Villa Alhabshee, Bujang Valley, Kedah

Believe it or not! These are photos of Villa Alhabshee, the residence of the late Tan Sri Syed Abbas Alhabshee, in the Mukim of Semeling, Bujang Valley, Kedah.

NEWSPAPERS CAN BE INSTRUMENTS FOR NATIONALISM, SAYS ZAM

Information Minister Zainudin Maidin (Zam) was clearly not happy with the Umno-linked New Straits Times (NST) daily when he touched on the print media in his winding up of the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address for his ministry in Parliament late Thursday.

The former journalist said newspapers in Malaysia should not act as the voices for foreign concepts of freedom and democracy but instead should be instruments for the formation of a nationalistic Malaysia and not Malaysian Malaysia.

Referring to the NST, he said the newspaper had published a feature article on January 4, 2006 that aimed to destroy the Malay identity in Malaysia.

"This is not a Malaysia doctrine but the legacy of a foreign doctrine that had resulted in a tragedy in Malaysia," Zam was quoted by the national news agency, Bernama.

It is clear to me that Zam was referring to Singapore and the PAP leaders, in particular Lee Kuan Yew, who were fighting for a Malaysian Malaysia which led to the separation of the island republic from the federation.

Zam also said that some segments of the media had misinterpreted the freedom and transparency promoted by prime minister Abdullah Badawi. He claimed that they had disregarded the norms and principles of Malaysian laws which all this while had guided the freedom of the press in Malaysia.

On the NST, I am certain that Zam was referring to the "Comment" column headlined "Defending Malaysia's diversity" (page 19 Jan 4).

The article's introduction reads: "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has a well-deserved reputation for integrity and for the propagation of Islam Hadhari - a moderate, modernist Islam focused on basic principles and the pursuit of knowledge. But official Islam in Malaysia continues to play into the hands of Islamophobes everywhere and upset the 45 per cent or so of Malaysia's population who are non-Muslim."

Two current issues, according to the article, suggested that Abdullah would have to invest more of his own political capital in bringing a narrow official Islam into line with his own vision of an inclusivist faith that is intellectually alive and can coexist easily with the nation's large Hindu, Christian, Buddhist and other minorities.

It mentioned M Moorthy, born a Hindu but on his death was declared as a Muslim by a religious court, although his family claimed that he had not converted to Islam. The powers of the Sharia Court were then confirmed by the High Court, which ruled that it could not intervene in a decision by the religious court.

The NST said that in modern, multi-ethnic, inclusivist Malaysia, the religious courts are a law unto themselves. It added that it is particularly worrying for non-Muslims.

"But it has wider implications in a society where all Malays are deemed to be Muslims, whatever they actually believe, and where religious movements by Malays have recently been persecuted on the grounds that they were judged heretical by the religious authorities."

The article also touch on the new Islamic Family Law which it claimed to have been "rammed through Parliament."

"Although it has the legitimate aim of standardising the implementation of Sharia, Muslim women from across the religious/political spectrum see it as a backward step that enhances an already male-biased law," the NST insisted.

The article argued that as ever in Malaysia, the underlying themes may be more about political power struggles than religious beliefs. The governing Umno must compete for Malay votes with the fundamentalists Pas. Religion can be a weapon, too, in Umno's internal politics.

Wow! No wonder Information Minister Zainudin Maidin is upset. It is not because of his recent tiff with NSTP's deputy chairman-cum-advisor Kalimullah Hassan, formely its group Editor-in-Chief but because of what has been published by the daily.

As stated in my previous posts, Kalimullah was responsible for promoting the current editorial leadership of NST including roping in his ex-Straits Times (Singapore) reporter friend Brendan Pereira who is now group editor.

Hishamuddin Aun, a Bernama reporter who leap-frog to Berita Harian and a decade later promoted to head the Malay daily, is now the group editor-in-chief, is seen as Kalimullah's loyalist. A number of senior Malay editors either manning the gate or newsdesk of NST, Berita Harian and the Malay Mail, out of dissatisfaction and frusration with what Kalimullah has done, had either resigned or take up the voluntary separation scheme.

It is only logical that more readers are turning to The Star and The Sun and are returning to Utusan Malaysia.

CLOSE DOWN KAMUNTING DETENTION CENTRE

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) has called for the closure of the Kamunting Detention Centre, in Taiping. The centre is used to detain without trial, among others, political detainees under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) or abolish ISA movement leader, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said prime minister Abdullah Badawi should apply the same principle to the detention centre as he espouses for the closure of the US-operated Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba.

He said the government should also adopt the recommendations made by the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to abolish the ISA. Syed Ibrahim also called on the government to release all the ISA detainees or otherwise charge them in court.

The pig-tailed macaque is free to roam the forest and its fringes in Ampang. On the other hand, hundreds of humans are under detention without trial in detention centres in Taiping and in Johor. Some of them were separated from their families just because they subscribe to different political ideologies.

NO PAYMENT MADE FOR BUSH-MAHATHIR MEETING

The Malaysian Parliament was told that the government never paid a US-based lobbyist to arrange for former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed to meet US president George (Warlord) Bush in 2002. Foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar repeatedly said the meeting was arranged through "normal" diplomatic channels. He did not explain what he meant by "normal".

Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang had asked whether there was any truth that Kuala Lumpur paid USD1.2 million (RM4.6 million) to lobbyist Jack Abramoff to secure a meeting between both leaders in May 2002. The meeting took place in the Oval Office of the White House.

However, Syed Hamid conceded that it was "common practice" among foreign countries to use the services of lobbyists to improve and enhance the existing relationship with Washington and its agencies. Could this be the said "normal" diplomatic channels?

No soft feelings between Kadir Jasin & Kalimullah

The friendly exhange between two former Group Editor-in-Chief (GEIC) of the Umno-backed New Straits Times Press (NSTP) is not over. Both are using their columns and blog to hit at one another.

On Sunday (March 26) Kalimullah Hassan wrote in his The Sunday Column (NST) about "A few good men...". In this particular article, the good man is none other than former Transport Minister and ex-Malaysian Chinese Association president, Dr Ling Liong Sik.

As usual Kalimullah or Kali, boasts of his close friendship with national leaders, as for Dr Ling Kali wrote "Dr Ling and I still meet regularly and speak over the phone." They had dinner on Tuesday and Kali invited some of Dr Ling's friends and their families, all of whom have their own busy schedules. Could they be, I may ask, Kali's business partners, sleeping or otherwise?

At the dinner, Kali claimed that lots of stories were told but through it all, Dr Ling was repetitive in his stated affection and concern for another person from his home state, Penang, a politician who is now Prime Minister (Abdullah Badawi).

Got you! DR LING IS NOT FROM PENANG. Kali is not, after all, knowledgeable. Yes Dr Ling was once the Member of Parliament for Bagan (Butterworth, Penang) when Kali was a rookie reporter. But that does not mean that he is from Penang. Dr Ling is from Taiping, Perak.

Leave that silly mistake and let it be. Now let me say why I believed that Kali and Kadir Jasin are after each others' throats.

In Kali's column, one sentence caught my attention, and I quote:

"Many of them, including some editors, were rewarded, some with positions, others with privatisation projects and management buyouts of their companies."

I am certain (100 per cent) that Kali is referring to Kadir Jasin. The words "management buyouts" or MBO confirmed it.

As a refresher, Kadir and three of his friends in the NSTP registered a company named Realmild to "buy out" the NSTP and became instant millionaires. One of his partners Nazri Abdullah, then group editor of Berita Harian, migrated (some say escaped) to London and is now enjoying his wealth in the British capital. I am in the dark about Yunus Said (ex-TV3) and could not recalled the name of the fourth member of the MBO. Kadir is now the proud boss-cum-publisher of Berita Publishing, which was taken out of the NSTP group and handed over to him.

Kali wrote the next sentence..."But such is the will of the Almighty that fame and fortune derived on the back of the misery of innocents has a way of dissipating in ignominy."

In his write up on the Cabinet reshuffle, Kadir wrote that "An interesting sideshow to the reshuffle was provided by the high-profile former Group Editor-in-Chief of The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd (NSTP) Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, when he took a swipe at the new Information Minister."

Kadir said that Kalimullah, who continues to wield extensive power in the newspaper group in his new capacity as deputy chairman, accused Zainuddin Maidin (then deputy Information Minister) of seeking the sacking of the top editors of the NSTP group in a closed-door Umno Information Bureau meeting days earlier.

In making the allegation, Kalimullah, who is also chairman of the private banking group ECM Libra Bhd and timber-based Ekowood Bhd, revealed just how closely linked he is to the Umno organ.

Kalimullah could count on key editors, his appointees and compatriots from his foreign correspondent days, to keep his detractors at bay and in check. Now the editors (mostly Malays) who did not see eye-to-eye with him has left the NSTP group, some by opting for the company's latest round of voluntary separation scheme (VSS), Kalimullah's hold on the newspaper group is unquestionable.

Kadir questioned Kalimullah's stand on press freedom when he wrote:

"It is ironic that Kalimullah should cite press freedom as one of the cornerstones of Abdullah's aadministration while at the same time continuing to ban this magazine (Malaysia Business) and other publications belonging to Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd (BPSB) from being advertised in the group's newspapers."

The ban, which alo covers BPSB's corporate advertisements, has been in effect since January 2005. It was imposed soon after Kadir had written in his column commenting on an article in the NST by Kalimullah in which he revealed, among other things, that Abdullah had phoned him to seek page-one treatment for his speech. (The ban was on the directive of Kalimullah)

The soft feelings between Kadir and Kali continues. Both were bestowed with datukships, so is Nazri Abdullah (ex Realmild) and other "favourable" editors such as Rejal Arbee, Khalid Mohamad, Ahmat Talib, the two Wongs of The Star, Hishamuddin Aun and Azman Ujang, to name a few.

Both Kadir and Kali are my friends. I knew Kali when he was in his teens way back in the late 60s in Penang. He was then a member of the India-based Jamaah Tabligh (a missionary group). His family migrated from Kroh, a small Malaysia-Thailand border town in Perak, to Penang.

I first met Kadir when I joined Bernama, the national news agency in August 1971. He joined the agency two years earlier when I was then with the Social Welfare Department, Penang. Kadir was then head of the economic desk, practically a one man show just like Rejal at the political desk. But, they were pioneers of the desks. Rejal is now director of the KL Monorail, a long hop from journalism to transportation.

Kadir and a few others including Ahmat Talib left Bernama to join the NSTP, then under the Fleet Group, where they found their lucky stars.

Like Kali, Kadir had his days and control over the newspapers when he was GEIC of NSTP. But Kali is luckier to have as "close friends" none other than the Prime Minister and his son-in-law. That is all.

Every dog has it's day.

Mahathir and "kiasu" Singaporeans

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Saturday that he failed to resolve outstanding issues with Singapore as it was "difficult to negotiate" with the city state.

He admitted that during his 22 years as Prime Minister he failed to negotiate settlements on outstanding issues between the two countries. He said the negotiations ended in failure because the tiny island republic always wanted more from Malaysia than what it was willing to give in return.

Well Dr M, we Malaysians are familiar with the "kiasu" attitude of Singapore. Look at the current Commonwealth Games in Australia, Singapore imported badminton and table tennis players and athletes from Indonesia, China and Taiwan just to make sure that they collected some medals. That is "kiasuism" and it is well suited with Singapore. To them, money will buy anything including athletes, to win medals for them.

Singapore rejected the construction of a bridge to replace the causeway unless Malaysia give permission for their air force to use Malaysian air space and sell sand for their reclamation programme. But what do they give in return - nothing. That is Singapore.

Pix: Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah enjoying the view of the Putrajaya Mosque, from the steps of the Prime Minister's Departmnent on the eve of his retirement (Oct 30, 1993)

Arabs are terrorists, Israel's terrorists are "lunatics"

I like to share with you the gist of an article which I quoted from Arab View.

Just as U.S. President Bush attempted to limit the damage caused by the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal in Iraq by calling soldiers involved in the crimes as a few bad apples, the Israeli government tries to downplay the repetitive terrorist attacks its citizens carry out against Christian and Muslim holy sites by claiming that those involved in such barbaric actions are only "mentally deranged" people and not terrorists.

Earlier this month, three Israeli terrorists stormed a key Christian shrine in Nazareth, throwing "firecrackers" inside it, sparking panic among worshippers. The act was carried out by a Jerusalem couple and their daughter.

Israel's Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra claimed that the barbaric attack on Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth was not a terrorist action as it was carried out by a group of mentally distrubed Israelis. But, that does not clear Israel of terrorism, as it was not the first incident where Israelis are caught attacking religious shrines in the occupied territories.

When Israeli terrorist attempted to burn down Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israeli leaders immediately commented saying that the attacker was not a terrorist, but simply insane.

Also when Israeli terrorist attacked Al-Ibrahimi Mosque during the dawn prayers endangering the lives of hundreds of Muslim worshippers, same line of defence was used, Israeli officials said that the man was mentally deranged.

The recent attack, involving three Israelis disguised as Christian pilgrims who entered the Church in Nazareth and threw firecrackers, was the third of its kind against the Church of Annunciation, which marks the site where, according to the Bible, the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.

The Israeli army violated the sanctity of Al-Qiyamah and Al-Mahd (the Navity) churches, dropping bombs on Al-Mahd church claiming that terrorists were hiding inside the church.

So what the Israeli government wants us to believe is that Arabs, fighting occupiers to free Palestine, which is legally permitted under international law, agreements and conventions are the only terrorists.

It's noteworthy that Palestinians who participated in the massive riots sparked by the barbaric attack in the Israeli Arab town, were Muslims and Christian Palestinians, who were first to rush to the Church of Annunciation to protect it.

Arabs do not differentiate between religions. Arabs history is rich with incidents where Muslims and Christians carried the flag of unity defending Islamic and Christian holy sites in the occupied Palestine and elsewhere.