Can we use Allah in the Bahasa Malaysia Bible?

What we Malaysians need to do to overcome the economic crisis

Regardless of our political affliation, we need to be one in dealing with the economy.

Thank you!

Will Anwar make a stand on hudud?

Anwar is in a catch 22 situation.

If he agrees to hudud he will lose the support of the DAP, a large section of PKR and liberal Malaysia. If he does otherwise, he alienates PAS and conservative Muslims. He is in this situation because of poor leadership. Spending time and resources in the wrong places instead of being focus in team building and team working within PR.

He is in trouble and PR may break up. Saying one thing to a group and saying another to a different group cannot work here. He will need to make his stand clear. Nothing short of a press conference with all the main leaders of PR coalition can save his day. Silence is no longer golden. Silence will add to the uncertainties, and leadership is about removing uncertainties.

Back in July to the anger of some Anwar supporters, I wrote(http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html ) that Anwar is not a PM material (yet) as he still is lacking with what I coined Group-to-Group skills – a management idea I built and teach in a change management program.

Essentially, Group-to-Group skills is the ability to lead differing groups of people towards a common goal. In business it is the different business entities or departments, in Malaysian politics the various ethnic, territorial(like Sabah and Sarawak) and social groupings.

Basically, the number one job of a leader is to ensure every group move towards the goal at the same rate of efficiency but be faster than competition. I suggested then that due to Anwar’s lack of the skill the PR coalition will not last one year and this episode may just proof my point. But PR still has till March 8 2009

My sentiments about Anwar’s inability go back a long time, when he was still in the good books of Tun Dr. Mahathir and was a favourite in the Barisan Government. I predicted in the early 90s that his journey to be the PM is going to be real tough.

Instead I predicted then that Pak Lah was the likely candidate (though I was wrong then to suggest that he will last 3 terms!). The first time I saw Pak Lah’s likelihood to be a PM, I was 16 years old (1980). Then, I followed my father to an UMNO gathering in Kampung Syed Penang.

He was talking to a 100% Malay crowd and he nasihat that Malays must respect, take care and be sensitive to not just Malays, but also the non-Malays too. He said for the Malays to be successful leaders ‘kita jangan sakiti hati orang bukan Melayu’ and ‘mesti memimpin bukan saja Melayu tapi jadi pemimpin semua orang’ . I told my dad that he will be the PM ‘pasai dia tak kutuk China dan Hindu (Indians in Penang talk)’. My father just smiled – he had always thought that I am little too liberal.

I am not involved in PR-BN politics but just like many of you Malaysians we belong to THE THIRD FORCE (T3F). However, even if we are not involved, our lives will be affected by what they do.

What I propose is not based on party politics and I am not an Anwar basher – just someone who says a thing as it is. Anwar has many talents but unfortunately getting differing groups of people to work together is not his forte; it will be an uphill battle for him. He may try hard but he lacks the capacity. He may achieve some grounds as he did for March 8th, but it may not last long enough to make a real difference and create a two party system for Malaysia.

Until he does he will not become the PM and will not lead a really solid opposition coalition. He needs to check his framework and know that until he work on his Group-to Group skills, he will fail. Having a great drive to be the PM is not enough to raise him to the top. He needs to speak straight - and not cater his words on fundamental issues to grab votes and supports piecemeal making people happy in separation.

He needs the conceptual ability to marry not just differing groups and people in his coalition but also the country – we the T3F too. He has been busy trying to crack BN’s strength (an external force) spending time in Sarawak instead of working hard making his ‘loose’ coalition ( an internal force) into a solid PAKATAN – a United front that cannot be broken easily.

Weak leaders try to win by weakening his enemies, great leaders win by strengthening his own people first.

He lacks Group-to-Group attitude like powerful leaders in the past, Prophet Muhamad in Medina, Mao Tse Tung during the long march and pre 1949 revolution and Genghiz Khan who united the people with the analogy that an arrow in a bundle is unbreakable.

Personally, I would like to see Malaysia with a two party system. So I want PR to work out. The problem is Anwar may not have the capacity to lead it. Please understand, I am not saying he is of no good all together. He is the ‘Sun Yet Sen’ that roused people up, and he is really good at it, but today PR needs a ‘Mao Tze Tung’ to connect all the groups as like the Chinese revolution of 1949 and make things happen - methodically and clinically.

The opposition needs a stronger team, not a weakened BN.He may have outlived his leadership ability (unless he change and see the need to focus on his Group-to-Group skills) and PR may need a new leader.

Let me repeat, weak leaders try to win by weakening their opponents, strong leaders win by first strengthening their own team.

As a T3F member, I see March 8 2008 as one of the best things that have happen to the country. I have strong convictions that even BN members and supporters if they search deep inside; they will find that the losses in 5 states and not getting 2/3rd majority in parliament as perhaps the best thing that has happen to them. As Walt Disney said, “Sometimes a kick in the teeth is the best thing for you”.

DAP is forced to learn that it is not enough to talk but you must also do. That is good for all of us, even if DAP is a single term government of Penang, the lesson learnt will be of great importance.

PAS may just have to work harder to look deeper in the Quran and may find the answers therein. Don’t PAS ever wonder why The Prophet did the almost impossible and unite the tribal Arabs? He united 12 tribes who were at war for centuries and left a legacy of followers who went to conquer the world within 200 years.

The Prophet is a skilled Group-to-Group leader. A clear evidence is the Medina Charter http://www.constitution.org/cons/medina/con_medina.htm . The Prophet did not seek to form the fashionable but shallow idea of an Islamic State or announced that he wants to implement the Hudud .

He managed to lead the 12 tribes even when Muslims were the minority - Group-to-Group skills at its best. To PAS, if you want to lead this country, I give you a little clue. The first part of the Medina Charter says that Muslims and Non-Muslims is one Ummah or community.

(1) This is a document from Muhammad the prophet (governing the relations) between the believers and Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and labored with them.
(2) They are one community (umma) to the exclusion of all men.

Medina Charter.

Got it?

Look, I am one of the T3F member and I want the country to improve. A two party system will be good. But, to get there we need a stronger PR. To have a stronger PR we need great leadership. So PR will need a new leader if Anwar is not up to the task. Unless Anwar get serious and build a real coalition, this will not happen. Anwar may even need to make way for a better leader who can lead in a Group-to Group way. Is he up to it? Putting the country above self?

Or does PR need a new leader?

Have A Meaningful Xmas : )

Wishing all who celebrate Xmas a Merry Xmas. Below is our (zubedy the company) message - an ad we featured in the Star today. This ad will start our " What Malaysians Want " series that we run for a year.


Have a Meaningful Christmas

What Malaysians Want:
Development Without Corruption

Malaysians want well planned, sustainable development. We want modern services and a better standard of living. We wish for up-to-date medical facilities at par with the best the world has to offer, available to every Malaysian. We desire strong and efficient infrastructure and support systems for a superior quality of life.

Malaysians want schools, roads, hospitals, offices, shops and homes. We want institutions of higher learning where our children can thrive and when they graduate, we want growth that ensures they have secure jobs with increasing incomes.

We want progress. We are united in wanting to move towards a brighter future for everyone, but we do not want the corruption that comes with it; corruption that saps our budgets and the integrity of our people and nation. We are not against building bridges and big infrastructure projects, we are weary when we hear of the equally big sleaze that comes with them.

When bribes are paid, when someone who should not get the job gets it because of corruption, everyone loses, even the very people that got the bribe and the work. The one with the bribe does not learn how to do his or her job well, the one that got the work does not do their best because they do not have to. When there's dishonesty, every Malaysian loses, you and me, every time there's corruption, we Malaysians lose. And we will not put up with it any more. Enough is enough.

As Saint Bonaventure (pic above) puts it: In the way of virtue, there is no standing still; anyone who does not daily advance, loses ground. To remain at a standstill is impossible; he that gains not, loses; he that ascends not, descends…

At zubedy, our programs draw strength from shared values and traditions. We believe all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their fellow brother and sister Malaysian, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

Regardless of race and politics, all Malaysians want development, development without corruption.

Let us add value
Have a meaningful Christmas

A must read - best summary of our ethnic history that i have read so far!

UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER

If the ethnic temperature in the country has increased in the last few months, it is partly because few of us bother to explain to our own community the concerns of the ethnic other. If the influential stratum in each community makes a sincere attempt to understand and empathise with the other, it may be possible to reduce mutual distrust and forge better inter-ethnic ties.

Chinese and Indian Malaysians who have some knowledge of the ethnic situation in the country and command some moral authority should try to convey the following seven-point message to their communities.

Just as non-Malays should show some understanding of the Malay position, so Malays with moral weight should try to develop empathy within their community for the legitimate concerns of their non-Malay co-citizens. Malay empathy could express itself in relation to the following seven issues.

click here for full article http://www.just-international.org/article.cfm?newsid=20002877

Maths and Science in English? An alternative viewpoint

The debate if Maths and Science should be in English or in Bahasa Malaysia is missing the point.

It is obvious that it is not enough to have these two subjects to be taught in the language if our goal is proficiency. We need a reading subject too. I propose History in place of mathematics. History is nearest to reading a storybook. Loads of words, description of people, places, events and subject matters – including Maths and Science! As the Chinese would say “One leg kick “or in Penang hokkien “ hamplang” - meaning covering all.

Instead of debating for petty self interest and political expediency, we should put our politics aside and focus on what is needed for our people to not just survive but do well in the future. To really score, we need to be proficient in 4 languages in the future. So our subjects in school should be divided between these 4 languages. Let me elaborate.

For national unity - Bahasa Malaysia.

Let’s allocate South East Asian Studies and History of Malaysia ( yes this should be a separate subject to general history), Arts, Music, Civic (yes we need this subject back in full force) and Malay literature – should include an in-depth study of Peribahasa as it is the gems of Malay tradition.

To deal with the globalised world – English – Science because currently it is the language of knowledge and the main language today facilitating the World Wide Web. History as explained earlier should also be in English.

For business and socio-politics – Mandarin and Arabic – yes Arabic too unless you want a small group of people who claim to know the language to monopolise Islam and run policies that affects your lives without question. Being Arabic illiterate you will be deem to be not qualified to give your opinions. To make things work, the masses must be able to question policy makers. And, pls don’t think if you are not a Muslim you will not be affected – don’t be in denial, just look around you.

China most likely will be the most powerful nation in the world, so Mandarin is a must. Not just for the Chinese but all Malaysians. We allocate Mathematics to be taught in Mandarin. Yes maths should be in Mandarin, not English. Anyone who is familiar with the Chinese language or dialects would see how they are a superior platform for maths. Common sense will show you that the Chinese language and dialects has numbers in their DNA. Even in naming the 7 days of the week is by numbering – in hokkien Monday is ‘Pai It’ (day one), Tuesday is ‘Pai Ji’ day two, Wednesday is ‘ Pai Sa’ Day three, and so on.

My house number is 164, in Cantonese its ‘ Yat Lok See’ meaning ‘All the way Die!”. So my Chinese friends advise me to add a “B” by my address as “B” looks like the number 8 – a good number for the Chinese. So now my ‘mooi pai” (house number) is transformed into ‘Yat Lok See Fat” meaning ‘ All the way (mati-mati pun) good fortune!”.

For Arabic - geography. Like history, it carries a lot of words and stories too. Arabic will become one of the most important language (again).The Chinese are united by the language, the Muslims by the Quran and the Arabic language. Arabic used to be the language of science and knowledge but now has lost its glory together with the Muslim civilization. But the passion of the Muslim is burning (currently mostly still in the wrong ‘pots’) and Islam will make its impact felt – in both good ( eg - universal values of the Quran) and bad ( eg. Like the myopic banning of Yoga). Best we know the language too.

The above ideas represent a conceptual outlook. It will take a long time to deal with the needs, strategy and planning - like at what stage do we introduce which subject. But language is best taught during pre-school and earlier years – yes first start with the teaching of languages as the languages are the tools not the ends. In other words, focus on languages first as it will open future opportunities. Dont be parochial and sectarian. It is great for a malay to learn Mandarin and a Chinese and Indian to learn Arabic. Dont worry, all languages and cultures belong to God, so we all have a claim to them.

This idea will take a lot of work, political will and throwing away of prejudices but once we know the ‘WHYs’ we will find the ‘HOWs’.

Go read Syed Akbar Ali's book ...

I made two interesting friends this December. One is Syed Akbar Ali. He has three book titles to his name. They are written in kinda fun way but dealing with serious subject matters. I highly suggest be you Muslims or Non- Muslims to read his second book MALAYSIA AND THE CLUB OF DOOM – The collapse of the Islamic Countries ( Only RM 38.00 ). I was informed that a particular church in Kl ordered hundreds of the book too. Both Muslims and Non-Muslims should be concern about the issues highlighted in the books, as they will affect all of us ... regardless of your creed.

His other two books are " To Digress A Little" and " Things in Common".

Selamat Membaca!!