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The Kelate state government wishes to upgrade Kota Bharu to City (bandaraya) status, from the current Municipal (perbandaran) status.

There are generally three types of local governments in Malaysia, District Council, Municipal Councils and City Councils (sometimes City Halls), one can upgrade if the criteria are met. Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru are Cities while Kuala Pilah and Sarikei are Districts, no doubt.

But something is not right here. Shah Alam, Malacca and Alor Setar have been upgraded to Cities, while Petaling Jaya and Pulau Pinang remained as Municipals, same level as Nilai, Port Dickson and Kangar. Alright. That has something to do with population, area and also annual income. But isn't there any politicking involved at all ?

Back to our topic. Pas wanted to make Kota Bharu an Islamic City, and a few steps have been taken to make Kota Bharu an Islamic City, including but not limited to :

1. To build happy toilets and maintain cleaness on streets and markets.


2. To erect 2 spotlights in town centre, pointing to the direction of Kiblat.


3. Dress code for supermarket employees, some said for Muslims while others said covers non-Muslims as well.


4. Segregation of genders in supermarket check-out counters and cinemas, but not in food courts, parks, streets, malls, governmental departments and buses.

Only if these alone defines what is Islamic.

Toon had proclaimed that Malaysia is an Islamic state, why not, since we are already an OIC member. Encik Agar-agar gave it a spin and made us not only "Islamic" but "Hadhari".

Just a few simple questions, hope someone with higher wisdom be it from PWTC or Taman Melewar can shed some light on me. A few situations here, are they "Islamic" and "Hadhari" ?

1. Gerrymandering and manipulation of general elections.


2. Bailing-out of Government-Linked-Cronies (GLCs), money politics and sales of datukships.


3. Curbing press freedom, blackout-ing news and removals of editors (eg : Dollah Kok Lanas and Zulkifli Sulong) at will.


4. Not allowing local elections and violently arresting those who request for it.


5. Destroying mother nature, and Special Branch's detention and interrogation of journalists who reported it.


6. Arresting, ill-treating and humilating patrons of entertainment outlets.


7. Deferring railway modernisation while building toll plazas everywhere.

On a related note, Kelate state Umno and BN chairmen blah that the Kelate state govt has done nothing since Pas came into power 15 years ago. He also blah that Kelate itself is not a poor state, with petroleum, natural gas, gold, iron ore and huge forest resources...

Here's my 2 additional scenarios for him, if these are "Islamic" and "Hadhari" ?

1. Pocketing Program Pembangunan Rakyat Termiskin (PPRT) funds as one's own.


2. Transporting crude oil natural gas found in Kelate portion of the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area through pipelines to Perlis via Patani, and pay the royalty to Perlis.
   

Are Malaysians' understanding of Islam only confined to khalwat, poligamy, aurat, mat skodeng, no alchohol and no empat nombor ekor ?

 

Shin merepek ... 3/15/2005 05:08:00 PM ... ... ... Vote