The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion
The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion |
| Posted: 01 Dec 2012 04:48 PM PST DEC 2 ― I wonder if PAS has anything more than meets the eye. As the inevitable 13th general election approaches, and political parties scramble to put their best foot forward, PAS is grappling at issues that are colloquial at best. The saga involving segregation of patrons in hair salons is a case in point. One would think that with all the problems we have to deal with as a nation, we should be able to walk into a hair salon for a haircut, from any stylist we like without getting the risk of getting a summons. PAS should take a step back and consider this: Will they do the same for every service-oriented business in Malaysia if they win the next GE? Before answering, the party should realise that this policy will not only involve hair salons, but cafes and pubs that dot Jalan Bukit Bintang, and every other shopping mall in Bangsar, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur? PAS needs to look at the big picture and address real issues affecting Muslims and Malaysians generally. Spending time discussing, debating about hair salons, or the word "unisex" and Elton John concert is a good way to becoming irrelevant in our politics. On a similar note, why did they ban the word unisex in Alor Setar? Please do not say because it has the word "sex" in it. It does not drive people to walk in asking for the "full service" surely. At most their curiosity will guide them to the nearest dictionary to find out what it means. In fact, PAS would get better results by banning certain daily tabloids and Malay ghost movies than spending their resources enforcing such a ridiculous rule. This is my humble suggestion ― instead of banning the word, why don't you educate yourself, and your constituents on what it means? Otherwise where will this lead to ― banning of dictionaries, books and theatres next? Banning words, works of art, showcases ignorance which is an unacceptable trait for any politician since such foolishness knows no bounds. I mean if they ban the word unisex now, who are we to say they will not ban the word sexagenarian, sextuple, sexton when they stumble upon them later? They all contain the word "sex" even though are not related in any way to intercourse. PAS must realise that what they are doing is not Islamic, and will only serve to give the universal religion a bad name. Just like how Muslim women are free to avoid shops that do not practise segregation of the sexes, business owners too should have the freedom to decide whether they want to practise the separation. The last time I checked, we were not held at gunpoint to enter a unisex hair salon. PAS's policy to separate women from men in every conceivable way, and the propensity to ban things that do not make sense to them, as a means to curb indecent behaviour and the assumed social ills that follow is wrong and does not seem to yield the results they want anyway. The number of rape crises increased from 13 per cent to 18 per cent in 2011, and most victims comprised of children as young as 12-years old. Bernama (March 9, 2012) reported that rape cases have been climbing every year. In 2007, 228 cases were filed, 563 in 2008, and 656 in 2010. Not to mention the state has the highest number of HIV cases, compared to every other state that does not practise their segregation formula. PAS needs to evaluate their policies, and address them if they are serious about being a contender in Malaysian politics. Every policy that does not serve their purpose should be scrapped and replaced with a better, result oriented one. Refusing to believe that a policy has run its course is akin to taking the ostrich approach, and is a good way to becoming irrelevant in our society. While you read up on dictionaries and understand English better, leave the hair salons alone. And yes, Sir Elton John, too. No political parties who aspire to lead Malaysia should behave this way. Malaysians certainly deserve better. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist |
| Posted: 01 Dec 2012 04:24 PM PST 2 DIS ― Pakatan Rakyat, kata kajian Prof Datuk Shamsul Amri, jika pilihan raya umum ke-13 diadakan sekarang hampir pasti beroleh 70 kerusi sekalipun dengan majoriti yang nipis. Barisan Nasional tetap berkuasa tetapi kerusi yang pasti setakat ini hanya 120 saja. Ia menang tetapi kerusinya belum lagi dapat menyamai pencapaiannya dalam PRU12 iaitu 140. 24 kerusi lagi kelabu. Setakat kajian sehingga bulan September itulah yang BN dapat capai sekalipun ia melakukan segala-galanya. Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak hampir setiap hari menjelajah semua pelusuk negara, mencurahkan duit seperti hujan lebat, dengan semua sokongan media dan kaki tangan kerajaan pimpinannya belum terjamin meraih pencapaian Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada PRU 2008 dulu. Mungkin ia dapat tawan baki 24 kerusi yang dikatakan kelabu itu, tetapi setakat September, dia belum dapat mengatasi prestasi buruk Abdullah sekalipun dia mendapat sokongan terbuka dari Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Abdullah tidak mendapat sokongan Dr Mahathir. Hari-hari dia dicerca oleh Dr Mahathir. Tentangan Dr Mahathir itu dikatakan antara yang memburukkan pentadbiran Abullah. Najib diberi sokongan penuh oleh orng tua itu, namun pencapaian Najib mengikut kajian Ulung itu belum sampai apa yang Pak Lah dapat. Atas prestasi buruk Pak Lah, lalu Najib dan Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin gulingkan dia dengan cara yang hina. Dengan retorik transformasi menggantikan retorik Islam Hadhari, Najib belum lagi dapat sokongan yang lebih baik dari Pak Lah. Apa yang Najib dapat setakat ini bukanlah hasil transformasi dalam semua perkara, tetapi ia bertahan setakat ini justeru mencurahkan duit yang sebanyak-banyak kepada rakyat yang laparkan duit tanpa perlu berusaha. Apa yang Najib buat itu jauh lebih lemah dari apa yang Kapten Sir Francis Light buat ketika dia membuka Pulau Pinang kira-kira 300 tahun. Kaptan Light setibanya ke Pulau Pinang menembak dengan meriam duit syiling ke belukar. Orang Melayu Pulau Pinang yang mahukan duit itu terpaksa menebang pokok besar dan menebas rumput liar bagi mendapatkan duit itu. Light itu adalah penindas orang Melayu, tetapi dia mengajar orang Melayu, siapa mahu duit dan mahu makan mest berusaha membersihkan belukar dan hutan. Rezeki tidak mungkin datang menggolek tetapi mestilah dicari. Seburuk-buruk Kapten Light, dia ajar orang Melayu bekerja. Dia tidak galakkan orang Melayu minta sedekah, menadah tangan meminta-minta seperti yang Najib cuba jadikan kepada rakyat jelata semua lapisan. Prof Datuk Syamsul Amri mengagak, prestasi Najib mungkin meningkat dalam bukan Oktober dan November membandangkan pelulusan Bajet 2013 dan janji curahan BR1M 2.0. Ini bererti kebarangkalian meningkat itu bukan kerana kejayaan program transformasi, tetapi gara-gara menabur duit yang sebanyak-banyak. Rakyat yang digula-gula oleh kerajaan Najib itu bukan sekadar orang awam yang berpendapatan rendah, bahkan pegawai awam yang dikira cerdik dan bernasib baik dibandingkan rakyat kais pagi makan pagi itu, juga diumpan dengan bonus dan macam-macam lagi. mri tidak mengatakan BN sudah kalah dan akan kalah, tetapi telah mendedahkan bahawa sekalipun BN akan mempertahankan kuasanya, dengan segala gahnya Najib lebih uzur dari Pak Lah. Dia mungkin kekal dan dia mungkin tumbang. * Ini adalah pandangan peribadi penulis. |
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