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can They take part in Ponggal or Lantern Festival?

December 16th, 2010
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I was alerted to this news via twitter yesterday. I didn’t see any suggestion to ban Malay Muslims from joining such events as per one tweet from Selangor ADUN Elizabeth Wong said:

UKM lecturer NurFahana calls for ban for Msian Muslims to join celebrations of Ponggal, LanternFest, Deepavali bec it’s religious pluralism

The presenter was suggesting that the relevant authorities (for Islam) should come out with proper definitions for their followers to observe, when taking part in other religions’ events like Ponggal, Deepavali, Lantern Festival and Mooncake Festival. Which is something I agree. Its their religion and they should have some sort of guidelines for their followers. These folks should settle their problems internally without angering or even touching on other religions’ beliefs.  How they want to interpret their religious scriptures depends on their experts.

As long as they don’t touch my religion, fine with me. You mind your business and I shall mind mine. Just because other religion people think differently, doesn’t mean I’m going to stop celebrating Ponggal right?  I concur with MP Kamalanathan, who’s been organising Ponggal festival at KL Tower annually for some time now, that its a fun event (which thanks God for a good harvest – don’t ask me whose God!) and people from all walks of life take part in it. Continue organising it and continue inviting everyone to take part. They want to join or not, up to them.

And I’m not much into labelling everything under 1Malaysia to satisfy the current trending. 1Malaysia or not, festival still gets celebrated and we still invite everyone around.

Excerpt from the Malay version of the article from Malaysian Insider:

Pensyarah Jabatan Usuluddin dan Falsafah, Fakulti Pengajian Islam, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Nur Farhana Abd. Rahman pula berkata Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) memberi definisi secara jelas mengenai perayaan pelbagai kaum di negara ini supaya umat Islam tidak terjebak dengan penularan fahaman pluralisme.

Langkah ini penting supaya umat Islam lebih jelas sebelum menyertai mana-mana perayaan kaum lain kerana dibimbangi akan melanggar batasan agama disebabkan untuk mengamalkan kehidupan bertoleransi.

“Misalnya Jakim perlu jelaskan tentang meraikan Pesta Ponggal dengan Deepavali dan antara Pesta Tanglung dengan Pesta Kuih Bulan dari sudut agama dan juga budaya,” katanya dalam kertas kerja bertajuk Pluralisme Agama: Fahaman Pluralisme Agama dan Percanggahannya Dengan Akidah dan Syariah Islamiah.

Nur Farhana berkata, penjelasan Jakim ini penting kerana penglibatan dalam perayaan pelbagai kaum telah dijadikan sebagai merit yang perlu dipenuhi oleh mahasiswa universiti.

“Kita tidak mahu fahaman pluralisme ini mula menular menerusi bidang pendidikan seperti apa yang telah berlaku terhadap negara jiran kita, Indonesia,” katanya.

Sehubungan itu, katanya, pihak berkenaan diminta berhati-hati dalam pelaksanaan sesuatu dasar kerana pengaruh seperti fahaman ini begitu mudah untuk berkembang di kalangan pelajar.

Nur Farhana berkata, pluralisme memang mempunyai banyak percanggahan dengan agama Islam terutamanya dari sudut akidah, syariah dan akhlak.

“Malah pendukung pluralisme juga menegaskan semua agama bermatlamat tujuan yang satu iaitu Allah walaupun berbeza dari segi pendekatan dan ibadat mengikut agama masing-masing,” katanya.

Katanya, pluralisme juga membenarkan penganutnya berkahwin lintas agama di mana orang Islam bebas berkahwin dengan agama lain.

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donation prominent with alcohol brand logo

December 15th, 2010
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Check out The Star (Metro section for Klang Valley) pg M16. There’s a picture of children from two homes posing with goodies bags. The Carlsberg logo is prominently displayed.

you can read the online version here (with a “milder” photo of two students holding the bags with the company rep):

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/12/15/central/7602716&sec=central

While I agree with CSR duties by companies, I don’t agree with associating children with alcohol related branding.  Similar program by GAB in schools is done without the logos of the product. I’m sure the sincere donation by Carlsberg can forego the logos as well. The relevant ministries must put a stop to this. We may be slowly brainwashing our children into accepting alcohol as a norm. Yes, we need funds to help the homes, help the zoo, help the sick people, help needy students etc.  But surely there’s some other better sources?

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How to help them?

December 12th, 2010
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Had an interesting yesterday night: met a family. I sat in a house (more like a shack) facing the entrance and had a good view of Malaysia’s best – the towering heights of  a GLC’s HQ. And when I turned away from the door, my good feelings came crashing down to earth with a thud. I wouldn’t say its discrimination. Just some bad fortune, lack of education and lack of support. The sole breadwinner walks nearly 2 hours to workplace, working 7 days a week, returning home late at night. The other spouse has some medical problem and unable to hold on to a job. Luckily, the breadwinner just got a job with a better salary (but still low for a family of four), courtesy of a Chinese businessman.

Their RM100 rented “home” leaks whenever it rains (and it rains often!). Power supply and water depends on others. I got hit by mosquitoes left and right (Then says they are attracted to me!). At least the baby is protected by mosquito net.

Eldest son is 5 years old and parents wondering how to send to kindergarten. Youngest child is just 2 months old (and oh so cute!). Another two children taken care by others.

What they want? A better home (but low rent), a good environment for the family. A place for the son to study (but cheap). A mode of transport (but can they afford the petrol cost?).

Sorry folks, sad story today and no photos on this until further notice.

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Posted in BornInMalaysia, I Was Here

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Tamilselvi benefits from e-Kasih program

December 10th, 2010
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e-Kasih helps Tamilselvi who is under hardcore poor category in Penang. Hopefully more people register and benefit from it.

K. TAMILSELVI, 33, faced a tough time making ends meet and taking care of her six children with the meagre income of less than RM400 that her husband earns monthly.

Ever since she quit from her housekeeping job at a hotel in Penang in 2006, she had been hunting for a job to help supplement the income of her husband, who works as a fishmonger assistant in a wet market.

Her troubles ended when she got a job — thanks to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s e-Kasih programme. She is one of three Penang island participants who landed a job under the programme.

Penang Labour Office senior assistant director Marina Ibrahim said Tamilselvi had been offered a sales assistant’s post at the Sunshine outlet in Air Itam.

“Tamilselvi is one of those in the hardcore poor category who was chosen as her total household income was below RM400 with six children ranging from six months to 16 years old.

“She will also receive a bicycle to help her get to work. The Sunshine outlet has also agreed to provide her youngest child with milk supply for a year,” said Marina.

Tamilselvi, who was present at the ‘Job Placement Programme’ organised by the Penang Labour Office at Penang Times Square recently, thanked the government for organising such programmes to help the hardcore poor.

“I was lucky that the village headman in my area had registered my name under the e-Kasih and I got selected.

“Otherwise, I could not imagine how I would be able to survive with my children depending on my husband’s income,” she said.

Single mother Sarena Kong Abdullah, 48, who was attending the programme for the first time, said she wanted to secure a permanent job after her husband passed away due to lung cancer six years ago.

Sarena, who has two children aged 15 and 16, said she had applied for several clerical positions and hoped to get a job offer soon.

Marina said 24 employers took part in the one-day programme offering 1,200 vacancies in all categories of jobs such as technical, engineering, clerical, operations, executive level, in the service sector and sales.

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My 10 steps for anti-smoking campaign

December 6th, 2010
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I was pondering on the statistics that passive smoking kills nearly 600,000 people annually around the world. Yeah, that’s just about 0.009% of the world population. But imagine in a country like Malaysia where number of smokers seem to be increasing (for both genders and also among the underaged), 0.009% of our population is about 2430 people “only” (its less than half of deaths due to road accidents last year, 6745).

I think more drastic/radical (well, why not call it creative!) action is needed to remove the threat of passive smoking. Among them (I was inspired while half-asleep):

1. Ban smoking in all eateries, in addition to existing prohibited places.

2. Ban the sale of tobacco products in all eateries, supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations.

3. Eateries/supermarkets/convenience stores/petrol stations that allow their patrons to smoke will be automatically sealed for 1 week. For long, the business owners have washed their hands of their social responsibility. Time to act.

4. Item 3 above should be applied to colleges/universities as well since quite a number of these places seem to promote smoking.

5. Political parties must only nominate non-smokers as candidates for public office.

5. All civil service jobs should be limited to non-smokers only. (yes, its discriminatory, but take it as affirmative action).

6. Private sector organisations that promote non-smoking environment to be given tax deduction, whereas those that don’t are to pay a “sin tax” of 10% which goes towards their employees health fund.

7. Smokers to pay 3 times more the price of their insurance premium. I base this on the assumption that a family consist of 4 members (as per Malaysian household income calculation) and the one smoker causes passive smoking for the other 3 family members. So, its only logical that the smoker takes extra insurance to protect other family members.

8. Sellers and buyers of contraband cigarettes to face mandatory jail sentence.

9. Artistes, sports figures, and other public figures which promote smoking or endorse products related to smoking should be reprimanded by their respective authorities/industry.

10. Educate public not to visit/engage/patronise places that allow smoking, wherever possible. There must be a boycott movement to slowly eradicate such places.

Of course, many of the steps above involves enforcement, surveillance and punishment, something that is sorely lacking at the moment. That’s why public must play a role by: staying away from smoking areas, limit patronising shops that sell cigarettes, and so on.

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