Sharing Of Hardships

“Today, we see mainly oil palm plantations. Before that it was rubber and pineapple plantations. But in the old days, the cultivation of gambier had transformed Johor Baru from a virgin forest to what it is today,” Johor Baru member of Parliament Tan Sri Shahrir Samad.

Not many of today’s generation know of the significance of the humble gambier, a tropical shrub instrumental in the development of Johor Baru.

If you were to look at the design of the Johor Baru City Council’s crest and the arches, street lamps and flower pots in Jalan Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk here, one would notice the gambier and pepper motifs. It is also a symbol of the Johor royal family.

The history of the Chinese community began in the early 1800s with the arrival of the Teochews from Swatow province, China.

In Johor, the Kangchu title was given to the Chinese headmen, who were known as the “kapitan”.

The Kangchu system was a socio-economic administration system developed by the Chinese agricultural settlers near the rivers of Johor in the 19th century. The settlers formed informal associations (similar to the kongsi of other Chinese communities) and chose a leader among themselves.

Later, other waves of immigrants arrived via Singapore and Indonesia. Most notable were the Hokkien from Fujian and the Cantonese, Hakkas and Hainanese, all of whom were eager to start a new life in Johor.

Temenggong Ibrahim, who was the ruler then, had invited Chinese settlers in Singapore, who had emigrated from China, to Johor.

The ruler issued “surat sungai” (river documents) to more than 140 headmen to start their own gambier plantations.

Today, there are no more gambier plantations in Johor.

The contribution of the Chinese community toward the development of Johor was acknowledged by the Johor royal family then, and till the present day.

Head to the "Sharing Of Hardships - Exhibition on Gambier & Pepper" which will be held at the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum at Jalan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, from now to September 18, 2015. 

Entrance fee for adult RM5, senior citizen RM3 and student RM2.

The museum opens from 9am to 5pm daily. It closes on Monday.

Pas ulama faction backs Hadi

by Shahrum Sayuthi

KULAIJAYA: The Pas ulama (religious leaders) faction yesterday rallied their support behind embattled Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang ahead of the party’s muktamar (annual general meeting), which starts in Batu Pahat today.

Hadi, who has been heavily criticised by Pas’ Pakatan allies and members of the party’s non-ulama faction over his handling of the Selangor leadership crisis, received strong endorsement at the annual meetings of the Syura Council as well as the party’s youth and women wings, which took place in Johor Baru and Kota Tinggi yesterday.

Leading the way were members of the Syura Council, the highest decision-making body of the party, which, among others, demanded the cooperation with PKR and DAP be reviewed because of disagreements over the (Selangor leadership) crisis.

They also demanded that disciplinary action be taken against members who defied Hadi and the council.

The party’s deputy spiritual adviser, Datuk Haron Din, in his opening speech at the Syura Council meeting, called on members to support Hadi and stressed that Pas’ main strength lies in its religious leadership.

He said the attacks against Hadi and the party’s religious leaders, particularly from within the party itself, had worsened of late following the Selangor crisis.

“We were relentlessly attacked by our own, especially in social media. I was even condemned for receiving visits by ministers when warded at IJN (National Heart Institute).”

Haron reminded delegates that Pas’ struggle was meant to uphold Islamic principles and that aim superseded others, including the party’s cooperation with PKR and DAP.

He said cooperation with PKR and DAP had its boundaries, and, if broken, would necessitate its religious leaders to review the party’s position in such a cooperation.

“Once it is felt that such a cooperation has become questionable in terms of Islamic principles, the ulama must rethink our party’s position and members must support that decision.

“Everything is possible, such as in a marriage, which can end in a divorce.”

Reciting Quranic verses to stress his point, Haron said Islamic struggles, as championed by Pas, would never be successful if party members abandoned their ideals for the sake of political gains.
Syura Council acting chief Datuk Ahmad Yaakub said Hadi had done the right thing by upholding the party’s Islamic principles in the face of the Selangor crisis.

He said party members should support Hadi’s decisions, because as party president, he put the interests of Pas and Islam above all else when he decided to defy PKR and DAP by submitting more than two nominations for the menteri besar’s post, as decreed by Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

“The Syura Council praises and stands firm behind our party president (Hadi) for his steadfastness in upholding the party’s Islamic principles despite being pressured by our Pakatan partners and some of our own leaders,” said Ahmad.

PKR and DAP had insisted that Pas follow their lead by only nominating PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the MB’s post.

Members of a another faction within the Pas leadership, known to be aligned to Dr Wan Azizah’s husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had protested against Hadi’s decision to not toe Pakatan’s line on the issue.

Supporters of the faction, known to be led by Hadi’s deputy, Mohamad Sabu, had, over the past weeks launched a cyberwar in social media against Hadi and members of the Syura Council.

The council was the first to oppose the ouster of Selangor MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, but its decision at the start of the crisis, which was supported by Hadi and party spiritual adviser Datuk Nik  Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, was ignored by members of the central committee, dominated by pro-Anwar supporters, who proceeded to support PKR and DAP’s plan to nominate Dr Wan Azizah.

The Selangor leadership crisis was triggered by PKR’s “Kajang Move”, which was designed to have Anwar elected as Kajang assemblyman and subsequently taking over the MB post from Khalid.
The plan, however, was changed after Anwar’s sodomy conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeals in March, upon which Dr Wan Azizah was roped in as a replacement.

Syura Council delegates, who took to the rostrum at their meeting yesterday, repeatedly called for disciplinary action to be taken against those who opposed Hadi and the party’s religious leaders.

They also unanimously passed a number of resolutions demanding the party sanction those who opposed the authority of the party president and Syura Council and the cooperation with PKR and DAP be maintained only if it benefited the party’s struggles to uphold Islam.

- source NST online

The Scholars Have Spoken. Listen!

Star online

KULAI: The religious scholars in PAS have sent out a message to the party’s Pakatan Rakyat partners that it will leave the coalition if its tahaluf siyasi (political collaboration with them) collapses.

“If the tahaluf siyasi is tainted and its pillars are destroyed, the ulama is responsible for repairing and reviewing this cooperation.

“If it is beyond repair, that’s when our marriage collapses,” PAS deputy spiritual adviser Datuk Haron Din told delegates at the Dewan Ulama general assembly here yesterday.

He said that breaking away from the pact would be inevitable if the cooperation no longer benefited Islam.

He stressed that there was a need to repair the relationship that had now cracked because of a crisis that was “made up”, an apparent reference to the ongoing Selangor mentri besar impasse created by PKR.

Haron, who is one of the most influential voices and religious figures in PAS, added that the ulama council had the final say on the cooperation, which he said existed at the council’s advice.

Referring to attacks from within PAS against party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Haron reminded members on the importance of being wala’ (loyal) to a leader.

He said Muslims were obligated to obey the leader for as long as the leadership was on the right path.

“Be loyal to your leader ... As long as he abides by God, we should be loyal to him,” said Haron.

The ulama leadership, which backs Hadi in the matter, has also not been spared missiles from some PAS leaders and party allies.

“We never retaliate to such attacks, we are not like that,” said Haron.

Hadi, as well as party elders in the ulama and syura councils, were severely criticised by PKR and DAP, as well as some PAS officials who supported them, when he submitted a list of prospective MBs for the Sultan of Selangor to choose from.

This was in compliance with the Ruler’s request for each party to submit more than two names to the palace following the insistence by PKR and PAS to name Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as their sole nominee to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

Pas Congress 8

by Rahmah Ghazali

KULAIJAYA: The PAS Dewan Ulama has unanimously passed a resolution to take stern disciplinary action against two of its Selangor assemblymen for signing statutory declarations (SD) in support of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the new Selangor Mentri Besar.

In a motion, Selangor delegate Mohd Shamsuddin Amran said the party needs to be firm against Hulu Langat assemblyman Saari Sungib and Morib assemblyman Hasnul Baharuddin for going against the party’s constitution.

"We call for a stern disciplinary action against the Hulu Klang and Morib asssemblymen who signed the SD in support of Dr Wan Azizah as the Selangor Mentri Besar without the permission and approval from the party.

"Their action was also against the decision made by the Syura council (which initially decided there was no need to remove Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as MB).

"They also challenged the party to take action against them even if it means sacking them from the party," he said.

The resolution, which was supported by Federal Territories delegate Mohd Ali Jamil, also called the disciplinary committee to investigate some party leaders who "deliberately belittle and go against the decisions made by the president and the Syura council".

The wing also passed resolutions to add a clause to the party constitution where PAS should be given the liberty to decide on its policies including implementing hudud without the interference from its allies.

It also called for the party to release books containing guidelines to tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) for its leaders and members so PAS "is not seen as taken for a ride" by PKR and DAP.

The motion was forwarded by Perak delegate Mohd Shuhaimi Wafir and supported by Pahang delegate Mokhtar Senik

- source Star online

Pas Congress 7

by Shahrum Sayuthi

KULAIJAYA: Pas highest decision making body, the Syura Council today reiterated its support for the leadership of party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Council acting chief Datuk Ahmad Yaakub in his key note address at the opening of the council's annual general meeting here said Hadi had done the right thing in upholding the party's Islamic principles in face of the current political situation.

Making direct reference to the ongoing conflict among Pakatan coalition members and within Pas itself due to the Selangor leadership crisis, Ahmad said party members should support Hadi's decisions as he was putting the interests of the party and Islam above all else when doing so.

Ahmad said the Syura Council is still opposed to the nomination of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the next Selamgor menteri besar due her questionable capabilities.

He added that the council even opposed the ouster of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim from that post as he has not been proven guilty of any wrongdoing.

The council, he added was even opposed to the PKR's Kajang Move which triggered the crisis which he said was a waste of public fund due to the ensuing by-election.

"In this matter, the Syura Council praise and stand firm behind our party president (Hadi) for his steadfastness in upholding the party's Islamic principles despite being pressured by our Pakatan partners and some of our own party leaders," said Ahmad.

- source NST online

Pas Congress 6

By Rahmah Ghazali

KULAIJAYA: PAS' tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) with allies PKR and DAP is in the spotlight again, with its deputy spiritual advisor Datuk Haron Din indicating strongly that it was time the party reviewed the ties.

In his opening speech at the Dewan Ulama assembly here Wednesday, Haron said it was inevitable that PAS breaks away from the pact if the cooperation no longer benefited Islam.

However, he stressed that there was a need to repair the relationship that has been rocked by the Selangor mentri besar crisis, which he described as "made-up", in what appeared to be a reference to the impasse created by PKR.

He said the ulama had the final say on the matter as the cooperation existed based on their advice.

"If the tahaluf is tainted and its pillars are destroyed, the ulama is responsible for repairing and reviewing this cooperation.

"If it is beyond repair, that's when our marriage collapses," he said.

Haron also reminded party members of the importance of wala' (loyalty) to a leader, stressing that Muslims were obliged to obey the leader as long as the leadership was on the right path.

He said this in reference to the recent attacks by some PAS leaders, PKR and DAP against PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for submitting his own menteri besar list to the Selangor palace without consultation with his counterparts.

"Be loyal to your leader even if he is a slave. As long as he abides with God, we should be loyal to him," he said, adding that the recent crisis within the party started when some quarters refused to obey to the leader.

PAS has been blamed for defying the Pakatan's consensus when Hadi personally chose to submit his own list of candidates to the palace despite PKR and DAP's persistence with PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the sole candidate.

The list was said to include at least one candidate from PAS, reportedly state commissioner Iskandar Samad, who is also Chempaka assemblyman, although the prerogative to name the new mentri besar belonged to PKR.

The ulama leadership, which has backed Hadi's handling of the matter, was also not spared from being attacked by its own people and allies.

"We never retaliate to such attacks, that's not who we are," Haron said.

Last year, the late ulama president Datuk Harun Taib called for a review of ties with PKR and DAP over their disagreement on the implementation of hudud.

PAS, however, passed a resolution saying that it would stay in Pakatan as long as it is not deviated from its course.

- source Star online