To the Holy Land..

Royal Jordanian.

On 18 July 2012 at 2200 hrs, Royal Jordanian will fly me to Amman. A day sightseeing stop over tour around Amman had been programmed and hopefully my first insight of the Dead Sea. My intention of performing the Ramadan umrah via Jordan is to add Jordanian soil as one of the Mid East country that I step on. 

Insyaalah early the next morning the entourage will then hop over direct to Medina Saudi Arabia for a three (3) days pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), the Tomb of the Syuhadah and Masjid Nabawi. Commencing of Ramadan will be in Medina with the Ansars.

Masjid Nabawi in Medina.

Tentatively, I will be in Mecca by the Kaabah from 22 July onwards to 21 August 2012 and Aidilfitri as usual in Mecca. Back home in Malaysia vide Jeddah/Amman on 22 August 2012, after Aidilfitri.
    

The Hotel in Mecca would be Mawardah Ajeyad, familiar Hotel that I stayed in 2010. It is about 250 meters from Masjidilharam and that shouldn’t be any problem at all (mafi musykhil in Arabic). At that distance I should consider myself lucky as others are staying kilometers away. Several Hotels in Mecca had been demolished to make way for modern skyscrapers. It was about a year ago I was in Mecca and at every trip the landscape differs.  

Masjidil Haram in Mecca.

Yesterday, on 15 July 2012, I make a day trip back to hometown Ipoh to seek forgiveness and blessing from my aging beloved Mother. My mission accomplished. The family then drove over to paternal kampong – Padang Tenggala in Bota to visit my late father’s grave. As we arrived the sky darkened and wept. We braved the rain. That’s my yearly routine at every time prior setting for my Ramadan pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I would drop by at my late father’s resting place. I hope my father’s soul heard when my heart moaned in silence as I recited the Alfatihah; after 34 years Bapak had gone, the properties Bapak left behind had not been distributed as per feraid and I am so disgusted that I had declared that my share would go to Baitulmal. Since I am no greed of landed properties, the house & land that was transferred to me for harmonic and trustee sake had also been surrendered due to the stringent objections from all interested parties. As a matter of time, I will join Bapak too and obviously I cannot take along those to my eternal grave. I want to go to the Holy Land with a peace of mind and I don’t want messy craps distracting my concentration. Those who are interested with the properties, by all means, I had set everything for their convenience. 

For about a month, I will stop blogging and brushed off politic but I ensure that I seek Allah blessing that peace forever prevail in Malaysia and to my dear friends, if I do remember I will also seek Allah blessings on your behalf. Oh Almighty Allah, please don’t give me a roommate with a laptop, like last year that browsed and updating the Harakah Daily. I certainly hate to comingle ibadah and coffee shop politics in the month of Ramadan especially in Mecca. Some people can be so fanatic that they tend to forget that they are in the Holy Land. It’s obvious only PAS radicals that most often than not that instigate the situation. Only they are right, for others are wrong and shallow. They never accept subjective rebuttal, no matter how objective one tries to emphasis logical and realistic facts. The tendency to meet various characters is imminent as Allah is testing the degree of patience. At the peak of Ramadan, I would be among the 3 million Pilgrims that congregate in Masjidil Haram, insyaalah. 

I would just script the daily adventure and translate into my blog later. 

All set to go. All outstanding bill cleared, currencies converted, medication & toiletries replenish and luggage packed. Even Mobily, Saudi hand phone sim card was couriered by brother Azman who was in the Holy Land who performed the umrah recently. 

I wish may all my Muslims friends welcome Ramadan Almubarak with full of sincerity and concentration submitting to Almighty Allah swt. Nahi mungkar amal makruf as Ramadan is the holiest month and full of blessings. Let’s seek for the Lailatulqadar, the night of 1000 months Allah blessings.

See you………………..if I ever come back from Saudi Arabia. One never know when Malaikamaut come calling.    

Who actually decide?

All the Mosque kariah in Selangor is being asked to register as anak kariah of the respective Mosques in the whole State. Yours truly registered at Kampong Raja Uda, so as the wife and daughter. I don’t know about the son as he is at Federal Territory. 

Every three (3) years there will be an election of Mosque Committee Members and the anak kariah register will act as reference as eligibility to choose the Mosque Committee Members, similar to the Election Commission Voters Register. The Ketua Kampong and/or the Mosque current Mosque Nazir will verify whether those registered are really anak kariah. Sometimes it can be cooked up depending on the situation.

Come Election Day, the anak kariah will propose and vote the individual candidate that suitable and capably fit to sit in the Mosque Committee or as the Mosque Officials. The Mosque Adviser cum Ketua Kampong will take the legally voted candidates list for endorsement at a Meeting among MAIS/JAIS/PAID Officials and Orang Besar Daerah of the respective District.

At that Endorsement Meeting, the Ketua Kampong can alter and chose his personally favorite candidate and brushed out those that he dislikes. Most likely those align to his political ideology will get a preference. The final list would be endorse by JAIS and announce to the Kampong. The Ketua Kampong washed his hands. As for Kampong Raja Uda Mosque, several names returned legally vide the voting process, were missing and few aliens was inserted. When the Ketua Kampong was confronted, he innocently claimed with ten cents look that the alterations and the final choice came from the Orang Besar Daerah, not him. Allah is great, someone bumped into the Orang Besar Daerah and when he was asked, the Orang Besar Daerah threw the bug that it was the Ketua Kampong that made the recommendation and final choice. Not him. The question is why the Ketua Kampong is dishonest and not brave enough to tell the truth? As a Leader, honesty must prevail.

Who actually decide; the Ketua Kampong or the Orang Besar Daerah? I leave it to your own perception who is telling the truth. Surely, only the Ketua Kampong knows the personalities that he dislikes or handpicked. The Orang Besar Daerah would not be able to know everybody in all the kampongs under his jurisdiction.  

   

In a democratic process, the majority that gets the mandate rule, not otherwise. Personally I would have no moral standing if I am solely chosen by the Ketua Kampong, not as elected by the anak kariah. Only when I do have a thick skin then perhaps I can face the crowd because I very well know that the majority would be talking behind my back. 

The Ketua Kampong as mentioned is from PAS and PAS fully support Bersih 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 which call and demanding the Election Commission for fair and clean election. How come the Ketua Kampong in this particular case did not walk the talk? This is absolutely dirty!! The election was fair and the anak kariah had made their decision but the Ketua Kampong manipulated. I wonder how these types of people going to sit in Putrajaya when they don’t even know the basic meaning of democracy? In the first instance they are totally a failure when managing democratically a small Kampong. You expect me to X them or their alliance at the Polling Booth? Cross over my dead body.

I am completely flabbergasted with the way how the Ketua Kampong manages the Mosque on the advisory capacity. The Ketua Kampong and the play makers can consider themselves lucky as the kampong residents are a very tolerant lot, let will be, will be. Imagine it happen in my paternal kampong somewhere by the Perak River in the Mukim of Bota in Perak. It was around this area that the world witnessed an uprising against the British Resident. Perhaps the blood still runs in me as I hate injustice.

The senior citizens that belong to no political party are following the episode meticulously and surely they will strike when Najib finally decide. 

The kampong where I stay.......

I have made Kampong Raja Uda (KRU), Port Klang as my permanent home since 1977 and most probably I will kick the bucket in this kampong. My home base location is Lat: 3.020934 and Long: 101.412382 to be precise.

All was well in KRU until PAS set foot and established their Markas. KRU was UMNO all the way since Independence in 1957. This kampong once upon a time had only one (1) branch of UMNO Division but late Dato Zek formed another six (6) to make it seven (7). His policy was divided and ruled and that policy ended with a disaster to the Kampong Malay majority community in general. With seven (7) branches of UMNO and one PAS, just imagine how the residents are being torn apart, divided with their own individual political groupings. There is also a group of senior citizen residents like me who does not align to any political parties who normally spent most of their time thinking about the Thereafter, Allah fearing but they are very conscious and concern what’s kicking.

It all started when BN collapsed in Selangor at the 12 General Election in 2008. Dato Zek passed away three (3) days after the political tsunami and the Kampong UMNO lost its oomph!! The Kampong now is under the Constituency of Pandamaran N47 is held by a DAP Representative and naturally DAP chose their co partner, PAS as the Kampong Head (Ketua Kampong). The whole residents have to accept the fact immaterial whether he is capable or otherwise and hoping there could be for the better for the Kampong as UMNO/BN reputation at that time was taking a serious plunge. It was not so as expected, it became worst as illustrated by the following events. 

Old Mosque.

2009 – 2012: Mosque Committee Election, majority of the residents stayed away, giving way to PAS members to manage the Mosque for 2009 – 2012 sessions. The helm of the Committee was controlled by PAS. The first thing the Committee did was to take over the handling of the Kampong Hearse (kereta jenazah) which was under the management of Saham Wakaf Kampong. In the meantime a New Mosque was under construction in the kampong and it was under the supervision of the Mosque Building & Development Committee, a separate an independent Committee from the previous Mosque Committee. The newly elected Mosque Committee was unhappy and they wanted to take over the supervision of the New Mosque as well. Their specific function was to manage the existing Mosque only but greed for power they insisted they took controls of the New Mosque development too. They frustrated the New Mosque B&D Committee by disallowing the usage of Mosque Meeting Room, brought down the New Mosque bulletin Board, padlock the New Mosque donation saves and the worst when the Mosque Nazir ridiculed the Chairman of the New Mosque Committee in the congregation of pre Aidilfitri prayer. For the very first time, the Mosque solemnity turned like a Market where booing and shouting was heard. The speech was terminated abruptly before worst scenario could erupt. The Ketua kampong cum Mosque Adviser just folded his hands. Remember……. he is from PAS. MAIS/JAIS intervened for Win Win situation by downgrading the Chairman as the Vice and appointed a Chairman from the Mosque Committee. The other Committee members remained status quo. Still they were dissatisfied and implicate the Selangor Mosque & Surau Supervisor from JAIS, a political appointee from PAS to verbally disband the New Mosque Committee superseding even JAIS Director directive. When requested for written directive on the disbanded there was no response. Discreetly, the Mosque Nazir, Secretary and the Treasurer went to Bank Islam, changed the signatories and withdrew RM 300 from the New Mosque account without any written resolution. They simply make use of the appointment letter from MAIS on their appointment as Mosque Committee. The Mosque Committee and the New Mosque B&D Committee were two (2) separate Committees.  It ended with a Police report and JAIS directed all the New Mosque account to be transferred under MAIS custody and the RM 300 to be returned immediately. This clearly indicated that JAIS also disagreed with their unethical scheme. As for the police report, it was not prolonged for the good name sake of Islam and the Malay community. The Police report was KIV.

New Mosque.

For the past three years mid 2009 – mid 2012 the residents have been hearing Penceramah Ugama without JAIS credentials delivering lectures in the Mosque. Their action contravened to the Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor Royal Decree. They just don’t care. Once a Jemaah pointed about the non credential, the Nazir arrogantly requested those who did want to listen to get out from the Mosque. Rebutting the Nazir, one Jemaah shouted back that the Mosque does not belong to his Father!! 

During the 2009 – 2012 tenure, the Mosque had three (3) Treasurers. One declined soon after MAIS approval, one resigned in service and one took the job blindly without proper handover, got himself entangled in the mess.

There was also no transparency when the Mosque Committee opened the New Mosque Donation Saves. Only one Committee Member unlocked it, put the collection in a plastic bag and took home for accounting. There were no witnesses and accountability to the process.

The Orphanage Fund was all lump sum in the Mosque account which should be separated. At anytime the Mosque account showed a deficit, the orphans fund was definitely inclusive. In Islam, it is the greatest sin to misuse an orphan’s fund.  

During the New Mosque debacle, another issue came up. The Kampong Badan Khairat Kematian was deregistered by ROS. The Secretary of the Badan was also the Secretary of the Mosque (PAS). The Treasurer of the Badan was also the Nazir of the Mosque (PAS). It was deregistered as there was no AGM and reporting of Yearly Accounts Statement for the past seven (7) consecutive years. An appeal was made, approved and taken over by a Pro tem Committee. During the AGM to revive the Badan, the Secretary and the Treasurer failed to make themselves presence and members collectively agreed to take it status quo in order not to prolong the issue and the Badan could proceed with the normal aid activities benefiting the Members. The Members were just plain fed up. The accounts were in shamble and some items were not accounted for. A New Committee of the Badan was elected by the members, so far so good, except with one minor issue where the Treasurer had to resign in reference to the Badan Rule & Law. Whatever the final outcome, the Badan members with its New Committee had saved the Secretary and Treasurer of any wrongdoings. They went Scotts free. They could even brag and questioned, “What the kampong people can do?” 

2012 – 2015 Mosque Committee Election, the residents did not stay away this time around. They were fed up with the three (3) years PAS had manipulating the Old Mosque, New Mosque and Kampong Badan Khairat Kematian. The Nazir and the Treasurer was not nominated. The Secretary declined when proposed by his PAS clansman. Eventually when the various names nominated was brought up by the Ketua Kampong for final selection or endorsement at MAIS/JAIS/ OBD Selection Committee, the residents was in for a big surprise but the outcome was however expected, anyway. The candidate that obtained 66 votes against 99 got the Nazir’s post because he is Klang PAS Commissioner. Imam 2 was downloaded by the Ketua Kampong as his name was never nominated by the registered residents. Imam 1 who was the resident choice but above 65 years of age was dropped, eventually offered as Imam 3. One Committee Member elected was also dropped and replaced by the Ketua Kampong choice. Siak 2 was also picked by the Ketua Kampong. Both Siak 1 and Siak 2 as proposed by the resident was downgraded or not considered at all. All positions that were filled up by the Ketua Kampong are PAS incline. This was all the game that the Ketua Kampong played. The Ketua Kampong however dare not alter on the Timbalan Nazir, Secretary, Treasurer, other Committee members and Internal Auditors.

It was timely that the New Mosque had been declared completion and handed to the Kampong. Allah is Great……Committee Members of 2009 – 2012 session did not get the chance to manage the New Mosque. 

 

Now come to the most interesting part. The handover from 2009 – 2012 Mosque Committees to 2012 – 2015 Committee – the mosque accounts was in shamble. To start with, the 2009 – 2010 statement of accounts was not accepted and passed during 2010 Mosque AGM. There is no continuity. It was not much known in writing about the Mosque activities from 2009 – 2012. The Hearse (kereta jenazah) statement of account was prepared at hoc.

The 2009 – 2012 Committee who took over the supervision of building the New Mosque failed to perform their absolute responsibilities. The completed New Mosque was lacking all the infrastructures. Wonder what they supervised and planned for the New Mosque? There is not even a chair or a praying mat bought in preparation of moving in. The Multi Purpose hall, the VIP Room, Imam & Bilal Room and Main Praying Hall was empty. It was lucky that the Main Prayer Hall was carpeted; lightings and PA system came with the construction. There was totally no strategic planning for the New Mosque.

30 June 2011 – Since ample notice was given to the 2009 – 2012 Mosque Committees for a proper handover especially the accounts statement, the 2012 – 2015 Mosque Committee had no other choice but to resort to a Police Report for further action by State religious authorized Parties.

“On the management of the House of Allah, politics should be discarded. For every deed, it is answerable or bless by Allah at the Day of Judgment”. Allah, the Supreme Judge knows the nawaitu.

Euro Cup Final.

This one game the Euro Cup Final between Spain and Italy, I stayed awake to watch besides the England / France game during the preliminary round.

It started at 0245 hrs and black coffee accompanied me all the way through. I had no favorite, just to watch good European football. 

I initially thought the game would be interesting and exciting but it turned out to be one way ticket for Spain.

As early as 14^th minute of the game, Spain was one (1) up and before half time it was two (2).

I stayed on, hoping during second half period, Italy would changed tactic and gave Spain a fight. It was not so as Spain added another two (2) and chapter closed for the Italian Mafias. The Bull fighters took home the Euro cup with a 4 – 0 margin and defended their title which they won four (4) years ago.

Congratulations Espana.