Negara Berkebajikan mengukuhkan identiti PAS

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/columnist/ketua-pemuda-pas/7211-negara-berkebajikan-mengukuhkan-identiti-pas?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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ABU+%281%29.jpg

Kerajaan BN Belanja Berbilion Ringgit Untuk Jawatan-jawatan Klon at Anwar Ibrahim

http://anwaribrahimblog.com/2011/12/16/kerajaan-bn-belanja-berbilion-ringgit-untuk-jawatan-jawatan-klon/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Tweet from @OvertDictionary

@OvertDictionary: Success: it will not make you happy, it will simply make you want more success.


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Tweet from @OvertDictionary

@OvertDictionary: Success: all success is imaginary, it is a mechanism sold to us by the system to keep us in a constant search for money and fame.


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National Feedlot Centre

http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/45500-national-feedlot-centre?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Umno: Yang boleh memerintah hanyalah AKU, yang boleh menjamin kehidupan kamu adalah AKU… semuanya AKU! « Lim Kit Siang

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2011/12/04/umno-yang-boleh-memerintah-hanyalah-aku-yang-boleh-menjamin-kehidupan-kamu-adalah-aku%E2%80%A6-semuanya-aku/?-semuanya-aku/

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A gathering of the National Organisation of Uncouth Morons « Lim Kit Siang

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2011/12/02/a-gathering-of-the-national-organisation-of-uncouth-morons/

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Kenapa saya ditahan setelah jadi baik - Bob Lokman

Kenapa saya ditahan setelah jadi baik - Bob Lokman

to ponder.....

If you don't see it with your own eyes,

hear with your own ears,

Don't interpret with your SMALL mind,

or spread with your BIG mouth.

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Suami dan facebook isteri

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/sudut-dakwah/5686-suami-dan-facebook-isteri?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

UNDILAH

UNDILAH

Top Catholic bishop tells non-Muslims to support hudud in Kelantan

http://www.en.harakah.net.my/index.php/headline/3557-top-catholic-bishop-tells-non-muslims-to-support-hudud-laws-in-kelantan.html

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Umno disifatkan pembelot, pembuli bangsa Melayu

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/5446-umno-disifatkan-pembelot-pembuli-bangsa-melayu

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Dr. Dzul's Blog

http://blog.drdzul.com/2011/09/13/stop-feigning-ignorance-over-prepaid-phone-tax-pas-tells-najib/

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Profesor keliru, kemudian kelirukan orang - Malaysiakini

Profesor keliru, kemudian kelirukan orang

Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari | 10 Sep, 11 10:26pm

ULASAN Saya fikir profesor-profesor itu keliru dan kemudian mengelirukan orang. Profesor Datuk Dr Zainal Kling orang sosiologi dan Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim orang sejarah. Status jajahan (colony) dan negeri lindungan (protectorates or protected states) adalah konsep undang-undang antarabangsa.

Beza antara konsep-konsep itu tidak jelas pada orang biasa. Apa beza antara Melaka dan Pulau Pinang - strait settlements - dan negeri-negeri Melayu seperti Selangor dan Perak? Atau antara kita dengan India yang merupakan tanah jajahan British? Tidak nampak.

British kekalkan status raja - dan negeri mereka - sebagai protectorate kerana mereka hendak mengelakkan penentangan sebagaimana di India. Sebab itu British perkenalkan indirect rule di sini dengan meletakkan residen sebagai penasihat sultan (yang sebenarnya memaksa).

British mahu menunjukkan kepada orang Melayu bahawa negeri mereka kekal di tangan Melayu dengan mengekalkan sultan. Tetapi pemerintahan dan pentadbiran sebenar dijalankan oleh British melalui residen mereka.

Ini bermakna di atas kertas - yakni teori - memang sultan dan negeri Melayu tidak dijajah (kalau dijajah maka (kedudukan) sultan akan dihapuskan sebagaimana di India dan Burma). Tetapi praktik dan kenyataannya ialah British yang membuat keputusan.

Hatta urusan agama pun dikacau - meskipun perjanjian melarang ini. Contohnya apa yang dilakukan oleh Sir Andrew Clarke kepada Raja Muda Perak yang mengetuai majlis agama di Perak.

Sebab itu penentangan kepada pentadbiran British yang dibuat oleh orang-orang seperti Dato Maharajalela, Mat Kilau, Dato Bahaman, Tok Janggut, Abdul Rahman Limbong dan lain-lain mudah dipatahkan kerana nama sultan digunakan.

Pada hakikatnya mereka semua menentang British tetapi mereka berlindung di sebalik sultan. Kita akur bahawa sultan diberi pelbagai kemewahan dan gelaran oleh British. Mereka juga bergaduh sesama sendiri untuk menjadi raja.

Meskipun begitu British akhirnya tidak selesa dan cuba memansuhkan kedudukan raja melalui Malayan Union. Ini ditentang oleh orang Melayu.

Sekiranya Malayan Union itu dilaksanakan sempurnalah penjajahan British dari segi teori dan praktik.

Tetapi itu tidak berlaku (Zainal Kling Silap; Malayan Union tidak pernah dilaksanakan).

Sebagai contoh, undang-undang yang dibuat sebelum merdeka di sisi perlembagaan adalah undang-undang yang dibuat oleh Sultan. Ini kerana dewan adalah lantikan sultan dan undang-undang itu ditandatangani oleh sultan. Tetapi apakah itu apa sebenarnya berlaku? Tentu tidak kerana sultan hanya menurunkan tandatangan sahaja. Rang undang-undang itu dibuat oleh British. Tetapi di sisi undang-undang ia adalah buatan sultan, bukan British.

Apa pun undang-undang itu, selagi tidak dimansuhkan oleh parlimen atau DUN, sah sehingga sekarang.

Kesilapan Zainal dan Khoo ialah mereka mengitar konsep yang bukan bidang mereka. Sedangkan sejarawan sendiri mengatakan British yang mentadbir Tanah Melayu.

Lebih lucu, jika apa yang mereka dakwa itu benar, untuk apa kita sambut merdeka?

Dan lebih malang lagi Tunku Abdul Rahman kehilangan gelaran: beliau bukan lagi bapa kemerdekaan kerana kita tidak pernah dijajah....!!

Tikus baiki labu atau sokong bawa rebah.

Lucu sekali Majlis Profesor (saya tidak jadi ahli) tidak tahu apa yang mereka bebelkan. Mereka ramai-ramai keroyok Mat Sabu... lain yang dia cakap lain pula yang majlis ini tangkap...
http://m.malaysiakini.com/news/175430

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Dr Asri kecam tindakan Jais

http://bm.harakah.net.my/index.php/berita-utama/5268-dr-asri-kecam-tindakan-jais

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Bantuan untuk asnaf, bukan menara 15 tingkat

http://bm.harakah.net.my/index.php/berita-utama/5273--bantuan-untuk-asnaf-bukan-menara-15-tingkat

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

to ponder....Selamat Aidil Fitri

Selamat Aidilfitri, Mohon maaf atas segala kesalahan dan kesilapan yang dilakukan.

To ponder.....

I suggest that if you know history, then you might not be so easily fooled by the government when it tells you you must go to war for this or that reason -- that history is a protective armor against being misled.

- Howard Zinn

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Reformasi institusi agama dari kongkongan

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/headline/5131-reformasi-institusi-agama-dari-kongkongan?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=hdaily09

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Aidilfitri Mesra

Aidilfitri Mesra
Posted on August 26, 2011 by samadsaid

Datanglah lagi ujian – kita semakin didewasakan.
Wirid terdengar nyaring walau dalam kesenyapan.
Kita hayati hikmah antara tasbih dan solat malam,
berdamai atas sejadah, khusyuk taat depan al-Quran;
nafas kita semakin wangi oleh ranum pembacaan.

Dalam kerlip serba indah kita sambut Ramadhan mulia;
segala rindu di qalbu menghangat kasih ke Rasulullah.
Dalam lenggang waktu begitu mesra, di tengah ummah,
kita menghimpun pujian sekhusyuk untuk Baginda,
lebih-lebih lagi – dalam jujur dan takwa – kepada Allah.

Setahun lagi – kini kita diranumi musim puasa.
Aidilfitri datang bakal memahkotakan ibadah kita.

A. SAMAD SAID
16-30 September 2003

to ponder.....

‘SERANGAN JAIS’ KE ATAS GEREJA: TANYA DIRI KITA DULU!
Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
(sertai facebook DrMAZA.com dan twitter realDrMAZA)

 

Saya belum ingin mengulas tentang ‘serangan’ atau serbuan JAIS ke atas sebuah gereja di Petaling Jaya seperti yang disiarkan oleh berita beberapa hari ini di sudut tindakan ‘serangan’ itu. Cumanya, seperti mana yang kita ketahui bahawa tiada manusia yang bertamadun yang boleh menerima tindakan provokasi yang boleh mencetuskan permusuhan antara penganut agama tanpa alasan yang sah. Saya ingin menyentuh tentang orang-orang Islam yang hadir ke majlis tersebut yang dikatakan oleh pihak media hadir mereka terpengaruh dengan agama Kristian disebabkan sikap baik penganut agama berkenaan membantu mereka. Difahamkan bahawa orang-orang Islam yang hadir, terutama ibu-ibu tunggal terdiri dari kalangan mereka yang amat daif dan miskin. Mereka telah berulang kali memohon bantuan dari masyarakat Islam, tetapi gagal. Apabila ada pihak yang sudi menghulurkan bantuan dengan mudah, maka mereka rasa ‘jatuh hati’ dan‘terhutang budi’. Di sini beberapa persoalan patut ditimbulkan;

 

1. Ke mana perginya wang zakat kita? Ratusan juta hasil kutipan yang diumumkan saban tahun, apakah tidak mampu untuk membantu fakir miskin ini keluar dari kesusahan mereka sehingga tidak perlu meminta‘sedekah’ kepada orang lain?

2. Mengapa kerenah birokrasi begitu tinggi untuk fakir miskin mendapatkan bantuan zakat? Semua orang yang pernah berurusan dengan hal ini, akan ada pengalaman mereka sendiri. Untuk mendapatkan RM 100-200 pun, begitu banyak kerenahnya. Sedangkan pejabat zakat kelihatan mewah, gaji pegawai dan bos begitu tinggi dan peralatan urusan juga begitu canggih. Apakah belanja yang tinggi itu hanya untuk urusan mencari pembayar, tetapi tiada kesungguhan yang memadai untuk mencari penerima yang layak?

3. Tujuan zakat antaranya untuk mendekatkan hati manusia dengan Islam. Sebab itu, ada hak untuk golongan muallaf. Bagaimanakah mungkin pengurusan zakat gagal melakukan hal ini, sehingga yang sudah muslim ingin meninggalkan Islam kerana gagal mendapat bantuan dari umat Islam khususnya zakat?!

4. Bukan sesuatu yang haram untuk seseorang muslim menerima bantuan daripada bukan muslim. Apatahlagi, jika mereka dalam kesusahan yang amat. Tindakan mereka menerima bantuan tidak boleh dipersalahkan, sebaliknya perbuatan pihak muslim yang sepatutnya memberi bantuan kepada mereka tetapi tidak melakukannya itulah yang patut disalahkan.

5. Jika dibincangkan disudut bantuan, pada asasnya, kita tidak boleh menyalahkan orang lain kerana memberikan bantuan. Adalah menjadi hak setiap orang untuk memberikan bantuan kepada sesiapa yang mereka mahu. Selagi mengikut peraturan dan undang-undang, seseorang boleh memberikan bantuan kepada sesiapa sahaja tanpa terbatas dengan agama atau bangsa. Janganlah jika kita gagal membantu –sedangkan kita mampu- kita menyalahkan orang lain yang membantu.

6. Setiap orang akan terpengaruh dengan pihak yang berbuat baik kepadanya. Itu fitrah manusia. Jika dia lemah iman, mungkin agamanya juga diserahkan. Mereka yang terpengaruh dengan pihak gereja atas budi baik, itu sesuatu yang tidak pelik. Namun yang pelik, bagaimana dalam negara Islam, umat kita boleh menukar agama disebabkan layanan yang tidak memuaskan oleh masyarakat muslim? Sebaliknya mereka terpengaruh dengan sikap baik penganut agama lain. Apakah slogan-slogan agama kita selamat ini hanya kosmetik yang tidak berpijak kepada realiti kehidupan?

Maka, banyak persoalan perlu masyarakat muslim tanya diri sendiri sebelum menyalahkan orang lain. Tabiat menuding jari kepada orang lain untuk menutup kelemahan sendiri tidak akan dapat menyelesaikan masalah kita!

Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin

7 Ogos 2011

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder....something to think about on Hari Raya

MENANGISI MURTAD DAN ZAKAT
Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
(sertai facebook DrMAZA.com dan twitter realDrMAZA)

 

Minggu lepas saya dan beberapa orang sahabat pergi menemui salah seorang dari 12 individu yang dikaitkan dengan isu murtad baru-baru ini. Dia seorang janda yang mempunyai tiga orang anak. Usianya masih muda. Latar pendidikannya saya rasa ‘amat sederhana’. Saya tidak pergi untuk mempersalahkannya kerana pergi ke gereja dan terjebak dalam usaha kristiansasi. Saya pergi untuk membolehkan dia merasakan bahawa masih ramai yang ingin mengambil berat tentangnya. Lebih penting lagi, saya pergi untuk mengetahui apakah yang membawa dia sehingga terpaksa meminta simpati dan bantuan hidup dari pihak gereja.

 

Sedih

Saya sedih mendengar ceritanya. Menurutnya, dirinya seorang janda yang ditinggalkan suami. Terpaksa menanggung hidup tiga orang anak. Dalam kesempitan hidup yang amat, diminta keluar dari rumah sewa dan tenat mencari sesuap nasi untuk diri dan anak-anak dia pergi merintih di pejabat zakat. Dia tidak dilayan. Bahkan pegawai bertugas dengan tegas memberitahunya peruntukan sudah habis. Rayuannya tidak diendahkan. Dia keluar berusaha lagi. Dia berjaya mendapatkan surat sokongan ahli politik. Kembali ke pejabat zakat membawa surat tersebut, terus sahaja dia mendapat peruntukan zakat. Peruntukan yang kononnya sudah habis sebelum itu, kembali ada untuknya. Dengan berbekalkan wang zakat itu dia berusaha survive. Dia juga pergi ke bahagian kebajikan masyarakat, juga tidak dilayan. Dia bekerja untuk meneruskan hidupnya yang sempit.

Di tempat kerja, melihatkan keadaannya yang susah dan miskin maka ada rakan sekerja yang beragama kristian mencadangkan untuk dia pergi ke suatu tempat yang mudah dan mesra dalam memberikan bantuan. Di situlah bermula hubungan dia dengan pihak gereja. Apa tidaknya, dia susah, kehidupan terhimpit dan anak-anak yang masih kecil memerlukan makanan dan perlindungan. Pihak gereja membantu keperluan hidupnya. Diberikan wang serta menziarahi keluarganya. Mereka tidak menjadikan dia peminta sedekah, tetapi mereka menggunakan pendekatan ‘mesra dan sayang’. Hatinya terpaut dengan kehalusan budi. Walaupun saki baki akidahnya membantah untuk dia menukar agama, tetapi dia tidak dapat menafikan perasaan sayang dan terhutang budi kepada pihak gereja yang berjasa menyelamatkannya.

Bagaimana mungkin untuk dia merasai kehebatan Islam di saat penganut yang seagama dengannya tidak memperdulikannya. Bahkan enggan membantunya. Bagaimana pula dia dapat melihat kesilapan pihak gereja secara lahiriahnya sedangkan ternyata merekalah menolongnya? Orang mungkin berfalsafah dan berceramah secara retorik, namun jiwa insani terpengaruhi dengan apa yang dia rasai. Sakit demam anak-anaknya pihak gereja yang mengambil berat. Makan-minum mereka, pihak gereja yang membiayai. Bahkan keperluan rumah juga diberikan satu persatu.

Tangkap

Menurutnya, dia tidak menukar akidahnya, tetapi dia terus ke gereja membawa anak-anaknya. Anak-anaknya diterapkan ajaran Kristian oleh pihak gereja. Diajar nyanyian keagamaan dan nilai-nilai budi tertentu. Baginya, dilakukan semua itu untuk hidup. Rupanya ramai lagi yang senasib dengannya berada di bawah bantuan pihak gereja. Sebahagian mereka memang menukar agama kerana kecewa dengan sikap masyarakat Islam dan terpengaruh dengan budi pihak gereja. Menurutnya juga, tiada paksaan dari pihak gereja. Cumanya, pendekatan mereka amat mempengaruhi.

Akhirnya, apabila pihak berkuasa agama mengetahui dia ke gereja, dia ditangkap untuk kali pertama dan beritanya disiarkan dalam akhbar. Menurutnya, sebaik sahaja ditangkap dan beritanya tersiar di media barulah pejabat zakat tergesa-gesa datang ke rumahnya. Begitu juga pihak kebajikan masyarakat. Dia memberitahu kepada pihak zakat bahawa dia ingin membuka taska. Mereka menyuruh dia mendapatkan rumah yang sesuai dan mereka akan bantu. Dia pun mendapatkan sebuah rumah yang mereka setujui yang agak besar dan sudah pasti sewanya agak tinggi.

Malangnya, selepas dia menyewa rumah tersebut, selama tujuh bulan pihak zakat tidak menghulurkan bantuan kepadanya. Terkapai-kapai ketika itu. Pihak gereja jugalah yang datang dan melangsaikan kesempitannya untuk menjelaskan sewa rumah tersebut. Sehinggalah apabila timbul isu, pegawai zakat menghubungi dan meminta agar dia memaklumkan kepada pihak yang bertanya bahawa pegawai zakat memang ada datang. Ya, selepas itu memanglah pihak zakat memberikan satu jumlah bantuan yang agak besar kepadanya dengan ‘tukaran’ yang tidak dapat saya maklumkan di sini. Semasa pihak berkuasa agama membuat penyiasatan ke atas gereja berkenaan, dia berada dalam gereja berkenaan bersama dengan sejumlah orang Islam yang lain yang senasib dengannya. Walaupun, kali kedua media menyiarkan dia termasuk dalam senarai murtad dalam peristiwa itu, hakikatnya dia tidak murtad, cumanya ada di situ bersama dengan mereka yang senasib dengannya. Namun, menurutnya memang ada yang murtad.
Alhamdulillah dia masih kekal dengan keislamannya. Semuanya itu kerana desakan hidup. Terus-terang dia sebut ‘semua untuk wang kerana saya ingin membesarkan anak-anak saya’.

Semasa saya menziarahinya –tanpa notis awal- dia baru sahaja selesai menunaikan solat terawih. Menurut dia memang ramai lagi yang terpengaruh dengan usaha kristianisasi yang dilakukan. Mereka yang banyak terlibat terdiri dari kalangan ibu tunggal yang miskin, saudara baru muslim yang tidak dipedulikan, wanita yang mengandung tanpa suami, pesakit aids dan juga muslim dari Sabah dan Sarawak yang dalam kesusahan. Apa yang hendak dipelikkan, begitulah tabiat agama yang merasakan mereka berkhidmat untuk Tuhan. Apa yang hendak pelik jika gereja mengajar ajaran Kristian kerana itu memang kerja gereja. Tak mungkin gereja hendak berdakwah kepada Islam. Namun yang pelik apabila ada negeri yang puluhan individu yang mempunyai Ph.D dan masters dalam pengajian Islam yang disahkan oleh kerajaan tetapi tidak dibenarkan mengajar Islam di masjid dan menyampaikan Islam kepada orang Islam.

Salah Siapa?

Jika kita ingin melepaskan diri, mudah sahaja, kita letakkan kesalahan ini kesemua di pihak gereja. Kita tuduh merekalah punca segalanya. Kemudian kita buat demonstrasi, kita bakar semangat orang awam untuk bangun menentang gereja yang melakukan aktiviti bantuan dan ‘dakwah’. Adapun kita yang tidak membantu dan berdakwah ini, tidak perlulah disalahkan. Begitukah kita? Supaya orang dapat melupakan kesilapan kita, kita letakkan segala dosa ke atas orang lain semata.

Cubalah bayangkan jika ada sebuah rumah yang didiami oleh satu keluarga yang besar dan kaya tiba-tiba salah seorang ahli rumah itu lari ke rumah jiran atas atasan tidak diberikan perhatian dan mendapat perlindungan serta makanan. Sementara si jiran sebelah pula menghulurkan bantuan dengan pelbagai tawaran. Apakah suatu penyelesaian yang tuntas dengan hanya kita mencadangkan agar dibakar rumah jiran, atau ditangkap si jiran atau dihukum si jiran kerana mempengaruhi ahli keluarga kita. Dalam masa yang sama kita, kita tidak persoalkan tanggungjawab kekeluargaan yang kita abaikan selama ini.

Zakat

Saya tidak menafikan usaha-usaha baik pengurusan zakat yang telah pun berjaya dilakukan. Kita tahu, zakat kita banyak. Jika dihimpun seluruh negara, mungkin mencecah lebih satu billion. Itu setiap tahun. Bangunan-bangunan zakat cantik dan indah. Iklan-iklan mengutip zakat juga canggih dan mahal. Gaji-gaji yang terlibat mengurusnya jangan ditanya lagi. Cara membayar zakat juga dipermudahkan dengan pelbagai kaedah dan teknologi. Tiba-tiba si miskin kita terpaksa merintih simpati dari gereja?
Sesetengah pegawai zakat bersifat begitu meterialistik. Berwajah manis jika hadir di depannya pembayar zakat, tapi berwajah suram jika yang hadir itu pemohon zakat. Tiada semangat dakwah dan ukhuwwah Islamiyyah. Pemohonan menjadi sulit dan sukar. Apatahlagi jika mak cik tua yang uzur disuruh mengisi borang. Maka, pemohon zakat bagaikan peminta sedekah. Sebab itu barangkali ramai fakir yang tidak sanggup ke pejabat zakat.

Jika program ‘Bersamamu’ boleh menemui si fakir saban minggu, kenapa pula pihak zakat gagal mengesan mereka. Jika usaha mengutip zakat begitu hebat, alangkah baik dihebatkan juga usaha mencari mereka yang layak menerima zakat. Mencari orang miskin itu penting, bukan menunggu mereka datang. Bukan semua yang miskin sanggup atau dapat datang kepada pihak zakat. Menurut al-Quran, yang miskin tidak meminta itu lebih patut diutamakan. Firman Allah (maksudnya):

“(Pemberian sedekah itu) adalah untuk golongan fakir miskin yang telah menentukan dirinya (dengan menjalankan khidmat atau berjuang) pada jalan Allah (membela Islam), yang tidak berupaya mengembara di muka bumi (untuk berniaga dan sebagainya); orang yang jahil menyangka mereka kaya, kerana mereka menahan diri daripada meminta-minta. Engkau kenal mereka dengan (melihat) tanda-tanda mereka, mereka tidak meminta daripada orang ramai secara mendesak-desak, dan (ketahuilah), apa jua yang kamu belanjakan dari harta yang baik maka sesungguhnya Allah sentiasa mengetahuinya”.( Surah al-Baqarah ayat 273)

Berilah zakat kepada mereka, kerana itu memang hak mereka. Jangan jadikan mereka pengemis di pejabat zakat. Berilah dengan kasih dan perancangan agar mereka keluar dari daerah kemiskinan. Kata Saidina ‘Umar r.a.:

“Apabila engkau memberi zakat, kayakanlah mereka”. Kata Ibn Hazm (meninggal 456H): “Apa yang kami tahu tiada sahabah yang berbeza dalam hal ini” (Ibn Hazm, Al-Muhalla 4/280, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘ilmiyyah).

Bahkan zakat boleh diberikan kepada bukan muslim yang miskin atas peruntukan fakir dan untuk dakwah atas peruntukan muallaf. Lihatlah perbahasan fekah yang lebih luas. Jika zakat berfungsi, bukan muslim akan tertarik dengan Islam. Jika ia tidak berfungsi, yang sudah Islam pun ingin keluar dari Islam!

Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin

25 Ogos 2011

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

‘Serangan JAIS’ Ke Atas Gereja: Tanya Diri Kita Dulu! : Minda Tajdid

http://drmaza.com/home/?p=1534#more-1534

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Menangisi Murtad dan Zakat : Minda Tajdid

http://drmaza.com/home/?p=1561#more-1561

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Umno hipokrit isu akidah

http://bm.harakah.net.my/index.php/berita-utama/5108-umno-hipokrit-isu-akidah

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

to ponder.....

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.

- Lillian Dickson

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Pengarah Pelajaran rayu guru sokong BN?

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/5062-pengarah-pelajaran-rayu-guru-sokong-bn

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Menang pilihan raya cara haram

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/5067-menang-pilihan-raya-cara-haram

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Tweet from @asamadsaid

@asamadsaid: Sesenang mencipta Warga Segera; semudah kongkali undi tentera; seenak perkuda media utama; senikmat menghirup dana negara.

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

to ponder....simplicity

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

- Albert Einstein

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder

If... the machine of government... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.

- Henry David Thoreau

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.

- Ralph W. Sockman

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

- Mark Twain

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

The most extraordinary thing about a really good teacher is that he or she transcends accepted educational methods. Such methods are designed to help average teachers approximate the performance of good teachers.

- Margaret Mead

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar

The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

RAKYAT MARHAEN: Video : Four more ex-soldiers admit to postal vote...

RAKYAT MARHAEN: Video : Four more ex-soldiers admit to postal vote...

to ponder.....

Our true wealth is the good we do in this world. None of us has faith unless we desire for our neighbors what we desire for ourselves.

-Muhamad SAW

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

- John Stuart Mill

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Menilai gelagat dan “nawaitu” orang politik pertahan Aqidah ummat

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/columnist/dr-dzulkefly-ahmad/4898-menilai-gelagat-dan-nawaitu-orang-politik-pertahan-aqidah-ummat?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=hdaily09

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

to ponder

All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take.

 Mohandas K. Gandhi

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.

- Dale Carnegie

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder....

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.

- Dale Carnegie

Umno sekat ilmu agama untuk kekal berkuasa

Umno sekat ilmu agama untuk kekal berkuasa

to ponder.....election

Those who vote decide nothing; those who count the votes decide everything.

- Joseph Stalin

Note: Is it happening around us?

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Asri decries 'ghosts' in Islamic institutions, 'loss' of zakat money

http://en.harakah.net.my/index.php/berita-utama/1661-asri-decries-ghosts-in-islamic-institutions-loss-of-zakat-money.html

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

'Don't blame others if poor Muslims leave Islam'

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/headline/3284-dont-blame-others-if-poor-muslims-leave-islam.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=hdaily09

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

to ponder

Without general elections, without unrestricted freedom of press and assembly, without a free struggle of opinion, life dies out in every public institution, becomes a mere semblance of life, in which only the bureaucracy remains as the active element.

- Rosa Luxemburg

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

PR dapat MyKad: Komplot BN, JPN & SPR

to ponder.....

Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know.

 Daniel J. Boorstin

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

To ponder..

The things that will destroy us are: politics without principle; pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character; business without morality; science without humanity; and worship without sacrifice.

- Mohandas K. Gandhi
Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

To ponder...

A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones who need the advice.

- Bill Cosby
Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Gadai keselamatan negara demi secebis kertas undi

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/4691-gadai-keselamatan-negara-demi-secebis-kertas-undi

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.

- African proverb
Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Pengundi baru: Pagi tadi PR, petang ini warganegara - Malaysiakini

http://m.malaysiakini.com/news/171777

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Title: Suruhanjaya perlu siasat Pagi MyPR petang MyKad?

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/headline/4675-suruhanjaya-perlu-siasat-pagi-mypr-petang-mykad

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Solat Terawih di The Hague 2011

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

to ponder...

Wickedness is weak, even when it seems to be victorious. In fact wickedness cannot escape the destiny of its ultimate destruction.

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Have you got your Halal certificate yet?

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/3224-have-you-got-your-halal-certificate-yet.html

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Warkah buat saudaraku anggota polis - Malaysiakini

http://m.malaysiakini.com/news/171100

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Kenapa saya sokong Bersih 2.0

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/columnist/ketua-pemuda-pas/4468-kenapa-saya-sokong-bersih-20?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=hdaily09

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Tidak pernah saya rasa begitu benci pada kerajaan

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/4426-tidak-pernah-saya-rasa-begitu-benci-pada-kerajaan

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Pak Samad : Najib Kejam.

Samad Said: Najib 'memang kejamlah' - Malaysiakini

Samad Said: Najib 'memang kejamlah' - Malaysiakini

Hadith, fatwas abused to justify Bersih ban, says Asri

Hadith, fatwas abused to justify Bersih ban, says Asri
JULY 13, 2011
by Dr. Dzul
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
July 13, 2011



The influential Islamic scholar said today that Islam should not be used as a means to a political end by governments in the Muslim world. — file pic
KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Influential Islamic scholar Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today charged that hadiths and religious edicts were abused by politicians within the federal government to justify its suppression of the Bersih rally last weekend.

The government, in the two weeks leading up to last Saturday’s rally, had issued special Friday sermons in mosques throughout Kuala Lumpur condemning the rally and accusing its organisers of manipulating Islam. Hadiths were also quoted to support the hardline position.

Asri, the former Perlis Mufti, pointed out that Malaysia, like many Middle Eastern countries, had issued fatwas condemning those who wished to take part in the peaceful demonstration on July 9.

These fatwas, said Asri, were issued by “literalist” Islamic scholars — those who understand the contents of the Al-Quran but insist on only literal interpretations, without any revisions.

“These people are against the formation of any society, political party, demonstration, nasyid, art and much more. If their fatwas are accepted, the Islamic world will crumble and people will not flourish.

“What is bad is that this movement is being benefited by cruel and corrupt leaders within the Islamic world. When hadiths are interpreted politically and literally, it is as if Islam gives leaders a “licence” to oppress their people while the people are tied, gagged, without any ability to object or act,” said Asri in a statement today.

What made things worse, said the academic, was that Quranic verses which are seen to be in favour of the ruling government would be read and promoted through every possible channel, while verses which warned people of the “cruelty of leaders” were ignored.

“In Malaysia, we saw this phenomenon during the heated demonstration recently … this (discussion) here is not meant to support or condemn the peaceful demonstration, but just to discuss some people’s understanding of certain hadiths,” said Asri.

Asri cited a hadith by Huzairah r.a and said that it was often used to defend the actions of leaders and to prohibit people from criticising the government, in whatever form.

The hadith quotes Huzairah as asking Prophet Muhammad S.A.W what should be done if the Prophet comes upon another leader who does not adhere to the Prophet’s teachings. Prophet Muhammad’s response was that even in such situations, loyalty and obedience to that said leader would be a priority.

The hadith in Malay is as follows: Hadis Huzaifah r.a: “Akan ada selepasku para pemimpin yang berpetunjuk bukan dengan petunjukku, bersunnah bukan dengan sunnahku, dan akan bangkit dalam kalangan mereka lelaki-lelaki yang jantung hati mereka seperti jantung hati syaitan dalam tubuh insan”. Kata Huzaifah: “Apa yang patut aku lakukan wahai Rasulullah, jika aku mendapati keadaan itu?”. Jawab baginda: “Dengar dan taat kepada ketua, sekalipun belakangmu dipukul, hartamu diambil, dengar dan taatlah” (Riwayat Muslim).

“This hadith becomes a sticking point to the extent that there are those who say ‘if leaders kill my family, I will not charge them in court.’ Imagine if all Muslims felt like that; then leaders of the Muslim world would rule without unopposed,” Asri added.

He stressed that a hadith cannot be read separately but needed to be examined and understood in its entirety, together with the relevant Quranic verses.

“If we do not do that, it will be a flawed interpretation … at a time when the world is protecting human rights, we are suddenly pulling our people back with literal interpretations. How then can the beauty of Islam be appreciated by say, a person who has just learnt about the religion?

“In some ways, leaders in Western countries are more honest and responsible towards their people compared to leaders in Muslim countries today … sometimes animals in Western countries are treated better than a Muslim who lives in a Muslim country — often beaten, ridiculed, imprisoned, or even killed without ever having the courage to speak out,” Asri said.

The academic stressed that no leader was above the law, and warned religious institutions against using Islam to defend the actions of corrupt and unjust leaders.

Bersih went ahead with Saturday’s rally despite being denied police permission, plunging parts of Kuala Lumpur into chaos and resulting in nearly 1,700 arrests, scores injured and the death of a PKR division leader’s husband.

Ada berani?

Dr. Dzul's Blog

http://blog.drdzul.com/2011/07/13/hadith-fatwas-abused-to-justify-bersih-ban-says-asri/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DrDzul%2FxyPA+%28Dr.+Dzul%27s+weblog+wordpresscom%29

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Pak Samad

Malaysians Passed The Test, Brilliantly!

Malaysians Passed The Test, Brilliantly!
M. Bakri Musa
www.bakrimusa.com
bakrimusa@juno.com

[Due to last Saturday’s Bersih 2.0 event, for this week only, the serialization of my book, Malaysia in the Era of Globalization, is switched to Wednesday, and my weekly essay to today (Sunday). My usual pattern will resume next week.]

A remarkable thing happened this past weekend. To many, the event on Saturday was nothing more than a massive public demonstration that capped a long brewing confrontation between those advocating “fair and free elections” and those who deemed that our elections are already so.

As with any fight, the drama was played out long before the event, and by the time the actual battle took place, the participants had long forgotten the original issue. Instead, now the preoccupation is who blinked first, who outsmarted whom, and most of all, who lost and who won. These then become the new overriding divisive issues, eclipsing the original one.

The losers would return to their corner with their new resolve: “Next time!” And the battle continues; they never learn! There were plenty of losers this weekend but few winners. The winners may be few but their achievements scaled new heights.

To me, this weekend was one of those moments (much too frequent, I hasten to add!) that test our nation. This time however, Malaysians acquitted themselves well. The same cannot be said of the Najib administration.

If this was an academic exercise, I would grade the performance of Malaysians as represented in Bersih an “A,” while the Najib Administration flunked badly. So dismal was its performance that the Najib administration should have no recourse to a remedial course or supplemental test; expulsion is the only option.

Terrible Trajectory

I would have thought that after the debacle of 1997 with the grossly inept handling of the reformasi demonstrations, and again a decade later with HINDRAF, the UMNO government would have learned a thing or two on how to deal intelligently with dissent and public demonstrations, two inherent features of a democracy. My expectation is not unreasonable, if not heightened, considering that we are today dealing with essentially the same characters in the administration. Most of the ministers who were in power during the reformasi and HINDRAF (now dubbed Bersih 1) are still there in Najib’s cabinet.

Obviously they, individually and collectively, have a flat learning curve. They are incapable of learning. There is a clinical term for that, but since this is a lay article I will resort to street lingo: idiots.

Their flat learning curve is even more incomprehensible considering that the consequences to them were so severe. The 1997 reformasi mess resulted in Barisan being thrashed in the 1999 elections, with Najib nearly being kicked out of his safe seat in Pekan that his father had held for many years.

The price escalated with Bersih 1.0. The general elections of 2008 saw Barisan being humiliated with an unprecedented loss of its two-thirds parliamentary majority, along with five states, including two of the most developed: Penang and Selangor.

I will let readers plot the trajectory as to the consequences of this weekend’s mess should the next general elections be held soon, as is widely predicted.

The iconic image of the reformasi debacle was of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar’s battered face; that of Bersih1.0 was of Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin frothing at the mouth, babbling incoherently in front of the international news media trying to justify his government’s brutal suppression of its people. It was a classic demonstration of that uniquely Malay mental malady, latah (verbal diarrhea). It was also a display of amok, another peculiarly Malay affliction, albeit in this case only of the oral variety.

The iconic image of Bersih 2.0 was refreshing; that of its leader Ambiga Sreenivasan, former Bar Council President, serenely leaving the Istana after an audience with the King. The symbolism could not be overstated, for the Najib Administration had earlier declared her organization illegal! Only those retarded would miss the message, and they are precisely the types we are dealing with here.

Winners and Losers

My award for courage and excellence in Berseh 2.0 goes to those brave Malay masses who defied their government, their imams, and the party that had long proclaimed and presumed to speak on their behalf. In taking a very active part in a movement led predominantly by non-Malays, those Malays showed that they are no longer trapped by tribalism; they had escaped the clutches of chauvinism. There is now no going back.

This significant milestone is not acknowledged, much less appreciated. However, leaders who ignore this do so at their peril. For aspiring Malay leaders, it is now no longer enough for you to display your nationalistic zeal or ethnic instincts. You have to articulate the issues that matter most to the Malay masses: fairness, honesty, and justice, in elections and on other issues. I would also add competence. Those incidentally are also the concerns of all Malaysians.

Yes, there was a time when you could garner Malay support by justifying that the victims of your corruption, injustices and unfairness were non-Malays. Those days are now long gone; get used to it! Malays now realize that while in the past those victims may be mostly non-Malays, today they are increasingly Malays too.

The comforting corollary to my observation is that those capable non-Malay leaders would be assured of Malay support, if they were to address the central issues facing the masses.

Yes, Bersih 2.0 had strong non-Malay support especially abroad. Unanswered is whether a similar movement with equally noble objectives but with predominantly Malay leadership would garner the same enthusiastic support from non-Malays. If reformasi was any indication, the answer would be a reassuring yes.

I am especially heartened by the responses of Malay NGO leaders like Marina Mahathir. When Najib, and others who took their cue from him, began demonizing Ambiga by maliciously injecting ugly racial and religious accusations, Marina unambiguously and passionately defended Ambiga. Marina was of course all smiles and gentleness, as is the traditional halus (fine) Malay way, but there was no disguising her contempt for such odious tactics and their purveyors.

The biggest loser was of course the Najib Administration, specifically Najib and his fellow UMNO ministers. Their inanity was typified by Home Minister Hishammuddin complimenting the police for keeping the peace and stability. Yes, with the streets blockaded, stores closed, and citizens bludgeoned – the ‘peace’ and ‘stability’ of a prison “lockdown.” That was KL all week leading to last Saturday.

The conspicuous silence of other Barisan leaders was noted; that reflected solidarity not out of courage but cowardice. In contrast, even UMNO Youth defied Najib in declaring that it too would stage a counter demonstration.

Despite its defiance, UMNO Youth was also the loser, together with that ultra-Malay organization led by has-been politicians and past-their-peak professors, Perkasa. Good thing that the government had banned their leaders from KL; at least they had a ready excuse for their dismal performance.

The list of losers is long; there is little merit in mentioning more except for just this one, and I do so with profound sadness. A few weeks before the event, all the mosques in Kuala Lumpur, including the National Mosque, were warning their Friday prayer congregants of the evilness of those who led Bersih 2.0 and the sin that would befall those who would participate in it.

At a time when our community is divided, as with this central issue of fair and free elections, I would expect our ulamas and religious leaders to be our healers, to bring us together, to be the balm to our collective wounds. Instead they became only too willing instruments of the state with their canned state-issued sermons demonizing those who saw merit in the objectives of Bersih 2.0.

Obviously to the thousands of Malays who took part in Bersih 2.0, including one particular old man in his jubbah who had to be helped to walk, those characters cloaked in their flowing robes standing at their mimbar every Friday noon are less pious ulamas to be revered but more propagandists for the state to be defied. They may be Imams, but to the thousands who took part in Berseh 2.0 last Saturday, they are carma imams, to borrow National Laureate Samad Said’s term. Carma is the Malay contraction of cari makan, seeking a living. Idiomatically it refers to those who prostituted their honored craft or profession.

Those GI Imams (Government-issued) have flunked their test; there is no remedial course for them either. That is one of the great casualties of last Saturday’s event. For those carma imams, there is no corner they can return to or hide in.

Walking with the people

Unggun Bersih - A.Samad Said

Poem by Sasterawan Negara (National Laureate) A Samad Said.

Unggun-bersih
Semakin lara kita didera bara –
kita laungkan juga pesan merdeka:
Demokrasi sebenderang mentari
sehasrat hajat semurni harga diri.
Lama resah kita – demokrasi luka;
lama duka kita – demokrasi lara.
Demokrasi yang angkuh, kita cemuhi;
suara bebas yang utuh, kita idami!
Dua abad lalu Sam Adams berseru
(di Boston dijirus teh ke laut biru):
Tak diperlu gempita sorak yang gebu,
diperlu hanya unggun api yang syahdu.
Kini menyalalah unggun sakti itu;
kini merebaklah nyala unggun itu.

Video : Truth that Cannot Be Cover - Bersih 2.0 09/07/2011

Video : Walking With People

Mereka datang dengan bunga, mereka datang dengan gitar, yang kurang upaya datang bertongkat, mereka datang bawa belon, tua muda, miskin kaya,.... tiada ganas tiada ancaman.....tuntut keBERSIHan....

8 tuntutan Bersih

Islam tuntut supaya umat bersih adil dan telus.

Adakah ini ganas?

A Samad Said ajak golongan muda ubah negara

Khaulah Azwar

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 Julai: Sasterawan Negara, Datuk A. Samad Said mengajak rakyat jelata terutamanya golongan muda mengubah pemimpin negara melalui demokrasi untuk membentuk kerajaan baru yang adil, tulus dan berkebajikan.

“Kita berada disini adalah hak kita, kita berada di sini adalah sebab kita mencintai negara kita, yang tidak cintakan negara kita adalah Najib dan Umno," kata Samad ketika memberikan ucapan ringkas kepada peserta perhimpunan Bersih Sabtu lepas.

Beliau melahirkan rasa bangga dengan semua rakyat yang hadir dalam himpunan Bersih 2.0 untuk menuntut hak pilihanraya yang bersih dan tulus untuk mengadap sultan bagi menyerahkan memorandum.

"Tetapi perjalanan kita disekat di semua penjuru oleh Polis dan FRU,” kata Pak Samad di hadapan rakyat yang berkumpul di hadapan Kuil Budha untuk menuju ke Stadium Negara petang Sabtu lepas.

“ Apakah salahnya rakyat berkumpul untuk menuntut hak. Negara ini bukan milik Najib dan Umno, negara ini bukan milik Rosmah tetapi negara ini milik rakyat. Ini rumah kita,” katanya.

Bagi beliau, rakyat ke stadium Merdeka dengan bertekad untuk menyatakan hak tetapi disekat, di layan buruk oleh pihak polis dan FRU.

Menurut Pak Samad, dia datang daripada KL Central. Namun belum pun sempat sampai KL Central mata beliau sudah pedih ditembak dengan gas pemedih mata yang sangat dasyat.

"Mata kanan saya terlalu pedih dan merah yang amat sangat. Beberapa wartawan yang jalankan tugasnya juga dilayan dengan kasar oleh polis. Beg wartawan juga di selongkar…mengapa teruk sangat mereka menjalankan tugas?" soal tokoh yang dinobatkan sebagai Sastrawan Negara itu.

Menurut Pak Samad, mereka datang memang ingin serahkan memorandum kepada sultan untuk menuntut pilihanraya yang bersih dan adil tetapi tidak kesampaian kerana polis telah sekat dan tidak bertolak ansur langsung dalam perbincangan dengan beberapa orang pimpinan NGO.

Berbagai alasan yang diberikan oleh polis. “saya benar-benar rasa kesal dengan tindakan Perdana Menteri Malaysia , Najib yang telah memungkiri janji kepada rakyat.

"Najib berjanji kepada kita akan beri pilihan untuk adakan himpunan sampai jam berapa pun kita tidak kisah, nak pekik telolong sampai ke pagi pun mereka tak peduli, tetapi bila kita pilih Stadium Merdeka, mengapa mereka berdolak dalih dan tidak membenarkan penganjur untuk adakan bersih di stadium.

"Bahkan semua urusan permit tidak diluluskan walaupun sudah beberapa kali diminta.

“Mengapa mereka tidak luluskan, adakah mereka takut dengan kebangkitan rakyat?” soal beliau.

Sehubungan itu, beliau memberikan peringatan:

“saya ingin ingatkan kepada semua rakyat. Negara kita mengamalkan sistem demokrasi oleh itu, kita harus bijak gunakan demokrasi ini. Kalau kita tidak bijak orang akan peralatkan sistem demokrfasi negara kita untuk kekalkan kuasanya seperti apa yang berlaku sekarang," tegasnya.

(Antara ribuan yang mendengar ucapan A Samad Said)

Menurut beliau, dalam demokrasi ada lunasnya yang perlu dihormati, antaranya mendengar suara rakyat bukan terus menolaknya. "Kita ini adalah insan."

Justeru itu, beliau berharap semua rakyat harus fikirkan masa depan negara ini.

"Masa depan negara kita terletak pada orang muda. Orang muda sahaja yang layak mengubah. Setiap orang muda harus fikir bagaimana untuk membantu membentukkan kerajaan yang baru," kata Samad yang diikuti dengan laungan takbir daripada rakyat yang berhimpun disitu.

Gandakan kejayaan Bersih 2007

Sementara itu pula Saudara Mazlan Aliman pejuang rakyat pula berkata, “walaupun kita hadapi ugutan dengan ancaman sekatan daripada pihak berkuasa polis yang dikuasai oleh Umno tetapi kita berjaya hadapi dengan tenang dan dapat berkumpul dengan aman melebihi 300, 000 rakyat yang datang dari seluruh negeri”.

Demokrasi petang ini mencatat sejarah apabila ratusan ribuan manusia berkumpul di merata tempat.

"Message ini jelas kita berikan kepada PM bahawa rakyat ingin menuntut pilihanraya yang telus dan bersih. Dengan itu saya harap kepada semua peserta himpunan Bersih 2.0 jadikan himpunan ini sebagai pusingan ke dua.

"Kalau 2007 ribuan penduduk berkumpul dalam himpunan bersih sehingga Pakatan Rakyat (PR) berjaya merampas lima negeri dan akan datang saya harap kita akan rampas semua negeri di Malaysia ini," katanya dengan disambut laungan takbir.

Beberapa badan NGO, aktivis anti ISA juga turut beri ucapan menuntut keadilan dalam pilihanraya ke 13 nanti

Bersih 2.0: Matthias sifatkan kegagalan Najib

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 Julai: Sehari selepas berlangsungnya perhimpunan Bersih 2.0, para penyokong BN sendiri mulai menyerang pemimpin mereka dan menyalahkan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib disifatkan gagal melaksanakan cadangannya sendiri agar perhimpunan dijalankan di stadium dan disifatkan pemimpin 'flip-flop' atau 'kluk-klek'.

Bekas Setiausaha Politik Perdana Menteri (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed), Matthias Chang (gambar) dalam tulisannya memberikan masa sekurang-kurangnya 10 bulan kepada BN untuk boleh membetulkan balik kesilapan cara BN mengendalikan perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 ini.

Sebelum Matthias, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Saifudin Abdullah turut mempertikaikan strategi BN dalam menghadapi Bersih 2.0.

"Selepas perhimpunan 9 Julai 2011, saya mencadangkan agar Perdana Menteri dan seluruh pemimpin BN, bahawa keutamaan mereka sekarang adalah membuang semua penasihat politik yang tidak ada pengalaman langsung dalam realiti politik," tulis Matthias mengulas peranan penasihat politik Najib yang dikatakan pakar dalam “Blue Ocean Strategy” (strategi lautan biru).

Kerajaan BN, kata Mathias, membelanjakan bilion ringgit untuk membayar para 'pakar strategi' ini namun sehingga kini tidak menunjukkan sebarang hasil yang jelas 'di alam realiti dan di peringkat akar umbi.'

Tulisan Mathias membayangkan cerita sebenar di sebalik kegelisahan dan tindakan berlebihan kerajaan pimpinan Najib dalam mengendalikan Bersih 2.0.

Sehari selepas perhimpunan Bersih 2.0, Najib menghimpunkan 6,000 para penyokongnya di PWTC dan memberikan ucapan berapi kononnya Bersih 2.0 tidak ada sebarang kesan.

Sebelum itu, beliau dan timbalannya Tan Sri Muhyidin Yasin telah membuat kenyataan bahawa semua urusan mengendalikan perhimpunan kali ini diserahkan kepada polis.

Hasilnya, seluruh bandaraya Kuala Lumpur dikepung dan tidak ada sebarang kenderaan yang dibenarkan masuk sejak tengahmalam sebelum 9 Julai.

Namun, pelbagai pihak menganggar lebih 100,000 penyokong Bersih berhimpun di ibunegara walaupun mendapat tentangan ganas dari pihak keselamatan.

Seorang peserta, Baharudin Ahmad, 58 tahun telah meninggal dunia. Pemangku Ketua Polis Kuala Lumpur dan Najib sendiri mendakwa ia berpunca dari sakit jantung tetapi keluarganya berkata, Allahyarham, seorang bekas tentera yang segar bugar mustahil terkena komplikasi jantung.

Keluarganya juga berkata, jenazah Allahyarham menunjukkan tanda empat tulang dadanya patah manakala tiga batang giginya turut patah.

Di samping Baharudin, 1697 peserta ditahan sepanjang operasi polis itu termasuk Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang dan pengerusi Bersih 2.0 Datuk S Ambiga.

Kesan dari itu, Mathhias yang menyebut dia adalah bekas setiausaha politik PM sebelum ini berkata, jika pilihan raya diadakan tahun ini, BN tidak akan berjaya mendapat dua pertiga majoriti dalam Parlimen mahupun mengambil balik empat negeri yang dimenangi Pakatan Rakyat.

Yang lebih teruk lagi, beliau menjangkakan PM akan dihalau keluar enam bulan selepas itu.

(Polis menembak gas pemedih mata kepada peserta perhimpunan yang menuntut agar pilihan raya dijalankan dengan bersih dan adil)

Bagi menghadapinya, Matthias memberikan tiga cadangan untuk Najib:

1) Arahkan para penasihat politik beliau menonton siri TV “The Three Kingdoms” dan belajar asas-asas strategi politik.

2) Hantar sepupu beliau, Datuk Seri Hishamudin Husein iaitu Menteri Dalam Negeri untuk dianalisa jiwanya untuk “Enlarged Ego Syndrome” (EES) dan menyusun semula semua pegawai kanan Polis Diraja Malaysia.

3) Masukkan ke dalam peti sejuk semua pimpinan Pemuda Umno pimpinan Khairy Jamaludin. Ini kerana masalah sebenar Najib bukannya pembangkang tetapi dalaman BN sendiri.

Bagi Mathias, perhimpunan 9 Julai 2011 menimbulkan tujuh persoalan untuk dijawab oleh Najib:

1) Mengapa para pakar "Strategi lautan biru" gagal menjangkakan dengan tepat apa akan berlaku dalam Bersih 2.0 dan membuat langkah awal?

2) Kenapa pasukan keselamatan kebangsaan gagal menjangka apa berlaku dalam Bersih 2.0 dan bila PM dan menteri kabinet ditaklimatkan tentang demonstrasi itu?

3) Kenapa kerajaan BN membenarkan agen provokasi Perkasa mengambilalih tugasnya dalam mengendalikan Bersih dan diikuti oleh Pemuda Umno yang tidak matang?

4) Mengapa Najib flip-flop dalam keputusannya membenarkan perhimpunan di stadium dan memberikan kebenaran kepada polis untuk bertindak sepenuhnya?

5) Apa yang menyebabkan agen propaganda BN merasa dengan menyekat seluruh ibu negara akan menyebabkan rakyat marah kepada pembangkang bukannya kerajaan BN?

6) Adakah penilaian dibuat terhadap kesan dari tindakan keras terhadap demonstrasi Bersih 2.0. Adakah ia berjaya mengekalkan penyokongnya atau menghalau keseluruhan 40 peratus pengundi atas pagar dari BN?

7) Adakah dikenalpasti objektif yang hendak dicapai dengan pendekatan kasar menghadapi Bersih dan bagaimana ia boleh menambahkan lagi sokongan kepada BN dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang?

to ponder.....

A stupid person should keep silent. But if he knew this, he would not be a stupid person.

- Muslih-ud-Din Saadi

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Semangat Juang!!!!

to ponder....patriotism

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

-Howard Zinn

There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.

-Howard Zinn

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.

Margaret Chase Smith

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

For everyone of us that succeeds, it's because there's somebody there to show you the way out. The light doesn't always necessarily have to be in your family; for me it was teachers and school.

- Oprah Winfrey

Note:

So let us teachers be sure that we give our best so that our students will succeeds.

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

If You Are A Malaysian, PLEASE Watch This Video

EKSKLUSIF BERSIH 2.0 (Bukti Penyelewengan) - Mat Sabu.mpg

RAKYAT MARHAEN: Video : If You Are A Malaysian, PLEASE Watch This ...

RAKYAT MARHAEN: Video : If You Are A Malaysian, PLEASE Watch This ...

Elektrik: Syarikat IPP diutamakan, rakyat diketepikan

Elektrik: Syarikat IPP diutamakan, rakyat diketepikan

to ponder.....

A stupid person should keep silent. But if he knew this, he would not be a stupid person.

Muslih-ud-Din Saadi

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

to ponder.....

It is no dishonor to be in a minority in the cause of liberty and virtue.

Sam Adams

Dr Ahmad Azman Mohd Anuar
The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +310634028638
www.drazman.blogspot.com

Taking people for fools « Lim Kit Siang

http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2011/07/05/taking-people-for-fools/

Dr Azman
The Hague, Netherlands

Attracting the Best To Teaching

Attracting the Best To Teaching
M. Bakri Musa
www.bakrimusa.com

Early this year the US Department of Education, together with OECD and the Asia Society, convened a summit of education ministers, master teachers, and union leaders from 15 countries. The theme was on attracting, training and retaining the best teachers. Those were no ordinary countries participating; their students had consistently excelled in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).

America has some of the finest private and public schools, while its colleges and universities regularly dominate anybody’s list of the best. Yet there was US Education Secretary Duncan sponsoring this symposium and its opening speaker. That reflects the seriousness with which American leaders and policymakers consider education. It also shows their humility and commitment to learn from the best. I long for such traits in our leaders and educators.

The core assumption of the summit is that you cannot have excellent schools without excellent teachers. “Great teachers are not just born that way,” Secretary Duncan noted in his opening remarks. “It takes a high-quality system for recruiting, training, retaining, and supporting teachers over the course of their careers to develop an effective teaching force,” he continued.

This emphasis on schools and education is well placed. As OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria put it, “The prosperity of our nations depends on whether we succeed to attract the brightest minds into the teaching profession, and the most talented teachers into the most challenging classrooms.”


Pivotal Role of Teachers

You cannot have good schools without good teachers. Good teachers in turn come from good students, and good students need good schools in order to shine. This is not an extended version of the old chicken-and-egg riddle. Rather what these countries with exemplary schools and outstanding teachers have demonstrated is the pivotal position of the teacher. Finland and Singapore in particular have shown that you can indeed intervene to make teaching an attractive profession, the first-choice career of the talented.

In Finland teaching is a much-sought occupation, with ten applicants for every position! The teaching profession there attracts the best applicants in part because teachers get competitive pay. Singapore aggressively recruits from among the top third of its students, and those interested in and committed to teaching are paid while still in school.

Keen competition in itself is no indicator of quality. In Malaysia, there is a glut of applicants for religious teachers but no one dares claim that the applicant pool is made up of top-tier students. There is similar stiff competition to be teachers in Egypt, but its schools and students rank at the bottom in international comparisons. The reason is that the Egyptian economy is in such a rut that teaching is the only job available. The same dynamics apply to our religious teachers.

Recruiting top talent is only the beginning. Rookies’ enthusiasm will get you only so far. Teachers must also be given superior initial training; then there must be a mechanism for continuing professional education and training.

Finland has an exceptionally superior system; hence it is attracting the best talents. Teachers there get training to the level of a master’s degree, even for primary school teachers. They are rightly treated as professionals because they are rigorously trained and more importantly, behave as such. They are also trained to be diagnosticians to recognize not only the different learning styles but also learning problems.

A unique feature of the Finnish system is that each teacher is also a researcher, participating in research in collaboration with the local university. The best way to keep abreast in your field is to be involved in research even if only tangentially.

Being true professionals, Finnish teachers have considerable autonomy, as are their schools. The Finnish Ministry of Education is more a resource center than a command-and-control one. Its bureaucrats are not control freaks.

Those countries are also actively widening the pool talent for recruitment to include those from underrepresented minorities and those seeking mid-career change. This has particular relevance for Malaysia; it too must aggressively recruit from among Orang Asli and other minority groups especially of East Malaysia. It is important for minority students to have role models from among the teachers.

No professional would be satisfied unless he or she is assured of career advancement as well as appropriate reward and recognition for a job well done. In Singapore teachers are career tracked to be master teachers, school leaders, or specialist in curriculum or research. The government regularly tracks what competing sectors are paying their workers in order that teachers remain competitively paid.

Reforming Schools

The other significant lesson from the summit is that school reforms when effectively executed can bear positive results quickly. Poland is an example. It initiated reform only in the late 1990s but within a decade it has dramatically reduced the number of its poorly performing students and cut in half the variations in performance among its schools. Previously Polish students regularly perform at below average level of OECD countries; after reform they were on par with Americans.

Reforming school is the rage everywhere, Malaysia included. The consensus at this conference is that teachers must both be the active agents for and effective implementers of reform.

This creates a dilemma for Malaysia. Where teachers are well trained, thoroughly professional and highly effective as they are in the Scandinavian countries, they should be actively involved with the reform process. In Malaysia however, our teaching profession is far from that. It has been significantly degraded with respect to standards and professionalism, as reflected in the quality of their products – the students.

Having been brought up under the current system it would be unrealistic to expect these teachers to be agents or advocates for change. Their position is essentially that the system was good enough for them; it should be good enough for the present and future generations. Stated differently, current teachers are part of the problem, not of the solution. This does not mean that they cannot be trained or persuaded to be part of the solution, but we should not underestimate the difficulties and challenges.

The reform in Poland was, as expected of a former communist country, a top-down affair. Yet it was highly successful. Likewise in Singapore; no surprise there either, but it was also effective. A generation ago Singapore faced problems similar to what Malaysia faces today where teaching was not the first choice career for its top students.

Thailand too has its “Malaysian problem;” the Thais solved it in their own unique patient way. Recognizing the futility of persuading these teachers to agree for reform, the government simply bypassed them by liberalizing the school sector to foreign players. Consequently, international schools blossomed in Thailand. Yes, they are an option only for the elite and rich. These schools are educating the children of the influential. These students are destined to hold key positions in their country, their superior education and social standing assured them of that. They would be the ones to lead successful reforms in the future.

In reforming Malaysian schools, we could pursue either the top-down approach of Poland and Singapore, or use the slower and surer Thai way. However, I do not see the necessary enlightened and intelligent leadership to effect meaningful top-down reform, nor do I see a farsighted leadership to initiate the slow Thai way.

Quality of Schools and Fertility Rates

On perusing the list of countries whose students excelled in PISA, one fact stands out: Those countries also have low fertility rates. The latest addition to the list of top performers is China, specifically Shanghai. China’s almost inhuman “one-child” policy has many critics but there is no questioning its benefits. For the past few decades China was spared the burden of feeding and housing over 300 million potential Chinese. Imagine the savings in not having another Bangladesh within your borders! Spared of those huge expenses, the Chinese could now divert resources to improving their schools.

The reverse however is not true; low fertility rates alone do not guarantee good schools. Sri Lanka is proof of that.

In Malaysia, the fertility rate for Malays, while declining, is still nearly doubled that of non-Malays. The wide discrepancy in academic achievement and other social indices between Malays and non-Malays is ultimately attributed in part to this difference in fertility rates.

If today the authorities were to implement an effective and acceptable family planning program that is enthusiastically endorsed by the religious authorities, the positive impact would be felt almost immediately. First, there will be the drop in the number of pregnancies, and nine months later the decline in the number of births. With that the savings in expenses related to medical care. That would only be the beginning. Six years later when those potential babies would be ready for school, the savings would be even greater as there would be no need for new schools and teachers.

Even more remarkable, those savings would be cumulative; they would continue to add up. With those savings we could then expend resources towards improving the quality of life of our people, and that would include providing them with good schools and superior teachers.

Those OECD and other advanced countries can focus on making their schools superior because they have the resources to do so; they have been spared the expenses that would have been incurred had they had high fertility rates. This basic link was not discussed at the summit as it was taken for granted. For Malaysia however, it is a reality that is not yet even been acknowledged, much less addressed.

The wisdom of those eminent educators from OECD displayed at the summit is still valid, and Malaysia could usefully adopt some of it provided our leaders and policymakers bear in mind that we have a more basic problem outside the realm of education but related to it. We have to tame our fertility rates first; then with the savings we would have the resources to address the challenges of education.