Saifuddin - pejuang belia dulu,kini dan selamanya....

Selepas lebih dari 10 tahun seruan agar ditubuhkan sebuah jawatankuasa Kabinet mengenai belia, akhirnya pihak kerajaan akur dengan kepincangan halatuju pembangunan belia yang ada sekarang dan bersetuju untuk menubuhkan sebuah Jawatankuasa Kabinet Pembangunan Belia. Jawatankuasa ini dijangka akan dianggotai oleh wakil 12 buah Kementerian yang ada kaitan dengan belia.

Semasa Saifuddin Abdullah menerajui Majlis Belia Malaysia(MBM) sebagai presiden dan setiausaha agung dari 1990 hingga 2002, beliau telah memperjuangkan kewujudan sebuah jawatankuasa kabinet yang dipengerusikan oleh Perdana Menteri sendiri untuk menjana pembangunan belia negara ini. Bukan itu sahaja, Saifuddin telah mencadangkan agar belia harus diberi peranan sebagai ahli Dewan Negara dan juga sebagai ahli majlis pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) selaku wakil belia di seluruh negara. Saifuddin telah berhujah bahawa walaupun terdapat Senator dan Ahli Majlis PBT yang dalam lingkungan umur belia, mereka ini bukanlah dilantik atas nama wakil pertubuhan belia tetapi berasaskan latarbelakang politik penama berkenaan.

Saifuddin Abdullah semasa pelancaran bukunya "Politik Baru"

Sekarang Saifuddin telah diangkat menjadi Timbalan Menteri di dalam kerajaan selepas memenangi kerusi Parlimen Temerloh pada pilihanraya umum yang lepas. Nampaknya idealisme dan perjuangan beliau untuk mengangkat martabat perjuangan belia masih lagi segar dan kuat di sanubari beliau walupun tidak lagi memegang jawatan penting dalam pertubuhan belia kebangsaan seperti MBM. Kegigihannya demi perjuangan belia dapat dilihat dari keperibadian beliau yang selesa bergaul dengan belia serta wawasan dan  usaha yang diambil untuk mendekati belia. Maka ia tidak menghairankan apabila Saifuddin merupakan ahli politik Umno berjawatan dalam kabinet yang pertama membuka akaun dalam laman "Facebook" sebagai langkah membuka jalan kepada pengguna Facebook untuk "mendampingi" dan berkenalan dengan beliau. Misi 3M "Menyelami Minda Muda" yang diilhamkan beliau telah membolehkannya mendengar pandangan dan rintihan ribuan orang muda secara terus dan telus.

Persoalannya ialah sama ada Jawatankuasa ini berkemampuan menjalankan peranan secara betul dan berkesan seperti yang diuar-uarkan oleh PM Najib semasa mengumumkan penubuhan jawatankuasa tersebut? Adalah diharapkan usaha ini bukanlah setakat melepas batuk ditangga dan hanya merupakan pendekatan untuk mendekati pengundi-pengundi muda dalam perancangan strategi pilihanraya umum ke 13 yang akan datang.

Tiga orang besar dalam Umno sekarang iaitu Najib, Muhyiddin Yassin (yang akan mempengerusikan jawatankuasa tersebut) dan Hishammudin Hussein pernah menjadi menteri dalam Kementerian Belia dan Sukan sebelum ini dan mereka sepatutnya faham dengan peri pentingnya jawatankuasa ini dan diharapkan jangan sekali-kali menjadikan gagasan ini sebagai matlamat politik kepartian.

Penggiat dan pemimpin belia sama ada di dalam mahupun di luar Kementerian Belia memang tahu dari segi hiraki dan protokol, status Kementerian Belia adalah di tahap paling rendah di bandingkan dengan kementerian lain. Ia bukanlah perkara luarbiasa apabila kementerian-kementerian lain hanya menghantar pegawai pangkat jauh lebih rendah untuk menghadiri mesyuarat yang di panggil dan dipengerusikan oleh pegawai tinggi Kementerian Belia.

Disebabkan status Kementerian Belia yang rendah, Muhyiddin Yassin yang suatu ketika dulu amat berpengaruh dan berkuasa besar sebagai Menteri Besar Johor selama 10 tahun (1986 - 1995) telah merajuk apabila ditukar menerajui Kementerian Belia selepas pilihanraya tahun 1995. Kerusi Menteri Besar Johor pula diberikan kepada Menteri Belia sebelumnya iaitu Abdul Ghani Othman yang masih memegang jawatan tersebut sehingga sekarang.

Diharapkan Jawatankuasa ini mampu memberikan suntikan mujarab ke arah memartabatkan perjuangan dan kepentingan belia. Walau bagaimanapun, sekiranya ketiga-tiga mereka iaitu Najib, Muhyiddin dan Hishamuddin serta  Menteri belia sekarang Shabery Chik menghadapi jalan buntu dan memerlukan wawasan baru untuk Jawatankuasa ini, ikutlah resam padi dan rujuklah dengan  mereka yang pakar mengenai belia. Ini tidaklah susah kerana telah ada orang di sisi di kalangan mereka iaitu Saifuddin Abdullah - pejuang belia, dulu, kini dan selamanya....- Loka

LAMP OF HOPE & RELIEF

Malaysian Buddhist organizations are coming together in one united act of compassion to raise funds and alleviate the sufferings of Haitian earthquake victims.

More than 40 Buddhist organizations responded to the call by The Most Venerable B Sri Saranankara Nayaka Maha Thera, Chief Monk of the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple and Chief Monk (Judiciary) of Malaysia, to come together and help out in the catastrophe that hit Haiti recently.

A mass oil lamp offering -- symbolic of lighting up the darkness and transmuting the negativity of untold sufferings into positive energy of peace, love and harmony – will be a key initiative to raise funds among the Buddhist community.

An all-Buddhist simultaneous chanting of Paritta and meditation session in various Buddhist temples are also being planned on the full moon of 30 March 2010 for the well being and happiness of the people of Haiti.

These collective efforts will culminate with a concert "The Sound of Compassion" which will bring together famed Buddhist singing groups like i-gemz, Messengers of Dhamma (MOD), D2Y Choir Group, Choir of Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Bodhi and many others at the HGH Convention Centre, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, on 18 April 2010 at 7.00pm.

Venerable Saranankara said he initiated this “LIGHT A LAMP OF HOPE & RELIEF” as he felt that together, much can be achieved speedily and effectively especially in raising the much needed funds to help bring relief to the devastated & traumatized Haitians.

Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Americas, is already home to 380,000 orphans and this number has increased exponentially with the January 12 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people, severely injuring another 300,000 and left more than one million homeless.

“The suffering is unfathomable. I have heard in the news that a bottle of water and some snacks are just all it takes to make the people happy there,” he added.

Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation is at the forefront providing aid and helping to bring relief to the victims. Venerable Saranankara said all the funds raised from the oil lamp offering and the concert will be channelled to Tzu Chi so that it can speedily reach the suffering Haitians.

The Launch of the Malaysian Buddhist “Haiti Relief Fund” will be at the Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple, Jalan Tujuh, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur on the full moon night of ‘Chap Goh Mei’ on Sunday, 28 February 2010 at 8.00pm with the Lighting of Lamps.

Other venues organizing the Chanting and Meditation sessions and Lighting of Oil Lamps are as follows:

10 March 2010 – 8.00pm: Sakyamuni Dharma Center, Taman Kanagapuram, Jalan Kelang Lama, Kuala Lumpur.

16 March 2010 – 8.00pm: Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

16 March 2010 – 8.00pm: Shah Alam Buddhist Society, Bukit Rimau, Shah Alam

27 March 2010 – 8.00pm: Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Monastery, Jenjarom, Selangor

27 March 2010 – 7.00pm: Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia (BMSM) Shah Alam Branch, Kota Kemuning

11 April 2010 – 8.00am: Subang Jaya Buddhist Association, Subang Jaya

Members of the public are invited to partake in these meaningful programs. Those interested and for further information on the events can log in to: www.bovis.tv/helphaiti or contact any of the following:

Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple: 03 – 4041 9459 (Contact hours: 9.00 am to 5.00pm)

Bro.Roland Lee: 012 - 225 4722

Sis. Julie Tan: 016 - 270 2120

Issued by Secretariat of Malaysian Buddhist ‘Haiti Relief Fund’ Organizing Committee

27 February 2010

The above is a public service announcement by Loka Vacana

RMC - A Bridge Too Far

So PM Najib wants the Royal Military College (RMC) to increase the intake of non Malays students to 30% as a boost to his 1Malaysia concept. Good move PM, but how many students RMC will actually take in after their PMR (lower secondary public exam)? Even if it is 1,000 students per intake, that will be only 300 non-Malays students. How to achieve 1Malaysia concept when there are more than 600,000 PMR students each year!

If he is dead serious about 1Malaysia and wants it to flow down to the people from all walks of life, he should also ensure the 30% or more intakes of non Malays into the MRSM ( Residential Science College), Matriculation courses, Polytechnics and other colleges and institutions funded by the taxpayers money.

If this is just another piece meal action for scoring political points, the meaning of 1Malaysia will just remained within a few in the Prime Minister's Department. And of course minus Nasir "jual tubuh" Safar. - Loka

Anwar is to blame

With the departure of MP for Bayan Baru Zahrain Hashim from Parti Keadilan Rakyat two weeks ago, it added another round of woes to PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim who is facing second round court case on sodomy charges.

It will not be surprising if one or more of PKR's MPs decided to walk out from the party that seems facing unending problems in maintaining discipline  and loyalty amongst its elected representatives. Anwar himself already admitted his mistakes in selecting the wrong candidates for the last general election. Well, at that time he don't have much choice isn't it?

PKR's membership can be pooled into three main baskets. The first group are those who jumped ship from another party particularly from Umno. The initial batch of Umno members who switched allegiance to PKR are mostly those with third level of hierarchy in Umno, except maybe for Anwar himself, Azmin Ali, Ezam Nor (who left earlier) and a couple of others. There were so many positions for grab and opportunity to stood as election candidates which will remain a dream if they are still in Umno.

The second group are those who are Anwar-infatuated people like those involved in Abim (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia), namely Mustaffa Kamil Ayub and Mohd Nur Manuty. The third group are those who were involved in "reformasi" and NGOs like Tian Chua, Elizabeth Wong, Sivarasiah, Irene Fernandez etc. Later, after the "merging" with Parti Rakyat Malaysia, a small group of people led by Syed Husin Ali were absorbed into the party.

It is clear that Anwar is having a lot of headaches with those who were formerly with another political party. Current problematic PKR elected representatives who are formerly from Umno includes Kulim Bandar Bharu MP Zulkifli Noordin, Zahrain Hashim and Indera Mahkota MP Azan Ismail. Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong who claims a Selangor state exco from DAP was involved with the mafia was the founding Secretary General of the mosquito party Malaysian Democratic Party after his fallout with DAP and Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng was formerly with Gerakan.

Not forgetting the duo that partly caused the fall of Pakatan Rakyat's Perak state government Jamaluddin Radzi (Adun Behrang) and Osman Jailu ( Adun Changkat Jering) and also Port Klang assemblyman Badrul Hisham who quits PKR to become BN friendly independents, whatever it means!

It seems like these people could not forget their old flames which they had cohabited for so many years even after tying the knot with a new partner. As people says, they can have a new party but their heart is still with the former party. There will be more test cases to see if political frogs can be depended on their loyalty and commitment to their new party. Those on the watch list includes former MCA vice president Chua Jui Meng and wanita deputy head Dr Tan Yee Kew. We will see where their heart lies when PKR selects the next election candidates.

Anwar is right in putting the blame on himself for selecting these political frogs and frogs-to-be. Another thing which he has not openly apologised was his haste and dream to becomes the PM by encouraging political betrayal of BN MPs so that he can secure enough seats to take over Putrajaya. While he was scheming this, he was blinded by the dream for power and blinked while his enemy BN took the opportunity to snatch Perak under his nose and created continuous problems for his PR governments in Selangor and Penang. - Loka

Happy Chinese New Year

Wishing all a Happy Chinese New Year. May every moment be filled with Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds.  May all be blessed with Good Health, Great Joy and Fantastic times with Family and Friends. Gong Xi Fa Chai.

                                                                                                        - Loka & family

Interfaith Dialogue UKM

It was almost 20 years ago since I last stepped on the stage of the Dewan Tun Abdul Razak (DECTAR) in UKM. Two days ago I walked on the stage again, where I received my graduation scroll in 1990. Not as a graduating student but as a panelist for an interfaith dialogue organised by UKM students.The event was organised by Kelab Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam UKM and with the cooperation of the UKM Buddhist Fellowship.

Maybe due to the recent controversy on the usage of the term "Allah" by the Catholic Weekly Herald and torching of some churches and throwing of wild boar heads into two mosques compound, the organiser managed to invite representatives from only three religions namely Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. I was informed that the organiser had approached many Christian speakers but were politely declined.

Other than having a decent discussion on respective religious beliefs, I had the opportunity to meet up with an UKM lecturer who was staying in the same hostel as me during my student days. He was also the moderator for the dialogue.

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Dectar is the main hall used by UKM for many important events especially the annual convocations. The presence of about more than a thousand students (and some outsiders too) can be considered good but the representation was rather disappointing as most if not all who were there are Muslims. I did not notice any Hindus (except the Hindu panelist of course) and most probably no Christians were there too. I met some Buddhist student leaders who were involved in organising the dialogue and some juniors whom I had  met in other programs.

The audience did asked some interesting questions in a friendly and respectful way. The last interfaith dialogue which I attended in UKM 20 years ago was furiously heated with a very confrontational audience. Since this dialogue was conducted in the Malay Language, I think some the words used might be alien to the non-Buddhists who are exposed to Buddhism for the first time.

The organiser took my suggestions to record on tape the proceedings of the dialogue as a reference and also to pre-empt any interference from unreasonable or rowdy audience.

It was a courageous effort by the students to organised such an event as I was informed it has been many years since an open interfaith dialogue was last held in UKM. Since nearly all the audience are of the Muslim faith, it can be deduced that they are also keen to know and understand the nature of their fellow Malaysians beliefs. But what about those other than Islam, are the students not interested in interfaith dialogues?

Having interfaith dialogues is not to convinced others to convert to one's faith or ridicule others but as a platform to know each other better and learn to respect and celebrate the differences as fellow human being and man of faith. - Loka

Note : Due to some miscommunication by the students, the information on the backdrop/poster was inaccurate. I was formerly the Secretary General of YBAM, not as stated in the poster.

Serpent-like racial monster within

What is so surprising about this guy who allegedly make racial remarks and threatened to take away the citizenship of fellow Malaysians? We didn't hear these nonsense for the first time, aren't we?  And surely we do not expect this to be the last anyway. Lurking underneath the smiling faces and shout of unity under the Malaysian umbrella, lies the vicious and serpent-like racial monster within their subdue conscience.

Waiting for the moment to unleash itself from the grinning teeth and bear-hugs of comradeship, these inner serpent-like subdue conscience will be spurting out wild fire of unhappiness, hatred and displeasure during moments of unguarded tongue and a disillusion state of mind.

The serpent-like conscience has been there for a long time amongst many living around us, has been continuously nurtured and developed by those who will do whatever it takes and at all cost to maintain their political and racialistic dominance in a country that adopts parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy.

These serpent-like racial monster can be a colleague sitting next to us in the office; a neighbour who mind his own business all the time; a loyal customer of the mamak stalls that we patronized regularly; an old friend from our school or university days and can even be amongst those with the YB titles. Hopefully these YBs can be Yang Bertaubat soon if the serpent monster is still lurking within.

We need to show our compassion to these serpent-like racial monster who can't even develop their own heart and mind in a state of mindfulness and peace. If this fails, we better continue to pray harder  and harder for a better Malaysia tomorrow.  - Loka