WHILE it has finally dawned on PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang that no political coalition can hope to form the federal government without the support of non-Muslims, he has yet to realise why many of us aren’t consumed by the party.

The task of convincing non-Muslims voters to change their perception of the Islamist party isn’t its partner’s Gerakan, but his.

Until last week, PAS Members of Parliament were still haggling over the call by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul to stop using the word “kafir” on non-Muslims, particularly DAP MPs.

The point is, even Umno members, who are mostly Muslims, have been called kafir for working with MCA and MIC previously.

Those who watched the televised proceedings would have seen the Speaker clasping his hands and pleading to PAS MP Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki to refrain from using the word as the latter continuously tried to justify its validity.

To the Parit Buntar MP, kafir simply means non-believer. If that’s the case, how does he justify his party having called Umno members kafir, too?

Johari said it had sensitive connotations and that “non-Muslims” would be a more pleasant word to the ears of those being addressed.

Just a few months ago, Hadi blamed non-Muslims for being corrupt, pendatang, anti-Islam and made other damning accusations, but now, he has woken up and realises he needs non-Muslim support.

It didn’t occur to him during the recent state elections, presumably because he was so sure the Green Wave would be sufficient.

But after failing to win in Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, and the by-elections in the Pulai parliamentary and Pelangai state constituencies, PAS has stopped dreaming and is now getting a dose of reality.

It doesn’t matter that the Opposition has experienced a vote count increase because ours is modelled after the first-past post system. So, even if a candidate wins by a single vote, it’s still a win.

By now, it must be obvious that no political coalition can form the federal government without the support of Sabah and Sarawak.

So, besides the non-Muslims, there are other bumiputra and Muslims, including those in major cities, who don’t find PAS palatable.

To its credit, PAS has recruited many professionals into its fold, but it’s still a party dominated by theologians. They call the shots, and they dictate the narratives and plans of the party, and the kind of government if they were to come into power.

It’s not merely about whether non-Muslims can still wear shorts in public, but the fear of losing our lifestyles, or what’s left of it.

Hadi has never distanced himself from statements issued by his party leaders calling for an end to all concerts and even cultural celebrations, for example. The two PAS-ruled states of Kelantan and Terengganu have even killed certain aspects of Malay culture, saying some elements were against Islam.

The first thing Hadi did as Terengganu Mentri Besar in 1999 was to demolish a replica of a giant turtle at a roundabout in Kuala Terengganu, saying it was akin to idol worshipping.

A year later, then Terengganu PAS state executive councillor Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli reportedly vowed to tear down every sculpture in the state, including those of prawns and squids in Marang.

The irony, if not hypocrisy, is that when PAS worked with DAP and PKR during the Barisan Alternatif era in 1998, the political actions were justified by the party. The DAP politicians then weren’t infidels yet somehow, they are viewed that way now.

Likewise, current PAS ally, Gerakan, isn’t kafir, presumably because they are seen as moderates in the eyes of PAS.

I’m certain Gerakan won’t subscribe to the formation of an Islamic state in Malaysia or endorse the full implementation of syariah laws, so where does that leave the party?

Hadi has stopped short of saying that those who are against him or the party are “anti-Islam” and “promoting Islamophobia.”

Of course, it has nothing to do with religion. The grouse is the political system that Hadi and PAS aspires to doesn’t sit well with many of us.

For a start, it’s important for emerging PAS leaders to have continuous engagement with non-governmental organisations, especially the media and even non-Muslim groups. After all, the party has more credibility than Gerakan.

Many media members have said that their calls to PAS leaders have been left unanswered with their aides privately revealing they don’t feel comfortable talking to the press.

The party had even imposed a ban on its candidates from speaking to the media during the recent state polls.

But an engagement must start. It holds 43 of the 222 seats at the Dewan Rakyat, which must surely be treated seriously and respected.

Like it or not, it’s a mainstream party, but it must act like one, too. If its leaders are still preoccupied with the dressing of women nurses, flight attendants, questioning the organising of concerts, calling people kafir and barring women gymnasts from Sukma2024 by citing non-syariah compliant attire, then PAS shouldn’t be surprised why it isn’t getting traction from non-Muslims and even many Muslims.

PAS must stop seeing those who disagree with it as enemies. All of us are stakeholders who want a better Malaysia. After all, this country belongs to all Malaysians.

GENOCIDE, holocaust or simply an annihilation of the Palestinians in the tiny Gaza Strip. At least one of those descriptions is certainly accurate about what’s happening in the Middle East.

It’s called a strip precisely because it’s just a narrow 360 sq km piece of land wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Gaza Strip, which has about two million people, is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

But humanity is now about to witness the comprehensive decimation of the community there.

Water and food supplies have been cut, with no power reaching the hospitals either. No one is spared as Israel has ordered everyone, including hospital patients, to get out before the ground offensive begins.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has aptly called it a “death sentence” by Israel.

Relatives attend the funeral of Christian and Muslim Palestinians who were sheltering at a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza City, killed in Israeli airstrikes that hit it on Thursday. The Israeli military said it was targeting a Hamas command centre nearby. — AP

Basically, ordinary Palestinians who aren’t even Hamas members, will now lose what’s left of their race. The tiny enclave with no real government or army, stands to even lose its people’s dignity.

While many of us are outraged at the unravelling atrocities, we need to first understand certain fundamentals.

Presently, the Palestinians live in the Iran-backed Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, while in the nearby West Bank, it’s administered by Israel with some degree of autonomous rule by the Fatah- run Palestinian Authority.

No sane person could condone the kidnapping or killing of Israelis by Hamas. Violence isn’t right and it’s hard to justify such actions in any circumstance. Young people attending a music festival have been taken hostage and made into human shields.

But the ordinary people in Gaza are now paying the price for the attacks by Hamas.

It will be an assault by the Israelis that the people on the Gaza Strip can’t win, and it’s tragically disappointing that the United States doesn’t want to initiate a ceasefire or de-escalation.

The US has, instead, provided more fire power to its ally for complete destruction. It has just committed billions of dollars to strengthening Israel. Whether US President Joe Biden’s intentions are to broker a deal or appeal to Israel to provide routes out of the conflict zone, he will inevitably be going to Israel to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The world isn’t going to believe that it was Hamas who bombed the crowded Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital that killed 3,000 people.

The hospital, built in 1882, is in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in the south of Gaza and managed by the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem. Before this, health authorities and medical organisations had reported Israel forces deliberately bombing ambulances and health facilities in Gaza, breaching international rules that catalogue such acts as war crimes.

There’s an abundance of reports documenting these systematic attacks and medical personnel being targeted and killed.

If the world does nothing except issue condemnations, that won’t be enough to end the conflict. Only the superpowers can pressure and stop Israel, and certainly not Malaysian forces, so let’s not kid ourselves.

The Arab world is in a similar bind because some nations have diplomatic ties with Israel, but they have appropriately decided not to meet Biden over a hastily called summit. It’s a strong signal to Biden and Israel of the great unhappiness of the Arab world even though some of these countries are not fans of Hamas.

I’m glad that Members of Parliament from all parties and ordinary Malaysians of all faiths have registered their outrage and joined in the noble protest.

It’s not merely a conflict between Palestinian Muslims who are further oppressed by the Jews from Israel. It’s much more complex than that.

Palestinian Christians have seen their land robbed from them and they get the same treatment as their Muslim brothers when they enter Israeli-occupied areas.

I’ve witnessed personally the humiliation suffered by the Palestinians. Yes, there are Christian Arabs and Christian Palestinians.

Tragically disappointing: Protesters rallying against the Israeli military operations in Gaza in Washington DC. Only the superpowers can pressure and stop Israel but the United States doesn’t seem to want to initiate a ceasefire or de-escalation. — AFP

Likewise, there are Muslim Arabs who have Israeli citizenship and live in the country. Jews, by the way, are not Christians, and not all Israelis or Jews are Zionists. There are many secular Jews who don’t subscribe to the religious practices of their community.

The danger here in Malaysia is that many Malaysians lump all Israelis under the category of the hated “Orang Yahudi” like how some evangelical Christians typecast all Israelis as God-fearing and righteous “God’s chosen people.”

In fact, in 2021, church leaders in Jerusalem condemned attacks on Christians across Jerusalem and the Holy Land. “Fringe radical groups” with strong Jewish links were responsible for physical assaults and vandalising churches.

There are many video-clips on YouTube which clearly depict Christian pilgrims being spat at and abused.

As the anger festers and grows in an unending cycle over the conflict area, memories of my pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 2005 have come flooding back. I had wanted to travel to the Holy Land again in 2022, but the Malaysian general election put paid to those plans.

Malaysians aren’t allowed to travel to Israel since we have no diplomatic ties, but thanks to the Malaysian government’s flexibility, restricted trips to Jerusalem are allowed for religious purposes.

I remember my guides were a Muslim driver, Ahmad Badawi, and an Arab Christian, Jerries Farra. The latter spoke excellent Bahasa Indonesia because he often had to chaperone Indonesian pilgrims, the most visitors from South-East Asia to Jerusalem.

Farra, who could quote Bible verses in Bahasa Indonesia, was often emotional when he spoke about the unfair practices, alerting us to the wall being constructed on the West Bank then.

I lost count of security checkpoints manned by Israeli soldiers outside towns such as Bethlehem, Jericho and Nazareth, all biblical sites, but under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinians were often stopped randomly at roadsides and the simple act of entering their hometowns could become six-hour ordeals, affecting their productivity and hampering their movements.

How would you feel if occupiers did this to you and your family for 60 years?

How many Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces just this year? The answer: a staggering 4,200 people including over a thousand children and 800 women, with more than 15,000 injured. This figure is likely out-dated by now.

Do I believe that the Israelis didn’t bomb the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital? Not at all, and it’s even sadder to hear Biden, and especially CNN, trying valiantly to defend the Israelis.

When Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American reporter and acclaimed correspondent for Al Jazeera, was shot dead on May 12, 2022, the world was served the same denial.

She was killed by a sniper while performing her duty reporting on Israel’s raid in the Jenin refugee camp despite wearing distinctive identification as a journalist.

Unfortunately, the West has refused to acknowledge the root causes of the problem.

In the coming weeks, maybe even days, the Israeli tanks will roll into the streets of Gaza. If they think they’ve finally won the war, they’re grossly mistaken because after 60 years of conflict, little has changed despite their huge arsenal of modern weapons and financial backing.

As children watching the old Hollywood westerns and TV shows, we naively believed the cowboys were the good guys while the Red Indians were savages. Not anymore because we all now know that the cowboys were pilfering the native Americans’ land and slaughtering them.

The world has become better-informed. We don’t have to rely only on CNN to understand what’s transpiring in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinians have been provoked, attacked, killed and trampled upon for over 60 years, doesn’t the West get it?

With Palestine we stand.

IT’S unprecedented to hear about a top police officer admonishing a room full of the most senior cops from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and then uploading a video of the shelling online.

When these CID officers from around the country gathered for a closed-door meeting, they surely would have expected some tough words from Bukit Aman CID chief Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.

He had already built a reputation for his commitment towards cleaning up the force and getting rid of rogue policemen.

Mohd Shuhaily has received the backing of Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and his deputy, Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

The CID officers, who hold sensitive positions, were told that they had to declare their assets.

The officers include those in the Intelligence and Operations Division, Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7), and head of the CID Division at district police headquarters.

While many Malaysians perceive cops as corrupt, Mohd Shuhaily went a step further by revealing that some officers were willing to risk their comrades’ lives for payment from syndicates by providing false information during operations.

Stern warning: Comm Mohd Shuhaily has put his CID officers on notice that he’s very serious about cleaning up corruption in their ranks – and his message is still reverberating on social media and among the public. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star

So operations end up failing, but more gravely, the lives of policemen are compromised.

Even informants could be exposed, if such dangerous liaisons exist.

Basically, some in the team are willing to kill each other for money.

This happens because there’s no supervision at the lower levels (contingent and district levels) to monitor the lifestyles of officers and their subordinates.

It’s a chilling revelation. To be corrupt is one thing, but to hear of cops who are prepared to let their colleagues be wiped out is another thing entirely.

Corruption has long been entrenched in the police force, but its extent is beyond the imagination of most Malaysians.

It has been a week since Mohd Shuhaily’s warning during the CID Director’s Mandate Ceremony at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

But the message is still reverberating on social media, with the public talking about it and anticipating what could happen next.

File photo of 14 individuals, including a police station chief and two officers, arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over a protection racket. The public knows there are corrupt cops but perhaps we don’t realise the extent of the rot. — Filepic/The Star

“How can a sergeant afford an Alphard, Vellfire, or Mercedes? Have their superiors or supervisors ever asked how they can afford luxury vehicles or declared their assets?” Mohd Shuhaily asked.

For Malaysians reading this, we’d be wondering how these policemen could be so brazen as to flaunt their wealth and flashy lifestyles with no fear of retribution?

How can their supervisors be oblivious to their inexplicable wealth unless they close an eye or, worse, are part of the cartel?

A month will be up soon when CID officers hand in their declarations about their assets, and it will be interesting to see what ensues.

The demand is simple – just explain how they can afford luxury vehicles and other items. Their wives have also been ordered to issue separate declarations.

A new order is growing at Bukit Aman as the new team of top officers takes command.

State police officers who have provided false information have found Bukit Aman teams descending upon them and their turf.

These top officers bent on cleaning up are aware that their mission is not going to be easy.

It won’t happen overnight either, and they will face hurdles and sabotage, which could be costly to their careers and even their lives, as their enthusiasm for rehabilitating the force could lead to loneliness and frustration.

They will have to deal with powerful figures who are well-connected and viewed as untouchable. They can only succeed if they, too, have the backing of the top political leadership.

Mohd Shuhaily, who just started work in August, has earned the respect and support of Malaysians.

His directive was officially uploaded by the police for another reason – for the warning to reach every level of the police force and not just the CID.

Without doubt, there are many clean, decent and good cops at all levels.

Mohd Shuhaily seems to have always taken a slightly unusual path – here he is (left) when he was Kuala Lumpur police chief discovering the problems of being blind in the city. — Filepic/Sin Chew

But Mohd Shuhaily also shared about the daily struggles of policemen, saying a constable’s take home pay is merely RM1,500 a month.

He said the moment someone signs up to be a constable, the person would automatically be in the B40 (low income) category.

Urging his CID officers to be more caring, he lambasted some for not even knowing about the welfare of their team members, saying some officers don’t even turn up for work. Some stop going out on operations, claiming to be specialists.

Our cops certainly deserve a better pay structure and perks if we want them to be more financially secure and able to fight corruption and its temptations.

May the force be with you Tuan Razarudin, Ayob Khan and Mohd Shuhaily! God has put you there for a reason.

Be afraid of God because we’re only answerable to Him and not man.

THE local rice supply shortage has rudely rattled most of us. Naturally, it’s been followed by the traditional finger pointing.

The grain has inexplicably vanished from supermarket shelves, while the price of imported rice has spiked.

The facts indicate that we’ve neglected food production – including rice farming – for decades. How many of us, especially our politicians, are truly concerned about the matter or have provided sound solutions?

The country spent about RM76bil on food imports last year, an increase from 2021’s RM64bil.

Basically, 60% of Malaysia’s food is imported. We are highly dependent on food and beverage products, especially raw materials for food processing such as wheat, dairy and other ingredients.

Crop crunch: Rice farmer Muhamad Syafiq Afandy Muhamad Sofi inspecting his padi after a flood in Kedah. Extreme weather events have threatened rice production in many countries including Malaysia. — Bernama

Malaysia doesn’t produce enough to feed us. Cameron Highlands can’t supply sufficient amounts of vegetables, and the result is us having to import them from China, Indonesia, Argentina, Thailand and India.

The price of rice spiked when India, which accounts for 40% of the world’s supply, decided to halt rice exports recently.

There was also an earlier report by Reuters saying Vietnam intends to cut its annual rice exports by 44% to four million tonnes by 2030.

But Vietnam has since denied the report, saying it will maintain the status quo.

There are many reasons why rice production has suffered. Climate change has led to erratic weather that has threatened production in India and other countries. Malaysia hasn’t been spared either.

Floods, droughts and heat stress have been contributing factors, with the agricultural sector’s share of the nation’s GDP declining from 43.7% to 7.1% between 1960 and 2021, reveal reports.

But the situation has worsened. The national rice average yield is low, at a little over three tonnes per hectare.

In most supermarkets, only imported rice is left on sale but its price has spiked. — Bernama

The country’s self-sufficiency rate was only 65% in 2021 compared with the set target of 75% in the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025).

Even Bangladesh is self-sufficient in its rice production, fish, meat and eggs. And so is Myan-mar, with a self-sufficiency rate of 179.4%.

The debate may be raging over the local rice shortage, but no one seems to be able to give a definite reason for its absence from supermarkets.

There are many conspiracy theories, including blaming the present unity government and sole importer Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas), hoarding by wholesalers and millers, and suppliers repacking and mixing local rice with imported rice to make bigger profits.

Against this backdrop, many Malaysians have reduced rice consumption as the country becomes more affluent and health conscious.

But for the B40 (lower income) group, rice is a staple food, and the lack of local rice is detrimental, and predictably, the situation has been exploited politically.

According to reports, rice per capita consumption has declined over the years from 120kg in the 1970s to 77kg in 2022.

But rice imports have still risen, going from 1.06 million tonnes in 2021 to 1.11 million tonnes in 2022.

We are feeling the pinch, or pain, now because the ringgit’s value has diminished. Food production cost has also gone up because of the war in Ukraine, which has affected feed for animals as well as fertiliser.

There have been calls to end Bernas’ monopoly as the sole rice importer, but many analysts are doubtful others, if allowed, are prepared to meet the conditions imposed by the government on Bernas.

Few are aware that the caveat includes buying very bad quality padi from local farmers.

The Edge quoted Sarena Che Omar, Khazanah Research Institute deputy director of research, as saying, “When you buy low quality rice, you make a loss because there is a price floor”.

She has some advice: “If we want to get rid of Bernas because we think that monopolies are so bad, we must make sure we put in place [someone] who will take care of the stockpile.

“Until we settle all this, we had better be careful about what we want to kick out, as that entity may be the one keeping things going on as usual.”

Bernas is paying RM1,280 per tonne even for poor quality padi because that’s the price floor. Nothing less because that’s the deal.

So is there a shortage of local rice? According to The Edge, which quoted an Agriculture and Food Security senior official, at the current rice stockpile level, it would be sufficient under normal circumstances, excluding a war or a prolonged natural disaster.

The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry needs to be given plenty of support and attention if Malaysia is serious about wanting to be self-sufficient in food production and reducing our food import bills.

We need to address some serious issues, which are the reasons for the decline in local padi production.

The price of padi is low, it is difficult to source for labour, more padi fields are being converted into development land, especially in Kedah and northern Perak, farmers are mostly senior citizens, while its low price is not making it viable for commercial farming.

We need to improve rice production beyond Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Perak and Selangor. The risk is too high for Malaysia to be dependent on just these few states.

If diseases or climate change affect these states, production is undoubtedly hit, immediately. Certainly, we need help from China to improve our yield using modern technologies.

It’s serious food for thought for our leaders, policymakers and stakeholders.

Screaming match: Radzi lost his cool when Anwar (below) took a swipe at him for laughing while the PM was explaining the DNAA issue. — Bernama

IT’S not the first, and neither will it be the last time the Dewan Rakyat descends into chaos, with our Members of Parliament screaming at each other, hurling abuses, and then staging the traditional walkout protest.

Malaysians have become accustomed to this form of shenanigans from some of our not-so-honourable members of the House.

We can no longer keep track of the instances when Parliament degenerates into a circus with uncouth language used by both sides of the divide.

Ultimately, all this tells us is that meaningful debates are rare commodities within its walls.

The theatrics and poor conduct of these recalcitrant lawmakers have always overshadowed the painstakingly research-driven speeches of their more responsible and well-meaning colleagues.

We’ve long given up hope that Dewan Rakyat could be like Westminster, where MPs engage in constructive, witty and refined exchanges.

The usual rowdy MPs in our Dewan Rakyat may have disappeared, but they have been replaced by new ones. It seems like the assembly line churning them out never stops.

Last week, the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat saw two back-to-back yelling matches on the first day. What a ceremonious start.

Tensions boiled over Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for his 47 graft charges involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds.

Perikatan Nasional MPs staged a walkout from the Dewan Rakyat following a protracted argument when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was delivering his winding-up speech on the 12th Malaysia Plan mid-term review.

The House was thrown into pandemonium when Anwar took a swipe at Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) for laughing when he was explaining the issue.

We are used to all kinds of petulant behaviour involving politicians inside or outside Parliament, but some level of respect must surely be accorded, even if the MPs concerned feel strongly about their stand.

In moments of anger, some of us respond in a way we regret later. Radzi is often seen as someone who maintains his composure, so his outburst at Anwar came as a curveball.

Former Economic Director at the Prime Minister’s Office Shahril Hamdan, the co-host of a podcast with Khairy Jamaluddin, said Radzi “scored an own goal” while KJ said Radzi fell “into a trap.”

Former Economic Director at the Prime Minister’s Office Shahril Hamdan, the co-host of a podcast with Khairy Jamaluddin, said Radzi ‘scored an own goal’ while KJ said Radzi ‘fell into a trap.’ — Bernama

But the bottom line is there must be some parameters. Regardless of our positions, we must all show restraint.

Let’s have some class, dignity and decorum. We may have our political differences, but we need to respect each other’s views.

In Anwar’s case, his sodomy conviction was fully pardoned by the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2018, with Anwar saying that the King found his conviction a travesty of justice.

To bring it up in Parliament, even if briefly, and in a moment of anger, is surely unbecoming.

A “free” or “full pardon” wipes the slate clean of a conviction, as legal expert Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi had written about the implications of a royal pardon. So, the convict is released from all the penalties, legal disabilities and disqualifications.

It has been the tradition of mainstream media not to dwell on prior convictions of personalities who have been pardoned by His Majesty the King.

They’ve included former Selangor Mentri Besar, the late Datuk Harun Idris, who was jailed for embezzlement and graft of funds, and a former minister, the late Datuk Mokhtar Hashim.

The latter was sentenced to death for murder in 1983 before receiving a royal pardon in 2020.

The news portals today, however, have taken a lesser approach.

Many have not spent enough time in court reporting to understand the full meaning of someone who has been pardoned.

Insinuations of any kind against those who are recipients of a royal pardon, whether in the Dewan Rakyat or worse, online, would be out of place. It doesn’t constitute freedom of expression.

The aftermath of Radzi’s outburst is that all political secretaries to the unity government have called for the former Education Minister to be barred from Parliament.

The PM’s senior political secretary Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin said the group was now writing to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, to call for Radzi’s suspension.

Having covered Parliament for decades as a reporter, I’ve often wondered if the public knows that after such hijinks, these MPs often adjourn for coffee, slap one another’s backs, and enjoy each other’s company.

By now, we should know that MPs can scream at each other today but tomorrow, they could be sitting on the same bench. Or having tea together outside.

Welcome to the world of Malaysian politics. It’s not for the faint of heart.

THE numbers were beyond the expectations of the organisers when more than 10,000 people of various races and ages showed up to participate in the Keretapi Sarong 2023 (KS2023) recently.

While most wore the sarong and the kain pelikat to the event, many also turned up in their traditional attire to add colour to KS2023 to celebrate the love for Malaysia and its diversity.

This year’s theme, Ethnicity and Unity, was accompanied with a strong fashion show, a flash mob and joget lambak, replete with the 1960s and 1970s music filling the air, revealed news reports.

I wish I was there. It must have been the party of the year. I’ve promised myself that I’ll be there next year with my buddies.

One news report that touched me was a Bernama story accompanied by a video of a Peranakan couple, John Roland Goh, 71, and Lai Joo Lian, 70, who were up by 6am to get ready and be part of the programme.

They were dressed in traditional Baba Nyonya attire, a short kebaya and sarong, as well as a Malaysian batik shirt.

For Lai, KS2023 was nostalgic because it allowed her to recall her teenage years and provide the opportunity to see the different types and patterns of clothing worn by today’s younger people.

Nostalgic event: Lai (second from right) with her friends in Nyonya kebaya and sarong at the recent Keretapi Sarong 2023. The 70-year-old was up by 6am to get ready to be part of the programme. — Bernama

What I liked most about this event is that Malaysians voluntarily turned up all decked in their best. That’s the best part of spontaneity – it’s real and raw.

It was a reminder that Malaysia is safe.

Without politicians spewing toxic race and religion narratives, Malaysians are well clued-in on how to respect each other.

Whether it’s the joget lambak or ronggeng, most Muslims love and appreciate these cultural facets without being frowned upon.

It’s common knowledge that wayang kulit (shadow play) and menora (a Siamese theatre dance) have been banned by the PAS state governments.

The traditional dance, kuda kepang, was once banned but is slowly returning with some tweaks to parts that apparently infringed on religious sensitivities previously.

The songkok, for example, is just a Malay headdress and has no religious connotations. A baju Melayu is just incomplete without the songkok.

Why should anyone make a fuss if it’s compulsory to wear a songkok to an istana event?

I’m proud that the brass band of my alma mater, St Xavier’s Institution, had a velvet songkok as part of its uniform.

I happily and proudly wear a songkok with my baju Melayu during Hari Raya open houses.

And I can’t ever recall the Indian saree becoming an issue until recent years. Suddenly, sarees are deemed inappropriate and offensive by certain groups or institutions because it traditionally exposes midriffs and backs.

It’s a classic case of ignorance because this elegant dress was never designed to attract unwanted attention – it’s just the way it is and has always been. How has it suddenly become a crime now?

Last week, a school in Kajang found itself in the news when it allegedly barred its students from wearing the saree during the National Day celebrations.

This isn’t the first nor will it be the last time unless the Education and Higher Education Ministries put a stop to this nonsense by issuing a circular saying the saree is acceptable – not just for schools but at university levels, too.

Make it clear and leave no room for doubts or discretions. Engage Indian cultural and religious leaders on this dressing issue if clarity is needed.

The elegant saree was never designed to attract unwanted attention and can be worn in varying degrees of modesty. — The Star

Teachers and lecturers should stick to what they are hired for – teach – and not make judgment calls on what is moral according to their individual standards and prejudices.

Anyone who has been caught in these situations before would know it’s usually a lone voice who imposes his or her stand on others.

It suddenly becomes a decree that no one dares challenge this person if he or she has some religious authority, but there may be no credence to this at all.

Each time an incident like this crops up, the authorities step in and put out the fire quietly.

By now, it’s well-known that most rape cases in Malaysia happen in rural areas, where the victims are conservatively dressed. The predators are largely familiar to the victims and have even included relatives.

According to a report in the New Straits Times on March 16, Kelantan has one of the most sexual crime cases in the country.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan said most of the sexual crimes reported in Kelantan in the past few years were rapes.

“Eighty per cent of the sexual crimes reported in Kelantan involved children,” he said after launching Kelantan police’s Child Interview Centre (CIC) in Kota Baru.

Asked about the higher number of sex crimes involving children compared with adults in Kelantan, Jalil said he believed the lack of attention by parents to their children was a contributing factor.It has nothing to do with the dressing of flight stewardesses or nurses, which seems to be the obsession of some lawmakers.

Certainly, wearing shorts and skirts above the knees isn’t the cause of sex crimes.

So, the last thing we need in our schools and universities are self-appointed custodians of morality banning sarees, which is simply disrespecting the traditional culture of fellow Malaysians.

The actions of such teachers don’t only deprive students of their right to represent their cultural identity, but also runs contrary to the inclusive values espoused in the “Malaysia Madani” concept advocated by the unity government.

If we don’t stop this, the Iban warrior may no longer be seen wearing his shorts at National Day or Tourism Malaysia events.

So, kudos to the organisers of KS2023 for bringing tradition and fun to all Malaysians.

KS2023 director Shamsul Bahrin Zainuzzaman hailed the programme as having successfully achieved its main objective – to see Malaysians in ethnic attire travelling on public transport while promoting the multicultural sarong.

“I am wearing the traditional attire of the Bidayuh ethnic group as a sign of support, and we also saw many other friends from various races taking part in KS2023,” he told Bernama.

The Keretapi Sarong was introduced by non-governmental organisation Random Alphabet in 2012 before being taken over by LOCCO in 2017, involving thousands of participants travelling on public transport wearing either batik or pelikat sarongs as the de rigueur attire.

Anyone ready to organise a saree event soon? There’s certainly a dire need for education.