Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Verse
2:256 in the Quran states that āthere is no compulsion in religionā,
but in Malaysia, which boasts the best democracy in the world, forced
conversions are de rigeur and words like āAllahā are copyrighted for the
exclusive use of Muslims.
Malaysian Christians (and non-Muslims) are at the mercy of the countryās
religious zealots but Najib Abdul Razak, the prime minister for 47
percent of the nationās population, is too timid or too scared to smooth
tensions between the different communities. He claims that what he does
is in the name of peace and harmony. What would happen if he meant to
create disorder and chaos?
In this Christmas period, I hope you will forgive me for adapting āThe
Ten Commandmentsā to critique Umno Baru leaders and to raise awareness
about the importance of tolerance. One needs respect and understanding
to live harmoniously. One should be protected by the right of religious
freedom, as enshrined in the constitution of Malaysia; but the reality
is that most of our freedoms are being eroded.
The following Ten Commandments of Umno Baru explain the decline in spirituality of Umno Baru members.
First Commandment: Thou shalt worship Umno Baru
(Thou shalt have no other gods before me)
When Umno Baru dictates, you obey. Only Umno Baru can āprotectā the
Malay race, Islam and the King. Sane Malaysians ask āProtect from whom
or what?ā but the answers are not forthcoming.
Blind allegiance means that the more simple minded members of the rakyat
will soon face their day of ill-judgement. They will discover that
despite Umno Baruās promises made at GE13, price hikes will make them
feel they are living in a hell on earth.
Second Commandment: Thou shalt idolise the leader of Umno Baru
(Thou shalt not make for yourself an idol)
In
2011, Najib Abdul Razakās image on soft drink cans caused a drop in
sales and the company responsible was forced to withdraw the cans from
sale and issue a grovelling apology.
Posters of Najib adorning the pillars and sides of KTM Komuter trains
allegedly caused much anger among the cleaners because they had to clear
more than the normal amount of spittle. KTM officials allegedly spent
several thousand ringgits replacing broken windows because bricks often
missed their targets.
Student Adam Adli, who removed a flag bearing Najibās image, was charged
with alleged sedition. Why canāt divine retribution be as swift as the
one received by those who oppose Umno Baru?
Third Commandment: Thou shalt be charged with sedition
(Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord God in vain)
Using the word āAllahā without proper authorisation can result in a
charge of sedition. Non-Malays could do one of two things to freely use
āAllahā; Convert to Islam. Go to Sabah or Sarawak.
If you are non-Malay, donāt read the word āAllahā out loud as this could be deemed seditious.
Showing dissent consumes many police man-hours. At a Suara Anak Muda
Malaysia (SAMM) forum this May, Adam Adli expressed his disappointment
over the electoral process at GE13. Five days later, 10 policemen were
sent to arrest him for alleged sedition.
Be warned because any opposition to Umno Baru is viewed as a personal
slight by the IGP. Umno Baru want the rakyat to stop thinking. It would
help if we were all brain-dead, like most of the Umno Baru politicians.
Fourth Commandment: Thou shalt not gather to celebrate any day
(Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy)
Joining street parties or rallies to celebrate special days, like
Merdeka, Valentineās Day or New Yearās eve, in the spirit of fun and
merry-making, means that the reveller risks being charged with sedition
and toppling the government.
The Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) stipulates that no one can protest
within 500 metres of a fire hydrant. Has anyone noticed the
proliferation of thousands of hydrants in towns and cities lately,
doubtless all supplied by a crony company, at inflated prices and great
cost to the taxpayer?
Fifth Commandment: Honour the Malays and Utusan, the messenger of Umno Baru
(Honour thy father and mother)
At the Umno Baru general assembly of December 2012, the Umno Baru Youth information chief, Reezal Merican Naina Merican (left),
said āUmno is the party chosen by God to liberate the chosen land of
Malaysia and to uplift the chosen race of the Malays... Remember, we are
mukhtarin, the chosen ones.ā
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the womenās minister who is best remembered for
her fondness for cows and condominiums, is reported on the Utusan
website to have said that God would be with Utusan Malaysia:
āPercayalah, pada akhirnya Tuhan akan bersama Utusanā.
How did these two āMelayu Baruā manage to have direct communication with God?
Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt kill
(Thou shalt not kill)
As the Mongolian proverb states, āLeast said, soonest mendedā. Suffice
to say, that sometimes, Umno Baru disciples think that killing is
justified because the end justifies the means.
Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt commit adultery
(Thou shalt not commit adultery)
Contrary to popular belief, Umno Baru politicians believe that they work
extremely hard. Consequently, they must also play hard. Their alleged
choices of āplaythingsā range from other males, to maids, models and
movie starlets. There is nothing that money cannot buy, when affection
is absent.
Eighth Commandment: Thou shalt steal from the rakyat
(Thou shalt not steal)
Being in power means that one must make use of the resources available,
ie taxpayersā money. Oneās role in government is to cook up new schemes
to squeeze more money from the rakyat.
The BR1M scheme generates more money than the millions needed to set it
up. Money-making ponzi schemes are easier and more profitable than
having to save oneās pocket money from oneās teenage years. A prominent
Umno Baru spouse can attest to this.
Ninth Commandment: Thou shalt lie
(Thou shalt not lie)
How else could Umno Baru convince the rakyat to do its every bidding? In
a few months, the gullible 47 percent will realise their folly. By
GE14, these same people will again fall for the same lies. Only a
miracle may change things around.
If one had to go to court, one need not lie. Just feign forgetfulness. One Umno Baru demi-god did it and it worked.
Tenth Commandment: Thou shalt covet everything that does not belong to you
(Thou shalt not covet anything that belongs to thy neighbour, including his wife.)
Isnāt it amazing that the more the non-Malay succeeds, the more the
Malays are angered and left feeling dissatisfied? The Malays retaliate
by demanding more concessions or perks. Being deprived spurs those who
are left with very little, to make the most out of things. It hardens
them and encourages them to become stronger, to survive. At the same
time, this creates a vicious cycle.
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the
Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation
(PLO).
In
2011, Najib Abdul Razakās image on soft drink cans caused a drop in
sales and the company responsible was forced to withdraw the cans from
sale and issue a grovelling apology.
At the Umno Baru general assembly of December 2012, the Umno Baru Youth information chief, Reezal Merican Naina Merican (left),
said āUmno is the party chosen by God to liberate the chosen land of
Malaysia and to uplift the chosen race of the Malays... Remember, we are
mukhtarin, the chosen ones.ā
