Just what are the benefits of hudud? Its supporters should spell them out so that Malaysians can decide if the Islamic penal code is good for the country, and so that the electorate can make informed assessments about the politicians who are pushing for Malaysia to be an Islamic state.
Perkasa
Malaysia’s pursuit of anarchy
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
What do the recent attacks on Malaysiakini, the Federal Court, Teresa Kok and Comango tell us about what is going on in Malaysia? And how do we know that these attacks constitute an attempt at nurturing anarchy in the country?
Taking on Ibrahim Ali
By Petra Gimbad
One of the police reports lodged against Datuk Ibrahim Ali for his Bible-burning exhortation was made by a citizens’ initiative. Why would these individuals attempt to take the Perkasa chief on?
Squaring Najib’s statements on “pendatang” and the Malay agenda
By Ding Jo-Ann
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently told Chinese Malaysians they are “citizens with full rights” and that those who call them pendatang are “lunatics”. But how do Chinese Malaysians having “full rights” accord with the “Malay agenda” that Najib also claims to champion? To what threat is Najib referring when he warns Malay Malaysians that they may become squatters in their own land? And what has Najib said previously about organisations such as Perkasa that have openly chastised Chinese Malaysians for being ungrateful to the Umno-led government?
Is Christianity what threatens Malaysia?
Work in Progress by Hwa Yue-Yi
THE 31 March 2012 seminar for Pendidikan Islam teachers at the Johor education department, which originally claimed a Christian threat to Muslims, raises important ironies and questions. In a pluralistic public space, who gets to claim what, and why? Hwa Yue-Yi writes in her column, Work in Progress.
Who’s afraid of Ambiga Sreenevasan?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IF there is one word that best explains and describes the virulent reaction towards Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, that word, for me, would be fear. That’s right. Fear. In fact, it would seem from the continuing attacks against the Bersih 2.0 chairperson that this fear is such that she should be detained without trial under the […]
Insulting Muslims 101
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
HOW does one insult Islam in Malaysia? And how does one insult Muslims in Malaysia? Over the past few years and increasingly over the past months, the state, politicians and pressure groups like Perkasa have demonstrated just how to do either one or both. For the most part, these incidents are an insult to Muslims […]
Bersih 2.0: “Illegal”, chaos-causing “communists”?
By Gan Pei Ling
Waging war against the king. In cahoots with foreign conspirators. Possible communists. Planning to overthrow the government. Illegal T-shirts. Bersih 2.0 seems to embody many evils to the authorities, who have arrested more than 100 in attempts to stop Bersih’s 9 July 2011 march. But have the authorities gone overboard in demonising the rally? What about Malaysians’ constitutional right to freedom of expression and right to peaceable assembly?
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Bersih 2.0 – Why walk?
By Ding Jo-AnnTHE planned Bersih 2.0 rally calling for improvements to Malaysia’s electoral system has been garnering mixed reactions. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said police may arrest illegal demonstrators, even under the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite state detention without trial. Perkasa said they would demonstrate, too, to keep Bersih protesters from mischief. […]
Siapa Melayu?
Shape of a Pocket by Jacqueline Ann Surin
IF it is true that Malay-rights group Perkasa was able to sabotage the government’s New Economic Model, hence obstructing much-needed reforms for the nation, what is this telling us? It tells us that if the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is so easily held ransom by right-wing race-based groups, it is not fit to govern multiracial […]
