Teach the correct history of the nation 600 constitutional amendments in 53 years

by Zainon Ahmad

WE LEARN during our history lessons in school how Malacca became an entrepot, an eastern emporium, in the 15th century, why Penang and Singapore were founded by the British and we also learn why the entity known to the colonial power as British Malaya was divided into the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the un-Federated Malay States.

But young Malaysians are hardly clear as to why Malaysia was formed.
For how long was the idea considered before it was first made public in May 1961?

Why were leaders of Sabah (known as British North Borneo then) and Sarawak opposed to it? What made them change their mind?

 
The patronising ways of those from Kuala Lumpur when they made a goodwill tour of the two states in July 1961 did not endear them to some communities in the two British colonies and special efforts had to be made later to woo them and to win them over to the idea of Malaysia.

These stories must be told in our school textbooks.

Also much more need to be included in the school textbooks of the history of the country from the time the British returned after the Japanese occupation – the political and constitutional changes – to the time when the Union Jack was lowered for the last time on Aug 31, 1957.

What happened centuries earlier are already standard history of the country. Maybe some adjustments could be made to it as researchers uncover new facts which shed more light to what is already known. Perhaps what is lacking is a little more focus on how and why the Chinese and the Indians arrived to these shores long before they were recruited and shipped here as labourers.

But what happened after 1945 – warts and all – must be better told in the school history books so that students appreciate and understand that it was through sheer hard work, sacrifices, many difficult negotiations and many tense moments that resulted in the birth of Malaysia. Together we did it, it was a joint effort and it must be celebrated.

What better way to promote 1Malaysia and Malaysian nationalism among the young citizens than through their history lessons in school where they are made aware that this nation was forged by a common will, a strong determination to persevere despite the odds and a common suffering.

An effort, therefore, must be made to write a history that can do that. Thus, the history textbooks for schools should no longer be left to individual authors to decide what to include or emphasise and what to be left out. They must be supervised by a multi-racial panel of experts which must include educationists and historians.

Of course, there is no way the authorities can control those who want to write their versions of the history of the country or of a particular episode, and they should not, but only the books approved by the special panel should be used as school textbooks or as reference books placed in school libraries.

In a sense, the panel will also have to do what newspaper editors do everyday – select – as it cannot possibly include everything that has happened into the textbooks.

Thus, it will have to decide, for instance, whether the discussions leading to the formulation of the post-war Chinese policy that led to the establishment of the Malayan Union on April Fool’s Day 1946 be included in the textbooks. Among other things the discussions in London and New Delhi centred on citizenship rights and participation in the civil service.

The aim initially was to induce the Chinese community, especially those in the Kuomintang and the communist fighters and other fighters belonging to Chinese secret societies in the resistance movement, to cooperate with the British invasion forces.

The communists were unexcited by the proposed Malayan Union. The proposal was generous enough to the Chinese, but the country would become a full-fledged British colony. On being informed about it, they “stole the thunder” by making known their own plan of “establishing a democratic government in Malaya with an electorate drawn from the races of each state and the anti-Japanese army”.

The fact that the Malays protested against the Malayan Union when it was announced is much highlighted in the school textbooks. Especially highlighted is that most of the Malay organisations that participated in the protest later came together to form United Malays National Organisation or Umno.

Not very well highlighted are those organisations which refused to be part of Umno, especially the radical and leftist inclined groups such as the Malay Nationalist Party, Angkatan Pemuda Insaf (API) and Lembaga Kesatuan Melayu.

A few months after the Malayan Union was inaugurated, the British colonial authorities, the Malay rulers and representatives of Umno met to discuss an alternative to Malaya as a colony.

Shortly after the Federation of Malaya was announced, the three groups, which constituted themselves into a “consultative committee on constitutional proposals”, met in series of meetings and began to draft a new constitution to replace the one the Malays had objected to.

This time it was the turn of the non-Malays to protest and they formed the All-Malaya Council for Joint Action (AMCJA). They were joined by the anti-Umno Malay radical parties which formed a group called Pusat Tenaga Rakyat or Putera. AMCJA-Putera drafted a rival constitution which came to be referred to as the Peoples Constitutional Proposals for Malaya 1947 and it was approved by members in early July 1947.

Their plea to the British government that their constitution should be accepted as it was drafted by the various communities of Malaya was rejected in favour of the British-Rulers-Umno constitution.

 The Federation of Malaya came into being on Feb 1, 1948.

This development in the constitutional history of the country should be highlighted. Also should be highlighted and properly explained is the input from various representatives of the people of Malaya, especially from the Alliance, which had the largest number of elected members in the Federal Legislative Council (which became the country’s parliament after the 1959 general election), to the Reid Commission which drafted the federal constitution and which came to be known as the Merdeka Constitution

Understanding this aspect of the country’s history would place young Malaysians in a better position to understand what is meant by “the social contract” referred to by politicians.

Perhaps it should also be pointed out to students that the present Malaysian constitution is a much-amended document and many should wonder whether the spirit of the Merdeka Constitution still resides in it after more than 600 amendments in just 53 years. The constitution of the USA is more than 200 years old and it has been amended only 27 times.

Three years after Merdeka the Constitution was amended for the first time and the Internal Security Act 1960 came into being.

Should this, too, go into the school history textbook?

- article & photo from
  sun2surf

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa - Argentina on The Way

The title is on my own since Argentina is my favorite to final.
fifa.com

Salvatore ADAMO Inch'Allah

cosgri — February 10, 2006 — Salvatore ADAMO - Inch'Allah

chaoticloir — May 19, 2010 — Incha Allah
Salvatore Adamo

J'ai vu l'Orient dans son écrin
Avec la lune pour bannière
Et je comptais en un quatrain
Chanter au monde sa lumière

Mais quand j'ai vu Jérusalem
Coquelicot sur un rocher
J'ai entendu un requiem
Quand sur lui je me suis penché

Ne vois-tu pas Humble Chapelle
Toi qui murmures paix sur la terre
Que les oiseaux cachent de leurs ailes
Ces lettres de Feu Danger Frontière

Mais voici qu'après tant de haine
Fils d'Ismaël et fils d'Israël
Libèrent d'une main sereine
Une colombe dans le ciel

Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah

Et l'olivier retrouve son ombre
Sa tendre épouse, son amie
Qui reposait sur les décombres
Prisonnière en terre ennemie

Et par dessus les barbelés
Le papillon vole vers la rose
Hier on l'aurait répudié
Mais aujourd'hui, enfin il ose

Requiem pour les millions d'âmes
De ces enfants, ces femmes, ces hommes
Tombés des deux côtés du drame
Assez de sang, Salam, Shalom

Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah, Inch'Allah

--
English version:
I saw the Orient and its treasures
With the moon as a banner
And I intended in a few verses
To put its splendor into a song

But when I saw Jerusalem
Just like a red rose in the sand
I heard a silent requiem
When I held it in my hand

I found a chapel, I tried a prayer
But that's when the nightmare began
Even the birds flew away with fear
When they heard the sound of guns

And I could feel the weight of hatred
With Cries on both sides of the street
Oh Lord of love weren't you born here?
It's you I had just come to meet

Inch'Allah! Inch'Allah! God willing! Inch'Allah!

The olive tree wept for its shadow
Its tender love, tender wife
Who was lying on the ruins
On the other side of life

Trembling on the barbed wire
A butterfly was watching a flower
Thinking "People are so mad"
They'd kill me if I cross the border

Children of Ismaël and Israël
Before your whole land turns to hell
Why don't you try some steps together
Guided by a white dove in the sky

Inch'Allah! Inch'Allah! God willing! Inch'Allah!

Is our life a crucifixion?
Must we suffer through the years?
As we struggle for redemption
Washing blood away with tears

Oh yes I saw Jerusalem
Like a red rose in the sand
I always hear that requiem
Each time I hold it in my hand

Requiem for millions of souls
Of people lying in nameless tombs
In heaven there's room for them all
Now enough blood, Salam! Shalom!

Ilusi Hati oleh Haiza Najwa

Sinopsis : ILUSI HATI

TULISAN takdir ada kala terlalu kejam suratannya. Jasmine terlantar koma setelah terbabit dalam nahas jalan raya. Kereta yang dipandu merempuh sebuah kereta lain. Akibatnya, pemandu itu juga koma sepertinya. Sesuatu yang ghaib terjadi... Dalam keadaan di bawah sedar, Jasmine ber bicara dengan bayangan seseorang. Mereka saling bertelepati memberi ucapan semangat demi mendepani dugaan hebat itu. Hingga menyusup naluri rindu meresapi hati masing-masing. Lalu, tercipta ikrar untuk bertemu sesudah sedar daripada koma. Jasmine tidak memungkiri janji. Dicari jejaka yang kini muncul pula dalam lenanya. Tanpa diketahui bahawa bayang-bayang itu sebenarnya pemandu yang dirempuh hingga koma, yang diseru sebagai Joshua. Kala bertemu, Joshua sudah menjadi milik wanita lain... sahabatnya sendiri. Seluruh jiwanya luluh.  Sumber: alaf21.com.my  Blog Penulis: haizanajwa

Hatch a practical solution, for now

2010/06/19
Nuraina Samad
nsamad@nst.com.my
SO far the reaction has been one of shock and utter dismay: "Oh my God! Oh no, not another one!"

There is also a tangible sense of helplessness, which is understandable because it is a problem that you and I are not able to deal with or overcome. Not by ourselves. And certainly not by the end of this year, or the next.

Tell me, how does this grab you? Baby dumping; discovering dead babies, usually newborn.


In the last six months, have you not been shocked, appalled, dismayed by the all too frequently reported cases of abandoned babies, some of whom were found dead?

The frequency is so alarming that you know something is so wrong in our society.

You know what you can put your finger on, but you can knock yourself out trying to fix the problem which, by the way, is shocking everywhere else, too.

It is a good sign that people in Malaysia have not been numbed by the frequency of the occurrences. It shows that it is not being dismissed as "one of those things".

So, before it does become a senseless crime that has found a way of being part of Malaysian life, something must be done, surely.

Consider the fact that as of April, there have been 24 cases of babies abandoned in, among others, a rubbish dump.


There was a case of a baby found dead in a river; another found buried. These are tragic and the circumstances leading up to them must have been equally tragic.

The number of these cases is way too high for any decent society. Unless we consider ourselves otherwise, we cannot be unperturbed.

Sometime this year, when reports of abandoned babies seemed to come in succession, someone suggested that their fathers be castrated.

Whether or not it is a good idea is quite immaterial. It showed desperation in trying to deal with what seemed to be an insurmountable problem.

It gets trickier because it touches on moral and religious issues. Also by the fact that these babies were born out of wedlock.

It is about shame and the treatment of shame by a society that is having to deal with fast-paced socio-economic change and transformation.

It was not surprising that when OrphanCARE, a non-profit non-governmental organisation, decided to set up a baby hatch at its premises in Petaling Jaya -- the first in the country-- reactions were mixed.

OrphanCARE's objective is straight and simple -- to save unwanted babies. Now, isn't that good?

To the naysayers and critics, it is a bad idea because it will encourage premarital sex, out-of-wedlock babies, and of course the dumping of these babies at the hatch.

Premarital sex, I hate to tell you, is here to stay until and unless we drastically change the way we live our lives in this modern world.

Imagine, even among married couples and the most educated in the world, accidents do happen. But married couples have options -- to keep or terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

Unwed girls in our society don't because society crucifies them for their carelessness, recklessness, and complete disregard of moral and religious values.

I'm convinced that the girls who abandoned their babies are no criminals but were driven to criminal acts by the situation they were in. By their sense of helplessness and desperation.

That said, their act of abandoning babies cannot be condoned. Still, I can never look at them as criminals.

So what do we do? Keep on getting worked up every time a case of baby-dumping is reported?

At this stage, we can blame everyone and everything, but that's not going to save the babies because the world will still go round and crimes get committed.

The fact is, that latest statistic on baby dumping will not be the last.

So, ours should not be to moralise. Ours is to help better society in the best way we know how. And society must want to be helped.

Sure, we should be educating our kids on sex and related subjects. Even this is being debated and no decision is likely to be made soon.

Everyone's doing their bit to educate society on compassion and humanity.

Any positive and constructive outcome will not be immediate because we are made up of diverse people of diverse beliefs and convictions -- not all of them good.

Meanwhile, we have unwed girls getting pregnant and dumping their babies, a serious problem with no solution in sight, except the fast and furious from moralists and the religious right. Which is a solu-tion either impractical or unacceptable.

We can debate what is wrong with our rapidly changing society in a rapidly moving economy until, as they say "the cows come home", and we'd still be arguing the petty points, going nowhere, achieving nothing.

Baby hatches are not new. They have been in existence through the centuries, from medieval times. The reason for their existence was and still is, to rescue and save unwanted babies.

The baby hatch in Petaling Jaya, opened on May 30, is modelled on similar services in Germany, Pakistan and Japan.

The hatch has a small door which opens to an incubator bed on which a mother can place her baby.

Once the door is closed an alarm bell will alert the NGO's staff to the baby's presence, after the mother has left.


Now that it is in operation, OrphanCARE and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, which is supporting this initiative, should work on details and procedures affecting follow-up action on the adoption of these babies.

The baby hatch is not a permanent solution. It was never meant to be. But it is clearly the most practical solution under the circumstances as it offers safety and security for these babies, and the women who feel that they have no other option.

Until and unless we can make right the wrong in our society, a hatch that rescues and saves babies will have to do.

nst.com.my

Verses of Holy Quran Appeared on Skin of a 9 months old baby in Rusia

Thousands of pilgrims queued up this week in blazing sunshine to get a glimpse of 9-month-old baby Ali Yakubov, on whose body verses from the Koran are said to appear and fade every few days.

Pinkish in colour and several centimetres high, the Koranic verse "Be grateful to Allah" was printed on the infant's right leg in clearly legible Arabic script this week, religious leaders said. Visiting foreign journalists later saw a single letter after the rest had vanished.

keajaibanislam — October 23, 2009 — http://internasional.kompas.com/read/...

— Seorang bayi menimbulkan gelombang spekulasi di Rusia setelah frase-frase yang diduga sebagai ayat Al Quran muncul di kulit tubuhnya. Ayat-ayat ini dikatakan tampak di punggung, lengan, kaki, dan perut bayi berusia sembilan bulan bernama Ali Yakubov sebelum kemudian hilang dan diganti dengan ayat-ayat baru.

Para dokter Rusia bingung atas kasus ini. Awalnya, ayat-ayat itu muncul di dagu si bayi beberapa minggu setelah lahir. Para dokter menyangkal bahwa tanda-tanda di kulit bayi itu ditulis seseorang.

Sang ibu, Madina, mengatakan bahwa dia dan suaminya bukan merupakan orang yang taat beragama sampai tulisan-tulisan itu muncul. Madina mengatakan, mereka awalnya tidak memperlihatkan kepada siapa pun mengenai tulisan-tulisan yang tidak bisa dijelaskan itu sampai akhirnya mengungkapkan hal tersebut ke dokter dan imam di desa mereka, Oktober Merah, yang merupakan kawasan dengan pengaruh Muslim yang kuat.

Saat ini, si bayi menjadi fokus perhatian orang-orang Muslim di kawasan tempat tinggalnya di Provinsi Dagestan yang berdekatan dengan daerah konflik Chechnya di selatan Rusia. Seorang anggota parlemen lokal, Akhmedpasha Amiralaev, mengatakan bahwa "Bayi laki-laki ini merupakan tanda dari Allah. Allah menggirimkannya ke Dagestan untuk menghentikan pemberontakan dan ketegangan di republik kita."

Ibu si bayi mengatakan, "Biasanya tanda-tanda itu muncul dua kali seminggu, pada hari Senin dan pada malam antara Kamis dan Jumat. Ali selalu merasa kesakitan ketika itu muncul. Dia menangis dan suhu tubuhnya tinggi. Tidak mungkin menggendongnya ketika itu terjadi. Badannya aktif bergerak, maka kami menempatkan dia di ayunannya. Sedih rasanya ketika melihat dia menderita." Frase-frase itu, kata Madina, secara teratur bergantian muncul di kulit si bayi.

Seorang imam lokal, Abdulla, mengatakan kepada penduduk bahwa dalam Al Quran dikatakan, sebelum akhir zaman datang, akan muncul orang-orang dengan ayat-ayat kitab suci di tubuh mereka. Dia mengatakan, salah satu tanda yang terbaca berbunyi, "Jangan sembunyikan tanda-tanda ini dari orang-orang." Kisah bayi dari Dagestan ini juga telah menarik perhatian media Rusia.


afghanistanculture09 — October 28, 2009 . Video narrated in English



larawbar — October 24, 2009 — Amazing Miracle: Quranic verses have appeared on the body of a 9 months old baby from the Russian Republic of Dagestan


AzeriTurkoglu — October 26, 2009 — Islam Miracle Baby in Russia. Dagestan has shocked news. The country had a child, whose body manifested verses from the Koran. Expertise is already spent and doctors, and priests, but the nature of the surprising phenomenon no one yet can not explain. Correspondent Omar Magomedov visited the family a miracle baby. First signs of skin baby's parents were perceived as birthmarks, then as irritation and postnatal scarring. Fearing for the health of the child, a young couple called the doctor of an ambulance, but doctors just shrugged, referring to the unknown science of skin disease. Said Rasulova, the ward nurse: "From the standpoint of medicine, I can not explain what it is. With her mother's words, it appears with the temperature. At the invitation of relatives, family Yakubov visited a local priest, who saw a bizarre zigzag traces the Arabic word "Allah", and later the prayers and even whole passages from the Koran. Two days ago, at the foot 9-month, Ali made another inscription. What a surprise it was a priest, when the same text of the prayer he found in the Holy Quran. Abdullah, the imam of the village mosque: "The book is written, which is closer to the end of the world such inscriptions, signs will be apparent even to the human body. There are sayings in Islamic books. " Now home photo album filled with pictures Yakubov with unusual inscriptions. In the form of an Arabic ligature often occurs on the back, legs and hands, a little less on her stomach and head. And, periodically one text is replaced by another. At this time, say doctors, a baby's temperature rises to 40 ° C. For parents, this seemed to signal that soon the skin will make the next inscription. Madina Yakubov, mother of Ali: "Keep it impossible. We have to be laid in the cradle, it raises the body like this, crying, crying. Temperature to 40 ° C rise. Very much a child suffers. Throughout the night, when it appears he is not asleep. At the request of Madina child's face we do not show, so as not jinxed. Not long ago about an unusual child was known only to parents, neighbors, local doctors, then with the advent of Arabic inscriptions, which translated literally means "show the signs of my people," the news of the birth of a miracle baby broke up the whole neighborhood. Local priests have decided that this is a sign, but because the boy's need to show people. Now the family Yakubov only has time to take crews and give interviews. And. Yakubov began earnestly to pray and became deeply faithful. However, in the country a lot and those who still doubt the divine origin of the inscriptions.

ASAProductionInc — October 27, 2009

 A BABY boy (Ali Yakubov) has left doctors baffled after passages from the Koran were found on his skin.

The parents of nine-month-old Ali Yakubov were stunned when the word Allah appeared on his chin soon after his birth.

Since then scores of writings in Arabic script have emerged on his back, arms, legs and stomach.

Amazingly his family claim the old markings vanish before the new words arrive — twice a week.

Medics say they cannot explain his mysterious condition — but deny the possibility that the marks are from someone writing on the child's skin.

His mother, Madina, said that she and her husband were not religious at all until the words started appearing on his skin.

Initially they did not show anyone the unexplained scribbles, but eventually revealed them to their doctor. The boys mother claimed: Normally those signs appear twice a week - on Mondays and on the nights between Thursdays and Fridays.

It was reported that Ali was diagnosed ischemic heart disease of the second degree and infantile cerebral paralysis in the maternity clinic. However, when inexplicable things started happening, he was examined and found healthy.

Local imam Abdulla has told locals that the Koran forecasts that before the end of the world, there may be people with its sayings on their bodies. One of the writings on him read Do not hide these signs from the people.

Interpreted that this is a warning to all Muslims of Russia and Dagestan, namely that they should turn to the wisdom of the religion of Allah, repent of their sins, and abandon their discord, conflicts, and the fratricidal confrontation that today shakes the blessed land of Dagestan and the entire Caucasus.

Dua for Gaza

Taman Majidee folk living in fear of criminals

By AUSTIN CAMOENS

Jun 7, 2010

 JOHOR BARU: Residents of Taman Majidee here have been living in increasing fear the past 20 years as criminals are getting more daring and aggressive.
Many of these residents hope for a stronger police presence in the neighbourhood to curb multiple crimes, especially house break-ins.
Zainab Ibrahim, 54, said her house had been broken into at least 10 times the past 30 years.
The retiree, who lives with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, added that she had also been a victim of snatch theft three times last year.
“The neighbourhood used to be a nice place to live in the 1970s but now no one can walk the streets alone without worrying about snatch thieves and robbers,” she said.

Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Govind, 71, said crime was a common occurrence in the neighbourhood.
“Almost every month, a house is robbed,” he said, adding that he was not surprised to hear about the robbery attempt on June 1, about 300m from his house, where robbers used a woman as a human shield when pursued by a security guard.
The retired doctor asked why the police had not been keeping an eye on the neighbourhood with the high crime rate there.
A businessman who only wanted to be known as Low, 57, echoed Zainab’s sentiment that the crime rate in the area was much lower 20 years ago.
“I own a shop lot in the area and it is disturbing that so many crimes occur here on a monthly basis.”
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob said that police would step up patrols in the housing estate.
“We are aware of the residents’ concerns. We will increase patrols as well as police presence,” he said.
He urged anyone with information on any crime related cases to contact the police hotline at 07-2212999 or the nearest police station.

TheStarOnline 

One Songket

by Tunku ’Abidin Muhriz
LAST year, I touched on our pre-Merdeka history: about how so many of our institutions – our Rulers, our rule of law, our penchant for trade, the concept of federation – have ancient and native origins. Yet Aug 31, 1957 remains such a powerful image of the genesis of the country and all its institutions, while the rest of our history is smudged into a haze, obscuring the view not only of what is behind us, but what lies beyond the horizon as well. It might have been a tad romanticist, but the point was to get some dates out there, to serve as beacons, if you will, to illuminate surrounding events among the pollution. So I thought this year, I’ll try a different approach, and wonder about some dates in the future.

If, for example, a century ago, the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred Perlis, Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu from the Siamese to the British sphere of influence, what treaties affecting our foreign relations might be signed in 2109? If, two centuries ago, Raja Lenggang had just begun his reign in Negri Sembilan assuming that this tradition of cross-strait invitation would continue forever, what might the movement of people between Sumatra and the peninsula look like in 2209? We can be even more drastic: six centuries ago Parameswara purportedly married a Pasai princess amidst great fanfare, but will there still be celebrity weddings in 2609? A millennium ago Sri Maravijayottungavarman had spent a year on the throne of Srivijaya, but who will be reigning in 3009?

At first glance these numbers might seem so unimaginably distant, but if we really reflect on them, they do reveal how short-term we are in our thinking. Indeed, it’s difficult enough to act upon the degradation of our physical environment for the sake of the next generation, let alone for the next thirty. Clearly, we’re no better at planning for the distant future as we are remembering the distant past.

I want to revisit something I wrote about at length earlier this year – the massive row over the issue of Chin Peng’s request to return – because recently a couple of events have occurred which highlight how curious our little banter was. The first was the prosecution of one Josef Scheungraber, a 90-year-old German who on (rather flimsy) evidence was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of 10 Italians in World War II. The second was the death of Harry Patch, the last British survivor of the World War I trenches, whose death was marked in all the newspapers and generated genuine public discussion. Although the two events were opposite to each other in the emotions assigned towards the individuals, the point is that there was in their respective countries a public consciousness of what they represented.

It’s envious, isn’t it, when a country can enjoy such consensus over a shared narrative: it enables shared responses. And when new immigrants reach their shores, they are taught to embrace this shared history: that’s what citizenship building and inculcating patriotism is about (but it’s not, I hasten to add, something that necessarily must be taught by the agents of government, because the private sector is perfectly capable of being patriotic too).

But, as I have belaboured numerous times on these pages, we aren’t at that stage. That is why, instead of talking in terms of centuries, we have to talk in terms of months, and why, instead of talking about long-term policy issues, many of our politicians continue to be mired in myopia, whether by waiting to seize the next opportunity to kindle division along racial or religious lines, or by preparing condemnations of the party opposite based on the feeblest of allegations, or by threatening to swap sides at the prospect of easy rewards rather than after agonising internal contemplation of personal ideology. In other words, short-sightedness is contributing directly to the vicious volatility of Malaysian politics.

When I first started my column in this newspaper I expressed hope that a clear majority of politicians would reject dogged party political conflicts and instead debate on the policy issues, borne out of a realisation that that is what the Malaysian people wanted. Not only has that been a little optimistic, but I now see that it’s non-observance is not contained to the professional political class. There is evidently a widespread desire to pigeonhole commentators into certain camps, and just as there are still Malaysians who insist on knowing one’s race before further communication with them, there are also those who insist on knowing whether someone is "pro-government" or "pro-opposition" so that further contact with the individual in question can be tailored accordingly. Sometimes the most infinitesimal criticism of a badly thought out idea emanating from either side will result in the most vicious of condemnations springing from the assumption that you must, therefore, be rooting for the other side; the possibility of constructive criticism is automatically jettisoned in such circumstances.

But in my very post-Merdeka eyes, the necessity of Aug 31, 1957 was based on issues: the need for independence, for reform, for constitutional monarchy, for freedom, for democracy, coming together on a single day: one in a string of glorious dates spun from a bewildering array of yarns, coming together and weaving into a songket that we can all wear with equal pride, one that will only get richer with the passage of the centuries. That’s the living fabric with which I want to celebrate this Merdeka.

Tunku ’Abidin Muhriz is Founder President of WauBebas.org: the Malaysia Think Tank.

Sun2surf.com

Ten Marvelous Meringue Recipes

Celebrate summer with layers of this whipped confection

By WomansDay.com Staff Posted June 04, 2010 from WomansDay.com

Light as air and sweet as can be, meringue makes for the perfect warm-weather treat. Beautiful and gravity-defying, meringue is simple in terms of ingredients—using just egg whites, cream of tartar and granulated sugar—but technique is everything. Egg whites and cream of tartar are whipped at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; sugar is then added by the tablespoon until it’s dissolved and stiff peaks form. But that’s not all: The eggs must be fresh and not too cold, no trace of yolk can make its way into the mixture, and it has to be beaten into the right consistency—under- or over-whipping guarantees an unusable, gloppy mess. When done right, however, the result is a smooth and pliable concoction that can’t be beat. Whether piled high atop a pie or piped into various cookie shapes, these sugary confections are full of flavor you’ll swoon for.                                                                                 

Meringue Dessert Recipes:
1. Lemon Meringue Pie
There’s no cutting corners with this traditional recipe, which pairs a butter crust with a tart, jelly-like filling of egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest, topped with meringue.
2. Pavlova with Summer Fruit
Vanilla extract adds a little something to this meringue, which gets baked and topped with a blend of whipped topping and sour cream as well as mixed fresh fruit.
3. Pastel Sandwiched Meringues
A trio of pretty pastel colors makes these little sandwich bites irresistible—as does the filling of chocolaty Nutella hazelnut spread.
4. Baked Alaska Pie
This festive frozen pie looks like a lot of work but isn’t, using a ready-made crust and store-bought sorbets, which leave you plenty of time to master the meringue topping.
5. Lemon-Raspberry Meringue Tart
Sweet and citrusy, this bright-colored tart is a delicious combination of lemon bar mix, homemade meringue and fresh raspberries.
6. Twice-Kissed Meringues
With their delicate shapes in shades of soft pink, white and brown, these meringues make for an ideal hostess gift—even better given the chocolate surprise in the middle.
7. Lemon Meringue Nests
Jazz up the classic lemon meringue pie by making these little tarts of frozen puff pastry filled with lemon pie filling mix and dollops of meringue.
8. Raspberry Meringue Hearts
Romance isn’t just for Valentine’s Day—keep the flame afire with these endearing pink heart-shaped meringues made with raspberry extract.
9. Berry Pavlova
Sweet and tart flavors combine for a smashing dessert that’s great in summer, with baked meringue stacked tall with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
10. Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pudding Cups (shown above)
A pert swirl of golden-brown meringue caps off these perfectly proportioned cups of lemon custard made with lemon zest, eggs, lemon juice and milk.

Read More About: dessert recipes

WomansDay.Com

Verses of Holy Quran Appeared on Skin of a 9 months old baby in Rusia

Thousands of pilgrims queued up this week in blazing sunshine to get a glimpse of 9-month-old baby Ali Yakubov, on whose body verses from the Koran are said to appear and fade every few days.

Pinkish in colour and several centimetres high, the Koranic verse "Be grateful to Allah" was printed on the infant's right leg in clearly legible Arabic script this week, religious leaders said. Visiting foreign journalists later saw a single letter after the rest had vanished.

keajaibanislam — October 23, 2009 — http://internasional.kompas.com/read/...

— Seorang bayi menimbulkan gelombang spekulasi di Rusia setelah frase-frase yang diduga sebagai ayat Al Quran muncul di kulit tubuhnya. Ayat-ayat ini dikatakan tampak di punggung, lengan, kaki, dan perut bayi berusia sembilan bulan bernama Ali Yakubov sebelum kemudian hilang dan diganti dengan ayat-ayat baru.

Para dokter Rusia bingung atas kasus ini. Awalnya, ayat-ayat itu muncul di dagu si bayi beberapa minggu setelah lahir. Para dokter menyangkal bahwa tanda-tanda di kulit bayi itu ditulis seseorang.

Sang ibu, Madina, mengatakan bahwa dia dan suaminya bukan merupakan orang yang taat beragama sampai tulisan-tulisan itu muncul. Madina mengatakan, mereka awalnya tidak memperlihatkan kepada siapa pun mengenai tulisan-tulisan yang tidak bisa dijelaskan itu sampai akhirnya mengungkapkan hal tersebut ke dokter dan imam di desa mereka, Oktober Merah, yang merupakan kawasan dengan pengaruh Muslim yang kuat.

Saat ini, si bayi menjadi fokus perhatian orang-orang Muslim di kawasan tempat tinggalnya di Provinsi Dagestan yang berdekatan dengan daerah konflik Chechnya di selatan Rusia. Seorang anggota parlemen lokal, Akhmedpasha Amiralaev, mengatakan bahwa "Bayi laki-laki ini merupakan tanda dari Allah. Allah menggirimkannya ke Dagestan untuk menghentikan pemberontakan dan ketegangan di republik kita."

Ibu si bayi mengatakan, "Biasanya tanda-tanda itu muncul dua kali seminggu, pada hari Senin dan pada malam antara Kamis dan Jumat. Ali selalu merasa kesakitan ketika itu muncul. Dia menangis dan suhu tubuhnya tinggi. Tidak mungkin menggendongnya ketika itu terjadi. Badannya aktif bergerak, maka kami menempatkan dia di ayunannya. Sedih rasanya ketika melihat dia menderita." Frase-frase itu, kata Madina, secara teratur bergantian muncul di kulit si bayi.

Seorang imam lokal, Abdulla, mengatakan kepada penduduk bahwa dalam Al Quran dikatakan, sebelum akhir zaman datang, akan muncul orang-orang dengan ayat-ayat kitab suci di tubuh mereka. Dia mengatakan, salah satu tanda yang terbaca berbunyi, "Jangan sembunyikan tanda-tanda ini dari orang-orang." Kisah bayi dari Dagestan ini juga telah menarik perhatian media Rusia.


afghanistanculture09 — October 28, 2009 . Video narrated in English



larawbar — October 24, 2009 — Amazing Miracle: Quranic verses have appeared on the body of a 9 months old baby from the Russian Republic of Dagestan


AzeriTurkoglu — October 26, 2009 — Islam Miracle Baby in Russia. Dagestan has shocked news. The country had a child, whose body manifested verses from the Koran. Expertise is already spent and doctors, and priests, but the nature of the surprising phenomenon no one yet can not explain. Correspondent Omar Magomedov visited the family a miracle baby. First signs of skin baby's parents were perceived as birthmarks, then as irritation and postnatal scarring. Fearing for the health of the child, a young couple called the doctor of an ambulance, but doctors just shrugged, referring to the unknown science of skin disease. Said Rasulova, the ward nurse: "From the standpoint of medicine, I can not explain what it is. With her mother's words, it appears with the temperature. At the invitation of relatives, family Yakubov visited a local priest, who saw a bizarre zigzag traces the Arabic word "Allah", and later the prayers and even whole passages from the Koran. Two days ago, at the foot 9-month, Ali made another inscription. What a surprise it was a priest, when the same text of the prayer he found in the Holy Quran. Abdullah, the imam of the village mosque: "The book is written, which is closer to the end of the world such inscriptions, signs will be apparent even to the human body. There are sayings in Islamic books. " Now home photo album filled with pictures Yakubov with unusual inscriptions. In the form of an Arabic ligature often occurs on the back, legs and hands, a little less on her stomach and head. And, periodically one text is replaced by another. At this time, say doctors, a baby's temperature rises to 40 ° C. For parents, this seemed to signal that soon the skin will make the next inscription. Madina Yakubov, mother of Ali: "Keep it impossible. We have to be laid in the cradle, it raises the body like this, crying, crying. Temperature to 40 ° C rise. Very much a child suffers. Throughout the night, when it appears he is not asleep. At the request of Madina child's face we do not show, so as not jinxed. Not long ago about an unusual child was known only to parents, neighbors, local doctors, then with the advent of Arabic inscriptions, which translated literally means "show the signs of my people," the news of the birth of a miracle baby broke up the whole neighborhood. Local priests have decided that this is a sign, but because the boy's need to show people. Now the family Yakubov only has time to take crews and give interviews. And. Yakubov began earnestly to pray and became deeply faithful. However, in the country a lot and those who still doubt the divine origin of the inscriptions.

ASAProductionInc — October 27, 2009

 A BABY boy (Ali Yakubov) has left doctors baffled after passages from the Koran were found on his skin.

The parents of nine-month-old Ali Yakubov were stunned when the word Allah appeared on his chin soon after his birth.

Since then scores of writings in Arabic script have emerged on his back, arms, legs and stomach.

Amazingly his family claim the old markings vanish before the new words arrive — twice a week.

Medics say they cannot explain his mysterious condition — but deny the possibility that the marks are from someone writing on the child's skin.

His mother, Madina, said that she and her husband were not religious at all until the words started appearing on his skin.

Initially they did not show anyone the unexplained scribbles, but eventually revealed them to their doctor. The boys mother claimed: Normally those signs appear twice a week - on Mondays and on the nights between Thursdays and Fridays.

It was reported that Ali was diagnosed ischemic heart disease of the second degree and infantile cerebral paralysis in the maternity clinic. However, when inexplicable things started happening, he was examined and found healthy.

Local imam Abdulla has told locals that the Koran forecasts that before the end of the world, there may be people with its sayings on their bodies. One of the writings on him read Do not hide these signs from the people.

Interpreted that this is a warning to all Muslims of Russia and Dagestan, namely that they should turn to the wisdom of the religion of Allah, repent of their sins, and abandon their discord, conflicts, and the fratricidal confrontation that today shakes the blessed land of Dagestan and the entire Caucasus.

Women Tobacco's future face

By JITTIMA JANTANAMALAKA | CNS

Published: Jun 4, 2010 01:59 Updated: Jun 4, 2010 01:59 

As tobacco consumption rises among women and youth, warning sign has gone out to the world on World No Tobacco Day (May 31, 2010), also from the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) foundation Thailand.

This year 2010, also marks the "Year of the Lung" campaign and the studies show that 50 percent of all deaths from lung disease are linked to tobacco use. "Currently, we know that 9 percent of Thai women are using tobacco and that over 1 million are actually exposed at home to harm from second hand smoke" said Anne Jones, Technical adviser of The Union.

"Also smoking or tobacco use rates are very high among 13-25 years old and this is really a major concern in Thailand," she added.

Anne insisted that "smoking or using tobacco is not only undermining their health and their fertility, but it also harms their family whether they have children or not. Children will be adversely affected and harmed by exposure to tobacco use. I don't think parents want their children to grow up and become tobacco users."
She is also asking women and young girls to say no to tobacco, get some help if already addicted and realize that the glamorization of tobacco use is only a marketing tactic of tobacco industry who don't care at all about the health of population and only care about making money.

Anne's views are supported by Dr. Prakit Vathisathokit, executive secretary of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Thailand, who said that, "There are more than 1,000 million people over the world using tobacco, and 200 million out of that are women. According to the studies done in 151 countries, female teenagers have higher rate of tobacco use than in the past, with tobacco use rates around 7 percent or 12 percent in some countries which is the same rate as of the male teenager. While the numbers show that tobacco use in men is still the same, there is a possibility that rates of tobacco use in women might be higher in future."

"In the past, the anti-tobacco campaign were mainly focused on men so women are now becoming the new important target group for tobacco industry, and industry has developed its strategy, improved the tobacco product with new taste like fruit or printed label showing that it's 'mild' or 'light' cigarettes, and released new design and brand name to lure the new customer and communicate that it is charming and smoking will help to reduce weight" said Dr. Vathisathokit.

"Moreover the industry has also initiated women and youth to a new way of smoking which is called 'hookah' or 'baragu' through deceptive tobacco promotion in films, online social networks and Internet which allow people to access tobacco easier," he said.

"The Union has been strongly recommending the Thai Government to do more by comprehensively banning all the remaining forms of tobacco advertising so that tobacco use is not seen as something as glamorous or something that is normal," said Anne.

"Tobacco use is really something that is not normal because if you become a tobacco user you are going to get disease and you are going to die early and that's not something that anybody want. So I think the government can reinforce a lot of these health promotion messages through the health promotion foundations, through tough legislation and supporting messages to encourage tobacco user to quit smoking and encourage young people not to take it up in the first place."

It has been praiseworthy, according to Dr. Chai Kritiyapichatkul, national tobacco control officer for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Thailand, that this year there were three Thai people who have received the WHO's Director-General's World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) Award. The Thai award winners include: Taweesin Satitrattanacheewin, editor, Thai Post newspaper; professor Dr. Somsri Pausawasdi, Thai Health Professional Alliance Against Tobacco; and Dr. Suthat Rungruanghiranya, assistant professor, Srinakharinwirot University Medical Center, in Thailand.

"Thailand is regarded as the tobacco control leader in this region that made some very good progress in reducing the harm caused by tobacco use but you can never become complacent on tobacco control because the tobacco industry is very creative, very well resourced and very determined to sell many products as they can. So it's up to the government to ensure that the health of population, the health of their people is put first and ahead of the commercial interest of the tobacco industry," Anne remarked.

Hope sanity prevails and governments around the world, put people before profits and protect young people and women from tobacco use.

— Jittima Jantanamalaka is the Managing Director of Jay Inspire Co. Ltd (JICL), a Fellow of CNS Writers' Bureau, Director of CNS Diabetes Media Initiative (CNS-DMI) and produces radio programs in northern Thailand. Website: www.jay-inspire.com, Email: jittima@citizen-news.org

Arabnews.com 

Tobacco kills one person every 10 seconds

Zareena Amiruddin
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 5, 2010


EVERY 10 seconds, one person dies in the world from the use of tobacco, the Friday sermon warned Bruneians yesterday, as it highlighted the dangers of smoking in conjunction with the World No Tobacco Day which fell on Monday.

"Let World No Tobacco Day be a reminder of the bad habit of smoking, and let us take steps together to fight it," said the sermon, reminding Muslims in the country that the risks of tobacco products were not minor but could cause death, not only to the smoker but to others around them.

The sermon lamented that even though people knew full well the stark dangers of smoking, they just brush it aside as they continue using tobacco.

Let World No Tobacco Day
be a reminder of the bad habit of smoking,
the Friday sermon said.
Picture: BT file




"The teachings of Islam remind its followers not to do anything that can bring about harm to their minds and bodies, and Islam forbids all food and drink that destroy and harm oneself, such as alcohol, pork, illegal use of drugs and cigarettes."

The sermon said that smoking or the use of tobacco products is one of the causes of diseases, such as cancer and diseases of the lungs and heart. It pointed to studies which have shown that the use of tobacco is the cause behind the deaths of four million people every year worldwide.

It added that because of the danger posed by tobacco, many countries including Brunei have laws to control the supply, sale, use and advertising of tobacco products.

The sermon emphasised the ban on smoking in public places, such as school and hospitals.

"This is to protect the public who are present in these areas from being exposed to cigarette smoke, apart from making sure our air is clean and nice to breathe for all."

Under the 2005 Tobacco Order, anyone caught smoking in a public place can be fined up to $10,000. Those selling tobacco products without a licence can be fined $10,000, and those selling products without the health warning can be fined up to $20,000 and imprisoned.

"A maximum fine of $10,000 can be imposed on those who sell tobacco products to those under the age of 18," said the sermon.

"This is appropriate because the youth and children are the generation that will continue our efforts to develop and make our country prosperous."

The sermon also warned against the sale of tobacco replacement devices such as "electronic cigarettes".

It said that while these products are better for one's health, their sale in Brunei is prohibited because it is an imitation of a tobacco product and a fine of $10,000 can be imposed if one is caught.

"If we take care of our health, Insya Allah we can avoid suffering from chronic illnesses and we can save money for the country," said the sermon.

"In 2008, the government spent $20.7 million on healthcare. About 51 per cent of that was spent for the treatment of illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. This does not take into account treatment for other ailments."

The sermon advised that in the effort to take care of one's health, we should take measures to avoid these diseases.

The Brunei Times

Rachel Corrie aid ship seized by Israeli navy

An Israeli navy boat maneuvers at the port of Ashdod June 5, 2010. The Israeli navy prepared to board another aid ship bound for Gaza on Saturday, as Washington condemned as "unsustainable" a blockade which Israel enforced earlier in the week by killing 9 people aboard a Turkish vessel. Irish and other activists on the Rachel Corrie ignored orders to divert to Israel's Ashdod port. Should it continue to approach the Palestinian enclave, the navy would board the vessel, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

An Israeli navy patrol boat maneuvers at the port of Ashdod June 5, 2010. Israeli forces seized an Irish-owned ship bound for Gaza on Saturday, boarding the Rachel Corrie close to the Gaza shore near the Mediterranean, an Israeli military spokeswoman said. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Details From
Xinhuanet.com 


Israel intercepts Rachel Corrie ship: activist

GAZA (June 5, 2010): Israeli forces intercepted and were following the MV Rachel Corrie, an Irish-owned ship bound for Gaza on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the campaign group supporting the ship said.

"They are being followed," Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza group said by telephone. She said earlier that the Rachel Corrie was some 55 km (35 miles) west of Gaza in the Mediterranean.

Al Jazeera television quoted a journalist aboard the vessel saying: "We can see some Israeli ships a little away from us. They are following us. There has been no contact."

An Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no information.

Israel had said it would not let the ship through, five days after a convoy of six was halted, including a Turkish ship on which nine men were killed by Israeli commandos who stormed aboard.

Israel has said it would accept the goods aboard the Rachel Corrie at its port of Ashdod, for onward land delivery to Gaza, but the activists have insisted they will dock in Gaza.

"They are not going into Ashdod," Berlin said, adding that only if the Israeli navy seized the ship would that happen.

The vessel is named after an American pro-Palestinian activist killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003.

Among those aboard the Rachel Corrie are six Malaysians, Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire from Northern Ireland and Denis Halliday, an Irish former senior official at the United Nations. - Reuters

MV Rachel Corrie may reach Gaza in 24 hours, Delay due to sabotage

Conflicting claims of 'Corrie' plans 

By JPOST.COM 
06/04/2010 11:10


Passengers aboard the Gaza-bound protest ship MV Rachel Corrie said Friday morning they intended to arrive in Gaza within 24 hours.

Those aboard denied reports that the ship’s arrival in Gaza would be canceled or significantly delayed.

Earlier Friday morning, two conflicting reports circulated concerning the ship, with one saying it had encountered technical difficulties while anchoring at Cyprus - causing organizers to delay or even cancel their plans to reach Gaza - and the other saying Israel had deliberately sabotaged the ship.

Irish flotilla organizer Audrey Bomse said in an interview that the trip would be put off due to an Israeli sabotage of two press and passenger ships intended to accompany the cargo ship, the Rachel Corrie.

The Jerusalem Post could not confirm either report.
Source: JPost.Com

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, Israel not to let any ship reach Gaza

JERUSALEM, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel will not allow any ship reach the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, specifically refering to the approaching international aid ship of Rachel Corrie

We shall not allow the ships to reach Gaza. Not now and not later on," Netanyahu was quoted by local news service Ynet as saying. He made the comment during a meeting of senior ministers convened to discuss how to deal with the Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship heading for Gaza in a bid to breach the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave. On board the vessel are a group of Irish and Malaysian peace activists.

The voyage is another attempt to challenge the siege following the "Freedom Flotilla," which is in the spotlight after engaged in a deadly Monday confrontation with the Israeli navy. Nine civilians were killed and dozens wounded in the highsea showdown.

Sources told Xinhua Thursday that the Israeli defense echelon is considering boarding the ship in case it doesn't follow Israeli order to dock at southern Israel's Ashdod port. They believe that taking over the vessel will be simple, inasmuch as this is a small craft capable of only containing several dozen passengers.

Editor: yan
Xinhuanet.Com

The police must be the rakyat ( people)

by Tunku Abidin Muhriz

SIR Robert Peel, Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, established London’s Metropolitan Police Service in 1829 according to certain principles, most importantly that "the police are the public and the public are the police". Here, that adage met the Malaccan tradition of policing, in which the Temenggung would act as Home Minister and oversee the general maintenance of law and order, while penghulus would be in charge of village security. The Royal Malaysian Police as we know it today is the product of several reincarnations and mergers as colonialism, war and federation took their course.

It has done some glorious things in its history. Its officers have shown gallantry on countless occasions: many forgotten, many unknown. But two things oft retold are the bravery of officers (and their wives) during the siege of Bukit Kepong – a metaphor for the gallant role of the security forces during the Emergency as a whole – and the testimony of those protected by police on May 13, 1969 as murderous political provocateurs prowled the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

There was a time when the words
"Special Branch" were regarded as comforting rather than intimidating, and numerous Royal
Mal-aysian Police personnel have been awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa. From this point of view it is no surprise that the "Royal" prefix has been bestowed upon the institution.

But it has suffered several dark moments too, and the shooting of Aminulrasyid Amzah is one of them. A boy’s life has been ended violently and prematurely, causing anguish and heartbreak. Despite calls not to politicise the issue, Facebook pages have taken party affiliations already. Many questions have been asked, from why our police officers statistically shoot citizens more often than in other democracies, to what an underage boy was doing driving a vehicle after midnight, and whether or not the reforms proposed by the Royal Police Commission of May 2005 would have prevented instances like this.

No one can say for sure, but it is a great shame that the ref-orms, in particular the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) have not been enacted. The government had an opportunity to address the revulsion at the institutions that are supposed to maintain law and order, but they dithered, and today public cynicism against the police (along with the courts and the Anti-Corruption Commission) is routine.

My own experiences with the police have been mixed. We have all heard (or participated in) stories about roadblock bribery. My friend once did a perfectly legal turn but was asked to pay RM80 anyway, and I once did a technically illegal U-turn in Petaling Jaya (I was lost, it was dark, there were no signs, no lights and lots of potholes) and the constable baited for duit kopi for about three minutes before giving up. I was lucky then, but apparently there are crests anyone can buy which act as passes at police roadblocks. It is almost assumed that the law doesn’t apply if the cops think you’re a VIP, but the integrity of our entire system of law is threatened once the police are scared to book someone because of their perceived status.

And yet, after my house caught fire, a very professional officer was on site within 15 minutes to take down a statement and put me at ease. A few days ago I had a chat with three cops serving as outriders – the sort who give thumbs-up to cooperative drivers and say "terima kaseh" over their loudhailers. I asked them about highlights of their job ("escorting foreign VIPs like Queen Elizabeth and Condoleezza Rice"), and whether they’re paid enough ("the thrill of the job keeps us going"). These guys love their job, and they know they’re making a positive difference to the country in doing so.

Yet the government and the police cannot be obdurate to reform. One idea that I’d like to see debated is decentralisation of the police force. As America has its NYPD and the LAPD, so we can have police forces subordinate to local government here too to address petty crimes, while major or cross-border crimes could be dealt with by a federal force. Such a setup – reminiscent of the Malaccan system – could increase local accountability and trust. Above all, it would make the police the rakyat once again.

Tunku ‘Abidin Muhriz is president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs.

Updated: 10:04AM Mon, 10 May 2010

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