Mr Sarang setehadi@yahoo.com , Miss Parinaz parinaz.r@gmail.com , Sharareh szabihian@yahoo.com , Ghazal angel393_393@yahoo.com were Iranian Persians Baha’i Faith http://www.bahai.org.com  followers that visited MAM today.

 

We spent nearly a fruitful hour exchanging views on various religious developments both in Malaysia and Iran and our personal understandings about religions at large. It was indeed heart warming to note that in the predominantly Shi’a Muslim ( 89%) Sunni ( 9%) Iran, there were still minority Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian and Baha’i (2% combined) followers.

 

However, admists our conversations, the most astonishing fact about Iranian Islamic policies towards other minority religions were the freedom to worship. Hence eventual inter-religious marriages between Muslim and non-Muslim in Iran would not give rise to the ‘compulsory’ conversion to Islamic faith by law; how wonderful!

 

It was these groups’ kind gestures that I was presented a small leaflet concerning the Baha’is teachings which I found rather universal and easy to comprehend to.

 

Extracts from the leaflets:-

 

The Baha’i Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. The central theme of its founder, Baha’u’llah ( 1817 -1892, Iranian ) is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society.

 

One of the purpose of the Baha’i Faith is to help make this possible. A worldwide community of some 6 million Baha’is, representative of most of the nations, races and cultures of the earth, is working to give Baha’u’llah’s teachings practical effect.

 

Their experience will be a source of encouragement to all who share their vision of humanity as one global family and the earth as one homeland.

 

“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.” – Baha’i Writings

 

 

<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://www.clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/2973EE6B-DB00-4696-9CBF-4A722E031139/" title="go to this clipmark"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/45dcbeb2-2952-4800-b3c6-a303056781e9/2973EE6B-DB00-4696-9CBF-4A722E031139/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/" href="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/" style="font-size: 11px;">mwcnews.net</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/"><table background="undefined" bgcolor=""><tr><TD width="100%" class="contentheading">Pentagon Admits Use of White Phosphorus
</TD></tr></table></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="

http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/"><P><STRONG><FONT size="2">Pentagon Reverses Position and Admits U.S. Troops Used White Phosphorous Against Iraqis in Fallujah</FONT></STRONG></P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/"><FONT size="2"><IMG width="250" vspace="5" hspace="10" height="195" border="0" align="right" src="http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/Fallujah/Pentagon-Fallujah3.jpg" />The U.S. government has now admitted its troops used white phosphorous as an incendiary weapon against Iraqis during the assault on Fallujah a year ago. </FONT></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/"><FONT size="2">Chemical weapons experts say such attacks are in violation of international law banning the use of chemical weapons. </FONT></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/"><FONT size="2">White phosphorous is often compared to napalm because it combusts spontaneously when exposed to oxygen and can burn right through skin to the bone. </FONT></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/"><FONT size="2">Peter Kaiser, of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said, "Chemicals used against humans or animals that cause harm or death through the toxic properties of the chemical are considered chemical weapons." </FONT></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="reporters">http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/">reporters have noted the use of white phosphorous since the war began</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite=""We">http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/">"We fired "shake and bake" missions at the insurgents, using WP [White Phosphorous] to flush them out and HE [high explosives] to take them out."</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mwcnews.net/content/view/2318/26/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content175542.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/mwcnews.net/img/41C06A48-9E71-4D69-A619-F1900285122D" alt="Image" /></div></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/2973EE6B-DB00-4696-9CBF-4A722E031139/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content175543.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

Our beloved “Bionic No-more” Miss Tee Hui Yee must have been an ‘angel’ sent from far above. Needless to say, she holds the Malaysian record, if not World for having undergone 2 heart transplants within 48 hours. From religious point of view, only highly divine individuals with immense virtues, both from present and past lives are able to have survived these traumas.

 

From now onwards, whatever the eventualities, as far as Hui Yee’s transplants were concerned, we Malaysians have indeed been motivated and inspired; never before  ‘live’ in front of our very eyes.

 

When our local media showed a desperate Hui Yee with a 9kg “Bionic” heart pleading “How long do I have to wait?” Everyone was very touched and compassionate but what could have been done then?

 

It was not for us to decide as ‘God’, or nature has its way! Fate has it during these ‘turbulent times’, in particular the controversies surrounding the Melaka Paya Mengkuang pig framers, which required the ‘enlightened’ interventions from our Honorable Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, came a Malay boy’s heart, with both fantastic parents to Hui Yee’s rescue. Together, the hugh team of medical professionals, most of whom were Muslims of IJN performed the transplant during the Holy fasting month of Rahmadan. The 12 hrs operation could hardly be declared success when signs of Hui Yee’s body rejecting the ‘new’ hearts began to surface. Just as everything seemed doomed, another heart was ‘made’ readily available for harvest in Johor, and the rest is history; until this very point of time………

 

The whole nation awoke to share the joy of Hui Yee’s success and pay tributes to both donors’ parents and family members for cheating Hui Yee’s death. Congratulatory messages to Hui Yee, the associated medical team, not forgetting these ‘proud’ donors parents; stormed from top guns to local men on the streets. Donors increased over night at drive as if everybody wants to ‘enjoy’ the privilege of passing over of some organs to needy ones, ‘soonest possible’.

 

Religious clerics, politicians and social activists seemed to have found the motivations to encourage organs donations with our Education Minister and possible future Prime Minister-intend, Datuk Seri Hisshamuddin Tun Hussein claiming to have pledged his “political” organs 8 years ago! So convincing! Not forgetting for once, our politicians were blessed with something truly uncommon, positive and constructive to share with our fellow citizens, irrespective of color, creed, ethnic, and religion.

 

All Malaysians have confident with divine compassions and prayers, irrespective of prayers’ nature; together our joint strengths should see Hui Yee through. Not forgetting these prayers should also ensure divine afterlives for the two youth donors.

 

We are just days away to celebrating the Hari Raya Adil Fitri; where traditionally the Malay-Muslim juniors asked for forgiveness from their elders. Friends, relatives and foes rejoice visiting each other at open houses and temporarily all misunderstandings, prejudice, hatred, condemnations have no place to be.

 

This Hui Yee’s miraculous fight for survival was made possible when our whole notion joined force as one; as if we were facing enemy from without at the brink of war. For a moment, many humble Malaysians wanted to be organ donors, willing to be sacrificed amid “kamakazi”.

 

How wonderful of us Malaysians, if we utilized this joyful Hari Raaya to visit each others Muslims friends, top up with this so-called Hui Yee’s spirits of motivation to further strengthen our cordial relationships thus far. The topic relating to Hui Yee’s transplants can certainly be a way to break the ice for strangers and foes too.

 

We, the common people have shown our togetherness during Hui Yee’s plight, now is the time, the right time for our fellow policy makers to show us further that being politicians in Malaysian is only serving the Rakyat; that is all. Politicians should not take things too personally as to defy the New Year celebrations in exchange for the personal political differences. After all, it was just a job; by the people for the people; right?   

 

This coming Hari Raya, follow by Deepavali, Christmas, and CNY, may we Malaysian grassroots see opposition heavyweights like Datuk Seri Annuar Ibrahim, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, Pas Cleric Datuk Nik Aziz etc leading their men, putting behind their political differences and visit Barisan Nasional’s open houses the least, if not their individual assemblymen’s homes; and vice versa. Moreover, senior mentors like Tun Dr. Mahathir ( with due respect to still having recuperating in coincidental, the aforesaid IJN), Tun Musa Hitam, Tengku Razali Hamzah and probrabably Datuk Seri Annuar joined by our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, for a ‘reunion’ treat; which I presume surely would increase our Rakyat’s appetite by multifold during the open house. These leadership by example gestures of patience, tolerance, ‘forgetting’ and forgiving, putting public interest before self were what the Rakyats have been longing for a long long time.

 

The eventual shaking hands between Datuk Seri Ong Kah Teng, Retired Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yik and Lim Kit Siang; the possible kiss and make up of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Datuk M Kayveas, and Kalpal Singh should not be misconstrued as something fishy up their sleeves by our UMNO and PAS parliament counterparts. One day each political curtain shall be lowered and all would be back to square one again, ask Tun Lim Cheong Eu; ex-President of Gerakan and Tun Ling Liong Sik ex-President of MCA, their meaningful lives after political life.

 

If North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun could put aside their bitter differences and meet in Pyongyang where prior to this war seemed nothing short of imminent, tell me otherwise that being in Malaysia’s political arenas forbid visiting each other to foster better ties; more so during ‘specific’ occasions like new year celebrations.

 

Our father of Independence YM Tengku Abdul Rahman once said “Unity in Diversity” where the degree of diversities could range from origin, ethnic, religion but not limited to political believes; right? Ex-Kepong MP  the late Tan Sri Dr. Tan Chee Khoon was a much respected opposition MP by ruling Barisan Nasional then.

 

One of our anchormen during the 80s 2M administration Tun Musa Hitam’s famous quote:

 

-  Politic is the art of making impossible things possible!  -

 

Shall be a living testimony for current and oncoming generations of Malaysians; for it must have been these seemingly impossible, unthinkable undertakings incepted through a Malay boy from Perak, donating his living heart to Tee Hui Yee, that had shown that with us humble Malaysians, down to earth Malaysians; together with God’s blessings, all things are possible!

 

 

“Bionic” Tee Hui Yee, who signed as an organ donor even though she had yet to receive a donor heart herself a few days ago was finally wheeled into the National Heart Institude (IJN) operating theater for a 12 hr successful heart transplant.

 

Hui Yee is currently survived by the heart of a 15-year-old Malaysian Malay boy from Ipoh, Perak who’d met with a road accident and was subsequently pronounced clinical death. His lungs and kidneys were also harvested for other transplants done concurrently at IJN.

 

Today, a local Chinese daily published in the front page in big bold letters a Malay heart saves Hui Yee. The donor and his much-angered parents were finally interviewed by the mush awaited press. The father, though saddened by the demised of his beloved son, felt as though he was bestowed with a ‘new’ daughter very much at ‘heart’ instead!

 

“My son would have consented I know; for these organs were the gifts of Almighty and rightfully should be presented to carry on lives of those needy instead of having them buried!” how courageous of this Malay-Muslim father; as to date Malay-Muslims have only accounted for approx. 12% of Malaysian pledged donors.

 

The aforesaid gestures; in particular the donor’s parents, were to be considered a very noble and positive move towards a truly Malaysian way of livelihood, that transcends beyond color, ethnic, and religion.

 

Deputy International Trade Minister YB Mah Siew Kiong, who is also the current Gerakan Youth Chief, commented on the need to establish an above-ethnic and non-religion approach by various Malaysian political parties; as reported in the same Chinese daily. Two days ago, Melaka young MP, YB Wong Nai Chee was also quoted as saying the implementation of Islamic Administration policies into the public sectors would only further dilute the multi-cultural society of Malaysia.

 

Todate, only the Gerakan, PPP, both initially were opposition parties who have since join the ruling Barisan Nasional; DAP & Keadilan, the opposition parties in Peninsular Malaysia resorted to multi-racial ideologist approaches. Whereas PAS, although predominantly Islam-Muslim party, is some how multi-racial in her approaches. However, on the other hand, the 3 major backbone of Malaysia’s independence namely, UMNO, MCA, and MIC were still very much race-centered parties; with each trying to outwit the other when confronting race-religious matters! How sad!

 

 

 

Should we go for election in 2009 and subsequently 2014, eligible voters of 18 yrs old citizens would have been those born in 1991 and 1996 respectively; whom were youths of the millennium. Many of such youths were highly exposed to the internet and globalizations that they have evolved into a new creed. They advocate freedom of speech and choice hence the ‘racism’ and ‘religion-centered’ approaches by UMNO, MCA & MIC would have been alien to their vocabulary.  

 

I feared UMNO, MCA & MIC etc. with Barisan Nasional would run out of favour soon; which is no surprise because most Malaysian youths today have come to realize that by championing for a particular race or religion or both; we were heading no where but dooms day ahead. The fact of the matter is that no single race & religion or both could survive by protectiveness of their rights at the expense of the others; more so in a multi-cultural, multi-religious society like Malaysia.

 

Grassroots citizens like the Ipoh boy’s parents have taken a giant step by donating organs of their demised son to others; without preset conditions of colour, ethnic and religion which previously seemed unthinkable and a social turmoil seem eminent. On the other hand the recipients also welcome the ‘heart’, ‘lungs’ and ‘kidneys’ with open arms; which ethnically speaking, resulted in particular Tee’s case a Malaysian Chinese with a Malaysian Malay’s heart.

 

This is many a signal that the time is near for our policy makers to propose, instill and execute change – reform for the better failing of which you could be voted out of office soon.

 

However, theoretically speaking, change normally occurs in one of the following conditions:-

 

1. When desperate – when we have no more choice!
2. When challenged – to proof our sincerity and abilities!
3. When having objectives & directions – systematic planning towards a well defined objectives and directions!

 

Henceforth, neither should we hesitate until our social structures are at the brink of collapse before we seek desperate changes nor should we wait until others have totally lost faith in us that we attempt to change.

 

We should instead welcome, accept and hence manage change because take it or leave it; change in itself is a never changing phenomenon!

 

 

 

or visit http://www.associatedcontent.com/melakatoday

 

please subscribe FREE to http://www.associatedcontent.com  or http://www.associatedcontent.com/melakatoday

 

<br> <a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/390967/the_power_of_one_american_dollar_.html">The Power of One American Dollar </a> 
 

 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/378374/criteria_for_voting_in_malaysias_upcoming.html 

 

or http://www.associatedcontent.com/melakatoday

 

Extracts From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Malays (Malay: Melayu) are an ethnic group of Austronesian peoples predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula and parts of Sumatra and Borneo. The Malay ethnic group is distinct from the concept of a Malay race, which encompasses a wider group of people, including most of Indonesia and the Philippines. The Malay language is a member of the Austronesian family of languages.

Base upon 2006 citation, Malays’s estimated 22 million worldwide populations are distributed as follows:-

Malaysia 12.30 million

Brunei 0.25 million

Indonesia 6.90 million – 2000 census

Thailand 1.90 million

Singapore 0.62 million

With common languages spoken as follows:-

Malay ( Bahasa Melayu), Indonesia, Yawi, Thai.

Almost 99% of Malay embraced Islam Shafi’i.

History

The Malay people are believed to have originated in Borneo and then expanded outwards into Sumatra and later into the Malay Peninsula. These people were descendants of Austronesian-speakers who migrated from the Philippines and originally from Taiwan. The main foundation of this school of thought lies in the fact that the oldest Malay settlements have been discovered in Sumatra and not in the Malay Peninsula. This suggests an upward - south to north - migratory route.

Etymology

According to the History of Jambi, the word Melayu originated from a river with name Melayu River near to Batang Hari River of today's Muara Jambi, Jambi province of Sumatra, Indonesia. The founder of Malacca, Parameswara was a prince of Palembang which was once owned by a nation called "Malayu" back in the seventh century. Yi Jing (635-713) clearly recorded in his journal book a nation of name 'Ma-La-Yu' existed. According to archaeological research of Jambi, large numbers of ancient artifacts and ancient architectures, of Melayu have been found with photo evidence.

The word "Malay" was adopted into English via the Dutch word "Malayo", itself from Portuguese "Malaio", which originates from the Malay word "Melayu". According to one popular theory, the word Melayu means "migrating" or "fleeing", which might refer to the high mobility of these people across the region.

Another theory holds that the name refers to the Sanskrit word Malai Yur which means "Land of Mountains" (malai means mountain and yur means land), a reference to the hilly nature of the Malay Archipelago.

Alternate uses of the term

The name Malay is sometimes used to describe the concept of a Malay race, which includes all the ethnic groups inhabiting the Malay Archipelago; including those who are not of older aboriginal stock.

The term Melayu (Malay person in Malay Language), in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, refers to a person who practices Islam and Malay Cultures, speaks Malay Language, and whose ancestors are Malays. Despite of not having Malay ancestry, a Eurasian, Chinese, Indian, European, Arab, Turkish or Afghan can be considered Malay if they practice Islam and regards the Malay culture and language as their own.

Ethnic group vs. cultural sphere

The term "Malay" can refer to the ethnic group who live in the Malay Peninsula (which include the southernmost part of Thailand called Patani and Satun) and east Sumatra as well as the cultural sphere that encompass a large part of the archipelago.

The Malay ethnic group is the majority in Malaysia and Brunei and a sizable minority in Singapore and Indonesia. This people speak various dialects of Malay language. The peninsular dialect is the standard speech among Malays in Malaysia and Singapore. Meanwhile, the Riau dialect of eastern Sumatra has been adopted as a national tongue, Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), for the whole Indonesian population.The ethnic Malay have had a Muslim culture since the 15th century.

In Malaysia, the majority of the population is made up of ethnic Malays while the minorities consist of southern Chinese (e.g. Hokkien and Cantonese), southern Indians (mainly Tamils and Malayalis), non-ethnic Malay indigenous people (e.g. Iban and Kadazan), as well as Eurasians.

Malay cultural influences filtered out throughout the archipelago, such as the monarchical state, religion (Hinduism/Buddhism in the first millennium AD, Islam in the second millennium), and the Malay language. The influential Srivijaya kingdom had unified the various ethnic groups in South East Asia into a convergent cultural sphere for almost a millennium. It was during that time that vast borrowing of Sanskrit words and concepts facilitated the advanced linguistic development of Malay as a language. Malay was the regional lingua franca, and Malay-based Creole languages existed in most trading ports in Indonesia.

Furthermore, Malay may also refer to:

Language

• Malay language, the language of Malaysia, lingua franca of Samudera-Pasai

• Old Malay language(s), possible ancestor(s) of Bahasa Melayu, and the Indonesian language

• Sri Lankan Creole Malay language, a language spoken by the Malay ethnic minority in Sri Lanka

People

• Malays (ethnic group), the ethnic group located primarily in the Malay Peninsula, and parts of Sumatra and Borneo

• Malay race, a racial category encompassing peoples of South East Asia and sometimes the Pacific Islands

• Malaysian Malays, a constitutionally defined group of Muslim Malaysian citizens

• Malays in Singapore

• Cape Malays, an ethnic group or community in South Africa

• Cocos Malays, the predominant group ethnic group of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, now part of Australia

• Overseas Malays, people of Malay ancestry living outside Malaysia and neighbouring ethnic Malay home areas

Geography

• Malay Peninsula, the geographic area containing Malaysia and Singapore, as well as parts of Myanmar and Thailand

• Malay Archipelago, the group of islands located between mainland Southeast Asia (Indochina) and Australia

Political or Historic

• Malayan Union, a confederation of Malayan states formed in 1946 under the British which later became Malaysia.

• Malay states, a group of nine states of Malaysia (all located in West Malaysia) which have hereditary rulers

• Federation of Malaya, a federation formed in 1948 from the British Settlements of Penang and Malacca and the nine Malay states, replacing the Malayan Union

• Malay, Aklan, a municipality in the Philippines

Bumiputra or Bumiputera (Malay, from Sanskrit Bhumiputra; translated literally, it means "son of the soil"), is an official definition widely used in Malaysia, embracing ethnic Malays as well as other indigenous ethnic groups such as the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and the tribal peoples in Sabah and Sarawak. Economic policies designed to favour Bumiputras (including affirmative action in public education) were implemented in the 1970s in order to defuse inter-ethnic tensions following the May 13 Incident in 1969, but these have not been fully effective in eradicating poverty among rural bumiputras and have further caused a backlash of resentment on the part of non-bumi ethnic groups.

Definition

The idea of Bumiputra in Malaysia is based on the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, in particular Article 153. However the constitution did not explicitly define the term "bumiputra". It only contains the definitions of "Malay" and "aborigine" (Article 160(2), "natives" of Sarawak (161A (6) (a)), and "natives" of Sabah (Article 161A (6) (b)). Thus, the definition of "bumiputra" may vary in different institutions, organizations or other government departments and agencies.

According to the book entitled "Buku Panduan Kemasukan ke Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam, Program Pengajian Lepasan SPM/Setaraf Sesi Akademik 2007/2008" (Guidebook for entry into public higher learning institutions for SPM/equivalent graduates for academic year 2007/2008), by Student Entry Management under Management Department of Higher Education Institution, Malaysian Higher Education Ministry, the definition of Bumiputra are as follows:

1. Peninsular Malaysia

   • "If one of the parent are Muslim Malay or Orang Asli as stated in Article 160 (2) Federal Constitution of Malaysia; thus the child is considered as a Bumiputra"

2. Sabah

   • "If a father is a Muslim Malay or indigenous native of Sabah as stated in Article 160A (6)(a) Federal Constitution of Malaysia; thus his child is considered as a Bumiputra"

3. Sarawak

   • "If both of the parent are indigenous native of Sarawak as stated in Article 160A (6)(b) Federal Constitution of Malaysia; thus their child is considered as a Bumiputra"

History

In Malaysia, by convention, it is generally considered that all Malays are Bumiputras and that all Bumiputras are Malay. However, as the definitions above indicate there are cases of non-Malays declared as Bumiputra, and similarly of non-Muslim Malays who are considered Bumiputra. Other indigenous groups are included as Bumiputra including the Iban and other Bornean groups. However, the definition of Bumiputra appears to also include Muslim Indians, Sino-native and some Kristang people - the Portuguese Communities originated from Melaka (Malacca),

This confusion is compounded by the fact that different ministries of the government may have different definitions themselves. What is not obscure is that preferential treatment of Bumiputras versus other races is built into the Malaysian Constitution.

Bumiputras were given special rights in the constitution after the Malays agreed to share political power with minorities, including the Chinese, in what is termed the social contract, as a prerequisite to gaining independence from British rule. Many of the non-Malays at that time were first and second generation migrants who had been brought by the British to fill colonial manpower needs as indentured labourers. It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

Article 160 defines a Malay as being one who "professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay customs and is the child of at least one parent who was born within the Federation of Malaysia before independence of Malaya on the 31st of August 1957".

The term of this special position has been disputed; the Reid Commission which drafted the Constitution initially proposed that Article 153 expire after 15 years unless renewed by Parliament. This was later struck from the final draft. After the May 13 Incident in 1969, there was an argument within the government concerning whether the special position of the Bumiputras ought to have a sunset clause. Ismail Abdul Rahman argued that "the question be left to the Malays themselves because ... as more and more Malays became educated and gained self-confidence, they themselves would do away with this 'special position'." Ismail himself viewed the special position as "a slur on the ability of the Malays". In 1970, however, one member of the Cabinet pronounced that Malay special rights would remain for "hundreds of years to come".

The word "Bumiputra" was first used in Parliament in 1965 during the debate of the act which would create the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), a government agency formed to preserve Bumiputra interests.

Some institutes of higher learning, such as the Open University Malaysia, have enacted admission policies favouring Bumiputra students.

Certain pro-bumiputra policies known as the Bumiputra Laws exist as a means of affirmative action for bumiputras. Such policies include quotas for the following: admission to government educational institutions, qualification for public scholarships, positions in government and ownership in business. Most of them were established in the Malaysian New Economic Policy (NEP). Many of them focus on establishing a Bumiputra share of corporate equity comprising at least 30% of the total.

 

O WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

My propose WAYS to improve the safety of Malaysian Highways users -

1. Sprayed onto the top and both sides of all cars, vans, lorries and buses etc. with the number plate of the said vehicle so that air surveillance by helicopters and surveillance by CCTV are more accurate and effective.

2. In the case of motorbikes; spray the number plate onto the top and sides of the helmets.

3. Install overhead cameras at every toll entry point to capture / snap shot of the vehicle passing underneath with number plate and time recorded on the toll ticket or smart card.

4. Image of driver recorded by the Highway Authority CCTV could be an added advantage in particular to deter car theft!

5. Furthermore, the average speed of every vehicle passing underneath the toll can be measured by :-

Average Speed = Preset Distance Traveled measured at the next toll entry and exit /(devided by)

                          Total Time utilized from toll entry captured by overhead camera and the exit time

6. A reminder chart featuring the estimated times required to travel from one destination to another in accordance to the preset speed limits along the journey to assist drivers form speeding.

7. To play save, drivers have no choice but to take a break at the Rest Areas or risked being fined for speeding.

8. To pay immediately a traffic compound of RM 300 at the exit point of toll for defaulters or the said vehicle is remanded / withheld.

9. Defaulters with high risk record of 2 fines within one month are barred from using the highway for 6 months. Having money to settle summons is not everything!

10. Parents of children below age 18 found driving with influence of alcohol or without license on all roads to be fines or imprisoned or both.

These proposals were meant to act as deterrent if drivers chose to ignore our traffic bylaws.

Humble proposal by:

melakatoday@gmail.com

www.melakatoday.blogspot.com

www.melakatoday.spaces.live.com

Any interested parties were welcome to copy, duplicate, modify or innovate the aforesaid proposals for the safety and betterment of man-kind world wide!