Bridging cultures: Walking through the gallery, the writer saw mostly non-Muslims, including Chinese and Japanese, who seemed genuinely interested to learn more about the beauty and diversity of Islam.

An eye-opening exhibition in London is cluing visitors in to the accepting and harmonious ways of Islam. 

AT a time when our narrow-minded politicians are thumping their chests proclaiming themselves champions of Malay rights and Islam by threatening others, it was refreshing to visit the Islamic World exhibition in London and view the religion in a positive light.

It was a proud moment to see Malaysia’s Albukhary Foundation financially supporting a gallery of the Islamic world at the prestigious British Museum and finding itself a permanent feature there.

A large inscribed panel on the entrance of the exhibition relays how the foundation has been promoting goodwill through education and cultural heritage for the past 40 years. The foundation has also been “promoting scholarship amongst Muslims and non-Muslims alike” and aspires to “bridge further understanding between cultures and faiths.”

And certainly, the exhibits at the gallery fit the bill – in numerous parts, it sets to emphasise how Islam values “compassion, tolerance and co-existence”, which the foundation reminds visitors of at the two-room gallery.

Staging these exhibits in London is appropriate, especially when Islam is perceived negatively, no thanks to reports of beheadings, suicide bombers and the seclusion of women, all in the name of the religion.

Well, that’s not very different from some in our own backyard who wield their racial and religious intolerance like a weapon. 

This exhibition has been an enriching experience for me as a student of Islam.  I saw an incense burner and Torah Pointer (a pen-like accessory used by the Jews when they read their Holy Book), but they were made by Turkmen silversmiths.

But it was the accompanying card which read “recognised in Islam as People of the Book, are Jews and Christians, who were granted special status” that caught my attention. For non-Muslims, it’s lessons like these, even if small, which help us develop a deeper appreciation for the religion.

Of course, this is a far cry from hysterical Muslim individuals calling for the blood of Indians, Chinese and Christians, with images of silat exponents holding keris, and intimidating antics on social media.

And in this frenzy of piety, they forget that “in the name of God, the Most Generous and the Most Merciful” is the phrase recited before each chapter of the Quran.

It’s always in the name of the Most Compassionate, and certainly not the propagation of violence in the name of religion – that’s the genuine Islam.

At the gallery, I learnt how Muslim and Christian noblemen in Syria enjoyed the past time of hunting, depicted on a earthenware bowl and fragmentary flask.

It was common to see people of the two great faiths across the Middle East coming together to celebrate.

And of course, Islam spread because of the trade routes, which brought people from all around together. So, had Muslims been reclusive then, or kept to themselves by refusing to interact with people of other races and faiths, Islam would never have flourished.

The global trade took luxury items as well as raw materials from Middle Eastern cities, as far as those bordering China, all the way to the west. These included incense and spices such as “the cinnamon and sandalwood of India, incense of Arabia, star anise of Southeast Asia and date molasses of Iraq”.

The gallery has many pots which were discovered in Iraq, and though native to that country, is in the shape of imported Chinese jars, evidence of the crossing of cultures along the trade routes. And we all know that Islam was introduced to Melaka, especially in the 15th century, through the influx of foreign traders.

At the gallery, I read about how the markets in the cities of Cairo and Damascus, between 1250-1517, sold almost anything and everything. And that extended to glassmakers designing flasks of different influences, including warrior saints from Christian imagery, replete with their Crusader-style garments and head dress, and even turbaned men in medieval Islamic societies.

There was even a dish with the image of Mary, as she was the most prominent female figure in the Quran and the only one identified by name. Both the annunciation and virgin birth are mentioned in sura 19, surat Maryam, which is named after her.

Interestingly, the dish, depicting the Virgin and Child framed by sprays of tulips and carnations, is believed to be made in Ottoman Turkey.

I had come to the gallery expecting only works of the Islamic World, so, I was surprised to see so many exhibits with intricate elements of Christianity and Islam.

With Muslim and Christian extremists remaining at loggerheads, who would have thought that at one time, believers of these two great faiths lived side by side and respected each other.

The exhibition has received acclaimed reviews from major British media, with The Standard reporting “you get games, amulets and charms, astrolabes, costumes (fabulous) and shadow puppets, as well as the tiles and calligraphy you would expect.

“Obviously the British Museum already had a gallery devoted to the Islamic world, but this is a reordering and expansion of it thanks to a large donation from the Malaysian Albukhary Foundation.”

The Guardian wrote that “the cliche that Islam forbids all representation is demolished: there are human as well as animal portraits throughout this gallery.

“This gallery is a kind of miracle. It sees beyond individual objects to grasp and communicate the principles and intellectual power that give Islamic art its infectious harmony and abundance. Yet it does that without oversimplifying. “

And indeed, visitors can experience a chronological journey of the Islamic world through artefacts, tiles, sculptures, paintings, textile, engravings, art, music and literature.

For the first time, I could see the works of all schools – Sufism, Sunni and Shiites sects were all acknowledged as are the mix of influences that accompany the spread of Islam through both war and trade.

Walking through the gallery, Britons apart, I thought I saw mostly non-Muslims, including Chinese and Japanese, who seemed genuinely interested to learn more about Islam in greater detail, especially the beauty and diversity of the religion.

Non-Muslims should learn more about Islam, and likewise, Muslims should not fear knowing more about other religions. There are plenty of commonalities, especially positive values, in all religions.

Certainly, no religion teaches its faithful to be corrupt, or use race and religion to stoke the fires of controversy when they have lost their moral standing. I simply can’t imagine any religion teaching such values.

CHINESE tourists aren’t exactly shining examples of well-mannered and law-abiding visitors in any country, and because China is so big, we’re forced to deal with everything from the high-heeled rich tourists down to the peasant types making their first overseas trips.

But every nation wants a piece of the Chinese tourist pie, despite the occasional bad press involving host countries and these mainlanders.

The number of Chinese making their way abroad will more than double to 259 million in 2030 from 97.5 million this year, said a study by Euromonitor International. This was revealed at the World Travel Market in London. The number will far outweigh second-placed US with 159 million outbound trips and Germany with 138.6 million. So, the attention is surely on cash-loaded Chinese tourists with the appetite for branded luxury goods and fine dining.

Thailand made headlines for introducing special immigration lanes dedicated to them to extend goodwill. Chinese passport holders are now able to utilise any of 18 Chinese-only lanes at Suvarnabhumi. Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Hat Yai airports will soon have dedicated lines for Chinese tourists as well. The pursuit of Chinese wealth has made things that competitive.

Our government must understand that they are our customers. We are selling Malaysia as a product. They are here to spend, meaning they should be treated as customers, and shouldn’t be made to feel unwelcome. In my years travelling overseas, I’ve found most immigration officers can never put on a smile, and they look as if they are doing visitors a favour by stamping their passports.

Deputy Tourist Police chief Pol. Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal said the VIP lanes, staffed by Chinese-speaking immigration officers, were meant to display Thailand’s “hospitality and sincerity” towards Chinese tourists. In the past six years, China has become Thailand’s top tourist provider. In 2017, more than a quarter of Thailand’s 35 million tourists were from there. The swift action by the Thai authorities was taken after a boat mishap off Phuket in July, which saw 47 Chinese nationals killed. It led to 600,000 Chinese tourists cancelling their trips there, setting Thailand back US$1.11bil (RM4.65bil) in revenue lost.

In September, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered concerned agencies to speed up restoring the confidence of Chinese tourists after a mainland visitor was assaulted by a security guard at Don Mueang International Airport. Prayut’s instruction came after a video clip showing the guard briefly scuffling with and then hitting a Chinese man received wide coverage in the Chinese media.

Getting to the point, Malaysia should be worried, or more appropriately, alarmed!

Tourist arrivals from mainland China to Malaysia dropped by an estimated 30% to 35% during their National Day break in October, compared to last year. Industry players said this was the first time Malaysia posted a dip in tourist arrivals from China during their “golden week”, or peak tourism season in the Middle Kingdom. China’s “golden week” last year, from Oct 1 to 7, saw about 180,000 Chinese tourists coming to Malaysia.

“Inbound tourism from China was very weak this time. The special feature I noticed this time around was that local tour guides went overseas for holidays during this golden week,” said Datuk Keith Li, who owns the GTC Group travel agency jointly with the Chinese government and is also president of the China Entrepreneurs Association in Malaysia.

For Chinese tourists, the first consideration when choosing destinations is whether the host nation is friendly to China. The others are security, attractions and shopping.

Although Chinese tourists love Malaysia’s beaches, culture and food, Li said he is “not optimistic” about Malaysia getting three million arrivals from China this year, saying his sentiments are echoed by Mint Leong, deputy president of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association.

Remarks made by Malaysian leaders are crucial to how Chinese tourists perceive our country as a destination choice. If seemingly anti-China remarks are made, whether real or otherwise, that won’t help the cause. But there’s more, obviously.

According to a research by ForwardKeys, countries need to remember four important factors if they are to secure a larger share of the Chinese outbound tourism pie.

They include the development of direct flights, visa convenience, sensitivity to the Chinese holiday calendar and a reputation for being a safe place to visit. ForwardKeys predicts future travel patterns by analysing 17 million flight booking transactions a day. According to its report, the increase in Chinese travel to Ireland during May to August this year illustrates the value of new direct flights. Ireland experienced a negative 2017 and a decrease of 7.8% in the number of Chinese arrivals during January to April 2018.

“However, three new routes reversed the downward trend and resulted in a 4.1% uplift in Chinese visitor arrivals during the May to August period. Other examples include Belgium and Greece, where new direct routes led to growth in Chinese visitors during May to August 2018. The benefits of visa reform were particularly notable in Serbia, which experienced a 173% increase in flight arrivals from China in 2017, after the country waived visas for Chinese tourists.

“Serbia also saw triple-digit growth in Chinese arrivals during the first eight months of 2018. ForwardKeys previously reported other substantial increases in Chinese tourism due to visa relaxation policies, most notably to Morocco and the UAE.

“Sensitivity to the Chinese calendar is important because holidays such as the Chinese New Year and National Day Golden Week see very large numbers of people seeking overseas trips. A good understanding of the subtleties of Chinese holidays will greatly help the industry to plan, anticipate and capitalise on demand. Destination marketeers can better time their campaigns, hotel managers can better prepare to make Chinese visitors feel welcome and retailers can stock items more likely to appeal to the Chinese tourist.”

The report states that security concerns are crucial too as “after a wave of terror attacks afflicted Continental Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean in 2015 and 2016, Chinese visitors stayed away.

“However, as those destinations have been seen to be safer, the Chinese market has recovered. For example, Turkey, which is benefiting from the China-Turkey Tourism Year 2018 and an improved security image, has seen a 69% year-on-year spike in arrivals between January and August this year.”

As a seasoned traveller, I have concluded that we have lagged behind other Asean countries like Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam in wooing tourists, and as more Chinese tourists travel, they will make comparisons of the best service provided.

Sabah has become a favourite destination for younger Chinese tourists, who have better income, because of the direct flights and crystal-clear seawater. They like Sipadan, but look at Semporna, the gateway to the best islands in the world. Let’s be honest, Semporna is a gigantic rubbish dump and the huge presence of foreigners, presumably illegals, hardly makes visitors (Malaysians included) feel safe. It’s pathetic that such deplorable situations can remain unchanged despite a deluge of complaints.

Hopefully, our Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Sabahan Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi, will order a clean-up. Despite the fatalities involved, I’m not sure if we have learnt from boat mishaps that we, too, have experienced in Sabah.

Last January, a tourist boat ferrying 28 Chinese tourists and three crewmen from Kota Kinabalu to Mengalum island capsized. Malaysians have always taken safety lightly and we’re no different from the Thais. And if we aren’t careful, we will have to deal with the same issues again unless there is constant enforcement by the authorities.

Malaysia has declared 2020 Visit Malaysia Year and that means the Tourism Ministry, as a revenue earning body, must get its act together to hit its projected target. The question is, how much has been done so far?

And certainly, the ministry should seek the help of stakeholders to make 2020 a hugely successful event.

And for a start, let’s send the message down – tourists are pelanggan (customers) and not merely pelawat (visitors), and those using our airlines aren’t just penumpang (passengers), so paying customers must be treated like royalty, and that service is the best advertisement for our country.

Eye on oil revenue: Petronas has proven it is world class because it has adopted global standards.— AFP

If there’s one brand that has kept Malaysia gleaming in the spotlight, then it must surely be Petronas. 

AT a time when some of our institutions have been tainted with suspicion, if not investigated for discrepancies, there is still a hero that can be counted upon to deliver – not once, but over and again.

We must rely on Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s reserves to settle some of our government’s outstanding tax refunds amounting to RM37bil via a special dividend next year.

It would be a one-off payment from Petronas to nullify the debt to improve cash flow of businesses and households, thus helping stimulate economic activities.

However, it’s important to note that while Petronas is subjected to such periodic financial SOS calls as part of its national service, it’s also a reflection of its solid financial position. This simply re-emphasises the need for ownership control by the government.

In many ways, despite the pessimism for the country’s economic outlook for the next two years, Malaysia is lucky.

Just four years ago, the nation was grappling with the declining price of oil, but now, we are expecting higher prices.

In 2016, when Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was tabling the Budget, he shared that crude oil prices had fallen more than 50% from US$100 per barrel in 2014.

Justifying the need to implement GST, he said Petronas contributed to part of the dividend to Treasury each year, the amount depending on global crude oil prices.

For example, when crude oil averaged US$100 per barrel, revenue from Petronas dividends and petroleum tax totalled RM61.5bil.

However, the scenario changed when crude dipped to around US$50 per barrel. The contribution from Petronas and oil-related sectors was RM41.9bil in 2015.

As oil prices were expected to remain low in 2016, oil-related revenue was estimated at RM29.4bil.

Fast forward 2018 – the price of oil has gone up, with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in explaining the support given by Petronas, saying, “You must remember the price of oil has gone up quite high.

“Of course, if it is at US$40 per barrel, it is not possible to give that kind of money, but now, it is almost US$80,” he told reporters after the tabling of Pakatan Harapan’s first budget in the Dewan Rakyat recently.

While a bulk of us don’t expect the price to hit US$100, it could well shoot for the skies if the embargo on Iran by the United States is fully enforced soon, with no waiver for selected oil importing countries. Political events in the Middle East have serious implications on the price of oil.

While the RM30bil amount is bandied, the precise figure Petronas must fork out next year to cover the acute shortage in the Government’s revenue is RM54bil. These are big bucks, but without them, Malaysia could risk its current credit rating because of the national debt and insufficient revenue collection to finance the Government’s operations.

The dividends from Petronas were surely a better option than an earlier proposal for the government to issue the RM2bil Treasury bills to provide additional liquidity with financing costs higher.

Ratings agency S&P said it is maintaining Malaysia’s credit risk ratings at A, given the country’s stable outlook based on steady economic growth and the new government’s emphasis on strengthening its fiscal position.

It also commended Petronas for how its “solid balance sheet, sizeable net cash position and ample liquidity provided ample buffer against the payment.”

“The financial impact of a one-off dividend of this size is moderate for Petronas’ cash position and balance sheet quality, in our view,” the agency reported.

It’s a welcome change, really. By now, Malaysians have become immune to reading embarrassing news articles about the 1MDB.

We have become international fodder for the wrong reasons. So, trickles of good news, like this, help lift our confidence when we go abroad.

I was in Hong Kong last week to attend a media conference, and when an Australian journalist began querying me about Malaysia, I was prepared to shoot from the hip with my views on the two trending issues – 1MDB and the new government.

Instead, though, I was asked about Petronas, as he proceeded to commend the national oil and gas company for being an efficiently run institution.

Indeed, as Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng rightly pointed out in his Budget 2019 speech,

“Petronas, as a company, has been run in an extremely prudent fashion and has been able to accumulate the reserves which can be shared with the Government, without jeopardising its ability to invest for its future growth.”

Credit must go to its president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin and his leadership team.

Wan Zulkiflee’s is not a household name here. The chemical engineering graduate is unassuming and keeps a low profile, but he gets the job done efficiently.

Through his stewardship and prudent management, the company can contribute to the Government’s efforts in managing the nation’s budget.

He took over Petronas’ reins in 2015 following a severe downturn in the oil and gas industry caused by the collapse in crude oil prices.

It wasn’t the best time to take over the top job, but he dared do it. I remember having lunch with him and speaking about the volatile oil price.

But he then instituted successful measures to achieve better cost efficiency in a harsh operating landscape. His transformation efforts led to the company’s strong fundamentals and liquidity position. It rallied staff in the areas of operational excellence, cost reduction and portfolio optimisation, all of which will secure the company’s ability to service its debts, fund its ongoing operations and invest in future growth.

The Petronas CEO’s job has always been tough with having to ensure results to keep a tight control of finances as the custodian of Malaysia’s wealth, while at the same time, be expected to play the rescue role.

In 2011, Petronas was requested to even shoulder part of Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) higher operational costs caused by gas shortage. Petronas, TNB and the government had to evenly share the reported sum of RM3.07bil the utility company incurred in cost overruns from Jan 1, 2010 to Oct 31, 2011.

A lifeline was cast to TNB, which posted a net loss of RM453.9mil for 4QFY11 ending Aug 31. If there is a lesson to be learnt here, it’s that Petronas is listed among the top 500 companies in the world, and it has worked well because it adopts global standards.

Politicians like to use phrases like world class and world standards to a point it becomes meaningless, but Petronas has proven it is and has remained in the global rankings for good reason.

OUR people generally have short memories. There was a time when many of us were outraged at elected representatives from any one of DAP, PKR, PAS and PBS for defecting to the Barisan Nasional.

All kinds of nasty names were hurled at them, with insinuations that these unprincipled and dishonourable politicians were paid to be political frogs, all of whom contributed greatly to the collapse of two state governments.

In 1994, the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) – which pulled out from the Barisan in 1990 – won the state elections with a slim majority of 25 seats against Barisan’s 23.

But the fourth-term PBS government lasted only about two weeks before it was ousted following defections of some of its state assemblymen.

Some of these former PBS leaders went on to set up their own political parties, while Joseph Pairin Kitingan had to resign as chief minister on March 17, 1994, before a shocked Malaysian public.

This was unprecedented in Malaysia, and it swung the doors wide open for Umno to set up shop in Sabah, taking with it its race and religious-style politics.

Then, in 2009, when the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) formed the state government, three of its state assemblymen defected to Barisan, causing the PR government to collapse. Naturally, there was plenty of resentment at what was viewed as classic treachery and immorality.

Prior to the defections, PR had 32 representatives while Barisan 27.

The ship-hopping meant that the state then had 28 PR representatives, Barisan likewise, and three independent representatives who pledged confidence with Barisan.

But the movement began with PR because Barisan’s Nasarudin Hashim decided to cross the floor to join PR. Its leaders then jubilantly claimed more Barisan lawmakers would join in an exodus.

Instead, Nasarudin returned to Barisan, accompanied by Deputy Speaker Hee Yit Foong of the DAP, and senior state executive councillors Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Osman Jailu of the PKR.

A year later, Malim Nawar assemblyman Keshwinder Singh quit the DAP to become a Barisan-friendly independent assemblyman.

Many political leaders, who are now Pakatan Harapan figureheads, mouthed off angrily then, but now, have seemingly gone mum at the latest round of camp-switching involving Barisan politicians to PH. Just Google if you want a quick history of who these politicians are and what they said then, and importantly, when they were at the receiving end.

That probably explains how although many of us felt cheated and demanded an anti-hopping law be enacted, everything invariably died under a deluge of excuses.

Is it surprising that nothing happened?

Of course not, because politicians have always known that defections make for handy tools.

For them, it’s all about power, and how the end justifies the means, so the people’s mandate counts for little. It could seem a betrayal of our trust, but defections will likely be justified as freedom of association, and something perfectly natural.

In 1978, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang attempted to move a motion in the Dewan Rakyat to introduce a Private Member’s Bill, the Members of Parliament (Prevention of Defection) Act, which would require an MP to vacate his seat within 30 days and have a by-election upon his resignation or expulsion from the party on whose ticket he was originally elected.

When Lim was queried by readers of a newspaper about the effective measures that could be taken to prevent such opportunistic political betrayal of the people’s confidence, he replied saying the best way was for the enactment of such a law.

Following Datuk Mustapa Mohamed’s defection to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai voiced the party’s discontent, saying it was “unhealthy” for PH component parties, including his own, to accept former Umno MPs.

Tan’s comment came two days after Umno veteran and Jeli MP, Mustapa Mohamed, joined the party.

Now, talk is rife of a massive switch over of Umno MPs and members into Bersatu, with the party’s supreme council member, Datuk A. Kadir Jasin, conceding to a possibility of up to 40 MPs being involved in the mass exodus.

He revealed that the 40 Umno MPs met with Bersatu chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

What happens next could well see PKR and Bersatu competing for the entry of elected representatives to alter the equation in PH.

With Tok Pa now in Bersatu, its numbers have gone up to 13 while PKR has 48, DAP 42, Amanah 11 and Warisan 8. If indeed 40 MPs were to join Bersatu, the total could swell to 53, making it the biggest component party in PH.

And assuming there are disgruntled PKR MPs who leave the party after its internal elections, it could put Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in an uncomfortable position, even if these turncoats don’t join Bersatu and remain independents.

It doesn’t help that the Setiawangsa Bersatu division is rooting for Dr Mahathir to complete his five-year term as Prime Minister, ending next general election. The Setiawangsa division, headed by Dr Mahathir’s political secretary Zahid Md Arip, passed the proposal unanimously last week.

The remarks by Kadir and the motion by Setiawangsa Bersatu have spooked many supporters of Anwar and PKR, and they don’t find this funny at all, especially during the Halloween.

Certainly, supporters of Anwar now expect him to make a similar move to get Umno MPs, or those from Gabungan Bersatu Sabah, to join PKR to “neutralise” Bersatu. The names of several Sabahan MPs have been bandied.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly said he would pass the baton to Anwar, with the latter insisting the PM should be given time and space to govern effectively to steer the country back on track. The PKR leader said this was the reason he refuses to specify a time frame for him to succeed Dr Mahathir as the next prime minister.

“Some people see this transition as fragile, but I don’t. The fragility will come about only if there are major battles waged between me and Mahathir, but I have made it very clear. Number one, he is the Prime Minister, and number two, I refuse to give a time frame,” Anwar said.

It’s obvious Anwar doesn’t want to appear a man in a hurry, while repeating the same assurances. However, without a time frame and being the president of the biggest component party in PH (so far), the partnership in PH will be tested.

No one can deny that the three leaders – Dr Mahathir, Anwar and Lim Kit Siang, and to some extent, Mohamed Sabu, came together with a single aim – to topple Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the Barisan.

However, none of them had any real love for Dr Mahathir, but they knew he was key to winning the general election.

Let’s not forget that at one point, Dr Mahathir came close to walking out of the electoral pact, and Nurul Izzah Anwar flew to London to convince him to stay on amid tensions over PH’s hierarchy.

Dr Mahathir and Anwar may have their interpretation of succession, but as with all parties, there will always be over-zealous leaders with their self-interests of ensuring their masters remain in power to allow them to continue enjoying the powers and privileges of being in government.

And on the flipside, others can’t wait for their masters to be installed.

The two must now manage the push and pull because once the floodgates open, they won’t be able to stop the one-upmanship for more members, especially elected representatives who could boost their standing.

It’s beside the point whether Dr Mahathir or Anwar genuinely trust each other, the reality is, only either of them can hold the coalition together.

But the new government shouldn’t forget the people who put them there for a New Malaysia.

If PH leaders can’t respect and uphold this democratic right of the people, then what’s the point in holding elections when all we see is more of the Old Politics?

Universal tongue: He may be the ‘People’s Pope’ but the head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, has to deliver his speeches in Latin, the official language of the church. – AFP

LATIN words are rarely used in Malaysia, except for some legal terms. Those of us old enough will recall that many of our premier schools had Latin mottos.

These prominent schools didn’t want to be known as just another school but be recognised as institutions. They were indeed institutions and lived up to their names, too.

For example, my alma mater, St Xavier’s Institution, has a motto which reads Labor Omnia Vincit, meaning labour conquers all. Those words are woven into the emblem of our school badge!

In fact, the commonly used term, “alma mater,” which refers to a school, university or college, is also Latin, aptly meaning “nourishing mother.”

Our rival school, Penang Free School, has a Latin motto, too – Fortis Atque Fidelis, which translates to Strong and Faithful.

In Kuala Lumpur, the St John’s Institution has its Fide Et Labore, or Faith and Labour, while its rival, Victoria Institution, chose to go English with Be Yet Wiser, To Be A Scholar, Sportsman and A Gentleman.

Another prominent school, the Methodist Boys’ School, uses Ora et Labore to say Pray and Work.

Today, these words are likely to sound alien, and even unpronounceable.

The head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, as with his predecessors, delivers his speeches in Latin, the official language of the church.

At the prestigious University of Oxford, its degree conferment ceremonies are still conducted in Latin, although it’s near certain that most of the audience would largely be clueless.

Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages.

The Latin alphabet has its roots in the Etruscan and Greek alphabets and was later derived from the Phoenician alphabet. In its earliest form, it was spoken in the area in which Rome was built – Latium. Yes, it’s that ancient.

So, when The Star recently used the word “coram” to refer to a panel of judges, plenty of intrigue and ire was generated about the court reporter having wrongly spelt the word “quorum.”

It could seem like yet another example of the deteriorating standard of English among Malaysians and the English language media, but that wasn’t the case in the end.

The news report had referred to a Federal Court decision that it would not hear a fresh appeal by the National Registration Department (NRD) in the “bin Abdullah” case, and instead, proceed to delivering judgment.

Chief Justice Richard Malanjum, who chaired a new panel which was constituted for the rehearing of the appeal, decided not to pursue it as there were enough judges remaining in the previous panel which had heard and reserved the decision in the appeal.

The report said that there was a coram of three judges and “let this matter be left to the rest of the remaining members of the panel to deliver the judgment. We do not want to rehear this matter.”

Someone posted a picture of the supposed error circled on a copy of the newspaper and sent that submission burning through social media. Very quickly, we had an avalanche of complaints, even though we had used the word regularly in past court reports.

A Google search will reveal that “coram” is used in phrases that refer to the appearance of a person before another individual or group.

It’s a commonly used Latin phrase in the legal circle, although most of us would be more familiar with the word “carrom” rather than “coram.”

But in the age of social media, where we “forward” messages without checking for accuracy or authenticity, the impact can be swift, and dire.

A more familiar legal term to us is “locus standi”, which means a place for standing. However, from a legal perspective, it means whether the person has any standing or right to appear in court.

Another commonly used Latin legal term is sub judice, which means “under judgement” or that a case, or matter, is under trial or court proceedings. So, it’s deemed inappropriate for open debate, particularly by the media.

To comment publicly on cases “sub judice” can be an offence leading to contempt of court. Junior reporters on the court beat learn this phrase early in their career.

And then there is “ultra vires”, which has nothing to do with any kind of virus. It is a Latin term which means “beyond the powers”, while “intra vires” means “within the powers.” Again, it is widely used by lawyers, judges and court reporters, although the average news reader is often blissfully ignorant.

In legal speak, “Habeas corpus” refers to a legal application from the court to seek the release of a person who was unlawfully arrested. It is also Latin in origin.

It’s interesting how many of us aren’t aware that the language is commonly adopted in daily English.

Some examples; contrary (opposite), post (after), bonus (good), aqua (water), status quo (existing state of affairs), et cetera (so forth), quid pro quo (a favour for favour), persona non grata (unwelcome), incognito (to conceal one’s identity) and sic (error). Of course, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s stewardship of his party had the media describing his position as the “de facto” leader of PKR, meaning unofficial leader.

There are more – e.g. or exempli gratia, which refers to an example, ad hoc (to this), bona fide (in good faith), mala fide (bad faith), alibi (elsewhere), versus (against), verbatim (word for word), vice versa (turned position, literally, but it means interchangeable), pro bono (no payment) and even the word “extra” – which is a Latin preposition meaning outside or in addition.

Other words with Latin roots include “arena”, which apparently means big statue, but commonly refers to a centre stage. Today, in the modern English language, it is used to refer to a sports complex. “Circus” also has Latin origins and means a race track.

And the more grizzled of us will remember that while delivering his presidential speech at the party’s general assembly, then Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad quoted the famous line, “Et tu, Brute” from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

“Et tu, Brute” means “even you, Brutus?”, and was notably uttered by Roman dictator Julius Caesar to his friend Marcus Junius Brutus as he was brutally stabbed to death by a band of conspirators.

Pronounced “et too bru teh,” it was of course, Shakespeare’s artistic license to draw up an interesting quote as Roman historian Suetonius, a century and a half after the assassination. It’s been said that Caesar said nothing as he died, but the flipside is that his last words amounted to a Greek phrase meaning “You too, child?”

But more importantly, it was interesting that Dr Mahathir chose to use this famous line from Shakespeare, suggesting he reads the works of arguably the greatest writer in the English language.

Dr Mahathir wasn’t specific and didn’t identify the person in his address. To this today, it has remained a subject of political speculation, with a few names bandied.

Even if Latin barely seems alive, it has certainly evolved to at least become a part of modern English.

It’s unlikely that Malaysian politicians will be quoting Shakespeare anytime soon. So, wouldn’t it be fair to say they don’t make politicians, writers or even schools like they used to anymore?

As one report rightly put it, “when a politician talks about the vox populi rather than the ‘voice of the people’ or ‘public opinion’, they climb to a slightly higher level of intellectual discourse.”

It looks like Latin isn’t quite so dead after all.

Not all about the booze: The gun salute is one of the customs of the ‘Oktoberfest’ beer festival in Munich. — AP

Like how many other things that were acceptable before have inexplicably run afoul now, the harmless Oktoberfest is also finding itself criminalised. 

WHILE growing up a school boy in Penang, Oktoberfest was celebrated every year.

And when I was old enough to drink, entering adulthood and working life, I joined in beer drinking sessions with my friends and colleagues.

We’d like to think we held our drinks well then. The same can’t be said about holding our bladders well now though.

I don’t recall inviting my Muslim friends to join us, and I don’t think they would have wanted to either. We respect their faith and culture, as they do ours.

But at no time did they stop us or these events. In fact, on many occasions, they joined us for late night suppers, waiting for us to be done outside the pubs in Penang Road.

That was the way it was. In many night spots, the band members often comprised Muslims, and likewise the staff.

When I moved to Kuala Lumpur in the 1990s, there was no such thing of anyone trying to stop Oktoberfest festivals.

There was no controversy and it was just accepted that this was an annual commercial affair.

Of course, the festival doesn’t just serve beers, but also sausages called bratwurst and frankfurter wurstchen, meat, burgers, pastries and cakes, and of course, plenty of Bavarian dancing and merrymaking.

Perhaps, politicians didn’t need to play the religious card then because they felt comfortable and secure in how common sense usually prevailed. But over the last few years, the scenario seems to have changed dramatically.

If it wasn’t for the politicians, we’d have to contend with terror groups, according to the police, that is, who pulled the plug on last year’s Oktoberfest.

Last September, the Better Beer Festival was cancelled because the police had “security concerns” involving the usual suspects, of course, who were planning to sabotage the event.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the police caught wind of militants and some unknown group’s plan to disrupt the event.

“A security concern was raised following the information received by our intelligence, and to avoid any untoward incident, the police has to step up.

“The people’s safety is our utmost concern,” Mohamad Fuzi said in a statement then.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said it had rejected the organiser’s application to hold the event, which was received on Aug 28.

But the DBKL announcement came a week after PAS central committee member Dr Riduan Mohd Nor condemned the event, calling it a “vice party” and claimed that it would turn Kuala Lumpur into the “largest vice centre in Asia”, which raised suspicions of DBKL caving in to pressure.

A year later, and PAS is still using that same scratched record. However, we must admit that the Islamist party is consistent, although when it comes to political expediency, it can be flexible, and bends rules to its liking. Once upon a time, Umno was kafir and a sworn enemy, but at the moment, they are BFF, and their once-ally, DAP, is now an adversary. And PKR has been dealt the same fate, too.

Last week, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the party would never support beer festivals, vowing religious retribution if the events “cause public unrest” and affect the sensitivities of Muslims.

He said his earlier comments on Oktoberfest, on the sidelines of the Dewan Rakyat sitting recently, had been taken out of context and were not published in full in the media.

He didn’t specify the part of his comments which went askew or reveal the identity of the media outlet which ran his remarks.

But Takiyuddin said the PAS-led Kelantan government had never banned the consumption or sale of alcohol, for and by non-Muslims.

Joining in the debate, Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah expressed incredulity at how the Oktoberfest has raised red flags.

He said the state had no reservations with the festival, which he described as a cultural event.

“I am just surprised it has become an issue here. In Sarawak, you can see it organised all over in the shopping malls.

“It is not an issue in Sarawak at all. It is only here (in Peninsular Malaysia), where you have many people who are not right in their heads,” he said after unveiling the Visit Sarawak logo at a hotel.

He said Oktoberfest has been celebrated in Sarawak since the 1970s, when German hotel manager, Peter Mueller, introduced it.

“I was still in secondary school at the time, but I already knew all about Oktoberfest,” he said.

Karim said Oktoberfest is only contentious when it is promoted merely as a beer or alcohol festival.

“If that happens, then I believe it is not just Sarawak, but the whole of West Malaysia that must ban it. We are not supposed to be promoting alcohol.

“All religions, I believe, do not promote drinking excessively. For Islam, it is totally forbidden,” he said.

Karim revealed the festival originated in the province of Bavaria, Germany, and that during Oktoberfest, it isn’t just about drinking, likening it to the Gawai festival in Sarawak.

I can understand if the PAS-controlled states of Kelantan and Terengganu ban such an event, but not anywhere else. But thinking about it now, given the demography of the two states, it would be silly of anyone to throw an Oktoberfest party there because it won’t be ringing the cash registers.

But I can’t fathom the Pakatan Harapan-led Johor state government also banning the festival. It defies logic, and politicians whom we expect to speak up had strangely remained silent.

It’s fair and reasonable of DBKL to decide that it would allow Oktoberfest to be held, with the organisers requiring to follow the stipulated rules and regulations.

KL has many entertainment spots, especially in the Bukit Bintang area, so, banning the consumption of alcohol would be futile. Regardless of day, people still drink.

It’s the same in Johor. People will not stop drinking in Johor Baru just because the state government illegalises an Oktoberfest. The night spots will just brand it differently, that’s all.

Now that I am 57-years-old, I have given up drinking completely because it has taken its toll on my sugar level and liver. But will I try to stop anyone from indulging? Of course not! It’s anyone’s right to do so, whether it’s January, October or December.

MORE than three decades into my journalistic career, and I have learned one thing for certain – most politicians will never change, and they can be chameleons, too. It would be naïve of me to expect to meet an honest, God-fearing politician who doesn’t lie, because that would be like hoping to see a unicorn.

It is standard operating procedure for them to blame the media when they fumble with their words or learn their comments have backfired, which typically generate angry responses from their constituents.

Their escape route is to deny or claim they have been misquoted, even though in this digital age, one only needs to Google to trace the pattern and train of thought of someone on a given subject through their sound bites.

When things go pear-shaped though, most politicians develop amnesia, or become linguistic acrobats to get themselves out of a tight spot.

Of course, some media will happily play the game – to put down the competitor – and unwittingly give the politician a free ride to wriggle out of a fix and justify his denial.

In the 1980s, a colleague told me about how a news article of his was refuted by a minister. He was so incensed he confronted the politician and played the recording of the interview to prove he had his facts right.

After listening to the entire tape intently, the minister remained silent but finally told the reporter: “Well, I may have said it, but I didn’t mean it.”

Similarly, I have also challenged politicians from both sides of the divide on what they said, and later denied.

One even said this: “I said it, but I expected you not to use it. Now that you have reported it, I have to deny it to protect myself.”

Then, there was a minister who was fond of leaving his sentences hanging. It was always uncompleted, and when reporters misinterpreted his comment, he would reprimand the media, saying, “I expect you to know what I was saying.”

Also, there was a Prime Minister who denied he was going to dissolve Parliament to make way for a general election. His denial was widely reportedly by the media, but not long later, he carried out the dissolution.

Media personnel find it tiring to pursue contentious issues with politicians. We’d rather let it slide because we have all developed a love-hate relationship with some of them.

It doesn’t matter what political parties they belong to because they are largely cut from the same cloth. Otherwise, it would be difficult for them to swim with the sharks, metaphorically speaking.

So, we have learned to accept such denials as hazards of the job, and that there is little point in losing sleep over it because the average news reader could care less for a dispute between a politician and the media.

Law professor at George Mason University, Ilya Somin, once wrote in an article that Hillary Clinton had admitted she sometimes takes “public” positions that are at odds with her “private” position.

“In other words, she sometimes lies to the public about her true views. Only the most naive observers find it surprising that politicians try to deceive people in this way, or believe that Hillary Clinton is an unusual exception.”

Another commentator, Jonathan Rauch, describes why such deceptions are common, and may even be beneficial in many cases:

“In politics, hypocrisy and doublespeak are tools. They can be used nefariously, illegally or for personal gain, as when President Richard M. Nixon denied Watergate complicity, but they can also be used for legitimate public purposes, such as trying to prevent a civil war, as in Lincoln’s case, or trying to protect American prestige and security, as when President Dwight D. Eisenhower denied that the Soviet Union had shot down a United States spy plane.

“Often, the only way to get something done is to have separate private and public truths. Behind closed doors, nothing is settled until everything is settled. Until the deal is done, everyone can pretend not to have decided anything.

“But the moment the conversation becomes public, plausible deniability ceases. Everyone knows I’ve made an offer. Angry interest groups, adversaries in the other party, and even purists in my own party, start cutting attack ads and lining up challengers to prevent a deal and defeat me.”

By such logic, it is as if to say, lying or offering half-truths is acceptable if it’s done for national interest.

So, what Rauch, an academician, argues is that political duplicity is sometimes a necessary tool to facilitate deals, negotiations and diplomatic manoeuvring.

But what usually happens is, when politicians lie, it often involves capitalisation on public ignorance and their self-preservation.

Any politician who has superlative amounts of ringgit in his personal bank account, or in an apartment, will likely always have an alibi.

The ones caught with their pants down have vehemently and angrily denied their involvement in those lurid videos or pictures, insisting the “actors” and “models” are mere lookalikes.

Maybe because most of us are just ordinary mortals, no generous soul has deposited billions in our name, and neither have we chanced upon anyone who resembles us, our siblings apart, perhaps.

In the case of sex videos, the rule of thumb is to deny, deny and deny. Go ahead and laugh, but that tactic has proven to be effective, because after a while, news turns into archival material.

Voters accept that they are supposed to choose capable and effective leaders to lead them, and not high-moral religious figures, but politicians can be persuasive in influencing the rakyat to get what they want.

It’s par for the course for politicians to be criticised, but when their personal lives come under scrutiny and draw flack, that’s taking things too far. As democracy matures, voters find such tactics offensive and distasteful.

In the same article by Somin, he quoted MIT economist Jonathan Gruber saying deception has proven to be an effective political tool and that laws have been passed with politicians “exploiting the stupidity of the American voter.”

In Malaysia, cynical journalists have a similar saying. We like to describe it as “rakyat diperbodohkan lagi”, or the people have been made to look stupid again or, have been exploited again.

I have seen dyed in the wool supporters using their time and resources to back certain politicians. And sometimes, when disputes arise and emotions flare, they lose all common sense and end up cutting friendships and even family relationship for the sake of the politician.

But how stupid they must feel when parties make pacts, or when sworn enemies close ranks and then hug each other, especially when there are political interests to serve? Unfortunately, this is a repeated scenario time and again.

Of course, leave it to them to come up with the best reasons to justify new political allegiances. The best part? They claim they are slogging for the interest of the rakyat and country. Apparently, it’s never about themselves. Yes, funnier jokes have been told.

It doesn’t really matter if this is the Old or New Malaysia, the harder the politicians try, the more things stay the same, because ultimately, a leopard cannot change its spots.

IF there’s one thing the Umno leadership needs to accept – no matter how painful – is that it’s now in the opposition. They got kicked out, and that’s life.

So, for God’s sake, please start acting and thinking like an opposition party. It may be hard after 60 years being at the helm, since the party has enjoyed the privileges of power, which can be intoxicating.

Suddenly, the motorcades are gone, invitations to events have trickled, telephones are not going off the hook, and the formal suits have stayed in the closet.

Umno leaders should forget about “doing deals”. That was precisely what got the party into trouble – those dubious deals.

Some Umno leaders find it hard to be “out of power”. They need to be in power – even if it means playing second fiddle, or even placing third or fourth in the pecking order. But here’s the bad news – Pakatan Harapan doesn’t need Umno.

They need to stop leveraging on the spin that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad needs them to keep Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at bay. It sounds good for them, but the danger is that Umno MPs may start believing in their inflated sense of self-worth.

The PH government has the numbers. They have formed government and are running the country.

Governments in other countries, such as the Kuomintang party, which founded Taiwan, is now in the opposition but was the ruling party for decades, amassing huge assets. And like Umno, it also got embroiled in corruption.

The KMT maybe be broken now, but it still has plenty of assets. When the party fled to Taiwan after losing the civil war to the communists in 1949, it took millions in gold, bonds and antiques, all of which became part of the foundations of the party’s fortunes.

It also inherited assets left by the Japanese during their 50 years ruling Taiwan, but the KMT has come under investigation for public and private assets it seized after arriving in the country.

With its assets recently frozen, it had to cut staff from 800 to under 400 personnel because of insufficient funds. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Then, there is the Indian National Congress, founded in 1885, and which ruled India for 60 years, yet today, is in the opposition and struggling to remain relevant.

In Britain, the Conservative and Labour parties have been voted in and out of government. Amazingly, in all circumstances, even when alliances were made with smaller parties, the loser ended up accepting the people’s verdict and simply worked towards getting re-elected.

So, it is terribly embarrassing to see how Umno leaders crawled to Dr Mahathir, seeking advice on how to keep his former party alive. I mean, why would he even want to see Umno remain intact?

If that’s not enough, Umno had to use its usual trump cards of race and religion as reasons for the formation of a unity government, comprising mainly Malays and Muslims, to safeguard the interests of the community – after billions of ringgit vanished!

It’s also incomprehensible to be telling Umno leaders in Kelantan and Terengganu, who have fought against PAS since Umno’s formation, that they now must work with the Islamist party.

And in the same breath, try to persuade what’s left of the Barisan Nasional component parties that it is merely trying to reach an understanding with the fellow opposition party.

Umno and PAS are supposed to represent different things. Umno is Malay and Muslim, but is supposed to be moderate, inclusive and has shared power with the MCA and MIC, even in Malay-dominated constituencies.

Of course, these Barisan component parties don’t understand what’s going on because Umno members themselves are clueless about this purported deal with PAS.

And why should PAS want to share power with Umno? It has control of two states. It has exuberantly introduced whipping and gender segregation at public events again, making the two states look like some extremist Middle East country.

The party is happy to equate liberalism with open sex, hedonism, LGBT and everything else it deems sins. And can we be blamed if we feel that Umno is happily singing the same tune and sharing the same ignorance of what liberalism means? And now, we even have a new term – super liberalism. Go figure.

And why shouldn’t non-Muslims feel resentment for PAS when its president questioned Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for attending gatherings involving other faiths, or for the PKR president-elect to contest in a multi-racial constituency?

If Umno chooses to work with a party like PAS, then it’s heading down a slippery slope, if it’s purely about retaining or winning the Malay votes, because the party is bound to be grilled for what it stands for. Surely, it can’t be the same as PAS.

The DAP and PKR had been in the opposition for years, even decades, with their leaders paying a heavy price for their political convictions, but they continued with their struggles. We don’t have to agree with their politics and what they stand for, but credit where it’s due for their convictions.

And here we are – Umno suffers one defeat, and it’s running around like a headless chicken, which is how the party is being described now.

If it wants to get its house back in order, Umno first needs to reform itself. It is a flawed product, but not entirely a rejected or expired item.

It must appear an alternative. The voters are testing the PH government to see if it’s any good. Why not? After all, they gave the Alliance and Barisan a good 60 years, and they became arrogant and corrupt.

The voters are basically the customers, but Umno forgot that detail and expected the customers to be grateful, which is ironic. But that was exactly how Umno treated its customers.

Malaysians would like to see Umno leaders stop acting like big shots (which they no longer are), admit their mistakes and excesses of the past and, step down from their pedestal and be ordinary Malaysians.

Surely, we want leaders who can speak the languages of the people, understand their needs and sentiments, and just be one of us.

They ought to know that we are tired of having to address them by their titles and being expected to line up to kiss their hands. And for some bizarre reason, we wonder, too, why their identity cards need to carry their fathers’ titles!

So, we now have Tan Sri Awang Ibrahim bin Tan Sri Osman Tengah. If you don’t believe me, check the Mykads of most Umno members.

That’s how ridiculously far we have allowed this scheme of grandiosity to go with our obsession with titles. Now, it’s refreshing to see Cabinet ministers with no fancy titles.

We are watching all these newbies, so, don’t try to con us with pictures of them flying economy class, especially during the first year, and then subsequently, and quietly, enjoying the perks of power.

It’s obvious that the corrupt show their greedy selves in the second term of office.

But all is not lost for Umno. It has 49 MPs and that’s a substantial number. It must come across as an opposition worthy of being voted back into power, or it can continue to use the faces of political minnows, with their aggressive and irrational behaviour that is incongruous with the New Malaysia. It looks like Umno hasn’t learnt yet.

If the leaders can’t think well, then, it has to set up a really good think-tank capable of drafting the best papers and sound bites for Barisan leaders, and even produce policy papers that will put the party in good light.

Unlike the other component parties, Umno is still able to retain some very good youth leaders who can articulate their thoughts well, and with good command of Bahasa Malaysia and English. These fresh faces must surely be in the forefront.

If the warlords who run the divisions continue to have their way – now that the easily available funds are drying up quickly – then the demise of Umno will be near, and if they are still looking for deals, then it will be even closer.