The pictures on TV shows it all in the most graphic form, almost everyday - since Israel's founding. The non-stop violence has by now, must have become a way of life for the parties involve in the conflict. Or, in another word, it must have become part of the psyche of living in those parts of the world. At the risk of oversimplification, I often conclude the apparent conflict inevitability and the elusive solution, suggest something far deeper than a collective psyche - the root cause of the conflict, above all - must have been as deeply entrenched as the vast difference in religious beliefs and dogmas.
What else drive men to such extreme intolerance, and such belief in self-righteousness, if not their religious dogma - especially those that had conferred in their believers such sense of righteous action, so as to preclude any possible notion that other dogmas can be accomodated ?
The religious leaders, political elites, and the learned and the intellectuals - normally would rationalise or downplay the role of religion in the conflict, rather than facing it head-on but the explanation should really be as simple as follow: the Jews population at large is conferred by their religion as a special people, and gave them holier-than-thou attitude towards the rest of the people in the region - indeed, in the rest of the western world; the Christians west, see the Jewish state as the guardian of the birthplace of Christianity and the Jews are their close cousins, and for that reason - no one in the Bible belts is going to think of Arabs as anywhere near as the Jews as the close cousin of Christianity (hence, the US will sink and swim with Israel); as for the Muslim pious, it would be hard to imagine that the piety instinct in the most learned human being can overcome specific verse in their Koran, that one could be considered unkind to Jews: and the continuing hurt of the Palestine in this century - only serve to reinforce the Koranic versus about the supposedly stubborn Jews.
Religion do have many a beautiful intentions that urge kindness in people. However, the more religious one gets, the more intense the need to close ones mind to accept that other religion are equally right in their assertions and dogmas. Hoffer could not be more right in the True Believer - that at certain stage, the belief system graduated to denying basic rights of the others to be true.
If there is light at the end of the tunnel, it surely rest in the gathering of momentum towards pragmatism - that simply, lead to the choice by the parties and their supporters, to drop deap seated positions and review the conflicts simply from territorial, and/or economics and political dimensions. But, even in this scenario - there is a possible simple explanation to the intractable solution to the conflict: namely that, both parties to the conflict has gotten used to living with the huge amount of aids by the international community - that the benefactors to the aid, will simply detract the process towards peace. Again - the argument here, is the simpleton's view of the conflict; may not be the absolute truth - but that there is basis, for the conjecture - can't be easily dismissed.
Perhaps, its time for all to drop all intellectual pretentions - and be honest, and then move on - to common ground - whatever, that truly mean: I do hope it means, to cease from believing in the righteousness of conflicts to settle scores.
For a Just World,
Meramat /2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
More Autonomy for Sarawak in Malaysian Federation
Sarawak "joined" the Malaysian Federation in Sept 1963.
Given the vast disparity in terms of development between Sarawak and West Malaysia, I believe I'm not the only one questioning whether it was right for history and the regional politics to hand Sarawak to Malaya elites which at that time had no social, historical and commercial ties with Sarawak ?
Would it have been better if Sarawak were to progress towards globalisation and democratics principles along her own path, instead of joining the Malayan Federation which is at least 100 years ahead ?
I believe, if Lee Kuan Yew had succumb to the short term security of joining the Malayan Federation, the region would not have benefited from Singapore's development. The political, commercial and overall strength in initial capacity, afforded by a Federation, does not help a member state especially if it was a federation forced into being - in this case, the drive to get off being colonised by the British and at the same , for Sarawak to remain "independent" from the other regional powers. In another word, it was a marriage of convenience. To the great wisdom of statesman like Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore chose to forge a path towards nationhood independent of the Malayan Federation - and she is contributing more to the region than the whole Malaysian federation.
Take this view into the global context, and into the present - one can't help but laterally apply the history lessons to Iraq, Cosovo, Kurdistan, Sudan, Congo, Indonesia, Palestine etc. In the globalised world, will the regional powers allow a small state to prosper on its own path, and not to usurp her spirit into a force marriage, for some lofty balance of power in the region ? Take the Kurds for instance. Shouldn't the region and the world powers be more receptive to the possibility of the Kurds (some 12 million people) in the region have a country of their own ?
Afterall, democracy empowers the individual. If an aggregate of individuals identifies themselves as a people with common ties and visions for the future, would it not be for the overall benefit of the region if they were to be also empowered - give autonomy and perhaps, independence to self-determine their future, and to build their own institutions according to their norms ?
Forced union through federalism, in nation building, it seems to me, not only fail to acknowledge the underlying differences among member states but also is a failure to acknowledge the possibility that the member states can prosper faster if it were to be left on its own, independent of the federation.
Which now led us to thinking of modern federated states, and loose congregation of countries such as the United States and the European Union. I used the United States and the European Union in the same sentence because in some sense, the United States is a union of countries, in much the same way that the EU, are "almost" federated countries. The United States is the most successful federated states in history: and due to the diversity of the states, that may appear to runs counter to the earlier argument, that preference should be individuals to form their own country even to the smallest possible (strength in being small) group.
I think what the modern federation fail to recognise is how much autonomy the Federal govt in the United States gave to the state and local government. Why the model is no applied in Sudan (Darfur), and why the same cannot be negotiated for the states in Iraq ? Heck, even powerful China is experimenting with "one country, two system" !
In wrapping this up: it would be a pity if century from now, the Malaysian Federation still fail to recognise strength in a looser federation, and grant my Sarawak greater autonomy to chart its own development. By then, the disparity between Sarawak and West Malaysia, will be extended to 200 years: and its hard to imagine the disparity between Sarawak and Singapore !
For a Just World,
Meramat
Given the vast disparity in terms of development between Sarawak and West Malaysia, I believe I'm not the only one questioning whether it was right for history and the regional politics to hand Sarawak to Malaya elites which at that time had no social, historical and commercial ties with Sarawak ?
Would it have been better if Sarawak were to progress towards globalisation and democratics principles along her own path, instead of joining the Malayan Federation which is at least 100 years ahead ?
I believe, if Lee Kuan Yew had succumb to the short term security of joining the Malayan Federation, the region would not have benefited from Singapore's development. The political, commercial and overall strength in initial capacity, afforded by a Federation, does not help a member state especially if it was a federation forced into being - in this case, the drive to get off being colonised by the British and at the same , for Sarawak to remain "independent" from the other regional powers. In another word, it was a marriage of convenience. To the great wisdom of statesman like Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore chose to forge a path towards nationhood independent of the Malayan Federation - and she is contributing more to the region than the whole Malaysian federation.
Take this view into the global context, and into the present - one can't help but laterally apply the history lessons to Iraq, Cosovo, Kurdistan, Sudan, Congo, Indonesia, Palestine etc. In the globalised world, will the regional powers allow a small state to prosper on its own path, and not to usurp her spirit into a force marriage, for some lofty balance of power in the region ? Take the Kurds for instance. Shouldn't the region and the world powers be more receptive to the possibility of the Kurds (some 12 million people) in the region have a country of their own ?
Afterall, democracy empowers the individual. If an aggregate of individuals identifies themselves as a people with common ties and visions for the future, would it not be for the overall benefit of the region if they were to be also empowered - give autonomy and perhaps, independence to self-determine their future, and to build their own institutions according to their norms ?
Forced union through federalism, in nation building, it seems to me, not only fail to acknowledge the underlying differences among member states but also is a failure to acknowledge the possibility that the member states can prosper faster if it were to be left on its own, independent of the federation.
Which now led us to thinking of modern federated states, and loose congregation of countries such as the United States and the European Union. I used the United States and the European Union in the same sentence because in some sense, the United States is a union of countries, in much the same way that the EU, are "almost" federated countries. The United States is the most successful federated states in history: and due to the diversity of the states, that may appear to runs counter to the earlier argument, that preference should be individuals to form their own country even to the smallest possible (strength in being small) group.
I think what the modern federation fail to recognise is how much autonomy the Federal govt in the United States gave to the state and local government. Why the model is no applied in Sudan (Darfur), and why the same cannot be negotiated for the states in Iraq ? Heck, even powerful China is experimenting with "one country, two system" !
In wrapping this up: it would be a pity if century from now, the Malaysian Federation still fail to recognise strength in a looser federation, and grant my Sarawak greater autonomy to chart its own development. By then, the disparity between Sarawak and West Malaysia, will be extended to 200 years: and its hard to imagine the disparity between Sarawak and Singapore !
For a Just World,
Meramat
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Blogging : A retrospective
I had wanted to blog ever since reading about the new Internet cult-ure that appear to spread, for a whole a lot of reasons, and equally, I can think of many reasons why I should not or why bother.
This is my second entry in my blog here. It still cross my mind why I should bother to blog at all but for now, I suspend the urge to question my motive but just simply to blog.
Given that cave dwellers left scratches and sketches on their wall, it may well be the case that people blog for the same reasons. Since the folks at Google provide the walls to write on, I should make use of the free facility.
Hopefully, Google had in their intention all along, to preserve the writings on the cave for no reason whatsoever. There is goodness, in my view - in making crude personal expression, even if it has no grandeur objective - other than to satisfy a cave dweller's urge - and to keep it there for posterity.
If my children and grandchildren were to read this, long after I'm dead (not anytime soon !), they should know there is nothing in the blog other than sketches and scratches of thoughts to fill an otherwise vacous walls.
And, hopefully (way in the future !), on my death bed, I will blog if blogging is worth the time it was allocated.
For a Just World,
Meramat
This is my second entry in my blog here. It still cross my mind why I should bother to blog at all but for now, I suspend the urge to question my motive but just simply to blog.
Given that cave dwellers left scratches and sketches on their wall, it may well be the case that people blog for the same reasons. Since the folks at Google provide the walls to write on, I should make use of the free facility.
Hopefully, Google had in their intention all along, to preserve the writings on the cave for no reason whatsoever. There is goodness, in my view - in making crude personal expression, even if it has no grandeur objective - other than to satisfy a cave dweller's urge - and to keep it there for posterity.
If my children and grandchildren were to read this, long after I'm dead (not anytime soon !), they should know there is nothing in the blog other than sketches and scratches of thoughts to fill an otherwise vacous walls.
And, hopefully (way in the future !), on my death bed, I will blog if blogging is worth the time it was allocated.
For a Just World,
Meramat
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Cassava Plantation for NCR land in Julau ?
I grew up in Julau. Those who know the area and the town, may understand how far remove the town is from big concepts such as Globalisation, Google and Newsweek. But the people of the area, who are mostly Iban, knows what NCR land mean: it is their ancestral land - handed to them from their forefathers who first clear the land a la the Wild Wild West. For the most part, the people are poor peasants, and do not have the capital to develop commercially viable smallholdings, much less a multi-million JV enterprise for Cassava Plantation as published in Bernama in late 2007.
Every now and then, there would be Proposals to develop the large swath of NCR land. And then the talks around coffee shops would be about whose land will be grabbed, and who would be the hidden hand(s) behind it. The landowners by inheritance, for some reason - are always the last to know. Of course there will always be some roadshow when the Tuai Rumah's would be invited to a community hall discussions and feted with good food and entertainment. After a while, perhaps due to reasonable checks and balance in the process and local government institutions, or the investors understand the risk of forcing emotional peasants to part with their land, the proposals deservably fail to materialise and naturally defunct.
Which, looking at the poverty and the static growth in Julau and its surrounding areas - is a pity. The area has good potential given the growth in nearby Sibu, Sarikei and Bintangor. Although Julau is not likely to be anywhere near the likes of Piasau Industrial Estate, or the likes of Kuala Baram, due to the large underdeveloped land (not ordinary land but a mixed primary-secondary forest) it has strong agriculture-based development potential.
A decade from today, Julau may remain as it is. Not that its such as bad thing. The secondary forest would become primary forest and the rivers would still be as pristine as I remember it. Those of us who have made our home outside of Julau may lose our connection with the place and the people. I for one, still entertain the idea of a prosperous Julau. The problem, that apparently blocks it from progressing rapidly as other districts in the country, is many and myriad. I'm not naive to imagine I have a solution - but I do care enough to have some points of view. And from time to time, I will post it here. If you read this post, and you are from Julau, and you have specific ideas on how to develop Julau, I will be interested to hear what you have to say. If have other information about the proposed Cassava Plantation such as the earmark land area, share holder of the JV, and the grassroot respond and sensing of the thousands of landowners, please post.
For a Just World,
Meramat
Every now and then, there would be Proposals to develop the large swath of NCR land. And then the talks around coffee shops would be about whose land will be grabbed, and who would be the hidden hand(s) behind it. The landowners by inheritance, for some reason - are always the last to know. Of course there will always be some roadshow when the Tuai Rumah's would be invited to a community hall discussions and feted with good food and entertainment. After a while, perhaps due to reasonable checks and balance in the process and local government institutions, or the investors understand the risk of forcing emotional peasants to part with their land, the proposals deservably fail to materialise and naturally defunct.
Which, looking at the poverty and the static growth in Julau and its surrounding areas - is a pity. The area has good potential given the growth in nearby Sibu, Sarikei and Bintangor. Although Julau is not likely to be anywhere near the likes of Piasau Industrial Estate, or the likes of Kuala Baram, due to the large underdeveloped land (not ordinary land but a mixed primary-secondary forest) it has strong agriculture-based development potential.
A decade from today, Julau may remain as it is. Not that its such as bad thing. The secondary forest would become primary forest and the rivers would still be as pristine as I remember it. Those of us who have made our home outside of Julau may lose our connection with the place and the people. I for one, still entertain the idea of a prosperous Julau. The problem, that apparently blocks it from progressing rapidly as other districts in the country, is many and myriad. I'm not naive to imagine I have a solution - but I do care enough to have some points of view. And from time to time, I will post it here. If you read this post, and you are from Julau, and you have specific ideas on how to develop Julau, I will be interested to hear what you have to say. If have other information about the proposed Cassava Plantation such as the earmark land area, share holder of the JV, and the grassroot respond and sensing of the thousands of landowners, please post.
For a Just World,
Meramat
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