Author: Hafiz Noor Shams

For more about me, please read this.

Categories
Liberty Politics & government

[1701] Of the last mistake they will ever make

Just as I was getting ready for bed yesterday, the light was out but I was still accessing the internet, hoping to get my last crack of the day. I was on emails, forums, blogs and readers. And then I saw Nat’s posting as well of several others on a new sodomy charge against Anwar Ibrahim; he has denied it.[1] I am not quite a fan of the former Deputy Prime Minister because of his advocate for populist economic policies but the new charge of sodomy forces me to a corner to sympathize with him.

I do not quite believe in the charge. I could only believe it as much as I believe the imaginative stories of Raja Petra. Of course, I do not really know for sure whether the alleged act happened but the current political climate makes the possibility of trumped up charge appealing. It cannot be a coincidence since the timing is so convenient for Anwar’s political opponents.

Most people will have the same reason to stand by Anwar Ibrahim. And truly, if BN is behind this, with just months after the March 8, when support for the BN administration has been proven to extremely low among Malaysians historically, I do not think they will survive any kind of protest comparable to what happened in the late 1990s. That protest will happen if the charge takes its manipulated course, perceived or real.

But we should leave this to the court. Yet, with tarnished reputation, it is quite hard to either hold the opinion that the judiciary or the police will maintain neutrality in this case.

So, in the end, I am an agnostics holding certain skepticism to the allegation against Anwar Ibrahim.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

[1] The police report lodged against me earlier today is a complete fabrication. I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress. This is clearly a desperate attempt by the Barisan Nasional regime to arrest the movement of the Malaysian people towards freedom, democracy and justice. [Press statement on police report. Anwar Ibrahim. June 29 2008]

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

Note — earlier, I wrote that even if the charge is true, it is a matter of liberty. I was referring to sexual lifestyle and absence of force. Clearly I was misunderstood the nature of the allegation. If the charge is true, there would be coercion involved and the perpetrator needed to be prosecuted. My original stance would stand if there was no coercion. In any case, I have deleted the logically flawed statement.

Categories
Pop culture

[1700] Of let’s celebrate

I am celebrating the 1700th post with Beethoven.

[youtube]zhcR1ZS2hVo[/youtube]

Youtube is probably the best thing invented since, erm, World of Warcraft.

Categories
Kitchen sink

[1699] Of some Iraqis are Michiganophiles

Michiganophiles (via)?

When Iraqis talk of going to the U.S., Michigan often is the place they want to see. Naturally, they are familiar with the cities of New York and Chicago and the state of Texas. But to many Iraqis, Michigan is an ideal destination. When I talk to them on the phone, they tell me how gorgeous they hear Michigan is. Even its Arabic pronunciation in Iraq, I think, has come to have a nicer cadence than names of other states and cities. [Some Iraqis Dream of Michigan; Others Make it Home. Baghdad Life. May 23 2008]

I guess, they have yet to experience Michigan winter.

And yes. Say goodbye to Ann Arbor Is Overrated. After all the good times, she is moving on.

Categories
History & heritage Politics & government

[1698] Of we need to start healing

Gerald Ford is one of my favorite presidents of the United States of America and there are only two reasons for that. Number one is due to the fact that he attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; that is my school. Number two was the way he answered the question posed by his predecessor, Richard Nixon. We Malaysians perhaps have our own Nixon in form of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed and how we deal with the Prime Minister may parallel what President Ford had done.

For the longest time, Dr. Mahathir was the only Prime Minister I had ever known. In all channels, from television to radio to printed press, I could not remember any single day that passed by without the mention of his name. He was everywhere, every time.

A friend once mentioned to me that Dr. Mahathir has done more to Malaysia more than anybody else, for better or for worse. A general statement such as that may not survive upon closer scrutiny but it is easy to agree to such rhetoric. Because all of that and more, I have this kind of attachment to him. It is a kind of earned respect that is impossible for time to erode.

Yet, I am a firm believer of justice and Dr. Mahathir has done a lot of wrongs as the chief executive officer of this country. To every action, there is a reaction and that concept is central to the way I live my life and my worldview.

There are many components that make up a successful society and one of them is trust of individuals toward various institutions. A state institution which fails to defend justice will lose its credibility and a society with such institutions will inevitably spend more time fighting for justice instead of discovering its true potential.

Hence, I face a moral dilemma between respect that I have for the man and justice.

Upon reflection, I came to recall the Watergate scandal in which President Nixon was the main actor. The scandal forced him to resign from his office as criminal conviction loomed on the horizon. Gerald Ford then became the 38th US president.

The issue of conviction could bring about a very divisive period and President Ford realized this. Instead of letting that happened, he gave Nixon an unconditional pardon, hereby allowing the first step of healing to take place.

And healing is what Malaysia needs at the moment. Whatever Dr. Mahathir had done in the past, he should be pardoned.

That however does not mean we should forget his gross violations of individual liberty and the corruption of all three branches of government that he caused. No. We should learn from the past and strive not to make the wrongs made in the past.

Towards that end, what we need is a truth and reconciliation commission, not another royal commission solely set up to bring the man down. There is a fine line between justice and vengeance and I at the moment do not have an appetite for witch hunting, especially when it greatly benefits others with less than innocent political motives and ambitions. What has passed has passed and it is time to move on.

In times when the stability of the federal government is suspect, whoever the next Prime Minister would be, I wish for him to tread the path President Ford had treaded on.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s — a version of this article was first published by The Malaysian Insider.

Categories
Economics

[1697] Of oh, enlighten me about purchasing power parity please

I was reading the Mid-Term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan:

During the 2006-2007 period, real GDP expanded by 6.1 per cent per annum, exceeding the target of 6.0 per cent. Per capita income increased by 10.6 per cent per annum to RM23,066. Per capita income adjusted for purchasing power parity increased at a higher rate of 14.2 per cent to RM46,478 in 2007. This growth was achieved in an environment of stable prices. Unemployment stood at 3.3 per cent in 2007, reflecting the full utilisation of labour resources. [Full speech in Parliament by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when tabling the Mid-term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The Malaysian Insider. June 26 2008]

Someone, please enlighten me: why does the income per capita figure need to be adjusted to purchasing power parity?

So far, I see no reason why it should be adjusted. PPP is usually used to make comparison between countries. When there is only one country in question and we are dealing in terms of just a currency, why on earth would we need to adjust it for PPP?

Is the statement “higher rate of 14.2 per cent to RM46,478” meaningful at all?

Also of interest to me is this:

11. The nation’s robust economic growth has been spearheaded by the private sector, with private sector investment growing at a rate of 8.6 per cent per annum. Foreign direct investment also increased by 39.3 per cent to RM29.1 billion in 2007. At the same time, public sector investment grew by 8.9 per cent per annum following vigorous implementation of development projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. [Full speech in Parliament by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when tabling the Mid-term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The Malaysian Insider. June 26 2008]

Increased government spending typically crowds out private investment. I wonder how much the public sector grew at the expense of investment growth in the private sector.

Another question: how much of export has been sacrificed so far due to increased government spending?