Teresa Kok: Bukan apa yg dibuatnya, tetapi apa yg tidak dibuat...

Tindakan Teresa Kok mengemukakan saman ke atas seorang wartawan Utusan Malaysia dan akhbar itu sendiri berhubung rencana "Azan, jawi, JAIS, UiTM dan ba-alif-ba-ya" yang disiarkan tidak lama dulu menarik perhatian.

Sememangnya hak Teresa untuk mengambil tindakan itu dan lantaran menuntut ganti-rugi jutaan ringgit.    

Tetapi pada pendapat saya, yang menjadi persoalan di sini bukanlah sekadar apa yang didakwa dilakukan oleh ahli parlimen itu. Lebih penting ialah apa yang TIDAK dilakukan olehnya sebagai seorang wakil rakyat yang telah dilantik sah secara demokratik dan telah mengangkat sumpah untuk menjaga kesejahteraan negara.

Jika dia melakukan sesuatu yang melanggar peradaban keharmonian kaum, itu kes yang nyata. Bagaimanapun, persoalannya di sini apakah yang sebenarnya mencetuskan reaksi hingga membawa kepada keadaan sekarang ini?

Di pihak wakil rakyat itu saya bertanya sama ada dia sedar yang tanggung-jawab bukan sekadar berlandaskan apa yang dia lakukan, tetapi juga apa yang di TIDAK lakukan (omission).

Sebagai wakil rakyat dan ahli parlimen, dia seharusnya lebih berhati-hati menangani isu-isu yang boleh menyebabkan rasa kurang senang di antara kaum. Walaupun pada perspektif pemikiran liberalnya, tindakan, gesaan atau insiatifnya mungkin tidak berbahaya, tetapi persepsi masyarakat mungkin berbeza dan kebarangkalian membawa kepada masalah.

Dalam konteks ini Teresa perlu bertanya pada diri sendiri apa sepatutnya dia TIDAK lakukan...

Human rights: Practice what you preach

With so much rantings and accusations by people who see themselves as champions of every mode of freedom, one question begs to be answered.

Do we realise how in many instances the change must first be done right in our own homes?

Although many of us Malaysians hold high respect for the rights and freedom of others, sadly there are still those who do not practice what they preach.

One stark instance is the denial by some unscrupulous people who employ maids of different religious belief. How many times have we seen or heard complaints by these unfortunate maids that they were often denied the right to practice their religion?

It is true. There are employers who would not hesitate to force their maid to handle pork and forbid them from performing their prayers.

Our hearts bleed to hear all these, for here we are, beyond the confines of our private castles we would not hesitate to hit out at any perceived attempts to restrict free religious practice, although our observations have often been skewed and distorted by narrow perspectives.

While some may gladly allow their maids to practice their religious duties, there are still many others who, aware of the fact that the maids under their employment are Muslims but nevertheless take advantage of their youthful ignorance and abet in the degeneration of their religious duties.

So, employers...have a heart...dont do this to others if you do not want others to do the same unto you.

UMNO dominant or component parties weak?

Think again!

BN component parties should to appreciate Umno's strength that had enabled the coalition to form a government at the federal level and that they must use Umno's strength to strengthen themselves.

The idea that Umno is being too dominant in Barisan Nasional (BN) is ridiculous, says Johor Baru Umno division chief Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad.

He said that if BN component parties thought that Umno was dominant, they must understand why it was so.

"Is it because the component parties themselves are weak, and what would be the solution to it? he asked, adding that the matter should not be used by the component parties to cover their weaknesses following the last general election results.

Shahrir, who is also Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Minister, said Umno could not reduce its power for the sake of providing a so-called "level playing field" for the component parties.

"By doing so, it would lead to BN losing everything to the opposition," he said.

Shahrir said the perception that UMNO was too dominant was created by the opposition parties as part of their efforts to weaken the support, especially among the non-Malays, for BN.

The Johor Baru member of parliament did not rule out the possibility that communication problems among BN component party leaders had contributed to the perception problem and suggested that this situation be rectified.

Kontrak Sosial diterima?

Kolumnis Malaysian Insider, Wan Hamidi Hamid berkata tidak sesiapa pun mempertikaikan kontrak sosial antara kaum yang telah mewujudkan Malaysia merdeka lebih 50 tahun lalu.

Tanpa mengulangi segala perdebatan yang berlangsung sejak sekian lama berhubung perkara ini sama ada di media arus perdana ataupun media alternatif, apa yang diperhatikan oleh Hamidi jelas sekadar perspektif luaran.

Setelah menyorot hampir kesemua komen dan kritikan yang tersiar dalam Internet dan media arus perdana, rata-rata saya melihat ada golongan yang secara terang-terangan mempersoalkan kesahihan kontrak tersebut.

Kebanyakan mereka menafikan kewujudan kontrak itu sementara yang akur dengannya pula cuba mengikut arus dengan rasional beralas demi kepentingan sendiri.

Tidak...tidak benar sama sekali golongan bukan Melayu menerima kontrak sosial. Yang pasti dan nyata mereka bergerak menafikan kewujudan perjanjian tersebut.

Berdasarkan ini maka tidak timbul isu samada mereka menerima quid pro quo berkenaan seperti yang ditegaskan semula oleh Majlis Raja-Raja kelmarin.

From HINDRAF’s Wyathamoorthy – the remote controller of destruction...

The Chairman of the outlawed HINDRAF today said, ''HINDRAF represents the Indian commoner, the hard-working oily-faced made who is made fun of in the streets, the man who people step on, the man who walks past you yet you notice him not...this current saga has developed against the backdrop of HINDRAF's presence at the Cabinet Raya Open Hse, where over 200 supporters attended to beseech Abdullah to free the HINDRAF 5...''

The last statement proves that they were there not in the spirit of raya but for their own ends. And, I dont think Malaysians make fun of Indians on the streets as much as we take jocular exchanges with ethnic undertones as friendly Malaysian-style bantering.

Saman Utusan: Hipokrit Teresa Kok!

Hipokrit!...itulah Teresa Kok.

Sekiranya dia mengaku jaguh memperjuangkan kebebasan akhbar seperti yang kononya diamalkan oleh Harakah, Rocket, Malaysia Today dan akhbar rasmi PKR, mengapa pula dia perlu saman Utusan Malaysia?

You call that a Hari Raya wish?

'Hapuskan ISA, Lepaskan Hindraf; Hapuskan ISA, Lepaskan Hindraf' (Repeal the ISA, Release the Hindraf detainees). That was all the group of HINDRAF supporters said to Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during the Hari Raya Eidul Fitri open house hosted by cabinet ministers at the PWTC recently. Only one among them wished Selamat Hari Raya.

This not the kind of greeting one conveys to a host on Hari Raya.

Following an outcry from many quarters, HINDRAF again turned the tables around by saying that they were wrongly reported by the media and threatened to sue the Home Minister as well as one of the main stream newspapers.

This always seems to be HINDRAF's favorite modus operandi – by using children and other convenient excuses to cover their true intentions.

All I can say to them at this juncture is "STOP IT." People are not blind. They can see where you are coming from all the time...

Capital Flight: Anwar silap

Anwar menyangka dapat menjatuhkan kredibiliti ekonomi negara semasa mengambil bahagian pada satu forum di Hong Kong baru-baru ini.

Fakta yang dikemukakannya salah kerana pengaliran FDI dari Malaysia sebenarnya bukan boleh diertikan sebagai 'capital flight.' Ia adalah pengaliran keluar dana oleh syarikat-syarikat transnasional kepunyaan Malaysia sendiri secara terancang.

Ini membuktikan aliran keluar (82% atau A$10bil) dan masuk sebenarnya positif walaupun pengaliran keluar mengatasi pengaliran masuk.

Jika Anwar ingin menyerang kerajaan, dia sepatutnya mengingatkan dirinya dahulu bahawa dialah penyebab utama ketidaktentuan politik yang menyumbang kepada pengurangan pelaburan dari luar pada waktu ini. Malah diketahui Anwar telah mengadakan beberapa perjumpaan dengan para Pengurus Dana bagi memujuk mereka agar tidak melabur di Malaysia.

Ini jelas satu pengkhianatan nyata, semata mata kerana dia terlalu gilakan jawatan PERDANA MENTERI.