DAP PERAK Representative stole the thunder from self-proclaimed Guardians of Islam

All Malaysian Muslims should be humbled by believers of universal Islamic values. These believers of values may not have to be Muslims or Malays. They are what ordinarily Malay Muslims call "kafir" or "unbelievers" of the Faith. To members of UMNO, the self-professed Guardians of Islam, this may shatter quite a few things. The general one is the "Guardians of Islam" notion attributed by UMNO members upon themselves. It may be hard to swallow, but that sounds like some sky has fallen down: non-Muslims understand and profess the universalism of Islamic values.

Let's not quibble on this. Both the UMNO members and DAP members are learning. Nothing can be more worthy than that.

In the ensuing weeks or months let's see how the Landas Season fare.

It's raining outside my window and the leaves rustle gently among the branches.

News report from the Newspaper of the Islamic Party, PAS

Khamis 13 November 2008 | 14 Dzulka'edah 1429 Hijrah

Adun DAP baca ayat al-Quran ulas bajet
Johari Jaafar
Thu | Nov 13, 08 | 12:45:56 pm MYT

IPOH, 13 Nov (Hrkh) - Wakil Canning dari DAP yang juga merupakan Setiausaha Kelab Penyokong Kerajaan Negeri Perak telah dua kali menyelitkan ayat al-Quran semasa membahaskan Bajet 2009 Negeri Perak sebentar tadi.

Wong Kar Woh mendapat perhatian daripada semua yang hadir bila beliau menyebut ayat ke-12 dari Surah Al-Hujurat.

Beliau menekan bahawa kita semua adalah adik beradik berdasarkan dari ayat tersebut.

Sekali lagi sebelum beliau menghabiskan ucapannya beliau membaca kalimah "Takmuru nabil maaruf watan hau anil mungkar" dari surah Al Imran ayat 110. - mns_ +

HarakahDaily.net

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TRANSLATION of the News report from the Newspaper of the Islamic Party, PAS

DAP Representative debated Budget and quoted Qur'an

IPOH, 13 Nov (Harakah) - DAP Canning Legislature Representative, who is also Secretary of Perak State Supporters Club quoted the Qur'an twice whilst debating Perak State 2009 Budget.

Wong Kah Woh, drew the attention of all members present when he recited Verse 12, Surah Al-Hujurut.

He emphasized that "all are brothers" according to the Verse.

In his closing remarks, he concluded his speech and recited the verse "Takmuru nabil maaruf watan hau anil mungkar" from Verse 110, Surah Al Imran.

The Qur'an verses quoted

§ 12. O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother ? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.

Al-Hujurat

[The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân, by M.M. Pickthall]

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§ 110. Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers.

Al Imran

[The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân, by M.M. Pickthall]

Abang Jo - a politician and a gentleman

Johari gets good words from DAP-Pending

Wednesday November 12, 2008 The Borneo Post [ Print Edition ]

Although Johari did say the tribunal may be ‘ad hoc’ -- meaning that because the number of complaints may not be enough to warrant a full tribunal -- it’s still better than not having one in the State.
...Violet Yong, DAP assemblywoman for Pending

KUCHING: Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) is pleased that the Sarawak government may set up a Housing Tribunal as soon as next year, modelled after Sabah’s version.

Yong, commenting on Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg’s reply to her clarification a day earlier, said she was “looking forward” to the tribunal.

“Although Johari did say the tribunal may be ‘ad-hoc’, meaning that because the number of complaints may not be enough to warrant a full tribunal — it’s still better than not having one in the state,” Yong said.

In Johari’s response to Yong on Monday, the minister told the august house the state government had already began “studying” Sabah’s Housing Tribunal.

A tribunal would allow disgruntled house buyers to voice out complaints against developers, without the need to launch a court case.

Besides legal proceedings, under present practices, house buyers can approach the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developer’s Association, but action can only be taken against association members.

“Once a suitable model is found,” Johari was quoted as saying, “the state government will make an amendment to the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Ordinance 1993 and the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Regulation 1998.”

Meanwhile, Yong also told The Borneo Post at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday that she was “pleased” the minister had allowed her an opportunity to seek a clarification.

“He’s a gentleman in the Dewan,” Yong said.

“At first after he had answered the tribunal question I asked earlier I stood up, wanting to seek clarification on (whether) a time frame (has been set for setting up the tribunal), Johari said he would allow me a question later. So before he concluded his speech, he let me have my question.”

Batik signals to Land Lease

Pix: The Borneo Post

The Sarawak State Government led by Abdul Taib Mahmud had put the clamp on reasonable period of land tenure and ownershp and curtailed it to 30 years. The uproar caused great loss to the SUPP a local BN component member in the March, 2008 General Elections.

The implications on shorter tenure are obvious. The fees for lease renewal would drive ownership to Taib's cronies. Can this be changed? Will there be reforms? PKR ran a campaign to collect signatures for 'Change to Sarawak Land Code' in addition to earlier one arganized by others, and submitted a memorandum to the State Legislature.

3 signatories to the Memorandum came down to Kuching from Baram to bear witness to the event and took the opportunity to attend the State Legislature in session. They weren't allowed entry. They were wearing Batik shirts, the Malaysian national attire.

No one is uncertain, that any move to land reforms will be stifled.

PKR submits land memorandum to State Legislative Assembly

November 12, 2008, The Borneo Post [Print Edition]

A MEMORANDUM was presented to the State Legislative Assembly by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) yesterday.

PKR Sarawak liaison chief, Dominique Ng (Padungan), made clear the latest memorandum “is separate from Monday’s, but also concerns land matters”.

Entitled ‘Change to Sarawak Land Code’, it requested the state government to amend the Sarawak Land Code “to be in line with Sabah and Semenanjung Malaysia”.

It added: “We want to be able to have 99 or 999 years lease. We request the government to help us by extending our lease to 99 or 999 years in line with the rest of Malaysia.”

The document also urged the state government to allow lease renewal “20 years before the expiry date, so that we can charge our land to the banks and obtain loans in order to develop our land”.

“We have about 1,000 signatures for this (the second) memorandum,” Ng told reporters, after Dewan secretary

Abang Othman Abang Fatah received the documents.

“The signatories come from throughout Sarawak, from Lundu... to Baram. Their message is very simple, that they want the state government to understand their problems are real and genuine, and is facing them right now.”

Meanwhile, the first memorandum, presented after abriefpicket the day before, was regarding Native Customary Rights.

Ng described the memorandums as “the people’s response”.

“They signed the petition because they are concerned about land leases, which affect urban and rural areas. They signed and came here on their own accord,” the opposition member said.

“At the same time, I would also like to thank the (Dewan) secretary, who was kind enough to receive the two petitions.”

In a separate incident, three of the six signatories from Baram, present with Ng yesterday, were briefly denied entry into the assembly’s public gallery because they were wearing Batik shirts, but without neckties.

A security guard told Ng thai dress rules had to be adhered tc strictly in the Dewan.

However, three others with neckties were allowed in, which prompted Ng to ask the guard:

“They do just need a tie? All right, I’ll get them some (neckties) from my car.”

The trio was allowed in moments later.

“This is a national attire and yet they were not allowed in,” Ng told reporters later. “I hope that ruling can be changed.”

Meanwhile, Tan Joo Phoi (BN Batu Kawa), when asked regarding, the matter did not disagree.

“At most government depart. ments, we encourage employees, once a week, usually on Fridays, to wear Batik,” Tan said.

On whether batik should be allowed in the assembly, hc replied: "I'm not very sure about this. You must ask the Speaker... But personally, I think it should be allowed as long as the ‘batik’ is worn in a formal way.”

We have competition ...

Jaxon S asks have you tried ...? His blog describes his deep interests on Borneo wild life.

As for competition, another is a grim prospect of competition for our own kind. The act is extreme and mindboggling. It's just gross ...!

What ails ...?

Who knows? Here is a teka-teki by DH Lawrence ...

Tell me a word
that you've often heard,
yet it makes you squint
when you see it in print!

Tell me a thing
that you've often seen
yet if put in a book
it makes you turn green!

Tell me a thing
that you often do,
when described in a story
shocks you through and through!

Tell me what's wrong
with words or with you
that you don't mind the thing
yet the name is taboo.

... DH Lawrence

What ailed us ... mustn't fail us

"I am not a centrist because I can’t make up my mind about the Right and the Left. It is because each of those has proved itself to be so non-optimal that rationality and experience move me toward the dynamic moving center."

"However, using markets is not the same thing as unregulated capitalism so beloved by libertarians. Such systems cannot regulate themselves, either micro-economically or macro-economically. Wherever tried they systematically breed intolerable inequalities. And instead of such inequality being the necessary price to encourage dynamic progress via technological and managerial innovations, it instead breeds dysfunctional shortfalls in what economists call "total factor productivity."

"Yes, public policy should regulate (rationally regulate) corporate life and should work to stabilize the macro economy. Yes, future fiscal systems can in a limited degree reduce the more glaring evils of inequality. However, a centrist system can do measurable harm if it acts too strongly to reduce inequality. My goal is the Limited Centrist State."

[ Paul A. Samuelson, 93] || spiegel.de

Sarawak Pressmen tail 'Change' prospects

Pix : The Borneo Post

PKR dinner puts Adit ‘on the run’

THE BORNEO P0ST Wednesday, November 12, 2008
By Puvaneswary Devindran and Zora Chan

Independent assemblyman avoids pressmen hoping to get him to confirm his joining PKR



KUCHING: Independent Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit Demong was yesterday avoiding pressmen who were trying to get him to say something about his reported liaison with PKR.

Adit was quoted in a national daily as saying: “I don’t want to confirm or deny it (joining PKR) but you’re invited to our dinner in Sibu on Nov 15. I can’t make any announcement today because I want the ‘Boss’ to be the first to hear it.”

Adit who was speaking to The New Straits Times also said: “Anwar (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) will attend the dinner. We’ve invited our friends from DAP and PAS as well and some of them have confirmed attendance.”

The dinner referred to is one that is being organised by the opposition front slated for this Saturday in Sibu and which they called dinner with ‘Friends of PKR’.

Reporters hoping to get the proverbial words from the horse’s mouth yesterday, however, could not get an elusive Adit to confirm the New Straits Times report.

The reporters then turned to Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa who promptly dismissed the possibility that he (Dr Rayong) would join PKR because he “is still hopeful about joining BN”.

He said his constituency was still in need of development and believed this could only be remedied through the BN.

“I support all of BN’s bills, the Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s leadership and the politics of development,” he told reporters at the sideline of the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

Dr Rayong refused to comment in regards to Adit’s purported plan tojoin PKR, saying that it was the latter’s political rights.

He said on his part he still hoped that SUPP would absorb him, having sent in his application to join the oldest party in May last year.

He said he had met with SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan several times on this and “things looked promising”.

He also reminded that he was never a SNAP member even though he stood on a SNAP ticket in the last state election.

Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak chairman Dominique Ng said the report on Adit was certainly a welcoming piece of news.

“We welcome anyone who wants change and subscribes to our struggle and politicalbelief,” he said.

He said this Saturday’s dinner would be marking a “significant swing and shift towards PKR in the rural areas” and he believed that many Dayak leaders would join the party.

“We have not officially received their membership but many Dayak leaders will join PKR on Nov 15 We expect thousands of people to join PKR,” he said.

He said Monday’s demonstration staged by some non-governmental organisations concerning native customary rights land was also an encouragement to the party.
“They believe PKR will bring change to Sarawak,” he said.

Ng who is Padungan assemblyman said the party was confident that Sarawak would be the next state to be taken over by opposition party after the five states in Peninsular Malaysia.

He conceded that it would be challenging for the party to overturn BN because Sarawak was one of BN’s bastions.