Saturday, January 18, 2014

AN UMNO BARU'S DILEMMA?

How is UMNO Baru going to extricate itself from the 'Allah' crisis is anybody's guess. After all they started it, they should be ones to be able to bring the issue to an end. But then, maybe it will still linger on for a long while yet for two apparent reasons. First, if they agree with what international Islamic scholars have said about the word 'Allah', they would lose credibility and the Malay people would be left in a state of flux. So this is out. They need to 'milk' the issue for as long as it takes, because they want Selangor back into their fold. It doesn't matter whether the Christians and Sikhs feelings are trampled upon so long as it helps to achieve their goal.

Since there is a paranoia (manufactured by UMNO Baru) amongst the Malay community that the Christians would proselytise to them, here are a couple of suggestions for UMNO Baru and perhaps the community itself to think about, and to a greater extent, allay their fear.

1. To begin with, make English the main stream of our education system again. With the inadequacy of the BM language, there is very little opportunity for the Christians to speak fluently or eloquently to convert the Malays. It is really amazing that there have been so much accusations hurled against the Christians in this respect, but yet until today, not a single shred of evidence have been brought forward or culprits being charged. To reinforce their accusations, Hasan Ali of JATI said he knew the pastor, even by name, who had been converting Muslims to become Christians. The question is, why was there no police report made and why were there no arrests made?

2. The East Malaysians are not going to stand down, so this will become a thorn on UMNO Baru's side, just like Singapore in the 60s, when Lee Kuan Yew continued to drum home policies that will provide equal opportunity to all Malaysians. If this is the case, UMNO Baru can easily ask Sarawak and Sabah to leave the federation. If they can do it to Singapore in 1965, there are no reasons why they can't do it now. By doing so, we can live happily ever after.

3. Make it an offence for a non-Malays to speak in BM to a Malay, and that all Malay newspapers, books, magazines, etc are to be stamped "Not to be read by Non-Malays" as otherwise the non-Malays would improve their communication skill in BM and thus will be able to proselytise to the Muslims. Anyone found breaching such policies will be jailed or fined or both.

4. All written communication to government departments or agencies must be in English.  BM is prohibited for fear of Christians stealthily using the language to proselytise to the unwary Muslim readers.

In their earnest desire to show how Islamic they are, UMNO Baru has added more words to bar non-Muslims from using them. It gives you the impression that either the Holy Bible contains all these words or non-Malays have a copy of the Holy Quran in their homes, and may for some devious reasons, use them to convert the Muslims. Such logic is really astounding to say the least.

Ironically, one of the words banned by UMNO Baru is 'Injil'. Now one of the main churches in Sarawak is known as Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), a church where Idris Jala belongs to. So is the church going to be made to change its name or will UMNO Baru say this is a different issue entirely. Fortunately, the Roman Catholic Church is not facing such a dilemma as otherwise it will look utterly ridiculous for the church to change its identity after having been in existence for the last 2,000 years.

Written with a tongue in the cheek, but it could be a workable solution.

Friday, January 17, 2014

What the kang kung?

What the kangkung! At first, when my friends told me, I thought wah so good our PM got mentioned in BBC just because he talked about kangkung. BBC you know. Not kangkung Bangsar Boys Club, but British Broadcasting Corporation. Kangkung global, man! Don’t play play. Now more British people know the name Najib. We can feel kangkung proud of him. He put Malaysia on the world map.

But now I try to call up the BBC report on my computer, I kangkung cannot! I checked with my friends and they told me it’s been kangkung blocked! Only my friends with smartphones can read it because it’s not blocked there. Why is it kangkung blocked for computer users? Who is the motherkangkunger who ordered the block?

My friends told me it’s because those motherkangkungers don’t want Malaysians to see the report. Because it doesn’t make Najib look good. The report says many people have been making fun of Najib for what he said. So? What’s kangkung wrong with that? He can’t take a bit of kangkung fun meh?

You know, at first I thought it was good he said kangkung is now cheaper. True, right? The newspaper also reported the kangkung price is now 50 per cent less. Normally, I don’t trust the newspaper, but if the PM also said the same, it must be kangkung true. Right?

Some more ah, I thought it was good he said something. At least he opened his kangkung mouth. Because lately he is becoming a man of kangkung few words. Like kangkung Clint Eastwood. He never said anything about so many urgent issues, when everyone was hoping he would. Like the kangkung ‘Allah’ issue. Everybody hoo-ing and ha-ing about it, and people protesting outside the Gombak church some more, but he – he was quiet as a mosque mouse.

So to hear him say kangkung is now cheaper made some people feel good. Wah, the PM can talk now, they thought, he’s found his kangkung voice. He also took time off his kangkung busy schedule to check the price and tell us. Where to find such a kangkung caring PM?

Ah, but he also said we should praise the Government when prices come down because every time prices go up, we blame the Government. Yes ah? You know, I actually found that part stupid. I’ll tell you why. Because firstly, the Government made petrol, sugar and electricity more kangkung expensive. And because of that, everything else is also getting more kangkung expensive. Kopi-O is more expensive, and even chup fun. I go to the market and fish, meat, veggies are all more kangkung expensive.

So how not to blame the kangkung Government for that? Who kangkung started it all? Got snowball effect one mah. Petrol, sugar, electricity up, sure other things also go up.

And now just because kangkung is cheaper, we must praise the kangkung Government? We must be happy lah? And every day we eat only kangkung lah? Then we can save money? Why did he talk only about kangkung and forget about the other things that went up? Aiyo! And some more ask for praise! It’s kangkung cheapskate, I tell you. Something must be kangkung wrong with the kangkung PM.

So that’s why lah, my friends told me Najib kena sindir betul-betul for talking about kangkung. Social media hentam him. Twitter. Facebook. One page on FB got more than 18,000 followers already! All just about Najib and his kangkung. People also changed the lyrics of popular songs and folk songs. Remember the popular ‘Lenggang Kangkung’? They did a remix of that and put it up as a video. Best is the ‘Kangkung Remix’ video where they take what Najib said and made it sound like he’s rapping. So kangkung clever.

But now I try to watch those two videos on YouTube, cannot! Click on them, nothing! Blocked. Like the BBC report. It’s too kangkung much. Let’s kangkung the motherkangkungers who blocked all these things! Let’s kangkung them kau-kau!

Did Najib ask them to do it? What do you think? Everybody suspects yes. If he did it, why is he so kangkung paranoid? It’s all for fun only mah. Cannot make fun of the PM one meh? It’s good what. We can lepas geram instead of protest in the streets. Better for him, right?

Now after the blocking, who can believe the kangkung Government’s promise not to censor the Internet? Kangkung bullshit! Like this ah Najib’s transformation? Kangkung talk only laa! Like this ah he said he wants to give Malaysia “the best democracy”? Is this democracy or kangkung dictatorship?

You notice or not it’s all becoming more and more control? That paper The Heat exposed Najib’s big-time spending – his wife’s also – and znahp, kena suspended. Cannot question his kangkung spending meh? Our money what. Cannot criticise ah? Cannot criticise his kangkung wife also ah? What are they kangkung afraid of? Got do no wrong, nothing to fear one. Right?

People say by blocking the BBC report and the YouTube videos, he has dug his own grave. And he’s also making a kangkung fool of himself. Already, outside the country, they were laughing at him for his kangkung remark. Now they’ll laugh even kangkung more. Padan muka lah.

But what the kangkung hell, I still can’t get to see that BBC report! I don’t have a smartphone! My friend just told me MCMC said they did not do the kangkung blocking, but I don’t care, some motherkangkunger did it and I’m kangkung mad about it! Unblock all those things now or I’ll … I’ll … I’ll cut off someone’s kangkung!

[Written by Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the book The Elections Bullshit].

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Now I can see PERKASA, PEMBELA, ISMA, JATI, MAIS and JAIS getting freaked out over this photo



Wedding : Rachel Monjuil & Nicholas| Penampang
Location : SDA Church Likas & Dewan Tun Fuad Stephen Penampang.
Date : 22 December 2013
Photographer : Augustine Jumat

THUMBS UP TO YOU GIRLS!!!

Friday, January 10, 2014

With the 'Allah' issue still on the burner, why am I not surprised?

Open Doors USA released its list Wednesday of the world’s 50 worst violators, weighing factors such as the jailing of Christians, executions and legal restrictions on religious freedom.

The Christian group this year added the category of whether or not a nation was a “failed” state.

Operations Director Jerry Dykstra says a failed state is “a weak state where social and political structures have collapsed to the point where government has little or no control.”


Rounding out the top 12 are Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan and Eritrea.

Written in blood about lives of grace, “Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs” celebrates the indomitable human spirit that arises in love against tyranny and torture. More than a book, it is every Christian’s heritage of courage.


Open Doors Communications Director Emily Fuentes says North Korea is like no other country in the world.

“North Korea remains the most difficult country in the world to be a Christian because it’s an act that is punishable there by death or life in prison,” Fuentes said.

North Korea is thought to have as many as 70,000 people imprisoned in camps that Fuentes likens to the camps in Nazi Germany.


“It’s a sentence that is not just for believers, but the sentence to a concentration camp can be for up to three generations of their family,” Fuentes said. “That’s their parents, their children and their grandchildren. No other country is like North Korea in that way."


Fuentes added that the actual number of Christians in prison camps could be higher.

“We estimate that the number is between 50,000 and 70,000, but that’s a conservative estimate, probably minimal. There could be even more,” Fuentes said.

WND reported in September that North Korea and its anti-Christian actions are largely unnoticed by most of the world. Human rights activist and pastor Douglas Riggs says it’s hard to believe that North Korea’s persecution flies “under the radar.”

“Where is the international outcry from the international community for the most oppressed and persecuted people in the world who live in North Korea?” Riggs asks. “No nation is planning a military strike against the tyrannical rule of the North Korea.”


International Christian Concern’s Asia analyst, Ryan Morgan, says he’s not surprised by North Korea’s ranking.

“It looks like conditions for Christians in North Korea have grown steadily worse. Between the ongoing detention of Kenneth Bae and the mass executions in November, it is abundantly clear that Kim Jong-un has no plans to change his regime’s status as the worst persecutor of Christians in the world any time soon,” Morgan said.

A recent report by a group called Seoul USA said the North Korean church is holding its own despite the persecution. Morgan agrees.


“When North Korea does eventually collapse, I believe we will see Christian leaders there who have kept the faith despite unimaginable opposition rise up to lead a new revival,” Morgan said.


“It’s going to be much like the rise of the church in China over the past 20 years.”

The Open Doors report listed the African nation of Somalia as No. 2. Fuentes said the Islamic terror group al-Shabaab is responsible for Somalia’s ranking.

“For the first time ever, Somalia holds the second spot, and it’s the first time an African nation has risen so high on the World Watch list. It’s because there’s been a significant increase in violence against Christians this year, specifically by the jihadist group al-Shabaab,” Fuentes said.

In the third spot is Syria, and Fuentes said that’s because the militant groups in the Syrian civil war are using the war as an excuse to target Christians.

“Christians are being specifically targeted for their faith, and the Christians are being targeted by jihadists and extremists fighting in the civil war. They’re using the war as an excuse to rid the country of the Christians,” Fuentes said.


Fuentes added that some towns in Syria have become “ghost towns” because of the violence.

“Christians have had to flee because they don’t want to live there anymore. In October, there was a historic Christian town that was attacked. Over 45 people were massacred, and hundreds more were injured. It was because they were Christians,” Fuentes said.

Open Doors estimates that there are nearly 1,000 Syrian Christians who have been martyred for their faith.

WND reported in September that Christian leaders in Syria were dismayed by the trend of entire Christian communities leaving because of the violence.


International Christian Concern Middle East analyst Todd Daniels said a Syrian church leader told him of how rebels entered a village and began calling out names using the loudspeakers of the mosques. The Christians were given 48 hours to leave.

“We are continuing to hear stories from Syria of forced conversions or killings by those who did not convert,” he said. “It is these existential threats that are leading Christians to flee.”


Fuentes said Islamic violence is a common thread in the persecution, noting that 37 of the top 50 countries are Muslim.

“Many of these nations are involved in heavy Islamic extremism. So, it’s either terrorist groups or other government officials who are following the extreme version of Islam. That’s what initiates the Christian persecution,” Fuentes said.

In 2013, the worst nation was North Korea, where merely possessing a Bible can be punishable by death.

At that time, eight of the 10 worst offenders were Muslim-majority nations. Egypt, under the Muslim Brotherhood, actually saw its ranking lowered, but not because of any improvement. It was because of worsening conditions elsewhere, the report said. North Korea also was No. 1 in 2012.

The following is the full list:
1) North Korea
2) Somalia
3) Syria
4) Iraq
5) Afghanistan
6) Saudi Arabia
7) Maldives
8) Pakistan
9) Iran
10) Yemen
11) Sudan
12) Eritrea
13) Libya
14) Nigeria
15) Uzbekistan
16) Central African Republic
17) Ethiopia
18) Vietnam
19) Qatar
20) Turkmenistan
21) Laos
22) Egypt
23) Myanmar (Burma)
24) Brunei
25) Colombia
26) Jordan
27) Oman
28) India
29) Sri Lanka
30) Tunisia
31) Bhutan
32) Algeria
33) Mali
34) Palestinian Territories
35) United Arab Emirates
36) Mauritania
37) China
38) Kuwait
39) Kazakhstan
40) Malaysia
41) Bahrain
42) Comoros
43) Kenya
44) Morocco
45) Tajikistan
46) Djibouti
47) Indonesia
48) Bangladesh
49) Tanzania
50) Niger


[Source : WND World, Jan 10 2014]

Monday, December 30, 2013

KEEP YOUR OLD VINYLS. THEY ARE WORTH A FORTUNE.

About 2 or 3 years ago, I came across an article in a British music magazine highlighting the worth of old records sold world wide. One of the records was the 7" SP "Living Doll" by Cliff Richard, recorded in 1959. It was valued at almost RM200!!!! I quickly made a check with one of my boxes containing these 7" vinyls and what do you know, I still have the copy.

I do not know how many of you still keep old vinyls because these items certainly worth a lot, and you will never know you will be sitting on a gold mine in time to come. It is indeed a good investment for our kids and grandkids. To think that I bought it for only RM2.50 in the early sixties.

This "Living Doll" release was the only one listed by the magazine. Strange they didn't mention Cliff's other releases.

A close-up shot of the vinyl

The blogger and his RM200 Living Doll
 
 


As I end my posting for the year, may I take this opportunity to wish all my friends out there a very Happy New Year and may 2014 bring renewed hopes to you.