Sunday, August 31, 2008

Welcome to the World, Trig Paxson Van Palin

A little boy with an extra chromosome was born on April 18. His name is Trig Paxson Van Palin and his new home is the Alaska Governor's Mansion in Juneau. His mom is Governor Sarah Palin, who along with her husband Todd, has welcomed Trig as their second son and fifth child.

Governor Palin has already made a mark on the political scene. A high school basketball star and beauty queen, she was elected Alaska's governor in 2006. She is often mentioned as a potential running mate for Sen. John McCain. The Palins' other children include Track, their oldest son, who now serves in the U.S. Army. They also have three daughters, Bristol, Willow, and Piper.

Trig made news long before he was born, as Alaska's citizens learned that their governor was pregnant. Then, for the Palins, the story got more complicated.

This past December, Sarah Palin was told that her baby was likely to have Down syndrome -- just one extra chromosome.

As the Associated Press reports:

The doctor's announcement in December, when Palin was four months pregnant, presented her with a possible life- and career-changing development.

"I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked," said Palin.

"It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."

When he was told, Todd Palin quickly said, "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?'"

The Palins never considered aborting the baby. That means that Trig Palin is now is a very rare group of very special children, because it is now believed that the vast majority of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth are being aborted.

Modern diagnostic tests are driving a "search and destroy mission" to eliminate babies judged to be inferior, disabled, or deformed. Some experts now believe that up to 90 percent of all pregnancies diagnosed as having a likelihood of Down syndrome end in abortion.

Back in 2005, ethicist George Neumayr commented: "Each year in America fewer and fewer disabled infants are born. The reason is eugenic abortion. Doctors and their patients use prenatal technology to screen unborn children for disabilities, and then they use that information to abort a high percentage of them. Without much scrutiny or debate, a eugenics designed to weed out the disabled has become commonplace."

The Palins would not even consider aborting their baby. "We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," Governor Palin said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."

She loves her baby boy and is proud of him. "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin told the Associated Press. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

Some ethicists now go so far as to argue for a "duty" to abort a baby with a Down diagnosis. This is an assault upon the dignity of every human being. The fact that so few Down syndrome babies now make it to birth is a sign that America is making its own pact with the Culture of Death.

Trig Paxson Van Palin has an extra chromosome, two proud and loving parents, four very happy siblings, and he will bring his own joy to untold numbers of lives.

He will face some unique challenges, but he has a loving family who will face those with him. They will learn together the wonder and beauty of a Down syndrome child and will learn to see the glory of God in his trusting face.

Mothers Day 2008 is certain to be a special day in the Alaska Governor's Mansion. What an unspeakable tragedy that so many other homes will have aborted that joy.

Welcome to the world, Trig Paxson Van Palin. Your very existence defies the Culture of Death and gives us all hope.



Source: Posted: http://albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1144
Tuesday, May 06, 2008 at 1:49 am ET

McCain picks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for VP

by Sarah Pulliam

Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, and so far, it seems like bells and whistles from the conservative evangelical community.

Roberta Combs, president of the Christian Coalition of America said in a statement: "Governor Sarah Palin is a bold choice for Vice President who is a courageous advocate for unborn children. In addition, she is a conservative who is a reformer not afraid to shake up the establishment."

Back on Aug. 8, Richard Land told CBS she would be the pick that would most excite Southern Baptists and other conservatives.

"Richard Land: Probably Governor Palin of Alaska, because she's a person of strong faith. She just had her fifth child, a Downs Syndrome child. And there's a wonderful quote that she gave about her baby, and the fact that she would never, ever consider having an abortion just because her child had Downs Syndrome. She's strongly pro-life.

She's a virtual lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. She would ring so many bells. And I just think it would help with independents because she's a woman. She's a reform Governor. I think that, from what I hear, that would be the choice that would probably ring the most bells, along with Mike Huckabee, of course, who's a Southern Baptist."

Family Research Council Action President Tony Perkins said in a statement:

"On February 11th of this year, for example, she signed into law the 'Safe Haven for Infants Act,' facilitating the safe surrender of an unwanted newborn to a place of safety and hope. Her actions contrasts sharply with the Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who when he was in the Illinois Senate repeatedly helped to kill a bill that sought to protect babies who survived abortion."

Over on the Between Two Worlds blog Andy Naselli has found an article from four months ago when Al Mohler highlighted the Palin family in an article (”Welcome to the World, Trig Paxson Van Palin“) and on his radio show (also titled “Welcome to the World, Trig Paxson Van Palin“).

Here’s a description of the radio show:

A little boy with an extra chromosome was born on April 18. His name is Trig Paxson Van Palin and his new home is the Alaska Governor’s Mansion in Juneau. His mom is Governor Sarah Palin, who along with her husband Todd, has welcomed Trig as their second son and fifth child.

On today’s show, Mohler explains why Trig’s very existence defies the Culture of Death and gives us all hope.

In 2006, the Anchorage Daily News included her religion in a series of articles on her.

"Her Christian faith, they say, came from her mother, who took her children to area Bible churches as they were growing up (Sarah is the third of four siblings)," Tom Kizzia wrote. "They say her faith has been steady since high school, when she led the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and grew stronger as she sought out believers in her college years."

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Anwar our best and only chance for justice and equality for everyone

by John Lee, The Malaysian Insider

AUG 29 — As the Permatang Pauh by-election fades into the recesses of our memories, there is talk of it being a turning point in our country's history. Unfortunately, this talk habitually and routinely focuses on the possibility of changing the government by Sept 16.

It ignores a simple reality: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already made history by being the first Malay politician to ever actually win more political support through an explicitly non-racial platform. It is practically impossible to underestimate how Anwar bucked the trend; he has completely turned our understanding of politics in this country on its head.

History has already made it crystal-clear; Malay politicians who try to unite the country by appealing to a common sense of Malaysian-ness inevitably wind up heading into political oblivion. Dato Onn Ja'afar's political career went up in flames the moment he founded the first multiracial political party in the country, in spite of it having every conceivable advantage — it was literally the incumbent party of the time because of Onn's towering status in Malayan politics. And it, of course, foundered completely.

Since then nobody has even tried to unite the Malays as Malaysians. Unite the Malays as Malays, of course; Syed Jaafar Albar famously proclaimed in the 1960s that he was a Malay first and a Malaysian second. Syed Hussein Alatas made an admirable attempt to change Malaysian politics through Gerakan, and we all know how that turned out. Literally every Malay leader who has tried to be Malaysian first ever since has risked being branded as a sell-out, a puppet of the non-Malays and a stooge of Lee Kuan Yew.

The one exception was Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who experienced some brief success with his Bangsa Malaysia idea. This only makes sense, considering Dr Mahathir's iron-fisted handling of anyone who dared to oppose him; it is thus a pity that he never took this policy beyond mere words.

The moment Dr Mahathir handed over the reins to his successor, Malay politicians were up in arms criticising Bangsa Malaysia as a "nebulous" and untenable concept for daring to acknowledge that the non-Malays have a place in this country too.

So here we are today: 51 years after independence, the easiest way to tar a Malay politician next to calling him a Jew-lover is to accuse him of saying this country belongs to the Chinese and Indians too. That is simply how Malaysian politics works; to win the support of the Malays, you need to denounce the non-Malays as foreign squatters, who are only here as a matter of privilege rather than right, a privilege revocable at any time.

And what a coincidence it is — that is exactly how the Malaysian government works too. If you're not an Indonesian who can be counted as a Malay, your application for permanent residency or citizenship can never hope to see the light of day. If you're not a Malay, you can expect to hear your fair share of racist remarks in a public national school — and not from students, mind you, but teachers. As a student you can expect a syllabus which teaches you about the meaning of ketuanan Melayu rather than bangsa Malaysia. As an employee you can expect a civil service where you're not welcome unless they need you to fulfil their minuscule quota of non-Malay recruits. As an entrepreneur you can expect a government — and many government-linked companies — which will not give you any business unless you are a Malay. Half a century after independence, and that's what 40% of this country has to look forward to.

And since this is how the government works, up-and-coming politicians and political activists realise this is how politics works too. That is why even though you will never hear the typical Malaysian voicing such sentiments, political activists will readily denounce the non-Malays as foreign squatters here at the behest of a social contract which gives them the privilege, not right, to stay and live here.

Since this is how politics and government have worked since time immemorial, we owe Anwar an incredible debt for nearly single-handedly turning all this — everything — completely on its head. For the past half century, to be a good Malay leader, you have either had to publicly proclaim your support for ketuanan Melayu — and not the mild ketuanan as in strong leadership, but ketuanan as in "blood will run in the streets if our demands are not met" — or you have had to simply avoid commenting on the issue and just hope you can be all things to all people. Anwar ran on a platform, not of vague meaningless nice-sounding platitudes, but a platform explicitly against everything ketuanan Melayu stands for.

This is a man, mind you, who celebrated the end of his ban on active politics by damning ketuanan Melayu and consigning it to the dust heap of history. This is a man who has publicly and repeatedly proclaimed that his commitment is to the sovereignty of the people — ketuanan rakyat — rather than the dominance of the Malays.

This is a man who has never wavered from his stand that the philosophy of government assistance based on racial origin, rather than economic status, is fundamentally and morally wrong. This is a man who has repeatedly, wherever he goes, whoever he speaks to, driven home the same point, again and again: "Anak Melayu, anak saya. Anak Cina, anak saya. Anak India, anak saya."

And this is a man who has had everything in the traditional playbook of Malaysian politics thrown at him. He's been labelled a heretic, a sodomite, a liar, a hypocrite, a traitor willing to sell the Malays and Malaysians out at a moment's notice. The ruling coalition has done everything in their power to make it known far and wide that this is a man committed to non-racialism; committed to a Malaysia where everyone belongs.

Regardless of whether you think he deserves it, or if he was just lucky, credit is due to Anwar: where so many brave Malay leaders have fallen and failed, he has won an incredible victory. Onn Ja'afar was vilified simply for opening up his political party to Malayans of all creeds and colours; Anwar has gone above and beyond, explicitly declaring that this is a country for all Malaysians, whoever they might be. And he has won a resounding victory.

It would be one thing if he scraped through with a majority of less than 5,000 votes in the recent by-election, but the fact is, it was not even close — not with a landslide majority of 15,000, larger even than the majority his wife won before he explicitly condemned ketuanan Melayu. Anwar has succeeded where everyone else has failed; he has carved out a broad base of political support, not on a platform of rights or privileges for one community, but a platform of justice and equality of opportunity for all communities.

Criticise Anwar all you like for his inconsistent and wishy-washy stands on other issues. Criticise his coalition for its internal dissension and strange hypocrisy all you want. You can even say you have no intention of trusting a man who might just stab you in the back the moment he gains power.

The fact of the matter is, you do not have a choice between Anwar and your ideal, committed, consistent, sincere Malaysian leader. Your choice, in the here and now, is between Anwar and a regime built on racism, built on stoking the flames of mistrust and hatred. This regime of hatred has delivered its promise of ketuanan Melayu; why should we expect things to be any worse under a regime promising ketuanan rakyat? At the worst, it's the same old shit under a different government; at best, we might finally have a government and a political system which works for all Malaysians rather than whoever yells the loudest and threatens the most blood.

As far as taking power is concerned, this is still a long shot. Anwar may yet turn out to be a flop on delivering if he ever gets the chance to govern. But the simple and stark reality is, as far as we who live in the present are concerned, he is our best and only chance to put a stop to this insanity.

Anwar is not the perfect vessel for uniting the country, but there is a reason he scares the powers that be: he is the first real chance we have ever had to unite the country against the demons of racialism and parochialism. And for now, he is our only chance. He is the only one who can cross ethnic barriers to proclaim a commitment to a Malaysia where Malaysians, not Malays, are sovereign, and actually win more support than before.

I am no huge fan of Anwar, but I recognise what he has done, and how far he has come. I support him, not because I like him as a person, but because I believe in the cause he champions, and because I believe that if there is any person in this country who can make that dream a reality, it is Anwar Ibrahim.

John Lee is a second-year student of economics at Dartmouth College in the United States. He has been thinking aloud since 2005 at infernalramblings.com.

Friday, August 29, 2008

PM uses Budget speech to attack Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — The government announced today wide-ranging aid for the poor and higher development spending in its 2009 budget aimed at shoring up its popularity amid spiralling inflation and political weakness.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose administration has been shaken by an election debacle and slowing economic growth this year, also used his annual budget speech in Parliament to mount a scathing attack on the revitalised opposition led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, who was sworn in as a lawmaker yesterday after winning a by-election, wants to unseat Abdullah by Sept 16 through parliamentary defections. Anwar's opposition alliance won an unprecedented 82 of Parliament's 222 seats in March general elections – 30 short of a majority.

Abdullah warned that efforts by certain parties to destabilise the country by attempting to seize power through illegitimate means and without the mandate of the people must be rejected.

“I will not allow disturbances to continue. I will not permit the mandate given by the people to be seized” from the ruling party, he said.

In a clear reference to Anwar's pledge to cut retail gasoline prices if he seizes power, Abdullah blasted his “populist claims”.

If implemented, they “would undermine the government's financial position and bequeath a bankrupt nation to the next generation”, Abdullah said.

Anwar, however, shot back at Abdullah's accusation of "opportunistic threats of seizing the people's mandate through undemocratic means".

"He still has the audacity to preach about democracy. Look at his media policy, corruption, judiciary. A no-confidence vote is a normal process and is the decision of the MPs," Anwar said.

The newly appointed opposition leader said when Abdullah talked of "mandates, he sounded like a dictator. What snatching? It is the will of the people and their representatives. He himself wanted to snatch Permatang Pauh."

He defended his claims that petrol prices could be lowered to RM2, saying that Abdullah "has not read my economic agenda and knowing him, I don't think he will. I think he does not realise that it can be done without affecting our revenue."

The former deputy prime minister, who seeks to take over the federal government on Sept 16, called the continuous deficit budgets an exception among oil-producing countries and said the lack of competitiveness in our country would not attract foreign direct investment.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.my/index.php/malaysia/8286-pm-uses-budget-speech-to-attack-anwar

How Beijing Olympics logo came about?




Cosmos order proves God exists: Rudd


10:48 AEST Fri Aug 29 2008

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the ordered nature of the cosmos convinces him of the existence of God.

Mr Rudd, a regularly practising Anglican, was on Friday asked on Fairfax Radio in Brisbane to give his single biggest argument in favour of the existence of God.

"As you know I'm a believer and I've never pretended not to be and I respect those who have no religious belief - it's a free country," Mr Rudd said.

"For me, it's ultimately the order of the cosmos or what I describe as the creation.

"You can't simply have, in my own judgment, creation simply being a random event because it is so inherently ordered, and the fact that the natural environment is being ordered where it can properly coexist over time.

"If you were simply reducing that to mathematically probabilities I've got to say it probably wouldn't have happened.

"So I think there is an intelligent mind at work."

Mr Rudd said in his entire political life he had never been asked in a media interview to prove the existence of God.

"You ... have a world first," Mr Rudd said.

Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=622733

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Anwar’s Landslide Victory and what is next?

The Permatang Pauh (PP) by-election on 26th August took place in the midst of Malaysian Christians’ 40-day fast. And Anwar Ibrahim wins by a landslide majority of 15,671 votes was not by chance. God has a hand in it. Anwar, the PKR adviser, secured 31,195 votes, against Arif Shah’s (UMNO, Barisan Nasional) and Hanafi Hamat’s (Individual) 15,524 and 92 votes respectively. Anwar’s wife, Wan Aziza, whose majority was 13,388 votes last term, had earlier vacated her seat on 31st July for her husband. The move was to pave way for PR to capture power from BN on 16th September.

On 28th, Anwar was sworn in as MP of PP as well as the Opposition Leader of Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Malays voters in PP constituency made up of 65%. The result showed that most of the Malays supported Anwar’s call for transform.

Could Anwar make it to the Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya on schedule? He is running out of time. The sodomy case against him begins on 10th September. And the case will likely be transferred to the High Court. Would the High Court judge order his detention? Besides, Syed Hamid, the Minister of Home Ministry tabled the DNA bill on 18th Aug for the first reading. And he hurriedly tabled for the second reading on 26th, the day when most of the PR MPs were away in PP helping in the by-election. When the third reading is tabled soon and the bill passed, the police will have the right to collect DNA samples from any criminal suspects without prior approval from the court.

Why the need for the government to do it in such a hurry? If the accused of Saiful (“the victim” of sodomy) was not Anwar but somebody else, would Syed Hamid treat the case as urgent or not? Thus the BN government’s denial that the move had nothing to do with politics was unconvincing. Therefore, Anwar’s future is clouded by uncertainties. Adding to that, PAS, a component party of PR, had earlier explored the possibility of pulling out from the coalition should the number of non-Muslim MPs dominate the Muslim ones!

As I looked back the past few months since the 8th March General Election, Anwar had in fact made a mistake by not standing for a by-election much earlier than 26th August. He was a free man by 17th April after being prohibited from election for five years. The proverb says “Beat the iron while it is hot.” Anwar should have ridden on the wind of change when many voters were asking for reform. PKR had been claiming that at least 30 MPs from BN would defect to join PR. Anwar should have understood that he had to first prove his strength by becoming a MP. If he had made it to become a MP earlier, he would have a stronger bargain power. The long delay had allowed the enemy to prowl on him.

On 18th June, Sabah’s SAPP made a stand that they have lost confidence in Abdullah Badawi, the PM of Malaysia. Yong Teck Lee, the president of SAPP, claimed that Sabah should negotiate for her rights with the Federal government while the window of opportunity was still opened wide. But with Anwar’s sodomy case setting in, the window of opportunity for him to take over the government was about to close.

But with Anwar’s landslide victory in the by-election, it has prevented the window from being shut. Now Anwar needs to exert a greater strength to force the window to open wide again! He has to beat against time. Would he be able to make it before he is put to jail? Should he miss his targeted date of 16th September, he should do it by not later than October. In October, both MCA and Gerakan, the two partners of BN, would hold a General Meeting. These two parties have indicated the intention of pulling out from BN. And PR stands a chance in pulling them into the coalition.

UMNO, for the past 51 years, had been arrogant, and subsequently its component parties were hard to push their voices through. Thus BN was run on a one-party show. Orders from UMNO had to be taken without query. UMNO has been playing with race cards. They repeated it again during the PP campaign. UMNO lost the by-election was a proof that even the Malays abhorred such a game! It showed that UMNO had never learnt from the lesson of 8th March. It was no surprise to see that none in the top leadership feel a disaster in UMNO is looming large. They were unrepentant! They did not feel anything wrong when the leadership under their regime all these years had eroded the judiciary, the royal police force, the media, and so on. Racial and religious harmony was undermined. The country needs a leader who is a visionary capable of bringing about a thorough and immediate reform. Does Anwar fit into the description?

Is Anwar God’s choice for Malaysia as a Prime Minister? Christians, continue to come before the throne of grace. Let us pray in the Spirit to push through the force of darkness. As God had used many prophets prophesying over Malaysia that a wind of change will take place this year, let us trust that God is in control of everything. The righteous and just God will bring about healing in our land. And a new wave of Gospel Revival will roar onto our shores.

Dinah's Silent Cry: How Jesus Heals Abuse

When Jesus visited the woman at the well in Samaria, He opened a fountain of healing that still flows today.

Thousands of years ago, the beautiful daughter of a biblical patriarch wandered into Canaanite territory without any clue that she was stepping into a nightmare. The Bible says that Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, was raped that day by Shechem, a local prince (see Gen. 34:1-2).

We never hear Dinah’s screams or muffled sobs. In fact we never hear the voice of Dinah in Scripture. Shechem tried to bargain for her hand in marriage after he stole her virginity, but Jacob’s sons deceitfully plotted to kill him and his brothers for his act of defilement. One rape resulted in wholesale slaughter.

But the bloody act of revenge did not bring healing or restoration to Dinah. She was most likely shut away for the rest of her life, since women who had been raped in those days were considered unclean and unmarriageable. The rape was not her fault—but she bore the guilt.

“The world—and often the church—is not willing to visit the place of abuse. But we have a Savior who broke cultural and religious rules to bring His miraculous healing there.”

Dinah’s silence is deafening. She represents the tragic loss of innocence endured by all those who have been sexually abused. She became the prototype of all women who have been violated—and then blamed and shamed as if it were their fault.

What is most interesting about Dinah’s story is the setting—a dusty plot of ground in Israel that would later be part of Samaria. The site of Dinah’s rape was near the piece of land that Jacob had previously purchased from Shechem’s father, Hamor (see Gen. 33:18-20). We don’t read much more in the Bible about that awful place—until the Son of God arrives on the scene in the New Testament.

It is truly amazing that Jesus was willing to visit that unholy site. During His ministry, no rabbi in Israel would dare go near it. Rabbis took the long road around Samaria to avoid mixing with its people.

Yet the Bible says Jesus marched right into Samaria and sat down at a well, located on the plot of ground that Jacob had purchased centuries earlier (see John 4:4-6). There, Jesus broke every religious rule in Jewish rabbinical tradition by speaking with a divorced woman about theological issues in a public place.

We don’t know the Samaritan woman’s name, but I am sure she was familiar with what had happened so long ago in that land. All women in that region probably whispered to each other within their tents about Dinah’s tragic legacy as they shared their own stories of abandonment, abuse and mistreatment.

But something miraculous began to unfold when the Son of God set foot on that defiled ground.
After He spoke tenderly to the Samaritan woman, telling her of the water of life that comes from the true Messiah, He looked into her tormented soul and drained out the pain she had endured from men who had misused her.

“Go, call your husband and come here,” Jesus told her. She threw up her defenses and protested, saying that she did not have a husband.

Jesus lovingly replied: “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband” (John 4:16-18, NASB).

Jesus was not wagging His finger in the woman’s face or shaming her desperate behavior. He understood her anguish. Most likely she had been abused and abandoned by five men in a row, and by the time the last man threw her out of the house she had no self-esteem left. The sixth man did not even have the decency to marry her.

But on that day in Samaria, the dark clouds that had cast a heavy pall over all women in that region parted. The seventh man had arrived! Jesus was willing to go to that forsaken place, and He identified fully with the pain of abused women. He offered the Samaritan woman not only total freedom from her guilt—but also the boldness to share her story of redemption with an entire village at a time when women did not speak in public.

Do you see the amazing grace and mercy of God at work here? Jesus answered Dinah’s cry.

The world—and often the church—is not willing to visit the place of abuse. We sweep the pain under a rug and ignore the victims. But we have a Savior who broke cultural and religious rules to bring His miraculous healing there.

If you have suffered any form of abuse, or if you still struggle with its shame, then go to Jacob’s well. Jesus is waiting there to give you pure, living water that will cleanse your past, restore lost purity and satisfy your deepest thirst.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. He preached this message last week in meetings in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Bogota, Colombia, where the abuse of woman is rampant.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

安华改朝换代的挑战严峻

安华在峇东埔补选狂胜,并且在8月28日在国会宣誓成为峇东埔国会议员兼反对党领袖。但是安华的9.16民联执政时限只有三个星期,那么他真的有神通本领办到吗?安华有隐忧,他改朝换代议程的挑战严峻。

峇东埔的选民有65%马来人选民,狂胜传达信息说大多数马来人已经接受安华的国家改革。安华要废除新经济政策,他要以惠及全民的经济政策取代。他不认同马来人主权,而是马来西亚人的主权。国阵挑起这些课题,马来人并不受影响,安华并没有阴沟里翻船!马来人受高教育的人多起来,这些人已经成熟了,已经察觉政客利用政策自肥,一般马来人却不获益。

巫统若要赢得国阵成员党的继续结盟,必须迎合时势。它们惯常的大哥心态,以为能够继续使用老方式一党独大的话,可能很快就变得无作为的政党。人民对国阵许多课题不满,可惜国阵没有从3.08大选成绩醒悟过来,以为使用糖果就能买得选民的心。但国人不满国阵51年来让我国的贪污和司法腐败;让警方滥权;让媒体言论受制;让经济衰退;让贫富不均等领域。国阵这几个月来关注的不是国事,而是一味想巩固能够继续执政。

太自信错过提早补选

过去几个月,公正党都宣称最少30位国阵议员会加入民联,到底有多真?安华迟至8月才进行补选,应该是走错棋。他过去几个月太自信,以为国阵的一群议员会接受他的领导而加盟民联阵营的,但迟迟却没有人有行动。原来打算跳槽的议员是要安华先证明自己获得人民的大力支持,那么除了被选为国会议员,并且要大赢的管道外,应该没有其他途径了吧?可是为何民联没有领袖提醒他尽早补选呢?民联里头并不乏军师如林吉祥,加巴星,和聂阿兹等啊!

安华的过分自信使他屡次声称不心急进行补选,他若懂得华人的“打铁趁热”道理的话,他可能就不会让敌人有机可乘的吧? 5月开始东马国阵议员冲着中央索取权益,可想象,若当时4月16日安华成为自由身正式可以参政即在5月补选的话,借助3.08反风仍然延续的情况下,政治格局会否排山倒海地变天呢?不晓得!但若时间能倒流到4月份的话,我会建议安华即刻竞选补选。国阵当然担心易权的,所以它们反击是自然的动作。结果鸡奸案搞乱安华的阵脚,当然国阵否定这是政治阴谋。

机会之窗关闭前须落力

懂得“把握机会之窗”道理的沙巴进步党杨德利首先向国阵发难,可惜他只是一把孤独的声音。国阵其他东马成员党不只是为了安华承诺从中央政府更丰厚的利益而已,还要确保东马人也认同安华的改革议程。政敌利用鸡奸案把改朝换代机会之窗逐渐关闭起来,民联忙于应对而受创。接下来,另发生一个回教党要闹退出民联与巫统合作的事情,这也应该使到安华烦恼的问题。安华补选的胜利使他顶住这把窗口,现在他必须挥动全身气力把它推开。安华斗得过吗?内政部长赛哈密在18日提呈DNA法案一读,并且忽然在峇东埔补选当天进行第二读。本来它被安排在“大专法令修正案”之后的,如此心急跨先真的很不寻常。政府仓促的行动,难说服国人该法案不是拥有政治议程的!

鸡奸案将在9月中开庭,检察暑可能要求移交给高庭审讯,而高庭会否扣押安华呢?众所周知,我国的司法根本不独立,安华能否获得公平的审讯?若案件能够拖三个月以上的话,安华或许可以藉着改朝换代摆脱他声称是对他政治打压的鸡奸案。这次安华狂胜,肯定为安华有足够本钱吸引国阵一些议员加入他的斗争。如果9.16来不及政治变天的话,安华必须与时间赛跑,最迟10月杪必须成功,不然机会之窗将进一步关多一点。10月份,已经放出风声有意退出国阵的民政党和马华,在党中央大会或许议决退出国阵,那么加盟民联的可能性是存在的。政局如棋局局新,10月份内变不变天,让我们拭目以待吧!

安华狂胜后的变化如何?

安华以15671张多数票狂胜国阵(巫统)候选人阿力夏及独立人士哈纳菲,比他的夫人旺阿兹莎的13388张多数票多出2283票,投票率81%与旺姐的几乎一样。狂胜显示选民将安华重新送进国会希望他带来国家改革,在28日宣誓就任。

安华的胜利,是否能顺利地达成916民联执政的目标呢?看来安华有隐忧!首先,内政部长赛哈密18日在国会提呈2008年脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)法案一读,没人预料他竟然在峇东埔补选当天在国会仓促二读法案,令民联措手不及。若三读通过的话,警方就不必在法庭的批准下抽取罪犯的DNA。为此,律师公会人权委员会主席云大舜指出感到遗憾,因为它本来被安排在“大专法令修正案”之后的。把DNA法案跨前有点不寻常,他担心在没有足够辩论下仓促通过会使大马走向更极端的“警察国”。政府如此仓促,难推辞它们不是对安华有政治议程吧?

其次,安华的案件在9月中开庭,检察暑或许要求把案件移交高庭审讯,高庭会否扣押安华呢?

无论如何,安华狂胜让他拥有本钱说服先前接洽有意跳槽的国阵议员,现在可以付诸于行,在916政治大变天了!安华的政治改革,就是要建造一个让全民共同受惠的国家。这次补选,非马来人的投票比率偏低已传达一个信息,即马来人选民大多数都支持安华的政治改革。而国阵惨败,乃是沉迷在308之前强盛的风光里,以为它们还可以在马来人中间玩过时的种族政治,讲安华只照顾非马来人,也是行动党的工具,他必忽略马来人利益的。

就如民政党妇女组主席兼新闻部副部长陈莲花所言,国阵没有从308大选惨败中学习教训,仍然玩弄种族政治。民政党基层表示在10月中央大会商讨退出国阵课题,而马华也不排除退出国阵的可能性。这次安华狂胜,或许使到一些国阵成员党看到人民在308的反风一点也没有转弱,甚至吹得更强劲。巫统在这段日子,必须有策略挽住伙伴政党的心。若华基成员党要继续留在国阵及希望国阵继续执政的话,它们必须确保巫统放弃种族政治,并果敢纠正贪污、司法、媒体、经济、贫富不均等领域。令国阵最担心的是东马的成员党,因为首相对它们提供了一系列的优惠,似乎未能平息它们的不满。目前其中最高兴的应该是沙巴进步党,虽然只有两个国会议员,但恐怕若带头跳槽民联的话,它或许给予其他国阵成员党勇气跟风,造成骨牌效应。

或许民联不能在916执政,那么最迟10月杪成功?若真的是改朝换代的话,预料首相不会坐以待毙的,他最坏的打算可能是要求元首解散国会,举行第13届大选。到时国人会不会因此看到安华率领的民联名正言顺地胜出而执政呢?政局如棋局局新,就让大家拭目以待吧!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Angels, Deception and a Cry for Biblical Truth

Weird teachings about angels have become the norm in some charismatic circles today. It’s time to demand sanity on the subject.

At a growing Brazilian church in Boston, a pastor told his congregation he was having regular conversations with an angel. Weeks later he set a chair on the stage for the heavenly visitor, whom he said was attending Sunday services even though no one could see him. The pastor eventually wrote a book containing messages he had supposedly received from the angel. The man’s teachings became so bizarre that he was eventually removed from his denomination for promoting heresy.

That scenario may seem extreme, but it is one example of widespread emphasis on angels and angelic encounters in the charismatic movement today. In the case of the Brazilian church, the pastor went off the theological deep end and his church became a cult. It remains to be seen what will happen in other sectors of our movement as leaders promote teachings about angels that range from the mildly weird to downright wacky:

“It remains to be seen what will happen in other sectors of our movement as leaders promote teachings about angels that range from the mildly weird to downright wacky.”

* Evangelist Todd Bentley, leader of the Lakeland Revival, stirred up interest in angels when he wrote about Emma, a female angel he said wears a long white dress, floats above the floor and resembles Kathryn Kuhlman.

* A young evangelist who was preaching in Canada last spring held up a jar with a feather in it and told the congregation it belonged to an angel who visits him. He said the angel was coming to the service to release riches and healing to those who wanted prayer.

* Leaders of the prophetic movement often speak of angels that bring healing, wealth or special anointings. Some have described angels as tall as skyscrapers while others say they have seen tiny angels the size of insects. One prophet spoke of angels who are sleeping inside the walls of churches. Another segment of believers claim that the glowing circles of light that often show up on photographs are angels in the form of “orbs.”

With such exotic teachings on the rise, we desperately need some biblical guidelines. If you believe everything you hear these days, angels can be huge, tiny, spherical, male, female, feathered or non-feathered. What’s next? Yipping dog angels? Mermaid angels with fins? Court jester angels with bells on their hats?

Since my earliest days in the charismatic movement I was always taught that the Bible is our guidebook for doctrine and practice, and that the early church's experience in the Book of Acts should be a pattern for us. This would direct us to assume that if a spiritual experience is not in the Bible, then it should not be considered normative for us today.

When I look at what the New Testament teaches us about angels, and specifically what the book of Acts shows us about them, here’s what I find:

Angels who looked like men told the early disciples that Jesus would return one day (see Acts 1:11)
Angels are actively working behind the scenes to minister to the saints, especially to offer protection (see Acts 12:7-11)
In one case an angel directed Philip where to preach (see Acts 8:26)
Angels sometimes appeared in visions to give instructions, as one did for Cornelius (see Acts 10:3,7,22)
An angel came to Paul to strengthen him and to assure him that he would preach to Caesar (see Acts 27:23-24).

If we look at Paul’s epistles, we find only a few references to angels—and most are actually warnings to the early church about a wrong emphasis on angels:

Paul warned the Galatians that false angels can bring deception (see Gal. 1:8)
Paul warned the Corinthians about "angels of light" that are messengers of Satan (see 2 Cor. 11:14)
Paul warned the Colossians about misguided people who worship angels and deceive people with their emphasis on mystical experiences that are rooted in their hyperinflated egos (see Col. 2:18).

The book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were considering going back to Old Covenant worship. In the first chapter the author makes it clear that angels have a lower place in God's economy when compared to Jesus Christ.

Many Bible scholars believe the readers of this epistle were being tempted to go back to an Old Covenant paradigm in which angels played a more significant role. The author of Hebrews warns these believers to focus their attention instead on the Son of God, who is more glorious than angels. We can make some basic assumptions about angels in the New Covenant era:

1. Angels help the church fulfill its mission, and they protect and guide the saints.
Every one of us has probably experienced the activity of angels in our lives—often without knowing it because they are usually invisible.

2. Angels sometimes intervene with directive messages.
But there is no case in the New Testament church in which an angel gave his name or brought attention to himself.

3. Angels don’t teach or explain doctrine.
In our movement today, some leaders have suggested that certain angels (such as “Winds of Change”) have arrived to usher in new movements. Emma has been described as a "nurturing angel" who brings a prophetic movement. But nowhere does the Bible suggest that angels bring moves of God. Jesus commissioned the church to advance the kingdom by preaching the gospel. Angels know this and they are expecting us to do our job.

4. Angels don’t bring healing.
The New Testament church was commissioned to bring healing “through the name of Jesus,” and Jesus was always the focus for anyone who was healed miraculously. The story of the Pool of Siloam falls under the Old Covenant system, since this phenomenon occurred before the ministry of Jesus. And when Jesus came to that pool He proved to be a better solution to those who waited for the stirring of the waters.

5. Angels look like people, and in every case in Scripture they appeared to be male.
However, in some cases their appearance was frightening because they carry with them the glory of heaven and the fear of God.

6. False angels preach a different gospel.
One of the devil's strategies is to send counterfeit angelic messengers who bring teaching that is contrary to biblical truth.

There are many flaky, weird and foolish concepts being circulated in our movement today that must be corrected. If we don't hold tightly to Scripture, we might unknowingly give birth to a cult that could bring great damage and division to churches worldwide. It’s time to get back to the Bible!

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

2008·2008 - Silver Wedding Anniversary

Today is our Silver Wedding Anniversary. The wedding 25 years ago refreshed our memories.

大卫对歌利亚怎样用?

弱的一方对抗强的一方,我们常常听到人用“大卫对歌利亚”来形容。但岂不知道这个3千年前的圣经故事,身材小的大卫结果打败了9英尺多的巨人歌利亚?

在3月8日的全国大选如此形容,目前峇东埔国会议席补选也如此,一些媒体和评论作者形容阿力夏与安华的竞争,是大卫对歌利亚。阿力夏是巫统峇东埔一个小区部主席,比起安华在民联和全国的名声,真的是小巫见大巫!

但如果竞选期间作这般形容的话,岂不是预言安华会输?所以,我希望媒体能够贴切地形容一件事。即说,若阿力夏在成绩公布后的确胜出的话,我们才可以用这般形容。但若还在竞争中的话,不可以先入为主作预言。所以,在竞选期间,没有所谓谁是大卫,谁是歌利亚的。

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Religious ignorance: The great divider

by Steve Oh

The Malaysiakini report on Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's swearing on the Quran elicited a response from PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang that it was an act of kebodohan (stupidity). Few would disagree because it is naive to think that the mere act of swearing absolves one's guilt. It is only the gullible who are fooled.

But I was disappointed to read the PAS leader's comments that “We don't have this practice in Islam. It is the Christians who swear on the Bible.” Anyone who knows the Bible will tell you that this is not true if the implication is that swearing on the Bible is part and parcel of Christianity,

In fact the opposite is true. There are several Biblical injunctions for Christians to refrain from all types of swearing best summarised in this verse: "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

Another verse: "Above all, my brothers, do not swear — not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned."

Therefore, no one should accuse Christians of swearing on the Bible. That some Western countries still adopt this practice is more of a quirk of history than a true Christian practice and I reiterate, swearing on the Bible is not an acceptable Christian practice.

Thus, non-Christians who accept public office often take their oaths upon their preferred religious text or none depending on their choice. It is not unknown for elected Muslim politicians to use the Quran for this purpose in the West.

Sadly, there is much ignorance about Christianity and false perceptions have been passed down and along in Malaysia in a climate of religious chauvinism and fear.

I often meet people who are ignorant of other people's religions and often I have had to correct their false understanding, for example of Islam, though I am not a Muslim. It is because I believe in talking to learned Muslims and reading up on the subject. There is nothing more tragic than those who believe in truth to believe in lies or fallacies about others.

The religious leaders in Malaysia have much to answer for the lack of trust among the different religions and should not take it upon themselves to play God. Often it is those who have the least understanding of their own religion who resort to angry outbursts in false perceptions of offence from others. Their volatile responses betray a lack of security in their own faith, thus their resort to intimidation and even violence.

Political parties such as PAS that want to play a pivotal role in mainstream national politics must prove it is able to govern for all and have a vision that is broad and progressive. Those who have strong religious convictions must learn to respect the beliefs of others, and not be arrogant and presumptuous that their faith gives them the divine right to suppress others. If God does not do that, why should those who claim to follow Him do the opposite?

Let us hope Pakatan Rakyat politicians will help cut a swathe through the jungle of religious ignorance and persecution in the country and that we will all know more accurately about our religion and that of others so that we don't make false and presumptuous statements.

I hope ths elucidation on the Christian position on swearing whether on the Bible or some other thing will dispel the fallacy and remedy the inaccuracy in Hadi Awang's statement.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/88094

难信服的DNA法案

内政部长赛哈密18日在国会提呈2008年脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)法案一读,一旦国会通过,警方和政府医务人员可以取得任何吸毒者、扣留犯、被控上法庭者或正在服刑囚犯的DNA样本。

虽然赛哈密否认提案是冲着公正党顾问安华而来的,但明眼人都看得出赛哈密的否认是难令人信服的。灵北行动党国会议员潘俭伟讲得有理,他说难道罪犯的DNA资料那么重要,需要如此急着赶在第三届国会会议期间提呈?

不错,正当安华进行补选期间,赛哈密莫名其妙地冲冲提呈这样既非重要的法案,他还怎样能够避嫌这不是出于政治打压?试想想,如果这次鸡奸案的嫌犯不是安华的话,内政部会那么落力且急速提法案吗?

在提控安华鸡奸案上,案情已经出现许多令国内外人士质疑的东西,包括赛夫首次由缅甸医生检验的阴性报告,而该医生立下宣誓书后失踪了;及赛夫报案是遭安华强行鸡奸的,而检察暑却以同意肛交来提控安华,何解?我国在对付安华的事件上,基于疑点百出已使到国际信是阴谋论了,我们还要成为国际笑柄到几时呢?

DNA专家说,人的DNA可以保存千年不变的。警方都已经有安华的DNA记录了,若警方真的在“案发”现场找到嫌犯的DNA的话,大可对照以前安华的记录,若吻合即足以证明安华的罪呀。安华和他的律师团拒绝被警方抽取DNA样本是基于警方办案并非独立,而是听命于政府的。他们有理由相信安华的血可能会用来在现场植“证据”嫁祸的!

内政部这般的提法案行动,令国人担心我国已经腐败的司法体系进一步被糟蹋。如果政治人物为了达到自私的政治议程,随意提呈对自己有利的法案而不惜牺牲司法的公信力的话,恐怕这个国家很快将滑向独裁的深渊。我们必须以缅甸和津巴布韦为戒!切记!切记!

Monday, August 18, 2008

民政退国阵论,对国阵和补选冲击多大?

在国阵如火如荼地增加峇东埔国会议席补选机器马力当儿,民政党霹雳州代表在代表大会上建议民政党退出国阵,根据党副主席郑可扬,支持者多达80%。而根据妇女组主席兼新闻部副部长陈莲花,此建议也获得妇女组的大部分支持。陈莲花隔天澄清退出国阵不是她的言论,而是基层的建议。这颗民政党霹州代表放的炸弹对国阵以及峇东埔补选造成的冲击有多大呢?

第一,陈莲花传达基层的心声,即他们是以巫统在308大选后还在玩种族课题为由,感到不满。基层不满巫统的种族主义影响其他种族的感受,进而造成国家安宁受到威胁。此番信息或许抵销了国阵委派谙中文的阿力夏争取华裔选票的优势。一个非华裔候选人能够讲几句中文意义不大,最重要是国阵过去有没有一贯性地不分种族宗教公平治国?选民已经越来越成熟了,他们并不轻易为糖果买账。

第二,该党基层的建议,加强了本来打算跳槽民联的国阵政党和议员的信心,进一步让安华黯淡了的916执政议程露出一道曙光。尤其是坚持投首相阿都拉不信任票的沙巴进步党,现在感到不孤单了。党主席杨德利最近还大胆抨击国阵对进步党的命运拖延决定,这情况看来他是希望国阵下令开除该党比自己退出国阵更有利,但明显该党不会留在国阵的几率是大的。若安华在916不能成功执政的话,他或许须等到10月民政党果然宣布退出国阵再部署下一步行动。到时此事件会否引发国阵其他成员党骨牌效应而仿效?到时它会不会是安华的机会来了?

第三,308大选民政党大败,过去几个月来,该党都显得不能在国阵发挥大作为。霹州党代表及妇女组代表表示退出国阵论,郑可扬和陈莲花并没有第一时间通知他。这显示许子根这位代主席在党内的影响力日渐衰微,记者们都知道消息,而党代主席却不知道,在记者追问首相时令许子根尴尬即可见一斑。之前的李家全及陈记光为民联效劳,也没有先照会许子根。现在民政党另外一位重量级人马杜乾焕公开支持安华补选,声称是支持安华的政治改革运动。看来民政党真的山雨欲来风满楼矣!民政党的地位是逐渐被政治现实边沿化,其个中原因乃是首相在几个月以来都忙于处理巫统内部的问题,而忽略了其他成员党的问题。

民政党在国阵没有作为,马华公会和国大党也好不到哪里去,诚如聂阿兹在回教党大会所言,巫统背叛马华和国大党乃一针见血的。在大选后,该两党都责怪巫统的傲慢拖累它们。但巫统在呼吁国阵其他成员党不要互相指责外,并没有从错误中改善作风,反而走回头路搞种族和宗教的狭隘策略。首相必须是全民的首相,而不是单一族群的首相。巫统有必要让其他伙伴成员党有信心,使到非马来人感到安心留在国阵里。

Friday, August 15, 2008

陈徽崇无伪无私不枉此生

8月9日《星洲日报》刊登了三篇谈及陈徽崇的文章,巧合地都针对他丧事“冷漠”有感而发。“言路”版陈玉芳的“有一种教育叫悼念”和宽中人的“宽中有情,学生有义”,感慨宽中没有哀悼及悼念,甚至连陈老师逝世的消息都没有播报。而我则在“沟通平台”栏的“让全民认识廿四节令鼓”表示不明为何非中文媒体对老师的丧事那么冷漠。

其实若细心留意的话,这何止上述冷漠,在办丧事期间,除了团结、文化、艺术及文物部副部长邓文村代表政府出席丧礼外,媒体读不到政府的任何华裔领袖发表文告慰问。而在野党的民联除了巫程豪到治丧处慰问家属外,它们的华裔领袖也一样噤若寒蝉的。

这是不是近来朝野政党为了争权而忽略了一位国家人物的逝世?我想不!而是国人普遍对文化艺术的冷漠,也对廿四节令鼓欠缺认知。在新春期间,有些购物广场会邀请廿四节令鼓队表演。队员不妨询问观众,相信他们不少并看不出表演者擂鼓的格式。对于友族,若他们当作是舞狮子鼓队擂鼓的话,也不要太惊奇!如果鼓队每次有机会在公众场所表演,能够顺便分发廿四节令鼓的起源和意义册子,相信它将很快广受欢迎起来的呢!

别说一般的公众欠缺认知,连邓文村副部长也搞错了。《新海峡时报》和《星报》称廿四节令鼓为“24-season drums”,但在徽崇追思会当晚,邓副部长说英文应该是“24-festival drums”,因为一年只有四季。其实邓副部长忽略了英文“season”这个字除了是“季”的意思以外,它还是一个多意思的字,其中一个是“时节”或“时令”。这显示,新山华社必须组织一个总会,确保外语用名准确。

既此,因欠缺认知而遭受公众的冷漠,非中文媒体也冷漠以对也基于此。政府迟迟对陈徽崇国宝地位无下文,除了欠缺认知廿四节令鼓外,也应该包括我国向来对古老式的文化艺术音乐兴趣不大。

至于对陈老师丧事冷漠的事,向来不大为自己着想的徽崇,若今天他还能够向我们说话的话,他肯定说不会看重这点。我看到我堂兄徽崇大大幅擂鼓的照片挂在灵木前,心中不寒而栗。为四川地震灾黎筹款,他这个师傅兼创始人亲自上台的英勇姿态,从照片可看出他使劲全身气力地擂鼓。

徽崇就是这样一个舍己为人的人物,为了有意义的事,他从来不会推搪别人的邀请而讲一声“不”的。上台不久后,他的肺出事了,结果一倒不起了!徽崇就像耶稣所讲的种子的理论,说一粒麦子(种子)若不掉在地上死,仍旧是一粒;若死了,就结出许多子粒来。他种下了他拥有舍己为人典范的自己,就是为了要结出许多“陈徽崇”的子粒来。徽崇不看重别人回不回报他,这也说明为何他选择把骨灰洒在大海。他不想留下坟墓或灵牌,免得崇拜者膜拜他成为偶像。

陈徽崇一生付出比收回的更多,他一生为文化艺术音乐贡献国家,只遗憾国家给他国宝地位的肯定来得太晚。我在追思会当晚与林明华编辑交谈,我说:“谢谢你们《星洲日报》帮助了我的堂兄那么多。”明华说:“其实徽崇帮助我们《星洲日报》比我们帮助他的更多。”这是出自一个充满感恩的人说的见证,心想,在徽崇的遗骸留在人间的几天,人如何肯定他为自己及各团体的贡献,也必相应赋予他多少的回馈感恩行动。陈徽崇,一代无伪无私的艺术家和音乐家,你不枉此生也!

就让回教党继续做在野党吧!

过去回教党大会,中文媒体都报道篇幅不多。今年报道篇幅增多,《星洲日报》用到几面,包括给予封面新闻,乃是因308大选出现的政治变革所然。

从回教党长老会和回青团的言论,作为一个非回教徒的我,心里没有安乐的感受。若说因巫统的傲慢而导致国阵的大输,我其实也看到回教党是一个另外崛起的傲慢政党。过去巫青团伤害非回教徒的心灵,这次回青团不也一样伤害我们?不是吗?他们要求党推翻由异教徒组成的政府,否则他们豪不犹疑地主张回教党退出民联。这种宗教优越论根本要不得,是极端的思维。

因为它们至终的目标是成为回教国,而纵观我国的政治状况,所以回教党绝对不可能一党执政的,它们必须靠与其他政党结盟才办得到。它们能够与巫统结合吗?它们两党的政治理念南辕北辙,再加上回教党要做大哥,不要做小弟,巫统愿意受制于它们吗?就是要做带头的野心,所以聂阿兹才不赞成与巫统结盟,而是建议大家解散政党,成立一党。当然,回教党的人马在这新党必须做大哥的。不是吗?民联一旦执政,它们希望哈迪阿旺做首相呢!

回教党不晓得它们在308大选之所以有那么好成绩,都是因着公正党,行动党和它们以一对一的策略来对抗巫统而达致的。人们就是厌倦过去50年来的种族和宗教的路线,为了国家的前途,我国必须不分种族宗教来团结起来。所以回教党要跑宗教路线,乃是背道而驰的。在公正党的马来人和回教徒都致力于建造一个马来西亚全民的政体,回教党应该追求这种迎合国家需要的目标。

结论是,若回教党退出民联的话,别想下届大选非回教徒会再支持它们了!好吧,就让回教党继续做在野党吧!既然它们的极端思维与他党合不来结不了盟,就让它们独自为政吧!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Life After Lakeland: Sorting Out the Confusion

Todd Bentley’s announcement that his marriage is ending has thrown our movement into a tailspin—and questions need to be answered.

It was not supposed to end like this.

Evangelist Todd Bentley had heralded the Lakeland revival as the greatest Pentecostal outpouring since Azusa Street. From his stage in a gigantic tent in Florida, Bentley preached to thousands, bringing many of them to the stage for prayer. Many claimed to be healed of deafness, blindness, heart problems, depression and dozens of other conditions in the Lakeland services, which ran for more than 100 consecutive nights. Bentley announced confidently that dozens of people had been raised from the dead during the revival.

But this week, a few days after the Canadian preacher announced the end of his visits to Lakeland, he told his staff that his marriage is ending. Without blaming the pace of the revival for Bentley’s personal problems, his board released a public statement saying that he and his wife, Shonnah, are separating. The news shocked Bentley’s adoring fans and saddened those who have questioned his credibility since the Lakeland movement erupted in early April.

“Among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: ‘This is God. Don’t question.’ ”

I’m sad. I’m disappointed. And I’m angry. Here are few of my many, many questions about this fiasco:

Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the beginning?

To put it bluntly, we’re just plain gullible.

From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning Christians raised questions about Bentley’s beliefs and practices. They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.

But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: “This is God. Don’t question.” So before we could all say, “Sheeka Boomba” (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.

I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We’re spiritual hungry—which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything.

Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.

Why didn’t anyone in Lakeland denounce the favorable comments Bentley made about William Branham?

This one baffles me. Branham embraced horrible deception near the end of his ministry, before he died in 1965. He claimed that he was the reincarnation of Elijah—and his strange doctrines are still embraced by a cultlike following today. When Bentley announced to the world that the same angel that ushered in the 1950s healing revival had come to Lakeland, the entire audience should have run for the exits.

Why didn’t anyone correct this error from the pulpit? Godly leaders are supposed to protect the sheep from heresy, not spoon feed deception to them. Only God knows how far this poison traveled from Lakeland to take root elsewhere. May God forgive us for allowing His Word to be so flippantly contaminated.

A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after Bentley’s news hit the fan. He said to me: “I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ when he shows up because they have no discernment.” Ouch. Hopefully we’ll learn our lesson this time and apply the necessary caution when an imposter shows up.

Why did God TV tell people that “any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic”?

This ridiculous statement was actually made on one of God TV’s pre-shows. In fact, the network’s hosts also warned listeners that if they listened to criticism of Bentley, they could lose their healings.

This is cultic manipulation at its worst. The Bible tells us that the Bereans were noble believers because they studied the Scriptures daily “to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NASB). Yet in the case of Lakeland, honest intellectual inquiry was viewed as a sign of weakness. People were expected to jump first and then open their eyes.

Just because we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit does not mean we check our brains at the church door. We are commanded to test the spirits. Jesus wants us to love Him with our hearts and our minds.

Because of the Lakeland scandal, there may be large numbers of people who feel they’ve been burned by Bentley. Some may give up on church and join the growing ranks of bitter, disenfranchised Christians. Others may suffer total spiritual shipwreck. This could have been avoided if leaders had been more vocal about their objections and urged people to evaluate spiritual experiences through the filter of God’s Word.

Why did a group of respected ministers lay hands on Bentley on June 23 and publicly ordain him? Did they know of his personal problems?

This controversial ceremony was organized by Peter Wagner, who felt that one of Bentley’s greatest needs was proper spiritual covering. He asked California pastors Che Ahn and Bill Johnson, along with Canadian pastor John Arnott, to lay hands on Bentley and bring him under their care.

Bentley certainly needs such covering. No one in ministry today should be out on their own, living in isolation without checks, balances and wise counsel. It was commendable that Wagner reached out to Bentley and that Bentley acknowledged his need for spiritual fathers by agreeing to submit to the process. The question remains, however, whether it was wise to commend Bentley during a televised commissioning service that at times seemed more like a king’s coronation.

In hindsight, we can all see that it would have been better to take Bentley into a back room and talk about his personal issues.

The Bible tells us that ordination of a minister is a sober responsibility. Paul wrote: “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim. 5:22). We might be tempted to rush the process, but the apostle warned against fast-tracking ordination—and he said that those who commission a minister who is not ready for the job will bear some of the blame for his failures.

I trust that Wagner, Ahn, Johnson and Arnott didn’t know of Bentley’s problems before they ordained him. I am sure they are saddened by the events of this week and are reaching out to Bentley and his wife to promote healing and restoration. But I believe that they, along with Bentley and the owners of God TV, owe the body of Christ a forthright, public apology for thrusting Bentley’s ministry into the spotlight prematurely. (Perhaps such an apology should be aired on God TV.)

Can anything good come out of this?

That depends on how people respond. If the men assigned to oversee Bentley offer loving but firm correction, and if Bentley responds humbly to the process by stepping out of ministry for a season of rehabilitation, we could witness a healthy case of church discipline play out the way it is supposed to. If all those who were so eager to promote Bentley now rush just as fast to repent for their errors in judgment, then the rest of us could breathe a huge sigh of relief—and the credibility of our movement could be restored.

I still believe that God desires to visit our nation in supernatural power. I know He wants to heal multitudes, and I will continue praying for a healing revival to sweep across the United States. But we must contend for the genuine, not an imitation. True revival will be accompanied by brokenness, humility, reverence and repentance—not the arrogance, showmanship and empty hype that often was on display in Lakeland.

We are weathering an unprecedented season of moral failure and spiritual compromise in our nation today. I urge everyone in the charismatic world to pray for Bentley; his wife, Shonnah; his three young children; Bentley’s ministry staff; and the men and women who serve as his counselors and advisers. Let’s pray that God will turn this embarrassing debacle into an opportunity for miraculous restoration.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Yao has delivered, now it's China's turn

by Adrian Wojnarowski

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/basketball/news?slug=aw-yaoteamusa081008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

BEIJING – On his way out of the game, Yao Ming thrust his fist through the air, and soon made that long, wobbly walk to the Chinese bench. The end of a brilliant and historic night for basketball, the end of responsibility for Yao. His work is done. Let him rest.

“The game was a treasure,” Yao said, “and it will be a treasure for the rest of my life.”

Here was a surreal sight on Sunday night in these Olympic Games. Here was the embodiment of Yao Ming’s legacy: His heart, his determination, his immensity. He made possible a billion people worldwide watching a basketball game on television. He made possible these blistering ovations and rock-star treatment the U.S. players receive here. He made possible the hundreds of millions of dollars that David Stern can generate here.


And above all, Yao gave China its Olympic flag-bearer and iconic athlete to frame the most important engagement it’s ever had with the world.

“Yao built the bridge for all of us,” Kobe Bryant said.

To watch Yao limp and flail and double over to breathe was to understand the reasons with which his sense of obligation brought him back so soon from another broken foot, another surgery. For Yao, this is his life’s lot. For his own preservation, his own crack at a career undiminished, he needs to tell a most unrelenting Chinese sports machine that its days of running him into the ground are gone.

No more summers with the national team in non-Olympic years, no more of the treatment that’s breaking down his body. The sport’s never seen an athlete of his size who is so skilled, so agile. His lower body has crumbled under the burden, with two broken feet, a broken leg and an infected toe. It breaks your heart to watch what has happened to him. As much as anyone, his body needs rest and recovery. The pounding has taken a terrible toll on him.

“They will continue to pressure him,” one high-ranking international basketball official said of Chinese officials. “The one thing they do with all of their athletes is drive them into the ground with training. The strongest survive. If you don’t, they’ll find another to come and do it.

“I mean, they don’t do little things like block out good airline seats for them when they travel. They can all be in middle seats in coach for all they care, and that’s how Yao travels with them. Whatever happens with his injuries, they’re going to insist that he keeps playing for them.”

The Chinese government had monitored his birth because of the perfect physical and athletic genes of his parents, forever treating him as something of a science project. Yet there’s nothing robotic, nothing programmed, about him. He has such humanity, such a sense of grace and honor. Over time, you can slowly see him assimilating into more of a Western mindset. He has things on his mind. Yes, he has plenty of opinions. It just isn’t his culture’s way to share them.

Poor Yao. The Rockets traded for the tempestuous Ron Artest and Yao’s reaction was perfectly appropriate. What he wanted to know, he said, was if Artest was done pummeling fans in the stands. Essentially, it was his way of asking: Will this clown ever get it right? Fair question, but the surprising bite to his words created a reaction that immediately sent Yao scurrying to make public and private apologies.

Yao showed a little edge, and he needs to do it again. After these Games, he needs to use the leverage of his popularity, his earning power in China and tell the regime that he’s done with the grinding national team calendar. Tell them that they’ll see him in 2012 in London, and that if they leave him alone, maybe he’ll make it there as an elite player.

When Yao crumbled with a stress fracture, necessitating the fourth surgery on his lower body in the past two years, his old Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy pleaded that Yao – or someone close with a willingness to be the bad guy – has to learn the word “No.”

Still, Yao gives China its biggest star in these Olympics. Here, everything is about saving face, and the under-manned Chinese did that with a respectable showing. Yao missed seven of 10 shots and spent so much of his night crumpled over, holding his shorts, gasping for breath. He gave them one moment, though. Before the U.S. turned its Pool B game into a dunking line, Yao started it all. Of all things, he backed behind the three-point line and delivered the game’s first basket. Such a roar in this jammed building, such a poetic moment. After all, Yao has always defied range and reach.

“I felt honored to be there watching that,” U.S. point guard Chris Paul said. “It felt like a storybook when he hit that shot.’

So yes, everybody has made a killing on Yao Ming and he is tired and beaten and owed something here. Owed big. No one ever came to the NBA with his hype and pressure, with so many people openly pulling for him to be a flop. He was a mysterious figure out of the Far East and he felt like a threat. Now, everyone understands: The NBA needs Yao, the way China does. Only, he counted on them looking out for his best interests. They’ve bled him dry. His time, his turn now.

For once in his life, Yao needs it to be about him. He’s never going to lose face, but he could have his career cut far too short. Whatever’s happened, Yao must tell China’s government: Enough is enough – we’re even.

Monday, August 11, 2008

法律论坛被迫中止

《星洲日报》记者:陈莉珍

週六(8月9日),我去参加了律师公会在首都主办的探討改信回教问题的论坛。

从轻快铁站走向律师公会的路上,我看到了很多年轻回教徒集聚在律师公会附近。后来,走到公会门口前的马路,就更‘热闹’了,有拿著“Jangan Cabar Islam”布条和高喊口號的示威者、闻风而来的媒体工作者、准备赴会参加论坛的公众。

穿过人群,我终於挤进会场, 论坛也在会场外面的抗议声中开始了。但遗憾的是,听了几位公眾分享他们因家人改教而面对的问题之后,大会宣佈基於安全因素,论坛会提早在10点结束。还来不及討论关於改教引发的法律问题,我们只有40分钟。主持人就爭取时间,继续討论。

然而,不一会儿,警察陪同几个人走进会场。他们是楼下的示威组织代表,为首的是公正党的国会议员Zulkifli Noordin,应该是要確定论坛在10点准时结束。

这些人站在会场的中央,阻碍了后面的观眾。过一阵,他们开始大声要求论坛中止。他们当中有人高呼:“我们是巫统的人!”。他们无视主席要他们坐下好让她总结论坛的请求。

有一名女性回教徒教授站起来为论坛辩护,她说:“大眾不明白回教教义,而这个论坛可以让公眾互相瞭解。”当场,即有人称他为叛徒!有人抢走麦克风,大声要求论坛即时结束!更有人推撞大会的工作人员。

这些霸道的言行就在我们面前发生,令人备感唏嘘,到底我们的国家接下来的路要怎么走?我的国人竟然如此狭隘!我的国人如此野蛮!怎不令我难过。

“不速之客”尚未登门之前,论坛是在一片和谐的气氛下进行,与会人士,不论他们是是信仰甚么宗教都很成熟的看待这个所谓‘敏感’的话题。这些不速之客,喧宾夺主,甚至大声威胁如果不结束论坛,楼下就会有5000人上来(但楼下示威人士可能不过300)。大会尊重各方人士的发言权,因此允许示威行动,甚至最后也让他们入场。但这些客人却在主人家的地头上撒野。他们自称回教代表,但到底谁授权他们代表国內上千万的回教徒?

目前,改教问题確实需要一个解决的管道。这个论坛提供一个可以互相交流的平台。有心人士將之政治化,扭曲主办当局的好意,也浪费了一个交流的好机会。这让人苦恼,也令人遗憾。

这是一个奉行民主制、法治的国家。每个人享有他的言论自由。不论课题是否关乎宗教,我们该学习的是如何成熟的去处理和接受反对的声音。如果我们忘了尊重他人,我们也失去了被尊重的权利。

今天一幕,我相信,只是小部份极端人士的偏执行为。也唯有这样相信,我才能看到我们的將来——一个成熟文明的社会,一个我能引以为傲的国家。

取自:http://opinions.sinchew-i.com/taxonomy/term/13

Storming of Bar Council forum - Had UMNO plotted for the extreme reaction?

by Lim Kit Siang (veteran DAP leader)

Source: http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/08/11/storming-of-bar-council-forum-had-umno-plotted-for-the-extreme-reaction/

Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday that the Bar Council’s persistence in going ahead with a forum on conversion to Islam has triggered extreme reaction from certain quarters, which in turn would threaten the country’s harmony.

He added that he had expected the extreme reaction to occur (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/11/nation/22052853&sec=nation) as the council ignored advice to call off the forum.

Is this an admission that UMNO had plotted for the extreme reaction to the Bar Council forum on religious conversions in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday – including the deplorable and disgraceful police conduct in submitting to the ultimatum by demonstrators threatening to storm into the Bar Council auditorium to disrupt the forum if the half-day forum was not ended by 10 am?

This must be the first time in the history of the Malaysian police force where it had openly and publicly submitted to the threats of demonstrators to commit an offence, i.e. to storm into a private property to disrupt a lawful meeting!

Can the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar defend and justify the shocking failure of the police to uphold law and order on Saturday?

It is an indictment on the failure of nation-building that in a month the country is to celebrate the 51st Merdeka anniversary that Malaysians are reminded that there is increasingly less space for open, civil and rational discussion on the problems and challenges of creating a Bangsa Malaysia of diverse races, cultures and religions.

The Bar Council had made it very clear that the forum was not to challenge the position of Islam as provided in the Constitution but to deal with the problems of the conflict of laws in the application of civil and syariah laws arising from Article 121(1A) of the Constitution.

This can be fully borne out from the one-hour discussion at the Bar Council forum before it was so shamefully truncated.

Could any one produce any evidence that the position of Islam as provided in the Constitution was being challenged from the one-hour discussion of the Bar Council forum before its disruption?

It is indeed sad and tragic that the demonstration against the Bar Council forum saw some elements of Umno, PKR and PAS united on a fictitious issue – the non-existent challenge of the position of Islam in Malaysia as provided in the constitution.

If all parties concerned can unite on the critical issues facing the nation, like wiping out corruption, fighting injustice and eradicating poverty, then Malaysia will be heading for national and international greatness and not like today, sliding down the slippery slope of mediocrity!

DAP has raised strong objections with the PKR leadership on the role of the PKR MP for Kulim Bandar Baharu Zulkifli Noordin in storming the Bar Council forum and I have been informed that disciplinary action would be taken against him.

The Pakatan Rakyat leadership will have to address the Pakatan Rakyat disarray over this issue.

Will the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meet to discuss the similar disarray of the BN component parties or will the other 13 BN component parties just have accept the UMNO line because of the continued UMNO political hegemony in the Barisan Nasional?

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Ready for a snap poll

Malaysiakini - http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/87469

Anwar claimed that he will have a confortable number on Sept 16 for Pakatan Rakyat to form a govt. His anticipated victory in Permatang Pauh will enable him to win the confidence from the potential MPs who will cross over.

In the past 3 months, we could see that BN was worried about their MPs defecting, thus the Anwar Sodomy II drama.

When Anwar was about to take over the govt on Sep 16, there are two options PM Andullah will adopt. One, to declare an emergency. Two, to dissolve the Parliament and call for a snap poll. Ihe second option is more likely. If so, the 13th Gen. Election will take place in October. With an analysis on what transpired all these while after Mar 8, Pakatan will win enough seats to form a new govt.

宽柔有情,学生有义

宽中人

大家所爱戴的陈徽崇老师已经仙逝一个星期多了,然,在那悲慟尚未淡去的时候,似乎又有一场无情的风波在伤害著彼此之间的关係。

宽柔,冷吗?我不晓得。

我只知道陈老师出殯当天,校长、副校长、活动处主任、多位老师、节令鼓队员、弦乐团、合唱团、管乐团、钢琴协会团员,一团50余人送陈老师一程。校方以不扣分的特別处理方式让和陈老师有较密切关係的团体派代表同学出席葬礼。

当住持领著陈老师的棺木走向焚化炉时,依稀记得,宽柔的代表同学在棺车的两旁为陈老师尽最后一份力──铺花道,希望老师一路走好。

“一日为师,终身为父”。我相信,为人师表的陈老师想看到的,並不是管乐团为他开道或是成百上千的同学来送他最后一程,他想看到的应该是同学们待在学校努力把书读好,把音乐处理得更好。在老师病危的那段期间,不少同学也到院探望老师,然而,师母也苦口婆心地劝大家回去好好读书。

陈老师在宽中、音乐界,甚至是华社的地位是无人能比的。如今,已经没有人能够一统宽柔的音乐团体来个双庆之夜抑或是南方之路了。为甚么我们不选择放下悲慟,在来临的95週年宽柔校庆高唱陈老师为宽柔呕心沥血的佳作呢?我想,陈老师想看到的不是校友为了他而责怪母校,最终不为母校尽心尽力的局面。

那一场空前绝后的追思场面是陈老师一生贡献音乐事业的最好证明,多少莘莘学子从各地赶回来见陈老师最后一面。看看台下,多少陈老师在宽柔执教鞭18年所给予循循善诱教导的宽柔人在追思陈老师。

我想说,我们在陈老师病逝后第一天就全团哀悼並唱团歌当作送陈老师最后一程。各团团长也相约好想为陈老师做些甚么事。宽柔,冷吗?

一开始,我也挺生气为何校方不全校广播陈老师病逝的事並进行哀悼;然而,我想或许掌校者也有自己的难处,也有不得已的苦衷。

不晓得有甚么苦衷,让校方对处理陈老师病逝所作出的反应备受各界人士的关注。为何不把焦点放在发扬陈老师的伟大精神呢?

我想,不管治丧委员会抑或是任何团体希望看到宽柔的反应是如何,就如陈老师的儿子所说的:“棺木盖上的时候,甚么都成为歷史……”。陈老师期许的是甚么?

是宽柔的音乐班,是新山的音乐厅。在这时候,音乐爱好者及校友为何不集思广益完成陈老师的心愿,让新山的文化水平更上一层楼呢?

取自:http://opinions.sinchew-i.com/taxonomy/term/10

有一种教育叫悼念

陈玉芳

想一想:你上次出席丧礼是在甚么时候?再想一想,你上一次跟著父母去弔丧是多久以前的事了?你是否还记得父母当时说过的话、做过的事?

是否有过这样的经验?你跟著父亲参加了一场丧礼,然后你发现,原来那是一位曾经那样帮助过父亲、与父亲一起共患难的挚友或亲人,於是,你突然体会,为甚么父亲那么固执地非来不可。你听著父亲那些年轻岁月的点点滴滴,看著他与週遭的亲戚故友絮絮叨叨,突然,你对那位常常令你不以为然的父亲,有了新的了解....。

想一想,你是否曾经带著孩子去出席丧礼?在丧礼上,你是否牵著他的小手,跟他分享你的成长故事,把他带到同来悼念的亲人面前,一一告诉他,这位是阿姨、这位是叔公呢?

悼念,是一种身体力行的教育,它让孩子体认了人与人之间深刻的情感,它弥补了冷漠社会中的孤独与疏离。因此,悼念是成年人对下一代无可规避的责任。

上个星期三,宽中一放学,音乐团体的同学就在学校紧急练习。当晚,陈老师的追思礼,浩浩荡荡地来了三辆巴士的宽中生。在老师的灵前,他们唱著老师写给宽中的歌、奏著老师最爱的音乐。这一切都是学生自行组织的,连巴士都是学生自己付费的。校方,只是一个安静的旁观者,不拦阻,但也不协助。

星期四,陈老师出殯,宽中派出了近70位学生代表,然而,这个人数远远无法乘载宽中人对老师的追念。观礼的人群中,还有许多个別出席的音乐团体成员,他们全都不获学校批准,却坚持护送老师的最后一段路;他们向校方请的是事假。

在校內,没有任何悼念活动,连报告老师逝世的广播也没有。据悉校方的理由是:陈老师不是在职老师、校方无法开先例、校方不能厚此薄彼、校方会面对他人的质询……

是的,陈老师离职17年了。但17年来,老师带著校园內的音乐种子,走了更长更远的路。合唱团等精英同学,在老师的带领下,到新中港台演出。宽中的“南方之路”、“走出校园”、“一起回家”,陈老师是策划人之一。2005年,古来分校礼堂落成,陈老师亲自指挥200人的“黄河大合唱”,这不仅是古来的第一场合唱音乐会,更是分校澎湃辉煌的起步。去年,分校校庆的千人宴募款活动,舞台上那热切挥舞著双手的,是已经患病的陈老师。

对比宽中对陈老师逝世的“低调”与“理性”,隆中华的学生却在一日之內搜集了陈老师的生平事跡,不仅张贴在校园內的看板上,还向全校广播。同学们甚至在考试期间要求校方让他们南下弔丧。这一切,隆中华对学生不仅支持,而且引以为荣。

宽中的“冷处理”,伤透了许多师生及校友的心!早在19世纪,德国社会学韦伯就已经预言:理性主义加工业社会加科层制度(bureaucracy),將带来不可避免的悲剧,人將活在各种条文及规则的铁笼中。今天看来,这个预言竟在校园实现了。

陈老师去世了。透过这场丧礼,大人向学生传达了甚么讯息呢?每个人都会老去,每个人都要退休,今天还在位的人,当离开后,会期待获得下一代怎样的对待?

取自:http://opinions.sinchew-i.com/node/6621

開車時遇到大雨怎麼辦?

這個小方法是由一位警察朋友口中得知,並經親身試驗後證實 ... 真的有用耶... 即使是晚上開車也都沒問題..
許多開車朋友,大概都遭遇過類似情況,遇到滂沱大雨時,就算雨刷給它用力地刷,刷到最快速,也依然看不清前方的視線及車距 ...

某天,偶然由一位警察朋友口中得知,遇到這種情況時,不妨戴上墨鏡 , 任何款式皆可,然後..... 神奇的事情就會發生啦~~~突然間,原本如豆大般狂洩而下,幾乎遮住所有視線的傾盆大雨,好像變不見了.... 眼中看到的,只剩下前方的車輛... ..... 既清楚又不必擔心視線不清 ...

好東西要和好朋友分享... 好資訊當然更要讓你知道囉 ....

在車上準備一副墨鏡吧..... 有機會不妨試試, 若真能因此而提高生命安全的保障,又何樂而不為呢?

(資料來自朋友的電郵)

How Obama prepped world for the Antichrist

Posted: August 01, 2008
by Hal Lindsey

http://groups.google.com/group/Bible-Prophecy-News/browse_thread/thread/55e7a27c3c563227

Obama's World Tour was planned as the high point of his campaign, with the candidate retracing the footsteps of great presidents of the past, hobnobbing with world leaders and as one pundit put it, "making the Europeans love us again."

Obama drew huge crowds in Berlin where he addressed them, oddly enough, as "fellow citizens of the world." It was a typically flowery Obama speech, but it hit an unexpectedly sour note when he dramatically intoned:

"People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time. ... With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again."

Pundits on both sides are trying to sort it out. It's a great speech, like I said, if somebody is running for president of the world, but it was too much, even for a compliant and Obama-friendly press corps.

The politically "progressive" newspaper of record, the Washington Post nicknamed Obama the
"presumptuous nominee" after his European performance.

The Boston Globe's Boston.com ran a piece in its "Political Intelligence" section called the
"Obama Arrogance Watch." David Letterman did one of his signature "Top 10" skits entitled, "Top Ten Signs Obama is Overconfident," leading off with a proposed bill to change Oklahoma to "Oklabama."

The London Sunday Times Online ran a brilliant satire piece called "He ventured forth to bring light into the world."

A sample paragraph: "When he was 12 years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organization with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: 'Verily,
who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?'"

Before wrapping up his tour, Obama stopped by to address a gathering of minority journalists in Hawaii, where he once again apologized for what a rotten place America either used to be, or still is. It is hard to tell from his comment, "I personally would want to see our tragic
history, or the tragic elements of our history, acknowledged."

(Wouldn't anybody besides me personally like to see somebody in the White House who doesn't think America needs apologizing for?)

Barack has apologized to the French and Germans for Americans who are too ignorant to learn their language before embarking on their once-in-a-lifetime two-week visit abroad.

He's apologized for the simple Midwestern rednecks who, forced to cling to religion and guns to justify their antipathy, just can't help themselves.

There was a time when it was considered unpatriotic to be ashamed of America, but that time is long past. Being proud of America means you are probably a Bush-loving neoconservative, so the only sure way to prevent such misidentification is to apologize for it at every opportunity.

America has never faced so many different crises at the same time in living memory. The war with al-Qaida and Islamic terror, the Iran crisis, Afghanistan, nuclear proliferation, the rising price of oil, the falling dollar, enemy acronyms like OPEC, NAM, OIC, U.N. ... Obama is correct in saying that the world is ready for someone like him – a messiah-like figure, charismatic and glib and seemingly holding all the answers to all the world's questions.

And the Bible says that such a leader will soon make his appearance on the scene. It won't be Barack Obama, but Obama's world tour provided a foretaste of the reception he can expect to receive.

He will probably also stand in some European capital, addressing the people of the world and telling them that he is the one that they have been waiting for. And he can expect as wildly enthusiastic a greeting as Obama got in Berlin.

The Bible calls that leader the Antichrist. And it seems apparent that the world is now ready to make his acquaintance.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Olympic Games - and the spirit behind it

by Joh.W.Matutis of Berlin, Germany

While preparing for my preaching today about the three men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), God spoke to me saying:

My children, the time has now come, where what matters is your steadfastness. Will you also be able to stand?
Will you also stand fast like these three witnesses of mine?
Will you pass the acid test?
Are you as fast and undeviating as those ones?
Will you also confess me like they did?
Are you really equipped for this time of testing?

The whole world fell on its face, at that time, and worshipped the golden image made by King Nebuchadnezzar.

They all fell on their faces. What will you do when it is your turn to do the same? Do you have enough strength for resistance in you?

I was really shocked, when the Lord spoke so to me. Then I heard a voice which said; Now has come the time, when the way for the kings of the east is being prepared. (see Revelations 16:12).

Look at the Olympic games in Beijing/Peking. These are demonic games. Check it and see, said the Spirit of the Lord to me. And I did it. And this is what the Lord revealed to me in a few moments.

For your information, in those days, the Nazis had the idea, which they also carried out, to light the Olympic fire on mount Olympus (20th July 1936) and then carry it from Greece to Berlin. During this Olympic torch relay there were many protests on the way, exactly as it is at present during this torch relay from Olympus to Peking.

The Olympic games start exactly, according to the Chinese horoscope on the 08.08.08 at 8 hours and 8 minutes.

Exactly 88 days before then, God had forewarned the superstitious Chinese, through the strong earthquake in Sichuan/China (12.5.08/ 1+2+5=8). In China, feasts, dedications and celebrations are appointed, according to astrology.

Then the Lord said to me, pay attention my son, these Olympic games are exactly as they were 70 years ago (1936), when they took place in your country, Germany under Hitler. And what happened then? Think! My child. History repeats itself after 70 years.

I was shocked, and had to check back on the reports of the Olympic games of 1936 in Berlin. In these reports, I found so many parallels to the games in Peking. The perfect, and from the state controlled order of the events. The exclusion of undesired persons (Jews, Gypsies and prostitutes). The Press and Information censorship, etc. And then the occult background.

In November 1989, a few days after the fall of the Berlin wall, top dignitaries from all over the world were in attendance at a meal which took place at the Pergamon alter in Berlin. The Meal was named RESURRECTION, which was supposed to demonstrate that the spirit of Olympus had been resurrected.

In Revelations 13:3, the deadly wound was healed. The whole earth wondered after the beast, and obeyed him.

Even Obama's visit to Berlin and his speech (made between the symbols of the 2 heathen gods Janus and Mercury on the Victory Column and the Brandenburggate) are part of preparations of the stage for the antichrist. He even referred to the fall of the Berlin Wall, "that deadly wound, which was healed". Even he wanted to pull down the walls between Christians, Jews and Moslems. See: www.groups.google.com/group/Bible-Prophecy-News/browse_thread/thread/55e7a27c3c563227#

This is also the slogan of the games in Beijing: "One World - One Dream."

Then said the Lord to me further: Tell my children, it is later than you think (the time is far spent) The adversary runs to and fro, seeking whom he can devour. He sneaks in with nice and sweet words around you, in order to entice you to follow his path.

Wake up! My children. I am at the door! Great storms roar all over. The earth quakes, the forests burn, the rivers overflow their banks, the people rise up against one another, the fishes in the sea are dying. All the signs I gave to you, to indicate my coming, are happening all around you.

Wake up! Take care, that your lamps have oil in them, and the wicks are trimmed. My day is near, says the Lord.

The kings of the east are preparing themselves. They are already stepping on the world stage. The attention of the whole world is drawn towards them right now.

Pay attention to my words, says the Lord. I want to find my people ready when I come again.

For you, who fear my name, upon you will my salvation and my sun arise. If you only abide in me, and I in you, no one will be able to separate you from my love. I will also protect and deliver you, just like I did for the young men in the fiery furnace. You do not need to fear.

My people, your salvation is near. Be prepared, say the Lord.

They (people) should be warned, and informed about the occult background behind these present Olympic games in Beijing.

And just like a dictator arose, 70 years ago (1936) in Germany and Europe, so also a demonic spirit is preparing a way for itself.

The perfect stagings can be seen at the moment as controlled by the Government.

The deadly wound is of course healed and all the world can now obey the beast (referred to in Revelations 13).

The bible says: An army of 200,000,000 soldiers will march over the Euphrates (Revelations 16:12/9:16) and that can well be the Chinese.

We live in the end time.

Pastor Joh.W.Matutis www.nnk-berlin.de (see english menu)
Berlin (Germany)

公开讨论宗教课题是好事

律师公会决定照原定计划,于8月9日在总部举行回教徒脱教论坛。公开讨论这项课题是好事,因为我国不断出现这类的事情,有必要寻求方案以让无论回教徒或非回教徒都能够受益。

回教徒脱教,必须探讨当事人为何脱教,并且也须所牵涉的家人该获得的权益。如果召集到各阶层人士来提供他们的知识,以解决问题,岂不是能够带来彼此包容吗?

我不明白为何国家领袖反而不鼓励如此地公开讨论,声称恐怕会激怒对这项议题持反对立场的人士。其实我认为,马来西亚既然已经是一个在国际拥有很重要地位的国家,我们就不应该畏避坦诚讨论的做法。在一个文明如大马的国度里,公开讨论就是一种文明解决冲突的方式。

许多问题产生,乃是我们经常以“课题敏感”而受到抑制讨论,这样其实只是暂时把问题扫入地毯底下而已。世上的冲突,不少是因为不能坦诚交流而累积误解,结果一旦爆发即势不可挡矣!

较早前,首相阿都拉在8月6日出席了五大宗教咨询理事会25周年晚宴,听取这些宗教领袖表达对我国宗教问题的心声。他们呼吁政府正视非回教徒感到边沿化处境的问题。首相回应他关心且从来不害怕讨论各宗教课题。国人希望首相能够带头开导国人互相理解别人的信仰,这样我们才会尊重别人的信仰。

Thursday, August 7, 2008

为赛夫经验的缅甸医生立宣誓书-《独立新闻在线》

取自:http://www.merdekareview.com/news.php?n=7366

【本刊陈子莹撰述】为赛夫布卡里(Saiful Bukhari Azlan)报案前做过身体检验的布斯拉维医院(Hospital Pusrawi)医生莫哈末奥斯曼(Mohamed Osman)立下了法定声明书(Statutory Declaration),坚称他在今年6月28日替赛夫检查肛门时,并没有发现任何鸡奸的痕迹。

莫哈末奥斯曼志期8月1日的法定声明书是在8月7日凌晨1时6分,张贴在《今日马来西亚》(Malaysia Today)网站名为“全国总警长以及总检察长还未知道的……”(What the IGP and AG do not know......yet )的文章里。该网站在张贴这篇法定声明书的前文,还特别提起这是安华正式被提控前夕所不为人知的事件,而《今日马来西亚》将会为大家带来“好几个”惊喜,其中一项就是莫哈末奥斯曼的法定声明书。

以永久居留证到我国定居的这名缅甸籍医生在他的法定声明书中声称,他是在6月28日下午2时14分于布斯拉维医院急诊室当值时,接见病人赛夫布卡里,赛夫当时要求单独与医生交谈。赛夫布卡里向莫哈末奥斯曼投诉他的肛门疼痛了两天。

莫哈末奥斯曼随即在一位助理护士雅兹函(Yazihan binti Yusof)的协助下,以直肠镜(proctoscope)替赛夫布卡里检查肛门。

坚称赛夫肛门正常

莫哈末奥斯曼在法定声明中强调,凭检查结果以及他的观察判断,赛夫布卡里的肛门是正常的,并没有流血、没有脓疮、脓液、没有受伤、没有撕裂、没有排出其他物体。赛夫的肛门干净且干,看起来正常,并没有不寻常的迹象。

莫哈末奥斯曼也提到,当他把检验结果告诉赛夫时,赛夫也告知莫哈末奥斯曼他被一名非常显要的人物(VIP)鸡奸,他要向警方报案。莫哈末奥斯曼当时奉劝赛夫到任何一家政府医院检查,因为鸡奸乃是刑事案。

赛夫事后就离开医院,莫哈末奥斯曼表示他并没有给予赛夫任何药物以及任何参考书信。

《今日马来西亚》主编拉惹柏特拉于7月28日在其新闻网站揭露,投报遭安华依布拉欣鸡奸的赛夫布卡里报案前曾到一家私立医院检验,而其医药检验报告书显示赛夫并没有遭鸡奸的迹象。拉惹柏特拉也把这份医药报告书全文张贴在其新闻网站。

没说遭警扣留三天

拉惹柏特拉也透露,警方曾经扣留那名医生三天,要求他改写赛夫的医药报告,但他至今仍拒绝修改他的医药报告。【点击:医药报告说赛夫没被鸡奸警方扣留医生三天逼修改】

不过,莫哈末奥斯曼在法定声明书中并未提及被警方扣留三天一事,只说明与警方人员会面了三次。

这份医药报告书曝光后,在国内引起了轩然大波,民众也加深怀疑赛夫对安华的鸡奸指控。牵涉其中的布斯拉维医院在事件爆发两天后召开记者会,承认赛夫曾到该医院检查,不过却不是鸡奸检查,而是一般的肚疼检验。【点击:证实赛夫求诊报告内容相似 布斯拉维医院要查是否外泄】

至于这份体检报告书的真伪,院方只含糊表示,曝光的赛夫体检报告内容,与该院的体检报告正本相似,坚决否认泄漏这份体检报告。莫哈末奥斯曼这次清楚地在其声明书表示,赛夫当时确实亲口告诉他,赛夫是被一位非常显要的人物鸡奸,并确定媒体流传的医药报告书与真的没有两样。

早前院方在记者会上说,莫哈末奥斯曼正在放假,并将于本周一恢复上班,可是其它媒体记者周一到医院前守候时,却扑了个空。

现年23岁赛夫布卡里(Saiful Bukhari Azlan)在6月28日报案,宣称遭61岁的安华鸡奸;安华及人民公正党都否认此事,并以赛夫和副首相纳吉的特别助理及其他内阁部长的合照,力指这是巫统阻止安华夺取政权的政治阴谋。

莫哈末奥斯曼医生的法定声明书的全译:

我,莫哈末奥斯曼阿都哈密医生(Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid)永久居留证:A 358617,拥有马来西亚永久居留证的成年人,住址为B 24-3,Menara City One Condominium, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, 50100 Kuala Lumpur,神圣且诚恳地声明以下几点:

1.我是在完全知晓与清醒的意识下立下这份法定声明书,这是有关莫哈末赛夫布卡里(Mohd Saiful Bukhari B Azlan)(病人)声称遭人鸡奸以及牵涉其中由我所做的医药报告书,这份报告书现已在媒体广为流传。

2. 我立下这份声明书是据我所知、以我所涉及的程度还原真相。

3. 我是于1977年,在缅甸的仰光大学医药学院2毕业。毕业后直至1991年,我曾在缅甸好几家政府以及私人医院当过医务人员。1991年,我移民到马来西亚,在亚太回教宣教会(RISEAP)当医务人员,直至1995年为止。我较后在砂拉越哈拉卡回教组织(Harakah Islamiah organisation)当医务人员,直至1999年。我较后在2000年至2007年,受聘于八打灵再也马大医院任职医务人员,我是在2008年初加入布斯拉维医院(Hospital Pusrawi)当医务人员,直至现在为止。总而言之,我已在医药界累积了30年的丰厚经验。

4. 2008年六月杪的某一天,正当我在布斯拉维医院值班时,我接见了一位病人,也就是现在广为人知的莫哈末赛夫布卡里。他原本是由一位女医生接见,不过却转交到我这里,因为病人要求由一位男医生检查。

5. 以我过往的经验,我曾遇过许多与病人所述的相似案件,我因此替病人进行了适当的检验,也就是直肠检验,而我也将我的检验所得,记录在医院的标准医药报告书。

6. 我较后发现,这份医药报告书已在媒体以及互联网上广为人知;我也很惊讶于医药报告书以及其一模一样的内容,也就是毫无更改或是附加任何资料地流传到媒体。

7. 我是在放假以后才知道医药报告书流传出去的事件。无论如何,我坚持我检查所得的立场。

8. 依照医院的一般做法,在检验的最后,病人的档案将会由当值的护士或职员,连同其他病人的报告书,传到档案记录部;而我、或是任何医生,在这样的情况下,并不会亲手转交病人的报告书。我较后并没有再见到病人(赛夫)的医药报告书,直至它被媒体流传为止。我也要在此强调,我对于泄露这份医药报告书的人毫不知晓。

9. 替病人(赛夫)检查后的两天,我得知病人的名字出现在报章上。我通过医院的电脑检查,发现报章上所言的莫哈末赛夫布卡里,就是我的病人。我立即通知医院总监卡玛鲁丁(Dr. Kamaruddin),同时也被告知应尽责地通知医院的管理层。

10. 2008年7月初某一天,我被一位身穿制服、自称是来自十五碑警区总部罪案组的助理警监罗斯米莫特鲁斯(Rosmi Mat Derus)找上门。他告诉我,病人(赛夫)已向警方报案,而他正调查这起案件。我较后被问及有关病人医药报告书的相关事宜,我给予十分的合作。

11. 罗斯米助理警监将我所言,以马来文手写记录下来。他写了九至十页的手写报告书,要求我在每一页签名并盖上我的有效盖章。

12. 由于这份口供是手写的,同时也是马来文,我并不明白里头的大多数内容,因为我并不精通马来文。

13. 接下来的一个星期,同样的警官穿着制服来见我,他带来了一份已准备好、以电脑打字并打印出来的马来文口供,要我阅读与签名。那位警官告诉我,我必须再签名,因为以往那份口供是手写的,而他需要一份打字整齐的口供书。

14. 在警官的协助下,我读了几个段落,并做出了一些更改。我也向他指出一些之前我们没有讨论过,但是却出现在打(字)好的口供书上的重点。我提出的疑问包括了:为什么拿督斯里安华依布拉欣的名字,出现在好几个段落;这一点并没有在我们第一次的问话中被提及,而病人也从来没有向我透露“行凶者”的身份。他回答道,安华是被提控者,而我在阅读报章后也知道安华就是被提控者。

15. 这位警官过后在最后一页以马来文手写,添加了好几个段落。我也解释道,为了替病人进行检查,我在检验的器材上用了润滑济。

16. 尽管如此,我在迟疑下签下了这份口供,因为我不想与警方有任何瓜葛。我们第二次的会面,持续了45分钟至1小时。

17. 大约在我与罗斯米助理警监第二次会面的一个星期后,我被另一个自称是来自汉都亚路的罪感部的副警监朱(Choo)便衣警员找上。她要我重述整件事,我也尽责地把每一项我所知的事实,以至病人检验的整个过程和细节和盘托出。

18. 我们是以英文交谈,而她以马来文手写记录。这份口供较后翻译成英文让我理解,她也要求我在这份四页至五页的口供书上签名。

19. 她在我们谈话时曾告知我,若是我拒绝与警方合作,则会被提控。这一次的对话维持了一句钟。

20. 这宗看起来持续以及永无止境的警方调查案,再加上这是受到高度关注的案子,严重地骚扰了我本身,而我也担心我个人以及我家人的安全。在与警官第三次会面后的大约一星期,我决定请假并与我的家人离开马来西亚。

我立下这份庄严的声明,由衷相信这些都是事实,并受《1960年法定声明法令》约束。

Anwar's time-line on Sodomy I


Source: http://themalaysianinsider.com/

为赛夫经验的缅甸医生立宣誓书-《当今大马》

取自:http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/87405

正当安华第二次鸡奸案上庭之际,又有一份足以影响案情发展的宣誓书出现!曾为赛夫体检的缅甸籍医生在8月1日立下法定一份宣誓书,坚持自己当初所作的体检结果,即没有身体证据显示赛夫被鸡奸。

这名医生也宣称,警方恐吓他及窜改其口供,在不堪骚扰下,他被迫举家离开马来西亚避难。

赛夫在6月28日报案指控公正党实权领袖安华鸡奸他之前,曾到布斯拉维医院(Hospital Pusrawi)以及吉隆坡中央医院前进行体检。当时在布斯拉维医院,负责给赛夫检查的,就是缅甸籍资深医生莫哈末奥斯曼阿都哈密医生(Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid)。

莫哈末奥斯曼的医药报告在7月28日外泄,其中他写着,在给赛夫进行体检之后,却无法找到任何赛夫被鸡奸的证据,即没有肌肉撕裂的迹象、没有活动性出血迹象、没有脓汁痕迹等等,这意味着赛夫不可能面对他所投诉的肛门疼痛症状。

坚持自己当初的检验观察

根据《当今大马》获得的讯息,莫哈末奥斯曼在8月1日立下一份宣誓书,并强调“不过,作为纪录,我要明确说明,我坚定不移地捍卫自己的观察。”

该宣誓书也附有一份由莫哈末奥斯曼签署,志期2008年6月30日的“赛夫医疗报告”,其中逐步和详细地说明他给赛夫体检的过程。莫哈末奥斯曼在这份报告也表示,根据他的检验观察,赛夫肛门是正常的,没有任何异状。

“根据我的观察,肛门是正常的,没有流血,也没有压挤、没有脓肿、没有浓汁、没有伤口、没有裂伤和没有流液。肛门是干净的,而且看起来正常。没有发现任意异状。”

证实泄漏医药报告属真本

莫哈末奥斯曼在宣誓书表示,在2008年6月底,经一名女性医生的转介,赛夫来到其会诊室见他。

而他也根据处理类似投诉的经验,给赛夫进行了适当的检查,包括肛门检查。他最后也将观察记录到医院的标准医疗检验文件夹内。不过在放假之后,他讶然发现这份医药报告已在媒体和网路广为流传。

莫哈末奥斯曼也证实,媒体所截获的医疗报告跟自己当初写下的一模一样,“没有任何修改或增加”。

否认本身泄漏了医药报告

莫哈末奥斯曼指出,根据医院的正常作业程序,病人的病历将由当时值班护士或工作人员集体转交予病历室。如此一来,他跟其他医生一样,从未亲自处理病人的病历。

“我之后再也未曾见过这个病人(赛夫)的医疗报告,直至它在媒体上广为流传为止。我也要强调,我不知道到底是谁向第三者泄露了这份报告。”

十五碑警官前来医院录供

莫哈末奥斯曼透露,在他后来给警察的口供中,警方添增了一些他不同意的段落和文字。他也表示,警方曾经恐吓控告他,以取得他的合作。

在2008年7月初,一名穿制服的警察来找莫哈末奥斯曼。这位警察自称为罗斯米助理警监(ASP Rosmi Mat Derus),来自十五碑总警局刑事组。

“他告诉我,那位病人已经报案,而他则负责调查这宗案件。随后,他向我讯问有关该病人的医疗检查的情况,而我也给予了充分的合作。”

警官私自加入安华的名字

在随后一周,罗斯米助理警监穿着便服再来找莫哈末奥斯曼,并准备了一份正式、打字和打印出来的马来文口供,要求后者阅读并签署它。

“我读了几段,同时也在该警察的协助下做了一些修改。我也向他指出,其中有一些之间没有讨论过的事情出现在打字口供里。我质疑其中数段为何出现安华的名字,因为在上次会面,安华的名字从未被提及,而且病人也从未告诉我犯案者到底是谁。”

“罗斯米回复说,安华是被指控者,而我也已经通过报章知道安华就是被指控者。这名警官后来也在最后一页动手添加了几段马来文字。”

莫哈末奥斯曼碍于不敢得罪警方,因此尽管有迟疑,但还是签署了上述的打字口供书。

不堪警干扰举家离开大马

再过一个礼拜后,另一名穿便服的警员再来找莫哈末奥斯曼,她自称是朱副警监(DSP Choo),来自汉都亚路刑事调查组。她要求莫哈末奥斯曼将事情重述,而莫哈末奥斯曼也照做了,将自己所知道的每个检查程序告知。

“在会面之初,她告诉我,若我拒绝跟警方合作,我将会被提控。”

莫哈末奥斯曼表示,这名女警官跟他以英文沟通,却以马来文手写纪录。之后,她将手写口供以英文翻译给他听,而他之后也签署了一份4至5页的口供。

“由于面对似乎经常和无止尽的警方调查,加上了解到这宗案件的严重性,我为此困扰不已,我为自己和家人的安全担忧。在警方第三次拜访我之后,我决定请假并且跟家人离开马来西亚。”



随宣誓书附录的“赛夫医疗报告”里,莫哈末奥斯曼详述了对赛夫的整个检查过程。以下时该报告的全文翻译:

2008年6月30日

赛夫医疗报告

上述人士在2008年6月28日下午2时14分来到我们的布斯拉维医院急诊部门。医院助理希达亚(Hidayah)将病人带到我的医疗室(第一号房)。后来赛夫要求希达亚离开,好让他可以私下跟我说话。他告诉我,他的肛门两天前开始疼痛。我问他,其肛门是否有流血、液体或浓汁。他说没有。他说自己因为疼痛而无法坐下。他没有如此的病史。我然后建议他脱下裤子和内裤,并且到左边的床上躺下。当时,雅兹翰(Yazihan bt Yusof)护士负责协助我。我叫护士拿直肠镜来给病人进行直肠检查。拿到抛弃式直肠镜之后,我打开包装,拿出直肠镜。雅兹翰在直肠镜顶端滴下润滑剂。然后我要求病人深吸一口气,并且放松。在此同时,我将直肠镜插入病人的肛门,而护士负责帮我拿着手电筒。

根据我的观察,肛门是正常的,没有流血,也没有压挤、没有脓肿、没有浓汁、没有伤口、没有裂伤和没有流液。肛门是干净的,而且看起来正常。没有发现任意异状。

我从肛门取下直肠镜,放进塑胶袋,然后让雅兹翰拿去丢掉。我要求病人起身并穿上衣物。然后我告知病人我的观察。他当时告诉我,他被一名重要人物鸡奸,而他要向警方报案。我建议他到任何的政府医院找医生检查,因为根据他的投诉,那是一项刑事案件。

之后,他便离开了医院。我没有给他开任何药物,也没有给他任何的转介信。

这是我所有的报告。

诚恳的
布斯拉维医院有限公司
莫哈末奥斯曼阿都哈密医生
医疗官员

Monday, August 4, 2008

大马该赏识音乐家和艺术家地位

出席堂兄陈徽崇的丧礼,在7月30的追思晚会看到其追随者,其中大多数是其学生,皆显露依依不舍的神情。当晚怀念徽崇而呈献的歌乐和鼓声,至终隋徽崇的骨灰消逝于茫茫大海中。

徽崇骨灰洒大海的意愿,除了是因着他向来洒脱的性格外,也是传达他对孝道的看法。孝道是在于心的诚意,不是在于外表的膜拜。在徽崇的家人心中,他就是一个最伟大的丈夫、爸爸及哥哥等,无需表现在祭坛上。海葬也免切了追随者日后膜拜徽崇为偶像,因为他生前那么谦卑地为文化、艺术和音乐默默耕耘,不去追求什么英雄形象的。

当然国家终于肯定徽崇的成就,他被肯定为一个国家文化人物,因此他和陈再藩创立的廿四节令鼓也自动被接纳为国家文化遗产。追思会当晚,团结、文化、艺术及文物部副部长邓文村代表国家献出2千500令吉抚恤金于徽崇家属。

呼吁国外音乐学子回国贡献

儿子光裕在出殡日讲致谢词时,传达先父临死交代的意愿,其中之一是呼吁在国外修成音乐的学子回国为国家贡献。可见徽崇有一股爱国的心肠,国家给予他的赏识,他是赔得这项荣誉的。热爱文化、艺术及音乐的人士,无不感叹我国的音乐家和艺术家没蒙政府的赏识而获得当得的待遇。这是说,一边厢徽崇成为“国宝”是一个好消息,另一边厢却这项肯定是晚来的礼物。华社文化界人士为徽崇的地位已经申请多时,却遭受繁文缛节,原因是种族偏见乎?抑或对文化,艺术和音乐无知乎?

看看西班牙的世界三大男高音之一的何塞•卡雷拉斯患了血癌,国家和人民给予他最好的医疗服务,使他好过来。徽崇的廿四节令鼓早已经多年扬名海外,其实政府可以早日肯定他的地位的。当他患癌的消息一传开时,这样一个国宝,政府其实应该抢救他的性命,给予最好的医疗服务的。留得青山在,哪怕无柴烧?

当时的文化及艺术副部长黄锦鸿代表政府拨款1万令吉作医疗费,加上这次的2千500令吉抚恤金,难道徽崇数十年为国家的贡献就只值得这区区的1万2千500令吉吗?并且政府给予徽崇的地位肯定也是被动的,它是在《星洲日报》通知邓文村说徽崇的情况已经病入膏肓时,政府才仓促来个这项肯定。

音乐家和艺术家待遇坎坷

文化,艺术和音乐在大马何价?从徽崇的遭遇,即可预见在未来的十多二十年地位仍是相当坎坷的。看看徽崇逝世的消息,除了邓文村代表政府致哀悼献词,在报纸没读到国阵的华裔领袖表达惋惜的致意,连民联的华裔领袖也一样噤若寒蝉呢!这不难明喻,因为文化,艺术和音乐对从政者是无利可图的东西!

还有,徽崇出殡的新闻,国英淡文报没有采访。虽然徽崇的丧礼并不是全然国葬,但政府呼吁在棺木盖上国旗,也算是隆重的吧?一个国宝出殡,还从非中文的报纸的冷漠显露种族的色彩。顺势推想,廿四节令鼓被列为国家文化遗产,政府又怎样确保它被全国重视,以广泛推动为国家活动,而不是仅局限于我国华裔的文化遗产呢?

其实大马可以是一个在文化,艺术和音乐发展得很丰富的国家,只要当政的摒弃种族和语言的偏见。文化人,艺术家和音乐家不是什么洪水猛兽,所以不必对他们产生戒心。他们却是和平爱好者,他们在缔造一个和谐的生活环境。随着社会的紧凑生活,人的精神压力增加,若没法开导的话,他们即倾向于犯罪。政府其实无需不断花大笔国库增加警员的,因为它若懂得把款项拨于扶持文化,艺术和音乐领域的发展的话,罪案也会跟着逐渐消失的!

纵观我上述浅见,结论是政府有必要从新检讨它对待文化,艺术和音乐的态度。政府必须摒弃种族偏见,所有对国家有利益的东西都应给予全力支持。我们目前的音乐家如陈容,卓如燕,黄晓君,鲍以灵等,政府应该以行动给予赏识。我相信马来西亚可以成为一个文化,艺术和音乐的天堂,只要政府能够识英雄,重英雄,留住人才及资助人才的话,必定能实现的。独特的文化,艺术和音乐也可以为国家推动旅游业,增加国家的外汇呢!譬如若政府能够在国内开辟不同地点的文化村,呈献廿四节令鼓等表演,把这些活动纳入旅游宣传里,吸引外国游客前来。

Sunday, August 3, 2008

安华补选影响政治走势

旺阿兹莎辞职槟城峇东埔国会议席,让其夫婿兼公正党顾问安华进行补选,肯定为大马未来的政治走势影响深远。安华从308大选后不断放消息916入主布城的,至今重申计划照跑,因着时间逐渐溜走他身边,马上补选是挽回支持者的信心。

突如其来的鸡奸案破坏了安华执政的议程,所以安华必须快马加鞭突破重围。诚如沙巴进步党主席杨德利的“趁机会之窗仍然打开时就要赶快行动”的理论,安华肯定是认同的。

以目前的形势,在缅甸医生阐明赛夫没遭鸡奸的报告曝光后,安华暂时领先国阵。首相阿都拉声称不怕安华,却又近来频频对安华鸡奸案发言说政府必要为赛夫争取公义,此举遭受林吉祥非议为有主见并介入警方和司法。奇妙的是,阿都拉在大选之前的2月份,也曾经表明不怕安华,并且还揶揄说他早已忘记安华是谁。

首相前后讲同样的“不怕安华”,乃前后出现不同的心情的。前一次是他错估人民的支持动向而轻敌,当时他真的不怕,结果国阵却大输了!这一次他是不要让人感到他懦弱,但从他以鸡奸案针对安华作为支持自己的言论看来,他真的怕了!

鸡奸案使首相骑虎难下,因为若不提控安华,本来已经让许多国内外人士相信它是阴谋论的事,将会更加让人进一步相信它是阴谋论。同时安华支持者也将要求对付赛夫,那位幕后策划人也将有难。所以政府唯一的选择是硬着头皮提控安华,即使输了还可以讲“输在证据不足”而下得了台!

首相伯拉有理由怕安华补选,因为若安华以狂风扫落叶之势大赢,比旺姐的多数票增加的话,乃传达人民对首相欠缺信心的信息。其实,若时势是延续308大选的反风的话,加上目前国阵有不少负面的课题,包括警方和司法由政府操纵的事情,加上大幅涨油价而引发通膨,安华或许能够增加多数票的。国阵只有一个办法,就是慷慨派糖果。安华甚至估计国阵将动用多达1亿令吉投入这场补选。无论国阵派谁上阵,惟有抱着少输就当作是赢的心态上阵矣。当然,若国阵输了,全部所承诺的糖果就没得吃了!

此时的安华信心满满,他不怕可能在竞选期间被逮捕,一来这或许因此博得更多同情票;二来国际已经关注安华的遭遇,一些国家和有经济实力的人物都向大马表明不赞同政府对安华进行政治打压。所以未来两个月是大马政治走势的关键时期,希望国人继续为国家多多祷告。

Saturday, August 2, 2008

让全民认识廿四节令鼓

已故陈徽崇成为了国家文化人物,这国宝身份也使到廿四节令鼓成为国家文化遗产。关键不在于国家作出肯定的行动,因为此行动乃是一个开始。所以关键是怎样能够实践这项肯定,为人民和国家带来利益。

我就以华文和非华文媒体对陈徽崇逝世和出殡的悬殊报道,欲向新山甚至全国的华人文化界和政府提些建议。首先,徽崇逝世的消息,华文报第一时间即报道,而《新海峡时报》却迟了一天,《星报》则迟了两天(其他国文报和英文报则不晓得)。徽崇出殡的事,作为最畅销的英文报《星报》并没有报道(其他国英文报则不晓得),可见华人文化还要努力突破语文和种族的藩篱。

还有一个问题,廿四节令鼓的国英文该用什么名称?《新海峡时报》和《星报》皆用“24-season drums”。然而,徽崇追思会当晚,团结、文化、艺术及文物部副部长邓文村在致哀悼献词中发出一句评语,说英文名称应该是“24-festival drums”,解释说“season”是“季”,因为一年只有4季。

不过邓副部长错矣,因为英文的“season”有好几个意思,其中一个是“时节、时令”。换句话说,上述两家报纸的用词是正确的。既然是国家文化遗产,廿四节令鼓和政府必须确非华文的语文都翻译准确,以免传达错误的信息。

徽崇的丧礼虽然不算是国葬,但政府呼吁在棺木盖国旗出殡,其实就是很重要的事情,但不明为何非华文的媒体竟然冷漠以对?政府既然是肯定徽崇是国宝,但为何没有推动媒体跟进他的丧礼?我认为它们是因欠缺认识廿四节令鼓而冷漠的。

我只是担心若这样下去的话,一项国家文化遗产,至终也只沦落为局限于大马华社的遗产!不是吗?邓副部长在献词表扬徽崇的成就,但却没有提出国家日后如何确保廿四节令鼓怎样被重用。

我国华社在推动我们的文化方面,也没有一个权威性的组织。徽崇这个师傅走了,没有指定接班人。我认为,后陈徽崇时代,不应该等待另一个陈徽崇出现,而是致力于指定一位有徽崇一样抱负的人作接班人。接下来组织一个廿四节令鼓有权威性的组织。

我们必须有这样一个组织以推动廿四节令鼓给友族和受非中文教育的人士。它必须督促政府去推广此国家文化,不会落得有名无实。国家须起码出资印刷各语文的宣传册子,让各族认识廿四节令鼓。

其实,政府应该把它列入旅游部的宣传活动,不妨在全国设立文化表演节目,容纳廿四节令鼓。这样国家不仅使国家的文化丰富过来,还能为国家赚取外汇呢!