Forgive my limited knowledge of Islam, but in Malaysia, halal usually refers to foods deemed ritually pure enough for Muslims to eat. But I am confused. Surely nobody expects them to eat food scraps, so why the need for separate trash bins?

Garbage is garbage. Leftover food is meant to be recycled into fertilisers. They are broken down by bacteria and fungi to become rich compost. The only possible reason for separate bins is if we want to create “halal fertilisers”. 

If so, is the soil where food is grown halal? What if a wild boar from the nearby forest pees on it? Frogs and snakes are also haram. What if these hop or slither across the soil?

darmakochi : "shopping malls in Selangor must now separate halal rubbish from non-halal rubbish or food waste." Day by day, this MADANI government is getting from bad to worse! Now want to separate halal rubbish from non-halal rubbish!!!!? 

WHY! Are there Malaysians scavenging the rubbish containers for food. There are many wild boars in our jungles. I am sure they are also farting in the wilderness. It will be mixing with the air we are breathing. 

Will there be a campaign to hunt and kill these wild boars? Reared pigs and wild boars are also farting. Can we breathe the air in our country!!! This government is definitely the worst in Malaysian history.

BlueCougar1744 : All Malaysians must stop the madness of PMX on his Islamization zeal which does not serve Islam but his ego. If rubbish waste can be halal can via separation of waste. 

The n money, human waste, agricultural produces, land, river and water source must be scrutinized and it will end up all our Muslim Brethren have to now live in another world that is untouched by lives living on it. It has to be barren completely. 

Is this what Islam and halal is all about? These leaders need to have their brains examined and unfit for office.

We are here not merely to remember Selvarajoo Sundram, but to ask what his life still demands of us.

Many will remember him as the founding president of Gopio Malaysia and later, of Gopio International. Others will remember him as a mentor and community leader. But I remember him as something else: a builder, a driving force who built institutions, organisations and people.

Put differently, Selva demonstrated that ordinary people can create history, and that history can be scripted from below, where they can do extraordinary things.

Anonymous_3f4b : No more. I believe at least 70% of the Indian voters will vote Against PH Anwar if elections are held now. No more Reformasi for the Indians. It is Reformati and Reformbasi. Anything but Anwar PH. ABAPH

- Zaid Ibrahim, eight years ago

COMMENT | For the record, I consider former Umno minister Zaid Ibrahim a friend. Unlike many, I wasn’t really surprised when he joined PAS because this is exactly the kind of thing that he would do.

Last year, Zaid claimed that clerical leadership could take Malaysia to greater heights, which is queer because if anything, the clerical leadership of PAS-led states made the states regress, with their young people coming to more prosperous urban enclaves to make a living.

HOYOHOYO : Hello Commander Political Islam had failed in Iran and Afghanistan. They are the only 2 nations with Supreme Leaders above common sense. In summary a godly representative on Earth. Their words are the Laws. 

Hadi Awang emulates a Supreme Leader in PAS. He can appoint and dismiss anyone with dictatorial power. The constitution of PN is secondary when he chose Wawasan over PPBM. He can also admit or remove Zaid Ibrahim at his discretion. A trained lawyer joining PAS is below any common sense. Poodah.

Lets Maju With Bersama : Failed in Pakistan & Bangladesh also.

apanama is back : Both Hadi and Zaid have no backbone, not a principled person. Both is known for greed to power. Zaid is just waiting for PAS next President whom he may assume not that extreme as Hadi Both will use each other to get what they want. 

A typical 'politik Melayu' that exists in this country. PAS is merely a political party riding on religion. All the fellows are cheating the supporters with their so-called pious attire which is merely a mask. While they may despise the West but they are using Western products and services for their political agenda. 

Hypocrites to maximum. What is mentioned in above piece will happen in the near future, “This is exactly why I consider extremism an existential threat to this country, because once the majority is co-opted into this religious enterprise, it is game over” 

The above is the fear almost all the non-Muslim/non-Malay and moderate Muslim have and it is going to happen. Look at the PAS kindergartens, PASTI, which are not regulated and use to ‘brainwash’ the young so that they become PAS vote base in the long run. 

Look back at the history. PAS just won ONE seat in 1955. That time they do not know how to build up their voters’ base. Where is PAS today? You can figure out yourselves how the trend it. For those who could afford, I will say, “Pack the bags and do not look back.” 

Even waste they are thinking about ‘halal’ and ‘haram.’ A failed state in making or already one. As long as the administration are Malay majority, nothing much is going to change. All will be talk only about multiracial but ultimately it will be like PAS is running the country.

Monty : Thanks for this article Commander. Like you I have always respected Zaid’s views but often am perplexed by the many positions he has taken. But in this case I am not. He wants to get back into politics but which party? 

All have shown to have so many weaknesses and shortcomings. Many non Muslims will have a hard time voting in elections this time around. Corruptions abound and incompetence runs freely. Zaid has chosen Pas. I will give Bersama my vote and pray that Rafizi will not disappoint us.

He further cited Article 11(1) which states that “Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion and subject to Clause (4) to propagate it and Article 11(4), which states ‘may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam’”.

None of the articles he relied upon confers a right to carry out dakwah activities which are not in accordance with the Federal Constitution and the law.

Article 3(1) clearly does not provide for dakwah activities to be carried out, and “Islam is the religion of the Federation” has been held in a Supreme Court decision in Che Omar Che Soh v Public Prosecutor [1988] 2MLJ 55 to mean “in the context… only such acts as relate to rituals and ceremonies”.

This clearly rules out the Islamic way of life as is generally understood, as stated by the Supreme Court: “On the other hand, if the religion of Islam or Islam itself is an all embracing concept as is normally understood, which consists not only the ritualistic aspect but also has a comprehensive system of life, including its jurisdiction and moral standard, then the submission has a great implication in that every law has to be tested according to this yardstick,”. The Supreme Court rejected this submission.

Note that this Che Omar case has been approved by the Federal Court decisions of Nik Elin Nik Abdul Rashid and Anor v Kelantan State Government (2024) and M Indira Gandhi v Perak Islamic Religious Department Director (2018).

PAS Youth’s attempt to frame public concern over campus conversion activities as an attack on Islam or a challenge to the Federal Constitution is both inaccurate and unhelpful.

Veteran 1972 : Malaysiakini, have the guts to reject this spin, article on the brainwashing of Non Muslims, anyway you still don't have the scrotal fortitude to answer my questions. In relation with article of spin! Really? When you are pushing this using taxpayers monies. 

You guys know for a fact that you will lose to all on a level playing field. Looks like you need a handicap in everything. That eco system of trust has completely collapsed, started with Everest hero, a Hindu who was suddenly declared a Muslim and his body snatched. The kidnapping of a Aussie kids by a prince. 

Reneging on the MA63, kidnapping of Indira's daughter. The disappearance of Pastor Koh and Hilmy. The Selangor government's deceitful tactics to impose the covenant of Omar on a conquered people as was done in Jerusalem. Negating history is a favorite pass time for an insecure faith.

So as to be relevant, history speaks the truth there is a difference between 4,000, 2000 and 1400 years. That's a vast difference, you guys need to be exposed with extreme prejudice. Yes, they are predators! You can spin it anyway you like, universities are places of learning. Not for proselytizing only one religion. 

Even when I was serving they always come up with, "you don't know what you are missing if you don't convert", that's extremely disrespectful! What for, to lose your freedom and freedom of conscience. 

That's the fascist and communist way. Ever heard this? Give me death or freedom or the tree of freedom needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants. At the rate this is going it's likely to happen!

Just Common Sense : Come on let's not be so naive as to pretend that there is no basis for non-muslim concerns. The immediate response from PAS was to totally defend the 'right' of the muslim authorities to convert anyone and everyone as long as they do it 'peacefully'. 

The fact that tax payer resources are being used to convert minorities is of no consequence to the islamists. There are citizens who have urgent needs for accommodation, food, schooling, bridges and other infrastructure but the govt agencies are busy using limited resources to convert minorities. How incredibly sneaky and corrupt is that? 

And there is zero outrage from the majority but they are number one in pointing the finger at western evangelists. Education these days is not cheap but to use this to convert the needy is morally and ethically wrong and it says a lot about islam that muslims do not realise this.  

Just because islam is 'religion of the federation' does not mean muslims can disrespect minorities and do whatever they want. This is not 7the century arab desert. PAS living in wrong place and wrong time. Muslims need to respect other religions. Stop using tax payer money for Islamic purposes. Don't be freeloader.

Mentality of a Taliban

Taking aim at recent statements by Dr RA Lingeshwaran, PAS Youth’s Dakwah and Islamic Defence Committee chairperson Sukri Omar stressed that Muslims have always respected the rights of followers of other religions to practise their beliefs.

However, he said the right of Muslims to carry out “dakwah” peacefully and prudently should be afforded the same level of respect, urging all parties to halt polemics that supposedly question such rights.

Keluhuran Perlembagaan, yang merupakan prinsip ketiga dalam Rukun Negara.Berikut adalah maksud ringkas dan jelas bagi prinsip ini: 

Maksud Keseluruhan: Keluhuran Perlembagaan bermaksud ketinggian dan keagungan Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagai undang-undang tertinggi di Malaysia.Keutamaan Undang-undang: 

Tiada mana-mana institusi, pihak berkuasa, atau undang-undang lain (termasuk Yang di-Pertuan Agong, badan kehakiman, dan Parlimen) yang boleh mengatasi atau membelakangkan perlembagaan.Peranan Rakyat: 

Ia menuntut setiap rakyat Malaysia untuk menghormati, menerima, dan mempertahankan keluhuran Perlembagaan tersebut bagi memastikan negara ditadbir dengan adil dan saksama. Adakah anda ingin mengetahui lebih lanjut tentang prinsip-prinsip lain dalam Rukun Negara atau kaitan prinsip ini dengan sistem perundangan di Malaysia?

Sealthedeal : The nations identity is not Islam it is multicultural. It is outrageous that any public institution actively seeks to convert or offer incentives to do so. 

Likewise it is outrageous that anyone let alone fanatics in PAS view proseltisation as something only Muslims are allowed to do by law. No printable words here can describe just how outrageous that is. Beware of PAS, the enemy at the gate for all non Muslims.

On the Other Hand : Pig farming is also a Constitutionally protected right, but Muslims have now prevented pig-farming which was previously carried out for decades, from being carried out in Selangor.

OrangeJaguar9341 : He's just reminded us why PAS should never be allowed to govern a multi-racial Malaysia.

Fair Player : PAS is too extreme until everything they touch on is Islamic. They don't care about the welfare of the citizens and their livelihoods. 

Only the word islam and their teachings are inside their heads. They don't even understand the Federal Constitution so how do we the voters believe they can govern Malaysia? As usual Anwar is as silent as a church mouse on this issue.

Knucklehead2 : This is exactly WHY non‑Muslims will NEVER vote PAS. Period. Education belongs to all, faith belongs to each — both have their place. Stop exploiting campuses for conversion agendas.

Dr Suresh Kumar : And another underhanded tactic to discourage Non-Malays/non-Muslims from enrolling at institutes of higher learning. Where are the other non-Muslim MPs? Why no can came to Lingeshwaran's defence?

JusticeNow! : CORRECTION, Malaysia is NOT an Islamic nation! Islam is the official religion with special privileges! BUT Malaysia is NOT an Islamic nation, please don't distort or misinterpret the constitution. 

Just because you say so doesn't make it true. It is the right of those who produce to the poster to do their "dakwah" that way, by offering carrot and sweet, but it is also the right of others to raise their concerns or to warn that there are such things being done.

These are the "backdoor" students

“The admission system for public universities in this country is implemented through a clear, transparent mechanism based on merit and the stipulated eligibility requirements,” he said in a statement today.

Veteran 1972 : What about the Palestinians? They are not even Malaysians, this has been going on forever. Funded by the majority of the non Muslim taxpayers. Blatant hypocrisy by the madia government!

ScarletPanda9731 : Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah , we citizens of Malaysia humbly salute you for your 810- page evidences on the worst kleptocracy in Malaysian history . Justice is served awherend students who study HISTORY should read line by line the theft of our hard- earned money. 

Will honest.leaders rise up and condemn it? Where is UMNO? Will they celebrate justice at Sheraton hotel? Where is PAS ? And many others who are as quiet as the church mouse! Come out and blow the trumpet and take your public stand before elections in Johore and Negri Sembilan and beyond.. 

Show your credibility, please. The majority of Malaysians cry for justice and fairness for ALL. Sabah and Sarawak also cry justice for MA63! What did the PMs do for the people of Sabah and SARAWAK? Hookwink them.? Over 60 years had passed. Where is TRUST? Where is INTEGRITY? 

Yes, where arev the people who demonstrate against U EC;and not IMDB? Are you clean and holy? Are you cock eyed? Disappearances and deaths are ignored? Be HONEST, please! All cari makan! We are all human beings!! Treat all as human beings!

apanama is back : "......between 30,000 and 60,000 students attended public universities through a “backdoor” channel." There is very high possibility this has been going on for DECADES to fulfil their so-called 90% quota while lowering down the standard in order to push one community at the expenses of others. 

Otherwise, how on earth you are able to observe so many students from one community outnumbered others. Besides officially mentioning QUOTA, there is another ‘door’ to enter the university, unofficially called as BACKDOOR. Go to the any university campus and you can observe the scenario, CLEARLY. 

Why not Zambry provide the university entrance data by race for the last 5 to 7 years instead of making police report. He has a lot to hide. Madani used to trumpet transparency but when comes to reality 'buat bodoh.'

115 Rohingya and 16 others rioted before escaping Bidor temporary immigration depot in northern Perak state late Thursday

Each post is captioned with accusatory language about alleged Rohingya wrongdoings. These posts seek to inflame resentment that the Rohingya are troublesome, a burden on society, dirty, and are criminals who are immune to the law. They further stoke fear that the Rohingya are a demographic threat as they “breed” too many children and will also demand citizenship and even bumiputera privileges.

Dr Suresh Kumar : First off why did Malaysia accept the Rohingya refugees? They were accepted mainly out of humanitarian considerations and Islamic solidarity. How do you expect them to survive? You accept them in the name of humanity and then treat them like thrash. Is this 'humanity'? You made your bed, now lie in it. BTW, the Rohingyas have been here since three decades, why pick on them now? 

There are more illegal Indonesians and Bangladeshis living in the country and operating businesses illegally, why not go after them as well. The Melayu government created this mess and they should solve it in a humane manner. Look at the demeaning, disparaging and racist comments by the Malays mainly against the Rohingya people on Socmed. 

It is utterly disgusting and painful to read. Heck, they even do the same to the Indians in this country. One Malay guy (I don't wish to publish his name here as our overzealous Mkini moderators will censor) went too far by suggesting that the Malaysian Indian women should be sterilized or di mandulkan. 

Can you see how degrading this people have become, devoid of dignity and self-respect. Police report has been lodged against him, but do you think the police will act? If they can comment using such uncouth and crude language against their own Indian descent citizens whose forefathers helped build this nation who are law abiding tax contributing citizens; are we surprised that the Rohingyas are being treated like the flora and fauna? 

Whatever happened to "Budi bahasa budaya kita". A sad indictment of our nation's policies and a total failure of our education system.

Veteran 1972 : Another brain washed bleeding heart, at the expense of the marginalised Malaysians. You yourself are marginalized, how much are they paying you?

TEN10 : We need to have an honest discussion about priorities. While compassion for refugees is important, a country’s first responsibility should always be to its own citizens. There are still many derserved communities, such as the Orang Asli and Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak, who continue to face significant challenges and require more attention, resources, and support. 

It is difficult to justify allocating limited national resources externally when there are pressing needs internally. If not managed properly, large numbers of undocumented or unsupported refugees can also create social and economic pressures, which may affect stability and cohesion. At the same time, the global community, including organisations like the UN should play a stronger role in ensuring that countries of origin are held accountable for the wellbeing of their people (refugees). 

Long-term solutions should focus on improving conditions in those countries so that their citizens do not feel forced to leave in the first place. A balanced approach is needed, one that ensures we do not neglect our own vulnerable communities while still managing humanitarian concerns responsibly and sustainably.

God bless Anne Marie for her bravery and clarity. She is on the right side of history. She cites facts in evidence. And facts don’t care about Mehdi Hassan’s feelings. Islam doesn’t care about anybody’s feelings. 

Google is like an Islamism defender - google any of the bad stuff and you have to find your way through a wall of obfuscations to get at the actual texts - the actual reality. Mehdi is just one of those people that has no shame. 

Anyone with any intelligence at all can see right through him. Even children can pick up signs of lying & dis-ingenuousness. He is just the prime example.

Truth is most Australians would support a tax to pay for their tickets home and its not racist, its the fact Australia is worn thin. Back in the early 90's, I was friends with this Turkish kid (we were both kids) and he invited me over to his house and he had a nice house but his parents didn't work, they just relied on Centrelink to pay for everything for them. 

I thought it was weird because I was a recent immigrant to Australia too, just like him (but I'm from Europe), and both my parents worked full time. My dad did night shift and my mum during the day working in factories. 

My parents got nothing from the government and worked their arses off to buy a house and provide for us. But he and his family just lived off the tax payer. I still don't understand how they managed to get away with it.

What happened next stunned the public: within just 24 hours of the broadcast, he was on a plane out of the country.  No trial, no appeals—just immediate deportation. But when he landed in his home country, a shocking twist emerged that changed everything. How did one tape rewrite the rules of European law? Italy got it exactly right! 

Protect our children! If only Britain had a back bone ! If millions must go, then millions must go. The rest of Europe and Australia should learn from this, fast and quick, you will shake their bones. And if anyone believes Child Marriages don’t happen in Pakistan today, I’ve got a Unicorn for sale. A child of 9 can die of internal damage or in childbirth from being “married” at this age. It is very disturbing that this goes on in this day and age.

In an email response to Malaysiakini, MCMC claimed that this was due to the repeated publication of harmful content touching on racial and religious sensitivities, which has the potential to affect societal harmony and public order.

“The action taken by MCMC is based on the presence of harmful elements in the content published and not due to the individual’s status as an activist,” it said.

On the Other Hand : It is non-Muslim religions that are under threat from extremist Islamists operating in the government, on their behalf, and also those holding senior political positions. 

It appears that they have been given a free pass to oppress, to call temples 'haram', ban pig farming, prevent non-Muslim houses of worship from being built, and forcing 'halal' upon non-believers. Where is the divinity in this? I certainly don't see it.

Monkey politicians : Very selective action MCMC. The converts had posted more harmful contents, some politicians included. What about the newbie in Jkom?

Knucklehead2 : Sesat JKom and MCMC in full swing — PMX is marshalling his troops to choke dissent before the mother of all GE16. Blocking Arun’s page under the guise of “public harmony” is nothing more than political censorship dressed up in legalese. 

Najib tried the same playbook — silencing critics, weaponising institutions — and look where he ended up. The rakyat decided then, and they will decide again. 

Your vote will determine whether Malaysia moves forward or sinks deeper into authoritarian rot. No more UMNO. No more PKR. Both are a cancer eating away at this nation! Bersama, we await you!

Geram : MCMC claimed that this was due to the repeated publication of harmful content touching on racial and religious sensitivities, which has the potential to affect societal harmony and public order. What about Akmal Salleh, Billy the Zakir Naik, Reduian Tee, Fudias Wong and Vinos?

Sealthedeal : Exactly. The bias here is unbelievable. The MCMC is a blatant racist arm of government and they must be castigated for it. Outrageous bias yet again. When are they going to block Akmals Facebook. The first job of the new government should be to fire the board of the MCMC.

Regardless of one's political views or differences of opinion, such racial labelling is wholly inappropriate, irresponsible, and unbecoming of a senior government official entrusted with leading a federal communications agency.

RZee : Racists abound in west Malaysia. It’s the norm. Nobody stops them.

Just Common Sense : Does this JKOM refer to other races as Melayu sesat, or India sesat or Kadazan sesat or is this reserved only for those of Chinese race? Anwar again scores own goal with his appointment.

Jarchin : Why wait for him to resign. The person who appointed him should sack him without further delay. PM Anwar at his favourite line of action - pretend don't know!!

World Citizen : Every ministry and their ministers have their own communication departments to promote and advocate their policies to the public. Then there is RTM and various other stations to disseminate government policies and propaganda to the public. 

We also have a whole Ministry of Communication doing the same job. So then, what exactly is the need for a Community Communication Department? The Prime Minister always talks about avoiding and reducing waste and this J-Com should be first on his list to be eliminated.

Meerkat : PMX has shown his cards where he stands in this matter and in the broader subject of racial harmony. By backing this person, he is turning his back on Chinese voters.

Krabian : Should shut down this ex UMNO and Melayu propaganda outfit. It has caused more harm and damages to unity and harmony.

However much the pleb-fearing thoughtpolice of Keir Starmer’s government might disapprove of such fury, it’s the emotion that swelled in all decent British and Irish people as they saw a brute rain stab after stab upon his sprawled, struggling victim. Good luck trying to curb the people’s rage over this act of wanton savagery.   

It was truly obscene. On a dimly lit nighttime street in north Belfast, a kind of medieval butchery unfolded. A local man in his 40s was mercilessly pinned down by the knifeman. Each plunge of the knife was coldly, cruelly executed. The monster went for the man’s face, his neck, his back. The police announced this morning that the victim suffered ‘significant injuries to his eyes’. Was this an attempted eye-gouging? In the United Kingdom in 2026? Some are calling it an attempted beheading. Whichever it was, we now know the early media reports about a ‘knife incident’ were shamefully euphemistic, dolling up a monstrous atrocity in the garb of everyday crime.

Then came the most salient revelation, the one that imbued this feral exhibition of violence with political urgency – the suspect is Sudanese. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) tried to get the details out quickly, clearly having learned how much it riles the public when the truth about barbaric violence is withheld from us on the grounds that we’re too dumb and racist to handle it. The suspect is in his 30s, he seems to be from Sudan, and he got to Northern Ireland via Dublin. Oh, and he was granted leave to remain.

By late May 1249, Louis and his army, which consisted of some twenty-five thousand Crusaders, were setting sail from Cyprus. Their destination was the Egyptian port of Damietta, on the basis of the by now standard Crusader logic that Egypt must be neutralized before Jerusalem could be secured.

Considering that Damietta had also been the focus of the Fifth Crusade (1217-1221), none of this came as a surprise to Egyptian sultan al-Salih Ayyub. He sent men under Emir Fahreddin to refortify Damietta’s garrison and hold the coast against any Crusader landing. He also sent a message warning Louis to desist: “No one has ever attacked us without feeling our superiority,” the sultan boasted. “Recollect the conquests we have made from the Christians; we have driven them from the lands they possessed; their strongest towns have fallen under our blows.”

By June 4, the Christian fleet had anchored on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Damietta. Legions of Muslims lined the shore and riverbank, where they “made a loud and terrible noise with horns and cymbals.” A council was held in the king’s ship. Although some said to wait for the other Crusader vessels that had been delayed by a storm, Louis was set on taking the shore now. “Our men,” wrote Gui, one of the knights present, “seeing the lord King’s steadfastness and unwavering resolve, at his bidding made ready…to occupy the shore by force and go on land.” When his counsellors urged him not to join in the initial landing, due to the danger it posed to his person, Louis responded, “I am only one individual whose life, when God wills it, will be snuffed out like any other man’s.”

And so, on today’s date, June 6, 777 years ago, the Crusaders, to a loud battle cry, furiously paddled to shore and “in accordance with the lord King’s strict and most urgent command, hastily leaped into the sea up to their loins.” Clad in heavy iron and slowly plodding toward the coast, they were met by a forbidding hail of arrows. Nevertheless, “of all the ships, the lord King’s put in first,” continues Gui.

“Louis leapt into the water up to his armpits and waded ashore, shield round neck, helm on head, and sword in hand.” Jean de Joinville (1224–1317), a close friend of Louis who participated in the Crusade, continues: “So soon as they [Muslims] saw us land, they came toward us, hotly spurring. We, when we saw them coming, fixed the points of our shields into the sand and the handles of our lances in the sand with the points set towards them.” Confronted by this massive spike-studded shield wall and seeing “the lances about to enter into their bellies,” the Muslims “turned about and fled”—all except one, who, thinking his comrades were charging behind him, was instantly “cut down.”

Thereafter, the Crusaders “fell manfully upon the enemies of the Cross like strong athletes of the Lord,” writes Gui: “The armed Saracens, stationed mounted on the shore, disputed the land with us…maintaining a dense fire of javelins and arrows against our men. And yet our men… pushed on and set foot on the land despite the Saracens.” The more the Muslims gave way, the more the Christians advanced onto dry ground. Before long, horses had been ferried over and mounted, leading to heavy, splashy cavalry charges, all under the cover of missile fire from the Christian fleet.

Last August, after Tony Abbott appealed to a cross-section of Australian Muslims to meet him to discuss a range of counter-terrorism proposals — mainly changes to passport and welfare regulations that would inhibit Australians from joining Middle Eastern jihadi — a number declined the invitation, including the Islamic Council of Victoria, representing 150,000 Muslims.

Instead, a petition was sent to the media from Muslim organisations and individuals deriding the Prime Minister’s overture and his patriotic appeal to join “Team Australia” in this conflict. The petitioners argued that, rather than being on their side, Australia was part of their problem: “We are not fooled by those who speak against violence and terrorism but are its proponents at an institutional level through military and foreign policies.”

While acknowledging the Perak institution’s clarification that the poster was not approved before being circulated, he said the matter must still be probed, citing public concern. A copy of the poster allegedly published yesterday, which has circulated online, lists “benefits” for Upsi students who register as converts to Islam.

The poster, which carries the logos of Upsi, the university’s Islamic centre, its student affairs and alumni departments, as well as the Malaysia Madani emblem, states that students who convert may be entitled to free education. It also claims that students who embraced Islam would be offered financial aid and could join “experience-sharing sessions” with other converts.

RedTuna1696 : Quote: "In a notice yesterday, Upsi’s corporate communications division said the poster was never submitted for the university’s management review or approval, adding that it had been circulated outside official channels and that “follow-up action” was being taken to prevent a recurrence. 

" UPSI's official statement on the issue only expressed the institution's unhappiness with the way the programme was publicized through unofficial channels by members of their staff, i.e. that it did not go through due process of approval from the university's management or leadership. 

UPSI's statement of "denial" only emphasized on the poster, BUT DID NOT clarify on whether such a programme DID or DID NOT EXIST in their institution, administered by their 'Pusat Islam'. 

If such a programme really did not exist, and the poster was fake news, why didn't UPSI just issue a public statement that explicitly denied the existence of such a programme? 

Why did they try to cunningly circumvent the real issue by centering their denial on the approval for the poster, instead of directly and honestly addressing actual public concerns about such a programme in a publicly funded university?

Dr Suresh Kumar : It has been always quantity over quality, isn't it? Such a dishonorable and disgraceful act. Many poor non-Malay students may fall for this trap. Especially Indian students. 

Who is sponsoring it? Where does the money come from? I won't be surprised if the tentacles of a certain 'VICTORIOUS' man are all over there. Shameful and sinful!

BluePanther4725 : This is disgusting, contaminating education with religion and preying on vulnerable young people. Why is the Police not investigating? If is it a poster urging students to become Christians, the Police will jump on it immediately. Double standards and low-down. Shame on UPSI!

Just Common Sense : Nothing surprising at all. This is what our tax money has been freely used for past 60 years even though Constitution prohibits. 

Collect taxes from non-muslims and then use said funds to convert their children. This religion has zero respect for non-believers. And after that can talk about rukun negara. Can we say UPSI not fit to be Malaysian?

We can unpack the recent events, but it's more difficult to understand the underlying reasons and determine which of the moves are significant and which parties will benefit the most.

One of the major winners from unfolding events may again be PAS, while Umno may do well in the Johor state election and perhaps Negeri Sembilan but not so great elsewhere.

Casualties will be Anwar’s fortunes, along with PKR and Bersatu, while the fate of dark horse newcomer Parti Bersama Malaysia may be mixed and even encouraging.

Knucklehead2 : ABA – Anyone But Anwar. Anwar and PKR have taken Malaysians for a ride long enough. Promises of reform turned into excuses, alliances with UMNO turned into betrayal, and the rakyat are left with nothing but disappointment. 

That’s why I am rooting for Bersama. As young as they are, they bring hope, energy, and a fresh agenda for Malaysians. They speak up where PKR stays silent, they act where PMX stalls. All the other parties have shown us their true colours—self‑interest, corruption, and endless drama. 

The rakyat deserve better. GE16 must be the reckoning: ABA, and let Bersama rise as the real alternative.

Sanaa manuscript

The mostly Arabic speaking crowd who listened to them became extremely agitated and angry, as this material goes against everything they have been taught. Because of the volatility of Speaker's Corner, and because the material Jay and Hatun were introducing was quite technical and difficult to communicate, especially to an angry crowd, they announced from the ladder that they would be posting a follow-up video that would not only explain what they were saying at Speakers' Corner, but also show the actual changes which we can find in the written Arabic between two of the 26 Arabic Qur'ans on display (the Hafs and the Warsh versions). 

In this video, Jay and Hatun discuss some of the differences found in two of the 26 different Arabic Qur'ans. We hope that with this video you can better understand what Jay and Hatun are trying to communicate, and that it will begin a debate about the preservation of the Qur'an and about why Muslim leaders lie to their followers about their most cherished book. "However much you deny the truth, the truth goes on existing." - George Orwell.

The Numbers Behind the Concern

The 2026 Budget, tabled in late 2025, targeted a fiscal deficit of 3.5% of GDP, equivalent to approximately RM74.6 billion. This represented a modest improvement from the 2025 revised estimate of around 3.8% (roughly RM76.7 billion).

However, early 2026 developments, particularly surges in global energy prices linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have pushed subsidy expenditures higher than anticipated. Reports indicate the cumulative deficit has approached or exceeded RM85 billion in the first half of the year, outpacing the full-year target well before mid-year.

This group is facing financial pressure in 2025 due to a combination of economic reforms. While Malaysians are being told they are better off financially, their feelings are contrary. Rising costs, policies and structural challenges are diminishing middleclass spending ability and turning them into financial slaves of society, locked into this by their work and lifestyles they have grown accustomed to after so many decades of growing national prosperity.

Targeted Subsidy Reforms have put many within the middleclass out of range of subsidies their livelihoods were based upon. The government has shifted from blanket subsidies to targeted ones, particularly for fuel (e.g., RON95 petrol subsidies phased out for the T15 group, earning above RM13,000/month) and electricity. Middle-class households, especially those in urban areas like Kuala Lumpur, often fall just outside subsidy eligibility, facing higher costs for essentials. For instance, the removal of petrol subsidies could add RM1,000–RM2,000 monthly to household expenses for some families.

I certainly do not intend to defend Salleh’ former judgements, nor do I consider him a “hero” in my approximation. Nevertheless, we owe it to Salleh and our younger generations to put the record straight and confront the historical facts surrounding the sacking of the former lord president by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as laid out in Salleh’s account of the case in “May Day for Justice”. 

Otherwise, we will not be able to fathom the damage that was done to the Malaysian judiciary by Mahathir. Umno’s power struggle in the 1980s The underlying factor, which determined the uncertainty in Malaysian politics ever since 1986, was the power struggle within Umno. This relentless power struggle was inevitable considering the size of the spoils of the New Economic Policy at stake.  

The irreconcilable differences between Team A led by Mahathir and Team B led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was the destabilising factor which dominated the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. This in turn set in train other destructive forces within the coalition’s member parties. 

Storm clouds over Malaysian politics began to gather from the time of the Umno general assembly in April 1987 when the split down the middle in Umno caught the imagination of everyone. Mahathir had been re-elected by the skin of his teeth! What followed through the subsequent months was to add to the clouds hanging over Umno – the sacking of the Team B ministers from the Cabinet; 

Team B members going to court to seek rulings that the outcome of the April 1987 party elections be declared null and void; Umno being subsequently declared “illegal” by the court. This court challenge by Team B of Umno was the biggest threat faced by Mahathir. As the Tunku put it: “Umno was facing a break-up. 

Prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s hold on the party appeared critical when election rigging was alleged to have given him a very narrow victory over Tengku Razaleigh. The case alleging irregularities brought by Umno members was pending in court. “If the judgement went against him, he would have no choice but to step down. 

So, he had to find a way out of his predicament. A national crisis had to be created to bring Umno together as a united force to fight a common enemy – and the imaginary enemy in this case was the Chinese community… “It’s not a question of Chinese against the government but his own party, Umno who are against him”. (K.Das/ Suara: ‘The White paper on the October Affair and the Why? Papers’, Suaram Petaling Jaya 1989: 10) 

World jurists condemn Mahathir for his assault on the Judiciary Mahathir has tried in vain to wriggle out of the responsibility for Operation Lalang saying it was the inspector-general of police who ordered the arrests. Likewise, he has attempted to put the blame for the sacking of the lord president and three other Supreme Court judges on the Agung. 

As I have pointed out often enough, these two outrages against Malaysian democracy in 1987 and 1988 respectively are inextricably linked. Young lawyers today might like to know the views of top jurists from around the world who reacted to this atrocious attack on the Malaysian judiciary: In the Foreword to “May Day for Justice”, written by Tun Salleh & K Das after the sacking of the lord president, the Tunku further wrote: “I do not know how any honourable government can stay in office after this book has been published. 

It constitutes a denunciation which cannot be answered without confessing to the most dishonourable conduct in public life … it struck a terrible blow, not only to the independence of the Malaysian judiciary – and ruined the careers of at least three honourable men – but to national pride itself.” In another foreword, the Hon Justice Michael Kirby CMG Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) had this to say: 

“Singled out for particular mention was the concern of the ICJ about the campaign of attacks on the judiciary by the prime minister of Malaysia, the inducements made to the lord president to resign his office quietly, the apparently biased constitution of the tribunal set up to enquire into his removal, the inclusion in the tribunal, as its chairman, of a judge who succeeded to the lord president’s office, the unprecedented action of that judge in securing the removal and suspension of Supreme Court judges who provided a stay to allow the constitutionality of the tribunal to be tested in the Malaysian Supreme Court, and the ‘unpersuasive’ report of the tribunal following which the lord president was removed.” 

The highly respected former Lord President Tun Mohamed Suffian Hashim had this to say on the sordid affair and he pointed his finger squarely at Mahathir: “The disgrace brought to Malaysia by the prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in dismissing the lord president, Tun Salleh Abas, and two senior Supreme Court judges will long hang round his neck like an albatross. 

What the PM did astounded the nation and the appalling news was swiftly spread to all four corners of the globe… “Tun Salleh has since revealed all the facts leading to, and regarding the so-called inquiry into his alleged misbehaviour. Facts which because of the prime minister’s total control of the mass media, he was able at the time to keep from public knowledge and which were also kept out of the knowledge of the two foreign members of the tribunal who came from Sri Lanka and Singapore.” (K Das, “Questionable Conduct over that May Day Caper”, 1990) 

The Malaysian Bar Council at the time also did not mince its words in a statement: “From the prime minister’s attacks on the judiciary, it appears that he seriously misconceives the doctrine of the separation of powers… It is not for the Executive to tell the judges how to construe the laws.” In 1990, when Lim Kit Siang was opposing Mahathir, he alleged: 

“The prime minister and the attorney-general had refused to throw light on this shocking discrepancy, which raised doubts as to whether the prime minister ever had an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on May 1, 1988…Grave doubts and mystery surround the judicial crisis of 1988…” (K Das, “Questionable Conduct over that May Day Caper”, 1990) There were many other eminent jurists from around the world who were aghast at this flagrant assault on one of the vital institutions of any democracy: 

Geoffrey Robertson QC; Hugo Young; PN Bhagwati, former chief justice of India; Prof Andrew Harding writing for the Commonwealth Judicial Journal; Bernard Levin of The Times, London; Professor FA Trinidade of The Law Quarterly Review; Nihal Jayawickkarama of the University of Hong Kong. All of them were quite clear in pointing their fingers at the prime minister of the day for the sacking of Salleh. The cover of the book, ‘May Day for Justice’. 

In his book “May Day for Justice”, Salleh’s denunciation of Mahathir begins on the first page itself: “When all else is forgotten, this question alone may remain to haunt us: Did I lie when I said the prime minister of Malaysia accused me of being biased in cases involving the political party, Umno? 

“Did I invent this story that the prime minister raised the matter when he gave me the reasons why I was found unsuitable to remain lord president of the Supreme Court of Malaysia and should therefore step down? That because of my speeches about Umno, I was biased as a judge? “I have no doubt – and few would now disagree – that it was the Umno saga that led to my destruction as a judge.” 

I urge those who have forgotten or were too young to know the truth about Mahathir’s assault on the Malaysian judiciary to read the two books by Salleh and K Das. Alas, Mahathir’s legacy in tarnishing the Malaysian judiciary by sacking the lord president will never be obliterated while there are still good men and women ready to defend the truth, justice, democracy and human rights. Rest in peace now, Tun Salleh Abas.