Malaysia has long track record of religious, cultural harmony

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia had a long track record of being a peaceful nation, in which people from different races and religions live harmoniously with each other since gaining its independence. 

KUALA LUMPUR: While Malaysia will never claim to be the perfect Muslim nation, its history of having peoples of different religions and cultures live in harmony is one it can take pride in.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia had a long track record of being a peaceful nation, in which people from different races and religions live harmoniously with each other since gaining its independence.

“While the majority of Malaysians are Muslims, we have a substantial minority who are from different faiths, cultures, customs and ways of life.

“We will never claim to be the perfect Muslim (nation) or the model of a good Muslim nation, but we can attest that we have been able to live with our non-Muslim citizens in peace and harmony for decades.

And, this tradition has existed since our independence,” said Dr Mahathir at the welcoming dinner hosted for delegates of the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019, here, this evening.

The opening and launch ceremony of the summit will be graced by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah tomorrow.

Dr Mahathir said although there had been minor racial and religious conflicts in the country, such incidents were rare and insignificant.

“To our mind, that is what Islam enjoins us to do – to live peacefully with our non-Muslim citizens and work together to build a nation that is prosperous, peaceful and harmonious.

“We share the bounty and Alhamdulillah (praise God) it has been bountiful,” he said.

On the summit, Dr Mahathir said the event would serve as a platform for delegates to discuss and deliberate on the state of affairs related to the Muslim ummah (community).

“We have endeavoured to hold this summit because we feel that we have to do something to improve the lives of Muslims the world over.

“We feel that we need to overcome Islamophobia.

“We need to find a way to address our shortcomings, our dependency on non-Muslims to protect ourselves against the enemies of Islam,” he said.

Malaysia, said Dr Mahathir, hoped that the summit would result in the formulation of initiatives that could be the catalyst to bigger things for Muslim countries around the world.

Cred-straitimes

Shirtless man climbs signage, causes jam in Bukit Bintang amidst drama

A Bangladeshi man who climbed on top of a road signage near Royal Chulan Hotel in Jalan Bukit Bintang caused an hour-long traffic jam in the city today. 

KUALA LUMPUR: A Bangladeshi man who climbed on top of a road signage near Royal Chulan Hotel in Jalan Bukit Bintang caused an hour-long traffic jam in the city today.

The shirtless man, believed to be high on inhalants, even fought with rescuers as they attempted to coaxed him down.

It took the police and Fire and Rescue Department personnel more than 30 minutes to apprehend him.

    A video of the "rescue effort" has also gone viral on social media this afternoon.

It was learnt that the drama unfolded about 1.30pm, when passersby spotted a shirtless man standing and "parading" on top of the metal frame of the signage.

Fearing for his safety and motorists below, authorities were called in to handle the situation.

Police and firefighters arrived at the scene a few minutes later and tried to persuade him to come down but he turned violent by kicking at the approaching rescuers.

As a large crowd started to gather to watch the "drama", several patrol cars arrived and cordoned off the area to allow for the "rescue effort" to commence.

A Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said after several failed attempts, rescuers finally managed to bring the man down to safety.

"Firemen initially tried to calm him down by asking him to come down but the man started to behave violently.

"He started attacking and kicking the rescuers when a ladder was mounted nearby but after much effort, we brought him down safely," he said when contacted.

The spokesman added that the man has been handed over to the police for further action.

Crd-straitimes

Let’s do away with insignificant public holidays

Good Friday, Christmas and Chinese New Year are of no significance to those of other faith or race. 

COMMENT | This is an issue which I have taken up in the past. Talking about too many public holidays may seem a trivial matter but it isn’t.

If you look at it holistically, it becomes an issue which cannot be ignored nor brushed aside in a nonchalant manner.

It is said that Malaysia has the most number of public holidays in the world. If this is verified (which I believe is not way off), it is not exactly something to be proud of. 

It is a serious issue which warrants a thorough study and review by the government, the sooner the better.

In 2010, there are a total of 48 national and regional public holidays, according to the official almanac. These are gazetted by Putrajaya or the respective state governments, meaning it is mandatory to observe them.

Examples of regional holidays are Isra and Miraj on March 22 in Kedah, Negri Sembilan and Perlis, Declaration of Malacca as a historical city on April 15 in Malacca and Georgetown Heritage Day on July 7 in Penang.

Sabahans and Sarawakians will enjoy an additional long weekend holiday from May 31 to June 2 because of the Harvest Festival celebrated by the native communities.

Come next year, as is the case in almost every year, there will not be a single month without a national or regional holiday. Somehow, somewhere, Malaysians will be observing a holiday.

It seems that we, Malaysians, just love public holidays.

But talk to any businessman and he will surely be sighing that having too many public holidays is an extravagant practice that could become a big issue in economic management.

Why did I decide to pen my thoughts on this public holiday issue again?

It was prompted by the announcement two days ago by Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal that Dec 24 has been declared an additional public holiday in conjunction with Christmas, starting this year.

“I hope the additional holiday would benefit those celebrating the occasion. It will also enable those celebrating Christmas to return home earlier,” he said.

Upon receiving this report in a chat group, I responded: “What? Another public holiday! An extra Christmas holiday in Sabah. This is absurd and unnecessary.

“Even as a Christian, I do not support such a declaration of an additional public holiday over Christmas. I have written about this matter in the past - there are already too many public holidays in this country. We can surely do without another one.

“Sabah CM Shafie Apdal is probably using the public holiday as a feel-good factor for Sabah Christians ahead of the Kimanis by-election. This can be likened to an abuse of power by the chief minister.

“I don’t recall Shafie declaring Dec 24 as an additional public holiday last year. I’m concerned about the underlying political motive to suddenly do so this year.

“I do not condone this perceived abuse of power by the Sabah CM, even though it is just a matter of a public holiday.

“When it is wrong, it is wrong!”

As a Christian, I should be happy for my fellow Christians in Sabah that they have an extra day off from work to enjoy Christmas. 

Of course, I am glad that the Sabah government has decided to accord Christmas as an important religious occasion worthy of an additional holiday. My key question – is that so vital and necessary?

Making sacrifices

I will not enter into a serious discourse on this issue purely on the viewpoint of a Christian. It will be a biased opinion if I were to do so.

Apart from my suspicion of Shafie Apdal’s motive in view of the impending Kimanis by-election in Sabah, my concern stays on “too many unnecessary public holidays”.

My point is this. As a Christian, if I am prepared to forgo public holidays on an important date related to my religion, will those of other faith do likewise?

There are just too many religious occasions in a year cycle which are considered sacred and important in our respective faiths.

Religious holidays take up a chunk of the gazetted national holidays with cultural festivals in second place.

We have to take steps to reduce the number of such national holidays, many I deem insignificant, for the sake of our nation’s economic growth and the welfare of our workers.

How?

Firstly, can we all agree to a maximum of two of the most important religious occasions and one cultural festival in a calendar year to be observed as national public holidays?

For example, as a Catholic and a Chinese, I will be very happy if Good Friday and the first day of Chinese New Year are national holidays. I am prepared to forgo even Christmas.

Good Friday, Christmas and Chinese New Year are of no significance to those of other faith or race. Similarly, the sacred religious occasions of Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists hold little meaning for me.

So why should I be observing an occasion which is of little or no significance to me? Thus, it makes sense for me to be at work.

Let us not forget that most of us, whether in the public or private sector, are also entitled to annual leave of between 11 to 21 days. We should make use of our leave if we need to take an extended holiday.

This is a sacrifice which we, as citizens, will have to make if we earnestly wish to see our nation progress and prosper.

Also, if we are genuine, faithful souls who abide by our religious teachings, we must surely be exhorted too by the Almighty to live with the spirit of give-and-take and make sacrifices for our fellow citizens in the greater interests of the country.

If I were a Sabahan, I will be telling Shafie Apdal this today: “I don’t think we need an additional public holiday, sir. Workers are more interested in how to improve their income with better wages than public holidays”.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

Cred-malaysiakini

Want to keep your mind sharp? Read newspapers every day, says Dr M

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reacts during an interview in Putrajaya December 10, 2019

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has advised Malaysians to read newspapers every day to help keep the mind active.

In his column published by the New Sunday Times today under the heading “Here’s my recipe for staying healthy”, he says when talking or making speeches, memory of words and phrases and the alternatives would spring to the mind easily with regular reading.

And if one does not read or seldom reads, the words do not come spontaneously when talking or making a speech.

“Reading newspapers every day also helps to keep the mind active and improves the capacity to form words and phrases. 

“It is normal for an old person to remember incidents in the past than recent incidents. But even this can be improved with reading and talking,” writes Dr Mahathir.

The 94-year-old prime minister devotes much of the column to answering the one question people repeatedly asked him about — his ability to function at this late age.

“I feel obliged to explain about my experience even if it is not based on scientific study. Frankly, I don’t know how I am what I am. All I can say is that, I have been fortunate in not suffering from the diseases that shorten one’s life,” he said.

Dr Mahathir says he did have a heart attack 30 years ago but he survived, adding that heart attacks are not as fatal as they used to be.

He points out that certainly many things are within our control and we should do our best to control ourselves so that we stay healthy and probably live to a ripe old age.

“Self-discipline or the ability to control what we can do in life, is life-saving. We must always try to control our desires,” he explains.

Good eating habit is Dr Mahathir’s first recipe to stay healthy, saying people should eat to live and not live to eat.

The body really does not need a lot of food except when one is young and growing. For them the food is needed to ensure good bodily growth. Still, the amount of food must not be more than what is needed.

“Obesity often follows overeating even among children and the young. And obesity is not good for health and longevity.”

He says children grow fat because doting parents insist on them taking a lot of food which they should not.

Instead parents should teach their children to eat more fruits and vegetable and less rice or carbohydrates and certainly less sugar.

Elaborating on obesity, which afflicts a very high percentage of Malaysians, Dr Mahathir says the problem usually begins at the age of 40 as the tendency at that age is to eat as much tasty food as available and when food is tasty, more of it would be taken.

The stomach responds to the bigger intake by becoming bigger and when this happens, more food is needed to assuage the feeling of hunger and this results in weight gain while obesity is bad for health.

And with such a big body, the heart has to work harder to deliver blood. To cope with the heavier work, the heart enlarges while the blood pressure goes up, bringing with it all kinds of related symptoms and diseases.

“So in order to avoid blood pressure diseases, eat less and don’t grow fat. Besides the heart, the other organs of the body ie.the liver, kidneys and pancreas will all be overstressed. Any one of these organs may fail and shorten life,” he says.

Cred-malaymail

Christmas-decorated trains started running on the North East and Downtown Lines on Dec 9, 2019.PHOTO: LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

Christmas-decorated trains started running on the North East and Downtown Lines on Dec 9, 2019.PHOTO: LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

SINGAPORE - Christmas decorations will be brightening up trains and buses over the next few weeks.

The festive season theme - Tropical Beach Christmas - will involve a colourful blend of tropical elements mixed with the usual Christmas decorations so watch out for sandy snowmen, starfish, palm trees and transport-themed ornaments.

Christmas-decorated trains started running on the North East and Downtown Lines on Monday (Dec 9) with more to come on Dec 16 on the North South, East West and Circle MRT lines

Bus services 5, 7, 14, 61, 65, 197, 857, 972 as well as some MRT stations, including the Dhoby Ghaut North East Line station concourse and Dhoby Ghaut Circle Line platform, will also be decorated.

Commuters can also expect murals at Bugis, Bukit Panjang and Newton stations.

The Land Transport Authority said in a statement on Tuesday that the aim of the decorations was to "liven up the commuting experience during festive seasons, and foster positive commuter culture".

Cred- straitimes

OFFICIAL PRESENTATION OF SPELLS OF IRRESISTIBLE ALLURE AND THE UNVEILING OF D'MAJESTIC RANGE OF FRAGRANCES

OFFICIAL PRESENTATION OF SPELLS OF IRRESISTIBLE ALLURE AND THE UNVEILING OF D'MAJESTIC RANGE OF FRAGRANCES

Sunday, 3rd November 2019, the ever-bustling city of Kuala Lumpur stood still for one of Nigeria’s finest writers and entrepreneur, King Evans. It was the official presentation of his book, 'spells of irresistible allure' and the unveiling of a new range of fragrances from his company, ‘d'majestic fragrances’ in an event that was said to be ‘An exercise in ‘mixology’.

The event which took place at the Double-tree BY Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, which is situated at the heart of the city attracted the major players in academia, entertainment, business and major movers in the society.

Nigeria’s ambassador to Malaysia, Ambassador Nurudeen Mohammed was on hand to represent the Nigerian government in this very auspicious occasion.

There were representatives from the New Zealand embassy and other countries. The host country of Malaysia was not left out as they were ably represented by people from the education ministry.

The speakers on the launch; Professor Dr Patrick N.Okechukwu, Barrister M.tharuma Ratnam, and Pastor Paul Mandor Bassey (MITG), highlighted their views on the book and why they recommend that everyone should grab a copy because of the inherent lessons and knowledge to be learned from the book which story-line is such a thrilling, moving and motivating one. They also encouraged Nigerians to become innovative and move up beyond their comfort zones.

In his remark, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ambassador Nurudeen Mohammed, after unveiling the products, called all Nigerians to emulate King Evans in thinking out of the box. He said he was delighted to grace the occasion, hinting that such is the news he wants to hear about Nigerians living in that country. He also informed Nigerians living in Malaysia that the embassy is ready and willing to support all Nigerians who are making positive impacts in that region. He encouraged King Evans and pledged the support of the consulate.

The chairman of the occasion, Chief Francis Njoku admonished all Nigerians to live up to their billings by being good ambassadors of the country where they came from and desist from everything that gives Nigeria a bad name . he thanked King Evans for standing out and being a good representative of Nigeria in Malaysia.

He spent his time researching each of them and knew what their personal habits were. He charts them in this book. He outlines what works. If you want a quick, easy read, If, however, you are willing to take your time, plot your coarse and take full guidance from Evans himself, then use this as a guide and develop your own Mastermind Group and thrive.

The chief host, King Evans was delighted to have people from all works of life converge to witness that epoch-making event and thanked God for making it a huge success.

King Evans who has been described as an intellectual introvert has been a scriptwriter, song writer, film producer and an innovative entrepreneur with awesome leadership skills.

Eating sago worms

Fancy a meal that wriggles in your mouth?

KOTA KINABALU: Eating sago worms for the first time can be a nightmarish experience, but many quickly acquire a taste for them.

Whether served alive, stir-fried, cooked in soya gravy or drowned in a bowl of hot congee on a cold day, the larva of the sago palm weevil has come a long way since its debut in the Pulau Tiga Survivor Island game show in 2000.

This wriggly worm, known to locals as “butod”, has become a commercial hit and is one of Sabah’s tourism food brands.

Butod has been popularised by the Sabah Tourism Board as an ingredient in dishes for those looking for adventure in exotic food. They are also used in team building challenges such as in eating them raw.

Sago worms, which can grow to the size of the human thumb, can be found in sago trees, many of which grow in the Papar, Penampang and Kuala Penyu districts.

Butod is said to be high in protein and fat. When eaten, its chewy skin bursts to release a creamy texture.

A Penampang resident, Terence Dolinting, said rapid development in his district had greatly reduced the number of sago trees.

“Butod used to be sold cheaply,” he said, “but I recently bought a worm for RM2.”

He said some restaurants selling authentic Sabah food in Kota Kinabalu were of late finding it hard to get their supplies.

However, Quinie Chin, who works at a Kota Kinabalu restaurant that serves butod as one its highlights, said she had no problems with supplies because she could depend on a number of suppliers.

“The only trouble is that I get less during the rainy season and the price tends to fluctuate. If a supplier raises his price, I will usually source them from other suppliers to keep the cost down.”

She said her restaurant usually needs about 500 sago worms a month for sushi, pizzas and salads.

She agreed with those who would consider food served with butod as bizarre, but said the worms were a hit with many of her patrons, including tourists. “We see them daring each other to eat the live worm.”

Cred- freemalaysiatoday

Human rights apply to all, EU tells Malaysia over Selangor Shariah ‘unnatural sex’ conviction

Mogherini called for the men to be released immediately, and for the human rights of LGBT persons to be guaranteed and protected according to Malaysia's international obligations. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — The European Union (EU) chided the Selangor Shariah High Court for sentencing five men for “attempting sex against the order of nature” last week, saying the punishments are a breach of their human rights.

In a brief statement, its High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights applies to everyone, even the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

“Caning — a form of corporal punishment — constitutes a breach of their human rights, and is a cruel, inhumane and degrading practice, and a form of torture,” Mogherini said through her spokesman.

“The human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons are protected under existing international human rights law and relevant international conventions.

“The principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to all human beings without distinction of any kind,” the statement added.

The EU also called for the men to be released immediately, and for the human rights of LGBT persons to be guaranteed and protected according to Malaysia's international obligations.

The five were convicted under Sections 52 and 28 of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1995 after charged with attempting to conduct sexual relations with one or more men in an apartment at Bandar Baru Bangi, around 9.30pm on November 9 last year.

Four of the men aged 27 to 37 were fined RM4,800, six months imprisonment and six strokes of the cane. Another 42-year old man was sentenced to a jail term of seven months, fined RM4,900, and six strokes of the cane.

A group of 28 progressive civil rights organisations and political parties including Tenaganita, All Women’s Action Society, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia has since noted that the case's presiding Shariah judge Mohamad Asri Mohamad Tahir made numerous prejudiced remarks unrelated to the facts in issue.

The remarks made by Mohamad Asri included stating that people “like them” are difficult to control and must be segregated led the group to conclude that such extremely prejudicial sentiments resulted in unjust sentencing for the five

Cred - malaymail.com

Police arrest Namibian man suspected of strangling girlfriend to death in Sepang

Police said the incident was believed to have stemmed from a fight between the suspect and the victim at the apartment before the suspect strangled the victim, believed to be his girlfriend, to death.

SEPANG, Nov 11 — A Namibian man has been arrested to assist with the investigations into the discovery of a dismembered Nigerian woman’s body at an apartment in Cyberjaya last Wednesday.

Sepang district police chief ACP Abdul Aziz Ali said the 26-year-old suspect was detained by a police team from the D9 Unit (Serious Crimes) of the Criminal Investigation Department on the footpath along Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, two days after the body was found.

In a press conference here today, Abdul Aziz said the incident was believed to have stemmed from a fight between the suspect and the victim at the apartment before the suspect strangled the victim, believed to be his girlfriend, to death.

In order to dispel the evidence, the suspect allegedly cut off both of the woman’s hands, which the police later found in a rubbish bin on the sixth floor of the same building.

Abdul Aziz said the 33-year-old woman’s right leg was also found to have been almost severed.

“Police also found a knife believed to have been used to maim the victim’s body,” he said, adding that the suspect also had two criminal records of trespassing and posing as a civil servant.

According to him, the investigation revealed that the suspect was a former student at a private institution of higher learning in the Klang Valley, and had been expelled last year.

Abdul Aziz said the suspect, who has been remanded for seven days beginning Nov 9, was believed to have befriended the victim via social media. — Bernama

Cred-malaymail.com

SUCESS %

 Success percent

Your individual definition of what success is exactly may vary, but many might define it as being fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, and loved. It is the ability to reach your goals in life, whatever those goals may be.

So what can you do to boost your chances of achieving these things? What are some of the habits of successful people?

There is no single right way to be successful. What works for you might not work for someone else. There may not be a perfect combination of ingredients that can guarantee success, but there are some basic steps you can follow that can improve your chances of being successful in life, love, work, or whatever happens to be important to you regardless of your skin color,country or been disable.

Build a Growth Mindset

Those with a fixed mindset believe that success isn't a result of hard work it's simply a consequence of innate talents. Because they believe that such talents are something people are either born with or without, they tend to give up more easily in the face of a challenge. They quit when things do not come easily because they believe that they lack the inborn skill needed to excel.

Those who have a growth mindset, on the other hand, feel that they can change, grow, and learn through effort. People who believe that they are capable of growth are more likely to achieve success. When things get tough, they look for ways to improve their skills and keep working toward success.

What can you do to build a growth mindset?

• Believe that your efforts matter. Rather than thinking their abilities are fixed or stuck, people who have a growth mindset believe that effort and hard work can lead to meaningful growth.
• Learn new skills. When faced with a challenge, they look for ways to develop the knowledge and skills that they need to overcome and triumph.
• View failures as learning experiences. People with growth mindsets don't believe that failure is a reflection of their abilities. Instead, they view it as a valuable source of experience from which they can learn and improve upon. "That didn't work," they might think, "so this time I'll try something a little different.
• Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

      tactics for improving your emotional intelligence

• Paying attention to your own emotions. Focus on identifying what you are feeling and what is causing those feelings.a typical African man will ask in the Nigerian dialect HOW I GO TAKE KNOW MY EMOTION HAHAHA-intelligence
• Managing your emotions. Step back and try to view things with an impartial eye. Avoid bottling up or repressing your feelings, but look for healthy and appropriate ways of dealing with what you are feeling.
• Listening to others. This not only involves hearing what they are saying but also paying attention to nonverbal signals and body language.

Toughness

 toughness and increase your chances of being successful in life?

• Believe in yourself. Cut out the negative self-talk and look for ways to stay positive and self-encouraging.
• Keeping trying. Even when things seem impossible or setbacks keep holding you back, focus on ways that you can develop your skills and keep soldiering forward. One of the key habits of successful people is to always look at setbacks or failures as learning opportunities.
• Set goals. Mentally tough people know that in order to achieve, they need to start by having attainable goals. These goals are not necessarily easy to reach, but by having something to aim for, you will be better able to move forward and overcome obstacles.
• Find support. Doing things alone can be difficult, but having a strong support system can make things easier. Mentors, friends, co-workers, and family members can cheer you one when things get tough, and even offer advice and assistance that can help you improve your chances for success. 

      How to boost your sense of intrinsic motivation?

• Challenge yourself. People often find that pursuing a goal that is achievable, but not necessarily easy, is a great way to increase motivation to succeed. Challenges can keep you interested in a task, improve your self-esteem, and offer feedback on areas you can improve on.
• Stay curious. Look for things that grab your attention and that you would like to learn more about.
• Take control. It can be difficult to stay intrinsically motivated to pursue a goal if you don't feel that you have any real influence over the outcome. Look for ways that you can take an active role.
• Don't fear competition. There might be other people out there trying to reach the same goals as you, but this doesn't mean that you should give up. It gives you something to compare your efforts to, and can even help inspire you to keep doing better.

faith