Krisis “Iman” dan “Politik Maki”

Izinkan untuk saya berpesan-pesan ke atas diri saya sendiri, dan kalian yang sudi membaca,
Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang,

Sesungguhnya Allah telah berfirman dalam Surat Al-Hujuraat ayat 10 : “Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Janganlah sesuatu puak ( dari kaum lelaki ) mencemuh dan merendah-rendahkan puak lelaki yang lain, ( kerana ) harus puak yang dicemuhkan itu lebih baik dari mereka, dan janganlah sesuatu puak dari kaum perempuan mencemuh dan merendah-rendahkan puak perempuan yang lain , ( kerana ) harus puak yang dicemuhkan itu lebih baik dari mereka, dan janganlah setengah kamu mengatakan keaipan sesetengah yang lain; dan jangan kamu panggil memanggil antara satu dengan yang lain dengan gelaran yang buruk…..”

Dewasa ini, memang tidak dapat dinafikan lagi, suhu scenario politik tempatan semakin bertambah hangat dan panas. Malahan, tampak semakin jelas dengan laporan akhbar, blog ,portal berita di internet, mahupun laporan berita di TV , pandangan dan sisipan telah menunjukkan “partisan-bias” yang serius , di mana “kiblat” mereka bergantung kepada mana-mana pihak yang paling berkuasa dalam organisasi tersebut , dalam menentukan agenda dan mesej politik yang perlu diterima oleh rakyat dan pengundi negara. Saya cukup yakin dan percaya, jika artikel ini diteliti dengan mendalam, dengan pemikiran yang jelas, tawaduk dan keikhlasan, maka ia dapat dinilai dengan kejujuran yang sejati. Namun yang demikian, saya cukup menjangkakan tuduhan liar, yang tidak masuk akal seperti, kufar, fasiq, di bayar, sesat mahupun islam liberal dan cubaan mempromosikan agenda pluralisme (walaupun yang sukar untuk kita nampak kaitannya) turut akan terbit daripada sesetengah golongan yang dibenarkan untuk memberi komentar di bawah.

Translasi ayat quran di atas merupakan panduan kepada pemerhatian kita. Saban hari kita dimomokkan dengan peri pentingnya kaitannya antara politik , agama dan bangsa. Malahan, tidak kurang juga sejak 2008, khutbah Jumaat telah menjadi medan percaturan politik, khutbah telah disisipkan dengan “agenda dan doa” sama ada mempertahankan Negara sehinggalah kepada menjatuhkan bala kepada pihak-pihak tertentu. Kadangkala kita menggeleng kepala, dan beristighfar sendirian. Terasa ingin beribadah, sewajarnya risau ibadah diterima, ditambah terpaksa melayan doa-doa imam yang bukannya meminta menolak bala, tetapi menurunkan pembalasan kepada mereka yang diwarwarkan sebagai kejam dan zalim.

Ini adalah penyakit “politik maki”. Saya tidak berapa pasti dengan pihak mana yang berpendapat bahawasanya, cara yang terbaik untuk merampas mahupun mengekalkan kerusi pilihanraya ialah dengan siapa yang lebih banyak dan hebat dalam bab memaki ,mencerca dan mencela. Strategi politik seperti ini bukan sahaja menyayat hati, tetapi meninggalkan noda dan titik hitam di jiwa. Cukup berbahaya untuk kesejahteraan Negara, kestabilan politik malahan meninggalkan imej dan persepsi yang buruk terhadap perjuangan Islam. Contoh yang terbaik dan simplistik ialah strategi melabel BN sebagai “Barang Naik”, “Ba#* Negara” mahupun PKR sebagai “Parti Kencing Rakyat”. Ini belum lagi ceramah jelajah di seluruh Negara menyebarkan cerita tentang Cincin 24 Juta dan isteri menteri. Taktik dan serangan seperti ini tiada kurang keji dan jijik dengan kegiatan menyebar VCD lucah yang didakwa melibatkan Ketua Umum parti. Namun, anugerah aktiviti politik yang paling melampau seharusnya dianugerahkan kepada pihak yang menganjurkan solat hajat berjemaah mendoakan agar penyokong parti lawan mati cepat supaya kurang undinya. Perbuatan seperti ini mungkin diinspirasikan oleh berikut : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/152932 .

Krisis “Iman”
Acapkali jika kita sering bertandang ke forum dan wacana ilmiah yang dianjurkan oleh NGO dan “think-tank” yang tumbuh bagaikan cendawan, kita dapat lihat forum membincangkan tentang golongan-golongan yang berada dalam Parti berpanjikan Islam ini. Selain takbir yang sering kedengaran dari penyokong tegar, ibarat gamatnya seruan berjihad demi agama Allah, sering juga kita dipaparkan dengan golongan Erdogan dan golongan Ulama’ dalam kepimpinan parti tersebut. Buat mereka yang masih terpinga-pinga, golongan Erdogan dikatakan sebagai golongan professional dan ahli perniagaan yang menyelami politik Islam dan golongan Ulama’ ialah mereka yang pakar dalam hal-ehwal agama. Percaturan di antara dua belah pihak ini acapkali dinafikan oleh suara rasmi parti namun, kewujudan kontras dua golongan ini telah pun meniti di bibir-bibir pemerhati politik dan rakyat Malaysia yang peka dengan senario politik tanah air.
Hakikatnya benar kerana sebenarnya penyokong dan ahli parti tersebut terbahagi kepada 3 puak :

1. ABU ( Anything but UMNO ) , UMNO ialah entiti kejahatan yang mesti diperangi dengan apa cara sekalipun dan jihad yang terbaik ialah dengan menyertai Pakatan Rakyat serta memperkukuh dan memperjuangkan apa sahaja yang diputuskan oleh parti-parti kompenen Pakatan Rakyat yang lain.
2. Pejuang Syiar Islam yang percaya bahawa penubuhan Negara Islam dan perundangan ialah perintah Tuhan yang tidak wajar disangkal lagi. Dakwa mereka Sebarang sokongan, derma, tenaga ,usaha, dan masa bakal mendapat ganjaran yang sewajarnya di akhirat.
3. Pendokong Aspirasi Allahyarham Burhanuddin Helmi dan Dato’ Asri, yang percaya bahawa kewujudan dan kekuatan PAS ialah penting demi memastikan kerajaan sentiasa saiga dan tidak meninggalkan agenda Islam demi kepentingan nasionalisme dan sekularisme. Survival Islam perlu sentiasa di perjuangkan agar akidah dan moral umat Melayu Islam Malaysia sentiasa di tahap yang baik.

Cukup menyedihkan ialah jumlah golongan ketiga dan pimpinan mereka amatlah sedikit, bahkan tidak terlalu jauh sekiranya dikatakan hampir pupus. Ramai intelektual muda yang menyertai parti telah dijual dengan poster aspirasi golongan c) namun akhirnya didedahkan dan dibasuh dengan cerita dan cereka penyelewengan di Malaysia sehinggakan mereka sama ada menjadi golongan A) atau B).  Golongan C) ialah mereka yang memuliakan parti dan menjadikan akhlak sebagai senjata yang terbaik dalam “memerangi ketidakadilan dan kezaliman di luar sana”. 

Golongan C ialah mereka yang diimpikan sebagai “check and balances”, namun tidak juga menolak kemungkinan berkemampuan untuk mentadbir Malaysia sebagai parti yang dominan, berteraskan moral dan akhlak yang mulia. Namun, ruang ini adalah mustahil dalam Pakatan Rakyat yang ternyata dalam Bajet Kesejateraan Rakyat 2012 dan Buku Jingga tidak kelihatan sebarang agenda islamik PAS. Bahkan beberapa pimpinan PAS sendiri pun tidak arif dengan janji-janji Buku Jingga. (Namun yang demikian, kritikan yang sama juga boleh ditujukan kepada sebilangan pimpinan UMNO yang masih terpinga-pinga dengan ETP, GTP dan PTP daripada Perdana Menteri). Bukti yang paling jelas, hakikatnya tuntutan royalti minyak di Kelantan tidak diketengahkan di dalam BajetPR tetapi masih diperjuangkan pimpinan utama PAS. Buku Jingga dan program 100 hari Pakatan Rakyat yang hanya di promosikan oleh satu parti kompenen sahaja menunjukkan bahawa PAS sukar bernafas malahan dilihat tidak berkebolehan memimpin PR.  Tidak terlalu sukar untuk membayangkan kesulitan golongan (B) berkempen untuk parti politik DAP yang menentang pelaksanaan hukum hudud berhabis-habisan. Begitu juga dengan pemimpin PAS yang tidak ‘DAP-friendly’ dan tegas dalam menentang sebarang aktiviti tidak bermoral di negeri yang diperintah masing-masing telah disisihkan. Laungan menutup kilang arak dan judi ; bantahan konsert yahudi, penyebaran dakwaan gay yang bergema di negeri-negeri BN anehnya semakin senyap di Selangor dan hampir ‘non-existent’ di Pulau Pinang.Hipokrit? Tepuk dada ,Tanya selera.

Persepsi ini sewajarnya di diperbetulkan di media-media Parti baik melalui laman sosial seperti Twitter, FB dan media cetak seperti Harakah. Sudah terlalu banyak ruang diberikan untuk mencela isteri Perdana Menteri dan pemimpin parti yang tidak sehaluan dengan parti DAP. Retorik Negara Islam sudah semakin pudar dihakis ketidak-sediaan DAP dalam berkompromi, dan retorik Negara Kebajikan dilihat satu taktik mengalih perhatian dalam usaha memperkukuh kerjasama dalam Pakatan. Dilema ini dibiarkan berlanjutan sehinggalah bergema krisis “iman” dalam keheningan.

Namun, selagi strategi masih berkiblatkan politik maki, tiada siapa yang bakal susah hati. Apa yang penting, cercaan dan celaan terhadap pimpinan kerajaan menyatukan semua cabang-cabang dan golongan dalam parti. Bila hilang kerusi lagi, baru lah jatuh terhantuk lagi.Bukankah itu motif parti, mahu dapatkan lebih kerusi? Tatkala ini, takbir bergema lagi. Seolah jihad masih panjang di sini. Tidak sedar apa yang dipertahankan, yang penting UMNO mesti dikuburkan. Agenda Islam ditolak tepi, bila tidak “convenient” lagi. Jangan harap keredhaan Ilahi.

Sesungguhnya Rasulullah pernah berpesan, jika sesat mencari identiti, kembalilah kepada Hadith dan Quran, Insya-allah kemenangan menanti untuk yang ikhlas di hati.

 

*Penulis hampir-hampir menyertai PAS pada awal 2011 sehinggalah ceramah politik berunusurkan fitnah membuatkan beliau merasakan agenda Transformasi Perdana Menteri dan Movement of Moderates ialah pilihan di hati. Kini aktif dalam NRC11 dan berharap agar dapat ditambah dengan tazkirah penyejuk hati.

**This piece is the personal opinion or view of the writer. The NRC11 does not endorse this view unless specified.

Topple BN to quit smoking

Why did the chicken cross the road? Because of the racist apartheid policies imposed by the dictatorial, undemocratic regime of Barisan Nasional (BN). The chicken longed and yearned for freedom of speech and democracy, and so it sought greener fields and migrated to Singapore.

Why is there a traffic jam along Jalan Tun Razak on a Saturday night? Why is Bob Lokman having issues with his children? Why don’t Malaysians stop at zebra crossings? Why is PAS against Seksualiti Merdeka? Why is our children so naughty these days? Why did so many PKR MPs leave the party?

Why did Anwar Ibrahim fail in his Sept 16 coup? Why are there so many smokers? Well folks, the answer to your questions lies with BN and all you have to do is to vote against BN in the next general election.

Regardless of policies or manifestos, let us even discount their previous record of governance in the various states; if we can topple BN in the next general election, everything will fall into place – Jalan Tun Razak will be clear of traffic, Bob Lokman will be a better father, PAS will turn liberal and abandon hudud, children will behave, you will become better drivers and through divine intervention on behalf of some holy “Tuan Guru” or “Pemimpin Anugerah Tuhan”, people will stop smoking. Those who still smoke after that are confirmed BN supporters.

Far-fetched? Yes indeed. But if you read some of the comments posted on FMT, or even some of the opinions penned, that is the case.

But allow me to digress, being one of the few columnists (perhaps the only one) who has the tendency to write things that the regular rabid commentators of FMT find appalling. I find that it is my pleasure to burst your bubble at least once a week.

After all, to continue this love-hate relationship, I will have to play my part, which is to love writing things that some of you really hate, a form of literary sadomasochism relationship.

No media is neutral

But in all seriousness, isn’t that the case? This is exactly what we see in our politics, which I like to refer to as the “Blame BN Syndrome”.

Let me give you an example: when Anwar Ibrahim and Prof P Ramasamy went to Kampung Buah Pala and promised that when they win in Penang, Kampung Buah Pala will be allowed to remain, people are not going to remember that. The excuse that Kampung Buah Pala was already planned to be demolished by the previous BN government is not a good excuse.

The reason why those people voted for you is because they wanted a change of policies, not a continuity from the previous administration. But that is exactly what we get: politicians from the opposite side who fail to keep certain promises; rather than taking the approach of rectifying a probblem, they often spin the issue and blame it on their political opponents.

Sadly though, the media which is supposed to be a medium of analysis also falls into the same trap. We often blame the mainstream media for failing to provide balanced or objective reporting, yet the alternative media does the same or worse.

I don’t believe that any media, be it alternative or mainstream, can be truly neutral. To say that a certain media or news organisation is neutral is to imply that it is boring.

Let us be honest: human beings are not meant to be neutral; we are biased by nature. But one must not let bias cloud his/her sensibility and judgment.

For instance, it is fine to say that you are not fond of BN but at the same time feel that the move in transforming the government with various reforms is the right way to go.

Stating this doesn’t mean you are a BN cybertrooper or you have been paid millions by Rosmah Mansor and Apco to conduct a sneaky propaganda compaign.

Then there are politicians who think that the only route to Putrajaya is to point out how bad the current government is. Doesn’t matter what their own policies are; just keep discrediting and planting the seeds of hate and discontent as much as possible to ensure a success in the polls.

It will probably work for a while but here is the thing that one must always keep in mind – being angry takes up a lot of energy and people cannot be angry all the time; it is too tiring.

Occasionally, people may find that shouting slogans on the street and attending rallies are fun and a great way to express yourself (and good exercise). But there will come a time when people will get tired of it, stop shouting and begin to ask the question: “What can you do for me?”

‘Rakyat’ – misused word

I think the word “rakyat” is one of the most misused words in Malaysian politics today, for there is a difference between the voice of the “rakyat” and the voice of “Pakatan Rakyat”.

Sadly, it is the latter which often overshadows the former. So instead of getting a clear picture of what people really want, what we get is more politicking with no substance.

The thing is, the days of blaming BN is long over. It may still be popular among some but it wont work in the long run, now when Pakatan is the government in various states.

If you think that you are a better alternative, then do present your case, have a common platform and when I say a common platform, having an orange-coloured book which only one party seems to promote is not a common platform.

Show to the rakyat that Pakatan is ready to govern, tell us what are your plans, what sort of a country will Malaysia be if you win and please, for God’s sake, if you say you are ready to take over Malaysia, then by all means show us a Cabinet. Asking for a shadow Cabinet is not a BN conspiracy, it is common sense.

Zaidel Baharuddin is Mr Right, Mr Right Wing that is, electronics engineer by day, writer by night, Frank Sinatra fanboy all day long, catch me at WirawanWeb.com, lipassepi.blogspot.com or follow me on twitter via @Sinatra_Z. He is a FMT columnist.

*This piece was previously published in Free Malaysia Today and is the personal opinion or view of the writer, a member of NRC11. The NRC11 does not endorse this view unless specified.

Bahasa Melayu…always the Bridesmaid and never the Bride?‏

For the past few months, the Malaysian public have been waiting with bated breath to see if the Government would consider implementing the PPSMI (Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris – The Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English) Policy as an option in our public schools.


Without going into the murky details, the Government had, in 2009, announced that it would discontinue the PPSMI Policy and implement the MBMMBI (Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu dan Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris – Upholding Bahasa Melayu, Strengthening English) Policy in stages, beginning 2012.


As did most concerned parents, I too closely followed the slew of discussions, meetings, blogs, press statements, etc. that were unabashedly published widely over the internet. I had obvious cause for concern as in 2012, my 3 children would still be in the school system and the change would affect them.


Initially, I was ‘gung ho’ that English should remain the medium of instruction for Science and Math as almost all relevant terminologies used worldwide, save the ones that are in Latin, are in English. I felt that my children would be deprived of their fundamental right to be educated in a language that would propel them into tertiary education with a solid foundation. I expressed my views to anyone and everyone that would lend me their ear and urged my fellow Malaysians to support the call for the PPSMI to be continued.


Since then however, my view has changed drastically. Why? I attended a talk given by a prominent Malaysian Educationist who has been known to me since I myself was a child. When this speaker touched on the subject of the PPSMI Policy, I was asked point blank if I felt that I had been deprived of a solid foundation in Science and Math since I had been taught both subjects in BM throughout my school years. Taken aback and given only a few moments to think about my response, I realised that I had fared none the worse for it. Frankly, I had never thought of it that way. Yes, I had gone through my entire primary and secondary school years learning all subjects, sans English in BM and yet I had made the transition fairly seamlessly once I left school. That fateful evening, I was in total conflict with myself. On the one hand I was fighting for my children’s rights and on the other, I had just come to the realisation that I had come through unscathed. Perhaps, I had been looking at it from a distorted perspective all this while.


So, where do we all stand now? Do we risk forsaking our National language so that our children will have this “slight” edge when they embark on their tertiary studies or should we instead strengthen and improve the English Language curriculum and the teaching methodology currently in place? I use the term “slight” as the numbers so far show only a marginal increase in passes for the 2 subjects. I believe that instead of hiring native speakers to teach the English Language, we should perhaps hire English experts to help rewrite our English curriculum in order to bring it up to par with the rest of the English speaking world. Having been an English teacher at the secondary school level, I can safely say that the level of English being taught in our schools now is deplorable.

Most 4th and 5th formers cannot tell the difference between an adverb and an adjective, let alone know which is the correct tense to use when speaking. The English curriculum needs a complete revamp and a strict and stringent selection process must be employed in the selection of Trainee English Teachers.


Let’s not kid ourselves here; the one thing that unites all Malaysians is our National Language. It is the very thread that holds the multi coloured and multi textured fabric of our society together, the one thing that we can all say that we truly share. We are a people of many races and religions and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find things in which we can find common ground. We are quick to complain that we are losing our Asian culture and embracing the West too wholeheartedly and yet we have dismissed the use of our National Language as the medium of instruction as trivial and irrelevant. We feel sad when we watch documentaries of civilisations and/or cultures that have lost their identities and yet we are throwing ours down the drain.


Let us come together as a nation, as one people; let’s put aside our political differences and show our children and the youth of tomorrow that we take pride in our National Language. Our National Language must be made the beaming Bride and not the Bridesmaid who smiles politely and blends into the background.


*This piece is the personal opinion or view of the writer. The NRC11 does not endorse this view unless specified.