HULU SELANGOR: PENENTU KEPADA PERCATURAN MASA DEPAN?

TERKINI: BARISAN NASIONAL AKHIRNYA BERJAYA MENAWAN KEMBALI PARLIMEN HULU SELANGOR DENGAN MEMENANGI MAJORITI SEBANYAK 1,725 UNDI. 


Oleh - Hesmel Faznee Faisal

Salam, kepada para bloggers dan pembaca blog syok sendiri ini.

Hari ini, Ahad 25 April 2010 adalah hari penentuan. 

Penentuan kepada maruah dua pihak. Kepada semua retorik yang telahpun disampaikan.

Para pengundi di kawasan Hulu Selangor akan menentukan halatuju buat PKR dan juga BN. Ianya juga akan membentuk kepada scenario politik pada Pilihanraya Umum ke-13 kelak.

Pakatan Rakyat, biarpun telah mengadakan satu konvensyen mockup pada akhir tahun lepas masih lagi gagal meletakkan calon yang dilabelkan sebagai calon Pakatan Rakyat dan bukan calon PKR! 

Mungkin ianya nampak seperti remeh tetapi lihatlah dari sudut ini, apakah konflik yang berlaku di dalam PKR langsung tidak memberikan kesan kepada gabungan Pakatan Rakyat secara umumnya? Atau mungkin, pengundi langsung tidak melihat perkara ini dan hanya ingin melihat PKR sahaja yang menang?

Ianya perlu diambil kira dan dilihat secara teliti kerana pada akhir cerita, semua ini akan membantu di dalam menentukan apakah Pakatan Rakyat akan mampu membentuk kerajaan perpaduan (seperti yang digambarkan dan diwarwarkan) seandainya rakyat memilih mereka pada PRU13 atau akhirnya ianya sama seperti pakatan-pakatan terdahulu yang tidak lebih daripada a marriage of convenience?

BN, dalam masa yang sama harus menentukan apakah mereka berada di atas landasan yang betul atau perlu melakukan perubahan bagi menyempurnakan atau fine tuned visi dan misi mereka. Strategi lama seperti turun padang ini ada yang berkesan dan ada yang tidak. Terpulang kepada kawasan mana yang difokuskan.

Ada yang berpendapat, jika ingin mendapatkan bantuan yang sebenar-benarnya mereka hanya perlu menunggu menjelangnya pilihanraya umum atau kecil. Pada masa itulah segala masalah akan pasti beres!

Pengundi sekarang sudah semakin matang dan bijak. Itu, haruslah kita akui. Mereka mungkin atau tidak mungkin mengundi sesuatu pihak tetapi apa yang pasti pada akhirnya periuk nasi dan juga perut masing-masing yang akan menjadi penentunya!

Soal-soal seperti skandal itu dan skandal ini, kesalahan lampau calon itu dan ini hanya sebagai substance sahaja. Bukankah masyarakat Malaysia (Melayu secara khususnya!) memiliki sifat pelupa?

Parti tertentu misalannya ini, yang memperjuangkan wadah Islam, telah beberapa kali membuktikan bahawa prinsip itu tidak penting. Percaturan kuasa yang lebih didahulukan, maka prinsip boleh diketepikan asalkan matlamat itu tercapai. Ada unsur Machiavellian di sini.

Pada pendapat saya jika kita hendak melakukan perjuangan, prinsip itu cukup penting kerana tanpa prinsip kita akan menjadi tersasar dan terserong dari perjalanan asal.

Persoalannya sekarang, apakah kita lebih mementingkan prinsip atau perut? Jawapan itu hanya ada dan terletak di sanubari kita.

Kita Kan Tersesat Pabila Malam Menjemput Bulan Semula Ke Sangkar Waktu – The Salam Connection

THE DRUNKARD SKELETON IN THE CLOSET

By - Hesmel Faznee Faisal

Salam, to fellow bloggers and readers of this self pitiful blog.

Everyone make mistakes. Even some of the readers of this self indulging blog have done at least once a horrible mistake or commit terrible sins in the past. No one in this world can proudly say they have not done anything wrong, let alone are at liberty to call themselves a saint!

We have choices, either to remorse or repeating it, again and again!

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the PKR candidate who is contesting in the Hulu Selangor by-election, has said here that he regretted with the mistakes he had done in the past and would want to bury the skeleton in his closet deep inside the Hulu Selangor soil, so to speak!

I believed everyone has a right to say they have regretted and would want to put those sins in the past.

The main issue here is not about exposing Zaid’s drinking habits or the amount of wealth he owned but about the spirit of true competition and integrity one has, in order to gain major support from voters. We all know PKR is taking a risk by putting a candidate to contest in a place where he had hardly or perhaps never stepped his feet on!

But in the end, it is up to voters to decide whether Zaid, Kamalananthan from Barisan National or the other two Independent candidates will be the most suitable person to carry their voices in the august house.

This is also an acid test for Barisan Nasional to decide whether the party is still relevant for the rakyat or not. I really hoped “Macha” Kamalananthan from Barisan Nasional, wins this election with a bigger majority, compared to the 2008 general election where Datuk Palanivel lost the seat on a wafer thin majority to the late Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad from PKR.

BN has started the campaign on a wrong foot when they highlighted Zaid’s misdeed. There is no doubt that there are Muslim MP’s from both the Government or Opposition in the Parliament are drinkers or have dreadful drinking habit.

By exposing Zaid’s misdemeanor, BN has allowed a floodgate of negative stories by the Opposition who are skillful in manipulating sensational stories. They will definitely be using it to counter back BN’s exposure!

All and all, may the best man wins!

Kita Kan Tersesat Pabila Malam Menjemput Bulan Semula Ke Sangkar Waktu - The Salam Connection

YM (BUKAN YAHOO MESSENGER!)

Oleh - Hesmel Faznee Faisal

Salam, buat para bloggers dan pembaca blog syok sendiri ini!

Izinkan saya untuk tertawa dahulu selepas membaca berita menarik di sini.

Dah, saya dah selesai ketawa. Memang kata orang, seronok jika kita ketawa banyak-banyak. Menghilangkan stress dan sebagainya. Sekarang, bercakap seorang bukan lagi dilihat sebagai perbuatan kurang siuman. Tanyalah mereka yang menggunakan hands free yang mempunyai kelebihan Bluetooth!

Jalan lain (Or anyway!), masyarakat kita (khususnya Melayu!) cukup terpegun dan mudah teruja jika mereka berurusan dengan sesiapa yang mempunyai gelaran. Bukan, bukan gelaran seperti Limah Jongang, Awang Spanar, atau Awang Trasher! Tetapi gelaran seperti YBhg. Datuk, Tan Sri, Datuk Seri, Tun mahupun Yang Teramat Mulia sekian, sekian dan sekian.

Hanyalah kerana pengakuan itu dibuat, orang tanpa sebarang usul periksa terus mengiakannya dan mengakui hamba Allah itu sebagai anak angkat kepada seorang kerabat diraja!

Bagi saya, secara peribadi gelaran hanyalah sebagai satu bentuk self indulgence buat mereka yang tidak mempunyai keyakinan diri yang tinggi. Masyarakat kita, Melayu secara khususnya mungkin mempunyai sifat feudal yang terlalu menebal lalu cepat merasakan inferior kepada mereka yang mempunyai gelaran. Kisah di atas adalah contoh klasik kepada perkara ini!

Saya ingin menarik perhatian berhubung dengan pengalaman saya berurusan dengan sesetengah orang yang mempunyai gelaran ini. Rakan baik saya, Datuk Ahiruddin Attan,  tidak mahu saya memanggilnya Datuk walaupun beliau layak berbuat demikian. Naib Canselor USM, yang mendapat gelaran Tan Sri oleh YDP Agong lebih selesa dipanggil Prof. Malah bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad di dalam surat-surat mahupun kad-kad Aidilfitri yang dihantar beliau kepada saya lebih selesa menggunakan hanya “Dr Mahathir Mohamad” dan tidak pernah pun gelaran “Tun” diletakkan di dalamnya.

Mereka adalah golongan yang merasakan bahawa gelaran yang diterima mereka ini hanya sesuai digunakan di dalam majlis-majlis rasmi sahaja.

Saya berharap selepas ini, pihak tertentu jangan terus lekas melakukan tindakan melulu, hanya kerana seseorang tampil dan mengakui dirinya kerabat Diraja mahupun Sultan! Kita jangan terlupa dengan kisah seperti ini.

Bagi saya, apa ada pada gelaran? Kita harus ingat, sistem kesultanan Melayu ini bertujuan untuk memelihara martabat dan juga maruah bangsa Melayu selaku bangsa yang bertamadun, sejak dari zaman dahulu kala lagi. Janganlah kita sewenang-wenangnya mengakui diri kita ini sebagai Sultan, hatta kita ini mempunyai warung Mee Sultan, seperti di Pulau Pinang sekalipun!

Ini termasuklah kepada mereka yang membeli gelaran tertentu. Gelaran ini tidak mempunyai apa-apa sebarang kesan signifikan sekalipun. Adalah lebih mulia jika seorang itu, yang hanya di panggil Encik atau Tuan mempunyai jasa kepada masyarakat daripada seorang Datuk Seri, Tan Sri mahupun Tun sekalipun yang jasa mereka tidaklah segah yang disangkakan!

Kita Kan Tersesat Pabila Malam Menjemput Bulan Semula Ke Sangkar Waktu – The Salam Connection.

THE INTERFAITH COMMITTEE

By - Hesmel Faznee Faisal

Salam, to fellow bloggers and readers of this syok sendiri blog!

The Star has reported here that the Government had given a green light for the establishment of the Interfaith Commitee.

I believe the interfaith committee will able to resolve a lot of religious misunderstanding between us. This positive development on creating religious understanding among us jived well with the concept of 1 Malaysia!

However, I am slightly disenchanted when the person chosen to lead the Committee is not amongst the religious scholars but someone who still have a political inkling. The reason given for the choice was that person has good contacts with various religious leaders (A lame excuse, don’t you think Jose?)

Why can’t the Government choose a credible scholar?

I have names that I think would become the most suitable candidate to become chairman for the Council. Prof. Dr Mahmud Zuhdi (when is he going to get the Professor Emeritus title?) for one, is known to have a very liberal and progressive thinking on Islam, can be a good candidate.

Or perhaps the outspoken Dr Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin, who dared to challenged the forever orthodoxy thinking ulamaks and last but not least, the ever misunderstood scholar and at the same time my mentor Dr Kassim Ahmad for that matter!

It may sound judgmental but to lead this kind of committee, one must prepare to listen and have an open heart to all sorts of arguments. One cannot be seen as too rigid or being bias towards one religion (we have to admit the fact that people who have less knowledge in their own religion will become too protective towards their religious beliefs!).

Coming from this point of view, I believe that the names mentioned earlier are really suitable to contain in any arguments presented by members of the council.

I have to say that I am a bit skeptical when seeing organizations such as JAKIM and IKIM representing Islam. As someone who is very close to Dr Kassim Ahmad and understood well on his arguments towards hadith, I don’t think those who are from JAKIM or IKIM for that matter, can come up with any solution or conclusion, in regards to religion misunderstanding. 

Dr Kassim had tried to have an intellectual discourse with the two agencies but was often being let down by them. Or in other words, they refused to engage in the discourse with him!

And now, they are in a council where religous matters are subject to discussion!

As long as they dared not change the way people perceived the role of the ulamaks, they will not be able to resolve anything!

The fact that some ulamaks who have being using religion for the sake of fulfilling their personal gain, be it in political or personal agenda is quite disturbing! I don’t think JAKIM or any of the Islamic agencies are really doing their best to tackle this problem!

From my personal point of view as a Muslim, to understand Islam one must study it from all aspects and dare to question things that are considered forbidden by the ulamaks, in order to get a better understanding of their own religion!

The extremists for example, tend to think that those who are not from the Syiah sects are less Islamic, vis a vis.

If the Government is serious in tackling the issue of religious misunderstanding and committed to establish a truly functional Interfaith Council, they must first ensure that members for the council comprises of people who have no interest whatsoever with the Government nor have any direct link with it.

Kita Kan Tersesat Pabila Malam Menjemput Bulan Semula Ke Sangkar Waktu – The Salam Connection

SEMANGAT KEKITAAN DAN KEBERSAMAAN

Oleh - Hesmel Faznee Faisal

Salam, kepada para bloggers dan pembaca blog syok sendiri ini!

Rasanya, masih ramai lagi yang belum memahami konsep 1Malaysia yang sebenar.

Saya akui, sejak kebelakangan ini saya kerap menulis secara positif mengenai konsep 1Malaysia. Ianya dilakukan bukanlah atas dasar membodek Perdana Menteri. Mengapa harus saya membodek beliau? Beliau tidak mengenali saya dan saya pula tiada kepentingan apa-apa pun yang hendak dicapai.

Apa yang menjadikan saya tertarik kepada konsep 1Malaysia ialah kerana ianya membantu di dalam mengharmonikan kembali hubungan kaum yang tercalar sejak dua menjak ini. Sebagai seorang yang mempunyai kenalan rapat di kalangan bukan Melayu (back in my schooling up to my university days, I have many non Malay friends who are very close to me, even closer than my own relatives!) saya merasa bersyukur kerana setidak-tidaknya 1Malaysia adalah satu usaha yang baik untuk memulihkan keadaan!

Rasanya, tidak perlu seseorang itu menidakkan asal usulnya semata-mata kerana hendak menyatakan ianya 1Malaysia. Seorang lelaki Cina yang berniaga di pasar basah Jinjang masih boleh mendukung falsafah 1 Malaysia tanpa perlu mencicirkan identity kaumnya.

1Malaysia bukanlah semata-mata untuk mengakui seseorang itu bangsa Malaysia. Sebaliknya ianya satu konsep yang mana penduduk bersatu di bawah satu Negara dan mendukung kesemua 8 cabaran yang dihuraikan.

Satu hakikat yang tidak boleh dinafikan, dalam tempoh terdekat ini ialah polarisasi antara kaum tidak mungkin dapat dihilangkan dalam tempoh terdekat. Barangkali, ianya hanya mungkin tercapai apabila Malaysia mencapai kemerdekaan ke-100 atau menjelang tahun 2020, saya tidak pasti.

Bergerak daripada kesedaran inilah, 1Malaysia perlu dikembangkan lagi dan ianya bukan bererti menyatukan semua bangsa daripada pelbagai kaum menjadi satu bangsa, sebaliknya kita bergerak kembali kepada semangat asal yang dilakukan oleh nenek moyang kita, semasa menuntut kemerdekaan 53 tahun dahulu. Selain daripada itu, kebersamaan dan juga semangat kekitaan merencahkan lagi asas 1Malaysia.

Itulah asas kepada 1Malaysia.

Kita Kan Tersesat Pabila Malam Menjemput Bulan Semula Ke Sangkar Waktu – The Salam Connection.

UNITY

By - Hesmel Faznee Faisal

Salam, to fellow bloggers and readers of this self pitiful blog!

My office had organized a farewell party to one of our colleague recently. First of all, let me describe to you the race composition in my office. I believe it does reflect the true notion of 1 Malaysia!

For instance, the CEO who leads the company and the administrative executives are Malays; the General Managers and an “army” of the sales executives are Chinese and the person in-charge for the Project, Development and Administration are Indians. Allow me to give you a brief story of our core business. Firstly, we are among the advertising companies in Malaysia and if you happen to drive on the PLUS Highway stretching across the north and south borders, you will able to notice our signage along the way!

I for sure am not going to delve much in our business background but would like to share what had taken place during the party. As a new staff, I don’t know how close this former colleague of mine were with the rest of the staffs, but am pretty sure he was well loved by everyone as they hugged him and exchange kisses (mind you!) on cheek!

The male and female Malay staffs was also seen giving him warm hugs; as if they’re going to lose one of their own family members who are about to embark on a journey of no return (forgive me for the hypothetical nonsense, Jose!!) This particular incident does reflect the close knit relationship that exists between Malays and non Malays.

For me, it is very important for us not to set a barricade of doubt around us. When rights are concerned, one must always remember that each one of us must respect the rights of each one of us. Thus we must ensure that those rights are not being impure with negative remarks or be dubious on each other.

I am quite concerned with the campaign of hatred that is slowly digesting in our society. They are people who tend to question the agreement that has been sealed upon our forefathers and wants to reexamine it to suit with the current scenario.

By saying this, I am not suggesting that they are not allowed to stand up and seek their rights but understand the true context of the agreement. They must try to accommodate with the agreement for the sake of the unity that we have been enjoying all this while.

We must know how to tell the difference between fighting for a noble cause or to use is as an excuse to gain a personal political mileage.

Kita Kan Tersesat Pabila Malam Menjemput Bulan Semula Ke Sangkar Waktu – The Salam Connection