THE ruling that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) cannot interview witnesses beyond office hours has put the agency in a fix.

THE ruling that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) cannot interview witnesses beyond office hours has put the agency in a fix.

IT’S incredulous. PAS Members of Parliament and State Assemblymen have been compelled to take an oath to divorce their wives if they quit or jump to another party.

The news, which has been a hot topic in the political and media circle, has kicked off a controversy.

Even Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who is regarded as a moderate in the conservative party, does not see why anyone would want to question what PAS is doing.

It is perfectly acceptable to him. He has been quoted as saying that the oath is not against Islamic teachings as Prophet Muhammad and his companions also did the same thing and were willing to sacrifice their families and belongings.

But others, including religious scholars, have shot down the argument, saying the Prophet’s companions did not do that because of politics.

Perak Mufti Datuk Seri Hussani Zakaria explained the oath was made by the companions to show their loyalty and to defend the Prophet.

“If we want to take an oath for the sake of the party, then divorcing wives should not come into the picture,” he said.

Problematic mix

Even the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Asso­ciation has questioned the mind-blowing decision of PAS.

But this is what happens when politics is mixed with religion; for that matter, problems too arise when politics and business are not separated.

There was a time when PAS labelled Umno as infidel because of the latter’s partnership with the MCA and the MIC.

PAS leaders and followers, especially in Kelantan and Terengganu, refused to pray in the same mosque as Umno members. Even marriages with Umno members were shunned.

But now, PAS is openly working with the DAP, PKR and even Parti Sosialis Malaysia. So, politics is essentially expedient in nature, not about religion, as PAS leaders would want its members to believe.

The reality is that PAS leaders, behind the flowing robes, turbans and beards, are just politicians who can cut deals for power and position.

Being able to walk the corridors of power in Putrajaya is a tempting goal, whether it is via cooperating with Umno or PKR.

It has showed that its leaders are quite prepared to work with Umno for purported Muslim unity after telling its non-Muslim listeners that Umno is a communal party.

But PAS is also consistent on certain issues. As much as it wants to win over non-Muslim votes, exploiting their resentment against Umno, it has been unable to fully convince the non-Muslims of their readiness to shed their orthodox slant.

The liberal lifestyle enjoyed by Malaysians is at stake if progressive and liberal forces continue to lose their battle.

Gaming and drinking liquor may be frowned upon by all religions but democracy is also about the right to make choices. We have the right to decide for ourselves whether we want to drink or not. If the sale of beer is restricted, as pursued by PAS, would it be followed with wine as the next step?

Wine is used in many churches as part of the Eucharist, a commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion.

PAS has put it plainly that it wants to set up a Saudi Arabian-style Islamic state, including chipping away the secular aspect of the Federal Constitution. If non-Muslim supporters continue to strengthen PAS, they are doing so with their eyes open.

The people of Iran overthrew the corrupt Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi monarchy in 1979 because they were against the excesses of his regime. They replaced him with Ayatollah Ruhallah Khomeini, whose return from exile was greeted by millions of Iranians.

Today, the idealistic young set of Iran has found that you have to be careful with what you wish for. Human rights continue to be violated and polls rigged with theologians holding on to power in the name of religion.

Closed debate

In Malaysia, non-Muslims who question PAS leaders have been told to shut up because they are not qualified to debate due to their lack of knowledge on Islam or simply because they are not Muslims.

Activists like Sisters in Islam can tell you the kind of harassment they have to face simply because their liberal views do not match the views of those who push the conservative line.

We are still struggling to open up the demo­cratic space, and discourse often degenerates to name calling and threats, especially in the blogosphere, often by those hiding behind anonymity.

When civil issues become entangled with religious concerns, the debate becomes even more emotional and often the louder ones drown out their opponents.

Even former Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, despite his Islamic credentials, has found out how vicious those who evoke rules and regulations in the name of religion can be.

But those who use God’s name should beware that they too can suffer a similar fate because they are mere mortals like everyone else.

Last week, PKR information chief Latheefa Koya wrote an angry letter to Malaysiakini advising the online news portal to avoid “being manipulated”.

ON THE BEAT
By WONG CHUN WAI

IT’S outrageous. This has to be a scandal as we have plenty of reasons to be angry when there are over 26,000 people who owe the country a whopping RM400mil.

Or have we become so numb that the loss of hundreds of millions no longer shock us or make us scream?

In comparison to the RM1.5bil Port Klang Free Zone fiasco, this is naturally kacang putih money.

But we smell a rat here because the National Higher Education Fund Corporation’s (PTPTN) loan defaulters include public figures.

These are the Yang Berhormat and Yang Berbahagia who are also shameless and irresponsible Yang Berhutang.

The Star reported last week that professionals and celebrities are among the thousands of loan defaulters.

The corporation’s chief executive officer Yunos Abd Ghani said they included those who studied medicine, law and business.

In other words, these errant debtors include doctors, lawyers and businessmen who supposedly have standing in society.

Yunos said the actions taken against these defaulters include barring them from travelling, and 26,627 names have been submitted to the Immigration Department.

The excuses given by these defaulters are pretty pathetic. The standard line is failure to receive notices of demands because they have changed their addresses.

It is amazing that these people can remember checking their bank accounts for their money when they were in university but develop amnesia the minute they graduated.

Suddenly they do not recall owing the corporation money.

It is time that the agency resorts to publishing a list of these defaulters in major newspapers and also online.

Taking full page advertisements to recover RM400mil makes perfect sense. It would be effective and a good way to shame them.

If they have changed addresses or if they have forgotten, as some have claimed, family members and friends would remind them when they come across their names in the papers.

But the PTPTN said it has decided not to publish the names of defaulters as it felt it would not be effective.

I still think this method can work if the plan is properly executed. The PTPTN has to also publish the courses these defaulters were doing so we will have an idea of their standing in society.

There is no reason to think the move to publish the names would not shame them. They have after all shamelessly refused to repay their loans?

Why shouldn’t the public know the identities of these Yang Berhormat and Yang Berbahagia?

In fact, their names should be circulated to all the royal households to ensure that these defaulters do not qualify for any awards.

It should be a criterion as practised by some royal households such as Selangor, where the nominees for awards have to be screened by the police and Bank Negara to ensure they have clean records.

The PTPTN can take a step further by recommending that loan defaulters be disqualified.

As taxpayers, Malaysians, I think, have the right to know who these defaulters are who have not returned our money.

Their selfish acts have deprived future loan applicants as the fund would be affected.

We hope these defaulters have also been slapped with hefty interest rates as penalties.

The PTPTN should also seek the assistance of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Inland Revenue Department to track them down.

But it is good to hear from Yunos that 76% of borrowers start repaying their loans as soon as they finished their studies. That means the majority of borrowers are decent people.

The RM400mil is a huge amount of money. We definitely do not want Yunos to sit on these hutang papers and he can certainly depend on the support of the media to help recover the money.

ON THE BEAT
By WONG CHUN WAI

AT first impression, it may seem like a bad idea that will drain the country of more money. The economics of investing RM1bil a year for our own Formula 1 team may seem nonsensical to some.

But we must not overlook the economic benefits, including tourism promotion, that we can derive from having a Malaysian F1 team.

When we first took up the F1 challenge, the same apprehension – and even criticism – was made. Many questioned the rationale and wisdom of putting up an expensive race circuit where we Malaysians stood no chance of winning. More than a decade later, Singapore realised that it had missed the chance and has now seen the economic benefits of having an international event like the F1 on the island republic.

For us in Malaysia, it has become an annual event, bringing in the high-spending sports fans as well as the local crowd that has not thinned down. The Sepang Circuit in fact is now in need of more financial support for a major facelift and better facilities.

In 1997, Tourism Malaysia put its name on Rubens Barrichello’s and Jan Magnussen’s Stewart-Fords. Now, we are talking about having our own F1 team. A decade later, I am sure, is reasonable enough for the next step.

Last week, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia should view the F1 as an important instrument to promote Malaysia to the world.

He said Malaysia would have to pay US$1mil (RM3.5mil) just for a three-minute advertisement in Japan.

With the F1 race, Malaysia is shown across the globe for hours and we would not have to pay for these advertisements.

Dr Mahathir calculated that for advertisements alone in Japan, the cost may run into US$100mil or US$200mil.

Let’s not forget that at every race, which major cities take turns to host, the televised rights go to over 300 television stations.

Last week, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the 1Malaysia F1 team would participate in the F1 race starting next year.

Look at the English Premier League. The only Malaysian symbol we still have there is the logo of AirAsia on the referee’s sleeves, and that is so visible that football fans cannot miss it. Neither can we miss the Korean slogan that runs across the side of Old Trafford, although none of us can understand it because it’s not in English. It’s a waste of money when nationalism is carried too far.

But the sight of two elephants walking towards each other on the electronic board to promote Chang Beer will capture our attention for sure. So will the corporate names on the jerseys of the big four – Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Can you imagine the global advertisement value of having the Arsenal stadium being called the Emirates?

AirAsia boss Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes understands the value of creating a global name in sports. He’s a shrewd businessman and those who know him will tell you he’s tight-fisted when it comes to cash.

AirAsia is already a partner of the F1 Williams team and is now part of the Malay­sian F1 team. Fernandes has also just launched the Asean Basketball League and put an Oakland Raiders theme on an AirAsia X long-haul carrier. (The Raiders from Dallas is one of the top teams in the National Football League in the United States.)

AirAsia is no longer just a regional airline. It is now flying international and is obviously looking for maximum advertisement coverage. And there’s no better place than the sports arenas – the football stadiums and the F1 circuits.

We may not have a Malaysian driver yet for our own F1 team. Fairuz Fauzy has been a test driver for the Spyker F1 team but at 27 years old, he’s regarded as too old for the driver’s seat.

But it does not really matter. We have to take a major step for that to happen. The Germans, Brazilians, Britons, French or Italians did not become F1 drivers overnight.

We are sometimes too quick to criticise and do not look at the wider picture.

Former F1 Ferrari boss Datuk Jean Todt became a minor political issue when he was picked to be Malaysia’s tourism ambassador. A high flier who has access to the rich and famous in the world, he took up the job because of his relationship with actress Datuk Michelle Yeoh.

But we must realise that doors are opened to people like Todt, and that includes the media bosses in Europe.

As it is, it has been confirmed that Todt will be standing for election to head the Federation International Automobile, the governing body of the F1 and other auto sports.

It certainly helps the Malaysian cause to have a friend in powerful places, and the tickets that we pay for Todt is nothing compared to what he can do for the country, which none of our noisy politicians can. Take, for example, international shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo. He’s an icon. In Malaysia, he’s almost unrecognisable but in fashion cities like London, Paris and Milan, he cannot even have his meal in peace as he is often interrupted by guests asking for a picture or an autograph.

Choo has unimaginable international connection. Ordinary Malaysians like us just do not carry that kind of weight.

A mere mention by Choo of the Pangkor Resort, and American soul singer Macy Grey was at the island giving him a telephone call, which surprised even him.

Many of us have not heard of London-based mural artist Annie Newman but the Sabahan is painting up a storm in Europe where her clients include footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria, and Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp.

In her own way, she has promoted Malay­sia tirelessly and whenever there is an opportunity, Newman would introduce Malaysian cooking to her influential friends and clients.

The reality is that promoting Malaysia costs money but the returns have to be good. It’s a question of how we can leverage from it.

ON THE BEAT
By WONG CHUN WAI

IT’S refreshing. The decision by the Women, Family and Community Develop­ment Ministry to come out with a report that at least seven Penan girls and women were raped is another step towards the culture of transparency in Malaysia.

The report that these Penans were sexually abused by timber company workers confirmed what this newspaper reported last year.

It is a tragic story of neglect. We should be outraged with what has taken place but it may not evoke the kind of emotions that we ought to have because Baram seems such a distant land.

Let’s face it. Many ordinary Malaysians do not even know the existence of the Penans. But we should nevertheless be very angry. When this newspaper first reported this case, we were threatened with suits and one newspaper sent a reporter to the area to refute our case.

Although two victims, aged 17 and 21, had taken the trouble to lodge police reports in Bukit Aman alleging they had been raped, the police asked for more details.

The Sarawak police say they cannot nail the loggers who raped and sexually abused the Penans unless the ministry can provide detailed information that could lead to their arrest.

The state police have asked for detailed and specific information like names, dates and places. Sarawak CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Huzir Mohamed said the police needed accurate details. So it doesn’t look like the Penan girls and women will get the justice they seek.

Easy targets

Members of the committee who travelled to numerous Penan settlements in Long Item, Long Kawi, Long Luteng, Long Belok and Niah reported they had difficulties in getting details.

The report described the testimonies of a 17-year-old who said she was raped when she was 12; in another case, the girl said she was raped twice by a logger and became pregnant in 2005.

The findings of the committee are shocking – a lorry driver tried to molest a group of 10-year-old girls but they escaped.

The Penan girls are a target because of their dependence on timber vehicles to transport them to and from school.

Worse, the timber tracks are often the only means of access to their villages with schools and clinics at least four to six hours away.

The villagers are literally at the mercy of these timber companies. They cannot go anywhere unless the timber operators allow them through.

Imagine the plight of these rape victims who are now staying at such isolated villages. They have no one to protect them and now that this report has become newspaper headlines, how will they carry on with their daily routines if there is no support from the authorities?

Why have these sexual abuses been overlooked and why was no action taken even after they were reported by The Star?

Now that we’ve got reports by The Star and the ministry, where do we go from here? The lack of response seems to indicate that nothing is likely to change and the reports will merely gather dust.

It is disheartening to note that the ministry’s report has no legal implication. The police have already said their hands are tied and there is nothing they can do in the absence of solid information.

But we hope the sad stories of the Penans will wake people up. 1Malaysia isn’t just about the major races but also the “yang lain-lain” category. In fact, the Penans are classified as bumiputras too.

They may lack political clout but their plight must be given immediate support as the Sarawak interior has remained loyal supporters of the ruling coalition.

The ministry’s committee reported that the Penans have little access to registration, health care and education due to poverty and the remoteness of their settlements.

“All these issues are closely related to imbalanced development. The lack of infrastructure such as roads and public transport make it difficult for the Penans to communicate with the outside world, including the government agencies,’’ it added.

Leading the charge

The report, we hope, will wake the Govern­ment up. Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil must be credited for taking up the case and coming out with an honest report.

It certainly wasn’t easy as the team had to travel over difficult terrains to speak to these Penan girls and women who had to be reminded of their sad past.

The ministry did not take a defensive approach but kept an open mind and sent its investigators to Baram and other Penan settlements. More importantly, Shahrizat initiated a serious investigation, like Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat who launched a crusade against those who stole public money of up to RM1.5bil in the PKFZ scandal.

His bold move has irked business personalities whose cosy relationships with political figures have been affected. Malaysians want to see leaders who dare to expose the ills of the country, even if it means stepping on powerful toes.

Certainly, powerful politicians and timber operators in Sarawak would be upset with the findings of the report but Shahrizat has taken them on.

In the New Malaysia, the people want to see new approaches being taken to uphold transparency and accountability.

Raw emotions were displayed at the meeting between Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and the residents yesterday.

The emotionally-charged meeting turned ugly when some residents reportedly shouted profanities and even tried to throw chairs and shoes at the Mentri Besar.

Insults were hurled and insensitive remarks were made by those present, which shocked the Selangor elected representatives and pressmen.

The Aug 28 protest by about 50 people who marched from the state mosque to the state secretariat building to oppose the relocation of the 150-year-old Maha Mariamman temple from Section 19 to Section 23 has now become international news.

It would have been just an ordinary demonstration if the protestors had not paraded the head of a cow, an animal deemed sacred by the Hindus, and placed it at the state secretariat building.

The residents’ action committee has denied any involvement in insulting a religious symbol, saying the cow’s head was symbolic of the state government’s stupidity.

It is unlikely that their defence, if not excuse, would be accepted.

They could have just stopped those who brought the cow’s head and led the parade; but they didn’t. Or they failed, if their argument is to be used.

Never mind if the cow’s head was used to insult the state government. They simply didn’t use their head to think it over because the protest was over a Hindu temple. To use a cow’s head was sheer stupidity.

It has now put the Government in a fix. Police have interviewed over 70 people and have submitted their report to the Attorney-General for a decision.

The AG has sent the report back to the police asking for more details.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has given his assurance that no one is above the law.

He has said clearly that those who brought the cow’s head should be hauled to court, and that the action should not be tolerated as the cow is considered sacred in certain religions.

Hishammuddin said the ministry viewed seriously issues that could undermine the harmony, national security and stability of multi-racial Malaysia.

It is important that such reassuring statements are made by our leaders because no one should give the impression, not even the slightest one, that such seditious actions are tolerated.

If they are allowed to get away with it, then the whole mission of 1Malaysia would be jeopardised.

The Government must not let one group hijack what they are trying to do for a better Malaysia.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sent a clear message when he said Muslims should refrain from condemning or insulting other religions and their believers.

Follow the true Islamic teachings of showing respect, he said.

He added that Prophet Muhammad allowed believers of other religions to practise their creeds and forbade his followers from going against them. The Prophet guaranteed the rights of the minorities under the Medina Constitution.

In fact, Muslims are obligated to protect and honour any house of worship that is dedicated to God, even if it is a church, temple or a synagogue.

Any attempt to prevent the followers of any other faith from worshipping God, according to their own rights, is condemned in the Quran as sacrilege.

The history of the Islamic empires shows that in dominant Muslim societies, people of other faiths were allowed to flourish.

On The Beat by WONG CHUN WAI

Just study the history of the Moghul Empire in India where there are huge numbers of Hindus and temples.

In Baghdad, under the Abbasid Khalifahs, the Jews and Christians enjoyed the freedom of religion that they never allowed for each other.

These historical facts are well documented and any student of basic Islam would learn about the tolerance showed by true followers of the faith.

The religious rights of minorities must never be ignored. Muslims in some European countries, for example, have found themselves being discriminated against when it comes to building mosques because of opposition from Christian residents in some areas.

In May, about 250 people protested against the Attakwa mosque in a Belgian neighbourhood and in 2007, Germans staged a protest during the opening of a mosque in Berlin.

In contrast, a massive mosque stands on Nathan Road in Kowloon even though the area is predominantly Chinese. It is accepted and even promoted as a tourist destination. And rightly so too.

Muslims may be minorities in these places but they have the right to worship. Any place where people gather to honour God is always good.

Closer to home, Penang Island is predominantly Chinese but Mesjid Kapitan Keling sits majestically in George Town. It is the pride of not just the Muslims but Penangites of other faiths.

We have to be careful when we use terms like “majority” and “minority” because Malay­sia is a multi-racial country where one community would outnumer another in some areas.

Malaysia must encourage more multi-racial neighbourhoods like Subang Jaya in Selangor.

Enclaves with one race sometimes breed intolerance and the voice of a noisy and demanding minority can sometimes drown those of a moderate majority.

Moderate Malaysians must rise to the occasion as the world is watching how we are handling the the cow-head protest.

We have no place for hot-headed people who invoke God’s name with no understanding of tolerance and peace. Let’s use our head.

ON THE BEAT 

By WONG CHUN WAI

IT’S unprecedented – a concert featuring American hip-hop/pop group Black Eyed Peas will be held in Selangor and the organiser is a liquor company! But there is a catch here – it’s only for non-Muslims.

The decision reportedly was made by the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry.

It appears to be a compromise, even a conciliatory move, by the authorities as liquor and cigarette companies are not allowed to sponsor concerts under the existing strict guidelines.

Guinness, the brewer behind the concert, is holding the event in celebration of its 250th anniversary on what is called the Arthur Guinness Day after its founder.

However, it would not be selling any liquor nor allowed to put up its logos.

It must be tough for the local company to explain these kinds of restrictions to their overseas bosses.

But there is a sense of growing conservatism in Malaysia, especially with PAS getting stronger.

Umno, as a Muslim party, has little choice but to show its Islamic credentials if it wants to regain the votes it has lost.

It has not helped that non-Muslims, angry with government policies, are willingly strengthening PAS without a thought to the implications of their decisions in the long run.

PAS has consistently declared its intention to set up an Islamic state and to impose Syariah laws.

Religion is a state matter and the state executive councillor in charge of religion is state PAS chief, Datuk Dr Hassan Ali.

He has led the charge in attempting to ban the sale of liquor in Muslim majority areas and has also pushed for mosque officials to arrest Muslims who sell, store or drink liquor.

The decision has become a major concern among operators of 7-Eleven outlets as the majority of workers in such convenience stores are Muslims, numbering over 1,000 nationwide.

Taking beer off the shelves in Muslim majority areas in Selangor would be easier but the potential to penalise Muslim workers is a major deterrent as they would have to handle such sales in non-Muslim areas.

We all know that in Malaysia there are many rules and laws that are never enforced, or are badly enforced, but there have been peculiarities and one should never take for granted any possible scenarios.

Nobody would have expected that Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor, a Muslim woman, would be sentenced to caning for a beer-drinking conviction.

A 7-Eleven Muslim worker, whether a cashier or a store manager, could be arrested and charged if the laws are strictly enforced. There would also be possible harassment or even cases of bribery with these laws.

The organisers of the Black Eyed Peas concert are obviously not taking any chances, preferring a low-key approach.

Malaysia is one of the four venues picked by Guinness for the global celebration because of its strategic location in the Asia-Pacific region. There is a huge amount of tourism money involved here for the celebration of Arthur Guinness’ Day.

The “no Muslims” decision is said to have been imposed by the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, possibly to avoid any criticism from PAS, which has been consistently critical of such concerts.

Recently, PAS called for a ban on the concert by Michael Learns To Rock, a group of ageing musicians, on Sept 5 in Genting Highlands.

Last year, PAS also wanted a concert by Canadian singer Avril Lavigne to be banned, citing the rocker for being “sexy”, which earned world-wide ridicule for such a description of the skinny singer.

It would come as no surprise if PAS should also call for a ban on the Black Eyed Peas concert in Sunway Lagoon on Sept 25.

The “no Muslims” directive is being debated among many of my Muslim friends because they want to attend the concert.

They just want to listen to good music and have a good time. Even if beer were to be served, they would not touch it.

But to be deprived of watching a world-class act on grounds of their religion is something they cannot comprehend, nor accept.

It is a strange, if not illogical, decision. I have watched Black Eyed Peas three times in Malaysia – at Bukit Kiara, Bukit Jalil and the last time at Genting Highlands – and it has always been an open audience.

The restriction on Muslims attending the concert coming straight after the Kartika case has raised eyebrows.

The government appears to be stalling on the decision to cane Kartika, who would have been the first Muslim and woman to be caned for a drinking offence.

PAS has, however, insisted that the mother-of-two be caned and Umno has come under heavy criticism, especially during the Permatang Pasir by-election, for its seeming reluctance to support caning her.

The latest decision on Black Eyed Peas is bound to make Malaysia an international news item.

It looks like it will be a “boom boom pow” case with another “black eye” for the wrong reasons.