YOURSAY ‘Our system requires us to debate issues before coming to a decision.’
Anguish over 'burn and rape' daughter threats
Tan Kim Keong:
Prof Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi asked two telling questions following the threats received by her daughter:
What does it say about our country, its citizens and our leadership? Where did this culture come from?
We know the answer to each of the questions. So we should now ask if the so-called leaders of this country are good, admirable and principled people by nature.
Lionking: The answers are quite simple, my dear professor. I think it could be due to the more than 50 years rule of BN, and as they now running out of ideas what the best way to control the people are - use religion, use threats of violence and intimidation. It’s all to deflect the real problems we are facing now.
Remember the people who will suffer the most will be the Malays themselves because they form the majority. There will be no place for people who are smart and who have leadership qualities.
Citizen With Conscience: Tajuddin, I have always said this is a great country to live in. Remember the days when Tunku Abdul Rahman was the PM.
The 60s and 70s were glorious days. Our educational system was one of the finest in the world.
Our mission schools run by the La Salle brothers were exceptional where teachers were devoted to the children's wellbeing. It was not only academic excellence but the excellence in sports and extracurricular activities.
We had never at any one time felt the difference between the Malays, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians. We spoke one of the finest English in the world. What has happened to all that?
Everything was destroyed by the Umno government and we have the rot that is today and what we see today about those terrible Malays around is a replica of the decadence that has evolved.
That is sad. We can only cry over spilt milk on the floor. There is a serious need to regenerate the entire system. And it’s worth trying.
Anonymous #13957745: I am a non-Malay and was brought up in a Malay kampung until after Form 5. There were only five Chinese families in the whole Malay kampung.
Racial, language or religious issues were unheard of and nonexistent. We lived like brothers and sisters. I have had many Malay friends and classmates. As a kid, I remembered playing around/in the surau, and even asking the surau's ustaz/lebai whether we can hit the ‘tuk tuk gong’ during azan prayers.
Fast-track to today, what is seen is total madness, irrationality and extremism to the core. What happened?
Yes, it is the product of the so-called world-class education system put in place by our powers-that-be for more than five decades. All Malaysians, wake up, it’s time for change.
Zen: Well, before you lecture to the masses about what is right and what is wrong, make sure you educate your children on proper manners so they, or in this case a she, would not hurt other people's feeling.
Nobody meant any harm to your daughter before this, right? So don’t sow the seed of anger to other people and they won’t retaliate against your daughter.
Take time to educate her properly so that she has some basic manners to live in this otherwise peaceful nation.
Hplooi: So Zen, can you please list down in detail how "sensitivities" can be "hurt"? Is raising legitimate questions on hudud, which is of national importance and impinges on the very character of the constitution itself, sensitive?
Does this mean that "raising sensitivities" now legitimises killings and rape (legal or extra-legal)?
I note that Islamic State (IS) has roughly the same ideology (or epistemology); viz: anyone who disagrees with their views can be legitimately killed or enslaved.
David Dass: Of course, we can all play it safe and avoid expressing our view on topics that are 'sensitive' or controversial.
And of course since very few of us may contemplate the commission of the 'crimes' contemplated by the hudud bill, we can simply take the view that it is not our business.
That would simply be the end of our democracy. Freedom of expression will mean very little if all those, whose views we contest or oppose, need to do is threaten to kill or hurt us.
The problem is also with our politicians and all sides of the political divide. They cannot take the attitude that hudud is God's law and therefore no one can oppose it. Simple people will accept that as truth and react accordingly.
We have a written constitution and we have a Parliament and our system requires our people to debate issues before coming to a decision.
Indeed, the professor has the courage to put forth his views strongly. All should be inspired by him.
Anonymous #20513663: Thank you, Prof, for your sincere words. Thank you for speaking up for your daughter and for all Malaysians, especially Muslims, who will be the first victims of hudud and the fanatical ideas of our crazed religious authorities who (whether they realise it or not) are just another 'repression' tool for a regime which is going to the dogs.
May there be many more like you. And may Allah bless you and your family.
M’sia no longer safe place to raise our children
Bravo Prof, for standing by your daughter
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