May the road rise with you

Technorati tags: Malaysia, Rise, Racism, Bigotry, Politics

There’s a lot to be angry about these days. Not really because of the recent incidences of racism that seem to be on the increase. But because of those who actually think that this is a good thing. Yes, there are such people. They will know who they are should they ever read this.

And anger, as Walski has mentioned at least a couple of times before, is an energy.

We know that we have the ability to shine, but now it’s time to Rise...
(anger – an energy that can be positively channeled, in the full post)

And by Rise, Walski’s not just talking about rising to fight those who think that bigotry and racist sentiments are a good thing. That’s an obvious given.

We need to RISE above the obvious reaction of outrage, above and beyond the deep level of depravity that these motherfucktards would prefer us to join them at. Walski, for one, is not biting.

Simply because Walski knows that he is a much better person. And he’s sure that the majority of you out there are better people than the bigots who try to rile use. Yes, it is infuriating – tell Walski something that he already doesn’t know.

But to play with these bigots on their playing field only means that we have lowered ourselves to their level. In Walski’s eyes, they are merely pawns in a bigger game of hate politics. Whether or not they realize this is a good question. To Walski, this is secondary. If they don’t know, then they should open their eyes. If they do, then in Walski’s eyes, they are the worst of hypocrites.

And Walski is certain that you know you’re better than that.

So, Rise good people… and show these bigots that their way is only damaging to themselves. They may think that riding on their high-horse of racist and bigoted self-righteousness will get them somewhere. Walski thinks that they are dead wrong – it will only eventually make them drown in their self-loathing, and sink into their self-manufactured oblivion.

Getting angry and getting even with higher doses of venomous derision is the easy way out. But it will only cause us to descend to their level. That’s their end-game – to bring us to the brink of chaos.

Walski knows that he can shine above that. And he knows that you can, too.

So, good people, Rise…  

Walski’s musicologized inspiration source reference: Public Image Ltd (or PiL) is the musical outfit formed by John Lydon, better known to some of you as Johnny Rotten, of Sex Pistols fame. PiL was active between 1978 – 1992, which is the period during which Walski became aware of them. Word has it that they have risen from the ashes of their long hiatus. And if they can Rise…

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

The depths of our descent

Technorati tags: Racism, Bigotry, Politics, Education

Still seething from the expected, but nastier than usual, tirade from Ridhuan Tee Abdullah (via The Malaysian Insider) over the weekend, Malaysia was rocked by this bit of unpleasant news yesterday.

As if it weren’t enough that we have to now contend with a weekly dose, almost, of Ketuanan Melayu Celup, we get this wake-up call to tell us that racism is not only confined to the realm of political rhetoric, but exists for real in our everyday lives as well.

And when something like this happens in our schools, Walski shudders to think: just what has become of Malaysia that we’ve descended to such depths of uncivility?
(what The Star didn’t show, what the principal said, and more, in the full post)

The report from The Star hinted that what was uttered by the school principal was shocking and hurtful. What the report didn’t show (at least, not the online version), was what the principal actually said.

Malaysia-Today picked up the same news item and published it yesterday. In addition, it included a copy of an actual police report filed against the school principal by one of the school’s students. Walski has taken the liberty of posting it below, and highlighting a portion of the report.

Image taken from Malaysia-Today

The red-boxed portion of the image above (added to the original image by myAslum) is an excerpt of what the student filed in the report, and is something Walski has duplicated below - minus the ALL-CAPS - along with an English translation.

Beliau memberi contoh yang beliau memiliki 1 kereta Proton Saga dan menumpangkan 2 orang individu iaitu Munusamy dan Chong. Munusamy dan Chong merupakan penumpang sahaja. Mereka tidak boleh menuntut hak ke atas kereta tersebut. Ini sama seperti Malaysia di mana pelajar-pelajar bukan Melayu adalah penumpang dalam konsep 1Malaysia. 70% hak diberikan kepada warga bukan Melayu, 30% kepada warga Melayu. Jika ia merupakan beliau, beliau hanya berikan 30% kepada warga bukan Melayu dan 70% kepada warga Melayu.

She gave an example where she owns a Proton Saga automobile, and has 2 passengers, Munusamy and Chong. Munusamy and Chong are merely passengers. They have no right over the car. This is similar to Malaysia, where non-Malay students are passengers within the 1Malaysia concept. 70% of rights are given to the non-Malays, 30% to the Malays. If it were her, she would only give 30% to the non-Malays and 70% to the Malays.
(source: Student's police report, as posted by Malaysia-Today)

Almost sounds like something straight out of the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) playbook, if one didn’t know any better. And why this fixation of 30% by the school principal, named as Hajjah Siti Insyak Bte Mansor? Where did she get the idea that in the 1Malaysia concept, non-Malays get 70% of rights, compared to 30% of rights given to the Malays?

Aren’t all Malaysians equal citizens, regardless of ethnicity or creed? What gives?

Frankly, Walski is not really shocked that this kind of bigotry exists in Malaysia. He sees it online day in, day out. What he does find shocking is that people like this are allowed to be school principals. Heck, she doesn’t even have the right to teach, much less head a school. Incidences like this lends credence to the accusation that bigotry in Malaysia is institutionalized.

Granted, Walski acknowledges the fact that this kind of behavior is not condoned by the Education Ministry. But the ministry should do no less than to sack this person. The usual MoE modus operandi of transferring her to another school is only transferring the problem.

But what is the root-cause of such despicable behavior? And sadder still, this school principal has performed the Haj, an important obligation required of a Muslim to perform in his or her lifetime. Is this an example of religion being worn on one’s sleeve, while the soul and conscience remain as rotten as ever? Going by the date stated in the report, what Hajjah Siti Insyak said was on the second day of Ramadhan. Did she really think that her blatant display of bigotry would please God? Seriously, Walski has known many atheists who behave better than this, and have kinder dispositions toward other people.

Perhaps what happened is a symptom of the incessantly belligerent loud screams from organizations like Perkasa, whom we seem to be hearing from on a daily basis, and reported with such gusto and pride by the Malay-language mainstream press, as if Perkasa’s antics and demands are the best thing since roti banjir.

And when online personalities, who openly support organizations like Perkasa, make bigoted statements and threats of violence, Walski cannot help but be concerned. Take, for example, this idiot who goes by the handle Perkasa_Liberal.

Is this the kind of thinking Perkasa promotes?

Not very endearing to your fellow humans, if you were to ask Walski. The tweet above was apparently a reply to former PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin. If the image above is a bit of an eye-test, what the tweet says is this:

YB @zulkiflinoordin, السلام عليكم .... This is how I feel about the Chinese and Indian if they still keep on asking us for more and more and more.... I'm will to go for war....

And this is not just a one-off-kilter tweet from Perkasa_Liberal. His/Her tweets are almost all like that, over-flowing with sheer loathing and hate. Walski dreads to wonder what kind of person this is in real life.

It really stretches the imagination to figure out how someone can have so much vitriol in one’s heart, and be so consumed by bigotry. Is this the kind of ideologically bankrupt individual Perkasa has successfully created?

Because if you live and breathe whatever Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa have to say, and think it the gospel truth, you would probably end up thinking that life is indeed hopeless, and it’s all the fault of the ubiquitous “others”, whom you believe own more than 70% of everything you see. Including, in would seem, your own self-esteem.

Going back to our school principal earlier, how many more of such bigotry-infested individuals are there in our school system? More importantly, why are they allowed to be there in the first place?

Something very interesting, though, is how the school principal understands the 1Malaysia concept. It would really be a useful exercise to find out how such a warped understanding could be arrived at. Again, it is as if her entire world-view has been shaped by the rhetoric of Perkasa and UMNO, and reinforced by what BTN has purportedly been saying during their courses.

But if it is the root-cause that we’re after, perhaps the real answer lies in what writer Kee Thuan Chye wrote towards the end of his response to Ridhuan Tee’s piece, published earlier today at Free Malaysia Today.

"Really, it is this fixation on the issue of race that has brought our country into a fine mess."

Walski couldn’t agree more – especially about the “fine mess” part. We have somehow developed this tendency to view and measure just about everything from the race angle.

It may be that from the physical point of view, Malaysia has come a very long way from where we were 53 years ago. 48 years ago, even, when Malaysia proper came into being. But beneath the shiny veneer of physical development, we seem to be drifting further apart as a people, with each passing day.

The Hajjah Siti Insyaks and Perkasa_Liberals around us are clear signs of this. But more than that, they are obvious indications of just how deep we’ve gone in our descent from greatness.

How much deeper and further do we have to go before we say enough is enough?

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

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Technorati tags: Politics, Commentary, Cybertroopers, UMNO

Walski came across this article at The Malaysian Insider on Friday, and he really couldn’t help but laugh. Out loud.

t

Like, exactly who are these “cyber friends” that Tengku Adnan is referring to? Because if it’s folks who Walski thinks the man is referring to, quite honestly, you don’t need enemies. 
(when “friends” do damage, and more, in the full post)

There apparently is a large number of bloggers and twitterers that are pro-BN (mostly pro-UMNO) and pro-anything-resembling-Malay/Islam-rights. These are quite easy to spot: they are vehemently against Pakatan Rakyat, especially toxic when it comes to DAP, call PKR “traitors to the Malay race”, and paint PAS as an “anti-Islamic” party. It would probably be an interesting exercise to compile an aggregated RSS list dedicated to this group of UMNO “cyber friends”.

“Friends”, for example, like the über foul-mouthed Parpukari (pictured on the right), who literally has annoyed so many people on Twitter, that it really is a wonder who he’s trying to convince. Walski’s tried, but there’s simply no rational and intelligent way to engage with this one.

But his most rancid garbage can be found on his blog House PK. The trademark of this blog is that the post titles are usually ALL CAPS, which in the cyberworld is indicative of someone SHOUTING ALL THE DAMN TIME.

It’s one thing if Parps shouts about things factual. Most of the time, his shouting involves spewing conjecture, and when he’s not doing that, it’s screaming outright lies.

Take for example what he wrote last Thursday, accusing DAP of being behind a beer giveaway ad in The Star.

Click image to download post (PDF, in Bahasa Malaysia)

And what does he offer as proof to back his claim? Nothing. Not one single iota of substance to back up his accusation and conjecture. And this posting is considered mild, language-wise, compared to what he’s written in the past.

Lambasting DAP seems to be one of the favorite activities of these UMNO “cyber friends”, and creating untrue stories (i.e. big fat lies) are like second nature. Parps is not alone in this department, however. Another blogger, who goes by the handle Papa Gomo, uses pretty much the same modus operandi.

For example, earlier this month, a former Permatang (Selangor) state assembly member Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohd Noh was found dead, with his personal assistant, in what appeared to be a murder suicide (via The Malaysian Insider). In a posting dated August 3rd, without offering a shred of evidence, Papa Gomo pins the blame for the incident on DAP, stating that the party is responsible (full posting can be downloaded here).

Another interesting example would be The Unspinners, who are themselves wildly spinning yarns. Like their recent posting, in which they claim the reluctance of a number of Malaysian Chinese in providing personal and household information during the ongoing 2010 census being because of a syndicate whose aim is to increase the Malaysian Chinese population illegally.

Proof? None. Conjecture? Plenty. Blatant lies? Most likely.

Interestingly, all of the blogs Walski has mentioned above are part of an incestuous network, where one will reference the posting of another in their own “Must Read” posts. Examples of blogs in this network include Taiping Mali, M.I.M. (Minda Intelek Melayu – ironically), AIDC, and Pisau.net, among others.

It is not very clear if these folks are affiliated with UMNO’s New Media Unit (Unit Media Baru – UMB) or not, but on Twitter there is frequent communications between them and the head of the UMB, Tun Faisal Ismail.

Their idea of “countering” negative reporting or blogging against UMNO and BN is to launch ad hominem attacks, whose end result, Walski feels, is two-fold: it makes thinking Malaysians loathe them and UMNO/BN even more, and they end up preaching to their own choir.

Another interesting characteristics of the bloggers mentioned in this post is their opposition to certain progressive personalities within UMNO itself. For example, they really hate Khairy Jamaluddin’s guts, and insinuate that Khairy isn’t fit to helm UMNO Youth.

Walski found it hilarious to think that these are the kind of “cyber friends” that Tunku Adnan is possibly hoping for, to help uplift UMNO’s image. Granted, the article was talking primarily about UMNO’s presence within Facebook, but these blog cybergoons have been wreaking their own kind of mayhem for far longer.

Seriously, with friends like these, who the hell needs enemies?

Walski’s Freedom of Speech disclaimer footnote: In no way is Walski implying that the bloggers and cyber-personalities mentioned here don’t have the right to say what they wish, no matter how skewed their opinions may be. Without proof, one can claim all sorts of things… innuendos, conjecture and lies should be recognized for what they are, and not regarded as “truths” – half, or whole. But the question remains: if other folks have been prosecuted and persecuted for stating things more factual, why aren’t these people subjected to the same stringent scrutiny?

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

Poll Position: If it weren't for double-standards, we wouldn't have any standards at all...

Technorati tags: Poll Position, Opinion Poll, Police Action, Anti-ISA Vigils

This was something of an obvious poll, in the sense that Walski already knew what the majority of participants’ response would be.

And 73% is pretty much a majority whichever way you wanna cut it.
(the natives are restless, and more, in the full post)

What was most telling was the fact that NOBODY picked the response that the government is serious in improving law enforcement. Not one single person. It’s an indication that the public has serious trust issues when it comes to the police and what they do. And it also is an indication that the people feel the police are being deployed not to keep the peace, per se, but to quell healthy dissent.

The ISA was introduced in 1960 to the then government’s bid to combat the Communist Party of Malaya. According to historical record, though, it was an act that was very reluctantly introduced.

When the ISA was introduced in 1960, solemn promises were made in Parliament by then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, his deputy Tun Abdul Razak and the Minister of Home Affairs Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, that the law will be used judiciously and only against communists, terrorists and subversives.
(source: Centre for Policy Initiatives "FAQs on ISA")

August 1st, two Sundays ago, marked 50 years of the ISA being in force. But over the years since its introduction, the ISA has been applied beyond its promised scope of use. In particular, it has been used against political dissenters, particularly during the years of the Mahathir administration, most notably Operasi Lalang in 1987.

But calls for its repeal have pretty much fallen on deaf ears. The best that the government is willing to do is to review it. Which is not what Walski thinks the majority of Malaysians want.

As can be seen from the results, there is a small minority of folks who actually believe that the ISA is an unalienable Malay right. Strange, but unfortunately true. These are probably the same people who think that Perkasa is the best thing since instant nasi lemak.

There were two Other responses that the poll participants provided:

• fcuk
• The cops are like cows

Now, Walski reckons that “fcuk” doesn’t refer to the popular fashion brand, but rather a more polite way of the poll responder expressing his/her outrage.

“The cops are like cows” response? Well, that’s a clue indicating what 3% felt – that “cows don’t have feelings”. Walski’s not exactly sure if the 3% actually caught on to what he was trying to imply, however.

Another thing that was telling was how 11% responded, that “Malaysia is beyond redemption and it’s time to leave”. Telling of the fact that how fed up some folks are, and not just with how the police seemingly practise double-standards either. The proverbial natives, as they say, are restless.

But will the BN/UMNO-led government take heed? Or will they continue to live in their own realm of denial, convincing themselves “semuanya OK”?

On a related note, to end this post, is this news item from a few days ago.

The impression that our Foreign Minister was desperately trying to give is that the crackdown had nothing to do with BN. It’s a position that many thinking people would be very skeptical of. Nice words and promises, nevertheless.

The question Walski has, though, Anifah – what the fuck are you waiting for?

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

The second coming of 2nd COMING

Technorati tags: Music, Antares, 2nd Coming, Independent Music

Walski got an e-mail a few days ago from someone he’s not heard from in a while. Many of you probably also know this particular someone, by the various names he's gone by over the years.

In any case, the someone who e-mailed Walski was Antares, the eclectic mind behind Magick River (among other things). And essentially, the e-mail was to alert Walski about the second coming.

Of what, you may ask? Well, not of any deified prophet, nor of the second coming of an anally-inspired exercise in faux justice. Nope. Quite simply, it is the second coming of this:

Soon to be reissued: 2nd Coming (on limited release CD)

2nd Coming was Antares’ second solo album first released in 1986 on cassette. For you kiddos out there, cassette tape was a popular means of music distribution, particularly among independent musicians. CDs, which were already around, were still prohibitively expensive for many, and so cassettes were at the time the de facto independent music distribution medium.

But that was then, and this is now – and the time for Malaysians to be reintroduced to this fantastic piece of work. On CD this time around. 
(exploring 2nd Coming, and more, in the full post)

2nd Coming was release under the name E. Manu Eel, as you can tell from cover image above. Antares explains the reason this name was used instead of his own, in a blog posting announcing the reissue.

The posting also talks about the first-time release back in 1986, and what moved Antares to reissue 2nd Coming. Or, in Antares’ own words, “to unleash it on a whole new generation”.

Unfortunately, Walski has not had the opportunity to listen to the whole album in its entirety. But going by the one track that he has heard, 2nd Coming promises to be an interesting aural adventure into mystical sonic soundscapes.

The one track that Walski has listened to can be found here (via Reverbnation) – look for the track entitled Terminal Hierophantiasis. It starts off with a slow orientalish intro, which lulls you into believing you’ve been transported to a surreal hymnic tea garden, before fuller rhythmic orchestral-electonica waves wash you over for the rest of the almost 6-minute journey into the exoteric realm of the digital rainforest. Part Kitaro, part Negativland, but all Antares, the track left Walski wanting more of this surrealistic aural experience.

Frankly, bearing in mind that this was from 1986 originally, Terminal Hierophatiasis is impressively ahead of its time. And being that the entire album has been digitally remastered (by Daniel Schwörer - aka DJ Sanuk), this is one release that Walski can safely say he’s really looking forward to, slated for sometime early September.

For those interested, Antares has provided instructions on what you need to do to pre-book your copy. Antares has indicated that he intends to press only a few hundred copies, so you may want to make sure you reserve yours.

Walski missed 2nd Coming the first time around – primarily because he was in a far-away land at the time. But rest assured that he has no intention of missing the second coming of 2nd Coming.

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

Poll Position: The Potential Destructiveness of Politicizing Islam

Technorati tags: Opinion Poll, Poll Position, Results, Commentary

Based on the last poll done, the results are overwhelming – the politicization of Islam in Malaysia is NOT a good thing.

It’s a result that Walski personally agrees with.

Any time religion is politicized – any religion – it’s never good news. And when a particular religion gets irreversibly intertwined with governmental policy, and then gets politicized, you know it’s REALLY bad news. 
(poll analysis, and more, in the full post)

The politicization of Islam that Walski alludes to is the fact that UMNO has been increasingly been using Islam as a means to garner Malay support, which the party believes it has lost to rival PAS.

Evidence of this includes the recent recruitment of 40 or so young clerics (ulama) into UMNO that was heavily publicized. But the most obvious is how various personalities within UMNO incessantly dredge up the idea of unity talks between the party and PAS, despite the latter’s insistence that it ain’t gonna happen. Even the Mufti of Perak recently got himself into the limelight over this, when he claimed that he was approached by individuals within PAS to broker unity talks, a claim that has since been denied by PAS.

So, despite whatever Ibrahim Ali says, you can’t deny the fact that Islam is being used as a political leverage. Because the reality is like the proverbial elephant – it’s in the room, but Ibrahim Ali simply refuses to acknowledge its presence.

As if on cue, Perkasa now seems to be talking more about insults against Islam, rather than their usual Malay rights diatribe. One really has to be several bricks short of a full house to not see this. In doing so, whether sanctioned by the party or not, Perkasa is also portraying itself to be UMNOs mouthpiece.

Be that as it may, an overwhelming 86% agreed that that the increased politicization of Islam in Malaysia will lead to more polarization, which in turn won’t lead to anything good.

There were three other responses that were offered by 6% of the poll participants:

• a sign that Malaysia will end up in the longkang (drain)
• spur the secularists to join forces. Yeehaaawww
• a desperate attempt to cling on to power

And consistent with the 86%, none of the Other respondents thought that the increased politicization was a good thing either. Or, at least, that’s how Walski looks at it.

In fact, only 8% didn’t see the increased politicization as negative – 6% felt that it was actually a good thing, while the remaining 2% thought that it was a figment of Walski’s imagination. In other words, taking the Ibrahim Ali denial approach.

At the end of the day, both UMNO and PAS are political parties, nothing more and certainly nothing less. As one poll participant quite succinctly put it,

"It’s not peace in heaven that religion is after, but political power here on Earth...."
(source: Poll commenter Siti Kasim)

Malaysian politics on its own can be quite volatile. Add religion into the mix, and what you create is a situation that can be downright capricious… and definitely not something any Malaysian would want to look forward to.

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

HENN: STiG nominated for prestigious award

Technorati tags: HENN, Humor, Politics, Perkasa, STiG

Perkasa rep named as BUFFOON’s innaugural award nominee  
myAsylum provides another exclusive story on the nomination of Malaysia’s favorite tall hat rebel-rouser for an international award - reporting straight from Hell, and soon-to-be Hell-on-Earth, Malaysia. Another episode in the continuing series from the Hell-on-Earth News Network (HENN)

News has surfaced that prestigious international organization, the Bureau for the Ubiquitously Foolish, Flagrant, Obnoxious, and Odiously Nonsensical (BUFFOON) has nominated STiG – (aka Perkasa’s Songkok Tinggi Guy, aka Arman Azha Hj. Abu Hanifah) – for the prestigious Mirage Award.

According to BUFFOON Asia Pacific representative, Ms. Heeza Dumaaz, the Mirage Award was set up to recognize outstanding achievements in certain extraordinary, if obnoxious, skills.

“Over the last several months, BUFFOON has come to recognize STiG’s innate skills in extrapolation, and articulating imagined elements found in the writing of others”, Ms Dumaaz told HENN during a telephone interview earlier today.

“Take for example how irate STiG became by superbly imagining all kinds of insults in Helen Ang’s recent CPI Malaysia article – it’s amazing! How does he come up with this fantastical nonsense?”

The Mirage Awards, scheduled to be awarded sometime later this year, will see BUFFOON honor the first time winner with an imaginary trophy and cash prize, whose amount has yet to be thought up.
(more reasons why STiG was nominated, in the full post)

“There are a few other reasons why we have nominated STiG,” Ms. Dumaaz explained. “One of them is that the guy has no qualms whatsoever in denying others what he himself practices, namely freedom of expression.”

Ms. Dumaaz was, of course, referring to the incident in May this year when STiG led a delegation of Perkasa members to protest against former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim, at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

Ms. Dumaaz added, that while STiG freely expresses himself in whatever way he wishes, often provocatively, the same allowance is not accorded to others when views contrary to his own are expressed.

“This was also an important criteria in why BUFFOON nominated STiG,” she said. “Granted, this is very characteristic of the organization he belongs to, but STiG has consistently shown how attuned he is in practicing the highest of double standards”.

“The fact that the delegation, led by STiG himself, managed to burn an effigy using beer as an ignition agent, also caught our attention. This is another amazing feat responsible for STiG’s nomination,” Ms. Dumaaz added.

Lastly, there’s the element of fashion.

Ms. Heeza Dumaaz added that the larger than normal songkok (traditional Malay hat) strategically fits STiG’s larger than life personality.

“It’s difficult to find individuals who accessorize themselves according to their personality, but we feel that we’ve found such an individual in STiG,” Ms. Dumaaz said.

HENN attempted to reach the big-headed-hatted Perkasa youth chief, but STiG could not be contacted for comment. We have been informed that at the time, he was busy gloating on his Facebook page, and preparing to submit yet another needless police report, this time against journalist Helen Ang.

Will STiG manage to beat all the other imaginary nominees, and make Malaysia proud for having one of its citizens win the prestigious Mirage Award? Granted he’s a very annoying Malaysian citizen, but HENN believes that all and sundry should be proud when one of their own achieves something. Even something as nonsensical as the Mirage Award.

HENN will keep close tabs on how this story develops, and if Malaysia once again graces its name in the record books. 
(© 2010 - Hell-on-Earth News Network)

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

Opinion Poll: Police action against anti-ISA vigil

Technorati tags: Opinion Poll, Poll Position, Anti-ISA Vigil, Police Action

The previous poll, about politicization of Islam in Malaysia and its possible effects, has closed. We’ll discuss the results in a later post. Walski thought he should let you folks know about the new poll first.

Unless you’ve been living under a cyber-rock, or have just chosen to ignore it, you’ll know that Sunday, August 1st marked 50 years that the Internal Security Act (1960), better known as the ISA, has been in existence.

And predictably, the police issued a statement warning folks not to attend the vigils, which were declared illegal. Also, predictably, the police were present in full riot garb at the vigils in Petaling Jaya and Penang. Several people were arrested at both vigils, and were later released on police bail. As far as he can tell, no arrests were made at the Ipoh vigils, nor at other vigil locations.

But then, the same kind of action was not applied in a few other protests and “illegal assemblies”. Those that come to mind would be the Cowhead Incident, the protest against the Australian MPs, and several other public rallies and protests, including yesterday’s Perkasa-led protest memo event (which wasn’t much more than just a PR exercise, from Walski’s perspective).

Being a reasonable person, Walski has to ask, why so? Why the difference in police response? It would also be helpful to note that the Aussie MP protest was also declared to be an illegal gathering by the police (via The Malay Mail). And as we now know, the eventual police response was VERY different.

When Walski asks such questions, you know an opinion poll can’t be all that far behind… and therefore, predictably, he put one up this past Monday, asking exactly that: why the difference in treatment and response by the Royal Malaysian Police.
(the poll details, and more, in the full post)

The poll will be up until the end of this week, Sunday, August 8th. As with previous polls, Blogger sites can easily embed the poll by clicking on the Add to Blogger button, located below the poll (on the sidebar). Wordpress blogs, too, can easily add the poll by using the short-code [polldaddy poll="3558004"]. Other sharing/embedding options are available at the Polldaddy.com poll location.

Walski strongly encourages you to do this for the simple reason that he’d like opinions from across the political and (if possible) social divide. It’s no fun to do these polls when you know your audience is of a particular leaning, and therefore will have predictable results.

Once the poll has closed, Walski will discuss the results, and only THEN will he disclose what he personally thinks. It’s only fair that way.

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

Changes are 12 inches...

Technorati tags: Blog Makeover, Under Construction, Work In Progress

Update August 1, 2010: Massive changes planned have been put on hold for now. See full post for details.

And for most people, 12 inches make a foot...

So, look at the picture below, then do the math.

(explaining the obvious, and more, in the full post)

Kidding aside, Walski has decided that a blog makeover is overdue. It’s been, what, over a year since he’s done any major layout work? Well, whatever the duration, it’s high time.

So, over the course of the next few days, you’ll be seeing this blog transform. Not into Optimus Prime or an 18-wheeler, but transform into a new template. During that time, certain blog elements may seem askew and out of place.

Key thing is – DON’T PANIC. It will still be pretty much the same myAsylum you’ve grown to love. Or loathe, as the case may be. Except that it’ll be in new clothing.

And this time around, Walski has decided that the new clothing this blog wears will be something tailored by Blogger (courtesy of their recently introduced Template Designer). Just so that things Walski adds later work the way they should.

3rd party templates (like the current one) don’t always behave predictably when you add stuff, and quite frankly, Walski doesn’t really have the luxury of time to do troubleshooting these days. The last thing he wants is for visitors to have to put up with a broken, semi-functioning blog.

Except during this brief period of construction, of course.

Finally, in the interest of safety, kindly observe the caution signs while you navigate through the blog while it’s undergoing re-constructive surgery. And please try not to topple the side bars…

Update (August 1, 2008)
Having done some preliminary template tests live on myAsylum, Walski has found that there are a number of unexpected problems that have emerged in deploying a new template. That, and the templates he’s found just don’t reflect the feel Walski’s looking for. Therefore, after due consideration, he’s decided that there should be further testing and analysis done before going live with the new look. And the testing ground for this, as it has traditionally been, will be over at myAsylum reLoaded.

It also means that for the time being, you are gonna be stuck with this template for this blog. Which isn’t all that bad, all things considered…

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

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….

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