Power in unity: We live in a multiracial and multireligious society, where the interaction between people of different faiths cannot be avoided.

In the coming weeks, more like-minded Malay moderates are expected to step forward to keep the Voice of Moderation alive.

IT’S heartening to kick off 2015 with the Voice of Moderation gaining more momentum. As I write this article, Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin, the former Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands, had just sent out an e-mail to the media to inform them that more eminent Malays have joined the Group of 25 to make their stand against extreme racial and religious views.

The latest group of respectable figures to join the Group of 25 are former Public Services Department director-general Tan Sri Alwi Jantan, former Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Tan Sri Rafiah Salim, businessman Datuk Seri Nazir Ariff, former Ambassador and Asean deputy secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Mokhtar Selat, former Petronas Dagangan Berhad CEO Datuk Anwaruddin Osman, former Defence Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Baharuddin Musa, Universiti Malaya Faculty of Medicine dean Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, former Universiti Malaya Economics faculty dean Professor Dr Ariff Abdul Kareem, former MP Mohamed Tawfik Tun Dr Ismail and former Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad corporate finance executive Shazal Yusof Mohd Zain.

The 10 all share the same concerns over recent developments regarding race relations, Islam and the rise of extremist behaviour in Malaysia. The group of 25 prominent Malays had, on Dec 7, called for a rational dialogue on the position of Islam in a constitutional democracy.

“Given the impact of such vitriolic rhetoric on race relations and political stability of this country, we feel it is incumbent on us to take a public position,” Noor Farida Ariffin, a lawyer, had said in a statement when the group released its letter to the media.

I believe that in the coming weeks, more like-minded Malay moderates will be stepping forward to keep the cause alive.

These are the concerned citizens who will openly make their stand even though they are aware that they will be called all sorts of names for doing so. Many have already declared their support to the group, including CIMB group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak and former deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam.

Nazir, in an interview with The Edge in its Dec 22, 2014 issue, said, “it was refreshing to read the recent public statement by 25 prominent senior Malaysians calling for a dialogue on religion and political stability. I could not agree more.”

In the article, he was also asked whether there was anything that he reckoned Malaysians should be thinking about more.

His reply: “National unity. Why do we allow the racial paradigm to dominate us when there is so much power in unity and leveraging diversity?”

Meanwhile, Musa, who proudly proclaims himself “always a moderate and proud to be one,” said in an interview with this newspaper on Dec 22, “I was very happy to see the statement made by the 25 prominent Malay personalities. To me personally, that was a very good symbolic statement made by them in that they triggered thinking, arguments and conversations.

“Then there were the responses, which I compliment also because they are not calling names. They are not arguing based on irrationality but arguing on an almost point-by-point basis.”

The highly-respected Tan Sri Munir Majid, a visiting senior fellow at LSE Ideas Centre for International Affairs, Diplomacy and Strategy, wrote in his column in The Star yesterday that “The great – and main – contribution of the 25 prominent Malays who wrote that open letter calling for rational dialogue on the application of Islamic laws in the country, is to highlight there is a serious existential problem over the political system to which Malaysia subscribes – which is being loudly and evidentially challenged.

“It cannot any longer be avoided or swept under the carpet. It could lead to violence and violent change. It needs management through strong political leadership.”

Supporting the calls for dialogue, Dr Munir also pointed out that “In any such discussion, the two groups should be mindful of the sensitivity of re-opening issues in the constitution which touch upon inherent rights, especially of the non-Muslims.

“It has to be borne in mind that the minorities in multiracial Malaysia are not insubstantial and that there is an intermingling among the races which can raise issues – and there are numerous cases of this – which affect fundamental civil rights guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.”

All of them have hit the right chord about the need for rational discourse. This is in fact in line with the politics of consensus that has been pivotal in the governance of this country.

The Alliance and subsequently the Barisan Nasional, by bringing together different political parties representing different interests, has been able to rule this country since independence because it subscribes to the winning formula of consensus-building. Compromises have to be worked out to ensure that all races are represented in the Government to ensure its legitimacy.

It is a winning formula and there is no reason for any party within the coalition, even if it represents a particular group, to only focus on the interest of that group and forsake the interests of others.

What has troubled many Malaysians is that of late, a small group of individuals and a few organisations have been emboldened to make endless racist and seditious statements. They have no credible track record but continue to be in the limelight because they seem to be able to get away with their rantings, giving the impression that they have the perceived approval of the authorities. A terribly dangerous signal has been sent off.

Coupled with this is the insistence of PAS to push for hudud laws in Kelantan and this has put Umno in a spot, with religion now becoming a central agenda in Malay politics. If both parties support it, an unprecedented political development would be set off. It would certainly trigger off reactions from the non-Muslim component parties in both the Barisan and Pakatan Rakyat.

There will be no turning back if Malaysia, starting with Kelantan, takes on a different route – one which was never on the plan of our founding fathers, who clearly stated that Malaysia is to remain secular.

It is the height of naivety for non-Muslim citizens of this country to believe that this is strictly an issue for the Muslims – that hudud laws would not affect them, as PAS wants many of us to believe.

We live in a multiracial and multireligious society, where the interaction between people of different faiths cannot be avoided. How will the laws be applied, say in a rape case where the victim is a non-Muslim woman and the perpetrator is a Muslim man? How do we reconcile the weight of evidence required to prove rape under hudud and our existing Penal Code?

And what about a business contract involving Muslim and non-Muslim parties going awry? Which court will arbitrate and how will justice be dispensed?

Many Malaysians are deeply concerned over the state of the nation and the direction this country is heading towards. In the words of Noor Farida, she fears that Malaysia would end up like Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the religious authorities would reign supreme.

Moderates like Noor Farida and many others have had to pay a price for standing up against the extremists.

Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali has filed a suit for RM500,000 against me and Star Publications.

I have no intention of paying him a single sen, and I am waiting for the papers to be served on myself so we can get down to the formal stage of filing my statement of defence. Hopefully, the court will strike off this frivolous suit, which is nothing more than just intimidation.

Ibrahim has also threatened to sue Noor Farida, and it is good that the latter has urged Ibrahim to go ahead with the legal threat, so the matter can be settled in the courts.

Many personal threats and insults have been made against this writer by other like-minded extremists. In their inability to argue their case rationally, they resort to political and racist bullying. By now, most of us are pretty tired by simplistic arguments like, “go back to your country of origin if you don’t like Malaysia.”

This is unlike the rebuttal by the Group of 32 to the Group of 25, whose letter was also published in this newspaper. Their point-for-point response is the kind of civil discourse that we want to see, so that Malaysians can study the views that are put forth.

For the moderates, the biggest challenge has always been about their ability and willingness to point out, even criticise, the flaws of their own communities and religions.

I have been accused of not making criticisms against groups like the Chinese education group Dong Zong and the Opposition, to cast aspersions on me as a true moderate. Can they just Google my past writings? Stop being lazy.

In 2012, in a Tweet, I strongly criticised the Chinese group for their outrageous suggestion that non-Mandarin speaking teachers be transferred out of Chinese primary schools.

Earlier in Nov 5, 2000 I questioned Dong Zong, in my column, on its objection to the Vision School concept, where three schools of different mediums of instruction – Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil – would occupy a common compound and share facilities.

“These schools have been totally integrated under the Vision Schools but their characters have remained unchanged. It would do a lot of good to the Dong Zong if it emphasises less on ethnicity,” I wrote. And these are just two examples.

I am a product of the English-medium school system and I will be among the first to tell off groups like Dong Zong that it cannot operate like a communist cell group.

The same line of attack has been made against Noor Farida and other moderates to make them go on the defensive. But the moderation movement does not belong to any one individual or group. It has become the People’s Movement.

Ordinary Malaysians – fresh faces and voices – have emerged. Names like Lyana Khairuddin, who initiated the #iam26 social media movement, and moderate advocates like Hannah Kam, Dina Murad, Firdaus Zulkifli, Alia Aishah Sharir, Michael Teoh, Sunildave Parmar, Tan James Anthony and Kanyakumari Damodran. They may not be household names but they dare to stand up and be counted, and make their voices heard.

If what started as the Voice of Moderates initiative by The Star in August last year – ahead of the National Day and Malaysia Day – has snowballed into an awakening with more moderates joining in, then I believe this spontaneous movement will grow larger, on its own.

Certainly, the court case involving me will add more spark, but more critically, ordinary moderate Malaysians must come together to send out a loud message to our leaders.

We will not let the extremists hijack Malaysia. Let no one be cowed, bullied or intimidated by those uncouth mouths, as we unite to keep Malaysia moderate.

THE year is winding down to a close. In three days’ time, 2014 will give way to 2015. It has been quite a year. As I had to file this week’s column early so as not to interrupt my year-end holiday, I thought it would be fun to reflect on some of the most amazing things said by Malaysians in 2014. The quotes that inspired were few and far between.

Instead, the quotes that got the most attention, not to mention got us into the global press for all the wrong reasons, seem to come one after another.

So, here are some of the most outrageous, idiotic, and humorous quotes (in no particular order) that I have selected that, in my opinion, definitely enraged and entertained Malaysians.

I am sure there will be more to come in the new year, so let us learn to laugh about such verbal antics.

1. Controversial Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin put his foot into his mouth, yet again, this time linking the German football team to Adolf Hitler.

After Germany humiliated Brazil 7-1in the semi-finals of the World Cup on Wednesday morning, Bung tweeted

“WELL DONE..BRAVO…LONG LIVE HITLER”.

July 9, 2014, The Star

2. Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, in responding to the open letter by the Group of 25:

“I am a moderate too.”

December 14 at Perkasa’s annual assembly in Kuala Lumpur.

3. Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) international bureau central committee member Dr Norhasliza Ahmad Fauzi, on why “moderation leads to sinful choices”:

“Moderation allows for a wide avenue of freedom of speech, human rights and sinful choices, even though this is prohibited by Islam. That freedom helps people belittle the capability of Islam and its contents and demands. This is why we object to it and we voice out.”

The rakyatpost.com Dec 19

4. Isma has once again stirred up controversy by saying Malays should not wish Christians “Merry Christmas” and celebrate along with them.

Isma activist Abu Ameen:

“In a world which has lost all sense of God and has turned to alcohol and consumerism to drown its sorrows, we as Muslims can show there is a better way of life for all mankind to experience peace — not by kissing under the mistletoe or visiting Santa, but instead by embracing Islam.”

The rakyatpost.com Dec 21

5. Road Transport Department Director-General Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad had estimated how many people the Department “wants to see dead” in road accidents approaching 2020.

In an Astro Awani interview, Ahmad can be seen saying “We estimate that 10,716 people will die before 2020 (in road accidents)”.

“Our initiatives are part of the efforts to reduce the number of Malaysians dying on the road because we have a KPI.”

“We want to see only 5,358 people dead approaching the year 2020.” (“Kita nak orang ramai mati 5,358 orang sahaja menjelang tahun 2020”).

Astro Awani, Nov 4

6. Sarawak DAP MP Chong Chien Jen was slammed, rightly, for his idiotic Facebook posting questioning why the national anthem was played before a movie, during the National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations. The MP later apologised.

In his original posting, not mincing his words, Chong labelled the move to play the national anthem as an “absolute disgrace and ridiculous”.

“Is Malaysia heading towards the communist Mao era where everywhere you go, you must shout out loud and show that you are a patriot?”

Malaysia media in September

7. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the missing MH370:

“I can find it in 1 second if I am to be given power. ‘’

Southern Weekly Magazine, April 5

8. Bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin aka Raja Bomoh Sedunia Nujum VIP aka Datuk Mahagury at the KLIA to help locate the missing MH 370, using “Zam-Zam” water, two coconuts, a “magical” walking stick and carpet.

“The purpose of the rituals is to weaken the bad spirits so that the rescuers can find the plane if it indeed had crashed,” he told reporters.

The Star, March 21

9. Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, again, for claiming that some passengers are being “fondled” (diraba) at Malaysian airports and may be “sexually stimulated” as a result, while undergoing security pat-down checks.

The MP for Kinabatangan asked why Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) did not use handheld scanners for passengers who had triggered off metal detectors at security checkpoints, but resorted to manual pat-downs instead.

“It makes passengers uncomfortable when they have to undergo such inspections. This is dangerous because it may be sexually stimulating (menaikkan nafsu),” he said, drawing laughter from the floor.

He said that checks conducted on women were gentle, but men had to go through a rougher process.

“They check us all over our bodies and sometimes touch us in places that can cause discomfort,” he added.

The Star, Nov 11.

10. Kedah PAS Youth leader Ahmad Tarmizi, on the two MH tragedies, saying MAS and the government had earned God’s wrath for “serving alcohol and the dressing of MAS flight attendants, which crossed the boundaries of Islam.

Malaysian media July 22.

Happy ending: Sultan Sharafuddin (third from right) and Azmin (right) witnessing Mais chairman Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa (second from right) returning the Bibles to Archbishop Bolly at Istana Alam Shah in Klang. Also present were (from left) Council of Churches Malaysia secretary-general Reverend Dr Herman Shastri and ACS secretary-general Ambrose Linang. – filepic

The bridges that connect us as Malaysians are far more important than the walls that some want to build to accentuate our differences. 

WE can all do with a bit of good news, which seems to be a rare commodity these days in Malaysia, where the voices of bigotry and extremism seem predominant.

It is good to read that all the 31 hymn books meant for the orang asli parishioners, which supposedly contained the word “Allah”, have been returned.

We are sure the 100 orang asli members from the Catholic church in Johor would look forward to singing praises to God during the Christmas mass.

In this season of Advent (traditionally, the Advent season lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas), it is appropriate that Father Cyril Mannayagam has said he wanted to put the incident behind him.

He has emphasised that the books are meant for the Bahasa Malaysia-speaking orang asli community living in Bekoh.

On a note of optimism, Father Cyril reportedly said there would not be any similar problems with the authorities in the future after explaining to the police the purpose of the books.

Father Cyril also said the parishioners had been using the word “Allah” for more than 100 years when practising their faith.

The hymn books titled Mari Kita Memuji Allah Kita (Praise Be to Our God) contained the word “Allah” and had a picture of a church with a crucifix printed on the front page. They were confiscated from a bookshop in Tangkak by the police following a tip-off on Dec 5.

The seizure of the hymn books by the police – and not the religious authorities – had caused uneasiness among Christians, coming so soon after the closure of the Bible issue in Selangor.

In the Selangor case, which dragged on for nearly a year, the crisis came to an end after the intervention of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor himself to resolve the issue.

What was more disturbing in the case of the hymn books in Johor was that the police had described the books as “sensitive” and classified the case under Section 298A of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will on the grounds of religion.

The unilateral involvement of the police was most unusual. After seizing the hymn books on Dec 5, the cops could not decide what to do, saying they had referred the case to the deputy public prosecutor on Dec 7.

The use of Section 298A has also been criticised by lawyers, who point out that the apex court had ruled as far back as 1988 that this section of the Penal Code is “unconstitutional” and cannot be used on issues affecting Islam.

It goes to show again how difficult it is when matters affecting the faith are subjected to legal and judicial interpretations.

We can be sure that these two cases in Selangor and Johor won’t be the first and the last because Bahasa Malaysia church services are conducted not only in Sabah and Sarawak, but also in an increasing number of churches in the peninsula.

This is the reality that we cannot avoid as a new generation of Malaysians, schooled in Bahasa Malaysia, would be more proficient and comfortable with Christian religious material in the national language.

It is also a fact that many Sabahans and Sarawakians are working in the peninsula. For practical reasons, we cannot be telling them to pray differently and use other versions of the Bible – those deemed appropriate by the authorities – when they are on this side of the South China Sea.

Let us not forget that many Indonesians working here are also Christians and like ordinary Malaysians, they also have spiritual needs. They too attend church services conducted in Bahasa Indonesia.

We need to find a middle ground that is acceptable to all. Common sense needs to prevail and we must understand and respect the state laws in place. As with any middle ground formula, not everyone would be happy but we would like to hear better solutions, if there are any.

The Bahasa Malaysia Al-Kitab that were seized from the Bible Society of Malaysia in Selangor and the hymn books in Johor have a distinct similarity – they were meant solely for the use of the Christians, and not for propagation to Muslims.

Churches in Malaysia understand the line and they will not cross it – it is an offence to propagate to Muslims and the usage of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims is also prohibited in many states.

But we also must take into account the historical practices of some Christians, especially native groups, and this is where the 10-point solution needs to be better understood and upheld.

It is a Cabinet decision and it is important that Federal and state agencies understand and respect the 10-point solution.

The Cabinet has reconfirmed the validity and its support for the 10-point solution, as was originally announced in April 2011, to manage the polarity of views between the various religious groups, in particular Christians and Muslims, taking into account the laws of the country.

As stated in the 10-point solution, for Sabah and Sarawak, there is no restriction on the import and local printing of Bibles in any language, including Bahasa Malaysia/Bahasa Indonesia and indigenous languages (referred to collectively as the “Alkitab”), as the Government recognises that there is a large Christian community of indigenous origin in these two states.

It is also in line with the spirit of the 18- and 20-point agreements, when Sabah and Sarawak became part of Malaysia. It has been argued these agreements allowed for full freedom of religion in both states.

The 10-point solution states that “as for Peninsular Malaysia, the Alkitab, whether printed in Malaysia or imported into Malaysia, must have the words ‘Christian Publication’ and the cross sign must be placed on the front cover as imposed by the Government in the interests of the larger Muslim community in Peninsular Malaysia”.

The paragraph above is important because in the case of the hymn books, they reportedly carried the picture of a crucifix, which would have clearly denoted that it is a Christian publication.

Sensibility vs sensitivity

There is no need for anyone to feel “sensitive” over a picture of a cross. In fact, churches become “centres” instead of “churches”, with local authorities flexing their muscles to show their displeasure over the word “church” on signboards. What more a cross outside the churches.

But to avoid unnecessary controversy, churches should consider stating boldly on all their Bahasa Malaysia publications that these are meant for non-Muslims.

Once this is explicitly stated, no individual or religious agency should have any reason to seize such publications on the grounds that they are deemed “sensitive”.

To put it in a simple way: it is like movie classifications. You do not go to a cineplex with your young children and choose a movie rated 18 or R because you know what they can or cannot watch.

These issues of seizing religious publications for whatever reason will continue to be with us because everyone will want to interpret the law in their own way. The religious authorities, the police and the Attorney-General can have differing viewpoints, which is why such matters continue to be played up in the press.

And all such reports will go global, giving the impression that Malaysia is becoming intolerant of other religions, even if they are isolated cases.

The 10-point solution, if given proper respect, can surely co-exist with the various state Islamic laws if the stakeholders can work out a practical arrangement, where an understanding can be reached and followed.

Some have correctly argued that the solution cannot have the force of law as it is only a Cabinet decision. But we as a nation have always shown we can agree on many things without them being written down in black and white. It is this musyawarah spirit that we must continue to build on, so we are not caught in legalistic battles over what can or cannot be done.

We, as a people, must love and care for one another to help pull this nation together. The bridges that connect are far more important than the walls some want to build to accentuate our differences.

Religion has never become so contentious in the history of Malaysia. It is frightening as groups seemingly compete for God’s attention and how we should call Him. So much anger has been invoked in the name of God and some of us have also unfortunately resorted to some very ungodly methods to push our agendas.

As we reach the end of the year, let us take the time to ponder and to extend the hand of friendship, to forgive and forget.

Regardless of our difference in religion, we must focus on the commonalities of respect, tolerance, compassion, patience, forgiveness and certainly moderation.

Let us not be afraid of the extremists with their hysterics because all religions teach us not to be afraid of men, whether kings, religious leaders or politicians, because they are mere mortals – but to be afraid only of God.

> This writer is deeply encouraged by the actions of the 25 eminent Malays and those behind #IamNo26 in their attempts to bring moderate Malaysians together. There is hope and we hope 2015 will see moderates make their voices grow louder. I also wish Malaysians a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

New MAS CEO Christoph R. Mueller (inset)

Our obsession with nationality and race often clouds our judgment when they involve government policies, which include putting the best people to helm our government-linked corporations.

THIS is the reality – our Malaysia Airlines is already in the intensive care unit (ICU) and it desperately needs quick and effective treatment to rescue it from deteriorating further. To put it bluntly, it faces certain demise if a good doctor isn’t found in time.

The last thing we want to do is to argue over the nationality, race or religion of the doctor. What matters most is that we need a qualified doctor who is able to perform the surgery competently and fast enough.

Unfortunately, our obsession with nationality and race often clouds our judgment when they involve government policies, which include putting the best people to helm our government-linked corporations.

The presumption that only a Malay is able to safeguard the country and community’s interests, in this case, MAS, has been proven to be a horribly flawed prejudice.

There is no need to presume that CEO-designate Christoph R. Mueller will not be able to do the job simply because he does not hold a Malaysian passport.

I don’t think we need to even bring up again the scandalous decisions of some previous leaders in the national airline which have led to its present dire financial straits.

Mueller has a Herculean task to not only put the books in order, but also to restore the credibility of the airline that lost two aircraft this year, resulting in the loss of 537 innocent lives.

Flight MH17 was shot down by a missile over Ukraine in July, and Flight MH370, which disappeared in March with 239 on board, remains an unsolved mystery.

Consumer confidence must soar again. And this cannot be accomplished with slogans like MH – or Malaysian Hospitality – or by changing the design and colour of the MAS logo. Unnecessary expenditure at a time like this is simply not right.

It bears repeating that MAS, despite the recent tragedies, is a well-regarded airline globally. But the airline needs to focus on improving its performance and offer better services to draw back its customers. This is the real challenge for anyone willing and able to take the hot seat that not many people want.

Mueller, 52, will learn soon enough that he is not taking on the role of an ordinary CEO who only has to worry about pleasing the shareholders.

Make no mistake about it, he has to learn to navigate the political minefields and cleverly find ways to boost the bottom line and engage in cost-cutting measures without upsetting a myriad of interested parties.

Luckily for him, he does not have to spend sleepless nights flying to Third World countries in Africa and South America, with no potential revenue, in the name of South-South cooperation simply on the basis of government-to-government decisions.

I salute the Prime Minister for having the political will to hire Mueller for the job as he has a proven record of turning around ailing airlines. The notion that Khazanah, the national sovereign fund which owns 70% of MAS, has undermined local talents by hiring Mueller is simply ridiculous.

Mueller will start work on Jan 1 and he will also be nominated to the board as a non-executive director. Let’s give him a chance.

Mueller is credited with turning around Ireland’s loss-making national carrier Aer Lingus within a year.

According to reports, Mueller took over as CEO in 2009, when the struggling airline was facing tough competition from low-cost rival Ryanair. He reportedly steered the company through several difficult battles, including fending off a takeover bid from Ryanair itself, and managed to expand the airline’s trans-Atlantic services and reposition it as a more service-oriented carrier.

Likewise, MAS has to fend off stiff competition from low-cost carriers like AirAsia, and at the same time compete with other airlines which fly here, including Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

His biggest headache would be to cut about 6,000 jobs at MAS, which would be an emotional issue with lots of political baggage. There are 22,000 workers in MAS, and many can be expected to run to the politicians, whether in government or opposition, to take up their case.

MAS won’t be the first company to reduce headcount in a difficult business environment but Mueller will need plenty of support from the government to push this through.

According to reports, when he was at the helm of Sabena, Belgium’s national airline, which was also suffering huge losses, jobs had to be cut too. Bitter strikes followed and, in the end, the airline went bankrupt in 2001.

The good news for the German CEO is that most suppliers to MAS are agreeable to have their supply contracts re-negotiated as part of the restructuring exercise. That’s one headache less.

It has been reported that all the current suppliers under the existing MAS can either migrate or be left out once the new company takes over the airline’s operations.

One of the areas that can help MAS save costs is procurement, as it is said that some of MAS’ supply contracts are way above market rates.

These supply contracts are said to make up 30% to 40% of total costs for the airline. Even if renegotiations result in a 10% reduction, that will translate to millions of ringgit in savings.

It is generally believed that some of these contacts with private firms – supposedly with political connections – should not have been signed in the first place.

How Mueller handles these procurement contracts, some seen as unfavourable, would be a test as to whether he can function professionally. There should be no political interference in his decision-making, or preferred vendors that he has to deal with.

Mueller must be given a free hand to run the company and his priorities include combing through expenses that have dri­ven up the costs for MAS.

Let’s not impose the race agenda on him if we want him to succeed in making MAS healthy again. He does not have much time left as the RM6bil pumped in by Khazanah will burn up very fast. Malaysia needs Mueller to succeed.

There is a lesson to learn from the MAS fiasco. We saw the financial burden building up and we kept trying to postpone treatment, pretending that by pumping in more money, it will be enough.

Sadly, it has to take two tragedies for us to wake up to the reality that we need to cure the illness.

Having expatriate CEOs especially in the financial, telecommunications and media sectors is not unusual for most private companies. Why should GLCs be an exception? Not only should the expatriate option be available, but they must also be allowed to draw on the talents of all Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity.

There should only be one criterion – pick good and honest people, regardless of their race or religion, who have the interest of Malaysians at heart.

We have reached a point in the nation’s history when Malaysians are tired of listening to the overplay of racial and religious sentiments, fanned by extremists, to create fear when there are none.

The reality, if we look hard enough, is that the real treacherous actions against the country are by those given high positions but commit criminal breach of trust and corruption for their own benefit.

Having foreign talents is good – can we imagine watching the weekly Barclays Premier League matches with only British footballers playing? What will the live telecasts be like without Alexis Sanchez, Robin Van Persie and Yaya Toure? It will be utterly boring without these colourful, foreign players.

We should lift a quote from the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who said, “It does not matter whether a cat is black or white, if it catches mice, it is a good cat.”

I AM worried about the economy of Malaysia as we head towards 2015, and I am sure many Malaysians also share my concerns over the uncertainties in the coming months.

All the assurances and figures given by our leaders, we are sorry to say, are no longer convincing as they don’t seem to connect with market sentiments and the realities on the ground.

If we only listen to all the glowing official reports, everything is supposed to be all hunky dory. In short, there’s nothing to worry about as the economy is on course and Malaysia is doing everything right.

Rhetoric by politicians and certain individuals, which smacks of racism and political bullying, are not going to help the economy. It can only worsen race relations in Malaysia and make investors think twice about us.

And if you listen to the palaver of some politicians, it sounds as if there are more pressing issues than the state of our economy to worry about.

The impression given seems to be that the mundane issues of the economy should be left to the economists, businessmen and academics.

These are the delegates who see threats and ghosts from fellow Malaysians when there are none, but they are not able to see the huge economic challenges staring them in their faces.

Even if they are not business owners or part of Corporate Malaysia, they should be concerned about how these challenges will affect the ordinary people, including their livelihood.

This is the time when companies have to worry about paying the salaries of their staff, meeting targets, ensuring a clean sheet for the quarterly reports and planning for the next year.

The weak market sentiments and growing inflationary rates, coupled with the already tight wallets of many consumers, are hitting the lives of ordinary people hard. And even politicians too.

When companies don’t do so well, they have to cut down on operating expenses, reduce bonuses – possibly even increments – and do away with certain perks and privileges.

According to CIMB Research, the third-quarter results fell below consensus estimates, which was another reason for the weak overall stock market performance.

Based on the 117 listed companies the research house tracks, the percentage of stocks that missed expectations increased from 30% as at end August 2014 to 36% in the latest quarter.

Kenanga Research, meanwhile, said that during the third quarter, it “saw the highest number of companies under our coverage delivering below expectations results, or 40% of the stocks.”

These samplings provide a fair picture of the general performance of most companies listed on our stock exchange.

And it is, of course, not just the public companies but the private ones too that have to deal with these economic challenges.

In short, ordinary Malaysians have to brace themselves for a tougher year. Other economies like China and Singapore have also predicted lower single-digit growth for next year.

When the going gets tough, we will realise that many of us are living beyond our means, and the accumulated household debt will become problematic.

These are the substantial matters that we should all be talking about, not just at political meetings but also together as a nation.

We should all focus on expanding the economic pie and giving good suggestions on how to overcome these challenges.

It’s absurd to still talk about vernacular schools or sulk over the voting patterns of the Chinese voters in the last two general elections.

We are at a crucial juncture where the price of oil is sliding downwards and the ringgit is getting weaker. These are two factors that will have an impact on our Budget, which may even need to be revised.

The falling oil prices, which shows Malaysia’s exposure to external factors, pushed the ringgit to its lowest level since February 2010 against the US dollar on Thursday.

These grassroots-level politicians should be worried about the price of commodities, especially palm oil, as it would have a deep impact on the rural smallholders whom they claim to champion.

They should be asking our leaders if these would affect our vision to become a high-income developed nation by 2020, which is only just five years from now!

One does not need a degree in economics to know that our heavy reliance on the export of oil, palm oil and rubber for the country’s revenue means the decline in global prices for these commodities will hit us hard.

We are talking about the effects on our half-a-million rubber tappers and smallholders who are already struggling with the daily cost of living, as media reports predict over a 60% drop in earnings since early this year.

Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd reported its first quarterly loss of RM12mil for the quarter ending September, with its stock price taking a beating after the announcement.

Worse, the company only achieved 53% of the market consensus full year profit.

Just over the last one month, foreign investors have reportedly taken out over US$3bil (RM10.4bil) from the country.

Among us Malaysians, there seems to be an extreme obsession with politics, and there seems to be no real concern with business and economics.

Reading political blogs and getting into a frenzy over race issues in social media seem to be the preoccupation of many, when we all should be working together to achieve our growth target.

There’s no point talking about how the economic cake should be cut when it is getting smaller and needs to be expanded.

Some of us are remarkably arrogant and think that we are better than our neighbours because they are the ones who supply us with maids and construction workers.

This kind of thinking will be our downfall as these countries, with their bigger markets, quickly put their act together.

The depreciation of the ringgit, while making our exports more attractive in price, will also mean costlier food bills as we are a net importer of food.

All this may sound gloomy and even seem out of place as the year comes to a close and when most of us have to clear our leave and spend time with our families during the holiday season.

But the point to politicians who still live in a world of their own is that they should worry about the economy and how ordinary people live. After all, the reason they are in politics is to seek power and helm the government, which has to be responsible for many of these issues.

American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr once said: “We may have all come on different ships but we are in the same boat now.”

Some of us may still want to argue over this saying but make no mistake about it – as Malaysians, we share the same destiny.

The trouble with most politicians is that they lose the connection with the people after a while. They forget the people who put them in their positions in the first place. 

IT is the kind of news that is guaranteed to go global. Reports of Indonesian President Joko Widodo (pic), or Jokowi as he is more popularly known, and his wife Iriana queuing at the Jakarta airport like ordinary passengers before taking their seats in economy class have become world news.

The Indonesian people have been given yet another moment to savour – and their new president has certainly endeared himself to the voters with his modest lifestyle.

The couple was taking a short flight to Singapore to attend the graduation ceremony of their 19-year-old son from the Anglo-Chinese International School, a Methodist secondary school.

Jokowi did not exactly make a big fuss about travelling economy but his publicists certainly did a good job in making sure the Indonesian people, and the rest of the world, knew about it.

As Jokowi explained later, this was strictly a private affair and there was no need to make use of government facilities for what was essentially a personal matter.

Jokowi, of course, is still on what is known as the “honeymoon phase” of his presidency.

The Indonesians find him refreshing. He is the direct opposite of many of the Indonesian politicians who are seen as corrupt, arrogant and patronising.

The news of Jokowi travelling economy class has gone viral but, as to be expected of social media, there are also many counter reports that question his motive and play up the fact that the couple stayed at an expensive five-star hotel along Orchard Road.

Some viewed it as nothing more than a publicity stunt.

“Why should he go through the metal detector, join the queue, etc? Sir, stop polishing your image, just act natural,” Rangga Aditya commented on news portal Detik.com.

Harry Azet tweeted: “Living a fake life is difficult: Jokowi went to Singapore flying economy but slept in an expensive hotel.”

Well, that’s social media for you. Everyone has an opinion and is more than happy to share it with the rest of the world.

As a journalist who has seen enough of politicians and their publicity-seeking stunts, I often observe such news with a healthy dose of scepticism. But seeing the approach that Jokowi has adopted since taking over the presidency, I do hope that it can be sustained.

Not only will it be good for his country, but he can also be a good example to other world leaders who sometimes forget the very people who voted them into power.

Actually, in Malaysia, it is rare to see our politicians doing things like the common people. Where they go, they are usually accompanied by some form of entourage. They never seem to walk alone.

For example, our politicians just love to have an entourage to send them off at the airport for their travels, and an equally big-sized crowd to welcome them back.

This is perhaps some kind of assurance that they still have power, although the people who are part of the crowd may also want to be seen to be there for different reasons.

What is clear is that when they lose power, their supporters are usually nowhere to be found. Many of them will probably think it is a waste of their time and money to go to the airport to see a former powerful politician off.

The same rules also apply to the corporate world, I am sure.

Interestingly enough, we now have budget airlines like Air Asia and Firefly, and it is normal for the politicians to be together with the other passengers on short flights from the capital to their respective hometowns.

But their aides surely make a big fuss of how these politicians, from both sides of the divide, are so in touch with the common people and are prepared to make such sacrifices.

Anyone who enters the political arena must be prepared to take the good with the bad.

It is a matter of time before Jokowi’s opponents may want to question him on why he sent his son to study in Singapore instead of letting him study at home.

The Anglo-Chinese International School was recognised as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in 2005. It is consistently ranked among the top three schools worldwide that offer the IB, with score averages as high as 42 out of a total of 45 points, according to one report.

In Malaysia, there are politicians who love to attack Malaysians for sending their children to vernacular schools instead of national schools.

Then they quietly send their own children to international schools or even boarding schools in the United Kingdom and Australia.

And these are often the same politicians who wax poetic about the importance of the national language and criticise those who want to promote the wider usage of the English language.

But back to air travel, we have to get real about how our high-ranking political leaders should travel.

Going economy on short flights may be fine, but I don’t think they should fly economy if they are on a 14-hour long haul flight to London, or a 22-hour journey to New York.

While we can cope with a non-stop crying baby a few seats away or, horror of horrors, next to us, we wouldn’t recommend it to a head of government who needs to read up on his working papers ahead of an important meeting.

There would be serious implications for the nation if he were to arrive in a foreign capital exhausted after a long economy-class trip.

For sure we do not want our Prime Minister to be forced to make small talk with a busybody fellow passenger or take pictures with everyone on the plane over the next 14 hours.

That’s not how a clever leader should operate even if we want him to be down-to-earth.

But we must salute Jokowi for saying that he did not use the presidential private jet or the VIP terminal because he was travelling for personal reasons, adding that “I am going for family matters, a private agenda, not a state visit – so why should I use the facility?”

We’ve got to love him for that, don’t we?

Other populist buttons pressed by Jokowi included, as reported by Tempo.com, both he and his deputy Jusuf Kalla wearing shoes ordered from a local producer in Cibaduyut – a district in Bandung famed for producing leather goods, including shoes – for the swearing in ceremony. It wasn’t Italian made, for sure.

Rather than revelling in her new status as Indonesia’s first lady, Jokowi’s wife was also quoted as saying that she would maintain her current style, except on formal occasions when she needs to coordinate with her husband.

The trouble with most politicians is that they lose the connection with the people after a while. They forget the people who put them in their positions in the first place.

No one would begrudge them the perks and privileges that come with the office, but many of them just get too used to such benefits and do not know how to draw the line between what is official and what is personal.

And we certainly will not appreciate the pompous display of extravagance, especially in tough economic times when the people struggle to pay the bills.

We also need to cut down on unnecessary practices each time the political elite are in attendance.

Granted that we respect titled people, but ordinary Malaysians often wonder why we need to devote so much time to address the many Tan Sri and Puan Sri, Datuk Seri and Datin Seri, Datuk-Datuk and Datin-Datin in the salutations before every speech.

And the VIPs also like to be kept in a “holding room” before the function, which, of course, needs to be paid for by the organisers.

This is where all the small talk is carried out until such time as when they make their grand entrance to the function room. If it’s a dinner, the guests are sometimes subjected to horribly long speeches before dinner starts at 9.30pm.

In many countries, especially in Europe, the guest of honour arrives on time and simply proceeds to the function room without any need for such formalities.

The person delivers the speech, do what’s necessary and then just depart to save everyone’s time, so we can all get back to work.

The world has changed. The old ways don’t work anymore because every word and action is being scrutinised in real time, and flashed to the world instantly.

All politicians will get a better report card if they are serious about their work and are able to get the job done well for the benefit of the people.

If not, they will only be remembered for putting their country in the news, for all the wrong reasons.

Our real problem isn’t Bahasa Malaysia but English and it is incredible that so many of us have refused to acknowledge this or even want to address it.

THERE have been so many silly remarks and statements by some Malaysian politicians and one-man show non-governmental organisations that it is becoming impossible to keep track of their comedy acts.

There is a saying: “There are people who are only good at making the news but cannot make a difference to the wellbeing of society.”

Well, in Malaysia, there are certainly many of them.

Last week, Johor state assemblyman Datuk Dr Shahruddin Salleh suggested that students who fail to master the national language be stripped of their citizen­ship. Yes, revoke, lucut, tarik balik, batal!

The Barisan Nasional representative for Jorak alleged that many students were not able to master the language, and this was even prevalent among the Malays. He didn’t say how many. Like one, 10, 20, hundreds or thousands, but was quoted as saying “many”.

“Even my own neighbour, whose father and mother are Malays, but because their child goes to international school, the child is unable to converse in Malay,” he said, adding that students were now more interested in mastering English and do not take the learning of Malay seriously.

The situation was prevalent in the vernacular schools, he added, because the use of Mandarin and Tamil made the students weak in the Malay language, which was further compounded by the fact that many of the teachers there are also not well-versed in Malay.

We’d like to think that Dr Shahruddin has a sense of humour but, seriously, what does he really mean when he said students who do not master the Malay language should be stripped of their citizenship?

How does one define mastery at the school level? Is it by the grades they score at the public examinations, like the UPSR, PMR or SPM? We know that these are just examination grades. A student can score a distinction or even fail miserably, but that in itself does not reflect his language proficiency in the real world.

To take an extreme example, some foreign workers who are in the country for just a few months can speak like a Malay, but do you think they will be able to pass the BM paper at SPM level? Or that they should therefore be accorded citizenship because they have mastered our national language?

We are not sure if Dr Shahruddin is having a bad patch with his neighbours because I do not think that his neighbours, who would have read his remarks by now, would be amused.

The reality is that there are many Malay households where English is prominently used because of a variety of reasons.

The children of diplomats, for example, because they are schooled in international schools, will definitely be more comfortable in English.

What about the children of politicians, especially those who send their children for better education overseas and then make a lot of noise about our local education system?

The assemblyman may want to project his nationalistic credentials ahead of his party general assembly, and he has conveniently used his whip at English and, of course, vernacular schools, the current flavour of the month.

There are enough statistics to show that many of our students and teachers are struggling with English in schools, especially those in the rural areas. Just Google.

The Malaysian Employers Federation secretary Datuk Shamsudin Bardan reportedly said that a survey a few years ago among its members found that 60% of them identified low English proficiency as the main problem with young recruits.

A similar survey in September last year by online recruitment agency JobStreet.com found that 55% of senior managers and companies considered poor command of the English language among graduates to be the main reason for their difficulty in finding employment.

Sabah Tourism, Environment and Culture Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun had said that 70% of Malaysian graduates are having a hard time finding jobs in the private sector due to poor command of English.

Citing his past work experience with a multinational company in peninsular Malaysia, Masidi said 70% of those interviewed did not make it through to the second round as they could not converse well in English.

Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh had said that about two-thirds of English Language teachers in the country have been classified as “incapable” or “unfit” to teach the subject in schools. These teachers, he said, have been sent for courses to improve their proficiency in the language.

It has also been reported that about 70% of the 60,000 English Language teachers who sat for the English Language Cambridge Placement Test performed poorly.

Granted that there are students who fare badly in Bahasa Malaysia, but we do not think the numbers are big. Instead of making such a generalisation, we expect the Jorak assemblyman to back up his claim with more substantial findings and figures.

Neither has he been able to support this pathetic claim that “the use of Mandarin and Tamil by teachers in vernacular schools is another reason for students being weak in Malay, adding that the teachers are also not well-versed in Malay.”

Our real problem isn’t Bahasa Malaysia but English. It is incredible that so many of us have refused to acknowledge this problem or even want to address it, lacking the political will, unfortunately.

There is no point in deceiving ourselves by allowing our children to easily pass the English tests in schools and in public examinations.

There may be a huge number of students scoring distinctions in English at the SPM level but their real ability is revealed when they enter tertiary education and, later, the working world.

The MEF’s Shamsudin told a news portal in April that there are those with As and Bs in English at the SPM level who cannot even hold a conversation in English.

“Which is why we were excited when the government decided to teach Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI), as we felt this could boost their command of English. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after seven years when we should have allowed it to continue for 14 to 15 years to see the results.

“The inability to converse and understand English (among young school-leavers) is a constant complaint among our members,” said Shamsudin. The MEF has 4,800 direct members and 21 affiliated trade associations.

In the end, it will be the rural students who will suffer the most. These are the very people that our elected representatives claim to represent and fight for their rights and interests.

Do we need to check how many of our Honourable Members are sending their children to private and international schools even as they wax eloquence about the importance of the national schools?

Actually, we should all be concerned about proficiency in English, an issue that has also been recently taken up by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who can see the value of the English language without undermining the stature of the national language.

As Dr Mahathir rightly pointed out, the rich go to private schools while the poor go to national schools at home, adding that “I must confess that although my children all went to national schools, my grandchildren all go to private schools in the country and abroad. They do speak the national language but their kind of schooling widens the gap between races as well as between the rich and the poor.”

Well, it looks like the only thing that we have fared consistently well in is the comic relief provided by some of our politicians. And we can be sure the curtains will never come down on these comedians as they continue to seek out non-issues to put themselves in the spotlight.

All ironed out: Mais chairman Datuk Mohammad Adzib Mohd Isa (second from right) returning copies of the Bibles to Association of Churches in Sarawak chairman Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok at Istana Alam Shah in Klang. Looking on are Sultan Sharafuddin and Mentri Besar Azmin Ali.

The return of the seized Bibles has proven that rational Malaysians are still the majority, and there is no place for extremists who call for the burning of Bibles, or any holy book for that matter.

COMMON sense has finally prevailed with the return of the Bibles to the church, the rightful owner of the Holy Book.

It may have taken a longer time than it should, and there are still questions as to whether the Bible should have been seized in the first place. But that’s a moot point now. 

The pertinent point is that the issue has been resolved through reasoning, compromise, patience and tolerance – which are surely the values of both Islam and Christianity. 

The announcement is certainly timely as the world marks International Day for Tolerance today. It is a significant day, more so for a country like Malaysia.

The 351 copies of Al Kitab and Bup Kudus, the Bahasa Malaysia and Iban Bibles, were seized by the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) office in Damansara on Jan 2.

More than 10 months later, on Friday, these Bibles were returned to Christians in Sarawak through the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) in a formal ceremony at the Selangor palace. 

As part of a compromise deal, the Bibles were handed directly to Sarawak (where the Bibles were meant for in the first place) and not to the peninsula-based BSM, and with the understanding that such material were not to be distributed in Selangor, especially among Muslims.

The public debate over the issue was intense as everyone – politicians, religious authorities, lawyers and the common practitioners of both faiths – wanted to have a say.

Unknown to most people, there were plenty of behind-the-scenes steps being worked out to ensure that the parties involved were amicable and able to accept the final solution.

As in most organisations, there would always be those who were more prepared to compromise while there would be strong personalities who would insist on holding to what they perceived as their rights and principles.

Months earlier, even when Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was still the Selangor Mentri Besar, various approaches were made to the BSM, Jais and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais).

The most trusted aides and friends of His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah worked, without the glare of publicity, to prepare the ground to end the impasse.

No politicians were involved, for sure. It was the wisdom of His Royal Highness who initiated the reconciliation process.

The proposal to return the Bibles was made known to the stakeholders but they were also told that a third party should come into the picture – in this case, the Sarawak Christians.

The Malaysian Bible Society, it was learnt, did not have a branch in Sarawak or Sabah. If there was one, the return could have been expedited.

There was scepticism and even signs of hostility towards those who moved quietly to work out the solution. So much anger had surfaced publicly that it would be difficult for those who were vocal to make the necessary compromise. 

There were doubts over the clout of the “emissaries” and whether they represented the palace.

Understandably, there was also the question of wounded pride involving all sides.

But they had to be impressed upon that the prolonged crisis needed to end. Rightly or wrongly, the fact remains that in the state of Selangor, the distribution as well as the printing of Bibles that contain the word “Allah” is an offence under the Non-Islamic Religious Enactment (Control Development Among Muslims), 1988.

But the Attorney-General had also said there was no basis to charge BSM as the Bibles were not a threat to national security.

It made little sense for Jais to defy the orders and not return the Bibles. The two religious bodies, Jais and Mais, may be able to ignore the state government and the former mentri besar but when the palace came into the picture, the mood changed dramatically – or to put it in a better perspective, more positively.

The church groups were also advised about the futility of pursuing any form of legal action, which would not help resolve the issue.

The BSM and the Association of Churches in Sarawak chairman, Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok, worked hard to ensure the formula worked.

The Archbishop is a highly respected church leader. He is the acting president of the Council of Churches in Malaysia and a member of the Anglican Community’s Team to the Christian Muslim Dialogue at Egypt’s Al-Azhar University.

Jais and Mais, too, understood the significance of the compromise.

In the meantime, the Chief Minister’s office in Sarawak was kept informed of the matter so that the return of the Bibles could be smoothly carried out.

It has taken almost a year to close this chapter but it is important that the controversy has come to a harmonious end.

There is a lesson to be learnt here – moderation works. This episode has proven that rational Malaysians are still the majority, and there is no place for extremists who call for the burning of Bibles, or any holy book for that matter.

The role of the palace, especially the wisdom of the Sultan of Selangor, must be recorded. Without his intervention, all this would not be possible. 

And it should also be put on record that the support of Mentri Besar Azmin Ali made this whole endeavour a real success. Azmin had earlier made clear his administration’s stand that the Bibles belong to the Christians.

At the same time, we must not forget the role of Khalid as it was during his tenure that he made the decision to let the Sultan decide.

There are issues that we still need to resolve, of course, such as the huge number of Sabahans and Sarawakians who work or study in the peninsula, especially in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

They attend church service in Bahasa Malaysia, where the word “Allah” is used, and they cannot be expected to use the English Bibles. For them, it would still be the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia or in Iban.

In fact, the Al Kitab is available online, so how does one ban the Internet version?

These are realities which all sides must learn to accept as Malaysia evolves. The growing use of Bahasa Malaysia is also the result of the education system where most people, especially the young, prefer and are more comfortable with the national language.

We cannot now tell them that when it comes to the Bible, they have to read it in another language.

What is important is the respect and sensitivity we must have for one another, so that in fully practising our faith, which is a right extended to all citizens under the Constitution, we do not intrude or cause consternation among our fellow citizens of different faiths. This has always worked well in our country where places of worship can co-exist side by side without any problems.

All Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, have a stake in this beautiful country. Let moderation prevail.

WE have got to get used to it – a real democratic society can be a noisy one as each and every one of us has the right to speak and is free to exercise this right.

And this is something that some of our politicians and self-proclaimed race and religious champions need to also understand, and accept.

A true democratic society is never quiet, unlike authoritarian and theocratic societies where only the leaders have the right to speak.

But this is Malaysia. We may not yet be a shiny example of a democracy but it is maturing. Malaysians have become more educated and are not only more exposed to differing opinions and information, but know how to seek them out. We are no longer like the proverbial katak di bawah tempurung but have travelled far and wide to see the world. And we are certainly better off.

No one should expect middle class Malaysia, especially, to pay homage and reverence to politicians, as in a feudalistic society. Our leaders should no longer think they are all mighty and powerful, where the people must submit to their every command, and that no one can have an opinion except themselves.

In a true democracy, we should respect, and accommodate, every view even if they are in direct contrast to our own. That’s how democracy works and it is still not too late for some of our politicians to accept this new reality.

As The Nation’s columnist, Supalak Ganianakhundee, rightly wrote, “A society in which people have to comply with their leader’s commands is an authoritarian one.

“The process of reform towards demo­cracy needs to be an inclusive one and for this process to be efficient, it should allow every faction in the system to participate.”

In his message to the Thai military govern­ment, Supalak reminded them that “maybe the junta should stop and realise that bringing about reform will be very difficult if it forces all the citizens to have just one political opinion”.

Meanwhile, in our own backyard, we are still grappling with certain personalities who cannot articulate and argue their case convincingly to win over the electorate. The easiest way out, to make up for their lack of grey matter, is to continually spew remarks that intimidate or instil fear among the people.

In any democracy, we can expect such an approach from the really fringe groups or ultra lunatics whose views are often ignored. But it is sad that in our country, political bullying gets national prominence, whereby certain groups and individuals with their political links not only shout down those who do not share their views, but also play the race and religious cards to threaten them.

The country’s political future is determined by Malaysians of all races and religions. Politicians who think they are the only ones who shape and decide Malaysia’s future need to see their shrinks quickly. They need serious help.

All of us have the right to speak up and tell our politicians and government officials what we desire for our country now and in the future.

We have the right to tell leaders, politicians, officials, and journalists off if we think they are not doing their jobs right. It is fundamentally wrong to think that elected representatives and civil servants cannot be told how to do their jobs.

Our job, as concerned citizens, is not just to mark a cross on the ballot paper. The people we vote into power must be held accountable all the time. The civil servants may be unseen but they exist to serve the people in the correct manner, all the time too.

For sure, the media has a right to comment on current issues and to also allow ordinary Malaysians to articulate their views – so long as it is within the boundaries of the laws.

They must be responsible for what they write or say, and if it affects the nation’s security, then they must be prepared to face the consequences, be it via the Sedition Act or other laws. But expressing an opinion is surely not seditious.

Opinions need not be right, or popular. And even if it is the opinion of one person, it is still his right within a democracy. Because of the ever-changing scenario, especially in the political domain, the media has to allow room and space for decent and rational debate. Views from opposing sides should be encouraged, provided they are not racist or extremist.

Some of the politicians in our country have still not woken up to the reality that “government” and “opposition” are no longer labels that apply only to specific parties. Barisan Nasional, for example, is the federal government, but in Selangor, Penang and Kelantan, Barisan representatives are in the opposition.

There are still politicians from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties, even though they are now government leaders in the respective states, who are still talking like opposition underdogs in a ceramah.

But more worrying is the increasing number of voices outside the mainstream political arena who are challenging the accepted norms of public discourse with their strident and extremist views.

These uncouth personalities may not be directly linked to any political party but their antics occasionally give some politicians aspiring to be noticed by their party leaders the opportunity to jump onto the bandwagon.

In the process, these individuals actual­ly make the few MPs who are known for their controversial outbursts in the Dewan Rakyat look like harmless angels. At least, their circus acts are good for laughs in the sombre settings and they get their two minutes of fame to justify their MPs’ allowances.

But the increasing number of personalities and ordinary Malaysians, of all races, spewing hate comments is seriously worrying.

Some have argued that it is better to ignore these political weaklings but many Malaysians are worried over where the country is heading, where seemingly powerful characters who taunt the public with their skewed racist and religious remarks seem untouchable.

The country’s leadership is sending the wrong signals to the people.

To be moderate, open minded and liberal seems to be politically incorrect now. How things have developed in Malaysia.

Malaysia’s democracy is growing up fast with some of us even arguing that it is maturing. But we hope some of our politicians would start growing up equally fast, and stop throwing tantrums like spoilt kids.

IT smacks of double standards and no one can fault moderate-minded Malaysians, who have some sense of justice and fairness, to feel that the statement from the Attorney-General’s Chambers lacks any conviction.

The ordinary Malaysians are finding it difficult to be convinced by the legal arguments put up by the Attorney-General on why Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who had called for the burning of the Bahasa Malaysia Bible, has not breached sedition laws.

We are now told that Ibrahim was merely defending the sanctity of Islam. No one can accept this mind-boggling spin, more so when it comes from the principal legal adviser to the government.

It is appropriate that former Court of Appeal judge Datuk K.C. Vohrah and the former head of the prosecution division of the AGC, Datuk Stanley Isaacs, have put forth their views (The Star, Oct 23, Oct 31 and Nov 1) on why the A-G’s legal reasoning cannot stand. Vohrah had also served in the AGC and is fully aware of how the system works.

The A-G’s decision not to file charges against Ibrahim based on “context” and “intention”, which are actually matters for the court to decide under the Sedition Act, is a dangerous precedent.

In future, any extremist, of whatever faith, can call for the burning of any holy book, and then cite the same pathetic reason that he or she was merely defending the sanctity of his or her religion.

It is simply unacceptable for anyone to belittle another religion, and worse still, in this particular case, even calling for the burning of a holy book.

We were already shocked by the reply from the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri in Parliament and the A-G’s statement justifying Ibrahim’s action certainly made matters worse.

We are now told that we must read Ibrahim’s remarks “in the entire context”. Going by the same argument, how then does the A-G justify the other recent sedition cases?

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has also weighed in with a comment that Ibrahim “was giving an opinion that could be accepted by Muslims as it was not seditious”.

Those of us who have followed closely the political career of the former prime minister would know that he has always stood by his supporters, in this case, Ibrahim. But with due respect to Dr Mahathir, we believe he should and would also stand by the side of justice and fairness, as we are sure he would oppose any form of extremism.

But the statements from the A-G and Dr Mahathir are unacceptable because what they are saying, in short and simple layman’s language, is that Ibrahim has done no wrong and they wonder what the fuss is all about.

Ibrahim can actually now say that he can carry on with what he has said. After all, the A-G, who is the sole authority in deciding who to prosecute, has not only let him off, but given us reasons that basically open the door for similar actions in the future. And it certainly does not help that Dr Mahathir, with his own way of reasoning over the burning of holy books, has stood by him.

The A-G’s argument on “context” and “intention” sounds more like what the defence counsel for Ibrahim would say if he had been charged. And even then, going by the provisions of the Sedition Act, such a defence would probably be struck down.

So we are to believe that Ibrahim is merely expressing an opinion which is not seditious. How convenient.

My fellow columnist in The Star and Universiti Malaya law professor Azmi Sharom has been charged with sedition for expressing an opinion which is not even about religion or race.

Many Malaysians are still wondering how Azmi’s opinion could have caused offence or threatened national security, while a number of high-profile and consistently recalcitrant extremists continue to get away with their offensive statements.

Who can blame Malaysians if they deem that the authorities are being selective in who they haul up for sedition.

If anyone dares to call for the burning of the Quran, I am confident that all rational-minded Malaysians will rise up and ask for the person to be arrested immediately and be charged with sedition.

If there is any non-Muslim stupid enough to make such a call, then all the non-Muslims in this country must speak out. No non-Muslim should remain silent if such an offensive remark is made to cause offence to their fellow citizens who are Muslims.

Likewise, I think Malaysians expect the same response from non-Christians when someone calls for the destruction of the Bible.

And the ordinary people’s response must be supported by the politicians and the leaders. It is very sad for Malaysia when politicians keep a deafening silence when gross injustice is done.

We expect our politicians to be the leaders of all Malaysians, regardless of their race and faith, and not to merely represent the interests of their own race.

No one should have the suspicion or perception that only the feelings of one race matters in Malaysia.

All it takes is for one individual or one NGO to express a negative view on the activities of another community, be it with regard to Oktoberfest, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, a concert or whatever, and suddenly the whole nation is engulfed in a major debate which takes up so much valuable time and resources, especially from the authorities who have more serious matters to deal with.

In a maturing democracy, we cannot prevent anyone from articulating their views and beliefs, even those that we find most objectionable.

Our challenge is to remind ourselves that while they do not represent the majority view, they must not be allowed to gain ground because the majority has chosen to remain silent. The voices of moderation must ring out loud and clear, all the time.

In a plural society like ours, everyone has the right to practise and celebrate any occasion. It is certainly far-fetched and even laughable to suggest that there are atheists and non-Muslims who want to weaken the faith of their fellow Malaysians.

Events like Halloween and Valentine’s Day do not even have any religious significance. In fact, they are nothing more than commercially driven opportunities for the entertainment and food outlets.

We should be thankful that we are a nation where religion is paramount. The first principle of our Rukunegara espouses our “Belief in God”.

But our faith is not just about religious rulings and paraphernalia. It is in the way we live our lives – how we exhibit compassion, mercy, justice for fellow human beings, and in our concerns over what is wrong and unjustifiable in our country, be it with regard to corruption, intolerance, violence, and the growing divide between the rich and the poor.

These should be the concerns of all religious leaders in their sermons and statements, instead of dwelling on petty issues. They should focus on common values shared by all Malaysians instead of dividing us further.

The Kelantan PAS state government is now determined to go ahead with the implementation of hudud law and again, non-Muslims are expected to believe that they would not be affected by these Islamic laws.

Whatever our faith, we are all closely linked in our daily lives. The laws peculiar to one faith, if implemented in a plural society, will have implications for everyone. To even suggest non-Muslims are not affected is laughable but there will be non-Muslims, because of their anger towards the federal government, who would actually want to believe so and even vote for PAS, which has never hidden its Islamist plans and ambition.

Let’s get our priorities and bearings right.

Malaysia is at the crossroads. We can, as a united people, go straight and take the middle path, and be sure we are on the correct track where we support one another.

Or we can allow ourselves to be divided and take different roads, which will mean we no longer believe in a common destiny.

Our choice is simple — we must all fight to keep Malaysia moderate and inclusive, and fully embrace the vision of our founding fathers.