A Parable for Selangor: The Farmer & The Hired Man

There once lived an old rich farmer who owned a large farm. He had a young son whom he bequeathed the major part of his entire estate with the balance going to some relatives. One day the old man passed away and the young man did not know how to manage the farm.

 

So he hired an experienced farmer to take care of the farming and the livestock. After some years, the farm prospered under the hired hand. And the young man trusted his farmer. After giving him a three year mandate to manage the farm, the young man left the country for 3 years to study abroad.

 

But in the 3rd year, due to some internal disputes, the hired farmer fired almost all his workers and took over the profits of the farm to be safeguarded for certain relatives who were left out of the old landlord's will.

 

When the young master came back, he was shocked about the fraud and betrayal. He filed a report against the hired man but to no avail as the district police said it was a private business matter. Some of the young owner's friends advised him, before going through the legal channels, to talk to and reason out with the hired man. This he tried but the hired man claimed he had the support of the majority of the relatives. What is he to do? Will the courts and justice system administer justice for him?

 

As a parable, therein lies the crux of the Selangor crisis:

 

The Menteri Besar is an elected representative (hired hand) elected by the ruling party coalition PR which won the state elections.

 

The  young man and his relatives (heirs to the estate) are the citizens of Selangor who provide the tax revenues of the state.

 

Morally, ethically and politically speaking, the MB who has fired his ex-co and refused to leave his position has taken over the rights of administration of the state against the mandate given by the real stake holders (the residents of Selangor).

 

He may have the judiciary or any powerful party implicitly supporting him on 'technical grounds' but he has lost all moral, ethical, professional integrity because he has undermined/subverted the mandate entrusted to him.

Is he willing to trade these qualities for being the man who turned his back on his original stakeholders for personal reasons? There is still time for him and all players concerned to reconsider how to resolve this reverse takeover of the people's rights.

 

Money and power will only last a generation and the power-seeking players will be truly vilified in the history books (and the eyes of God). But noble values acted upon with wisdom last forever. Malaysia's future as a young and vibrant multi-ethnic democracy stands in the balance.

A Matter of Legalism versus The Human Conscience

The hudud debate is potentially an intellectual conundrum that frames Malaysia' current problems into Muslim and non-Muslim issues. (Just as Obama probably intended in his widely publicised comments at the University Malaya. Imagine the predictable public responses if he told an American audience that Christians should not be prejudiced against non-Christians.)

We should not see this debate as some kind of national referendum (starting with Kelantan) which can be decided by a simple majority vote just as one would simply decide whether or not to vote for capital punishment versus the abolishment of the death penalty. We need to probe deeper and not be blind-sided by naive reasoning (e.g. it is a Muslim issue and therefore would neither affect nor concern non-Muslims).

But the 2 key points that distinguish the hudud issue from other less controversial issues (e.g. Goods & Services Tax) are that: (a) hudud is unconstitutional and (b) it is an issue that relates to the basis of the spiritual life of man.

This debate of legalism vs the mysterious sovereign will of God is a common dilemma faced by all believers in the great religions of the world: Can spiritual values be legislated or is legislating our faith-based values just an outward symbol of righteousness?

When we, as Malaysians discuss hudud, we must be intellectually sharp to enlarge the debate in the context of the bigger spiritual debate (which also includes the values of atheists). We understand the perspective of the religious legalists in a world of rampant crime and violence.

But the evil consequence of the human conscience being shackled and rendered useless in a rules-based society means that we (whether Muslims, Christians, Buddhists or Hindus) become spiritual robots who allow external laws to infringe on our inner life. The mercy of God extended to man is an affair purely between God and an individual. Judgements of morality are never between the state or religious councils and man.

Hudud is just another form of religious legalism that also exists in catholic and Jewish religions. There is no need to educate us on the Kelantan version as legalism in any religion is often an outward show of power and prestige masking the poverty of our conscience to produce mercy and forgiveness to those considered immoral/unethical. Let the judge who is without a single sin be the first to execute punishment. This is the divine principle of making moral judgement as alluded by Jesus in the book of John chapter 8: verse 7 when the religious legalists asked him whether an adulteress should be stoned to death according to the laws of Moses: 

"Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." 

In other words, only God can dispense judgements of morality and spirituality. Man should confine himself to making civil laws that prevent crimes and misconduct. If the punishment in terms of years in jail or amount of fines is not commensurate with the severity of the crime, then by all means increase the jail-time or fines. The root cause of many of today's social problems come from the lack of proper upbringing, traumatic past experiences and bad social habits. Punishments can never pull out the roots of criminal behaviour. 

And punishing criminals with the pain of amputations or other capital punishments to extract feelings of repentance is neither morally or psychologically defensible. It only works on the fear factor and for some people of different world-views, capital punishment of this kind is akin to repaying a wrong with another wrong (i.e. an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth). True repentance starts with the realisation of the human conscience that a sin has been committed and a moral regeneration is urgently needed.     

  
Is A Tree Not Known By Its Fruits?

Nonetheless, the on-line discussions on this hudud issue is also getting nowhere because both sides are not on the same page: for those against legalism, proof of the ill-effects of its actual practice is sufficient (i.e. look at Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan). In other words, a tree is judged by its fruits and this is the most practical way of assessing its viability. 

But for the pro-legalists, there is no need to know if the practice of legalism is effective in curbing immorality or unethical conduct. To them, the tree itself is more important than its fruits, which seems quite illogical but understandably rational from their perspective. 

It is with this insight that we can better understand that the concept of hudud from the legalists point of view is that it is a  kind of flag or branding of a state, which is in itself, sufficient in endorsing the religious credentials or credibility of their community in the eyes of God. 

The current problem with Malaysia is that this issue of religious legalism, while it is clearly to me an ancient problem, has been made more complex by politicians who use it as a means of dividing good people of all races and faiths. 

Lessons & Warnings From MH370 Black Swan Mystery

There are so many levels of lessons which we Malaysians can and should learn from the MH370 mystery.

Official mishandling is not only a Public Relations issue (aside from poor command of English) but one where Malaysian officials have an insufficient understanding of how to approach unknown scenarios with simple probabilistic analysis. The reason I say this is because one of those probable scenarios is a Black Swan event, which I will explain later.

By assigning probabilities to the range of scenarios (in the hypothetical way below) and presenting their investigations in that context, the officials could have gained more credibility instead of creating an atmosphere of confusion in their daily press conferences:

1. Mechanical failure: low probability given the facts (20%?).

2. Pilot error: low probability given the experience of the main pilot (20%?).

3. External sabotage (e.g. missile or laser attack): medium probability but no wreckage causes this scenario to be below 30% but higher than 20%. (e.g. 25%?).

4. Through elimination of the least probable, we arrive at the scenario with the highest likelihood: terrorist hijack: (as a residual of 35%=100%-20%-20%-25%).

The hijack scenario has higher probability because of the way the transponders and the ACARS were shut down at the Malaysia-Vietnam air space border. But what is the motive?

The motive of hijack then can be analysed with various probabilities and as more evidence is collected about the passenger manifest, their backgrounds, relationships, their web search histories and their views about the world. It is only then that we can form a better overall picture and assess which is the most likely motive.

1.   Motive to steal plane for money: 10%

2. Motive to steal plane for conversion for military purposes:10%

3.  Motive to sabotage plane due to the military weapons secrets that Freescale employees possess: 25%

4.   Motive to assassinate the Freescale employees as some of them may have crucial patents that have yet to be approved: 20%.

5. Motive to demand ransom for the kidnap: 5% (no demands after more than a week).

6. Motive to demand for political causes: 5% (none whatsoever after more than a week).

7.  Motive to commit suicide by the pilots/crew/terrorists: 5% (no average sound-thinking person can harbour such intentions especially if it entails the lives of 239 innocent people. Let us not cite the 9/11 event which remains a conspiracy conundrum until today despite the inconclusive 9/11 Commission). 

8.  Motive to use the plane for nefarious purposes such as loading it with bombs and slamming it into a city/building: (20% = 100%-10%-10%-25%-20%-5%-5%).

The last scenario is a Black Swan (totally unprecedented and unpredictable). However, if this scenario turns out to be true, we may face the worst case scenario hinted by one American commentator's use of the word “nefarious purposes.” The impact would be unimaginable.

Personally, if the pilots or crew are involved in foul play, this insane destructive scenario is quite unlikely unless they are hypnotised, drugged or brainwashed into killing machines. A superficial glance at the details of their backgrounds and personalities (family types and liberal minded) would suggest that these people, under normal circumstances, would not be able to carry out such dastardly terrorist acts.

Nonetheless, apart from the fact that we should be sensitive to the welfare of the families of the passengers, investigators need to make these calculations internally so that they not only just "explore all possibilities" but also focus their time and resources on the most probable scenarios. (Investigating the intellectual assets of the Freescale employees could be one of the leads).

Whatever the final outcome (and we pray it will be the best for all concerned), Malaysians and the rest of the world should seriously ask themselves this: what if it happened to me or if my family member was on that plane? Can these calamities start hitting the nations? 

Warning Sign to the Nations

And this leads us to the spiritual perspective. I am deeply convinced the MH370 mystery is a warning to the nations (not only to the nations affected but mainly to Malaysia) that the country has to wake up to the realities of the times we live in. We can no longer afford to be distracted by selfish vested interests, dirty politics, erosion of constitutional rights and yet remain passive in the face of the darkness and chaos that threatens to envelop the nation (as it has in many countries such as Thailand, Turkey, Egypt, Ukraine, etc). 

And it may not be a coincidence that the two countries most affected by the crisis is China and Malaysia, both not exactly the paragons of human liberty and religious freedom.

Why does this event have spiritual implications? As explained to a friend, it is spiritual because God will never allow a calamity of this scale to occur without a hard-hitting reason. It is similar to the time described in the Book of Job when the devil was walking to and fro in the skies and challenged God about the character and inner resilience of God's faithful servant Job. After a series of blunders in his time of tribulation, Job regained his faith and emerged from the crisis with greater strength and wisdom. 

The myth that Malaysia is a disaster-proof country, a safe haven or peaceful refuge has finally been broken by one nightmarish mystery that will challenge our minds for some time. Let us pray and hope that we will come out of this crisis with the resilience and wisdom of Job.

Politics In the Era of the Facebook Generation: Spiritual Pearl or Brittle Rust in the Soul?

As I was driving one quiet Sunday morning to my neighborhood church, through the dusty streets and back-roads of Sunway Commercial estate, I thought about God's plan for Malaysia, a developing country in Asia caught in the middle income trap. Malaysia has certainly changed in the past few years, especially after two stormy and lively general elections. But the change can be described as a slow submersion of fresh courage in the psyche of the nation. Unlike Thailand, political change in Malaysia never amounted to a revolution in the streets despite the size of the Bersih rallies.

As I drove, one thought occurred: "The political awakening of this nation will open the door for spiritual awakening." I always thought that the spiritual awakening is the cause for political change but political reforms and liberalisation, slow as it is in varying speeds across Asia (Indonesia, Singapore, China), have triggered the need to question our deeply held beliefs and value systems. Years of political oppression and suppression can either harden a man's heart or humble him so that he is prepared to meet the greater challenges, which is the battle of the spirit against the worldly values of power. Thus, the crystallisation of political oppression can, if we allow it, either change our souls' character into brittle rust or a weather-beaten shining pearl. The Malaysian middle class has entered a new realm of political freedom to express their outrage at the injustice of the ruling government. (The Web and viral networks like Facebook and YouTube have opened up channels of communication wherein citizens can vent their anger and frustrations built up over decades.)

In perspective, the political awakening of Asian society in the past five years (2009-2013) has been tremendous due to three major game-changers: (1) globalisation of trade already started since 2001 when China entered the World Trade Organisation (2) the popular spread of the Internet as an information and political tool of communications and (3) the global financial crisis of 2008/2009 which exposed the vulnerabilities of emerging markets to the credit-driven developed countries.

But much as political reform is welcomed by all sound minded citizens, the changes that we Asian sovereign states face these days are testing the limits of human mental and spiritual endurance. How can Asians strive for higher material well being in societies divided by a widening gap between the lower middle class and the rich? The social pressures to get ahead of one's peers (individually or as a nation) are causing intense tensions in the psyche of Asians, making us question the core meaning of our daily struggles: does man live just to have more and more material goods or is there something more than this consumer-bourgeois existence?

At the edge of this inner tension, the political landscape is also shifting as the old power elite is threatened by a citizenry that is not as tolerant about injustice as it's forefathers. Thus, there is political chaos in Thailand, Turkey, the Middle East where the Arab Spring has turned into an Arab winter of discontent. Some political analysts view chaos as the well proven strategy of the globalists/external enemies to take control over nations. And the superficiality of the Generation Y who are so gullible in what they read and see on Facebook poses as the Achilles heel for Asia. Once their young are easily deceived by the media and political spin masters, the future leadership of Asian nations will be compromised.

2014: Don't Look Back But Change Quickly At Midstream

As we edge closer to 2014 in the remaining two months of 2013, the world has already passed the turning fork at the crossroads. There were two paths (or more specifically mental perspectives) that we faced: the road to a better future and the road to a darker future regardless of our personal disposition. These two choices reappear into our vision every time a chasm or crisis emerges.

Somehow, I get the intuition that the Rubicon has already been crossed but my question is which road have we taken in 2013. Are we walking on the road that leads to global disaster, a perfect storm of economic disintegration and political chaos interspersed with periods of outer calm and stock market bullishness? Or are we on the more difficult and narrower road that leads to truth and a lasting peace, a divine kingdom built not on sand but on the victory of good over evil? My intuition indicates that there will not be any true light in the world until after the darkest hours have come to pass. And that time is upon us.

Everywhere we look today, we find rising crimes, disorder and high levels of public anxiety about our personal safety. The world, both on the local community level and the global level, seemed to have entered a new time zone of greater ruthlessness, more intense ideological delusions and political change that is running out of our control. (A police inspector quietly shared with us his anxieties, advising us to take ownership over our own safety by being alert and taking precautions.)

There is an increasing price to pay if we continue on the path that we take. Man's first impact on his world is his heart condition and his thought life. If he harbours selfish ambitions, his actions will follow according to script. If he takes a more measured and thoughtful assessment of himself, his actions will be more measured and rational. But rationality cannot overcome irrationality especially when law and order appears to be eroding by the day. Like a criminal who has started his criminal activity, he is on an automatic path of self-implosion, triggering a series of events that will lead to his incarceration, physical, mental and spiritual. 

The Narrow Path of Redemption and Sanctification

When Jesus said let the one without sin to be the first to throw a stone at the sinner, He shed light into the human heart. Not only is the episode a lesson for us not to judge others, He is in fact saying that we are all born with a criminal gene inherited from Adam. That genetic code that impels us to throw stones at others (not only in judgement) is embedded in us and can only be reprogrammed by the blood of Christ wherein we cleanse our hearts and minds with the righteousness of God through acceptance of His Son's sacrifice and redemption.

So there is still hope for those of us who have taken the wrong path but the window for change is getting narrower by the day. We can't look back any more at the pristine condition of our innocent youth when we stood at the crossroads of moral action.  But we can decide to step out of the current path and move quickly to the right path of personal redemption. In doing so, we move from a path of self-condemned stone throwers to the only path that can overcome the stone-inscribed law of judgement through the power of the Holy Spirit and the abounding grace of God. 

How Would A 6% GST Be Positive for the Malaysian Economy?

Now that the Government has finally announced the launch of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) by 1st April 2015, there will be a growing debate on whether it is positive or negative for the Malaysian economy.

The good news for Malaysia is that on 25th October 2013, the Malaysian government is finally admitting that economic realities do matter and political priorities will have to adapt to the current global economic realities. This admission comes after decades of sheltering the Malaysian consumer with subsidies and constraining labour productivity with misguided policies.

Likewise, the Malaysian public will begin to get a clearer understanding of the macroeconomic issues involving their livelihood, their cost of living and why their wages are not growing as fast as their regional counterparts.

I shall enumerate the core issues involved and the economics of taxation to answer this controversial and politicized issue (all things related to taxation are political).

The Substance of Change Rooted In Sound Aspirations: To Rally or Not To Rally?

With regard to the peaceful rallies across the country, I fully support the people’s protest against electoral fraud and 5 decades of institutional racism and corruption. 

And because of these events and the widespread communications of the Internet that will eventually go to the rural areas, I believe Barisan is currently pressured to either (a) reform from within or (b) perish in the next elections once the rural voters see through their lies and bribes. The clock is ticking steadily for them to change before voters return to the poll in five years.

However, there is always a small but real risk that Malaysian citizens, in their determination to bring about political change (Ubah), become too caught up to think clearly how their ideas of change can be accomplished. Peaceful civil resistance is an effective way against tyrannies. But let us also hope and pray that the Malaysian Spring (as coined by Lim Kit Siang) does not turn into an Arab winter of discontent which is what has happened in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia and Syria. 

In my ruminations of the future, I believe there are two potential tsunamis that Malaysia faces today: (1) the external tsunami of foreign political domination, which is often violent and hidden from public knowledge (e.g. Arab Spring and the training of Syrian rebels by foreign funded terrorists). (2) The other tsunami is an internal peaceful process of political change engineered by every right-thinking and conscientious Malaysian. Both these external and internal forces are working against each other. 

Thus, as democratic citizens, we should strive for a delicate balance where we put pressure on both the two main political parties to change and offer the best policies and solutions (early signs of change include the latest move to shift the reporting structure of the Election Commission to a parliamentary committee and discussions of a single non-racial party). 

GE 08 and 13 showed the trend is against BN so they have to really act fast in a way that is legitimate and ethical. Similarly, comparably high expectations are placed on the shoulders of Pakatan Rakyat leaders to offer viable and sound policies to govern and steer Malaysia through the global economic challenges. 

Put simply, the key strategy for Msians today is to pressure both parties to come up with the best political solution to Malaysia’s dependence on race-based politics in the next few months and years. 

The 21st century clock is ticking and it is my view that the global elite are planning to destabilise every nation and region (we also need to watch what the Spore government is doing with regard to our politics and how they treat their own citizens).

On a slightly different note, there have been blog discussions that some Christians were disappointed with the election results despite their prayers for change.

I totally agree with Kon Onn Sein’s view and knew beforehand that a number of Christians will be frustrated with the results.

We should trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding, in all our WAYS submit to Him and He will make our paths STRAIGHT (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The election results almost resulted in a hung parliament situation (if not for the irregularities) and this may be the ideal situation for both political parties to compete against each other for the people’s favour to govern. Barisan may have the upper hand now but God’s hands can work wonders behind the scenes and beyond our comprehension.

Just continue to pray and praise God for the promises He has declared over Malaysia. This nation will arise to fulfill her destiny as the rainbow nation of the world!

 

Dawn of Malaysia's Rainbow Nation: The Mandate to Rule is Shaken

Malaysians have woken up! Politically, socially and intellectually thanks to Facebook, You Tube, blogs and alternative media. The movement for real change, which started in GE12, has gained tremendous speed in GE13. And the massive, peaceful, multi-ethnic rally in Stadium Kelana Jaya on 8th May is a testament to the new Malaysia, the rainbow nation that will shine after 56 years of political darkness and a troubled history despite relative economic health.

Some commentators on the web and print media have missed the whole point: we are not saying the Opposition will take over the government or whether the elections results can be verified and fraud detected. Those issues will arise and be resolved in due course.

No. The real change is that the urban people of Malaysia, from all races, starting with Selangor and then to other major states, are saying to the incumbent government: YOU HAVE LOST THE PEOPLE's MANDATE TO LEAD AND TO GOVERN!

Al Jazeera’s reporter is right in saying that it is a moral victory. Not just for the Opposition (even they themselves are surprised by their relative success in the cities) but most importantly for the people. (Political analyst Dr Bridget Welsh's article "Silver Linings in a GE13 Without Gold" best captures the heart of the nation at present although I am sure there will be more profound analyses as history unfolds before our eyes.)

The issues that have caused this swing in urban public support against the government under BN have been percolating for five decades. And MALAYSIA'S TIME FOR CHANGE HAS COME. This was prophesied by many before GE13.

Yes, we shall see a peaceful tsunami of changes ...whether it means reform of BN into an integrated non-racial party, or PR taking over by hook or crook (hopefully the former). The final outcome is a clean and just government that is fair to all races, classes, gender and age groups.

Ron Paul: "Any idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government."

Fallacies over the "Chinese Tsunami" debate 

There have been several debates and much outrage over the PM's Chinese tsunami remarks.  In my view, the analysis of voting trends based on racial lines is interesting but not exactly truthful: the demand for democracy, clean governance and economic freedom is a justified global demand that any race, be it Chinese, Singaporean, Thai or Spanish would cherish and aspire for. The fact that the Chinese happened to be in the majority living in urban areas does not indicate much except that the Chinese and other non-bumi races also happened to bear the brunt of discriminative policies enacted by BN's policies for five decades.

Imagine Steve Jobs (rest his soul), after seeing a surge in sales of iPhone3 in China, saying there is a major Chinese swing in demand for iPhone3. Demand for iPhones or any successful product is global and nothing to do with race. Same thing in Malaysia. 

Demand for fairness, justice and free and fair elections is universal. 

But the good news is change is coming and the people's mandate is shifting out of the government's hands. The pace of change is also out of their hands unless the incumbent government submits to change. It is no longer a question of when but whether they will allow themselves to be reformed internally or externally by a Pakatan Rakyat takeover.

This is what I wrote in response to a well researched but fundamentally flawed article in FreeMalaysia website:

 

"While your mathematical analysis makes sense, it is still not demographically realistic because the key issue that swung the elections at the state district level is not race but the urban-rural divide.

A high proportion of Chinese happened to reside in the urban states while the rural states happened to be populated by Malays.

The momentum is building among the urban voters, and this cuts across racial lines, to vote on issues that affect the governance of the country, the economy and the need to stamp out corruption at the highest level.

If we continue to call GE13 a Chinese tsunami, it is going back to the old school of analyzing Malaysians along racial lines.

Change your perspectives, then you will change the country for the better. Racial dominance is a tool that has no edge anymore in today's globalised, connected economy."

Postscript: In the past week, I have read, heard and seen so many moving stories/videos of people taking part in their democratic rights to vote and demand for free and fair elections. This one - I Am Malaysia - written by Jun Watanabe for The Malaysian Insider is especially poignant. 

How GE 13 Can Be A Game Changer for Malaysia

This General Elections will be a game changer if we play it right with less propaganda brainwashing from both sides of the fence and with more real issues addressed at the heart of the nation.

In my view, Malaysia's problems inherited from Dr Tun boil down to this: in our efforts to jump-start a nation governed by mediocre ministers and dominated by cronies, Dr Tun tried the strategy of "THE ENDS JUSTIFIES THE MEANS." As a result, the nation became even more unbalanced with little improvement in human capital.

Whatever that the "ENDS" denote for each Malaysian, it is basically trying to get the results by hook or crook (e.g. income distribution quotas, ETP targets, money politics to get required seats, Project I.C. in Sabah, etc).

This is why the nation has deteriorated in its academic research institutions, in intellectual discourse and in cross cultural communications. In other words, people learn not for the fun of learning but for exam results. People start businesses not to create a new value for customers but seek the quickest profits available. This is why many businesses engage in the latest money spinning asset reflation game called property development.

We accepted the fast track economic goals at the expense of fairness, justice, due process and genuine kindness to minorities, the underprivileged and the politically and spiritually oppressed. (In the late 1980s till the early 1990s, our economy was lucky due to the unintended consequences of the Plaza Accord when the Japanese had to revalue their Yen upwards and prompt a mass migration of Japanese MNCs into the emerging Tiger nations. The 1997 Asian financial crisis exposed the weakness of this economic model).

Instead of teaching the underprivileged how to learn, how to catch fish, the government gave/promised them loads of fish in perpetuity. Meanwhile, there was a suppression of all freedom of the press and freedom of inter-religious conversion. Only with the advent and popularity of the Internet in recent years has there been a growing intellectual forum for Malaysians to voice out their thoughts, political and spiritual frustrations.

Looking ahead, I believe it is time for due process to be the main driving force for change in Malaysia. It is time for the "MEANS JUSTIFIES THE ENDS" approach to solving our day-to-day and strategic problems. 

Whatever the election results, for 15 days, we Malaysians can start campaigning for our values and aspirations on the Internet/Facebook to be voiced out instead of whole-heartedly accepting the message of our politicians/party of choice.

But if we continue on the same old path of seeking the ends at all costs, then we may not be so lucky this time round. True reform starts with knowing where we came from and how we managed, despite all the compelling reasons for failure, to survive as a nation without a major civil crisis since 1969. Thankfully, I humbly confess that it is only by God's grace that we have peace and good communal relations in this country in spite of the divisive work of the extremists.

What Position Should Malaysian Churches Take In Politics?

One common issue that has arisen frequently among Malaysian Christians is this universal question of what position should Christians (or the church as a body) take in regard to politics. Should Christians voice out their support for a party that espouses moral leadership values and good governance? Or should Christians remain neutral with regard to political affiliations? 

This issue was raised in a recent post in Micah Mandate and written by Alwyn Lau. As a macro economist, I find it always helpful to tackle controversial issues with a broader mindset and be intellectually wary of popular thinking.

The political climate in which we live in today is not as simple as the writer suggests i.e. vote out the government that has lost legitimacy in the eyes of God and the people. Look at what happened in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and now Syria. All those governments were in their own ways, dictatorial and illegitimate but have been taken over by the ‘Muslim Brotherhood,’ which I
strongly believe (and supported by several investigators) is an undercover operation of the One World Government/Illuminati/Committee of 300. After the 'Arab Spring' revolution, those  countries are now in worse shape than before the regime change.

(To digress, the study of geopolitics can greatly benefit from applying probability analysis to events - how probable is it that several countries' regimes can fall like a deck of cards within a short time frame? How probable is it that hijackers armed with paper cutters can bomb the twin towers on their own?)  

While I share the view that Christians need to be involved in reforming their societies, yet we have to take a skeptical view that all political actions (even a peaceful revolution) are like toothless tigers without a genuine call for the spiritual renewal of a nation.

The globalist agenda of the committee of 300 is to play two national political forces (BN vs Pakatan Rakyat) against each other and when there is widespread chaos and disenchantment, the global government will step in to offer a “new” solution that inevitably means destroying the national sovereignty of the people. Their methods can be through military incursions (e.g. the Sulu incident in Lahad Datu?), false flags, political unions (e.g. the disastrous Eurozone project) or rigged elections to usher in their chosen candidates.

As far as the church’s position is concerned, I personally believe that it would have been more prudent for churches like DUMC (in deference to Pastor Daniel whom I know is a good man of God) to be more supportive of ethical and moral values in governments/parties rather than take a specific party line. 

This is because we as Christians should be careful not to put our faith in men (or parties for that matter), however honest or however noble their values. If we put our faith in men instead of moral leadership values, then they too can turn corrupt once they are in power. This is especially poignant in today’s geopolitics when global secret societies are attempting to manipulate the destinies of nations through the media/financial markets/economic and political alliances.

In conclusion, do make your voice stand out for reform and do vote. But be wise and watchful, and when you hear rumours of wars and shakings among nations, pray hard for God’s protection over our nation.

Unanswered Questions: The Truth Demands A Hearing

I think the mainstream media analysis (including blogger Art Harun's) of the Suluk 'incursion' is flawed simply because the analysts are taking a historical and legalistic view of the whole incident.

What they fail (as well as many Malaysians) to ask is why did the Suluk sultan plan this invasion at this time of Malaysia's history. I am not saying there is an underlying conspiracy but there are many, many unanswered questions especially at this time of world history where countries' sovereignty is being threatened by the globalists (Syria/Libya/Egypt/Greece/Spain,etc,etc).

To deal with the cunning of the globalists, we must not talk logic or history with them. Neither should we fight tooth for a tooth as they are backed by very strong military and intelligence forces around the world.

We should be alert not to accept the narratives of globalists/politicians who control the media. Intelligent skepticism is the key to unlocking the truth. And citizens should demand for the truth to be spoken and discussed because telling the truth will expose the enemy.

I fully sympathise with the families of those who were killed in this tragedy. But the tragedy, I believe, will be worse if we do not know the agenda of the globalists who are out to destabilise Asia.

There are indeed many unanswered questions and the best way to deal with these mysteries is to allow the questions to lie fallow in our minds and ask God for guidance.

Watch out for North Korea (China/Russia proxy who have recently moved their troops near the North Korean peninsular) and the hidden agenda of certain key politicians in Washington. They are preparing and here we are...talking about history.

The mystery of today's geopolitics can only be unravaled by asking tough questions (is this believable, is this the truth, can I trust the media? Can I trust the politicians to tell the truth?) and applying probability analysis (how probable are events that appear to be independent but are actually not). If the answer is no, then the only choice is to speak out that our demands for the truth be found and made public (pending another ineffective Royal Commission of Inquiry).

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Scenarios for Msia vs The New World Order

Like many countries that are facing elections, Malaysia is a country that has to turn a difficult bend around the road.

 

That turn has to be handled well lest the car overturns or skids out of the road.

The Good (25% likelihood)
 

The optimistic scenario would be for a peaceful transition of power from BN to Pakatan.

The Bad (25% likelihood)
 

The realistic scenario is a zero sum game. If BN wins, the citizens suffer. If Pakatan wins, BN may create trouble and chaos that the citizens will eventually suffer for a few years. This may actually seem quite palatable as citizens hope the international community to come to our distress and put any undemocratic element in check. And, hopefully, the new government will have the chance to prove itself for the rest of the next four years.

The Ugly (50% likelihood)
 

Fat hopes. The real enemy facing Malaysia and other smaller nations is the One World Government that is getting ready to being formed soon. This OWG or NWO (New World Order) is ruled by a wicked elite that has sowed the seeds of unrest and economic devastation in Europe and the Middle East. America is already coming under its power. So whether BN or PR wins the next elections in 2013, the country will very likely enter a period of political instability due to the Hegelian interference of the globalists.

 

Asia is next. So the ideal scenario for Malaysia is to have a coalition government between BN/PR to fight for our own sovereignty against the NWO. (At least with a united coalition, we have a 50:50 chance to beat the globalists). Just as they have done in America, the globalist NWO will fund chaos and unrest, they will divide us into rich and poor, Chinese and Malay, left and right.  

 

For the region as a whole, the geopolitical mystery is where does China stand. I believe China/Russia/Europe/US have their own NWO representatives who will 'manufacture' regional conflicts that ultimately lead to the endgame: the formation of a global government comprising ten regional blocs. This has been planned since the early 19th century by Cecil Rhodes, the CFR and the Bilderburgers (Rothschilds/Rockefellers).

Far from being a conspiracy theorist, I am convinced through careful analysis that the events happening in the world today is coming towards an end-game with the Middle East as the main flash-point of a world conflict.

Personally, in these dark times, I would advise people to look into their spiritual lives and see how their selfish pursuit of a life without God will soon result in the coming global devastation: a perfect storm in the economic, social, political and biological sphere.

The Only Safe Road: Accept Jesus Christ As The Way

Jesus, your creator and redeemer, will be coming soon to settle the accounts with mankind. He is both the Judge and Redeemer for He will judge the unrepentant and redeem those who repent of their sins. And all the talk about domestic politics skim over the truth of the dangerous road bend that this country is driving towards.

 

Morality Starts With The Private Soul of Man, Not In Politics

Rarely do I have the pleasure to read such a well written article as the one by Mr Ahmad Farouk Musa, a director at Islamic Renaissance Front. His essay was presented at a dialogue on Islamic State: Which Version, Whose Responsibility at the Full Gospel Tabernacle, USJ Selangor on November 3, 2012. The initial groundbreaking article was entitled Arguing for A Secular State.

 

I would like to add to the final quote from Niebuhr: Democracy is a two edged-sword. Our creator did not grant us a free will for nothing. Adam and Eve had a choice to obey God or disobey Him.

 

If it was God's will that all divine, religious rules should be made into civil laws, then mankind will never ever have the capacity for a true moral awakening. It is by falling into sin or the danger of sin that we can repent and be saved by the grace of God.

 

It is personal morality that makes a just society, not the other way round. An autocratic society ruled with an iron fist to keep people from committing personal sins is a disastrous society. Just look at Iran, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan and you can see the evidence.

 

Likewise, the communist and socialist fascist regimes of Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Mussolini are no less autocratic societies ruled with a similar philosophical fallacy that morality starts with the external conduct of man and not the inner conscience of the soul.

Meditations Before The End of 2012

Malaysia is in such a favourable position in terms of the increased political awareness of its citizens that all the country needs is a PM and a party that not only talks but acts honestly, justly and efficiently. We don't need mavericks like Tun Dr Mahathir nor passive bureaucrats like Badawi. Nor do we need cash-handout prime ministers who are so generous with tax payers money.

The crunch time for Malaysia has arrived. We need to shape and redesign our future on our own terms with fairness to all races and religions, upholding the freedom of religious worship and respect for human rights and the right to a first class education system.

Forget and leave behind the shameful past of corruption and civil unrest, we have a future to take hold of. The Internet discussion/forum among equals and the rise of alternative media is a great starting point for this new Malaysia. Malaysia Terbaik should be the new slogan not the lackadaisical Malaysia Boleh.

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 On Malaysian Emigration: Brain Drain or Heart Drain?

In my view, the battle for the heart and soul of Malaysia is not only in the social and political realm, it is very much in the spiritual realm.

Like an unruly child who has gone astray, Malaysia is still our own country begotten with blood and tears. To all emigrants or would-be emigrants, I say: you have to come back for the final battle for this nation for you were borned for a time such as this. Speak words of blessing and claim God's promises for this wonderful country. Speak courage and peace into the hearts and minds of all Malaysians. Pray that God will expose all hidden and evil schemes by the enemy through the global elite to change Malaysia's future.

Being politically active is not just a matter of voting for Pakatan Rakyat. In fact, we have to watch and pray carefully the course of events in the next 15 months according to one American prophet who came here last week.

Arab Spring was not driven by economic hardship. The global elite under the planning of one American leader concocted the Arab Spring to bring into power the Muslim Brotherhood who is taking over most countries in the Middle East: Libya and Egypt has fallen, next is Syria and then Iran, both of which are Shiite Muslims. The end game is a world war that no one in their right minds wants to see happen in their lifetimes (despite the fact that we are now living in the times of divine judgment when the folly of mankind will soon unravel). 

Will the socio-pathos global elite target Malaysia by funding both BN and Pakatan Rakyat so that there will be chaos in the streets? Soros was already mentioned as a possible sponsor of one of the parties and I would not be surprised if he also has a hand behind the old BN elite. Only the Lord Jesus has the power to intervene against these trends. Guys, it is time to wake up, fast and pray that this nation will stand apart from the rise of the coming One World Order which will comprise North America-Europe-China and possibly Australia/NZ.

Malaysians will also do well to be globally alert by reading Alex Jones from www.infowars.com or www.prisonplanet.com

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On some criticism of articles in Micah Mandate website

The article posted by Micah Mandate administrator conveniently skims through the question whether Americans or anyone should believe that Barack Hussein Obama is a Christian just because he says so. Many of his actions and policies are not Biblical especially the value of life in the womb versus abortion and man-woman marriages vs same sex marriages.

So American voters are faced with two choices: one is a Mormon who espouses Christian values and one who is a professed Christian who practises non-Christian values (apparently he does not attend any church regularly and was a member of Jeremiah Wright's church which promoted Black anti-White prejudices).

Pls read the article below. I beseech the Administrators at Micah Mandate to be more balanced in selecting articles.

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/34361-obama-more-religious-apostate-than-religious-pioneer

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On the question whether Christians should protest in the streets

On the issue of civil disobedience/protests, whether Christians should go to the streets to protest (e.g. Bersih rally) is a matter of political and moral choice.

 

There are no hard and fast rules in such situations. But the question of individual actions and choice should be based not only on the word of God but also the wisdom and voice of the Holy Spirit. When should we go and when should we leave the streets? Which areas to go and avoid?

Preachers should preach the Kingdom of God so simple and powerful that even a fisherman and a tax collector can grasp. Not the gospel of Martin Luther King nor Archbishop Tutu that was perhaps powerfully relevant in their times. Not the gospel of socialism nor the prosperity gospel.

Prepare for Malaysia's Jubilee!

Prepare for Malaysia's Jubilee!

IN the Bible, the year of Jubilee or the year at the end of seven seven-year cycles, marks a time of release, return and renewal. The clock is 're-set', so to speak. Jubilee is a year of liberty in which slaves and prisoners are freed and debts forgiven. The land observes a Sabbath rest and is "returned" to God. Jubilee's spiritual parallel is the remission of sins through faith in Jesus Christ so as to be reconciled with God and to live a life of liberty through His Spirit.

In Malaysia, the Pastors' Fellowship Kota Kinabalu (PFKK) has started an initiative to mark 16 Sept 2012 as Malaysia's Jubilee year. This date is also the 49th anniversary of Malaysia's formation through the joining of four independent nations - Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore (until 1965).

However, if we use the Biblical formula of counting seven Sabbath Year-cycles, seven times, (i.e. taking Malaysia's first year of existence as 1963 and not 1964), we get 2012 as Malaysia's 50th year - or Jubilee year.

2012 as the year of Malaysia's Jubilee was announced at the Malaysia Day Prayer Rally 2011 on 15 Sept, which marked the end of the 40-Day Fast and Prayer 2011.

Under Jubilee 2012, churches are urged to step up prayer for the nation. Pray for the fulfillment of jubilee across the country: Good news for the poor, sight for the blind and relief for the oppressed.

There is also a special focus on East Malaysia. Church leaders there desire to see the righting of wrongs done to indigenous peoples in the name of development and politics. Leaders are praying for full respect and adherence to the Sabah 20-point and Sarawak 18-point Agreements signed with Malaya upon the formation of Malaysia. These points include full freedom of religion as there shall be no State religion in North Borneo. They also include autonomy over land.

There is much to be done to help the natives of Sabah and Sarawak reclaim what has been taken from them. Christians in East Malaysia and the Peninsular must unite as one Church to "proclaim the year of the Lord's favour". After all, the welfare of the Malaysian Church as a whole rests on over 60% of her congregation - who are East Malaysians!

Jubilee 2012 is less than 12 months away. Using 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a guide, churches and individuals are urged to prepare themselves by emphasizing consecration of the self and of the church, hold more regular prayer focusing on Malaysia, enhance individual and corporate worship, and seek repentance and reconciliation with one another.

Source: NEFC Malaysia, Oct-Dec 2011 Issue
  Note: This statement was made last year. Recently, Cindy Jacobs came to Malaysia to prophecy on a great awakening for Malaysia. My church Grace Assembly says that the Jubilee year starts from 16th Sept 2012-16th Sep 2013.   Read her three prophecies at: http://allenstae.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-three-prophecies-on-malaysia-by-rev.html

Orwell Saw Through It All: The Future and Today's Times

George Orwell, English novelist and essayist (1903-1950) said: “The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns, as it were, instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink.”

“Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear”

“Good writing is like a windowpane”

“To an ordinary human being, love means nothing if it does not mean loving some people more than others”

“We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.”

“The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.”

“Political language. . . is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”

"Doublethink" means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them”

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” “But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

“In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.”