HAMKA: REVOLUSI UGAMA

PENDEDAHAN SEORANG PENGASAS ABIM

HAJI ISMAIL MINA YANG SAYA KENAL

1. Baru-baru ini rakan lama saya, sejak di waktu ABIM ditubuhkan, telah muncul di dalam media massa menjelaskan sebab beliau telah berputus arang dengan Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim (AI). Saya, sebagai salah seorang pengasas ABIM yang ibu pejabat pendaftaran pertamanya adalah di rumah saya di alamat No. 3, Lorong Batai Dalam, Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, turut merasa kecewa, sedih dan dukacita dengan pendedahan Haji Ismail Mina, yang saya kenal sebagai seorang yang jujur dan taqwa, dan dahulunya tersangat fanatik terhadap AI sejak awal penubuhan ABIM.

ANWAR SUDAH BERUBAH

2. Saya telah ditemui oleh ramai juga ahli-ahli ABIM lama yang kini sudah berpisah dengan AI dari segi perjuangan. Mereka jijik apabila mendengar mengenai kes maksiat sodomi dan video seks, melibatkan perempuan China, dan dirakam oleh Dato' Eskay. Dato' Eskay dan Nallakaruppan adalah bekas kawan baik AI. Mereka tidak pernah menjadi ahli atau menyokong penubuhan ABIM.

3. Kawan-kawan yang mengasaskan ABIM ini berpendapat kes 'pluralisma' agama yang diperjuangkan oleh AI bukan sekadar menyentuh soal maksiat tetapi melibatkan perkara yang lebih serious, berat dan teruk lagi, iaitu aqidah.

4. Mereka meninggalkan AI kerana mereka mengatakan AI telah berubah dan menyeleweng aqidahnya. Oleh kerana Haji Ismail Mina tidak mempunyai cita-cita politik, dengan berbagai lakonan, helah, strategi dan taktik, beliau dengan hati yang ikhlas tidak dapat menerima sebarang kompromi mengenai aqidah. Sikap begini sepatutnya ada pada semua ulamak yang meletakkan ugama di atas politik.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP EXPOSURES

UNIVERSITY MALAYA: AKEPT'S AND AEI'S
SEMINAR ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IN HIGHER EDUCATION
- INCREASING COMPETITIVENESS,
ENHANCING RESILIENCE

NOTES FROM THE STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS ON THE SUBJECT OF

'ENTREPRENEURSHIP'

Assalaamu'alaikum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh

Dear readers.

After attending a lecture on 25th November, 2011 by H. E. Surin Pitsuwan (Abdul Halim bin Ismail) the Secretary General of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), organized by Asia-Europe Institute (AEI), University Malaya, in its 'Eminent Persons Lecture Series (EPELS)', at the Pacific Ballroom of Seri Pacific Hotel, I was approached by its Director Dato' Mat Amir Jaafar, an ex-Ambassador and old friend of mine, asking me whether I would be prepared to be on a panel to discuss the subject of 'Entrepreneurship in Higher Education'. I replied in the positive as it was difficult to say no to a senior friend from the same school MCKK.

Since that date I scribbled all thoughts in my stream of consciousness of my experiences and exposures to the subject of entrepreneurship, management and leadership, in business and social activities, particularly those personalities that I have met, and had great impact in shaping my thoughts, on the subject.

As I wrote the notes, in speech form, I paid little attention to the time that will be allotted to me in the panel discussion, as even the date of the seminar was then unknown to me.

When I received the letter of invitation to the seminar on 13th December, 2011, I was ready with lengthy notes to keep me in track while delivering my thoughts, in one and half hours, inclusive of question time, together with three other prominent scholars. These notes are long and boring to read and as such I have written in bold coloured print to enable a reader, who has little time to spare, to glance at the bold prints to provide a glimpse of the contents.

I was scheduled to  be the third speaker. Having learned much from the first two speakers, as I listened attentively when they spoke, I requested from the moderator, Dato' Syed Hussien Al Habshee, to be the last speaker, after the German Professor, as I would then know the angles taken by all the other 3 speakers, in order that I do not bore the audience with a repetition of what has been said. It was difficult for the moderator to turn down a request by an old friend.

As reading slowly through the notes would have taken much more than the allotted time, for each panel member, I selected some points from my notes and highlighted those that I thought would be relevant for the purpose of the seminar, without really repeating what had been said by previous speakers.

After the session a few members of the academic staff and students of universities from among the audience asked for my hand-phone contact number as they would like to invite me to their campuses to hear more from me on the subject. As I did not have copies of the randomly selected points that I delivered in the seminar I promised them to put the lengthy notes on my blog. As time passed I forgot about it till the night of 20th December, 2011. After the dinner in honour of Tun Dr. Mahathir's 86th birthday I was met by Professor Dato' Dr. Rodziah Omar, the Director of AKEPT (Akademi Kepimpinan Pelajar Tinggi Malaysia) who told me that the students like my deliberation at the conference.

I then remembered what I promised to the students at the earlier seminar.

Being attracted to other more important issues of the moment I again forgot, due to old age, to post the notes in the blog. Yesterday I met at a mall in Bangsar one of the Sarawak participants of that seminar who appeared enthusiastic on the subject of more then one month old seminar. 

Being reminded again of the seminar I then decided to post the following notes for my speech which I promised the students to put on my blog.

What I delivered at the seminar was only 5 per cent of the piece below.

Thank you.

Sanusi bin Junid
16th January, 2012

NURTURING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

(NOTES FOR 13-12-2011)

'A Brief Glance at a Journey through Business, Politics and Higher Education'

BALANCING OF HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS

CONVICTION OR ACQUITTAL

1. Alhamdulillah DS Anwar Ibrahim's case is over for now.

2. The people of Malaysia are tired of the word used for what Anwar was supposed to have done.

3. The detail of what one does or does not do will be forgotten with time but one's name, being continuously repeated over a long period of time, will be long remembered. Many politicians that I have read about thinks that it is better to be cursed than to be forgotten.

4. Some people are happy with the judge's decision in Anwar's case while others are unhappy as they believed he did what he was supposed to have done, and thought that he should be punished.

5. The Public Prosecutor would of course be unhappy as he should not have brought the case up if the evidence are shabby.

KEMATIAN YANG BERMAKNA

WASIAT ORANG TUA

KELAHIRAN DI BANYUMAS

1. Pada 26 Disember yang lalu saya berada di Jakarta dalam satu majlis do'a selamat untuk mertua saya Ibu Toeti binti Mahyuddin yang genap umurnya 84 tahun pada 28 Disember, 2012. Acara diadakan lebih awal kerana pada 26 Disember itu Jakarta masih sepi kerana cuti Natal selama dua hari dari 25 Disember. Perjalanan kereta lebih mudah untuk sekitar 50 orang tamu dari kalangan anak cucu dan 15 orang kumpulan Salawat Zikir Sakinah yang terdiri dari 15 wanita Aceh di Jakarta yang dipimpin oleh Tjut Ellyzar Banta Ali.

2. Mertua saya telah dilahirkan di Banyumas, Jawa kerana bapanya, Mahyuddin, yang berasal dari Bukit Tinggi, Sumatera, dan kawan Tan Malaka, ialah Pegawai Daerah atau Residen di Jawa di bawah pemerintahan Belanda.

3. Tan Malaka dan Bapak Mahyuddin adalah dari keluarga ulama dan gambar mesjid di Canduong, Bukit Tinggi, yang didirikan oleh ayahanda kepada Bapak Mahyuddin selalu ditayang sebagai latar belakang waktu dibaca berita dalam Televisyen Padang.

4. (Ahli-ahli PAS patut mengetahui bahawa di Canduong, Bukit Tinggilah Dato' Menteri Besar Kelantan menghantar sejumlah muslimat untuk belajar menekat di sana.)

IIUM: SRC GRAND FLASH – SEPTEMBER 2000

Dear Readers,

Assalaamu'alaikum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh

This article, which appeared in SRC (Students' Repesentative Council) Newsflash, International Islamic University Malaysia edition for September, 2000, is reproduced as I feel that Tan Sri Sanusi's view is very much relevant with the current scenario of the students involvement in politics.

Fahmi M. Nasir

Researcher at Toeti Juairiah Library

INTERVIEW WITH TAN SRI DATO’ SERI SANUSI JUNID

FOREWORD

SRC Newsflash is privileged to have the opportunity to interview the President of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIMU) Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sanusi Junid on his views about various matters regarding the current situation at IIUM. While still being busy with his daily schedule, Dato’ Seri Sanusi has managed to spend sometime communicating his ideas with us.  – Editor

A) As the new President of IIUM, how do you view the university’s current atmosphere – does it need any readjustment in its philosophy and practice?

WHAT MAKES A GREAT UNIVERSITY

1. This University has a very well thought out philosophy which needs no change. It has also got a clear vision and a farsighted mission. However, it is not the philosophy, vision and mission by themselves, which makes any university a great institution of higher learning, but the ability of the teaching staff to disseminate knowledge and the performance of its students after graduation.

B) Do you feel that the administrative staffs are transparent and cooperative in ensuring the successful implementation of the university’s policy?

LEADERSHIP, NOT JUST TRANSPARENCY

2. I have never measured people by the degree of transparency. I measure them against trustworthiness, courage to do new things and to discover new knowledge, discipline, hard work and loyalty. I have not met will all members of the staff of the university. Those I have met are certainly very promising and cooperative. No one should expect total transparency of any man. It is important to believe that Allah S.W.T sees through you whether you are transparent or not. There is an English saying which claims that “If you know what your neighbour thinks of you, you will never want to live another day”. While we strive for knowledge there appears to be virtue in ignorance. Successful implementation of the University’s objective depends on leadership more than transparency.

C) IIUM students have been labelled as anti-government and ‘reformasi’ supporters, what is your opinion?

RAJA PETRA THAT I KNOW

RAJA PETRA'S VIEWS ON 'IRRELEVANCY' ARE RELEVANT

1. I am impressed with the interview with Raja Petra by New Sunday Times journalist Ahmad Fairuz Othman at a hotel suite in Singapore which appears in the New Sunday Times of 1st January, 2012.

2. It was a good welcome message for the New Year.

3. I quote Raja Petra as published:

a) Even when Nelson Mandela went to jail for 27 years, there was no campaign to free Mandela. Even the Free Mandela Group was a campaign to end apartheid.

b) In Myanmar, it's about a political prisoner. It's about freeing a political prisoner.

c) But Anwar is being put on trial not on political grounds but on criminal grounds.

4. The Free Anwar campaign 901 (not to be read as 9/11) is therefore not the same as the Free Mandela campaign. Furthermore the judgement on Anwar has not been made.

5. It was further reported that Raja Petra said:

d) I have spoken to some people who were with him when he was in the government. They have pointed out what he did. And I asked him and they say, "You know, Anwar has his shortcomings. 

e) Anwar has his skeletons in the closet. Yet you support the opposition. Their answer is, "What choice do we have". It all boils down to that. What choice do we have.

6. It is clear as we know that the voters were fed-up with the UMNO and Barisan Nasional leadership. But that was the leadership up to the General Election of 2008.

 

7. Raja Petra is reported to have also said that:

f) People support Anwar purely because they see him as the only alternative to what we have now.

8. But that was the sentiment as in the year 2008. Even Tun Dr. Mahathir, and a few others, left UMNO in protest against the leadership at that time.

9. Dato' Seri Najib is now the Prime Minister. He is different from  his predecessor.

10. If it is the alternative that the voters are looking for then we could rephrase the above statement to read "(f) People support Anwar purely because they see him as the only alternative to Dato' Abdullah Ahmad Badawi".

11. The alternative to Dato' Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is now Dato' Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak.

12. Is Dato' Seri Najib a 'Winnable Candidate'. The answer is yes.

13. If the supporters of Anwar cling to him despite him having his 'shortcomings' ( as in 'd' ) and has 'skeletons in the cupboard' ( as in 'e' ), surely they can support Dato' Seri Najib, despite all criticisms thrown against him because someone wants his job.

14. Raja Petra is obviously a shrewd and brave observer. I follow his ideas in the blog and I met him three times in Manchester, once in Lotus Restaurant owned by a Malaysian lawyer. His daughter is a very successful landscaper and a friend of my daughter who is finishing her studies for a PhD in Architecture. I spent long hours with Pet even before he came out openly on the 'Altantuya' case. I knew about the untruths written in the media about him living in a luxurious bungalow in London. He lives in a terrace house in Manchester.

15. I admire Raja Petra's guts whatever his political views. I was taught by my boss Minister Tun Ghazalie Shafie when I deputise him in the Ministry of Home Affairs, that one should be open-minded and be able to interact with anybody even those whose views differ from yours.

16. Raja Petra compared the Pakatan Rakyat with the Liberal Democratic Party in Britain which he told me have done more in a shorter period even though it is only a minority coalition in the British Government.

17. Raja Petra, Anwar and I all studied at MCKK with different seniorities. We know one another well. I was glad when Raja Petra is reported to have said:

g) To me the issue of Anwar is not whether he is or not guilty with sodomy. The issue is whether he is the best person to run the country. Can he run the country? Now, you might be the most God-fearing man on earth; you can be absolutely clean. But if you cannot run the country you cannot run the country.'

18. Besides living on borrowed glory, permitted by Tun Dr. Mahathir Muhammad, I cannot remember Anwar doing anything good for the country, even those that have gone wrong or have failed. Kukrit Pramoj once said 'one need not do anything in order not to fail.' In that way one can highlight the failure or weaknesses of others.

19. I was informed by Senator Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor at a campaign for Kalamanathan in the Ulu Selangor by election, that Ezam was glad to see me in person for the first time as since he knew Anwar he had been  listening to his former mentor bad-mouthing me on every occasion. I now know that Anwar has bad or distorted memories after reading his supporter's comments in this blog.

20. Raja Petra has better memory when he reminded that he was asked to clean the name of Datuk S. K..

21. Referring to Anwar as the Economic Adviser to Selangor state which is under Pakatan Rakyat Raja Petra asked:

h) What's your advice? In the last three years since you have been Economic Adviser, you have gone overseas 60 times in three years. Shouldn't you be staying home running the state? Running the party? Running the coalition? The coalition is in a mess. People are fighting with each other. He seems to be running away.'

22. It is good for the leadership of UMNO and Barisan Nasional to pay attention to what Raja Petra has written. After all the winnings of PR in 2008 have had added advantage of being supported by the Malaysian Civil Liverties Movement led by Raja Petra. I don't think we should forget that the minorities are the rulers in a divided society.

23. Raja Petra further said:

i) I think it's time Najib grabs the bull by the horns and call a spade a spade.

j) Najib must be prepared not only to take a knife but take a chainsaw and cut whatever needs to be cut.

24. I agree with Raja Petra that the Rakyat of Malaysia are tired of the word 'sodomy' and that the agenda for change is not about personalities. There is no way to attach the adjective holy to the word sodomy. A lot of time has been wasted on this issue.

25. I also noted that Raja Petra does not support Barisan National but there is no alternative. He said: 

k) This time we go back to Barisan, forget about Pakatan.

CONCLUSION

26. What is important now is to have 'courage' or 'guts'.

27. Some have the courage to defend their wrongs, others have the courage to say the truths, the voters need leaders with the courage to decide, lead and change.

28. That is,

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.

 

MALAYSIA AGRICULTURE PARK

MALAYSIA AGRICULTURE PARK

A Gift to Humanity

(Text by Dato’ Dr. A. Mustaffa Babjee)

The Malaysia Agriculture Park at Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam in Shah Alam, Selangor began as Malaysia’s first agricultural theme park. It has now become one of the nation’s most popular parks, with live demonstrations, dynamic permanent displays, cultural exhibits, recreational facilities, accommodation, picnic areas, open-air amphitheatres, nature trails, public amenities and numerous educational opportunities.

It is a magnet for day-trippers, tourists, campers, anglers, naturalists, birders, families, excursion groups, hikers, school children, university students and research scientists, as well as farmers, agriculturalists, nature-lovers and visitors from all over Malaysia and the globe.

This book does not attempt to reproduce the unique experience that a visit creates, but it does offer the armchair-traveller a vivid overview of the concept, scope and versality of this unique “gift to mankind”. When completed, the Park will be a place for the average man to look, learn and educate himself.  

MESSAGE FROM PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

Although agriculture has come a long way in this country, there is a great need to develop more dynamic technological innovations, especially in rural sector, to ensure overall balanced development.

Towards this end, I am delighted that a number of approaches are undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture to stimulate as well as enhance the development of agricultural activities. The establishment of the Agriculture Park is a case in point. The Park enables farmers not only to continually tap and draw knowledge from the latest advancement in agro-technology, but also offers recreational facilities.

The pictorial book is a testimony of the success of the Park. It is my hope that it will convey not only the essence of the Agriculture Park but also something of the living reality that is agriculture.

DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD

MESSAGE BY THE FOUNDER OF THE AGRICULTURE PARK

There has always been a burning desire in my heart to leave something different, apolitical and worthwhile for posterity – something that we and our great grandchildren would be proud of. I dreamed of a microcosm of the Ministry of Agriculture’s activities in rural development, extension, training, research, food production and poverty eradication, set in an inspirational and appealing environment.

I requested MARDI to look for a suitable place for the project which I had in mind. Once found, I provided the motivation and the catalyst to the staff of my Ministry and they in turn added their dreams to mine and together we launched The Agriculture Park on 12 May 1986.

The freedom given to my officials to create a unique park, stimulated the emergence of hidden talents and the crystalisation of ideas into realities. My only guideline to them was to cite the work of a few dreamers of the past who have left such inspirational legacies to the world as the Alhambra in Spain, the Tivoli Gardens in Italy, and Disneyland in USA.

I conceived the Agriculture Park as a place of intellectual beauty where aesthetics and science are integrated into poetic expressions – a softening of the hard sciences with the gentle embrace of the art. The park is also an attempt to strike a balance between our past and our future, our culture and our advancement, and our environment and our needs.

YAB Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad said, “Many, many things must be done by many, many people. And they must be done as correctly as possible.” He also said, “We should be a developed country in our own mold.”

The Agriculture Park is one of the many, many things done by many, many people in a manner of our own. It provides numerous scope for education, research, conservation, recreation and tourism.

Agriculture has often been associated with poverty. I know poverty, I have tasted poverty, I see poverty everyday, I devoted a greater part of my time to poverty eradication and I have even declared a holy war on poverty. I also know that poverty could never be eradicated, if poverty is measured in monetary terms and relative income. But I also see so much wealth in “poor” people, their talents, their hospitality, their innocence, their smiles and their traditions. At the Park, I hope you will see the richness of agriculture.

Our value systems have been strongly influenced by norms that place monetary gains above all other values. If this trend continues, we will end up being poor in the attributes of a truly developed and cultured nation. The Prime Minister had emphasised, “We must be fully developed in terms of national unity and social cohesion, in terms of our economy, in terms of cultural and social justice, political stability, system of government, quality of life, social and spiritual values, national pride and confidence.” The total value concept is also the philosophy behind the Agriculture Park’s theme. Once we appreciate the total value philosophy, we will no longer be poor.

SANUSI JUNID

Minister of Agriculture Malaysia

MESSAGE FROM MINISTER OF CULTURE, ARTS AND TOURISM

Malaysia Agriculture Park is a testimony of the Government efforts to preserve our natural attractions as an invaluable heritage for the enjoyment of our future generation.

The unique quality and beautiful features of the Park give visitors a rare glimpse into Malaysia’s rich agricultural heritage covering every facet of our country’s culture, history, geography and natural environment.

This book is indeed a commendable effort by the Ministry of Agriculture to stimulate interest and awareness of the Park and serves as an excellent reference for tourists. I also wish to congratulate the publisher, Design Dimension Sdn. Bhd. for their contributions in making this project possible.

DATO’ SABARUDDIN CHIK

INTRODUCTION

If there are projects on the ground today with the vision 2020, one of them is without a doubt the Agriculture Park Malaysia. Surrounded by areas of intense urbanisation and industrialisation, the park promises to remain the primary green heritage for millions of city dwellers of the 21^st Century. Parks and green spaces as well as rural traditions will become a rarity and will be much sought after by an industrialised Malaysia. In this respect the park not only has special features but also a strategic location to attract large numbers of local and foreign visitors. Its very concept as dreamed up by Sanusi Junid, ”as a gift to mankind”, will be appreciated much more by the future generations.