Searching for the truth…

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In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Reflection

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate.
Praise be to God, the Sustainer of all the Worlds,
The Merciful, the Compassionate.
Lord of the Day of Judgement
Thee alone do we worship and Thee
Do we ask for help.
Guide us on the Straight Path.
The path of those on whom Thou has bestowed Thy Grace
Not of those upon whom is Thy Wrath,
Nor those who have gone astray.
Ameen. (O God! do grant us our request) - Al-Fatihah (The Opening)
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AFTER reading my copy of Harakah, I put it aside on the front passenger seat of my car and headed for a tyre workshop in Simpang Empat, Semabok. At the shop, as I alighted from the car, a MPV came next to my vehicle.

The driver who was a middle-aged Chinese; after talking to the shop ‘towkay’ and greeted me, surprising asked if could lend him the copy of Harakah that was lying on the car seat. Wow, his eyes were sharp; how could he have notice the PAS newspaper.

“Of course,” I said, and he kept on mumbling: “In Melaka it is difficult to get a copy of Harakah. I like reading Harakah and Suara Keadilan; could you tell me the nearest place where I could get my copies?”

I told him of a place, he nodded and for the next few minutes I did not want to disturb him as I saw he was too absorbed flipping over the pages of the Harakah. He read on until his vehicle was ready. Before he left, he thanked me and returned my Harakah.

The Chinese Malaysian was one of several non Muslims non Malays I know who are interested to know the latest development in the country’s politics but not from the very biased of the so-called main stream media. They are sick of those one sided media and seek alternatives; unfortunately parties newsletters (or newspapers) – Harakah, Suara Keadilan and Rocket (Roket) are bared from being sold at open premises such as ‘mamak stalls’.

Only ‘regular customers’ knew where to get their copies of alternative papers; and in this case, I pity hopeful readers such as the Chinese whom I met at the tyre workshop. Yes, why deny those who were searching for the truth?

Concerned citizens including Chinese and Indians are now hungry for the latest information on the politicial situation in the country after the so-called main stream media had their knees on the ground, kowtowing to their BN political masters.

More than 50 years after independence the leaders of Umno and the media they control have their hands full in accusing and belittling the Opposition; and the saddest part of it they conceal information by making it hard for the people to have access of alternative media.

In Melaka Sentral, a Chinese newsvendor told me alternative papers were barred; officers from an agency of the state government confiscated copies of the newspapers and gave warning to those concerned who rented and run the stalls that their premises would be sealed if they defied their orders.

But those undemocratic actions to deny the public from knowing the truth was not going to work because the alternative front ‘Pakatan Rakyat’ is fast gaining support in the whole country including Melaka which has 28 state constituencies. Even Zentrum Chairman, Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah from University Malaya predicts the state would fall into Pakatan Rakyat hands in the coming 13th general election.

During my daily bus journey to work from Melaka to Kuala Lumpur and back, I befriended some non-Muslim non-Malay routine commuters; and all of them seem to be against the Umno-BN state and federal government which were accussed of insentitively to the rakyat's needs such as failing to control the price of necessities but kept on boasting that they were with the man in the streets by giving them ‘special goodies’ such as the RM500 ‘Bantuan Rakyat 1-Malaysia’ (BR1M), RM100 to each school-going child and monetary assistance to former army and police personel.

They questioned on why a very generous amount of money was disbursed when the country is going for a general election in a very short time. Is it not vote buying because the country's top leader had this famous quotation recorded – “I help you, you help me!”

Now that the BN, especially MIC and MCA are slowly but surely eroding from the hearts of the Chinese and Indians, those at helm in thede two parties are quick in blaming and finding faults in others such as PAS. For example MCA President, Chua Soi Lek on many occasions had warned the non Malays about PAS ‘hudud’ initiatives.

My Chetty friend, Subra (not his real name) praised Mat Sabu (PAS Deputy President, Mohamad Sabu) for highlighted the issue of Mat Indera saying: “Only after Mat Sabu mentioned about Mat Indera, the Umno-BN gave attention to the plight of those veteran former army and police personnel and their families. Now they are going to get some form of assistance, so why not thanked Mat Sabu for opening the eyes of those in power?”

Another friend, Bala (also not his real name) who holds a top position in a government agency was more vocal. He accused the Umno-BN led federal and state leaders for playing ‘wayang kulit’ (shadow play) such as making various initiatives to help the Indians during this period of election fever.

For for the Indian community, he asked why only at this time the BN government gave them many goodies such as granting a total of 4,023 citizenship to individuals from this community and giving Indians allocations up to RM100 milion this year for building and upgrading Tamil schools.

“The question is why only now the government paying attention to the Indian community; to me they are fishing for votes even their top leaders deny it,” he said.

“Even the Prime Minister has shown his concern such as making his presence felt in temples including the Batu Caves during Thaipusam.”

Bala claimed that Umno-BN leaders were trying hard to woo Indian votes after recovering from the great bashing they received in the March 2008 general elections after they mistreated Indians fighting for their rights through Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf).

The 2010 census showed there were 1.9 million Indians, making up 7.3 percent of the country 28 million populations. Indians constitue a significant part of the electorate in 63 of the 168 parliamentary in Peninsular Malaysia and their votes, while a minority; is a crucial factor in many state and parliamentary constituencies in the West Coast, as shown in the by-elections after 2008.

Some Indians have been sidelined because they don’t like the idea of submitting to leaders who only care for themselves and their cronies but were good at giving ‘goodies’ at eve of elections. They are searching for the truth so that is what the power of truth is all about.

To the Chinese and Indians, they are about to say bye-bye to both MCA and MIC and BN who actually don’t care about the ordinary people’s life (they only show effection during election time), and welcome to the new Malaysia that hold hopes to all Malaysians as promised by Pakatan Rakyat.