Category Archives: Articles

TRANSFORM, PERFORM, CONFORM OR …

24 Nov 2018

The 10 year old clip featuring Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Unity) Senator P Waytha Moorthy has been hogging the news in the mainstream, alternative media and more so in social media.

The recent expose by R.AGE, we hope would give our fellow Malaysians some understanding and grasp of the historical and current issues afflicting the Indian Bottom 40 (IB40) community.

Compared to the national average, the school dropout, unemployment and crime rates are higher among the IB40 community. Anybody who has stayed near a rubber estate or with an Indian community will know how bad their living conditions are.

It is therefore not too difficult to understand the frustrations of the Indian community who have been long neglected by their own leaders and the lack of political will to improve their socio-economic status. Instead, they were used only to win their votes by cash handouts but only to be forgotten until the next election

We may not agree with the politics of Waytha but surely we can understand why the Indian community sorely needed a much more vocal, aggressive and extrovert exponent to champion their rights and to highlight their predicament and deprivation.

How different are the historical nuances of Waytha from the current display of racial zealotry by UMNO-PAS-right wing Malay NGOs against Icerd which they have mistakenly surmised as abrogating their Malay rights?

And it is these same racist goons who are calling for the expulsion of Waytha from the cabinet. Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the racist of them all?

Maybe we should first ask Hadi Awang to seek the nations’ forgiveness on his Amanat which labeled our Federal Constitution as “… mengekalkan perlembagaan penjajah, mengekalkan peraturan kafir, mengekalkan peraturan jahiliyah … dan kerana kita berjuang dengan puak-puak ini, kalau kita mati kerana berlawan ini, mati kita ialah mati shahid …” which among others were the triggers for the Memali flashpoint, before asking Waytha to do so, whose actions by the way did not tantamount to any national crisis or loss of lives.

Mahathir shamed Anwar, jailed him and subjected him and his family to unimaginable ill treatment. Yet we voted for him and now put all our hopes for the future of Malaysia on his lap.

We may not want to forget Waytha’s, Hadi’s or Mahathir’s past but we are willing to forgive them. Let bygones be bygones. Let go of the past, let’s move on but be mindful of the present and plan for the future.

Like an accomplished and master clinician, Mahathir has been spot on with his diagnosis of the national woes and surgically cut and dry with his medication of the national ills … OK apart from the third car project.

So guys, trust the old sly fox, a politician par excellence to select Waytha without hesitation, to shoulder the Unity portfolio under his watch. It would be naïve to even suggest that Mahathir was oblivious of Waytha’s political track record.

Guys! Give Tun a break and let him appoint those who will assist him to reformat and jump-start the policies of the country and to lend a phrase from POTUS (we never though we would ever quote him), to make Malaysia great again. To make Malaysia once again, a roaring yet compassionate tiger.

As the leader of a multi-party coalition, Tun needs to reach out to all segments of the society, of which the Indians form a small but significant minority. Waytha’s Hindraf fully supported PH during the 14th General Elections, so in a manner of political speaking, its payback time for Hindraf.

In the New Malaysia, Tun needs leaders who truly care for their respective communities, a trait which Waytha embraced and displayed with utmost passion.

Although we detest all the noise and ruckus the rakyat and the opposition have confronted this new fledgling government with, we all accept and recognise this as a healthy sign of a thriving democracy.

If Waytha creates undue problems, it will frustrate the rakyat, and who will agitate. We know it and he knows it. Transform, perform and conform or the rakyat will boot you out.

Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
MPF Board Member
+60123200564

Prof Dr Awaluddin Mohamed Shaharoun
University Technology Malaysia

ICERD

22 November 2018

Upon contemplating writing on the sizzling hot International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) issue, we felt trapped in a Catch 22 impasse – damned if we do and damned if we don’t

One of us had to actually derive inspiration from proximity to the mosque of the Prophet in Masjid Nabawi, at Madinah.

To the liberals, human rights activists and civil societies, allow us to reiterate that the ratification of the ICERD is a no brainer.

But, to the many “Ketuanan Melayu” protagonists out there, the ICERD is a blatant declaration of open war. No amount of evidence-based law is going to convince them otherwise. Let alone rationale or common sense because the ICERD is to them a whole load of non-sense, a total disrespect and repudiation of their “inalienable bumiputra rights”

And for the liberals et al to expect a swift transformation of this “supremacist Malay mindset” indoctrinated over 61 years of toxic racial and religious BN politics, is naivety at best.

It is only kurang ajar in the sense that the lack of adab (decorum) is a learned behavior from an ambience of racial and religious bigotry, which now requires radical behavior modification (for want of a better psychiatric terminology).

This kurang ajarness needs to be unlearned and good behavior needs to be relearned, a time consuming process of educational reform which is doable but not within 6 months post GE14! There is no magical quick fix, the moral compass is screwed and it is not going to point True North over one General Election (GE), nay one generation.

At worst, you liberals et al have handed GE15 to the Malay opposition on a platter. Your impatience for change has proven to be your folly. You probably need reminding that at best, Pakatan Harapan (PH) only commands 20% of the Malay vote.

The UMNO-PAS-like minded racist Malay NGOs coalition, are out on a rampage to parade the ICERD as a blatant affront to the Federal Constitution, a conspiracy to deny the rights of the Malays, rebuff the supremacy of Islam and restrict the rights of the Malay rulers. Do they really care that their basic premise is a whole load of legal bullshit?

The Malay bigots are running amok preying on the basal instincts of the rural and urban Malays, declaring that the new government is against the Malay Agenda and is being manipulated by the Chinese DAP in PH.

You guys in your utter impatience and excitability for a Malaysia Baru, have caused a back lash in the Malay fraternity, which Tun Mahathir and his PH team would now have a tough time mending.

All the good work Tun and his team have done to expose the rampant corruption of the previous government, the trials of the ex-PM and his ministers, the trillion national debt etc have now been pushed to the quiet background.

Kindly give Tun and his team some credit and allow them the space to create the right atmosphere, amongst others enlightening the recalcitrant Malays, before mainstreaming the ICERD polemics.

ICERD has its merits but its ratification cannot be a one size fits all. Each country has its unique historical heritage and special circumstances that must be factored or else it will create disharmony.

Even western countries ratify subject to interpretations and exclusions by their respective parliaments. It is therefore disingenuous to think that we are obliged to swallow it lot, stock and barrel. It is not an either or case scenario. Similarly, our august house can only ratify ICERD within the confines allowed by our Federal Constitution.

The PAS and UMNO goons know this too well too, but they are bent on exploiting the democratic space afforded by the present socio-political governance to stir up trouble, create instability in their efforts to topple the PH.

We all know too well the sandiwara of UMNO-BN politicians but we are less cognisant of the hypocrisy of the “religious” PAS leadership though even more nauseous and dangerous.

Current PAS president, Hadi Awang, in an Utusan Melayu report dated 15 September 1985, then in his capacity as Terengganu State Commissioner, “pledged to abolish Malay rights if PAS came into power”. More specifically, he added that these include “the removal of Malay Reserve Land, National Economic Policy or other policies which only served the Malay interest. PAS promised that all races would be equitably treated” Need we say more?

In this politically explosive and divisive issue, we would appeal to the higher intellectual and emotional wisdom of the majority of peace loving Malaysians to avoid being dragged left, right, centre along parochial racial sentiments.

Trust the vast experience and wisdom of Tun Mahathir, Lim Kit Siang, Anwar Ibrahim and the strategic geniuses of Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Liew Chin Tong et al to navigate us through this acute conundrum and contextualize the why, when and how of the ICERD to the nation at its appropriate hour.

Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
MPF Board Member

Prof Dr Awaluddin Mohamed Shaharoun
University Technology Malaysia

Utusan Meloya dan warna stokin

Utusan Meloya dan warna stokin
Tok Misai
17 Oktober 2018

Utusan Malaysia memang patut dipanggil Utusan Meloya. Logiknya selepas kerajaan BN ditong-sampahkan oleh rakyat pada 9 Mei lalu, Utusan Meloya sepatutnya insaf dan bertaubat dari menyebarkan berita-berita fitnah yang membuat rakyat rasa gelisah tidak tentu pasal. Perbuatan seperti ini bukan kerja orang beriman. Ini kerja orang munafiq yang suka melihat rakyat dan negara jadi tunggang langgang.

Saya berkata begini kerana rasa meluat baca artikel yang disiarkan oleh akhbar cabok ini mengenai Menteri Pendidikan baru Malaysia yang bernama Dr. Maszlee Malik (DMM) di Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM).

Punyalah banyak isu dan urusan penting lain yang DMM bincangkan pada lawatan beliau ke PPUM dua hari lepas, tiba-tiba berita yang dikutip dan disiarkan oleh Utusan Meloya secara meluas ialah mengenai warna stokin murid-murid sekolah pula. Kamu tidak sedar dirikah yang akhbar kamu ni sudah lama tak laku dan kedudukan kewangan syarikat pun sedang nazak? Kenapa masih bengong lagi? Nak berterusan begini sampai Kiamat kah?

Disebabkan lapuran Utusan Meloya yang tidak adil ini, tak pasal-pasal DMM kena serang oleh pelbagai pihak yang menuduh beliau sebagai seorang Menteri yang hanya sibuk dengan isu-isu remeh dan gagal menangani isu-isu lain mengenai tahap dan kualiti pendidikan di negara kita yang lebih besar dan serius.

Cuba bandingkan lapuran Utusan Meloya dengan posting oleh Pengarah PPUM sendiri di FB beliau :

Pengarah Ppum
October 15 at 9:23 PM

“Saya boleh mengesahkan sepanjang masa YB Dr Maszlee Malik berada di PPUM untuk lawatan mengejut hari ini, beliau tidak sepatah pun menyebut apatah lagi berbincang tentang “warna stokin” dengan pihak PPUM. Saya berada dengannya sepanjang masa beliau di sini dan apa yang dibincangkan bersama NC(UM), KP dan KSU adalah tentang potensi pengajaran dan penyelidikan yang cemerlang di PPUM dan untuk perkhidmatan yang terbaik diberikan kepada rakyat Malaysia, terutama bagi mereka dari golongan yang berpendapatan rendah. Saya rasa perkara itulah sepatutnya ditekankan di dalam berita akhbar. Cara berita ini disampaikan sebaliknya menggunakan gambar dan masa lawatan beliau ke PPUM, dan memberikan tajuk akhbar ”perbincangan mengenai warna stokin” sangat mengelirukan pembaca. Saya harap pembaca semua ambil perhatian tentang perkara ini.”

Lapuran siapa yang kita nak percaya sekarang? Lapuran Pengarah PPUM atau Utusan Meloya?

Cubalah bersikap adil sikit lain kali.. Kamu dan bacakah Report Card DMM selama 100 pertama beliau di Kementerian Pendidikan? Kalau belum, klik di sini :

http://www.mohe.gov.my/media-kpt/kenyataan-media/940-100-hari-pertama-lebih-40-inisiatif-kementerian-pendidikan-malaysia

Berbagai-bagai inisiatif dijangka akan memberi impak besar kepada mutu dan kualiti tahap pendidikan negara yang sudah dan sedang digerakkan oleh DMM. Bukankah bagus kalau kamu lapurkan tentang benda yang betul dari membuang masa sebarkan fitnah dan kumpul dosa?

The Demonisation of Maszlee Malik

17 Oct 2018

The Demonisation of Maszlee Malik

If one were to rely solely on Utusan Malaysia for news on the current Minister for Education, one would think that the honourable Minister is consumed with only thoughts of socks and shoes.

This pea-brained newspaper with gutless editors are back with their mischief. Their toxic spew is now centred on YB Dr Maszlee Malik, the Minister of Education.

Their journalists wait in ambush, trailing the Minister on his walkabouts. They care little for any weighty substance the Minister expounds on, preferring instead to wax lyrical about socks, shoes and other trivia, an obsession that reveals more about themselves than the man they write about.

If Utusan is worth even a grain of journalistic salt, it would report on the numerous initiatives drawn up by the honourable Minister in the last 100 days. This includes the green policy in all learning institutions encompassing vehicle-free zones, community clean-ups, tree-planting and adopting the 3Rs; Reuse, Recycle, Reduce.

However, Utusan has never been known as a bastion of journalism.

A newspaper sans integrity or honesty is but a pitiful face of hate politics, demonization and vilification. It sows discord and dangerous divides, with scant regard for nation building. It does not educate but leaves a trail of ignorance in its wake.

In the effort to dumb down to the masses and move more copies off the shelves, it has shown itself to be a disgrace and mockery to the art of journalism.

In a country hungry for insightful, investigative and balanced journalism, the mainstream media stand at a threshold. Known for their trumpeting of the past government, they now have the opportunity to be the voice of reason, and check and balance to the current government.

Utusan have the golden opportunity of playing a leading role in this country’s new political process and render support to a Minister who could potentially be a game-changer in the sad affairs of our current Education system.

But will they rise to the occasion? Will they pick up this mantle and be a beacon of truth and honesty? Or continue to meekly obey their masters and drown in their own venom?

Some soul searching is long overdue.

 

Board of Directors

Muslim Professionals Forum

musamn@gmail.com

+60123200564

Journalistic Fetish for Socks and Shoes

16 Oct 2018

Journalistic Fetish for Socks and Shoes

We’ve heard some outrageous stuff being uttered in the past week. And some real petty stuff being reported by both the mainstream and alternative media in the more recent few days.

The most outrageous being an ex-UMNO politician lambasting Pakatan Harapan (PH) leadership with “Your stupid manifesto stopped you, is it?”

Though enlightened by the new politics of PH she probably still carries with her foul baggage from her UMNO past.

We wrote a piece which politely lashed at our Prime Minister when he announced that he would be holding the education ministry portfolio. And took to task both Anwar Ibrahim and Kit Siang for pussy footing on the issue. (https://www.malaymail.com/s/1632351/doctors-to-doctors-talk-musa-mohd-nordin-and-johari-bux)

It was heart warming to learn that unlike many, PM still held dear to the PH manifesto, heeded principle centric politics and immediately relinquished the idea.

We would like to see the moral compass still held high in the ever unpredictable realm of Malaysian politics. And in the new era of Malaysia Baru, we should not succumb to the Machiavellian politics of past or present politicians or even civil society for that matter.

In more tangible terms, the Minister of Education should be allowed to carry on with his job, entrusted by the PM and his cabinet, without distraction from quarters who do not have a clue of the educational system which has been adversely corrupted by the past politics of education.

And neither has the minister’s job been made easy by the mischievous and petty coverage of his tasks at rehabilitating the education ministry.

At one point in time I thought I was reading the sensationalized headlines of a silly tabloid but it turned out to be a national daily J

Come on guys! Buck up your journalistic skills and focus on the key messages of the minister. And please for heavens sake, do not allow your fetish for socks and shoes to cloud your writings.

And I hope the editors would do better than to allow such nonsensical reporting just for the sake of sales revenue and sensationalism. For a start, they may require some back to basic lessons, like not missing the forest for the trees.

Oh! By the way, have you actually read Dr Maszlee Malik’s “100 Hari Buku Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia” which addresses some of the big tickets in our educational system?

 

Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin

Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist

Damansara Specialist Hospital

+60123200564

musamn@gmail.com

YES MINISTER! YESSSS

15 Sep 2019

YES MINISTER! YESSSS

I have no doubt that many of you have written to your Pakatan Harapan (PH) state assemblymen (ADUN) and parliamentarians (MP) on various issues that in your humble opinion solicited their immediate attention.

A few ADUNs and MPs may have obliged and undertaken the necessary actions or remedial tasks but would it be too far-fetched to suggest that the majority have not even bothered to acknowledge receipt of your complaint, let alone revert, or only paid lip service to your suggestions, whilst a few were actually pissed off with your recommendations?

Well! Some of us never got to ascend the rarefied atmosphere of top echelons of corporate or academic leadership because we held dearly and uncompromisingly to our puritanical and religiously democratic views trained into us since our formative days in the UK. Among others, the notion that a leader should be told what he needs to be told and not what people feel he wants to be told. In short, calling a spade a spade (we hope we are being ethnically correct and colour blind) was and still continues to be a dearly held principle of engagement.

We always wondered why our peers including some very close colleagues of ours hesitated and used twenty words to convey what needed to be said in five words to our bosses. With so many words, inflexions and padded advice, much of the real essence was lost in the delivery.

After a protracted period of cold storage and exile for some, the reasons finally  dawned on us – Eureka!

There are leaders who preferred being given advice and told what they actually wanted to be told and eschewed advice on what they really should be told. Much like the case of where the emperor wore no clothes.

In the context of Malaysian political governance, either BN or PH, we would suggest that the progenies of the aforementioned emperor are still alive and thriving, though less in the latter.

Hence subordinates, who hope to curry favour for obvious reasons, tailor their counsel to get the ears of their little emperors. There exists a culture where, upon ascending a top post, people bow and scrape to their leaders and exaggerate beyond reasonable measures moderate successes and carefully gloss over cracks and pits. They know this is the culture and leaders and followers feed off each other.

Woe betide those who like the proverbial little boy dare to draw attention to the emperor’s nudity.  Our society is in its present mess not because our leaders are not smart (some undoubtedly are smart but the rest are less so) but because of an inherent internal inertia to the purveyors of not so good home truths.

No matter how smart, capable or visionary a leader is, he is subject to blind spots, either in his rear mirror, side mirror or even front windscreen if we use the similitude of a driver of a car. Blind spots can turn a pleasant drive into a tragedy. Therefore, taking cognisance from sensors allows one to make measured, careful steps to avoid dangers and help rebuild our nation’s glorious destiny.

The fact that some of our PH big wigs feel we are not up to the mark with our knowledge of their actual circumstances, thus our observations are defective and not evidential, and are therefore good reasons to be rejected outright.

I hope our ADUNs and MPs are good listeners and takes on board dissenting views with good spirits and aplomb. Kudos to the magnanimous Minister of Education who exhibited masterly PR skills in news releases when confronted with those rabble pack of university students.

Inability or unwillingness to make use of the inputs would perpetuate the culture of fawning, selective information gathering and processing so prevalent before albeit in a new Malaysia Baru form.

We however are not willing to be a party to this bodek culture and will never temper our views just because they prick our ADUN’s, MP’s or Minister’s ego.

Our political leaders are well-advised to view the UK comedy of the early 1980s, Yes Minister, which embodies authority and politics as a hypocritical world filled with double talk.

Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
Prof Awaluddin Shaharoun

A helm to grasp, a course to steer and a port to seek

29 May 2018
“A helm to grasp, a course to steer and a port to seek”

Generically, we medical doctors are politically naïve. Doctors #Tun MM and #Datin Seri Wan Azizah are the outliers in our profession, in a good way actually.

So we stick to the stuff we do best, to cure sometimes, to relieve often and to comfort always. But when confronted with a malignant tumor or a brewing septicemia, without hesitation we are trained to execute radical surgical excision or institute powerful intravenous antibiotics.

And we sensed this scenario rearing its ugly head soon after 9 May 2018. Sticking our clinical noses into the post GE14 ambience, we are perturbed by the political nuances displayed by some of our Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders.

What is the wisdom or traction to be achieved by now suggesting post GE that “rising cost of living and the unpopular #GST were the top reasons voters swung to #PH”

It only invites derision and outrage from a large segment of PH supporters who would swear that the historical PH triumph boils down to the aura and popularity of #Tun MM.

Way back, when the opposition was still in the wilderness and finding its footings, when the idea was first mooted that #Tun MM must lead the alliance and be the PM designate, it was vehemently opposed by most in the coalition especially from PKR because it meant overshadowing the iconic PKR supremo DSAI.

It is not too far fetched to suggest that best friends became estranged and alienated. Some, being loose cannons and not much of a team player, virtually left party matters and focused on big data processes which undoubtedly was another critical success factor for PH.

But a few PH team centric guys pursued this #Tun MM for PM idea cautiously but firmly. As shrewd and wise strategists they endeavored to get the best outcome while minimising collateral damage inadvertently and eventually turned over the sceptics in PH.

This immediately transformed the opposition into a solid front that warmed to the cynical electorate who were dismayed at the earlier fractured ranks of the opposition forces. For the first time a PM designate was in place. For the first time the component parties agreed to a single logo. The first 100 days promises were enumerated in simple lingo and info-graphics. And PH were first to launch their manifesto well ahead of a nervous BN. The rest as they say is history.

In the final analysis, multiple factors contributed to the sweet PH victory at GE14. To inflate the GST and cost of living factor or for that matter the #Tun MM factor as the overriding critical success factor is much too simplistic and worse still, derogatory of other factors or other persons or other hidden hands who similarly contributed to the peaceful transition of power.

Let us instead move forward with the monumental task of rebuilding our beloved nation which has been plundered by the despicable and kleptocratic political governance of the previous administration.

PH political leaders must embrace and manifest the decorum and adab to inspire confidence and continuing support from the rakyat. Failing which, the PH leadership should discipline them appropriately to ensure that the coalition spirit is always cherished and “lone rangers” are not given a free rein to destroy the fabric of the PH camaraderie.

Let us as the rakyat, cleanse our hearts and minds of aspersions of our new leaders and allow them the space and time to get the nation back on its feet

Let us be aware of the elements in our society who are not happy with the new government and are bent on destroying it

Let us be conscious of the widespread fake news online which are planned and planted to sow discord and hostilities of the rakyat towards our elected leaders and government

Let us pray that God Al-Mighty bless our #Tun MM with good health` and longevity, because he “resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer and a port to seek” to paraphrase the American historian Henry Adams.

It is a given that those who aspire to be leaders of men must have qualities that enable them to discharge their duties not only effectively but also with utmost integrity and thus the “helm to grasp”.

The new “course to steer” as manifested in the Buku Harapan lends primacy to reforming and rebuilding our once esteemed institutions of the state.

Our Malaysian ship has a new captain, #Tun MM, to chart a new course, to steer to a “port to seek” where we all seek to live harmoniously and desire that the bounty of the land be shared equitably among its people.

This Malaysian ship must not be left floundering. We all owe it to our future generations. Failure is not an option!

 

Dr Musa Mohd Nordin, Damansara Specialist Hospital

Dr Johari Bux, Tung Shin Hospital

Doctors to Doctors talk

18 May 2018

Doctors to Doctors talk

When YAB Tun announced that he would be holding the education ministry and YB Kak Wan the women’s affair, we flipped!

And upon reading this morning’s Star headlines; “Anwar: Ministerial posts for top two not contrary to manifesto” – we double flipped!

Is everyone simply being polite to YAB Tun when he rationalized his masterplan to rejuvenate the Malaysian education system? Didn’t the young Turks, the likes of YBs Dr Dzul, Khalid Samad, Chin Tong, Izzah et al in the political forum who were always loud and dissenting (in a good way) responded to YAB Tun’s plans to revolutionize the learning and teaching of our young minds.

It is as if they were mesmerized by YAB Tun or still in cloud 9 post-GE14 euphoria, or more probably it was like they “tak sampai hati” to speak against an old man’s “dying wish” for his nation’s children and their future.

We, hard core clinicians, maybe politically naive in the bargaining and jostling of political posts in the new cabinet but as far as Tun and Kak Wan are concerned we are clinically convinced on the grounds of “Evidence Based Politics” (EBP) that neither should hold portfolios in the Pakatan Harapan cabinet.

As PM and DPM, they should be the Master Jedis on the “Pakatan Harapan High Council”, mentors of the PH-Padawans, guardians trusted with the fiduciary duty to oversee the new cabinet to ensure the cherished values of Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) of political governance are fully operational.

There are plenty of talents in the PH coalition and our guess is that Tun would be simply spoilt for choice!

And if our reading of Kak Wan is correct, she would not want to stay a minute longer in the cabinet!

Besides, we do not want to gestate another family dynasty in the new PH cabinet – we just rid of one on 9 May 2018.

Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
Damansara Specialist Hospital

Dr Johari Bux
Tung Shin Hospital

Permissibility of Rotavirus Vaccines

It looks like the porcine conundrum is making its rounds yet again.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/07/24/medical-practitioners-affected-by-halal-debate-over-vaccination/

Suffice to begin the narrative by quoting a verse each from the Quran and the Hadiths which sums up the compassionate and humane nature of Islam.

Allah SWT says in Surah Al-Hajj 22:78: “And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty.”

And an authentic tradition narrated by Aisha (RA): “If given an option between 2 actions, the Prophet (SAW) would surely choose the easier one, as long as it is not sinful.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

And we firmly believe this spirit and approach pervades the corpus of the jurisprudence of facilitation (Fiqh Taysir). And at no point it time does it blemish the belief nor practise of the faithful because the Muslim scholars have anticipated these challenges of modernity and have reiterated, “Allah will bless the believer who recognises and engages with the new world, yet remains true to his religious values.”

History will testify that the Muslim scientists dominated virtually all aspects of knowledge and research from 600 – 1700 AD. Az-Zahrawi (930-1013 AD) the father of modern surgery was pioneering new surgical instrumentations when Europe was restricted by a religious edict in 1163 AD which instructed as follows; “All forms of surgery must be stopped in all medical schools by all surgeons.”

Is it any wonder that Martin Kramer, an American Historian wrote; “Had there been Nobel Prizes in 1000, they would have gone almost exclusively to Muslims.”

Somehow, the Muslims lost it along the way but the following hadith continues to inspire Muslims to catch up on lost ground and rejuvenate their quest for leadership in the sciences; “A word of wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim. He should seize it wherever he finds it.” (Tirmidhi)

It is in this vein that the contemporary Muslim scholar, Syakh Yusuf al-Qaradhawi has said to the effect; “Two areas of human activities (muamalat) which requires cutting edge edicts (fatwa) are economics and medicine.”

Hence, it is not surprising that the many Councils of Jurisprudence, all over the world, eg European Council of Fatwa & Research (ECFR) chaired by Syakh al-Qaradhawi,  has deliberated profusely on the many issues related to medicine and biotechnology. These Councils like the ECFR were kept informed of the latest and best practices in medicine by regular meetings with the likes of the Islamic Organisation of Medical Sciences (IOMS) based in Kuwait.

The issue of the use of substances of porcine origin in food and medicine is an archaic one. Nonetheless, the ECFR has comprehensively dealt with it, when deliberating the permissibility of the use of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) which is manufactured using porcine based trypsin. This was published in their 11th Session of the ECFR held from 1-7 July 2003, in Stockholm.

The ECFR argued as follows:
a) what God forbids is the partaking of pork, and trypsin has nothing to do with pork

b) even if we admit that trypsin is forbidden, the amount used in preparing the vaccine is negligible, if one applies the rule that “when the amount of water exceed 2 qullah (216 litres)”, impurities no longer affect it”

c) supposing that trypsin is unclean, it is thoroughly filtered, that it leaves no traces whatsoever in the final vaccine

d) in case the three arguments forwarded are still insufficient, the haram (forbidden) is made permissible in cases of necessity.

In their concluding remarks they emphasized, “The Council urges Muslim leaders and officials at Islamic Centers not to be too strict in such matters that are open to considered opinion and that bring considerable benefits to Muslim children, as long as these matters involve no conflict with any definite text.”

Such is the latitude of rationale and magnanimity of our religious scholars (fuqaha) in addressing the bigger picture of child health, child survival strategies and the advocacy of life saving vaccines.

Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe and fatal diarrhea in infants and young children. Virtually every child in the world would have been infected with the rotavirus  (RV) by the age of five years. Globally, rotavirus gastroenteritis kills 527,000 (475,000-580,000) children under five and is responsible for millions of hospitalizations and clinic visits each year. Ninety-five percent of rotavirus deaths occur in developing countries in Africa and Asia. Muslim majority countries, Pakistan and Nigeria are 2 of 5 countries  which together contribute up to half of the global RV diarrheal deaths in 2008.

 

The manufacturing process of the two oral vaccines (OPV and RV) are similar, involving the use of minute amounts of trypsin which is later removed by ultra-filtration. Therefore, the pivotal judicial edict of the permissibility of OPV, by the European Council for Research & Fatwa can be similarly   applied to the RV vaccine.

 

RVGE  continues to scourge our youngest and most vulnerable, killing more than 1,200 children under five each day. The human tragedy is that RVGE is a vaccine preventable disease (VPD) and many of these deaths can be averted by universal mass vaccination with the RV vaccine. RV vaccination offers the best protection against severe rotavirus diarrhea, and have been shown to save lives in countries which have incorporated RV vaccines in their National Immunization Program (NIP).

 

About 90 countries in the world have introduced RV vaccination in their national  immunization program (NIP). Muslim countries which have included RV vaccination in their NIP include Pakistan, Morocco, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Jordan,

 

The RV vaccine has been in use in Malaysia since 2006. Since it is not part of the Malaysian National Immunization Program (NIP), it is mainly utilized in the private health sector.

 

A study of under-5 mortality in Malaysia in 2006 showed that there were 1,699 deaths. Deaths due to diarrhea was the number 3 cause of deaths, contributing 83 deaths (4.9%), after congenital anomalies (25.1%) and pneumonia deaths (9.2%). This is unacceptably high for a country moving towards a developed nation status. Many of the developed nations in Europe, US, Canada and Australia have included the RV vaccine in their NIP.

 

Discharge records from government hospitals showed that the cumulative risk of RV related disease by 5 years of age was 1 in 61 for hospitalizations and 1 in 37 for out-patient clinic visits. The out of pocket cost associated with RVGE admission was estimated at RM 106-799 in 2009,  which was 26% of the studied household income. The mean parental day work loss associated with RVGE admission was 4.8 days. All of these data suggest that the burden of RV disease is considerable and would be a substantial drain on the nation’s health expenditure.

 

At present there are no other medicines or substances which can act as an alternative to the present two oral RV vaccines. These have been studied in virtually all regions of the world and proved to be effective, safe, cost-effective and are life saving.

It behoves Muslim healthcare providers as well as religious leaders to propagate this information especially its similarity with the polio vaccination program and work to increase the utilization of the RV vaccine generally and specifically its inclusion in the NIP of Malaysia.

 

Lessons can be learnt from a precedent, an earlier fatwa issued on the use of OPV which is similarly manufactured using trace amounts of porcine trypsin. The European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR) chaired by Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi and consisting of numerous renowned scholars in the Muslim world, when allowing the use of OPV added that; “the hesitation of some parents to have their children immunized with this vaccine (OPV) poses a risk to Muslim children alone. At the same time, it gives an unfavorable image which portrays Muslims as hindering a process that aims to eradicate, with God’s permission, the existence of this disease on earth once and for all. After all, this eradication cannot be complete while there is even one child on earth carrying the virus.”
We have learnt and read fatwas from religious scholars in Malaysia which unlike the ECFR and IOMS et al are individual-centric, random, ill-researched and anecdotal in nature. Their lack of grasp and understanding of the new science have made them ultra-conservative, restrictive and prohibitive in their religious edicts.

The Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA)  has endeavoured to mainstream evidence based medicine (EBM) of the highest quality and which should henceforth  dictate our best clinical practices. And importantly, it is sanctioned as Shari’ah compliant by the highest authorities of jurisprudential scholarship among Muslim scholars world-wide. This excellent collaboration of the best brains in medicine and jurisprudence has lightened the burden upon the Muslim Ummah (community). It has not only truly embraced the jurisprudence of facilitation (Fiqh Taysir) but also the jurisprudence of realities & priorities (Fiqh Waqi’ah) and the jurisprudence of balance (Fiqh Wasatiyah).

We urge the religious authorities to take cognisance of the invaluable heritage of medical fatwas that is before us and not attempt to reinvent the wheel. They should instead incorporate these shari’ah compliant best clinical practise into the corpus of our nation’s jurisprudence in medicine.

Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin FRCPCH (UK)
Chairman, Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA) Advisory Council

musamn@gmail.com

MPF Merdeka Call

31 August 2016

A Merdeka Call for Muslim religious scholarship and stewardship to righteously and effectively manage contemporary national challenges

Maszlee Malik PhD

Musa Mohd Nordin FRCPCH

Muslim Professionals Forum

 

  1. Introduction

 

The recent past has seen a plethora of incidents, which threatens to fracture the religious harmony that this nation has thus far enjoyed. The infamous “cow-head protest”, in Shah Alam in August 2009, against a proposed Hindu temple, displayed unveiled disrespect towards our Hindu citizens. More recently, cases involving shari’ah courts, consequent upon conversion of either spouse to Islam, battling for custody of their children has soured the relationship between Muslims and believers of other faiths.

 

Public statements and actions by national Muslim leaders and state religious authorities have further exacerbated the fragile religious situation. Unfortunately, the counter reaction by some quarters against these individuals and by extrapolation the religious institutions which  they represent has bordered on Islamophobia.

The emergence of these issues may be piecemeal and coincidental, but the pattern and trending is threatening the very fabric of our mutli-ethnic and multi-religious make-up. Never before has our nation witnessed such an excess of religious and racial strife since the bloody days of 13 May 1969. Many, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, has raised concerns over the apparent trend of majority Muslim Malaysia imposing their religious beliefs on the minority citizens.  There is also serious concerns that this is a purposive “divide and rule” agenda of the current leaders to create fear amongst the Muslim population (siege mentality) of the threat of the “others” and thus its  lackadaisical attitude and action towards these racial and religious incidents, which in some intances even demonstrates its condoning of the situation. Unless this malicious abuse of political and religious authority is checked with an effective and just political and societal governance we are surely on the slippery slope of anarchy.

Performance of the Muslim religious authorities

Constitutionally, religious affair is the purview of the respective states headed by the nine state rulers and the YDP Agong in the other four states  and the Federal Territories. State governments through their religious authorities (Majlis Agama Islam Negeri) oversee Islamic religious activities, and the shari’ah courts.

 

The religious awakening among Muslims in the 1990s has raised their expectations of the state religious authorities and their  management of Muslim affairs. Of late, there has been much discontent among Muslims  of the performance of the state religious authorities in their dispensation of justice and equity as mandated by the shari’ah.

 

The conservatives have chosen to support the religious authorities despite their flaws, which they do as an act of religiosity. Whilst, the liberals have called for the  total abolishment of the religious authorities, including  at the federal level, and rendering religion to the personal domain.

 

We would postulate that the majority of Muslims in  Malaysia are moderate in their views and would thread the middle ground (wasatiyah) in their acceptance of the presence of the religious authorities but are more open to the divergent religious opinions. The Selangor religious authority’s appointment of female shari’ah court judges was overwhelmingly welcomed by many who generally consider the religious authorities as being gender biased. Criticisms of the management of the khalwat issue, child custodianship and  the ineffectiveness of zakat distribution has rhymed very well with these critical Muslim individuals and NGOs who demand transparency, accountability and competency of the religious authorities at both the federal and state levels.

 

The over-institutionalisation and abuses of “Official Islam”

 

The current discourse on  Islam and Islamic law in the public and private spaces is highly inflammatory. We are witnessing  reactions and counter reactions; rivalries and hostilities between the conservative and liberal factions  whch is creating a lot of conflicts within the Muslim community in Malaysia, let alone the inter-faith exchanges.

 

This chronic intra-faith clash of theology and sociology,  would only confer benefit to the ruling establishment. Faced with the onslaught of the liberal Muslims and islamophobia in general, the state and federal governments would  appease the Malay Muslim majority by actively sponsoring activities and programs aimed at defending the religion and fronting themselves as the protectors and champions of the religion of Islam.

 

This would further heighten the angst of the liberal Muslims who would counter more ferociously with their push  for de-Islamization of the state and federal religious insitutions. Threatened by this anti-religious fervour  of the liberal Muslims, the conservatives conclude that the liberals are songsang (deviant) or a greater evil relative to the ruling government, because their uncompromising demands is synonymous with waging war against Islam and Muslims. Even though there is a prevailing perception that the current leaders are corrupt, the “conservative discourse” potrays the ruling government as the lesser evil and who protect the “ketuanan Melayu” and “kesucian Islam”. Thus, the Malay Muslims  must accept the status quo despite the perceived weaknesses of the ruling government.

 

The fine manipulation of race and religion for pragmatic political ends by the political establishment is the major stumbling block for genuine reforms of the religious mindset of Malay Muslims and the relevant religious institutions in Malaysia. This gerrymandering of the religious mindset and institutions was further engineered after 2008 when the BN government  was denied  its two thirds majority in  parliament, and lost five major states to the opposition coalition. The BN government clearly understood the emotions of Islam in the hearts of the majority Malay Muslims. Many Malays, whether a practising Muslim or otherwise,  would die to defend the ‘sanctity of Islam’ if anybody threatened to ‘belittle’ or ‘undermine’ Islam, This perennial fear-mongering of the threat of deviant liberal Muslim and the “infidels”  to dismantle our Islamic religious instituions has succesfully embedded the  ‘siege-mentality’ in most Malay Muslims. The present government’s support of the preferential tabling of the “Hudud Bill” is one such smart politico-religious move to continually nurture trust from the conservatives and protract intentionally the archaic and counter-productive debate surrounding hudud which is virtually impossible to be implemented within the current constitutional framework.

 

Embracing universal values for our common god

 

Despite the exclusiveness of each and every religion, there are nonetheless many parallel and common values which are universal in character.

 

One such principle is the equality  of all mankind, which was highlighted in Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) final sermon during his farewell pilgrimage (khutbah al-wida’):

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.” (Narrated by Ahmad)

 

Another is the spirit of ‘ukhuwwah’, which philosophically connotes and implies a much wider meaning than captured by the term ‘brotherhood’. The concept of ukhuwwah is not exclusive but is both inclusive and universal. It encompasses comprehensive solidarity not only amongst Muslims, but also towards other fellow human beings which Islam considers as brethrens in humanity.

In this context, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was reported as saying that: “You will not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you will not have faith until you love each other. Shall I direct you to something, which if you fulfill it you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves”. (Narrated by Muslim)

This inclusive Islamic discourse which embraces and mainstreams universal  values and good decorum and ethics should be assimilitated within the Malay Muslim mindset, among followers and leaders alike. The call of Islam is not towards the homogenisation of society into one culture, identity or faith but the observation and practice of good conduct and civility so as to ensure that diversity will nurture peace and the common good. The Qur’ān proclaims that differences among human beings will remain (see al-Quran: 11:118–19). Hence, it is neither possible, nor commanded, to make everyone believe in one faith (see al-Quran: 10:99). Peaceful co-existence with the other and mutual respect has always been the fundamental teaching of Islam. This is manifested through Islam’s commands to respect other faiths, to avoid interfering in matters concerning other religions (see al-Quran: 109:1–6), prohibitions against any form of compulsion and coercion in faith (see al-Quran: 2:256, 272; 10:99) and rebuking or insulting other faiths (see al-Quran: 6:108).

 

Religious hegemony and intolerance in a pluralistic society will invariably result in conflict and will only frustrate the claim that Islam is a religion of compassion, peace and freedom. Peaceful co-existence and harmonious cohesion with other religious communities has been well documented in Islamic history since the Prophet began his call to Islam in Makkah and unfolded one of the greatest political documents in human history. Sahifah al-Madinah or the constitution of Madinah (622 AD) embraced 20 major principles which included a treatise on Unity, Diversity, Conduct, Fighting Injustice, Search or Striving for Peace, Freedom of Religion and the Rule of Law. Another illustrious model was the La Convivencia in Andalusia during Islamic rule in Spain. The spirit of mutual respect and recognition did not only flourish   the Islamic civilisation, but also enhanced the Christian and Jewish intellectual and cultural traditions. Therefore, mutual respect and recognition of other believers and their beliefs are sacred and sine qua non to ensure a harmonious and peaceful co-existence.

 

Proposals for transformation

 

  1. The call for reform must not be derivedfrom a liberal and secular world view, but rather from within Islam itself. The attempt to reform the religious authorities should be seen as an Islamic transformation program which is both  important and urgent. The Muslim public should be informed that the status-quo needs to be transformed into a more Islamic institution which promotes and protects the universal values of human dignity (karamah insaniyah), justice, brotherhood of man, equality, professional competency, accountability, transparency and peaceful pluralistic co-existence
  2. Although many Muslims are unhappy with the performance religious authorities, both at the federal and state level, they do not however call for its total dissolution. That would be perceived as an act of blasphemy, and a declaration of war on Islam. The call to abolish JAKIM was  counter-productive  towards attempts to reform the religious authorities. It only reinforced the  conservatives’ discourse of the anti-Islamic agenda of the liberal Muslim in cahoots with the “infidels”. Thus, reforms of the religious authorities and the manner Islam is being administered at both the state and federal level must avoid any calls for the abolishment of any religious institutions.
  3. It is most unfortunate that one too many public statements of Muslim religious leaders have exposed their naivety of the decorum and demands of a pluralistic co-existence. And when their proclamations are criticised, the conservatives will blindly defend them instead of defending the values of truth, justice and ethics. To prevent or mitigate these incidents, one should consider reformation of the process of credentialialing of Islamic scholarship.  Evidence has shown that a holistic religious and academic apprenticeship (tarbiyah) would nurture a religious leader who is more thoughtful, wiser and scholarly in his public engagements and pronouncements. It has also been demonstrated empirically that  religious leaders who underwent the rigors of formal academic scholarship were more open-minded, receptive of   new ideas, and were more willing to engage in inter-faith dialogues. Furthermore, a better grasp and understanding of the lingua franca, and international exposure, would enhance one’s perspectives of the contemporary and problematic  issues of a pluralistic society.
  4. Moderate Muslim NGOs should step up their game, be more vocal and visual and claim the middle ground which has thus far been hijacked by racist Muslim NGOs who claim to be the legitimate representation of the Muslim voice. They ought to engage actively with other faith and non-faith organizations and hustle for more presence in the media. This would empower them to shape public opinion and debunk the false notions of race and religion, the parochial understanding of equality and ukhuwwah and their blatant impingement on other religions. The viewpoints of the moderate Muslim NGOs is important to bring some sense of mutual respect and decorum to the radical rhetoric and the racist nuances of a few Muslim NGOs.
  5. Individuals, organisations, corporate and business entities who envisage a better and harmonious future for Malaysia should engage with these moderate Muslim organizations. Multi-faith and multi-cultural activities of these organisations should be supported and funded to enhance the harmonious relations between the multi religious and multi ethnic communities in Malaysia. Proliferations of these truly Malaysian activities would nurture an atmosphere of muhibbah, engender trust and mutual respect and foster authentic religious scholarship and inter-faith exchanges.
  6. A neutral, non-governmental, and non-political platform is required to coalesce Muslim scholars, intellectuals and like-minded academics to embrace this inclusive discourse. This healthy conversation is currently being orchestrated by a few progressive Muslim organizations, but there should be a concerted effort to bring them together. And once this platform has been consolidated, it should initiate coalitions with other faith and non-faith organizations as part of a collective effort of the community towards combating radicalism and extremism.
  7. Unfortunately, the religious discourse in the public space has been monopolized by the establishment and its wide network of official and non-official apparatus. The purity of the Islamic discourse has been politicized to serve the political end points of the government in office. There are many moderate, open-minded Islamic scholars, intellectuals and academics who embrace the inclusive discourse of Islam and challenge the current paradigm of exclusivity, intolerance and rigid thoughts (jumud). There is an increasing presence of these asatizah (religious scholars) on alternative religious forums either on social media or conventional platforms who possess and demonstrate expertise in various areas of Islamic scholarship eg maqasid shari’ah (higher objectives of Islamic jurisprudence), usul fiqh (the principles of jurisprudence), ulumul quran (sciences of quran) and ulumul hadith (sciences of hadith). The young, middle class and educated Muslims and the other faith believers are warming up to this authentic Islamic scholarship which is based on sound evidences from the quran and hadiths, understood within the right context and ideas derived appropriately to meet the demands of the changing times.
  8. Nurturing the culture of mutual respect and mutual learning from an early age is crucial in nation building. Ignorance or lack of exposure of our young to the multi-faith and multi-racial make-up of our communities will lead to misconceptions, prejudices and distrust which is a sure recipe for racial and religious conflict.A muhibbah curriculum of “race, religion and culture in Malaysia” as a core subject in schools and campuses would help to nurture young minds who are schooled of the plural nature of our communities and are taught to be sensitive and respectful of the other. It wasn’t too long ago in the 60s and 70s when the multi-ethnic composition of our classrooms facilitated the spirit of togetherness and muhibbah despite our different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. However, this educational legacy has been eroded by the choices of parents to send their children to private Islamic schools and Tahfiz (Quranic memorization seminaries), national ethnic schools, private and international schools. Major educational interventions needs to be considered to reverse this unhealthy schooling trend for the future of our national unity and harmonious co-existence.

 

Conclusions

 

Allah has created all human beings with honour and dignity, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and has elevated their status above His other creations. Almighty Allah says in the Quran (17:70);

“We gave honour and dignity (karamah) to the children of Adam”

 

As much as we would like to be honored and shown dignity, we have to recognize the dignity and honour of others. We need to understand and respect other’s religious beliefs and cultures. There is a pressing need for the citizens of multi-religious Malaysia to know and respect other’s religious beliefs and to work together. Authentic understanding and mutual respect of the other helps to evolve a sustainable religious harmony in our national quest to rebuild a “Better Malaysia” founded on the universal values of justice, equality, brotherhood, mutual benefit (masalih mushtarakah) and the dignity of humanity.

 

And as the vicegerent (khalifah) of Allah on earth and inheriting the vast treasures of peaceful initiatives of our predecessors, we Muslims need to do much better and should be exemplary in our actions and deeds towards the adherents of other faiths. Unfortunately, the Muslim leadership and its institutional apparatus in multi-religious Malaysia has fallen short of its vicegerency role to administer the communal quest for adl wa ihsan (justice with fairness and mercy) and the preservation of public interest (maslahah amah) towards all the racial and religious communities in this country.

 

The various initiatives for transformation suggested are not an exhaustive list of critical success factors. They are however pivotal issues which needs to be urgently and carefully addressed in order to nurture trust and mutual respect of the other, to harness the potential of the various faith (and non-faith) communities, to inspire a common national goal and to achieve a harmonious co-existence which would enhance national growth and prosperity for all communities in this country.