Not Shaken but Stirred A Controversy

In his blog profile, he proudly stated in his 22 years as a politician, he has held position as the Health Minister (2004-2008), EXCO Johor for 3 terms, state assemblyman for 4 terms before becoming an MP for Labis constituency. This is the none other than Dr. Chua Soi Lek, who is currently the President of Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).

Being the President of MCA, surely he would not only be familiar with but should be upholding MCA’s constitution and objectives. One of its aims and objectives were ‘To maintain, foster and promote goodwill and harmony among the citizens of various races in Malaysia to ensure the peaceful progress and growth of a strong and united nation’ (Part 2, 6.6, Constitution of the Malaysian Chinese Association).

However, on the contrary, the President himself recently stirred some controversy over remarks about Islam and a Muslim woman candidate from the opposition party that could jeopardise the harmony among citizens in Malaysia.

As President, shouldn’t he know better not to make an issue about PAS’ Tenang by-election candidate Normala Sudirman’s refusal to shake hands with male voters? It was also reported that he said on the 21^st January 2011, “The PAS brand of Islamic state would paralyse development in the country”.

Ironically, Dr. Chua added, PAS rule would derail the 1Malaysia concept. However, having said that, isn’t that conflicting to the 1Malaysia concept as well? Isn’t 1Malaysia’s goal is to preserve and enhance unity in diversity? Wouldn’t a statement provoking and disrespecting Islam derailing from the 1Malaysia concept?

It is said that 1Malaysia values and respects each community in Malaysia. 1Malaysia underlines the value of “Acceptance“ amongst its multi-racial people, so that they may live with mutual respect for each other as a nation.

Now, why is Dr. Chua making such a big deal about Normala Sudirman refusing to shake hands with men who are not her family? Did he just found out that for Muslims, skin contact with those considered non-*muhrim is forbidden? (*muhrim- spouse or immediate family members)

One would think, a man of Dr. Chua’s stature who proudly stating 22 years in politics would know better. Is this his first encounter with a Muslim woman after all this 22 years? Was he really concentrating on the Chinese only? Surely he has met other Muslim women before this Tenang by-election.

Anyway, when Normala refused to shake hands with men, didn’t she have the right in doing so?

Dr. Chua said that he had the right to say that it’s basic manners to shake hands with people. He emphasised that that’s his values. So what if that is his values?

What about Normala’s values? Is he implying his values are superior to her values?

Ok, let that question sink in for awhile. Who are we to say one’s values are better than the other?

Whatever it is, firstly, one should understand that MCA is a component party in the ruling government of Barisan Nasional. In the Barisan Nasional’s Charter & Rakyat`s Declaration, it was mentioned; To champion the cause of justice, democracy and fundamental human rights in international forums, to express a firm stand on global humanitarian issues, to assist in the formation of a just world order, and to set consistent moral standards in international affairs.

Please note that keywords here are democracy and human rights. Apparently, democracy and human rights goes hand in hand. Thus, if human rights is championed, shouldn’t Normala have the fundamental right to choose, the right to choose not to shake hands?

Isn’t the essence of human rights is the right to liberty and freedom?

Liberty is defined as the ability to live without being coerced or forced to do something you do not want to do. Liberty is the respect for individual rights. Therefore, Dr. Chua had rights to shake hands with everybody; Normala had the rights to decline and have the rights to shake hands with whoever she pleases.

Please note, Dr. Chua now has contradicted the MCA Constitution and the Barisan Nasional’s Charter & Rakyat’s Declaration by making the statement offending Normala and Muslims in Malaysia in general. But that’s just his political affiliations; this might just be a political stunt to scare the Chinese with false and baseless accusations on Islam and as usual, a political strategy to win votes.

Anyways, can we really blame Dr. Chua for committing this blasphemy? What if as an individual he is ignorant and doesn’t what he is talking about? Can we blame him for being ignorant and for the insults? Perhaps yes, since he has boasted about his 22 years in politics whereby he should know better.

But what if during his 22 years in politics he only met Muslim men and only Muslim women who actually don’t mind shaking hands with men who are not their muhrim. What if he only meets ‘seasonal’ Muslims who only practice Islam when there’s an occasion for it or only during Ramadhan?

Hence, are the Muslims in Malaysia doing enough to make a politician of 22 years to understand what is Islam and what we do and we don’t do?

Whatever it is, Dr. Chua needs to understand to respect others and perhaps double check on what is his definition of liberty, human rights and democracy. Therefore, let’s just respect each other and not politicise religion too often for political mileage.

But at the end of the day, what Dr. Chua needs to understand that Normala, like many other Muslims, are in constant strive to be a better Muslim. As the holy al-Quran states in surah al-Hujjurat, verse 13:

• Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware. [Asad]
• Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). [Y.Ali]
• Sesungguhnya orang yang paling mulia di antara kamu di sisi Allah ialah orang yang paling bertakwa di antara kamu. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui lagi Maha Mengenal. [Malay]

Thus, by refusing to shake hands with men, doesn’t make her less of a good candidate. She is free to choose. She chose to prioritise her religion when it comes to shaking hands, then so be it.

P.S/ Ironically, Normala being a Muslim and a woman, she is not being defended by any Muslim sisters’ organisation.

Politikus di lorong-lorong tikus

suka dan duka saling silih berganti
tetapi kebenaran dan kebaikan tidak menjadi inti
salah silap yang lebih dicari
kerna lebih senang kalau menuding jari
namun kebusukan ini telahpun menjadi tradisi
di bumiku yang indah ini

So what’s the point of freedom when this is gonna make us sink?
it’s no longer about doing the right thing,
it’s more about what they think
So what goodness would that bring?
When they only say “we” think you are wrong therefore “we” are right
that would only spell out endless fight

sememangnya kita masih hidup bersama
bersama-sama kita cerminkan diri
berkongsilah kebaikan di sana sini
bersama-sama kita kembali berbakti dan berbudi
walau hujan masih belum berhenti
salahkan kita mencari pelangi?

What?? Burn Quran Day??

Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, under the leadership of pastor Terry Jones, will be observing an ‘International Burn a Quran Day’ in honour of victims of the Sep 11, 2001 attack. The church has invited all to join the quran burning.

“We believe that Islam is of the devil, that it’s causing billions of people to go to hell, it is a deceptive religion, it is a violent religion and that is proven many, many times,” church pastor Terry Jones had told CNN.

What are we supposed to do when our religion is being attacked? When I heard the news, the first thing that came to mind was, how would the Christians react if they found out that there’s a “Burn Bible Day”? Well, to be honest, we all wouldn’t know.

Unfortunately, over the years, there are Muslims who have reacted horrendously when Islam is being attacked. There have been numerous occasions when some Muslims would riot, organise street demonstrations and burn flags all in response to the attack on Islam such as the cartoon drawings of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w and so on.

But of course these are only some Muslims, not all Muslims. Not all Muslims would go out and burn flags and riot in retaliation whenever Islam is attacked.

However, bear in mind, not all Christians are agreeable with pastor Terry Jones. Not all Christians want to burn the Quran. So with hope and faith, there wouldn’t be any horrific aftermath from this idiotic calling from pastor Terry Jones.

Speaking of idiotic, another thing to bear in mind is that if we have tolerant Muslims, I’m sure we have tolerant Christians, right? Hence, if there’s an idiotic Christian pastor, I’m sure there will be a similar idiotic Muslim cleric who would make a statement or support something disrespectful and disgraceful proposed an act similar to the burning of the holy Quran. I’m just saying this just in case it happens.

I just hope the outcome from all this madness is that people agree that the Burn Quran Day is over the line, distasteful, disgraceful and most importantly, disrespectful.

(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Although I’m not a Muslim scholar and with my limited knowledge of the Quran, here are some verses I would like to share especially with the Muslims in response to the Burn Quran Day:

• CALL THOU (all mankind] unto thy Sustainer’s path with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the most kindly manner-  for, behold, thy Sustainer knows best as to who strays from His path, and best knows He as to who are the right-guided. (Translated by Muhammad Asad)

• Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance. (Translated by Yusuf Ali)

• Serulah (manusia) kepada jalan Tuhanmu dengan hikmah dan pelajaran yang baik dan bantahlah mereka dengan cara yang baik. Sesungguhnya Tuhanmu Dialah yang lebih mengetahui tentang siapa yang tersesat dari jalan-Nya dan Dialah yang lebih mengetahui orang-orang yang mendapat petunjuk. (Malay translation)

(Surah An-Nahl, verse 125. 16:125)

And to pastor Terry Jones, here’s something for you too.

• “Unto you, your moral law, and unto me, mine !” (Asad)

• “To you be your Way, and to me mine” (Y. Ali)

• “Untukmulah agamamu dan untukkulah agamaku”".”  (Malay)

(Surah Al-Kafiroon, verse 6. 109:6)

Therefore, let’s just agree to disagree and respect one another. With hope and love, let’s not burn any holy books. If Terry Jones and his followers still go ahead with their plan to burn the Quran, then I guess, we just have to pray to God deal with them accordingly. That’s the essence of having a religion, you know there’s a superior being, so if we can’t do anything about it, I’m sure God will. Whatever it is, whether you are preaching Islam or Christianity, I hope we all do it with respect.

Since September 11 this year will be in the month of Syawal, I apologise for any wrongdoings and may everyone have a blessed Syawal. Eid Mubarak! Minal ‘Aidin wal-Faizin.

Dance Dance in Sarawak

On the first weekend of July, I was on my way to Kuching from Kuala Lumpur with newspapers being my only companion for my 1 hour 45 minute journey. The newspapers were filled with articles having their fair share of arguments and debates on why Spain and the Netherlands were in the final and not England, Brazil, Argentina or the defending champions Italy. Some were claiming that some football stars are overpaid and no longer had passion to play for their country, which translated into a lethargic and a half hearted performance in the World Cup.

Fortunately for me, I was on my to Kuching for the 13^th Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) where passion, superstars, fun, good music and a vuvuzela was there at the Sarawak Cultural Village in Santubong.

Set adjacent to the sea, at the foot of a mountain and with a forest as backdrop, the three day festival was a manifestation of cultural mélange as well as a musical one.

We saw the Marranzano from Italy played by I Beddi and we had the Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan from India play their Murchang. Although both are from the other ends of the world, the Marranzano and the Murchang are respective jaw harps from Italy and India;  where the sound is generated by a vibrating air column, the frame is held against the performer’s teeth, using the jaw and mouth as a resonator which greatly increasing the volume of the instrument.

I guess that’s the beauty of the festival when we are able to witness numerous similar instruments with similar sounds but to each have its own story and significance.

Apart from the jaw harps, there were other similar instruments which sound alike like the two-stringed dombra, a pear shaped long necked lute of the Kazakh people of Central Asia brought to the festival by Yerboli Ahmethan of Yerboli and the sound of the oud (also a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in Middle Eastern music) which was played by Mustafa Daood of Debu from Indonesia. Looking and listening to the two closely, both the dombra and the oud also has a resembling sound to the gambus which is the most common lute found in a variety of styles in Malay folk music.

This year’s festival also seemed to be featuring an array of bagpipes. From Italy to Portugal to Iran to Bulgaria to Russia; all had their own form of bagpipes. Saeid Shanbehzadeh from the Shanbehzadeh Ensemble even joked about his bagpipe. “The bagpipes are made of goat skin, what’s the point of killing the goat to make an instrument that sounds like a goat?” he said during his performance, second day’s opening of the festival.

Although the World Cup had glittering footwork displays of the Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kaka and other stars, in RWMF, we had another kind of footwork. It was not side stepping the ball or fancy trickery that we’re used to in the World Cup but what we had was thousands of people having their own fancy footwork; moving their feet to the beats of the awesome sounds of world music.

Oh, speaking of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is often called a cheat for his dubious diving; diving at the festival was cheered as the rain made the Cultural Village a mud fest.

I was also fortunate enough to mingle with the stars of the festival. At times, I get goose-bumps not because i’m star struck but when I see and listen to the performers at the workshop jamming together and even at the hotel, which brought my music appreciation to another level.

However, these talented musicians have remained grounded as Leila Negrou from Reunion Island said, “There are no superstars here, no one is up there, and we all mingle and hang out together.”

With that, I learned that RWMF to be a  unique festival that brings informative workshops, ethno-musical lectures, jamming sessions and renowned world musicians from all continents and indigenous musicians from the interiors of the mythical island of Borneo together.

Well after all the rain, the dancing, the great music, inevitably, the festival had to end. However, some continued celebrating as soon as the festival ended, we watched the Spain winning the World Cup 2010 for the first time in their history.

Here are some photos I was able to take before my camera went bonkers.

Reelroad'b from Russia

Oscar Jimenez of Watussi

An animated Davide Urso of IBeddi from Italy

Argentina, my first love

Futbol or futebol or soccer; bolasepak or sepak bola: whatever you call it, I owe it to Argentina for making me fall in love with football.

I used to play football with my brother and uncle during the 80s but being the youngest in the team, I’m often asked to play as a goalkeeper. However, determined not to just play goalkeeper, I often studied recorded VHS tapes of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

It was from those recorded World Cup games, I found out that Argentina is indeed my first love when it comes to football.

From those video taped matches, I was simply awed at how Maradona worked his magic on the field and captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico. En route to become champions, Maradona scored the best solo goal and the most controversial goal in World Cup history. We had recordings of Argentina vs. South Korea (group match), Argentina vs Uruguay (2nd Round match), Argentina vs England (Quarter-final), Argentina vs Belgium (Semis) and finally Argentina vs. West Germany which was one of the best final in the World Cup where Argentina won 3-2.

From then on, I felt that Argentina can do no wrong when it comes to playing football beautifully. I even skipped school for a few days to travel 8 hours to watch the Argentina youth team in 1997 when the FIFA World Youth Cup was held in Malaysia. Argentina was the eventual champions of the tournament playing under manager, Jose Pekerman. It then the world was introduced to the talents of Juan Roman Riquelme, Pable Aimar, Walter Samuel and Esteban Cambiasso.

But of course,  some would argue that Brazil is the best team in the world. It might be true but Brazilians are entertaining when it comes to their football skills and samba football and  they tend to produce great individual players. However, to me, Argentina has the ultimate team of free flowing attacking football with precision passes, exquisite through passes, simple one-two passes and their game play usually have excellent build-up plays.  If they don’t score from open play, they can also score notable goals from set pieces.

For one, Javier Zanetti’s goal against England in 1998 where he came out from nowhere behind the English wall to shoot a left-footed shot into the roof of the net for the equalizer off a crafty set play on a free kick.

As I mentioned earlier, I love Argentina’s free flowing attacking football with precision passes, exquisite through passes, simple one-two passes and their game play usually have excellent build-up play, well Argentina’s 26 pass goal against Serbia in the 2006 World Cup is a testament to that.

Unfortunately, despite playing the game beautifully, Argentina has struggled in recent times in international football. This is of course due to the unnecessary media pressure of young Argentine talents. With the slight potential shown, the player would then be dubbed ‘the next Maradona’. Players like Leonardo Rodgriquez, Ariel Ortega, Marcello Gallardo, Pablo Aimar, Seba Veron, Roman Riquelme, Carlos Tevez and D’allesandro were made to think and indirectly pressured to weave magic and win the World Cup like how Maradona did for Argentina in 1986.

However, those players mentioned never actually tasted glory at their club level. They often struggled. Their achievements at the club level couldn’t match Lionel Messi’s achievement in club competition at the highest level. That is why now, there is hope for Argentina because again, Lionel Messi also have been dubbed ‘The Next Maradona’. Why I said there’s hope because of the glory he achieved in Barcelona has helped him in managing pressure and actually letting his football do the talking. Since Maradona took over as coach, the attention has been much on him rather than the team, it may work in Messi’s and Argentina’s favour.

On that note, since Maradona is now the coach, I hope Argentina wins the World Cup and let the followers of the Maradonian Church (Yes, Iglesia Maradoniana (English: Maradonian Church) was created by fans of  Diego Maradona, who they believe to be the best player of all time) believe that Maradona is their football god for the sake of Argentina football in the future. If Argentina wins the World Cup under Maradona, Argentina would the have perfected the circle of the ‘Maradona Era’ with Argentina winning the World Cup under Maradona as a player and as a coach. Hopefully, that way, Argentina would  get over Maradona as their football god and break free from the idea that Maradona is their football saviour and move on after the this year’s World Cup victory (hopefully).

As for this year, as Messi said, “Argentina should only be afraid of Argentina.”

The current World Player of the Year believes his side should guard only against complacency. “We must remain concentrated and go forward as we have been doing, training with care and staying united. We really should not be afraid of anybody.”

Whatever it is, with love and hope, I’ll be singing

Vamos, vamos Argentina,
vamos, vamos a ganar,
que esta barra quilombera,
no te deja, no te deja de alentar.

until Argentina finally becomes the champions of the world…

However, if Argentina wins the World Cup this year, I would like to mention the best Argentinian team never to win the World Cup, would be the 1994 World Cup squad:

12  Luis Islas
1     Sergio Goycoechea (although he didn’t play in 1994, he was the hero in World Cup Italia in 1990)

3    Jose Chamot
4    Roberto Sensini
6    Oscar Ruggeri
13  Fernando Caceres

5     Fernando Redondo
14  Diego Simeone
10  Diego Maradona
19  Abel Balbo

7   Claudio Caniggia
9   Gabriel Batistuta
Notable subs:

8    Jose Basualdo
20  Leonardo Rodriguez
17  Ariel Ortega
21  Alejandro Mancuso
Vamos ARGENTINA!!!!!

Aceh…isn’t it dangerous? No, it’s GREEN!

Why were you in Aceh? Isn’t it dangerous? Wouldn’t you be cane there? What if Aceh gets hit by the tsunami again? Those were the questions bombarded me when people learned that I was in Aceh.

I must admit, at first, I was wary while I was packing for my trip to Aceh; I was contemplating on whether or not to pack my shorts. I was guilty of letting rumours affect my trip as they were saying I’ll get cane if I was caught wearing shorts and women would be caught and punished for not wearing a tudung or hijab (headscarf) in Aceh. On top of that, there were also those who said that Aceh is hostile and infested with rebels and terrorists.

But those fears were quickly quelled as soon as I arrived in Banda Aceh. There was no problem about wearing shorts there and not all women there were wearing a tudung or a hijab, so in other words, it is just like any other city with a Muslim majority population and no, I was not caned. But the fact remains, if you visit a place of certain rules and customs, it is best to respect it. Just like in Thailand, where religion and culture is very much intertwined (just like in Aceh), one would need to take off their shoes to enter a temple in Thailand but in Aceh, instead of taking something off, you put something on. At the end of the day, it all boils down to respect.

Next up, about the rumours of terrorists, militias and separatists, I didn’t meet any of them (even if I did, they didn’t tell me so). But I did visit the forest where it used to be the hideout of the now already dissolved Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, or GAM). So now, I can scratch out the terrorist and separatist from my fear list.

On that note, one good thing about GAM using the jungle for their hideout is that the forests in Aceh were protected. During the conflict nobody dared to come to the forest. But nowadays people have come back to the forest to cultivate their land where most land is used for agro-forestry.

A beautiful day in Aceh's paddy fields

Consequently, the Governor of Aceh, Honorary Irwandi Yusuf is committed to a greener and more prosperous future for the people of Aceh. Understanding the need for holistic strategy to rebuild the economy of Aceh, the Governor is orchestrating comprehensive efforts to ensure the preservation and protection of Aceh’s natural resources, watershed and marine reserves to safeguard the province’s assets and the sustainable development of future generations. With that the Governor’s office came up with the Aceh Green to fulfil this vision. The Aceh Green strategy is to generate revenue for the province and employment for rural communities.

Thus, with all the buzz about going green, I was in Aceh to cycle. Since cycling is usually known to give low impact to the environment and travelling with bicycles protects fragile and pristine green areas. In fact, that is exactly what Nanggroe Aceh Darus Salam need.

Aceh is quickly becoming the ultimate eco-tourism destination for those who care for the environment and nature enthusiasts. I was then introduced to Lieselotte Heederik or better known as Lisa who runs Aceh Adventure. In my bid to be a responsible traveller in Aceh, I figured Lisa would be the best person to ask about cycling in Aceh especially with her experience being in serious cycling tours since 2002.

Lisa recommended me to go on the Rice Field and Village tour to experience the ‘greenness’ of Aceh.

With the tour having a relatively light route over flat terrain, I thought to myself how interesting can this rice field tour be? The route leads you over small tracks through rice fields and traditional Acehnese villages but much to my surprise, within the 15km of pedalling, the landscape of the rice fields kept changing; giving me a picturesque view of every village I went passed. I went passed fabulous locations giving me the opportunity to experience firsthand the different landscapes, people and also food.

From Jambatan Ulee Kareng, I cycled to see farmers sowing, weeding or harvesting the rice. Initially, I was quite bashful passing through the villages; seeing how hard these Acehnese was working while I was nonchalantly enjoying my bicycle ride.

In the beginning, I felt uneasy when curious stares were prevalent but after my guide, Tardi who hails from Bandung informed me that greeting the locals should be the wave of the right hand as waving with the left hand is considered rude.

From then on, we were greeted with a sea of smiles from the locals who are indeed very warm and welcoming whenever we need to find shelter if it was raining. Then after a few hours into the journey, I then suddenly found to be trailed by a group of local young boys making it a brief mini ala Le Tour France. The boys kept cheering us on with “Let’s go!” and took turns overtaking us to greet us with “Good Morning!” with smiles so wide as wide as it was from Sabang to Merauke.

It was heartwarming when the children said 'Abang, please come again ya' as I was about to leave their village

After completing half of the tour, my initial bashfulness has become a distant memory as Ifound Aceh to be blessed with a beautiful country and filled with gorgeous people. I was touched with the children and their enthusiasm towards visitors.

An Acehnese being playful when photographed

Lisa said, “The Acehnese people are very friendly and heart-warming towards foreigners too. If you are an open-minded person and interested to learn about other cultures and religions Aceh is the perfect place to go.”

Having said that, it was a true blessing for me personally to be able to visit Aceh and hassle-free I must add. I also found out that Aceh has a vivid night life; all the coffee houses are full during the night. After a few coffee sessions with locals, I find Aceh to be very relaxed and nothing ‘threatening’ about it.

They have signs around on directions to tsunami evacuation centres; basically, they are prepared to face another tsunami. But many heart-wrenching and poignant reminders of the devastating tsunami still remain just and seeing them going about their everyday is simply inspiring.

“Aceh has been very safe and don’t always read second hand accounts unless you experience the story first hand. Now is the time to visit if you want an authentic, untouched destination in South East Asia,” said David Shirley of the UNDP.

Now that I’m back from Aceh, people have asked how it was and I answered, it was awesome. Did I wear shorts there? Yes, I did. Didn’t you I caned or fined or caught by the moral police? No. Isn’t Aceh dangerous with all the terrorists and separatists? No, I didn’t get a chance to meet up, even if I did I wouldn’t know if they were terrorists and no, it is not dangerous. Instead, I got a warm welcome by the Acehnese people instead. Since the name of Aceh Darussalam means welfare and peace, I guess it is safe to say that Aceh is indeed what the name suggests.

and all that Jazz

It was March 2009, I was in Jakarta and I was there for a conference. I wanted to attend that annual international event since 2005. However, due to last minutes plans and so on, I had to skip the Java Jazz Festival 2009.

However, learning from my mistake last year, I booked my tickets early; both flight and Java Jazz tickets, and I was all ready for my first ever Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta. I guess it was just my luck, this year the Java Jazz was held in Kemayoran which I think is a disaster. Unlike the previous years, it was held in Senayan and it was somewhat more convenient there.

I know the traffic jam was crazy in Jakarta but having an event in Kemayoran, the traffic jam is a different level. At least when it was in Senayan, it was in the city and getting there was a little less expensive. On the other hand, making your way to Kemayoran is depressing.

Having said that, I thought the festival could lift my mood and enjoy some good music. Unfortunately, since it was a festival, getting around is hectic. There were people everywhere and I only got snippets of the great lineup Java Jazz had for us. Therefore, with all the running, I wasn’t able to truly enjoy the music.

I also learn that the special shows’ sound system was dismal. Especially special shows of John Legend and Toni Braxton.

But I had my ticket for Manhattan Transfer’s special show on the last day and it was superb! I was absolutely awed and entertained by the four veteran vocalese singers. With all that has been endured, I think I wouldn’t have enjoyed Java Jazz as much if I had not attended Manhattan Transfer’s special show. With that, I thank you Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, Tim Hauser and Cheryl Bentyne of the Manhattan Transfer.

I’m not sure whether I’ll be going to Java Jazz again especially if it is held in Kemayoran. But then again, it’s Jakarta, I just might.

The ones who made it all worth it

The industry, the income and all…

Under the dimmed lights, with the tingling sound of the piano and the soothing strokes of a thousand violins, the setting was perfect. The setting was just right to accentuate her spotless skin and her beauty slowly beckons like the sun bleeds the soft lights when it sets.

Not wanting her to think that I was staring, reluctantly I distracted myself from admiring her beauty and I asked her, “What make-up do you use?”

Then I was thinking to myself, what sort of a metro-sexual question was that?!! Then she non-nonchalantly answered; Halal make-up, of course. It got me pondering, how would make-up be not Halal?

Apparently, there has been a common misconception today about what constitutes Halal, with many people assuming that it relates only to foodstuffs. For example, fatty acids and gelatin used in moisturizers, shampoos, face masks and lipsticks as well as other items are often extracted from pigs, therefore making it not Halal, in other words, Haram.

No wonder the global market is valued at an estimated US$ 2.1 trillion annually. With the global market value for Halal food alone is about US$ 547 billion (according to Malaysian Industrial Master Plan 3, Chapter 21). Then the other non-food Halal products like cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, logistics and many more would make the other slices of the market.

Naturally, what goes hand-in-hand with the Halal industry is of course, the Islamic banking and finance industry. The difference between Islamic banks and the conventional banks is the usury, interest and where the money invested is invested in. The Sharia rules prohibit involvement in companies whose activities touch on industries including alcohol, gambling, pornography and industries associated with pork are also out.

On that basis, our income would be haram, right? If it comes from a non-Halal source like alcohol, gambling and porn wouldn’t it?

With that been said, what about this restaurant that I’m dining in right now with this beautiful date of mine? If it sells alcohol, would the Muslim owner be earning in a Haram manner? What about the Muslim waiters here? Are they earning a Halal income by serving alcohol? Come to think of it, I also know someone who drives the Carlsberg van to distribute these crates of beer, that’s not Halal, right?

Will my income be Haram if I work for a magazine or newspaper that has advertisements from alcohol companies (since the profit and income of the magazine from come from these adverts)?

What about those who work in 7-11? Just by sitting at the counter and regardless whether you’re selling it to both Muslims and non-Muslims, would still be deemed as Haram, right?

These questions playing in my head has led me to find relevant readings and teachings. Therefore, I must clearly state, I am not a Muslim scholar and not an expert but these are few of the Hadith and verses from the Quran I found on this issue which I think is worth sharing:-

From the Kitab Al-Buyu’
(The Book of Transactions)

Taken from International Islamic University Malaysia.

Book 10, Number 3835:

• Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) addressing in Medina. He said: O people, Allah is giving an indication (of the prohibition) of wine. and He is probably soon going to give an order about it. So he who has anything of it with him should sell that, and derive benefit out of it. He (the narrator) said: We waited for some time that Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him)said: Verily Allah, the Exalted, has forbidden wine. So who hears this verse and he has anything of it with him, he should neither drink it nor sell it.

Book 10, Number 3838:

• ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: When the concluding verses of Sura Baqara were revealed, Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) went out and read them out to the people and then forbade them to trade in wine.

Book 10, Number 3839:

• ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: When the concluding verses of Sura Baqara pertaining to Riba were revealed, Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) went out to the mosque and he forbade the trade in wine.

From Ask a Scholar

“Truly, Allah has cursed khamr (alcoholic beverages) and has cursed the one who produces it, the one for whom it is produced, the one who drinks it, the one who serves it, the one who carries it, the one for whom it is carried, the one who sells it, the one who earns from the sale of it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

The Malay translation:
“Rasulullah s.a.w. melaknat tentang arak, sepuluh golongan: (1) yang memerasnya, (2) yang minta diperaskannya, (3) yang meminumnya, (4) yang membawanya, (5) yang minta dihantarinya, (6) yang menuangkannya, (7) yang menjualnya, (8) yang makan harganya, (9) yang membelinya, (10) yang minta dibelikannya.” (Riwayat Tarmizi dan Ibnu Majah)

From Halal dan Haram dalam Islam, Syekh Muhammad Yusuf Qardhawi
Translation: H. Mu’ammal Hamidy
Publisher: PT. Bina Ilmu, 1993

Here’s some of the Quran verses which is worth reminding;

• 5:90 (Asad) O YOU who have attained to faith! Intoxicants, and games of chance, and idolatrous practices, and the divining of the future are but a loathsome evil of Satan’s doing:’ shun it, then, so that you might attain to a happy state!
• 5:90 (Y. Ali) O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan’s handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.
• 5:90 (Malay) Hai orang-orang yang beriman, sesungguhnya (meminum) khamar, berjudi, (berkorban untuk) berhala, mengundi nasib dengan panah, adalah perbuatan keji termasuk perbuatan setan. Maka jauhilah perbuatan-perbuatan itu agar kamu mendapat keberuntungan.

and

• 5:91 (Asad) By means of intoxicants and games of chance Satan seeks only to sow enmity and hatred among you, and to turn you away from the remembrance of God and from prayer. Will you not, then, desist?’
• 5:91 (Y. Ali) Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?
• 5:91 (Malay) “Sesungguhnya setan itu bermaksud hendak menimbulkan permusuhan dan kebencian di antara kamu lantaran (meminum) khamar dan berjudi itu, dan menghalangi kamu dari mengingat Allah dan sembahyang; maka berhentilah kamu (dari mengerjakan pekerjaan itu).”

Having read the meaning translation, of 5:91, “Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling…” no wonder I have encountered and heard of so many drunken fights.

However, if there’s demand then there should be supply and that is what business is all about. Having said that, I’m sure the alcohol and gambling industry are as lucrative or not more lucrative then the Halal industry. But what are the alternatives for those whose livelihood are now depending on the current jobs that’s profitting from a Haram source?

I’m no expert in business but I do know that Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) has always been short of manpower when it comes to Halal certification. If you read here and here, you will find how tedious the process of Halal certification and monitoring are in ensuring products remain Halal.

That’s just the certification and monitoring bit of the Halal industry.  Elsewhere, there is more job waiting apart from just in the certification and monitoring. For example like in New Zealand and Poland, there is a short of Muslim slaughtermen to slaughter the chicken, sheeps and cows in a Halal manner.

Scientific research and innovation is pivotal for the sustainablility of the Halal industry

Then of course, there is a myriad of job opportunities in the R&D department of the Halal industry. R&D is very much essential in the Halal industry now with scientists coming up with innovations detecting pork, alcohol and so on in foods. There is also potential in environmental science, bio-resource and other sciencethat could help sustain the growth of Halal as an industry. This could be the alternative to obtain a Halal profession.

Hence, maybe those who are currently working in 7-11 are not qualified to be scientist now but they could help out JAKIM in monitoring and inspecting process, not only they’ll have Halal income but insya-Allah gain pahala from Allah s.w.t., this is of course just a suggestion and please don’t take me as a pompous ‘Mr. know-it-all-and-I-know-what’s-best-for-you’.

But clearly, as an industry, Halal is able to provide a myriad of job opportunities and Muslims don’t have to rely solely from non-Halal source. However, at the end of the day, no matter how many jobs offered, there’s no point if these Muslims don’t work with passion…

Anyways, after a fruitful conversation and an enchanting dinner, sadly, it was time for me to send my beautiful date home and as I arrived in front of her house, the radio was playing romantic tunes ala Diana Krall. With the stars above was shining and the crescent moon smiling on us, I was so tempted to end the evening by kissing her soft lips while caressing her face and running my fingers through her hair… But, not being her husband yet, I’m sure doing so, it’s not Halal. Hmmm… Halal is indeed more than just food, it’s a lifestyle.

I guess at the end of the day, there’s always that moral dilemma Muslims face everyday, whether to give in to the temptations and to please oneself or to please the Almighty Allah s.w.t.

This is of course, a gentle reminder for Muslims and non-Muslims to understand better.

Why Malaysians love giving head?

Rarely we are able to sit down in a coffee shop and not talk about politics nowadays, especially when we’re in KL. The news is bombarded with sad stories about how some Malaysians are reacting to a certain conflict or issue.  The burning of churches, the cow’s head incident,  and of course the recent wild boars’ head thrown in the mosques are some  examples of  recent issues making headlines.

Somehow, religion and race seemed to be a favourite issue in Malaysia to be played on and eventually getting blown out of proportion. Then, once these issues are blown out of proportion, then comes the so-called ‘saviours’; the politicians. They will always say something smart to ‘calm’ us down; be it the government or the opposition.

A politician will say something, not knowing that it could cause a public outrage. When the public is outraged,  then comes other politicians claiming to be the ‘fighter’ for the people and say something else to win the hearts of the people (by heart I mean votes). Another politician will then emerge and say something only to sound a tad racist. Of course, at the same time, the media would then play around with these statements and soon enough bloggers will post in their blog and further getting the people pumped over nothing.

It is like watching a dull movie, whereby the actors, the plot and the outcome are all the same and only thing that changes is the issue. But yet, the name calling, the finger-pointing goes round and round and at the end of the day, nothing is really resolved. Boring.  It is however,  only interesting for these politicians to play the finger-pointing game and only ‘fight’ for the people during the controversy is still hot.

However, you don’t have to love your government to love you country. I never realised how beautiful Malaysia can be. No matter how beautiful Malaysia is, we will of course still have ugly Malaysians distorting the beauty of Malaysia. We have the racists, religious bigots, maid abusers, the unethical taxi drivers, the discourteous road users, the rempits and the list goes on. But these people are not the reason why I say Malaysia is beautiful.

On a few occasions, foreigners reminded me how beautiful Malaysia is. Once, I met a Serbian Muslim. Yes, he is Muslim and he is Serbian. He said it is a common complaint among some European non-Muslims that Islam was spread by the use of force. He however, loved Malaysia because it was spread through trade and the revertions of the then rulers. He said Islam spread in Malaysia not by force. Probably back then, the Malaysians or Malayans were more open and more sincere in their friendship and acquaintances. This is shall remain a conundrum, though.

Then, I met a few Somalis who came to Malaysia who said Malaysia is indeed a very welcoming country, in terms of visa upon arrival. They said Malaysia is the only country that gives Somalis visas upon arrival. Naturally, they chose Malaysia to be the first destination to seek help after establishing the Somali Heath Care Organization (SHCO) in April 2008. Their mission is to eradicate deadly diseases and to create awareness within society on the importance of health in Somalia. And I felt touched and honoured at the same time when they chose Malaysia. One of them said, Malaysia’s track record in helping the ummah, the people has been positive.

But I was even more thrilled to find Malaysians are more than just selfish politicians and religious bigots, after the Tali Tenang in Bangsar recently.  I met Malaysians who loved Malaysia for Malaysia and not political Malaysia. They came together as Malaysians. It was simple, yet symbolic. These Malaysians came with a piece of rope/string and  tied them together to make one long, beautiful, cool rope that represents each and every one of us.

With their differences aside, these Malaysians came together and simply had good clean fun. None of them brought any cow’s head or pig’s head, they only brought their cool heads and had fun. With hope we all keep our heads cool and instead of throwing cow’s heads and pig’s heads to each, let’s put our heads together and throw in ideas for a better tomorrow and a better Malaysia.

Here are some photos from Tali Tenang. Enjoy.

One of the many Talis present

The troop crossing the road

Happy Malaysians

More happy people

Happy Shiny People

The media coverage

All smiles

Tired after the walk

I love KL t-shirts were on sale after the Tali Tenang walk

Happy Happy Joy Joy

That girl from Viva Palestina, who went to Gaza for a humanitarian cause

At the end of the day, with hope and optimism, let's pray for peace and be happy

Orang Asli Jahai in Belum

A typical Jahai house in the area

I recently had the privilege of visiting an orang asli village in Belum, Perak. There are two major groups in Belum; the Senoi and the Negrito. The Jahai is the main sub-ethnic group among the Negrito.

The village I visited is situated in the Royal Belum Forest and the most convenient way to get there is to travel by boat.

a typical orang asli mode of transportation

However, when I arrived at the village, I was greeted with vicious wild dogs. Apparently, the way to calm the dogs down is to say ‘chee! chee!’ whilst having a stick in your hand.

Once there, I asked for the tribe’s chief but unfortunately, the chief was away in Thailand. Apparently, when visiting an Orang Asli village, it is customary to bring something to the village as gift whilst visiting (but I’m not sure about other tribes but this one in particular, it was customary). On this trip, I chose to bring  tobacco as a gift. Since the chief was away, the tobacco was given to the eldest member of the tribe.

As I was walking around the village, I saw a well constructed

Jahai women

‘modern’ wooden house but it was left unoccupied and vacant because the villagers still prefer to stay in their traditional houses. Although a fair number of the Orang Asli also live in urban areas and are engaged in both waged and salaried jobs, many still semi-nomadic and prefer to live in forested areas.

But looking at the fact that they are happy the way they lived, a point to ponder; why would we have to push these people to live the way we live? Why would we need to succumb to other people’s standards and levels of happiness? These people are happy the way they are and seeing how they lived, it does echo the saying, money doesn’t buy happiness…

A Jahai girl happily picking leaves

A Jahai boy's serious look to the future

Jahai Warrior