DEMI RAKYAT
12 Februari 2012 (Ahad)
1) 4.00 – 5.00 ptg – Hi-Tea Bersama Masyarakat Peneroka
Lokasi: Felda Hutan Percha, Machap, Alor Gajah
2) 5.30 – 6.30 ptg – Hi- Tea Bersama Rakyat
Lokasi: Pekan Gadek, Alor Gajah
3) 7.30 – 8.30 mlm – Solat Maghrib dan Tazkirah
Lokasi : Kg Ayer Limau, Masjid Tanah
4) 9.00 – 12.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana – Demi Rakyat
Lokasi : Batu 20 ½, Kg Rim, Jasin
5) 9.00 – 12.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana – Demi Rakyat
Lokasi : Batu 8, Kg Paya Rumput, Paya Rumput
6) Penceramah
i) YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
ii) YB Goh Leong San
iii) YBhg Adly Zahari
iv) YB Teng Chiang Kim
v) YBhg Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin
East Asia Forum, Australia - 10 Feb 12
Author: Barry Wain, ISEAS
Malaysians expressed a collective sigh of relief when Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted of sodomy charges in early January.Their groan of dismay over the prosecution’s subsequent decision to appeal was equally palpable.
For most Malaysians, despite being divided in their opinions of Anwar, the acquittal marked a chance to move away from the sleazy politics that has long dominated daily life. Now, they expect more of the same. Aware of public exasperation, Prime Minister Najib Razak was quick to seize on the not guilty verdict as proof of his ‘reformist’ agenda and Malaysia’s supposedly independent judiciary. But the appeal leaves him stranded, inclined to delay calling a general election, and acutely aware that he is under threat as much from within his own ranks as from the opposition. It seems likely that Najib will win the next election, but unless he scores big — which seems unlikely — his leadership could be at risk.
The old guard in Najib’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the core of the Barisan Nasional coalition government, has been trying to have Anwar convicted of sexual misconduct for more than 13 years. His first sodomy trial in the late 1990s was regarded as a miscarriage of justice, and the recently completed second trial was just as dubious, according to international legal and human rights organisations. Kuala Lumpur has a thriving gay club scene and nightlife, and the police — to their credit — do not hound homosexuals. But Anwar was hauled into court twice on a charge of ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
The government’s deliberate targeting of Anwar is obvious. His arrest in 2008 came soon after he led a revitalised opposition to unprecedented gains in a general election, depriving the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional of its usual two-thirds majority in parliament. Subsequently, Anwar has spent much of the past three years caught up defending himself in the sodomy trial, when he might have otherwise engaged in consolidating the opposition coalition.
Despite, or perhaps because of, these efforts, the trial has become a liability for Najib. The value in distracting Anwar and trying to knock him out politically has been offset by the damage to Najib’s reputation as a putative reformer. Conscious that the long-term electoral trend is running against the ruling coalition, which has held power since independence in 1957, Najib has positioned himself as an agent of change, who is in touch with Malaysia’s younger generation. He has attempted to roll back unpopular elements of an affirmative action program designed to benefit the country’s majority ethnic Malay community, liberalise press restrictions and replace controversial security laws, including detention without trial. Still, Najib is yet to convert the rhetoric of reform into reality, which he must do to win back the alienated centre of Malaysian politics, where cynicism and anger run deep.
Najib is encountering entrenched opposition within UMNO, particularly from conservatives who favour continued Malay privileges and the flow of patronage to the party faithful. These older UMNO Malays and their supporters in the business world and bureaucracy — especially the police and prosecutors — strongly objected to Anwar being freed and lobbied hard and successfully for the appeal. In the end, Najib will lose the most. It seems he failed to stand up to these factions — again — and lost the public relations gains from Anwar’s acquittal.
The loss of the momentum that Anwar’s freedom initially gave Najib may persuade him to wait until later this year to call an election, which must be held by March 2013. Najib must gamble that the electoral climate will improve by this time. But the economy could slow and more political scandals could emerge — rampant corruption involving UMNO politicians has already hurt his government.
Free to campaign, Anwar will lift the spirits of the three-party opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition. But he is looking and sounding tired, and his own People’s Justice Party is rife with factionalism and squabbling. Although Anwar said recently: ‘My gut tells me we will win [the election]’, most analysts believe he will fall short, even if not by much.
While the opposition will surely live to fight another day, Najib may not have it so easy, even if he wins. Only the recovery of a two-thirds parliamentary majority will ensure his continued leadership of UMNO and Malaysia. Failing this, Najib could face pressure to step aside if he loses more seats, a fate that befell Abdullah Badawi, his predecessor.
Barry Wain is Writer-in-Residence at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.
11 Februari 2012 (Sabtu)
1) 11. 00 – 2.00 ptg – Rumah Terbuka Sambutan Tahun Baru Cina
Lokasi: Lapangan Letak Kereta Sutera Mall, Skudai, Johor Bahru
2) 4.30 – 6.30 ptg – Hi-Tea Bersama Rakyat
Lokasi : Rumah Pangsa Sri Alam, Pasir Gudang
3) 9.00 – 12.00 mlm – Majlis Kesyukuran dan Ceramah Umum
Lokasi : Felda Ulu Tebrau, Ulu Tiram
4) 9.00 – 12.00 mlm – Ceramah Perdana – Demi Rakyat
Lokasi: Felda Cahaya Baru, Masai
5) Penceramah:
i) YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
ii) YB Sallehuddin Ayub
iii) YBhg Dato’ Seri Chua Jui Meng
iv) YB Tien Chua
v) YBhg Mazlan Aliman
HarakahDaily
Oleh YAB Tuan Guru Dato Nik Aziz Nik Mat
Merujuk kepada komen Fuad Zakarshi (UM & BH 8 Februari 2012) yang mencadangkan agar saya ditarbiyah semula atas sebab enggan memberi komen terhadap Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim atas isu negara Israel. Ia sesuatu yang jelas tersesat.
Saya amat kesal atas pemikiran sekular seorang timbalan menteri juga bekas seorang guru Yayasan Anda di bawah bumbung ABIM yang dikatakan pernah menyokong kepimpinan Anwar Ibrahim kelihatan begitu dungu dalam menilai mana satu yang benar dan mana pula yang salah.
Sepatutnya sebagai seorang yang pernah mengagumi Anwar Ibrahim dan pernah duduk sebumbung Yayasan Anda/Markaz ABIM sepatutnya sudah tahu permainan kotor media tajaan Barat (WSJ) itu yang kerjanya untuk menjatuh kredibliti seorang yang tidak sebulu dengan Israel.
Begitu juga akhbar Barat dan pro-Barat juga yang acapkali mengulang-ulang kes liwat (menuduh Anwar) atas sebab untuk memalukan hamba Allah ini.
Apakah hak Fuad Zakarshi mencadang saya ditarbiyah semula? Sedang beliau sendiri sudah dilihat gagal memahami prinsip tarbiyah. Kalau benar dia memahami tarbiyah, masakan boleh membuat respon atas fakta yang diputar oleh WSJ, hantu media Barat yang sentiasa bertindak untuk memecah belah umat Islam. Logikkah saya mengulas atas fakta yang belum pasti benar kerana ia bukan dari sumber pertama.
Sebaiknya Fuad dapat berjumpa sendiri Anwar jika benar ingin mencari pencerahan. Kerana Anwar pernah jadi ketuanya.
Justeru adalah sesuai kalau dia ingin mencari kebenaran, baik sahaja pergi beribadat di masjid. Tapi bagi seorang yang mendokong ideologi kebangsaan sekular, sudah tentu tidak sesuai mencari kebenaran di masjid.
Saya cadangkan lebih baik mencari kebenaran di bilik tandas. Kerana dalam tandas sudah tentu sesuai––banyak syaitan dan iblis yang boleh merangsang fikirannya––menjadi waras selari dengan otak sekular.
Maka, tak payahlah asak dan menyibuk untuk mentarbiyah semula orang lain. Kerana asas tarbiyah itu hendaklah dipaksikan dengan keredahaan Allah.
Mana ada hak bagi manusia seumpama Fuad Zakarshi untuk mentarbiyah orang lain, sedangkan dia sendiri sedang menganut ideologi yang bercanggah dengan keredhaan Allah SWT.
Pengarah strategi PKR, Rafizi Ramli berkata, kenyataan Menteri Pertanian, Datuk Seri Noh Omar yang mempertahankan National Feedlot Corporation di Parlimen menjadi titik penting dalam isu berkenaan.
Selepas kenyataan itulah, beliau menerima satu salinan buku tunai berhubung projek fidlot tersebut melalui e-mel, kata Rafizi dalam satu wawancara dengan Malaysiakini minggu lalu.
Katanya, serangan PKR sebelum itu hanyalah berhubung
pengunegarahan projek kepada anggota keluarga menteri, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, yang tidak mempunyai pengalaman dalam bidang ternakan lembu.
Isu utama yang ditonjolkan PKR sebelum itu juga melibatkan prestasi projek berkenaan yang menurutnya tidak mencapai sasaran.
“Jika Noh Omar (kiri) tidak pergi ke Parlimen dan kata 8,000 lebih
lembu itu satu kejayaan nasional, (isu itu) mungkin mati di situ saja,” katanya.
Selepas kenyataan Noh Omar pada awal November itu, Rafizi berkata kemudiannya menerima salinan penyata yang menyenaraikan bayaran tunai itu daripada seorang yang tidak dikenalinya.
“NFC berkeras untuk mengetahui siapakah pemberi maklumat itu kerana mereka tidak mahu pendedahan lanjut.
“Tapi daripada cara email itu ditulis, (saya tahu pemberi maklumat itu) bukanlah kartel (daging) atau pekerja yang tidak puas hati,” katanya yang tidak mengenali individu berkenaan.
Sebaik sahaja beliau menerima buku tunai itu, Rafizi berkata, beliau kemudiannya menyemak senarai berkenaan untuk mengesan pembayaran yang diragui.
“Bayaran untuk kondominium, dan juga kepada pemaju hartanah mewah tidak… masuk akal dengan syarikat seperti itu,” katanya.
Selepas itulah PKR mengetahui mengenai pembelian hartanah, termasuk kondominium mewah di Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
“Kita sudah tahu perkara ini apabila kita mendapat buku tunai itu tetapi kita turun (untuk periksa). Saya rasa kami ambil masa
dua hingga tiga minggu sebelum sidang akhbar pertama untuk mendedahkannya.”
Katanya, 50 peratus daripada usaha itu merupakan kerja-kerja yang dijalankan untuk mengesahkan pembelian tersebut, termasuk melawat sendiri hartanah tersebut dan juga membuat semakan melalui sumber awam.
“Jadi 15-20 peratus lagi itu sebenarnya mengikut naluri dan risiko yang kami ambil… kerana jika anda mahu dapatkan dokumen lengkap, saya tidak fikir anda akan dapat apa-apa,” katanya.
Pengarah strategi PKR Rafizi Ramli berkata, kali pertama beliau mendengar mengenai National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) bukanlah melalui laporan Ketua Audit Negara tetapi melalui majalah gaya hidup masyarakat kelas tinggi – Malaysia Tatler.
“Sangat glamour,” fikirnya apabila melihat anggota keluarga
Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil ditampilkan dalam majalah berkenaan sekitar empat atau lima tahun lalu.
Keluarga menteri itu nampaknya seronok dengan perhatian seperti itu, kata Rafizi lagi dalam wawancara dengan Malaysiakini minggu lalu.
Beliau berkata demikian apabila ditanya sekiranya projek National Feedlot Centre yang diusahakan syarikat berkenaan merupakan satu projek ‘gajah putih.’
Rafizi ditanya demikian susulan dakwaannya bahawa projek itu ditakdirkan untuk gagal sejak awal lagi.
“Jika ia merupakan satu projek gajah putih, yang mereka tahu sebagai satu sabotaj kepada mereka, saya tidak fikir mereka akan berseronok dengan glamour…,” katanya lagi.
Beliau juga mendakwa, keluarga menteri itu sejak awal lagi mengetahui bahawa projek ternakan lembu itu tidak akan berjaya.
“Tapi saya fikir mereka tahu sejak awal lagi bahawa untuk mencapai sasaran 276,000 ekor lembu setahun adalah mustahil dan sebab itulah saya fikir mereka menghabiskan banyak masa membuat perkara lain,” katanya.
Rafizi mendakwa projek NFC itu hanyalah satu “samaran”, sedangkan suami dan anak-anak menteri berkenaan menggunakan pinjaman RM250 juta itu sebagai modal untuk perniagaan yang lebih “glamour” seperti pelaburan hartanah dan juga kedai makan kelas tinggi.
“Jadi apabila anda dapat orang yang mendapatkan kontrak dan pembiayaan bukan untuk tujuan sebenar dasar tersebut, tentulah ia ditakdirkan gagal sejak awal lagi,” katanya.
Beliau juga mendakwa, keluarga menteri itu telah menggunakan kawalan mereka ke atas pinjaman mudah RM250 juta yang diberikan kerajaan itu untuk perniagaan lain.
Akauntan berkanun itu memberi alasan mudah – walaupun
seseorang itu tidak dilantik sebagai pemegang saham dalam sesuatu syarikat, individu berkenaan boleh membuktikan bahawa mereka mempunyai kawalan ke atas dana yang besar seperti pinjaman RM250 juta dari kerajaan.
“…Itu saja sudah cukup sebagai jaminan kepada bank untuk memberikan anda pinjaman untuk membeli begitu banyak hartanah,” dakwanya.
Rafizi juga sangsi dengan kenyataan yang diberikan oleh salah seorang anak Shahrizat – Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh – ketika menafikan dakwaan bahawa beliau serta anggota keluarganya rakus membelanjakan pinjaman wang tersebut.
Wan Shahinur antara lainnya berkata dakwaan itu tidak
munasabah kerana keluarganya masih perlu membayar pinjaman tersebut.
Rafizi yang melihat isu tersebut dari sudut akauntabiliti berkata, penjelasan itu tidak sah di sisi undang-undang.
“Saya setuju jika setiap orang (pemilik National Feedlot Corporation) meletakkan jaminan peribadi ke atas pinjaman RM250 juta, letakkan semua aset atas nama mereka sebagai cagaran kepada RM250 juta itu, barulah kita bercakap dengan masuk akal sedikit,” katanya.
Tanpa akauntabiliti seperti itu, kata Rafizi, tindakan yang dapat dijalankan hanyalah dengan menutup syarikat induk yang mengawal NFC – Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd yang juga dimiliki keluarga menteri berkenaan.
Wan Shahinur juga sebelum ini telah mengemukakan hujah bahawa langkah menubuhkan syarikat pengedar untuk daging dan juga rangkaian restoran mewah Meatworks dibuat untuk menyokong pusat ternakan fidlot itu.
Penjelasan itu dicabar oleh Rafizi yang berkata, kerajaan dan
syarikat NFC sendiri tidak mempunyai hak ke atas dua anak syarikat tersebut – National Livestock dan Meat Corporation dan Real Food Company – yang telah menerima pemindahan wang daripada syarikat NFC.
National Livestock and Meat Corporation bertanggungjawab mengeluarkan produk lembu daripada daging tersebut dan Real Food Company pula mengedarkan produk berkenaan, selain menguruskan rangkaian restoran mewah Meatworks.
“Anda tanya sesiapa saja dalam syarikat runcitan, bukan saja dalam (industri) daging. Mereka tidak tubuhkan begitu banyak operasi (tapi) mungkin hanya satu bahagian atau seksyen pemasaran di dalam syarikat itu.
“Tapi yang paling penting, anda tidak boleh bercakap mengenai membina rangkaian pengedaran produk lembu seperti didakwa, apabila mereka tiada lembu.
“Anda perlu ada jumlah lembu yang perlu sebelum anda boleh mula buat (perkara ini),” katanya.
KENYATAAN MEDIA
8 FEBRUARI 2012
SKANDAL NFC: PENGURUSAN NFC MENGUMPUL ASET MEWAH DI SINGAPURA
Seperti yang didedahkan sebelum ini, pengurusan NFC telah menubuhkan beberapa syarikat di Singapura bagi menjalankan perniagaan peribadi milik keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil tetapi dibiayai melalui pemindahan wang yang berasal dari dana rakyat berjumlah RM250 juta yang diberikan kepada NFC.
Sebelum ini, KEADILAN telah mengemukakan bukti bahawa sejumlah S$530,000 (bersamaan RM1.3 juta) telah dipindahkan dari dana NFC kepada Meatworks (Singapore) Pte Ltd bagi tempoh 3 bulan antara Oktober hingga Disember 2010. Saya percaya banyak lagi pemindahan wang seperti ini berlaku untuk membiayai perniagaan milik keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil di Singapura.
KEADILAN juga mengesyaki perniagaan-perniagaan ini digunakan untuk mengumpul harta peribadi di Singapura, termasuklah mendapatkan pinjaman bagi membeli kondominium-kondominium mewah di Singapura.
Pada 17 Januari 2012, saya menerima satu maklumat bahawa keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil mendapat pembiayaan dari Maybank untuk membeli satu kondominium mewah di Singapura. Berdasarkan maklumat ini, saya turut bekerjasama dengan rakyat Malaysia yang berada di Singapura termasuk menggunakan khidmat penyiasat persendirian untuk mengenalpasti unit-unit yang dibeli.
Hasil siasatan mengesahkan bahawa selain dari satu unit kondominium mewah Orchard Scotts, keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil telah membeli dua lagi unit kondominium mewah di Marina Bay Suites, Singapura.
Butir-butirnya adalah seperti berikut:
|
Alamat |
#08-01 Marina Bay Suites 3 Central Boulevard Singapore 018965
|
|
Hakmilik |
Dato’ Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail Wan Shahinur Izran Mohamad Salleh (rujuk muka surat 6, Sijil Hakmilik yang dikeluarkan Singapore Land Authority)
|
|
Harga |
S$7,114,000 bersamaan RM17,205,209
|
|
Tarikh dibeli |
27 Mei 2010
|
|
Pembiaya |
United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB)
|
|
Alamat |
#11-01 Marina Bay Suites 3 Central Boulevard Singapore 018965
|
|
Hakmilik |
Dato’ Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail Wan Shahinur Izran Mohamad Salleh (rujuk muka surat 6, Sijil Hakmilik yang dikeluarkan Singapore Land Authority)
|
|
Harga |
S$7,177,000 bersamaan RM17,357,575
|
|
Tarikh dibeli |
27 Mei 2010
|
|
Pembiaya |
Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)
|
Kedua-dua unit ini terletak berhampiran dengan sebuah restoran mewah yang dimiliki dan dikendalikan oleh keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil di Singapura, iaitu Brawn Steakhouse.
Kemudahan pembiayaan untuk membeli 2 buah kondominium berjumlah RM34,562,784 dipercayai diluluskan oleh bank-bank terbabit sebagai urusan timbal balik kerana NFC dan syarikat-syarikat berkaitan yang dimiliki oleh keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil mempunyai deposit yang besar di bank-bank tersebut. Deposit tersebut adalah sebahagian dari dana RM250 juta yang diluluskan bagi tujuan operasi Pusat Fidlot Kebangsaan yang gagal mencapai sasaran yang ditetapkan.
Pembelian dua buah kondominium mewah di Singapura ini menjadi satu lagi bukti bagaimana dana RM250 juta telah digunakan bagi tujuan peribadi untuk megumpul harta, sedangkan tujuan asal dana tersebut diberikan tidak dipenuhi.
Persoalan yang lebih besar ialah bagaimanakah keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil mampu menanggung bayaran balik bulanan yang cukup besar. Anggaran saya berdasarkan kadar pinjaman semasa dan tempoh bayaran balik 25 tahun menunjukkan keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil perlu membayar RM173,000 sebulan untuk membiayai pinjaman kedua-dua kondominium tersebut.
Ini menimbulkan risiko besar berlakunya penyelewengan dalam pengurusan dana RM250 juta memandangkan mustahil Dato’ Seri Salleh Ismail dan anak beliau, Wan Shahinur Izran berpendapatan sebegitu tinggi untuk melangsaikan tanggungan hutang bulanan kepada bank-bank terbabit. Ada kemungkinan dana awam berjumlah RM250 juta itu diselewengkan kepada pelbagai syarikat yang dimiliki oleh keluarga Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil di Singapura, sebahagiannya untuk menampung bayaran balik pinjaman kondominium yang dibeli.
Continue reading ‘SKANDAL NFC: PENGURUSAN NFC MENGUMPUL ASET MEWAH DI SINGAPURA’
From nationmultimedia.com
By Imtiyaz Yusuf
Non-separation between religion and politics in Islam is best understood within the frame of religious unity but political diversity in the Muslim world.
The Koran, while offering religious, socio-economic and political principles, does not provide a single model for it. Colonial rulers tried to implement separation between religion and politics in the colonised Muslim world by placing religion under the jurisdiction of the rajas, kings and sultans, or by establishing ministries of religious affairs and the office of the mufti – an official interpreter of Islamic religious law. But they did not succeed in separating religion and politics in Muslim societies. Hence, today we see the diverse roles Islam plays in the politics of different Muslim countries.
The post-colonial era also saw attempts by different Muslim political leaders and parties to democratise political practice during different authoritarian regimes. The political roles and sacrifices made by Nurcholish Madjid and Gus Dur (Indonesia), Anwar Ibrahim (Malaysia) and Rachid Ghannouchi (Tunisia) in this endeavour are significant examples.
Nurcholish Madjid (d. 2005) was an Indonesian Muslim modernist whose career as a scholar and activist started with his role in HMI – the Islamic Association of University Students in Indonesia. As a young Muslim activist during the authoritarian rules of Sukarno and Suharto, he realised that not much could be gained through Islamising the political system; rather, it would prove to be an obstacle. Hence, he proposed an “Islam yes, Islamic party no” strategy. For Madjid, Islam was not merely a political campaign but also a civilisational mission that is educational and cultural, embodying religious pluralism and democracy. As a leader of the reformasi movement in 1998, Madjid personally asked Suharto to step down, thus ending his 27 years of dictatorship.
Gus Dur or Abdurrahman Wahid (d. 2009) was a democrat and pluralist who offered an alternative model of Islamist political activity. He modernised the traditional Indonesian Muslim organisation, the Nahdatul Ulama (NU), in the areas of education and political theology. He contributed towards the formation of “Civil Islam” in Indonesia. Wahid was elected as the first president of post-Suharto Indonesia. The most important legacy of Gus Dur today is his commitment to reform, modernisation and democracy.
Wahid held the conviction that Indonesia’s stability should be rooted in the principle of unity in diversity and open politics, leading to the success of democracy in a Muslim majority country. He once remarked, “I am for an Indonesian society, not just an Islamic one.” He believed that what mattered was not the question of whether there is scriptural compatibility between Islam and democracy, but whether Muslims have a political intent, ambition and capacity for democracy. He partnered Nurcholish Madjid in opposing the autocratic regime of Suharto. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called Wahid a “father of multiculturalism and pluralism”.
As president, Gus Dur lifted the ban on the public use of the Chinese language, the practice of Chinese cultural tradition, and made the celebration of the Chinese New Year a national holiday, all of which were barred by Suharto. Wahid guaranteed full citizenship to ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. He also defended the religious freedom of Indonesian Christians. As president of Indonesia, Gus Dur received the Ahmaddiyah leader Mirza Tahir Ahmad, as his guest. Wahid defended the rights of the Ahmaddiyah to exist in Indonesia on the constitutional principle of freedom of religion. For Wahid, pluralism is not only an intellectual concept but a matter of practice. Wahid held that the koranic message of insaniyah – humanity – represents Islam’s universalism and respect for human rights and equality.
Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, twice acquitted on sodomy charges, is another steadfast Muslim democrat. He has been imprisoned several times for upholding justice and equality. As an ardent democrat, he calls for religious and ethnic pluralism in Malaysia. He is a naturally evolved Muslim pluralist inspired by Islamic teaching and its humane values.
As a student leader, Anwar founded the Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) – the Muslim Youth Movement – in 1971. As deputy prime minister, he proposed the philosophy of “Asian Renaissance” in 1996 as a means for the “development and flowering of Asian societies based on a certain vision of perfection; societies imbued with truth and the love of learning, justice and compassion; mutual respect and forbearance; and freedom with responsibility. Faith and religious practice is not confined to the individual; it permeates the life of the community.” Based on the teachings of Islam, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, the Asian Renaissance holds that an Asian is essentially a persona religiosus.
Anwar is well read and an eloquent orator, with a creative mind. He is sincere to his faith and loyal to his country. He stands up for human rights and dignity, gender equality, democracy, good governance, acceptance of cultural diversity and sharing of common values. He is a citizen of the world.
Today, Anwar heads the multi-party opposition in Malaysia and calls for the equality of all Malaysians. In the last election, he upset the ruling UMNO’s dominance in the Malaysian parliament, and continues to pose a formidable challenge to it.
Rachid Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahdah Party in Tunisia, is a democrat within Islamism. Imprisoned twice for calling for political pluralism and economic justice during Ben Ali’s authoritarian Tunisia, he lived in exile for 22 years. As a major party in Tunisia today, Ennahdah has formed a national unity government instead of one dominated by itself. The aim is to move Tunisia towards democracy and development.
As an original Muslim thinker, Ghannouchi stands for the guarantee of personal freedoms and holds that gender equality, democracy and pluralism are compatible with Islam. He opposes religious extremism. He once remarked, “Freedom comes before Islam and is the step leading to Islam.” As a rationalist philosopher, Ghannouchi represent the aqalana – rationalist tradition – in Islamic thought, which upholds harmony between human reason and revelation.
Ghannouchi believes that Tunisia should be a religiously tolerant and pluralist society with gender equality. He is banned from entering Saudi Arabia and Iran because of his moderate views.
Contemporary Muslim democrats have lived under repressive regimes and have been imprisoned, but they remained undaunted by opposition to their convictions. The “Arab Spring” and other such events in the Muslim world are broad democratic and non-violent alliances made up of democrats, workers, youth, women and the subaltern who challenge authoritarian regimes. They seek good governance and not the establishment of theocratic governments.
Dr Imtiyaz Yusuf is professor of Islamics and religion at the Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion, Assumption University, Bangkok.
PKR’s Rafizi Ramli today demanded Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil prove she was not involved with the National Feedlot Corporation’s (NFCorp) operations, saying it was a matter of utmost public interest.
The PKR chief strategist charged that the Wanita Umno chief had not once refuted PKR’s allegations with concrete proof, and that her response so far had merely been “jokes” and jibes aimed at her detractors.
Rafizi (picture) was referring to Shahrizat’s latest comments on the issue yesterday, where she said she will send the Wanita Umno wing’s trademark red-and-white baju kurung to her “stalker” in PKR, whom she joked wanted to assume her post.
In an apparent reference to Rafizi, who has led PKR’s attacks on Shahrizat and the NFCorp, the federal minister said the idea had been mooted by Perak Wanita Umno at a recent meeting.
“She has not provided proof that she was not at all involved in the decision making that awarded the contract to become integrator to her family’s company, nor has she proven that she was not at all involved with the operations of NFC,” Rafizi said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider.
The PKR leader said that Shahrizat would be “guilty by association” if she was aware that federal funds meant for the cattle project were used for “other purposes” and did not the matter to the relevant ministry.
“If our scrutiny of her conduct she deems as a personal attack against her or Wanita Umno, clearly she does not understand the weight of accountability that she assumes as a senior minister.
“I will continue to dig for evidence of misappropriation and her complicity in such misappropriation no matter how many baju kurungs she wants to send me, because no prior scandal involving a minister’s complicity in a financial misconduct receives such interest from the public,” added Rafizi.
Shahrizat has been repeatedly linked to NFCorp because of her husband’s role as company chairman, and their children’s directorships in the same entity.
The RM250 million publicly-funded cattle-raising scheme was first coined a “mess” in an article in English daily The Star after it made it into the pages of the Attorney-General’s 2010 Report for badly missing production targets.
The term was later repeated by various media organisations to describe NFCorp after PKR launched a series of exposés to show that the project’s funds had been allegedly abused.
PKR, led by strategic director Rafizi, had claimed that RM27 million was used for land and property purchases as well as expenses unrelated to cattle farming by Shahrizat and her family.
The company’s assets were frozen after investigations were launched by the police and the national anti-graft body following the exposés.
Shahrizat returns to ministerial duties today after taking three weeks’ leave to allow the authorities to complete their probe.
Pakatan Rakyat mendakwa langkah kerajaan untuk menggunakan dana Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) sebanyak RM1.5 juta untuk menampung pinjaman rumah kos rendah sebagai usaha untuk menyembunyikan hutang negara.
Naib Presiden PKR Nurul Izzah Anwar (kanan) dan Setiausaha Publisiti DAP Tony Pua berkata, berbanding langkah yang jarang diambil itu, ia biasanya dibuat melalui hasil cukai atau pengeluaran bon.
“Kami hanya boleh simpulkan kerajaan tidak mahu meminjam langsung dari KWSP, dan lepaskan tanggungjawab itu kepada KWSP untuk memberi pinjaman terus kepada pembeli rumah kos rendah kerana kerajaan tidak mahu terus menerima kritikan menggunung terhadap hutang yang sudah sedia tinggi,” katanya.
Dalam kenyataan bersama hari ini, mereka berkata, hutang negara sudah mencecah RM456 bilion pada penghujung 2011, peningkatan 88.4 berbanding hanya RM242 pada 2006.
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