Covert Malaysian Campaign Touched A Wide Range Of American Media

Outlets from Huffington Post to National Review carried pieces financed by the Malaysian government. An international campaign against Anwar Ibrahim. (Rosie Gray, Buzz Feed, 1 March 2013)

A range of mainstream American publications printed paid propaganda for the government of Malaysia, much of it focused on the campaign against a pro-democracy figure there.

The payments to conservative American opinion writers — whose work appeared in outlets from the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner to the Washington Times to National Review and RedState — emerged in a filing this week to the Department of Justice. The filing under the Foreign Agent Registration Act outlines a campaign spanning May 2008 to April 2011 and led by Joshua Trevino, a conservative pundit, who received $389,724.70 under the contract and paid smaller sums to a series of conservative writers.

Trevino lost his column at the Guardian last year after allegations that his relationship with Malaysian business interests wasn't being disclosed in columns dealing with Malaysia. Trevino told Politico in 2011 that "I was never on any 'Malaysian entity's payroll,' and I resent your assumption that I was."

According to Trevino's belated federal filing, the interests paying Trevino were in fact the government of Malaysia, "its ruling party, or interests closely aligned with either." The Malaysian government has been accused of multiple human rights abuses and restricting the press and personal freedoms. Anwar, the opposition leader, has faced prosecution for sodomy, a prosecution widely denounced in the West, which Trevino defended as more "nuanced" than American observers realized. The government for which Trevino worked also attacked Anwar for saying positive things about Israel; Trevino has argued that Anwar is not the pro-democracy figure he appears.

The federal filing specified that Trevino was engaged through the lobbying firm APCO Worldwide and the David All Group, an American online consulting firm. The contract also involved a firm called FBC (short for Fact-Based Communications), whose involvement in covert propaganda prompted a related scandal and forcedan executive at The Atlantic to resign from its board.

According to the filings, Trevino was also employed to write for websites called MalaysiaMatters and MalaysiaWatcher.

Trevino's subcontractors included conservative writer Ben Domenech, who made $36,000 from the arrangement, and Rachel Ehrenfeld, the director of the American Center for Democracy, who made $30,000. Seth Mandel, an editor at Commentary, made $5,500 (his byline is attached to the National Review item linked to above). Brad Jackson, writing at the time for RedState, made $24,700. Overall, 10 writers were part of the arrangement.

"It was actually a fairly standard PR operation," Trevino told BuzzFeed Friday. "To be blunt with you, and I think the filing is clear about this, it was a lot looser than a typical PR operation. I wanted to respect these guys' independence and not have them be placement machines."

Trevino said neither he nor the client knew what the writers were going to write before it went up.

"I provided a stipend to support their work in this area and they would just ping me whenever something went up," he said.

Domenech, a former Washington Post blogger who runs a daily morning newsletter called The Transom, said he "was retained by Josh's Trevino Strategies and Media PR firm in 2010 with the general guidance to write about Malaysia, particularly the political scene there."

"I did not ever have anyone looking over my shoulder for what I wrote, and the guidance really was just to write about the political fray there and give my own opinion," Domenech said. "Of course, Josh picked me knowing what my opinion was — I stand by what I wrote at the time and I continue to be critical of Anwar Ibrahim, who I think is a particularly dangerous fellow."

Domenech attached two pieces he'd written about Malaysia for the San Francisco Examiner as well as one for the Huffington Post in his email to BuzzFeed.

Chuck DeVore, the Vice President for Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation (where Trevino now works), said he was unaware of the arrangement in an email.

"He knew of my expertise and suggested I write some pieces," DeVore said. "As I've seen over the years, it's not uncommon for freelancers to be paid for their work from various sources. I frankly didn't think much of it, having been paid by papers in a few nations abroad and by PR firms, such as the one Mr. Trevino was running at the time."

"He never told me who his client was," DeVore said. "I wonder if they did the same via him? Interesting that he filed the paperwork, given it appears he was working for someone else."

Mandel said, "I was blogging about issues relating to Israel and anti-Semitism in 2010, and Josh approached me about a Malaysian opposition figure who had made anti-Semitic comments and was affiliated with anti-Israel organizations. I had full editorial freedom — Josh never saw anything I wrote until after it was published — and I had no relationship with the Malaysian government. I was paid by Josh for what was probably a handful of blog posts in the fall of 2010, I believe, while working as a freelancer in Washington."

According to Trevino, he was approached by publicist and social media executive David All in 2008. He never had contact with "the ultimate client," he said. "I only had an assumption of who I was working for. I never knew exactly who APCO was dealing with, never knew exactly who FBC was dealing with."

Trevino acknowledged that he shouldn't have lied to BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith, then at Politico, when this first came up in 2011.

"When Ben Smith contacted me in July 2011, I ought to have come clean with him at the time," he said.

As for why he waited until five years after the fact to register with FARA, Trevino said he didn't know he was supposed to have registered until recently.

"The accurate answer is that I didn't know there was a foreign agents database at all." Trevino said. "When all the stuff with the Guardian went down in August, I had a friend ask me whether I registered with FARA and I said what's FARA?"

"They allowed me to do a retroactive filing," he said.

Trevino terminated his relationship with Malaysian interests when he joined the Texas Public Policy Foundation, he said.

This article has been updated to include comments from Mandel.

Update 2:33 p.m.: Trevino called back to say that he had actually checked with his legal counsel in 2011 after being questioned by Politico, but had been told at the time that he didn't need to register anywhere.

"Ben Smith had actually asked me if I was a foreign agent back in 2011," Trevino said. "I asked a lawyer friend, my counsel. I said, hey, is there anything I need to comply with? He came back and said no."

"After the Guardian thing, I reached out to a different counsel, and I did some googling and found out about FARA," Trevino said.

UPDATE: Trevino's Malaysia-related posts have been removed from the Huffington Post and replaced with an editors' note that says the author "violated blogger guidelines by not properly disclosing financial ties that amounted to a serious conflict of interest."

The Omega and the Ring

Once there was a tale not so long ago of a ring, a most precious stone, of value out of all proportions, said to be gracing the finger of the land's foremost lady. A legendary ring whispered to have been bought from the West that would bind them all to bring disrepute to such a chic fashionable madam and slander the country's first family edging closer into political ruin. Being silent and keeping quiet about it did not help for the evil ones kept murmuring in the darkness of the web. Denying it only made the spiteful stories become more open spreading the telltale news throughout the lands. All of the ruler's media and all of the state's spin masters could not keep the saga of the ring away from the people's gossips and rumours still abound about this strange gem. The much fabled ring had a sinister life of its own and its yarn set to devour all that came into its path. Nasty foul mouthed invisible tongues lashed out like demented trolls through contraptions called blogs kept on haunting the premier family.

Then there was the tale of the time keeper, a clock given the name Omega. An evil trinity cast a spell on the time piece and accused a person of illicit immorality. The trinity of wicked old men conjured up a vision in an utter display of lurid content and smut in a grand mansion up on a hill. The staged apparition was flaunted to a host of mean spin masters who in turn paraded and assailed the mass public through their prints, their reverberations, their mantra and their spectre screens. The evil lewdness of the state's story tellers and irresponsible lawlessness of authority was much to the chagrin of religious and moral people. The chronograph called the Omega was said to have disappeared and has ever since been cynically and maliciously sought to prove the innocence of the one slandered. The trinity of old men of vice invoked the powers of the divine by swearing in a holy and sacred place, placing their oaths on the holy book, seeking to be damned if ever they lied, challenging those who reject or deny them to do the same. These depraved and perverted old men had their iniquitous way and were not stricken by flashes of lightning or blasted by bolts of thunder. They thought that they had their day and shall forever after be that way.

In Malaysia, you are guilty until you can prove your innocence. This is how the system works in Malaysia. This epithet comes from fugitive controversial blogger Raja Petra himself.

So keep away from fitnah and slander, it does not do anyone any good but harms all in its way. This public service announcement is brought to you for the sake of a wonderful Malaysia.

Time for Change

If the problem and malaise affecting BN is merely that of public perception, then they are quite delusional and are caught up in their own self serving propaganda. BN as a government is in decline and is performing badly relative to the days in the past. They are losing economic competitiveness, their keen sense of development strategies which are losing lots of public money, revelations of rampant corruption and they have not been able to transform unlike whatever grand pronouncements made in that direction. They cannot even reconcile between national unity and Malay rights. Their media machines gun after each and everyone's racial phobia. Worse is that they have been caught time and again to be lying through their teeth.  So this is beyond public relations and APCO like perception insights or piecemeal "make people fear or make people feel good" solutions. It needs a major revamp and that denial syndrome or that "even if we are not performing we are still the best for you" attitude and condescendence has to go.

Why is it supposed to be a proposed reconciliation only between BN and PAS? Why be so dismissive of Anwar as if he is not significant politically whether in terms of national unity or Malay interests? If it is thought that  Anwar has lost it and cannot garner public support across the races and throughout the country then let us remind ourselves of what the embattled Pak Lah, a former PM said back then. He said Anwar is someone forgotten before setting out to lead one of BN's most disastrous elections ever. It is a fact that Anwar has been in government administration and has so far been able to transcend across diverse political parties and backgrounds. It is still a fledgling political process but now we almost have a viable two party system for vibrant democratic check and balances.

The ones out to cripple Anwar are the same Malay-Muslims with an outrageous destructive agenda turning everything onto weapons to assail and destroy him. It has gone beyond mere character assassination. Some insane drive has them fanatically devoted to vanquish him.  If God forbid, they somehow manage to be able to terminate him, it shall come together with demolishing and bringing down the whole nation's justice system. Does PAS really want to have anything to do with such wayward terminator like politicians?

We have to ponder this Sufi anecdote of the past. One day, Mulla Nasruddin a famous Sufi was seen kneeling on his lawn outside his house looking for something. His trusted pupil saw him and went to him kneeling beside him to help. The pupil asked, "What are you looking for, Mulla?". Mulla answered, "I'm looking for my keys." The pupil then asked, "Where did you lose it, Mulla?". Mulla replied, "In the house." The pupil wondered, "Why don't you look for it in the house, Mulla?". Mulla replied nonchalantly , "It is brighter outside."

Applied to Anwar, crippling attacks and character assassination shall not stop until realpolitik objectives are not achieved no matter what even if it goes against religious, moral, legal universal or human considerations. Applied to BN-PAS reconciliation, they maybe barking up the wrong tree.

Anwar's detractors seem to be overly infatuated to the point of chronic alarm with his aspirations to be the nation's leader. If we were to ask him, Anwar says he wants to be able to conduct islah - reform the nation for the better. So, please brush aside those intolerable hearsay innuendos - just tell him and us what is so wrong with his ideas and politics so that we are free to choose democratically.

It is a mistake to  simply categorise and stereotype people like Tuan Guru Nik Aziz as if PAS is  similar to UMNO's "follow the  leader right or wrong mentality". We have to give PAS their due credit in managing their own political transformation which out surpasses UMNO's illusions of change anytime. PAS is a party with a future and of the future. UMNO is still relishing and languishing in the past.

UMNO's foe is not Anwar, they are greatly mistaken for Anwar is part of their own history for them to judge. UMNO's bane is the party itself which desperately needs major reform and moral resuscitation even before they can think of reconciling with and partnering any other party with a better semblance of moral principles and practice.

It is actually no more about the continuance of Malay Muslim dominance and superiority  (right or wrong!) - we must earn it through integrity and social justice, to build respect and deliver leadership to all Malaysians. We have to shed this presumed Malay thinking of  this inherited superiority as the sole source of strength every time.

Yes, it is time for reconciliation but it  is also a time for change.

( this is written in response to   http://azrilmohdamin.com/2011/08/05/ramadhan-a-time-for-reconciliation/  )

Show a little kindness

You do not lead by hitting people over the head. That's assault, not leadership -Dwight D. Eisenhower.

When the prime minister of Malaysia went on national TV scoffing at the injuries suffered by his political nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, many were shocked. The PM's facial contortions as he mimicked his condition and made fun of the pain were ridiculous and clownish. His eager dismissiveness that it was only a "little" tear gas was gross.

This shows a clear lack of empathy and a little heartless on his part. He failed to notice and surprisingly, he was seemingly unaware that there were many others of his fellow citizens who were hit by much of the "little" tear gas and suffered the searing and nauseating consequences. It was obvious that the PM himself had never tasted being sprayed chemical laced water and suffocating CS gas. Some remarked that he should try smearing chilli pepper in his eyes and feel the pain. He seems to have a bizarre lapse in reasoning and thus engaged in ludicrous bravado for a captive audience, one which is becoming more and more out of touch with reality and the feelings of people.

He apparently overlooked another former PM's outrageous dismissal of Anwar's infamous black eye beating years ago. The strident former PM was recorded to have said that the injuries were self inflicted which made him look like a farcical comic to the whole world.

Of the recent incident, Anwar himself admitted it was only minor injuries. It would only be groundbreaking and really transformative if the PM would have dropped by and showed just a bit of concern. Of course, it goes both ways and everyone has to have a heart and be considerate to others especially in times of difficulties. Politics should be humane. It should not reach the stage of boiling heat and burning bridges as mature democracies show a sort of special relationship accorded between a ruling party leader and an opposition leader. They have to come to terms if not for themselves; it is for the people of Malaysia.

Daulat Tuanku

Alas, His Royal Highness comes to the rescue by issuing a decree and granting an audience to Bersih's representatives. This royal intervention is timely indeed so that the authorities can start to bring back some sanity to this whole sordid affair. The people are relieved that royal wisdom prevails.

Bersih 2.0 is just about legitimate electoral demands which are really quite reasonable in seeking free and fair elections. A strong government committed to democracy would never feel threatened by it. However, maybe the nation's top political leadership were ill advised or became callous, letting loose sledgehammer tactics by trying to stamp out anything that can be remotely connected to Bersih 2.0, activists, T-shirts, colours and symbols.

The relentless backlash was to be expected as any public relations disaster would in an open and interconnected world that we live in where thinking people cherish freedom, reason and level headedness. The mindless spree of detention and intimidation has to stop. Never again should repression and force be resorted to in a civil and peaceful protest.

Let the people go to the stadium safely, let them assemble in free association, let them wear their yellow shirts or whatever decent dress they wish proudly, release the detainees; it maybe a tiny victory but it is a Malaysian first.

The Colour Yellow

The time sledgehammer tactics were used was by Pharaoh who upon advice by his trusted magicians decreed that all new born male children from the Children of Israel be killed. The Pharaoh envisioned that there shall come a time when a leader shall arise from among the enslaved people to fight and free his nation. In the end, such prophesied leader led his people to freedom and liberation leaving Pharaoh and his wicked men to drown in the Red Sea.

Several years ago the corrupt regime of Hosni Mubarak used underhanded tactics to overwhelmingly win Egyptian general elections by resorting to arresting opposition candidates just prior to polling. Egypt's feared police blockaded electoral posts where opposition supporters were strong in order to prevent them from voting. However hard they tried, Hosni and his evil men could not stop the Arab Spring from happening.

The was a time not so long ago when green was designated enemy of the state. It may look ridiculously childish but these colour-phobic fanatics got their way and pressured many authorities, designers, architects and even oil giant Petronas to acquiesce to be forced to change their colours, their logos and building facades. These changes were not cheap.

When people are threatened and arrested just for wearing certain shirts, symbols and colours without any legal gazette against them, it just goes against common sense and civility. Lessons from our own past and our cherished democracy are not learnt. Mature political reasoning and even handedness are thrown out in favour of brute force and intimidation. There is no need to overreact and reach boiling point.

When National Laureate A Samad Said is hauled up for purportedly reciting poetry, something is greatly amiss in this lovely land of ours. We can be sure by now that Pak Samad wears yellow.

The One Sen Minister

From grappling with flip flopping on the PPSMI issue, missing the challenge of education for language tussles, our overly ingenious minister has suggested the reintroduction of the one sen coin to beat inflation.

First and foremost, he is way out of his league and jurisdiction here for he is not minster for finance, consumerism nor industry. He apparently fails to grasp economics, inflation and pricing mechanisms. He seems not to understand money and the sustainability of currency and its own costs.

He supports the lifting and removal of subsidies which was intended to buffer prices and control inflation. He intends to support hiking up power and electricity prices which will hit manufacturers, suppliers and consumers very hard. He shall be complicit to the removal of further subsidies which will cause costs fuel to rise. All of these efforts shall contribute directly and have compounding effects to inflation and rising prices.

He goes on to say prices were caused by changes in the global climate Then comes the shocker of an advice, Malaysians should control their expenses and learn to increase their own food supply.

The people shall be burdened with spiralling costs, things will be beyond their means as their purchasing power shall be tremendously reduced over a short period of time.

In the meantime, the Malaysian opposition leader said the “alarming” 4.9 per cent rise in food prices from January to April this year compared to the same period last year suggested that there would be a “repeat [of] the pain of 2008”, when food prices jumped 8.8 per cent following sudden fuel price hikes. He says that if this pattern persists for the remainder of the year, 2011 will register the second-highest food price increase for the people to bear since 2006. This would mean food prices have increased by 30 per cent since 2005 while average wages have only gone up 2.6 per cent during the same period, he pointed out. The former finance minister said that there was a “direct correlation” between the government’s subsidy cuts and the persistent food price increases registered so far this year. He also slammed the government for offloading the financial burden of the country’s economic mismanagement to the people.

Meanwhile, spineless consumer associations get into the fray by incredulously suggesting that the people be prepared and get used to it. This means according to one cartoonist, to spend RM 1 for 2 cakes instead of the present 3! Where have the consumer activists with the conscience of the majority in their hearts gone to? This is just like the other overly witty minister who perversely suggested that Malaysians get used to slander and incitement. Where do these people come from.

Finally and the only thing offered by our overly bright minister is a one sen rationalisation to carry in your pocketful of holes at the end of the day.

Give us back our subsidies and you can keep your one sen.

Mat Zain says Najib risks losing Muslim support over Datuk T

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — A retired senior police cop today warned Datuk Seri Najib Razak of a severe Muslim backlash if he failed to punish the “Datuk T” trio for “ridiculing” Islam when they attended a recent sumpah laknat ceremony in a mosque wearing bulletproof vests.

Former KL CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said Najib could fault no one if he loses the confidence of the country’s Muslims by displaying his willingness to protect his “friends” at the expense of insulting Islam.

“YAB (Yang Amat Berhormat) cannot blame anyone if the Muslims in the country, who are not few in number, have lost their confidence in YAB.

“Moreover, when there is an increase in the number of civil service, army and police retirees, many of whom are Muslims, who are beginning to feel cheated and enslaved and more doubtful of YAB’s direction and ability to lead the government…. this is not a very good development for YAB,” he wrote in his letter to the prime minister today.

Mat Zain said that it would be a clear case of power abuse if Najib (picture) chooses to protect an offender for his misdeeds simply because he considers the latter an ally.

“In Najib should refuse or deliberately find for excuses not to take lawful action against the three, then it will not only be deemed that he has abetted in the crime and conspired with the offenders, but he also appears to be fanning the fires of hatred,” he said.

Najib, he said, would also be allowing himself to be deemed a leader who has betrayed and ridiculed Islam.

“It is even more distressing that YAB has allowed a person, whom his own Cabinet regards as an individual who has not only insulted Islam but also abused power, is corrupt, a cheat and a rapist, to bring pornography and prostitution to the house of God,” he said.

Mat Zain was repeating his accusation last week that “Datuk T” — Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik and Datuk Shuib Lazim, the trio behind the recent sex video caper — had violated section 295 of the Penal Code when they attended Shazryl’s sumpah laknat ceremony at the Masjid Amru Al-As in Sentul wearing bulletproof vests.

At the time, Shazryl was swearing on the Quran that the man in the 21-minute sex video was Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Mat Zain complained that their actions had created the perception that the situation in the mosque was unsafe.

Section 295 states that “whoever defiles any place of worship, with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such defilement as an insult to their religion” will be jailed for up to two years and/or fined.

Mat Zain said that if the trio were to be charged under syariah law or the Penal Code for their actions, the case would not affect police investigation on the video itself.

“The two cases are separate,” he said.

He said that even if the identity of the man featured in the video was to be revealed, it would not free the trio from blame for insulting the mosque and ridiculing Islam.

“These two matters are separate criminal offences.

“Other than that, YAB and the Attorney-General have no power or right, according to any law, to indemnify the trio and free them from any criminal liability,” he said.

Mat Zain also insisted today that Utusan Malaysia’s reported claims of a purported Christian uprising against the Muslims was “artificial” in nature.

He pointed out that it was unprecedented in the country’s history that the Christians, who represent the minority group, had risen to usurp Islam from its position as the religion of the federation.

“In my opinion, only irrational Muslims who fear their own shadows will believe and view seriously this likelihood,” he said.

Mat Zain also reminded Najib of the killing of Othman Talib at Felda Lubok Merbau, Padang Terap, Kedah, in 1985, which he said was the result of an “intense political turmoil” during the Padang Terap election campaign.

He explained that he knew the full details of the incident as he had been installed as the Padang Terap district police chief just three days before it occurred.

“As a Muslim, I was saddened to see a group of Muslims weeping and mourning the death of a fellow Muslim, while at the same time, not far off, there was another group of Muslims who cheered as if celebrating a war victory.

“Even more distressing is that there were other rogues proclaiming themselves as Muslims who took the opportunity to ignite the fires of hostility among those of the same race and religion,” he said.

Mat Zain added that he hoped the event would bring Malaysians to realise that it is not the followers of Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity who were trying to destroy Muslims but the Muslims themselves.

“We should be ashamed of ourselves and not find a way out by issuing threats and attempting to intimidate those who are innocent,” he said.

By Clara Chooi | May 19, 2011, The Malaysian Insider

Reclaiming the higher moral ground

Pembela has to come off its high horse, restrategise and leave its perceived xenophobia. Its recent forum which was poorly attended despite huge publicity should sound a warning bell for its continued relevance. Pembela has to reclaim the higher moral ground. It cannot rely and hang on to the shrills and thrills of the bigoted and jingoistic Perkasa's inflammatory bandwagon. Perkasa's modus operandi of blowing up hot air, severe alarmism and extreme hollers achieves nothing for the community. Perkasa's agenda seems only to be scaring Malays and Muslims into becoming a besieged community ever paranoid distrusting everyone except its ever scheming and corrupted leaders. Perkasa makes it its only goal of not wanting Malays to change.

Pembela cannot be associated with lies and deception just because it believes it is fighting for a good cause. Pembela must side with justice and uphold truthfulness. If not, the Muslims it represents, the people's hope and our trust is put in bad light.

Pembela has just cause and genuine concern which Muslims cherish and support. However, it must not betray this faith by being a pliant political accomplice of an ailing and desperate ruling regime. Pembela has to remain upright, honest and true to its noble spirit without fear or favour.

Pembela should not have defended Utusan's inexcusable diatribes and irresponsible racist spins especially the latest mischievous attempt at Christian baiting. Pembela should be above such low journalistic morals and it must spurn gutter politics. Such despicable newspaper reports and followed by upsetting shoddy reactions only afford Christians a higher moral ground, gives them stronger resolve and unfortunately shows up as further evidence of their perceived persecution.

Utusan's persistent lies and slander must come to an end. Pembela should not tie its fate to such misguided purveyors of doom, mischief and disorder.

Bahaya Sang Saka Bangsa

Itulah bagi orang-orang fasik yang inginkan sangat dipanah halilintar, mereka suka sangat bersumpah dan sering mencabar susunan serta ketenteraman peradaban masyarakat. Mereka gemar memecahkan suasana aman damai dan harmoni. Mereka kata mereka hanya ingin membawa kebaikan untuk agama, bangsa dan negara. Dentuman hujan batu tidaklah menerjah bumi yang mereka pijak namun fitnah yang dijaja memberanakkan lagi fasad dan mungkar yang berjela-jela.

Segala mambang dan jembalang dijelmakan dengan hantu-hantu raya lama dibela melalui akhbar-akhbar saka berbisa. Pontianak dan langsuyar diupah dan dihantar merata-rata memaki hamun dan mencarut tanpa batas dan hilang hormat diri. Maka segala macam santau dan peleset dikirim melalui utusan pena-pena penulis berpuaka yang memberitakan secara harian. Gerombolan keris mengamuk menggila. Katanya apabila bulan purnama mengambang, lagi meraung kumpulan pemuja ini.

Akibatnya jenuh jiwa dan semangat Melayu dilanyak dan diasak dengan tahyul dan mitos cerita buniyan. Orang Melayu dibuai halimunan dan ditakutkan-takutkan dengan jaruman halus dan tikaman tajam untuk mencurigai jiran, meninggalkan kawan, mengkhianati sahabat, memporak peranda agama, melanggar pantang larang muhibbah dan meninggalkan kebijaksanaan akal.

Fitnah jahat menjadi-jadi bermaharajalela sebagai mentera untuk menghapuskan musuh politik dan memperdayakan umat. Pawang dan bomoh memuntahkan lagi jampi dendam kesumat. Dukun sesat muncul di kalangan pemimpin yang sepatutnya lebih waras dan berilmiah. Alangkah bisa racun ditanam di dalam dada-dada siaran dan kaca-kaca TV. Pengacara media dan askar maya meludahkan santau dan kahak jangkitan pembohongan. Para agamawan rasmi yang mungkin kurang cermat melepaskan tangan, menyimpan diam dan membiarkan poyang dan syaman menabur upas dan menyesatkan lagi masyarakat.

Kaca, miang buluh dan jarum dicucuk sehingga menjerit kesakitan batang tubuh negara yang ingin bebas dan terlepas daripada rasukan histeria penguasa gila kuasa yang melepaskan gerombolan penyebar naba' fasik - berita jahat. Sihir gila dinamakan propaganda lebih dahsyat daripada ilmu hitam segenap nusa. Katanya ada sang penunggu tua mahawangsa di sebuah menara yang merancang dan mengatur kejahatan ini semua.

Tiada yang terselamat dari sentuhan khurafat dan usaha toyol-toyol merosakkan dan mengelabui umat dengan tuduhan kesat dan tayangan lucah. Tidak cukup dengan itu, Cina dan Nasrani pun dituduh secara merasuk dan meracau.

Maka si fasik masih bersumpah merasa senang hati tiada disambar petir dan kilat. Hanya umat merana kerana alah bisa yang tak berubat hinggalah akhir padahnya.

Siapalah yang akan menjunjung panduan kebenaran dan membawa ayat-ayat syifa bagi penawar memulihkan keruntuhan jatidiri bangsa dan menyelamatkan negara?

Tell me lies

A while back several years ago, a friend called up from Ipoh on a Sunday. He sounded very emotional and asked me why I was not there at the vicinity of a church. He said that they had gathered and surrounded it because of word that a mass conversion was about to take place. There already many people inside the church, he confided. I told him to get out of there because it was a hoax. I said that Christians pray mass on Sundays so there is nothing unusual with the many people going to church on that day. My friend simply huffed saying that he got the information of the purported conversion through people of authority. It seemed that someone with clout had gone on preaching about mass conversions or apostasy. It turned out to be untrue after all but had left an indelible mark on everyone, with some still not accepting that it was just a futile ruse.

I remember an incident in my daughter's school when she reported that she was bodily searched by teachers looking for blasphemous symbols. They were looking for crosses supposedly being worn by subjecting schoolgirls to embarrassing searches. Again, someone had spread the incredible news that some of our girls were being converted by wearing such crosses.

Then, there was the ridiculous rumour of the holy water thing. Word had it that a sprinkle of such priestly water can turn someone away from his or her faith. It had the magic powers of breaking the shahadah or the testimony of faith. Again, people became unduly worried and suspicious. Defence of the faith had become reduced to dealing with absurd threats. I asked Animah Ferrar, a Muslim scholar who was previously Catholic about such matters at a seminar and she assured us that Catholics do not associate any power or magic with such rituals. Muslims ought to know better.

A funny anecdote on conjured up threats was when a much hyped speaker introduced to his audience a hand signal in his motivational talk. This hand signal was purportedly about secret Satanic gestures for Black Metal worshippers. This infamous hand signal was becoming popular among teens loafing about in shopping malls around the country. The signal was in the form of putting up the thumb, forefinger and last finger. It looks like a devil with two horns and a tail, if you look at it that way. Luckily, a member of the audience who was familiar with working with the deaf and sign language as well as adolescent teens straightened the issue with the sign. She pointed out that in standard sign language it is the short form for the letters I, L and Y meaning I love you. So teenagers adopted this as their gestures reflecting their coming of age which may be morally questionable and problematic but definitely not Satanic!

Indeed much jive and hype had been made of the heavy or black metal thing but it seems to be a passing phase but well spun among captive Malay audience. Moral challenges facing our youth are indeed grave but solutions have to be forthright and must not be led by ignorance or deception.

Another dubious story was a tragic and moving one. It involved a apostate daughter who visited his father's shop with her fiancé resulting in humiliating her father and beating him up. The person known to infamously relate this incredulous story is one of those defecting MP's who made his name back then from regurgitating such believable myths and far fetched apostasy threats.

Hence, it is not surprising that the propaganda agenda has been raised or reduced to such incendiary reporting and Christian baiting. After all, everyday Utusan bashes the Chinese and tries its best to terminate a character called Anwar Ibrahim.

When the ruling fears lost of political support base, it begins to undergo lost of political nerves, leading to lost of morality. It then becomes unjust in its actions, spirals out of control and condones lies and deception. It has lost the spirit of Malaysia, it only retains slogans which it cannot fulfil.

The Malaysian public deserves much better. They cannot be treated as fools be they whatever race, colour or creed.

We must uphold truth and justice and disassociate ourselves from bigots, extremists, provocateurs, political opportunists and desperados who trade the future for short term ill-gotten gains.

What's in a watch

A Swiss timepiece, they sometimes call it a chronometer sounding scientific, is a masterpiece of mechanics. It's only a watch but in political slander, it is enough to make it to prime time news, tainted newspapers taking it to town to run the story endlessly trying to make explicit innuendos and darn malicious accusations . It is all a farce and quite self deprecating, of course. This piece of time teller after being made out to be evidence of blazing thunder has gone out on a tiny whimper. This has belittled investigators, made our proud and much honourable police force the object of fun and ridicule and taken an ever sceptical public on a sham.

Coupled with baffling pronouncements by investigators who ought to know better on a much publicised video's genuineness, this piece of clock has run out of spinning time. The incredible story can't be spun anymore. Anyway the wristwatch was just an inanimate object which might just as well be a Petaling Street fake. The video as implied could well be smut made in Thailand, pardon the Thais for such Malaysian indulgence in lewd political overkills. Desperation has made insanity rule Malaysian media.

A watch tells the time. In the hands of normal, decent and innocent people, that is what it does. But scoundrels have other intentions and devious uses, intricate conspiracies, suggesting wicked insinuations and twisted stretched allusions. If only the Swiss masterpiece could speak up...but what's in a watch.

Vindictive "Toads"

My daughter overheard an interesting conversation while on a lift in First Avenue, a shopping mall in Penang. Three Malaysian Indians - 2 girls and a guy - were saying out loud, " What's this with all these sex videos". The guy said, " Pity the poor guy, Anwar Ibrahim". "They have been trying to get him all the time". One of the girls quipped, "Don't they know how his family feels? Don't they know how hurtful it is for them even though the whole thing is not true. All the Westerners are laughing at us now". The guy said, "We can't even do anything about it. There's one word for it - vindictive."

Malaysian mainstream news media are having a field day this time taunting Dr Wan Azizah. Even the questions fielded by reporters are getting rude and provocative but politely contained by Wan Azizah with calm but sharp ripostes. Editorials, opinion pieces and newspaper punchlines are trying to vilify and taint her reputation. Journalists have become lackeys and tools of a wicked and barmy political agenda. Cruel intentions and mala fide are obviously and lucidly portrayed in every title block, news item and even the choice of pictures used. Anything and everything is being unleashed to put down a truly good lady and a wonderful person for those who bother and care to know about the family.

Dr Wan Azizah was just a quiet doctor turned housewife to be with a husband who was once deputy prime minister. That was until her husband got sacked, dramatically arrested, beaten and pummelled in custody and then charged and harshly persecuted, imprisoned on dubious, slanderous and humiliating accusations. She had to stand in for her husband as the torch bearer of reform and that she did with excellence and beyond comprehension. At one of her earliest events in Kedah, she appeared meek and modest unable to speak impromptu even to a large and sympathetic public gathering. She has certainly improved much since then. She held the fledgling reformist political party in the worst of its moments. She stood tall although she was alone representing her party in Parliament after 2004 patiently parrying such abrasive behaviour from merciless fellow ruling party parliamentarians.

Whatever has Wan Azizah done to them?

The journalists may feel nothing wrong with all their persistent lying and deceit, twisting their tales, sensationalising circumstantial material and conjuring up any nook or cradle. Mainstream media has become heartless while seemingly forgetting that many Malaysians are not so. Their tactless and spineless editors have lost their habits of the heart. They are not listening and are not addressing to the conscience of the majority. They are not reporting real news and they are abdicating their moral responsibilities. They indulge in promoting mass ignorance and sheer foolishness. They shall leave their dirty marks on society, their writings are indelible, their TV shows are recorded and many shall curse them, in the end all of their work will be their bane.

They fit in like the toads in Parliament. First there are the political toads who jump party to party, clinging on to life and material support from the ruling party, of course. Then there the toads which are intellectuals with a grudge. These academicians sell themselves off as political hatchet men. All of them are held by a common trait as mentioned by the person in the First Avenue mall lift, "vindictiveness".

Wait se minit Minister!

Wait se minit Minister!

Hey, has the outspoken and abrasive minister done it again, flip flopping on the job! He has been too long on the job of being a political hatchet man instead of being an honest and fair representative of government. Are the tables being turned here? Suddenly they are in full reversal shying away from a commission of inquiry, rather relying on police investigations. Looks like the three stooges, oops , datuks are in for it now. However, it is still too early to tell looking at 13 years of conspiracies full of deviousness and vindictiveness.

Slander does not and will never work. Lying and deceiving to an educated and much informed Malaysian public is pretty dim witted and silly. In order to sustain such blatant lies, more incredible feats have to be created and perpetuated until the whole thing becomes bare, exposed, untenable and collapses on the liars themselves. What evil can they think of next to unleash unto Anwar and the ever wary and sceptical Malaysian.

Again, they forgot to take the late legendary artiste P Ramlee's advice in the Malay version of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, not to throw the dice thrice - trickery has its limits!

Dr Wan Azizah and family have weathered 13 years of brutal BN aggression in the form of persistent intimidation and character assassinations. Any other family would have been devastated but no, they withstood such scurrilous attacks on their husband and father that even the damning newspaper, The Star had to admit their family values were upheld high and acknowledged as a model.

Many Malaysians were always with them in their hearts albeit silent even in the darkest moments of tribulation. Malaysians of various arrays, hues, persuasions and beliefs stood with them, supporting them, wishing and praying for them. Many cried their tears in the middle of the night, unbeknown to others, while others slept, they were appealing to God to uplift themselves, save themselves but also to put in a supplication, to provide succour for Anwar and his family. All prayers and good wishes are meant for the just, the truthful, the honourable and the steadfast. No one shall wish any good to liars and deceivers. Those who make it their mission and living to hound, slander and terminate others shall have to fend for themselves here and the hereafter.

What is the lesson from all of these sometimes horrible and ever shameful experiences for the Malaysian public at large. We now know the extent of evil and who its purveyors are, who condones them, who are behind them, who collaborates, who sanctions, who does the dirty work for them; we recognise the criterion to distinguish the good and the bad. Instead of breaking us apart, Malaysians can now come together under the banner of truth and justice.

We surely know that things shall have to change.

That is why we say UBAH! UBAH! UBAH! Change Malaysia Change!

Being on the wrong side of history

A friend of mine told me that while on the board the flight that was taking Malaysian students safely back from Egypt, officials asked them to prepare thank you notes and posters showering praise on the government for helping them. It seems anything goes for propaganda and cheap political mileage. It shows the shallow state of mind of some of us.

The Malaysian prime minister made some baffling statements concerning Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradawi and the Ikhwan Muslimin - the Muslim Brotherhood. He was said to paint them as extremists. But probably upon realising the implications, the strong reaction and condemnation from many quarters, he made some twists of adjustments. He clarified that he only wanted them to change their ways and reject extremism. This made it even more astounding. People do remember that it was his august office that awarded the prestigious Malaysian Maal Hijrah title in 2009 to Yusuf al Qaradawi in recognition of his outstanding scholarship and contributions in the world today. Malaysian politicians do say and do awful things sometimes.

The PM's mission to Turkey was to probably get endorsements as he desperately wanted to be seen as the the voice and star of Muslim moderation in the world today. People probably believe he got an earful from Turkish PM Erdogan concerning Anwar. Some say that the PM received the same from Qaradawi when he was here.

The prime minister's sudden alarmist interest in the views of al Qaradawi is not surprising if he seems to want to align himself to those of Tony Blair, old Europe, the Neo cons and the Liebermans. His choice of media in Washington seems to be the extremely right wing conservative press like the National Review although he claims to be a moderate Muslim. This sort of appeasement may be acceptable and expedient in the short term but in the end, the world has changed and the right wing agenda shall never have a place anymore in liberated Arab and Muslim minds. Even the US and its allies will have to change to accepting the will and free determination of the people of the Middle East or anywhere else.

The Muslim brotherhood has a long and illustrious history. They were the resistance to colonialism, fighting against imperialism and the Israel project. They raised the dignity of the people and transformed the youth to be principled Muslims and to be upright upholding truth and justice. They rejuvenated and reformed Muslim society. They were put down brutally and suffered decades of severe suppression but kept on going with faithful resilience. They never took up arms against the state no matter what it did to them. They were never greedy for power. They were the voice of moderation and the conscience of the majority. The people were forever with them even through banishment and years of persecution. It is then for the Egyptian people to decide and not for us.

They certainly do not need dubious analysis or misguided advice from a prime minister who is headed for the wrong side of history.

Gaza Freedom Flotilla Protestors take to the streets in KL

My wife's former student who is a medical houseman rang up on Friday afternoon. He sounded so excited. He called from Kampong Baru mosque in Kuala Lumpur after Friday prayers. He said Anwar Ibrahim is in the middle of a rousing speech. Anwar's spirited speech almost swept him away. He said that thousands are joining the protests.

Anwar Ibrahim has once again taken to the streets. This time it is for the cause of the Palestinians. He led the crowd to protest the recent Israeli piracy and brutal murder of humanitarian aid activists of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. For a person who is about to be thrown out of Parliament and worse still on the verge of being imprisoned once again over malicious and humiliating charges, he shows no restrain.

The opposition party Pakatan Rakyat and other NGO's organised and led 10,000 protestors to take to the US embassy. Anwar was allowed in with other leaders to deliver the protest memorandum. This was obviously omitted and blacked out by mainstream TV and media. Instead, much was mentioned of a smaller protest at the national mosque led by UMNO Youth, Perkasa, 4B and PPIM which could only pull 200 protestors.

Anwar Ibrahim was persistently accused by UMNO of being a Zionist agent until he turned the tables on them by revealing the depth and extent of the Israeli connected APCO role in BN's government. This even caused ripples in the American Jewish organisations who labelled him anti-Semitic, their usual ploy. When asked, Anwar said that he was not being racist, he firmly believes in engagement with all sides but he could never compromise on issues of sovereignty and national security.

Malaysia has to get this one right. In trying to appease the US, Malaysia should not compromise its independence and principles in its policies either in terms of the situation in Iran, Afghanistan or Palestine.

Malaysia on Trial: What they say matters

Dr. Wahbah al Zuhaily yang juga Dekan Fakulti Fiqh dan Mazhab Islam dari Universiti Damsyik, Syria berkata, Nabi Yusoff a.s dipenjarakan walaupun dibuktikan bahawa Nabi Yusof tidak melakukan kesalahan.

"Tidak semua yang diperjara itu bersalah...seperti Nabi Yusof a.s (yang) walaupun telah ada keterangan yang jelas (iaitu) kesan koyakan baju di bahagian belakang menunjukkan Yusuf cuba melarikan diri daripada fitnah, tetapi dia tetap dipenjarakan disebabkan muslihat musuh" .

"Saya amat serius bahawa cabaran yang dihadapi Anwar ini menyusahkan hati saya...semoga Allah akan menaikkan darjatnya seperti Nabi Yusof a.s," jelasnya. "Beliau (Anwar) akan dapat kedudukan yang lebih baik dari apa yang telah pun didapati sebelum ini."

"Bagi kita semua, menjadi tanggungjawab kita untuk membantu perjuangannya yang benar dan melawan kuasa yang batil" . "Ini adalah tanggungjawab bersama (dan) ini adalah ujian bagi beliau dan dunia Islam yang sedang disaksikan dunia Barat."

(Harakah Daily)

Saya mengenali Anwar Ibrahim sejak 25 tahun yang lalu. Ketika itu Anwar adalah presiden Abim. Apabila Anwar menyertai kerajaan, hubungan kami masih akrab. Setelah Anwar difitnah dan dipenjarakan, saya sering mendoakan agar beliau tabah dan tidak mengalah. Sekarang beliau adalah harapan kepada rakyat yang mencintai keadilan dan kemanan sejagat. Saya minta tuan-tuan dan puan-puan agar bersama-sama Anwar Ibrahim untuk mengangkat martabat kemanusian yang meletakkan keadilan dan prinsip Islam sebagai asas perjuangan.”

Prof. Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi , Tokoh Maal Hijrah, 19 Disember 2009 di Masjid Shah Alam

(TV Selangor)

Veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah also tweeted his thoughts on the trial in his @razaleigh twitter account, saying "Another trial to shame the country the world over. Is this case even triable anymore?"

(Malaysian Insider)

I know that there are attempts to shame and drag Anwar Ibrahim through the mud and sludge. However for the sake of our children, may I ask the media, especially the printed newspapers, to be sensitive of their readers knowing that among them are children and minors? What surprises me is the deafening silence of the information ministry which quietly approves of such nonsense. Please don't for the sake of politics expose our children to such indecency.

Yee Siew Meng

(Malaysiakini)

Anwar's daughter upon seeing the accuser Saiful in court, "Bertaubatlah!".

(Various news report)

Ustaz Ahmad Rivai Batubara, religious teacher, passionately said , "Anwar Ibrahim adalah pemimpin umat. Pemimpin umat bukan senang untuk dilahirkan. Kita berkewajipan mempertahankan dia dan mendoakannya."

(At a Muslim gathering)

“I am not going to leave Pakatan Rakyat or PKR,” PKR’s Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne told reporters at his service centre yesterday. Loh said he had joined PKR following a request from Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. “In his time of need, there’s no way I will abandon him,” he said.

(The Star)

“It’s unfortunate we have to go through this again. I would have no qualms about Anwar being defeated in a political contest. But I cannot accept him being brought down this way,” said his loyal friend Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar who is also Tumpat MP.

(The Star)

Malaysia on Trial: What the roti seller said

"I don't believe in this charge at all," Aziz Maanan, a 36-year-old food vendor, says as he prepares a double-layered toasted roti at a night market in Kuala Lumpur. "They are all afraid of [Anwar] because if he wins and becomes prime minister, they will all end up in jail."

(Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/)

Lawyers know how hard it is to prove a case of genuine rape as such acts are usually committed unseen and unheard by witnesses but what are the chances of proving a case which never happened? The effort to stage manage fabricated evidence in court would be tremendous. Witnesses have to be coached, their testimonies must tally and dovetail together, plausible explanations must be created for seemingly contradictory events and witnesses must remember what to say and what they have said. To make it even more challenging the whole contraption must stand up in court under the aggressive cross-examination of lawyers. But no matter how well planned, an unexpected revelation may throw a spanner into the works and bring the whole edifice tumbling down.

(Bruce Tan, Harakah)

Bendahari PAS Pusat yang juga Ahli Parlimen Kuala Krai Dr. Mohd Hatta Ramli menyeru rakyat yang hadir supaya bersedia menempuhi gelombang reformasi kedua. mengulangi ucapan yang pernah ditegaskan oleh bekas Presiden PAS, Almarhum Datuk Fadzil Mohd Noor, “bukan kerana dia Anwar, sesiapa pun yang difitnah, Islam menyeru kita menentang kezaliman”.

(Harakah)

Rights group Amnesty International has urged the Malaysian authorities to drop the charges against Anwar, calling them "politically motivated". "The Malaysian authorities have resorted to the same old dirty tricks in an attempt to remove the opposition leader from politics," Sam Zarifi, Amnesty's Asia-Pacific director, said last week.

(Al Jazeera)

The situation calmed down for a while and became chaotic again when police chased out photographers and cameramen from the lobby to reduce crowding there and adding to the chaos were shouts of "reformasi" by Anwar's supporters in the court compound who had come as early as 6am. Also present in the court complex was Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang.

(Bernama)

PAS’s self inflicted wound

PAS’s self inflicted wound

It seems PAS has been entranced by UMNO’s crafty use of the keris, thereby inflicted by UMNO’s realpolitik.. In old Malay lore, folks say that the best form of silat or martial arts is by defeating the enemy using its own strength. Once again UMNO’s political shrewdness has made the better of PAS.

I met a member of PKR's supreme council once at the LCCT during the first revelations of secret UMNO-PAS talks. He commented light heartedly that there were two trains travelling to Putrajaya but one had already arrived. So you can either climb up the one that is still on its way or be there at the destination.

Power is tempting, offers of being in the highest echelons of national governance is ever luring. Justifications of national interest, Malay-Muslim unity and opportunities for Islamisation shore up these political ambitions. Dread and fears of further religious liberalisation add to the fuel.

During the secret talks between Pak Lah and Pas's president and his deputy, even the matter of Anwar's pending regurgitated charges were brought up. In fact, they even tried to convince PAS leaders that they had a valid case against Anwar. It was leverage as well as further justification, however diabolical. Meeting prominent national leaders up close tend to cloud one's vision.

The only difference in this PAS-UMNO unity idea is that UMNO shall remain as it is, in fact may even boost its image in leading Malay fervour for reconciliation. In the meantime, PAS shall definitely split up, losing its young base support, professionals and mistrust from the non-Muslims. This shall undauntedly happen even if the unity idea fails.

In time PAS shall be jettisoned like they suffered in 1978 as UMNO regains its strength and its ability to survive due to its dominance in realpolitik. UMNO's base support remains. PAS shall remain as provincial politicians and may never reach the national stage ever again.

PAS ought to gauge and review why they lost Trengganu when others won even in Perak and Selangor. PAS ought to be honest and should they really discount Anwar's contribution in bringing them to the mainstream in Malaysian politics after years of being in the political wilderness.

Notes: Realpolitik (German: real “realistic”, “practical” or “actual”; and Politik “politics”) refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily on practical considerations, rather than ideological notions. The term realpolitik is often used pejoratively to imply politics that are coercive, amoral, or Machiavellian. Realpolitik is a theory of politics that focuses on considerations of power, not ideals, morals, or principles. (source: wikipedia)