Perhilitan must walk the talk!! (Urutan Cakar Harimau)

Saya menulis dengan penuh rasa tanggungjawab untuk melihat generasi akan datang mampu untuk menykasikan hidupan liar bebas di hutan hujan, dan bukanya hanya dpat di lihat di zoo atau taman2 haiwan sahaja.

Membaca laporan berita bertarikh 7 feb 2009, “pencari Petai terselamat dalm serangan Harimau” amat mengisafkan saya, betapa jerit payah seseorang mencari rezeki demi sesuap nasi. hati saya berdetik, jika pertembungan antara manusia dan haiwan buas di hutan, dalam kebnyakan kes, harimau contohnya akan lari bila berhadpan dengan manusia. Dan Yok Meneh yang kononya sedang mencari petai di Hutan Simpan Bukit Tapah ialah seorang orang asli..he should know better!! Dia tahu selok belok di hutan, dan dia tahu bahawasanya harimau tidak akan menyerang manusia kecuali harimau itu terlalu tua atau pun tercedera. Menurut kerpercayaan orang asli, (ini telah diberitahu oleh serang orng asli), harimau tidak akan memakan manusia kerana harimau percaya yang dia akan mati jika memakan daging manusia.

“orang Asli Fights off tiger with rock”, begitulah tajuk muka depan the star, tarikh yang sama. Selang sehari 2 kemudian, kebenaran terbukti apabila PERHILITAN menjumpai bangkai seekor harimau belang dengan kesan tembakan dan bekas sumpitan orang asli, manakala sebelah kaki depan nya yang telah terputus masih lagi berada di dalm jerat. Serta merta perasan saya bercampur baur, sedih melihat seekor harimau yang begitu cantik, dibunuh sedemikian kejam. Adalah satu tindakan yng memalukan bagi Yok meneh, kononya ingin menjadi hero dengan melawan harimau, rupa rupanya, dia yang sengaja mencari nahas, di kelar bahagian belakang ketika cuba membunuh haiwan tersebut. Rasakan Cakaran Harimau yang sebenar, selama ini mungkin dia hanya menikmati urut cakaran harimau dari isterinya yang juga tak tahu malu berposing sambil bercerita kehebatan suaminya melawan harimau ketika ditemu ramah wartawan. Sekarang, malu pun dapat, sakit apatah lagi, ikut ikut kan hati, kalau saya yang menjadi Dr, mahu saja di biarkan Yok Meneh menderita biar dia rasa deritanya harimau tersebut mati. Sendiri cari nahas, sendiri tanggug.

Cuba kita fikirkan, jika dia berjaya membunuh harimau tersebut, kemunkinan besar dia tidak akan tertenagkap, dan dia akan terus menjadi penjenayah alam sekitar dengan megambil upah meburu dan menjerat haiwan haiwan liar terus menerus..selagi belum ditangkap penguasa . god knows dah berapa bnyak haiwan liar telah tumbang dijerat, di bunuh oleh beliau. Ini bari satu kes. Kes2 yang kita tak ketahui, yang tidak dilaporkan? Yang ditutup sebelah mata?

Sekarang, terpulang lah pada Perhilitan jika benar2 kerajaan memendang serius perkara tersebut, sila lah mengambil tindakan dengan mendakwa yok meneh berserta dengan orang orang yang mengupah beliau. Jika tidak kerana byaran yang lumayan, yok meneh tidak akan sanggup merisiko kn nyawanya memburu harimau. Jika tidak, benarlah seperti apa yng dilaporkan oleh National Geogrpahy Society dalm interviewnya bersama bekas penyeludup besar haiwan liar, Anthony Wong, yang juga digelar The lizard king.( read this famous book, the Lizard King n you will get the pictures how it was done )Beliau telah dintangkap oleh pasukan anti penyeludup ahiwan liar dari U.S, setelah dijerat oleh mereka berbulan bulan lamanya.

Menurut beliau, kegiatan penyeludupan ini telah di sokong oleh orang orang atasan di Perhilitan, yang mana seperti biasa dakwaan tersebut dinafikan oleh Perhilitan. Mengikut logik akal fikiran, mana mungkin seseorang boleh terlepas di lapangan terbang dengan menyeludup bukan seekor dua, tetapi berjenis jenis reptilia terancam dengan menaiki pesawat, jika tidak dilindungi oleh seseorang yng betul betul berkuasa?

fikir2 la..

An evening in Danok (Thailand)...

I have never felt so angry, so ashamed of my own country, my own people, my own Malaysian to be précised. Male, all of races from Malaysia. recent survey shows that most male come from Malaysia visits Thailand for sex services. (Noted that I used the word male, not men because, particularly, they are not men, they put themselves at par with other animals of their kind).

And they come for a reason, or two..Sex, pleasure, and sex. Sex and pleasure always come in one package. Women from Malaysia, come to Hadnyai for beautification. Hatnyai is very famous for its cheap surgery, yet effective. One example, Liposuction in Malaysia can cost about RM2, 500 to Rm5, 000 per session, while in hatnyai Rm1,000 per session. Tummy tucked is about RM2,500, and imagine what in Malaysia could be.

To see Malaysian faces in Thailand is blessing, as u can ease your tense and fatigue by speaking your own language. Not so many Thai can speak English, except for some well-educated pharmacist, and surgeons. Malay speakers are rare. but to see male Malaysian faces with Thai female escorts is a totally gross and sad experience mixed together, and I don’t know whether to curse at them being a male chauvinist or simply walk to them saying “shame on you, and your p**is, and may you be blessed with herpes and other sexual transmitted disease. Wish I could have the gut to say so.

Why I’m so sure that they are Malaysian? And they only come to Thailand for sex and pleasure? Firstly, some of them speak Malay, and if they are from other races, at the immigration check up, they hold Malaysian passport. Those who came all the way from as far as Johor by car, their cars bear the Malaysian registration numbers. My encounter at the parking space in front of so called SPA proved this claim. Or if anyone doesn’t believe me, you can take a look.
And they are not coming for family holiday. Well, every Malaysian knows what Hatnyai, Danok are famous for, if not a heaven to satisfy men’s sexual need, as if they can’t be satisfied with one, single loyal spouse, or at least, by masturbation.

They don’t come with their father, or mother, or son, or daughter or wife.But they come in one pack of people of their kind. Upon arrival, they book a female social escort or, in impolite language, prostitute, for at least three days. Whenever they ran out of money, they seek help from any Thai motorcyclists to bring them to Bukit Kayu Hitam Duty Free, where an ATM Maybank Machine is located. The charge varies from 8 to 10 ringgit. During the stay, they generously lavish that women with luxury, shopping and extra money in exchange for sex services offered.

My short interviews with them reveal some facts. They come from middle class social background, ranging from farmers, lower grade business men to government servants, and even police officers which I knew by their famous engraved belt with PDRM logo, despite of wearing plain cloth collared t-shirt. (They later admit working at narcotic department from bukit Aman, and are on duty. Well, I wonder if the duty covers washing hair at a red light district beauty parlour) luckily, I managed to snap photos with them, in front of a beauty parlour. At red light district area, in Hatnyai. (notice the Mercs benz they parked in front of the shop)

I guess many of Malaysian knows this fact, but like me, they have no idea how it happen, till they have a chance to see it. This is my 2nd visits, and yet I guess it’s already a gruesome experience for me. Who’s to blame? Is it the male for being Chauvinists and could not be able to control their lust?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to answer this ever lamented question, and I guess, everyone has the answers... “tepuk dada tanya iman, tepuk dahi tanya akal...”

after all people, all of us are going to face the judgment day and obliged to answer to our Creator...all by ourselves, no lawyers or sort of..only we n our deeds, amal ibadah yang mukhlis..

What bothers me..(Part II)

What bothers me.. (part II)

Remember, marriage is not only about making children, but to nurture them with good morals and attitudes. This should be emphasized during kursus kahwin, but normally the ustaz tend to neglect this topic, and prefer interesting topic of sex, intercourse and sex. Many parents lament only when children had reached adolescent stage as they find it difficult to mould them at this stage. We must remember it is extremely difficult to teach the child and refine his character once puberty is passed. As a malay proverb goes, “ melentur buluh biarlah dari rebung”, which literally translate, to bend a bamboo must began with bending the bamboo shoot.

However difficult things maybe, we all have a part to play in supporting our young. We need to promote the role of family. And children must be told their boundaries at early age, be it their parents and teachers. Most of the youth of today are not doing anything productive in their lives and will cost the taxpayers a fortune in the future. It is imperative that once children drop out school, which became rampant these days (curious enough, maybe the government should have strong polices in place with regard to education and training), that they are given ample opportunity in training so that they can make a healthy contribution towards the labour force.

But at the first place, government must curb this problem. It saddens me to see student at early age not interested to go to school. And most of them are my own race. I love my own race, and that’s why I care. Sometime I hate politician for letting so much entertainment aired on our television. As if it’s not bad enough, they have 24 hours programme on Astro, and again, the parents do nothing to discern what channels their children watch. So much reality programs on TV which promotes hedonism, that the youth might think entertainment are far more important than study. Moreover, they almost forget the truth of Muslim belief, the life after death, the hereafter. This is applicable to the Agenda Setting theory of communication, where the audience might think what shown on the Medias important thing to care off. And that is entertainment they like to watch the most.

Our children are growing up in a world where there is little censure to show them the difference between right and wrong. The crimes that we read on a daily basis are the symptoms of the malady. If we do not come up with a long term answers and if we do not act now, begin with nurturing the early stage of a child’s life, our youth will be damned to a dismal future. And who’s to blame at when this happen? They will surely finger pointed at us.

And if such and such happen, almost nothing ca be done to cure and curb social ills among youth for it is no use to cry over splitting milk. A marriage is a sacred institution. Don’t taint it with our own unforgiving mistake.

With care,

Aisya Zaharin

What bothers me..(part I)

Marriage in Islam is not just about to legalize what is haram (illegal), zina, or to have intercourse out of wedlock. It is more than that. It covers every aspect of a Muslim life, from the very beginning of the marriage like how to choose a spouse till how to raise children according to Quranic verses and assunnah. But true to be said, as I quote s a statement by former Perlis

Mufti, Dr Asri in one of his articles in Mingguan Malaysia, “the only Islamic thing most of Malay practise in a marriage is during ceremonial of marriage (akad nikah), and latter, when happen, on how to dissolve a marriage which goes under the jurisdiction of Syariah court.

The problem in Malay society, especially some of Malay girls, they thought when they come to age of 27; they think they are too old to get married. And after 30’s, no man wants to marry them. This nonsensical thought made them to rush into a marriage without much consideration of the consequences. They pick any guy who they think suitable to b married, they hardly even know the history of these guys ( well, guys are known to hide their true colour for some time, for the sake of winning one’s heart). Lucky if they married to a good person. Otherwise, a hell on earth has just begun. It seems like gambling one’s life to me. For heaven’s sake marriage is not on the cloud 9 all of time. And why get married if you are to suffer at the end of it? That is why we need a strong back up plan if anything happen after a sacred matrimonial ceremony.

And come to children. True, a child is a gift from Allah s.w.t, but Islam allows Muslims to plan a birth. Today hectic world is different from our moyang world, where u can simply have many children so that the children can help them in paddy field for example. Today, you have got to really plan your family so that you can give a better future for the children, which begin with better education. And a good education doesn’t come in a cheap price.

My mother is a teacher at a local daily secondary school, once or twice I passed the school to send her, and it is a sad scene to see the school goers behaving uncontrollably wild. They smoked cigarettes, flirted around; none of them were seeing reading books, or, at least, newspaper. Nowadays, parents are too busy with their careers and in their pursuit of wealth. Of course, it’s justifiable, as the mother and father need to work to make ends meet in this economic situation.

But what happen when parents don’t spend quality time with their children? They are not able to watch over and protect their children. They also cannot bring them worth good morals, including the virtue of humankind. In this way, the children will not be inculcated with good values and traits. Rather, they will grow into undisciplined and wayward children. This could be worse when a family have so many children to look after. Parents, despite of the responsibility to the children, they have other big responsibility, which to look after their own parents. Their parents might be sick, and maybe stay together with them forming a nucleus family. With so many children, this sacred job must be done fairly.

Worse come to worse, if both parents’ monthly income doesn’t meet the need of their children. What are the consequences of such situation? Children are neglected; they children are always left to fend for themselves and to solve their numerous problems alone. There was a report recently, how a teenager in Sabak Bernam high on drugs and caught in a hotel with cellophane contains videos of herself in a sex act.

This is the latest trend of crimes involving young people in our society. These crimes are being reported with such alarming regularity that is worrying. Why is the youth in our society so afflicted by drugs and sex? Where and how has it all gone wrong with these young people? They seem to act without a moral compass.

And what happened to the adults in their lives – Their parents, grandparents, teachers and the elders in the community? Perhaps, some of these elder people, they don’t show good moral values to the youth, caused the youth confused and blame the adult should they commit an error. As simple as this, a child, when scolded for loitering after school, might blame his or her father for sitting at kedai kopi, doing nothing but chatting nonstop hour by hour with friends.

Bad parenting and living in a difficult environment, the effects of which will be exacerbated during this recession, will further contribute towards failure to our society. Both adults and children scar mentally and emotionally. Parents should not deprive themselves of the sacred duty to raise good children, it is a God-given responsibility which they cannot at any cost neglect or overlook, especially during the formative years of a child.

To any Malay girl that feel offended by this article, please don’t be. It is the time for you to change, and select your spouse by your head, instead of your heart and lust.

Towards a caring society

Aisya Zaharin

it will never be too late......

Malaysian, please stand up! (and act!)

Last Sunday I have an opportunity to watch a film entitled “at the Eleventh hour”, by invitation from UMW Toyota and various oil & Gas Companies. It was screened at TGV One Utama and I went there with my special friend .Ok, he’s the one who got the invitation (he works with an oil and gas company) and he brought me along, to be true. He knows my passion towards environment as I always scold him for smoking cigs, an activity that produced the Co2, along with other greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide.

To my surprise, at the end of the film, it came to my knowledge that the producer of the film is Leonardo Dicaprio, the narrator of the documentary itself. Then I started to wonder, what are the contributions made by local artists to save the environment, if any? Names like Zainal Abidin and Maya Karin came across my mind, and so far Zainal is the only artist I know who fight enormously for environment through his songs and activities. And he is not well known to all Malaysian despite of years have been in the lime light of local music industry. But try to ask “tadika” students, who Mawi is, and they will generously answer with numerous information about this idol. Nonsense! As far as I know, the only contribution made by Mawi to Malaysian, (especially to Malay), is that he has victoriously proved to us that even a “Pangkat tiga” SPM holder can have their own convocation day, completed with graduation robe, plus the huge media coverage and the next day, will be on the front page of every leading newspapers! Awesome!!

Now my question is, do we really want our future generation to have second class minded, thinking that being an artist or an entertainer is their utmost priority? I am sick of any parent who wants their children to be famous by being artists. It was only three weeks ago that we celebrated World Environment Day with the rest of the world and it seems like all the efforts in creating awareness and urgency towards protecting environment had barely made an impact on public apathy. We still see destruction everywhere, some people still throwing rubbish out of their windows while driving, and perhaps do not know where to begin to save the environment. Recently I encountered with a shocking experience, a lady who I hardly know, has thrown a plastic bag full of rubbish to a big drain next to her house. Later, when I questioned about her disrespectful act, she merely said she just hates the environment! I told her to wait until the drain is clogged with rubbish and the filthy water invades her entire house. Then only she knows how she has been very stupid for all these while.
So there it goes the never ending stories about Malaysians’ attitude problem. Everyone knows about it, but we just sweep it under the carpet because most of us have the “don’t care” attitude.

Another disgusted experience I have had recently, during a visit to a friend house, a friend to a friend of mine teased me with question what the PR of Selangor can do, since the fuel price is still continuously hiking up, and never go down. I smile at him, knowing that he has not got the fact right. I told him that our country is a democracy country that even though the state of Selangor mostly won by PR, basically they are quite helpless in the sense of making decision at federal level, as the cabinet ministers are from the ruling government. This fact, that I explained really surprised him, for he thought that since PR won many seats, we already have a joint government, or a cabinet with opposition and backbencher sitting together to make decision for the benefits of Malaysian.

My little heart screamed in agony, and secretly I prayed for most of Malaysian to be more conscious-minded. He then, made a lame excuse to cover up his chauvinism by saying I hate politician regardless of their background. As he said that, I felt pity to him and anyone who shares the same thought, for actually they hate politics just because they do not really know and aware of real situations happen around them. By this fact, I think half of the Malaysian population can’t tell the difference between a parliament and a cabinet, and how our democracy system is different with democracy in United States. (As for me, I’m thankful to Mr. Munisparan for teaching me political science during my days in law matriculation, and to Professor Shad Farouki, in his constitutional law class)
It’s true that some say we have the first world facilities but Third world mentality. I have a different opinion. Some poorer countries have better awareness of environment and political issues than us.

And who can blame most of Malaysian for being ignorant of their environment and current important issues? (What I mean by important issues are issues that happen around the world, and could have effectted to human population, like natural disaster, war against terrorism, new type of diseases, global warming, political issues and many more, but certainly not issues like Faizal Tahir stripped bare during a show for sure) The media? Part of it, I guess. Study of media relation and society comes out with a theory called Agenda setting. Whereby, under this theory, the audience would decide for themselves what they consider what information was important to them. And this information is provided by the media. As in our Malaysian case, the media varied from government – owned RTM, and private stations like ASTRO and TV3.

The premise of the approach of this theory was summarized by Cohen (1963): “that the media are not successful in telling us what to think, but it is stunningly in telling us what to think about”. This means that the media brings information, the audience would select the information and they would talk among themselves about that information (Dearing & Rogers, 1996)

The Agenda Setting perspective continued to contribute significantly to the growth of political communication as many scholars initially used this perspective in their analysis of politics and media. Agenda Setting has continued to be used in the present understanding of political and media, with scholars adding the notion of the second level of analysis. To the empirical approach, an interpretative approach by using framing has been added to Agenda Setting.

And guess what type of information the media has feed us all these while? We have been portrayed by the media that artist idolism is cool, and whatever deeds the opposition done is concealed neatly to ensure the vitality of current government. This act is praqctically against the democracy principal.

And where are the stories about environmental issues? Don’t we realize the mother of earth has spoken angrily? We may think all the natural disaster, floods, the draughts, tsunamis and typhoons is just acts of nature. We are completely wrong. It happens for reasons, as a result from our own activities. even The Quran has one verse mentioned about natural disasters, should have happened only by the greedy hands of human being. look alone in the case of Highland Tower. the landslide would never be happend if at first, the contractor agreed to the first architect firm which strongly adviced not to proceed with the building of condos. instead, they took another firm and continued the construction. Global warming, here and there, but yet, we still take advantages of what nature has catered us ever since. Just a simple case; trees give us oxygen, and even absorb our own unused CO2, (another cause of green house effect) still we cut down all the trees in the name of development.
Logging, illegal or not, happen every day at the speed of light in every corner of the world. And what is left for our future generation? We do not own the earth; but we borrow it from the next generation. The good news and the bad news is that our children will live in the future we choose. Surely we don’t want to be blamed by our generation one day.

So why do we wait? Every Malaysian should start conserving the nature by now. Safeguarding the environment for future generations can simply begin by reducing the waste each and every one of us generates today. It will never be too late to act now, even the smallest effort counts. Reduce, reuse and recycle everything we use daily. Reduce pollution by buying less, choosing only durable items over disposable ones, repairing rather than discarding and passing on items that are no longer needed to someone who can make use of them. It’s so simple and easy. If every Malaysian chooses to live their life this way, I am sure quite sure that 10years from now we are at par with other first class countries like Korea and Japan in efforts to save the environment.

To the Malaysian media, enough is enough. If we want our generation to have a first class minded, media should play a major role, by only providing real news rather than non-news and less important news, particularly nonsensical utterance made by artists and some stupid politician.

Aisya Zaharin

Toni Kassim : Another Modern Day of Joan of Arc

Tribute to toni kassim

Toni Kasim was one of the most inspiring human beings I would have had the privilege to meet. She was an internationally sought after trainer on issues of gender, sexuality and religious equality, having made a difference in the lives of everyone from abused housewives to transsexual sex workers to hardened ulamas. She was involved in so many things - film, TV, drama, human rights advocacy, women's rights, Islam, AIDS and so many other issues. Among the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Toni was involved in were Sisters in Islam (SIS), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), the Joint Action Committee (JAC) and Women's Candidacy Initiative (WCI), where she became the first independent woman candidate to run in the 1999 general election.

She was a living specimen of how an educated and honest person can reach other people regardless of their gender, race, political belief and religion. She was a true representative of public voice, she dedicated her entire life for the benefits of others, especially people who has been discriminated, she was a true human right activist, and I believe, if she would have came from western country there should be a memorial for her by now. She was the kind of person who never said 'No' to any challenge, especially if it was about helping others. Her commitment to eradicate discrimination is evident from the diversity of issues and communities that she has worked with. From poverty alleviation during her time with Community Aid Abroad, to land issues with United Nations Development Programme, to social issues affecting Muslim communities, to concerns related to the environment, equitable transportation, sustainable development and disaster management at various capacities and contexts, to working on health issues with vulnerable groups like sex workers and transgender communities, Toni Kasim has devoted a large part of her life making the connections between needs for institutional and social change with the lived realities of everyday people.

I first met this benevolent yet humble deity in one of my theatre attendance at the Annex, central market last year. I was one of the participants on the issue of gender, and Toni was one of the speakers. Her vigorous defender of the third gender surprised me, and she was the first activist who defensively protected the right of one mak nyah in mallaca when she had been beaten by the religious officer around april 2007, on the ground of obscene behavior in public. What the JAIM think they are to deprive the right of a human being, regardless of his or her gender? Aren’t they supposed to act based on Islamic faith? As far as I concern, Islam doesn’t allow their followers to behave like barbaric uncivilized people towards their own brother, and this has long disgusted Toni and other human right activist, or even us, as a civilized and conscious citizen.

I heard of her admittance to hospital through her mate in SIS (sister in Islam), Dura, also one of my best friend, and we were rushing to Central market buying a bouquet of roses, and arrived at Selayang Hospital around 5pm. To my surprise, we didn’t get caught in heavy traffic jammed despite of peak hour at that time. Allah’s with us, for sure. After searching high and low, and even wrongfully pronounced her name as I was confused by another Toni, (Toni Fernandez), (probably because I was so excited to meet my idol) we finally met her at the level 11^th and greeted by her loyal friend, Shannon shah, the director of amnesty international Malaysia.

She looked dull, so not like Toni everyone has known, a cheerful bubbly and friendly figure as when you meet her for the first time you will immediately feel comfortable, for a moment you will feel that you have known her forever. I remember one time I called her for just a silly question as I really wanted to know who was the winner of Malaysian project runway (her house mate was one of the project manager of the event). Of course she didn’t tell me, she really didn’t know who the winner was, but we chatted over other things like the fuel price and other conscious matters like bribery and dishonest act of politician nowadays. She told how a single piece of nuts and bolts worth not more than five ringgit each, bought by the government for almost rm500! This corruption didn’t surprise me, no wonder we have the price of fuel hike up to 80 cent per liter recently. Now, could anyone tell me, who else from the higher authority can treat an ordinary people better than her? Her loss cannot be replaced by anybody.

Toni had been hospitalized since early January this year, for typhoid and a debilitating duodenal ulcer. The ulcer had started to bleed again and that she also has problems with her liver, but was said to have been making good progress, or so I was told. But the day I visited her, the Dr had just diagnosed her with duodenal cancer, and it didn’t surprise me why she looked ill and dull, and she loss weight, a lot that she looked thin rather than her usual figure, a plump and jovial Toni. I made joke to her that at least there is some advantages being hospitalized, to lose weight. We chatted over the current issues, (at that time Malaysia had just stormed by “political tsunami”) and despite of knowing he just had cancer she still tried to be witty and entertained us. After kiss each other goodbye, and wish her to be strong, we left the hospital half an hour after, as we didn’t want to trouble her entertaining us. I always wanted to visit her again, but couldn’t get around with it, as I was so busy with my final exams and paper works, but I never failed to pry for her well being.

Allah loves her for the most; He privileged her and called her to meet Him earlier than us.

I consider myself as a laggard as I just recently become a friend to her, but still I am so thankful to Allah of such an encounter. She made a difference to us all - her sense of humor, love of people and passion for justice prevail even now to remind us of the endless tasks before us. She was tireless in her championing of open dialogue, political accountability and intelligent activism. In 1999, she became the first independent woman to run for elections, and though she didn't win, she reduced the majority in her Selayang constituency by 30,000 votes. She was going to run for elections this year when she had to be hospitalized. Should she win the seat, I belief she is now together with Nurul Izzah and Dr Wan Azizah in battling to correct the government wrong acts. At the heart of her fight for common justice lies a conviction in gender equality. She had consistently advocated for reform in laws, policies and government-led services that discriminated against women in different ways, and had held key positions in various women’s rights organisations and initiatives. As stated by Toni in one interview, “Women’s rights remain my key thrust because of something I learnt a long time ago. If women are empowered, the whole community eventually moves forward. It’s that simple because as the nucleus of a family and community, it makes no sense to sideline or ignore women.”

Her passion was always strong for human rights and equality. Her perspective on various issues related to human rights, women rights and of course gender equality and Islam was always progressive and clear. I am quite surprised at one event she briefly elaborates the Islamic philosophy and jurisprudence, as if she was one of the Ulama, only that she’s a female. That is another wonder, why we can’t call a religious woman as Ulama as well? Or, is there a provision in Islam that Ulama must be a man? Then who was Rabiaatul Adawiyah, a prominent female Ulama at her time, where Allah S.W.T has promised Heaven to her and even the male Ulamas at that time can’t challenge her? I left this question to every male chauvinist to wonder.

A wonderfully caring person, one who had an infectious smile and a great sense of humour, Toni was so vocal in voicing out her views and she was different in many ways. A tireless leader, Toni Kasim has had devoted much of her life advancing the rights of diverse communities in Malaysia, and no one’s reality is too marginal to be captured in her advocacy for collective justice. After months of battling cancer, she left us at the dawn of Wed 4 June, 5.30am, in her sleep. She was laid to rest at 1 pm at the Batu Tiga muslim cemetery . She was 41. She has done more in this life than most of us can dream of. I owe my worldview to her. Thank you Toni, and goodbye. May Allah bless you with more than good deeds you had ever done to us.

P/S : Al Fatihah to toni, who has put a big ripple on a human right issues in Malaysia.

Aisya zaharin.

L..I.F.E

Life is precious
While one is conscious

Life is fabulous
And joyous for the righteous

Life is monstrous
Inflicting sad moments while callous

Life makes us anxious
That feeling of life is always infectious

Life is beautiful
When adventurous and dareful

Life is a challenge with a purposeful goal
For others life is about revenge and control

Life is a lesson for all persons

Life is the reason for life
As we exist season by season

The complexity of life is awesome
An illusion of reality so gruesome

Copyright 2006 - Sylvia Chidi