The Fictional Plausibility of the Factually False

Technorati tags: Low Taek Jho, Jho Low, Jet Setter, Front Page News

If there’s one certainty that Walski can think of, in light of Malaysians’ reaction online to the story of Low Taek Jho, is that we really have a very busy-body culture. Kay-poh to the max.

And probably among the guys is a tinge of envy as to the kind of jet-setting that Jho Low gets to do. Guys will be guys, especially if Paris Hilton is involved.

As if there was nothing else of greater importance that happened, The Star decided to front-page their “World Exclusive” interview with the 28 year old in today’s edition.

Which Walski supposes was only to be expected – “world exclusive” and all.

Admittedly, Walski did get a print copy of The Star today – the first time in who-knows how long – for research purposes, naturally, since that was the only way to read the interview (a nice ploy to sell papers – don’t publish something online).

The most interesting bit was this phrase that kept coming up, while Jho Low clarified some of the reports about him in the press the world over. And that phrase was factually not true.
(plausible unfactuality, and more, in the full post)

In various permutations, the phrase popped up during the interview at least three times. So, if something is factually untrue, it goes to reason that the exaggerated reports were, therefore, fictitiously plausible.

To his credit, however, Jho Low did “clarify” quite articulately. Call ‘em plausible denials, if you must. Walski must say that he clarified the various situations thrown at him during the interview quite well indeed.

The thing is, Walski personally couldn’t care less how much Jho Low spent (or didn’t, as he claims) on entertainment and what not. Why? Because it’s his own moolah. And that of his high-flyer buddies, and clients. Different case if it were a trip to Disneyland with the family (and maid) using public funds – in which case, Walski would be really pissed off.

Low Taek Jho, by his own admission, works hard and plays hard. Even if it were play harder, as some have alluded to on Twitter and elsewhere online, so what? Jho Low, as far as Walski is concerned, earned the right.

Now, gossip tabloids do have this tendency to exaggerate stories and situations, and make mountains out of the smallest molehills. Pretty much in a similar vein the way Utusan plays issues up sometimes, even to the extent of making up stuff along the way. Sometimes.

The same, it could be said, with Mastika, The National Enquirer, The Sun (as in the UK one), or the now defunct Weekly World News… all of which carry stories with varying levels of truthiness, that can range anywhere from 100% to zero, and any permutation in between.

Target? The gullible. And trust you Walski, Malaysia is full of ‘em. He’s personally come across more than a handful, and he’s sure that there are many more out there.

Add that to a kay-poh culture that many Malaysians seem live by, Jho Low’s “escapades”, insignificant as they are in the larger scheme of things, can be important enough to become front page “news” in a reputable national daily.

But that's just the way the world works sometimes – insignificant but interesting news just grabs us by the proverbial nuts. Why? Walski’s theory is that underlying the combination of gullibility and kay-poh-ness, we’ve become a nation that desperately wants an escape from the gloom and doom that our everyday existence has become. Justified, sometimes, as that gloom and doom may be.

That, and the plausibility of the unfactual but exciting things we hear from time to time. And because these things are plausible – it’s not like anyone alleged Jho Low to be an extraterrestrial or anything like that – and in truth fit Low’s jet-setting profile, we just get reeled into a world more exciting than our own.

For Walski, as he’s mentioned, it’s really no big deal – it’s Jho Low’s own money, and Jho Low’s entitled to do with his what he pleases…

Click here for the full post......

Announcement: New Commenting System Installed

Technorati tags: Comments, Comment Spam, DISQUS

Remember the post about a month ago pertaining to comments? Apparently the spammers who’ve been leaving unnecessary comments are actual human spammers (or very intelligent bots). Meaning that the authentication bit didn’t work. And so, Walski has no choice but to implement comment moderation.

But instead of using Blogger’s comment moderation facility, Walski has decided instead to implement an external commenting system, which hopefully will solve the spam problem once and for all. The new commenting system Walski has decided to implement is from DISQUS, and was selected after looking at a few commenting systems.

Because of this change, there are a few minor changes that Walski should let you know about. For one thing, the comment entries and comment window will now only appear on the full post, and not on the truncated front page view. 
(commenting with DISQUS, and more, in the full post)

Commenting with the DISQUS system is done on the post itself, and you may choose to post as Anonymous, or log in through either OpenID, Twitter, or Yahoo!. Alternatively, you can sign up at DISQUS (it’s free), which will then allow you to keep track of your comments not just on this blog, but on any site that uses DISQUS as their commenting platform.

At the moment, all old comments left via the Blogger commenting system aren’t visible, as Walski has been having some problems importing them into DISQUS. He’s sent a help desk ticket on this problem, and hopes that it will be resolved soon.

Do try to leave a comment to this post – it should work pretty much like any other commenting system. You are able to use simple HTML tags for formatting – so far, Walski’s tested it with <b>, <em> and <a> tags, and they seem to work just fine.

As he mentioned in the earlier post, this move to amend the commenting policy is in no way Walski’s excuse to censor any comment. He’s been pretty liberal as far as comments go, and no changes are expected in that department any time soon.

Finally, before he forgets, Walski would like to say thanks to reader Haris Ali for suggesting the use of DISQUS – Walski, so far, likes!

Click here for the full post......

The Nut Graph's Sobering Plan B

Technorati tags: Journalism, The Nut Graph, Sustainability, Independent Journalism

If you’re Malaysian and spend time online, it would be very surprising if you’ve not ever heard of The Nut Graph (TNG). And if you’ve been keeping up with developments online, you’ll also probably know that TNG is ramping down operations. If you didn’t know, well, now you do.

But let’s hear it from TNG co-founder, Jacqueline Ann Surin, who was featured in the latest installment of PopTeeVee’s The Fairly Current Show.

Walski has had nothing but admiration for The Nut Graph, for their independent and daring approach to addressing current issues. But economics eventually pwns us all, one way or another, and therefore TNG has been forced to activate its Plan B.

It’s not quite a demise – and Walski certainly hopes that TNG will continue as long as it can – but with the massive scale-down, there will definitely be a dearth in meaningful and intelligent issue analysis when it comes to Malaysia-related goings on. 
(independent analysis without fear or favor, and more, in the full post)

As Jacqueline explained in The Fairly Current Show interview, without funding, TNG has become untenable to sustain. This, despite a number of people generously contributing to the online news analysis site.

In the latest installment of Shape of a Pocket, Jacqueline’s column in TNG, she explains what Plan B entails, and how it will effect The Nut Graph. Not surprisingly, the installment of the column is entitled The Nut Graph’s Plan B.

Plan B is premised on the belief that The Nut Graph can continue publishing and sustaining its presence without having a salaried team. And so, by the end of August 2010, the entire team, including I, will be retrenched. That way, I can focus fully on my role as editor and journalist without having to constantly worry about raising funds to keep the entire team fairly paid.

Plan B will be launched in September. It will see our office closed. But that won’t stop us from working from home. It will also see most, if not all of us, eventually being salaried elsewhere. But that won’t stop us from continuing to write for The Nut Graph.

Plan B will also see us slowing down the frequency of our publication from five days a week, to just once every Monday. And yes, we will be publishing fewer stories and will likely not be able to write news articles and features anymore. But that won’t stop us from still writing our columns and commentaries critically and fearlessly, and I hope, with impact. And it won’t stop us from continuing to offer our staple of Six Words, Found in Quotation and Found in Malaysia, and whenever we conduct a Found in Conversation, reports from there. We will also continue to welcome contributions from regular and guest columnists.
(source: The Nut Graph)

It is difficult to not admire TNG’s team of journalists who have given us many an in-depth view of issues plaguing the nation. Even more admirable is their desire to continue to write, for no other reasons than conviction and passion, in light of the site needing to activate its Plan B.

Is there anything that you can do?

Well, short of finding someone, or several someones, to pump in funding, probably not a whole heck of a lot. The key thing that’s important to Jacqueline, and the rest of the TNG team, however, is that their independence is maintained. That condition is something most political-based, or even corporate-based funding, will find hard to live with.

Particularly when the modus operandi of TNG has been to tackle issues head on, something the more thin-skinned among us find disdainful.

Independence in the news and analysis world, as it turns out, comes with a price. And quite simply, that price is economic sustainability. Not from any threats from nay-sayers or political entities uncomfortable with the way the site has reported, but rather the ringgit and sen required to sustain operations.

Walski sincerely hopes that The Nut Graph can, and will, continue the good work they’ve done thus far. Plan B, or otherwise, let’s hope that TNG will be around for some time to come…

Click here for the full post......

Opinion Poll: Effects of Politicizing Islam

Technorati tags: Opinion Poll, Poll Position, Politics, Religion

One poll done, and so naturally another one had to be put up. The topic is somewhat timely, since Walski has noticed a spike in Islam being increasingly politicized, and used towards political ends.

In particular, the recent “recruitment” of 40 ulama (clerics) to join UMNO, which created some waves in the press and cyberspace, does raise some questions. In Walski’s mind, at least.

Namely, WHY?

As Walski thought about it some, a few possibilities came to mind. Among other things, it’s UMNO’s attempt to keep up with the Joneses PAS, their political arch-nemesis. In a way, it’s a very Malay thing to do – Walski’s sure you’ve heard anecdotes of so-and-so refurnishing their living room just because the neighbor did.

In terms of political rhetoric Walski hears, these days it’s not just Malay unity, but also Muslim unity. UMNO, it appears, is trying to become PAS. Some might even say that UMNO wants to be more PAS than PAS, going by the claims (at least from a handful of pro-UMNO blogs) that UMNO today is definitely more Islamic than their political rival.

Also noticed of late is Perak State Mufti, Harussani Zakaria, apparently lobbying on behalf of UMNO (via The Malaysian Insider) for “unity talks” with PAS. PAS leadership has maintained that there has been no official sanction to initiate anything. And yet, Harussani is adamant that a PAS leader has approached him to mediate in unity talks. Harussani, however, has refused to name the said leader.

It is clear, therefore, that the religious establishment is getting involved. Nevermind why this is happening – what Walski wants to know is the possible effects of this heightened religious politicization. To be certain, there is bound to be some effect.    
(another poll is born, and more, in the full post)

And when Walski wonders such things, you know a poll can’t be far behind.

In fact, Walski launched the poll a few days ago, announcing it via Twitter. You can find the poll its usual space on the sidebar, or you can vote at Polldaddy.com, the host of choice for the poll this time.

As with previous Polldaddy.com polls, Walski has made it easy for you to post the poll on your own blog, if you so wish to. If your blog is hosted by Blogger.com, simply click on the Add to Blogger button at the bottom of the poll. If Wordpress is your blog platform of choice, you can use the shortcode [polldaddy poll=3487698]. Other ways of embedding and sharing the poll can be found at the Polldaddy.com poll page. 

The reason why Walski keeps mentioning this? Simply because he wants as representative an opinion poll as possible. The faithful readership of this poll (apart from the annoying porn spammers) tends to be more of liberal-leaning types, and that makes any poll result tend to lean one particular way. So do tell your more conservative friends to vote, too.

So far, the interim poll result shows that most people think the increased politicization of Islam won’t be beneficial to the nation. One respondent (who voted Other) stated that it’s “a desperate attempt to cling on to power”. Yes, if you think the other poll choices Walski’s provided aren’t representative of how you see things, there is the Other option, where you can state your own opinion.

Initially, Walski had set the poll to close at midnight on July 25th. However, he’s decided to extend the poll duration for another few days, until midnight on Saturday, July 31st. He hopes that you take some time to share your opinion, and then help Walski spread the word around to your friends, so that they share their opinion, too.

UMNO’s opinion in this matter seems to be that the religious establishment is pro-unity. Not surprising, since UMNO seems to be the party that’s really pushing this agenda hard.

But to what end-game result? Well, that’s for Walski to poll, and for you to hopefully respond…

Click here for the full post......

Did somebody say "More Theme Parks"?

Technorati tags: Humor, Theme Parks, Tourism, Malaysia

Actually, Tourism Minister Dr. Ng Yen Yen did, last week. Apparently, Malaysia doesn’t have enough of ‘em, and they’re not in every state.

Naturally, this got Walski to thinking... just how niche would you like ‘em, Yen Yen?
(niche to the max theme park ideas, in the full post)

A good theme park, in Walski’s opinion, should have universal appeal. That way, we not only attract the foreign tourism ringgit – or Renminbi these days – but also will draw in domestic tourists during those slow months.

With that in mind, here are some suggestions Walski has conjured…

KL BusLand^TM
One of the great experiences that folks outside of the Klang Valley don’t get to participate in is shoddy public transportation during peak traffic hours. In particular, shoddy bus service.

Upon arrival, and after you've paid your entrance fee, you’ll be herded to a simulated bus shelter, complete with climate control. Visitors won’t know what sort of weather surprise awaits them while waiting for the bus – anything from sudden torrential downpours to extreme drought-like sunshine. It’ll definitely put the fun back into dysfunctional!

Once the bus – specially designed with semi-functioning air-conditioning and a finicky engine – arrives, visitors will be packed on board, assisted by staffers (disguised as visitors) who will join in the mad rush. Since queuing is a disdained western culture that we don’t practice, expect some massive pushing and shoving fun.

Part of the ride will include a stunt demonstration of passengers being dragged along the route because the bus driver didn’t realize said passengers pants leg was caught between the exit door (all simulated, of course). Included, too, will be the famous bus breakdown experience, where visitors will alight, and be subjected to traffic fumes and more bad weather.

Since this theme park idea requires a rather low CAPEX investment (badly maintained stage buses come pretty cheap), every state can have its own KL BusLand^TM, except maybe in KL itself, because that would be kind of redundant.

Hell’s Express Bus^TM
But if thrill rides are more your thing, then the Hell's Express Bus^TM 4D ride may just be the thing you've been waiting all your sorry life to experience. Visually similar to the IMAX experience – but more intense – this ride employs state of the art visual technology, mechatronics and simulated road kill and bloody body parts, to allow you once-in-a-lifetime experience you’ll have nightmares the rest of your life from.

The ride is essentially a robotized mock up of a double-decker executive express coach, with random seats pre-populated with lifelike mechanized passengers. As the “journey” begins, enjoy the beautiful off-highway scenery, which noticeably starts to whizz by faster and faster – until the mechatronics kick in, with the “bus” jolting violently in various directions, as simulated metal guardrails sheer through the passenger compartment decapitating (or otherwise dismembering) the robotic “passengers” in a messy mayhem of rubber flesh, stage blood and hysterical screaming (both simulated and real, from you and your fellow riders).

And if that’s not thrilling enough, the ride culminates in a simulated explosion (complete with warm air jets), as the “bus”, now tilting 45 degrees towards horizontal, careens into the back of a RON 97 gasoline tanker (diesel just doesn’t have the same explosive effect).

Basic ride will cost about RM 35, with optional body bruising option at an affordable additional RM 10. And the trauma you’ll suffer the rest of your life – priceless. Unless you opt for the counseling sessions after the ride, for an additional RM 20. Money well spent, Walski tells ya.

The UGH Museum
In support of the government's constant call for ordinary Malaysians to change their lifestyles, to make it more frugal, etc., Walski proposes that each state (KL Federal Territory included this time) launch its own UGH Museum. UGH, in case you’re wondering, stands for Ubah Gaya Hidup (Lifestyle Change).

Through the mesmerizing yet informative displays you can learn new money-saving techniques – like “101 Fun Uses for Soiled Pampers”, or equally useful tips on how to hygienically “Recycle Your Toilet Paper”. And who would have guessed that there are actually “25 Delicious Used Motor Oil Recipes”, and that you can really stretch a 1 kg can of cooking oil, through the “Deepfried Reusables” diorama.

Fun, yet educational – that’s the driving philosophy of the UGH Museum. So, in the open space areas you can learn loads of interesting stuff, like “Fitting 25 in a 5-seat Sedan”, or the “Who needs a 7-seater, when a Kapcai can get you by?” hands-on session. Learn practical skills, like the “Make your own sugar form garden trimmings” workshop, or the “Teh Tarik & Milky Dishwater – what’s the difference?” seminar.

In the “Rent-free Living” village, located within the compound, you can learn valuable skills like “Making your dream Cardboard Bungalow come true”, and the ever useful “Why Buy when you can Squat” real estate seminar.

With each state having its own UGH Museum, you, too, can change your lifestyle, just like the government wants you to And it can definitely attract tourists from the far-flung 3rd World nations that we’re so wont to emulate.

And last, but certainly not least…

ClubTaliban  
Instead of dreading an impending fascist Syariah-compliant state, and constantly bitch and moan about it, why not make this eventuality a source of tourist income? What Walski proposes is a family holiday resort, which is best described as an ingenious fusion of Club Med, Syariah Faith Camps, and the secret caves of Afghanistan.

Upon check-in, the tourist groups and/or families will expediently be segregated, and herded into the male and female portions of the resort. Don’t worry about wardrobe, because guests will be issued, included in the package price, with stylish attire for the fun-filled weekend: turbans for boys (white, of course), and burkhas for girls – in every color desirable, as long as they’re black or navy-blue.

The typical 3-day, 2-night program starts the very next day, bright and early at 5:00am with the Kuliah Subuh, broadcast resort-wide on concert-strength loudspeakers. Can’t wake up? Don’t worry, the resort staff will enter each room to ensure everyone doesn’t miss the fun! Each staff member will be equipped with exclusively designed canes, just in case a little gentle persuasion is required.

No resort would be complete without outdoor activities. On Day 1, Club Taliban will boast of such fun games as Pin the Tail on the Infidel, Landmine Dodging Paintball, and Hide-and-We’ll-Seek-U-Out. In between, you’ll attend seemingly unending lectures covering every conceivable minute inch of how you should live your life.

Day 2’s activities will include participation in Morality Police role-play activities, which will include snooping techniques and technologies, bruiseless roughing up techniques, how to break down front doors with minimal effort, and other related class room activities. At the end of the classroom sessions, guests will have the opportunity to participate in a simulated khalwat raid.

But the highlight of the experience will be Day 3, when you’ll be “abducted” from your accommodations, blindfolded and “manhandled” by Pashtun-speaking actors in balaclavas and mock-up Kalashnikovs. You’ll also be able to participate in a 3-hour arts and crafts workshop where you’ll learn how to make such cottage industry favorites like prayer beads, tissue box cover, and pipe bombs. For the rest of the day, you’ll be transported from place to place within the resort, blindfolded, where randomly chosen guests can experience first-hand Taliban-compliant court trials, interrogation and terrorizing techniques.

From time to time, mock executions will also carried out, but this activity is expected to be seasonal. But you never know – there just might be a beheading or stoning to provide you with added entertainment.

~ ~ o O 0 O o ~ ~

So there you go – four unique theme park ideas that can be implemented quite easily. Even in the East Coast areas, currently bereft of any theme park fun, it would seem. Time permitting, Walski would’ve come up with more, but four’s good enough to whet the appetite for now… wouldn’t want to do someone else’s work for free now, would we?

Click here for the full post......

Bi-Poll Position: Istana issue & Anwar Accusations

Technorati tags: Humor, Poll Position, Opinion Poll, Politics

Walski figured he’d better post the results of these two recent myAsylum polls concurrently, since one of them is pretty frivolous. As it turns out, based on the results, even the non-frivolous one ends up being quite frivolous – the one about highlighting the new Istana Negara labor issues as being insulting and seditious.

None of you who participated in the poll thought it was. Despite having re-tweeted and reminded people to vote, more than once, the results remained pretty much at the same ratio, and no one selected the “Yes” option. Not a single person.

Not surprising, since it was only a handful really thick-headed politico-pawns that were really screaming their heads off about the issue being highlighted as seditious and/or insulting to the institution of royalty.

The issue, in fact, died down quite quickly, indicating that the public realized quickly that the real deal was that Ezam and Perkasa were politicizing a labor and migrant worker issue. And it was an attempt that fizzled out faster than an open can of carbonated soda. 
(the next accusation to be hurled at Anwar Ibrahim, and more, in the full post)

The other poll was admittedly one done for fun, and inspired by a recent news report of Anwar Ibrahim being accused of being a CIA pawn. Among those accusing him of being such, our Deputy Prime Minister, and Vice-President of UMNO, Muhyiddin Yasin. The “source” of this revelation: a blog post from Culture of Life News. The most ironic thing was that this accusation was echoed by none other than Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais “#yorais” Yatim, whose stance on obtaining information from online sources is so legendary, he’s earned his own Twitter hashtag (not in a complementary way, mind you).

Ironically, the global PR conglomerate APCO, currently hired by the Malaysian government, was also implicated as being part of the shady CIA network in the very same blog posting. This little embarrassment was, of course, not mentioned. But to those who actually took the trouble to read the Culture of Life News posting, the irony was one that was difficult to dismiss. More than irony, it was a case of selective reporting, and as a result, a less than credible attempt at tarnishing Anwar even further.

So, Walski being Walski, a poll was just screaming to be created – what would they accuse Anwar of being next?

It appears that the final tally shows a tie between being an alien (the E.T. kind), and being the real evil behind Barney. There were 3 other suggestions as well:

• Mahathir in disguise
• Mahathir’s son
• Rosmah Mansor in drag

Granted, this would have been more fun if lots more people participated, but hey… Walski’s fault for not blogging more often, and allowing this blog to fade into semi-obscurity. And it’s difficult when you have to go up against sensationalist idiots like Parpukari, whose postings are not only usually without substance, but without what most intelligent people consider style either.

So there – UMNO will one day probably come up with this fantastical story about how Anwar is actually the leader of an extraterrestrial invasion who’s behind everything that’s wrong with the world today. Think of it as sort of Klaatu, the Anti-Christ, and Barney all rolled into one neat spin of an evil character.

Walski has learned that one should never underestimate the depths of ridiculousness these pro-UMNO/BN cybertwerps will stoop…

Click here for the full post......

Mufti Collision Update

Technorati tags: Islam, Conservatism, ESQ, Third Power Column, Malaysia

Last week, myAsylum highlighted a collision of muftis over a training program. There have been some developments and Walski felt that he should do this follow-up post just to keep you folks up to speed.

The National Fatwa Council has apparently deliberated over the matter, and it appears that the ESQ Training program has received the council’s blessing, with some caveats.

Now, if you’ve read the clip above, there are some interesting observations that Walski has made. And among these observations, one involves this sometimes unexpectedly tricky thing called timing. 
(Walski’s long-ish, rant-ish observations, and more, in the full post)

The council conference (muzakarrah) to deliberate the matter was conducted on June 16th, according to The Malaysian Insider report above. The Federal Territories (FT) fatwa above was issued by FT Mufti Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh almost a week earlier, on June 10th.

The fatwa gazette, however, was published on June 17th, one day after the conference. The date being a day after is probably a coincidence – the REAL question is, if the matter was to be deliberated by the National Fatwa Council, why didn’t the FT Mufti put the fatwa on hold until after the conference?

Power play, perhaps? Or something more of a personal chip on Wan Zahidi’s shoulder? The man is a known anti-liberal, from what Walski gathers, and an article published in Berita Harian on July 11th gives us a clue as to just how anti-liberal this non-progressive is (translation by myAsylum).

KAJIAN yang dilakukan Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh, terhadap gerakan Islam liberal di Indonesia dan kaitannya dengan program motivasi yang dianjurkan ESQ Leadership Center Sdn Bhd (ESQ) mendapati ia sarat dengan metodologi dan fikiran liberal yang bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam dan boleh merosakkan akidah.
A STUDY done by Federal Territories Mufti, Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh, on the liberal Islamic movement in Indonesia and its relationship with motivation programs organized by ESQ Leadership Center Sdn Bhd (ESQ), found it laden with the methodology and ideas of liberal Islam, are contrary to Islamic teachings, and can destroy our faith.

Wan Zahidi yang mengeluarkan fatwa mengharamkan program motivasi ESQ pada 10 Jun lalu, berpendapat adalah sangat berbahaya apabila fahaman itu diserapkan dalam satu platform latihan kepemimpinan yang terlepas daripada pengawasan pihak berkuasa agama.
Wan Zahidi, who issued a fatwa banning the ESQ motivational program on June 10, was of the view that it is very dangerous when this creed is adopted into the leadership training platform, which escaped the supervision of religious authorities.

“Oleh itu, ia perlu disekat sebelum merebak menjadi barah yang bakal merosakkan akidah dan syariah serta sukar dikawal lagi,” katanya dalam kajiannya bertajuk ‘Gerakan Islam liberal di Indonesia dan kaitannya dengan program motivasi yang dianjurkan ESQ Leadership Center Sdn Bhd (ESQ),’ yang disiarkan dalam web pejabat Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan.
"Therefore, it should be prohibited before it becomes a cancer that can destroy our faith and the syariah, and becomes more difficult to control," he said in a study entitled ‘Liberal Islam movement in Indonesia and its relationship with motivation programs organized by ESQ Leadership Center Sdn Bhd (ESQ)', published on the Federal Territory Mufti Office website.

Beliau berkata, gerakan Islam liberal adalah usaha halus untuk mengeluarkan umat Islam daripada agama mereka tanpa disedari dan ia dilakukan atas nama Islam.
He said the liberal Islamic movement is a subtle effort to inadvertently remove Muslims from their religion, and done in the name of Islam.

Katanya, pengasas ESQ, Ary Ginanjar Agustin yang berpendidikan Universiti Udaryana, Bali dan Tafe College, Australia, tidak mempunyai asas pengajian Islam secara formal dan mendakwa belajar agama melalui metodologi ‘kemerdekaan berfikir’.
He said the founder of the ESQ, Ary Ginanjar Agustin, who was educated in Udaryana University, Bali and Tafe College, Australia, has no formal training in Islamic and religious studies, and claims he studied religion through the methodology of 'freedom of thought'.

“Buku ESQ Rahsia Sukses Membangun Kesedaran Emosi Spiritual ESQ yang dihasilkan Ary Ginanjar walaupun membicarakan mengenai latihan kepemimpinan, ia penuh dengan perbincangan mengenai perkara yang sangat dasar dalam Islam seperti rukun iman, rukun Islam, tauhid, mukjizat dan sebagainya.
"The ESQ book, 'Rahsia Sukses Membangun Kesedaran Emosi Spiritual ESQ' (The Secret of Successful Realization of ESQ Emotional Spiritual Awareness), produced by Ary Ginanjar, although talks about leadership training, is full of discussions about the very basis of Islam, such as tenets of faith, pillars of Islam, unity of God, miracles and so forth.

“Penggunaan ayat al-Quran dan hadis dibuat secara bebas sesuai dengan metodologi pengajian beliau iaitu ‘kemerdekaan berfikir’,” katanya.
"The use of verses from the Qur'an and Hadith were made independently, in accordance with his "freedom of thought" methodology of study," he said.

Wan Zahidi mempertikaikan topik utama dalam program motivasi ESQ iaitu kecerdasan spiritual (SQ) dan ‘God Spot’ iaitu konsep yang diilhamkan oleh pemikir bukan Islam yang dikaitkan dengan ayat al-Quran dan hadis.
Wan Zahidi disputed the main topics in the ESQ motivation program, namely spiritual intelligence (SQ) and the 'God Spot', a concept inspired by non-Muslim thinkers, which were then associated with al-Quran and Hadith.

“Istilah ‘God Spot’ lahir daripada bukan Islam, maka ‘God’ itu bermaksud sama ada ‘Yahweh’, ‘Father’, ‘Jesus’, ‘Brahma’, ‘Vishnu’, ‘Shiva’ dan sebagainya. Dengan itu konsep ‘God Spot’ adalah jelas syirik dan kufur.
"The term 'God Spot' was born out of non-Muslims, therefore 'God' here means either 'Yahweh', 'Father,' Jesus', 'Brahma', 'Vishnu', 'Shiva' and so on. The concept of 'God Spot', therefore is clearly polytheistic and heretical.

“Ary Ginanjar juga banyak kali menggunakan konsep suara hati sebagai sumber rujukan dalam menentukan baik buruk sesuatu dan menggunakan konsep ini untuk menafsirkan ayat al-Quran.
"Ary Ginanjar a lot of times also uses the concept of conscience as a source of reference in determining whether something is good or bad, and uses this concept to interpret the verses of the Qur'an.

“Pertamanya, konsep suara hati ini adalah ajaran kristian,” katanya sambil menegaskan yang Ary Ginanjar dalam bukunya itu juga menerima pendapat Muhammad Husein Haikal yang dikatakan mengingkari mukjizat.
"In the first place, the concept of conscience is a Christian teaching," he said, asserting that Ary Ginanjar in his book also accepted the opinion of Muhammad Husein Haikal, that is said to deny miracles.

Selain itu, beliau mempersoalkan tindakan Ary Ginanjar yang mengguna teori kod 19 Rashad Khalifa untuk mentafsir al-Quran sedangkan Rashad diisytiharkan sesat kerana menolak hadis.
In addition, he questioned Ginanjar Ary’s use of Rashad Khalifa’s Code 19 theory to interpret the Quran, when Rashad had been declared a heretic due to his rejection of the Hadith.

Beliau juga mempertikaikan tindakan Ary Ginanjar yang memberi penghargaan tinggi kepada dua tokoh liberal terkenal di Indonesia, Nurcholis Madjid yang membenarkan anaknya kahwin dengan Yahudi Amerika dan Harun Nasution yang mendakwa Yahudi memelihara kemurnian tauhid.
He also disputed Ary Ginanjar’s acknowledgement of  two well-known liberal figures in Indonesia, Nurcholish Madjid, who allowed his child to marry an American Jew, and Harun Nasution, who claimed that Jews preserved the purity of faith.
(source: Berita Harian article, “Gerakan Islam liberal rosak akidah perlu disekat” dated July 11th, 2010 [in PDF])

If it really interests you, Wan Zahidi’s research paper quoted by the article above can be found either via the FT Mufti’s Office website, or alternatively from here. It’s 44 pages long (PDF format), and Walski has so far only glossed over its contents. He intends to read it later, and if time permits, he may even translate it to English.

There are a couple of things about what the article reports that Walski finds really disturbing, and to some degree, summarizes why conservative Muslim clerics like Wan Zahidi are regressive elements with a lot of harm potential.

The first is how Muslims shouldn’t have the freedom to think. It’s almost like once you’re a Muslim, better check your brain in at the door, and let the more “qualified” do the thinking for you. It’s exactly this kind of mind-numbing environment that breeds religio-automatons ripe for recruitment by those intent to use religion as an implement of control, terror, and destruction.

In a way, it kind of explains how people who are otherwise educated can be convinced to sign up for less than savory causes like JI (Jemaah Islamiah) or Tanzim Qaedat al-Jihad. Intellectualize all you want about inorganic chemistry, and the molecular subdivisions thereof, but when it comes to religion, check your thinking cap at the madrassa steps. The end-product? Infamously explosive characters like Noordin Mohammad Top.

The second, and perhaps even more disturbing, is the insinuation that having a conscience is a bad thing, if you are a Muslim. Why? Oh, because the conscience is a “Christian” concept. So, does that mean “good” Muslims cannot have a conscience?

Actually, this startling revelation does make sense if you think about it – you have undoubtedly read (likely one too many times) how the morality police can, and do, go to all kinds of lengths to ensure that their khalwat raids are successful, right? Causing someone to jump out of tall building windows – out of fear and panic, usually to their doom – is probably easier to stomach when you don’t have a conscience.

The same goes for blowing up a roomful of football fans just because you’re pissed off that your government sent peacekeepers to neighboring Somalia. It’s easy when this Christian concept called a conscience doesn’t get in the way.

Less drastic and dramatic perhaps is how Malaysian religious authorities simply love to make life difficult for the Muslim populace by creating intricate and needless bureaucracies. There’s a lot to write about in this department, so Walski will leave it for another rant some other time. Suffice it to say that this sheer inconsideration can be attributed to the missing element of conscience.

Put the two negatives together – deprecation of intellect and elimination of conscience – and it’s no wonder at all why Muslims at large the world over are in the sorry state they’re in. And no, it’s not a uniquely Malaysian thing, either. Walski has a lot more to rant about when it comes to this, but let’s leave it for another time.

So, the conclusion to this recent fi-ESQ-o, with colliding muftis and all?

Well, it now appears that ESQ training is kosher everywhere in Malaysia, except for the Federal Territories. In other words, nothing’s changed since Walski first highlighted this a week ago.

Looked at in a different way, “God’s Law” within the Federal Territories says one thing (because the fatwa HAS been gazetted as “law” within the FTs), while on the national level, it’s another story.

Go figure….

Click here for the full post......

Dumb and Dumber

Technorati tags: Humor, Perkasa, Chinese Perkasa, Dumb and Dumber

If you’ve been following this blog, it’s no secret that Perkasa, led by Pasir Mas MP Ibrahim Ali, isn’t one of Walski’s favorite organization. In fact, he doesn’t really think very much of Ibrahim Ali either. Apart from the fact that the man can talk well. And boy, does the man talk – not a day goes by, it seems, that the Frog King isn’t in the news for one reason or another.

Well, not to be outdone, and probably needing more publicity than he’s been getting, MCA Vice-President Donald Lim Siang Chai recently suggested that the Chinese, too, should have their own version of Perkasa.

The 1Malaysia concept appears to be tearing apart with one BN component party leader suggesting a Chinese version of Perkasa to counter the right-wing Malay group's constant racial assaults.

MCA vice-president Donald Lim Siang Chai, who suggested the idea, also gave a strong hint that the proper body to take the role would be the vocal Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH).
(source: Malaysiakini, subscription required)

This is really a case of using a really bad idea to counter an already bad idea. Not surprisingly, just about everyone and their pet politician came out to lambast Donald Lim’s suggestion. Including Ibrahim Ali himself, who labeled the idea as “racist” – ironic, but all too true.

For Walski, there’s one, and only one phrase that can aptly describe this Ibrahim Ali / Donald Lim situation… 
(what Walski thinks about this, and more, in the full post)

You have absolutely not the slightest idea how difficult it was to get the two to pose together without getting into a fistfight...

Click here to view original image source

And that’s really about all that Walski cares to say about the sheer stupidity of what Donald Lim suggested. Dumber to counter Dumb…

All he wanted to say that is, until Walski saw this news report.

Soon, every fringe demographic will start their own ‘Perkasa’. Actually, one already did (via Facebook): PERKAKASA! Menentang Mereka Yg Memberi Nama Bodoh Kpd Perabut & Perkakas (Against Those Who Give Stupid Names to Furniture & Appliances). Now THIS kind of Perkasa-esque group Walski will support any ‘ol time (and in fact he does).

By the way, when Walski saw the Muhyiddin article above, the word “Dumberer” did actually come to mind. It’s truly fortunate for Muhyiddin Yassin that there was only room on the parody album cover for two epic idiots… not to mention way too much trouble.

Click here for the full post......

Fishmongers & Scaremongers

Technorati tags: Scary Fishmongers, Fishy Scaremongers, Politics, UMNO, Politics

This may sound a bit odd, but two articles in The Nut Graph last Friday, by Jacqueline Ann Surin and Ding Jo-Ann respectively, got Walski to suddenly think about fishmongers. In particular, scary fishmongers.

Not that he’s ever had the displeasure of bumping into any homicidal fishmonger at any point in time. Which is probably a good thing. But it’s probably the fascination with the sharp implements of hurt that a fishmonger uses as part of his or her daily tasks. The knives, in particular, and the filleting skills on top of that. Swish.

Logically, it should only be the fish that should be afraid of the fishmongers. But by the time they reach the market, the fish are already bereft of life. Do fish souls haunt fish markets? Walski honestly doesn’t know.

It should be made known to the uninitiated that Walski’s mind works in mysterious ways. Just ask the initiated – they, too, think that he can be a bit strange sometimes.

The reason for mentioning this is that when Walski got reminded of scary fishmongers by The Nut Graph articles, it’s not fish nor their mongers that he’s thinking about at all.
(politics, lies, and scaremongering, in the full post)

He was, in fact, thinking of Fishy Scaremongers. Like what these so-called journalists put up on the front page of local Malay language daily Berita Harian recently.

As it turns out, the ratio of 1 newly-registered Malay voter to 40 non-Malays was not only inaccurate, but the real ratio is quite the opposite, based on actual data obtained from the Election Commission – there are actually TWICE as many newly-registered Malay voters compared to non-Malays. In other words, a blatant lie.

Of course, Berita Harian being owned by proxies of the ruling BN coalition will never have to face charges of publishing false news. That would be unthinkable.

So blatantly and grossly untrue was this report, that it was refuted by those within UMNO itself. Did BH even attempt to verify the story before splashing it as a front-page headline, or is that something too unreasonably professional to ask of the daily? And couldn’t it be said that Berita Harian, in this instance, was complicit in fear mongering?

But if Berita Harian (bad journalism practice and all) are just the bad acorns, the UMNO tree is not much better. Enter Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who of late has been trying to scare the bejesus out of the Malay Malaysian populace. With this, for instance.

The truth of the matter is that it is UMNO that is at risk of losing power. After 53 years of continuous rule, first via The Alliance, and from the early 1970s onwards through Barisan Nasional, the thought of losing ruling power isn’t a very savory one. That’s understandable.

Further signs of this fear can be sensed through another news report, again featuring Muhyiddin.

At least this time he doesn’t hide behind the almost-myth of Malay unity to say what he really means, that it is UMNO that’s at risk.

But again, here’s the odd thing: UMNO is an ethno-nationalist party whose basis of struggle has been anchored around championing the Malay race. The political landscape is changing towards what Walski sees as being more issue-driven, rather than being based along the lines of ethnicity. How can UMNO change to become more relevant in such a scenario? As we’ve seen in recent years, one strategy is to be more focused on religion as the recipe for success, which probably explains the recent recruitment of a number of young ulama into the party fold, in their bid to out-Islam PAS, or at the very least to bolster their “Islamic” credentials.

Well, to Walski it all sounds fishy. At the end of the day, it’s about power, and staying in power. That’s what Malaysian politics is about, make no mistake about it. Race and religion are merely means to achieve an end. That’s something Walski has come to realize in the last two decades since he came back to Malaysia.

But the side-effect of putting more religion into the mix is that it emboldens the religious authorities and other interested parties. And it emboldens them to do some not very intelligent things sometimes. That, however, is another story that we’ll talk about at another time.

Suffice it to say that after removing the fishy noise that surrounds the scaremongering, what remains is the desire to stay in power. And an increasingly desperate desire to do so, Walski might add. Realizing that as the landscape changes, all they can do is talk about how it is changing, and unable themselves to change, must be a very disheartening feeling.

The reality about what Malays think about the threat to the Malay political position? Last Friday, the Merdeka Centre released the results of a Malaysian Political Values 2010 survey, conducted between January and April this year. The survey covered various aspects of political views and values. The following finding, however, was interesting.

Among particular ethnic groups, the survey found that among Malay respondents, 70% agreed that corruption among the community’s leaders was the main threat to Malay/Bumiputra’s political position as opposed to “demands made by other races in the country”.
(source: Merdeka Center survey)

Instead of trying hard to overcome their own inertia and face the real problems, the fishy scaremongers are more likely to blame others for their own predicament. It’s always easier to find fault in others than to admit one’s own deficiencies.

In the meantime, because UMNO is a major part of BN, which forms the current government, there is an overall lack of belief and trust in the ruling government, particularly when it comes to how public funds are spent.

A trust level of 37% is very low, by any kind of reckoning. Datuk Jema Khan, through his regular column in The Malaysian Insider yesterday, calls it a situation of Trust Deficit. On top of that, Walski would add that it’s also a case of Credibility Deficit.

Overcoming these deficits with Fishy Scaremongering isn’t going to help in either case. In fact, it just compounds the perception of how desperate those currently in power are in wanting to stay in power, through any means possible.

Including fishy ones, like scaremongering, based on flimsy or non-existent “facts”.

Sadly, before any real positive change can be realized, Walski expects a lot more fishy scaremongering to come our way. Because proud idiots usually prefer to remain the way they are, rather than to admit that they are idiots.

It almost makes him look forward to actually meeting a scary fishmonger one day… at least a can of mace, a quick pair of legs, or a 357 Magnum can provide a fix.

Click here for the full post......

World Cup 2010: The Historic Finals

Technorati tags: World Cup 2010, Final, Analysis, Prediction

Spain is the World Cup 2010 Champion!!! After 116 long minutes, Iniesta kicks one in past Dutch goalie Stekelenburg to win the tournament. They create history in becoming the first team to ever win the World Cup after losing their opening match, and the first team in recent history to win both the European Championship and World Cup. The low point is that Fernando Torres, who came in as a substitute pulled his hamstring a little later on, collapsing onto the field in agony. The match ends after 30 minutes of extra time, Spain 1 – 0 Netherlands. More in a separate post later on… Walski’s gotta get some shuteye!

Half-time Update: It’s been a rather cagey first half, which as Walski had predicted has been physical and more a foul-fest than anything else. 5 yellow cards in the half, three against Netherlands (Van Brommel, de Jong and Van Persie), and two against Spain (Puyol and Ramos). De Jong’s foul was the most dramatic – a kick to the chest of Alonso. And at the end of the first half, it’s even at 0-0.

Original Post:

Is it Walski, or has the last month just whizzed us by?

Whichever the case, we’re now at the end of the 2010 World Cup, and in slightly less than an hour’s time, the final clash to determine who takes the cup home will commence.

This time around, it will be a final between two teams that have NEVER won the cup in their history – Netherlands vs. Spain.

In a few hours’s time, though, that circumstance will change forever – one of these two teams will be crowned world champions. Spain, in fact, have never reached the finals in any of their previous twelve tournament appearances. And then you have Netherlands, who played in the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals, but ended up becoming runners up on both occasions.

Germany, who lost to Spain in the semi-finals, won 3rd place after beating Uruguay 3-2 yesterday.

So will it be Netherlands or Spain prevailing in the final? 
(analysis and prediction, in the full post)

From an analysis standpoint, both teams look to be quite evenly matched.

Head-to-head analysis between NED & ESP (from FIFA.com)

This may or may not be a good thing, as there is a possibility that they’ll cancel each other out, making it for a final that’s frustrating to watch. Between the two, however, it’s apparent that Netherlands plays a more physical game, committing more fouls (FC) and receiving more yellow cards (Y) compared to Spain. Throughout the tournament, Netherlands has also scored more goals (GS) compared to Spain.

In terms of passing, however, Spain has had an 81% pass completion rate, compared to 72% for Netherlands.

Strategically, Spain will probably try to draw the Dutch and out-play them on the passing game. The Dutch, on the other hand, will apply a more zonal defense strategy in order to shut the Spaniards out of their passing game. That’s Walski’s guesstimation of what will happen.

His prediction? Walski thinks that Spain have the firepower, the finesse and the patience to overcome the Dutch. But it will be a physical game, for sure. He doesn’t have a score prediction, but he reckons that it will not be a very high-scoring affair.

More later, after the game…

Click here for the full post......

When Muftis collide

Technorati tags: Islam, Conservatism, ESQ, Third Power Column, Malaysia, Indonesia

It all started with an e-mail Walski received from his good buddy. In the e-mail, said friend included this link, and a short message: “It’s good to know that the Fatwa committee has reliable sources for decision making. Thank Lucifer for ‘Christianity for Dummies’.”

The link, as it turned out, was to a recently gazetted Federal Territory (Wilayah Persekutuan) fatwa about the ESQ Leadership Training, and similar understanding (you can also download a copy from here).

Walski, being of sound and inquisitive mind, decided to dig a little deeper into the fatwa, which appears to have been gazetted on June 17th, 2010. It is authored by the Mufti for the Federal Territories, Datuk Hj Wan Zahidi Wan Teh, who also happens to be the same mufti that got himself embroiled in the controversy surrounding Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan swearing on the Quran in 2008 (via The Star). He also happens to be the author of “Malaysia adalah sebuah Negara Islam”, a publication by the Ministry of Information, way back in 2001 thereabouts, which caused quite a stir at the time.

Here’s the odd bit – ESQ Leadership Training, formulated by Dr. Ary Ginanjar Agustian, has been around in Malaysia since 2006, and its client list not only reads like the who’s who of corporate Malaysia, but the program has been extensively administered in several state and federal level Islamic departments!

If that’s not odd enough, ESQ has its own Syariah and Faith-compliance panel, comprising of:

1. Dato’ Mustafa Abdul Rahman - former Director General of Jakim (panel chairman)
2. Tan Sri Abdul Kader Talip - former Federal Territories Mufti (making him Wan Zahidi's predecessor)
3. Dato’ Paduka Sheikh Hasbullah Sheikh Abdul Halim - former Mufti of Kedah
4. Dato’ Hj Nooh Hj Gadot - former Mufti of Johor
5. Dr Adnan Mohd Yusoff – Dean for Quran and Sunnah, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.

ESQ Training Malaysia’s Syariah Panel (from this press release)

If nothing else, a very impressive line-up of the Malaysian Islamic bureaucracy, whom Walski is very sure know their syariah. Now, would you logically expect such a line up in the panel if the ESQ program were heretical? 
(some justifications, lots of rebuttals, and more, in the full post)

But logic, in fact, is one of the things that the Federal Territories fatwa takes issue with (translation by myAsylum).

(v) menjadikan logik sebagai sumber rujukan utama. Ini bertentangan dengan akidah Islam yang menetapkan bahawa Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah sebagai sumber rujukan utama

(v) using logic as the main resource for reference. This contradicts with Islamic belief that has determined the Quran and Sunnah as its main reference resource
(source: ESQ Fatwa Gazette P.U. (B) 276)

Kind of ironic, if you take another justification (there are 10 of them in all) stated in the fatwa text.

(i) mendukung fahaman liberalisme iaitu memahami atau mentafsir nas-nas agama (Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah) secara bebas, dan fahaman pluralisme-agama iaitu fahaman yang mengajarkan semua agama adalah sama dan benar. Kedua-dua fahaman ini adalah sesat dan boleh membawa kepada kekufuran

(i) supports liberal ideology of freely understanding or interpreting religious texts (Quran and Sunnah), and the ideology of religious pluralism, that is the ideology that all religions are correct and true. Both of these beliefs are astray, and can lead to heresy.
(source: ESQ Fatwa Gazette P.U. (B) 276)

Many have talked about the creeping conservatism that’s been observed amongst the Islamic bureaucracy in Malaysia. Well, for Walski, it’s not creeping any more – we’re close to being swallowed by conservatism.

The reality is that in today’s cleric circles, particularly when formulating fatwa, more emphasis is given to interpretations and analogies of classical scholars – the Dead Scholars Society, as Walski calls it. Direct interpretation of scripture is strongly frowned upon. And logic – muftis forbid – the biggest enemy of all. 

Walski won’t quote all of the ten justification points clause by clause. Suffice it to say that it epitomizes a very insular and narrow point of view. And you know the worst part? Mufti Wan Hamidi has never even attended any of the ESQ modules (emphasis by myAsylum).

“We are trying to reason with the mufti but we haven’t had any response from him yet,” ESQ official Dwitya Agustina said.

Dwitya also told news portal Detik.com she believed Zahidi did not fully understand ESQ training methods because he had never attended any sessions.

The ESQ official site notes that the mufti from Malaysia’s 13 other states supported ESQ training.
(source: Jakarta Globe article: "Malaysian Mufti Ridiculed for Decree Against Leadership Training Method")

This is only one of the many cases of late, where books and other materials – this time an entire training program – in Malaysia have been banned, or fatwa’d against, based on ultra-conservative viewpoints, typically based on little or no information.

In the process, the mainstream Muslim populace, typically raised in an environment of “thou shalt not question”, who hang on to every religious opinion made by others as if they’re the gospel truth, become more and more insular in their outlook. It is this kind of environment that has given rise to a growing conservative society, and fertile ground for groups like Perkasa to flourish.

Just about everyone who has attended these ESQ programs have raved about them being beneficial. One of the most common comments – it makes them think. And as everyone knows, a thinking populace is one that’s difficult for demagogues to lord over.

So, is this a simple case of Mufti vs. Mufti, or are there other underlying reasons? Walski doesn’t wish to speculate, as he doesn’t have sufficient information. What he can tell you is that this fatwa has come under criticism from two of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organizations: Nahdatul Ulama, and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

Said Agil Siradj, chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, said no religious leader should pass judgement on other groups within the same religion without thorough knowledge of the issue.

“This just goes to show how narrow-minded the mufti is being,” he said.

Said added that Islamic teachings could only be deemed misleading if they rejected any of the five pillars of the religion — the recognition of only one god, praying five times a day, fasting during Ramadan, performing the hajj, and giving alms.

“If ESQ taught people to pray only four times a day, for instance, then it would be right to speak against it,” he said.

“But what they teach is already available and acceptable in mainstream Islam.”
(source: Jakarta Globe article: "Malaysian Mufti Ridiculed for Decree Against Leadership Training Method")

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has denounced an edict issued by a Malaysian mufti declaring Islamic-based motivation and training methods developed by an Indonesian heretical.

MUI chairman Amidhan told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday the fatwa issued by a Malaysian mufti to declare the widely-popular Emotional and Spiritual Quotient (ESQ) training program heretical was “exorbitant”.

“The ESQ method is very advanced and extraordinary. Those who issued the fatwa are just not ready [for such methods],” he said.
(source: The Jakarta Post article "MUI rebuffs Malaysian fatwa on ESQ")

Now, you might think that the consternation expressed by the Indonesian religious bodies could be construed as a knee-jerk nationalistic reaction (Dr. Ary Ginanjar Agustian is Indonesian, incidentally). Fair enough.

But here’s what a Malaysian cleric, Datuk Hassan Ahmad, Mufti of Pulau Pinang, had to say (translation by myAsylum):

“Saya telah mengikuti ESQ Training dan saya mendapati pendekatan ini adalah pendekatan yang terbaik dan sesuai pada masa kini. Sebab pendekatan ESQ ini adalah pendekatan berbentuk ilmiah, iaitu berdasarkan daripada ayat Al-Quran, kemudian disepadukan dengan akidah. Walau dipaparkan penemuan astronomi atau ilmu sains dan sebagainya tetapi ia Berjaya dikaitkan dengan keyakinan kepada Allah Yang Maha Pencipta. Bagi saya apa yang dibuat oleh ESQ adalah training terbaik yang pernah saya ikuti.”

”I have attended ESQ Training and I have found the approach to be the best and most appropriate for today. This is because the ESQ approach is academic in nature, based on the verses of the Quran, and integrated with faith. Although astronomical discoveries, scientific knowledge, and so forth, are incorporated, but it successfully relates back to faith in God the Almighty Creator. For me, what has been done by ESQ is the best training I've ever attended.”
(source: ESQ Sharing article)

So again Walski asks, what's the heck is the deal with the fatwa?

For one thing, Walski found out that the fatwa text, in its entirety has been around at least since March this year, found in the form of an opinion article at a site called ImranShamsir.com. Now, how did this finally become a gazetted fatwa is beyond Walski’s knowledge to comment.

Walski also found this critique about the program, written by Ustaz Zaharuddin Abd Rahman. Although it is not a damning as the fatwa, Zaharuddin has problems with some of the terminologies used, among other “flaws” he’s found. Again, if you were to ask Walski, the point of view is rather conservative, being wary and cautious about every little thing lurking in the shadows that might jump out and eat up your faith.

Remember the Third Power Column hypothesis that Walski made not too long ago? Still not convinced that it is a real possibility? For Walski, this fatwa is another indication of the subtle attempts to make Malaysia a haven for conservatism.

So far, none of the mainstream news organizations have picked up on the fatwa. Or, at least, that Walski has seen. It also makes one wonder why the downplay and silence.

In any case, the direct implication now is that ESQ cannot conduct their training anywhere in the Federal Territories of KL, Putrajaya and Labuan. So far, it’s kosher everywhere else. Their website has indicated that they are waiting for a decision from the National Fatwa Council.

In that respect, one can only hope the National Fatwa Council will use resources more credible than “Christianity For Dummies” as part of their rationalization and justification… whatever it is that they eventually decide.

~ ~ ~ o O O O o ~ ~ ~

Walski’s affiliation disclaimer footnote: The reason why he’s blogging about this is because Walski thinks that this is yet another Islamic storm in a teacup. One of the many we’ve had. And rest assured, Walski is in no way affiliated with ESQ. That said, if you want to know more, you can read up about what the ESQ Training program is about through their website, or through their brochure that you can download from here.

Click here for the full post......

Opinion Poll: Seditious & Insulting?

Technorati tags: Opinion Poll, Sedition, Insulting, Istana Negara, Migrant Worker Issues

We interrupt the World Cup 2010 posts for something completely bonkers. Well, okay, it’s a new opinion poll, actually – but about something bonkers.

Recently, the news media, particularly The Star and Malaysiakini, highlighted the plight of migrant workers involved with the construction of the new Istana Negara, whose salary had allegedly been withheld.

Well, you’d think that highlighting these issues was part of the normal social responsibility of the press, but apparently some parties didn’t think so. In particular, Perkasa (yeah, them again), and Senator Ezam Mohd Nor, former PKR Youth Chief who’s since left the party.

Which, of course, got Walski wondering – what does the general non-politically affiliated populace think – is the mere probing of migrant worker wage-related woes seditious and an insult to the royal institution?

And when these kinds of thoughts wander through Walski’s mind, you know that a poll can’t be far behind. 
(the poll, results so far, and more, in the full post)

The poll was launched a couple of days ago, and announced via Twitter. Granted, the number of those polled is small, but the results are no unexpected. To Walski, at least.

Click on the image above to take the poll, or alternatively at the blog sidebar

So far, no one thinks that either news organization was being seditious or insulting to the institution of royalty. It is true that Walski’s tweets, and writing in general, tends to resonate more with the more liberal-minded, so the results thus far are probably lopsided.

Which is where you, the reader, comes in – please spread the word around so that more people of differing viewpoints vote on this.

Walski has decided to keep the poll open for a whole week-plus more, and will close at the stroke of midnight on Friday, July 16. So, plenty of time for you to pitch your opinion in, and spread the word to people you know to vote as well.

We’ll talk more about the poll results once the polling has closed…

Click here for the full post......

World Cup 2010: The Final Four

Technorati tags: World Cup 2010, Semifinals, Predictions, Football

UPDATE @ 1300hrs July 8th Looks like Walski’s 50% track record holds – Spain beat Germany in their semi-final match, paving the way to the Spaniards being featured in the World Cup finals for the first time in their footballing history. They will meet Holland on Monday, July 12th at 2:30am (Malaysian Time). We will be discussing the finals in a separate post, coming up real soon.

UPDATE @ 0800hrs July 7th With the first of the two semi-finals done and dusted, it looks like one of the teams in the finals on July 11th will be the Netherlands. Early this morning they beat Uruguay 3-2 in a thrilling game. The poll, incidentally is closed, and we’ll discuss the results after the second semi-finals between Spain and Germany, at 2:30am July 8th (Malaysian Time).

The good news is, some of Walski’s World Cup 2010 Quarter-Finals predictions were accurate. The bad news, only half of them were. A mere 50% – not a good thing if he were a gambling man (which  he fortunately isn’t, Vincent Tan, or no Vincent Tan).

Argentina and Brazil, both whom Walski predicted would feature in the semis, were decisively knocked out by Germany and the Netherlands, respectively. And by decisively, they were whooped real good – Argentina succumbing to 4 unanswered goals, while Brazil lost to the Netherlands 1 – 2 despite scoring two of the goals in the match. Okay, so one of them was an own goal.

And that can mean only one thing – we need to do another poll: which teams do you think will feature in the finals. There are, of course, four possibilities:

• Netherlands vs. Germany
• Netherlands vs. Spain
• Uruguay vs. Germany
• Uruguay vs. Spain

For the heck of it, Walski threw in an additional fictitious choice – Referees vs. Linesmen. So far no fights have broken out between them, but with this World Cup tournament that’s been full of surprises, you never know… 
(Walski’s picks, and more, in the full post)

To be fair, this poll will be a very short-run one, and will close at 2:30am (Malaysian Time) on Wednesday morning, July 7th, which incidentally will be when the first semi-final match kicks off, between Uruguay and the Netherlands.

So, spread the word around, and get your friends, family and pet iguanas to vote – Walski wants to make this poll as inclusive as possible.

As for his picks, Walski wants to believe that it’ll be an Uruguay vs. Spain final. Now, that may go against the grain and momentum shown by Germany and the Netherlands, but it’s still within the realm of plausibility.

Germany have been formidable – their youth, inventiveness, and mechanical efficiency have proven to be a devastating combination. Spain, on the other hand, have still yet to play to their fullest potential. To overcome Germany, therefore, they’ll need to step up their game several notches. As demonstrated in Germany’s demolishing of Argentina, flair, skill and playing the beautiful game too slowly can be a fatally bad strategy when going against the German juggernaut.

Uruguay have been resilient – not quite the best side on paper, but Walski thinks they have what it takes to put the squeeze on the Oranjemen. Pun intended. Personally, it is Walski’s totally biased opinion that Brazil were unfortunate victims of less than perfect refereeing. It’s also testament that skill and flair don’t always cut it against a more physical team, something that Uruguay should be aware of.

So there – Walski’s called ‘em. He may be way, way off this time, but there have been more surprises in this World Cup than there are half-tones on a vuvuzela, so you never know.

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