While most of my golfing buddies were recuperating from a massive hang over after the Kaamatan festival yesterday,today I knelt down in prayer(pic),and as my tears rolled down my cheeks,I ask God Almighty to forgive the corridors of power in deciding on your behalf, how God should be addressed.Christians in Malaysia were shocked though not surprise that a court ruling on the 28th.May.2009,did not grant a stay order on the usage of the word"Allah".The shocking news is, Malaysia is currently the only known Muslim country in the world that prohibits the usage of the word "Allah" among non-Muslims be it printed or spoken.How Pathetic can this be?Is history being re-written? [Click to view Larger Image]
Exactly 88 days ago,I initiated a signature campaign to appeal to the Prime Minister of Malaysia to reconsider the decision and allow the usage of the word"Allah" among the Christian community in Malaysia.The campaign caught the attention of all major newspapers,news portal Malaysiakini,established blog Malaysia Today and it also hit the blog sphere.When Najib ascended as the new PM, in one of my reply to his email(1Malaysia.com),I reiterated this appeal,with the hope that if 1Malaysia is ever to succeed,religious freedom must be his priority,which is also enshrined in the Federal Constitution.I further urged and advice him that any attempt to undermine and violate such a freedom unnecessarily would only create resentment and animosity among the general public especially the younger generation towards the government.As a former student of St.Johns Institution(a mission school)I'm convinced he was never "confused",when the word Allah was used, as Najib has certainly proven to be a devoted Muslim.The signature campaign received tremendous support,not only from the Christian community but also from our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters as well.The international online signatures received from Indonesia,Arab countries, USA, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Europe, Japan, Korea and China were further testimony that the word"Allah" has no exclusivity to anyone.Of the just over 11,000 online signatures received, www.PetitionOnline.com/sabahan/petition.html and the over 4,000 hard copy signatures,40% were from these countries,while the remaining were among Malaysians.
Regrettably,non of the Christian Federal Cabinet Ministers or Christian State Cabinet Ministers of Sabah came out to support the campaign i.e Joseph Pairin Kitingan,Bernard Dompok,Maximus Ongkili,Joseph Kurup.Bernard Dompok had the cheek to say in a press statement that the campaign was redundant.I even approach Pairin one Sunday in Church during my rounds to obtain signatures,to support the campaign,and he ran away.Had I invited him for a singarung(drinking session) with sumandaks around(young women),I'm sure his answer would have been,where and what time?
It was only the ordinary people (pic) that came out in support,ironically the very same people that voted these morons,who now sit and enjoy the luxuries of power.President Theodore Roosevelt said it better.."A typical vice of politicians in power is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues"..."Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people".While we continue to foster unity and strengthen our bondage with all our Malaysian brothers and sisters irrespective of race and religion,let us pray that the government will have the wisdom and courage to admit that we are all Malaysians,equal above all.
1Malaysia,People First,Performance Now,Mr.Prime Minister,while I support the slogan,but please enlighten me,why am I still termed as dan lain lain(dll)?
Saudara Ronnie,saya amat kagum dengan pendirian kamu.Walaupun saya berugama Islam,Allah adalah mahakuasa untuk semua umat.
ReplyDeleteSaya percaya rakyat Malaysia yang sudah cukup matang akan berikan sokongan penuh.
I was one of the signatories in the online campaign,and I must say that God will be at your side.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a big man with a big heart to kneel down before God and pray for us,even though you may not know me in person.
In Malaysia, it is possible to patent the word "Allah" since only a certain group can use that exclusively.
ReplyDeleteEvery Friday, I host a Guest Blogger. I intend to feature your post this coming Friday....with your permission, although I seldom ask.
ReplyDeletehttp://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com
Zorro,
ReplyDeleteI'll be honored and privileged.
I used to be very proud being a MALAYSIAN, but sad to say, things are totally different nowaday. There's a lot of unbeleiveable 'things' happened which make me, or should I say we, whom fall under 'dan lain-lain' category.
ReplyDeleteO God, please forgive them, show them the light, take their hand so that they won't go astray...
Many freeedoms enjoyed by Sabahans prior to the formation of Malaysia are lost!
ReplyDeleteThis country only accepts MALAYS as bumiputera, even orang asli and natives of sabah and sarawak are third class citizens.
ReplyDelete1 Malaysia is a gimmick of NAJIS, no gimmick from new PM means something wrong!
ALL previous PM have slogan, maybe TUNKU and Hussein ONN tak dak! Father of Najis cannot say, forgot !
The facts can be changed from master to master, depending who the master is! The next thing they will change the shape of the country too!
One half for the MALAYs of UMNO the rest non umno malays and non MALAYS...
UMNO will set up a new statehood...all by themselves, becos they can't share power and can't give up what they have..all ill gotten gains.
I propose ONE BIG PULAU SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEAS...
PULAU UMNO !
This statement is 100% true???
ReplyDelete"We tried to get a copy of the ‘oil’ agreement that the state government under then acting chief minister Harris Salleh signed with the federal government on June 14, 1976 - eight days after chief minister Mohd Fuad Stephens perished with almost his entire state cabinet in a tragic plane crash,” disclosed Kitingan (left), who is also PKR national vice-president.
“However no one seems to have a copy, not even the state government. It would be interesting to see what that agreement spells out.”
Kitingan noted that ousted chief minister Mustapha Harun had refused to sign the so-called oil agreement in his time “and must have good reasons not to do so”. [see below]
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/107853
Sabah explores going beyond Ambalat dispute
Joe Fernandez | Jul 5, 09 9:59am
Sabah needs to revisit the legal aspects of any previous agreement with the federal government on the oil and gas issue, according to a closed-door forum held in Kota Kinabalu on Friday by the Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF).
Participants decided that at the same time there was “a need to press for greater transparency on the mechanics of the oft-cited five percent royalty to the state governments of oil states”.
The trigger-off point for the forum - the swirling controversy over who owns the oil and gas rich 15,235 sq km Ambalat block in the Sulawesi Sea has brought back the production sharing contracts (PSC) with the oil contractors into sharper focus and greater public scrutiny.