Lying to God for political survival
Why do Umno leaders consistently bring up the issue of threats to Islam close to Umno party elections?
CT Ali, FMT
There is greed in every one of us. Arrogance too surfaces every now and then as we go about the business of life. At times we speak half-truths at times we tell lies.
We try to live life as true to our convictions as we can but few can do so without the occasional lapse in ethics and morality. Whatever the truth, each and every one of us has erred – some more than others.
It would also be true to say that the majority of us are mindful of our collective responsibility to others and we try to live our life accordingly. Rare are those amongst us that will breach that responsibility on pain of censure from our peers – which for some, is a fate worse than death.
But the curse of leadership failure amongst our politicians now brings our nation perilously close to a place we do not wish to go – that of racial and religious strife.
The truth is that our political leaders, by the time they leave office and after their leadership has been weighed in the balance, have been found wanting! Embezzlement of public funds is endemic. The curse of corruption is systematic in a government that has lost its way.
Economic mismanagement is a common curse of selfish leadership and bad governance is now a fact of life. All this now burdens not only our people but also our country and our future.
The stench that reeks within the corridors of power is overpowering. The inability for these leaders to understand their own failings compounds the stench.
In their pursuit of personal wealth and political power, Umno leaders have exhausted almost all avenues available to them. They have served the rakyat, our nation and our king but not too well.
They have created vast economic opportunities, built massive infrastructures that our nation need and embarked on a multitude of economic initiatives that should serve the needs of our nation well into the next century, but corruption and inept management of our nation’s resources and wealth have resulted in the proliferation of this odious practice of rent seeking and national debts of astronomical proportions that will burden our nation to the tune of RM 1 trillion by 2020.
The education of our youth has been a priority – not in making ready our youth for multi-racial future but in serving the needs of a government that wants to divide and rule this multi racial nation of ours through race and religion.
What else ails our nation today?
After the 13th general election, the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government rules without a popular mandate from the people.
Our Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin feels it is his duty to warn the non-Muslims to not insult Islam – this in a country where even Muslims fear to make any comment for or against Islam on pain of being labeled a heretic or be ‘fatwaed” against.
A video made three years ago by a Muslim preparing kuih raya for her dogs becomes a video that insults Islam.
Headmasters and headmistresses are also now co-opted into the frontline of these racial and religious skirmishes.
The police are powerless to prevent the killing of our people on our streets and of suspects in their custody by their own men.
And ‘kongsi’ is no longer a noun but a verb – and a very critical verb if our Tun Mahathir is to be believed. A verb that he tells us the Chinese have failed to do to his satisfaction.
In the world that we live in today people sometimes lie to avoid shame, safeguard honor and status. At times to exploit opportunities for personal and financial gains.
The Chinese hawker that short-weight you at the markets and the mamak that serves you three quarters of an egg when charging you for one for your rojak are merely being human – taking what he can for himself.
Even subjectively claiming that Islam is a ‘religion of peace’ is permitted if it protects and furthers the interests of Islam as long as one remains faithful to Islam in one’s heart.
But what is behind Umno leaders preoccupation of playing the role of being the protectors of Islam when no threat to Islam and Muslims exists in Malaysia?
Why do Umno leaders consistently bring up the issue of threats to Islam close to Umno party elections?
Is it to confuse, confound and to divide the enemies of Islam, or is it to rev up their credentials as defenders of the faith in the eyes of Umno members for their own political gains?
