Mahathir merajuk, ‘let them eat silicon chips’

Columnists

'Written by Helen Ang

Sunday, 29 March 2009 00:11

Now that Najib Razak is set to become Prime Minister, we can look to a Cabinet reshuffle and irregardless of whether Hishamuddin Hussein remains Education Minister, the decision on Math and Science in English (PPSMI) should be announced soon. Dr Mahathir Mohamad will likely descend on Najib with the gale force of three Furies combined should his pet project, the PPSMI be overturned. The vindictiveness Dr M showed inexorably against Dollah Badawi for rejecting his Crooked Bridge and other legacy should be a salutary lesson. Allow me to present a premise. Blogging recently on the PPSMI imbroglio, MCA deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek posited that with China being a global economic power, Mandarin will become important like English. Mandarin is fast rising as the world’s most popular foreign language. The Economist reported on March 17 that a quarter of the world's population speaks just three languages, that is, Mandarin, English and Spanish. Dr Chua wrote that when he visited the Suzhou Education Centre, he met quite a number of overseas students and lecturers who were there for the ‘Mandarin experience’; a lot of business studies undergrads from European and American universities have exposure to at least one semester in China, he added. Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whose brainchild the PPSMI is, insists that because English is an important language in Math and Science, children must study the two subjects in it. By the same token, if 30 years hence China overtakes the United States as superpower, and Mandarin becomes the language of international trade, would Mukhriz Mahathir channelling his father (or Mahathir himself if he lives to be 110, which is not entirely implausible given his tenacity) then insist Malaysian schoolchildren should study Commerce and Accounting in Mandarin? Somehow I don’t think so. Malay is the lingua franca of Nusantara and even Singapore has adopted it as her national language albeit paying lip service. One cannot cavalierly discard ideological stance for expediency even though the uber political opportunist Dr Mahathir did just that – he has yet to publicly deny the allegation that during his student days at the King Edward VII Medical College in Singapore in the late 1940s, his race was registered as ‘Indian’. National language policy is not something to be morphed mid-stream if suddenly opportune. Meanwhile, Dr Chua takes another angle, postulating: “Language, in order to survive the test of time must have commercial value.” BM may not have as much utility abroad but even if it fails to fetch the highest dowry in the bride market, the language (it’s beautiful to me) nonetheless ought to be one most revered. Malaysians are not of the same race and we have different religions. Doesn’t this leave language as the pragmatic signifier for national cohesion? PPSMI not evidence-based policy The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMMS) results were released internationally on Dec 9, 2008; the very next day, Hong Kong and Singapore came out with official statements on how (well) their students fared. Malaysia on the other hand has maintained a conspicuous silence. In 2004, Education Minister Hishamuddin Hussein set an objective to raise our relative standing in the TIMSS rankings. Judging by its own yardstick, the government did not meet the mark, notwithstanding the Ministry’s constant public relations that PPSMI is good medicine. In 2007 when TIMSS was conducted, the Malaysian sample batch was in Form Two. This means last year in 2008, this batch of students earlier tested for TIMSS were in Form Three and sat the PMR. Here’s the catch! Our mainstream media eagerly trumpeted that the PMR 2008 results were better than for preceding years. One might logically infer that the PPSMI has been successful since this cohort had gone through six years of Math and Science in English. But PMR is our domestic measure. TIMSS which is an international measure revealed that the very same set of students performed poorly. The lack of correlation between the internal PMR calibration and external TIMSS findings begs some questions of our exam syndicate. Can the Education Ministry answer the charge made by the Abolish PPSMI Movement (GMP) that the passing mark was lowered and syllabus simplified? Furthermore, last year some 13,000 fewer students took the STPM (exam providing option to answer Science and Math in English) – a drastic decrease of 19 percent or one-fifth reduction in number. There were 53,638 STPM candidates in 2008 compared with 66,048 in 2007. A grand total of 34 candidates sat the Further Mathematics T paper. For Mathematics T, there were 9,158 exam candidates last year compared to 14,219 in 2007. In Chemistry, the drop was to 8,970 in 2008 from 14,060 candidates in 2007; Biology: 5,124 from 8,099; and Physics: 4,053 from 6,359. Has the switch to English made the STPM Math and Science papers more attractive to students? No. Nobody’s against Malaysia aspiring to be a Science and Technology nation. Nobody’s against Malaysian schoolchildren mastering English. But I’m afraid that Dr M’s pronouncements from on high do not equate hard evidence that teaching Math and Science in English helps either. And I’m still waiting for the authorities to publish substantive studies or surveys to back Dr M’s claim. Human capital for K-economy One study has been conducted by Pemuafakatan Badan Ilmiah Nasional (Pembina) and titled ‘Teacher Competancy Level in the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English and its Implications on the Student Development.’ To read about the ‘double jeopardy’ – negligible improvement in English language coupled with declined performance in Math and Science, refer the Pembina report. Distilled from the 10-page report is this conclusion: “PPSMI has killed the interest and enthusiasm of students to learn Science and Mathematics in primary school” [See box at end of related CPI article 'Case for BM (2)']. Pembina surveyed 15,089 students: 5,404 students (35.8 %) were urban, 9,388 (62.2 %) rural, 109 (0.7 %) living in the interior and 188 (1.3 %) living on islands. The vociferous voices of urban parents supporting PPSMI you read on the Internet are disproportionately loud as the marginalised segment are not wired and thus cyber perception, especially if you read only in English, is not reflective of the larger or true picture. Pembina also summarised: “From a cost-benefit analysis in the context of investing in education for the long term, adopting PPSMI is not beneficial but on the contrary stunts the pupil’s intellectual attainment and will be a setback to future generations.” You’re probably tired of hearing Japan (and Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong) trotted out as the countries excelling in Math and Science where the kids learn in mother tongue. For a change of air, try Scandinavia. Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway are the Top 5 countries in the Knowledge Economy Index (KEI), 2008 rankings. Now somebody please tell me that Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Dutch and Norwegian children are taught Math and Science in English. The KEI [see chart] aggregates economic incentives and institutional regime, education and training, innovation and technological adoption, and ICT infrastructure. Dr Mahathir envisioned propelling Malaysia to the forefront of the science and technology arena, like he built Putrajaya to position the country at the pinnacle of the OIC pyramid, like he built the Formula One circuit to race us on the fast lane, and created the Petronas Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) where ironically the musicians are foreigners. The Mahathir methodology is clearly debatable. As with the MPO approach, Dr M is not averse to borrowing from Westerners and he believes that riding the English language will rocket our country to lofty heights. It’s certainly true that an educated and appropriately trained population can create and use knowledge, and a nexus of organisations (universities, research centres, etc.) tap into the stock of global knowledge. But note that the proposition involves an older-in-age workforce, certainly not pupils in primary school. Mahathir’s Vision 2020 Dr Mahathir’s grand scheme is contained in the Third Outline Perspective Plan 2001-2010 (OPP3) which was the basis for the Vision Development Plan, better known for its ‘Wawasan 2020’ target. The OPP3, carrying a Foreword written by Dr M and under the aegis of the Economic Planning Unit, has charted out a perfectly sensible framework for developing Malaysia into a knowledge-based economy [See box for highlights of Chapter 5 of the report]. The Third Outline Perspective Plan (2001-2010) Note: OPP3 highlights on the thrusts to acquiring knowledge-based economy. OPP3 recommends the curriculum emphasise the teaching of core competencies in line with changing manpower requirements, refocusing vocational and technical education and training, transforming teaching methods “to promote creativity, originality and innovation as well as thinking and analytical skills”. Universities become more market-driven and move beyond traditional areas. Introduce flexible learning approaches viz. duration of course, entry requirements, mode of teaching and ensure affordability. Firms and industries provide incentives to their employees to upgrade their skills, bank to give low interest study loans. Brain-gain programme to recruit Malaysians abroad and liberalise conditions for their return and retention. Improving science and technology-related infrastructure, strengthening existing mechanisms for supporting R&D, and technology transfer and diffusion. Public and corporate sectors to increase their R&D budget and streamline the activities to optimise utilisation of funds. Teaching of science in schools and tertiary institutions will be reviewed regularly to ensure that the content is relevant, up-to-date and is taught in an interactive and lively manner. Source: Economic Planning Unit (EPU) OPP3 recommended that among other instruments, Science should be “taught in an interactive and lively manner” in schools and tertiary institutions, and the curriculum content be relevant and up-to-date. OPP3 did not propose that Science be taught in English in schools. The Ninth Malaysia Plan (MP9) 2006-2010 in its Chapter 12 on ‘Harnessing Science, Technology and Innovation’ follows the OPP3 general outline but provides greater detail. Among science, technology and innovation indicators, MP9 lists the percentage of R&D expenditure to GDP, number of researchers and ratio to labour, publication in international journals, royalties receipt and payment, and patents filed. [See box at end of article ‘Case for BM (2)’ on Malaysia patent count compared to Singapore and other countries] MP9 had this additional nugget: “Realising that human resource in Science and Technology form the core of scientific discovery and human innovation, efforts will be intensified to increase human capital investment and mastery of knowledge in accordance with the fourth principle of Islam Hadhari”. Hmmn, at least under the watch of our Hadhari PM, Malaysia did not experience such severe brain drain as occasioned by his predecessor. MP9 too did not advocate teaching schoolchildren Math and Science in English in order to develop science and technology. ‘Look East’, remember, siapa mudah lupa? When PPSMI was shoved down our throats in 2003, conventional ‘wisdom’ following Dr M’s tack was that Malay graduates were unemployed because they were poor in English, and PPSMI would raise the standard of Malaysian English. Dr M says the time is ripe for reverting to English. He doesn’t take into account the current situation, that is, our teachers have been educated under the BM or vernacular curriculum for four decades already. Therefore, forcing these teachers instruct their pupils in English will hamper their effectiveness in the classroom. He has today tacked again; After all, the man is famous for shape-shifting as well as his poor recall (witnessed in the royal commission inquiry into the Lingam tape when he conveniently couldn’t remember his past actions). Dr M’s present contention, which departs from the one he employed seven years ago, is that it is impossible to translate the phenomenal number of scientific tracts all into English. (Who says we should? His is a spurious and sidetracking assertion). He blogged about needing English to grasp the theories of Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Oppenheimer and others. He wrote “the theory and application of advanced science in inventions and the manufacture of sophisticated equipment such as telephone, modern weapons, rocket and space satellite stations, fighter jets and commercial airplanes, submarines, laser, microchip and hundreds of other appliances” require understanding English. (Er, Scorpene? Sukhoi? North Korea’s first satellite?) Be that as it may, if a researcher is required to access doctoral-level writings, then it is expected that the individual access source material directly. However, this individual is clearly neither 7 years old nor 11 years old. The ones requiring impeccable English Dr M then talks about Malaysian ambassadors, diplomats and staff in the Foreign Ministry who must speak good English. His children attended elite boarding school; his grandchildren study abroad and in international school. It’s the usual ‘Do as I say, don’t do as I do’ edict foisted on the majority who are in national schools. How many belong to the Mahathir clan social circle to be hobnobbing with ambassadorial families, compared to our youths selling computer equipment and cellphones in Low Yat Plaza or collecting tickets at toll booths? In Sabah and Sarawak, many of the rural kids are getting grades D and E in Math and Science. The ones in Perlis and Kelantan are faring dismally under PPSMI. Oh well, never mind, let them eat cake while we create a Malaysian Microsoft and home-grown Intel in the Multimedia Super Corridor. Should the language medium be tweaked so that those who already speak English at home or with their friends can further excel, or should we prioritise universal primary education for optimal achievement across the mean? With average students, English is not the language of their social milieu. They speak Malay and Chinese. If you’ve ever taken public transport when youngsters are on board, you’d know this from their conversations. Regarding the PPSMI debate presently, Dr M has tried to turn the tables by accusing the ‘Abolish PPSMI’ crowd at the demonstration a few Saturdays ago of acting “more Malay than Malay”, and refusing to communicate in any other language except Malay for nationalistic reasons. The political science of Mahathirism I’m even more flabbergasted by this next statement emanating from Dr M: “[Singapore] may use English for their education but they can still go wrong. But we want to use English only for science and mathematics and these two subjects are based on truths and logic – not on how clever you are in making decisions or explaining things.” Dr M’s train of thought is revealing of his subconscious. Is he implying that Mandarin, Malay or other languages are less able than English to carry ‘truths and logic’? The many distinguished academics and educationists opposing PPSMI may not be as “clever” as Dr M “in explaining things” but they possess better clarity as they are not perilously ‘Malay Dilemma-ed’ as he is. It is Dr Mahathir who wrote “I am a Malay not because of the language I use when thinking or dreaming. I am Malay because ethnically, lingually, culturally and religiously I am a Malay and I regard Malaysia as my homeland”. He’s forgotten how he declared he would pack up and leave the country should ever Anwar Ibrahim become PM … but faulty memory aside, here’s another what-if conundrum for Dr M. By convention, the Umno Youth chief gets a ministerial post or maybe Deputy Minister; outgoing Youth chief Hisham is elevated to Umno vice president and may vacate the Education Ministry to move to a more senior portfolio. If Dr M found it a toss whether his venom is best spewed at Anwar, Dollah or KJ, then he’d be sorely tested to imagine the incoming Youth chief taking over from Hisham. Khairy Jamaluddin has said in Press interviews that he does not believe in PPSMI for primary school.

Pupus Bahasa - www.kesturi.net

Oleh Aqil Fithri

Dewasa ini, frasa “Bahasa Melayu Bahasa Ilmu” sudah kian asing. Apa yang terpapar sekarang ialah, Bahasa Melayu tidak lagi digunakan dalam pengungkapan yang tinggi, dan dituduh tidak mempunyai kekuatan bagi diperkasakan sebagai bahasa yang penting. Hatta, Bahasa Melayu turut dikritik habis-habisan kerana gagal untuk bertahan dalam era globalisasi, serta tersisih apabila berhadapan dengan cambahan istilah-istilah baru, terutamanya yang terdapat dalam sub-bidang baru yang muncul di dalam sains, teknologi, matematik, komunikasi, komputer dan lain-lain lagi.

Selain itu, Bahasa Melayu juga dikatakan tidak mempunyai kekuatan sejarah dan falsafah bagi dibangunkan sebagai bahasa moden, sekalipun bukan sebagai antara bahasa utama dunia, meskipun secara geografinya jumlah penutur bahasa ini demikian banyak. Memang, hasrat kewujudan Bahasa Melayu bukanlah untuk mengalahkan Bahasa Inggeris–yang memang begitu berkuasa pada abad ini–tapi bahasa ini tetap saja dilihat terpuruk berbanding bahasa-bahasa moden lain, seperti Bahasa Perancis, Bahasa Jerman, Bahasa Sepanyol, Bahasa Jepun, dan lain-lain lagi.

Di samping itu, ada juga yang berhujah bahawa ketika ilmuan Perancis sedang membincangkan hubungan antara ¨minda dan jirim¨ sewaktu Zaman Renainsans Eropah, maka ketika itu orang Melayu masih lagi sibuk bercucuk tanam. Demikian juga, ketika ilmuan Jerman sedang membincangkan hubungan antara ¨fizik dan metafizik¨ sewaktu Zaman Pencerahan Eropah, orang Melayu maseh lagi membaling tombak melawan penjajah. Kalangan ini memperlekeh, jika tamadun dari bangsa-bangsa Eropah ini telah pun melahirkan Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, dll, maka gerangan manakah sarjana yang dilahirkan oleh Tamadun Melayu?

Memang, ¨Seminar Bahasa Melayu sebagai Bahasa Intelektual¨ yang diadakan hasil dari kerjasama Akademi Sains Islam Malaysia (ASASI) dan Pusat Dialog Peradaban, di Universiti Malaya, serta dirasmikan oleh Prof. Dr. Azizan Baharuddin, Pengarah Pusat Dialog Peradaban, baru-baru ini bukanlah jawapan muktamad pada segala persoalan tersebut. Ini sepertimana yang dirumuskan oleh Prof Ir. Dr. Hj. Wan Ramli Wan Daud, Presiden ASASI, sewaktu ucapan pembukaan seminar ini, ¨gagasan bahasa melayu sebagai bahasa ilmu bukanlah baru. Waima, idea ini banyak tersekat ekoran zaman penjajahan, dan kekurangan kesungguhan kalangan kita sendiri.¨

Walaupun begitu, di satu sisi yang berbeza, seminar tersebut sewajarnya mencelikkan ramai pihak, bahawa Bahasa Melayu tidaklah miskin. Terdapat tiga kertas akademik yang telah dibentangkan. Bezanya, ketiga pembentang bukannya ahli bahasa, tapi lebih tergolong dari kelompok filsuf sains/filsuf-saintis. Ini termasuklah, Prof. Emeritus Dr. Osman Bakar (UM), Dr. Shaharir Mohammad Zain, dan Dr. Mohammad Alinor Abdul Kadir (UKM).

Dalam makalah pertama, yang bertema, ¨Ilmu Falsafah dan Ilmu Keagamaan sebagai Pemangkin Kemajuan Bahasa Melayu sebagai Bahasa Ilmiah,¨ Osman Bakar, yang juga Felo Penyelidik Kanan Pusat Dialog Peradaban, cuba untuk memaparkan hubungan akrab antara falsafah dan agama dan kaitannya dengan martabat atau mutu bahasa yang digunakan dari kalangan bangsa dan agama tersebut. Sudah tentu, apa yang diungkapkannya ini dapat dicerna baik sekiranya kita merujuk kembali kepada beberapa bahasa utama yang terdapat dalam Islam, seperti Arab dan Farsi, yang memang diketahui begitu kaya dengan kamus kosakatanya dan ini semua membantu dalam mempermudahkan kefahaman ilmu yang terdapat dalam bidang falsafah dan agama.

Secara sejarahnya, hubungan bahasa Arab dan Farsi dalam falsafah dan agama adalah sesuatu yang lazim, dan umumnya sudah maklum. Tapi, bila beliau cuba membawa soal ini ke dalam kes sejarah Bahasa Melayu, memang sesuatu yang jarang diungkapkan. Barangkali sesuai dengan latarnya sebagai murid Seyyed Hossein Nasr, beliau telah menerangkan bahawa falsafah adalah ilmu yang sangat penting, yang selalu dianggap sebagai ¨ilmu segala ilmu¨–manakala mutu ilmu yang diolah adalah sejajar dengan pemartabatan bahasa yang digunakan. Ini kerana, ketika persoalan-persoalan tingkat tinggi yang diwacanakan, seperti epistemologi, metafizik, etika, dll, adalah juga merujuk kepada mutu kandungan bahasa yang digunakan.

Mithalnya, beliau yang juga timbalan ketua pegawai eksekutif, Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia ini memberikan contoh sewaktu Tamadun Melayu begitu semarak dengan penyebaran dan perkembangan Islam, dan sewaktu itulah terhimpun dan terhasilnya kajian kepustakaan Melayu yang sangat tinggi kandungan ilmunya. Ini dapat kita semak saja menerusi karya-karya yang dihasilkan oleh Hamzah Fansuri, Ahmad al-Fathani, dll, yang begitu kaya dengan ilmu, lalu tersuai dengan corak masyarakat di Alam Melayu ini. Barangkali, antara kelebihan bangsa di Alam Melayu sebelum ini ialah, mereka lekas menyesuaikan diri dengan keadaan baru, serta kreatif dalam mengolah kehadhiran agama-budaya-bahasa baru.

Kenyataan ini mungkin lebih dekat jika kita menelusuri salah satu aspek klasik yang ketara tercermin dari sumbangan Ibn ´Arabi terhadap Alam Melayu. Tidak seperti belahan yang lain, Alam Melayu tampaknya mampu menyerap kehadhiran aliran sufi ini dengan penuh sintesis sekali—antara usuluddin dan falsafah, atau antara kalam dan tasawwuf. Ini jelas diperlihatkan dari beberapa tulisan Hamzah Fansuri, yang tebal dengan wehdatul wujud-nya.

Justeru, kerana pengaruh aliran ini dari belahan dunia luar, maka kosakata ilmu yang terdapat dalam Alam Melayu kemudiannya bertambah, sebab ada keperluan untuk mengungkapkan soal falsafah mistikal ini. Lantaran itu, inilah antara sebab kenapa Bahasa Melayu ada wibawa untuk menjadi bahasa ilmu pada waktu tersebut, kerana kemampuan bahasa ini mampu menjadi bahasa falsafah-agama.

Selain daripada itu, beliau yang juga pengarang buku Tawhid and Science, menghamburkan pujian pada Tafsir al-Azhar yang ditulis dalam bahasa Melayu. Bayangkan, bila Hamka sendiri meraikan Bahasa Melayu dalam karangan tafsir-nya, yang dianggap antara tafsir yang baik, maka sudah tentu ini membuktikan bahawa Bahasa Melayu memang mampu menghurai kandungan agama secara sempurna, meskipun diakui terdapat beberapa peminjaman dari bahasa Arab.

Justeru, hakikatnya, Bahasa Melayu sejarahnya sudah cukup bagus, ekoran keupayaannya untuk mengungkapkan perkara-perkara yang bertaraf hikmah dan ilmu, bukan hanya bertakuk pada taraf maklumat semata-mata.

Sebenarnya, hubungan Bahasa Melayu dalam Islam turut disentuh oleh Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas dalam ¨Islam dalam Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Melayu.¨ Diketahui, Bahasa Melayu telah terbangun sebagai salah satu dari lima bahasa Islam, selain dari bahasa Arab, Farsi, Urdu dan Turki. Bahkan, hal ini jelas tersemak dari kesamaan aksara yang digunakan, meskipun akhirnya Bahasa Melayu dan Bahasa Turki kecundang dalam pengaruh aksara rumi. Fakta inilah yang membezakan bahasa kita dengan bahasa Farsi, yang menurut Osman Bakar, telah menjadi begitu maju sehingga terganding dengan bahasa Arab sebagai bahasa utama dalam pengungkapan Islam, lebih- lebih lagi setelah zaman Hujjatul Islam Imam al-Ghazzali.

Kemudian, kertas akademik kedua diteruskan menerusi Shaharir Mohamad Zain dengan tema makalah, ¨Bahasa Melayu Bahasa Ilmu: Telah, Lani dan Kelak.¨ Sekilas, barangkali pertanyaan pertama yang muncul ialah, mengapa beliau mengunakan kosakata ¨Telah, Lani dan Kelak.¨ Seperti memahami persoalan yang terbenak ramai ini, mantan TImbalan Naib Canselor UKM ini menyatakan bahawa tiga kosakata tersebut sebenarnya adalah serangkai, dan masing-masing beretimologi dari perkataan Lani, yang asalnya perkataan lama, yang akhir-akhir ini hanya digunakan di kalangan masyarakat Melayu utara.

Ternyata, judul makalah ini sengaja direka demikian, bagi menunjukkan bahawa sesuatu yang kuno bukanlah rendah mutu ilmunya, dan sebaliknya sesuatu yang baru tidaklah semestinya tinggi mutu ilmunya. Malah, kalau kita insaf, sikap ini juga adalah suatu kritikan bawah sedar kepada mereka yang sering memakai kosakata pinjaman secara literal, sedangkan dalam khazanah bahasa kita sudah pun mempunyai aneka kosakata yang lebih sesuai dan asli. Mithalnya, kita kerap menemukan mereka yang terhegeh-hegeh menggunakan perkataan ¨kualiti¨ berbanding ¨mutu,¨ ¨koloborasi¨ berbanding ¨usahasama,¨ ¨dialog¨ berbanding ¨randau,¨ dll.

Sebab itu, dalam makalah ini juga beliau–yang memang diketahui berjasa dalam menyumbang kosakata Melayu dalam bidang sains dan teknologi–turut memperkenalkan istilah janapada (bahasa wacana), yang dipinjamnya dari Bahasa Sanskrit, suatu bahasa yang dahulunya dekat dengan kebudayaan Melayu. Beliau menerangkan, janapada ini merupakan padanan kepada perkataan ¨nation,¨ atau nasion. Sebaleknya, tidak perlulah ada yang resah dengan rekaan kosakata baru, kerana ini amalan biasa dalam sosiolinguistik, malahan langkah ini sebenarnya boleh mengayakan lagi khazanah pengetahuan sendiri.

Justeru, dengan adanya kekayaan tamadun sendiri ini, maka tidak perlulah kita merendah diri dengan sejarah. Tak perlu gentar dengan perkataan ¨lama,¨ ¨kuno¨ dan ¨klasik,¨ di samping tak perlu mudah terpersona dengan perkataan, ¨maju¨, ¨membangun¨, dll. Sewaktu awal pembentangan makalahnya ini, beliau yang juga pengarang buku ¨Pembinaan Semula Teori Kepimpinan dan Kepengurusan Rumpun Melayu¨ yang terbit baru-baru ini, telah menunjukkan bahawa terdapat 40 buah negara maju di dunia, yang data ini dipetiknya dari sumber PBB. Maka, di kalangan negara maju ini, semuanya adalah menggunakan bahasa sendiri sebagai bahasa kebangsaan sekaligus sebagai bahasa janapada-nya juga, kecuali Singapura, Ireland dan Amerika Syarikat.

Maknanya di sini, bahasa kebangsaan adalah bahasa pengantar/rasmi negara tersebut, manakala bahasa janapada adalah bahasa yang berkeupayaan untuk berwacana tinggi, atau dalam isitlah yang lain, bahasa yang berangrasana. Masing-masing digunakan secara serentak. Malah, seraya menyindir barangkali, beliau membandingkan,¨ malah, Mongolia pun turut menggunakan bahasa sendiri sebagai bahasa kebangsaan dan bahasa janapada, meskipun mereka bukanlah sebuah negara maju.¨

Demikian juga kalau ada yang berhujah bahawa taraf sesebuah negara itu untuk bergelar negara maju adalah kerana mereka mencipta sains, maka dari senarainya tersebut, terdapat 20 buah negara maju yang sudah terkeluar, kerana negara tersebut bukan negara pencipta sains. Jadi, teori cetek yang cuba diwar-warkan bahawa bahasa setiap negara maju mestilah mencipta sains kini adalah termansuh dengan sendirinya!

Selain itu, tatkala membicarakan kedudukan Bahasa Melayu yang telah/lepas, pengarang kini sedang menyiapkan buku ¨Kritikan Teori Kenisbian Einstein dan Teori Quantum¨ cuba untuk menghimbau kembali beberapa catatan sejarah awal Tamadun Melayu, dalam rangka mencungkil mutu ilmu yang terdapat dalam Tamadun Melayu asal. Menurutnya, Tamadun Melayu yang terawal yang dikesan setakat ini ialah di Funan, yang kini menjadi sebahagian dari Kemboja, di mana bahasanya ketika itu lebih dikenali sebagai Kun Lun. Kemudian, baru tamadun ini digantikan dengan Chenla, dan seterusnya.

Malah, sumber dari Tiongkok–panggilan kuno Alam Melayu terhadap China sebelum ini–turut mengesahkan maklumat ini. Ini ditambah lagi terdapat catatan Yunani pada abad ke-2M yang memanggil Bahasa Melayu ketika Tamadun Funan tersebut sebagai Kolan sahaja. Dan, ketika tamadun inilah, terdapatnya prasasti (batu bersurat) yang menunjukkan bahawa Bangsa Melayu di Funan itulah yang mencipta angka sifar, bukannya seperti yang termaktub dalam buku-buku teks, yang didakwa berasal dari Tamadun India. Selain dari membelek kekuatan ilmu Melayu yang terdapat pada Zaman Funan, makalah beliau turut menyelitkan kandungan ilmu Melayu yang terdapat pada kerajaan Champa dan Srivijaya, dan Zaman Melayu-Islam.

Manakala, untuk Bahasa Melayu dalam waktu lani, mantan professor matematik-fizik ini berkata, ekoran penyingkiran aksara Jawi dalam tradisi pendidikan kita, keadaan ini telah mendorong kepada penghakisan identiti bitara (unik) yang terdapat dalam Bahasa Melayu itu sendiri. Memang, perumian Jawi pertama kali dilakukan pada abad ke-16, oleh Pegafetta, iaitu salah seorang pencatat dalam pelayaran Magellan. Namun, penghakisan Bahasa Melayu Jawi ini kemuncaknya berlaku setelah aksara tersebut terbuang dari sistem pendidikan Malaysia pada 1960-an.

Di samping itu, Bahasa Melayu yang terdapat di Pattani, dan di Singapura, dan di Mindanao, kemudiannya langsung tidak dibangunkan untuk menjadi bahasa ilmu. Sebaleknya, hanya Bahasa Melayu di Indonesia, dan di Malaysia sahaja secara bersungguh dilakukan perancangan bahasa ke arah menatijahkannya sebagai bahasa yang beragrasana.

Walau bagaimanapun, kedudukan Bahasa Melayu di Malaysia akhirnya tergugat setelah kerajaan mula melaksanakan dasar PPSMI yang mundur, di mana wibawa Bahasa Melayu dalam sektor pendidikan telah mulai terhakis sama sekali. Jadi, Bahasa Melayu Malaysia, yang satu ketika dahulu telah mengalahkan Bahasa Indonesia dari segi pengungkapan ilmunya, kini kembali ketinggalan, barangkali suatu waktu nanti Bahasa Melayu Malaysia hanya akan menjadi salah satu dari rumpun bahasa Indonesia sahaja.

Dengan keringnya penggunaan Bahasa Melayu dalam pendidikan, ini menjadikan bahasa ini bukan lagi sebagai bahasa ilmu. Sebab, prasyarat utama untuk sesebuah bahasa memperoleh taraf bahasa ilmu, atau bahasa janapada, atau bahasa berangrasana ini, ialah bahasa tersebut seharusnya terpakai sepanuhnya dalam sistem pendidikan. Meskipun kita mempunyai ITNM, DBP dan universiti-universiti, serta sekolah kebangsaan, namun kebanyakan dasar yang dirumuskan sebenarnya amatlah meminggirkan Bahasa Melayu, terutamanya dasar PPSMI—yang hari ini terkenal sebagai dasar yang sangat bebal.

Justeru itu, ketika menyimpulkan pembentangannya, mantan Presiden ASASI ini menjangkakan bahawa kedudukan Bahasa Melayu Malaysia nanti takkan lagi digunakan dalam mentakrifkan ilmu, meskipun maseh wujud lagi Bahasa Melayu Indonesia, yang memang diketahui meluas dituturkan di wilayah-wilayah dalam pengaruhnya. Bahkan, beliau turut meramalkan Bahasa Melayu Malaysia akan menjadi senasib dengan Bahasa Melayu Pattani, dan Bahasa Melayu Champa dalam tempoh 30 tahun mendatang. Lebih mendukacitakan lagi, para mereka yang kononnya mengaku pejuang Bahasa Melayu sebenarnya tidaklah begitu bersungguh mempertahankannya, bukan sahaja dalam tingkat sistem pendidikan tinggi, malah aras sekolah rendah sekalipun!

Keluhan yang diutarakan oleh Shaharir Mohamad Zain ini memang dirasai rapat oleh ASASI, yang memang terkenal dengan gagasan pengislaman dan pemeribumian sains, serta kental mengangkat Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa ilmu. Atas kapasiti sebagai Setiausaha Agong ASASI, Mohammad Alinor Abdul Kadir meneruskan pembentangan menerusi makalah yang bertema, ¨Sumber Bertulis Terawal Pengetahuan Rumpun Melayu.¨

Makalah ini membincangkan sorotan kekayaan pengetahuan Melayu yang diperoleh dari prasasti, serta manuskrip-manuskrip lain. Walau bagaimanapun, penyelidik gigih ini tetap mengakui bahawa maseh terdapat halangan untuk kita memunggah kekayaan pengetahuan terawal ini memandangkan kekurangan ahli akademik yang berminat, serta ketiadaan displin ini secara khusus di universiti-universiti—untuk serius menyelidik dan menelaah bahasa-bahasa Melayu kuno.

Ketika menyampaikan makalah ini, beliau yang merangkap pensyarah sains matematik UKM, menyebut beberapa keistimewaan pengetahuan Melayu kuno. Ini termasuklah, keperluan kita untuk mendapatkan kembali buku-buku Funan yang dihadiahkan kepada kerajaan China pada 546M. Ketika itu, Paramartha dan Gunaratna dari kerajaan Funan telah pun dihantar untuk membawa 240 buah karya pengetahuan bagi diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa China, malah sebelum itu sudah ada 76 buah lagi buku dalam Bahasa Sanskrit dan Kunlun yang diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa China oleh sarjana Melayu Funan. Justeru, tugas yang patut dilakukan sekarang ialah untuk mencari kembali buku-buku tersebut, kemudiannya menyaring kepenggunaan bahasanya, lalu ditarik segala ilmu-ilmu yang terkandung dalam karya-karya tersebut.

Di samping itu, beliau yang kini merancang untuk membentuk pasukan penyelidik kajian Melayu kuno turut memaklumkan bahawa Atisa, seorang agamawan besar Buddha, yang pernah menuntut ilmu di Sumatera, di bawah bimbingan Dharmakirti pada abad ke-11M, lalu kemudiannya membawa ilmu dari Alam Melayu tersebut untuk merevolusi agama Buddha di Tibet. Sesuai dengan tradisi keilmuan, Atisa juga telah menerjemahkan banyak buku-buku dari Tamadun Melayu, mithalnya kitab agung Buddha dalam Bahasa Melayu iaitu Tripatika, ke dalam Bahasa China. Soalnya di sini, apakah memang benar kita tandus sarjana sendiri, dan tidak mempunyai longgokan pengetahuan sendiri? Atau barangkali kita sudah terlalu selesa untuk mendeduktifkan segala-galanya pada sejarah Islam semata?

Selain dari itu, beliau yang juga penyelidik bersekutu INSPEM (UPM) turut mengemukakan fakta bahawa di antara sempadan Greek dan Albania, terdapat rumpun Melayu Champa yang mendiami di perbatasan tersebut, yang mana mereka ini mungkin dibawa ke sana oleh para penjajah bagi tujuan pemindahan pengetahuan yang terdapat di Alam Melayu. Kehadiran bangsa Chameria ini, boleh menimbulkan satu hipotesis, bahawa sebenarnya terdapat hubungan lama antara Tamadun Melayu dengan beberapa Negara Eropah Timur. Namun, sudah tentu, suatu penyelidikan mendalam haruslah digarap untuk mengesahkan hipotesis ini.

Sebenarnya, dari ketiga-tiga kertas akademik ini, dengan insaf sekali menunjukkan bahawa betapa kurangnya kesungguhan kita dalam merayakan khazanah sendiri. Jika dalam tamadun lain sudah begitu giat mengkaji tamadun-tamadun kuno mereka, seperti Yunani, Farsi, Eropah, dll, tetapi sayangnya para penyelidik tanahair kita nampaknya lebih gemar terhenti pada ´kegemilangan´ tamadun Melayu-Islam semata, tanpa berusaha untuk pergi lebih jauh lagi. Hakikatnya, kajian kuno ini seharusnya dapat menambah-nilai kepada pengetahuan kita yang sedia ada, serta mengukuhkan kedudukan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa yang sarat ilmunya—sama ada dari sudut sejarah, falsafah ataupun tamadunnya.

Justeru, tanpa mengembalikan semula kekuasaan Bahasa Melayu dalam sistem pendidikan, maka bukan sahaja impian untuk melihat Bahasa Melayu menjadi bahasa ilmu akan gagal, tetapi cita-cita untuk meraikan hadharah sendiri juga turut musnah! Akhirnya, Bahasa Melayu hanya bertaraf pasar, kerana kita lebih lazim menggunakan Bahasa Inggeris untuk berwacana sesama kita. Lantas, mengenang keadaan ini, maka tidaklah wajar untuk dibentuk sebarang anugerah bagi kesarjanaan Melayu, kerana yang berhak menerima panggilan sarjana Melayu hanyalah mereka yang sudi berkarya dalam Bahasa Melayu, iaitu sekurang-kurangnya berkarya secara seimbang di samping karya-karyanya dalam bahasa-bahasa lain.

Jelas, mesej ini selari dengan apa yang dikeluhkan oleh Shaharir Mohammad Zain sewaktu seminar ini, bahawa ´sarjana´ kita yang demikian ramai berkubu di universiti-universiti sekarang hanya lebih berminat berkarya—secara bergaya—dalam Bahasa Inggeris sahaja, tetapi memandang rendah kegiatan peterjemahan dan penulisan dalam bahasa sendiri. Sewajarnya, sarjana kita dewasa ini harus belajar dari para sarjana Melayu silam, seperti Ahmad al-Fathani, yang bukan sahaja berkarya dalam bahasa Melayu dan Arab secara seimbang, tetapi turut menguasai bahasa Urdu dan Farsi dengan fasehnya. Hanya sikap inilah yang boleh menekalkan Bahasa Melayu bila berdepan dengan arus globalisasi yang deras melanda mutakhir ini.

KJ di'boo' bukan pekara baru - wanger j khairy

27-Mac-2009: Menurut blogger Parpu Kari, http://parpukari.blogspot.com/, KJ dikatakan di'boo' oleh sebilangan perwakilan yang kononya terdiri daripada perwakilan dari Pemuda, Wanita dan UMNO Senior. Cerita tersebut digembar gemburkan oleh segelintir pihak yang masih tidak dapat menerima realiti bahawa Saudara Khairy ni telah berjaya mencipta kemenangan 'upset' pada pemilihan Ketua Pemuda UMNO.

Pekara ini tidak baru. KJ juga di'boo' sewaktu beliau memenangi kerusi Naib Ketua Pemuda beberapa tahun yang lalu. Konsep KJ di'boo' ini akan digunakan modal untuk mengukuhkan cerita bahawa rata rata Khairy ni ditolak oleh UMNO.

Saya tidak mahu berhujah panjang lebar diatas pekara diatas. Kalaulah anda sudi membaca posting posting dibawah, saya tidak menyangkal dakwaan bahawa KJ ni tidak disukai oleh majoriti perwakilan pemuda. Tetapi oleh kerana ianya pertandingan tiga penjuru, dari segi matematik, seseorang pemenag tidak perlu mendapat undi majoriti. Posting 'KJ Wins' dan "Anti Khairy just does not get it' mengupas tajuk ini dengan lebih mendalam.

Sejurus selepas KJ memenangi kerusi Ketua Pemuada, puak blogger yang sememangnya tidak suka pada Khairy bertanya, 'apakah strategi UMNO menghadapi PRU kecil di Bukti Selambau, Bukti Gantang dan Batang Ai.' Sebenarnya, KJ hanyalah Ketua Pemuda, tanggungjawab ini seharusnya dipikul oleh Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden yang bakal merangkap Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri. Tanggungjawab ini juga harus dijunggung bersama sama oleh mantan Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir kerana beliau bersungguh sungguh menyamakan belenggu yang dihadapi oleh UMNO kepada gandingan Pak Lah - KJ. Disebabkan Pak Lah dah diusir keluar dari jawatan Presiden UMNO, dan calon calon yang bersih dan amanah seperti Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan kerat kerat lain membarisi barisan tertinggi UMNO/BN maka sekarang adakah UMNO sudah dikatakan parti yang telus?

Inilah strategi Tun Dr Mahatir. Beliau suka menyamakan masalah yang komplex dengan penyelesaian yang terlalu mudah. Albert Einstein, seorang rakyat Amerika berbangsa Yahudi, dan juga ahli fizik yang paling mashyur berhujah, 'Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.' yang membawa maksud sesusatu yang amat rumit harus dipersimpulkan tetapi tidak diremehkan. Tun Dr Mahathir, dalam cetusannya di blog chedet serta ucapan dikhalayak am telah mempersimpulkan belunggu yang dihadapi oleh UMNO dan masyarakat Melayu kepada 2 penyebab

1. Pak Lah, KJ dan Tingkat 4
2. Kaum 'pendatang' yang tidak mengenal budi.

Maka sebab pertama saya rasa tidak boleh lagi dijadikan alasan. Pak Lah dah keluar, KJ kena boo, apa lagi yang dia nak?

Antara penyebab kedua, ni mungkin rumit sedikit. Kalau orang Cina, orang India dan mereka yang bukan Melayu, yang Tun Dr Mahathir menyamakan dengan 'kaum pendatang' tidak mengenal budi, apakah langkah yang beliau syorkan? Dan apabila mereka telah memastikan kerajaan dibawah pimpinana Tun Dr Mahathir mencapai kemenangan di pilihanraya umum 1999, apabila orang Melayu telah rata rata menolak UMNO, adakah pada saat itu, mereka mengenal budi. Maka sekarang dalam tempoh masa 8 tahun, mereka tidak mengenang budi.

Baik, bukan sahaja Melayu mudah lupa, malah kaum pendatang mudah lupa juga.

Tetapi wang cukai yang disumbangnya, tu kita lupakan sahajalah. Kita juga harus melupakan peranan masyarakat bukan Melayu dalam negara Malaysia. Kita juga diberitahu mereka hanya menumpang dan jenis menikam diri kita dari belakang. Pendekatan ni diguna pakai oleh sesorang bekas ahli politik yang dikatakan 'negarawan' oleh sesetengah pihak, dan ada orang berpendapat Tun berhujah sedemikian hanya untuk memancing undi bagi anaknya.

Nasib baik anaknya tidak mendapat apa apa faedah politik dari kenyataan tersebut. Biarlah kita mendalami maksud Tun tanpa was-was.

Tuan tuan - dan puan puan, Tun Dr Mahathir pernah mengatakan bahawa ekonomi negara stabil dan tidak akan mengalami pemorostan yang mendadak ekoran krisis kewangan di Barat. Ini beliau ucap dipersekitaraan tahun 2008. Apabila saya membaca kenyataan tersebut, saya tergelak.

Memang Tun tak tahu.

Untuk pengetahuan umum, di laman Padedoh saya telah banyak kali memberi amaran kepada para pembaca bala yang bakal menimpa negara kita ini. Ini berdasarkan bacaan index index seperti Baltic Dry Weight Index. Index ni mengukur secara purata berat cargo cargo yang dipunggah oleh sektor perkapalaan dan boleh memberi gambaraan keadaan sebenar bagi sektor perdagangan di seantero dunia.

Pada suku ketiga 2008, ianya jatuh mendadak sebanyak 90%.

Fakta dan implikasi tersebut tidak diberitahu oleh mana mana pihak. Kita hanya dengar 'KJ, KJ, KJ 'sahaja.

Kini negara kita dibelesah oleh krisis kewangan 'glokal'. Maka bersungguh sunggulah para pemimpin cuba memberi suntikan kepada ekonomi negara kita. Saya tak yakin iainya akan berjaya disebabkan oleh kesan beban hutang yang bakal ditanggung oleh kerajaan. Kalau dulu kita boleh mengenakan 'kapital kontrol' tetapi disebabkan pasaran ekspot yang mantap membolehkan negara kita mendapt dana Dollar Amerika, kini situasi sudah berbeza. Amerika Syarikat, negara yang kita suka melabelkan sebagai durjana, tidak lagi membeli barangan buatan Malaysia.

Kita sama sama akan turun bersama Amerika Syarikat, samada kita suka ke tidak.

Berbalik kepada soalan pokok. Kini gandingan KJ-Pak Lah tidak berkuasa. Rakyat negara ini, tidak kira orang Melayu, orang Cina, orang India, orang Iban dan sebagainya mengalami tekanan yang amat teruk akibat inflasi dan ekonomi merundum. Apabila mereka membantah melalui demonstrasi atau dengan mengundi pihak lawan, mereka disimbah air asid, dikatakan pengganas dari Tamil Nadu (bukan pantai Malabar) ataupun pengkhianat bangsa.

Akan tetapi, situasi ni akan berubah sebab UMNO kini dibarisi oleh pemimpin yang direstui oleh Tun Dr Mahathir, kecuali Ketua Pemuda, jawatan yang tidak sebegitu penting berbanding jawatan Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Maka dengan itu UMNO/ BN akan kembali berkuasa dan gandingan yang disukai Tun ni akan mendapat kepercayaan oranag Melayu dan rakyat amnya.

Kita tunngu dan lihat bulan 4 ni, samada betul betul Tun tahu ke tidak.

copy tanpa izin dari becok.blogspot.com

Tuan-tuan yang dimuliakan Allah s.w.t.,

Kejayaan manusia dalam agama dan bukan selainnya. Allah s.w.t. tidak letak kejayaan manusia dalam harta benda, kerana jika Allah s.w.t. letakkan kejayaan manusia dalam harta benda, beerti hanya orang kaya saja berjaya.

Allah s.w.t. juga tidak letak kejayaan manusia dalam rupa paras, kerana jika Allah s.w.t. letakkan kejayaan manusia dalam harta benda, beerti hanya mereka yang kacak dan cantik saja berjaya.

Allah s.w.t. tidak letak kejayaan manusia dalam pangkat dan kedudukan, kerana jika Allah s.w.t. letakkan kejayaan manusia dalam pangkat dan kedudukan, beerti hanya orang berpangkat dan kedudukan tinggi saja berjaya.

Allah s.w.t. tidak letak kejayaan manusia dalam keturunan, kerana jika Allah s.w.t. letakkan kejayaan manusia dalam keturunan, beerti hanya keturunan tertentu saja boleh berjaya misalnya Melayu saja boleh berjaya.

Tapi Allah s.w.t. Maha Adil. Allah s.w.t. letak kejayaan manusia dalam taqwa di mana semua manusia boleh mencapainya. Satu orang miskin yang bertaqwa, akan berjaya di sisi Allah s.w.t. dan satu orang kaya yang tidak bertaqwa tidak dianggap berjaya di sisi Allah s.w.t..

Begitu juga, satu orang kaya dan berpangkat, jika bertaqwa dia akan berjaya di sisi Allah s.w.t. dan sebaliknya jika tidak beliau juga gagal di sisi Allah s.w.t.. Satu orang miskin jika tidak bertaqwa rugilah beliau. Sudahlah bahagian dunia tidak ada, di akhirat juga tidak berjaya.

Satu orang Melayu, Cina, India, Yahudi atau siapa saja boleh berjaya di sisi Allah s.w.t.. Syaratnya mudah – bertaqwa.

Maha Suci Allah yang memberikan keadilan kepada kita.

Tapi apakah itu taqwa tuan-tuan?

Taqwa adalah persoalan nilai yang disertakan dengan keyakinan asas kepada Rukun Islam dan Rukun Iman dan disertakan dengan amalan.

Najib’s powerful speech eradicates corruption in UMNO

Someone e-mailed me this item, which came out today in http://nose4news.wordpress.com/. I thought it was funny enough for me to share it with you. The trouble is: many Malaysians do not have a sense of humour and good sarcasm is wasted on Malaysians. Anyway, here goes. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin If there was one thing all observers could agree on about Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s opening speech at the UMNO General Assembly for its Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings last night, it was how incredibly moving it was. So powerful was Najib’s oratory delivery that corruption — referred to as ‘money politics’ in UMNO circles — was effectively neutralised and eradicated from the organisation. “I actually saw corruption dissipate from the hall, it was unbelievable,” said Roziman Musa, a delegate from Perak at the main PWTC assembly hall. “Before Datuk Seri Najib’s speech, money politics and vote-buying were evident in the faces of many of my fellow delegates. But as the DPM began his verbal assault on the corruption within UMNO, everyone was cleansed. Detoxified!” A casual walk amongst the delegates revealed a cleaner, purer sense of being and an overall spirit of absolute harmony. “I’m a man reborn,” said Jaafar Hussin, a delegate and senior UMNO member from Pahang. “I, like many of my friends, didn’t think twice about accepting money or contracts in exchange for votes before, but now I am free. I feel the wonderful void which all the corrupt thoughts have left behind. I am at peace with the universe." “Thank you for the rousing speech, Datuk Seri!” he said, before running barefooted around the hall, throwing flower petals onto the appreciative crowd. The sense of well-being was shared by every UMNO member nationwide, from top leaders to young members. “We’re returning all our ill-gotten wealth to the community,” said Datuk Seman Azizuddin, a Terengganu branch chief and businessman when met at a hotel nearby. “My friends and I, who had amassed hundreds of millions of ringgit from our close ties to the administration, will now denounce our corrupt ways and live the life of clean, honest people, thanks to last night’s speech. What Datuk Seri Najib said resonated with the child within our souls, and released us from the clutches of our greed for money and power. We shall now embrace purity, selflessness and spirituality." “Our crony days are over. Thank God!” Puteri UMNO member from Lembah Keramat, Nina Badariah Ahmad, said that she now was more inspired to put her life into the party. “Before this, I didn’t quite know why I joined, maybe because I subscribed to some of the ideals of the party, but mainly because I was intrigued by the power and potential wealth I could get my hands on,” said Nina. “But Datuk Seri Najib’s fiery speech has sifted all the impure and immoral reasons from the pure. He has killed all that is bad in the party. I am now in UMNO only for the good of the rakyat. Go UMNO!” Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, responding to this latest news, indicated that Najib’s speech ‘had rendered the purpose of the Pakatan Rakyat null and void’. “Oh dear. I guess this is the end of PR,” he said over the phone solemnly. “We went out to the people on the promise of transparency, equality and justice, but now that UMNO is living all those qualities, with absolutely zero corruption, we’re pretty much dead in the water.” “I mean, I guess you can’t win ‘em all. Even I was inspired by his speech; it brought tears to my eyes,” said Anwar, hinting that he’ll be calling for the dissolution of all opposition parties and a mass entry into UMNO, as soon as he can. In addition to talking about choosing ‘clean and able leaders’ to take the organisation out of its current doldrums, Najib also spoke of UMNO being more IT-friendly and giving more attention to new media. Early reports have indicated that all mainstream printed media would abandon paper and offer their services online and for mobile exclusively, in effect saving trees and making the world a far, far better place for all our children. Graphics Courtesy Stephff

Mahathir’s Racist Agenda - Dynasty’s Survival Series by stocktube

Mahathirism is set to come back and it will be back with vengeance. The old former dictator has enough of the so-called retirement. There’s much work to be done to ensure his dynasty continues to prosper and take over the throne after Najib Razak completed his premiership as to the R.A.H.M.A.N political prophecy. For the first time ever the country’s economy has to take the back seat despite the recession sweeping the country with thousands more to lose their jobs in months to come. But who cares about this low-class of people? The survival of a handful of powerful warlords and their descendants are the top priorities. The stock market won’t go any worst than the 1997-1998 Economic Crisis because most of the blue-chips are in controlled. Heck, the foreign investors have already dumped their holdings or maybe they’ve not actually return the same way pre-1997 crisis.

The coming UMNO general assembly will probably goes down the history as the fiercest and racist of all. And if you think the previous assemblies where the cousin of PM-coming-to-town Najib Razak, Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, was the most disgusted of all with all those keris-waving asking for bloods then you have not seen the ugliest side of UMNO. To debate on economic challenges during such trying time in UMNO general assembly is like asking them why Proton cars still have power-window problem after more than two decades in automobile production. They’re simply clueless on this topic so be prepare for more temperature-rising racial cards to be played throughout the assembly.

And former PM Mahathir has just set the tone on what to expect from the delegates and leaders from UMNO. At a gathering organized by Malay group Perkasa, Mahathir started the ball-rolling by warning the ethnic-Malays that they could lose their political power *yawn* because of threat from “various parties”. Although the writing was on the wall that Mahathir was the architect that adopted the “divide and rule” policy that successfully separated the ethnic-Malay, Chinese and Indian so that they are suspicious of each other for as long as it takes, Mahathir is a person who seldom admits his past mistake. His policy was liken to apartheid but the old man who was labeled as senile once denied but instead diverted the blame on others such as the Chinese educationist group Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ) as racist instead. But what do you expect from a person who only thinks highly of himself (not even his own sons) as if he was the Great Pharaoh of Malaysia?

Mahathir, under which the cronyism, corruption and nepotism flourished under his 22-year iron-fist administration and are still very much alive and kicking till today is playing his infamous racial card again for obvious reason. His UMNO Baru (current UMNO party) is dying a natural death since Mar 2008 General Election. For the first time, the ethnic-Malay, Chinese and Indians have all voted in favor of opposition parties in the last general election in retaliation to the worsening corruption practiced by UMNO and their component parties. Outgoing PM Abdullah Badawi might be one of the reasons voters voted out the arrogant BN coalition but he was the direct production of Mahathir’s assembly-line in churning out low quality leaders. His preferred choice of Najib Razak was met with oppositions from all walks of life, some in silence and some openly because this PM-in-waiting is tainted with not only corruptions but also murder – in reference to Mongolian Altantuya.

It’s puzzling that Mahathir never talk about Altantuya’s case in relation to Najib in public as if he was trying very hard avoiding the disastrous topic. Mahathir does not have much time to waste and his primary focus now is to ensure Abdullah vacates his seat for Najib who in return have to make sure Mahathir’s own son, Mukhriz Mahathir, secured the UMNO Youth Chief position in order to springboard the junior to probably the premiership in not so distance future. In a “You Scratch my Back and I Scratch your Back” agreement, the people may see Mahathir dynasty after the Razak dynasty completed the cycle. But that can only happen if the voters think UMNO has changed for the betterment of the people instead of their own cronies. The coming UMNO assembly also may witness the return of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin besides Mahathir as special advisors who would influence the country’s policies. It would be fun to see Mukhriz wave the keris (dagger) in imitation to the previous actor, Hishammuddin Hussein. The question is whether Abdullah Badawi’s son-in-law, Khairi, will allow his competitor to do that first.

The racial card was being used with great success in the past and basically every UMNO leaders you see today has play that game in one way or another. But that was before the explosion of internet and blogging. It cannot be denied that the majority of Malay voters who voted against UMNO in the general election were the educated youngsters who read the “truth” from the net. Mahathir is playing a losing racial game if he thinks he can rally this important group of Malay youngsters to back UMNO as the ultimate party in ruling the government forever. Nevertheless if you believe what some fortune-tellers are saying about Mahathir to live till the ripe age of 88-years-old, Mukhriz Mahathir has to secure the Youth Chief comes rain or shine else without his grand old daddy the junior may just ended up as another UMNO ordinary member.

With police force, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Election Commission, Judiciary and to some extent even the Royalty deeply entrenched in the “UMNO Culture”, chances are higher for Mahathir dynasty to become a reality than to have opposition coalition (PR) taking over the federal government. If you think a sleepy and mumbling Badawi government is bad enough, wait till you experience once again the dictator government of Razak (Najib) and Mahathirism. The combination of the Three Musketeers Najib-Mahathir-Daim would blow all aspects of democracy to pieces. The opposition parties that control the states of Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Penang have better enjoy what they’re doing now to the fullest because they may not to see their administration lasts till the next general election. But the part that we will miss the most is the Master of Keris-Waving episode of which former Youth Chief Hishammuddin Hussein has repeatitively used in barbaric way as if asking for bloods. He's retiring from UMNO Youth and is expected to tone down his act of playing with the weapon.

Mempertahankan warisan Inggeris - utusan malaysia

Zin mahmud

Atas nama mengekalkan warisan, akhirnya Sekolah Menengah Victoria kembali dipanggil Victoria Institution (VI). Nama sekolah yang diasaskan pada tahun 1891 ini mengambil sempena Sambutan Jubli Emas Queen Victoria ketua negara Britain yang pada zamannyalah, empayar British berada di puncak.

Penubuhannya dibuat untuk mengikut jejak Raffles Institution di Singapura yang diasaskan oleh Stamford Raffles pada tahun 1823. Sehingga hari ini, namanya tidak berubah.

Antara lulusan Raffles Institution adalah tokoh-tokoh di Kuala Lumpur pada akhir abad ke-19. Mereka ialah Kapitan Cina, Yap Kwan Seng dan Loke Yew yang merupakan ketua bagi orang Cina di kota itu. Maka mereka dengan sokongan ketua kaum India, Thamboosamy Pillay percaya sebuah sekolah seperti Raffles Institution patut diwujudkan di Kuala Lumpur.

Maka cadangan mereka diterima oleh Residen British bagi Selangor ketika itu, William Hood Treacher. Pada zaman itu Residen British itu adalah de facto Menteri Besar.

VI dapat diwujudkan hasil daripada bantuan derma Sultan Selangor ketika itu, Sultan Abdul Samad. Maknanya penubuhan VI adalah atas usaha bersama Raja Melayu, penjajah Inggeris dan ketua-ketua kaum. Patutnya sekolah itu dinamakan Sultan Abdul Samad Institution. Queen Victoria pula dapat nama.

Namun begitu, sejarah wajar dihormati dan peninggalan penjajah British di negara ini juga merupakan warisan yang elok dipertahankan.

Kalaulah orang dahulu mengambil berat mengenai warisan, sudah tentu mereka tidak akan tergesa-gesa menukar nama VI kepada Sekolah Menengah Victoria yang tidak begitu klasik, apatah lagi glamor.

Maka lepas ini sekolah lama penulis iaitu Sekolah Menengah St. John's patut dikembalikan namanya kepada St John's Institution (SJI). Tetapi bukan saja sekolah-sekolah yang terkenal patut dikembalikan nama warisannya. Apa kata sekolah-sekolah biasa seperti sekolah rendah penulis iaitu Sekolah Rendah Jalan Padang Tembak kembali kepada nama dahulu iaitu Rifle Range Road School (RRRS).

Nama jalan ini menjadi demikian kerana ia melalui lapangan sasar menembak di Mindef, kependekan daripada perkataan Ministry of Defence atau Kementerian Pertahanan. Pada zaman British, di sinilah markas tentera utama mereka. Bermakna di sinilah British menguasai Tanah Melayu.

Jalan Padang Tembak ini melalui Jalan Semarak, dahulunya bernama Gurney Road. Namanya begitu klasik. Gurney Road mengmbil sempena nama bekas Pesuruhjaya Tinggi British ke Tanah Melayu, Sir Henry Gurney. Masa itu kedudukannya adalah seperti Yang Dipertua bagi Tanah Melayu, maklumlah beliau mewakili Raja England yang mana negaranya menjajah Tanah Melayu. Gurney ditembak mati di Bukit Fraser.

Nama Fraser's Hill dan Cameron Highland tidak diubah sehingga kini. Ia terus menjadi warisan. Boleh pula nama bersejarah ini dikekalkan. Yang telah berubah ialah Maxwell Hill di Taiping yang kini dikenali sebagai Bukit Larut. Namun Sekolah Menengah Maxwell di Kuala Lumpur mengekalkan nama asalnya.

Apa salahnya mengekalkan nama-nama asal supaya ciri sejarah dapat dipertahankan. Sebarang nama baru biarlah diberikan kepada jalan atau tempat baru.

Begitu juga dengan nama negara ini sendiri. Asalnya Tanah Melayu tetapi dalam bahasa Inggeris ia menjadi Malaya. Sepatutnya biarlah begitu tetapi apabila Malaysia diwujudkan, Tanah Melayu menjadi Malaysia Barat. Kemudian ia bertukar menjadi Semenanjung Malaysia.

Apa yang nyata, nama Melayu itu sudah hilang. Pada masa ini katakan hendak dikembalikan nama Tanah Melayu, sudah tentu dirasakan seperti ada unsur-unsur perkauman.

Maka tidak hairanlah Keretapi Tanah Melayu bertukar namanya kepada KTM Berhad. Hilanglah nama Melayu pada perkhidmatan keretapi ini. Ada ura-ura akan ditubuhkan sebuah lagi syarikat keretapi nasional, jangan harap akan digunakan perkataan Melayu.

Malah perkhidmatan LRT yang dahulunya dikenali sebagai Putra sudah hilang nama Melayunya untuk menjadi RapidKL. Ingatlah bahawa satu masa dahulu, perkhidmatan bas utama di Kuala Lumpur bernama Seri Jaya. Namanya ditulis dalam jawi di atas badan bas. Kemudian ia bertukar menjadi SJ saja. Tidak lama kemudian, ia diambil alih dan ditukar namanya kepada Intrakota. Perkataan itu separuh Melayu, separuh Inggeris. Lepas itu, bertukar menjadi RapidKL. Hilang langsung perkataan Melayu. Begitu juga dengan syarikat bas lain di Kuala Lumpur seperti Cityliner.

Ketika kereta nasional mula diperkenalkan, tentunya rakyat negara ini berbangga dengan nama Saga, Iswara, Satria, Waja dan Juara. Begitu juga dengan Perodua yang memiliki nama seperti Kancil, Rusa, Kelisa dan Kenari. Lepas itu nama Melayu pun hilang.

Nasib baik Naza memperkenalkan nama seperti Citra, Ria dan Sutra. Kadang kala rakyat negara ini sudah tidak berbangga dengan nama ibunda, kononnya tidak sedap didengar.

Ada satu masa dahulu atas nama nasionalisme, maka ditukar nama-nama bersejarah. Maka hilanglah Jalan Batu, Jalan Mountbatten, Jalan Travers, Jalan Brickfields, Foch Avenue, Jalan Parry, Circular Road dan pelbagai nama jalan.

Tetapi setelah lama merdeka, suka pula mengguna nama asing. Sedangkan banyak nama Melayu yang sedap didengar. Lihatlah Damansara, Melawati, Menjalara, Maluri dan Hartamas, ia menjadi tempat glamor walaupun namanya bukan daripada bahasa Inggeris.

Nampaknya, sudah lupa tentang perkataan-perkataan indah daripada bahasanya sendiri. Mungkin kerana terlampau mengejar mata pelajaran sains hinggakan sastera dipandang lekeh, sedangkan kedua-duanya adalah perlu. Kini orang sudah kurang menggunakan istilah barah, kencing manis, angin ahmar dan lelah. Ia telah digantikan dengan kanser, diabetes, strok dan asma. Lagipun jabatan kajicuacapun sudah bertukar menjadi Jabatan Meteorologi. Maklumlah pengajaran sains sudah pun dalam bahasa Inggeris.

'English not a prerequisite for success' - Malaysiakini

Mar 13, 09 10:15am

‘Science is a systematic method to acquire knowledge. Learning by heart the English vocabulary that describes scientific facts does not lead to success.' On Language policy: 'Malaysia will stagnate' Lian Wee Ler: I would like to offer my opinion on the topic of teaching maths and science in English. My first language is Mandarin Chinese, and I completed my primary and secondary education in a Mandarin language school. I have obtained a Bachelor's degree and am pursuing a PhD in biochemistry at an English language university in Canada. Here are my views: 1. Learning in English is not a prerequisite for success in science. Science is a systematic method to acquire knowledge. Learning by heart the English vocabulary that describes scientific facts does not lead to success. Success depends on an understanding of the scientific method, creative thinking, and passion in scientific pursuit. 2. Although knowing English helps us understand the latest scientific publications, at the primary and secondary school levels, what we learn is not exactly the latest. In primary and secondary schools, we learn all the well-established scientific facts and scientific methods; and the vocabulary required for this is available in all major languages, including Bahasa Melayu. 3. Returning to the topic of achieving success in science, most Malaysian students do not speak English as their mother tongue and I barely passed the language when I first started to learn it in school. Learning maths and science in English must be hard for most of our youngsters. Making maths and science difficult is not the way to cultivate interest among children in these subjects. 4. Will teachers in our schools, though well-trained, have the ability to effectively teach these two subjects in English? If not, I fail to see the reason why we should educate our children ‘ineffectively'. 5. Finally, guess what? My broken English does not hinder me from pursuing science in an English-medium higher learning institution. In fact, in my laboratory, the majority of the PhD candidates and post-doctoral fellows don't speak English as their first language. Neither did they learn science and maths in English while in primary and secondary schools. I speak better English than my professor and we understand each other just fine. In conclusion, English proficiency is not a guarantee for success in science. Language is a skill, which can be obtained by hard work; but for many people, it is a mission impossible. Maths and science should be taught in the mother tongue or in Bahasa Melayu. We should ensure that we won't deny our students the opportunity to obtain sufficient knowledge in maths and science, especially for those who will never be proficient in English.

Science, maths in English not a big help - Malaysiakini

Seong Ping | Mar 16, 09 4:32pm

I refer to the Malaysiakini report 'English not a prerequisite for success'. I fully agree with the arguments of Lian Wee Ler on the topic of teaching of maths and science in English. I would like to add a few more comments. My mother tongue is Mandarin Chinese. I studied at a Chinese primary school and graduated from a local public university. I obtained a MSc degree in Taiwan and am currently doing my PhD in Singapore, all in electrical engineering. My PhD research is nothing but all mathematics. My additional views are: 1. That the teaching of science and maths in English in primary schools would help students master science and technology has never been logically established. Poor performance in science and technology innovation is never due to the poor academic performance of our primary and secondary school children. On the contrary, our first class SPM/STPM talents admitted to the local universities are being reduced to third class talents by the poor academic standard of our public universities, best indicated by their deteriorating standing in world university rankings. 2. Being proficient in English is not a prerequisite for scientific and technological research and innovation. Strong foundations and good understanding of concepts play the crucial role. In fact, only a moderately good linguistic foundation is needed. But it requires a very strong understanding of science and maths fundamentals to succeed in scientific and technological research. Although Malaysian engineering students are generally more proficient in English than their Taiwanese/ Chinese/Korean peers, our engineering mathematics foundation is a joke to them. This is part of the reason why Malaysians have been missing from the radar screen of global technological research while the Taiwanese/Chinese /Korean have maintained their consistent appearance. 3. Language learning and the learning of science and maths are two distinct processes. Learning a language involves representation and the expression of ideas in thought while science and maths involve logical reasoning and manipulation. To require the primary school kids whose IQs have not fully developed yet to master both English and science and maths simultaneously is more absurd than requiring someone to complete a degree in rocket science in Russia while simultaneously mastering the Russian language. Therefore, teaching science and maths in English is an outright blunder. 4. To take Singapore or Hong Kong as successful references grossly overlooks the fact that the use of English in both these modern city-states has been common and pervasive. English may even have become the mother tongue for some people. Therefore, success in the teaching of science and maths in English in both cities doesn’t imply feasibility of the policy in Malaysia where kampung kids and teachers barely speak English even at school. 5. If there is anything to be done to improve the education standard of science and maths in primary/ secondary education, it would be to widen the scope of the syllabus, to foster innovation and creativity and to strengthen the understanding of fundamental concepts. Teaching of science and maths in English is however doing no help here. On the contrary, it is obviously rendering the education process ineffective.

MAHATHIR MISLEADS THE PEOPLE INTO ACCEPTING NAJIB AS THE PRIME MINISTER!

Mahathir Mohamad has vowed in working to oust the incoming premier Najib Abdul Razak, if he appoints corrupt leaders in his new cabinet. Does it mean that Najib Razak is not corrupt?

How clean is Najib? Can Mahathir prove to the nation that he is supporting an uncorrupt and clean future Prime Minister? Why is Mahathir interfering with the running of the country and the upcoming UMNO elections, when he has already resigned from being an UMNO member? What is his hidden agenda? What powers does he still hold? These are the many pertinent questions cropping up in the minds of the people.

It is very obvious that Mahathir’s reasons are not as simple as they may seem to be. Mahathir is one of the most cunning and shrewdest statesmen of this region. What is the motive behind Mahathir’s tactics? Why is he issuing these kinds of statements now? Is he fearful that Abdullah Badawi may not decide to leave his position as the Prime Minister?

Why this desperation on the part of Mahathir? Why is he pursuing diligently to make sure that Abdullah Badawi does not carry on? Questioning the mind of Mahathir, we can come to the conclusion, that he may have a personal agenda to fulfill. His one and only mission above everything else is to make sure that Anwar Ibrahim does not become the Prime Minister of the nation. Mahathir will go to any extend to prevent Anwar’s ascend to power.

By focusing on the selection of good and clean cabinet members, (which is doubtful with a cabinet full of arrogant and corrupt people), he will be able to divert the attention of the Rakyat. The focus now will be on the cabinet members and not on Najib who is full of controversies.

Secondly this is also to cover up the accusations on Najib’s involvement in the Altantuya Shaaribuu’s murder. Najib is seen to be carrying a heavy baggage of various corruption cases on top of the Altantuya case.

Thirdly, Mahathir is voicing out his views now with so much of fervor so as to be seen to take the side of the public, by saying that he is opposing corruption. On the contrary he has been one of the most corrupt and selfish leaders this country has seen.

Fourthly if the new cabinet is seen to be clean, this will absolve Najib of any wrongdoings. Can a corrupt leader appoint a clean and uncorrupt cabinet?

Mahathir is fundamentally fearful of Abdullah Badawi continuing to be the Prime Minister and he is doing everything possible to make sure that he does not succeed. He has been quoted as saying, “Since half of the BN MPs support Abdullah Badawi and the opposition fully backs him, he will win and continue as prime minister for the opposition.”

In the process of dishonorable manipulations on his part, he has failed to look into the welfare of the nation. He has desperately failed to think of the future of the country and her people that he has so passionately been claiming, as dear to his heart all these years!

His personal vendetta has overcome his national interest and has created this tsunami of the nation’s state of confusion. Mahathir has ignored the path of honorable leaders and shown his true colors of his ignoble quality of selfishness and corruptness.

Then the most important question becomes “Can a dishonest and corrupt leader select a sincere, honest and clean cabinet?” Mahathir is indeed misleading the people into accepting Naib as the Prime Minister! Sadly, this country is gearing itself to being led by the tainted, nationally and internationally blemished deputy prime minister, Najib Razak.

Might of the Pen
16/03/09

The Investigation by kata tak nak

Boss: Okay, open up the books and lets see if there are any irregularities.

Officer: Boss, page 1 itself has so many. There are so many spelling mistakes.

Boss: You idiot, I am not talking about spelling mistakes, we are suppose to look for mismanagement or corrupt acts, you are a real donkey la.

Officer: If I am a donkey why then you took me in, in the first place? It was you who interviewed me.

Boss: I took you because I know you are a donkey. I took you in because I don't want thinking people around, just follow orders.

Officer: Oh and I thought you took me in because I was the cleverest of the Pemuda group in my kampung.

Boss: Just look for irregularities okay.

Officer: What about this. They passed housng projects on dangerous hillslopes?

Boss: Huh! When?

Officer: 2005.

Boss: No, nothing irregular.

Officer: They build kampung roads for 5 million a km in 2002.

Boss: No, next one.

Officer: They bought prime real estates in Mecca and later sold for the same amount, no profit at all. 2006 and 2007.

Boss: Can you get something more recent? Just look for something after 8 March 2008. All before that is unimportant.

Officer: But boss, those before that date are all irregular, how come you say they are not important?

Boss: Didn't I tell you that I took you in to just follow orders and not to think? I'll do the thinking here, that's why I am boss, head of this commission.

Officer: There is none that I can find.

Boss: What? None? Are you sure? Have you scrutinised everything?

Officer: Yep boss, every letter in every page, all I can find are some spelling mistakes.

Boss: What about that thing there?

Officer: What thing?

Boss: That one with the words 'lembu' there?

Officer: Oh, this one. There is nothing wrong boss. They bought cows to slaughter for the poor. Wah! they all good people la boss.

Boss: What they bought cows to slaughter for the poor? That is not right. They are not supposed to do that. Those people are poor because they chose to be so. Its not the government's business to help them.

Officer: But boss, this is for Hari raya Haji la boss, korban la boss.

Boss: What Raya Haji, what korban? This one cannot, it's mismanagement, it's improper.

Officer: But what's wrong boss?

Boss: Let me see the report. Look at the price. Why so cheap? If it had been the dentist, I am sure the price would have been higher, stupid people.

Officer: But boss, cheap la good. I cannot comprehend you la boss.

Boss: Like I said, you are not paid to think, just follow orders. Book him.

by Kata Tak Nak

The New cabinet by kata tak nak

Sarkas: Boss, boss, have you read the latest from the old man? Aiyo finish la boss like this.

Boss: Now what, haven't I got enough problems already? Now what has that ancient man to say? Why he cannot retire quietly ka? Lah is going already what? Still not happy ka?

Sarkas: It's a veiled threat boss. He wants you to pick a clean Cabinet or he will get you. I mean its like asking you to get a rock from a gas planet.

Boss: That's an open threat, not a veiled one.

Sarkas: Oh it's veiled alright. Can't you see that he wants you to pick as many of his people as possible? Pick his people, meaning his sons and his balls carriers and he keeps quiet.

Boss: Is that what he meant? Maybe he really wanted me to pick clean people.

Sarkas: Common boss, don't you think he knows that there are no clean people in our organisation to chose from? He should know because he was the one responsible.

Boss: Yes la, last time we could still find a few good men but when he came in he took the dirty ones in only to hold them by the balls.

Sarkas: But boss, if you pick his people, where are you going to throw our people? Remember they worked hard for you and I am sure they won't be happy. You won't last long la boss.

Boss: Oh god, this headache is killing me. How many do you thing would make him happy?

Sarkas: To make him happy you have to fill the whole cabinet with all of his people. Even the janitors and tea ladies must be from kerala la boss.

Boss: That's impossible? Where am I going to throw you? What, he wants me to take his grandchildren also ka?

Sarkas: Enough is enough la boss, you must not give in.

Boss: What if he unleashed his people on me like he did to Lah? I have got more hidden skeletons.

Sarkas: I have an idea la boss, I'll talk to our people to be patient. We give them some big contracts and I am sure they would be happy and in the mean time, you pick some really clean people as long as none of them are from his camp.

Boss: Yes, yes, that's a good idea. You compile a list for me.

Sarkas: Actually I have already got the list boss. Here.

Boss: Give me, .........., WHAT!!!!!!!

Sarkas: Why boss? What's wrong?

Boss: This list is full of PAS, DAP, PKR and PSM people. Even Ibrahim Ali's name is not in. What is this, Kit Siang, Hadi Awang, Nik Aziz, Nurul Izzah, Gopalakrishnan and and and er er ...... not even one from our party.

Sarkas: Yes la boss, we want clean people what. At least I have your name up there as PM.

by Kata Tak Nak

The Detention and Brutal Treatment of Anwar Ibrahim

20 September 1998, in the closing days of one of the worst Commonwealth Games, on the eve of the Queen's visit to Malaysia, 30,000 people took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur calling for democratic reform and the removal of the corrupt prime minister Mahathir bin Mohamad. The police and security forces reacted with violence, weighing in with tear gas and clubs to clear the streets.

One of the star speakers was Anwar Ibrahim, less than a month before, Finance Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and heir apparent to the corrupt Mahathir bin Mohamad. After decades of subservience, Anwar Ibrahim did the unthinkable and spoke out against the corrupt Mahathir bin Mohamad, the mismanagement of the economy, the cronyism, the corruption. Anwar Ibrahim was sacked (2 September 1998) and the corrupt Mahathir bin Mohamad ran a smear campaign to discredit him. After speaking at the rally, Anwar Ibrahim walked home to the resounding cheers of his supporters. At his home he gave a press conference. Paramilitary police kicked in the door and took him away. He wasn't to be seen again in public for ten days when he made a brief court appearance.

Anwar Ibrahim was beaten into unconsciousness on the evening of his arrest (20 September 1998). Only a few miles away, the Queen and Robin Cook (UK Foreign Secretary) supped and dined with a dictator, toasted the end of the Commonwealth Games. Neither spoke out. The UK has an 'ethical foreign policy'.

Since the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim there has been daily street protests.

The fabricated charges laid against Anwar Ibrahim were corruption and perverse sexual practices. Two star witnesses against Anwar Ibrahim were his friends who had admitted to participating with him in perverse sexual acts, and had been found guilty for these same offences. Ten days later they were to withdraw their 'confessions', claiming they had been extracted under duress.

On the day following Anwar Ibrahim's arrest, with people on the street, the police detained his friends and colleagues. Transmissions (video footage) from broadcasters of the demonstrations and police brutality were blacked out.

The arrest of Anwar Ibrahim spurred the fragmented opposition groups into co-operation. Political parties and NGOs called a joint press conference (27 September 1998) to protest the police brutality, the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim, and called for freedom of speech, right of free assembly, right to fair trial and fair hearing and repeal of all anti-human rights legislation, especially the Draconian Internal Security Act (that enables detention without charge or trial).

22 September 1998, Azizah Ismail, wife of Anwar Ibrahim, was questioned for several hours. Her request to see her husband was denied. She was warned not to ferment trouble. She feared for the safety of herself, her husband and her family. Police Chief, Abdul Rahim Noor, warned that now the Commonwealth Games were over, to expect a purge.

24 September 1998, the fascist police chief, Abdul Rahim Noor, called a news conference. Not used to Western style news conferences or Western media, he shouted at the journalists to 'shut up' and tried to tell them how to behave. The fascist buffoon, festooned with medals, looked like an over-decorated Christmas tree.

29 September 1998, Anwar Ibrahim appeared in court to face nine charges of corruption and perverse sexual activity. This was his first public appearance since his arrest ten days earlier (20 September 1998). He appeared looking pale, drawn and thin, his left temple bruised, his left eye black. He pleaded not guilty to the nine fabricated charges. He described how: “I was boxed very hard on the left temple and the right part of my head. I was hit very hard on the left part of my neck. I was then slapped very hard left and right, until blood seeped from my nose and lips.”

He then collapsed and passed out. He was denied medical attention for five days. He was held in solitary confinement in a darkened room.

On seeing the condition of their father, two of Anwar Ibrahim's daughters wept openly in court. His wife said that she was 'shocked and stunned that my husband has been a victim of police brutality'. She has been warned not to meet with journalists and not to ferment trouble. Anwar Ibrahim faces up to 20 years imprisonment on the false charges laid against him. Under the Internal Security Act he can be held indefinitely without charge or trial.

The authorities have threatened to inject Anwar Ibrahim with the AIDS virus unless his wife calls off the street demonstrations.

According to reports in the Malaysian press, the corrupt Mahathir bin Mohamad has claimed that the injuries sustained by Anwar Ibrahim were self-inflicted. An examination by a doctor of Anwar Ibrahim following his court appearance, supported the allegation that he had been beaten and sustained injuries whilst in police custody.

World leaders have rallied to the support of Anwar Ibrahim leaving the corrupt Mahathir bin Mohamad looking increasingly isolated. At the IMF/World Bank meeting in New York finance ministers spoke out against the treatment of Anwar Ibrahim, the exception was Gordon Brown (UK Chancellor of the Exchequer) who remained silent. Neighbouring countries have spoken out against the treatment of Anwar Ibrahim. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit held in Kuala Lumpur, US vice-president Al Gore launched a strong attack on the corrupt Mahathir bin Mohamad. World leaders now need to back their fine words with sanctions against the corrupt Malaysian regime.

Opponents of the corrupt Prime Minister are making full use of the Internet to co-ordinate their opposition and to inform the world of the brutal regime. Malaysia is following the path of Indonesia, institutionalised brutality, lack of democracy, with the majority of the population wishing to see the downfall of a corrupt leader. The people are expected to take to the streets until the corrupt Prime Minister is removed from office.

Anwar Ibrahim's teenage daughter, Nural Izzah, has taken up the campaign against the corrupt regime on her father's behalf.

Monday 2 November 1998, the trial of Anwar Ibrahim began. He appeared looking pale, thin and downcast. Most of the defence pre-trial appeals had been rejected by the judge. Several new charges were added to the original list. International observers were denied access to the trial, though several managed to slip into the public gallery. The US State Department attacked the decision to deny access to international observers. Armed security police ringed the court and prevented Anwar supporters from approaching the court.

The key prosecution witness was to have been Mohamed Said Awang (Special Branch director), but the choice of this witness backfired on the prosecution and only served to highlight the level of political corruption under Mahathir. Under oath, Mohamed Said Awang admitted he would lie if instructed to do so by his superiors, he spoke of 'turning over' witnesses and 'neutralising' anyone considered to be a threat. Mohamed Said Awang's testimony revealed a sordid tale of cronyism, political and financial corruption with the corrupt Mahathir at its heart.

Mid-January 1999 as the trial continued the prosecution admitted that Anwar Ibrahim had been badly beaten whilst in police custody. A couple of days later the chief of police resigned.

Freedom of expression and respect for democratic institutions and human rights do not exist in Malaysia. The Prime Minister justifies his iron rule as necessary to keep Malaysia on the path of economic success. The so-called Malaysian economic miracle now lies in ruins. In a histrionic outburst, Mahathir bin Mohamad, desperate to blame others for his own shortcomings and failings, has blamed foreign speculators and agents of foreign powers. In addition to the Draconian and repressive Internal Security Act (which grants the power for indefinite detention without charge or trial) Malaysia also uses the Sedition Act and Printing Presses and Publications Act to silence critics.

Those concerned with the treatment of Anwar Ibrahim and the lack of fundamental human rights within Malaysia should raise their concern with Malaysian diplomats in their own country, and also pressurise their own politicians to impose sanctions on Malaysia.

Malaysia is currently seeking funds from the West to bail out its failed economy. In addition to the usual economic strings, conditions on the reform of the democratic and judicial systems should be attached.

The detention and trial of Anwar Ibrahim is an abuse of the political system and the judicial process. In detaining Anwar Ibrahim Malaysia is contravening acceptable international standards on freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial and the treatment of detainees.

Amnesty International has adopted Anwar Ibrahim as a Prisoner of Conscience. In addition AI has called for the immediate release of all prisoners detained under the ISA and for an independent investigation of the injuries sustained by Anwar Ibrahim whilst held in custody.

Sources of information

John Aglionby, Anwar's teenage daughter picks up baton of reform, The Guardian, 19 October 1998

A.I., Malaysia: A crossroads for human rights and the rule of law?, Amnesty International, 18 September 1998

A.I., Malaysia: Amnesty International calls for Anwar to be charged promptly or released, Amnesty International, 21 September 1998

A.I., Malaysia: Amnesty International declares Anwar a prisoner of conscience, Amnesty International, 25 September 1998

A.I., Malaysia: The arrest of Anwar Ibrahim and his political associates, Amnesty International, 3 October 1998

BBC, The World at One, Radio 4, BBC, 29 September 1998

BBC, News Day, BBC World Service, BBC, 30 September 1998

BBC, The World Tonight, Radio 4, BBC, 30 September 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 1 October 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 2 October 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 5 October 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 10 October 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 18 October 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 25 October 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 1 November 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 3 November 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 15 November 1998

BBC, The World Today, BBC World Service, BBC, 17 November 1998

BBC, News Desk, BBC World Service, BBC, 8 December 1998

Nick Cumming-Bruce, Mahathir sacks deputy in row over economy, News in Brief, The Guardian, 3 September 1998

Nick Cumming-Bruce, Malaysia leader goes for gold in power game, The Observer, 13 September 1998

Matt Frei, Black eye may floor Mahathir, The Daily Telegraph, 4 October 1998

John Gittings, Angry Anwar spurned chance to flee, The Observer, 1 November 1998

John Gittings, Anwar faces fresh charges, The Guardian, 2 November 1998

John Gittings, Anwar downcast as marathon trial begins, The Guardian, 3 November 1998

John Gittings, US 'lecture' ruins dinner, The Guardian, 17 November 1998

John Gittings, Interrogators 'abused Anwar speechwriter', The Observer, 22 November 1998

John Gittings, Anwar 'victim' gives evidence, The Guardian, 3 December 1998

Guardian leader, Malaysian subtext, editorial, The Guardian, 19 November 1998

Frances Harrison, Anwar tells court of political plot, The Guardian, 9 February 1999

Nick Hopkins, Troops guard Queen amid rioting, The Guardian, 21 September 1998

Nick Hopkins, Mahathir cracks down on protests, The Guardian, 22 September 1998

Nick Hopkins, Wife cannot see Malay detainee, The Guardian, 24 September 1998

K Baranee Krishnaan, Anwar was assaulted, confirms doctor, Cyprus Mail, 1 October 1998

Kathy Marks, Anwar's trial is halted by arsenic claims, The Independent, 11 September 1999

Sheila McNulty & Peter Montagnon, Gore backs Malaysian protesters, Financial Times, 17 November 1998

Peter Montagnon & Sheila McNulty, Apec assails credit rating agencies, Financial Times, 19 November 1998

Seth Mydans, Arrested heir voices the unthinkable, The Guardian, 22 September 1998

Richard Lloyd Parry, Battered Anwar in court at last, The Independent, 30 September 1998

Richard Lloyd Parry, Malaysian furry at Al Gore's 'interference, The Independent, 18 November 1998

M G G Pilai & David Watts, US 'encouraging' Malaysian unrest, The Times, 18 November 1998

Michael Sheridan, Police witness turns the tables on Mahathir, The Sunday Times, 8 November 1998

Alex Spillius, Malaysian police storm mosque to break up demo, The Daily Telegraph, 26 September 1998

Alex Spillius, Police beat me as Queen was visiting, Anwar tells court, The Daily Telegraph, 30 September 1998

Alex Spillius, Australian leader hits at Mahathir over Anwar, The Daily Telegraph, 1 October 1998

Alex Spillius, Critics scorn Mahathir's claim that Anwar hurt himself, The Daily Telegraph, 1 October 1998

Alex Spillius, Doctor confirms Anwar's beating, The Daily Telegraph, 2 October 1998

John Sweeney, Don't act like that here in Malaysia, The Guardian, 25 September 1998

John Sweeney, Arrest of Anwar spurs solidarity, The Guardian, 28 September 1998

John Sweeney, Battered Anwar in court, The Guardian, 30 September 1998

Times editorial, The Regime in Malaysia - Corruption, cronyism and clamp-down are also Asian values, The Times, 22 September 1998

Stephen Vines, Malaysia losing fight against cyber protest, The Independent on Sunday, 13 December 1998

David Watts, Malaysia in turmoil as government cracks down on dissenters, The Times, 22 September 1998

David Watts, Anwar's wife accuses police of beating him, The Times, 30 September 1998

More information on Anwar Ibrahim may be obtained from:
Amnesty International, 1 Easton Street, LONDON WC1X 8DJ, England
tel +44-171-413-5500 / fax +44-171-956-1157
e-mail: info@amnesty.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: http://www.amnesty.org