by Former PM Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
1. Sebelum adanya Malaya dan Malaysia, Semenanjung ini dikenali sebagai Tanah Melayu.
2. Hanya berkata ini akan sebabkan kita dituduh bersifat perkauman.
3. Untuk terangkan berkenaan asal-usul kontrak sosial Malaysia saya terpaksa imbas semula sejarah.
4. Melalui perjanjian-perjanjian yang ditandatangani Raja-Raja Melayu Semenanjung, British telah mendapat hak untuk menakluk Negeri-negeri Melayu.Perjanjian-perjanjian ini mengakui dan mengesahkan Negeri-negeri ini sebagai Negeri-Negeri Melayu. Tidak ada sesiapa pun yang membantah. Orang Asli juga menerima keadaan ini dengan penerimaan oleh mereka pemerintahan Raja-Raja Melayu.
5. Pada mulanya penduduk yang tinggal di Negeri-negeri ini dibahagi kepada orang Melayu dan Orang Asli yang merupakan rakyat Raja-raja Melayu dan tetamu asing yang tidak dianggap sebagai rakyat kepada Raja-raja Melayu.Tidak ada kewarganegaraan mahupun dokumen berkenaan taraf kerakyatan sepertimana di kebanyakan negara-negara lain.
6. Tetamu asing ini hidup mewah di Negeri-negeri Melayu di bawah pentadbiran British dan di jajahan British di Pulau Pinang, Melaka dan Singapura. Orang Melayu yang menjadi rakyat kepada Raja-raja Melayu dan Raja-raja Melayu sendiri tidak sikitpun merasa tergugat dengan bilangan besar orang bukan Melayu dan perbezaan jurang kekayaan dan kemajuan di antara tetamu asing ini dan rakyat Raja-Raja Melayu. Mereka tidak terfikir yang orang asing yang menetap di negara ini akan menuntut hak kewarganegaraan.
7. Apabila Jepun menakluk Negeri-negeri Melayu dan Negeri-negeri Selat,orang Cina merasa tidak selamat kerana Jepun merupakan musuh tradisi mereka.
8. Ramai orang Cina telah menubuhkan dan menganggotai angkatan gerila dan lari ke dalam hutan. Apabila Jepun serah diri, gerila-gerila Cina ini keluar dan merampas balai-balai polis di kawasan pedalaman dan isytihar yang mereka adalah pemerintah negara ini. Mereka menangkap ramai orang, Cina dan Melayu dan beberapa daripada mereka ini dibunuh.
9. Orang Melayu di kampung-kampung membalas dengan membunuh orang Cina di kawasan luar bandar. Ketegangan timbul dan pertempuran antara Cina dan Melayu dielak hanya dengan kedatangan angkatan tentera British. Tetapi perasaan marah dan benci antara kedua-dua kaum ini tetap tinggi.
10. Di dalam keadaan tegang ini British mencadang penubuhan Malayan Union yang akan memberi "tetamu-tetamu" ini hak kerakyatan yang tidak membezakan mereka daripada orang Melayu.
11. Orang Melayu menolak Malayan Union dan cadangan hak kerakyatan ini.Mereka paksa British untuk kembali kepada keadaan asal atau status quo ante di dalam Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Federation of Malaya) yang baru.
12. Hanya orang Cina yang menjadi rakyat Negeri-negeri Selat layak untukmendapat kerakyatan di dalam Persekutuan yang baru ini. Sudah tentu warganegara keturunan Melayu jauh lebih ramai daripada rakyat Malaya yang berketurunan Cina.
13. Pemimpin-pemimpin Cina merayu kepada British, yang kemudiannya menekan Presiden UMNO, Dato Onn Jaafar supaya mencadangkan agar UMNO dibuka kepada semua kaum. Cadangan ini ditolak lain-lain pemimpin UMNO dan Dato Onn terpaksa melepaskan jawatan.
14. British terus beri tekanan kepada orang Melayu untuk bersikap lebih terbuka berkenaan soal kerakyatan bagi orang bukan Melayu.
15. Presiden UMNO Tunku Abdul Rahman memutuskan untuk menubuhkan pakatan dengan MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) dan MIC (Malaysian Indian Congress). Dalam pilihanraya Majlis Perundangan Persekutuan (Federal Legislative Assembly) 1955, oleh kerana kurangnya kawasan majoriti penduduk Cina dan India, MCA dan MIC terpaksa letak calon mereka di kawasan yangmempunyai majoriti Melayu selepas UMNO bersetuju untuk tidak bertanding di kawasan-kawasan ini dan sebaliknya menyokong calon Cina MCA dan calon India MIC.
16. Begitu sokongan orang Melayu terhadap calon Perikatan MCA dan MIC hinggakan mereka menang walaupun menentang calon Melayu daripada PAS. Calon MCA dan MIC kesemuanya menang. Hanya UMNO kalah satu kerusi kepada PAS.
17. Tunku sebagai Ketua Menteri Persekutuan Tanah Melayu kemudian memutus untuk menuntut kemerdekaan. British terus berkeras menuntut hak kerakyatan bagi orang Cina dan India sebagai syarat memberi kemerdekaan.
18. Untuk mengatasi halangan British terhadap kemerdekaan dan untuk memenangi sokongan orang Cina dan India Tunku memutuskan untuk beri satu juta kerakyatan kepada kedua-dua komuniti ini berdasarkan hanya kepada permastautin. Salah seorang rakyat baru yang menonjol ialah (Tun) Leong Yew Koh, bekas general di dalam angkatan tentera nasional China yang kemudiannyadilantik Gabenor Melaka.
19. Di peringkat ini pemimpin-pemimpin ketiga-tiga parti yang berdasarkan kepada kaum yang telah mendirikan Kerajaan pemerintahan sendiri di dalam Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Federation of Malaya) British telah berbincang dan mencapai persetujuan berkenaan syarat perhubungan antara ketiga-tiga kaum di dalam Persekutuan Tanah Melayu yang merdeka.
20. Ianya merupakan agihan yang sama rata. Sebagai balasan untuk satu juta kerakyatan bukan Melayu, orang bukan Melayu mesti mengakui kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu sebagai Bumiputera. Beberapa peruntukan undang-undang seperti kedudukan Islam sebagai agama rasmi, pengekalan tanah rizab Melayu, kedudukan Raja-raja Melayu dan adat istiadat Melayu dan pengagihan jawatan dalam Kerajaan juga termasuk di dalam persefahaman ini.
21. Dalam soal Bahasa Kebangsaan, Bahasa Melayu telah dipersetujui sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan. Bahasa Inggeris pula sebagai bahasa kedua. Kaum Cina dan India boleh terus gunakan bahasa mereka tetapi bukanlah sebagai bahasa rasmi untuk berkomunikasi.
22. Sekolah rendah Cina dan Tamil juga boleh menggunakan bahasa masing-masing sebagai bahasa pengajar. Bahasa-bahasa ini juga bolehdigunakan di sekolah menengah, tetapi hanya di sekolah menengah swasta.
23. Di pihak mereka pemimpin-pemimpin Cina dan India yang mewakili parti mereka menuntut agar kerakyatan dijadikan hak mereka yang tidak boleh ditarik balik, mereka dibenar kekalkan bahasa, agama dan budaya mereka dan sebagai rakyat mereka diberikan hak politik sepertimana yang diberikankepada semua rakyat.
24. Kebanyakan persetujuan dan persefahaman ini terkandung di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu merdeka. Bagi setiap yang diperuntukkan kepada orang Melayu, akan sentiasa terdapat peruntukan bagi yang bukan Melayu. Tidak ramai yang sebut akan hakikat ini. Yang menarik perhatian ramai dan yang menjadi tajuk perbalahan ialah apa yang diperuntukkan kepada orang Melayu dan lain-lain kaum Bumiputera sahaja.
25. Demikian walaupun Bahasa Melayu dijadikan Bahasa Kebangsaan, bahasa Cina dan Tamil tetap bebas digunakan di sekolah Cina dan Tamil. Peruntukan ini tidak terdapat di mana-mana negara lain. Bahkan di negara-negara yang liberal sekalipun tidak terdapat jaminan seperti ini yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan.
26. Bahasa Kebangsaan ini haruslah dipelajari semua orang agar setiap warganegara Malaya dapat berkomunikasi antara satu sama lain di mana-mana sahaja.
27. Difahamkan bahasa Cina yang di maksudkan di dalam persefahaman tersebut adalah dialek-dialek Cina yang ditutur di Malaysia dan bukannya bahasa kebangsaan negeri China. Demikian bagi kaum India Malaya bahasa Tamil digunakan dan bukannya Hindi atau Urdu atau apa-apa bahasa pun yang menjadi bahasa Kebangsaan di India. Tetapi para pendidik aliran Cina kemudiannyamengguna Bahasa Cina yang menjadi bahasa Kebangsaan negara China iaitu Mandarin.
28. Islam adalah agama rasmi tetapi agama-agama lain boleh dipraktik penganut masing-masing tanpa apa-apa halangan. Sebagai agama rasmi Islam mendapat bantuan Kerajaan. Tiada tersebut tentang bantuan bagi mana-mana agama lain. Bukan Melayu tidak menekankan tentang ini dan Perlembagaan Persekutuan tidak pun sebut tentang bantuan Kerajaan terhadap agama lain.Namun sokongan dan bantuan tetap diberikan.
29. Kuota ditetapkan bagi kakitangan Kerajaan (Malayan Civil Service) dimana orang Melayu akan mendapat empat tempat bagi setiap satu yang diberikankepada orang Cina dan India. Walaubagaimanapun, jawatan profesional diiktiraf terbuka bagi semua kaum kerana dianggap tidak mungkin terdapat cukup bilangan orang Melayu untuk mengisi jawatan-jawatan tersebut.
30. Hasilnya pada awal kemerdekaan terdapat lebih ramai kaum bukan Melayu daripada Melayu yang mengisi jawatan dalam Divisyen Satu.
31. Yang Di-Pertuan Agong atau Raja-raja Melayu akan menentukan kuota biasiswa dan lesen bagi orang Melayu. Tetapi tiada sesiapa yang akan dirampas mana-mana permit atau lesen hanya untuk diberikan kepada kaum Bumiputera.
32. Kedudukan Raja-raja Melayu termaktub dan tidak boleh dipersoalkan.Seorang Yang Di-Pertuan Agong akan dipilih daripada sembilan Raja-raja Melayu dan akan berkhidmat selama lima tahun.
33. Raja-raja akan menjadi Raja berperlembagaan. Kuasa eksekutif akan dilaksanakan oleh Menteri Besar, Ketua Menteri dan Perdana Menteri yang dipilih dan dibantu ahli majlis atau Kabinet. Amalan British dijadikan contoh.
34. Persetujuan yang paling penting ialah pelaksanaan Demokrasi Berparlimen digabungkan dengan Raja Berperlembagaan, sekali lagi seperti yang diamalkan di United Kingdom. Harus diingat pihak British telah mengenakan Kerajaan Kolonial kuku besi ke atas Negeri-negeri Melayu dengan kuasa di letak pada Pejabat Kolonial di London.
35. Sebelum ini Negeri-negeri Melayu diperintah secara feudal di mana Raja-raja Melayu mempunyai kuasa mutlak. Hanya golongan bangsawan yang memainkan peranan dalam politik negeri. Rakyat Melayu tidak langsung ada apa-apa hak politik. Sudah tentu tetamu juga tidak mempunyai suara dalam hal-hal berkenaan politik. Warganegara British keturunan Cina dan India juga tidak mempunyai apa-apa suara walaupun mereka boleh dilantik sebagai Ahli Kehormat Majlis Kerajaan Tempatan atau Perundangan.
36. Keputusan untuk melaksana sistem Kerajaan berlandaskan demokrasi merupakan satu langkah radikal di dalam pentadbiran Kerajaan di PersekutuanTanah Melayu dan Negeri-negeri Melayu. Ini dipersetujui pemimpin ketiga-tiga kaum terbesar yang diwakili parti-parti politik UMNO, MCA dan MIC. Tidak syak lagi yang parti-parti ini mewakili sebahagian besar daripada ketiga-tiga masyarakat di Malaya. Pihak Komunis dan yang berhaluan kiri lain tidak menyatakan persetujuan mereka terhadap persefahaman ini.
37. Suruhanjaya Reid diberi penerangan tentang perjanjian dan persefahaman ini agar ianya akan dimasukkan ke dalam Perlembagaan yang akan digubal.Ketiga-tiga parti meluluskan Perlembagaan yang digubal setelah beberapa pindaan dilakukan. Kesannya Perlembagaan ini menjadi kontrak yang mengikat ketiga-tiga kaum di Persekutuan Tanah Melayu menjelang merdeka pada tahun1957.
38. Apabila Sabah dan Sarawak menyertai Negeri-negeri Semenanjung untuk membentuk Malaysia kontrak sosial ini dipanjangkan kepada kedua-dua negeri ini. Orang Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak diberi taraf yang sama dengan orang Melayu. Pada masa ini juga perkataan Bumiputera diperkenalkan untuk membezakan orang Melayu dan orang Bumiputera Sabah, Sarawak daripada yangberketurunan pendatang. Kerana Bahasa Melayu digunakan secara meluas di negeri-negeri Borneo tidak ada kesulitan bagi penerimaan Bahasa Melayu sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan. Walaupun kaum Bumiputera di kedua-dua negeri ini bukan semuanya orang Islam ini tidak memerlukan pindaan kepada Perlembagaan apabila perkataan Bumiputera diterima. Tetapi definisi rasmi bagi orang Melayu tetap tidak berubah.
39. Oleh itu pembentukan kontrak sosial dimaktubkan dalam pertama, Perlembagaan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu dan seterusnya Malaysia. Untuk mengatakan yang ianya tidak wujud samalah dengan menidakkan kandungan Perlembagaan yang diasaskan kepada penerimaan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin ketiga-tiga kaum terhadap kontrak sosial yang asal.
40. Kesemua tindakan susulan oleh Kerajaan adalah hasil daripada kontrak sosial ini. Hakikatnya pencetus kontrak sosial ini dan pewaris-pewaris mereka yang diiktiraf rakyat di setiap Pilihanraya Umum menunjukkan kesediaan rakyat untuk menghormati kontrak sosial ini.
41. Menidakkan kewujudan kontrak sosial ini ialah seperti berkata yang Malaysia ini wujud di dalam suasana kekosongan, tidak ada Perlembagaan danundang-undang yang berlandaskan kontrak ini.
42. Pelaksanaan kontrak sosial ini memerlukan pemahaman semangatnya yangmendalam. Kontrak sosial ini bertujuan mewujudkan satu negara berbilang kaumyang stabil dan harmoni. Apa jua faktor yang akan akibatkan ketidakstabilandan menghasilkan ketegangan di antara kaum haruslah dianggap tidak sesuaidengan semangat kontrak sosial ini.
43. Selama 50 tahun tidak ada sesiapa yang menyoal kontrak sosial ini.Malahan hari ini pun majoriti kaum Cina dan India dan Bumiputera Melayu dan kaum Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak menerima kontrak sosial ini. Tetapi kerana Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada asasnya kalah dalam pilihanraya 2008 dan sekarang mengetuai Kerajaan yang lemah, pihak ekstrimis dan penyanggah sekarang ini mempersoalkan kontrak sosial ini. Majlis Peguam kini telah menjadi sebuah parti politik yang percaya bahawa kepakarannya dalam undang-undang akan mengecualikan ianya daripada dipersoal tentangkelayakannya dan objektif politiknya.
44. UMNO Abdullah tidak berdaya menangkis apa-apa serangan terhadap kontrak sosial ini. Jika apa-apa terjadi Abdullah dan UMNO harus dipertanggungjawabk an.
Thursday 17 July 2008
Friday 4 July 2008
Financial Crisis of 1997-1998
By Nor Mohamed Yakcop
A moment comes, which rarely comes in a lifetime, when a particular event redefines a person's life and changes the course permanently. For me, the meeting with Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on the evening of October 3, 1997 was such an event. It enabled me to devote the next 6 years of my life working for Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, meeting him almost daily.
In the process, it enabled me to see, at very close range, the abilities of this great man.The combination of many noble qualities in one person is rare, and it is this unique combination that has enabled Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to transform Malaysia from an otherwise typical third world country into a thriving and vibrant nation, well on the way to become a developed nation. It is also this combination of qualities that enabled Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to save Malaysia from becoming another IMF nation during the financial crisis of1997 - 1998.
I am often asked about my involvement in the recovery plan implemented onSeptember 1, 1998. It began on September 29, 1997, when I received a telephone call from the office of Dr Mahathir Mohamad informing me that the Prime Minister wanted to see me. The PM was in Cuba at that time, and I asked (in jest) if I was to meet the Prime Minister in Cuba ! I was told (not in jest) that he will be arriving in Buenos Aires on October 3, 1997 and I was to make sure I was in Buenos Aires at least a day before he arrived.
I packed my bags and left for Buenos Aires, and arrived in Buenos Aires on October 2. The PM arrived the following day at 5 pm and we met immediately at his suite. He informed me that he had asked many people to explain to him what was causing the financial crisis but no one was able to give him asatisfactory reply. He asked me whether I could explain to him what exactly was happening.I asked him how much time he had, and he said two hours. I explained to him how the forex market works, about short positions and long positions, about hedging and how currencies are borrowed and sold, the difference between"bid" and "offer" and how funds can be transferred from one country to another at the click of a button. I also explained how the equity market works and the relationship between the forex market and the equity market. Dr. Mahathir hardly said anything, asked one or two questions, and listened intently.After two hours, he had to end the meeting to get ready to go for an official dinner. He asked me about my plans for the night and I said I had been invited for the same dinner. Dr. Mahathir said to me: You go back to your room and write down all that you have been telling me for the last two hours, and see me at 7 am tomorrow.
I went back to my room, skipped dinner, and wrote it all down, finishing at about 6 am.I saw him the next morning at 7 am and gave him the report. He asked me to take a rest and come back again at 2 pm. When I returned, he told me that he had read the report and that he now understands what was happening in the financial markets. We started discussing various methods of overcoming the crisis, and our discussions continued when we returned to Malaysia. I met him almost daily for discussion, sometimes at his house and sometimes at his office. We tried a few mechanisms to overcome the crisis, some of which worked initially, but the hedge funds were so strong that it was difficult to proceed successfully with these mechanisms.
In early 1998, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad asked me to explore the idea of imposing an exchange control regime to overcome the crisis. I remember preparing voluminous notes on this subject. Dr. Mahathir went through the notes carefully, and kept asking for more and more details. We went through many rounds of discussion, until he was finally convinced both with the concept as well as the proposed mechanism. The rest, I guess, is history.
Dr. Mahathir also asked me to prepare a paper on how to put an end to Malaysian shares traded in CLOB (Central Limit Order Book) in Singapore. Dr.Mahathir was of the view that an important reason for the falling stockmarket was the short-selling of Malaysian stocks in CLOB. I prepared the report and Dr. Mahathir understood, for the first time, how exactly CLOB operates. The report, which was also implemented on September 1, 1998, put to an end the trading of Malaysian shares in CLOB. I should add that the exchange control measures were crafted in such a way as to minimize the control aspects and maximize the outcome.
The Prime Minister went through the proposed mechanism many times to make sure that the control elements were as few as possible, but adequate enough to ensure a positive outcome. There were no bureaucratic elements in these measures,such as requiring importers to obtain Bank Negara's permission to import.The Ringgit was also pegged at a level where it was not overvalued.
In almost every other country, which imposes exchange control measures and peg sits currency, there would, almost by definition, be numerous bureaucratic controls, and the currency would also be pegged at an overvalued rate.It is often assumed that the system of exchange control (including fixed exchange rate) that we implemented on September 1, 1998 saved the country.The measures of September 1, 1998 were undoubtedly a necessary condition, but it was not a sufficient condition to overcome the crisis. Malaysia was saved, not by exchange control measures per se, but by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
Let me explain. Any other developing country, facing a similar crisis, if it had introduced the measures that we introduced in September 1998, the measures would probably have failed. The fact that in Malaysia these measures succeeded is due to the ability and character of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The economy and the financial system, under Dr. Mahathir's leadership, was in a very healthy state–healthy enough for the exchange control measures to be implemented without negative consequences.
Moreover, the Prime Minister's hands-on management style enabled quick and timely decisions to be made, which was vital under the new exchange control regime.Dr. Mahathir, as Prime Minister, had ensured that the Malaysian economy was fundamentally strong. Ringgit was strong and stable. On the back of the currency stability (at RM2.50 against the US dollar) Malaysia was doing very well.
At the end of 1996, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at almost 8.5 per cent and the growth was expected to continue for many more years.The government was enjoying a fiscal surplus. The external debt was low, at40 per cent of the Gross National Product (GNP). The current account of the balance of payments had narrowed from a deficit of 10 per cent to 5 per cent of GNP, and was expected to improve further. Inflation was at its lowest at2.1 percent. We had steady growth of over 8 per cent for a major part of that period. And this fundamental strength of Malaysia was a critical factor that enabled the exchange control measures to succeed.
For a period of more than a year after the measures of September 1, 1998 were implemented, the Prime Minister met with a small group of us everyday -6 days a week - for at least 2 hours to go through various economic data, including data on loan growth, exports, imports, property overhang etc. This enabled the Prime Minister to take quick actions, whenever required. Iremember one morning when we were going through the property figures, hel ooked at me and directed that I should organize a property fair to clear the overhang of properties. I did, and property worth more than RM 3 billion was sold.
Even after the crisis was over, Dr. Mahathir continued to meet with the group regularly, though no longer on a daily basis. And Dr.Mahathir continued to go through all the economic data with a sharp pencil. No other Prime Minister in the world, either in developed or developing countries, employs such a hands-on approach in managing the economy.
We can see, therefore, that it was not the exchange control measures per se that saved the country but the man — Dr. Mahathir Mohamad — himself.The period 1997 - 1998 was, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, the worst of times, but it was also the best of times. The worst conditions brought out the best in Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. There is a saying that a good leader is like good tea - you only know the true quality when he is in hot water !
Throughout the crisis, the Prime Minister was focused on resolving the crisis. Day and night, he thought of nothing else but the crisis. He read all he could on finance; he kept asking me to prepare notes on various technical issues. Sometimes he was sick with bad flu and cough, but he did not take time off to rest. He was convinced that he had to understand the issues before he could work out the solutions. His native intelligence and ability to focus on core issues were there throughout the crisis. He did not show any sign of fear even at the worst of time, only concern at the fast deteriorating state of the economy. He was, at all times, confident that he would prevail in the end.
I would like to add two additional points related to the financial crisis.The first is that, in implementing the measures of September 1, 1998, Dr.Mahathir not only saved Malaysia but the neighbouring countries as well. Let me explain. When Malaysia imposed its exchange control measures on September 1, 1998, the currency speculators realised that the other affected countries (Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea) could also impose similar controls,and they, therefore, stopped their activities in its track. The speculators backed off. They bought back the currencies that they had sold. This is resulted in the regional currencies appreciating.
Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was not happy with what Malaysia had done, particularly since, after implementing the measures, we did exactly the opposite of what the IMF wanted us to do, i.e. we lowered our interest rates and injected liquidity into the system. The IMF, therefore, started relaxing conditions in other countries and allowed them to lower their interest rates and allowed them to inject liquidity to stimulate their economies so that Malaysia would not outperform the IMF countries. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Dr. Mahathir Mohamad not only saved Malaysia, but the other affected countries in the region as well - Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea.
My second point is regarding what would have happened if the exchange control measures were not implemented. If the measures were not implemented,many of corporations in Malaysia would have gone under, due to the high interest rates. When the corporations fall like dominos, banks would have faced severe liquidity and solvency problems due to the ballooning NPLs.
The problems of the banks would have resulted in a credit squeeze, which would have led to another round of corporate failures. The Government's revenue would have fallen drastically as fewer firms would be paying corporate taxes, thereby reducing the Government's ability to stimulate the economy through fiscal policy measures.
As a result of the problems faced by corporations and banks, unemployment would have increased substantially, leading to a second round of problems. This is the classic vicious cycle,which could have, in the end, destroyed the social and political stabilityof the country. This was a scenario that was waiting to happen. It did not happen because of the decisiveness and guts of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who decided to take the path less travelled. We owe Dr. Mahathir much gratitude for what he has done for Malaysia over the last 22 years. Solving the financial crisis of 1997 - 1998 was just one,albeit perhaps the most important, of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's many contributions to the nation.
On a personal note, over the last 6 years, I have come to admire this greatman for his abilities, his high moral values and, most of all, for his sincerity. Certainly, a man like Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is not born everyday.(23rd. October, 2003)
A moment comes, which rarely comes in a lifetime, when a particular event redefines a person's life and changes the course permanently. For me, the meeting with Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on the evening of October 3, 1997 was such an event. It enabled me to devote the next 6 years of my life working for Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, meeting him almost daily.
In the process, it enabled me to see, at very close range, the abilities of this great man.The combination of many noble qualities in one person is rare, and it is this unique combination that has enabled Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to transform Malaysia from an otherwise typical third world country into a thriving and vibrant nation, well on the way to become a developed nation. It is also this combination of qualities that enabled Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to save Malaysia from becoming another IMF nation during the financial crisis of1997 - 1998.
I am often asked about my involvement in the recovery plan implemented onSeptember 1, 1998. It began on September 29, 1997, when I received a telephone call from the office of Dr Mahathir Mohamad informing me that the Prime Minister wanted to see me. The PM was in Cuba at that time, and I asked (in jest) if I was to meet the Prime Minister in Cuba ! I was told (not in jest) that he will be arriving in Buenos Aires on October 3, 1997 and I was to make sure I was in Buenos Aires at least a day before he arrived.
I packed my bags and left for Buenos Aires, and arrived in Buenos Aires on October 2. The PM arrived the following day at 5 pm and we met immediately at his suite. He informed me that he had asked many people to explain to him what was causing the financial crisis but no one was able to give him asatisfactory reply. He asked me whether I could explain to him what exactly was happening.I asked him how much time he had, and he said two hours. I explained to him how the forex market works, about short positions and long positions, about hedging and how currencies are borrowed and sold, the difference between"bid" and "offer" and how funds can be transferred from one country to another at the click of a button. I also explained how the equity market works and the relationship between the forex market and the equity market. Dr. Mahathir hardly said anything, asked one or two questions, and listened intently.After two hours, he had to end the meeting to get ready to go for an official dinner. He asked me about my plans for the night and I said I had been invited for the same dinner. Dr. Mahathir said to me: You go back to your room and write down all that you have been telling me for the last two hours, and see me at 7 am tomorrow.
I went back to my room, skipped dinner, and wrote it all down, finishing at about 6 am.I saw him the next morning at 7 am and gave him the report. He asked me to take a rest and come back again at 2 pm. When I returned, he told me that he had read the report and that he now understands what was happening in the financial markets. We started discussing various methods of overcoming the crisis, and our discussions continued when we returned to Malaysia. I met him almost daily for discussion, sometimes at his house and sometimes at his office. We tried a few mechanisms to overcome the crisis, some of which worked initially, but the hedge funds were so strong that it was difficult to proceed successfully with these mechanisms.
In early 1998, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad asked me to explore the idea of imposing an exchange control regime to overcome the crisis. I remember preparing voluminous notes on this subject. Dr. Mahathir went through the notes carefully, and kept asking for more and more details. We went through many rounds of discussion, until he was finally convinced both with the concept as well as the proposed mechanism. The rest, I guess, is history.
Dr. Mahathir also asked me to prepare a paper on how to put an end to Malaysian shares traded in CLOB (Central Limit Order Book) in Singapore. Dr.Mahathir was of the view that an important reason for the falling stockmarket was the short-selling of Malaysian stocks in CLOB. I prepared the report and Dr. Mahathir understood, for the first time, how exactly CLOB operates. The report, which was also implemented on September 1, 1998, put to an end the trading of Malaysian shares in CLOB. I should add that the exchange control measures were crafted in such a way as to minimize the control aspects and maximize the outcome.
The Prime Minister went through the proposed mechanism many times to make sure that the control elements were as few as possible, but adequate enough to ensure a positive outcome. There were no bureaucratic elements in these measures,such as requiring importers to obtain Bank Negara's permission to import.The Ringgit was also pegged at a level where it was not overvalued.
In almost every other country, which imposes exchange control measures and peg sits currency, there would, almost by definition, be numerous bureaucratic controls, and the currency would also be pegged at an overvalued rate.It is often assumed that the system of exchange control (including fixed exchange rate) that we implemented on September 1, 1998 saved the country.The measures of September 1, 1998 were undoubtedly a necessary condition, but it was not a sufficient condition to overcome the crisis. Malaysia was saved, not by exchange control measures per se, but by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
Let me explain. Any other developing country, facing a similar crisis, if it had introduced the measures that we introduced in September 1998, the measures would probably have failed. The fact that in Malaysia these measures succeeded is due to the ability and character of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The economy and the financial system, under Dr. Mahathir's leadership, was in a very healthy state–healthy enough for the exchange control measures to be implemented without negative consequences.
Moreover, the Prime Minister's hands-on management style enabled quick and timely decisions to be made, which was vital under the new exchange control regime.Dr. Mahathir, as Prime Minister, had ensured that the Malaysian economy was fundamentally strong. Ringgit was strong and stable. On the back of the currency stability (at RM2.50 against the US dollar) Malaysia was doing very well.
At the end of 1996, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at almost 8.5 per cent and the growth was expected to continue for many more years.The government was enjoying a fiscal surplus. The external debt was low, at40 per cent of the Gross National Product (GNP). The current account of the balance of payments had narrowed from a deficit of 10 per cent to 5 per cent of GNP, and was expected to improve further. Inflation was at its lowest at2.1 percent. We had steady growth of over 8 per cent for a major part of that period. And this fundamental strength of Malaysia was a critical factor that enabled the exchange control measures to succeed.
For a period of more than a year after the measures of September 1, 1998 were implemented, the Prime Minister met with a small group of us everyday -6 days a week - for at least 2 hours to go through various economic data, including data on loan growth, exports, imports, property overhang etc. This enabled the Prime Minister to take quick actions, whenever required. Iremember one morning when we were going through the property figures, hel ooked at me and directed that I should organize a property fair to clear the overhang of properties. I did, and property worth more than RM 3 billion was sold.
Even after the crisis was over, Dr. Mahathir continued to meet with the group regularly, though no longer on a daily basis. And Dr.Mahathir continued to go through all the economic data with a sharp pencil. No other Prime Minister in the world, either in developed or developing countries, employs such a hands-on approach in managing the economy.
We can see, therefore, that it was not the exchange control measures per se that saved the country but the man — Dr. Mahathir Mohamad — himself.The period 1997 - 1998 was, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, the worst of times, but it was also the best of times. The worst conditions brought out the best in Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. There is a saying that a good leader is like good tea - you only know the true quality when he is in hot water !
Throughout the crisis, the Prime Minister was focused on resolving the crisis. Day and night, he thought of nothing else but the crisis. He read all he could on finance; he kept asking me to prepare notes on various technical issues. Sometimes he was sick with bad flu and cough, but he did not take time off to rest. He was convinced that he had to understand the issues before he could work out the solutions. His native intelligence and ability to focus on core issues were there throughout the crisis. He did not show any sign of fear even at the worst of time, only concern at the fast deteriorating state of the economy. He was, at all times, confident that he would prevail in the end.
I would like to add two additional points related to the financial crisis.The first is that, in implementing the measures of September 1, 1998, Dr.Mahathir not only saved Malaysia but the neighbouring countries as well. Let me explain. When Malaysia imposed its exchange control measures on September 1, 1998, the currency speculators realised that the other affected countries (Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea) could also impose similar controls,and they, therefore, stopped their activities in its track. The speculators backed off. They bought back the currencies that they had sold. This is resulted in the regional currencies appreciating.
Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was not happy with what Malaysia had done, particularly since, after implementing the measures, we did exactly the opposite of what the IMF wanted us to do, i.e. we lowered our interest rates and injected liquidity into the system. The IMF, therefore, started relaxing conditions in other countries and allowed them to lower their interest rates and allowed them to inject liquidity to stimulate their economies so that Malaysia would not outperform the IMF countries. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Dr. Mahathir Mohamad not only saved Malaysia, but the other affected countries in the region as well - Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea.
My second point is regarding what would have happened if the exchange control measures were not implemented. If the measures were not implemented,many of corporations in Malaysia would have gone under, due to the high interest rates. When the corporations fall like dominos, banks would have faced severe liquidity and solvency problems due to the ballooning NPLs.
The problems of the banks would have resulted in a credit squeeze, which would have led to another round of corporate failures. The Government's revenue would have fallen drastically as fewer firms would be paying corporate taxes, thereby reducing the Government's ability to stimulate the economy through fiscal policy measures.
As a result of the problems faced by corporations and banks, unemployment would have increased substantially, leading to a second round of problems. This is the classic vicious cycle,which could have, in the end, destroyed the social and political stabilityof the country. This was a scenario that was waiting to happen. It did not happen because of the decisiveness and guts of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who decided to take the path less travelled. We owe Dr. Mahathir much gratitude for what he has done for Malaysia over the last 22 years. Solving the financial crisis of 1997 - 1998 was just one,albeit perhaps the most important, of Dr. Mahathir Mohamad's many contributions to the nation.
On a personal note, over the last 6 years, I have come to admire this greatman for his abilities, his high moral values and, most of all, for his sincerity. Certainly, a man like Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is not born everyday.(23rd. October, 2003)
How to counter petrol hike
A man eats two eggs each morning for breakfast. When he goes to thegrocery store he pays 60 cents a dozen. Since a dozen eggs won'tlast a week he normally buys two dozens at a time.
One day while buying eggs he notices that the price has risen to 72 cents. The next time he buys groceries, eggs are 76 cents a dozen.When asked to explain the price of eggs the store owner says, "The price has gone up and I have to raise my price accordingly" .
This store buys 100 dozen eggs a day. He checked around for a better price and all the distributors have raised their prices. The distributors have begun to buy from the huge egg farms. The small egg farms havebeen driven out of business. The huge egg farms sell 100,000 dozen eggs a day to distributors. With no competition, they can set the price as they see fit.
The distributors then have to raise their prices to the grocery stores. And on and on and on. As the man kept buying eggs the price kept going up. He saw the big eggtrucks delivering 100 dozen eggs each day. Nothing changed there. He checked out the huge egg farms and found they were selling 100,000 dozen eggs to the distributors daily. Nothing had changed but the price of eggs.
Then week before Thanksgiving the price of eggs shot up to $1.00 adozen. Again he asked the grocery owner why and was told, "Cakes and baking for the holiday". The huge egg farmers know there will be alot of baking going on and more eggs will be used. Hence, the price ofeggs goes up. Expect the same thing at Christmas and other times whenf amily cooking, baking, etc. happen.This pattern continues until the price of eggs is 2.00 a dozen.
The man says, " There must be something we can do about the price of eggs".He starts talking to all the people in his town and they decide to stop buying eggs. This didn't work because everyone needed eggs. Finally, the man suggested only buying what you need. He ate 2 eggs a day. On the way home from work he would stop at the grocery and buy two eggs. Everyone in town started buying 2 or 3 eggs a day.The grocery store owner began complaining that he had too many eggs in his cooler. He told the distributor that he didn't need any eggs. Maybe wouldn't need any all week.
The distributor had eggs piling up at his warehouse. He told the huge egg farms that he didn't have any room for eggs would not need any forat least two weeks.At the egg farm, the chickens just kept on laying eggs. To relieve the pressure, the huge egg farm told the distributor that they could buy the eggs at a lower price.The distributor said, " I don't have the room for the %$&^*&% egg seven if they were free".
The distributor told the grocery store owner that he would lower the price of the eggs if the store would start buying again.The grocery store owner said, "I don't have room for more eggs. The customers are only buying 2 or 3 eggs at a time. Now if you were to drop the price of eggs back down to the original price, the customers would start buying by the dozen again".
The distributors sent that proposal to the huge egg farmers but the eggfarmers liked the price they were getting for their eggs but, those chickens just kept on laying. Finally, the egg farmers lowered the price of their eggs. But only a few cents.The customers still bought 2 or 3 eggs at a time. They said, "when the price of eggs gets down to where it was before, we will start buying by the dozen.
"Slowly the price of eggs started dropping. The distributors had to slash their prices to make room for the eggs coming from the egg farmers.The egg farmers cut their prices because the distributors wouldn't buy at a higher price than they were selling eggs for. Anyway, they had full warehouses and wouldn't need eggs for quite a while.And those chickens kept on laying.Eventually, the egg farmers cut their prices because they were throwing away eggs they couldn't sell.The distributors started buying again because the eggs were priced to where the stores could afford to sell them at the lower price.And the customers starting buying by the dozen again.
Now, transpose this analogy to the gasoline industry.What if everyone only bought $10.00 worth of gas each time they pulledt o the pump? The dealer's tanks would stay semi full all the time. The dealers wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the huge tank farms.The tank farms wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the refiningplants. And the refining plants wouldn't have room for the oil beingoff loaded from the huge tankers coming from the oil fiends.Just $10.00 each time you buy gas. Don't fill it up. You may have to stop for gas twice a week but, the price should come down.Think about it.As an added note...When I buy $10.00 worth of gas that leaves my tank alittle under quarter full. The way prices are jumping around, you can buy gas for $2.65 a gallon and then the next morning it can be $2.15.If you have your tank full of $2.65 gas you don't have room for the $2.15 gas. You might not understand the economics of only buying two eggs at a time but, you can't buy cheaper gas if your tank is full ofthe high priced stuff.Also, don't buy anything else at the gas station; don't give them anymore of your hard earned money than what you spend on gas, until the prices come down..."
One day while buying eggs he notices that the price has risen to 72 cents. The next time he buys groceries, eggs are 76 cents a dozen.When asked to explain the price of eggs the store owner says, "The price has gone up and I have to raise my price accordingly" .
This store buys 100 dozen eggs a day. He checked around for a better price and all the distributors have raised their prices. The distributors have begun to buy from the huge egg farms. The small egg farms havebeen driven out of business. The huge egg farms sell 100,000 dozen eggs a day to distributors. With no competition, they can set the price as they see fit.
The distributors then have to raise their prices to the grocery stores. And on and on and on. As the man kept buying eggs the price kept going up. He saw the big eggtrucks delivering 100 dozen eggs each day. Nothing changed there. He checked out the huge egg farms and found they were selling 100,000 dozen eggs to the distributors daily. Nothing had changed but the price of eggs.
Then week before Thanksgiving the price of eggs shot up to $1.00 adozen. Again he asked the grocery owner why and was told, "Cakes and baking for the holiday". The huge egg farmers know there will be alot of baking going on and more eggs will be used. Hence, the price ofeggs goes up. Expect the same thing at Christmas and other times whenf amily cooking, baking, etc. happen.This pattern continues until the price of eggs is 2.00 a dozen.
The man says, " There must be something we can do about the price of eggs".He starts talking to all the people in his town and they decide to stop buying eggs. This didn't work because everyone needed eggs. Finally, the man suggested only buying what you need. He ate 2 eggs a day. On the way home from work he would stop at the grocery and buy two eggs. Everyone in town started buying 2 or 3 eggs a day.The grocery store owner began complaining that he had too many eggs in his cooler. He told the distributor that he didn't need any eggs. Maybe wouldn't need any all week.
The distributor had eggs piling up at his warehouse. He told the huge egg farms that he didn't have any room for eggs would not need any forat least two weeks.At the egg farm, the chickens just kept on laying eggs. To relieve the pressure, the huge egg farm told the distributor that they could buy the eggs at a lower price.The distributor said, " I don't have the room for the %$&^*&% egg seven if they were free".
The distributor told the grocery store owner that he would lower the price of the eggs if the store would start buying again.The grocery store owner said, "I don't have room for more eggs. The customers are only buying 2 or 3 eggs at a time. Now if you were to drop the price of eggs back down to the original price, the customers would start buying by the dozen again".
The distributors sent that proposal to the huge egg farmers but the eggfarmers liked the price they were getting for their eggs but, those chickens just kept on laying. Finally, the egg farmers lowered the price of their eggs. But only a few cents.The customers still bought 2 or 3 eggs at a time. They said, "when the price of eggs gets down to where it was before, we will start buying by the dozen.
"Slowly the price of eggs started dropping. The distributors had to slash their prices to make room for the eggs coming from the egg farmers.The egg farmers cut their prices because the distributors wouldn't buy at a higher price than they were selling eggs for. Anyway, they had full warehouses and wouldn't need eggs for quite a while.And those chickens kept on laying.Eventually, the egg farmers cut their prices because they were throwing away eggs they couldn't sell.The distributors started buying again because the eggs were priced to where the stores could afford to sell them at the lower price.And the customers starting buying by the dozen again.
Now, transpose this analogy to the gasoline industry.What if everyone only bought $10.00 worth of gas each time they pulledt o the pump? The dealer's tanks would stay semi full all the time. The dealers wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the huge tank farms.The tank farms wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the refiningplants. And the refining plants wouldn't have room for the oil beingoff loaded from the huge tankers coming from the oil fiends.Just $10.00 each time you buy gas. Don't fill it up. You may have to stop for gas twice a week but, the price should come down.Think about it.As an added note...When I buy $10.00 worth of gas that leaves my tank alittle under quarter full. The way prices are jumping around, you can buy gas for $2.65 a gallon and then the next morning it can be $2.15.If you have your tank full of $2.65 gas you don't have room for the $2.15 gas. You might not understand the economics of only buying two eggs at a time but, you can't buy cheaper gas if your tank is full ofthe high priced stuff.Also, don't buy anything else at the gas station; don't give them anymore of your hard earned money than what you spend on gas, until the prices come down..."
Malaysian Astronaut
MALAYSIAN ASTRONAUTS
American Spaceman is called Astronaut
Russian Spaceman is called Cosmonaut
Chinese Spaceman is called Taikonaut
Malaysian Spaceman??? - Can-or-naut
Datuk Najib was thinking about sending somebody into space. Three potential can-or-nauts were called for an interview - one Indian, one Malay and one Chinese.
Najib interviews the Indian first: 'So, Muthu, this is a dangerous mission. How much do you think you should be paid?'
Muthu replied: 'Ten million ringgit.
' 'Why so much?' asks Najib.
'Very dangerous mission, Datuk. Maybe no come back!' replied Muthu.
'That's understandable, ' says Najib.
'Thank you.. Please ask the Malay guy to come here,'
So the Malay walks up, and is asked the same question.
'Alamak!...20 million, Datuk,' replied the Malay candidate.
'Twenty million? That's twice as much! Even the aneh before you asked for only ten million.'
'You see, Datuk,' explains Mat, 'I have 4 wives and 15 children ... With 20 of us, it is a big family to support when I am gone...!'
'I see,' says D.Najib. 'Okay, can you ask that Chinese guy to come then?'
The Chinese guy comes in and Najib asks, 'Ah Chong, given this is a very risky mission, how much do you want?'
Ah Chong thinks for a while, and says, '30 million.'
Najib appears shocked. 'What?!? 30 million! Why so much?'
Ah Chong beckons Najib to come closer. He quietly whispers into his ear, 'Datuk, you take 10 million, i take 10 million, and then use the extra ten million, send that aneh to space lah!'
And...the Muthu was finally sent out to space....
Samy Vellu ditemuramah tentang program angkasawan negara.
Samy: '...Bagi saya, ini semua adalah satu pembaziran atas duit rakyat.Kita sepatutnya tidak hantar mereka ke bulan, tapi hantar mereka pergi matahari. Barulah USA, Russia, respect sama kita....'
Penemuramah: Tapi Dato' Seri, matahari kan panas.. Macam mana mau pergi sana ?
Samy: Cit! itu pasal la u tara jadi mintri. Saya suda lebey 30 tahun jadi mintri, saya musti ada jalan penyelesaian. Kita jangan pergi siang, manyak panas. kita pigi malam, baru ada sujuuuuuk... ...
American Spaceman is called Astronaut
Russian Spaceman is called Cosmonaut
Chinese Spaceman is called Taikonaut
Malaysian Spaceman??? - Can-or-naut
Datuk Najib was thinking about sending somebody into space. Three potential can-or-nauts were called for an interview - one Indian, one Malay and one Chinese.
Najib interviews the Indian first: 'So, Muthu, this is a dangerous mission. How much do you think you should be paid?'
Muthu replied: 'Ten million ringgit.
' 'Why so much?' asks Najib.
'Very dangerous mission, Datuk. Maybe no come back!' replied Muthu.
'That's understandable, ' says Najib.
'Thank you.. Please ask the Malay guy to come here,'
So the Malay walks up, and is asked the same question.
'Alamak!...20 million, Datuk,' replied the Malay candidate.
'Twenty million? That's twice as much! Even the aneh before you asked for only ten million.'
'You see, Datuk,' explains Mat, 'I have 4 wives and 15 children ... With 20 of us, it is a big family to support when I am gone...!'
'I see,' says D.Najib. 'Okay, can you ask that Chinese guy to come then?'
The Chinese guy comes in and Najib asks, 'Ah Chong, given this is a very risky mission, how much do you want?'
Ah Chong thinks for a while, and says, '30 million.'
Najib appears shocked. 'What?!? 30 million! Why so much?'
Ah Chong beckons Najib to come closer. He quietly whispers into his ear, 'Datuk, you take 10 million, i take 10 million, and then use the extra ten million, send that aneh to space lah!'
And...the Muthu was finally sent out to space....
Samy Vellu ditemuramah tentang program angkasawan negara.
Samy: '...Bagi saya, ini semua adalah satu pembaziran atas duit rakyat.Kita sepatutnya tidak hantar mereka ke bulan, tapi hantar mereka pergi matahari. Barulah USA, Russia, respect sama kita....'
Penemuramah: Tapi Dato' Seri, matahari kan panas.. Macam mana mau pergi sana ?
Samy: Cit! itu pasal la u tara jadi mintri. Saya suda lebey 30 tahun jadi mintri, saya musti ada jalan penyelesaian. Kita jangan pergi siang, manyak panas. kita pigi malam, baru ada sujuuuuuk... ...
Friday 27 June 2008
Cabaran Dalam Beragama
Nama saya Farhan Bin Abdullah. Nama asal saya sewaktu beragama Kristian ialah Johanis. Saya dilahirkan di bumi Sabah dalam keluarga Kristian. Bapa saya seorang ketua Paderi yang menjaga 15 buah gereja di satu kawasan di Sabah. Saya dilatih oleh bapa saya untuk menjadi seorang paderi.
Sejak mula PBS bawah Datuk Joseph usaha kami mendapat sokongan penuh kerajaan negeri. Kumpulan saya masuk ke kampong dalam berbagai program. Selalunya program khidmat masyarakat. Pihak gereja selalunya membekalkan wang tunai sekitar RM50, 000/=. Berbagai aturcara dibuat untuk membantu orang kampong. Kami ziarah rumah kerumah. tanya masalah mereka dan bantu mereka. berbagai masalah diluahkan. Ada kami bantu dengan duit secara spontan. Ada kami hantar keperluan harian, pakaian dan buku sekolah dsn. Dengan cara ini kami mendekati mereka. Hasilnya dengan beberapa kali kunjungan susulan,kami berjaya mengkristiankan mereka. Paling berbaloi kami mengkristian remaja Islam, tambah berbaloi dari kalangan intelek. Hasilnya kami dapat RM3,000/= setiap seorang Islam yang dimurtadkan. Bayangkanpendapatan saya ketika masih di alam persekolahan.
Sewaktu Tingkatan 3 saya dan beberapa rakan mengambil m/pelajaran Agama Islam yang boleh dipilih dengan lukisan (betapa hinanya m/pelajaran ini setanding dengan lukisan). Saya mendapat A-3. Sewaktu tingkatan 4 saya belajar di sekolah asrama penuh.Saya terus ambil pelajaran Agama Islam.Tujuan saya untuk tahu mengenai Islam dan memudahkan saya menyebarkan agama kristian. Saya mempunyai beberapa soalan yang saya kira tidak mampu dihuraikan oleh orang Islam.
Pada suatu hari sewaktu tingkatan Enam bawah, saya bersemuka dengan Ustaz yang mengajar saya (saya panggil cikgu). "cikgu saya ada beberapa soalan, tapi saya rasa tak sesuai di kelas ini,boleh ke saya ke rumah cikgu..."Ustaz itubersedia. Lalu saya bersama beberapa rakan ke rumah ustaz itu. Saya katakan "cikgu saya mahu berdialog secara ilmiah, bukan atas nama Islam,agama cikgu dan bukan atas nama Kristian, agama saya". saya kemukakan beberapa persoalan, antaranya;- -
1. Mengapa orang Islam sembah kaabah
-Sebenarnya semua agama sama sahaja. Nasrani, Yahudi, Kristian danIslam adalah agama langit.
2.Mengapa d iakhir zaman, Nabi Isa akan turun bersama Iman Mahadi membebaskan kezaliman dan kekacauan dan bukannya NabiMuhammad.
3. Mengapa dalam sejarah dan hingga kini orang Islam suka peperangan.Injil sekarang dikatakan diseleweng. Kalau begitu mana yang asalnya.
Yangmenghairankan ustaz ini dapat menjawab pertanyaan saya dan kawan -kawan dengan begitu ilmiah. Saya dan kawan -kawan mati akal. Kemudian saya dibebani dengan 3 persoalan yang tidak mampu saya menjawab secara tepat.
1.Apakah boleh manusia(paderi) mengampunkan dosa manusia lain.
2.Persoalan ketuhanan 3 dalam 1 dan 1 dalam 3-konsep ketuhanan Jesus.
Saya mengatur pertemuan ustaz saya dengan beberapa orang paderi, kawan-kawan bapa saya. tetapi mereka enggan. Lalu saya bawa ustaz itu ke rumah saya dan bertemu bapa saya seorang ketua paderi.Ternyata bapa saya juga tidak mampu menjawab persoalan yang dibawa oleh ustaz itu. Sebaik ustaz itu pulang, bapa saya memarahi saya kerana bawa 'orang malaya' datang ke rumah.
Sejak itu beberapa kali saya tidur rumah ustaz itu. Disamping mengulangkaji saya gemar berdialog dengan ustaz itu. saya memerhatikan kehidupan ustaztu, saya mengagumi cara hidupnya.Suatu malam saya bermimpi didatangi 3 orang berjubah. Seorang berjubah hitam membawa salib. Seorang berjubah putih membawa bendera bertulisan jawi. Dan seorang berjubah hijau yang meminta saya membuat pilihan.Yang berjubah hitam dan berjubah putih saling menarik saya mengikuti mereka.Saya meronta-ronta. Di samping itu saya dapati yang berjubah hitam semakin tengelam dan yang berjubah putih semakin tinggi. Sedang saya meronta-ronta, saya terjaga. Saya mendengar suara azan dan ustaz tadi berada di tepi saya dan berkata," mengapa Johanis....awak mengigau.... "Saya pegang tangan ustaz itu, saya katakan,"Cikgu Islamkan saya........ .".
Ustaz itu minta saya bersabar untuk dia uruskan dengan pihak tertentu.Tidak lama selepas itu saya pun di Islamkan oleh Ustaz itu. Selesai pengIslaman saya, saya pulang ke rumah. Sampai di rumah, saya lihat pakaian saya bertabur diluar rumah. Rupanya bapa saya telah tahu.Sebaik melihat saya, bapa bergegas masuk dan keluar semula dengan mengacu senapang ke arah saya. Tiba-tiba emak menerkam dan peluru senapang meletup keatas. Saya segera meninggalkan rumah sehelai sepinggang. Tinggalkan keluarga saya.Tinggalkan sekolah. Saya bersembunyi sekejap rumah ustaz sebelum saya dibawa oleh ustaz pulang ke semenanjung sebaik habis kontrak mengajar di Sabah.Saya diserahkan kepada PERKIM di Kuala Lumpur.
Secara kebetulan rakan saya Nazri,vokalis kumpulan Raihan juga memeluk Islam, tetapi mengikuti kumpulanAr-Arqam. 2 lagu dalam album pertama kumpulan Raihan adalah saduran lagu koir yang kami nyanyikan dalam gereja sewaktu di Sabah dulu..6 tahun saya di PERKIM.Saya masuk pula Maahad Tahfiz. Alhamdulillah saya dapat sijil Al-Hafiz selepas 3 tahun. Kemudian saya bekerja dengan Jabatan Agama Islam. Saya banyak masuk kawasan di Negeri Sembilan, Melaka dan Pahang. Tak sampai setahun saya letak jawatan.Saya sedih kerana ramai pendakwah ini nak berdakwah pun merungut duit over time. Saya rasa tiada keikhlasan. Biarlah saya jadi pendakwah bebas. Saya ingin membilas dosa lalu. Saya telah memurtadkan ramai orang..kini saya mahu berjuang untuk mengIslamkan seramai mungkin dengan kualiti bukan kuantiti saja.
Berbalik kisah keluarga saya. Selepas meninggalkan rumah dan belajar di PERKIM saya selalu telefon ayah,emak dan adik beradik saya. Saya katakan jangan bencikan saya. Saya sayang ayah.saya sayang emak. saya sayang adik beradik saya. Ayah dan emak tetap ayah emak dunia dan akhirat. Walaupun ayah menyambut dingin suara saya, saya hantarkan buku-buku yang sesuai menerangkan tentang Islam. 7 tahun saya telefon. 7 tahun saya hantar suratdan buku-buku. Saya menangis kerana rindukan ayah, emak dan adik beradik. Akhirnya, sewaktu saya di Maahad Tahfiz, bagaikan halilintar saya mendapat berita...... .. Ayah saya menganut Agama Islam. Allah saja yang tahu perasaan saya ketika itu. Saya menangis dan menangis. Saya ambil wuduk dan sujud syukur. Air mata saya menjadi terlalu murah. ...saya terus menangis...saya pejamkan mata...saya bayangkan ayah dihadapan. .. saya peluk erat tubuh ayah dan kami menangis bersama.....
...YaAllah betapa agungnya kekuasaanMu. ...Peristiwa yang saya alami sewaktu memeluk Islam turut dirasai oleh ayah saya. Dia dihalau dari rumah yang diberi oleh pihak gereja. Kini saya pendakwah bebas. Saya sedih melihat umat Islam hari ini berpecah.Kita berpecah kerana kita meninggalkan Quran dan sunnah Rasul. Kita ambil sebahagian dan kita tinggalkan sebahagian.Kita ambil contah pelaksanaan hukum Hudud dan Qisas. Mengapa kita cari jalan nak menentang pelaksanaanya. Sepatutnya kita cari jalan supaya dapat dilaksanakan. Inilah sikap umat Islam.
Saya pernah berdialog dengan beberapa orang pensyarah universiti tentang isu Hudud & Qisas.Dia boleh sergah saya," You apa tahu... Islam pun baru setahun jagung....."Saya sedih dengan sergahan pensyarah itu. Kalau ini sikap pendakwah Saya takkan masuk Islam. Tapi saya pilih Islam kerana saya tahu Apa itu Islam.kerana itu saya ajak menghayati Islam.Saya kumpulkan semula kawan-ka wan masa Kristian dulu. Saya berdialog tentang Islam. Saya kumpulkan derma untuktujuan dakwah ini,untuk bergerak perlukan wang. Saya diancam oleh puak Kristian. saya juga diancam oleh umat Islam apa tauliah awak ,mana kebenaran Jabatan Agama,mana permit polis, sapa benarkan pungut derma dll. Saya tak gentar berdialog dengan puak Kristian, kerana saya ada pengalaman tapi sukarnya bila umat Islam sendiri menyulitkan saya.
Marilah kita awasi dakyah Kristian. Satu usaha yang agak ketara ialah d iIPT. Pendakyah ini mendekati kaum muslimah,p ura- pura nak belajar Islam. ...jatuh cinta...lalu dimurtadkan. ..ada yang pura-pura masuk Islam.. ..dan dimurtadkan. Saya sudah pergi banyak IPT. Saya paling bimbang di Universiti Putra Malaysia . Itulah satu-satunya Universiti yang ada gereja. Gereja ini antara yang aktif untuk memurtadkan orang Islam. Saya nak nasihatkan kalau ada saudara kita terminum 'Holly Water'. Sebenarnya air ini dibuat di Vatican City . Dijampi oleh paderi termasuk Pope John Paul yang jemput Perdana Menteri kita dulu. Kalau terminum, cari air kolah dari 3 masjid. Baca Al-Fatihah 1x, Yasin 1x, 3 qul 1x, dan selawat. Ambil sebahagian buat minum dan sebahagian buat mandi.InsyaAllah mereka akan sedar dan dapat diselamatkan. insyaAllah.
tolong fowardkan ... demi islam... demi agama yang tercinta Insyaallah
Sejak mula PBS bawah Datuk Joseph usaha kami mendapat sokongan penuh kerajaan negeri. Kumpulan saya masuk ke kampong dalam berbagai program. Selalunya program khidmat masyarakat. Pihak gereja selalunya membekalkan wang tunai sekitar RM50, 000/=. Berbagai aturcara dibuat untuk membantu orang kampong. Kami ziarah rumah kerumah. tanya masalah mereka dan bantu mereka. berbagai masalah diluahkan. Ada kami bantu dengan duit secara spontan. Ada kami hantar keperluan harian, pakaian dan buku sekolah dsn. Dengan cara ini kami mendekati mereka. Hasilnya dengan beberapa kali kunjungan susulan,kami berjaya mengkristiankan mereka. Paling berbaloi kami mengkristian remaja Islam, tambah berbaloi dari kalangan intelek. Hasilnya kami dapat RM3,000/= setiap seorang Islam yang dimurtadkan. Bayangkanpendapatan saya ketika masih di alam persekolahan.
Sewaktu Tingkatan 3 saya dan beberapa rakan mengambil m/pelajaran Agama Islam yang boleh dipilih dengan lukisan (betapa hinanya m/pelajaran ini setanding dengan lukisan). Saya mendapat A-3. Sewaktu tingkatan 4 saya belajar di sekolah asrama penuh.Saya terus ambil pelajaran Agama Islam.Tujuan saya untuk tahu mengenai Islam dan memudahkan saya menyebarkan agama kristian. Saya mempunyai beberapa soalan yang saya kira tidak mampu dihuraikan oleh orang Islam.
Pada suatu hari sewaktu tingkatan Enam bawah, saya bersemuka dengan Ustaz yang mengajar saya (saya panggil cikgu). "cikgu saya ada beberapa soalan, tapi saya rasa tak sesuai di kelas ini,boleh ke saya ke rumah cikgu..."Ustaz itubersedia. Lalu saya bersama beberapa rakan ke rumah ustaz itu. Saya katakan "cikgu saya mahu berdialog secara ilmiah, bukan atas nama Islam,agama cikgu dan bukan atas nama Kristian, agama saya". saya kemukakan beberapa persoalan, antaranya;- -
1. Mengapa orang Islam sembah kaabah
-Sebenarnya semua agama sama sahaja. Nasrani, Yahudi, Kristian danIslam adalah agama langit.
2.Mengapa d iakhir zaman, Nabi Isa akan turun bersama Iman Mahadi membebaskan kezaliman dan kekacauan dan bukannya NabiMuhammad.
3. Mengapa dalam sejarah dan hingga kini orang Islam suka peperangan.Injil sekarang dikatakan diseleweng. Kalau begitu mana yang asalnya.
Yangmenghairankan ustaz ini dapat menjawab pertanyaan saya dan kawan -kawan dengan begitu ilmiah. Saya dan kawan -kawan mati akal. Kemudian saya dibebani dengan 3 persoalan yang tidak mampu saya menjawab secara tepat.
1.Apakah boleh manusia(paderi) mengampunkan dosa manusia lain.
2.Persoalan ketuhanan 3 dalam 1 dan 1 dalam 3-konsep ketuhanan Jesus.
Saya mengatur pertemuan ustaz saya dengan beberapa orang paderi, kawan-kawan bapa saya. tetapi mereka enggan. Lalu saya bawa ustaz itu ke rumah saya dan bertemu bapa saya seorang ketua paderi.Ternyata bapa saya juga tidak mampu menjawab persoalan yang dibawa oleh ustaz itu. Sebaik ustaz itu pulang, bapa saya memarahi saya kerana bawa 'orang malaya' datang ke rumah.
Sejak itu beberapa kali saya tidur rumah ustaz itu. Disamping mengulangkaji saya gemar berdialog dengan ustaz itu. saya memerhatikan kehidupan ustaztu, saya mengagumi cara hidupnya.Suatu malam saya bermimpi didatangi 3 orang berjubah. Seorang berjubah hitam membawa salib. Seorang berjubah putih membawa bendera bertulisan jawi. Dan seorang berjubah hijau yang meminta saya membuat pilihan.Yang berjubah hitam dan berjubah putih saling menarik saya mengikuti mereka.Saya meronta-ronta. Di samping itu saya dapati yang berjubah hitam semakin tengelam dan yang berjubah putih semakin tinggi. Sedang saya meronta-ronta, saya terjaga. Saya mendengar suara azan dan ustaz tadi berada di tepi saya dan berkata," mengapa Johanis....awak mengigau.... "Saya pegang tangan ustaz itu, saya katakan,"Cikgu Islamkan saya........ .".
Ustaz itu minta saya bersabar untuk dia uruskan dengan pihak tertentu.Tidak lama selepas itu saya pun di Islamkan oleh Ustaz itu. Selesai pengIslaman saya, saya pulang ke rumah. Sampai di rumah, saya lihat pakaian saya bertabur diluar rumah. Rupanya bapa saya telah tahu.Sebaik melihat saya, bapa bergegas masuk dan keluar semula dengan mengacu senapang ke arah saya. Tiba-tiba emak menerkam dan peluru senapang meletup keatas. Saya segera meninggalkan rumah sehelai sepinggang. Tinggalkan keluarga saya.Tinggalkan sekolah. Saya bersembunyi sekejap rumah ustaz sebelum saya dibawa oleh ustaz pulang ke semenanjung sebaik habis kontrak mengajar di Sabah.Saya diserahkan kepada PERKIM di Kuala Lumpur.
Secara kebetulan rakan saya Nazri,vokalis kumpulan Raihan juga memeluk Islam, tetapi mengikuti kumpulanAr-Arqam. 2 lagu dalam album pertama kumpulan Raihan adalah saduran lagu koir yang kami nyanyikan dalam gereja sewaktu di Sabah dulu..6 tahun saya di PERKIM.Saya masuk pula Maahad Tahfiz. Alhamdulillah saya dapat sijil Al-Hafiz selepas 3 tahun. Kemudian saya bekerja dengan Jabatan Agama Islam. Saya banyak masuk kawasan di Negeri Sembilan, Melaka dan Pahang. Tak sampai setahun saya letak jawatan.Saya sedih kerana ramai pendakwah ini nak berdakwah pun merungut duit over time. Saya rasa tiada keikhlasan. Biarlah saya jadi pendakwah bebas. Saya ingin membilas dosa lalu. Saya telah memurtadkan ramai orang..kini saya mahu berjuang untuk mengIslamkan seramai mungkin dengan kualiti bukan kuantiti saja.
Berbalik kisah keluarga saya. Selepas meninggalkan rumah dan belajar di PERKIM saya selalu telefon ayah,emak dan adik beradik saya. Saya katakan jangan bencikan saya. Saya sayang ayah.saya sayang emak. saya sayang adik beradik saya. Ayah dan emak tetap ayah emak dunia dan akhirat. Walaupun ayah menyambut dingin suara saya, saya hantarkan buku-buku yang sesuai menerangkan tentang Islam. 7 tahun saya telefon. 7 tahun saya hantar suratdan buku-buku. Saya menangis kerana rindukan ayah, emak dan adik beradik. Akhirnya, sewaktu saya di Maahad Tahfiz, bagaikan halilintar saya mendapat berita...... .. Ayah saya menganut Agama Islam. Allah saja yang tahu perasaan saya ketika itu. Saya menangis dan menangis. Saya ambil wuduk dan sujud syukur. Air mata saya menjadi terlalu murah. ...saya terus menangis...saya pejamkan mata...saya bayangkan ayah dihadapan. .. saya peluk erat tubuh ayah dan kami menangis bersama.....
...YaAllah betapa agungnya kekuasaanMu. ...Peristiwa yang saya alami sewaktu memeluk Islam turut dirasai oleh ayah saya. Dia dihalau dari rumah yang diberi oleh pihak gereja. Kini saya pendakwah bebas. Saya sedih melihat umat Islam hari ini berpecah.Kita berpecah kerana kita meninggalkan Quran dan sunnah Rasul. Kita ambil sebahagian dan kita tinggalkan sebahagian.Kita ambil contah pelaksanaan hukum Hudud dan Qisas. Mengapa kita cari jalan nak menentang pelaksanaanya. Sepatutnya kita cari jalan supaya dapat dilaksanakan. Inilah sikap umat Islam.
Saya pernah berdialog dengan beberapa orang pensyarah universiti tentang isu Hudud & Qisas.Dia boleh sergah saya," You apa tahu... Islam pun baru setahun jagung....."Saya sedih dengan sergahan pensyarah itu. Kalau ini sikap pendakwah Saya takkan masuk Islam. Tapi saya pilih Islam kerana saya tahu Apa itu Islam.kerana itu saya ajak menghayati Islam.Saya kumpulkan semula kawan-ka wan masa Kristian dulu. Saya berdialog tentang Islam. Saya kumpulkan derma untuktujuan dakwah ini,untuk bergerak perlukan wang. Saya diancam oleh puak Kristian. saya juga diancam oleh umat Islam apa tauliah awak ,mana kebenaran Jabatan Agama,mana permit polis, sapa benarkan pungut derma dll. Saya tak gentar berdialog dengan puak Kristian, kerana saya ada pengalaman tapi sukarnya bila umat Islam sendiri menyulitkan saya.
Marilah kita awasi dakyah Kristian. Satu usaha yang agak ketara ialah d iIPT. Pendakyah ini mendekati kaum muslimah,p ura- pura nak belajar Islam. ...jatuh cinta...lalu dimurtadkan. ..ada yang pura-pura masuk Islam.. ..dan dimurtadkan. Saya sudah pergi banyak IPT. Saya paling bimbang di Universiti Putra Malaysia . Itulah satu-satunya Universiti yang ada gereja. Gereja ini antara yang aktif untuk memurtadkan orang Islam. Saya nak nasihatkan kalau ada saudara kita terminum 'Holly Water'. Sebenarnya air ini dibuat di Vatican City . Dijampi oleh paderi termasuk Pope John Paul yang jemput Perdana Menteri kita dulu. Kalau terminum, cari air kolah dari 3 masjid. Baca Al-Fatihah 1x, Yasin 1x, 3 qul 1x, dan selawat. Ambil sebahagian buat minum dan sebahagian buat mandi.InsyaAllah mereka akan sedar dan dapat diselamatkan. insyaAllah.
tolong fowardkan ... demi islam... demi agama yang tercinta Insyaallah
Monday 23 June 2008
Interview with Warren Buffet
There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity. Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:
1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha , that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence. 4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules.
Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money.
Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
His advice to young people:
"Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:
A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen to them, but do what makes you feel good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on things that you really need.
F. After all it's your life, then why give others the chance to rule your life."
1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha , that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence. 4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules.
Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money.
Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
His advice to young people:
"Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:
A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen to them, but do what makes you feel good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on things that you really need.
F. After all it's your life, then why give others the chance to rule your life."
14 million Jews are more powerful than the entire 1.5 billion Muslims
Some thoughts: Extracts of speech by Hafez Adv. AB Mohamed: Director Al Baraka Bank, South Africa
Demographics:
o World Jewish Population. 14 million
o Distribution: 7m in America
5m in Asia
2m in Europe
100 thousand in Africa
o World Muslim Population: 1.5 billion
o Distribution: I billion in Asia/Mid-East
400 M in Africa
44 M in Europe
6 M in the Americas
o Every fifth human being is a Muslim.
o For every single Hindu the re are two Muslims
o For every Buddhist the re are two Muslims
o For every Jew the re are 107 Muslims
o Yet the 14 million Jews are more powerful than the entire 1.5 billion Muslims
Why?
Here are some of the reasons.
Movers of Current History
o Albert Einstein Jewish
o Sigmund Freud Jewish
o Karl Marx Jewish
o Paul Samuelson Jewish
o Milton Friedman
Medical Milestones
o Vaccinating Needle: Benjamin Ruben Jewish
o Polio Vaccine Jonas Salk Jewish
o Leukaemia Drug Gertrude Elion Jewish
o Hepatitis B Baruch Blumberg Jewish
o Syphilis Drug Paul Ehrlich Jewish
o Neuro muscular Elie Metchnikoff Jewish
o Endocrinology Andrew Schally Jewish
o Cognitive therapy. Aaron Beck Jewish
o Contraceptive Pill Gregory Pincus Jewish
o Understanding of Human Eye. G. Wald Jewish
o Embryology. Stanley Cohen Jewish
o Kidney Dialysis Willem Kloffcame Jewish
Nobel Prize Winners
o In the past 105 years, 14 million Jews have won 180 Nobel prizes whilst 1.5 billion Muslims have contributed only 3 Nobel winners
Inventions that changed History
o Micro- Processing Chip. Stanley Mezor Jewish
o Nuclear Chain Reactor Leo Sziland Jewish
o Optical Fibre Cable Peter Schultz Jewish
o Traffic Lights Charles Adler Jewish
o Stainless Steel Benno Strauss Jewish
o Sound Movies Isador Kisee Jewish
o Telephone Microphone Emile Berliner Jewish
o Video Tape Recorder Charles Ginsburg Jewish
Influential Global Business
o Polo Ralph Lauren Jewish
o Coca Cola Jewish
o Levi’s Jeans Levi Strauss Jewish
o Sawbuck’s Howard Schultz Jewish
o Google Sergey Brin Jewish
o Dell Computers Michael Dell Jewish
o Oracle Larry Ellison Jewish
o DKNY Donna Karan Jewish
o Baskin & Robbins Irv Robbins Jewish
o Dunkin Donuts Bill Rosenberg Jewish
Influential Intellectuals/Politicians
o Henry Kissinger , US Sec of State Jewish
o Richard Levin, President Yale University Jewish
o Alan Greenspan , US Federal Reserve Jewish
o Joseph Lieberman Jewish
o Madeleine Albright , US Sec of State Jewish
o Casper Weinberger , US Sec of Defence Jewish
o Maxim Litvinov , USSR Foreign Minister Jewish
o David Marshal , Singapore Chief Minister Jewish
o Isaacs Isaacs, Gov-Gen Australia Jewish
o Benjamin Disraeli, British Statesman Jewish
o Yevgeny Primakov, Russian PM Jewish
o Barry Goldwater , US Politician Jewish
o Jorge Sampaio, President Portugal Jewish
o Herb Gray, Canadian Deputy - PM Jewish
o Pierre Mendes, French PM Jewish
o Michael Howard, British Home Sec. Jewish
o Bruno Kriesky, Austrian Chancellor Jewish
o Robert Rubin , US Sec of Treasury Jewish
Global Media Influential
o Wolf Blitzer, CNN Jewish
o Barbara Walters ABC News Jewish
o Eugene Meyer , Washington Post Jewish
o Henry Grunwald, Time Magazine Jewish
o Katherine Graham , Washington Post Jewish
o Joseph Lelyeld, New York Times Jewish
o Max Frankel, New York Times Jewish
Global Philanthropists
o George Soros Jewish
o Walter Annenberg Jewish
Olympic Gold Medallists
o Mark Spitz 7 Gold Medals Jewish
o Krayzelburg Jewish
o Boris Becker
o Stars and TV Producers and
o Personalities Jewish
Why are the y powerful?
So why are Muslims powerless? Here’s another reason. We have lost the capacity to produce knowledge.
o In the entire Muslim World (57 Muslim Countries) the re are only 500 universities.
o In USA alone, 5,758 universities
o In India alone, 8,407 universities
o Not one university in the entire Islamic World features in the Top 500 Ranking Universities of the World
o Literacy in the Christian World 90%
o Literacy in the Muslim World 40%
o 15 Christian majority-countries, literacy rate 100%
o Muslim majority - countries , None
o 98% in Christian countries completed primary
o Only 50% in Muslim countries completed primary.
o 40% in Christian countries attended university
o In Muslim countries a dismal 2% attended.
o Muslim majority countries have 230 scientists per one million Muslims
o The USA has 5000 per million
o The Christian world 1000 technicians per million.
o Entire Arab World only 50 technicians per million.
o Muslim World spends on research/development 0.2% of GDP
o Christian World spends 5 % of GDP
Conclusion.
o The Muslim World lacks the capacity to produce knowledge.
Another way of testing the degree of knowledge is the degree of diffusing knowledge.
o Pakistan 23 daily newspapers per 1000 citizens
o Singapore 360 per 1000 citizens.
o In UK book titles per million is 2000
o In Egypt book titles per million is only 20
Conclusion.
o Muslim World is failing to diffuse knowledge
Applying Knowledge is another such test.
o Exports of high tech products from Pakistan is 1% of its exports.
o In Saudi Arabia is 0.3%
o Kuwait, Morocco and Algeria 0.3%
o Singapore alone is 58%
Conclusion.
o Muslim World is failing to apply knowledge.
So why are the Muslims so powerless??? JUST THINK ABOUT IT
Demographics:
o World Jewish Population. 14 million
o Distribution: 7m in America
5m in Asia
2m in Europe
100 thousand in Africa
o World Muslim Population: 1.5 billion
o Distribution: I billion in Asia/Mid-East
400 M in Africa
44 M in Europe
6 M in the Americas
o Every fifth human being is a Muslim.
o For every single Hindu the re are two Muslims
o For every Buddhist the re are two Muslims
o For every Jew the re are 107 Muslims
o Yet the 14 million Jews are more powerful than the entire 1.5 billion Muslims
Why?
Here are some of the reasons.
Movers of Current History
o Albert Einstein Jewish
o Sigmund Freud Jewish
o Karl Marx Jewish
o Paul Samuelson Jewish
o Milton Friedman
Medical Milestones
o Vaccinating Needle: Benjamin Ruben Jewish
o Polio Vaccine Jonas Salk Jewish
o Leukaemia Drug Gertrude Elion Jewish
o Hepatitis B Baruch Blumberg Jewish
o Syphilis Drug Paul Ehrlich Jewish
o Neuro muscular Elie Metchnikoff Jewish
o Endocrinology Andrew Schally Jewish
o Cognitive therapy. Aaron Beck Jewish
o Contraceptive Pill Gregory Pincus Jewish
o Understanding of Human Eye. G. Wald Jewish
o Embryology. Stanley Cohen Jewish
o Kidney Dialysis Willem Kloffcame Jewish
Nobel Prize Winners
o In the past 105 years, 14 million Jews have won 180 Nobel prizes whilst 1.5 billion Muslims have contributed only 3 Nobel winners
Inventions that changed History
o Micro- Processing Chip. Stanley Mezor Jewish
o Nuclear Chain Reactor Leo Sziland Jewish
o Optical Fibre Cable Peter Schultz Jewish
o Traffic Lights Charles Adler Jewish
o Stainless Steel Benno Strauss Jewish
o Sound Movies Isador Kisee Jewish
o Telephone Microphone Emile Berliner Jewish
o Video Tape Recorder Charles Ginsburg Jewish
Influential Global Business
o Polo Ralph Lauren Jewish
o Coca Cola Jewish
o Levi’s Jeans Levi Strauss Jewish
o Sawbuck’s Howard Schultz Jewish
o Google Sergey Brin Jewish
o Dell Computers Michael Dell Jewish
o Oracle Larry Ellison Jewish
o DKNY Donna Karan Jewish
o Baskin & Robbins Irv Robbins Jewish
o Dunkin Donuts Bill Rosenberg Jewish
Influential Intellectuals/Politicians
o Henry Kissinger , US Sec of State Jewish
o Richard Levin, President Yale University Jewish
o Alan Greenspan , US Federal Reserve Jewish
o Joseph Lieberman Jewish
o Madeleine Albright , US Sec of State Jewish
o Casper Weinberger , US Sec of Defence Jewish
o Maxim Litvinov , USSR Foreign Minister Jewish
o David Marshal , Singapore Chief Minister Jewish
o Isaacs Isaacs, Gov-Gen Australia Jewish
o Benjamin Disraeli, British Statesman Jewish
o Yevgeny Primakov, Russian PM Jewish
o Barry Goldwater , US Politician Jewish
o Jorge Sampaio, President Portugal Jewish
o Herb Gray, Canadian Deputy - PM Jewish
o Pierre Mendes, French PM Jewish
o Michael Howard, British Home Sec. Jewish
o Bruno Kriesky, Austrian Chancellor Jewish
o Robert Rubin , US Sec of Treasury Jewish
Global Media Influential
o Wolf Blitzer, CNN Jewish
o Barbara Walters ABC News Jewish
o Eugene Meyer , Washington Post Jewish
o Henry Grunwald, Time Magazine Jewish
o Katherine Graham , Washington Post Jewish
o Joseph Lelyeld, New York Times Jewish
o Max Frankel, New York Times Jewish
Global Philanthropists
o George Soros Jewish
o Walter Annenberg Jewish
Olympic Gold Medallists
o Mark Spitz 7 Gold Medals Jewish
o Krayzelburg Jewish
o Boris Becker
o Stars and TV Producers and
o Personalities Jewish
Why are the y powerful?
So why are Muslims powerless? Here’s another reason. We have lost the capacity to produce knowledge.
o In the entire Muslim World (57 Muslim Countries) the re are only 500 universities.
o In USA alone, 5,758 universities
o In India alone, 8,407 universities
o Not one university in the entire Islamic World features in the Top 500 Ranking Universities of the World
o Literacy in the Christian World 90%
o Literacy in the Muslim World 40%
o 15 Christian majority-countries, literacy rate 100%
o Muslim majority - countries , None
o 98% in Christian countries completed primary
o Only 50% in Muslim countries completed primary.
o 40% in Christian countries attended university
o In Muslim countries a dismal 2% attended.
o Muslim majority countries have 230 scientists per one million Muslims
o The USA has 5000 per million
o The Christian world 1000 technicians per million.
o Entire Arab World only 50 technicians per million.
o Muslim World spends on research/development 0.2% of GDP
o Christian World spends 5 % of GDP
Conclusion.
o The Muslim World lacks the capacity to produce knowledge.
Another way of testing the degree of knowledge is the degree of diffusing knowledge.
o Pakistan 23 daily newspapers per 1000 citizens
o Singapore 360 per 1000 citizens.
o In UK book titles per million is 2000
o In Egypt book titles per million is only 20
Conclusion.
o Muslim World is failing to diffuse knowledge
Applying Knowledge is another such test.
o Exports of high tech products from Pakistan is 1% of its exports.
o In Saudi Arabia is 0.3%
o Kuwait, Morocco and Algeria 0.3%
o Singapore alone is 58%
Conclusion.
o Muslim World is failing to apply knowledge.
So why are the Muslims so powerless??? JUST THINK ABOUT IT
Friday 9 May 2008
Two Versions
A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?'
The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made.
'Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.
The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.
'The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?
'The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.'
The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made.
'Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.
The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.
'The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?
'The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.'
Monday 24 March 2008
Terlajak Perahu Masih Boleh Diundur
Soalan
SAYA lelaki yang sangat cerewet dalam memilih pasangan. Gadis idaman saya mestilah cantik dan berkulit cerah. Perkenalan saya dengan Su yang pada asalnya hanya kawan menjadi semakin intim sehinggakan kami terlanjur.
Atas rasa tanggungjawab, saya melamar Su. Kedua-dua keluarga merestui dan akhirnya kami sah menjadi suami isteri. Sebenarnya, Su bukan gadis idaman saya. Dia berkulit gelap, tetapi manis dan sentiasa ceria.Kelebihan Su ialah dia sentiasa membuatkan orang di sekelilingnya tertarik untuk mendengar keletahnya. Mungkin sebab itu saya tertarik untuk berkawan dengannya pada awal perkenalan kami.
Selepas dua tahun berkahwin, saya ditukarkan ke selatan tanah air. Di sana saya bertemu Anis, gadis yang memiliki ciri-ciri idaman. Orangnya cantik, berkulit cerah dan pemalu. Untuk memikatnya, saya mengaku masih bujang.Saya tidak bertepuk sebelah tangan kerana dia juga menyukai saya.
Tanpa berfikir panjang serta dalam keadaan mabuk cinta, saya menghantar SMS cerai kepada Su. Kelam kabut keluarga Su dan keluarga saya mencari saya.Dalam perbincangan tegang, saya berterus terang akan melamar Anis dan melepaskan Su supaya tidak terluka. Semoga ada lelaki lain boleh membahagiakan Su memandangkan kami belum ada anak.Berulang kali Su menelefon saya, tetapi saya tidak menjawabnya. Banyak SMS yang dia hantar bertanyakan apakah salahnya, tetapi saya tidak membalasnya. Akhirnya Su tidak lagi menghubungi saya dalam tempoh proses perceraian kami.
Selepas enam bulan bercerai dengan Su, saya dan Anis disatukan dalam majlis sederhana. Lima bulan bersama Anis, saya mula merasai kekurangan. Walaupun memiliki ciri-ciri gadis idaman saya, dia terlalu pendiam. Sepatah saya tanya, sepatah dijawab.Anis juga sangat cemburu, menyebabkan saya menjadi rimas. Saya mula merindui keletah Su. Sepanjang dua tahun bersama Su, saya tidak pernah berasa sunyi dengannya. Satu perkara lagi yang menyebabkan saya sangat merindui Su ialah prestasi hebatnya di ranjang.Berbanding Su, Anis sangat pemalu dan tidak dapat memberi kepuasan maksimum kepada saya. Berulang kali saya mengajarnya dengan memberi bahan bacaan yang berkaitan, tetapi jawapan Anis ialah dia malu.
Ada beberapa kali saya menghubungi Su melalui telefon dan dia tetap melayan saya dengan baik, seolah-olah tiada rasa benci dalam nada suaranya.Setiap kali menghubungi Su, saya rasa tenang dan lega kerana celotehnya membuat saya terhibur.Bagaimanapun, saya tahu jauh di sudut hati Su dia terluka dengan perbuatan saya kerana banyak kali dia memberi alasan sibuk jika saya mahu berbual panjang dengannya.
Baru-baru ini saya mendapat tahu Su dipinang seorang jejaka yang juga kenalan saya. Saya menjadi cemburu dan yang paling menyakitkan ialah saya tidak dapat menerima hakikat suaminya nanti akan mendapat layanan hebat daripada Su.Kini, saya menyesali tindakan lalu. Baru saya sedar kecantikan luaran bukan kayu ukur kepada kebahagiaan. Bantulah saya menyelesaikan masalah ini kerana saya benar-benar merindui dan mencintai Su serta mahu kembali kepadanya.ZK
Jawapan
Hakikatnya, tidak banyak yang Dang Setia mahupun saudara boleh lakukan untuk menjadikan keadaan memihak kepada saudara atau lebih tepat lagi untuk membolehkan Su menjadi kembali milik saudara. Apa yang saudara alami kini menepati bidalan ‘terlajak perahu boleh diundur, terlajak kata buruk padahnya’.
Maaf, Dang Setia tidak bermaksud menyakitkan hati atau menambah kekecewaan saudara, namun mahu mendidik saudara supaya bersikap lebih matang, belajar memperbaiki kelemahan diri dan menerima baik serta buruk kehidupan ini dengan seadanya.Tentu tidak adil dan bukan tindakan bijak untuk saudara kini bertungkus lumus berusaha memiliki semula Su dalam keadaan diri saudara menjadi suami Anis dan Su pula bakal mendirikan rumah tangga dengan jejaka pilihannya.Jika saudara masih cuba ‘berjuang’ untuk mendapatkan Su, itu bermakna saudara sekali lagi mengulangi kesilapan sebelum ini iaitu bertindak terburu-buru mengikut nafsu yang besar kemungkinan mencetuskan masalah lain pada masa depan.
Yang ingin Dang Setia tekankan di sini ialah, satu kelemahan atau kesilapan saudara sehingga mencetuskan permasalahan sekarang ialah melakukan tindakan tanpa berfikir panjang atau terlalu mengikut kata hati serta nafsu.Buktinya jelas. Pertama, saudara mengatakan Su bukan wanita yang memiliki ciri-ciri pilihan saudara, tapi disebabkan dorongan hawa nafsu, anda berdua akhirnya terlanjur hingga akhirnya terpaksa berkahwin.Kedua, selepas menemui Anis, saudara terus lupa diri. Disebabkan kemaruk asmara, saudara tanpa berfikir panjang terus menceraikan Su hanya dengan cara menghantar SMS.Ketiga, akibat tindakan saudara itu keluarga Su dan keluarga saudara kelam kabut. Mereka datang memujuk saudara, tapi sekali lagi saudara tidak mahu berfikir panjang, sebaliknya hanya mengikut hati dan nafsu. Pujukan mereka saudara tolak, malah cubaan Su untuk menghubungi saudara juga tidak dilayan.Akibat sikap tidak berfikir panjang dan bertindak terburu-buru itu, saudara akhirnya terhimpit dalam masalah yang dialami kini.
Oleh itu, bagi Dang Setia, saudara tidak boleh menyalahkan orang lain di atas apa yang berlaku kerana segala-galanya disebabkan kesilapan sendiri. Atas sebab itu Dang Setia berharap kali saudara dapat bersikap lebih matang.Maksudnya, disebabkan saudara bersalah, saudara perlu reda menerima ‘hukuman’ di atas kesalahan itu. Dalam situasi begini, tindakan paling wajar ialah muhasabah diri dan berusaha sebaik mungkin untuk memperbaiki kelemahan diri.Selepas apa yang berlaku, sewajarnya saudara menginsafi kesilapan ketika memilih isteri sebelum ini iaitu menjadikan kecantikan fizikal sebagai kriteria utama, bukan kepatuhan terhadap agama sebagaimana disyariatkan Islam.
Yakinlah apabila Allah menyarankan kita melakukan sesuatu, pasti ia untuk kebaikan kita dan kita tidak akan rugi jika mengikut saranan Allah.Ini termasuk dalam soal memilih isteri. Jika kita memilih isteri dengan mengutamakan kepatuhan agamanya dan bukan atas dasar kecantikan atau harta, rumah tangga kita akan lebih sempurna.Selain itu, kita harus percaya jika kita mengutamakan ajaran Islam dengan menjadikannya garis panduan dalam apa jua yang kita lakukan, hidup kita lebih berkat untuk memperoleh kejayaan bukan saja di dunia tetapi juga akhirat.Justeru, dalam situasi saudara pada masa ini, Islam mengajar kita supaya reda menerima apa yang berlaku, mensyukuri apa yang kita ada dan jangan bersikap cemburu atau dengki dengan kenikmatan yang diperoleh orang lain.Maksudnya di sini, saudara harus melupakan kisah silam kehidupan bersama Su.
Saudara kini memiliki Anis sebagai isteri yang sah, jadi layari kehidupan berumah tangga sebagai mungkin dengannya.Jangan jadikan nafsu sebagai pengukur utama kebahagiaan rumah tangga. Memang ia penting, tapi ia bukan satu-satunya penentu kebahagiaan.Dang Setia bimbang, jika selepas ini saudara mencari isteri lain yang hebat di ranjang, tiba-tiba saudara dapati dia lemah pula dalam soal lain, seperti mengurus rumah tangga dan sebagainya.Jadi, atasi masalah kedinginan seksual isteri saudara dengan bijak. Jika perlu, saudara dan isteri boleh merujuk masalah isteri anda kepada doktor pakar untuk mendapat kaedah atau pendekatan lain.
SAYA lelaki yang sangat cerewet dalam memilih pasangan. Gadis idaman saya mestilah cantik dan berkulit cerah. Perkenalan saya dengan Su yang pada asalnya hanya kawan menjadi semakin intim sehinggakan kami terlanjur.
Atas rasa tanggungjawab, saya melamar Su. Kedua-dua keluarga merestui dan akhirnya kami sah menjadi suami isteri. Sebenarnya, Su bukan gadis idaman saya. Dia berkulit gelap, tetapi manis dan sentiasa ceria.Kelebihan Su ialah dia sentiasa membuatkan orang di sekelilingnya tertarik untuk mendengar keletahnya. Mungkin sebab itu saya tertarik untuk berkawan dengannya pada awal perkenalan kami.
Selepas dua tahun berkahwin, saya ditukarkan ke selatan tanah air. Di sana saya bertemu Anis, gadis yang memiliki ciri-ciri idaman. Orangnya cantik, berkulit cerah dan pemalu. Untuk memikatnya, saya mengaku masih bujang.Saya tidak bertepuk sebelah tangan kerana dia juga menyukai saya.
Tanpa berfikir panjang serta dalam keadaan mabuk cinta, saya menghantar SMS cerai kepada Su. Kelam kabut keluarga Su dan keluarga saya mencari saya.Dalam perbincangan tegang, saya berterus terang akan melamar Anis dan melepaskan Su supaya tidak terluka. Semoga ada lelaki lain boleh membahagiakan Su memandangkan kami belum ada anak.Berulang kali Su menelefon saya, tetapi saya tidak menjawabnya. Banyak SMS yang dia hantar bertanyakan apakah salahnya, tetapi saya tidak membalasnya. Akhirnya Su tidak lagi menghubungi saya dalam tempoh proses perceraian kami.
Selepas enam bulan bercerai dengan Su, saya dan Anis disatukan dalam majlis sederhana. Lima bulan bersama Anis, saya mula merasai kekurangan. Walaupun memiliki ciri-ciri gadis idaman saya, dia terlalu pendiam. Sepatah saya tanya, sepatah dijawab.Anis juga sangat cemburu, menyebabkan saya menjadi rimas. Saya mula merindui keletah Su. Sepanjang dua tahun bersama Su, saya tidak pernah berasa sunyi dengannya. Satu perkara lagi yang menyebabkan saya sangat merindui Su ialah prestasi hebatnya di ranjang.Berbanding Su, Anis sangat pemalu dan tidak dapat memberi kepuasan maksimum kepada saya. Berulang kali saya mengajarnya dengan memberi bahan bacaan yang berkaitan, tetapi jawapan Anis ialah dia malu.
Ada beberapa kali saya menghubungi Su melalui telefon dan dia tetap melayan saya dengan baik, seolah-olah tiada rasa benci dalam nada suaranya.Setiap kali menghubungi Su, saya rasa tenang dan lega kerana celotehnya membuat saya terhibur.Bagaimanapun, saya tahu jauh di sudut hati Su dia terluka dengan perbuatan saya kerana banyak kali dia memberi alasan sibuk jika saya mahu berbual panjang dengannya.
Baru-baru ini saya mendapat tahu Su dipinang seorang jejaka yang juga kenalan saya. Saya menjadi cemburu dan yang paling menyakitkan ialah saya tidak dapat menerima hakikat suaminya nanti akan mendapat layanan hebat daripada Su.Kini, saya menyesali tindakan lalu. Baru saya sedar kecantikan luaran bukan kayu ukur kepada kebahagiaan. Bantulah saya menyelesaikan masalah ini kerana saya benar-benar merindui dan mencintai Su serta mahu kembali kepadanya.ZK
Jawapan
Hakikatnya, tidak banyak yang Dang Setia mahupun saudara boleh lakukan untuk menjadikan keadaan memihak kepada saudara atau lebih tepat lagi untuk membolehkan Su menjadi kembali milik saudara. Apa yang saudara alami kini menepati bidalan ‘terlajak perahu boleh diundur, terlajak kata buruk padahnya’.
Maaf, Dang Setia tidak bermaksud menyakitkan hati atau menambah kekecewaan saudara, namun mahu mendidik saudara supaya bersikap lebih matang, belajar memperbaiki kelemahan diri dan menerima baik serta buruk kehidupan ini dengan seadanya.Tentu tidak adil dan bukan tindakan bijak untuk saudara kini bertungkus lumus berusaha memiliki semula Su dalam keadaan diri saudara menjadi suami Anis dan Su pula bakal mendirikan rumah tangga dengan jejaka pilihannya.Jika saudara masih cuba ‘berjuang’ untuk mendapatkan Su, itu bermakna saudara sekali lagi mengulangi kesilapan sebelum ini iaitu bertindak terburu-buru mengikut nafsu yang besar kemungkinan mencetuskan masalah lain pada masa depan.
Yang ingin Dang Setia tekankan di sini ialah, satu kelemahan atau kesilapan saudara sehingga mencetuskan permasalahan sekarang ialah melakukan tindakan tanpa berfikir panjang atau terlalu mengikut kata hati serta nafsu.Buktinya jelas. Pertama, saudara mengatakan Su bukan wanita yang memiliki ciri-ciri pilihan saudara, tapi disebabkan dorongan hawa nafsu, anda berdua akhirnya terlanjur hingga akhirnya terpaksa berkahwin.Kedua, selepas menemui Anis, saudara terus lupa diri. Disebabkan kemaruk asmara, saudara tanpa berfikir panjang terus menceraikan Su hanya dengan cara menghantar SMS.Ketiga, akibat tindakan saudara itu keluarga Su dan keluarga saudara kelam kabut. Mereka datang memujuk saudara, tapi sekali lagi saudara tidak mahu berfikir panjang, sebaliknya hanya mengikut hati dan nafsu. Pujukan mereka saudara tolak, malah cubaan Su untuk menghubungi saudara juga tidak dilayan.Akibat sikap tidak berfikir panjang dan bertindak terburu-buru itu, saudara akhirnya terhimpit dalam masalah yang dialami kini.
Oleh itu, bagi Dang Setia, saudara tidak boleh menyalahkan orang lain di atas apa yang berlaku kerana segala-galanya disebabkan kesilapan sendiri. Atas sebab itu Dang Setia berharap kali saudara dapat bersikap lebih matang.Maksudnya, disebabkan saudara bersalah, saudara perlu reda menerima ‘hukuman’ di atas kesalahan itu. Dalam situasi begini, tindakan paling wajar ialah muhasabah diri dan berusaha sebaik mungkin untuk memperbaiki kelemahan diri.Selepas apa yang berlaku, sewajarnya saudara menginsafi kesilapan ketika memilih isteri sebelum ini iaitu menjadikan kecantikan fizikal sebagai kriteria utama, bukan kepatuhan terhadap agama sebagaimana disyariatkan Islam.
Yakinlah apabila Allah menyarankan kita melakukan sesuatu, pasti ia untuk kebaikan kita dan kita tidak akan rugi jika mengikut saranan Allah.Ini termasuk dalam soal memilih isteri. Jika kita memilih isteri dengan mengutamakan kepatuhan agamanya dan bukan atas dasar kecantikan atau harta, rumah tangga kita akan lebih sempurna.Selain itu, kita harus percaya jika kita mengutamakan ajaran Islam dengan menjadikannya garis panduan dalam apa jua yang kita lakukan, hidup kita lebih berkat untuk memperoleh kejayaan bukan saja di dunia tetapi juga akhirat.Justeru, dalam situasi saudara pada masa ini, Islam mengajar kita supaya reda menerima apa yang berlaku, mensyukuri apa yang kita ada dan jangan bersikap cemburu atau dengki dengan kenikmatan yang diperoleh orang lain.Maksudnya di sini, saudara harus melupakan kisah silam kehidupan bersama Su.
Saudara kini memiliki Anis sebagai isteri yang sah, jadi layari kehidupan berumah tangga sebagai mungkin dengannya.Jangan jadikan nafsu sebagai pengukur utama kebahagiaan rumah tangga. Memang ia penting, tapi ia bukan satu-satunya penentu kebahagiaan.Dang Setia bimbang, jika selepas ini saudara mencari isteri lain yang hebat di ranjang, tiba-tiba saudara dapati dia lemah pula dalam soal lain, seperti mengurus rumah tangga dan sebagainya.Jadi, atasi masalah kedinginan seksual isteri saudara dengan bijak. Jika perlu, saudara dan isteri boleh merujuk masalah isteri anda kepada doktor pakar untuk mendapat kaedah atau pendekatan lain.
Sajak PRU 12
Kalau aku jadi Pak Lah
Aku mengaku salah
Jawatan PM aku serah
Aku sedar dan pasrah
Orang tak mau aku dah
Parti aku terima padah
Aku sedar yang aku lemah
Selama ini aku ambik mudah
Aku bukan ikut nafsu
Walaupun cuma pegang bahu
Tidak lebih daripada itu
Punca sebenar ialah menantu
Dia yang buat benda tak menentu
Berlagak macam pemimpin nombor satu
Lesen besar sebab guna nama aku
Jaja habis dari Perlis hingga Johor Baru
Aku sedar susah nak letak jawatan
Sebab masih ada banyak kepentingan
Kamaludin masih tak habis makan
Skomi kena selesai semua pinjaman
Sebab selepas ini tiada jaminan
Laki Nori pula nak jadi Menteri Kewangan
Tapi aku dapat banyak tentangan
Mula-mula Mukhriz yang mulakan
Tulis surat bagi aku dapat kemaluan
Macam Mahathir buat kat Tunku Rahman
Entahlah zaman aku jadi tak ketahuan
Pilihan aku sebenarnya ialah Shahidan
Tapi Raja Perlis pula tak perkenan
Sebab Shahidan potong elaun keraian
Idris Jusof pula tak diperkenan Sultan Mizan
Buat pintu gerbang tak bagi tau Sultan
Aku tidak dapat kawal semua keadaan
Hidup aku semakin tertekan
Cuma Jin saja penyejuk badan
Keris Silau
Aku mengaku salah
Jawatan PM aku serah
Aku sedar dan pasrah
Orang tak mau aku dah
Parti aku terima padah
Aku sedar yang aku lemah
Selama ini aku ambik mudah
Aku bukan ikut nafsu
Walaupun cuma pegang bahu
Tidak lebih daripada itu
Punca sebenar ialah menantu
Dia yang buat benda tak menentu
Berlagak macam pemimpin nombor satu
Lesen besar sebab guna nama aku
Jaja habis dari Perlis hingga Johor Baru
Aku sedar susah nak letak jawatan
Sebab masih ada banyak kepentingan
Kamaludin masih tak habis makan
Skomi kena selesai semua pinjaman
Sebab selepas ini tiada jaminan
Laki Nori pula nak jadi Menteri Kewangan
Tapi aku dapat banyak tentangan
Mula-mula Mukhriz yang mulakan
Tulis surat bagi aku dapat kemaluan
Macam Mahathir buat kat Tunku Rahman
Entahlah zaman aku jadi tak ketahuan
Pilihan aku sebenarnya ialah Shahidan
Tapi Raja Perlis pula tak perkenan
Sebab Shahidan potong elaun keraian
Idris Jusof pula tak diperkenan Sultan Mizan
Buat pintu gerbang tak bagi tau Sultan
Aku tidak dapat kawal semua keadaan
Hidup aku semakin tertekan
Cuma Jin saja penyejuk badan
Keris Silau
Penawar Duka
Kenapa aku diuji?
“Apakah manusia itu mengira bahawa mereka dibiarkan saja mengatakan; “Kami telah beriman,” sedangkan mereka tidak diuji? Dan sesungguhnya Kami telah menguji orang-orang yang sebelum mereka, maka sesungguhnya Allah mengetahui orang-orang yang benar dan sesungguhnya Dia mengetahui orang-orang yang dusta”.(Surah Al-Ankabut ayat 2-3)
Kenapa aku tak dapat apa yang aku idam-idamkan?
“Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh jadi pula kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu, Allah mengetahui sedang kamu tidak mengetahui”.(Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 216)
Kenapa ujian seberat ini?
“Allah tidak membebani seseorang itu melainkan sesuai dengan kesanggupannya” .(Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 286)
Kenapa rasa kecewa?
“Janganlah kamu bersikap lemah dan janganlah pula kamu bersedih hati, padahal kamulah orang-orang yang paling tinggi darjatnya, jika kamu orang-orang yang beriman”.(Surah Ali Imran ayat 139)
Bagaimana harus aku menghadapinya?
“Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bersabarlah kamu (menghadapi segala kesukaran dalam mengerjakan perkara-perkara yang berkebajikan) , dan kuatkanlah kesabaran kamu lebih daripada kesabaran musuh, (di medan perjuangan), dan bersedialah (dengan kekuatan pertahanan di daerah-daerah sempadan) serta bertaqwalah kamu kepada Allah supaya kamu berjaya (mencapai kemenangan)”.(Surah Ali Imran ayat 200)
“Dan mintalah pertolongan (kepada Allah) dengan jalan sabar dan mengerjakan solat; sesungguhnya solat itu amatlah berat kecuali kepada orang-orang yang khusyuk”.(Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 45)
Apa yang aku dapat daripada semua ini?
“Sesungguhnya Allah telah membeli daripada orang-orang mukmin, diri dan harta mereka dengan memberikan syurga untuk mereka…”(Surah Al-Taubah ayat 111)
Kepada siapa aku berharap?
“….. Cukuplah Allah bagiku, tidak ada Tuhan selain Dia. Hanya kepada-Nya aku bertawakal…..” . (Surah Al-Taubah ayat 129)
Aku dah tak dapat bertahan lagi!
“….. dan janganlah kamu berputus asa daripada rahmat Allah. Sesungguhnya tiada berputus asa daripada rahmat Allah melainkan kaum yang kafir”.(Surah Yusuf ayat 12)
“Apakah manusia itu mengira bahawa mereka dibiarkan saja mengatakan; “Kami telah beriman,” sedangkan mereka tidak diuji? Dan sesungguhnya Kami telah menguji orang-orang yang sebelum mereka, maka sesungguhnya Allah mengetahui orang-orang yang benar dan sesungguhnya Dia mengetahui orang-orang yang dusta”.(Surah Al-Ankabut ayat 2-3)
Kenapa aku tak dapat apa yang aku idam-idamkan?
“Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh jadi pula kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu, Allah mengetahui sedang kamu tidak mengetahui”.(Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 216)
Kenapa ujian seberat ini?
“Allah tidak membebani seseorang itu melainkan sesuai dengan kesanggupannya” .(Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 286)
Kenapa rasa kecewa?
“Janganlah kamu bersikap lemah dan janganlah pula kamu bersedih hati, padahal kamulah orang-orang yang paling tinggi darjatnya, jika kamu orang-orang yang beriman”.(Surah Ali Imran ayat 139)
Bagaimana harus aku menghadapinya?
“Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bersabarlah kamu (menghadapi segala kesukaran dalam mengerjakan perkara-perkara yang berkebajikan) , dan kuatkanlah kesabaran kamu lebih daripada kesabaran musuh, (di medan perjuangan), dan bersedialah (dengan kekuatan pertahanan di daerah-daerah sempadan) serta bertaqwalah kamu kepada Allah supaya kamu berjaya (mencapai kemenangan)”.(Surah Ali Imran ayat 200)
“Dan mintalah pertolongan (kepada Allah) dengan jalan sabar dan mengerjakan solat; sesungguhnya solat itu amatlah berat kecuali kepada orang-orang yang khusyuk”.(Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 45)
Apa yang aku dapat daripada semua ini?
“Sesungguhnya Allah telah membeli daripada orang-orang mukmin, diri dan harta mereka dengan memberikan syurga untuk mereka…”(Surah Al-Taubah ayat 111)
Kepada siapa aku berharap?
“….. Cukuplah Allah bagiku, tidak ada Tuhan selain Dia. Hanya kepada-Nya aku bertawakal…..” . (Surah Al-Taubah ayat 129)
Aku dah tak dapat bertahan lagi!
“….. dan janganlah kamu berputus asa daripada rahmat Allah. Sesungguhnya tiada berputus asa daripada rahmat Allah melainkan kaum yang kafir”.(Surah Yusuf ayat 12)
Tuesday 12 February 2008
Kisah Kasih Sayang
Aku cuma ada seorang adik. Usianya tiga tahun lebih muda daripada aku.
Suatu hari, untuk mendapatkan sehelai sapu tangan yang menjadi keperluan anak gadis ketika itu, aku ambil 50 sen dari poket seluar ayah.Petang itu, pulang saja dari sekolah - ayah memanggil kami berdua.Dia meminta aku dan adik berdiri di tepi dinding. Aku menggeletar melihat rotan panjang sedepa di tangan ayah."Siapa ambil duit ayah?" tanya ayah bagai singa lapar.Aku langsung tidak berdaya menentang renungan tajam mata ayah. Kedua-dua kami membisu,cuma tunduk memandang lantai."Baik,kalau tak mengaku,dua- dua ayah rotan!" sambung ayah sambil mengangkat tangan untuk melepaskan pukulan sulungnya ke belakang aku.
Tiba-tiba, adik menangkap tangan ayah dengan kedua-dua belah tangannya sambil berkata, "Saya yang ambil!"Belum sempat adik menarik nafas selepas mengungkapkan kata-kata itu, hayunan dan balunan silih berganti menghentam tubuh adik. Aku gamam,lidah kelu untuk bersuara. Walau perit menahan sakit, setitis pun airmata adik tak tumpah.Setelah puas melihat adik terjelepok di lantai, ayah merungut:"Kamu sudah mula belajar mencuri di rumah sendiri. Apakah lagi perbuatan kamu yang akan memalukan ayah di luar kelak?"Malam itu, emak dan aku tak lepas-lepas mendakap adik.Belakangnya yang berbirat dipenuhi calar-balar cuba kami ubati.Namun adik cukup tabah. Setitis pun air matanya tidak mengiringi kesakitan yang mencucuk-cucuk.Melihat keadaan itu, aku meraung sekuat hati, kesal dengan sikap aku yang takut berkata benar.Adik segera menutup mulutku dengan kedua-dua belah tangannya lalu berkata,"Jangan menangis kak,semuanya dah berlalu!"Aku mengutuk diri sendiri kerana tidak mampu membela adik.
Tahun bersilih ganti, peristiwa adik dibelasah kerana mempertahankan aku bagaikan baru semalam berlaku. Adik mendapat tawaran belajar ke sekolah berasrama penuh dan aku pula ditawarkan menyambung pelajaran ke peringkat pra-universiti.Malam itu ayah duduk di bawah cahaya lampu minyak tanah bersama ibu di ruang tamu. Aku terdengar ayah berkata, "Zah, kedua-dua anak kita cemerlang dalam pelajaran. Abang bangga sekali!""Tapi apalah maknanya bang...!" aku terdengar ibu teresak-esak."Dimana kita nak cari duit membiayai mereka?"Ketika itulah adik keluar dari biliknya. Dia berdiri di depan ayah dan ibu."Ayah,saya tak mahu ke sekolah lagi!"Perlahan-lahan ayah bangun, membetulkan ikatan kain pelekatnya dan merenung wajah emak,kemudian wajah adik dalam-dalam.Panggggg.... sebuah penampar singgah di pipi adik. Seperti biasa yang mampu aku lakukan ialah menutup muka dan menangis."Kenapa kamu ni?Tahu tak,kalau ayah terpaksa mengemis kerana persekolahan kamu, ayah akan lakukan!""Orang lelaki kena bersekolah. Kalau tak, dia takkan dapat membawa keluarganya keluar daripada kemiskinan," aku memujuk adik tatkala menyapu minyak pada pipinya yang bengkak."Kakak perempuan... biarlah kakak yang berhenti."
Tiada siapa yang menyangka, dinihari itu adik tiada dibiliknya.Dia membawa bersamanya beberapa helai baju lusuh yang dia ada. Di atas pangkin tempat dia lelapkan mata, terdapat sehelai kertas yang tercatat.... ."Kak...untuk dapat peluang ke universiti bukannya mudah. Saya cari kerja dan akan kirim wang buat akak."Apa lagi yang saya tahu selain meraung. Ayah termenung, jelas dia cukup kecewa. Begitu juga emak yang menggunakan air matanya memujuk ayah.
Suatu petang ketika berehat di asrama, teman sebilik menerpa:"Ada pemuda kampung tunggu kau kat luar!""Pemuda kampung?" bisikku. "Siapa?"Tergesa-gesa aku keluar bilik. Dari jauh aku nampak adik berdiri dengan pakaian comotnya yang dipenuhi lumpur dan simen."Kenapa sebut orang kampung, sebutlah adik yang datang!"Sambil tersenyum dia menjawab, "Akak lihatlah pakaian adik ni.Apa yang akan kawan-kawan akak kata kalau mereka tahu saya adik kakak?"Jantungku terasa berhenti berdenyut mendengarkan jawapannya. Aku cukup tersentuh. Tanpa sedar, air jernih mengalir di pipi. Aku kibas-kibas bebutir pasir dan tompokan simen pada pakaian adik.Dalam suara antara dengar dan tidak, aku bersuara, "Akak tak peduli apa orang lain kata."Dari kocek seluarnya, adik keluarkan sepit rambut berbentuk kupu-kupu.Dia mengenakan pada rambutku sambil berkata, "Kak, saya tengok ramai gadis pakai sepit macam ni, saya beli satu untuk akak."Aku kaku. Sepatah kata pun tak terucap. Aku rangkul adik dan dadanya dibasahi air mataku yang tak dapat ditahan-tahan.
Tamat semester, aku pulang ke kampung sementara menunggu konvokesyen.Aku lihat tingkap dan dinding rumah bersih, tak seperti selalu."Emak,tak payahlah kerja teruk-teruk bersihkan rumah sambut saya balik.""Adik kamu yang bersihkan. Dia pulang kelmarin. Habis tangannya luka-luka."Aku menerpa ke biliknya. Cantik senyum adik. Kami berdakapan."Sakit ke?" aku bertanya tatkala memeriksa luka pada tangannya."Tak....Kak tahu, semasa bekerja sebagai buruh kontrak, kerikil dan serpihan simen jatuh seperti hujan menimpa tubuh saya sepanjang masa.Kesakitan yang dirasa tidak dapat menghentikan usaha saya untuk bekerja keras."Apalagi...aku menangis seperti selalu.
Aku berkahwin pada usia menginjak 27 tahun. Suamiku seorang usahawan menawarkan jawatan pengurus kepada adik."Kalau adik terima jawatan tu, apa kata orang lain?" kata adik."Adik takde pelajaran. Biarlah adik bekerja dengan kelulusan yang adik ada.""Adik tak ke sekolah pun kerana akak." kata ku memujuk."Kenapa sebut kisah lama, kak?" katanya ringkas, cuba menyembunyikan kesedihannya.
Adik terus tinggal di kampung dan bekerja sebagai petani setelah ayah tiada. Pada majlis perkahwinannya dengan seorang gadis sekampung, juruacara majlis bertanya, "Siapakah orang yang paling anda sayangi?"Spontan adik menjawab, "Selain emak, kakak saya...."katanya lantas menceritakan suatu kisah yang langsung tidak ku ingati."Semasa sama-sama bersekolah rendah, setiap hari kami berjalan kaki ke sekolah.Suatu hari tapak kasut saya tertanggal. Melihat saya hanya memakai kasut sebelah, kakak membuka kasutnya dan memberikannya pada saya. Dia berjalan dengan sebelah kasut. Sampai di rumah saya lihat kakinya berdarah sebab tertikam tunggul dan calar-balar. ""Sejak itulah saya berjanji pada diri sendiri. Saya akan lakukan apa saja demi kebahagiaan kakak saya itu. Saya berjanji akan menjaganya sampai bila-bila."Sebaik adik tamat bercerita, aku meluru ke pelamin, mendakap adik sungguh-sungguh sambil meraung bagaikan diserang histeria."
Suatu hari, untuk mendapatkan sehelai sapu tangan yang menjadi keperluan anak gadis ketika itu, aku ambil 50 sen dari poket seluar ayah.Petang itu, pulang saja dari sekolah - ayah memanggil kami berdua.Dia meminta aku dan adik berdiri di tepi dinding. Aku menggeletar melihat rotan panjang sedepa di tangan ayah."Siapa ambil duit ayah?" tanya ayah bagai singa lapar.Aku langsung tidak berdaya menentang renungan tajam mata ayah. Kedua-dua kami membisu,cuma tunduk memandang lantai."Baik,kalau tak mengaku,dua- dua ayah rotan!" sambung ayah sambil mengangkat tangan untuk melepaskan pukulan sulungnya ke belakang aku.
Tiba-tiba, adik menangkap tangan ayah dengan kedua-dua belah tangannya sambil berkata, "Saya yang ambil!"Belum sempat adik menarik nafas selepas mengungkapkan kata-kata itu, hayunan dan balunan silih berganti menghentam tubuh adik. Aku gamam,lidah kelu untuk bersuara. Walau perit menahan sakit, setitis pun airmata adik tak tumpah.Setelah puas melihat adik terjelepok di lantai, ayah merungut:"Kamu sudah mula belajar mencuri di rumah sendiri. Apakah lagi perbuatan kamu yang akan memalukan ayah di luar kelak?"Malam itu, emak dan aku tak lepas-lepas mendakap adik.Belakangnya yang berbirat dipenuhi calar-balar cuba kami ubati.Namun adik cukup tabah. Setitis pun air matanya tidak mengiringi kesakitan yang mencucuk-cucuk.Melihat keadaan itu, aku meraung sekuat hati, kesal dengan sikap aku yang takut berkata benar.Adik segera menutup mulutku dengan kedua-dua belah tangannya lalu berkata,"Jangan menangis kak,semuanya dah berlalu!"Aku mengutuk diri sendiri kerana tidak mampu membela adik.
Tahun bersilih ganti, peristiwa adik dibelasah kerana mempertahankan aku bagaikan baru semalam berlaku. Adik mendapat tawaran belajar ke sekolah berasrama penuh dan aku pula ditawarkan menyambung pelajaran ke peringkat pra-universiti.Malam itu ayah duduk di bawah cahaya lampu minyak tanah bersama ibu di ruang tamu. Aku terdengar ayah berkata, "Zah, kedua-dua anak kita cemerlang dalam pelajaran. Abang bangga sekali!""Tapi apalah maknanya bang...!" aku terdengar ibu teresak-esak."Dimana kita nak cari duit membiayai mereka?"Ketika itulah adik keluar dari biliknya. Dia berdiri di depan ayah dan ibu."Ayah,saya tak mahu ke sekolah lagi!"Perlahan-lahan ayah bangun, membetulkan ikatan kain pelekatnya dan merenung wajah emak,kemudian wajah adik dalam-dalam.Panggggg.... sebuah penampar singgah di pipi adik. Seperti biasa yang mampu aku lakukan ialah menutup muka dan menangis."Kenapa kamu ni?Tahu tak,kalau ayah terpaksa mengemis kerana persekolahan kamu, ayah akan lakukan!""Orang lelaki kena bersekolah. Kalau tak, dia takkan dapat membawa keluarganya keluar daripada kemiskinan," aku memujuk adik tatkala menyapu minyak pada pipinya yang bengkak."Kakak perempuan... biarlah kakak yang berhenti."
Tiada siapa yang menyangka, dinihari itu adik tiada dibiliknya.Dia membawa bersamanya beberapa helai baju lusuh yang dia ada. Di atas pangkin tempat dia lelapkan mata, terdapat sehelai kertas yang tercatat.... ."Kak...untuk dapat peluang ke universiti bukannya mudah. Saya cari kerja dan akan kirim wang buat akak."Apa lagi yang saya tahu selain meraung. Ayah termenung, jelas dia cukup kecewa. Begitu juga emak yang menggunakan air matanya memujuk ayah.
Suatu petang ketika berehat di asrama, teman sebilik menerpa:"Ada pemuda kampung tunggu kau kat luar!""Pemuda kampung?" bisikku. "Siapa?"Tergesa-gesa aku keluar bilik. Dari jauh aku nampak adik berdiri dengan pakaian comotnya yang dipenuhi lumpur dan simen."Kenapa sebut orang kampung, sebutlah adik yang datang!"Sambil tersenyum dia menjawab, "Akak lihatlah pakaian adik ni.Apa yang akan kawan-kawan akak kata kalau mereka tahu saya adik kakak?"Jantungku terasa berhenti berdenyut mendengarkan jawapannya. Aku cukup tersentuh. Tanpa sedar, air jernih mengalir di pipi. Aku kibas-kibas bebutir pasir dan tompokan simen pada pakaian adik.Dalam suara antara dengar dan tidak, aku bersuara, "Akak tak peduli apa orang lain kata."Dari kocek seluarnya, adik keluarkan sepit rambut berbentuk kupu-kupu.Dia mengenakan pada rambutku sambil berkata, "Kak, saya tengok ramai gadis pakai sepit macam ni, saya beli satu untuk akak."Aku kaku. Sepatah kata pun tak terucap. Aku rangkul adik dan dadanya dibasahi air mataku yang tak dapat ditahan-tahan.
Tamat semester, aku pulang ke kampung sementara menunggu konvokesyen.Aku lihat tingkap dan dinding rumah bersih, tak seperti selalu."Emak,tak payahlah kerja teruk-teruk bersihkan rumah sambut saya balik.""Adik kamu yang bersihkan. Dia pulang kelmarin. Habis tangannya luka-luka."Aku menerpa ke biliknya. Cantik senyum adik. Kami berdakapan."Sakit ke?" aku bertanya tatkala memeriksa luka pada tangannya."Tak....Kak tahu, semasa bekerja sebagai buruh kontrak, kerikil dan serpihan simen jatuh seperti hujan menimpa tubuh saya sepanjang masa.Kesakitan yang dirasa tidak dapat menghentikan usaha saya untuk bekerja keras."Apalagi...aku menangis seperti selalu.
Aku berkahwin pada usia menginjak 27 tahun. Suamiku seorang usahawan menawarkan jawatan pengurus kepada adik."Kalau adik terima jawatan tu, apa kata orang lain?" kata adik."Adik takde pelajaran. Biarlah adik bekerja dengan kelulusan yang adik ada.""Adik tak ke sekolah pun kerana akak." kata ku memujuk."Kenapa sebut kisah lama, kak?" katanya ringkas, cuba menyembunyikan kesedihannya.
Adik terus tinggal di kampung dan bekerja sebagai petani setelah ayah tiada. Pada majlis perkahwinannya dengan seorang gadis sekampung, juruacara majlis bertanya, "Siapakah orang yang paling anda sayangi?"Spontan adik menjawab, "Selain emak, kakak saya...."katanya lantas menceritakan suatu kisah yang langsung tidak ku ingati."Semasa sama-sama bersekolah rendah, setiap hari kami berjalan kaki ke sekolah.Suatu hari tapak kasut saya tertanggal. Melihat saya hanya memakai kasut sebelah, kakak membuka kasutnya dan memberikannya pada saya. Dia berjalan dengan sebelah kasut. Sampai di rumah saya lihat kakinya berdarah sebab tertikam tunggul dan calar-balar. ""Sejak itulah saya berjanji pada diri sendiri. Saya akan lakukan apa saja demi kebahagiaan kakak saya itu. Saya berjanji akan menjaganya sampai bila-bila."Sebaik adik tamat bercerita, aku meluru ke pelamin, mendakap adik sungguh-sungguh sambil meraung bagaikan diserang histeria."
Thursday 31 January 2008
How to ask Your Boss For A Salary Increase..?
One day an employee sends a letter to Her boss asking for an increase in her salary!!!
Dear Bo$$
In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$ perately. I think you $hould be under$ tanding of the need$ of u$ worker $ who have given $o much $upport including $ weat and $ervice to your company.
I am $ure you will gue $$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.
Your$ $incerely,
Marian $hih
The next day, the employee recieved this letter of reply:
Dear Marian
I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet .
NOw the newspaper are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNO ther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad .
I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean .
Yours truly,
Manager
Dear Bo$$
In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$ perately. I think you $hould be under$ tanding of the need$ of u$ worker $ who have given $o much $upport including $ weat and $ervice to your company.
I am $ure you will gue $$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.
Your$ $incerely,
Marian $hih
The next day, the employee recieved this letter of reply:
Dear Marian
I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet .
NOw the newspaper are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNO ther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad .
I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean .
Yours truly,
Manager
Sometimes We Just Need To Be Reminded!
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by: holding up a $20.00 bill In the room of 200, he asked, 'Who would like this $20 bill?' Hands started going up. He said, 'I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill . He then asked, 'Who still wants it?' Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, 'What if I do this?' And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. 'Now, who still wants it?' Still the hands went into the air. My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still
priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know,
but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.
You are special - Don't EVER forget it.'
Count your blessings, not your problems. 'And remember: amateurs built the ark .... professionals built the Titanic.
If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still
priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know,
but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.
You are special - Don't EVER forget it.'
Count your blessings, not your problems. 'And remember: amateurs built the ark .... professionals built the Titanic.
If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.
New Malay Dilemma
The previous Malay Dilemma" written by Dr Mahathir in the late 60s/early 70s had caused him to be banned form the country by Tengku as it was considered too sensitive and racial. Dr M could not implement totally what had propagated in his book as he discovered the condition was different when he got into position. Now he observed the Malays are still lacking behind… WHY ?
Please read to find the answer :
The New Malay Dilemma By former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on
Malays remaining behind others despite privileges. The Malays are among the few people whose race is legally defined. Thus, the Malaysian Constitution states that a Malay is one who habitually speaks Malay, professes the religion of Islam and practises Malay customs. There is nothing said about the definitive culture of the Malays. It follows that changes in culture do not make a Malay person a non-Malay.
Culture is made up largely of the value systems accepted, even if not actually practiced by a people or a race. Observations have shown that the culture of a people determines whether they are successful or they fail...
Europeans, Asians, Africans and American Indians can all be successful and can all fail. It is, therefore, not the race or ethnicity which determines success. It is the culture.
When I wrote The Malay Dilemma in the late 60s, I had assumed that all the Malays lacked the opportunities to develop and become successful. They lacked opportunities for educating themselves, opportunities to earn enough to go into business, opportunities to train in the required vocation, opportunities to obtain the necessary funding, licences and premises. If these opportunities could be made available to them, then they would succeed...
But today, the attitude has changed. Getting scholarships and places in the universities at home and abroad is considered a matter of right and is not valued any more. Indeed, those who get these educational opportunities for some unknown reason seem to dislike the very people who created these opportunities. Worse still, they don't seem to appreciate the opportunities that they get.
They become more interested in other things, politics in particular, to the detriment of their studies. In business, the vast majority regarded the opportunities given them as something to be exploited for the quickest return...
They learn nothing about business and become even less capable at doing business and earning an income from their activities. They become mere sleeping partners and at times not even that. Having sold, they no longer have anything to do with the business. They would go to the government for more licences, permits, shares, etc...
Why has this thing happened? The answer lies in the culture of the Malays. They are laid-back and prone to take the easy way out. And the easy way out is to sell off whatever they get and ask for more. This is their culture.
Working hard, taking risks and being patient is not a part of their culture. It should be remembered that in the past the Malays were not prepared to take up the jobs created by the colonial powers in their effort to exploit the country. Because the Malays were not prepared to work in rubber estates and the mines, the Indians and Chinese were brought in. At one time, the migrants outnumbered the Malays. Had they continued to outnumber the Malays, independent Malaya would be like independent Singapore.
But the Malays have apparently learnt nothing from the near loss of their country in the past. Today, they are still unwilling to work and foreign workers are again flooding the country. And because they are not equipping themselves with the necessary education and skills, they have continued to depend on others.
Their political dominance will protect them for a time. But that dominance is fading very fast as they quarrel among themselves and breaks up into small ineffective groups. Their numerical superiority means less today than at the time of independence...
The Malays, together with the other Bumiputeras, make up 60 per cent of the country's population. But in terms of their political clout, it is now much less than 60 per cent. They are now more dependent on non-Malay support, both the government party and the opposition.
Economically, of course, they have less than half the 30-per-cent share that has been allocated to them. If we discount the non-Malay contribution to the nation's economy, Malaysia would be not much better than some of the African developing countries.
To succeed, the Malays must change their culture. They must look towards work as a reward in itself. They must regard what they achieve through work as the true reward. There should be some financial reward but this must not outweigh the satisfaction obtained from the result of their work...
Changing culture is far more difficult than changing the policies of government. It is easy enough to propose affirmative action but it is not easy to implement it. The recipients must have the right attitude if the results are going to be obtained...
Unfortunately, their view is that their crutches are symbols of their superior status in the country. The sad thing is that they are not even using the crutches properly. As a result, they gain nothing or very little from the availability of these aids...
So what is the new Malay dilemma? Their old dilemma was whether they should distort the picture a little in order to help themselves.
The new dilemma is whether they should or should not do away with the crutches that they have got used to, which in fact they have become proud of.
There is a minority of Malays who are confident enough to think of doing away with the crutches, albeit gradually. But they are a very small minority. Their numbers are not going to increase any time soon. They are generally regarded as traitors to the Malay race...
There will be a host of protests over this generalisation about Malay attitudes. We read almost every day about blind Malay people and other handicapped Malays graduating with university degrees or driving cars or doing all kinds of work.
This does not prove that the generalisation that I make is wrong. These are exceptions. They only prove that if the right attitude or culture is adopted, even the handicapped can succeed.
The dilemma faced by those few who want to build a strong, resilient and independent Malay race without crutches is that they are most likely to end up becoming unpopular and losing the ability to influence the changes in the culture and the value system which are necessary.
It seems that they should not try and yet they know that without the cultural changes, the Malays are going to fail.
By Mahathir Mohamad
Please read to find the answer :
The New Malay Dilemma By former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on
Malays remaining behind others despite privileges. The Malays are among the few people whose race is legally defined. Thus, the Malaysian Constitution states that a Malay is one who habitually speaks Malay, professes the religion of Islam and practises Malay customs. There is nothing said about the definitive culture of the Malays. It follows that changes in culture do not make a Malay person a non-Malay.
Culture is made up largely of the value systems accepted, even if not actually practiced by a people or a race. Observations have shown that the culture of a people determines whether they are successful or they fail...
Europeans, Asians, Africans and American Indians can all be successful and can all fail. It is, therefore, not the race or ethnicity which determines success. It is the culture.
When I wrote The Malay Dilemma in the late 60s, I had assumed that all the Malays lacked the opportunities to develop and become successful. They lacked opportunities for educating themselves, opportunities to earn enough to go into business, opportunities to train in the required vocation, opportunities to obtain the necessary funding, licences and premises. If these opportunities could be made available to them, then they would succeed...
But today, the attitude has changed. Getting scholarships and places in the universities at home and abroad is considered a matter of right and is not valued any more. Indeed, those who get these educational opportunities for some unknown reason seem to dislike the very people who created these opportunities. Worse still, they don't seem to appreciate the opportunities that they get.
They become more interested in other things, politics in particular, to the detriment of their studies. In business, the vast majority regarded the opportunities given them as something to be exploited for the quickest return...
They learn nothing about business and become even less capable at doing business and earning an income from their activities. They become mere sleeping partners and at times not even that. Having sold, they no longer have anything to do with the business. They would go to the government for more licences, permits, shares, etc...
Why has this thing happened? The answer lies in the culture of the Malays. They are laid-back and prone to take the easy way out. And the easy way out is to sell off whatever they get and ask for more. This is their culture.
Working hard, taking risks and being patient is not a part of their culture. It should be remembered that in the past the Malays were not prepared to take up the jobs created by the colonial powers in their effort to exploit the country. Because the Malays were not prepared to work in rubber estates and the mines, the Indians and Chinese were brought in. At one time, the migrants outnumbered the Malays. Had they continued to outnumber the Malays, independent Malaya would be like independent Singapore.
But the Malays have apparently learnt nothing from the near loss of their country in the past. Today, they are still unwilling to work and foreign workers are again flooding the country. And because they are not equipping themselves with the necessary education and skills, they have continued to depend on others.
Their political dominance will protect them for a time. But that dominance is fading very fast as they quarrel among themselves and breaks up into small ineffective groups. Their numerical superiority means less today than at the time of independence...
The Malays, together with the other Bumiputeras, make up 60 per cent of the country's population. But in terms of their political clout, it is now much less than 60 per cent. They are now more dependent on non-Malay support, both the government party and the opposition.
Economically, of course, they have less than half the 30-per-cent share that has been allocated to them. If we discount the non-Malay contribution to the nation's economy, Malaysia would be not much better than some of the African developing countries.
To succeed, the Malays must change their culture. They must look towards work as a reward in itself. They must regard what they achieve through work as the true reward. There should be some financial reward but this must not outweigh the satisfaction obtained from the result of their work...
Changing culture is far more difficult than changing the policies of government. It is easy enough to propose affirmative action but it is not easy to implement it. The recipients must have the right attitude if the results are going to be obtained...
Unfortunately, their view is that their crutches are symbols of their superior status in the country. The sad thing is that they are not even using the crutches properly. As a result, they gain nothing or very little from the availability of these aids...
So what is the new Malay dilemma? Their old dilemma was whether they should distort the picture a little in order to help themselves.
The new dilemma is whether they should or should not do away with the crutches that they have got used to, which in fact they have become proud of.
There is a minority of Malays who are confident enough to think of doing away with the crutches, albeit gradually. But they are a very small minority. Their numbers are not going to increase any time soon. They are generally regarded as traitors to the Malay race...
There will be a host of protests over this generalisation about Malay attitudes. We read almost every day about blind Malay people and other handicapped Malays graduating with university degrees or driving cars or doing all kinds of work.
This does not prove that the generalisation that I make is wrong. These are exceptions. They only prove that if the right attitude or culture is adopted, even the handicapped can succeed.
The dilemma faced by those few who want to build a strong, resilient and independent Malay race without crutches is that they are most likely to end up becoming unpopular and losing the ability to influence the changes in the culture and the value system which are necessary.
It seems that they should not try and yet they know that without the cultural changes, the Malays are going to fail.
By Mahathir Mohamad
Wednesday 16 January 2008
Develop High Performance Leadership
Saturday January 12, 2008
Develop high-performance leadership
1.MANY organisations today are undergoing a rapid transition in leadership styles. Coupled with the reality that modern organisational life is about achieving more with less, there is a demand for a new form of managerial leadership -high-performance leadership.
2.High-performance leaders
2.1empower others to venture into unknown territories,
2.2inspire colleagues and staff to make difficult decisions, and
2.3are able to move their organisations forward in new ways to achieve better results.
3.Managerial leadership
The term "managerial leadership" recognises the subtle switch over the past decade from the role of a manager to that of a leader.This is not to decry the traditional management activities such as planning,organising and controlling. Rather, it is to acknowledge the transition from control to empowerment that has taken place.
4.Managerial leadership is a way to encompass both sets of activities. And high-performance leadership is a way of recognising the leadership attributes needed to achieve long-term organisational success. One of the key distinguishing features of this type of leadership is the ability to initiate, drive and constantly encourage change.
5.High-performance leaders are pioneers,
5.1willing to step out into the unknown to achieve innovation.
5.2These leaders search out opportunities, experimentand take risks.
5.3They lead by example and
5.4act as a role model for others to follow, acting inways that are consistent with their beliefs.
6.High-performance leaders acknowledge
6.1the power of working collaborativelyand
6.2concentrate their efforts on building peak-performance teams.
6.3This involves developing vision and values,
6.4establishing direction, and
6.5persuading others to see, understand and believe in their vision through developing shared goals and plans of action.
7. Change to match
As the team develops and matures,
7.1the leader must change his leadership style to suit the stages of development of the team.
7.2 He must also be able todiagnose and troubleshoot at every stage.
7.3This ability to change leadership style - not only during the stages of team development, but also when leading and managing staff at every level - is the hallmark of high-performance leadership.
7.4By analysing the "maturity" of the subordinate and the varying levels of support and direction needed in any given situation, the leadership style can be varied.
7.5Choose the most appropriate style - direction, coaching,support or delegation - to match the circumstances.
8.Desirable qualities
8.1Sharing vision and setting goals lie at the heart of managing performance,which is the natural domain of a high-performance leader.
8.2Involving others in creating smart goals and setting performance standards and expectations lead to a clear understanding of what is needed from the team.
8.3Being able to spot performance problems early and developing the ability to coach and counsel are now an integral part of the leadership role.
9.High-performance leaders develop
9.1the key interpersonal skills to lead others.
9.2They understand their strengths and weaknesses as a leader,
9.3acknowledge their preferred behavioural style when dealing with other people, and
9.4develop the ability to change style if necessary.
9.5They understand the power of effective communication,
9.6encourage others to give constructive feedback and praise when appropriate.
9.7They have learnt to empower and delegate.
9.8Above all, they are honest.
9.9 In the majority of surveys about the most admired qualities of leaders, respondents said they admire leaders who are(in rank order): honest, competent, forward-looking and inspiring.
10.In a nutshell
10.1To summarise, one can refer to Warren Bennis's now-classic book, Leaders.
10.2He describes leadership as "heading into the wind with such knowledge of oneself and such collaborative energy as to move others to follow".
10.3His book offers four major strategies that seem to form the essence of high-performance leadership:
10.3.1Attention through vision:
"I have a dream" (Martin Luther King). Theleader must set a vision for others to follow.
10.3.2Meaning through communication:
"If you can dream it, you can do it"(Walt Disney). The leader's vision must be communicated to the people who can make it happen.
10.3.3Trust through positioning:
The accumulation of trust is a measure of the legitimacy of leadership. Trust is the emotional glue that binds followers and leaders together.
10.3.4 Deployment of self through positive self-regard:
Leaders must have persistence and self-knowledge, be willing to take risks and accept losses, make and honour commitments, and be consistent and willing to learn constantly.
10.4To paraphrase a quote from Colin Powell: "High-performance leadership is about achieving more than the science of management says is possible."-
Source: Straits Times/Asia News NetworkArticle contributed by Chris Fenney, who has more than 30 years' experience in training and management development.
Develop high-performance leadership
1.MANY organisations today are undergoing a rapid transition in leadership styles. Coupled with the reality that modern organisational life is about achieving more with less, there is a demand for a new form of managerial leadership -high-performance leadership.
2.High-performance leaders
2.1empower others to venture into unknown territories,
2.2inspire colleagues and staff to make difficult decisions, and
2.3are able to move their organisations forward in new ways to achieve better results.
3.Managerial leadership
The term "managerial leadership" recognises the subtle switch over the past decade from the role of a manager to that of a leader.This is not to decry the traditional management activities such as planning,organising and controlling. Rather, it is to acknowledge the transition from control to empowerment that has taken place.
4.Managerial leadership is a way to encompass both sets of activities. And high-performance leadership is a way of recognising the leadership attributes needed to achieve long-term organisational success. One of the key distinguishing features of this type of leadership is the ability to initiate, drive and constantly encourage change.
5.High-performance leaders are pioneers,
5.1willing to step out into the unknown to achieve innovation.
5.2These leaders search out opportunities, experimentand take risks.
5.3They lead by example and
5.4act as a role model for others to follow, acting inways that are consistent with their beliefs.
6.High-performance leaders acknowledge
6.1the power of working collaborativelyand
6.2concentrate their efforts on building peak-performance teams.
6.3This involves developing vision and values,
6.4establishing direction, and
6.5persuading others to see, understand and believe in their vision through developing shared goals and plans of action.
7. Change to match
As the team develops and matures,
7.1the leader must change his leadership style to suit the stages of development of the team.
7.2 He must also be able todiagnose and troubleshoot at every stage.
7.3This ability to change leadership style - not only during the stages of team development, but also when leading and managing staff at every level - is the hallmark of high-performance leadership.
7.4By analysing the "maturity" of the subordinate and the varying levels of support and direction needed in any given situation, the leadership style can be varied.
7.5Choose the most appropriate style - direction, coaching,support or delegation - to match the circumstances.
8.Desirable qualities
8.1Sharing vision and setting goals lie at the heart of managing performance,which is the natural domain of a high-performance leader.
8.2Involving others in creating smart goals and setting performance standards and expectations lead to a clear understanding of what is needed from the team.
8.3Being able to spot performance problems early and developing the ability to coach and counsel are now an integral part of the leadership role.
9.High-performance leaders develop
9.1the key interpersonal skills to lead others.
9.2They understand their strengths and weaknesses as a leader,
9.3acknowledge their preferred behavioural style when dealing with other people, and
9.4develop the ability to change style if necessary.
9.5They understand the power of effective communication,
9.6encourage others to give constructive feedback and praise when appropriate.
9.7They have learnt to empower and delegate.
9.8Above all, they are honest.
9.9 In the majority of surveys about the most admired qualities of leaders, respondents said they admire leaders who are(in rank order): honest, competent, forward-looking and inspiring.
10.In a nutshell
10.1To summarise, one can refer to Warren Bennis's now-classic book, Leaders.
10.2He describes leadership as "heading into the wind with such knowledge of oneself and such collaborative energy as to move others to follow".
10.3His book offers four major strategies that seem to form the essence of high-performance leadership:
10.3.1Attention through vision:
"I have a dream" (Martin Luther King). Theleader must set a vision for others to follow.
10.3.2Meaning through communication:
"If you can dream it, you can do it"(Walt Disney). The leader's vision must be communicated to the people who can make it happen.
10.3.3Trust through positioning:
The accumulation of trust is a measure of the legitimacy of leadership. Trust is the emotional glue that binds followers and leaders together.
10.3.4 Deployment of self through positive self-regard:
Leaders must have persistence and self-knowledge, be willing to take risks and accept losses, make and honour commitments, and be consistent and willing to learn constantly.
10.4To paraphrase a quote from Colin Powell: "High-performance leadership is about achieving more than the science of management says is possible."-
Source: Straits Times/Asia News NetworkArticle contributed by Chris Fenney, who has more than 30 years' experience in training and management development.
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