BOKO HARAM

BOKO HARAM

1. Di Nigeria hari ini terdapat kononnya gerakan Islam yang bernama “Boko Haram”. Saya tidak pasti makna “Boko” tetapi bunyinya semacam dengan “Buku” dalam Bahasa Melayu. Mungkin yang dimaksudkan dengan “Boko” ialah Kitab Injil.

2. Walau apa pun maknanya yang jelas ialah kumpulan “Boko Haram” ini sedang membunuh orang Kristian dan menyerang gereja mereka. Tetapi mereka juga membunuh ramai orang Islam, bahkan lebih ramai orang Islam yang dibunuh dari orang bukan Islam.

3. Inilah yang sering berlaku apabila sekumpulan orang Islam anggap hanya mereka sahaja yang betul-betul Islam dan orang Islam lain tidak Islam dan boleh dibunuh.

4. Kita orang Melayu di Malaysia semuanya terdiri dari Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah dan berimam dengan Imam Shafie. Sepatutnya kita tidak menghadapi apa-apa masalah fahaman Islam yang berbeza-beza. Malangnya Islam diperalatkan oleh segolongan politikus sehingga berlaku tuduhan bahawa orang yang tidak bersama dengan parti mereka tidak Islam dan murtad. Walaupun mereka tidak ganas seperti “Boko Haram” tetapi permusuhan oleh orang yang anggap mereka sahaja yang Islam dengan orang yang tidak bersama dengan mereka yang didakwa tidak Islam berjaya memecah-belah dan melemahkan orang Islam di negara ini. Apabila lemah maka mudahlah orang Islam diperkosa oleh orang lain.

5. Kita sering dengar tokoh-tokoh agama mendakwa bahawa orang Islam itu adalah bersaudara. Tetapi ayat Al Quran ini hanya dibibir mulut sahaja. Amalannya berlainan.

6. Kata pihak yang memurtadkan seteru politik mereka, mereka memurtadkan seteru politik kerana tidak melaksanakan syariat Islam. Benarkah? Apa yang dilakukan oleh kita dilakukan juga oleh negara-negara lain yang diiktiraf sebagai negara Islam dengan penduduk yang diterima sebagai penganut agama Islam. Jika kita murtad maka kebanyakkan orang Islam didunia ini tentulah murtad juga. Kenapakah yang mendakwa tiga juta orang UMNO murtad tidak pula mendakwa umat Islam di negara-negara yang kononnya tidak laksana syariat Islam adalah murtad? Sebabnya ialah kerana tidak menguntungkan politik mereka.

7. Apakah yang dimaksudkan dengan syariat Islam? Ada yang berpendapat bahawa oleh kerana penyanyi dibenarkan menyanyi di Malaysia maka ini bermakna Kerajaan Malaysia tidak mengamalkan syariat Islam. Kalau ini bermakna tidak mengikut syariat Islam maka hampir semua negara Islam tidak mengikut syariat Islam.

8. Kita harus ingat di Malaysia bukan sahaja ada orang Islam tetapi 40% dari penduduk Malaysia terdiri dari bukan Islam. Sesuatu yang tidak disukai oleh Allat SWT yang disebut dalam Al Quran ialah mereka yang mencetus huru-hara. Dalam melaksanakan syariat Islam di Malaysia cara yang sesuai ialah dengan tidak mencetuskan huru-hara. Kelonggaran yang diberi dalam perlaksanaan syariat Islam membolehkan kita bertindak dengan mengambilkira keadaan dalam melaksanakan hukum-hukum Islam. Yang suka menjadikan Islam agama yang keras dan tidak bertimbangrasa serta tidak berperikemanusian ialah pentafsir yang berkepentingan. Demikian ada orang Islam yang menganggap orang tidak berjanggut tidak Islam dan perlu disembelih. Demikian juga gerakan Boko Haram yang membuat syarat-syarat tersendiri untuk diterima sebagai orang Islam dan membunuh orang yang tidak patuh pada syariat ciptaan mereka.

9. Pelaksanaan syariat Islam di Malaysia mungkin berlainan dari penguatkuasaan syariat Islam di negara yang penduduknya semuanya Islam. Kita tidak ambil kisah dengan amalan dan budaya orang bukan Islam. Kita tahu apabila percubaan dibuat untuk memaksa bukan Islam amal nilai hidup Islam seperti tidak membenar lelaki potong rambut wanita dan sebaliknya, akhirnya ia hanya memalukan orang Islam dan Islam apabila terpaksa dibatalkan. Demikian juga dengan tuduhan khalwat yang dilakukan oleh orang bukan Islam.

10. Sebaliknya apabila syariat Islam dibuat dengan menyediakan bank Islam yang bebas dari riba, Universiti Islam, Pengurusan Tabung Haji bagi menentukan amalan ini lebih sempurna, perkembangan ajaran Islam dengan mengadakan sekolah-sekolah agama, pengurusan zakat yang lebih tertib dan berbagai lagi, tidak ada huru-hara yang berlaku. Demikian dengan penguatkuasaan undang-undang Islam di kalangan orang Islam dan penentuan undang-undang yang terpaksa dikenakan kepada penganut-penganut agama yang berlainan yang tidak bertentangan dengan ajaran Islam.

11. Menggalakan gerakan seperti Boko Haram atau memurtadkan orang Islam tanpa usul periksa bukan cara kita, bahkan bukan cara Islam pun.

12. Janganlah sesiapa cuba menghalalkan perbuatan salah mereka dengan menyalahguna undang-undang Islam. Mereka yang berbuat demikian perlu bertaubat. Sudah tentu mereka wajib tarik balik dakwaan kononnya ahli UMNO murtad. Ingatlah bagaimana dahulu PAS mendakwa UMNO kafir kerana bekerjasama dengan orang bukan Islam. Seperti yang dijanji dalam Al Quran tuduhan ini kembali kepada yang menuduh kerana mereka sekarang bekerjasama dan berpeluk-peluk dengan orang kafir, bahkan sanggup mati mempertahankan pemimpin orang kafir…….perbuatan mereka mengikut mereka sendiri menjadikan mereka kafir.

13. Janganlah hendaknya dakwaan oleh mereka bahawa orang UMNO murtad akan kembali kepada mereka. Orang Islam tidak perlu berlaku ganas kerana agama Islam tidak menyuruh kita melaku ganas atau ketidakadilan kepada sesiapa.

Agama Islam adalah agama keamanan, agama yang mengajar kita supaya melaku adil dan tidak mencetuskan huru-hara.

PALESTINE

1. I am happy that Palestine is now half-recognised by the United Nations.

2. Why there cannot be full recognition is evidence that we live in a world where there is no justice, where the rule of law prevails not, where might is right.

3. There was no state of Israel where it is now. There was only the state of Palestine then.

4. Now there is a state of Israel but no state of Palestine.

5. Why? Because Israel, this artificial creation of the West, together with its satellite, the United States of America, is against acknowledging the existence of the state of Palestine.

6. There is only a Palestinian Authority, a meaningless entity found nowhere else in the world.

7. And this entity is not allowed to collect all the taxes due to it. “Generously” Israel and the United States undertake to collect the taxes for the Palestinian Authority.

8. The taxes obviously belong to the Palestinians. Now, to punish the Palestinians for seeking to be half-recognised by the United Nations, Israel and the United States threaten not to hand over the taxes they had collected to the rightful owner.

9. Arm-twisting like this is totally unacceptable especially by the so-called democratic countries. But this open manifestation of hypocrisy is only to be expected. In all the dealings regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, there has never been any instance when justice and fair play have been shown. Always it is about the strong taking what they will and the weak giving in what they must.

10. This is the world in which we live today.

THE LOOK EAST POLICY

1. I was in Tokyo recently to participate in the celebration of the 30th year of the Look East Policy. Some 15,000 young Malaysians were educated or trained in Japan during those years. Strangely I have not heard anyone of them complain about the policy or their participation. They all seem to be happy with their experience under the Look East Policy.

2. There must be at least a few who may not be happy. But I have not met them.

3. They all seem to be employed and a few have started their own businesses in Malaysia or in Japan. Some are married to Japanese girls.

4. I would like to claim that the Look East Policy was good for Malaysia. Those trained under the programme seem to have imbibed some Japanese characters and values. Actually the Look East Policy was not so much about getting Japanese investments or technologies as it was about learning Japanese work ethics and the discipline of the work place. I believe strongly that the success or otherwise of a person, a race or a nation is dependent on their values, their work ethics and their discipline when doing whatever they have to do.

5. In 1961 when I went to Japan for the first time I observed their diligence and dedication in the work of rebuilding their nation. It was already 16 years after the near-total destruction of their country but there was hardly any trace of it. Everywhere I saw people busily constructing new buildings, everywhere I saw cement-mixer trucks being driven to worksites and back to the mixing plants.

6. I did not see any foreign cars but their cars did not look so good. What struck me most was their behaviour when there was a collision. The drivers came out, bowed to each other and then drove off. What happened after that I do not know.

7. Hotel workers did not accept tips but their service cannot be faulted. Japanese hotel staff, including managers, line up to welcome me upon arrival and to wave goodbye when I leave even after I cease to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

8. I was familiar with Japanese products before the Pacific War. They were shoddy and breakdown easily. When a Japanese exhibition ship came to Singapore during my student days, there were crude jokes about scratching the paint off their cars and finding the “Milo” label underneath.

9. By the time I went to Japan, the quality of their cameras and motorcycles could not be questioned. They were superb. So were their watches. Japanese brands had become the mark of quality.

10. Since 1961, I had visited Japan very many times and I was amazed at their progress and the speed with which they demolished their old reputation for low quality. And I wished we in Malaysia could be like them.

11. Everyone knows about “hara-kiri” or “seppuku” the Japanese practice of ritual suicide when they failed in whatever they were tasked to do. When Japan lost the war thousands of Japanese soldiers committed suicide.

12. I thought at first that this Japanese practice was quite inhuman and uncivilised. Then I realised that the Japanese have a strong sense of shame. When they fail they consider it so shameful that life was not worth living.

13. They do not commit hara-kiri now but some of their Ministers would resign if something wrong happened in their ministry. They would accordingly try not to fail in their work.

14. I noticed the quality and fineness of the handmade bamboo products. I believe that this is the result of their trying to avoid feeling ashamed of shoddy work.

15. I think that is why the Japanese produce such high quality products we are familiar with today. Their cars are of the best quality. Really they are as good as the top German cars. In fact in many ways they are better. And I believe this derives from their desire not to be ashamed of their work.

16. Japan is far more secure than most other countries in the East or the West. We don’t read reports of people being coshed in the parks or dark streets. Certainly burglary is not as common as it is in Malaysia.

17. Cleanliness is almost a fetish in Japan. Young school children would not throw rubbish on the road. They would carry whatever they wanted to get rid off until they find a rubbish bin. Japanese employees with ties on can be seen watering and sweeping the pavements in front of their shops. No Malaysian would do this, certainly not with their ties on.

18. Japanese factory workers often arrive early at the work place to discuss with fellow-workers their target for the day. They regard the next shift as their customers who must be served well. They would clean up their work-bench before going off, so that the next shift can start work immediately. They are constantly trying to improve their products. They call this “kaizen”.

19. They have workers unions but they seldom go on strike. Certainly we do not hear of a general strike which really is a political act. They remain loyal to their company for life.

20. In return the company looks after the workers. Until lately they do not sack their workers, preferring to reassign them if the company did not do well or the workers have become unproductive.

21. In recent years they have abandoned this practice. The sacked workers feel so ashamed that they refuse to go home to their families. During the recession the unemployed workers would erect huts of blue plastic in open spaces or wide road dividers and live in them. They would go around collecting tin-cans to shape them into toys to sell for a living. This is something that you do not see anywhere else. The unemployed always expect to be on dole provided by Governments. I have not seen destitute tramps in rags in Japan as I have seen in many Western countries.

22. The Japanese really work hard. This one single character contributes the most to the success of individuals, society or nation. They are not laid back. Akio Morita, the founder of Sony Corporation, tells in his book about how the Japanese worker was willing to be paid with a ball of rice with soya sauce in the early years after the war. That willingness must have contributed much to the recovery of Japan and high pay that Japanese workers enjoy now.

23. Working hard may not mean working smart, but certainly it is much more productive than not working or being laid back.

24. Watching the Japanese and their progress over the years convinced me that adopting their work ethics and the discipline of their work place would do the same for Malaysians and Malaysia.

25. And so hardly a year after becoming Prime Minister, with the authority vested in me I proposed the Look East Policy. Many in my cabinet the administration and the public questioned the wisdom of this policy. Many said why copy the copier; why not go to the source of modern industrial civilisation. But enough accepted the novel policy and so the Look East Policy was adopted and implemented.

26. I believe it is a success. At the Tokyo forum organised by Nomura Securities, Nikkei and Khazanah, the talk was about the future strategies and form that the Look East Policy would take. But whatever, the one single most important aspect of the Look East Policy is the development of a value system, a work culture and ethics that is compatible with success. And among them should be the cultivation of a strong sense of shame when delivering results which do not give pride to the person, the people or the country. This feeling of shame will make us work hard to deliver the best in everything that we do. That is the essence of the Look East Policy. May it continue for the next 30 years at least.

LETTER TO ALFRED WILLNER

Dear Alfred (Alfred.willner@euromotors.ltd.gi)

1. Thank you for your comments on my speech given at a forum held in Kuala Lumpur on 19th November 2012 themed “9/11 Seeking the Truth.” Apart from myself three others spoke, each with his own reasons for doubting that the attack against the twin World Trade Towers of New York was the work of Arab terrorists. Their talk was illustrated with video clips of the attack and the subsequent collapse of not just the two towers but of a third tower next to them which was not hit by any aircraft or by the collapsing towers.

2. One pointed out that upon being informed that the towers were hit by airplanes, Bush did nothing for almost 10 minutes. Rumsfeld who was in the Pentagon building was told that a commercial aircraft was headed for the Pentagon after the twin towers were hit. No commercial aircrafts or other aircrafts were supposed to fly towards the Pentagon. It was 50 miles from the building when Rumsfeld was told. But he did nothing. No fighter aircrafts were scrambled to stop the oncoming aircrafts. And the aircraft was said to crash into the Pentagon.

3. Another speaker illustrated his talk with video clips showing how the towers collapsed straight down as characteristic of planned demolition. There were shots of the fire brigade personnel describing the collapse and gesturing with their hands that the building came down with loud boom, boom, boom, boom, boom ….. at each stage. Other witnesses described the collapse in the same way.

4. An association of architects and engineers declared that the collapse was typical of a planned demolition. They pointed out that buildings do not collapse due to fire. The steel frames would not come down with the building unless they were destroyed by explosives, as happens with demolitions.

5. The video also showed melted steel pouring down the sides as the buildings came down. This can only happen if a certain chemical which burn with very high temperatures, higher than the melting point of steel, ignites during the fire. Traces of this chemical was found at the site later on.

6. But the most telling feature is the similar straight-down collapse of a third building next to the twin towers. This building was not hit by any aircraft or by the two towers crashing against it as they collapse.

7. The collapse of this building also showed the features of a demolition. No other buildings close by were damaged in any way.

8. Normally when a plane, especially a commercial plane crashes, the black box would be among the debris. No black boxes were found. Presumably they were melted by the intense heat.

9. Yet a passport was found in the debris, revealing the name of the “terrorist.” Isn’t it strange that intense heat which could melt steel could not burn the paper of the passport. There was no report of other passports being found.

10. All these things pointed out by the speakers indicate a very sophisticated operation.

11. A few years back a group of Americans came to Malaysia bringing with them videos of the 9/11 attacks against the twin towers, the Pentagon and the crash of the fourth plane in Pennsylvania. One of them was the janitor who was declared a hero by the US Government for saving the lives of 200 people in the lower floors.

12. He told the Government enquiry commission preparing a report on the 9/11 crash about the explosions as the building came down. His evidence, he said was not included in the report.

13. A society of engineers made public their doubts that the collapse of the towers was due to the plane crash and fire. They believed that it was due to demolition.

14. If you are interested enough you can access a whole lot of websites on “9/11 truth” and you will find that I am not the only one to question the veracity of the official version of 9/11.

15. Please keep an open mind when you read these websites. Please also remember that the truth is important because this incident resulted in Afghanistan and Iraq being invaded, hundreds of thousands being killed, the Muslims being demonised and discriminated against. Surely if the Muslim terrorists are not responsible, the Muslims do not deserve to be condemned, humiliated and killed.

GAZA AND ISRAEL

This article appeared in the New Straits Times, Wednesday Nov 21, 2012

1. Israel assassinated a Hamas leader, bombed Gaza and is preparing to invade that strip of free Palestine because rockets had been launched from Gaza to hit Tel Aviv.

2. Israel invariably claims that it is retaliating against Palestinian attacks. But Israel does not mention that it had attacked Gaza in the past and when its troops withdrew, it blockaded all supplies of food, medicine and construction materials to Gaza.

3. Malaysia cannot forget that its ship, the Rachel Corrie, carrying medicine and food for the beleaguered and starving people of Gaza were stopped in international waters and forced to go to Ashdod in Israel.

4. Nor can we forget the attack against the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship also carrying relief aid to Gaza in which nine aid workers were shot dead by Israeli soldiers.

5. Another Malaysia ship carrying plastic pipes for repairing the sewage system in Gaza was also forced by the Israeli Navy to turn around and go to Egypt.

6. Israel’s military action against Gaza had destroyed hospitals, schools, dwelling houses and the water-carriage system. The people could not rebuild their houses and buildings because Israel illegally blockaded the sea off Gaza. That blockade include attacks against relief ships in international waters – again in total disregard for international laws.

7. Israel did not want the Gaza people to rebuild their homes, forcing them to camp outside or seek refuge in their destroyed houses. Israel knows well how cold it can be in Gaza in winter. Israel does not allow food or medical supplies to be supplied to the suffering people of Gaza.

8. It is now almost a decade since the Israel invasion and destruction of Gaza. Every now and again Israel would fire rockets at Gaza. The strip has become a huge detention camp for the Gazans. No food, no medicine, no clean water, no shelter and no schools. Israel is really operating an Auschwitz type of concentration camps as operated by the Nazis for Jews in the last war. Israel tells the world that the Nazis were inhuman. But the Palestinians, the Gazans did not put Jews in concentration camps. Still they are being made to apparently pay for the sins of the Europeans. Humane treatment is only for Jews. If Jews treat the Arabs with the same kind of brutality, it is alright.

9. Can anyone be surprised the Gazans fire rockets at their Israeli tormentors.

10. Then one should remember that Israel is created by the Americans and Europeans as a Jewish homeland by seizing Palestinian land. Upon being given Palestinian land for a Jewish state, the Israelis massacred Palestinians at Deir Yassin and other locations forcing the Palestinians to flee their homes and country. For nearly 60 years now they have lived as refugees in sub-human condition in other countries.

11. In the meantime Israel has carried a systematic but illegal development of Jewish settlements in Palestinian land. Roads are built on Palestinian lands which are exclusively for Jews. High walls are built to divide Palestine villages. Israeli forces carried out assassinations of Palestinian leaders outside of Israel.

12. The Arab countries in the Middle East are exposed to attacks at anytime. There was, there is and there will never be any security for them. And their insecurity is because Israel believes in ensuring its security by pre-emptive attacks against it neighbours, by depriving others their security.

13. For all these and more, is it any wonder that the Palestinians and the Gazans should fire rockets at Israel. The Palestinians know the Israeli will retaliate with far more devastating attacks.

14. Keeping quiet is not a choice for the Palestinians, as the Israelis will continue their expansion, their settlements and their attacks.

15. The world will not do anything to help the Palestinians. For Israel now control the most powerful nation in the world. Any action against Israel would attract positive support by the United States of America. Obama has just won his second term as President of the U.S. Israel wants to attack Iran. So far the U.S. has not agreed. The invasion of Gaza is a test for Obama. Let us see what the Israeli satellite will do?

9/11 REVISITED – SEEKING THE TRUTH

“9/11 REVISITED – SEEKING THE TRUTH”


Speech by 
Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad 
at the International Conference
 on 9/11 Revisited at Dewan Tun Dr Ismail, PWTC, Kuala Lumpur 
on Monday, 19 November 2012

1. The Perdana Global Peace Foundation is doing the unthinkable. It is going to seek the truth about the destruction of the twin World Trade Centre buildings in New York on 9/11 i.e. on 11th September 2001.

2. The immediate reaction to this unprecedented aerial attack in America was that it was the work of Muslim terrorists. The Al-Qaeda is especially identified as the organisation behind this act. As a result President Bush wanted to go on a crusade against Muslims. He later withdrew that statement. But in fact his subsequent acts against Muslims reflected this mindset. He attacked two Muslim countries, Afghanistan and Iraq, killing their people and destroying these two countries, destabilising them and arresting their progress, even after knowing that the hijackers were not Afghans or Iraqis.

3. The whole Muslim world became suspect. The Muslims are distrusted, subjected to humiliating discrimination and detained without trial and tortured at will for years in camps situated outside the jurisdiction of US laws – in Guantanamo, Cuba for example and in Iraq. Others were flown to countries where torture was practiced so they could be tortured and not break us laws. Then the US actually passed a law legalising torture, a retrogressive act most unworthy of its claims as leader of modern civilisation.

4. But the US & Europe are even now paranoid that another similar attack might take place. Security measures and laws have been tightened. All of them were clearly directed against Muslims. Muslim airline passengers have been subjected to humiliating searches. Shoes have to be taken off for examination, toothpaste and hair creams and liquid cosmetics confiscated. Machines are developed to scan the whole body and at the slightest suspicion passengers were hauled off for questioning and detention.

5. The fact that Muslims have been more busy killing each other rather than Americans or Europeans has not changed the attitudes of the Europeans. Perhaps it is because they feel guilty and expect revenge for the injustices perpetrated by them that they fear Muslims, any Muslim. And more than a decade since 9/11, they are still obsessed with their own security, to the detriment of the security of other people.

6. The official explanation for the destruction of the twin towers is still about an attack by suicidal Muslim extremists. But even among Americans this explanation is beginning to wear thin and to be questioned. In fact, certain American groups have thoroughly analysed various aspects of the attack and destruction of the twin towers, the pentagon building and the reported crash in Pennsylvania. And their investigations reveal many aspects of the attack which cannot be explained by attributing them to attacks by terrorists, Muslim or non-Muslim.

7. Some of these Americans and many other prominent people have been invited by the Perdana Global Peace Foundation to give their views on 9/11. These people have no axe to grind. They are only interested in seeking the truth. The truth is important because 9/11 has triggered attacks on muslim countries and people in which hundreds of thousands have been killed and their countries devastated by the ‘shock and awe’ wars.

8. I have thought a lot about 9/11. I have seen pictures and video clips of the attacks. I have heard the narrators give their opinions regarding the attacks. But to this i would like to add my own opinion based on my observation of the Arabs at peace and at war.

9. The Arabs may have been great warriors in the past but after they fell under western rule they seem to have lost their prowess in wars. In their wars against Israel they were so inept that they have never won a single battle, even when their forces far outnumbered the Israelis. In the years immediately after the formation of the State of Israel, the combined armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria were defeated by smaller Israeli forces. The Arabs never seem to be able to plan or strategise and certainly their execution of battle plans are just plain bad.

10. They are not a disciplined people and this lack of discipline shows everywhere. And they cannot keep anything secret. Someone would leak whatever plan they may have worked out. For money there are Arabs who are prepared to reveal the hiding places of their leaders.

11. The attacks on 9/11 involved very complex elements which needed detailed planning, precise timings and disciplined execution.

12. There has never been (and will never be) a hijacking of four large aircrafts simultaneously. Yet this was what was supposed to have happened. At apparently the same time the hijackers took command of four aircrafts while flying in different airspace in different directions.

13. We cannot know whether the hijackers carried arms but there has been no report of guns in the debris of all the four aircrafts. How they could overwhelm the whole crew and take control of four aircrafts at about the same time is a mystery.

14. Then the hijackers were supposed to make the aircrafts change course and fly to the four places. Pilots who realised they were going to die anyhow would have tried to steer away from the towers when it was obvious they were going to crash into them. It would not need much change of direction to miss the towers. But the planes hit the towers squarely, bursting into flames apparently due to the fuel they carried.

15. Maybe the hijackers were actually flying the aircrafts. But we are told they had only trained with small aircrafts. How did they know how to navigate the huge aircrafts so perfectly after changing course. And time was the essence. If the second plane was delayed, the ground control would have detected that there was something wrong with the second, third and fourth planes.

16. I can imagine trained operatives like those in the CIA or Mossad planning and executing this complex operation but i cannot imagine an Arab like Osama bin Laden planning and directing this sophisticated aerial attack from some remote place in Afghanistan. They would need an airport control tower with sophisticated instruments to do this. And they would need to be near enough to observe the flights and give instructions.

17. The planning alone would have been extremely complex. Lots of data would have to be collected a long time earlier. The pilots had to be trained for very many years before they could fly and navigate the commercial aircrafts.

18. The hijackers needed to take over the four aircrafts at about the same time while in flight. The aircrafts to be hijacked must be well selected so as not to be too far from the targets. The aircrafts had to be diverted at the right time for each to reach their targets at about the same time.

19. All these would require a lot of detailed planning from deciding which planes should be hijacked, to the number of hijackers for each plane, to the different roles of the hijackers to control the passengers and seize control of the aircrafts from the pilots, to the change in the flight plan, to the routes to be taken, to forcing the pilots to take the new routes or for the hijackers to take over the piloting of the planes etc etc.

20. Hijacking one aircraft is difficult enough. But hijacking four aircrafts and flying them so as to hit the targets at about the same time is an impossible task for amateurs. Even professionals would find it difficult to do. Yet four aircrafts crashed at about the same time.

21. I apologise to the Arabs but planning and executing of these complex operations are not something that they can do well. They are brave and they are willing to die for their beliefs. But they are not like the American Seals who planned and carried out the assassination of Osama bin Laden. Their planning included the disposal of the body of their victim. And they were “brilliant”. This is something that they were trained for years to do.

22. If the Arabs were to undertake such training it would soon become known to the CIA or Mossad and they would ensure that the whole operation be aborted.

23. But the fact remains that four planes were hijacked and they all crashed on their targets. If the hijackers could not be Arabs, then who were the “brilliant” hijackers. Clearly there is a need to know, for the event changed the world, making it insecure for everyone, and launching a clash of civilizations as predicted by Huntington.

24. I may be wrong of course but this forum will hopefully reveal the truth behind the events of 9/11. The Pearl Harbour attacks forced the us to join the second world war. I don’t think the Arabs planned to force the us to go to war against the Muslim world. But 9/11 did just what Pearl Harbour did, launch a horrific war which killed hundreds of thousands of Muslims, devastated Iraq and Afghanistan, and made Muslims the universal enemies of the whole world. Someone obviously gained from this.

25. Find the beneficiaries and I believe you will find the real terrorists.

26. This conference is about finding the truth regarding the world-shaking events of 9/11. Attempts will be made to blackout reports on the talks and discussions here. They will be made by the very protagonists of free speech and the free press. But the alternative media will frustrate them and shed light on the events.

27. The majority will probably conclude that the revelations by the speakers are preposterous. But a substantial number will believe or at least rethink their views of the events.

28. As I said earlier 9/11 had resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and afghans, as well as a few thousand us and British soldiers. It has devastated two Muslim countries and destabilised them with fratricidal wars which promise to last a very long time. It has divided the world into Muslim and non-Muslim, and sowed the seeds of suspicion and hatred between them. It has undermined the security of nations everywhere, forcing them to spend trillions of dollars on security measures. Yet the threat remains, not so much from alleged terrorists as from the powerful states and their crusade to change the world.

29. Truly 9/11 is the worst man-made disaster for the world since the end of the last world war.

30. For that reason alone, it is important that we seek the truth, because when truth is revealed than we can really prepare to protect and secure ourselves.

A LAWLESS WORLD

This article originally appeared in the New Sunday Times, Nov 11, 2012

1.​I don’t know whether it has been reported in Malaysian papers but the Israelis bombed an arms factory in Khartoum two weeks ago. This outrageous act is an example of Israeli disregard for international laws.

2.​There is no war declared between Sudan and Israel. But that does not prevent Israel from bombing Sudan. As with the bombings of the Egyptian Airbase, Iraqi nuclear facilities, again without war being declared Israel feels entitled to bomb other countries in the pursuit of its own security. That the very real possibility of being bombed by Israel creates insecurity for other countries did not matter. Only Israeli security counts.

3.​Israel alleges that arms were being supplied to the Palestinian, probably from Sudan. Whether that is true or not the fact remains that Israel itself is being supplied with all kinds of sophisticated weapons by the United States and Europe to be used as Israel thinks fit. Israel’s receipt of arms from foreign countries for its already powerful military forces is legitimate but the Palestinians may not receive arms to defend themselves so that the balance of terror must always be with Israel.

4.​It even has nuclear weapons. Israeli military power obviously creates insecurity and terrifies the Arab countries. This is especially so as Israel has no compunction regarding bombing its neighbours at any time.

5.​To ensure Israeli security, the powers that be allows Israel to break all international laws and norms of behaviour. Israeli navy illegally blockades Gaza, attacking relief ships in international waters and killing relief workers. An Israeli tractor deliberately ran over an American girl because she tried to stop the destruction of a Palestinian house. Israeli forces regularly fire rockets at Palestinians, Israel builds settlements on Palestinian land and erect high walls through Palestinian villages so as to cut off communications between Palestinian families.

6.​Never in the history of nations has there been such a country as Israel. It disregards laws and its courts uphold criminal acts by its soldiers. It indulges in aggression and pre-emptive strikes without justification.

7.​The world has to put up with Israeli lawlessness because it controls the most powerful nation in the world. Every candidate for Presidency or Congress must first declare support for Israel or lose their election.

8.​It is as if criminals control and direct the police. There can be no security for people when the police take orders and sides with the criminals.

9.​Modern civilisation is a mockery when a state such as Israel can do just what it likes against other countries. But then its minions do the same. They think nothing of assassinating people residing in other countries. They disposed off the bodies of their victims any way they like.

10.​While mouthing pious words about freedom and the rule of law they apply sanctions against countries without approval of the United Nations. They believe they are justified in killing 500,000 children through sanctions in the pursuit of their Israel-inspired international policy.

11.​When they apply sanctions against a country they force other countries to do the same. Failure to do so would be followed by threats to destroy the country’s economy and finances.

12. About any scientific discovery would be applied towards developing ever more fiendish weapons. The latest is based on the advances in remote controls. UAV or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are used for assassination of individuals, bombing villages and spying.

13.​Their marines are dropped into foreign countries to carry out attacks and assassinations. Leaders of unfriendly countries would be killed through contrived accidents.

14. We are really living in a lawless world, a primitive world. It is almost as if barbarians are again at the door. Only this time the barbarians are more powerful because they are well educated.

15. Despite all the praise for modern civilisation and the accompanying humanitarianism and human rights, we are not free to do what we like. We can only do what is advocated by the powerful. If they don’t invade us they would still finance more or less openly to put their candidates in power. They make no effort to hide the desire to achieve regime change so as to have only submissive leaders in place.

16. The law of the jungle govern us now – the law by which the strong will take what they will and the weak will surrender what they must.

17. At the centre of this collapse of human civilisation is Israel, the Frankenstein monster state created by the West which they must now obey unquestioningly.

18. Unfortunately there is no way for us to return to civilisation, to feel secure, to be free of political and economic oppression. This is because there is no one willing or capable of challenging the bully, the most powerful but least humane nation in the world.

PUTRAJAYA

1. I believe people must have noticed a certain architecture associated with Putrajaya. The brown colour of the buildings set it apart from other major development in the country. The design of the buildings also differ from those usually found in this country.

2. Then there are the mosques which reflect Islamic features while not being reproductions of those in other Muslim Countries. The five-domed Court building is perhaps the most impressive (some people think it is a mosque). Each Ministry building has its own design with each having some distinct shape so that they are different from the others.

3. The mosques too are unique with one being more traditional and the other ultra modern. Yet they blend with the architecture of Putrajaya.

4. Unfortunately a new building has been added which is made up of glass, with no architectural features. It is not very imaginative as it looks like match boxes stacked on each other. It would be fantastic for New York but it is not Putrajaya. It is not very Malaysian or Islamic. It is in fact entirely out of place.

5. Of course this is only my opinion. Others will think otherwise.

6. I was in London recently. There you may do anything you like inside the house but the facade must remain as it was when it was built. You immediately know you are in London when you are in London.

7. It is the same with Paris. The roofs of the buildings in Paris are unique to Paris. And you immediately feel you are in Paris and nowhere else when you are in Paris.

8. I would like to think that a century from now people would know they are in Putrajaya because of the uniqueness of the city architecturally.

9. Every country has its own architectural feature. Spires and steeply sloping roofs are common in East Asia but each country has its own particular shape. Thailand, China, Korea and Japan all have the gracefully steep sloping roofs which terminate with upturned corners and edges. But still they manage to be unique for their countries through the variations in details.

10. For that matter every state in Malaysia has its own unique architecture. We never had high rise buildings. For a time we did not know what to do to make these skyscrapers look Malaysian. But now we have brought back the Malaysian roofs to top our high rise buildings.

11. They are actually utilitarian. We had flat roofs before. But somehow rain water manage not only to form puddles which refuse to evaporate, but often they find some cracks in the cemented roof to leak into the room below.

12. But with the roofs there are no more puddles and the water does not leak into the room below anymore. I am sure somebody will tell me that the leaks are still there.

13. The high rise flats in Putrajaya also have roofs. But the buildings are not enclosed entirely in glass like in America. They are different from the main boulevard with its ministerial building but they do not stick out like a sore thumb like that pile of glass boxes sticks out.

14. Please Putrajaya Holdings, please keep the uniqueness of Putrajaya’s archictecture.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSIONS II

1. We are often lectured by the West, their leaders and journalists on freedom of speech, of expression, freedom of the press and media. These are part of human rights which Governments, and certainly Governments which accept democracy and the accompanying rights must respect and uphold.

2. Yet this is an area which the West displays the greatest degree of hypocrisy, of double-standards. We know of many instances when Western Governments regulate and control their media. We know that the press often self-regulates in their wish to uphold Government policies or practices.

3. But the most blatant example of control over public expression is with regard to the protection of the Jews. Not only will any criticism of the Jews be condemned, but laws have been enacted in many European countries which makes it illegal for anyone to dispute any aspect of the Holocaust. No one may question the claim that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.

4. Thus when David Irving a British historian doubted the 6 million figure, he was arrested and jailed in Austria even though his opinion was not expressed in that country. Since then no one has dared to openly question the veracity of the claim on the number of Jews killed by the Nazis. And David Irving himself has not been heard to question the legality of his arrest and incarceration for all the beliefs in freedom of expression. This extra-territorial enforcement of a country’s law is most unusual although we are seeing now such extension of the laws of powerful countries to other countries in the world.

5. The action of the Austrian Government and the existence of such a law forbidding free expression not only in Austria but elsewhere is a blatant example of total negation of free speech. And there are many other examples.

6. The American press is extremely good at investigative reporting. They will go to great length to expose the truth about any scandal or event.

7. One of the most newsworthy event of the last century is the 9/11 destruction of the World Trade Towers in New York. Such an event would have been thoroughly and repeatedly investigated, analysed and reported in the media even after years have passed. But very little has been reported about this event except for the first few weeks.

8. The results of investigations by private individuals and organisations have never been published in the media. The peculiar manner of the building collapsing on itself, the similar collapse of a third building which was not hit by the aircrafts; the total absence of debris where planes were said to have crashed into the Pentagon building and in the open field where the fourth plane was said to have crashed into the ground, the total absences of reports and recovery of the black boxes which all these planes must have carried; all these seem not to be in keeping with America’s talent for investigative reporting. There seems to be a conspiracy of silence. And this silence negates the loud claim of press freedom by the West.

9. And yet when an American spent large sums of money to produce a film to insult the Muslims and denigrate their Prophet in the most insulting manner; when the producer of the film knows full well that there would be violent reactions to the screening of this film; their deliberate provocation of the Muslims is defended by the American Government as a manifestation of the freedom of expression.

10. The reaction to this film by Muslims, including the killing of United States diplomats is condemned as extreme and indefensible. Muslims should understand that the film producer was only exercising his rights.

11. If that is so then why are there laws in many Western cities banning any adverse comments against the Jews. Why was David Irving arrested and jailed for doubting whether 6 million Jews were killed in the holocaust? Was he not also exercising his freedom of expression!

12. The West condemns the lack of restraints among Muslims to such puerile provocation. They are asked to be rational and not be violent.

13. Should not they also advise their own people to exercise restrain regarding provoking the Muslims. If they expect the Muslims to be rational, shouldn’t they request their own people to be rational as well? Better still if they can pass laws regarding the sensitivities of the Jews, surely they can legislate similar laws regarding insulting the sensitivities of the Muslims.

14. But instead of restraining their people, at the very time when Muslims reacted violently over the insult to their Prophet, the Europeans published cartoons to insult and provoke the Muslims further.

15. Truly the hypocrisy of the great advocates of freedoms of all kinds is beyond compare. Such people should not take the high ground to lecture the world on anything.

CONTEMPT OF COURT

1. I read the New Straits Times article on contempt of court under the heading “Respect Must Be Earned” with a degree of wonderment.

2. In Malaysia no one dares to criticise the courts for fear of being charged with contempt. But in many of the so-called advanced countries the courts are criticised very often. The critics seem not to be afraid of being charged with contempt.

3. In the article, which is an extract of a lecture by Lord David Pannick, a practising barrister in Britain, he said; “If confidence in the judiciary is so low that statements by critics would resonate with the public, such confidence is not going to be restored by a criminal prosecution in which judges find the comments scandalous or in which the defendant apologises.”

4. It is a cardinal principle of justice that the victim should not be the judge as well. In contempt cases, it seems that this principle is ignored. The very judge who is scandalised hears the case and passes the sentence.

5. I think we still need the contempt of court law so that irresponsible people would not make casual criticisms of judges. But the judge hearing the case should not be the one who is scandalised. Then there would be justice.

Q E II

1. Q E II is not Queen Elizabeth the Second. It is a term invented in the West to describe printing money to pay debts or to revive the economy. It stands for Quantitative Easing No 2.

2. It is a great way to make money to replace the money that a nation has lost in a recession caused by abuses of the financial system. You just print more money.

3. Actually I don’t think they actually print currency notes amounting to the hundreds of billions of dollars or pounds to replace the money they have lost. The amount of printed currency notes would be huge and be very difficult to transport to the banks which has lost the money. There would be a stream of armoured cars from the mints to the banks.

4. I suspect what they do is to issue cheques in favour of the banks. The amount would be entered in the books of the banks.

5. If the banks need to pay or to lend money, again cheques would be issued or the amount credited to the person or entity in the books of the banks.

6. Should the persons or entities wish to pay for anything, again they would issue cheques. The amount in the cheques would be credited to the accounts of the persons or entities who would than be entitled to issue cheques in payment for whatever.

7. At no time will anyone get or be paid in cash. So what need is there to print money in the form of currency notes. Any time these countries lose money, all they need to do is to issue cheques to whatever amount they need.

8. However this Q E is a privilege for the rich nations only. When Greece lost money, it cannot print currency notes or issue cheques to pay debts. Greece needs to borrow money from European countries to repay loans. Again no currency notes would be involved. The amount lent would be credited to the Central Bank of Greece which then would issue cheques to the commercial banks.

9. We hear that banks like Goldman Sachs have recovered and are able to pay back the loans given them by the Federal Reserve Bank. The quick recovery is through borrowing the Q E money from the Fed at no interest or minimal interest and then buying Government bonds. Buying Government bonds is actually lending money to the Government. The Government has to pay interest on the money borrowed, which gives Goldman Sachs a good return. Hence the quick return to profitability of Goldman Sachs.

10. I am not a financial or monetary expert but I would like to hear the experts say that what I describe here is not happening.

11. The world is being taken for a ride by the great western countries and their systems for everything. It is a case of doing as I tell you and not doing as I do. Rightly both the United States and United Kingdom should be bankrupt. To recover they should be selling all their banks, industries and other assets at fire-sale prices. That was what the Asian countries were forced to do after the currency traders forced many of them almost into bankruptcy. But the bankrupt powerful countries of the West don’t have to do that. They carry out Quantitative Easing, print money (issue cheques) and refinance their banks and bankrupt industries. And they talk about transparency in business practice.

SPEECH AT THE RAFIK HARIRI UN-HABITAT MEMORIAL AWARD

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THIS SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY IN NEW YORK CITY, USA ON SEPT 28, 2012

1. I would like to thank the Rafik Hariri Foundation and the UN Habitat for conferring on me this prestigious Rafik Hariri UN-Habitat Memorial Award.

2. I deem it a great honour especially as this award is named after a remarkable man whose leadership qualities and contribution toward the rehabilitation of the war-ravaged city of Beirut and Lebanon is incomparable.

3. I knew Rafik Hariri when he first visited Malaysia. We immediately became close friends and I visited Lebanon at his invitation to see the damage wrought by the fratricidal war. Rafik promised he would rebuild Beirut as it was before the war. And he delivered on his promise. I visited Beirut after the restoration and I felt sure that a great future awaits Lebanon under his leadership.

4. In many ways I was like him. I wanted to develop Malaysia just as he wished to develop Lebanon. But he was less fortunate because he did not have the stability of Malaysia. Nor was he given the time.

5. Here I would like to pay tribute to my predecessors who devised a formula for Malaysia’s multi-ethnic, multi-religious people to work together. My predecessors also set the stage for Malaysia’s conversion from an agricultural country to an industrial country.

6. My task was to ensure the peace and stability of Malaysia was fully utilised to grow and develop the country. For this Malaysia decided not just to look at the developed West, but more at the burgeoning economies of the East, principally Japan and South Korea. Look East became Malaysia’s slogan. It was not about industrialising as much as it was about acquiring the work ethics of these successful nations. I believe firmly that work ethics determine the success or otherwise of a nation.

7. A business-friendly policy was adopted and this stimulated investments both by foreigners as well as locals. We actually called this policy Malaysia Incorporated, despite general disapproval of Government/business collaboration. We were working for the 30% of the profit which belongs to the Government as corporate tax. Stress on labour intensive industries overcame unemployment almost completely.

8. The economy grew by leaps and bounds. With growth in Government revenue first class infrastructure was built. To hasten the progress, a policy of privatisation was adopted. Very quickly the country boasted of infrastructure comparable with developed countries.

9. Malaysia believes in no ideology. We are pragmatists. We do what can be done, whether capitalistic or socialistic. We promoted self-confidence by adopting the slogan “We Can”. We Malaysians can do what others can do.

10. I think I have said enough about Malaysia’s experience. It is no miracle. It is just about doing what everyone thinks should be done when we are in charge of our own destiny. I believe that any country can be run the way Malaysia and Lebanon under Rafik Hariri were run. The magic lies in devising a formula to keep the country stable and peaceful. Democracy is great but democrats must accept that they cannot win every time. Losing elections is something which must be accepted in a democracy.

11. Above all, leaders should not stay in power too long, even if they are popular.

12. I believe this award, the Rafik Hariri UN-Habitat Memorial Award is for Malaysia more than it is for me. Without the culture of sharing among the multi-racial, multi-religious people of Malaysia, without their love for peace and stability, Malaysia would not have been able to grow as it has done.

13. I believe my friend Mr Rafik Hariri noticed this during his visit to Malaysia. Violence breeds destruction. Only peace and stability can be a win-win formula.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Addendum to “Freedom of Expression”, updated Sept 19, 2012

1. Hillary Clinton says the film insulting to Muslims cannot be stopped because of freedom of expression.

2. The French and Italian papers published photos of a naked Duchess of Cambridge. Now a French court has ordered the publishers to surrender all the pictures to the royal couple and to stop publishing them. The Italians are also going to do the same.

3. So freedom of expression is selective, not to be used against a countess but okay for the prophet of the Muslims.

4. I know there are many hypocrites in the West but this is the mother of all Western hypocrisy.

ORIGINAL POSTING FOLLOWS;

1. Hilary Clinton defends the film which insults the Prophet of the Muslims because of freedom of expression, a part of human rights. I think Western values have gone crazy. In the name of human rights and free speech one can insult anybody. What kind of human society will we have if everyone can curse and denigrate everyone else? There will be no peace either between countries or religions or races or members of the public anywhere.

2. How would one feel if someone comes up to you and calls you “a bastard, the offspring of sex between your mother and some man who is not your legally wedded father.”

3. Well how would one feel? The Americans would feel nothing because in their society this is normal. Their mothers sleep around with just about anybody. That is the norm, they would say. So do their fathers. It is an expression of the equality of the sexes.

4. Asians, and Muslims would feel insulted. They would probably kill the persons who say such things of their mothers. Free speech, yes. But insulting speech, no! Certainly no Asian would like to be called a bastard even as a joke.

5. It would seem that the liberal West believes that free speech is licence to curse and insult other people without limit.

6. They can enjoy this licence among themselves. That’s okay. But they cannot insist that everyone accept their coarseness and lack of manners. If freedom is a part of human rights, not the rights of the West alone, Asians must have their rights to their own norms and code of morality. Otherwise Western freedom would be about denying others their freedom.

7. If that is what Western freedom is about then how others react to Western freedom must be accepted by the West as the expression of freedom of these others.

8. Western values are not universal, no matter what the Westerners claim or believe about their values. Other people and Asians have their own values. If the West believes that freedom must be enjoyed by all, must be universal, then that freedom must be extended to the values subscribed by others.

9. If you don’t believe others should have freedom to enjoy their own values then you do not really believe in freedom as a part of human rights. Of course certain events we are seeing today seem to indicate that the West has arrogated freedom to themselves only. The freedom to kill people, including innocent people, is obviously a part of Western freedom.

10. That would mean the West is more authoritarian and undemocratic than the very people they accuse of being authoritarian and undemocratic.

11. It is about time that the West rethink their beliefs in freedom. If you really believe that freedom should be enjoyed by all, then respect other peoples’ rights to their faiths, their values and their freedoms.

12. I deplore the extremely violent reactions to the film and killing of the American consul but I fully understand that some people’s feelings are stronger than some other people. In a free world the strength of these people’s feelings is their right. If there is such a thing as human rights then there should also be respect for the sensitivities of other people.

13. Otherwise stop talking about human rights and certainly stop violently promoting these so-called rights. You have no right to take the moral high ground.

ISRAELI JUSTICE

1. An Israeli court hearing a case brought by the mother of Rachel Corrie, the American girl who was deliberately run over and killed by an Israeli soldier driving a bulldozer to destroy the home of a Palestinian in Gaza, found the case to be an accident because the Israeli soldier claimed he could not see the girl standing in the way of the bulldozer shouting for it to stop.

2. I have often enough sat in the driver’s seat of a bulldozer or mechanical hoe and I have always been able to see everything in front of me. Certainly a person standing in my way would be clearly seen by me.

3. But the Israeli court believed the soldier when he said he could not see the girl Rachel Corrie standing in front of his bulldozer. And so he ran over her crushing her under the bulldozer.

4. Even the Chinese Communist soldier stopped his tank when, in Tiananmen Square, a young man stood in the way of his vehicle. The view from the tank must be less clear. But the Israeli was driving a bulldozer which is designed to enable the driver to see clearly what is in front of him.

5. If he ran over the girl, it must be deliberate; it must be because he wanted to kill the girl.

6. It is a travesty of justice for the court to decide it was an accident, that the soldier driving the bulldozer could not see the girl.

7. The judge must be as cold-hearted as the soldier for the pain he inflicted on the grieving mother.

8. I am glad to be labelled anti-Semitic. How can I be otherwise when the Jews who so often talk of the horrors they suffered during the Holocaust show the same Nazi cruelty and hard-heartedness towards not just their enemies but even towards their allies should any try to stop the senseless killing of their Palestinian enemies.

9. Our concern and disgust over the cruel killing of Rachel Corrie is not new. When the Perdana Global Peace Foundation bought a ship to send food, medicine and construction material to the Palestinians in Gaza, she was named Rachel Corrie.

10. We were intercepted by the Israeli Navy in Gaza waters and forced to go to El Arish in Egypt. The supplies were sequestered and after some months were taken by others to Gaza. But we do not know if the people in Gaza ever got the supplies meant for them.

11. We had sympathised with the victims of the Holocaust. That sympathy was wasted and misplaced.

MERDEKA

1. We are 55-years old. This blessed multi-racial country of ours has been free for 55 years. For some Malaysians of 55 years and under, to be free of foreign rule is no big deal. Of course we are free, so what?

2. Jalur Gemilang! Just a rag – a strip of coloured cloth. It can be of any colour. What’s so great about the stripes, the star and the moon. Why must we be loyal to a piece of coloured cloth?

3. And the anthem. Is it relevant? Why cannot we sing some other song?

4. These are said to be symbols. Symbols of what??

5. Of course we are free of foreign rule. For these 55 and under, it is unthinkable to be under foreign rule. What we know is rule by some Malaysians. And they deny us freedom. We cannot demonstrate. We cannot step on pictures. We cannot change the colour of our flag – that rag. We cannot sing other anthems.

6. We cannot do this; we cannot do that. So where is the freedom?

7. I am past 55 years. I lived under foreign rule. I lived under the British when all white men must be addressed as Tuan (master) and white women Mem (a corruption of Madame I suppose). Ours was to obey, theirs was to command. Politics was out of bounds.

8. I lived under the Japanese. We feared for our women. They had to cut their hair short and wore men’s clothing. They hid in the attic, fearing being raped by Japanese soldiers.

9. The Kampetai or military police had a list of Chinese who had actively supported China against the Japanese. Many were executed by decapitation with the curved Japanese sword.

10. Many were arrested and tortured. Water was hosed into their stomach and then forced out through their mouths and noses. They either died or they confessed to whatever crime they were accused of. Then they were taken out and shot.

11. Thailand allowed the Japanese army to land on its beaches and to march down the Isthmus of Kra into British Malaya. After two months of retreat, the British surrendered.

12. As a reward for their cooperation, the Thais were given four northern Malay state – Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu.

13. I experienced Thai rules. We had to respect their flag and anthem.

14. One evening as I was passing the Alor Star Police Station I heard the anthem and I froze, looking up at the Thai flag being lowered.

15. An old Malay man cycled slowly past apparently unaware that he had to get off his bike and stand at attention.

16. The anthem ended as the flag came down. I heard a shout and a Thai soldier who had been standing at attention ran after the old cyclist. He gave a flying kick to the face and the old man fell off his bicycle, lying still on the road.

17. I did not go to his help. I was afraid of the soldier who seemed about to kick the man again. He changed his mind and went away.

18. The Allied forces won the Pacific War and the British returned. They had promised to defend us from foreign attacks. They had failed. We had to live under the Japanese and the Thais.

19. No apologies were offered. They merely threatened to depose the Malay rulers if they did not sign the MacMichael Treaty surrendering their states outright to the British. In the meantime we were ruled by the British Military Administration. No democracy.

20. Then the worm turned. The docile Malays united as never before and forced the Malayan Union to be aborted. Eventually the states of the Peninsular and then the states of Sarawak and Sabah achieved independence as Malaysia.

21. To me being independent will always be something I will cherish. As a Malaysian I don’t have to call foreigners “Master” or Tuan. We don’t have to fear foreigners in our country. We will not have our heads chopped off. We will not be kicked by foreigners in our own country.

22. Yes, our Governments are not perfect. I was expelled from my party. I was ostracised. When I retired I was treated like an enemy of the Government.

23. Others were detained without trial. A few claimed they were tortured. Maybe they were. But that is not the policy of our Governments. The law does not permit that though there are more advanced countries where torture is legalised.

24. There are good things and bad things, good governance and bad governance in independent Malaysia. It is not perfect. But which country is perfect. In America there is much inequality with 1% being extremely rich and 99% poor according to Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz. Europe has been in financial crisis since 2008 and appears unable to get out of it.

25. In the Middle East there is the so-called Arab Spring. Many have died. Revolutionary successes have not brought the promised good Governments and prosperity yet. It will take time.

26. Where else? Africa! I don’t think the Africans are better off than Malaysians. Latin America! Yes Brazil. It’s doing well, that’s all I know. The others are not.

27. And in ASEAN. Singapore has done well. But the people seem unhappy. 15% of the population are treated as second class citizens. They are poor. The other countries are so so.

28. Am I stupid? But really there is nowhere else I would like to be other than Malaysia. It’s not a perfect country. I don’t like some of the things I see or experience. But on balance there is more good in independent Malaysia than there are bad things.

29. So I will celebrate Merdeka days. I will fly the Jalur Gemilang and I will sing the National Anthem. I am proud I am a Malaysian, a citizen of an independent country. I will not step on the pictures of people who only know how to hate and have done nothing to make this country better. By doing what they did they have demonstrated that they and the people who lead them are unfit to rule this independent country. They only know hate. Hatred does not develop nations.

30. So I will shout “Merdeka” Malaysia for Merdeka means a lot to me.

TAK AKAN MELAYU HILANG DI DUNIA

1. Kata Hang Tuah “Tak akan Melayu hilang di dunia.” Dapatkah kata-kata keramat ini menentu yang Melayu tak akan hilang di dunia?

2. Di Singapura kerana tidak ada lagi sekolah Melayu dan bahasa penghantar di sekolah-sekolah di Republik itu ialah Inggeris dan China; segala urusan rasmi dan tidak rasmi menggunakan Bahasa Ingggeris atau China, maka orang Melayu sudah pun tidak menggunakan Bahasa Melayu. Mereka menggunakan Bahasa Inggeris walaupun semasa bercakap dengan anak pinak, keluarga dan kawan-kawan Melayu.

3. Budaya, adat istiadat Melayu juga terhakis. Yang tinggal hanyalah agama Islam mereka.

4. KeMelayuan mereka sudah tinggal separuh. Kita boleh ramal yang hakisan keMelayuan mereka akan berterusan sehingga akan hilanglah Melayu di Singapura.

5. Di sebelah utara pula kita dapati orang keturunan Melayu yang tidak dapat bertutur kata dalam Bahasa Melayu. Mereka Islam dan bangsa rasmi mereka ialah Thai. Maka hilanglah juga Melayu disitu.

6. Tetapi di Malaysia juga kehilangan Melayu sedang berlaku. Ada anak muda Melayu yang tidak lagi ingin dikenali sebagai orang Melayu. Mereka orang Malaysia. Ada pula yang hanya akui mereka orang Islam dan tidak perlu dikaitkan diri mereka dengan kaum Melayu.

7. Tetapi yang akan menghilangkan Melayu di dunia ialah dakwaan bahawa sesiapa yang bercakap berkenaan dengan bangsa Melayu, mereka akan dituduh “racist”. Oleh itu orang Melayu sudah tidak lagi berani menyebut perkataan Melayu kerana tidak mahu dituduh “racist”.

8. Kasihan Hang Tuah. Besar kemungkinan kata-katanya tidak lagi akan menjadi kenyataan. Demikianlah apabila kita bergantung kepada kata-kata hikmat untuk nasib kita, akhirnya akan hilang hikmatnya.

FREEDOM

1. It was a spectacular show – this closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. It was not just about games. The organisers just could not confine themselves to sports. It was too good an opportunity for gaining political capital from the event. And so in the background, in enormous moving letters, was the word FREEDOM.

2. There was no indication as to whom it was directed and what the purpose was. But I am sure that immediately the thoughts that crossed the minds of the spectators and the millions of TV viewers all over the world was the need for freedom in many of the countries of the third world.

3. But may I suggest that we look also at the lack of freedom of the many independent countries of the world due to Western Hegemony.

4. Some of these countries had fought for independence from colonial rule. They had lost men and suffered much before winning what they believed was the freedom that came with their independence.

5. But are they free? It was Soekarno of Indonesia who quickly realised that the decolonised independent nations were not really free. They were still under the thumb of the former colonial masters – not too obvious of course but the pressure was as real as when they were the colonies of their European masters. They had to do what the ex-masters told them or face economic pressures, or political pressures or pressures by the International media controlled by them. Soekarno called this new form of colonialism – Neo Colonialism.

6. The West laughed at him but they nevertheless engineered his downfall. No one talked about Neo-Colonialism after that. Everyone decided it was a silly idea or maybe they thought it was dangerous to harbour such ideas.

7. But let us scrutinise the present state of the countries of the world in particular those which became independent after the last Great War. If we do, we cannot help but conclude that the so-called independent countries are still having to obey the orders of the former colonial powers headed by the super superpower which won the Cold War. The independent countries are told that the only system of Government they can have is the democratic system. This is not really bad. But the interference in the internal affairs of independent countries does not stop there. There must also be regime changes, so that candidates friendly to the West are installed. The laws of the countries must also be changed in order to serve the interests of the West. The countries should be borderless, should allow inflows and outflows of foreign capital, should allow foreign ownership of business and the acquisition of companies. The financial system must be those of the West.

8. When they change, all the so-called independent countries must follow suit. Naturally a few would not. Then the so-called international press would begin denigrating them. Eventually they would be classified as failed states or rogue states. When there is still no change in attitude, excuses would be found to apply sanctions. A UN agreement would be sought but if that is not forthcoming the sanctions would be applied anyway.

9. Sanction is the modern equivalent of the siege of old except that it is bigger in scope. A country under sanction will not only be deprived of food and medicine but will not be able to trade and may not fly aircrafts. To render sanctions effective the super superpower will force other countries to also apply sanctions. Failure to do so will result in their losing their facilities to finance trade etc.

10. In the so-called war against terrorism the weak countries of the world are forced to legislate against money laundering and terrorism. All financial transactions must be scrutinised ostensibly to prevent money from going to terrorists. Charities have actually to cease their activities because they are all suspected of financing terrorists. Money changers found their business being hampered through these new laws. The governments of most countries are forced to restrict their banks from dealing with the countries under sanctions.

11. If sanctions fail to bring the recalcitrant country to heel, it would be threatened with war. This is no empty threat. Countries have been invaded and occupied, their towns and cities razed to the ground and of course hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians killed and many more wounded and incapacitated.

12. Clearly the super superpower has arrogated itself the right to instruct, direct and command independent countries to legislate and act in accordance with the policies and agenda decided by it. All these countries are dragged into assisting the implementation of policies and actions decided upon by the super superpower which effectively placed them under sanction.

13. They are not free to act on their own or have their own policies. So when one talks about freedom, it should not be confined to the freedom of citizens of the country but also of the freedom of independent countries as well. It is quite clear that the so-called independent countries of the world are not free. They are therefore not really independent. They are actually under the control of the super superpower.

14. The freedom message at the closing of the London Olympics should also be noted by the powers which are denying freedom to the independent countries of the world. Then and only then can they take the moral high ground to preach or castigate the poor third world countries of denying freedom to their people.