MORE PICS & Video (30 s) – NAJIB stating Malaysia - an Islamic Nation spoken as a matter of fact; A Pragmatic truth to him influenced by his beliefs?

Sunday, UPDATE on: Najib Solid as a ROCK?

Sunday July 22, 2007

Najib stays on solid ground; STAR - INSIGHT; By JOCELINE TAN

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has been the target of a smear campaign over the Altantuya case but he may have cleared another turning point after the doctored photo episode backfired on its Parti Keadilan Rakyat creator. DATUK Seri Najib Tun Razak arrived for the Rompin Umno division meeting in a helicopter. The aircraft had to make an impromptu landing in a school field because the area where they were supposed to land was filled with tents erected for a jamuan rakyat that day. The meeting was at the modern Uniten campus and as the Deputy Prime Minister said in his speech that morning, Umno and Rompin have come a long way. Najib recalled visiting an Umno branch in Rompin more than 20 years ago. The village road was so bad he had to make his way on foot after the wheels of his car were stuck in the mud. He also recalled an elderly teacher from the area who had no qualms about ringing Tun Razak Hussein to speak his mind, quite unbothered that Razak was not just his MP but also the Prime Minister. More reminders of the early years came in the form of a framed drawing presented by Rompin Umno chief and long-time supporter Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis. It was an ink sketch of a teenage Najib with his parents and brothers, one of whom was still a chubby baby.

Najib has been on the go in the past weeks attending Umno division meetings all over the country and a number of themes have emerged from the speeches he made. First is the general election. The signs point to early polls and he has been urging the Umno grassroots to work towards ensuring a strong mandate for Barisan Nasional. Second is the Malay progress after 50 years of independence and the importance of keeping up with change, to be less reliant on the government, to be bold and to compete. Third, he has used the Umno forum to strike back at the opposition parties, particularly Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Najib has been the target of a PKR smear campaign from the day think-tanker Razak Baginda was arrested over the murder of the Mongolian woman. The PKR attacks reached a peak during the Ijok by-election where he was taunted with chants of “Altantuya! Mongolia!” at every turn. But the Barisan victory in Ijok became a turning point of sorts for Najib because it was the first time he directly rubbished allegations of a connection between him and the Mongolian case.

“Ijok was a real turning point. He went there knowing he would be the target. He had to roll up his sleeves and fight tooth and nail,” said a political insider. Najib has led five by-elections for Barisan since 2004 but Ijok was his toughest because he had to defend himself on a personal level. The latest and perhaps most controversial jab is the by-now infamous picture that originated in the weblog of PKR's unconventional information chief Tian Chua. The digitally composed photograph showed a grim-looking Najib flanked by a smiling Razak and a woman resembling the dead Altantuya Shaariibuu. It was such a poor effort that no one in his right mind would take it seriously. In fact, it has backfired on its creator.
Blogger Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz, better known by his nom de guerre Kickdefella, did a digital match and found that the image of Najib in the doctored photo was actually a picture of Najib taken when he spoke at the World Economic Forum. Chua has admitted it was a digital job, so why the fuss, some had asked. For a start, this is not something that a party that claims a higher moral ground than Umno would resort to. Neither is it an act that a party aspiring to be taken seriously by the electorate would wish to be associated with. Chua's action also got a lot of attention because, as the information chief, he is ranked sixth in the party hierarchy. It would have been fine if he had, from the start, qualified it as a joke or, as claimed, an attempt at satire. But it was only after the furore erupted that he began rationalising the reason for publishing the picture.

DAP politicians have been quietly disapproving of the whole affair. They were victims of similar underhandedness and are still seething over the doctored photograph portraying a few of them with communist leader Chin Peng posted on the Umno Youth website. PAS leaders, on the other hand, were shaking their head in disbelief. They are seasoned politicians and their first reaction was that such clumsy deception would backfire should an actual photograph actually turn up. Besides, PAS politicians know only too well the cruel power of a tampered photograph. They still believe the opposition alliance would have won the 1990 polls were it not for the photograph showing then ally Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah wearing a Kadazan headgear bearing what looked like a crucifix. Politics, unlike football, is not a beautiful game. Those close to Najib have asked him point blank if he has met Altantuya. Najib is very certain he has never met the woman or even knew of her, let alone had a picture taken with her. “We have asked him many times, and he is adamant about it. He is confident there is no picture because he has never met or seen the woman. Why is it so hard to believe that Razak is a smart and savvy think-tanker but that he is very private about his private life?” said a close associate of Najib’s.

Top Najib press aide Tengku Shariffuddin Tengku Ahmad said: “He did not even know of her existence. He is very confident there's no such photo in existence. “We did not say anything when the case started because our stand was to let the investigation take its course but the opposition kept playing it up. It came to a point in Ijok when we felt that enough was enough.” Najib made his strongest stand in Ijok when he declared: “As God is my witness, I have never met Altantuya. What I know is what I read in the newspapers.” The botched photo incident may be yet another turning point for Najib. “Najib has been under siege, a victim of innuendos and allegations,” said a Malay media consultant.

A pro-PAS friend of the consultant was so swayed by the conspiracy theories making the rounds that he was prepared to believe Najib was finished. “But after seeing the photograph, my friend thinks there is a political game to frame Najib. Personally, I did not think much of it because the allegations were so extreme. I've always believed his pedigree would determine his conduct,” said the consultant. Najib has told his aides that he would let people judge for themselves how low PKR politicians were prepared to go.

Said Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin (ABOVE): “The problem among some people is that they just refuse to listen even when it comes from the horse's mouth. I went through the same thing. The best way is to make your case and get on with your work.” The Prime Minister, he added, was also the target of speculative attacks last year but he rode it out. “The important thing is that the party accepts Najib's explanations. These are experienced men, they've been through it a lot – Pak Lah last year and Datuk Najib this year. They're handling it with great composure and that's what we want from our leadership,” said Khairy. Those trying to dislodge Najib have to understand that whatever the intensity of the storm blowing outside, he is on solid ground in Umno.

He enjoys the confidence of the Prime Minister and he commands the ground for he has built up support at every stop of his long career. “It is not something he needs to worry about. His network in the party goes back to his days as Umno Youth leader and everywhere he goes, people remember his father's contributions,” said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar. Najib, he said, has never been stronger than now in the party. “The PM has complete and absolute trust in him. He is very supportive of his deputy and that is an important plus factor. Don't waste time trying to instigate the PM about Najib, it's not going to work. It would be difficult for anyone to come between them,” said Syed Hamid. Another turning point: Those trying to dislodge Najib have to understand that whatever the intensity of the storm blowing outside, he has solid standing in Umno. Khairy: ‘The important thing is that Umno accepts Najib's explanations’ Syed Hamid: ‘Don't try to instigate the PM about Najib, it's not going to work’
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and from Jelas.info

Supremacist Bigotry: Who Can Defend Us?
Posted on July 22nd, 2007 by nathaniel tan

Much said on the case of Najib, Hisham, Islamic States and high-handed threats. The question on my mind is simple: who can defend us? If a secular state is what we believe in, who will stand up for it? Can MCA, Gerakan or MIC stand up for it? We've seen what happens when they try. Do you think MCA is going to openly defy Hisham? Nobody's stupid enough to believe that.

Let's briefly examine Hisham's calculations in this matter. He must have been perfectly aware that he was creating massive intra-BN tensions and that he was going to cost BN/MCA a few seats at least. Did he care? Not one hoot. Hisham wrongly believes that the BN grip on power is unassailable. But he rightly understands that only Umno is worth anything in this 'coalition.' He's perfectly happy to sacrifice some BN seats if it means strengthening his own intra-Umno position in the run-up to the Umno elections. After all, that's where the only avenue to real power is. What can we do as Hisham and gang conspires to screw us over? It is pivotal to realise that MCA/Gerakan/MIC can't do diddly squat in the face of big brother. I truly appreciate the support of certain BN individuals, but as far as I know, none of their politicians came out to publicly defend me while I was in prison.

Same is going to be for this Islamic state business. And if you don't dare criticise Umno and their arrogant bigotry in public, what good are you? Working 'behind the scenes' so as not to piss off your masters means perpetuating their ill-conceived supreiority complexes. Don't be fooled into thinking that all Malays are so arrogant- that's equally racist and inane. The BN formula has steadily and brutally destroyed race relations in this country, just ask any old timer. It needs to be thoroughly replaced wholesale. If not, these issues will be continued to be played as pawns in internal battles within the Umno hegemony, and it is the whole of Malaysia that will be wrecked. Vote BN out!

= = == == = == = == = ABOVE & BELOW: Delegates attending "International Conference on the Role of Islamic States in a Globalised World" - plenty of empty seats for any latecomers

ABOVE & BELOW: Malaysiakini has the latest reports on the Reaction to Najib’ s Assertion that Malaysia is an Islamic State and the “Shut-up” warning to MCA’s Replies. Details H E R E and H E R E

Watch the Video Clip (34 s) his exact words, on his reply - Malaysia is an Islamic State

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It was unfortunate, Datuk Najib Razak , the Deputy Premier “off the cuff” remarks were made are all influenced by his beliefs. From the Video Clip, it can be seen it was an automatic response to the question posed. He is holding strong beliefs to this issue. His reply was motivated by his beliefs and he seemed unaware of the influence of his beliefs; and was not paying attention to what he was saying in relation to the subjects that deemed to be significant or important.

In all these actions, he was NOT incorporating thought to think what he said might be hurtful to others – no tact you might say or insensitive. He was not thinking concerning all of these automatic actions (remarks) — he was doing. He might be thinking but not paying attention to the doing. Of course his beliefs are not absolute truth. His automatic responses that seemed to elude his notice and he identifies them as merely truths. Therefore, they are entirely unquestioned and challenged by others.

The problems and conflicts arise over philosophical differences in interpretation over arguments whether the nation is a secular or Islamic state. Even facts and other information which are more correct and more helpful, he would still cling and hold on to old beliefs, reject or doubt them because his ideas or theory seem contradictory to the new data.

And this is one of the problems we encounter in all our lives and in the world that has produced or given birth to many things, such as hatred, discrimination and conflicts between, between nations, between neighbors and between people.

Truths are mere beliefs, but as you identify them as truths, you do not see them as beliefs. So the problem is when trying to communicate your truth to somebody who is different, it almost … there becomes a question of honesty, rather than truth. You’re not being dishonest if you’re communicating your truth to another individual whose truth is different than yours, but they may perceive it that way. In a cultural setting, the physical location of a country, the mass beliefs expressed in that country which are reinforced by all of the people incorporate certain absolutes, which become their truths as in religious beliefs. What is significant is that we must recognize objectively that theses are NOT actually TRUTHS. They are strongly unquestioned BELIEFS. The belief systems that are strongest to us individually, we would call that a truth. You express it each day within your focuses. You associate with it continuously. Many of your automatic responses are associated within yourselves as truth.

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July 17, 2007 12:15 PM
Malaysia Not Secular State, Says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Tuesday Malaysia is not a secular state but an Islamic nation with its own interpretation. He said the country had never been affiliated to secularism but was always driven by the fundamentals of Islam as it is clearly stated in the constitution that Islam is the official religion. "Islam is the official religion and we are an Islamic state. But as an Islamic state, it does not mean that we don't respect the non-Muslims. The Muslims and the non-Muslims have their own rights (in this country)," he told reporters after officiating the "International Conference on the Role of Islamic States in a Globalised World" on behalf of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a hotel here.

The conference is organised by the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim). Ikim chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid and director-general Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas (BELOW) were present.

-Najib was asked whether Malaysia was seemingly moving towards being a secular state. "I have to correct you. We have never been secular because being secular by Western definition means separation of the Islamic principles in the way we govern a country. "We have never been affiliated to that position. We have always been driven by our adherence to the fundamentals of Islam. So, your premise is wrong," he said.

Najib said Malaysia does not want to be stereotyped with the Western definitions of a secular and a non-secular state. The two-day conference beginning today aims to discuss specifically the strategic modus operandi of revitalising the Muslim ummah in the global context, particularly through a system of education, to harness quality human capital.

Earlier, Najib launched a book entitled "The Ijazah of Abdullah Fahim" authored by Mesut Idris and Syed Ali and published by MPH Group Publishing. It is available at major bookstores at RM59.90 per copy.
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2007/07/19

MCA: We are a secular nation

By : Eileen Ng, NST
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is a secular state, insists the MCA. It said the position was clear as evidenced by numerous historical documents, including the Reid Report, the Cobbold Commission and a 1988 Supreme Court decision. After reviewing the documents used in the process of drafting the Federal Constitution, the party’s secretary-general, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan (picture), said Malaysia was a secular state based on the consensus and social contract agreed upon by the nation’s forefathers.

"The documents showed that a secular state is the foundation of the formation of Malaya and this consensus was made by our forefathers," he said yesterday. He said this in response to the statement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Monday(Tuesday) that Malaysia is an Islamic nation that protects the rights of non-Muslims. Citing an example, Ong said according to the Alliance’s memorandum to the Reid Commission dated Sept 27, 1956, it was stated on Page 19 that "The religion of Malaya shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion, and shall not imply the state is not a secular state."

Ong said former prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj had said during a meeting on April 17, 1957, that "the whole constitution was framed on the basis that the federation would be a secular state". Ong said notes prepared by the Colonial Office dated May 23, 1957, at the London Conference Talks mentioned that "the members of the Alliance delegation stressed that they had no intention of creating a Muslim theocracy and that Malaya would be a secular state".

Additionally, Ong stated that when former MCA president, who was Finance Minister, Tun Tan Siew Sin spoke in parliament on July 10, 1957, in support of the Constitutional Bill, he said that although Islam would be the official religion, "this does not in any way derogate from the principle, which has always been accepted, that Malaya will be a secular state and that there will be a complete freedom to practise any other religion".

Ong added that all these documents showed a true picture of Malaysia, which is a secular nation. MCA central committee member and Kota Melaka MP Wong Nai Chee said Najib’s interpretation was "not in accordance with the spirit and intent of the Federal Constitution".

He said that the issue of Malaya as a secular state was vigorously debated again during the 1962 Cobbold Commission before the entry of Sabah and Sarawak, forming Malaysia. "Again, the secular nature of Malaysia was reiterated as having been stated in the Reid Commission. The secular nature of our Federal Constitution has been the basis for our nation building since 1957 and reinforced in 1963." The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism president, Datuk A. Vaithilingam, urged the government and all Malaysians to respect the social contract agreed to in 1957.

The council also strongly objected to attempts by the government to change the status quo. The Bar Council said that in the context of the country’s history and the constitution itself that proclaimed its supremacy, there was no doubt whatsoever that Malaysia was a secular state.

[…]
= = == = == == = == = the Facts from the BAR Council

PRESS STATEMENT -Malaysia a secular State

The statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister in this 50th year of Merdeka that Malaysia has never been a secular state is startling as it ignores the undisputed constitutional history of the country as well as the social contract by which the multi racial and multi-religious people of this nation came together. The Federal Constitution was a carefully thought out, carefully negotiated document that evolved after much debate and discussion. Some historical context is necessary. In 1956, Tunku Abdul Rahman had headed a Merdeka Mission to London to negotiate for independence. The
negotiations were conducted by 4 representatives of the Malay Rulers, 4 representatives of the then Alliance Government and representatives of the British Government. The Reid Commission was then appointed to draft a constitution for independent Malaya. The Reid Commission held 118 meetings in Malaya. It met a wide cross-section of people and
organisations and received 131 memoranda. One of the striking features of the Reid Commission report and the Federal Constitution is the inter-communal compromises. These compromises were essentially the result of proposals set out in a memorandum by the then Alliance party which had in turn been vigorously debated over many months by a core group from UMNO, MCA, and MIC under Tunku's chairmanship. The Alliance Memorandum referred to the issue of religion as follows:
"The religion of Malaya shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion, and shall not imply that the State is not a secular State

." (Emphasis added)
Subsequent to the issuance of the Reid Report, further reviews were carried out by a Working Party that again consisted of representatives from the Malay rulers, the Alliance party and the British Government. The Alliance party set up its own sub-committee chaired by its then deputy president, Datuk Abdul Razak. Again the Alliance maintained its position that they had no intention of creating a Muslim theocracy and that Malaya would be a secular State. A white paper subsequently issued by the British Government in June 1957 confirmed this by stating "This will in no way affect the present position of the Federation as a secular State". Since then Tunku himself, respected Academics, and our own Supreme Court in 1988 have reiterated in one way or another that we are asecular State and not an Islamic State. Thus for more than 40 years (until 2001), no-one had suggested that Malaysia is an Islamic State. One has to only look at the Articles in the Federal Constitution, our system of government and the administration of justice to know that we are not an Islamic State. The Civil Courts set up under the Constitution dispense secular justice on a daily basis to all the citizens of this country. Secular law governs contracts, commerce, international relations and trade and every aspect of the lives of a citizen. Islamic law governs specific matters set out in the Federal Constitution in relation to persons professing Islam.
In the context of our history and the Constitution itself that proclaims its supremacy, it is the Bar Council's view that there is no doubt whatsoever that Malaysia is a secular state and not an Islamic state. It is noteworthy that the Prime Minister in his speech delivered at the conference yesterday and in his propagating Islam Hadhari has never referred to Malaysia as an Islamic State. It is time that the proposition that Malaysia is not secular, (which is a rewriting of the Constitution), be put to rest once and for all and that there is due recognition and reaffirmation of the clear legal and constitutional position that Malaysia is, and has always been, a secular State.
Ambiga Sreenevasan’ President’ Malaysian Bar,18 July 2007

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18^th July 2007,: Najib, Malaysia is not an Islamic state; DAP; Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew

Dear Malaysians, please do not take Najib Razak seriously. I personally believe that he does not understand or differentiate between an Islamic state, an Islamic nation and an Islamic country. Having Islam as the official religion does not make Malaysia an Islamic state. A government driven by Islamic fundamentals also would not make it an Islamic state. What more in Malaysia, we were not driven by Islamic fundamentals as claimed by the deputy prime minister. How could he call Malaysia an Islamic state when we still have licensed casino like the Genting, lotteries like Magnum, Toto, 3+1D and Bigsweeps?

And how about draconian laws that clearly go against the tenets of Islam like ISA (detention without trial) and OSA? Does Najib know that in an Islamic state, you cannot have Sultan or King as the supreme leader of the land has to be an ulamak ( religious guru)? I once pointed out to the former prime minister Dr Mahathir at a forum in Shah Alam one year after he unilaterally declared Malaysia as an Islamic State, that he may be the most powerful man in this country but he has no rights to declare Malaysia as an Islamic state.

I also pointed out to him that since he did not seek the approval from the Cabinet and the Parliament, I would regard his proclamation as null and void and purely his personal opinion. Besides, I also argued that both the Reid and Cobalt Commissions did not specify Malaysia as an Islamic state. And that besides DAP, the Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikkhism had openly objected to the unilateral proclaimation of Dr Mahathir. Dr Mahathir was taken aback by my arguments. He was unable to give a satisfactory answer and being a seasoned politician; he quickly cut short the dialogue and adjourned for tea! (I was the second speaker from the floor) And I once again wish to tell Najib that Islam is our official religion (mainly ceremonial) but Malaysia is certainly not an Islamic state.We can accept that Malaysia is an Islamic nation or Islamic country, just like Indonesia and Brunei.

I would even go one step further to state that it’s totally acceptable to adopt certain Islamic values which are universal in nature into our system of governance. We have nothing to worry if the government of the day truly follows the tenets and values of religion.

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July 17, 2007 12:47 PM

Abdullah Urges Muslims To Reclaim Their Lost Golden Legacy

ABOVE: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak delivering the address on behalf of PM Ahmad Badawi

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tuesday outlined four imperatives, including renewing the spirit of unity among Muslims, for Islamic states to seek a wider and more active role in a globalising world and reclaim the golden legacy of the Islamic era. The prime minister said Muslims must also start to revive their economic position, invest in education and skills and establish social justices, based on timeless Islamic principles. He said that for more than a thousand years, Muslim civilisation was the zenith of human achievement with the Muslims as the leading philosophers, scientists, and innovators of their era and as such, they needed to reclaim this golden legacy that had been lost to the ages. Abdullah said Muslims often forgot that through the spread of the empire, they gave birth to a Muslim wave of globalisation more than a thousand years ago, where Muslim states were shining examples of economic progress, scientific innovation and social justice. "We cannot remain mere spectators in a world that is rapidly moving ahead. We must commit ourselves to enhancing our competitiveness in order to play a contributing role to the advancement of human civilisation, as was the legacy of Islamic states in the past" he said.

He said this in his address at the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia's (IKIM) international conference on "The Role of Islamic States in a Globalised World" here. His speech was delivered Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Touching on the need to renew the spirit of unity among Muslims, Abdullah said Islam is a global faith that binds many races together, but today Muslims find themselves pitted against each other, such as Sunnis against Shias and most tragically Palestinians against Palestinians. In this context, he stressed that Muslims must also renew their understanding of Islam and put aside any sectarian differences which could lead to division and conflict among them.

"Ultimately, we must begin to move beyond politics and conflict, and focus on the issues that truly concern us as an ummah -- tackling poverty, eliminating illiteracy, combating ignorance and raising the quality of life. This is the immediate concern for us all, as Muslims," he said. On another key imperative, Abdullah said Muslim nations must begin to revive their economic position because Muslims' share of the global economy was poor and even the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member countries had collectively recorded a declining share of trade within developing countries. In 2005, the OIC's collective Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was less than five per cent of the total world figure, and intra-trade volume -- at about US$800 billion -- was only about six to seven per cent of total global trade.

Abdullah said that when Malaysia took over the chairmanship of OIC, one of the objectives Malaysia set out to achieve during its tenure was to expand and deepen the economic linkages between Muslim countries of "what I call putting an economic face to the OIC". "I believe that we are already on our way towards promoting the revival of the global Muslim economy. In 2005, the World Islamic Economic Forum was launched under the aegis of the OIC. We have endeavoured to promote economic links and entrepreneurs within the Muslim ummah, particularly among women entrepreneurs as well as young leaders," he said. Abdullah, who is the current chairman of the OIC, said he had spearheaded a capacity-building programme within the OIC to build capabilities in commercially-driven and income-generating projects, particularly in the lower-income countries, adding that these initiatives were among the many efforts the OIC would continue to undertake to further promote trade and economic cooperation among the Muslims.

Abdullah also said that there was a need for Muslim countries to invest in education and skills because the rise of every nation was preceded by the acquisition of knowledge. He said Muslims need to build a knowledgeable society -- an "Ulul Al Bab" community -- in which real and true knowledge is the governing principle of all human activity. "We must be willing to invest towards educating the next generation of great scholars -- the ulama that will light our way -- in every spectrum of the sciences. Of the great scholars that we already have today, we must honour them and their contributions. We must build a generation of Muslims that recognises and honours knowledge. This is the way of success," he said.

Speaking on the need to establish social justice, based on timeless Islamic principles, Abdullah said Muslim countries must liberate good, human capabilities so that every Muslim and individual citizen could positively participate in our system of governance.

"We must remember that the governed possess the right to be governed as free men, as human beings governed by consent. This is true, not only through the prism of western frameworks of human rights, (but) it is also true from the tawhidic concept of justice," he said. Abdullah pointed out that the four imperatives must be undertaken within a cohesive framework of Islam, which promotes a proper appreciation of Islam as a force for progress and development, adding that this approach may be found in the principles of Islam Hadhari, which he introduced in Malaysia and promoted globally. Abdullah pointed out that while globalisation has led to many positive outcomes such as rapid advancement in trade, communications and transportation, it has also contributed to a host of global ills such as loss of jobs and unfair terms of trade. He said that as such while the global challenges confronting the world's 1.6 billion Muslims were tremendous, playing the role of a global player was not something completely new to Muslims as they have played that very role centuries ago.

The prime minister said that unfortunately the reality today was that Muslim countries were woefully unprepared to face the challenges of globalisation where many of them were still grappling with basic developmental issues at a time when many other nations were finding ways to become more competitive. "It is quite clear that some Muslim countries today are in a state of confusion and even desperation. In fact, for some Muslims, they have even begun to see globalisation as a conspiracy to undermine Islam. This leads many of them to espouse radical views and even commit extremist acts and for many other Muslims, they remain resigned to their sorry fate, deprived and dejected. "Nevertheless, we need to realise that the phenomenon of globalisation is here to stay. Simply opposing globalisation -- adopting the attitude of withdrawal or taking the path of obscurantism -- is clearly not a wise option. In fact it is not an option at all," Abdullah said.