Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim Will Kill Each Other

Bigmouth UMNO minister Nazri Aziz (left) said yesterday he had “good feelings” (meaning, he was happy) knowing former premier Mahathir Mohamad and his former protégé-turned-nemesis-turned-comrade Anwar Ibrahim have become political allies in Pakatan Harapan.

 

He said this was because the duo, along with others in PH, would turn on each other and wipe out one another.

 

Under PH’s leadership line-up, Mahathir, who was once branded “Mahafiraun” (a play on the Malay word for pharaoh) by his critics, was appointed their chairperson. Anwar, who was sacked as deputy prime minister and jailed during Mahathir’s premiership, was named the opposition coalition’s de facto leader.

 

Asked if the reconciliation between the two former political enemies posed a threat to UMNO and Barisan Nasional, Nazri simply chuckled and said: “They’re all murderers there and they are killing each other, so how can they be a threat to us?”

 

The UMNO supreme council member, proudly showed his indelicate outspokenness when he said he was excited to see the death of PH. Even expressing his hope that they would suffer a slow agonizing death.

 

The jerk explained. “Don’t die yet. The longer (it takes PH to die), the better. Or else tak syok lah (not exciting). There will be no thrill (if they die quickly)”.

Open Arms for Zakir Naik in Malaysia

In April this year, televangelist and Islamic cleric Zakir Naik (left) created a furious furor among non-Muslims when he came to conduct a series of lectures in Malaysia – with many claiming he had demeaned other religions in his provocative sermons.

 

They also demanded Zakir be barred from speaking as his sermons could harm the harmony in Malaysia’s multi-religious society.

 

The Malaysian government's response was telling. It supported him. Even embraced him.

 

Zakir who is from India is not without controversy. He came under the media spotlight after Bangladeshi authorities said that one of the gunmen responsible for an attack on Holey Artisan Bakery, a Dhaka café on July 02, 2016 and which left 22 people dead – had been inspired by him.

 

Following the bloody assault, both India and Bangladesh launched investigations into the controversial Zakir.

 

In November, India's counterterrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency, filed a First Information Report, an official police complaint, against him and the Mumbai-based non-profit Islamic Research Foundation that he established in 1991, accusing him of indulging in unlawful activities and promoting religious hatred.

 

The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also responded by imposing a five-year ban on the IRF under the country's anti-terror laws.

 

His Peace TV has been banned in both India and Bangladesh. The Islamic channel broadcasts from Dubai which Zakir founded in 2006 and which claims to reach 100 million people worldwide.

 

It had aired inflammatory talks in respect to Hindus, Jews and Christians, and even the Sufis and Shias, calling them qabr parast (grave worshippers) and thus mushrik and kafir (polytheist and infidel).

 

The Office of Communications (Ofcom) – the British government’s regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries – had investigated the programs aired on Peace TV and its research findings confirmed in 2011 that it contained extremist messages.

 

To top it all, there is a bounty on his head. Not one but two.

 

On Tuesday, an India-based Shia group reportedly offered Rs15 million rupees (RM884,033) on Facebook, declaring that anyone who kills Zakir will receive the cash reward and also rewards in the afterlife.

 

According to the Hindustan Times, Hussaini Tigers’ president Syed Kalbe Hussain Naqvi claimed that Zakir is a “khalnayak” (Hindi for villain) and a “kafir” (heathen) for insulting “the Prophet of Muslims”.

 

And on Thursday, a Hindu nationalist politician Sadhvi Prachi, declared a 50 lakhs (RM2.94 million) reward in her personal capacity for Zakir’s beheading.

 

“I have announced the reward because Zakir Naik is not a religious preacher, but a terrorist”, she was quoted telling Indian daily The Indian Express in a report published Friday.

 

She also reportedly urged India to investigate the terror links of all “such preachers working in madrasahs” in the country.

 

The UK, Canada and other countries have already barred Zakir from their countries.

 

And yet, Malaysia welcomes this hateful heel with open arms. What’s wrong with my country?

Complaint about Not Wearing a Seatbelt

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles are driven to the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament in London last month. Reuters pic

A member of the public had reported Queen Elizabeth for not wearing a seatbelt.

 

According to news reports, the unnamed party dialed 999 as the British monarch was driven to the State Opening of Parliament in London in her official car on June 21, 2017.

 

West Yorkshire Police confirmed the call really was made in a tweet that read: “999 call received reporting that the Queen isn’t wearing a seatbelt #not999 #notevenwestyorkshire”.

 

As it should be. No exceptions. Unlike in Malaysia.

 

I was at an afternoon event in Kajang in Selangor yesterday. Check out what was being served:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you happen to be in the vicinity, do drop in to Vicky Chen's place called Red Clementine. It is located at G3A in MKH Boulevard, Jalan Changkat.

 

I assure you it is well worth a visit.

Pakatan Harapan Logo

Finally.

Pakatan Harapan unveiled their logo at a press conference on Thursday night – it features the word “harapan” (hope) against a red backdrop – and with a vertical arrowhead pattern representing the “A” alphabet in the middle.

 

President Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said it conveyed the message that the opposition coalition would scale the mountain of hope, as indicated by the design, in wresting Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional.

 

If you look at the logo carefully, you may notice that the “A”-like element closely resembles the Star Trek insignia – from the popular sci-fi TV series and movies.

 

Wan Azizah explained yesterday that she had no issue with the association.

 

“It is like a famous line from Star Trek. In the past, no one has been able to defeat BN”, she said, referring to the famous mission statement of the starship USS Enterprise from the series – “to boldly go where no man has gone before”.

 

Well-said!

Najib Razak Laps Up to the Saudis

An American terrorism expert said he was baffled by Malaysia’s decision to work closely with Saudi Arabia in promoting moderation and countering terrorism through the establishment of the King Salman Centre for International Peace in Putrajaya.

Zachary Abuza from the National War College in Washington and an expert on South East Asian conflicts, said he failed to understand why Prime Minister Najib Razak is partnering with Riyadh, which is known for its spread of Wahhabism – which he described as an “intolerant version of Islam”.

 

He explained that the Saudis have been spreading Wahhabism throughout the world especially Southeast Asia, from a more tolerant brand of Shafi’ite Islam to a more austere version.

 

Therefore, he considered it “a joke” that Malaysia is reaching out to the Saudis – of all countries.

 

The professor who has done extensive research on terror-related activities as well as the conflicts in southern Thailand and southern Philippines said there is nothing moderate about Saudi Arabia!

 

It seems that the Muslim World League, an organization heavily funded by the Saudi government to prop up the kingdom’s Islamic image worldwide, is also involved.

 

MWL has for decades acted as Riyadh’s chief mouthpiece through publication of Islamic materials and financing mosques and Islamic centers from Asia to Europe.

 

Already, two Wednesdays ago, the Henry Jackson Society, a British think tank had issued a report linking MWL to extremist ideologies behind such militant groups as Al Qaeda, Taliban and Islamic State (IS), adding that MWL’s associate World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) “has had a long history of involvement with the promotion of violent Islamist extremism and the distribution of hateful literature”.

 

Endorsing the report, Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it shed light on "very worrying" links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism and he called for the government to release its report on foreign funding.

Getty images

 

But of course the Theresa May government won’t be interested to do anything.

 

Saudi Arabia is the closest ally to the UK in the Middle East – and having close and lucrative economic and military ties.

A Lesson on Living Life

We often forget to live in the present. How to live Life. Meaningfully. Purposefully.

More importantly, to be happy and make others happy.

I was at a Toastmasters meeting.

 

And I delivered my CC#8 “Delusional”. It was totally impromptu because the speech title was given to me by the Toastmaster-of-the-Day just before the actual meeting started. I also used two props that I found at the venue itself.

 

And still, it was a good speech! I should give myself a pat on the back.

1MDB: Jho Low's Victim

Prosecutors in Singapore said Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho is the primary figure in probes linked to 1MDB and that he used money traceable to the state fund for his own benefit.

 

Low received “huge” sums of money, the prosecutors said in court filings made public today.

 

About $1 billion (RM4.3 billion) that 1MDB was purported to invest in a joint venture with PetroSaudi International Ltd was diverted to a bank account beneficially owned by Low, according to the filings.

 

Singapore’s investigations into 1MDB-related activities have so far seen five people convicted, four of whom were jailed.

 

The city-state is the only country so far to have criminally charged bankers.

 

The probes are part of a worldwide effort to track how much of the US$6 billion (RM25.8 billion) that 1MDB raised for development projects was used to pay for luxury real estate, art, lavish parties and more.

 

In fact, Low has been characterised by US investigators as the controller of a plan to drain billions from the Malaysian fund.

 

It is noteworthy to mention that he had previously described his role with the fund as informal consulting that didn’t break any laws.