UMNO DOES NOT WANT ANWAR - PM

Thursday March 6, 2008-The Star Online

PENANG: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tried to make a comeback into Umno but the party does not want him, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The Prime Minister, who made this revelation last night, said the de facto PKR leader was not important as “we have enough leaders in Umno”.

“Furthermore, he fought against the party. We do not have to wait for him to come back. Now, he's looking for new friends and had gotten into a marriage of convenience.

“He is now working with others but in the end, all of this is only for his own benefit,” he said at the Malam Satu Hati Bersama Rakyat in Rifle Range here last night.

Abdullah also hit out at DAP, pointing out that its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is contesting the Bagan parliamentary seat, “ran away” from Malacca to Penang.

United stand: Barisan Nasional leaders waving to the crowd. They are (from left) Tanjung Bunga candidate Chia Loong Thye, Kebun Bunga candidate Quah Kooi Heong, Air Putih candidate Tan Yok Cheng, Dr Lim (partly hidden), Ong, Abdullah and Dr Koh.

“Do you think Penang people are stupid to support him? We Penangites are not stupid,” he told a large crowd.

Abdullah also chided the Opposition for making an issue of the scrapping of the indelible ink an issue.

He said Barisan too wanted credible elections so that its victory would be credible.

“I want credible elections more than anyone else. This I will leave it to the Election Commission,” he said.

Among the speakers were MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and former Gerakan president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.

The Barisan chairman also expressed confidence that the coalition would get enough majority to form government again.

“The opposition thinks that we are going to lose the elections and that’s why we are not going to use the ink.

“It has nothing to do with us losing. I know for a fact that Insyallah (God willing) we will get enough majority,” he said.

Abdullah, however, noted:

“I don’t know what is in your heart. But I can assure you that Barisan would do the best for you and the country,” he said.

He added that Barisan wanted to distribute the nation’s wealth equitably to all races.

On the Hindu Rights Action Force issue, he said the group was telling Indians to not vote for Umno candidates as the victory would make the party stronger.

This, he said, could anger the Malays who in turn would not support MIC candidates. Then, MIC will have to lingkup (fold up). This is bad as MIC is an old friend,” he said.

Abdullah said Barisan would be weak if it did not receive good support from Penangites.

“But if you are with us, we will be strong for you, Penang and Malaysia,” he added.

JANGAN GUNA KHUTBAH JUMAAT UNTUK KEMPEN

06/03/2008 4:40pm-Utusan Online

PEKAN 6 Mac - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengingatkan Pas supaya menghormati masjid sebagai pusat ibadat dan tidak sesekali menjadikan khutbah Jumaat esok sebagai usaha terakhir untuk berkempen.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri menegaskan, masjid bukan tempat untuk menyampaikan propaganda politik kerana tindakan itu boleh memecah-belahkan umat Islam.

"Kita tidak pernah menggunakan masjid untuk tujuan politik, jadi Pas tidak patut menggunakan masjid untuk tujuan politik. Masjid rumah ibadat, rumah Allah," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan bangunan Arked Mara Pekan di sini hari ini.

INDON MILITARY JOINS IN SEARCH FOR FUGITIVE MAS SELAMAT

March 5, 2008-Straits Times
By Salim Osman, Indonesia Correspondent In Jakarta
THE Indonesian military has joined in the search for the Singapore terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari by stepping up patrols along the border. Military chief Djoko Santoso said that the military had been activated to look out for the fugitive if he sneaks into Indonesia. 'It's too premature to say that he has slipped into Indonesia. But we are taking all precautions,' he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur where he was on an official visit on Tuesday. The military chief was quoted by Bernama as saying that he had not received any reports that the terrorist, who escaped from a detention centre in Singapore last wednesday, was in Indonesia. General Djoko said that tracking Mas Selamat and other terrorist suspects was the job of the police force in Indonesia. 'We are just cooperating with the police to hunt for fugitive as part of our responsibility,' he added. Besides stepping up patrols along the borders, the military is also conducting road blocks and checking the identities of people passing in the area, he said. He added that such a precaution was being taken as Mas Selamat was known to disguise himself when in Indonesia. His remarks followed that of Indonesian police chief, General Sutanto, who said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the Indonesian police were working closely with their Singapore counterparts in the manhunt. According to the Jakarta Post, the high-profile jailbreak has led to grumbling among the top brass of the Indonesian police. Former police spokesman, Inspector General Sisno Adiwinoto, said that Indonesia was forced to deal with most of the fallout from the escape. 'The Singaporean jail is known for its extra maximum security, so how was Mas Selamat able to flee? That is what we need to question. What is behind all of this,' asked General Sisno, who was installed as South Sulawesi police chief on Tuesday. He said that it would be difficult for Mas Selamat, the leader of the Singapore branch of the Jemaah Islamiah, to find shelter in Indonesia. 'There is no easy entry to Indonesia that he could get through. The security along Indonesian borders is very tight right now,' he said. Besides stepping up security, the Indonesian police have also circulated pictures of the fugitive across the country.

ANWAR GOOD ONLY AT TALKING: PM

The Sun

Opalyn Mok, Husna Yusop and Regina William

KEPALA BATAS (March 4, 2008): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi publicly lashed out at Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Opposition today.

“He (Anwar) is good at talking, but when it comes to work, it is another matter. When he was the education minister, what did he do?” Abdullah asked, when launching an "i-Pintar" educational programme here.

“He is only good at making empty promises. When we do our work to fulfil our promises, he criticised us,” said Abdullah who went on to list in detail, as a example, how the salary tiers of teachers have improved compared to the time when Anwar was education minister.

“It is not that I want to point fingers at them (the Opposition) but I just want to tell the truth to the people so that they are not cheated by the Opposition which is making empty promises,” he added.

Later at a press conference, when asked why he had singled out Anwar at this time when all this while Anwar had no qualms criticising him (Abdullah) publicly, Abdullah said he will say something whenever appropriate.

“What I said about him is the truth,” said Abdullah, adding that he concurred with Gerakan adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik’s statement that "Anwar is like a chameleon."

“That is true. He does change like a chameleon. Lim knows him well,” he said.

He also agreed with a statement by former PKR deputy president Prof Dr Chandra Muzaffar that if Anwar were to become prime minister, it would be an unmitigated disaster.

“This is possible based on what he usually does. What he said about Anwar is true,” he said.

Abdullah, who also quoted the widely circulated phrase of ‘sejak Pak Lah, semua harga naik,’ (since Pak Lah, prices of everything increase) hit out at the Opposition for offering impractical and impossible promises to reduce prices of things.

“They promise to reduce this and reduce that. At that rate the whole country will go bankrupt because of them!” he said.

Refering to the Opposition’s manifesto promising RM6,000 to each family, Abdullah said they obviously had not thought of where they would get that kind of money to be given out.

“Where are they going to get the money to give out? Have they thought about the consequences of doing this? Have they thought of inflation and its impact on the economy? They do not think and all they want to do is just to please the people for the short term,” he said.

“Look at Kelantan. They have governed it for the past 18 years and what have they done? Nothing. Instead, they owe the federal government RM1 billion and Kelantanese, men and women, are all moving out to work elsewhere,” he said.

On the Opposition’s strategy using racial issue in their campaign, Abdullah said as the elections draw nearer, the Opposition resorts to desperate means.

“This is what we call, ‘saying one thing, but doing another’. They keep saying they want to fight for justice for all but when it comes to elections, they become desperate.

“So they are using the racial issue to scare certain races, just to fish for votes. This is how they campaign. They use such tactics to get the support of certain racial groups,” he added.

The Umno chief said his party will not interfere with Gerakan's choice of candidates for the next Penang chief minister.

“We have never had the tradition to interfere. If we have any view, we will present it to the leadership involved and discuss the matter.”

"It is the same with any issue, we discuss with all involved. If there is any problem with our party, as part of the Barisan Nasional coalition, we will consult (one another) with the purpose of solving the problem."

Abdullah said the candidates chosen for the post are all experienced and strong leaders from the BN. "The BN has presented a combination of young and old team to the public,” he said.

“When the time is right, it will then be decided who among the three candidates will become the next chief minister,” he added.

The three candidates named are Pulau Tikus incumbent Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, 62, Machang Bubuk candidate Datuk Lee Kah Choon, 47, and Padang Kota incumbent Teng Chang Yeow, 44.

On the progress of BN’s election campaign, Abdullah said it is moving along smoothly although more needed to be done.

KE MANA MASA DEPAN HUBUNGAN PAS-PKR?

Utusan Online

Pendapat
SECARA kebetulan, kempen pilihan raya negara kita tahun ini bertembung dengan kempen pemilihan calon parti untuk kerusi Presiden Amerika Syarikat.

Kenyataan-kenyataan calon Demokrat, Senator Barrack Husein Obama semakin mendedahkan kebencian rakyat Amerika Syarikat (AS) terhadap Presiden mereka sekarang, George W. Bush khususnya berkenaan perang terhadap Iraq.

Sekiranya pembaca mengikuti perjalanan panjang perang itu, mereka akan bertemu dengan istilah Neo Conservative (Neo Con) yang menjadi perancang utama perang merebut rizab minyak di Timur Tengah.

Neo Con adalah gabungan dua kumpulan pelobi utama yang berjaya meletakkan Bush di tempat beliau berada sekarang.

Istilah itu sendiri merujuk kepada singkatan kumpulan Konservatif Baru yang didukung oleh Bush daripada kumpulan Kristian Ortodoks.

Namun sebagaimana pandangan umum, kumpulan pelobi utama kepresidenan di AS, kelompok Yahudi tidak mementingkan perjuangan mazhab mana yang perlu mereka sokong.

Yang penting adalah kumpulan yang mereka sokong perlu menang dan Presiden yang dilantik akan berterusan menjadi alat menjayakan cita-cita zionisme mereka.

Pakar utama di sebalik keghairahan kumpulan Neo Con iaitu Paul Wolfowitz, yang merupakan sahabat baik kepada bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia.

Mantan Timbalan Perdana Menteri kita sangat berbangga dengan persahabatan beliau dengan tokoh Neo Con ini. Beliau telah menyokong Paul Wolfowitz untuk jawatannya suatu ketika dahulu, Presiden Bank Dunia.

Setakat ini mungkin kelihatan agak jelas kepada fikiran kita tentang pertalian persahabatan dan sokongan seseorang yang dianggap mewakili’ tokoh Islam moderat di Asia’ telah meletakkan Wolfowitz di tempatnya sekarang.

Kaitannya bahawa penyokong utamanya berada di Malaysia dan sedang menjalankan segala aktiviti politik bagi menjayakan agenda Neo Con di negara ini.

Penyokong utama Neo Con kini bergabung dengan sebuah parti Islam konservatif, Pas untuk menentang sebuah parti pakatan nasionalis yang memerintah Malaysia hari ini.

Pas yang kehilangan arah selepas Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-11 telah membuat beberapa perhitungan yang tergesa-gesa dan membuta-tuli apabila mengambil penyokong kuat Neo Con sebagai idola politik terbaru mereka.

Hasilnya, beberapa kumpulan dalam Pas mula menyatakan rasa tidak senang mereka dengan keputusan pucuk pimpinan. Hal ini boleh dilihat daripada beberapa kritikan pedas oleh beberapa bahagian parti itu dalam muktamar mereka di Kelantan suatu ketika dahulu.

Sekalipun silap, Pas nampaknya tiada pilihan. Mereka tidak lagi mempunyai seorang pun tokoh yang dikira dapat menjadi penggerak untuk menyaingi kewibawaan Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Perdana Menteri hari ini.

Dalam pencarian mereka untuk mencari seorang tokoh yang mewakili pemikiran agama segar, tidak konservatif sebagaimana Presiden mereka, Abdul Hadi Awang. Pas nampaknya tersasar dan amat terdesak dalam mencari haluan masa depan parti itu.

Pas telah menggadai seluruh perjuangan mereka ‘membela’ Islam, sebagaimana yang didakwa selama ini hanya kerana kegagalan mencari seorang tokoh berpengaruh.

Mereka sanggup mengambil tokoh penyokong utama Neo Con dalam usaha menggilap semula imej parti yang dikatakan tidak mesra rakyat, ala Taliban, konservatif dan dipimpin oleh pasukan yang tidak pandai memerintah.

Kepada sebuah parti kecil lain, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), mereka terkapai-kapai dalam memberi jawapan kepada persoalan sokongan penasihat utama parti mereka, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kepada Paul Wolwowitz. Nampaknya penggabungan Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia (kemudian bertukar menjadi Parti Rakyat Malaysia - PRM) menghadapi halangan ideologi yang sangat besar.

PRM yang baru sahaja menyelesaikan krisis perpecahan setelah keputusan menggabungkan diri ke dalam PKR telah berkorban sekali lagi dengan keputusan Anwar menyokong Wolfowitz.

Hasilnya, Timbalan Presiden PKR, Dr. Syed Husin Ali telah mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa pandangan Anwar merupakan pandangan peribadi dan berasingan daripada pandangan PKR terhadap isu pelantikan Wolfowitz tersebut.

Kini, Pas nampaknya menuju jalan penamat ‘perjuangan Islam’ mereka. Kalangan radikal dalam Pas semakin keliru mempersoalkan hubungan yang pelik antara parti mereka dengan PKR.

Seorang ahli muda parti tersebut mengingatkan pemimpin mereka supaya sentiasa berhati-hati dengan pergerakan Anwar.

Mereka melahirkan kebimbangan sekiranya dengan sokongan terhadap Anwar, akan membawa kepada kesimpulan bahawa Pas turut sama bersekongkol dan terjerumus dengan Yahudi yang menyebabkan penderitaan umat Islam di Asia Barat.

– UMAR ZAIN

SIGNS IN JAWI: TAKE A LOOK AT THE OLD DOCUMENTS

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NST Online » Letters 2008/03/05 By : FATHIMA IDRIS, Penang I CANNOT understand why N.M.C. of Kuala Lumpur is so excited over having road signs in Jawi ("Clearly a waste of time, money" -- NST, Feb 26). I do not know about Kuala Lumpur but here in Penang, when I was young, road signs used to be in English and Jawi. The last of these that I had come across was in Western Gardens in white background with black lettering, and not the green and white ones we have now. Recently, this sign was removed and with it, the last vestige of the past. In fact, last year, a number of green Jawi signs have also been replaced with signs in Malay and English (in smaller lettering). I suppose this is for tourists on the heritage trail. This then raises the question of why some things in our past are considered heritage and others not. Why is the destruction of the Bok House a loss and not the dropping of Jawi in road signs? N.M.C. asks "And of what use is Jawi?" It may not be of any use to him/her, but for those who care about the past of this country, Jawi is important. Before the Malay language was romanised, it was written in Jawi. If one were to go through old title deeds in Kedah, one would find them written in Jawi. I believe this would be the same in other Malay states. Old Muslim marriage certificates were also written in Jawi. Official documents were in Jawi, such as correspondence between the colonialists and sultans, which would now be inaccessible to anyone who does not know Jawi. It happened to a relative of mine. He was going through old documents in Terengganu for his doctorate but being illiterate in Jawi, his mother and aunt had to help him translate it into romanised Malay. Is it right then to loosen our hold on Jawi?

JANGAN CUBA POLITIKKAN KHUTBAH JUMAAT

Banyak kawan-kawan yang ahli khariah dari beberapa mesjid di Selangor dan beberapa negeri lain ada memanggil saya. Mereka mengadu bahawa semasa sembahyang Jumaat yang lalu (29hb Februari 2008) terdapat setengah khatib mesjid yang tidak membacakan khutbah yang disediakan oleh Jabatatan Agama Negeri masing-masing. Sebaliknya mereka telah membacakan khutbah yang mereka sediakan sendiri yang sangat mirip kepada manifesto sebuah parti Islam. Di mesjid khariah saya sendiri perkara ini berlaku. Khatib ini bukanlah khatib resmi mesjid tersebut. Dan isi khutbahnya banyak persamaan dengan isi manifesto parti tersebut.

Kawan-kawan saya berkata tidak cukupkah parti tersebut bercakap pasal manifesto mereka dalam ceramah-ceramah politik yang dibenarkan oleh pihak polis sehingga hari mengundi pada 7hb Mac 2008 yang akan datang ini?

Ahli khariah sesebuah mesjid terdiri dari berbagai parti politik. Sekiranya khutbah yang dibacakan oleh seorang khatib berbau manifesto sebuah parti tentunya ahli-ahli khariah tersebut tidak akan merasa selesa dan akan berpecah belah. Biarlah Mesjid jadi tempat beribadat.

Biarlah apa yang hendak disampaikan oleh sebuah parti politik menggunakan landasan ceramah politik parti tersebut yang dibenarkan oleh undang-undang negara.

Kawan-kawan saya menyuruh saya menimbulkan perkara ini dalam blog saya dan juga berharap pihak Jabatan Agama Negeri-negeri supaya mempastikan semua Nadzir Mesjid mengarahkan khatib mereka membaca teks khutbah yang telah disediakan oleh Jabatan Agama Negeri pada sembahyang Jumaat 7hb Mac ini.

Mana-mana mesjid yang ingkar dalam hal ini, tindakan tegas haruslah diambil keatas Nadzir yang didapati lalai dalam menjalankankan tugas mereka.

HAK MELAYU TERJAMIN--JANGAN BERASA KURANG SELAMAT - PM

Oleh: AZNAN BAKAR dan ZULKIFLEE BAKAR-Utusan Online

TANDA SOKONGAN...Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bersalaman dengan orang ramai pada Majlis Perjumpaan Bersama Rakyat yang dihadiri ribuan penduduk di Taman Awam Batu Burok, Kuala Terengganu, semalam. – Gambar FAUZI BAHARUDIN.

PRAI 1 Mac – Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi memberi jaminan hak dan kepentingan orang Melayu akan terus dipelihara walaupun kerajaan membantu kaum-kaum lain.

Oleh itu, tegas Perdana Menteri, orang Melayu jangan berasa kurang selamat hanya kerana bantuan-bantuan yang diberikan kepada bukan bumiputera.

“Kalau kita membantu mereka (kaum lain) ia dilaksanakan atas asas-asas bahawa setelah dipertimbangkan ada kewajaran untuk membantu. Namun ini tidak bermakna ia mengurangkan apa juga bantuan yang dinikmati oleh bumiputera dan kita tidak berhajat berbuat demikian,’’ katanya.

Abdullah berkata demikian dalam wawancara khas dengan Mingguan Malaysia sempena Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12, di sini.

Perdana Menteri menegaskan, kerajaan tidak pernah mengurangkan apa juga bantuan yang dinikmati oleh bumiputera kerana harus membantu kaum lain.

“Janganlah berasa kurang selamat... sebenarnya dalam negara ini pembangunan yang dibawa oleh kerajaan adalah seimbang dengan tuntutan kaum yang ada,’’ katanya.

Pada hari ini, jelas Perdana Menteri, kaum bumiputera sudah maju dalam pelbagai bidang sama ada pada peringkat pelajaran atau dalam sektor swasta.

“Persaingan tetap ada dan kita harus membina keyakinan orang Melayu supaya sanggup bersaing,’’ katanya.

Abdullah berkata, orang Melayu mesti sanggup berbuat demikian kerana kerajaan sentiasa berusaha meningkatkan keupayaan mereka.

Mengenai pilihan raya, beliau yang juga Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN) menyifatkan cakap-cakap kononnya orang Melayu tidak menyokong parti itu dilakukan oleh parti pembangkang.

“Mereka sebenarnya hendak timbulkan keraguan... mereka mahu menangguk di air keruh... itu cara mereka. Oleh itu rakyat perlu bersikap objektif... jangan emosional... fikirlah habis-habis... pembangkang kerja mereka mahu menghasut sahaja,’’ tegasnya.

SUSPICION LINGERS - THE WEST LACKS ENTHUSIASM FOR ARAB SOVEREIGN-WEALTH FUNDS

28 February 2008
From the Economist Intelligence Unit ViewsWire

Rumours that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) may be thinking of buying a stake in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) pushed up the share price of the Edinburgh-based bank by 5% on the London Stock Exchange on February 25th, reflecting the intense interest accompanying any move or potential move by Gulf Arab sovereign wealth funds (SWF). QIA had already attracted notice earlier in the month with its acquisition of 1-2% of Credit Suisse, as part of a purported drive to build up a US$15bn portfolio of Western bank assets (a deal that was somewhat tarnished by the Swiss bank's subsequent disclosure of a hefty US$2.8bn loss arising from trading errors).

If indeed QIA is actively pursuing a stake in RBS, the choice of target should come as no great surprise given the pivotal role that the bank played in financing Qatar's emergence as the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world. However, much of the comment about this and similar deals has been laced with suspicion about the buyer's intentions. SWFs are accused of being opaque as regards financial reporting and investment strategy, and of pursuing political as well as commercial ends.

Barroso's beef

Shortly after the Credit Suisse deal, the European Commission (EC) approved proposals for SWFs to be requested to adopt a voluntary code of conduct requiring certain standards of corporate governance and disclosure. The EC president Jose Manuel Barroso has been open about the political dimension. “We cannot allow non-European funds to be used as an implement of geopolitical strategy,” he said on February 24th.

The IMF, for its part, has emphasised the risks to the global economy of increased financial flows through “black boxes”, as the Fund's chief economist, Simon Johnson.

The irony is that banks in both Europe and the US have not just welcomed but actively solicited investment from the likes of the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), which participated to the tune of US$5bn in January’s capital-raising exercise by Citgroup and Merrill Lynch, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)—the world’s biggest SWF with assets estimated at some US$800bn—which injected US$7.5bn into Citi in November. And in straitened times, politicians too have encouraged such moves by the funds that, buoyed in the Gulf Arab case by record oil revenues, have the ready cash currently so lacking during the Western credit crunch.

Buyer's market

For the SWFs, meanwhile, the investments represent an opportunity to build holdings in an industry regarded as having good long-term growth potential, at a time when shares are relatively cheap and political concerns necessarily relatively muted. Charles Schumer, an influential New York senator, epitomises the changed attitude. Mr Schumer was one of the most vocal critics, on national security grounds, of the takeover by DP World, a firm owned by the Dubai government, of five US ports through the acquisition of UK-based P&O in late 2006. However, he welcomed ADIA’s Citi investment as vital to the maintenance of New York’s role as a global financial centre.

Mr Schumer returned to form during the January round of capital-raising, expressing unease about large swathes of the US financial services industry passing into foreign hands, while President Bush himself promised a full examination of the national security implications of Borse Dubai’s acquisition of a 20% stake in the US’s Nasdaq exchange. This formed part of a complex deal for the Dubai institution to sell-on OMX, the Stockholm-based operator of the Nordic exchange to the Americans, assuming Borse Dubai’s bid for the Swedish firm was successful. The Swedish authorities were themselves suspicious when in August Borse Dubai trumped Nasdaq’s May offer for OMX—the finance minister, Mats Odell, admitted as much in a late-February interview—although subsequently their concerns have shifted to the possible “Americanisation” of OMX and consequent imposition of onerous post-Enron disclosure rules.

Passive to active

The obvious question aroused by such international hand-wringing, posed plaintively by the older SWFs, is “Why now?” Kuwait first established a fund to invest surplus oil revenues and thereby diversify the economy in 1953, while ADIA was established two decades later. In addition, both have typically been conservative portfolio investors: the US banking buys were an exception, but even in that case the stakes taken were small and acquired without corresponding executive power. An answer can be found in the burgeoning size of SWFs, stemming in the Gulf from high oil prices and in southern Asia from the sustained export boom, and in the more aggressive strategies of newer players like QIA, a range of Dubai government-affiliated vehicles such as Istithmar and Dubai International Capital (DIC), and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company. The latter players have moved from portfolio investment to purchasing strategic stakes in or acquiring outright target companies, and are not prepared to assume the passive role of their forerunners.

However, the gathering storm of objections in the West – sometimes quite blatantly born of suspicion of the Arab world – to investment by Gulf Arab SWFs is prompting both the older and younger funds to rebalance holdings geographically, primarily towards the booming economies of southern Asia. In mid-February, DIC announced plans to plough some US$5bn into China, India and Japan over the next three years, while the chief executive officer of Istithmar, David Jackson, said a month earlier that “countries such as China, where we recently opened an office, are very welcoming to sovereign wealth funds, so more are looking to invest there”. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and the CEO of QIA, stated late last year that the fund was aiming to raise Asian investments to 40% of the total, while among the veterans, the KIA's chief, Bader al-Sa’ad, has also spoken frequently about the intention to increase proportionally exposure to Asia.

This does not mean that the SWFs are about to shun investment in their traditional hunting grounds in Europe and the US—as QIA's recent moves demonstrate. Moreover, Gulf investors, both government and private, admit that they will need time to understand the inner workings of the principal Asian markets. However, Western governments and regulatory authorities will need to weigh carefully their concerns about the impact of the SWFs against the risks of forfeiting the benefits that their infusions of capital can bring.

ZIKIR TAMBAT NURUL WAHYUNI KERK SHIAU PHIN PELUK ISLAM

Oleh Qamarul Munirah Said-Utusan Online

NURUL Wahyuni Kerk Shiau Phin (tengah) sewaktu menghadiri majlis Tilawah Al-Quran peringkat kebangsaan 2005 di Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.

Alunan zikir memuji keagungan Ilahi dan kebesaran junjungan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w menjadi tarikan bagi Kerk Shiau Phin untuk memilih Islam sebagai pegangan hidupnya.

Menurutnya, jiwa dan hatinya akan menjadi tenang tatkala mendengar alunan zikir, selawat dan lagu-lagu nasyid. Keunikan Islam inilah yang membuatkannya bertekad untuk menjadi penganut agama Islam yang sejati.

“Amalan-amalan yang terdapat dalam ajaran Islam seperti puasa dan solat membuatkan saya tertarik untuk mengetahui Islam dengan lebih mendalam,” kata Shiau Phin atau nama Islamnya Nurul Wahyuni Kerk Shiau Phin.

Menurut penuntut tahun tiga Sarjana Muda Kaunseling di Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) ini, sepanjang penghijrahannya sebagai Muslim lima tahun lalu, pelbagai ujian terpaksa dilalui untuk bergelar muslim sejati.

“Setiap ujian yang datang itu adalah daripada Allah dan saya menerima setiap ujian itu sebagai tanda kasih sayang Allah kepada hamba-Nya.

“Sepanjang tempoh lima tahun ini, saya cukup mengerti maksud ayat dalam surah al-Ra’d ayat 11 yang bermaksud, Allah tidak akan mengubah nasib seseorang hamba-Nya melainkan dengan usaha hamba itu sendiri.

“Percayalah bahawa Allah akan mengurniakan kepada kita nikmat yang kita tak sangka-sangka setelah kita berjaya mengharungi setiap pahit getir dari-Nya,” katanya yang memeluk Islam ketika berusia 18 tahun.

Tambah Wahyuni lagi, dia sentiasa mengingati dirinya bahawa hidup di dunia ini hanya bersifat sementara dan di sinilah tempat untuk mencari dan mengumpul bekalan menuju akhirat yang kekal abadi.

Menurut anak kelahiran Muar ini, pelbagai cabaran yang perlu diharungi sepanjang bergelar saudara baru.

“Bapa saya merupakan penganut agama Buddha yang kuat. Jadi apabila saya menukar agama, dan saya juga seperti saudara baru yang lain di mana saya tak lari daripada menghadapi tentangan daripada keluarga.

Lebih yakin dan tabah

“Saya dipinggirkan oleh ahli keluarga pada permulaannya tetapi berkat doa pada-Nya yang tidak kenal erti putus asa, akhirnya kini mereka mula boleh menerima sedikit demi sedikit tentang hakikat saya menjadi muslimah,” katanya.

Menurutnya lagi, pelbagai masalah yang perlu dihadapi seperti kewangan, kekangan masa untuk mendalami ilmu agama dan penerimaan rakan-rakan sebangsa sepanjang lima tahun ini.

“Dengan sokongan sahabat-sahabat, pensyarah-pensyarah menjadikan saya lebih yakin dan tabah untuk menghadapi segala cabaran hidup selepas bergelar muslimah,” katanya.

Beliau memeluk Islam pada Disember 2003 ketika menuntut di Kolej Matrikulasi Pahang (KMPh).

Pengalaman pahit yang tidak dapat dilupakan oleh gadis ini adalah dihina oleh seseorang pegawai agama apabila dia ingin memohon bantuan zakat.

Menurutnya, pegawai tersebut bukan sahaja menyindir dia masuk Islam kerana kahwin semata-mata malah turut bertanya adakah dia layak untuk menerima zakat.

Katanya, peristiwa tersebut tidak mematahkan semangat saya tetapi ia membuatkan saya terfikir bahawa Allah s.w.t maha mengetahui apa yang dilakukan hamba-Nya. Dan setiap amalan di dunia ini akan dihitung di akhirat.

“Walaupun saya sedih dan kecewa dengan layanan pegawai agama itu kepada saya, namun saya menganggap tindakan pegawai itu sebagai ujian Allah kepada saya kerana Allah mahu menguji kesabaran saya dalam menghadapi dugaan daripada-Nya.

“Sebagai seorang Muslim, kita harus menjaga imej Islam kerana orang bukan Islam tidak mampu menjatuhkan imej Islam melainkan orang Islam itu sendiri,” ujarnya.

Menurut Wahyuni, ajaran Islam tidak boleh disamakan dengan ajaran matematik.

“Contohnya dalam pengiraan matematik kita tahu bahawa 3-2 =1. Tetapi dalam ajaran Islam 3-2 = 0 kerana Islam itu menyeluruh. Ia merangkumi keseluruhan hidup kita di dunia ini,” jelasnya.

Sebagai seorang Muslim sejati, kata Wahyuni, kita mesti berpegang teguh pada Al-Quran dan sunah agar mencapai kejayaan yang cemerlang bukan sahaja di dunia dan di akhirat.

Lantaran itu, Wahyuni mengajak seluruh umat Islam agar sentiasa bermuhasabah diri dan berharap agar kita semua hidup dengan berpegang teguh pada ajaran Islam yang sebenar.

“Ini supaya kita tidak menyesal di hari kemudian,” katanya lagi.