest
under the others category.

Ismail Sabri was apparently upset over why he failed to secure the Chinese votes in his
constituency despite the huge amount of financial assistance given to the Chinese
electorate.
The Pahang leader also got into hot water when he singled out the Old Town White
Coffee chain, claiming that it was owned by a Perak DAP leader. He had to wriggle
himself out of the situation when he could not back his allegation.
Ismail Sabri must understand that he cannot continue to sulk over the loss of Chinese
votes. And he shouldnt give up on his electorate. If they had backed him previously, but
rejected him in 2013, he has to try harder to win them over.
As an MP, he should never turn away his constituents, whether they voted for him or not.
If the constituent is upset, he has to find out why and do the necessary to win back his
support.
A good businessman, for example, will listen to his customers and improve his products
to meet their expectations.
If you look at Malaysian electoral history, you will know that the Chinese vote can swing
one way or the other.
The Chinese voters have even kicked out DAP veterans like the late Karpal Singh and
party adviser Lim Kit Siang before.
On his proposal for the alternative digital mall, even if his intention was to encourage
Malay youths to be entrepreneurs in this lucrative business, he could have said it better
without sounding communal, more so, when many rational and moderate leaders are
trying to play down the racial elements.
As Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who heads the Global Movement of Moderates, said: If
you promote the idea of a second Low Yat, you are not helping but further polarising the
communities. I dont think this Low Yat 2 for bumiputras is a good idea.
MCA publicity bureau chairman Datuk Chai Kim Sen meanwhile called Ismail Sabri
regressive for making the proposal.
Newly-minted Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid also found himself in the
news for the wrong reasons after he claimed the corruption allegations made by
whistleblower portal Sarawak Report was an attempt by Christians and Jews to split the
Muslims. TheWall Street Journal has also been labelled as a Jewish product.

Mahdzir, who is an Umno supreme council member, had made the controversial remarks
at the opening of the Hulu Langat Umno division meeting last Sunday.
If we really want to use the Jewish conspiracy line, then we should just stop using
Facebook and stop watching Hollywood movies as many are financed by the Jews.
And if you do a Google search for anything connected to this community, then you will
have to stop using the cardiac pacemaker, forget about undergoing chemotherapy
treatment, throw away the TV remote control and give up a long list of medicines.
Blaming the Jews, the Christians and the Chinese for all the ills, or more precisely,
fiascos, in Malaysia has become terribly tiring. Its not working anymore, really.
With just two weeks to go before the National Day, Malaysians would prefer our
politicians to focus on Malaysian commonalities. The moderation campaign, after all, is
championed by no less than the Prime Minister himself.
We should talk about our common values, how people of different races can come
together and pull our talents and strengths together to make Malaysia strong. We should
stop dividing the nation with racist remarks.
No leader or government can be legitimate if the support comes only from one race.
Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country. Thats the reality,
accept it.
> The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.

A step in the right direction for

graduates
WE have heard often enough about how our graduates lack the necessary skills to
function effectively in the workplace upon graduation.
They may have the degrees but employers complain that many of them lack the basic
soft skills needed in the real world.
Language proficiency aside, many struggle when called upon to make presentations to
their bosses or hold face-to-face meetings with clients.

Employers understand that very few fresh graduates can be up and running from the first
day of work, but they are prepared to take their chances on those who show a wide
array of soft skills.
That is what the Government is planning to do with the introduction of the integrated
cumulative grade point average (iCGPA) pilot programme starting next month.
The aim is to produce holistic, entrepreneurial and balanced graduates who will be
readily employable.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh announced on Sunday that some 300
first-year students at five public universities would be part of the programme.
The universities involved are Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Mara,
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Universiti Malaysia
Pahang.
The number a mere 0.0075% of the 40,000 students who enrol in public universities
every year has been kept small due to the fact that only one faculty from each
university will be involved.
Furthermore, the programme involves the participation of the private sector, including
captains of industry and CEOs who will share their experiences, and can be better
monitored for its efficacy if the numbers are not too big.
The iCGPA is in line with the first shift of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025
(Higher Education) in producing holistic, entrepreneurial and balanced graduates.
Under the new system, students would graduate with a complete report card, detailing
not only their subjects and performance but also the skills they picked up along the way.
These include leadership, communication, entrepreneurial, social and critical thinking
skills which are much in demand in the real world.
According to Idris, the concept has been explored since 2009 with the development of
the methodology since 2011.
One of the key challenges of any higher education system is to produce graduates who
not only excel academically but are also equipped with the necessary soft skills, knowledge, values, leadership and the ability to think critically.

But for the iCGPA to be a success, the Higher Education Ministry would need to decide
how these students would be assessed on these skills and if the assessment would be
the same at all five universities.
Students would also have to be properly briefed so that the assessment is seen as fully
transparent and fair.
Some incoming undergraduates have already expressed their concerns as to how their
examiners would grade them. Soft skills, after all, are not so easily quantifiable.
Employers who use the KPI (key performance indicators) to determine the employees
performance, for example, understand that while the tangibles can be easily rated, the
intangibles remain an issue come assessment time.
Be that as it may, the ministrys iCGPA pilot project should be welcomed by all
stakeholders.
This may be a small step, but it is a step forward in preparing our graduates for the real
world upon graduation. And employers would surely be happy to employ them because
they have the right skills.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

The roller coaster of life

BY SOO EWE JIN

We can prepare ourselves, and even welcome, the unexpected ups and downs
that make life ever so interesting.
I HAVE never been on a roller coaster ride before. But I have always been fascinated by
them, and watched many documentaries on how they were constructed and what the
people find most awesome about them.
The worlds most amazing roller coasters, according to one website, must include the
Kingda Ka in New Jersey. It is the worlds tallest roller coaster, reaching a height of 139m
at its highest point.

Named after a Bengal tiger, it is not only the worlds tallest, but also has the worlds
fastest drop. There is no way you are going to put me on board this roller coaster, even if
all expenses are paid for.
Then there is the Formula Rossa in Abu Dhabi, one of the newest additions. True to its
name, it has already gone into the record books for having a top speed of 150mph.
Japan is also crazy about roller coasters and actually has three on this list, including the
Steel Dragon in Kuwana.
It holds the world record for the longest track which is just under 2,500m and has to be
specially constructed to protect against earthquakes.
There are roller coaster rides in Malaysia, including some in indoor theme parks, but
they pale in comparison to the awesome ones that aficionados will travel long distances
to ride on.
Okay, so I have not been on a roller coaster ride before, but the phrase, life is like a
roller coaster ride does show up in my writings now and then, especially in this column.
I reckon it is the best way to describe the ups and downs that I sometimes have to face
as I go through different journeys.
My journey on the medical front, for example, is a bit like that. This latest journey has
actually been quite an adventure with numerous unexpected twists and turns.
A friend who visited me during my treatment remarked that with the experience I have
had since 1999, I must surely be very well prepared to face any eventuality.
I wish I could say yes. But the reality is every journey is different. You can put two
patients together, with the same type and stage of cancer, and subject them to the same
treatment regime, and the outcome can still be different.
Maybe its like putting both of them on the Kingda Ka roller coaster and at the end of the
ride, one will be whooping with joy while the other will be limp and ashen-faced.
In life, we must be prepared for roller coaster rides. We must be prepared for the
unexpected, and in some case, even welcome them.
In the movie Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks, who played Forrest, said: Mama always said
life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what youre gonna get.
Life can be quite interesting when we do not know what is coming next.

On the roller coaster, we are at the mercy of the machine. However, on the roller coaster
of life, we can learn to embrace the loops and even straighten out the bends with the
courage and resilience built on our life experiences.
And soon, we may even be enjoying the scenery or helping to make the ride more
bearable for the panic-stricken ones beside us.
Right now in our country, many are a little worried about what tomorrow may bring. Are
we on the Kingda Ka or the Steel Dragon? Whatever it is, instead of yelling Get me off!,
we should take the ride together and help to ensure that we are all none the worse for it.
Executive editor Soo Ewe Jin is glad that the people who drafted the Rukun Negara has
Belief in God as the first principle. All journeys, no matter how terrifying or unexpected,
are best travelled when you have God by your side. The views expressed are entirely
the writers own.

Your worldview matters

BY MOHD ASHAM AHMAD

SOME people believe that lifes journey ends with a new beginning, but others would say
that lifes journey ends with an ending. It means, there is no life after death, and no soul
that is going to continue to exist.
Today, believing in the soul is considered unscientific, like believing in ghosts. The word
soul does not have the significance it used to have, not only in daily usage but also in
technical fields, such as philosophy and psychology.
The word commonly used to replace soul is mind, which was used to refer to the
conscious immaterial substance.
Today, the meaning has changed significantly as the word mind is now used as a
synonym for body, because the mind, from the viewpoint of neurophysiology and
neuropsychology, is now regarded as interchangeable with the brain.
According to this view, various aspects of our mental life can be explained in terms of the
action of the brain and central nervous system. So humans, according to this view, are

just physical creatures, like all other material objects. When the brain stops functioning
we are simply dead, and we exist no more.
Naturally, with the rejection of the soul, life after death becomes inconceivable. Even
though the thought of an eternal life may sound comforting, it has to be rejected, for the
lack of what they call scientific evidence to support it.
The scientific unbeliever would suggest that we all face the real world (as they see it)
rather than believe in a fairy tale.
But what is reality? Maybe life after death is real.
If life ends with death, then everything that we do comes to nothing. What meaning or
purpose can our life possibly have?
The unbeliever would say that life gets whatever meaning one chooses to give it, and
one does not need to believe in the afterlife in order, for example, to believe in truth,
beauty, science, making the world a better place to live in, saving the environment,
freedom of speech, democracy and tolerance.
But then again, why does all that matter if life ultimately ends in nothingness?
This brings us to the question of God as the Ultimate Reality, the Creator of all. The
rejector would surely raise doubt as to whether He exists or not, or whether it is possible
to know Him and His Will.
He would say if faith in God makes some people feel good he will not argue with that,
but he personally prefers a more rational, open-minded approach to life.
He believes that one shouldnt think that anything is true unless it is scientifically proven.
But has the belief itself been scientifically proven?
So we all look at life very differently from each other, as if everyone is from a different
world. Of course we do not belong to different worlds, but we do subscribe to different
worldviews, as a matter of fact.
What is a worldview? A worldview is the set of lenses through which you see the world
around you. It is a set of inter-related beliefs that help you make sense of your
experiences.
The worldview affects the way you think, how you feel, and how you live your life.
Through your worldview, you interpret life in a particular way, and because of that your
worldview matters.

To understand further what a worldview is, think carefully about the big questions of life.
Think and try to answer these questions. Does God exist? How did everything begin?
Who am I? Why am I here? Am I living a good life? What happens after I die?
Vegetables and animals dont think about all these things but people do. Reflecting
about these questions is part of what makes us human.
In fact every one of us has a worldview, even though not everyone will be able to tell and
explain what his worldview is. What is your worldview? Do you care to examine it?
Mohd Asham Ahmad is Senior Fellow at Ikims Centre for the Study of Syariah, Law and
Politics. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Deep lessons from a little tree

BY SOO EWE JIN

I LOVE the original Karate Kid with the late Pat Morita playing the role of Kesuke
Miyage, who trained Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio) to be a champion.
It was also my first exposure to bonsai which was a key feature in the movie.
I used to think that the bonsai is a specific miniature species until I learnt that bonsai
actually refers to the method of growing certain plants trees, shrubs or herbs to
imitate something of great beauty or age in a shallow container.
Many of our Malaysian trees, including the durian tree, can be cultivated in this manner.
A few months ago, a dear friend gave me my first bonsai tree.
He thought it would be a good therapy for my recuperation process at home.
Its very easy to take care, he assured me.
Just spray the tree at least eight times with water twice a day.
I took his instructions to heart except that I only sprayed the tree itself and not the soil.
Well, within a fortnight, all the leaves dropped off.

I gave the bonsai back to my friend and he said he would try to nurse it back to life.
In the meantime, he gave me another one, and reminded me that I must also spray on
the soil, and not just the tree.
This time, I got it right. A few weeks later, my friend told me that I must clip off the
unhealthy leaves so that new ones may grow.
It is also a process that will help the tree grow into the shape I want.
Well, I was a little over enthusiastic and made the tree totally bald in a day.
Dont worry, he said.
The new leaves will grow. Just remember to water the plant daily.
I patiently did as he advised, but nothing seemed to happen. I felt like giving up.
Two weeks ago, the first new leaves sprouted. It got me real excited. Today, the bonsai
is back to normal.
I have learnt a number of things through this journey.
It is important to nurture and care for something with great love if you want it to grow.
And this is especially so in the case of relationships.
I have told many young couples that the real test of a marriage is when we nurture it with
tender loving care through the years.
Its also the same with friendship.
Friends invariably drift apart when they do not invest in making the relationship work, or
simply take things for granted.
I also learnt that pruning the bonsai is necessary to get rid of the dead areas so that new
life can spring forth.
Its very much the same with our lives. When we cling on to old habits and hurts, we
cannot move forward. The burden of an unforgiving heart weighs a ton.
We must learn to let go so that new and better traits can bloom in us.
I also learnt a lot about patience.

At my follow-up with my oncologist the other day, I complained about some symptoms
which were really making it difficult for me to carry on life normally.
She just smiled and said: Patience. The healing process takes time.
Indeed. I could have chucked away the bonsai when it was bald, but it eventually
surprised me with a fresh bloom of leaves.
On days when I feel like giving up, I remind myself that I must be patient and let the body
heal itself.
Another lesson I learnt is that if the bonsai tree starts with us, it will be our children and
grandchildren who will reap its full benefits.
Some of the best bonsai trees are hundreds of years old, carefully nurtured through the
generations.
This is a reminder that if we want to leave a good legacy behind, we have to do the right
things always for the people who come after us.
A country governed well, for example, always have leaders who do not look at
immediate political gains, but have the foresight to invest in the right things for its future
generations.

Executive editor Soo Ewe Jin is not about to become a bonsai aficionado,
but is thankful to be able to draw useful lessons from taking care of this little
tree that his friend gave to him.
The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.

Simple guide to success in Malaysia

BY MARINA MAHATHIR

SINCE everyone in this country is an expert in giving advice to everyone else, I thought I
would join in and generously give my totally unsolicited counsel to all those aspiring to
join cupboards or closets of any kind. Any likeness to anything familiar around us is
naturally a complete coincidence.

First of all, please get it out of your head that you are wanted or needed because you
have expertise of any kind. Who cares if you have a double degree in How to Make
Anything Good and How to Make Anything Better? What you need is a PhD in How To
Make Your Boss Feel Good, with a minor in How To Make Your Boss Look Really Good.
It would also help if you have expertise in How To Clean Up Messes, especially if it
involves getting rid of Messy People.
Secondly, you have to audition for the job. Dont ever expect to be picked out of
obscurity like some Cinderella. Lets not forget that Cinders didnt really get an invitation
to the Ball her ugly stepsisters did. And they worked hard for it by making sure they got
noticed.
So find a way to get attention. Never mind if it means making a spectacle of yourself.
Who cares if you look and sound like a fool as long as your potential Boss likes it? The
path to position and lucre is strewn with puffery and pomp! Pledge loyalty, even if nobody
asked you to. That counts as double points.
Thirdly, always be humble and say you had not expected this at all but it must have been
Divine Intervention. Who in their right mind would question what the Almighty wants?
And He must have spoken through his vessel, your soon-to-be Boss. George W. Bush
said God made him President to do His will on earth. Surely if an American can claim
that, we can too.
Fourthly, dont be picky about what you are given. Just be grateful! What does it matter
anyway? It all comes with nice perks like a nice house (there must be a renovation
budget), a nice car with a driver, first-class travel for you and the Mrs, and all sorts of
other things youve only heard about from others but can now experience firsthand.
So what if the work is crushingly dull? Someone else can read all those papers for you
and give you a summary. And oops, if you miss a few things in there, there are lots of
people you can blame, even despatch clerks. Why worry? Youve hit the big time.
Fifthly, now that youve got it, your job is to smile and nod your head. Vigorously. All the
time. Get yourself photographed with the Boss as much as possible, preferably looking
at him with utter adoration. If you can hold up a suitably adoring placard, thats even
better. However, some have found that this is no insurance for job security. Maybe
practise hand-kissing as an alternative.
Sixthly, lets not forget that you are a package deal, which your spouse is a part of. Train
her well because her job is as important as yours. Quite the opposite from you, her job is
not to compete with her Boss.

So make sure that if you want to buy pretty expensive things for her (and now you can!),
dont let her wear them in front of her Boss, especially if she looks quite hot in them.
Support local brands and dress your other half in them. Leave the international imports
to her Boss and coach her in the right admiring phrases to murmur.
Seventhly, ever seen the TV series Entourage? Thats what you need, an entourage.
Surround yourself with all sorts of folks who can be given menial jobs dressed up as
important ones by putting them in the right clothes. No Big Man is without his entourage
to carry bags, check him in at airports, that sort of thing. Never ever have to do a single
thing yourself again.
Eighthly, be part of an entourage yourself. It is highly important that you keep yourself
within your Boss line of sight at all times because you dont want him to forget you exist
or overlook you the next time he wants to clear out his cupboard. So follow him
everywhere; after all, that is your main job.
Its also your spouses job to be a handmaiden in her Boss entourage so if she gets
called upon to serve, give her your blessing. It will be rewarding.
There you have it eight tips for succeeding in life in our dear country. The folks out
there who have to actually work to survive each day wish you lots of luck. Drop some
crumbs some time.
Marina Mahathir is a human rights activist who works on women, children and HIV/AIDS
issues. The views expressed here are entirely her own.

Feminists are the good guys

BY JUNE H.L. WONG

TWENTY years ago, I went to China to cover the United Nations Fourth World
Conference on Women.
It was one of the most memorable and impactful experiences in my life as a journalist
and as a woman.
It certainly opened my mind to what gender equality was about. Because of that, writing
and editing stories on womens rights and issues became a staple for me.

In other words, I was and am a feminist. That, however, is a nasty word to many, even
among many women, who wrongly associate it with bra-burning, being anti-male and
generally unfeminine-like behaviour.
Feminism has a long and proud history and the September 1995 UN conference, which
was held in two parts the official governmental meeting in Beijing and the nongovernmental forum in Huairou, then a dusty, shabby town more than an hours drive
from the capital was a watershed event.
I witnessed 40,000 women from government and civil society from all over the world
coming together to create a powerful mission statement and framework for women
empowerment.
It was here Hillary Clinton, then merely the wife of the United States President but who
already had rock star appeal, famously said: Womens rights are human rights.
What came out of Beijing was a clear action plan which was formulated with much
difficulty.
As women activists Anne Marie Goetz and Joanne Sandler, who were there in Beijing,
write in opendemocracy.net, they fought off attacks from the Vatican, from Iran and from
a host of others who lobbied to diminish commitments to womens equality and
freedoms.
We left with a sense of purpose and a roadmap to gender equality: the Beijing Platform
for Action.
In 2012, the UN mulled over organising a fifth world conference this year but member
states voted against it. The reasons for this, as summarised by Goetz and Sandler, are
the high cost of organising such a meeting and because many of the commitments in the
Beijing Platform have yet to be implemented.
These include the commitment to increase the proportion of seats held by women in
governments to at least 30%, to put an end to female genital mutilation and to cut
military expenditure.
But the reason I found most chilling for not holding a conference is the fear of
reactionary forces.
According to Goetz and Sandler, It is far too dangerous now to re-open international
agreements on womens rights. Powerful governments and non-state actors today
actively obstruct efforts to advance neglected areas of womens rights such as sexual

and reproductive freedoms. The power of these reactionary forces in an international

forum is considerable; they could seriously reverse progress made at Beijing.
Just who are these reactionary forces in 2015? If in 1995, the Vatican was the leading
anti-feminist, today the Holy See has more allies.
Thats why Goetz and Sandler argue that a conference should be held, if not this year,
then at least in 2020 because Women from countries under conservative governments
need an opportunity to be heard around the world.
They add that if a world conference were to be held in a country or region increasingly
dominated by fundamentalist religious interests, it would be an opportunity for women to
express their perspectives about the use of religion or culture to excuse repression and
extreme violence.
So where does Malaysia fit into this? Our government was represented at Beijing and
was an active participant in formulating the platform of action, although it had
reservations on several provisions.
As a society, Malaysian women generally have it good, although there are still glaring
gaps and lapses that remain, like amending the Constitution to give women the same
citizenship rights as men with regards to their spouses and children born outside of
Malaysia, formulating a real action plan to achieve that 30% in decision-making positions
and protection against sexual harassment and other unfair workplace practices.
On the bright side, theyve always had the vote and increasingly, they outperform men in
terms of education and employment. Three out of four students in tertiary education are
female and women now make up more than 50% of the national workforce.
Malaysian women enjoy personal freedoms too: they can go about with their lives
without chaperones, drive on their own, and go in and out of the country without
restrictions.
We take all this for granted but lets face it, those reactionary forces mentioned are
definitely at work here too. They would dearly love to turn back the clock, deny women
education and independence, marry them off early, dictate their dress code and push
them back into the kitchen as docile and obedient wives.
We may think we can laugh off such attempts; after all, ours is a modern, progressive
model Muslim state.

At least, thats how we like to present ourselves on the international stage; especially so
with the Global Movement of Moderates initiative that our Prime Minister first mooted at
the UN on Sept 27, 2010.
Yet in the last five years, instead of emphasising and building acceptance and
understanding of each other for peaceful co-existence and respect for all, regardless of
race, creed or gender, we have been getting the opposite.
We have been bludgeoned by hammer blows condemning and vilifying highly valued
and aspirational social concepts like liberalism, pluralism, secularism and even human
rights. And you bet feminism is something these people want to beat out of existence.
Those reactionary forces are at work all over the world and right-thinking Malaysians
must do our part to stop them in their tracks and beat them back.
What the PM said on that September day before the world is more urgent than ever: It
is time for moderates of all countries, of all religions to take back the centre, to reclaim
the agenda for peace and pragmatism, and to marginalise the extremists. With greater
will and collective determination, we will build a more peaceful, secure and equitable
world.
That is exactly what feminism is about. So youd better believe it: we feminists are really
the good guys.

Aunty would like to give the last word to the great Gloria Steinem, A
feminist is anyone who recognises the equality and full humanity of women and
men. Feedback to aunty@thestar.com.my

Seeing the light

BY SOO EWE JIN

Some of the problems on Earth seem insurmountable but when viewed from a
heavenly perspective, every small and positive act on our part can make a
difference.
NOT many are aware that the four brightest objects in the sky are the sun, the moon and
the planets Venus and Jupiter.

In the past few weeks, I had been showing off my amateur astronomy skills to friends
and neighbours by pointing out to them that the two bright spots towards the West are
actually Venus and Jupiter, not stars.
For those of us living in urban areas, there is actually not much to see of the night sky.
One has to move to the rural areas or the remote islands, where artificial lighting is
minimal, to realise that the stars are always there.
I remember my camping days in Penang when we would lie on the beach and see the
sky filled with millions of stars.
Shooting stars were common, and we could easily identify the more famous
constellations like Orion, with its distinctive three-star belt of the hunter.
I have been setting my sights upwards because the news on planet Earth, both globally
and here at home, seems to be filled with much despair.
At times like this, we need to look at the heavenly bodies to remind ourselves of our
place in the vast universe.
Looking up at the heavens puts things in perspective for me, for they tell of greater
powers than earthly ones and makes me consider my purpose and task on Earth.
One recent bright spot in the news that largely went unnoticed was about 17-year-old
Faye Jong Sow Fei, a student from SMK Batu Lintang in Kuching, Sarawak.
On July 10, she became the first Malaysian to have an asteroid named after her.
According to the news report, the Lincoln Observatory Near-Earth Object Team (Linear)
has named the asteroid 31460Jongsowfei (1999 CV19) to honour Fayes success at last
years Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
The asteroid was actually discovered on Feb 10, 1999, by the Lincoln observatory but
the naming process usually takes a long time.
Faye was recognised for being the first Malaysian to win the grand prize at the
competition participated by 1,700 students, representing 70 countries, last year.
It is so heartening for a Malaysian to be honoured in this way.
I did a search on the Internet and noted that this student has been quite an achiever.
When she was in Standard Six, she emerged as the national spelling bee champion in
the primary school category.

At a time when we worry about the English proficiency of our students, I was really
impressed by her writing in her schools blog when she chronicled her journey and how
she got interested in science, especially in the area of research.
She wrote: If you have set a goal and you want to achieve it, then work hard and do
everything you can to get there, and one day it will come true.
This Form Five student will certainly go far.
I can imagine, many years down the line, Faye pointing to the sky and telling her
children: Yes, thats asteroid 31460Jongsowfei. Its named after mummy!
Not all of us can have our name immortalised in the skies. But it is certainly within our
power to be a light in dark times.
Tiny though we may be in the infinite universe, we are certainly not insignificant to the
people whose lives we touch by simple acts of kindness.
And if we each decide to make small changes where we are, they would add up to a big
difference like shining stars spread out across a dark sky.
Executive editor Soo Ewe Jin is also pleased to get the close-up images of the
planet Pluto beamed back to us from the New Horizons spacecraft on July 14, a
journey that began way back on Jan 19, 2006.

Questions to ponder
BY ZAINAH ANWAR

As issue and more issues made the headlines, will there be an implosion of all the
things that Malaysia had built over the years?
I AM beginning to feel as if this country and its rakyat are being crushed and pummelled
by wrecking balls.
The wrecking ball of race and religion, of insatiable greed, of never-ending sense of
entitlements, of unpunished crimes and abuses, of ideology over rational thinking,
justice, and fair play.

These concerns are nothing new. Whats new is the breathtaking scale, the endlessness
of it all, and the shamelessness with which the perpetrators display their unscrupulous,
destructive and criminal behaviour, in words and deeds.
The seeds of this rot were sown a long time ago. Any dominant party in power breeds its
own seeds of destruction.
For too long, too many of its leaders and party apparatchiks get away with all manner of
transgressions. They tend to believe they are immune from any form of retribution.
I was in Geneva two weeks ago and UN officials and activists I met were asking what
was happening to Malaysia.
How did things get this bad? We were once a model country that others looked up to as
a prosperous, progressive, politically stable, multi-ethnic society. We are a high middleincome developing country, not a basket case.
Now we are looking more and more like another banana republic, with scandals galore
making global headlines.
The deep concern many feel that these wrecking balls could lead to an implosion of
everything that we have built over the decades is real. And what is scary is that there are
people who are priming for trouble to break.
The Low Yat plaza riot will not be the last in their scheme of things.
Thank God, the IGP and his forces acted fast in nipping the problem in the bud and
stating the facts clearly and unambiguously. It was a crime; not about one race trying to
cheat another.
All those who exploited the situation by making hate speech to manufacture racial
conflict must be charged for their role in inciting violence.
Lessons must be learnt fast if we want to stop those determined to destroy the country in
order to remain in power and preserve what they believe are their lifetime entitlements
on nothing but the basis of birth.
As desperation over the inevitable closing chapter sets in, there will be more attempts to
ignite fires of racial conflict.
The truth is the ruling elite is becoming more and more beleaguered under the weight
and scope of allegations of misappropriation of public funds, plummeting popularity and

finding itself devoid of new blood and new ideas, and certainly bereft of courage and will
to bring the transformation needed to win back public support.
Lets manufacture more threats to add to the standard Malays under threat, Islam
under threat. Now its national security under threat as more and more damning
evidence of mind-blowing brazen sleaze and corruption is revealed.
Who is really threatening whose survival? And what has happened to the warnings given
at the Umno general assembly last year that Umno must change or be dead? It looks
like the choice Umno has made is very clear.
Unless a new breed of young far-sighted leaders come forward with the will and courage
to change the system political and economic to become more inclusive, more just,
more honest, more transparent, we are really seeing the end of a long era in Malaysian
politics.
Time has run out for this old form of authoritarian politics and rule by a privileged elite.
In their book Why Nations Fail, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson argue with
evidence across history and geography that authoritarian extractive political and
economic institutions designed by elites in order to perpetuate their power at the
expense of the majority of the people are bound to run out of steam.
The pride we have in our beloved country is that was NOT our history. That was not how
Malaysia began. But today this is where we are heading.
Just look at the alleged Mara scandal. An agency set up to redress a historical economic
injustice against the Malays ends up led by people cheating the very group they are
supposed to help, pocketing millions in barefaced shenanigans.
A policy vehicle pumped with hundreds of millions of taxpayers money to eradicate
poverty on the basis of race gets abused by the privileged elite of that race.
This is yet another case of pagar makan padi. Those entrusted to protect you, instead
betray you. And there are many more such scandals, just waiting to be surfaced.
Lets ask some hard questions here.
Why after decades of rigorous development planning, 40% of Malaysian households
earn only about RM1,847 a month?
Why after more than four decades of the NEP, 75.5% of those at the bottom are
bumiputras?

Why in spite of the billions poured into education and boarding schools, 64.3% of the
bumiputra workforce have only SPM qualifications?
Why some 90% of the unemployable university graduates are bumiputras?
Why of the RM54bil worth of shares pumped to bumiputra individuals and institutions
between 1984 and 2005, only RM2bil remained in bumiputra hands today?
And why oh why should the bumiputras continue to raise a begging bowl and ask for
more of the same kind of handouts from the same ruling elite?
The bottom 40% get crumbs.
Lets focus our attention on these priorities.

Choosing positivity
BY SOO EWE JIN

I TEND to put on weight during the festive seasons, be it Hari Raya, Chinese New Year,
Deepavali or Christmas.
Because of my sociable nature, and also because of work responsibilities, I find it hard
to decline invitations from family members, friends, colleagues and work associates to
their gatherings.
Hari Raya is even more of a challenge because apart from the Open Houses, there are
also the many buka puasa events throughout the month of Ramadan.
But this is one year when I have become a recluse of sorts. I have to politely turn down
most of the invitations. Apart from my immediate neighbours, I did not make my usual
circuit for the first two days of Raya that usually take me to various houses from Shah
Alam to Ampang.
I am still on medical leave, to rest and recuperate from treatment for my latest journey
with cancer. The past month, especially, has been quite a roller-coaster ride.
The journey stretches much further than just the treatment phase. Having gone through
three previous journeys, I am aware that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

A very dear friend understood me well. Like me, he was on a journey for an ailment that
the doctors could not even identify. He had to undergo a battery of tests and make
frequent visits to the hospital. Compared to what he has to go through, my journey is
actually quite a breeze.
Over the past year, we became closer as we found we had so much in common. Our
fears vacillated with our hopes, our walk through the deepest valleys contrasted with
days when we soared like eagles.
I looked forward to his words of encouragement each morning.
I am currently at a stage where I can only take a soft diet. My food has to be blended
and it is quite a challenge eating at the same table where others can eat normally.
But when I feel shortchanged, I only have to think about my friend. His eating disorder
necessitated him having to go to the hospital regularly to have nutrients intravenously
pumped into his body.
My friend was weak physically, but he remained strong spiritually. More importantly, even
in his own tough times, he thought of those on similar journeys.
Many people, with good intent, tell me to take care of myself first, before I even think of
others.
But like my friend, I know that withdrawing into our own world does not help. I consider it
a privilege to be able to cheer someone on, even if I am going through some tough times
myself.
Why allow ourselves to be trapped in a world of negativism? Yes, there is much going on
in our country that makes us wonder if we could ever make a difference.
I believe we can. A well-known prayer encourages us to be an instrument of peace.
How?
Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is
doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where
there is sadness, joy.
My burden was considerably lightened because so many people out there took the time
to send me a note of encouragement, write me a letter, drop by with a special bottle of
tonic, and send me flowers.

A Muslim friend sent me a message, Thinking of you with prayers and good wishes on
this 24th day of Ramadan.
We all have a choice to be angry and post negative comments on a myriad of issues
or use that same time to visit a neighbour, write a note of encouragement, or hold
someones hand at the hospital.
My friend fought a hard battle, and never wavered in being an encourager. On Monday,
July 13, he passed away. I miss him dearly, but will do my best to be a channel of hope
to others, the way he was to me.
> The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.

Executive editor Soo Ewe Jin wishes all his Muslim friends and readers Selamat
Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.

Stand together for our Msia

BY WONG CHUN WAI

Moderation is key to a stronger nation and we must pursue it, no matter how
difficult it is, for the sake of this great country.
EVERY few months, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia would send me a copy of its
latest coffee table book.
Through its generosity, my collection of books on Islam has grown over the years, and
as a result my knowledge of the religion has grown too.
The museum is located right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur between the Lake Gardens
and the National Mosque. It is certainly a world-class museum which houses more than
7,000 artefacts, as well as an exceptional library of Islamic art books.
For this Ramadan, the museum has produced a 334-page collection of rare photographs
from around the world capturing the beauty of Islams holiest month. The Holy Month of
Ramadan: A Visual Celebration brings together the works of the best photojournalists
and amateurs around the world who visually captured the spirit of Ramadan.
It is probably the worlds first and only photo publication dedicated solely to the fasting
month, with over 300 pictures.

One picture that caught my attention was that of a Palestinian Christian who served as a
Musaharati to wake up his Muslim neighbours for sahur in the old city of Jerusalem.
The Musaharati, or public waker, is the person who rouses Muslims in his
neighbourhood during the holy month of Ramadan to take their meals before starting the
fast.
The Musaharatis job starts an hour ahead of daybreak when the Muslims start a new
fast with the sunrise, according to a report.
He is used to calling each of the sleeping residents by his name and doesnt hesitate
even to knock at each door to make sure that they would not miss the pre-dawn meal.
These wakers carry out their job by banging a small drum and chanting a rhyming song
learnt by heart while walking through the old alleys. They are rewarded with tips or food,
depending on the generosity of the neighbours.
The point is this the fasting month isnt just about Muslims but also non-Muslims
joining in this special month.
Although the Western media prefer to dwell on the conflict of the Middle East, the
people-to-people relations are entirely different.
On a trip to Jerusalem more than a decade ago, I have seen how the Palestinians, both
Muslims and Christians, live together, sharing the same wishes and aspirations, like any
ordinary people.
It was perfectly normal for Muslims to sell Christian religious items such as crucifixes at
biblical sites located at Muslim areas and it was normal for Muslims to attend church
services during Christmas.
Interestingly, it is a Muslim family that holds the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
one of the most revered shrines in Christiandom. It is a tradition stretching back more
than 1,300 years and passed down through the generations.
This is the site where most Christians believe is the site of the crucifixion, tomb and
resurrection of Jesus.
According to one report, since the arrival of Islam in Jerusalem in the seventh century,
the key has been handed to a Sunni family to avoid clashes among rival Christian sects
for control over the church.

Although the role is purely symbolic, the arrangement is a reflection of tolerance and
inter-religious harmony, giving the Nusseibeh family (the current key-holder) a visible
role in Christian activities in Jerusalem, as a report aptly puts it.
But what about our own country? I have had the privilege of breaking fast with my
Muslim friends and contacts over the last few weeks. In fact, I am deeply honoured to
have hosted a buka puasa for my fellow moderates including Anas Zubaidy, Zainah
Anwar, Lyana Khairuddin, Marina Mahathir, Noor Farida Ariffin, Azhar Harun aka Art
Harun and my colleagues on the second day of Ramadan. We had so much to discuss
that we were the only ones left in the restaurant when the workers started to clean up.
Marina has also been hosting her #Puasa4Malaysia, organised by Malaysians For
Malaysia, with non-Muslims at a mamak restaurant in Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, at 4.30am.
Then, there is Syed Azmi a man with a heart of gold helping the poor and needy in
the streets of Kuala Lumpur during this fasting month.
Lyana, a Universiti Malaya virologist, is supporting Syed Azmi as well as Ramesh
Vadiveloos Meals For All initiative which supplies food to a number of soup kitchens
around the city.
We started last Ramadan, and over the past year, Ive noticed the increasing number of
urban poor. Its a matter of realising that people are finding it hard to survive out there.
Just talking to them humbles me, she said.
But the events of the past weeks must have also surely broken the hearts of many
Malaysians, especially those who genuinely want only the best for our country.
Rationality seems to have flown out of the window and worse, many Malaysians seem to
have taken sides, unable to differentiate between a right and wrong when it involves a
dispute between different races.
A simple criminal act can become racial when inflammatory remarks are posted on
social media. Many of these remarks by Malaysians of all races have been downright
shameful.
Many are quick to jump into the fray without first checking the facts. We seem to swallow
whatever is posted on social media and act without any self-restraint.
For too long, the authorities have refused to use the Sedition Act but it is time for the full
force of the law to be used against those who make inflammatory racial remarks. There

are those who feel they can get away with anything because action is not taken against
them.
Malaysia is truly a beautiful and blessed country with so much greatness ahead what
we dont need are politicians who harp on race and religion to win votes.
We need to pursue the quest for moderation in a stronger manner now, no matter how
difficult it is, for the sake of Malaysia.
This Hari Raya, more than ever, we must display a sense of togetherness as a nation.
We have proven the naysayers wrong and again, we will, as we believe most ordinary
Malaysians are good people.
There are only good or bad people look beyond race, religion and culture.
I wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters Selamat Hari Raya!
> The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.

Looking for positive inspiration

BY MARINA MAHATHIR

Its great to meet youths who want to change things.

IVE been told that recently Ive become strident and fierce in my columns. This was a bit
of a surprise; I thought Ive always been fierce and strident. But I suppose my readers
see a noticeable uptick in the tone of my columns these days, hence the comments.
Is it surprising though? Im sure Im not the only one whos holding my head in despair at
the endless drama that our country is experiencing daily these days.
It would be one thing if it were a drama where everyone goes home happy at the end of
it. But here we seem to slide from bad to worse, on a greasy slope with no brakes.
Im not going to comment on the high-level goings-on since that is well covered
everywhere. Except to say thank God for the alleged whistleblowers and leakers
whoever they might be because if it were not for them, we would still be in the dark, not
realising that our entire carpet is being pulled from under us. There must be some

people with a conscience after all who can no longer tolerate the blatant disregard for
our people anymore.
I was talking to some young people recently who want to spread the virus of positivity
among our people because there is so much negativity around that it cannot be good for
anyone. Its wonderful to meet young people who are not yet jaded and disillusioned and
who have the energy to want to change things.
They are right; there is too much negativity around, coupled with apathy that is
unproductive. We complain endlessly but forget that complaining by itself does nothing
except make others complain, too.
Indeed, while it is certainly part of the Malaysian make-up to constantly grouse about
something or other, of late its taken a mean-spirited tone as well. There is undoubtedly
much to complain about these days but at the same time there are many Malaysians,
mostly ordinary people, who are doing many things to change our social landscape, to
make it more open and accepting, to build peace and create harmony in our multi-ethnic,
multi-cultural, multi-religious mix.
Some of these efforts may be one-off, some may take a while to bear fruit, and some
may not work at all. But far more important than the immediate results is the process of
engagement with one another towards a common goal through an event, shared
interests or anything else that brings people together.
Weve seen ordinary people step up so many times over the years, to help one another,
to show that Malaysian citizens are so much better than their failing and flailing leaders.
Weve banded together to help those affected by the floods in Kelantan, we feed the
homeless, weve demanded a humanitarian response to the boat people floating about
in the Indian Ocean. Always a step or two ahead of our Government.
Yet I see people being unkind and mean spirited about these efforts for unexplained
purposes. If people are doing good, why put them down? What are those who are willing
to roll their sleeves up and help others doing that might affect those who do nothing,
except perhaps make them feel some shame for their own inertia?
Is the cynicism about everything so bad that we cant even differentiate between sincere
and insincere efforts? Or is it just our addiction to putting down everything others do as
simply a craving for publicity?
I dont blame our cynics entirely. After all we look to our leaders to set the example of
good behaviour. When they completely fail us, how can we complain when our people
do the same? How can we excoriate anyone for thinking wombats and pigs are the

same when we dont have leaders who display any higher level of knowledge anyway?
How can we check those who pass on unfounded rumours of racial riots when some of
our leaders are often quick to do the same? When our leaders are silent on these
issues, how can anyone feel optimistic that reason will prevail?
Were all looking for positive inspiration these days and yet its so hard to find any. Our
leadership is too lazy even to remind us of the need for restraint during Ramadan, and
has nothing to say when people go overboard. In its absence, we have to inspire
ourselves.
Perhaps we need this holiday weekend to come up with some inspiration. Perhaps if we
take a break from the news and focus on family and the joys of celebration, we can
recover our reasonable centre.
With that, Id like to wish everyone a Selamat Hari Raya, maaf zahir batin. May the
advent of Syawal bring an end to the current madness and instead usher in new light
and new hope, God willing.
Marina Mahathir is a human rights activist who works on women, children and
HIV/AIDS issues. The views expressed here are entirely her own.

Lets stop the fear and suspicion

For too long we have looked at ourselves through race-tinted glasses and its
imperative we start taking them off.
IT was not racial. It was just a case of cheating. No, no, it was theft, pure and simple.
Yes, the police has made clear that race had nothing to do with the melee that occurred
over the weekend at Low Yat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur. And yes, kudos to the force too for
acting decisively to contain the situation and prevent the violence from spiralling out of
control. They are arresting many of the perpetrators and are patrolling the shopping
centre famed for mobile phone, electronic and IT products.
Calm has returned and we breathe a sigh of relief. We all hope that this was yet another
isolated incident. Yet, deep down, there is a sense of disquiet among many of us

because we cannot help but wonder why this violence occurred in the first place when it
was just a case of cheating or theft.
According to the Inspector-General of Police, two men were arrested at 7.50pm on
Saturday. One was suspected of stealing a phone from a shop and the other was his
accomplice.
The two were caught by the phone shop staff and handed to the security guards, who
called the police. The suspect was detained and the accomplice released.
Going by this official account, is it normal behaviour for the thiefs accomplice to round
up a big group of his friends to seek revenge on the shopkeepers who had helped nab
the duo?
One would think that after being questioned by the police and allowed off, he would be
thanking his lucky stars he wasnt locked up, and would quietly go home and fret over
whether he should confess to his parents. Instead, he boldly returned with a mob to the
mall and, in full view, attacked people and destroyed property.
It is said he lied about being cheated by the phone salesman. Again, is it a normal
reaction for people to coalesce into a group to seek revenge on behalf of friends this
way? What was said to incite these men to such rage to brazenly break the law?
And then when irresponsible people used social media to colour the incident in racial
terms, why did more people so easily and quickly believe it and again gather at Low Yat
the next day to violently show their displeasure?
My take is that these men honestly believed they had the right to do so. Our society has
become so brainwashed into thinking about everything in racial terms that the moment
any incident, accident or crime occurs, we instinctively want to know who was involved
by race.
We also lap up every bit of good and heart-warming news that shows racial harmony
and goodwill. Indeed, we are grateful for stories about Malay individuals trying to protect
the Chinese victims from the attackers. The Facebook post by Fais Al-Hajari on Monday
about his long-time relationship with his phone salesman Desmond was quickly hailed
as welcome news.
This good relationship has remained over the last eight years. Other handphone sellers
in Plaza Idaman here, the majority of them Chinese, are also good to me.

The secret? They dont cheat me and I dont steal their goods. We have mutual respect
for each other and are supportive. The world is peaceful, said Fais, as reported by The
Star.
Yet, there are far too many who seem to readily believe the bad stuff about other races
to the extent that they see them as a clear and present danger to the well-being of their
own community.
Whos to blame for this distrust and suspicion?
Who have been dishing out scare tactics to keep the races apart so that they can claim
to be their protectors and keep their power base?
Who have allowed hate speech spewing from various sources, be it a government
agency or a house of worship or a newspaper column, to harp on racial supremacy for
one community and paint certain minority groups as interlopers and threats to national
security?
A particular newspaper column, in fact, wrote an incendiary piece calling for an
economic jihad against a specific minority race because of their dominance in business.
Over and over again, this same brainwashing message is made, which grows in the
telling: that this race is out to cheat and rob and take over the country. Is this why when
said accomplice told lies about being cheated by a phone salesman, he was so easily
believed?
After being constantly told in subtle and not so subtle ways that they are the enemy, the
affected minority groups have reacted by closing ranks and retaliating in whatever ways
they can.
This simmering pot of racial tensions doesnt augur well, as many social and political
commentators have noted. It can only get worse if our touch points get fewer and fewer.
Already, our children dont attend the same schools, watch the same television
programmes or listen to the same music. They speak in their own language and rarely
eat or play together.
Ironically, with the Internet and social media, real inter-racial interaction and knowledge
that can lead to better understanding and acceptance of each other is missing. The
result is we dont really know each other any more and have become suspicious and
distrustful, ready to believe the worst in each other. Thats why hate speech is enticing
and believable.

The Low Yat incident serves as a wake-up call that all is not well in our race relations.
The mob acted the way they did because they were incited by what they already
believed to be true, and that they had the right to do so and get away with it. It is truly to
the polices credit that they have clearly shown that the perpetrators are sadly and
foolishly mistaken.
We need more messages and actions like this. At the same time, peace-loving
Malaysians must send out the strong message to those responsible for this horrible and
dangerous state of affairs to cease and desist.
More urgently, we must find ways back to reconnect like the days of yore and build
bridges of trust and unity.

Aunty belongs to the generation that is full of nostalgia for the time when to share
meant exchanges in real life and not clicks and taps in a virtual world. Feedback
toaunty@thestar.com.my

Transformation of the heart

BY ENIZAHURA ABDUL AZIZ

Our experience this month is supposed to create gratefulness to God for what we
have, and lead us to form some new resolutions for the remaining chapters of our
life.
MUSLIMS all around the world are currently observing the month of Ramadan by fasting
and performing ibadah or religious rituals, to gain the blessings and mercy of Allah.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Hijri calendar. In this month, it is obligatory for all
Muslims to fast from fajr (sunrise) to sunset.
Prophet Muhammad addressed his companions on the last day of Shaban (the month
before Ramadan), saying: Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed
month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; a month in which
Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night.
Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this
month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other
time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward
of performing seventy obligations at any other time.

It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of
charity, and a month in which a believers sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food
to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved
from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without
his reward being diminished at all. (Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah).
For many Muslims, the month of Ramadan offers countless blessings promised by Allah.
Fasting is one part of it because, through the act of fasting, we learn to appreciate Gods
sustenance for us and at the same time empathise with those who are less fortunate.
Ramadan is mainly about purifying the heart and being closer to God. The act of fasting
and other rituals related to it are ultimately to achieve that purity.
For the heart, when it is pure, is drawn to its Master. And when we make submission to
God, the most valuable element of our existence on Earth, life becomes so worthwhile.
This experience is supposed to create gratefulness to God for what we have, and lead
us to form some new resolutions for the remaining chapters of our life.
The heart that seeks pleasure from its Creator must first be sincere in its intention. From
the Islamic point of view, sincerity acts as a foundation for all of our actions in life.
It is about focusing on desiring the pleasure of Allah in everything that we do as the
basis of our intentions and actions.
Allah says in the Quran of those who are sincere:
They [are those who] fulfil [their] vows and fear a Day whose evil will be widespread. And
they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, [saying],
We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or
gratitude. (Chapter 76, Verses 7-9).
Sincerity of this kind will ensure that every action that is taken, is done out of the
realisation that God wants us to do good deeds, possess high moral character and be
kind towards the people around us.
Those who are sincere in their intentions are constantly observant of their actions and do
not stray from the remembrance of God.
Genuine sincerity also does not demand any material benefits in return. When we are
truly sincere, our actions become our point of satisfaction, and worldly appreciation and

acknowledgements are immaterial. We will become respectful of others because we

know that is what is required from us.
Someone who seeks to purify his heart would not let hatred, envy and anger take the
best of him, as he knows that this would only bring him farther from God.
The heart or qalb as mentioned in the Quran is the starting point of all our intentions and
actions.
As social beings, the way we treat others and the manner we conduct our daily dealings
with people around us are also manifestations of what lies within our hearts.
Transformation of the heart through the purification process would mould us into
becoming better human beings who seek the pleasure of God, and at the same time
would reflect the God-consciousness condition into real good actions.
The world, in its present chaotic state, needs people with sincere and good hearts to
improve its condition.
Therefore, Ramadan is indeed the best time to nurture such a personality in a person.
Fasting, prayers and other acts of worship that one undertakes to seek the pleasure of
God will put oneself in a position of constant remembrance of Him.
The heart needs such a process to transform the person into becoming the kind of
human being who lives his or her life in accordance to what is ordained by God.
Hopefully, hearts which are constantly in search of tranquillity would find guidance within
the countless blessings promised by God in the month of Ramadan.
Enizahura Abdul Aziz is Senior Research Officer with Ikims Centre for The Study of
Syariah, Law and Politics. The views expressed here are entirely the writers own.