Ray Hagins - Idiotic Concepts in Religion

Break free from Mental Bondage towards Spiritual Freedom.

Silent No More? Is Iskandar Fareez Part Of The Minority Or Majority?

Found this in the Malaysian Insider:


The Malay phobia: Isma fearing its own shadows – Iskandar Fareez

MAY 17, 2014

I grew up listening to various Malay folklore and legends. Among them were the stories of Si Tanggang and Hang Jebat. Si Tanggang was a poor boy who grew up and ventured out to be the captain of his own ship and married a princess. As the legend goes, when Si Tanggang returned to his home village, he was ashamed of his humble origins and refused to recognise his elderly mother. Then, he was cursed by his mother to turn into stone.

Hang Jebat was the closest companion of the legendary Malaccan hero Hang Tuah. Hang Jebat turned against the Sultan of Malacca when he believed that Hang Tuah had been executed by the ruler. After learning that Hang Tuah was still alive, the Sultan ordered him to kill Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah managed to stab Hang Jebat after a long and challenging battle. Until today, the death of Hang Jebat is often cited as an example of the price one pays for disobeying a ruler.

Listening to these stories in school, we were made to study the lessons that we can learn from them. I realised that these folklore are merely stories passed down from one generation to the next and interpreted in a way to instil fear in the hearts of listeners so they will be in good behaviour.

They do not teach us to love our mothers. They teach us to fear the consequences of defying her. They do not teach us to respect our leaders. They teach us to fear the consequences of going against them. In the end, being conditioned from the beginning, fear motivates every single one of our thoughts. Fear becomes the guiding inspiration for every single one of our actions.

I believe it is this fear or phobia that motivated the president of Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), Ustaz Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, to label the Chinese as trespassers brought in by the British to Tanah Melayu to oppress and bully the Malays. He also went on to suggest that these “proxies to the Jewish Zionist evangelists” are seeking to dissolve Malays' racial construct and bury Islam as the national identity.

Abdullah Zaik is not alone in his quest. Recently, Abdul Rahman Mat Dali, vice president of Isma, questioned the loyalty of non-Malays and suggested that when they came to Tanah Melayu, they could not even speak a word of Bahasa Malaysia.

These statements show that Isma suffers from a major issue of inferiority complex. This issue evolved into a severe case of xenophobia, "an irrational or unreasoned fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange". Unfortunately, this not only true for Isma but permeates within the majority of the Malay Muslim community in Malaysia.

Extreme paranoia has led us to believe that everything in the world is against us. All things foreign or different are considered as a conspiracy agenda of the Illuminati, Freemasons, Jewish Zionist Evangelist, Shiites, Wahhabi, communist, socialist, capitalist and Red Bean Army. It is more worrying when we start to justify these phobias along religious lines.

Indeed, this is the danger when we mix religion with race. In Malaysia, a Malay person must be Muslim but a Muslim may not be Malay. In Isma’s struggle to defend Malay supremacy, they have overlooked this reality. They have portrayed a version of Islam that is racist and unjust. By taking the extremists' view, they may be isolating those who want to learn more about Islam. How then can Islam thrive if we take this extreme approach?

Despite Isma’s claim that Islam is under threat by foreign elements, it seems that it is Muslims themselves who are taking this narrow and extremist approach that are threatening the religion. It is unfortunate that those who are as well educated as Isma, most of which are who Muslim professionals who pursued their studies abroad using taxpayers' money mostly contributed by non-Muslims or non-Malays, are very regressive in their thinking.

Phobias like this motivate us to act reactively to issues that arise without discussing the crux of the matter. This approach causes us to resort to extreme measures such as the banning of Faisal Tehrani’s novels and Darwin’s translated works, out of fear that these materials will corrupt the mind of the community.

We are reduced to becoming a superficial society where we judge one another by how Islamic they portray themselves to be. Muslims nowadays are satisfied to practise only the ritualistic part of the religion while abandoning the essence of Islam that preaches peace and acceptance.

As much as I disagree with Isma’s statement, I do not wish for them to be charged under any laws of the country. In a democratic society that aspires to practise freedom of speech, any idea, no matter how racist or idiotic, has to be given space. It is then up to us to provide constructive counter arguments so that a healthy discourse can flourish. We have to speak up and voice our concerns. If our voices are not heard, extremists like Isma and Perkasa will continue to speak on our behalf.

The western civilization achieved progress because they embraced knowledge. Knowledge is like a beacon of light that brought the western civilization out of the midst of the dark ages. When we choose to remain ignorant, we will forever dwell in the shadows of fear, suspicion and doubt. If Malay Muslims want to progress, we have to stop blaming others. Embrace knowledge and learn, as it will be a guiding light for a brighter future.

"I went to the West and saw Islam, but no Muslims; I got back to the East and saw Muslims, but not Islam." - Muhammad Abduh. – May 17, 2014.

* Iskandar Fareez reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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Watch This:

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Dr Asri Zainul Abidin weighs in:

Ex-mufti slams extremist Islamist groups, says Christianity and Islam closely related

BY HASBULLAH AWANG CHIK
MAY 17, 2014

Islam is not under attack in Malaysia, and extremist Islamist groups that constantly warn of alleged Christianisation are only shaming their own religion, says prominent Islamic scholar Dr Asri Zainul Abidin (pic).

The former mufti of Perlis said efforts by any religious community to spread their teaching was a natural phenomenon in all countries, and it did not merit knee-jerk reactions from Muslims in Malaysia‎.

"I want to remind Muslims not to be shocked if there are people who invite them to join Christianity. Of course religious leaders will feel that theirs' is the true religion, and would want to invite others to join them.


"Some Muslims are so shocked by this, as if it's the end of the world... (but) Muslims in the UK, the US and Europe also campaign for Christians to join Islam.

"So the same is being done here. It is a normal phenomenon that does not require us to react in such a chaotic manner, as if our country is in a state of emergency," Asri told The Malaysian Insider.

"The closest people to the Muslims are Christians. The Quran‎ says you will find that the people who love Muslims the most are Christians."

Asri was responding to the controversial seminar on Christology and the use of the word Allah, held‎ last week at the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Several speakers had warned Muslims against the threat of Christianisation and belittled the Bible as containing "tales‎", while copies of a book titled "Exposing the Christian agenda" were distributed among the students.

The recent events had strained ties between the two biggest religious communities in Malaysia, which were already in conflict over the decades-long tussle over the use of the word Allah.

Christians make up 2.9 million of Malaysia's 30 million population, with two-thirds of the adherents residing in Sabah and Sarawak.

Asri reminded Muslims in Malaysia that they had no reason to be worried about the fate of their religion, as no attack had been launched against Islam.

The Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) had fanned the flames of religious intolerance when it called Chinese migrants brought to Malaya as "trespassers", and warned of "foreign races" and Jewish Zionist evangelists who were intent on burying Islam.

The groups' remarks have triggered outcry among Malaysians‎, but Putrajaya ‎has remained silent over Isma's statements.

Asri said extremist Islamist non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were tarnishing the image of Islam and spreading confusion among Muslims over the true teaching of the faith.

"We must not be so extreme. There are NGOs‎ which want to promote themselves, but are over the top in doing so," said Asri.

"They make Islam look as if it is so weak. Islam has strong arguments that proves it is the true religion. ‎(The NGOs) should not be so worried. We are worried because we are not doing our work properly," he said, although he did not mention the name of such groups.

Asri added that while Islam does not stop its adherents from criticising other religions, it should be done academically and not be based on emotions or simplistic arguments.

"If we spark enmity in a peaceful environment, eventually people will fight one another, despite the fact that they were originally living in harmony.

"This is not allowed in any religion, unless someone has initiated a war," said the scholar.‎ – May 17, 2014.

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This Malay girl must beat the Chinese man in Teluk Intan! The country needs her to win.

UPDATE 18th May 2014:
Shahrizat an example of how UMNO has failed women, says Dyana Sofya

Beauty Pageant Saudi Style.

Saw this on Facebook. Pun intended. 

However, I think we should not be so quick to condemn this even though a cattle show remains a cattle show if we go by women's dignity alone. 

As they say, beauty lies in the "eyes" of the beholder i.e. it is a matter of perception. In the case of the Miss Saudi contest, lets try this; take each of our 5 senses in turn starting with "Sight". Since the contestants are all "wrapped up" there is nothing much for the eyes feast on nor to differentiate (except the eyes per se of course). 

"Touch" is taboo so that too is out! 

What about "Smell" then? Since it is not a perfume brand contest, what can the judges be smelling? You go figure but I hardly think Smell is a criteria. 

"Taste"? Well, I cannot imagine! 

That leaves, "Aural" sense. Well maybe this is what the contestants are judged on. If this be the case, I wonder whether it is form or substance that is more important? Furthermore, if "Aural" sense is the main criteria, then contestants should merely be required to submit sound files of their voices! 

In the final analysis, I think it is the "Sixth Sense" that is primary to the judges. How else can divine intervention be brought in to decide the winners? Hmmm...the Devil made them participate but God decided the winner! Can't imagine I just spent the last 10 minutes writing the load of crap above that you spent time reading! LOL!!!

Of Children...God- or Otherwise

When I first met Jeannie 27 years ago, she had endometriosis. This is a very painful condition caused by abnormal growth of cells (endometrial cells) similar to those that form the inside of the uterus, but in a location outside of the uterus. Endometrial cells are cells that are shed each month during menstruation. The cells of endometriosis attach themselves to tissue outside the uterus and are called endometriosis implants. These implants are most commonly found on the ovaries, the Fallopian tubes, outer surfaces of the uterus or intestines, and on the surface lining of the pelvic cavity.

In short, the condition is exacerbated by menstruation. Her right ovary had already been removed and needless to say, her child-bearing prospects were diminished. The irony is that pregnancy is a natural "cure" for endometriosis as opposed to gonadotropin drugs that artificially induce menopause. Jeannie was put on Danazol which in itself was a problem. The contraindications of the drug is arguably worse than its efficacy! She exhibited all the classic side-effects. This was no way to start a marriage but we persevered; it made us stronger as a couple and the fact that I was willing to accept a possibility of not having children probably proved my commitment to the relationship. The side-effects of Danazol itself would test any husband-wife relationship!

I could write chapters in a "How-To" manual for couples facing endometriosis but this blogpost is not about endometriosis per se. It is about children. 

Even when faced with the prospect of not having our own kids, we both felt adoption was out of the question; it just was not the same. Fortunately, against much odds we managed to have Krystyn and then J.J. but this blogpost is also not about them. 

Agreed as we did on so many aspects of life there was an obvious difference when it came to "extended family" in the form of "god-sons/daughters/sisters/brothers" and such. I was never big on such things but to big hearted Jeannie, love is not "zero-sum". So it came to past that we became god-parents to a number of children including one we fostered from The Pure Life Society.

When Jeannie was still alive it was obviously she who did the "parenting" while I was for the most part, a supportive observer. They called her Mummy while I was admittedly more the "khai yeh" in name than spirit. Nevertheless, they were by and large good kids and we saw them grow through the years.

It did not take long after Jeannie's demise for it to dawn upon me I had "inherited" a bunch of god-children. Immediately after Jeannie passed, there were notifications to be done, grief to share, the funeral to arrange, an obituary to be written, wrecked emotions to manage...consolation to succor. Yet, through it all, because of the extended family there was a comforting fellow feeling that somehow alleviated the grief. Each remembered Jeannie in their own way and all wanted to share in giving her a send-off she would have wanted. I could no longer be the godfather in name only and unwittingly the role grew on me. It is now coming to half a decade since Jeannie left us yet she remains the common factor and indeed the bond that cements the relationships. It is from this that I have even developed a sense of responsibility towards our godchildren especially from the aspect of their major life changing decisions. 

One of them recently converted to Islam and decided to marry a 24 year old Malay private in the army; she is a 36 year old divorced mother with a 10 year daughter and a reasonably successful career. The 12 year age difference speaks for itself and coupled with the fact of the fiance's limited education and English language skills, the odds are stacked against a successful union. Also, they had known each other well only for three months before deciding to marry. Even if this was an arrangement at soul level, chances are it is to learn lessons in heartaches and disappointments.

Nevertheless, she has decided to defy the odds despite my efforts to convince her otherwise. I was not even trying to tell them not to get married but to wait at least until year end. To get to know each other better. Why the rush? My objections are based not only on the above but on many other observations and knowledge of the circumstances of their decision. These I shall not mention here but they have nothing to do with race or religion; not directly anyway. We even have a Malay godson, Saiful.

What does a godfather do in such situations? What can he do? Nothing actually. So what is the point of being a godfather? As it appears...none!

My Darling Jeannie, my work with our kids are yet undone but with the godchildren, I am increasingly convinced the work cannot be done.

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Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet on Children:

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Imagine...

There is hardly any way to prepare for this. Is this the true End of Days predicted for 2012?

This series of videos should be able to show us in some clarity what the world is abuzz about:

The US Debt:


How the US Dollar will collapse:



Imagine if all currency becomes worthless overnight...what do you have left to barter with?


On a lighter yet serious note:

Yellow. Unggun Bersih - A. Samad Said

The winds of change fanning the bonfires of dissent...



Unggun Bersih by A Samad Said

Unggun Bersih

Semakin lara kita didera bara—
kita laungkan juga pesan merdeka:
Demokrasi sebenderang mentari
sehasrat hajat semurni harga diri.

Lama resah kita—demokrasi luka;
lama duka kita—demokrasi lara.
Demokrasi yang angkuh, kita cemuhi;
suara bebas yang utuh, kita idami!

Dua abad lalu Sam Adams berseru:
(di Boston dijirus teh ke laut biru):
Tak diperlu gempita sorak yang gebu,
diperlu hanya unggun api yang syahdu.

Kini menyalalah unggun sakti itu;
kini merebaklah nyala unggun itu.
24—25, 6.11. A. SAMAD SAID

Yellow - Coldplay

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called 'Yellow'

So then I took my time
Oh what a thing to've done
And it was all yellow

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know? You know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across
I jumped across for you 
Oh what a thing to do
'Cause you were all yellow

I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know? For you I bleed myself dry
For you I bleed myself dry

It's true
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for

Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do

Oops!!!

This article is in the Malaysian Insider today. It looks like there will be some red faces. For those who are not familiar or worse still, apathetic about Lynas, watch the Mat Salleh in the You Tube below and read the blog post "Kenapa Malaysia Memerlukan Kilang Memproses Nadir Bumi Lynas @NajibRazak?" in ariffshah.com which pretty much sums it up.

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Design problems, hazardous construction plague Lynas plant, reports NYT

June 30, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The controversial Lynas rare earths refinery in Kuantan is plagued by environmentally hazardous construction and design problems, the New York Times has reported, citing internal memos and current and former engineers on the project.

The report published today said the issues, including moisture in humid Malaysia, could potentially affect the RM700 million Lynas Corp plant being built to challenge China’s stranglehold in the key rare earths industry.

Malaysia is due to announce today the results of an independent international review of the plant that is scheduled to open this September. The listed Lynas Corp has asked for a halt in its share trading in Australia today pending the report.

Signboard showing the site of the Lynas plant under construction in Gebeng, Kuantan. — File pic

In a report headlined “The Fear of a Toxic Rerun” by Keith Bradsher, the New York Times reported that Lynas officials contend that the refinery being built here is safe and up to industry standards, and say that they are working with its contractors to resolve their concerns.

“All parties are in agreement that it is normal course of business in any construction project for technical construction queries to be raised and then resolved to relevant international standards during the course of project construction,” wrote Matthew James, an executive vice-president of Lynas, in an e-mail last night.

But the construction and design may have serious flaws, the engineers told New York Times, and provided proof through memos, e-mail messages and photos from Lynas and its contractors. The engineers said they felt a professional duty to voice their safety concerns, but insisted on anonymity to avoid the risk of becoming industry outcasts.

“The problems they detail include structural cracks, air pockets and leaks in many of the concrete shells for 70 containment tanks, some of which are larger than double-decker buses,” the paper said.

Lynas is mining rare earths ore deep in the Australian desert and shipping to Malaysia to be mixed with powerful acids to make a slightly radioactive slurry that would be pumped through the tanks, with operating temperatures of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The engineers say that almost all of the steel piping ordered for the plant is made from standard steel, which they describe as not suited for the corrosive, abrasive slurry. Rare earths refineries in other countries make heavy use of costlier stainless steel or steel piping with ceramic or rubber liners, the paper said.

“The engineers also say that the concrete tanks were built using conventional concrete, not the much costlier polymer concrete mixed with plastic that is widely used in refineries in the West to reduce the chance of cracks.

“Documents show that Lynas and its construction management contractor, UGL Ltd of Australia, have argued with their contractors that the cracks and moisture in the concrete containment walls are not a critical problem,” according to the report.

Memos also show that Lynas and UGL have pressed a Malaysian contractor, Cradotex, to proceed with the installation of watertight fibreglass liners designed for the containment tanks without fixing the moisture problem and with limited fixes to the walls. But Cradotex has resisted, the paper reported.

“These issues have the potential to cause the plants critical failure in operation,” Peter Wan, the general manager of Cradotex, said in a June 20 memo obtained by New York Times.

“More critically the toxic, corrosive and radioactive nature of the materials being leached in these tanks, should they leak, will most definitely create a contamination issue.”

Wan said in a telephone interview with the New York Times on Tuesday that he believed Lynas and UGL would be able to fix the moisture problem but that he did not know what method the companies might choose to accomplish this.

The fibreglass liners are made by AkzoNobel of Amsterdam, one of the world’s largest chemical companies. AkzoNobel says it, too, worries about the rising moisture.

“We will not certify or even consider the use of our coatings if this problem can’t be fixed,” Tim van der Zanden, AkzoNobel’s top spokesman in Amsterdam, wrote on Monday night in an e-mail reply to questions.

Memos show that the refinery’s concrete foundations were built without a thin layer of plastic that might prevent the concrete pilings from drawing moisture from the reclaimed swampland underneath. The site is located just inland from a coastal mangrove forest, and several miles up a river that flows out to the sea past an impoverished fishing village.

An engineer involved in the project said that the blueprints called for the plastic waterproofing but that he was ordered to omit it, to save money. The plastic costs US$1.60 (RM4.80) a square foot, he said.

Lynas disputes that the design ever called for using the plastic.

Nicholas Curtis, the executive chairman of Lynas, said in a telephone interview from Sydney on Monday that the project here met local environmental standards and that he believed those were consistent with international standards.

“I have complete confidence in the Malaysian environmental standards and our ability to meet the requirements,” he told the New York Times.

Engineers at the project said that Lynas officials had whisked the international inspectors through the factory in a single morning, partly because of security concerns about protesters outside the refinery gates. The team had little chance to examine the refinery’s structure, the engineers said.

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Kenapa Malaysia Memerlukan Kilang Memproses Nadir Bumi Lynas @NajibRazak ?

by ARIFF on MAY 25, 2011 · 83 COMMENTS · in NATION

Kecoh tentang pembukaan kilang memproses nadir bumi di Gebeng, Pahang oleh syarikat Lynas Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Aku tergerak untuk membuat sedikit kajian tentang isu ini selepas menonton video yang dirakam dalam bahasa Malaysia oleh seorang warganegara Australia sendiri berkaitan isu ini. Kalau dah sampai macam tu, nampak sangat perkara ini bukanlah perkara yang remeh.

Setelah membaca artikel berkaitan Rare Earth Elements di laman National Geographic, aku berpendapat Malaysia memerlukan kilang memproses nadir bumi ini. Kita kena ingat, ekonomi kita sangatlah bergantung kepada pengeluaran petroleum. Bila sampai masanya, pengeluaran produk hasil daripada petroleum akan berkurangan sekali gus mengurangkan pendapatan negara. Walaupun ada industri lain seperti minyak sawit, industri seperti ini tidaklah memberi impak yang besar pada ekonomi kerana permintaan dunia tidaklah tinggi.

Nadir bumi ini diperlukan untuk menghasilkan komponen peralatan elektronik. Hasil daripada penggunaan nadir bumi inilah kita dapat menikmati peralatan elektronik yang nipis, kecil dan ringan seperti iPad 2 kerana komponen yang terhasil daripada penggunaan nadir bumi ini adalah lebih baik dan efisyen berbanding komponen yang dihasilkan menggunakan bahan tiruan.

Sekarang ini, negara China membekalkan sehingga 97% permintaan dunia untuk nadir bumi yang diproses untuk kegunaan industri. Dengan kuasa yang besar seperti itu, mereka boleh mengehadkan pembekalan sekali gus menyebabkan kenaikan harga barangan elektronik seluruh dunia. China merancang untuk mengurangkan eksport nadir bumi yang telah diproses dengan alasan untuk kegunaan dalam negara mereka walaupun kita semua tahu bahawa mereka sengaja mengekspoitasi monopoli mereka dalam pasaran dunia supaya harga bahan ini meningkat.

Permintaan untuk bahan ini tak akan berkurangan kerana industri pembuatan elektronik memerlukan bahan ini. Oleh itu, pembukaan kilang pemprosesan nadir bumi di Malaysia, merupakan satu langkah yang baik untuk menambahkan pendapatan negara. Kilang yang dibuka di Gebeng, Pahang itu akan berupaya menghasilkan nilai eksport sebanyak RM8 billion setahun dan dijangkakan meningkat dari tahun ke tahun. Ini dapat memberikan pendapatan tetap yang lumayan kepada negara kita kerana kilang tak banyak negara mempunyai kilang pemprosesan nadir bumi ini.

TETAPI

Apa yang bodoh aku lihat dalam projek ini ialah:

• Keputusan yang dibuat oleh individu untuk mengeluarkan lesen pembinaan kilang tersebut pada tahun 2008 dibuat tanpa pengetahuan orang awam, termasuklah rakyat Pahang itu sendiri. Apabila negara mula melibatkan diri dalam pemprosesan bahan radioaktif, kajian menyeluruh perlu dijalankan sebelum apa-apa lesen atau arahan dikeluarkan untuk memulakan pembinaan. 
• Apabila negara memberikan lesen kepada syarikat luar untuk membuka kilang pemprosesan mereka, harapan kita adalah supaya dapat membuka peluang pekerjaan yang banyak kepada rakyat negara ini. Namun dalam hal kilang pemprosesan nadir bumi oleh Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd, peluang pekerjaan yang dibukan adalah sebanyak 350 sahaja. Langsung tak berbaloi dan tidak akan memberikan impak ekonomi yang diharapkan. 
• Pengecualian cukai selama 12 tahun. Ini adalah yang paling bodoh. Kita terlalu baik sampaikan industri yang menghasilkan sisa buangan radioaktif diberikan pengecualian cukai walaupun industri tersebut dianggarkan akan membuat untung berbillion ringgit pada tahun pertama pembukaannya. Bila negara tak dapat satu sen pun daripada industri yang sememangnya membahayakan rakyat ini, apa gunanya kita berikan mereka lesen untuk beroperasi di negara kita?
• Menteri Western Australia, Hon Norman Moore memaklumkan sisa buangan radioaktif itu adalah milik Malaysia dan tidak akan diterima balik oleh Australia. 
• Lokasi yang terlalu dekat dengan kawasan kediaman. Jarak 2 km dari Balok dengan kepadatan penduduk seramai 16700 orang. Jika diambil kira keluasan evakuasi di Fukushima dengan jarak 40km dari Gebeng Kuantan, kebocoran sisa radioaktif akan melibatkan keseluruhan penduduk di Kuantan, Gambang, Cherating malah Kemaman di Terengganu sekalipun. Jumlah penduduk yang mungkin terlibat boleh mencecah hampir 800 hingga 900 ribu secara keseluruhannya dengan Kuantan sahaja di sekitar 600 hingga 650 ribu orang. Syarat yang ditetapkan oleh Kerajaan Australia adalah minima 35 km dari kawasan penempatan penduduk. 
• Denda RM50 juta seperti yang termaktub di bawah Akta Perlesenan Tenaga Atom Perenggan 59 (1) untuk setiap bencana kepada Lynas dilihat cukup ringan berbanding hasil RM8 Billion setahun. Hanya satu bencana yang melibatkan sisa radioaktif memadai untuk menjadi ancaman yang serius dan kekal lama kepada semua.

Kesan terhadap penduduk di kawasan sekitar kilang tersebut (Kuantan & Kemaman khususnya):

• Nilai hartanah akan merudum kerana tiada siapa yang mahu membeli tanah atau kediaman di sekitar Kuantan dan di Kemaman. 
• Ancaman kepada syarikat berdekatan khususnya Petro-Kimia seperti Kaneka, MTBE, Petronas BASF dan BP Chemicals. Kerugian yang besar jika operasi mereka terganggu dengan insiden kebocoran sisa radioaktif yang boleh menjejaskan kesihatan pekerja mereka. 
• Pelabur baru dari luar negeri dan dari luar negara tidak akan berminat untuk melabur kerana ancaman sisa radioaktif daripada Lynas. Risiko terlalu tinggi. 
• Sektor pelancongan (Cherating) & perikanan (Kuantan) kemungkinan besar akan terjejas. 

Nadir bumi yang dilombong di Mount Weld mengandungi beberapa mineral utama dan diantaranya ialah monazite. Monazite adalah bahan radioaktif. Di dalam bahan mineral monazite ini terdapat thorium, cerium dan lanthanum. Monazite kaya dengan thorium dan thorium ini juga adalah bahan radioaktif yang tinggi dan boleh digunakan untuk menggantikan uranium dalam menghasilkan tenaga nuklear. Berikut adalah kes-kes yang berkait rapat dengan thorium:

1. Syarikat Mitsubishi Chemical yang terlibat dalam industri pemprosesan nadir bumi di Bukit Merah dikaitkan dengan 8 kes leukimia dan 7 kes kematian. Telah ditutup pada tahun 1992 dan kerja-kerja pembersihan sisa masih berjalan sehingga ke hari ini (hampir 20 tahun) dan telah menelan belanja lebih RM300 juta. 
2. Kesan toksik dan radioaktif dari industri ‘rare-earth’ di Baotou Mongolia. Setiap langkah pemprosesan nadir bumi yang bermula dari perlombongan bijih ke ‘rare earth oxide’ atau ‘rare-earth metals’ banyak menggunakan bahan asid dan kimia. Malah ketika perlombongan bijih, bahan asid akan dimasukkan ke lubang yang digali. Sisa buangan radioaktif khususnya Thorium juga dihasilkan ketika melalui semua proses itu. Kebocoran bahan asid, kimia dan sisa radioaktif ini yang banyak berlaku di Baotou terbukti telah menyebabkan kemusnahan kepada hasil pertanian dan kesihatan seperti kerosakan hasil tanaman, gigi tercabut dan rabut putih atau beruban diawal usia muda sekitar 20-an. Malah kematian disebabkan kanser juga direkodkan walaupun lokasi penempatan penduduk berada 10KM dari kawasan penyimpanan sisa buangan radioaktif itu. 
3. Kajian yang dilakukan oleh Kolej Perubatan Jiangxi di China dari sample darah dan ujian IQ pada kanak-kanak mengemukakan kesimpulan bahawa kanak-kanak di sekitar umur 7-10 tahun yang tinggal berdekatan dengan kawasan pemprosesan nadir bumi berkemungkinan mempunyai IQ atau kecerdasan akal yang lebih rendah berbanding mereka yang tinggal jauh atau yang tinggal di kawasan yang terkawal. 

Aku berpendapat, projek Lynas ini sangatlah tidak sesuai dan berisiko tinggi. Projek ini boleh dijalankan sekiranya lokasi kilang tersebut diletakkan dalam kawasan kawalan 35 km minimum seperti yang digariskan oleh kerajaan Australia dan boleh menjadi sumber pendapatan yang lumayan kepada negara sekiranya cukai dikenakan terhadap syarikat Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd. Kalau dua yang aku sebutkan ini tak berlaku, maka sebagai rakyat tentanglah projek ini habis-habisan. Ini adalah untuk kebaikan kita bersama.

Tugas aku melalui blog ini adalah untuk menyampaikan maklumat. Kepada blogger lain yang mempunyai rasa tanggungjawab, sampaikan maklumat ini melalui blog anda. Copy paste dibenarkan macam biasa. Tweetkan kepada Najib Razak. Harap usaha kecil sebegini dapat mengubah sesuatu.

Sumber:
Apa itu Lynas?
National Geographic: Rare Earth Elements

Irrational Faith - The Root of All Evil. The God Delusion.

The book was great and this documentary is good if you have not read the book. More people should open their minds although their hearts are often trapped in religiosity; many should watch this documentary:

The Joy Luck Club At Syam's Sanctuary

It was about that time again; time for another gathering at Syam's Sanctuary in Ulu Langat for Colonel Mike Naser's Joy Luck Club. This email was in the circulation on 5th May 2011.

"Dear friends,

Its time for fun, camaraderie, and camping free from the urban hustle and pollution. The food will embellish your taste buds for some time.

The Joy Luck Club will meet on the 13th to 15th May at OP Sham's Hideaway in Hulu Langat. Please have no fear coz Tiger Ah Swee is the Catering Adviser; Tiger Ah Kooi is the Chief Sommelier, and I am the Catering Toolpusher. Major-General Datuk Amin Salleh is the overall supervisor. May I reiterate the programme in summary:

13th May:  ETA Sham's Hideaway at 1700 hrs. ETD 1830 hrs for Veg Fish Farm for Thai food at Km 4, Jln Ampang, Hulu Langat. Return to base at 2300 hrs, and continue happy hours.

14th May: BBQ lunch. Dinner of Soup Ayam a'la Penang and spicy Moroccan cous cous Salad.

15th May: Kampung Food. Kerabu of various types; ulam-ulam with sambal belacan, budu and cencaluk; fried salted fish; asam pedas; steamed Tilapia and Wen Yi, and cat fish masak tempoyak. Followed by Tiramisu.

ETD 1630 hrs for home.

You are most most welcome to join us for camping, or come just for lunch on any date. The closing date is 2200 hrs on 9th May 11. Please info us, in time, for ration planning and portion control. Don't worry if you don't partake in alcohlic drinks, there is plenty of soft beverages. We regret that you cannot bring children below 18 for obvious reason. This is a club for adults.

Come and have fun."

It was as usual great catching up with the usual culprits but this time around Colonel Mike was recovering from a bad flu and was out of action for much of Saturday evening. True to his army training, Syam had contingency plans for dinner on Saturday; Annie's Hainanese chicken rice.

The Interlok Issue: Spare 13.5 Minutes To Find Out Why

The book "Interlok" has been controversially included in the Form 5 syllabus to be read by Malaysian kids as part of the Bahasa Malaysia language subject (not Literature as a subject).

Many Malaysians (especially Indians) are against this and yet, many more like me were not bothered to know more. But that was until I heard this short interview of Dr Farish Noor on BFM 89.9 yesterday.

So now I too know...and so must you. Please take the time (only 13.50 minutes) to listen and share it with friends.

Who Is This Guy, Capt. Iskandar Dzulkarnain?

Embarassing indeed! What is Mahathir today? Is the Mahathir of today the reason even his outspoken daughter Marina has become rather muted in cyberspace of late? Has a father's latest stance become indefensible even for his own daughter? Please read:

What an Embarrassment

Today, you are championing Malay Rights. You are angry that Non-Malays are questioning these rights. You are also angry that Malays themselves are questioning these so-called Rights. You want the other races to acknowledge that the Dominant Malays are the rightful heirs to this country called Malaysia. What an embarrassment to us Malays.
By Capt.Iskandar Dzulkarnain

Tun Dr Mahathir was Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years. All of us lived under his leadership during his tenure, and many of us have come to admire him and regard him with our deepest respect, for what he has done for the country. The Galleria Perdana in Langkawi is testimony to his achievements.

His Vision 2020, the Look East Policy, the Multimedia Super Corridor, the Internet and his efforts to industrialize the country has brought countless prosperity to our nation. We look upon him as the most successful leader since our nation's independence.

Lately, we see a sudden about turn to his speeches and rhetorics. Many who listened with interest to his sermons, is alarmed at the vast distortion of everything he has tried to impress upon us in the past. He is beginning to sound incoherent, with a tinge of cynicsm. The great empire you built in the last 22years is slowly unravelling, crumbling, torn assunder by the words that spews forth from your mouth. Everyone, who knows you in the past, is becoming dissapointed in what you hold dear to.

At your age, we expect the Grand Old Vizier with bottomless wisdom, intellect, and wide political experience to advise us, and tell us where we went wrong, and to correct us. To bring continuous change, to unite us, and to tell us that we are all Citizens of this great nation, to warn us of the pitfalls of racism, corruption and to protect this country from tearing itself apart.

Lately, many of your speeches has been met with apprehension, and later with disgust as you keep on levelling criticism on the different races. Even Singapore was not spared. Your latest speech that Malaysia belongs to the Malays, that Malays think 1Malaysia is about abolishing vernacular schools, and that Chinese and Indians think that 1Malaysia means abolishing Malay Rights, is really hurtful and hard to swallow. I really wonder what is going through the mind of this once Great man?

Today, you are championing Malay Rights. You are angry that Non-Malays are questioning these rights. You are also angry that Malays themselves are questioning these so-called Rights. You want the other races to acknowledge that the Dominant Malays are the rightful heirs to this country called Malaysia. What an embarrassment to us Malays.

What special rights are you talking about? If the Malays have benefited from it, and given us a window of opportunity, and an edge over others, why has the Malays not advanced any further? All these years, the bragging and the promises about Special Rights has only led us to acknowledge that it is only a big pie in the sky.

Through 3 generations, we have come to accept that we are all Malaysian Citizens, and everyone is equal to everyone, and now we find out that we indeed do have Special Rights accorded only to us, and not to the others. We must also fight for our Rights and not let the other community take it away from us. But what are these Rights??? If we had Special Rights, why are the Malays still lagging behind? Did anybody actually accorded the Malays these Rights in the past? Did the Malays reject these Rights, so much so that they are now living in utter poverty? Can someone start going around and bestow this Rights upon us right now? When are we going to get these Rights? As far as we know, we never had any Rights!!! Ony the Chinese and Indians think we have Special Rights.

Most Malays don't give two hoots about Tanah Melayu, Ketuanan Melayu or Special Rights, because it does not exist. We also got bored waiting for these rights to be transfered to us. We just want a decent life, job, a brighter, predictable future. And the Right to practice our Religion free of encumbrance. We are a loosely knitted race that comprises mixed Javanese, Sumatran, Indian, Hunanese, Thai, and Middle East blood bound together by our Religion Islam. And yet in the INTERLOK novel we branded other communities as Pariahs.

And if there is a Special Right, I think I would want to have the Right to mingle freely with our Chinese and Indian friends, step into a church and listen with interest to their choirs singing Christmas Carols, drop by a Chinese temple, and observe the monks chanting their mantras, or to an Indian Temple to see how they worship. And to drop by the Pub, for a glass of cold Coke, withourt feeling a little peculiar. I want the right to tell all our fellow citizens that we do not harbour any ill will against them, that we are just like them and that we will always stand by them.

22 years in power, and yet so many of our kin still live in misery. We are not asking for utter riches, just a decent life, but many Malays still lives in utter misery, and in such contrast to the Super rich UMNOPutras. And in the last election, many Malays were abandoning BN in droves, and now the ruling elite are not confident any more of retaining their power and has started to take drastic measures to regain their support.

Lastly, keep this in mind. There is no racism in Malaysia. 99 percent of Malaysians are not racist. We are too busy living our lives than to check on our neighbours. It is the one percent who is desperately clinging on to power, bent on staying, and who will do anything at any cost,even selling their souls to the devil, that is causing all this ruckus about Racism in this country. The one percent of Malays, Chinese and Indians who are about to be given the boot are shouting Ketuanan Melayu and Ketuanan What not!!

Malays, in their right minds are not going to support this bunch of losers. That is why they say that the Malays are split between UMNO and PAS. And the blame was put on poor old Nik Aziz, who became the scapegoat for splitting the Malays.

They really must go!