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."
Madani needs stern reminder Tiong is good for business By Commander S THAYAPARAN (Retired) Royal Malaysian Navy
Monday, October 13, 2025
Malaysiakini : I donāt really have much respect for political operatives, especially
āministersā, but here is a minister who actually does something for
this country. He pulls in the cash, creates jobs, and services all the
other industries that rely on touristsā ringgit.
But apparently,
the mere appearance of guests enjoying themselves with liquor is a sin
far too onerous to dismiss, and for some folks, the very presence of
alcohol at an event which has links with the government trumps the good
this minister does for the country.
Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing at the controversial dinner
Apparently,
it was so disrespectful to Muslim guests that Terengganu state
executive councillor for tourism, culture, environment, and climate
change, Razali Idris, left early because:
āThere was no sense of
decorum or morality. It did not reflect the aspirations of the Rukun
Negara. The act of serving alcohol showed great disrespect towards
Muslim guests.
āThe hotel staff were freely serving alcoholic beverages at the request of attending guests.ā
Does
not reflect the aspirations of the Rukun Negara. Really? Why do most
people forget the preamble to the principles: āGuaranteeing a liberal
approach towards our traditional heritage that is rich and diverseā?
Some folks always forget this part.
I rarely agree with DAPās Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee, but everything he wrote in defence of Tiong is spot on. But here is the important part, even more so than the money the event generated:
āWhile
Muslim officers have every right to maintain their religious
principles, no one, including the Congress of Unions of Employees in the
Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), has the authority to impose restrictions upon non-Muslim civil servants in their private or social conduct.
āOur civil service must be guided by professionalism, not prejudice; by mutual respect, not moral policing.ā
Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee
When faith becomes political weaponry
This
is the endgame of the deep religious state. To impose restrictions on
the rights non-Muslims enjoy. This has always been the game plan, and
ironically, under Madani, they are gaining more ground than they ever
did under previous administrations.
The attacks against Tiong are
motivated by the fact that this particular minister is unafraid of his
non-Muslim status, as he demonstrated when he said in Parliament,
calling out Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah):
āFor example, Masjid Tanah raised an issue about me getting drunk, that I drank alcohol. I am not Muslim, what is wrong with me drinking?ā
Whether
you agree or disagree with the way Tiong is doing his job, his agenda,
and he has made this very clear, is to bring in foreign money through
tourism to this country. And if this means apologising and clarifying
public statements from his ministry, so be it.
Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin
Remember
when Tiong had to clarify when his deputy publicly spoke about creating
Muslim-friendly niche tourist spots: āI was abroad on duty a few days
ago, and the deputy minister might not have explained it clearly, which
led to public backlash. I have already spoken to him about this.ā
As reported in the press, Tiong said Malaysia is a multiracial country and no tourism site should cater exclusively to the needs of a single religion.
The
problem with this country is that everything is associated with
religion. And if everything is associated with religion, someone who
does not kowtow to this groupthink becomes a source of agitation for
people who think non-Muslims should be pak turuts (yes men).
In
the era of Madani, where the forces of extremism are smug in their
belief that non-Muslim political operatives will scamper away because
they are afraid of spooking the Malays, this Sarawakian political
operative is flying the non-Malay/Muslim flag high and proud.
To
be clear, Tiong is not making his race or religion an issue. It is the
forces of extremism in this country that are making his race and
religion an issue. Or, rather, they are making their race and religion
an issue in the sense that their sensitivities trump everything else in
this country.
Politics over performance
This is a minister who was accused of eating pork in his office. The allegation that Tiong, as a non-Muslim, makes Muslim cleaners clean up after āharamā
items points to the narratives that the Malays will become servants in
their homeland. That they will be forced to clean up the messes of
non-Muslims.
Tiong is doing his job, reminding people what a great
destination Malaysia is because of its diversity, while the forces
against him believe it should only be a destination for a certain kind
of tourist.
Tourism in Malacca
The
forces against Tiong have demonstrated that they do not care how much
the minister has done and is doing for this country, but all they want
to do is make him kowtow to their sensitivities.
They are willing
to ignore the economic benefits this minister brings for the rakyat,
using the primacy of religion to demonstrate that they place dogma over
the utilitarian economic value.
This is why Madani admonishing Tiong
is such a win for them. It tells them that with all the scandals,
corruption cases, and political malfeasances swirling around Madani,
they can always rely on the fact that a non-Malay/Muslim minister will
be a convenient whipping boy.
Tiong, for his part, has not apologised but acknowledged the confusion
that he didnāt specify the event was handled by the private sector and
that the logo of the Tourism Ministry was used, thus creating doubt.
Good for him. An apology is not warranted in the face of this extremist
behaviour.
The tragedy here is that by admonishing Tiong, what the
prime minister has done is give legitimacy that the country is
exclusive to a certain segment of society.
What Tiong does every
day as a minister is attempt to debunk this by making our inclusivity a
selling point for this country, which he seems to be successfully doing.
I really admire David Dassā earnestness in all his pieces, but sadly, the only question is, can Malaysia survive its diversity?
