vox populi small thumbnail'Islam is the nation's official religion, but this in-your-face approach vis-a-vis other religions has been the cause of unnecessary tensions.'

Deepavali TV ad raises religious ire

Satinah Osman: The advertisement was nothing short of making a public exhibition of the silly pettiness that pervades this nation. It also reflects the intellectual levels of our people who plan and create stories for the TV and radio - which of course not many citizens watch these days.

Umno for its own political purposes has rewritten the history books for school children and poisoned their minds beyond repair. Malays are not told to search their 'roots' where both Hinduism and Buddhism had exerted great influence prior to the coming of Islam.

The culture and customs of Malays, and most of the archipelago, are rooted in Hindu culture followed by Buddhist culture. But try as much as they like, the Malays as a whole have not been able to adapt to the Arab culture for reasons best known only to themselves.

S Jamal Al-Idrus: Get religion out of the public sphere. Islam is the nation's official religion, but this in-your-face approach vis-a-vis other religions has been the cause of unnecessary tensions.

Plus, the growing hyper-sensitivity of Muslims in Malaysia too has been the result of religion playing a bigger and bigger role in the public sphere.

Religion is one's personal bond with God, and unnecessarily making religion the focal point of every aspect of public life is one factor that's going to drive Malaysia to ruins. Let's learn from countries that have gone down that sad path.

Joe Friday: This is obviously a continuation of the advertisement aired during the last Eid celebration. I don't know why, but I felt like puking when l saw the airing of both of these advertisements.

This is not the way to win over the hearts of other races with its religious connotation that tries to mischievously and subtly indoctrinate the minds of the masses by promoting the artificial superiority of one religion against other.

I miss the beautiful snippets that was created by the late Yasmin Ahmad which was top-class and really touched the hearts of many Malaysians.

TOKY: I don't see anything wrong with the advertisement but I see something terribly wrong with those who protested. Why must you all look at this advertisement in a racial manner? I think this advertisement is really good as it present elements of racial harmony. Those who object this advertisement might as well resort to watching cartoons only.

Isa@1penyu: I am a Muslim convert and see nothing wrong in the ad. Muslims believe strongly in halal food, so if a Muslim wife goes to a Hindu home and have doubts over the food served, it is normal to clear the doubts. By the same token, a Hindu who does not take beef will not be served beef in a Muslim home. That's part of understanding each other's beliefs and accommodating accordingly.

It happens to converts like me and we learn from it. Some Chinese on Chinese New Year have Muslim caterers for open house because they do not want Muslims to feel uneasy about what's being served.

Geronimo: If Yasmin Ahmad was alive today, this sort of ad would not have been produced. She would have fround another way to make the message more meaningful even if the theme was centred around a Muslim girl and a Hindu family. It would have been tastefully done.

This ad is totally condescending to say the least. I hope they don't come up with such silly ads for Christmas which the Christian community may find offensive.


'Gerakan down, but not out'

Passing Cloud: Koh Tsu Koon, many don't expect you have the moral courage to face the truth about your low standing in Gerakan and Penang.

They liken you to a drowning man struggling for air. They believe you should leave Gerakan and Penang gracefully and do some lecturing in a university. Your strength, they also believe, may lie in your being an academic professor rather than being a fawning eunuch of Umno.

Rick Teo: Gerakan will not be able to regain its past glory if it continues to cling to Umno's apron string. After the next election, Gerakan will completely be wiped out. Most of its candidates will lose their deposit in its contested seats. Koh should just retire and go back to his old profession as a lecturer.

Gordon Gecko: Gerakan is like the VCD player or CRT TV - it is on the way out but not fully obsolete yet. You can still find them on the shelves of some second-hand stores. It will never regain its shine and will eventually be phased out and die a slow death, just like the video cassette player.


No need to be Poirot to figure out whodunit

Kingfisher: Private investigator P Balasubramaniam has posed a serious challenge to the most senior legal officer serving the government. His "dare" tantamount to questioning the ethical and moral imperatives in the conduct of the present attorney-general (AG).

Cala: In the real world where rulers call the shots, to expect a junior (as in the governing structure) AG to prosecute PI Bala for playing the fool with SDs (statutory declarations) is foolhardy as that action will open up cans of worms and in the process, implicate the former's boss.

If there is anything we can learn from history, especially in matters concerning charging the tyrants and holding them accountable for their past misdeeds, a peep into ‘time series study' helps. As examples:

i) Mao's wife Jiang Qing (1914-1991) and her Gang of Four were prosecuted after Mao's death in 1976.

ii) leaders of Pot Pol regime of Cambodia were charged by an internationally constituted court of law years after their dethronement.

Hence in any political struggle, the essence is time. No regime can last forever.

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