The Mirage of Democracy: The Elected and The Electorate

Every four years or so, Malaysians (and other citizens) go to the polls to elect one of two parties to govern their country. Ideally, the elected government should represent the electorate's aspirations, values and bring their country into a more progressive era.

Important as they are, elections should be more than a way of establishing the people's choices and wishes. If choosing between two parties is akin to the consumer choosing between two alternative products/services, then the democratic process of free and fair elections is indeed highly superficial and mundane.

The problem with the consumerist approach to elections is that (a) it assumes the product does not affect our financial and emotional well-being even if it is faulty because we can throw it away (i.e. vote the incompetent government out in four years' time). Unfortunately, truly bad policies often destroy our financial and emotional health for many more years beyond what the next administration can undo; (b) this view assumes that the consumers/voters are to a large extent powerless in affecting the destiny of their country and its leadership in so far as they are faced with two candidates/products whose views and ideologies (i.e. product features) are invariably fixed.

A reversal of roles

The irony about democratic elections in the age of the Internet and instantaneous communications is that the elected leaders are actually not the ones that are being chosen. Instead, voters are themselves voting their thoughts, their intellectual life, their values into the political life of their candidates. Thus, an election should not be a matter of choosing the best leader and the best party to lead your nation but one of choosing wisdom and foresight as qualities that are needed for both the citizen and the government, both the electorate and the elected.

Three tales of Tom & Jerry

Apart from ensuring that elections are conducted in a free and fair way, there are 3 errors that voters should avoid: (1) the first error is to elect a leader who changes course and values after being elected. This error is called chameleon risk. (like current US President Obama who was voted in on a ticket of change and reform has changed his stripes and remain a Wall Street elitist at heart behind his socialist and interventionist facade).

(2) The second error is to elect a leader who represents the voter's values but fails to carry out the policies competently. That is called execution risk. (former PM Abdullah Badawi is a good example of a leader with good intentions but poor execution skills).

(3) The third error is to have voted someone who represents what we believe in, who carries out the policies effectively and, in due course, destroys the country because what we believe in is actually bad for the country. This is called voter incompetency risk. (e.g. compliant citizens of the Eurozone were sold the ambitious Euro project ten years ago by European leaders only to reap the fruits of economic despair today.)

It is the third error - voter incompetency risk- that is the most dangerous because it reflects on the voter's lack of intelligence, wisdom and sincerity. To paraphrase Deng Xiaoping: chameleon risk is when the cat you bought decides to catch squirrels instead of mice. Execution risk is when your cat fails as badly as Tom to catch Jerry the mouse. And voter incompetency risk happens when you bought a special cat to catch a poisonous type of mouse and after eating it, the cat dies of sickness that causes your household to be infected and eventually the whole country as well. 

While it appears suicidal for people to adopt policies and values that destroy their countries' economy, social infrastructure and institutions, there are many instances of democratic people selfishly doing so as they are often motivated by vested and ideological interests: the socialists will appoint a socialist leader; the elite will appoint their elitist wall-street leaders; the middle-class consumerist will appoint leaders who trade short term economic gains for long-term stagnation and burdensome debt levels that will be passed on to future generations.

(And in the case of Europe, there is increasing evidence that the powerbrokers behind the Eurozone are not aiming for a united peaceful Europe but a European political superstate that subsumes national sovereignty).  

To avoid voter incompetency risk, voters should not only examine their politicians fishing for their votes, but also re-examine their own personal values and aspirations vis-a-vis the nation and the global community.

1. Are they prepared to stop making trade-offs for short term gains in exchange for long-term pain? (cash transfers and debt-financed consumption today but higher interest rates and fiscal austerity tomorrow)

2. Are they prepared to reject a society where one group of vested interests thrive at the expense of other groups/communities? (e.g. race-based economic privileges)

3. Are they able to see themselves as active participants in the democratic process using the tools of the Internet and mass communications rather than passive consumers/voters choosing their leaders once in every four years?

4. Are they willing to engage their politicians, test them, challenge them intellectually and philosophically to ensure that they are governed by people who deserve a government of the people, for the people and by the people?

In other words, voters’s expectations can influence their politicians' standard of ethics and leadership especially before and during an election campaign period. If we expect mediocre leadership and half-baked policy solutions, we will get them no matter how capable the politicians are.

As Malaysia approaches its 13th General Election, slated to be in the first quarter of 2013, we, the people are indeed facing a major cross roads. On the one hand, we continue to be divided, not so much by ideology but by the ethnic pattern of voting for the parties that represent our race-based interests. This is a sad and tragic countervailing social reaction to the institutional race-based policies of the incumbent government for five decades. However, on the other hand, we are becoming more and more united by several positive trends:

- increasing activism by ordinary citizens (mostly urban professionals) in criticising government policies in blogs, facebook, tweeter, etc.

- increasing sympathy for the poor and the lower middle classes in their struggles to earn a decent living in a society that enriches the politically well connected elite.

- increasing empathy for those who are on the losing end of the rising disparity between the poor and the rich.

- increasing contempt for corruption among politicians and the elite.

- increasing unhappiness with government educational policies that reverted the teaching of maths and science to Bahasa Malaysia instead of the international English.

Hopefully, in the coming months, Malaysian voters will engage their politicians vigorously and challenge them to solve the decades-old dilemmas and overcome the simple yet enormous stumbling blocks that keep the nation from its true potential.

Of course, all these concerns and issues could very well be side-stepped if we are distracted by the hyped up "economic gains" of the government's half-baked Economic Transformation Program (which does not remove the source of the decline in our nation's productivity - social distribution policies based on race and a reliance on oil resources to subsidise and bail out failed government projects).

Only Divine Intervention and Wisdom Can Avert An Explosive Middle East War

We all need to pray continually and fervently that God will intervene to prevent a war between Israel and Iran. This prophetic event may be the event that was written about in Ezekiel and Daniel in the Bible. But we can pray that God will intervene, postpone or change the course of events leading to a third world war.

Things are heating up in the Middle East as confirmed by many media coverage and the Nomura Middle East analyst Alastair Newton who told us two weeks ago an attack by either Israel or US on Iran’s nuclear mountain facilities may happen depending on the likely outcome of the US elections.

If Obama is ascendant in the polls towards spring (April May June), then Israel will hold quick elections and then attack. If Republicans are ascendant, then Israel will wait it out until perhaps next year.

Whatever the outcome, this potential war is very bad for the world economy and markets because it will not just involve Israel/US vs Iran. There will be a cascading effect of countries worldwide joining either sides. Russia and China will clearly be backing Iran and may join the war. Do we have insider proofs or is it mere conjecture?

The best course for world leaders is that Israel and Iran negotiate and sit down and discuss it out. The US elections and the populist rhetoric of the candidates including the president are not helping to cool the tensions. If there is a black swan for 2012-2013, it is not that the world will be surprised by a Israel-Iran war but that the scale of the war will be unprecedented in human history. Exactly the kind of insanity among world leaders that was shown in Dr Strangelove.

 

Why would world leaders be so foolish as to encourage and condone a war between Israel and Iran when the implications are so dangerous? The article below is not my view but may link this regional conflict to the globalist conspiracy to form a New World Order.

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America, Persia, And Israel Are Being Sacrificed For A One World Order

Saman Mohammadi

Infowars.com

February 19, 2012

“If the Washington/Tel Aviv-promoted hysteria is already at fever pitch, wait for March 20, when the Iranian oil bourse will start trading oil in other currencies apart from the US dollar, heralding the arrival of a new oil marker to be denominated in euro, yen, yuan, rupee or a basket of currencies.

That would suit Asian clients – from BRICS members India and China to US allies Japan and South Korea, not to mention NATO member Turkey. But that would also suit European clients, to pay for oil in their own currency. Tehran – as well as many key players in the developing world – does want to sink the petrodollar. That may be the straw to break the American camel’s back.” – Pepe Escobar, “US wants SWIFT war on Iran,”February 17, 2012.

“Most of all, it was a war that probably brought about more long-term changes than any other in history. Nothing demonstrated more the central position of Persia as a world power. With this war we see the end of a succession of ancient empires in Iran that began with Cyrus. It was also the end of over a thousand years of a complex interaction with the west. Persian civilization was, of course, soon to demonstrate its resilience by emerging phoenix-like out of the ashes into the brilliance of medieval Islamic Iran. But that would be a changed new Persia and a changed interaction with the west: with the ending of the old Persia, the old world also ended.” – Warwick Ball, “Towards One World: Ancient Persia and the West.” 2010. East & West Publishing: London. Pg. 134 – 135. The quote is from the chapter, “Two Super-Powers: Recovery, Expansion and the War That Changed the World,” about the century-long war between Rome and Persia in the sixth and seventh centuries A.D. Officially, the war began in 529 and ended in 629.

From its very inception, Israel was created to be destroyed in a third world war against the forces of Islam, the result of which will be a one world order. It is a cruel and miserable fate for the Jews and the people of the Middle East.

The people of all countries involved in World War III are victims of the worldwide and generational conspiracy which is loosely referred to as a one world order/world government plot. This global plot/conspiracy is satanic in nature, and includes the leaders of both the Zionists and Islamists, who are secretly working for the globalists in America and England to create a one world order.

In 1979, the Persians and Kurds in Iran were hijacked by Western-backed political Islamists from the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran’s religious fundamentalist community who are deeply involved in the secret global conspiracy to bring a one world government into being. The top Mullahs of Iran wear Muslim attire, but underneath, they are Freemasons part of the Illuminati who were placed into power by the shadow CIA and MI6.

Neither the leadership of Israel nor the leadership of Persia care about the well-being and security of their people. They don’t have any spiritual or psychological ties to these two ancient and sacred lands which share a rich and deep history. They view the people as animals to be tricked and slaughtered, not as subjects to be ruled and well-fed, or as citizens to be represented and respected.

In ancient times, the rulers wanted to increase the productivity and population of their lands. But in modern times, the rulers want to kill their slaves in mass wars. And this is most true regarding the rulers of America and England, where the Illuminati runs the whole show, in politics as well as in entertainment.

The leadership of America and the West is a giant death cult. George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and Barack Obama all share dangerous New Age beliefs, and they have all talked about the need for a “one world order,” in different speeches and in various of ways.

But they don’t mention the fact that they are secretly conspiring with the totalitarian leaders of Israel and Islamic Iran to start one last world war before the coming age of universal peace and world harmony, which they promise will dawn after the ritual of bloodshed.

They keep the people in the dark and feed them totalitarian lies because in their warped minds the people are worse than animals or slaves. To them, the people are a cancerous plague to be wiped off the planet like lice, while they are the gods and creators of a new world.

The dark agents of Satan who want to create a one world dictatorship view themselves as friends of mankind, but they are deluded and disturbed mental patients. In reality, they are the greatest enemies of humanity in the history of the world.

They belong in Hell, not on Earth, and certainly not in positions of power where they are able to control the minds of the people in secret and dictate the collective destiny of the human species.

Saman Mohammadi is the writer and editor at The Excavator Blog

Guan Eng-Soi Lek TV Debate: Will Key Election Issues Be Probed Deeply?

The TV debate between Lim Guan Eng and Chua Soi Lek on 18th Feb is getting national coverage. But will the key issues facing the electorate be discussed? What are these issues?

1. What does Pakatan Rakyat truly stand for - equality for all races and a non-racial part system?

2. What does Barisan stand for - continued race-based politics or will internal reform be driving the parties forward?

3. It may take electoral defeat or a second straight loss of the two thrids majority for BN to learn the lesson of making genuine reforms.

4. The weakness of Pakatan Rakyat rests on PAS's stand on the Islamic state and hudud. How can their policies be accommodated in a multiracial multi ethnic country?

The whole world is watching Malaysia as ethnic and religious violence has shaken the Middle East and the Israeli-Iran conflict is back in the forefront of international news.

Will A War In The Middle East Involving Iran Erupt in 2012?

In an November 2011 interview with currency and poltical analyst Jim Rickards with King World, there is an interesting view that the "War With Iran has Begun" and that "Gold to Break $2,000."

With oil near $100, gold and silver on the move and many people worried about what is going to happen with Iran and the Straits of Hormuz, today King World News interviewed resident expert Jim Rickards. Rickards negotiated the release of US hostages from Iran in 1981. His advisory clients include government directorates around the world and he is heavily involved in US national security issues and the Department of Defense.

Rickards has also gained international recognition for his deadly accurate predictions regarding moves by central planners. This is what Rickards had to say about the situation in Iran: “Eric, this really could not be more serious. The fact that we, meaning the United States, are on a path to a war with Iran is very clear at this point. It does seem the countdown has begun and it’s coming to a head sooner rather than later.”

“Things are moving very quickly. General Martin Dempsey, who is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has arrived in Israel and Israel is integrating itself with the U.S. European Command or EUCOM. So, at this point, the integration of the Israeli and the US operational capability, including NATO based in Europe, is very far along.

There are an enormous number of US troops in Israel. I don’t know if people realize that, but they are operating the THAAD system (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). They oversee weapons that will shoot down incoming Iranian missiles.

There are joint exercises going on between the US and Israel. At the same time Iran is conducting war games. There are a lot of moving pieces on the chessboard at this point. This is not just war gaming or thinking about what might happen, the pieces have actually begun to move on the chessboard.

For Israel this is really existential. The US would really like to see a world where Iran did not have nuclear weapons, but for Israel it is not a preference. If Iran gets nuclear weapons, Iran has said they will burn Israel to the ground. So, this is not just a strategic rebalancing, this is life or death for the Israelis.....

“All of the information I have is that the US is going to do it (attack Iran). So the tension between Israel and the United States is being resolved in favor of letting the US actually launch the attack.

Part of the reason for this is the retaliation vector. If the US attacks and Israel keeps out, then Iran has no justification for attacking Israel. They (Iran) will attack US targets in the Middle-East, but we’re ready for that, we’re prepared for that. We will suppress the missiles and their air force is a joke, we’ll take that out in the first day.

But they do have a serious missile capability. We’ll need anti-missile warfare and we will need to strike those bases. We will need to do a lot of other damage to Iran, cyber warfare, take down the power grid, take down the command and control structure. Do whatever we can to stop them from attacking our assets in the Middle-East.

This war will be fought with air power, sea power, cyberwarfare, financial warfare, sabotage, special operation, assassination, things like that. This is already going on. As an example, yesterday a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist had an unlucky encounter with a magnet bomb.

So this war is already being fought. The other day the United States sanctioned the Central Bank of Iran. By the way, we’ve been sanctioning them for years, but we’ve been dialing it up little by little. It’s like the frog that’s boiled in a pot of water and doesn’t know until it’s too late that the water is getting hot.

President Obama sanctioned the central bank about a week ago. The Iranian currency, the rial, dropped 30% in a single day. Hyperinflation has broken out in Iran. This is financial warfare.

My point to the listeners is this is not theoretical, this is not a war game, not an exercise, it’s happening now and the clock is ticking.”

Rickards had a great deal to say about gold, investor psychology, the coming war, how it will impact key players, markets and more. Here is a quick snippet: “If you see the war with Iran happening, and I definitely see it happening, then gold will blow right past $2,000.”

This is an extremely important interview with one of the top individuals in the world of national security. Rickards also described how this war will be fought and how it will impact major players and countries. The KWN Jim Rickards interview will be available shortly and you can listen to it by CLICKING HERE.

Welcome 2012 and the Year of Creative Harvest

This is the year of harvest in the spiritual realm where years of sowing seeds into the soil of our souls will be reaped. Good seeds will bring good fruits while bad seeds will reap bad fruits.

After going through many prophecies for the year and shaken by the tumultuous events of 2011, I think 2012 will be the year the hidden plans and things of the heart will be unveiled and crystallised. This is the year of action, of deep prayers and thoughtful deliberation into the political process between citizens versus elected administrators, between employers and employees, between leaders and their followers and between God and mankind.

For the Chinese, this is also the year of the mythical Dragon but judging by the catastrophic and fast-changing events of 2011 (the Arab Spring and Japan's triple disaster) which was the year of the Rabbit, the Dragon year could either be extremely docile (as polar opposite of the preceding year) or it could be even more volatile. As one who does not believe in astrology but who is a keen observer of global trends, I think the latter is likely to be the case.

  

Malaysia In The Grips of Spiritual Legalism

The whole heart of the issue facing Malaysia and cropping up in the recent controversial speech by associate professor Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah is NOT about Ridhuan Tee, his genes, character nor any religion as referred in Art Harun's blog article Compulsion in Islam.

The key word is COMPULSION and whether a human being (whether you are atheist, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or Jewish) can be forced to become more spiritual (or approved of God) if he/she adopts certain outward customs and practices.

The opposite of spirituality is compulsion/tyranny/force/legalism. The law can never make a person a better human being, it only ensures that sins of commission are not committed. Sins of omission (doing good, giving love, charity) can never be supervised or publicly enforced.

Only the most wonderful human acts are done outside the glare of organised religion. Becoming a Christian for me is an earth-shaking event but for my non-Christian neighbour or relative, it is nothing. What matters is the fruit of my faith. Am i a better neighbour, am i more considerate, more kind?

The Internet is the most effective conversion tool. It is free and it is fair for all to see: A tree is judged by its fruits. Just look at the fruits of all the religions of the world: you will quietly observe without any bias that for those religions whose faithful followers can be counted as 70%-80% radical (regardless whether they are passive or active radicals), violent, supportive of terrorists, hypocrites in all their personal lives (unequal rights between men and women) are the religions that preach to a false God/being. Whether for good or evil, the actions and lifestyle of believers advertise the tone, the inspiration and the power of their scriptures.

So the question of compulsion is already a sign of confusion about spiritual matters. The consequence (fruit) of confusion is hate, violence and murder.

We all know that the devil's aim is to kill, steal and destroy. Whether by guile (democratic means?) or by force, he will try to do it but God has already defeated the devil on his own terms so now he is after human beings. Which is why the world is in such political and economic turmoil.

The Pied Piper Comes A Calling On Europe - Who Will Pay ?

The world economy is slowing towards the edge of recession with the European debt crisis and the American economy growing at a snail's pace.

Investors' hopes are on China and the emerging markets to be the new engines of growth but these markets do not have the credentials nor the global political power to take over the reins of the global economy.

China is not only too weak in per capita purchasing power, it is not transparent and a highly fragmented society with little democracy or corporate governance.

The next credible candidate to take over the world economic dominance may be Europe if the Euro zone rises out of its current debt trap and transforms itself into a cohesive political union. This requires great political sacrifices, much negotiations between European powers and trickery of the electorate by the elite.

Like the Pied Piper, who came back to ask for his payment, there is a payment for the folly of the European Euro project, and the people who have to pay up are the debtor members as well as the citizens of the creditor nations. The alternative is what the Pied Piper warns: a doomsday Global Depression..but is it a real threat or a bluff? We shall find out in the next few months as we enter 2012.

In fact, the global economic mismanagement by policymakers and governments looks increasingly like a twisted Pied Piper tale where the Pied Piper (the global elite/market manipulator) trained the rats (the financial crisis of 2008) to listen to the music, let the rats out on purpose on the city of Hamelin and then duped the citizens into entering a deal with him. When the mayor could and would not pay up for the services rendered, the threat is to put all their children into debt (i.e. take them away into slavery - although in the story, the children were led into a paradise). 

Now the Pied Piper stands at the door of  world governments to ask for payment - first the European countries, then the US and Japan will be next. Will citizens of the developed world call his bluff and risk a major financial meltdown? Will world leaders respond with more money printing and more manipulated financial meltdowns (rats) to be carried out with the Piper's magic pipe? And his price is: total political and economic power in the hands of a global elite starting with the besieged European Union. In fact, a new global currency based on the controlled supply and consumption of energy (carbon currency) is being planned according to a study by Michael S. Coffman, Ph.D. and Kristie Pelletier. http://newswithviews.com/Coffman/mike129.htm

The Destiny and Prophecy for The Rainbow Nation

As I have been saying for many months since last year, Malaysia is at a major crossroads in a world that is shaken by all forms of disasters: political, religious, economic and geological.

Yet, we seem to have survived and prospered in relative peace...But there is a warning and this is what I have come across from a prophecy given by God to Pastor Julius Suubi and Pastor Francis Ameta from Kenya.

The Intercessors at the 24/7 Prayer House in Kenya have been fasting and praying for Malaysia since the 5 January, 2010 for 40 days. There was a very, very strong burden for Malaysia and during their intercession there was much weeping and crying out for this nation.

The following is the message they received from the Lord for Malaysia:

Malaysia is at a very important crossroads. The Lord says that He has been so faithful to the nation of Malaysia. He has protected Malaysia in 3 areas:

1. The principalities over Malaysia have tried to cause racial dissension. Feelings were stirred in the hearts of the people to rise up for destruction but because of God’s grace, He has prevented this destruction from happening.

2. God has protected Malaysia from natural calamities when the surrounding regions have been hit by such disasters.

3. God has protected the church. Seeing that you are in a Muslim land, the church has a high measure of freedom thus far. Many times the enemy has tried to come up to close in on the church but God has not permitted it.

God’s faithfulness and favor towards Malaysia is not because the Church has been praying. In fact, the Church in Malaysia has entered into a comfort zone. The Church is so contented and so comfortable and in slumber. There is prayerlessness in the church and she is not carrying the burden that God has for the “cousins” in the land. Most of the prayers that take place in the churches are personal prayers but not a burden for the nation and the lost.

Warning from the Lord:

The veil of protection over Malaysia is slowly giving way over this land.

The heavens over Malaysia have already begun to close.

The burning of the churches is but a tip of the ice-berg of what the enemy is wanting to do over this nation. There is a looming judgment waiting to take place over this land if intercessors do not arise.

Teaching on Abraham pleading for Sodom & Gomorrah by Pr Julius Suubi

Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah but his prayers could not deliver the cities. His prayers alone could not prevent the judgment of God upon the cities. Abraham was not living in Sodom & Gomorrah. The people of the land themselves need to arise to intercede for their own land. Unfortunately, there was no one in the land who took up the burden to pray for their cities and the cities were destroyed.

Application to Malaysia:

Only the prayers of the people in Malaysia can deliver their land. This burden has to be taken up by the Malaysians themselves. They have to arise to pray for their land, cry out to God, influence the people and to tell them that the nation is at an important crossroads. Tell the people that the next 5 years is so very important. They either arise to a very, very powerful revival or slide in the other way.

God’s will is for Malaysia to rise up to her destiny (being a “Rainbow Nation”) and for a great revival to sweep through this land. Our brothers from other nations are just here to help us “PUSH”. They are like “midwives” to help the Malaysian Church push until they see the baby born (the destiny of Malaysia). The Malaysian Church has to pray and intercede to open the heavens over Malaysia. To see revival, we need the heavens to be open. Prayer will open the heavens. The enemy will try to hinder our prayers but we must persevere and pray until we see the revival.

PROPHETIC WORD CONCERNING PENANG, MALAYSIA

RELEASED BY PR JULIUS SUUBI DURING THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER AT TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH, PENANG

Penang is like the umbilical cord. Just as an umbilical cord supplies nourishment to the baby, Penang provides life to sow prayer and seeds for the revival in Malaysia. The baby about to be born is the revival that God has planned for the nation. The Lord is asking the Church in Penang, “Are you willing to pay the price for the revival to come?”

Penang is also like the church in Pergamum where it was mentioned that the “seat of Satan” was there in the city. Penang has attracted the enemy to this place. The Lord wants to raise up prayer warriors in this city to stand in the gap.

Teaching on Altars by Pr Julius Suubi

In times of judgment, people were to raise up altars to reverse the effects, to bring about healing for the land. There are 4 altars that need to be raised up at a time like this:

1. Personal altar: We are the temple of the Holy Spirit for the Holy Spirit indwells us. We need to activate our personal altar. We need to pray everyday. Develop your personal prayer life.

Pray at least one hour a day. Jesus asked his disciples, “Could you not tarry with me one hour?”

2. Family altar: Husband, wife, children need to gather together to pray. We need to establish the family altar. Exercise authority over your household in problem areas. When men break faith with their wives, there is no family altar and this has great impact upon the children (Malachi 2:13-16). Family prayers will affect your neighbours and neigbourhood as well.

3. Church altar: My house shall be called a House of Prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7). The strength of the church is not measured by how many members, how much money or how powerful the pastor is. It is measured by how strong the prayer life of the individuals in the church. Very few people at the prayer meetings, a common sight in our churches.

Prayer meeting is for everyone, not just certain groups of people.

God wants to establish the Territorial Church (territorial altar) in the city to impact the city. There needs to be a unity among the churches in the area or city. The territorial church can deal with the principality over the area and thus have great impact over the area or city.

If all cities have territorial altars then every city will begin to experience transformation.

4. National altar: People from the various territories or regions that have set up their altars will need to gather together to form the national altar. The prayers that rise from the national altar will greatly impact the nation.

Finally, let’s take heed of God’s Word concerning watchmen who are not doing the work of watchmen.

God has called us to be watchmen on the wall, to warn the people of impending judgment or danger. Let us not be like the watchmen as described in Isaiah 56:9-12. If we are like watchmen who are blind and dogs that cannot bark or shepherds who lack understanding, then the “beasts of the field…… the beast of the forest” will come and devour our land! Take heed, Church in Malaysia!!!! The Lord has spoken through his prophets (Amos 3:7).

Sarawak Christians Need to Relook At The Borderline Between State & Religion

Ideally, as one Sarawak colleague remarked to me once, state and religion should be kept separate. In other words, what is of the world should remain in the world and what is of God should remain in God’s house.

In practise and in the case of Sarawak, the dividing line can no longer hold because the state has encroached on the religious values and integrity of the church (which is not an association but the whole body of Christians in Malaysia and the world community). This is evident in the two-state policy of the government on the Bahasa Malaysia bibles and Allah issue.

What should Christians do and does the behaviour/campaigns of Christian politicians (on both sides of the party line) in this election reflect the character of our Lord Jesus Christ? I am sure our Creator in Heaven is watching very closely as the protagonists argue and plead their case to the people of Sarawak.

Sarawakians have enjoyed freedom of religious worship for decades and I can see so many churches flourishing there. They have enjoyed this privilege while the persecution of the church and the gospel is happening at a very intense rate in the Peninsular and around the world (compare how much religious freedom is granted to Christians in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India etc versus Peninsular Malaysia. China is in a class of its own in the persecution index). 

But will the outcome of the 16th April elections change the perspective of Sarawak Christians about their position in Malaysia? Will it completely change their view (which in many ways is Biblically correct) that the worldly and the divine should remain separate?

These are hard issues which will engage the entire nation and the body of Christ for years to come. As Christians, we are the spiritual shepherds of this nation and we have to wake up to our responsibilities in this present end times: there will be increasing worldliness and political tensions on the one hand while a call for greater spirituality and blessings from God will also intensify on the other hand.

God is shaking the nations to wake us up and we must not remain indifferent and complacent.

So where shall we stand as Malaysian Christians? In the midst of the tranquility and natural beauty of Sarawak, a great spiritual battle has started.

We will do the nation a great favour by continuing this dialogue with our non-Christian neighbors and fellow citizens. In the process, we must remember to remind ourselves that our faith in the goodness and love of God goes beyond politics and beyond casting a vote in the ballot box. So in our prayers, when we ask God for justice and righteousness to prevail in the land, it is very much the Kingdom of God that we are seeking to be established on earth, not according to our own designs/will but God’s perfect will.

Malaysia At Spiritual Cross Roads Amidst Political Deceptions Locally & Globally

As Malaysia prepares for the 13th General Election coming right after the Sarawak state election, the political struggle that is being fought between the incumbent state government party and the Opposition parties in Sawarak threatens to overshadow the larger moral issues facing the nation.

 Do Malaysians, political experts, bloggers and man-in-the-street, know that we are heading towards the end of the age? Do we think we are immune from the earthquakes/tsunamis that hit Japan and other countries of the world? What do these natural disasters which wipe out thousands of lives mean for the people of Malaysia apart from taking precautions not to eat Japanese food or review our nuclear plans ?

The sins of the people of Malaysia are evident: one the one hand, we have corrupted politicians who have made themselves wealthy and powerful at the expense of the people and on the other hand, we have the yet-to-be-tested politicians in the Opposition who try to take power away from the corrupt. For the latter, the road to Putrajaya seems to be the ultimate solution to Malaysia's woes.

What precisely are the sins committed by this nation? Arrogance and self-promotion of our own communities, racial divisions and pride, pornography, adultery, divorce, hypocrisy at all levels and the complacency of the general citizens who only care for their own short-term interests. i.e. their rice bowls.

Will our rice bowls be taken away from us in the next global economic tsunami despite the fact that we console ourselves that Malaysia is blessed with oil and commodities? The deforestation of Sarawak, the mistreatment of the poor and enrichment of crony capitalists there is a testimony of our rape of natural resources and the indigenous people that God planted there.

The only way the nation can avert the divine judgement of God on this nation as He is indeed shaking each nation throughout the world (after Japan, the next natural disaster could be in the Ring of Fire) is by repenting of our sins and turning our eyes, our hearts to God. Therefore, Malaysians, especially Christians, should be careful not to put their faiths in new or existing political leaders to bring justice and righteousness to the nation.

And the churches of the country, as will be the case in Sawarak on 16th April, will play a major role in turning the nation to repentance of our sins, praying to God for mercy and forgiveness of our self-serving life-styles.

Indeed, the Lord Jesus is coming soon and the rapid deterioration of the current world order is happening before our very eyes on TV and the daily news. (Please do read my previous post Troubles in the Middle East and What It Means To Us)

Face the Spiritual Challenges First, then the rest will follow

Over the land of Sarawak, there is what the Christians call a principality that tries to rule over the land and its people.

We are not called to engage in spiritual warfare with flesh and blood (i.e. mankind) but with principalities who often portray themselves (through their human subjects) as kings of the land.

Once you pull down these principalities thru prayer, repentance for the sins committed against the land and declaring that Jesus is the King of Kings, you will deal the biggest blow to the enemy. Then perhaps we may see a real change in the land come 16th April 2011.

So it is important for the opposing political candidates and voters to be courteous and loving to each other. Let us not demonise Taib no matter how much he is vilified by certain people. Let us show love and mercy while praying hard for God's justice to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Early this year, tyrants and dictators have fallen in Tunisia and Egypt and even the principality of Sendai was shaken. Sarawak’s economic and social problems are far from Tunisia and Egypt and God has blessed this land with peace and abundant resources (albeit diminishing). But being the first state to usher in the next general elections, I think this state is key to Malaysia’s spiritual transformation.

Trouble in The Middle East & What It Means To Us

We are indeed living in times of great global turmoil. First the global economic crisis started in October 2008, starting with the U.S. and then reverberating throughout the world as if each country's economy had an implosion: Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, etc. Depending on the level of debt and extent of asset bubbles, no nation was spared the effects of the global economic meltdown. Then two years later we see political unrest and wars in the Middle East and North Africa starting in late 2010.

On 11th March 2011, a major earthquake of 8.9 kw hit Japan's northeast region, killing more than 10,000 people with the same number missing.

The word that comes into my mind is global cataclysms (deluge, any catastrophic geological phenomenon, volcanic eruption, earthquake, any large-scale disaster).

While I am not surprised by these events based on Biblical prophecy, the entire sequence of events are starting to make sense from the message given by God to Kenyan prophet Dr David Edward Owuor. 

On 25th March 2011, he gave an audio sermon in Manila at a pastors' conference. Listen to it and you will be amazed to see how the final chapter of the Bible, Revelation, reveals the timeline of this current age.

Dr Owuor, who has a strong track record in accurately predicting global calamities, said that we are seeing Biblical prophecy unfold in real time in our newspapers and television screens: wars and turmoil in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and earthquakes in Chile, Haiti, New Zealand (all prophesied by him months in advance) and Japan.

To find out the mystery of what is happening in the Middle East (no, its not a CIA or Mossad plot), you need to have a full open mind (especially non-Christians) to connect what is revealed by Jesus in the Bible (Mathew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 and Revelation 6) to current events in the world today. We are living on borrowed time and the end of this age will have eternal impact on all our lives.

No nation or people on earth is spared for the Word of God is true and abiding. The release of the 4th rider on the pale horse (prophecied by Dr Owuor on July 29th 2009 in Johannesburg) early this year shows we have entered an era of global cataclysm where one fourth of mankind will perish through war, famine, plague and disease.

In fact, the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa may be a prelude to a realignment of the nations surrounding Israel. Will the new rulers of these nations change their stance towards Israel ? Will they be closer or further away in their relations with God's remnant people ? Whatever the outcome, every nation will play a part in the final realignment of nations vis-a-vis Israel in the coming days. Praise God that His ways are mysterious and wonderful even as He is the same, yesterday, today and tommorow.

Note: In Revelation Chapter 6, the 4th horseman of the Apocalpyse emerges when Jesus Christ opens the fourth seal of the secret scroll (out of seven seals) and this horseman was captured on Euronews (MSNBC, CNN, YouTube) riding among the rioters in Egypt on 3rd February 2011. You can see the transparent pale, light green rider at the end of the video. (Some skeptics speculate that it is a hoax or flare of the lens, but who on Euronews would have contrived such an elaborate CGI hoax?). The fact that Egypt's revolution was relatively bloodless is due to the prayers of the 2010 Open Heavens Prophetic Conference held in Egypt where 550 intercessors prayed for Egypt. However, Libya is now seeing bloodshed of the 4th horseman as it was not prayed for in the conference.

Waiting for The City That Is to Come

The devastation of the Sendai earthquake/tsunami has stirred deep feelings of sorrow, empathy and fear in the hearts of many throughout the world. How this tragedy, which is now threatening to turn into a nuclear meltdown, will unravel and what it means for the Japanese people is certainly going to affect not only the economy of the world (Japan is the 3rd largest economy and the second largest consumer market after the US), but also our everyday lives.

Earthquakes are occurring with increasing frequency in recent years and this acceleration in natural disasters is attributed to a wide range of factors from global warming to man's pollution of the earth. The Bible quotes Jesus as saying that these are the signs of the end times when God returns to earth to rescue his bride (the church) from the tribulations (escalation of human violence and natural calamities) and his final reappearance to battle the Antichrist and the armies of the world in what is called the Apocalypse.

In Matthew 24 verse 7, Jesus said: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places."

Looking at the pictures and videos of devastation in Japan, I pray that the Japanese can turn to the one true God, the Lord Jesus in their hour of darkness and loss. Already, the admirable response of the Japanese people in the wake of the disaster may be a sign that Japan may see a revival if not in spirit, then in her national psyche after prolonged years of economic and spiritual stagnation. For God has said:

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

In Hebrews 13, the apostle Paul wrote:"The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here, we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."

Yes, the whole earth groans for the new earth to be borned where the eternal city of God will descend and crown the new world. Deep in the hearts of mankind, whether Christian believers or non-believers, we are seeking for an eternal peace, a rock of stability where there is no death, no tears, no earthquakes and tsunamis to shake our lives. That city is the city that is to come. Amen.

An Honest Man Digging Through A Mountain Called Malaysia

For the first time, I attended the ETP (Economic Transformation Program) briefing on 19 January at Meridien Hotel by Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department cum Chief Executive Officer of Pemandu. After two hours, I find him to be quite an impressive man who appears to be honest, smart and committed in driving through the economic transformation program.

... However, if there is one cartoon metaphor that is most accurate in depicting Idris Jala's situation (and I will commission this to some cartoonists if I have not the time to draw it myself), it is this:

With a pick and axe, Senator Jala is digging laboriously a tunnel through a huge dark mountain called Malaysia. Other adjacent mountains like China, Singapore, India also have tunnels but they have already been built and cars are zooming through them at tremendous speed.

At Senator Jala's feet are 4 dynamites which he has forgotten/refused to use. These dynamites are labelled: Abolish NEP, Abolish Cronyism, Bring Back Science and Maths in English, Prosecute and Charge Corrupted Ministers/Tycoons.

The tunnel he hopes to complete is only one third of the actual mountain underpass and it stops at a sign: 2020 ETP target.

Conclusion: He and the PM need to be more efficient and use those dynamites to blow up the way for the enitre tunnel. If he does not hurry and thinks he has until 2020 to finish, other countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, etc will reach their goals faster than Malaysia. All the stated ETP projects may well create the 3.3 million jobs that is estimated by Pemandu. But these jobs may be largely project-dependent (construction) jobs and not long-term, self-sustainable jobs without the requisite insitutional reforms that Malaysia deeply needs.

Unless he embarks on picking the low hanging fruit and removes the heavy shackles burdening Malaysia, we may be truly stuck in the middle income/half-way tunnel hole. And this mountain underpass is the only hope not only for the economy but for the country and its people.

Real Public Servant-Leaders versus Career Politicians

The ratio between real public-servant leaders who truly serve the well-being of the people and self-serving career politicians who represent the interests of a select group of power interests is 5:95 in Asia.

Globally, the ratio improves to 10:90. Between real public servants and career politicians, there is a huge spectrum starting with category A to E.

A. Leaders who are public servants first, politicians second: Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, Yudhoyono (work-in-progress).

B. Leaders who are politicians first, public servants second: Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Anwar (the once enigmatic Opposition leader who recently seems to have trouble reinventing his image beyond an Opposition leader with a troubled frown), Deng Hsiao Peng (the only Chinese leader who fell from category A after his role in the Tiananmen massacre), Lee Kuan Yew (who, according to wiki leaks, cleverly distanced himself and Singaporean politicians by calling some Malaysian politicians opportunists and corrupt).

C. Leaders who are good at fooling the public that they are public servants first: Obama (the guy who talked his way into winning a Nobel peace prize without creating peace), Putin (at least to the Russians), Hu Jintao (another leader in a long line of beneficiaries of Deng's pro-capitalism reforms and Chinese nationalism).

D. Leaders who are servants of their inflated egos and  power-driven passions: Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Mugabi, the Iranian demogogue Ahmadinejad, the Burmese generals, the North Korean Kim dynasty.

E. Leaders who try to get into the categories above but will likely be just a footnote in history: Abdullah Badawi (whose real achievement was that he managed to project a nice guy image and keep the extremists in check), Najib (depends mostly on whether he can walk the talk with the social and economic reforms outlined in the New Economic Model, failing which he will be just another face among mediocre career politicians).

Jokes aside, I am convinced there is a huge demand for real public-servant leaders in Asia in view of (a) the acute shortage in supply of such leaders currently and historically (b) Asia's rising prominence in the global economy.

This is why I will offer to my two children, the option of a new career choice: visionary economist prophets for the nations. These prophets will advise kings and presidents on the course and destinies of their nations. Not for the money, the status or the power but primarily because there is a true need for such advisors of leaders to navigate through the treacherous political and economic convulsions of the 21st century.

I can imagine parents asking if these are risky professions: the answer is that there will be no future at all if national leaders are advised by the wrong people. Not only are we faced with economic ruin but devastating earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, famines if nations do not quickly align themselves with God's divine destiny.

Incidentally, after the world economy was resuscitated and went through critical turning points in 2010, I believe we have entered a new era of economic realignments and paradoxes in 2011: countries will be facing social chaos and food shortages while other countries will thrive in stability and prosperity. This widening chasm between the afflicted and the fortunate will sow the seeds of hate among those who refuse to learn from their errors and healing among those who are willing to turn back from their destructive economic, politicial habits.

(In fact, these ideas suggest a research project which I will explore in the coming months on raising our children for the prophetic calling of nations.)

6 Challenges Facing the End Times Church

The challenges for the church today is to overcome 6 temptations/deceptions:

1. the deception of the prosperity gospel where we are encouraged to strive for worldly goods.

2. the temptation to be lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. i.e. allowing anxiety and worldly values to erode our faith and purity of heart.

3. the temptation to have a judgmental spirit against people who disagree with our values/views.

4. the temptation to be caught up in doctrinal and theological issues that water down the full glorious mystery of the Bible.

5. the deception to focus on works and not grace.* 

6. the temptation to forget that God wields the power of grace and judgement for those who reject and disobey Him.

And before we turn our gaze to the state of the churches worldwide, to what extent have Malaysian churches and Christians been led astray by the above?

* According to Kenyan prophet Dr Owuor, "the entry into heaven is not an earthly reward based on the works of man, but a heavenly gift based on the grace of God Almighty."

Humanism and The Impossible Question

According to Wikipedia, humanism is defined as "an approach in study, philosophy, or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. The term can mean several things, for example:

1. A historical movement associated especially with the Italian Renaissance.

2. An approach to education that uses literary means or a focus on the humanities to inform students.

3. A variety of perspectives in philosophy and social science which affirm some notion of 'human nature' (in contrast with anti-humanism).

4. A secular ideology which espouses reason, ethics, and justice, whilst specifically rejecting supernatural and religious dogma as a basis of morality and decision-making."

 

There are various types of humanism but be it secular humanism, Renaissance humanism or modern humanism, the central theme is the human being or the qualities that make up the human character. My discussion relates to the definitions of (1), (3) and (4).

 

The way I see it, there are two ways of looking at humanism as a philosophy: (1) one is pragmatic humanism whereby we accept our human nature for what it is. We then find ways to nurture the best in us and impose laws and sanctions to restrain the worst in us from harming others.  (2) the second and more interesting humanism is idealistic humanism, a form which I used to subscribe to, half-hearted, from my teenage years up to my 30s.  

 

Idealistic humanism arises when we take a look at human nature and see how it is actually very weak and, often, destructive given the cruelty, wars, crimes, insanity and irresponsible exploitation of human and natural resources that was and continues to be committed by man. This is despite the fact there is a boundless capacity in us to be noble, kind, self-sacrificial and creative.

Idealistic humanists cannot accept this "mixed" nature and let it remain in such an unstable and inflammable state. Thus, the only recourse is to change the inner man through a program of mental and/or spiritual enlightenment, which, depending on your preferences, range from the New Age philosophies to cultural and political regenerative doctrines (e.g. Stalin's communism and China's cultural revolution).

 

Unfortunately, all these philosophies including the latest environmental cult of mother earth (Avatar) have failed to completely regenerate human nature from the inside out. So the lame excuse of humanism for its failures is to say that we are either limited or liberated by our own psychological self-imposed boundaries.

This is based on the positive thinking justification that we are what we believe: the more we believe we can or cannot do something, the more we turn that belief into a reality as if by a mere stroke of a pen. In other words, man is the master of his destiny and he has the free will to choose whatever goals and destinations he wishes as long as he does not harm another fellow traveller.

I think the question posed by humanists is the wrong one to pose because it assumes that man starts his journey from the point he was born. Instead of asking the question what is a man, what mankind can do and what mankind can realistically aspire to become, we should first ask who is man? Where did he come from and what purpose is there for his existence on earth?

That question is the pink elephant in the room that intellectuals tend to ignore because to comprehend this being called the human being in all his complexities, pretensions, strengths, genius and frailties, we need to know what is the meaning of the human being, not what is the meaning of humanity (you can find that out by reading history and the daily news).

When we ask that philosophical question we are putting man in the context of the universe. In other words, we are bound to ask if man is a creature of such marvelous complexity and intelligence, who is his creator then? Is there a God behind the universe and creation?

To make a simple analogy, imagine Martians have landed on the beach and discover a beautiful Rolex watch; they collect it and examine it and then try to figure out who is the creator of the watch. It would be quite ridiculous for them to assume that the watch evolved from the sands of the beach like a pearl in a shell over centuries of evolution and natural selection. (btw the pragmatic humanists among the Martians would wear the watch while the idealistic ones will try to disassemble it and transform it into a space navigator.)

The Impossible Question Needs to Be Asked

So the question about who we are and what we are destined to be invariably becomes a question of what is the purpose God (or gods) created us for. That remains the logical and intelligent start of a real enquiry into the truth of human nature and this strange thing called "humanity."

If humanists respond by saying there is no scientific or visible sign of God anywhere, then they are making the false premise that only what we see is real and what we don't see or cannot test scientifically, is non-existent. Does a blind man need to be shown proof that the sun exists when he can feel the warmth of sunlight on his face? His lack of sight does not hinder nor contradict his tactile senses.

Likewise, the agnostic's dismissal of all theological questions as impossible questions that can never be answered with any intellectual or scientific conviction is also intellectually dishonest. The humility of a good scientist and seeker of truth is to ask all impossible questions without worrying about their answers or consequences.   

Just because we do not have the right tools to climb the mountain does not mean the peak cannot be conquered. Much of the question about the existence of God can only be approached from circumstantial evidence and that evidence is most clearly proven by acts of faith. As a Christian, I have seen people healed miraculously by the power of God. 

But even if you have not witnessed these things, a fairly careful observation of the world around us testifies to an orderly universe and a creator who has good intentions for us. There is no need for theists (i.e. believers of a single God) to presume the supernatural: we experience and see the supernatural works of God almost everyday.

To conclude, there can never be an independent human being separate from the divine creator who created him. The real reason why humanism is such a strong belief system is because mankind refuses to give up all his weaknesses, his evil habits, his freedom of will and self-belief.

The humanism of New Age religions is based on a simple belief in a God-force who does not dictate how we live. That is a mere man-made invention of convenience and not the Truth, the Way and the Life which we will discover when we ask the impossible question with all our faculties, our senses and wisdom.

A Merdeka Praise & Prayer To God For His Goodness

In the spirit of Merdeka, let us all Malaysians unite in praising God for the bountiful harvest of peace, goodwill, health and prosperity that He has bestowed on Malaysia despite the turmoils and challenges that we as a nation have to endure and may continue to endure in the years ahead.

Let us all praise God for His goodnes in keeping us sane and loving towards the helpless, the orphans, the widows, the oppressed foreign workers and the less fortunate.

If we praise God for all the good things we can think of about Malaysia on Merdeka and Malaysia day (31st August and 16th September), we shall reap great changes and blessings in this country.

Let us not have a complaining and critical heart but one of boundless gratefullness. We will be pleasantly surprised beyond our wildest dreams.

A New Season of Great Changes Starting with 2nd Half of 2010?

The start of the second half of the year and the approach of September is usually an exciting time for world events.

I am focusing my prayers and thoughts on certain events - in particular the battle between the coming one world order contrived by man and the natural divine plans of God.

We all know who will win ultimately and my prayers are for Malaysia that we shall stand in the right standing with God in Heaven so that we will avert the global catastrophic and cataclysmic events that will sweep the earth in the coming years.

The question for end time Bible scholars is whether we are at the start of the seven year period in which the Great Tribulation will begin in the middle of Daniel's 70-weeks (seven years in Biblical time) and which will culminate with the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth.

Who knows the actual timing of these events including the Rapture and the Ezekiel war? We may not know the dates but we are instructed by God to be watchful and be ever alert about our spiritual conditions.

Until my next post, I shall make this season to be one of active prayers and intercession for my family, loved ones, friends and country.

May the good Lord grant you peace and shine His gracious light on all of you.

To Scrap or Not To Scrap Exams Is Not The Right Question

The government has raised the question of whether the UPSR and PMR exams should be scrapped as these exams do not produce problem solving and effective students. This issue was highlighted by Tony Pua's blog and comments in Parliament.

My view is that the right question is not whether to scrap or not but to change the mix of the syllabus. An education syllabus is like a preparing a healthy meal/diet that is delicious and nutritious.

If the present syllabus/diet does not produce long-term health, we have to find out why instead of jumping to the conclusion to scrap the exams (which may or may not be right).

The emphasis of exams can be split into 33% memorisation of facts, 33% analysis of facts with the help of evidence and 33% judgmental and qualitative thinking.

(The problems with most Malaysians these days is their inability to distinguish facts from opinions and their inability to be intellectually honest by keeping two opposing thoughts in their minds.

They often get caught up emotionally and lose all energy to probe the truth further. That's lazy thinking which comes from the present education system.)

It goes without saying that quality teachers and a revamp of the exam syllabus are essential for creating a new breed of creative thinking, problem solving students/citizens.

But the greatest asset that the education system should emphasize on (which is usually diluted and overshadowed by rules, policies and bureaucratic civil servants) is for teachers and students to ask the right open-ended questions that probe into the mystery of life, history and human nature.

Without encouraging students to ask the right questions (and instead pressurizing them to seek the right answers), we will never promote creative thinking and a new generation of outstanding scientists, artists, craftsmen, philosophers, innovators and business leaders.

But if the government does not wish to seek the final goal of an innovative, intellectually vibrant working population, all these policy changes and academic debates are useless.

Let us not confuse the ends with the means as the government often does. Scrapping the UPSR and PMR is like using a sledge hammer to kill a fly.

We should work backwards from the final goal and ask ourselves what sound and logical steps should be taken to reach that goal.

1Malaysia Anti-Vote Buying Fund Proposal

In an ongoing debate on the Micah Mandate website regarding the suitability and wisdom of accepting money during election campaigns, I believe a good idea to resolve the political dilemma for voters is to set up a special anti-vote buying fund contributed by all the monies that the parties have given (legally, illegally, ethically or unethically) to sway voters' voting decisions.

I believe the wider perspectives of the whole issue have been quite reasonably discussed by CL’s and other commentators.

As you may know, Malaysia, like other countries during these perilous times, is going through spiritual battles that show up in political and religious tensions in recent years.

I understand why Pakatan supporters are passionate about their values of justice and integrity. By the same token, I do not condone YBH Anwar Ibrahim’s past tactics of getting MPs to switch seats to gain a parliamentary majority. That kind of approach has sown some backlash many months later.

But the debate about the 4 Sibu churches receiving the funds should be taken one step further: Assuming they (including the Hulu Selangor school) decide to return the money, would it be wise to return it to the government who will most likely unwisely give it away again at the next by or general election?

Why not put the money in a special anti-vote buying fund so that whenever any party (BN or PR) tries to buy voters’ loyalty with any amount, the fund will be activated to make a counter offer, which may be smaller but sufficient to make a statement to the whole of Malaysia?

We can call it the 1Malaysia Anti-Vote Buying fund managed by independent trustees comprising a cross section of religious and secular committee members. Meanwhile, the churches in West Malaysia can try to raise money to help those 4 Methodist Sibu churches finance their needs.

My suggestions are just ideas that seek to go above the partisan and religious heat of the issue. I have always believed in a third force in Malaysian politics and that it resides in us (bloggers and activists) keeping both BN and Pakatan Rakyat in check so that they truly serve the interests of the people.

It would be a mistake to give the impression that Malaysian Christians are mostly supporters of PR or BN. We are not neutral but politically aligned to the vision of the rainbow nation, one where unjustified privilege based on race and position is mitigated by love for our fellow citizens.

Either We Aspire To Greatness or Be The Next Greek Tragedy

The blogger/lawyer Art Harun has written an interesting philosophical piece on Integration with Integrity. I agree with much of his views and would like to expand his line of reasoning to more practical solutions.

Integrity is defined by the online Webster dictionary as:

1. firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values - incorruptibility

2. an unimpaired condition - soundness

3. the quality or state of being complete or undivided - completeness.

The problem with Malaysian society today is the same with every developing democratic society:

How do people of "different" mindsets/values live together in a peaceful and productive environment so that the best in their human potential is allowed to grow?

To the ultra-nationalist, he sees himself to be the epitome of integrity and is usually blind to his own bigotry. Same thing with the facist, the religious extremist, etc. They are locked within their own world views and think that those who don't share their views are the ones who ought to deserve less in life.

For Malaysia to move forward to have a civil and useful dialogue among people of different faiths & values, we need 4 things to happen:

1. Good and honest leaders to serve the best interest of the people, not by appealing to their worst fears/weaknesses. (Malaysia's score card: 6/10).

2. A sound, independent media that provides a platform for discussion and intellectual debate. (score: 5/10 - the average ranking is boosted by the relative free access to the Internet media, without which the media score falls to 3/10).

3. An independent and effective judiciary that ensures the government and its branches are doing their job honestly and efficiently. (score: 3/10).

4. A thriving market for art & culture free from religious/political sanctions so that artists can express their thoughts and visions of the individual and his role in the world. A healthy and world class art culture paves the way for freedom of intellectual discourse. (score: 7/10).

Are we asking too much of Malaysia with a population of 28 mil people?

I think not. Either we aspire to greatness or remain on the slippery slope of mediocrity, sliding eventually to become the victim to corrupt leaders, dictators, madmen and the mob. (e.g. Thailand, Greece & Burma today).

P.S. Ok. I may be taken to task for comparing Malaysia to Greece, but incidentally, Malaysia's public debt/GDP ratio is 53.7%, which is comparable to Spain (54%) and Ireland (64%), members of the infamous P.I.I.G.S European nations that are causing a potential meltdown in global financial markets. And we can't depend ultimately on the nation's oil reserves to bail the economy out of trouble and assume that oil prices will remain high forever.

Post Sibu Challenge: A Referendum and A Dialogue For The Rainbow Nation

While I am happy that a miracle happened in Sibu’s by-election on 16th May 2010, the 2% margin of victory for the DAP does pose some questions about how Sibuans regard the nation as a whole. I personally do not think it is an easy task for Pakatan Rakyat to win the next GE given their internal weaknesses. If only the rest of Malaysia is as mature and sensible as Sibu voters.

Having said that, the Sibu election victory for DAP and shock defeat for BN/SUPP may signal another turning point that will tilt the balance in favour of Pakatan Rakyat if they get their house in order. The UK elections and the unlikely coalition between the Tories/Liberal Democrats is also an encouraging sign for the new politics.

What the voters in Sibu and the majority of Chinese in Hulu Selangor and all Msians want from their politicians is to come to the table and have a meaningful dialogue, a real discussion with the people on what they want to see in this country: fairness to all, economic transparency and efficiency, religious harmony and mutual understanding, etc.

Perhaps, PM Najib is well-advised to seek a national referendum on major issues that the electorate wants to see resolved once and for all. In doing so, he will take one small but major step in showing he is sincere about fulfilling the 1Malaysia vision and abandoning the old school of divisive politics.

The Allah issue was not an issue until the home ministry and the government took actions that threatened to undermine the constitutional fabric of the multi-racial and multi-religious country.

Sibuans and the Foo Chows know their real future does not lie in just cash handouts and vote-buying gains for Sibu but in more long-term issues.

Man does not live by bread alone. So the bread-for-vote tactic of BN/SUPP is a total failure.

Clearly, the prayers of Christians in this country and abroad have done wonders. I praise God that my church in Peninsular recently prayed that what He had started on March 8th 2008 to be completed in this nation. With God's grace, we are on our way to a rainbow nation.

Politically and intellectually Malaysians need to rise above their circumstances and show their politicians the mature statesmanship and leadership which all citizens deserve.

Allow me to quote this Proverb that is so relevant for all Malaysian leaders on both sides of the aisle:

"By justice, a king (leader) gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes (members of parliament, voters, etc) tears it down."

Let us not allow our country to be torn down by this spirit of bribing, vote-buying and corruption. Let us rebuild this nation with love, wisdom, mature dialogue and unassailable integrity.