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.

It has become an unwritten rule at the newsroom every year that the evening meeting would have to be held an hour earlier so that our Muslim – and non-Muslim – colleagues can attend the breaking fast functions.

The call to end the meetings early, interestingly, often comes from the non-Muslims. This is the best part of working in an office with a multi-racial staff. Jibes are made at each other over fasting patterns or the lack of it without any prejudices.

The rule at every Ramadan is to pick the newest member of the newsroom to interview the food sellers at Section 14 in Petaling Jaya and to buy for us the mouth-watering popiah, a crowd favourite.

Tolerance and respect

Malaysians have long celebrated this holy month in the true sense of diversity; it is not just the Muslims who are seen at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman but also the other races.

The spirit of fasting is known to most Malay­sians. Christians, for example, fast during Lent as they prepare for the Holy Week and Easter. Hindus are also known to fast and perform acts of abstinence for pilgrimage and other religious obligations.

Fitness specialists will tell you that it is good and healthy to practise fasting occasionally.

Non-Muslims have long exercised consideration by not consuming food or liquid in the presence of their fasting Muslim friends and colleagues. At every Ramadan, the frequency of functions and events also slow down with focus being turned to religious concerns.

Malaysians have long demonstrated their tolerance and respect for each other’s religion.

I grew up in Kampung Melayu, Air Itam, which is predominantly a Malay area in Penang.

During the May 13 tragedy in 1969, the Federal Reserve Unit had to send non-Malay officers to the area to give the Chinese and Indians a sense of security but there was no incident.

But the point is this – in this area, there are Chinese temples, Hindu shrines and even a church. As I can recall, no one has ever complained.

In George Town, these places of worship of different faiths are located next to each other, particularly along Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling, formerly known as Pitt Street.

The ordinary Malaysians have no issues because they understand that religion brings out the best in people. They see the common values that touch everyone’s hearts.

Regardless of our faiths, the path is often the same with emphasis on compassion and love.

It is the politicians who pit one race against another, one religion against another, questioning whether a place of worship should be allowed in an area where one race predominates. Sadly, they invoke God’s name or their community to pursue their own selfish political interest.

The Federal Constitution clearly stipulates the right of every community to practise their religion freely.

This weekend, my family and I are meeting up with friends and family members in Penang. Some of my Malay friends include those from St Xavier’s Institution where I studied.

I also hope to spend a little time in Sabah, where I have relatives who are Muslims in Kota Kinabalu and Tawau, in this blessed month.

Last week, I received a call from a Muslim couple, friends who will be leaving for Mecca to perform the umrah.

The wife wanted to say goodbye and also to tell me that she would pray for me and the family when she is in the Holy Land.

This simple but heartwarming act speaks volumes of what being Malaysian is about. May I wish my Muslim friends, colleagues, relatives and readers Selamat Berpuasa!

 

ON THE BEAT
By WONG CHUN WAI

 

IT’S just weeks before the National Day celebrations. The country is turning 52 years old and as a nation, we certainly have reasons to be proud of what we have achieved.

There’s much more we can do and certainly much more could have been done. But given the complexities of plural Malaysia, we have come a long way.

A New Malaysia has emerged with the political landscape changing swiftly as our leaders try to cope with the changes.

Some have adjusted well, understanding the realities staring them in the face, while some are still clinging on to the old ways, believing that they would restore their past achievements.

Just days after Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was appointed the Prime Minister, he sent the strongest signals to earmark his administration.

He visited the Malay enclave in Bangsar, walked through Chinatown in Jalan Petaling and enjoyed a cup of tea at a banana leaf rice shop in Brickfields. Last week, he visited Batu Caves, the first Prime Minister to do so after 30 years.

He has made 1Malaysia a slogan which most Malaysians, even his political opponents, cannot dispute.

In short, Najib has pressed all the right buttons and, except for the Teoh Beng Hock incident, his first 100 days have been almost spotless. He has continued the momen­tum.

But it is also time for him to pull up leaders who seem to be walking in the opposite direction of his 1Malaysia campaign, more so as we celebrate National Day in the days to come.

Veering off course

This is the time for us to celebrate, reflect and strengthen ourselves as a multi-racial country.

Malaysia has benefited because we are a melting pot of many cultures and religions. It is an asset, not a liability.

Level-headed Malaysians are finding it hard to come to terms with certain politicians who still want to play the racial trump cards.

It contradicts what the Prime Minister preaches and what the majority of the people aspire for in 1Malaysia.

When a certain Cabinet minister talked about 1Malaysia, using terms like “majority” and “minority”, it does not help to promote national unity because we should be emphasising oneness.

The same minister also lambasted a reporter for posing a question in English at his press conference, another oddity which remains a controversy among the media and political circle.

His public ticking of the reporter has been posted on YouTube.

There are also other politicians who believe that by becoming more communal, they would win back the votes they lost. What has been overlooked is that most of the street demonstrators are predominantly of one race.

More alarming is the seeming competition between the Malay-based parties on religion, resulting in the resurrection of certain issues, much to the concern of many moderate Malay­sians.

PAS, which many of its non-Muslim voters think has shed its extremist baggage, is still pushing for stricter religious laws.

This has put its partner DAP in a bind as the ideologically different parties in Pakatan Rakyat grapple with the concept of consensus and accommodation, which is the hallmark of the Barisan Nasional government.

Free-wheeling attitude

Used to the thunder-and-lightning approach so prevalent at their ceramahs, some young DAP elected representatives have found themselves in a spot, and even their own Pakatan colleagues have not come to their rescue.

DAP Socialist Youth chief Loke Siew Fook, who has been accused of insulting Islam in his blog, became an issue after PKR MP Zulkifli Nordin highlighted the alleged seditious remarks.

But what is worrying is the free-wheeling attitude of some Malaysians, be they politicians, bloggers or writers, in making highly inflammatory remarks on race and religion without a thought about their consequences.

As in all changing political and media landscapes, Malaysians are still making adjustments to these changes.

Malaysia has held itself together because we have been able to exercise tolerance and respect for a long time.

Regardless of our political affiliations, that is our strength and that is something to uphold ahead of our National Day.

By WONG CHUN WAI

A report, quoting sources, about a plan by the new Information, Communication and Culture Ministry wanting to secure direct control over access to Internet content was enough to become world news.

It did not help that the report quoted unnamed sources as saying that the ministry wanted to focus on enforcement.

The world has changed and politicians had better be quick to adapt and accept the reality. Control has become a dirty word and they can be sure any proposal to put up an Internet filter or firewall will be greeted with disdain.

Kuala Lumpur is not Pyongyang, Myanmar or Beijing. Let’s not forget that when we set up the Malaysia Multimedia Super Corridor in the 1990s, the Government made a pledge to offer incentives and a promise there would be no Internet censorship.

We signed up Microsoft Corp and Cisco Corp System with investments worth RM1.6bil and the last thing Malaysia can afford is to have the arrangement reviewed.

We can’t afford any negative news when we are still struggling with the effects of the global crisis and competition from our neighbours. Our foreign direct investments stood at RM4.2bil for the first five months of this year against RM46bil last year.

Borderless world

The last thing we need would be politicians and officials making silly statements without taking into account the dire consequences, especially when the Prime Minister has announced major changes to make Malaysia attractive to investors.

On Friday, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak quickly came out with an assurance that the news reports were wrong and that the Govern­ment had no plans to impose any form of cen­sorship. In short, he put out the fire quickly.

Minister Rais Yatim has also clarified that the ministry wanted to curb child pornography on the Net but the question is whether having an Internet filter system would be the best method.

Censorship is simply ineffective in a borderless world and would only serve to make the public angry. How many areas on the Internet can one control? Blocking websites and portals is one thing but how much resources can one extend to social networking mediums like Facebook and Twitter, which have also become communication tools?

The impression Malaysians get is that some of our politicians who put their foot into their mouths are computer illiterate and, at best, they can only send e-mail and read the blogs. But beyond that, they have not acquired the psyche of Netizens, especially the young.

The Malaysian Communications and Multi­media Commission (MCMC) has issued a statement to clarify that its study had been taken out of context and sensationalised.

The study on the filter was made in conjunction with the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day’s theme “Protecting Children in Cyberspace”, aimed at promoting positive Internet culture, especially the safety of our children.

With greater use of the Internet in Malay­sia, a study was done to gain a better understanding of online fraud, identity theft and spam.

More importantly, MCMC explained that it merely talked about encouraging parents to instal a filter at home or for Internet Service Providers to enable users to download such tools.

These assurances are good but we are not sure whether they would be used by the world media as follow-up news. Most probably not, and we will end up being remembered for wanting to put up Internet filters.

With greater Internet usage over the next few years when proper broadband penetration is in place, there would be a need to plan a series of Internet campaigns for Malaysians – from educating Net users on child porno­graphy and frauds to using the Net responsibly. Bloggers, news portals and media companies can work with the Government on such campaigns, which would be more effective in the long run.

Obsolete laws

As we deal with the new media, it is also time we look at the print and electronic media.

Laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act have become obsolete in the Internet age and for many media practitioners; it is unfair that newspapers have to be subjected to such laws when no permit is required to set up a website or blog.

Yearly permit renewals have become meaningless when it is much more effective and cheaper to set up a news portal against the costly business of newspapers.

The print media needs breathing space badly if it is to compete against the new media. As it is, print media companies are investing strongly to ready themselves for the changes ahead.

From setting up portals to equipping studios with facilities for online television, print companies with the financial resources are emerging as online publishers.

Questions on whether the print media would have a place in future could well be irrelevant as newspaper companies take on dual roles and exercise greater flexibility in providing the content.

Not only has the political and media landscape changed, the stake-holders must learn to respond and change too.

This is the age of information explosion and it is best that politicians learn to accept it.

ON THE BEAT
By WONG CHUN WAI

ON THE BEAT
By WONG CHUN WAI