MAY 21 — Too many facts have been twisted regarding Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in an effort to turn the tides against the people’s coalition.

Unashamedly, I have to say this that I write to put things in perspectives so that many of us can sort through our confusion.

Putrajaya knows well that PR won the bigger majority in the past General Election. This is the first time that the Opposition had ever won in terms of popularity vote after over 57 years the country is ruled by UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN).

To stay in power, UMNO and BN will spare no efforts to discredit its opponents. We have seen all sorts of gimmicks and slanders used against Opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim. Now, it looks like the ‘warfare’ has gone even wider where attack has been launched on other groups of people. These have been the past strategies; they are still being used today. I am sure you can add more to the list!

Here are some twisted facts that need to be straightened.

Form five Bahasa papers

When I was in Form Five, we were told that our Bahasa Malaysia papers were marked by “ultra-Malays in Kelantan.”

For obvious reasons, most of us, despite being proficient in the language did not get a Credit 5 minimum. Those who were not as good, however, managed to score C5. I remember I was a top scorer in Bahasa at school but when the SPM results came, it was a P8.

Even subsequently, after repeating the paper, I only managed to score a P7.

Thankfully, I do not need it anymore, and till today, I believe my command of the language is much better than some Malays when it comes to writing.

How and why we were told that the papers were marked in Kelantan became a mystery until recently when I saw the real PAS.

Memali and PAS

Before the alternative media came online, I always had the impression that PAS equals Taliban.

This impression was further reinforced by the Memali incident, which put PAS in very bad light. It was as though Ibrahim Libya was a militant. It doesn’t matter to me whether he is martyr or not, but I believe the propaganda that has been done till this day has clouded the truth from being told.

I do not remember how that impression was on my mind all this while until recently when the issue was brought up again, and former deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam revealed that Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in fact still in Malaysia when the incident took place. I repeat: Mahathir was in Malaysia as alleged by Musa, but Mahathir said he does not remember it anymore.

Either Tun Musa was lying or Dr Mahathir has lied to the people all these years, at the expense of these people who died in the incident. We are talking about rights of the Malays as over and above the rights of the other communities, but is there any justice in the way lies were told? Even Musa runs into the risk of telling a lie, but between him and Mahathir, I have more respect for Musa. Fullstop!

Fast forward, we have the Selangor Water Woes, the Red Bean Army, the Proselytisation of Muslims and JAIS raid of the Bible Society of Malaysia, and turning Malaysia into a Christian nation!

Selangor water woes

Like it or not, many of us have thought that Selangor had taken over the water assets when Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim signed the memorandum of understanding with Putrajaya.

The first part of the water woes and all the complaints that people were highlighting were levelled against Syabas. Selangor was not in the picture.

But when the MOU was signed with Putrajaya, the responsibility seemed to have `shifted’ to the Selangor State Government in the way it was portrayed in the media, including online media.

I remember reading even a statement from Syabas saying that the decision to call for a two-day water rationing alternately was from the Selangor State Government. Whether true or not, the fact remains that Selangor Government had not officially taken over the concessionaires. Water distribution was still handled by the same people.

In my housing estate, we even had three days without water followed by one day with water thereafter. It was difficult for us to predict whether water would be back in the tap. I am sure you have experienced the same as well. There were also days when the taps were supposed to be dry, but water was still flowing through the taps.

During the water rationing period, I can understand why people were subsequently shifting their anger against the Selangor State Government and against Khalid as the Mentri Besar. This is because we all thought that the Selangor State Government had taken over the management of water after the signing ceremony in Putrajaya.

The truth was revealed just recently that the takeover was not effected immediately. Plus, water shortage is due to the drought season experienced recently. Besides Selangor, other parts of Malaysia were also experiencing water rationing!

Proselytisation and Bible Society Raid

The raid of the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) has been blamed on the Selangor State Government, including by a former chief of BSM.

In the first place, the raid was done because the Selangor Religious Enforcement Department (JAIS) had reasons to believe that the Alkitab was used in proselytisation of Muslims. When the story was shot down, another story cropped up that Selangor will not protect the interests of the minority.

This time, it came from BSM’s ex-chief, Lee Min Choon. For those of us who know him (in my case, I made some investigative enquiries), we can well understand why the fuss, but those who take it on face value may think that the BSM is blaming the entire episode on the State Government for the raid.

Lee claimed that BSM will be shifting out of Selangor and all that anyone could say to him was: “If there is nothing else we can do, we wish you well!”

But my question remains: Why is it that, until today, BSM has not moved out of Selangor? Instead, a new and more respectable man in the person of Rev Dr Ng Moon Hing has taken over as the chief of BSM? Even if it moved into Putrajaya, is there a guarantee that the Alkitab would not be confiscated by the Home Ministry?

If, even eight CDs belonging to one Melanau Christian can be confiscated at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal, how sure that BSM will be “safe” outside of Selangor? That’s why I say, stop playing politics. Get serious, Brother!

On the broader sense, it appears to me that attempts have been made to use JAIS for the raid in order to confuse the people but those of us who understand how things work in Selangor will immediately realise that JAIS does not report to the State Government. Instead, it reports directly to the Selangor Religious Council or MAIS, in short.

After the allegations were made by former BSM chief against Mentri Besar for not taking on the responsibility over the JAIS raid, I read in Malaysiakini another story quoting MAIS stating that JAIS is still investigating the case. Until the investigation is completed, JAIS would keep the Alkitab.

Bingo! I repeat: MAIS said that JAIS is still investigating the case! Going back a couple of months ago, I remember MAIS and the Selangor State Government were ‘arguing’ over who has the control over JAIS. This was in the aftermath of the raid, when Selangor State Exco hauled up both the JAIS director and enforcement chief to explain why they raided a non-Muslim place.

As far as I am concerned, I think the JAIS director is in a quandary over the question of whether to return the Alkitab. On one hand, they have a dotted reporting line to the Selangor Government which pays their salaries, but their direct reporting line is still to MAIS, where ultimately, it is still the Sultan who is the Head of Islam. If you were in his position, whose instruction would you follow? It’s as simple as that!

Bear in mind that MAIS (and not JAIS) is also involved in the controversial seminar held at UiTM which belittled Christianity by circulating two books that, in my opinion, should be banned in the first place in the interest of national security and religious harmony. MAIS has not learnt that, unless Muslims learn to respect others, they too will be looked at with disdain, not only by the non-Muslims in this country but also by the international community.

It is no wonder that even international Muslim scholars have expressed their disbelief that in Malaysia, the word Allah is exclusive to Muslims, when the rest of the Muslim world acknowledge that the name Allah was used by Christians and pagans in Arab even before Prophet Mohamad.

The bottomline in the entire episode of BSM raid is still the law. The only person who has the power to decide if there is truly a case against the BSM is still the Attorney-General. He is the only one who decides if there is a case or not against the BSM. There is nothing wrong for the BSM or even a member of the State Exco to write to the AG to urge him to do what is right. After all, the Alkitab were imported as a result of the 10-point agreement, which is as good as rescinded.

Knowing that the AG holds the key, I do not see what is so difficult therefore for the former BSM chief to write the letter to the AG’s office. So, what is the intention when a big fuss was kicked up, and all fingers pointed at the State when we know who the real culprits are, is as good a guess as can be?

Red bean army?

Utusan Malaysia has the honour of being the creator of the Red Bean Army.

From time to time, we hear about it, but until today, neither Utusan Malaysia nor Putrajaya has exposed the millions of ringgit that DAP pays out to the Red Bean Army.

Though I may be writing this letter on pro bono basis, just because I speak out against a corrupted regime, I, too, can be labelled as a member of the “elite and well-paid” RBA.

Tell me, is DAP that rich that they can afford to fork out millions of Ringgit every year to pay people like me? Jokingly, I told DAP’s Teresa Kok: “You have to win your case against Putrajaya over your ISA detention because DAP needs the money to pay the RBA.” I will be a rich man, if there is such a thing as RBA.

I can assure you that, even if the DAP pays us, their funds would have gone busted by now! If you tell me that UMNO has the money to pay, I may believe it, but not DAP. So, please keep your lies to yourself!

On the contrary, I think the truth is happening with more articles now appearing in online media that speak against Pakatan Government. Their attempts to discredit the Pakatan Government, too, is obvious in some cases, but I have to refer to this one “biggest joke of the year” that cropped up a few years ago.

Christian nation

A couple of years ago, there was the uproar saying that the Christians were collaborating with DAP leaders to turn Malaysia into a Christian nation!

As a Christian, I have always wondered how this can ever be true, because by virtue of the doctrine of “Separation of the Church and State”, Christians DO NOT have any reason to establish a Christian nation.

This doctrine has been around for many centuries since Reformation. I believe it was also taught by Martin Luther, who saw the need to separate the Church from state affairs. After all, even Jesus Christ, when he was alive said: “My kingdom is not of this world.”

The ambition to make Malaysia a Christian nation is zilch, alright? Both the theological doctrine and the Bible forbid such a notion.

How then can anyone believe that Christians were trying to secretly turn Malaysian into a Christian nation, by collaborating with the DAP in Penang? Come on, you must be joking!

In fact, there is no such thing as a Christian nation. America, although was founded on Christian principles, is as heathen as it can be today. Ask any Christians in America or Australia, and they will tell you that theirs has never been a Christian nation.

The maverick, Ridzuan Tee Abdullah urged Muslims to sneak into churches to listen to what is being said. As far as I know, for the past 30 years that I have been attending churches, such a concept of a Christian nation has never even been preached. People who sneak in for 20 minutes, listen to something totally out of context, and starting making allegations outside the church are the ones that are creating mischief.

Most of us can say we have not forgotten how two journalists went into a Catholic church and after taking the sacraments, spitted it out on the floor. This is most unhealthy in a multi-racial and multi-religious country, because today, you do on us, tomorrow, someone else can do it on you too. The middle path is therefore to respect each other, while telling others how good our religion is instead of running down on other people’s faith or religious practices! This, of course, comes with maturity in the faith.

Many other issues

Now, don’t tell me that KIDEX is also the doing of the Selangor State Government. It is good that Rajiv Rishyakaran, a Selangor State Assemblyman, had exposed that the meeting organised by KIDEX was never a Town Hall meeting.

I wonder what the intentions are in mind when the emcee announced it, or did she not?

Even Ramkarpal who is contesting the Bukit Gelugor seat after his late father died in a tragic accident is not spared of being called a ‘gay’ just because he is still a bachelor boy!

And Dyana Sofya’s mother is asked to leave UMNO while Dyana is labelled a ‘traitor’. Such is the kind of politics that we see, despite our nation being independent for the past 57 years.

Since BN lost its turfs in 2008, there are definitely attempts to create confusion; therefore, voters must have a fixed mind to vote for CHANGE!

BN has been around for far too long, and what we have is a nation that is going down the drain. So, instead of telling me that there is a Red Bean Army, they should also create a Green Bean Army to counter the Red Bean Army. Perhaps, I can then join the Green Bean Army instead of doing things on pro bono basis.

*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.