The so-called father of modern economics is Adam Smith. If the Communists had won the Cold War, it would now be Karl Marx.

Anyway, the now famous (and notorious) ‘invisible hand’ was ‘invented’ by Adam Smith. All that natural human instincts and pursuit of self-interest sounded real good and worked quite well, too. It was accepted as gospel. Carved in stone, even.

But, Adam Smith said, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” Now, where is it said that we should pursue self-interest without regard for the legitimate self-interest of other people, especially our neighbours?

I like to deal with this topic together with the issue of development, which is natural because development is almost entirely defined in economic terms these days.
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Here’s Sdr BH’s [author's name removed] reply to my email response to him:

[Email removed upon the request of the author. My reply remains below.]

Well, instead of just sending emails back and forth, I think it’s better for us to discuss openly about this concept of qualified freedom of speech.

I may not agree with Dato’ Ahmad Ismail calling non-Malays “kaum pendatang”, but I respect his right to say it. Similarly, he ought to respect my right to call him a bigot and a racist.

No matter how difficult it is to accept what others have to say, we must always respect their right to say it. We don’t have to respect the person, the organisation or even their point of view, we just have to respect their right to express it. As Voltaire, a French philosopher, once said, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

Similarly, Sdr BH [author's name removed], I do not agree with what you’re saying but I’m more than happy to publish what you’ve got to say on my blog.

On another point, I think we should really question the restrictions on who “qualifies” to study, analyse and discuss principles of religions, or philosophies for that matter. Are religious principles sacrosanct and “lay people” should be prohibited from espousing their views about them? If that is so, then philosophical principles ought not be discussed by any “lay people” except so-called qualified philosophers, too.

I’m sorry but this reminds me too much of the Roman Catholic Church that had a monopoly on God in the middle ages. In those days, lay people were not able to read the scriptures and think for themselves what those scriptures meant. Indeed, they had to literally buy penance from priests. Thankfully, there were reformists like Martin Luther that reformed Christianity.

Similarly, there was a progressive Islamic thinker by the name of Mahmoud Mohamed Taha that took a different approach towards Islam. Unfortunately, he was executed by the Sudanese government for heresy. For a living example of a progressive Islamic thinker, google Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im (or just click on his name to read the entry on Wikipedia).

By the way, justice is for all, and I don’t think there’s a need to specify any race or religion.

It is refreshing to hear some leaders from Barisan Nasional making sense in their statements for a change. Indeed, what they have said actually reflects general opinion that there should be fresh State elections in Perak.

Then again, perhaps these BN leaders are simply weary of the never-ending political imbroglio that seems to be quickly degenerating into a farce. Perhaps they are beginning to realise that something needs to be done desperately before the farce turns Malaysia into a joke in the international community.

I note that the sentiments reported in that article are only the personal views of the Deputy President of MCA and the Secretary-General of Gerakan. What are the parties’ official positions on the Perak issue?

One really wonders whether the leaders of BN component parties have the moral fibre to make their official views public even if they contradict those of the Prime Minister or Umno.

Indeed, I recall that the MCA President was once notoriously outspoken before he became President and a full minister in the cabinet. Perhaps he has too much at stake to publicly voice an opinion contrary to his political ‘big brother’. Similarly, what about the President of Gerakan? Is he prepared to make a public stand on the matter?

The question begging to be asked here is whether the component parties of Barisan Nasional are actually equal partners in government or are they simply junior partners that have to kowtow to the senior partner, Umno.

For the sake of Perak and Malaysia as a whole, I certainly hope that the leaders of all BN component parties will make a stand for the rakyat, speak up and do the right thing; i.e. table and support a motion at the next BN meeting for fresh State elections in Perak to resolve the constitutional stalemate once and for all.

I found this in the middle of a U2 song during a concert. I don’t know if the lyrics are from an opera but it’s beautiful:

Dici che il fiume
Trova la via al mare
E come il fiume
Giungerai a me
Oltre i confini
E le terre assetate
Dici che come il fiume
Come il fiume…
L’amore giungerà
L’amore…
E non so più pregare
E nell’amore non so più sperare
E quell’amore non so più aspettare

[Translation of the above]

You say that the river
finds the way to the sea
and like the river
you will come to me
beyond the borders
and the dry lands
You say that like a river
like a river…
the love will come
the love…
And I don’t know how to pray anymore
and in love I don’t know how to hope anymore
and for that love I don’t know how to wait anymore

[End of translation]

Isn’t that beautiful? It’s like listening in colours and seeing in vibrations…

Know what’s worse than exploitation of workers? Buying and selling human beings like they were cattle.

Last year I wrote a post that referred to a Newsweek article that highlighted the dismal treatment of foreign workers in Malaysia. Alas, I don’t think the situation has improved very much in the past year.

Indeed, in the last month, there was a lot of discussion about Malaysia being a transit for human trafficking. Incidentally, there was an article in the News Straits Times on the subject today. That’s quite sad, don’t you think?

Well, according to an article in the Star online today, our bright and still-shining new Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, said a special committee may be set up to curb human trafficking, but the reports that Malaysia is used as a transitory point need to be confirmed first. Fair enough.

But he went on and said, “if this claim comes from certain countries, we will get in touch with them for an official confirmation because this involves the good name of our country.” I’m sorry, YB, that didn’t sound quite right. Yes, I agree that the “good name” of our country is important, but don’t you think that human lives are more important than that?

Whatever it is, I sure hope that this is not just lip service that will be swept under the carpet once the issue blows over. Ignore it and it will go away, right? Fortunately, or unfortunately, the truth is rather prevalent.

Before you get the wrong idea, this post is not about the “political tsunami” that hit Malaysia on 8 March 2008. It is an extract from the book Glimpse After Glimpse – Daily Reflections on Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, which happens to fall on March 8.

I find some of the “glimpses” particularly insightful and simply would like to share them here. Here’s the first:

In his very first teaching, Buddha explained that the root cause of suffering is ignorance. But where exactly is this ignorance? And how does it display itself? Let’s take an everyday example. Think about those people—we all know some—who are gifted with a remarkably powerful and sophisticated intelligence. Isn’t it puzzling how, instead of helping them, as you might expect, it seems only to make them suffer more? It is almost as if their brilliance is directly responsible for their pain.

What is happening is quite clear: This intelligence of ours is captured and held hostage by ignorance, which then makes use of it freely for its own ends. This is how we can be extraordinarily intelligent and yet absolutely wrong, at one and the same time.

If not for the fact that the writer that I am about to quote is an Arabic Muslim of some international repute, I would probably be charged with sedition for insulting Islam. I have previously quoted Abd al-Rahman Azzam in one of my earlier postings.

The book that I am reading was found in a bargain bin and the title is “The Eternal Message of Muhammad”. I was reluctant to buy it because it was still not cheap despite the hefty discount. However, the benefit of hindsight tells me that my instinct was right.

Anyway, I am sharing the following passage with my fellow Malaysians because:

1. most Malaysian non-Muslims far too often have a misguided impression of what Islam is; and
2. the political stand of many Malaysian Muslims, especially in regard to racial equality, is contradictory to the faith they profess.
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Change. That’s what it’s all about this year, isn’t it? Well, at least that’s what has been grabbing our attention both in Malaysia and abroad. Regardless of whether it’s A New Dawn For Malaysia or Change We Can Believe In, change seems to be the theme of the day.

And, somehow, most people seem to be quite happy with the changes or looking forward to the impending changes. I guess people are just fed up with the status quo. Although I am encouraged by the enthusiasm for change, I note an anomaly here.

As far as I know, people just love their comfort zones. And people resist change all the time. Isn’t it true? Try changing the culture in an organisation and you will see how apparent this is.

So, how do we explain this anomaly?
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Gandhi once said that, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” No doubt, my animal-loving friends will agree with him. Indeed, I have shared this quote with friends from SPCA and they enthusiastically agreed.

Apart from humane treatment of animals, I believe one of the points made by that very wise man was that we can judge ourselves by how we treat others that are less fortunate than ourselves, especially those who cannot fend for themselves.

On that note, I am sad to share this May Day message with my fellow Malaysians. I just read the April 21-28, 2008 copy of Newsweek magazine, which had an article entitled “Lured Into Bondage”. When I first saw the heading “The New Wage Slaves” on the cover of the magazine, I thought it was referring to some other lesser developed country. Alas, to my dismay, the article is actually on Malaysia. Please do check out the link above.
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by William Blake

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

A robin redbreast in a cage
Puts all heaven in a rage.

A dove-house fill’d with doves and pigeons
Shudders hell thro’ all its regions.
A dog starv’d at his master’s gate
Predicts the ruin of the state.

A horse misused upon the road
Calls to heaven for human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted hare
A fibre from the brain does tear.

A skylark wounded in the wing,
A cherubim does cease to sing.
The game-cock clipt and arm’d for fight
Does the rising sun affright.

Every wolf’s and lion’s howl
Raises from hell a human soul.
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