No sacrifice at all

Salam Aidil Adha 

Both sermons at the Masjid were talking about ritual of sacrifice. 

It is to commemmurate the Quranic story of Prophet Abrahim undergoing the ultimate test of faith to carry out Allah's commandment to slaughter his own son, Prophet Ismail.  

The morning sermon at our neighbourhood surau was particularly moving and expressed the essence in the meaning of sacrifice. 

It was the story of a pious and learned man, who received a dream of being told by Prophet Muhammad that all the pious men and women he knew were not awarded Haj Mabrur, except for a person by the name of Abdullah. 

Haj Mabrur is a Haj ibadah that is accepted by Allah. 

Final thought before SRC verdict

Its D-Day for Dato Najib.

SRC is the low lying fruits within reach of Tun Dr Mahathir to send Najib to the prison to what seemed a political prosecution for refusing and resisting his wishes.

If convicted, Mahathir will be absolved from accusation of slander, cruelty, and obsessive behaviours typical of megalomaniac dictators.

Though Dato Gopal Sri Ram's manipulative hands are visibly seen, and Tan Sri Tommy Thomas's incompetence and biasness are obvious for all to see, Mahathir will deny of having his hands behind the scheme. . 

The responsibility will be placed on the court as though the process was a lawful, fair and transparent one.

A day before verdict, Dato Najib said in his FB he will continue to seek for justice.

Could Justice Nazlan's SRC verdict be free from politics?

To most Malaysians, politics interfere in every aspect of Malaysian life including in the court of justice.

More so,  Tun Dr Mahathir had no respect for the law and had the reputation of interfering in the judiciary. This time using Dato Gopal Sri Ram.

Dato Nazlan Ghazali was aware his reputation was tarnished by Gopal's claim to members of the legal community that Nazlan was "his boy". Apparently, he is not the only victim of Gopal's manipulative and bully tactics to impose himself on other judges and lawyers.

Tan Sri Apandi Ali revealed on his FB in mid-June of Gopal Sri Ram "sent to see him in January 2018 by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to persuade him to arrest Najib, the then prime minister".

Gopal kept silent and only responded three weeks later to brushed it off as self corroboration and meant to frustrate his 1MDB trial. Apandi said he has proofs and responded with a 59 page affidavit. No reply from Gopal yet.

Be that as it may. It is undeniably an indication that politics could influence the outcome of the SRC case.

Tabung Haji: Baling's day in Parliament

On Tuesday July 21st, 2020, former Chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), and MP for Baling, Dato Seri Azeez Rahim got his day in Parliament to spill out and answer the two years of accusation towards him by Pakatan Harapan on TH.

According to viraled poster, the Mufti of Perlis passed a slanderous comment against Azeez following police report made at the end of 2018.

Parit Buntar MP, Dr Mujahid denied Azeez the chance to pose a question, when he had the floor. Mujahid  repeated Kulim Bandar Baharu MP, Dato Saifuddin Nasution who earlier spoke the same point on liability level below asset and riding on the name of PWC.

Both were given leeway by Port Dickson MP, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was rhetorical and lack specifics to debate on TH. They were reiterating past debunked arguments to divert the long list of shortcomings and infringements done today by PH administered TH.

Complacency, reckless politics could hasten Sabah as China's 24th province

Al Jazeera reported:

On Monday, the US raised the stakes, saying "Beijing's claims to offshore resources" across most of the disputed seas were "completely unlawful". US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added that the world would "not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire."

The title of an opinion piece in the South China Morning Post, The US is finally taking sides in the South China Sea – against Beijing’s claims, sums up Pompeo's statement.

Earlier on July 6th, US conducted a military exercise at the South China Sea. The position taken by US indicate their interest to participate in the dispute.

The cowboy manner of US intervention in international disputes is not something countries in the region should look forward as it usually flare-up into a full blown war.

Malaysia have been looking to other options to avoid the possibility of superpowers doing battle at its doorstep.

Foreign Minister, Dato Hishamuddin Hussein tried to cool temperature by playing down media attention to the rising dispute with claims no Chinese ships sighted in Malaysian water for 100 days.

Preserving UMNO is a priority

The motion to remove House Speaker, Tan Sri Mohd Ariff Mohd Yusof yesterday won by a slim 111 against 109. Ariff accepted the decision as "he who appoints has the power to remove". It is customary for ruling party to put their own man.

There are voices playing down the house decision as not surpassing the 112 majority, but in his victory over Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in the 1987 UMNO party election, it was Tun Dr Mahathir who said "A win by one is still a win".

The slim win does put into question the fragile state of the "Perikatan Nasional", the upcoming agenda #27 on vote of no confidence, and even calls for an immediate snap general election to follow Singapore.

M'kini covering up LGE, Tony Pua interference in RM240 million tender

Malaysiakini undertook an investigation into the procurement of X-ray scanners worth RM240 million for the Royal Customs of Malaysia in their report, "Murky procurement of 'blacklisted' X-ray scanners".

Before commenting any further, it is noticeable that Malaysiakini got comment of denial and claim of good behaviour from Tony Pua, while the rest have not responded for various reasons, legitimate or not.

Anyone with their ears on the ground to hear the grumbling by businessmen, irrespective of race and include Chinese businessmen complaining on Tony Pua and Lim Guan Eng, they will absolutely doubt the words of Tony Pua.

There must be reasons he lost out in DAP Selangor election and got booed out at Chin Meng festival celebrations. Even in DAP's pow wow session after losing the government, Tony Pua was told to not speak as he was blamed as the cause for lost in confidence in DAP.

Talk among businessmen, particularly Chinese businessmen, is that he is the tender fixer at the Ministry of Finance.

Sack Board members of TH or face backlash from Muslims!

The tenure of the full Board of Directors (BoD) of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) is due to expire any day now.

If Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin intend to stay long as PM, he should override the Minister in the PM Department in charge of Islamic Affair and sack the the whole evil lot of the BOD, especially Dato Zaiton binti  Hassan.

Subsequently, he should establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) with the objective of investigating and charging all of the perpatrators in court for criminal offenses.

Ignoring this warning will result in backlash and anger from the Muslim community once the whole truth is known.

They manipulated, create falsehoods and slander those intent to reduce TH to merely a travel agent and deposit taking and staff to be salesman for Bank Islam products!

Post Pandemic: Spirituality to bring change

In the previous posting, Post-Pandemic: Important leaders still not get it yet, this blog concluded the opinion piece on post-Pandemic economic planning with the view that the task ahead in facing up to the new challenges of the nation lies in education.

The likelihood is policymaker will be too focused on post Covid economic recovery that they missed out on a sudden change in human behaviour and attitude that will set a new social, economic and political order.

People are forced into self reflection and subsequently becoming more spiritual. This blogger underwent that phase in this April posting here.

There could be greater consciousness for ethics and morality, compassion for humanity, and greater concern on past neglect and disrespect on nature and environment.

Post-Pandemic: Important leaders still not get it yet

Yesterday Health Ministry's Director General, Dato Noor Hisham Abdullah informed media that the latest positive infection is 3.

The day earlier the press was elated when he mentioned one. For few weeks, local cases of Corona Covid 19 virus infection have been on the minimal, and most are imported and involved foreigners.

The Sultan of Selangor announced masjid can conduct Aidil Adha prayers. These developments are indicating the worse is over.

Many felt the aftermath of the pandemic within weeks of the MCO but generally most will only come to term with it now.

It is time to face the task of handling the economic fallout that is being felt globally and restart the economy devastated by the sudden shrinkage in economic activity.

Malaysia have faced many economic crisis before, but the experience of the past may not be relevant today. Methodology need to change with the transformed social, economic and political senario.