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Monday, November 30, 2009

Son-in-law.


Mon, Nov 30, 2009
The Star/Asia News Network




BY JOCELINE TAN

AS SPIRITUAL leader of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), the Islamist party at the activist core of Malaysia's opposition pact, he may be the opposition veteran with the greatest standing, with strong religious credentials, a reputation for personal holiness and an inclusive philosophy.

But Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat has had a month of setbacks.

Unprecedented calls have arisen for him to "name his successor" even as he struggles to recover from a political fiasco dubbed the "son-in-law issue".

At a press conference last week, hours after announcing that he had asked son-in-law Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman to quit as chief executive of state-owned Kelantan Menteri Besar Incorporated (PMBK), he looked grim and tense.

It was probably one of the lowest moments in his political career, coming shortly after he had set himself at odds with a sizeable faction of his own party.

Mr Nik Aziz, 78, had asked PAS president Hadi Awang to step down unless he and his allies declared they no longer backed a unity government with Umno, which leads the government in Putrajaya.

That was already a case of living rather dangerously. But some felt that Mr Nik Aziz was sailing too close to the wind with his son-in-law's appointment.

It took the actions of a blogger to bring this powerful man to his senses. Mr Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, better known as Kickdefella, started it all when he blogged about Mr Ariffahmi's appointment and criticised it as a glaring conflict of interest.

Mr Syed Aziz, who had been sacked as a PMBK corporate liaison officer, also exposed how a pilgrimage that Mr Nik Aziz, Mr Ariffahmi and their spouses had been planning to make would be financed by a wealthy businessman who had dealings with the state agency. The trip, too, was eventually aborted.

The fact that he does not see the ("son-in-law issue") as nepotism does not speak well for him as a leader in the 21st century.

Kickdefella, Kelantan's most famous blogger, said he was sad that it had to end this way, adding: "The law is very clear...the whole thing could have been avoided."

The positive side to this is that MrNik Aziz showed that he was not impervious to public opinion and listened to the cousel of party peers.

Disturbingly, however, he still does not see it as an ethical, conflict- of-interest issue, saying that he asked Mr Ariffahmi to resign so as to "avoid further slander from bloggers and poison-pen letters".

The fact that he does not see the issue as nepotism does not speak well for him as a leader in the 21st century.

The recent calls for him to name his successor suggest that people are beginning to doubt his judgment on key appointments - and, critically, in his preference for his successor.

But Datuk Nik Amar Nik Abdullah, a senior state minister andstatePASdeputy commissioner who made that call, tried to portray it as anything but a move to topple his boss.

"When I urged Tok Guru (or 'Teacher', as Mr Nik Aziz is fondly known) to name his successor now rather than later, my aim was to avert confusion or even a power struggle," he insisted.

This is Mr Nik Aziz's 19th year in power and he has outlasted some prospective successors.

"He is a wise and elderly leader, he must name his successor.

If Tok Guru is willing to share his opinion...national party leaders are open to discussing the matter," said PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayob.

What Mr Salahuddin means is that the PAS national leadership intends to have its say, too.

The front runner is Deputy Menteri Besar Ahmad Yaakob, a low-key 58-year-old religious scholar.

He belongs to that generation of politicianswhostilldo things like riding a motorcycle to the local stall for breakfast before going home to change andgo to the office in his official car.

Mr Nik Amar, 48, is also in the running. He has been quite low-key for much of his time in government, but he has begun to take a bold stand on issues. His late politician father was well-respected as a daring "tiger".

Datuk Husam Husam, 50, was seen as Mr Nik Aziz's favourite. Last week, dismissing rumours that Mr Husam had quit government posts, Mr Nik Aziz defended him as a "unique leader" and "Allah's gift" to Kelantan and Malaysians.

But Mr Husam - a leader of the party's liberal wing - has accumulated his share of enemies, and that may explain why the calls for Mr Nik Aziz to decide on his successor are coming now rather than later.

The son-in-law mess was Mr Nik Aziz's moment of supreme weakness and it could not have happened at a worse time for his "political son", Mr Husam.

-The Star/Asia News Network

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Masjidil Aqsa




Masjid kedua tertua dan ketiga tersuci di dunia adalah Masjidil Aqsa (Masjid Al-Aqsa). Masjid itu dibangunkan di atas lokasi Kenisah Sulaiman atau Haykal Sulaiman dan termasuk di antara tiga masjid yang perlu dikunjungi oleh kaum Muslim sesuai dengan anjuran Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. Keutamaan Masjidil Aqsa ini didasarkan daripada sabda Nabi s.a.w yang bermaksud: “Janganlah kamu merasa berat untuk mengadakan perjalanan ke tiga masjid: Masjidil Haram, Masjidku ( Masjid Nabawi ) dan Masjidil Aqsa. Solat di Masjidil Haram lebih utama dari 100,000 kali di tempat lain kecuali di Masjidil Aqsa.” ( Riwayat ad-Darimi, an- Nasa’i, dan Ahmad)

Masjidil Aqsa disebut di dalam al-Quran yang berkaitan dengan peristiwa Israk Mikraj (Q.17:1). Nabi s.a.w. melakukan Israk (perjalanan malam hari) dari Masjidil Haram ke Masjidil Aqsa sebelum bermikraj ke Sidratulmuntaha, sebagaimana dalam firman-Nya: “Maha Suci Allah, yang telah memperjalankan hamba-Nya pada suatu malam dari Masjidil Haram ke Masjidil Aqsa yang telah Kami berkati sekelilingnya agar Kami perlihatkan kepadanya sebahagian daripada tanda-tanda (kebesaran) Kami…” (Q.17:1).

Kalangan ulama berbeza pendapat mengenai istilah “aqsa”. Sebahagian berpendapat bahawa masjid ini disebut Aqsa (Jauh) kerana memang jauh dari Masjidil Haram di Mekah. Menurut pendapat lain, masjid ini disebut Aqsa kerana ia merupakan tempat yang bebas daripada segala jenis kotoran, tempat turunnya malaikat serta wahyu, dan kiblat para nabi sebelum Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. Pendapat lain lagi mengatakan bahawa Masjidil Aqsa bukan di Baitulmaqdis tetapi di Sidratulmuntaha. Alasan ini didasarkan pada fakta bahawa Haykal Sulaiman sudah dihancurkan pada tahun 70 SM oleh Kaisar Titus dari Rom.

Masjidil Aqsa berada dalam sebuah kompleks di kota Baitulmaqdis (rumah, tempat suci atau yang disucikan). Baitulmaqdis adalah sebutan bagi Jerusalem yang juga disebut al-Quds. Masjidil Aqsa didirikan di atas tanah bekas Haykal Sulaiman. Di dalam kompleks itu, Masjidil Aqsa terletak di selatan Kubah as-Sakhrah yang juga dikenali dengan nama Masjid Umar atau The Dome of the Rock. Masjid itu didirikan seperti di atas sakhrah (batu hitam yang menjadi landasan mikraj Nabi s.a.w) oleh Abdul Malik bin Marwan pada tahun 72 H/691 M.

Nabi Sulaiman a.s membangun tempat ibadah Yahudi (kenisah) di Jerusalem yang disebut Haykal Sulaiman. Bangunan yang terletak di Haram asy-Syarif itu lalu dihancurkan oleh Kaisar Titus pada tahun 70 SM. Khalifah Umar membina sebuah masjid (Masjidil Aqsa) di bekas lokasi Haykal Sulaiman itu. Kubah masjid itu berwarna perak. Masjidil Aqsa telah diperbaiki beberapa kali, namun bentuknya tetap tidak berubah.

Ketika menerima penyerahan Jerusalem (dahulu bernama Aelia) daripada penguasa Nasrani, Umar al-Khattab mendapati tompokan sampah di atas sakhrah. Beliau dan kaum Muslim membersihkan tempat itu. Lalu beliau berkata kepada Ka’b bin Ahbar (seorang Yahudi yang memeluk Islam), ”Menurut pendapat kamumu, di mana saya dapat mendirikan sembahyang untuk kaum Muslim?” Dia (Ka’b) menjawab, ”Dirikanlah di belakang(sebelah utara) sakhrah.” Umar pun membalas, ”Hai kau anak perempuan Yahudi, kau masih terpengaruh dengan kefahaman Yahudi! Sebaliknya, saya akan mendirikan masjid tempat di pusat lokasi Haykal Sulaiman kerana kami menguasai seluruh pusat kenisah itu.” Lalu, sebuah Masjid dibina di sebelah selatan sakhrah seperti yang dapat disaksikan sekarang ini. Masjid itulah yang dinamakan Masjidil Aqsa.

Monday, August 3, 2009

This is not a true story.


This is not a true story. It is a fiction. It is not a science fiction. It is just a fiction. The names are imaginary, and if they happened to be similar to anyone who are already dead or who are still alive they are purely a coincident. The places are also imaginary, and if they seem similar to somewhere belonging to the past or to the present or to the future, they are also purely coincidental.



Two army generals from North Gorea are having a meeting with its good neighbor, the South Gorea. The Goreans usually like to take ginseng break while others usually take coffee breaks. Ginseng, which is not a drug and has very good sex stimulant properties, is derived from the roots of a kind of plant that is easily found in Gorea. During one of their many ginseng breaks, the North Gorean generals tell a joke about one president Gorge Werewolf Bush of Uninvited States of Antrakika (USA). The joke was not about the president’s infamous invasion of Eraka or about his attempt to stop Erana from producing nuclear bomb nor about his continuing effort to help the Pews take over Jalestine. It was about how Gorge Werewolf Bush fell down when he was jogging somewhere in the backyard of his white colored house, although at some other times he will prefer to retreat to camp da’vinci for his jogging or cycling exercise.



The weather was very hot as usual on that day because of the global climate change. Excessive usage and dependence on hydrocarbon for power as well as for profit by the president and his family have predominantly triggered the gradual change in earth temperature causing unpredictable weather and unnatural disaster. The president was jogging in his underwear under the sun which was partially hidden by thin and sometime thick cloud, when he must have hit a stone and tripped and drops flat on to his water pistol. He had carried the water pistol every where he goes, ever since he was born, to help him relax after a quick exercise. As he was about to be run over by a convoy of trucks loaded with cooking oil and other kitchen essentials, a young boy named Betray Us managed to pull him over just in time. When Betray Us realized that he had saved the president he cried and cried and cried all day long. He then pleaded that his family should not know about the accident at any cost at all. He was afraid that if they knew about it, they will all commit suicide out of sheer frustration and humiliation. Many Antrakikan who disagree with the president have called him ‘the most naive lame duck president’. Others have simply called him ‘knuckle head’.



When the South Gorean general hears about the joke he said that Uninvited States of Antrakika (USA) is an advanced democratic country and that it is all right to joke about its president. This is unlike some other Alian countries where you can be sent to prison in the bay for telling jokes about its leaders or about its national songs.



Earlier in the year 5050 president George Werewolf Bush has proudly declared war against Eraka. He lied to the whole world when he said that the purpose of the war was to seek and destroy weapon of mass destruction which he claimed Eraka has been producing using USA technology. Apparently, there was no weapon of mass destruction uncovered because the technology has already been given out to the Pews who are preparing for war with Jalestine. According to the Pews war is good business.



Many Antrakikan thought that the president has made several mistakes about the war in Eraka and that he ought to be impeached for them. As starters, he should pull out of Eraka as quickly as possible after which he will still be impeached and sent to the prison or the guillotine squad. He was literally the weapon of mass destruction in the war in Eraka. He has ordered his soldiers to pull down the statue of Haddam Sussin, the president of Eraka, and later asked one of his associates to cut the throat of Haddam Sussin and throws the torso to the zoo for the lion to eat. Food was very scarce but oil is everywhere. With no one to check his hidden activities in Eraka he stole their oil and sells it to the black water people at below market price. He even sends a few billions barrels of the free oil to his allies who had join him in the invasion of Eraka.



Obviously there are good numbers of happy people particularly the black water people. However the numbers of unhappy people are even greater. And if taking into consideration the total numbers of dead soldiers and dead civilians and those who fled to the nearby countries for shelter, which can run into millions, the war can be considered as a disaster. The magnitude of the disaster is so huge that even if all the properties of George Werewolf Bush are confiscated and be given to the families of Haddam Sussin as compensation, and the cost of rebuilding Eraka are paid by the Antrakikan government, injustice will still be undone.



The black water people are from everywhere but no one knows exactly from where. They are not regular soldiers but mercenary soldiers who survive by eating rotten rice and things like that. They cannot be prosecuted because they operated beyond the law. They will bomb several areas in Eraka and put the blame on the local Erakan and make it look like the Erakan are fighting each other. So far only 2 of the black water people have been reported killed while countless numbers of Eraki are dead every day. It is not difficult to imagine that involuntary ethnic cleansing is a likely byproduct of this war.



It has been informed that the vice president of Uninvited States of Antrakika own the organization that control the black water people and the invasion of Eraka has brought tremendous amount of profit to him. This huge profit is gained at the expense of the taxpayer whose money is being used to finance the war. The aura of the scenario is almost like giving him free money so that he can party all night long at the red carpet while the taxpayers bank account has very little or negative balance like they have always been since the war started. This is a classic example of smart work in comparison to hard work. At the end of the day one will wonder what kind of education the people of Uninvited States of Antrakika are receiving from their colleges and universities and other institutions of higher learning that molds their moral values and judgment and their ability as well as inability to respect the right of other people who do not share their moral values and judgments.



Erana is a country situated to the north of Eraka. Similar to Eraka, Erana is rich in oil. With the extra money that Erana has, they use it to produce nuclear bomb. Their intention is to use the bomb to destroy the Pews who has occupied Jalestine. The president of Erana, Amud Mamas is also a liar. He has insisted that Erana is not producing nuclear bombs but only nuclear power as an alternative source for oil. You can easily assume that he was down right lying just like what George Werewolf Bush did. A company located in Angapore has recently been fined for trying to export rocket launch missile component to Erana by the Angapore government. It seems that the company does not have security clearance to procure and export the equipment.



The Pews has forever been a trouble maker. They never have a country of their own. Wherever they go they will create problem. This is because they assume that they are God’s siblings and as such they take whatever they like from whoever they like or dislike. (Judging from what they are doing, they are more like swine droppings.) In order to contain the Pews mischievous character, the Uninvited States of Antrakika (USA) send them to Jalestine and declare part of Jalestine as the official country for the Pews. Many countries in the universe including Erana and Eraka disagree to this relocation of the Pews, and have pledge to destroy the Pews for religious purposes.



In their effort to avoid failure in Jalestine, the Uninvited States of Antrakika (USA) supply the Pews with financial assistance and war equipments. The Pews use the money they received to bribe lawmakers as well as other relevant individuals and authorities when necessary. By now it is clear that the Antrakikan will do whatever it takes to make others accept their values while rejecting those of the other. Perhaps a quick recap of their historical and geographical background will enable logical understanding of their current misadventure.



Some 3210 years ago a native from Mingland set sail across the ocean looking for new territories to be occupied. After discovering Antrakika and after defeating the indigenous Yellow Tribes in several fights and peace agreements, he establish a new township followed by several others soon after. In view of the availability of vast amount of natural recourses and land mass many more people migrated to Antrakika and claimed it as their homeland. The existent of different type of people with varying cultures and belief has led them to be united under the name of Uninvited States of Antrakika. This is because they were never invited there. Many force their way in there as illegal immigrants to look for job opportunities and to find food and shelter. Endless briberies were given and many gang wars were fought before many of them manage to settle down ‘legally’ in Antrakika. For some life has been good. But for many, life will remain tough and demanding.



As time passes by many less successful Antrakikan resort to drugs and alcoholism to drown their sorrows and maintain their tough working life. The few who succeeded did the same to kill their boredom and to occupy their free times. Drugs and alcoholism will always lead to bad behavior and many bad decisions were made resulting in disasters and loss of life and properties. It is unfair not to mention that there are good Antrakikan. But the numbers of the good ones are not many in relation to the bad ones. In short the Antrakikan has yet to find effective solution to their physical and emotional problems. Sometime they will highlight less important or even non existent external problems to obscure their own garbage, and they seem to be very good at this career, unfortunately. Correction is needed in their not so pleasing education and social system.



The Alians are located a few thousand kilometers away from Antrakika. Prior to the war in Eraka majority of the Alians look towards Antrakika as a model country. Many of them have been attracted towards the seemingly good life there. The idea of living in a free country where you can enjoy 24 hours daily from the moment you are born until you drop dead is considered as the ultimate goal for everybody. However after the war with Eraka, the Alians take a 180 degree turn and begin to hate them. Many Alians cannot find solitude knowing that Antrakika is run by a president who is a liar. He is obviously surrounded by advisers, ministers, friends and colleagues who are liars too. It is very difficult to trust someone whom is generally known to have cheated and continue doing it without any sign of regret and desire to stop doing it.



Sometime in the beginning of this year a fortune teller forecasted that millions of Pewish people will commit suicide toward the later part of this year. He did not say why or how the Pewish will do it. However it is a good guess that Erana will send a couple of the nuclear bombs which will kill millions of the Pews, thus ending their foolish run of terrorist activities that has started since 4567. The fortune teller claimed that he has made several predictions previously and that he was seldom wrong. If this is true president George Werewolf Bush should prepare himself for another battle. This next war will happened in the courtroom because there are many people inside and outside of this world, who want to see that justice is done in the right way. The way that it should have been done, and not the way that he has done it. If the fortune teller is wrong, perhaps injustice and terrorist activities will continue until it is finally put to a full stop.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Isyrak Mikraj


Pada 27hb Rejab berlaku-lah peristiwa Isyrak Mikraj, yaaitu peristiwa Nabi Muhammad SAW. dibawa ke Palestin, dan kemudian diangkat kelangit untuk mendapat perentah solat sebanyak 50 kali sehari, tetapi akhirnya dikurangkan kepada 5 kali sahaja. Maka marilah kita memperbanyak-kan amalan agar kehangatan bulan yang penuh keberkatan yang bakal menjelma akan dirasai begitu istimewa sekali. Rasa-lah ia umpama tahun ini adalah tahun terakhir bagi diri kita...Amin..

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Salam


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Al-Quran recital online.

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