Aha, aha…I like it!
When asked during an interview soon after he retired in November 2003 what his greatest regret was, Tun replied that his greatest regret was that in his 22 years as Prime Minister he still could not change the mentality of the Malays.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Last week, the Chinese and Indians were very angry with His Highness the Sultan of Selangor over the issue of the Allah word. They even suggested that the Monarchy be abolished and that Malaysia be turned into a Republic.
Today, the Chinese and Indians are very happy with His Highness the Sultan of Selangor and have forgotten about their anger last week because the Sultan has helped their businesses make more money by retaining Sunday as the weekend for Selangor.
This is exactly what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad complained about. Tun grumbled that the Malays are too emotional and feudalistic, unlike the non-Malays, said Tun, who are more pragmatic.
When asked during an interview soon after he retired in November 2003 what his greatest regret was, Tun replied that his greatest regret was that in his 22 years as Prime Minister he still could not change the mentality of the Malays.
Most Malays would prefer Friday as their weekend to facilitate their ibadah and they can spend more time at the mosque. If Friday is a working day then it would be a rush and less time can be spent at the mosque.
But if Friday was a holiday and Sunday a working day would that not mean less business opportunities and hence less money to be made?
The Malays are not too concerned about this mainly because the economies of the countries that have Fridays as the off day are still going strong and their economies have not collapsed. Furthermore, to the Malays, prayers come before money. Pray first and make money second.
Somehow, the Malays take Psalm 23 more seriously even though that is in the Judeo-Christian Bible and not in the Quran. No doubt the Quran, too, has its own version of Psalm 23, the basis of the Islamic akidah. In short, the Lord shall provide and you do not need to worry about whether the Lord provides only on Sundays or only on Fridays.
I fear it will take 100 years to change the mentality of the Malays. They still think that the Lord shall provide and never mind if the holidays are on Fridays or Sundays. The Malays do not realise that you can make more money if you work on Fridays and less money on Sundays because on Sunday the Lord is on vacation, His day of rest.
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Sultan’s decision good for business
(The Star) – The business community lauded the Sultan of Selangor’s decision to maintain Saturday and Sunday as rest days for the state.
The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice-president Michael Chai said the Saturday-Sunday weekend made it more convenient for Malaysians to do business with the rest of the world compared to Friday and Saturday.
“We agree with Tuanku that it is for business convenience,” he said.
Chai said the Klang Valley was globally connected with other international cities and the convenience had encouraged multi-national companies to set up offices here.
He also said that the current Saturday and Sunday rest days did not pose any inconvenience to Muslims as employers gave them time off for prayers.
On Monday, The Star quoted Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah as saying that Selangor would not make Friday and Saturday its weekend rest days.
The Sultan said Selangor had been a centre of nationwide and international commerce even before Independence and switching to a Friday-Saturday weekend might discourage investments and affect business dealings in the state.
Johor will switch to a Friday-Saturday weekend from Jan 1 next year, with Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar saying it would be more convenient for Muslims to perform their Friday prayers.
Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are the states which currently have Friday and Saturday as their rest days.
Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association T. Muthusamy said they were glad the rest days were maintained as they were used to having Saturday and Sundays off.
“Public holidays are very busy days for us and any change will create a lot of hassle,” he said.
Muthusamy, who is based in Klang, said that any change would have to be discussed with the business community.
