Pengajian Kelas Dhuha

• Penceramah: Dr Hj Zulkifli albakri
• Tajuk: Keperibadian Rasullullah s.a.w
• Tarikh: Selasa 29hb Mac 2011
• Masa: 9:30pagi
• Tempat: Bilik Muslimah, Masjid Al-Mukarramah

Semua di jemput hadir dan tolong sebarkan program ini kepada sanak saudara dan sahabat handai.

Kepentingan Wasiat & Perancangan Pusaka

JARINGAN dengan kerjasama Masjid Al-Mukarramah dan Amanah Raya Berhad (ARB) dengan segala hormatnya menjemput tuan/puan ke majlis taklimat yang akan di kendalikan oleh  wakil dari ARB seperti berikut:

• Tajuk: Kepentingan Wasiat & Perancangan Pusaka
• Tarikh: 02hb April 2011 (Sabtu)
• Waktu: 10 pagi - 12 tghari
• Tempat: Bilik Muslimah Masjid Al-Mukarramah, Bandar Sri Damansara, KL
• Yuran: RM5.00

Semua muslimin dan muslimat di jemput hadir. Segala pertanyaan sila hubungi Hj. Mois (019.262.2421) atau Hj. Zul (019.386.2400).

Sheikh Yawar Baig on Japan Calamity

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

You have seen video footage about the devastation in Japan I am sure. So what does it mean for us – for all those who are seeing this on TVs and computers instead of in real life?

1. It means to be compassionate and pray for and do whatever we can, to help those who have been affected in the disaster.
2. It means to take stock of our own lives and see if we are taking the pleasure and anger of Allah into account in our lives and to repair our connection with Him.
3. I am very pained and shocked to see some SMS messages doing the rounds telling us that what happened in Japan is ‘the punishment of Allah for Japan because Japan was anti-Muslim’. 

This is total nonsense for the following reasons:

1. Nobody in the world can say about any natural disaster that it is the punishment of Allah. Nobody is receiving Wahi anymore and anyone making such a statement is speaking without any authority and is displaying both his ignorance as well as his inhumanity. It is disgusting, shameful behavior.
2. Japan is not anti-Muslim at all. There is complete freedom in Japan to worship and practice Islam privately and publicly. There are no laws prohibiting anything to do with the practice of Islam and the Japanese people are friendly and supportive of Muslims. There aren’t too many Muslims in Japan but that is not the issue here.
3. It is totally shameful for Muslims to rejoice upon a calamity striking others and to spread such false rubbish information senselessly.
4. Allah sent us to help people. Not to rejoice at any calamity striking them.

Even if someone else originated that SMS, it came to me from Muslims. Mindless cattle who have only one thumb which they use on the forward button.

Astaghfirullah. May Allah protect us from such Jahiloon.

Calamities are opportunities for Da’awa by rendering help and succor to the affected people.

How can anyone except the brain-dead feel happy at a calamity?

I am writing to advice all of you not to forward every nonsensical message you get on your phones or in your mail without thinking about what has been written. Spreading falsehood is a major sin and to add slander to it is truly foolish and invites the anger of Allah. Please do all in your power to help the poor people who have been affected by this calamity.

What is highly instructive and deserving of great respect and admiration and a reflection of the national character of Japan and the Japanese people is the discipline with which they are facing this calamity.

There is no looting, no plundering and no crime. Compare this to what happened in New Orleans, Pakistan, India (Kashmir) and Indonesia in the recent past when they experienced, floods and earthquakes.

In three out of those four places, the people affected were Muslims. And how did they behave? I think we all know the answers. And we claim to be the ones on right guidance. Claims mean nothing. Action and demonstration means everything. We have much to learn from the Japanese and that has less to do with technology than with character.

The true character of a people is revealed in times of stress. The Japanese nation has shown the world what it is made of. This time of great turmoil and suffering is a proud moment for Japan and the Japanese because of the way they are dealing with these difficult times and how they are behaving in the midst of this disaster.

I ask Allah to help them and to ease their troubles and to protect them from calamities. And knowing them and their character, once the dust is settled, a new Japan will arise from the ashes, greater and better than the one that was destroyed because the Japanese people will put their hearts and souls into rebuilding their great nation.

A nation is great not because of the amount of land it occupies but because of the strength of its character and the depth of its ideology.

Japan has demonstrated both.

Yawar Baig
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

Hidupkan Istilah "Wang Perbayar Cukai" Dalam Media

HIDUPKAN ISTILAH ‘WANG PEMBAYAR CUKAI’ DALAM MEDIAProf Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
(sertai facebook DrMAZA.com)

Istilah memainkan peranan penting dalam menyedarkan penggunanya dan pendengar. Seringkali media melaporkan bantuan atau belanja yang dikeluarkan oleh kerajaan digambarkan seakan itu adalah harta kerajaan atau orang politik yang terbabit. Maka bantuan yang disalurkan seakan dari sifat pemurah kerajaan seperti disebut ‘kerajaan bermurah hati membantu’.

Rakyat seakan bagaikan peminta sedekah. Begitu juga apabila ada penyelewengan ataupun pembaziran, maka rakyat yang tidak faham merasakan yang rugi hanyalah kerajaan atau duit orang politik, sedangkan mereka lupa wang tersebut adalah wang mereka. Maka di sini disebutkan beberapa perkara;

i. Samada kita sedar atau tidak, setiap rakyat negara ini membayar cukar kepada kerajaan. Ini merangkumi cukai pendapatan, cukai langsung dan tidak langsung. Harga barangan yang kita beli dalam negara ini sebenarnya kita bayar bersama harga cukai. Di Malaysia kita membeli kereta dengan harga yang tinggi disebabkan faktor cukai. Begitu juga segala barangan, makanan dan stesyen TV yang dibeli merangkumi harga cukai. Maka, setiap rakyat kena tahu bahawa mereka sebenarnya setiap hari membayar cukai kepada kerajaan. Justeru wang kerajaan adalah wang rakyat.

 ii. Maka, wang yang dibelanja oleh mana-mana kerajaan; samada BN atau PR atau istana-istana dalam negara adalah wang rakyat yang membayar cukai secara langsung atau tidak langsung, sedar ataupun tidak sedar. Istilah ‘wang pembayar cukai’ atau taxpayers money, atau harta awam sepatutnya sentiasa dipakai dalam media dan ungkapan rakyat.

Justeru, apabila kerajaan membelanja untuk sesuatu projek atau menyalurkan harta kepada mana-mana pihak, hendaklah dilapor atau disebut “kerajaan menggunakan wang pembayar cukai atau harta rakyat untuk projek itu dan ini”. Jika berlaku pembaziran, hendaklah dilapor dan disebutkan “kerajaan telah membazirkan wang pembayar cukai, atau merosakkan harta awam, merugikan wang rakyat”.

iii. Ungkapan ini penting supaya orang-orang politik sedar bahawa bantuan dan peruntukan yang mereka salurkan kepada rakyat bukan wang poket mereka, atau harta peribadi mereka sehingga mereka boleh mendabik dada bangga. Sebaliknya, ia sememang harta rakyat. Begitulah rakyat, mereka tidak boleh tertipu dengan merasakan seolah-olah bantuan yang diumumkan oleh orang-orang politik itu dari ‘harta persendirian’ tokoh politik tersebut, sebaliknya ia memang harta rakyat yang diuruskan oleh orang-orang politik. Ini boleh mengelakkan perasaan rakyat yang merasakan mereka bagaikan peminta sedekah kepada kerajaan dan mengelakkan orang-orang politik lupa diri terhadap wang awam yang mereka belanja atau isytiharkan dalam kempen politik mereka.

iv. Sesebuah kerajaan BUKAN dipuji kerana mereka berbelanja dengan wang rakyat atau wang pembayar cukai itu, tetapi mereka dipuji kerana pengurusan yang cemerlang dan amanah dalam mengendalikan harta awam atau harta rakyat. Ertinya, jika kerajaan berjaya mengendalikan harta rakyat dengan cemerlang dan amanah, maka kerajaan itu dipuji dan disokong, begitu juga sebaliknya.

v. Istilah ‘taxpayers money’, atau ‘taxpayers fund’ atau ‘taxpayers dollar’ sering digunakan dalam media negara maju apabila memperkatakan tentang pembelanjaan ataupun pembaziran oleh pihak kerajaan. Istilah seperti ini sebenarnya boleh membantu mengelakkan kecuaian kerajaan dan dalam masa yang sama boleh menyedarkan rakyat tentang hakikat wang yang digunakan oleh pihak kerajaan. Istilah ini juga patut dihidupkan dalam negara kita.

"Islamik"kah Perbankan Islamik...?

Apa yang membakar lagi semangat dan meneguhkan lagi pendirian saya ini (pembiayaan bank Islam haram) adalah apabila mendengar penceramah pertama dipersidangan tersebut Dr. Umar Vadillio dengan lantangnya menyatakan bahawa perbankan islamik itu "double" haram. Diikuti pula oleh Sheikh Imran Hosein yang bersependapat sedemikian. Pada hari kedua pula Dr. Aziuddin dari KUIS pula menyatakan perbankan islam "triple" haram. Di sini saya ingin berkongsi maklumat dan mengajak rakan-rakan merenung kembali berfikir samada islamik kah perbankan islamik itu dengan amalan-amalan perniagaan yang mereka lakukan dan juga mengapa tokoh-tokoh di persidangan riba' ini menyatakan sedemikian.

Di sini saya ingin berkongsi maklumat dan mengajak rakan-rakan merenung kembali berfikir samada islamikkah perbankan islamik itu dengan amalan-amalan perniagaan yang mereka lakukan dan juga mengapa tokoh-tokoh di persidangan riba' ini menyatakan sedemikian.

Dr. Umar Vadillio dengan lantangnya menyatakan perbankan Islam adalah dua kali (double) haram dan patut ditutup, kerana apa? Kerana menurut beliau perbankan Islam telah menghalalkan apa yang haram iaitu mengenakan riba' dan mengaburinya dengan proses jual beli. Apa yang perbankan Islam lakukan adalah menukarkan nama sahaja ke atas urus niaga tetapi sebenarnya ianya adalah aktiviti yang sama iaitu riba' dan penindasan.

Saya ingin menarik perhatian rakan-rakan sekalian kepada satu hadis Nabi SAW yang menyatakan bahawa di akhir zaman di mana pengaruh dajjal telah bermaharaja lela, apa yang kelihatan amat berbeza dari realiti sebenar, baginda mengumpamakannya dengan air sungai yang sejuk dan juga api, apa yang kelihatan sejuk seperti air sungai adalah api yang panas dan sebaliknya, jadi mungkin apa yang dilihat suatu yang positif dari perbankan Islam ini adalah sebenarnya api yang sedang membakar umat Islam yang terpengaruh dengannya? Tidak cukup hanya dengan mata fizikal dan ilmu dunia sahaja untuk melihat realiti sebenar di akhir zaman ini, perlu ada usaha lain untuk melihatnya.

“Kamu tidak sekali-kali akan dapat mencapai (hakikat) kebajikan dan kebaktian (yang sempurna) sebelum kamu dermakan sebahagian dari apa yang kamu sayangi. Dan sesuatu apa jua yang kamu dermakan maka sesungguhnya Allah mengetahuinya” Surah Ali-Imran 3:92

Nilai wang yang semakin menyusut disebabkan wang yang dikeluarkan tanpa sandaran Perbankan Islam Juga "Mencipta" Wang Tanpa Sandaran. Sebelum ke persidangan riba' yang lepas saya menganggap bahawa hanya wang deposit penyimpan di dalam perbankan Islamik sahaja yang akan dipinjamkan kepada peminjam, contohnya jika jumlah keseluruhan deposit penyimpan adalah 1 juta ringgit, maka hanya sejumah itu sahaja yang akan digunakan untuk membiayai pembelian untuk peminjam, akan tetapi apabila mendengar penjelasan dari pembentangan kertas kerja oleh beberapa panel di persidangan ini, maka tiadalah lagi keraguan akan ketidak Islamiknya perbankan Islam itu pada diri saya. Di dalam buku terbaru Real Money karangan Prof Ahamed Kameel Mydin Meera dari UIA juga jelas membangkitkan perihal aktiviti perbankan Islam ini yang mana jelas bersekongkol dengan perbankan konvensional merosakkan keseluruhan masyarakat, hanya sebahagian kecil sahaja yang mendapat manafaat darinya iaitu pekerja dan pemegang saham bank tersebut (dan juga kerajaan dari cukai yang diperolehi).

Asas perbankan konvensional dan Islamik adalah sama iaitu mencipta wang baru menerusi pinjaman melalui sistem pecahan simpanan (fractional reserve sistem), perbezaannya adalah perbankan Islam menggunakan wang yang baru dicipta itu tadi untuk tujuan yang kononnya berlandaskan "shariah", majoritinya adalah melalui konsep ijarah yang mana pinjaman diberikan menerusi proses membelikan sesuatu aset bagi pihak peminjam dan menjualkannya kembali dengan harga yang berlipat kali ganda.

Lihat contoh berikut, katakan terdapat 2 rumah yang sama harganya katakanlah RM300,000 dibiayai dengan pinjaman dan pembiayaan, iaitu satu secara konvensional dan satu lagi secara "Islamik" untuk tempoh 20 tahun, katakanlah kadar faedah adalah 6% yang mana digunakan terus oleh bank konvensional tetapi bagi perbankan Islamik ianya juga akan digunakan sebagai asas perkiraan harga rumah yang akan dijual semula kepada peminjam. Kedua-dua bank Islamik dan konvensional akan "mencipta" wang sebanyak RM300,000 melalui kira-kira perakaunan menggunakan sistem pecahan simpanan (fractional reserve system) dan wang yang baru dicipta ini bukanlah deposit dari penyimpan. Bank konvensional akan meminjamkan wang tersebut manakala Islamik bank pula akan membeli rumah dan menjualkannya semula kepada peminjam.

Bayaran bulanan bagi kedua-duanya adalah RM2,149.29 (untuk memudahkan perkiraan, selalunya bayaran bulanan perbankan islamik lebih mahal dari konvensional) untuk selama 20 tahun. Perbankan Islam akan meletakkan RM515,830.59 sebagai harga jualan rumah tersebut kepada peminjam. Perbezaan sebanyak RM215,830.59 dikira sebagai bunga bagi perbankan konvensional dan keuntungan bagi perbankan islamik. Kedua-dua bank mencipta RM300,000 dengan hanya kira-kira perakunan akan tetapi keuntungan bagi pihak perbankan islamik telah pun tersedia. Supaya anda lebih memahaminya lagi mari kita lihat baki pinjaman selepas 10 tahun.

Menerusi perbankan konvensional baki selepas 10 tahun adalah sebanyak RM193,594.77 manakala bagi pembiayaan islamik pula adalah RM257,914.80. Disini dapat dilihat akan perbezaan baki yang mana bagi perbankan islamik lebih banyak dari perbankan konvensional sebanyak RM64,320.03. Dan jika peminjam mahu menjelaskan pembiayaan tersebut pada masa tersebut, peminjam perbankan terpaksa membayar harga yang lebih kecuali mendapat ihsan diskaun dari pihak bank. Mungkin sebab itu jugalah hampir kesemua perbankan konvensional berlumba-lumba membuka bahagian perbankan islamik kerana mereka tahu ianya lebih memberi dan menjamin keuntungan. Mungkin ada yang berkata sekurang-kurangnya jika BLR naik peminjam perbankan islamik akan terjamin, ini tidak seperti yang disangkakan sebenarnya kerana keuntungan perbankan islamik sudah pun terjamin jika kita lihat dari perkiraan diatas. Perbankan islamik sebenarnya lebih menjaga kebajikan mereka sendiri berbanding peminjam dan ini yang gagal dilihat oleh kebanyakan masyarakat. [SATU BENTUK PENINDASAN KEPADA PEMBELI]

Masalah terbesar sekarang ini sebenarnya lebih terletak kepada bagaimana wang pembiayaan itu yang "dicipta" "out of thin air" iaitu atas angin dan tidak berdasarkan suatu yang punyai nilai, hanya bersandarkan kepada janji peminjam untuk membayar balik. Jika RM1000 dipinjamkan pada kadar 10% setahun, selepas setahun RM100 yang dikenakan dianggap riba', bagaimana pula dengan RM1000 yang dicipta tanpa bersandarkan suatu yang bernilai dan secara automatiknya memberikan kuasa membeli tanpa risiko 10 kali lebih banyak dari riba' itu sendiri,bukankah itu riba' yang lebih besar? Ini yang wajib difikirkan semula oleh seluruh masyarakat lebih-lebih lagi oleh cerdik pandai islam yang menyokong perbankan islamik itu sendiri.

Pada pendapat saya, syariahnya perbankan islam itu hanya dilihat dari sudut hubungan antara pelabur dan juga pihak bank sahaja, manakala kebajikan pihak peminjam mahupun masyarakat samada sedikit ataupun tidak langsung diambil kira. Tidak kiralah samada bank islam membeli rumah dan menjualnya semula dengan harga yang lebih tinggi kepada peminjam ataupun bank konvensional meletakkan pembayaran pinjaman beserta faedah, dalam kedua-dua kes jumlah wang yang terpaksa dipulangkan kembali kepada bank oleh peminjam akan senantiasa tidak mencukupi kerana ianya melebihi jumlah wang yang dikeluarkan pada asalnya. Akibat dari ini masyarakat terpaksa bersaing sesama sendiri untuk mengumpul sejumlah wang yang mungkin bagi membayar balik pinjaman, contohnya jika 100 ribu dipinjamkan dan 110 ribu terpaksa dipulangkan, dari mana datangnya 10 ribu itu tadi? Ianya tidak wujud kecuali lebih banyak lagi pinjaman diberikan yang mana melaluinya wang baru akan dicipta. Apa terjadi apabila masyarakat terpaksa bersaing untuk mengaut sebanyak mana wang yang mungkin untuk membayar balik hutang yang berganda banyaknya dari jumlah asal? Masyarakat akan menjadi lebih pentingkan diri sendiri, kedua ibu bapa terpaksa keluar bekerja, anak-anak semakin terabai dan pelbagai lagi masaalah sosial.

Pastinya anda seorang yang buta matanya jika tidak nampak keadaan ini berlaku kepada masyarakat kita hari ini? Bandingkan kemajuan masyarakat islam Malaysia khasnya dan sedunia amnya selama berbelas tahun perbankan islamik ini bertapak, adakah masyarakat islam semakin maju? Ya semakin maju meninggalkan Islam dan bukan sebaliknya.

Bagaimana pula dengan inflasi yang mengurangkan kuasa membeli masyarakat dengan penciptaan wang tanpa sandaran yang dilakukan oleh perbankan islamik ini? Bukankah itu satu penganiayaan dan penindasan kepada semua golongan masyarakat baik Islam atau tidak dan golongan manakah yang paling teruk merasakan bahana inflasi itu? Tidak lain tidak bukan mereka yang kurang bernasib baik terutamanya golongan miskin. Bagi yang berjawatan, berpangkat, punyai kerja tetap dan naik gaji saban tahun, itu tidak jadi masaalah. Sebab itulah boleh saya katakan kebanyakan mereka yang beriya-iya menyokong perbankan islamik ini adalah muslim dari golongan sebegini. Mereka tidak dapat melihat kesan sebenar tindakan institusi perbankan baik islamik atau konvensional ini kepada keseluruhan masyarakat. Maaf saya katakan mereka ini seolah-olah sudah dibutakan oleh keselesaan mereka sendiri.

Source: http://www.muslimconsumer.org.my/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=209:qislamikqkah-perbankan-islamik&catid=61:berita-terkini&Itemid=245

Dinner and Talk by Bro. Idris Tawfiq

JARINGAN @ TV9 Tanyalah Ustaz

Satu sesi rakaman untuk program Tanyalah Ustaz telah diadakan pada hari Khamis lalu (10hb Mac 2011). Seramai 30 orang ahli JARINGAN telah menyertai sesi rakaman tersebut. Rombongan dari Jaringan bertolak dari Masjid Al-Mukarramah pada pukul 12:45 tghari dan sampai di Sri Pentas lebih kurang pukul 1:30pm. Jamuan makan tengahari telah disediakan oleh pihak Media Prima sebaik sahaja rombongan tiba. Sesi rakaman bermula pada jam 2:45 petang selepas solat zuhur. Topik kali ini berjudul Ciri-ciri Golongan Munafik yang di pimpin oleh Ustaz Halim Din dari PPZ. Sesi rakaman berakhir pada pukul 5 petang dan jamuan disediakan sebelum rombongan berangkat pulang. Terima kasih kepada pihak TV9 diatas layanan yang sangat memuaskan. Kami harap pihak TV9 akan memberi peluang seumpama ini pada masa-masa akan datang.

Juga kepada Syarikat Kiffah Travel and Tours (M) Sdn Bhd yang telah menyediakan perkhidmatan pengangkutan untuk kemudahan ahli, kami ingin mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih.

7 Common Money Mistakes to Avoid

“I have been working for 20 years, yet I have very little cash in my savings. Sometimes I wonder where all of my money have gone to” - Mrs Chong, Executive

Does the above statement sound familiar? If you ask around, you are sure to find at least one person you know, who share the same sentiments as Mrs. Chong.

If you are thinking of improving your financial health, first, you need to be able to recognize your financial mistakes so that you can learn not to repeat them.

Here are some commonly made money mistakes that everyone should avoid:

Mistake #1:
Failing to Plan (is equal to Planning To Fail !)

If we carry out a survey on the people around us, we would be sure to find that not many of us plan our finances. The most common response that we can anticipate would be the classic excuse “We are just too busy with work and family that we hardly have any time left to do the planning”. As a result, most of us end up paying higher taxes, leave our savings sitting silently in lousy investments for years or overpaying for financial products. Since there are always deadlines to be met at work, we tend to let our finances run its own course, thinking that it is of lower priority as there are no deadlines to meet nor is there anyone to force us to look into our financial plans, unless of course we run into serious deficit.

However, the important point to note here is that PLANNING is typically found to be a strong habit among people who have successfully accumulated wealth, even with just a modest income.

Mistake #2:
Spending Beyond Our Means

Nowadays, we constantly overspend due to peer pressure and consumer temptation that surround us on a daily basis. We are, to a certain extent, exposed to mild brainwashing with TV commercials, newspaper ads, sale circulars, and flashy shopping malls promoting the lifestyles adopted by the rich and famous, which of course involves having the latest mobile phone models, the latest luxurious cars, latest fashion trend. All these tempt us into spending exorbitantly and unnecessarily. The signals we get from not jumping on the bandwagon is that we will be considered left out of today’s scene. However, in order to do so, far too often, we end up spending way beyond our means. We will find that at the end of each month, the net salaries that go into our bank account are usually meagre, after servicing our car loans, housing loans, credit card bills and other utility bills.

Mistake #3:
Spending Future Money

Buy now and pay later! This has become a norm nowadays and the credit card has become a must-have item in our wallet. In fact, a lot of us carry more than one in our wallets. No doubt it is a convenient item to have around, however, some of us misuse it and treat it like a vehicle to spend our future money at will. It has become a common phenomenon where, by just settling the minimum payment at the end of the month, you will buy more now. As a result, the credit card bad debt snow-balls to an extent beyond our control. According to the bankruptcy report, the percentage of people declared bankrupt due to default in credit card payment has increased in the last few years especially among the younger age group. Be wise when using credit card. Making minimum monthly payment on credit card debt allows you to buy more now, but it will cost you dearly in the future.

Mistake #4:
Delaying Saving for Retirement (PROCASTINATION)

Most of us aim to take up early retirement. In order to achieve this, we need to plan our finances to make sure that we have enough savings to sustain the life style that we desire even after retirement. However, many of us find that even when we approach retirement, we still struggle to meet the savings target that we have set for ourselves earlier. As our income grows, our savings are supposed to increase as well, instead, we more often than not, have big items to spend on, i.e. house upgrading, new car purchase, club membership to keep up with our peers, etc., that prevents us from depositing more into our savings.

Mistake # 5:
Investing in the Wrong Products

There are various kinds of financial products in the market. However, in order for us to identify the right product that suits our risk and return profile, we need to equip ourselves with some basic investment knowledge and do the homework ourselves. Instead, most of us end up investing in some products, simply because we rely too much on the financial advisers, who might have the agenda of pushing higher sales for their products and therefore providing misleading information to us. It is always important to study the product characteristics or the management team track record before investing.

Mistake #6:
Not Saving for a Rainy Day

Some of us think that purchasing insurance is a waste of money. However, we are vulnerable if we and our family do not have insurance to cater for any loss of income. In the event of some unfortunate incident, especially those affecting the family’s bread winner, without any cash reserve or insurance, it will be devastating to the whole family. By then, it would be too late to start thinking of income replacement.

Mistake #7:
Focusing Too Much on Money Matters

All the above tell us to focus on our finances. However, on the other extreme, we must also not be too engrossed in accumulating our wealth to the extent that we lose sight of other priorities in our lives. While we plan our financial health, we must not neglect our own health, family and friends, career satisfaction and fulfilling interests. Without these, even with tons of money, we will not be happy.

Lastly, we need to remind ourselves of the importance of planning our finances. If we are not fully, totally and truly committed to creating wealth, chances are wealth will remain estranged to us.

Source: Malaysian Investor, www.min.com.my

Lack of Education

by Dr Irfan Zafar

The worldwide Jewish population is around 13.3 million as compared to that of Muslims which stands at 1.57 Billion. Roughly for every one Jew, there are 118 Muslims. The Muslims blame the Jews in particular and the west in general for their misfortunes and miseries. But the facts speak otherwise. At least 181 Jews and people of half- or three-quarters-Jewish ancestry have been awarded the Nobel Prize, accounting for 22% of all individual recipients worldwide between 1901 and 2010, and constituting 36% of all US recipients during the same period. In the research fields of Chemistry, Economics, Physics, and Physiology/Medicine, the corresponding world and US percentages are 26% and 39%, respectively. Among women laureates in the four research fields, the Jewish percentages are 38% and 50%, respectively. Of organizations awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 25% were founded principally by Jews or by people of half-Jewish descent. (Jews currently make up approximately 0.2% of the world’s population).

Albert Einstein theoretical physicist, discovered the theory of general relativity effecting a revolution in Physics, was a Jew. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his services to theoretical physics and for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. Austrian Neurologist Sigmund Freud, German Philosopher Karl Heinrich Marx, Nobel Prize winner Economist Paul Anthony Samuelson and the recipient of the Nobel memorial Prize in Economic Sciences Milton Friedman were all Jews.

The Business world too is dominated by leading Jewish entrepreneurs including Ralph Lauren (Polo), Levis Strauss (Levi’s Jeans), Howard Schultz(Starbuck’s), Sergey Brin (Google), Michael Dell (Dell Computers), Larry Ellison (Oracle), Donna Karan (DKNY), Irv Robbins (Baskins &Robbins) and Bill Rosenberg (Dunkin Donuts).The media in particular is controlled by the Jewish lobby including Wolf Blitzer (CNN), Barbara Walters(ABC News), Eugene Meyer (Washington Post), Henry Grunwald (editor-in-chief Time), Katherine Graham (publisher of The WashingtonPost), Joseph Lelyyeld (Executive editor, The New York Times), and Max Frankel (New YorkTimes).In short, may it be politics, philanthropy, education, businesses, scientists, sports, film actors & directors; they are all dominated by well-educated individuals with extraordinary talents who are doing all they can to help the humanity and making this world a better place to live.

Looking at ourselves, according to demographics, Islam has 1.57 billion adherents, making up 23% of the world population. Around 62% of the world’s Muslims live in Asia, with over 683 million adherents in countries including Indonesia (home to 15.6% of the world’s Muslims), Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. About 20% of Muslims live in the Arab Countries. In the Middle East, the non-Arab countries of Turkey and Iran are the largest Muslim-majority countries; in Africa, Egypt and Nigeria have the most populous Muslim communities.The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an International Organization with 57 member states. The Organization “attempts” to be the collective voice of the Muslim World. There are around 500 Universities spread in these 57 member Muslim States compared to that of United States which has over 7,000 higher education Institutions with 103 US universities in the top 200 rankings.There are eight Universities and many Colleges in Israel, the West Bank and the Golan Heights, for a population of only 7,353,985 people covering an area of 20,770 sq. km. Israel has a literacy rate of 98.5% for men and 95.9% for women as compared to the Muslim-majority states having an average literacy rate of around 40 per cent. Furthermore, the Muslim world spends on average 0.2 per cent of its GDP on research and development, while Israel spends 6.4% of its GDP on education & Research.

The Muslim world certainly has done all the wrong things “perfectly” to give least priority to the development of sound educational infrastructures. The point which somehow seems to have been forgotten is that the threat to our survival and the real enemy among us is the educational ignorance & backwardness creeping into our society and destroying it systematically. Why are we blaming others for our own ignorance? We lack the capacity to produce, diffuse and apply knowledge. The only achievements we tend to highlight are the ones of the past glories. While the world looks at the future, we are stuck in the past. When the west was making seats of learning, we were wasting our fortunes making useless architectures. There has to be an end to our investment in ignorance for in the end all that matters will be education.

—The writer is a social activist.

(Source: http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=79656)

International Cocoa, Coffee & Consumer Show 2011

High Speed Rail (HSR)

A high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has been considered for many years.

Proposed under the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley National Key Economic Area, a high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has the potential to bring about significant economic benefit to Malaysia such as stimulating further economic activity between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, attracting multi-national companies to relocate to Kuala Lumpur or locations in between because of improved connectivity, increase productivity, enhance property values, and increase levels of tourism. Furthermore, there is the value and spillover created from the actual construction of the project and the associated procurement, as well as social benefits such as reduced carbon emissions, reduction of road accidents and general improved quality of life.

The Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) is currently conducting a feasibility study on a high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The study will look into the viability, business case, benefits and the possible implementation plan of the project. The study is expected to be completed in May.

Klang Valley MRT Open Day

Display of the proposed Sungai Buloh – Kajang MRT line to obtain public feedback

Kuala Lumpur, 10 February 2011 – The Klang Valley MRT Open Day, to be held on Sunday, 13 February 2011, will kickstart the three-month public display of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line’s railway scheme.

The Klang Valley MRT Open Day will be held at Exhibition Hall 3, Mid Valley Convention Centre from 10am to 9pm. The Klang Valley MRT Open Day will highlight among other things a 40 feet satellite image featuring the proposed alignment of the 51km line consisting of 35 stations running from Sungai Buloh to Kajang.

The open day will be followed by a public display for the Sungai Buloh-Kajang line’s railway scheme which will be held at seven locations for three months from 14 February2011 to 14 May 2011.

They are Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Petaling Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council, Selayang Municipal Council and Kajang Municipal Council as well as at Bangsar LRT Station and the Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) office in Menara Dayabumi. SPAD Chairman YB Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said, “The MRT Open Day will provide information on the proposed Klang Valley MRT Sungai Buloh – Kajang line. We want the rakyat to take this opportunity to visit the display and provide constructive feedback for SPAD to evaluate and act accordingly.”