Tag: Malays

Zulfikar Shariff: Should Malays Accommodate Other Communities, Or Should We Assimilate?

A few years ago, I had a discussion with an Australian expert on history and politics in the Malay world.

He asked me what I thought about racial relations among the Chinese and the indigenous communities in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Specifically, he asked whether the Chinese in Malaysia is happier than those in Indonesia.

While in Malaysia, the Chinese community is able to run their own schools, media, religious institutions, political associations and parties and maintain their identity, in Indonesia they had to fully assimilate, give up their Chinese names, culture and at times even their religion.

He argued that it appears the Chinese community that has largely assimilated and become part of Indonesian society is happier and better adjusted than those that are given their rights and ability to maintain their identity in Malaysia.

While the claim need to be tested, it does indicate how the Malays could have demanded full assimilation for better race relations among the communities.

Instead, they try to accommodate other communities, even if some of them may not appreciate the accommodation

Source: Zulfikar Shariff

May 3, 2016
PrimaDeli Incident Highlights Insidiousness Of Institutional Racism

PrimaDeli’s sacking of an employee should not be seen as a resolution to what seems to be an unfortunate one-off incident of racism (“PrimaDeli sacks staff for making racist remarks during job interview”; April 29). Rather, the incident should spur deeper thinking of the insidious ways of institutional racism.

In this incident, the racist remarks were not made by any employee, but the head of the baking department who is in a position of power to hire, dismiss and promote employees in the department. It is troubling when the few people in power who execute or have influence on company policies are prejudiced.

This raises certain questions on the company’s internal practices and management.

Does PrimaDeli send its people managers for training in setting up inclusive practices and preventing racial discrimination in the workplace? Is Mandarin the dominant language used in the workplace, which can potentially alienate other racial minorities? Is there proper racial representation in senior positions, and are there specific avenues for racial minorities to provide feedback on certain racial blind spots in the running of the company?

To be sure, institutional racism does not only come from prejudices held by people in power, but also from the dynamics of global capitalism.

The job applicant in this case, Ms Sarah Carmariah, said she was also asked if she could speak Mandarin because that is the language that most of the workers speak.

As a way of keeping costs low, many companies produce bread and cakes in central kitchens staffed by foreign nationals from China or Malaysia who speak mainly in Mandarin.

This is not the fault of any company; it is what many companies must do in order to survive in a competitive, saturated food industry.

But it does not change the fact that many racial minorities are institutionally disadvantaged in getting a job because they cannot speak in the dominant language that most of the foreign staff speak in.

Even if they are hired, it can be difficult for them to get promoted to management positions considering how the language barrier may hamper them from forming meaningful relationships with fellow workers.

It is time we begin the uncomfortable conversation on the various modes of implicit racism that exist within our industries, instead of dismissing this as yet another incident about the moral failings of an individual person.

Source: TODAY Online

May 3, 2016
Projek #GreenUmmah Teknik Baru Sampaikan Dakwah

Menggunakan teknik baru dan terkini dalam menyampaikan dakwah.

Demikian pendekatan Masjid Mujahidin menerusi projek terbarunya, #GreenUmmah.

Penerbitan sebuah video cara berwuduk yang mesra alam akan dilancarkannya sempena Ramadan nanti.

Laporan tentang paras air di kolam simpanan Linggiu yang semakin susut, mencetuskan ilham Jabatan Dakwah Masjid Mujahidin untuk mencernakan projek #GreenUmmah.

Matlamatnya untuk meningkatkan kesedaran bukan sahaja jemaah masjid tetapi umat Islam secara umumnya supaya melindungi alam sekitar.

“Dapat membuat masjid memainkan peranan yang lebih, bukan sahaja sebagai tempat mencari ketenangan, meningkatkan kerohanian dan sebagai pusat pengajian Islam, malah ia juga satu pusat pembangunan sosial, pendidikan dan juga tempat untuk menyokong dan berkongsi nilai positif, seperti kesedaran dalam penjagaan alam sekitar,” Pengurus Khidmat dan Hubungan Korporat Masjid Mujahidin, Rohainizah Adnan memberitahu BERITAMediacorp.

SUTRADARA FILEM SUMBANG KREATIVITI SECARA SUKARELA

Sutradara yang pernah memenangi beberapa anugerah, Sanif Olek secara sukarela menyumbang kepakaran dan kreativiti dalam menghasilkan video pendek untuk menggalak penjimatan air sewaktu berwuduk.

“Saya rasa apa yang buat video ini menarik adalah pertama mesejnya dan yang kedua sekali adalah cara penggambarannya yang berbeza daripada apa yang kita lihat sebelum ini,” kata Encik Sanif.

Menurut kajian Masjid Mujahidin, jika seorang Muslim mengubah kebiasaan dan membuka air paip dengan tidak begitu deras, beliau dapat menjimatkan sekurang-kurangnya 10 liter air setiap kali berwuduk.

Ini bermakna, 50 liter air dapat dijimatkan dalam sehari, bagi solat lima waktu.

“Mengambil kira kita mempunyai sekitar 5,000 hingga 7,000 jemaah dalam seminggu, ini bermakna jika kita dapat kerjasama semua pihak, ia dapat membantu kami menjimatkan sekitar 250,000 liter air, hanya dalam jangka masa seminggu sahaja,” ujar Cik Rohainizah.

MELENTUR BULUH BIAR DARI REBUNGNYA

Usaha mengurangkan pembuangan sampah juga menjadi sebahagian usaha kempen #GreenUmmah.

Pada tahun 2014, seorang penduduk sahaja membuang purata 1,370 kilogram sampah, dengan kertas dan plastik dicatat sebagai lima sampah yang terbanyak dibuang.

Lantaran itu, Masjid Mujahidin menggalak usaha kitar semula dengan menyediakan tong tersebut di kawasan masjid.

“Melentur buluh, biar dari rebungnya”, maka itu, usaha mesra alam di masjid ini melibatkan juga murid-murid prasekolahnya serta golongan belia.

“Menggunakan lelaman sosial seperti Facebook, Instagram dan juga Twitter. Di sini, para belia dapat informasi yang terkini tentang projek ini dan juga boleh menggunakan #GreenUmmah sekiranya mereka ada idea yang baik seperti bagaimana cara untuk menjimat air atau elektrik,” kata Eksekutif Pendidikan Madrasah dan Belia Masjid Mujahidin Hafiz Jabbar kepada BERITAMediacorp.

Walaupun akan dilancarkan sempena Ramadan, Masjid Mujahidin sudah mula membangkitkan kesedaran seawal mungkin tentang Projek #GreenUmmah.

Source: Berita Mediacorp

May 3, 2016
Lelaki Dijel 24 Bulan Kerana Dakwa Diri Imam Mahdi

Seorang lelaki mengaku bersalah membuat dakwaan palsu dengan mengisytiharkan diri sendiri sebagai Imam Mahdi.

Dia dihukum penjara 24 bulan dan didenda RM4,900 (S$1,680) oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah di Kuala Lumpur.

Hakim Syarie, Mohd Amran Mat Zain menjatuhkan hukuman itu terhadap Mat Alimin Abdullah, 36, mengikut Seksyen 6 Akta Kesalahan Jenayah Syariah (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 1997.

Mahkamah turut memerintahkan Mat Alimin dipenjara enam bulan lagi sekiranya gagal membayar denda tersebut.

Sebelum menjatuhkan hukuman, Hakim Mohd Amran berkata pegangan akidah merupakan satu daripada perkara dalam teras keimanan umat Islam, dan tidak boleh dicampur aduk dengan perkara-perkara lain yang membolehkan timbul keraguan dalam seseorang individu.

“Mahkamah berpuas hati dengan rayuan yang dikemukakan oleh tertuduh untuk tujuan meringankan hukuman dan hujahan pendakwaan untuk pemberatan hukuman.

“Sehubungan dengan itu, mahkamah menjatuhkan hukuman denda RM4,900 dan penjara 24 bulan,” kata hakim.

Mat Alimin didakwa melakukan kesalahan tersebut dengan melafazkan: “Sekiranya saya benar, siapa yang mempermainkan saya, mendustai saya, saya serah kepada
Allah, sebab orang yang bercakap pada hari ini Muhammad Al-Mahdi utusan Allah.

“Sekiranya benar saya utusan Allah, siapa yang mempermainkan saya akan dilaknat oleh Allah. Ini janji Nabi Muhammad akhir zaman nanti akan keluar umatku namanya seperti namaku, berasal dari keturunanku, nama bapanya seperti nama bapaku dan keluar dari arah Timur.”

Dia didakwa melakukan kesalahan tersebut di dalam bilik mesyuarat Pejabat Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan di Menara Pusat Islam, Jalan Perdana antara pukul 3.00 petang hingga 3.30 petang, semalam (26 April).

Terdahulu dalam rayuannya, Mat Alimin yang tidak diwakili peguam, merayu kepada mahkamah agar hanya dikenakan hukuman denda yang ringan kerana perlu
menanggung dua anaknya yang masih bersekolah dan kini hanya bekerja sendiri.

Ketika hakim bertanya mengenai latar belakang, sejarah kesihatan dan tahap pendidikannya, tertuduh berkata dia berpendidikan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
dan tidak pernah mendapat rawatan psikiatri dari mana-mana pusat perubatan.

Pegawai Pendakwa dari Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi), Zainol Rashid Hasin, berhujah bahawa tertuduh dalam keadaan kesihatan yang baik dan waras ketika melakukan kesalahan dan wajar mendapat hukuman berbentuk pemenjaraan.

Source: Berita Mediacorp

April 28, 2016
Walid J. Abdullah: Elected President Being a Minority Just A Token Act

I find the discussion on ways to ensure a minority President a little unnecessary. Not because i believe in the infallibility of meritocracy, as many of those who do not understand the concept of majority privilege do (just look at the comments on ST’s articles on the Elected Presidency and you will know what i mean: in fact, if you’re a minority, you would be spooked), but for a different reason.

The reason why we even talk about having a minority President in the first place is presumably to ensure racial equality. But what is the point of having a minority President when so many racial issues remain unresolved, so many stereotypes exist, and so many people try to condone racism in all sorts of creative ways?

Bear in mind the Elected Presidency is a position that does not really wield too much influence, so having a minority there would not change too many things; in fact, the converse could very well happen. The image of a minority President may give the impression that all is well on the racial front, and people may rest on their laurels. Denial of discrimination and racism would perhaps then be more frequent.

There is not much sense speaking about how to ensure a minority President, when there are influential people who suggest fencing off foreign workers (without getting rebuked by a single parliamentarian, not even the opposition), when some still believe members of a particular race are lazy or stupid, when people are being slandered simply because of the God they worship, when others refuse to acknowledge genuine misgivings, and when people are judged by how they look rather than what they do.

Let us not put the cart before the horse.

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

April 24, 2016