Rudyard Kipling"
“When 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 soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It 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."
The millstones around Anwar's neck By Mariam Mokhtar
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Malaysiakini : The 76-year-old Anwar and his trusted lieutenants encouraged more youths
to get involved in politics, but are those who show promise being
groomed? Are they allowed to flourish and gain experience tackling the
country’s many challenges?
Not walking the talk
He
may have campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, but when tasked
with forming the new government, he invited senior politicians facing a
slew of corruption charges to join his coalition.
How does one have confidence in his Madani administration with untrustworthy people in his cabinet?
When
he told Muslims to take advantage of the miracles of the Quran and
instructed the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to provide greater
input into government policymaking, Malaysians became wary.
The
many issues Malaysians face, like divisions in society, increased
intolerance, inexplicable fear of the crucifix, hatred of dogs and pigs,
prying in non-Muslim affairs, invasions of privacy of some Malays by
the khalwat squad, and the whipping of women for having illicit sex, were all facilitated by Jakim.
What
did Jakim do to highlight the convicted felon, Najib Abdul Razak’s
corruption in 1MDB? When PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said there was
no such thing as corruption, why didn’t Jakim correct him? Anwar has not
helped by giving Jakim more power.
When Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh brought the country to its knees
by attacking a private enterprise with allegations of humiliating Islam
and insulting Allah, why did Jakim stay silent? Anwar also kept quiet
for weeks until the situation worsened.
The Perak mufti took seven weeks to announce what we already knew
concerning the KK Mart attacks. Other muftis followed his lead, but
where were they when the nation was on tenterhooks for two months? This
is what happens when they emulate a leader who lacks leadership.
Anwar
once said he wanted to “uplift” the dignity of the government but he
can only do so if men and women of integrity occupy positions of power
in the cabinet.
Focuson Malaysians’ needs
In
recent weeks, Anwar rejected claims that he failed to help the Indian
community since taking office. When shaping his reply, he urged the
Indians to “stab” him if they felt that his help had been insufficient.
As
PM, Anwar’s language is not premier-like. He could have used a
different word when referring to the Indians. The word “stab” has
probably revealed his innermost feelings about the Indians. Is his
vocabulary too limited to describe his interaction with them? Stabbing
reminds us of violence and death.
He needs to be reminded
of the time when a young Indian teenager asked about university quotas
for non-Malay students. It was shocking how he publicly humiliated her.
The bottom line of his response was that it’s all about votes. Nothing
more, nothing less.
As leader of a peaceful, multi-cultural,
multiethnic, and multifaith nation, Anwar’s support for the terrorist
group Hamas and his justification of the explosive Iranian drones on Israel, are both reckless and unfathomable.
US Treasury Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Undersecretary Brian Nelson
The
claim, on May 9, by the US Treasury Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence Undersecretary Brian Nelson, that American security forces
had been monitoring ship-to-ship oil transfers in Malaysian waters is serious.
Washington
has also said Malaysia is a transit point for Iranian oil, dodging US
sanctions, helping the terrorist Hamas raise funds, and being a party to
the Iranians by perpetuating violence and conflict in the Middle East.
The
Middle East is like a tinderbox and Anwar need not muddy the waters
further and drag Malaysia into the confrontation. He could have urged
restraint on all sides - Israel, Hamas, and Iran - but he did not.
He could have suggested more dialogue but failed to do so.
When the US sneezes, Malaysia will catch a cold. Do not doubt the power of economic sanctions because, at the end of the day, it is the rakyat who suffer.
With all these in mind, Anwar should focus on the needs of Malaysia’s own citizens above the needs of others.
