Azam dan Garam

Tanggal bulan tujuh hari sembilan,
rakyat bangun demi perubahan.
Berlapik baju Bersih kekuningan,
berganding bahu hadapi cabaran.


Genggam tangan penuh azam,
bawa bunga secebis garam.
Panggilan ubah amat mendalam,
sebelum negara terus tenggelam.


Seruan ke kota dengan aman,
arahan keras tutup jalan.
Berjaya juga dalam ribuan,
laungan bersih kedengaran.


Himpun janakan seluruh negara,
sokongan padu merata dunia.
Tua, muda dan pelbagai warna,
sama-sama berjuang jua.

Ribuan berarak di jalanan,
secara teratur serta aman.
Dengan sorak angkat tangan,
hidup rakyat jadi pegangan.


Himpunan aman dikira engkar,
disambut dengan pemedih mata.
Secebis garam dalam lidah,
agar badan tidak merana.


Rakyat pendam sekian lama,
guna hak untuk bersuara. 
Mohon dasar lebih bermakna,
demi negara yang tercinta.

Loka SK Ng
@Miri, Sarawak
11/07/2011

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

Chief monk resigns

The BMSM elected a new team to lead the society for the next two years. Chee Peck Kiat was elected president replacing Ang Choo Hong who calls it a day. The lineup includes vice presidents Patrick Phoon, Chua Chong Kee, Soon Koi Voon and the only female Loh Pai Ling. Jeffrey Pang won the secretary general position uncontested while Ng Lai Peng elected the new treasurer, also unopposed.

Out-going president Ang Choo Hong





Other new office bearers are assistant secretary Kong Tin Lai, assistant treasurer Looi S.K and committee members Quah Chi Boon, Yong Kut Seng, Hemadasa, Pau Kiew Wu, Ng Hong Pau, Goh Seng Chai, Sarath Surendre, Wong Ong, Chang Lam Yen, Lim Chee Keong, Chan Tien Fu and Selina Lim.




In-coming president Chee Peck Kiat

The meeting dragged on for five hours due to some contentious issues spilled over from the previous annual general meeting. There was even a proposal for certain item in the minutes to be expunged! Wow, if in every meeting certain parts of the meeting are to be expunged when anyone do not agrees with it then in future historians will not have any reliable reference to refer to do their writing since everything has already been expunged!

The new secretary general Jeffery Pang already started his duty earlier

Sadly the annual meeting which is supposed to enable members to participate and provide inputs for the development of society was turn into a "battle ground" between certain individuals and groups. Claims and counter claims were hurled at each other on the protracted issue of unauthorised printing of receipts books with the name and logo of BMSM which was used to collect fund from the public.

Anymore nominations? Returning officer Jerry Khoo calls out.

One member who is also a president of another organisation even accused the BMSM president for implying that he is telling a lie! One member even "threatened" to return to his previous religion if the meeting do not proceed to his liking! Another accused the treasurer of not knowing how to do his job but surprisingly this same out-going treasurer was elected one of the vice presidents. BMSM really have colourful figures amongst its 10,000 plus members.

The meeting also took a dramatic twist when at the midst of the debate on the receipts issue which police reports has been made last year, the society religious advisor, Ven K Dhammaratana took the floor and claimed that he has been shamed and was "slapped" in the face in public. He duly took out a signed resignation letter and hand it over to the secretary general. The letter stated his "resignation" is with immediate effect. He then left the meeting hall in a huff, purportly for his lunch dana.

"I was shamed and "slapped" in public" - Dhammaratana

For lay persons who may not understand the Vinaya, it will be interesting to know whether this action of submitting "resignation" letters during the AGM is the best approach? In actual sense, he don't even have to do that since based on the society constitution all previous appointments would have automatically ceased to be valid with the dissolvement of the committee.

Many organisations issue new letter of appointments to their immediate past advisors in every new term of office. If one desires, one can politely declines the re-appointment, if there is any one forthcoming, when the newly elected committee decides on the new list of advisors. This is just like when devotees offers medicine dana to a monk, if the monk felt that he had enough or do not feel like having more, he puts his hand on top of the alms bowl to convey his intention. No questions asked. The monk did not need to be coaxed to take more. Well informed devotees will surely understands that gesture and will just move on to offer dana to the next monk. Period. - Loka

Why Only Islam?

The intention of the Federal government requiring potential Muslim converts to declared their choice to their family as announced by the Prime Minister is laudable and a pre-emptive step to address incidents of body-snatching and other related issues.

I would like to further enhance my earlier comment on the need of a fool-proof law to ensure the declaration will not be challenged by any parties in later years.

The cases of body-snatching that were widely reported in the media in recent years focuses on non-Muslims converting to Islam without informing their immediate families. Hence, these causes unnecessary heart breaks to the deceased convert family, headaches to the authorities and brewing tension amongst the Muslims and non-Muslims.

On the other hand, did the media highlighted cases of conversion amongst the non-Muslims namely those were converted at their death bed from one non-Muslim religion to another? Have we not heard or come across cases of "vultures of death" seeking out potential candidates to be converted to their religion in hospitals while the critically ill patient is most vulnerable and unable to think wisely and with reason?

Have we not heard children who has converted to another religion tries to convert their parents without the knowledge of their other siblings. When the parents died, a tussled develops between siblings of different non-Muslim religion on the method of the last rites for the deceased funeral. There was even an incident some years ago of opposing siblings of different religion physically fought it out to ensure funeral rites for their deceased father are conducted as per their respective religious choice!


To do the right thing right at the right time, the Federal Government are urged to deliberate further on the need to require all types of conversion, non-Muslims to Islam; Hindu to Christianity; Buddhist to Hindu; Christianity to Buddhist etc. requires a declaration and written consent from the parents, guardian or next-of-kin before the conversion of the individual is considered valid.


Although the need of consent might be taken as impeding the individual's freedom of religious practice and personal liberty, a challenging decision need to be taken to address challenging circumstances. The decision can be implimented by enacting a new law, let's say the "Religion Consent Act" which spelt out the requirements to be fulfilled for a non-Muslim person to convert to another religion.

To ensure this Religion Consent Act applies to all, the government will need to look into amending the Article 11 Clause (1) and Article 12 Clause (3 & 4) of the Federal Constitution.