The Thesis That Shook Malay Minds

(Characterisation in Hikayat Hang Tuah)

It is symbolic that on this anniversary of Malaysia’s merdeka that I should be posting on the Internet the thesis that shook the thinking of Malays and liberated their minds. I will be doing so in installments of that are easily readable on one surfing of the webpage.

Kassim Ahmad’s Characterisation in Hikayat Hang Tuah began as an academic exercise. It was an honor’s thesis in partial fulfillment for the Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Malay Studies at the University of Malaya, Singapore. Kassim Ahmad ended up shaking the very foundation of Malay society. Not many academic or other writings can claim to have such an impact!

Kassim’s brilliant insight makes Malays alter fundamentally our views of our sultans and society. We now can clearly differentiate between loyalties to principles versus personalities.

As a free, civilized and law-abiding society, we remain true to our values and principles. Leaders come and go, but our values remain firm. Those who deviate from our values do not deserve our loyalty. That is the essence of Kassim’s message.

Sultans, like fashion, change with the seasons, but the enduring values of our society remain true, to guide and save us.

Personal loyalties are also notably fickle. We can buy those loyalties; each of us has our price. Some can be had with mere wealth, others by fancy titles or simple flattery. Only the price varies.

The problem with bought loyalty is that others can offer a much better price. This can lead to the downfall of society.

The British bought Malay sultans by giving them the impression that they were on par with His Majesty. Just to be sure, the British also gave those sultans impressive royal titles and the perfunctory visit to Buckingham Palace, full of pomp and ceremony of course. Oh yes, there were also the meager royal allowances and the occasional Roll Royces. With those, the British effectively controlled those kampong potentates and successfully colonized Malaysia. Malay sultans’ loyalty was to their British lord and not the rakyats. In effect, the sultans had betrayed their loyalty to Malay society.

Following Kassim’s thesis, remaining blindly loyal to the sultans would mean pledging our loyalty to the British. Those who rebelled against the sultans for betraying society would then be our heroes, not the sultans. These heroes were loyal to the values and principles of our society.

Kassim’s ideas are truly revolutionary. He did not know this, but Kassim is a genuine reformer or reformis, as we say in today’s Malay. He was one long before that bastardized English word entered our lexicon. Unlike today’s “reformers,” whose antics and ugly demonstrations caused nothing but endless traffic jams and disruptions of businesses, the reform initiated by Kassim is more enduring.

A century from now, our grandchildren would have forgotten today’s leaders and sultans, but thanks to Kassim’s genius, the debate on who is worthy of emulation, Hang Tuah or Hang Jebat, will still be vigorously pursued. That is the lasting tribute to Kassim Ahmad.

I cannot compare Kassim’s thesis to Martin Luther’s famous Ninety-Five Theses that he posted on the church doors of Medieval Europe. Luther frontally challenged the excesses of the entrenched Catholic establishment and started a new church to lead his reformation; Kassim let his words do the challenging.

Even though he was doing a degree in Malay Studies, Kassim Ahmad wrote his thesis in English. It would have remained an obscure academic exercise known only to the few Malays literate in that language except that the newly established Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (Literary and Language Agency) was desperate to publish works in Malay and thus translated his dissertation.

My first introduction to this seminal work was in my Malay class during high school. Our regular teacher, a Malay-educated individual, was sick and his substitute was our geography teacher, himself Malay, who had taught us in English. His literacy in that language enabled him to read Kassim’s thesis and thereby passed on the wisdom to us. I do not remember anything he taught me in geography, but in that one substitute class, he ignited a spark in me.

I am honored and privileged that Kassim has entrusted me to disseminate his writings. With his kind permission, I have created a website for him to serve as an electronic repository for his essays and books. In future, I will also post the Malay translation (Perwatakan Hikayat Hang Tuah) with its modern Malay spelling.

My future projects include posting Kassim’s Hadis: Satu Penilaian Baru in its original Malay. Currently there is a link to the entire translation in English on Kassim’s website.

I believe very strongly that Kassim’s views deserve a wider audience. That is my mission. It is also my modest contribution to and acknowledgment of this great intellectual in our midst. It is symbolically appropriate that I start the project today, on Malaysia’s 58^th anniversary of independence. Kassim’s ideas opened my mind; they liberated me and gave me my intellectual merdeka. I hope they will do the same for you.

Please visit Kassim’s website at: www.kassimahmad.blogspot.com.

The installment begins in a few days. Happy reading!

M. Bakri Musa

August 31, 2005

“KATAKANLAH YANG BENAR!”

PERANAN DAN TANGGUNGJAWAB SURATKHABAR

-- Ucaptama kepada Seminar Tokoh-tokoh Persuratkhabaran Malaysia

Dalam Abad Kedua Puluh pada 19-20 Ogos, 2005

Di Universiti Sains Malaysia –

Oleh: Kassim Ahmad

Telah disebut dalam Quran bahawa Tuhan mengajar manusia melalui pena. Setelah beribu tahun sejak manusia tahu menulis dan membaca, hari ini suratkhabar menjadi sebuah industri yang besar di seluruh dunia dan membentuk pemikiran global. Kaum wartawan telah menjadi salah seorang guru yang berpengaruh kepada kita. Malah suratkhabar dipanggil institusi berkuasa yang keempat, selepas Kaum Bangsawan, Kaum Agama dan Rakyat.

Di Malaysia suratkhabar-suratkhabar awal, seperti Jawi Peranakan, Utusan Melayu dan Lembaga Melayu, dan tokoh-tokoh akhbar, seperti Mohd. Eunos Abdullah, Syed Sheikh Al-Hadi, Abd. Rahim Kajai, A. Samad Ismail dan Said Zahari dan lain-lain, terpahat namanya dalam sejarah persuratkhabaran Malaysia. Mereka dan rakan-rakan wartawan mereka telah memainkan peranan mereka membentuk generasi-generasi mereka pada awal dan dalam abad kedua-puluh.

Kata arif, pena itu lebih kuat daripada pedang. Pedang hanya boleh meghapuskan jasad manusia, tetapi tidak fikiran mausia. Manusia satu-satunya makhluk yang berfikir dan fikiran itu kreatif dan boleh mengubah dunia, termasuk manusia itu sendiri. Fikiran manusia terdiri dari maklumat dan ajaran, termasuk agama, falsafah dan seni, yang dia terima pada sesuatu zaman.

Dengan demikian, suratkhabar memainkan peranan yang besar dalam kehidupan manusia.

Namun demikian, suratkhabar, kerana ia telah menjadi sebuah industri yang besar pada hari ini, boleh kita bahagikan kepada dua kategori pokok. Pertama, media perdana; kedua, media kecil atau bukan perdana. Media perdana dimiliki oleh beberapa syarikat besar, yang kerapkali berupa monopoli, dan yang dikuasai oleh golongan elit masyarakat itu. Media perdana pada umumnya menyokong kerajaan melalui jalinan hubungan antara golongan elit tadi. Nyatalah dari sini bahawa media itu tidak sebenarnya bebas. Ia berperanan dan bertindak menyokong sistem yang maujud dalam masyarakat itu.

Media kecil atau bukan perdana dimiliki dan/atau dikendalikan oleh golongan-golongan kecil dalam masyarakat, termasuk parti-parti politik, badan-badan bukan kerajaan dan lain-lain. Masing-masing mengutarakan ideologi atau dasar masing-masing untuk mempengaruhi masyarakat.

Seperti yang kita tahu, Kesultanan Melayu Melaka berpecah dan dijajah oleh bangsa-bangsa Eropah dari awal abad kelima belas hingga abad kesembilan belas. Pada masa ini orang Melayu hidup di bawah dua kuasa: feudalisme Melayu dan kolonialisme Eropah. Suratkhabar Melayu yang pertama, Jawi Peranakan, dierbitkan pada 1876 di Singapura, diikuti dengan akhbar-akhbar dan majalah-majalah lain, seperti Bintang Timur, Al-Imam, Neracha, Al-ikhwan, Saudara dan Utusan Melayu, sesetengahnya diterbitkan di Pulau Pinang. Singapura dan Pulau Pinang merupakan dua kota besar yang ditadbirkan terus oleh Inggeris pada masa itu.

Suratkhabar dan majalah tersebut menumpukan kepada dua perkara: membaikai kedudukan pelajaran dan ekonomi orang Melayu dan pembaharuan agama, mengikut ajaran mujadid Sheikh Muhammad Abduh Mesir. Inilah dua tema yang diperjuangkan oleh akhbar dan majalah Melayu pada masa itu hingga pergolakan perjuangan kebangsaan rakyat Asia untuk kemerdekaan sebelum dan selepas Perang Dunia Kedua. Pada waktu itu, tema-tema baru, iaitu kedaulatan bangsa Melayu dan pendaulatan bahasa Melayu, ditambah kepada tema-tema ekonomi dan pelajaran.

Pada waktu ini, suratkhabar-suratkhabar berbahasa Inggeris, Mandarin dan Tamil lebih banyak menggambarkan kepentingan-kepentingan luar, iaitu Britain, China dan India.

Suatu kuasa baru, Komunisme, muncul di Asia dan di negara kita selepas Perang Dunia Kedua. Pada masa itu, rakyat Malaysia berhadapan dengan dua blok: blok “Dunia Bebas” dan blok Komunis. Oleh kerana negara kita, pada 31 Ogos, 1957, merdeka dari tangan penjajah Inggeris dan oleh kerana Parti Komunis Malaya telah melancarkan perang terhadap pemerintahan Inggeris pada 1948, maka Kerajaan merdeka kita yang baru memilih untuk menyengutukan dirinya dengan blok “Dunia Bebas”. Hal itu kekal hingga hari ini, walaupun sistem komunis di Rusia Soviet sudah runtuh dan di China sudah berubah.

Media perdana kita menggambarkan perubahan-perubahan ini dan mengambil pendirian kerajaan kita memihak kepada “Dunia Bebas,” atau lebih tepat memihak kepada ideologi dan sistem neoliberalisme Amerika-Inggeris, yang menguasai seluruh dunia hari ini.

Peranan Akhbar

Soalan yang hendak saya ajukan ialah: Apakah peranan dan tanggungjawab akhbar, atau lebih luas, media? Adakah semata-mata menggambarkan realiti, atau apa yang wujud? Kita sudah tahu bahawa manusia, kerana sifat kreatifnya, boleh mengubah realiti. Kita sudah merdeka selama 47 tahun. Sebagai orang Islam yang mempunyai suatu cara hidup kita sendiri, tidak mungkinkah kita teroka cara hidup Islam pada waktu kita mencapai kemerdekaan 47 tahun dulu supaya sekarang kita boleh benar-benar hidup merdeka dari segi politik, ekonomi dan sosial, dan tidak menderita di bawah sistem liberal yang tidak adil?

Soalan ini harus kita fikir dengan serius sekarang, kerana sistem ini, oleh sebab ketidak-adilannya, juga sedang menghadapi krisis yang tenat dan sedang dalam tahap akhir keruntuhannya.

Quran menyebut Islam sebagai “jalan yang lurus” , iaitu sistem yang betul, yang tidak menyeleweng ke kanan atau kiri, ke atas atau ke bawah. Penyifatan sistem ini sebagai sistem yang lurus tidak berbeza dengan apa yang dipanggil oleh Aristotelis sebagai “the Golden Mean” (Jalan Tengah) atau “the Middle Path” (Jalan Tengah) dalam falsafah Buddhaiah. Mengapakah umat Islam pada waktu mereka dari penjajahan Eropah tidak sedar akan hal ini dan mencari “jalan yang lurus” yang “bukan Timur, bukan Barat” dari tradisi mereka sendiri untuk mengendalikan kehidupan baru mereka yang bebas? Perlembagaan Madinah patut dikaji dan dibincang, kerana ia bukan saja sebuah perlembagaan tertulis yang pertama dalam sejarah, tetapi juga, pada dasarnya bersifat moden, republikan dan demokratik yang boleh menjadi model kepada kita.

Islam sebagai suatu sistem atau cara hidup yang lengkap telah melalui dua fasa besar dalam sejarahnya. Pertama, zaman republikan-humanis di bawah pimpinan Nabi Muhammad dan empat khlifah, dan kedua, zaman feudal-kolonial. Dalam zaman pertama, umat Islam bangkit dan maju serta memegang ubor ilmu yang disibarkan ke seluruh dunia pada waktu itu. Dalam zaman kedua, zaman feudal-kolonial, Islam jatuh dan pemikiran umat Islam berubah menjadi beku dan kolot kerana telah diselewengkan dengan ajaran-ajaran yang bercanggah dengan ajaran yang dibawa oleh Nabi Muhammad dalam Quran. Selama tujuh ratus tahun, pemikiran umat Islam tidak berkembang dan kekal beku selama tujuh ratus tahun! Pemikiran kritikal dan kreatif dibunuh. Pintu ijtihad ditutup. Walaupun ahli-ahli fikir yang cemerlang seperti Ibn Khaldun, Shah Waliuallah, Malek Bennabi, Mohammad Iqbal dan Ali Shariaati, Hamka, Zaaba dan Dr. Burhanuddin Al-Hilmy dalam masyarakat Islam, mereka golongan minoriti yang tidak dapat membawa perubhan besar dalam pemikiran umat Islam.

Demikianlah keadaan umat Islam pada akhir abad kesembilan belas apabila gerakan raksasa nasionalis-antikolonial mulai menggegar Asia. Islam tidak lagi menjadi agama yang hidup yang dipraktikkan dalam keseluruhan dan kesepaduannya. Islam hanya ritual atau adat. Kaum elit Melayu, di samping masih dikongkong oleh feudalisme Melayu, sekarang berada di bawah pengaruh ideologi-ideologi Barat, liberalisme dan komunisme. Oleh sebab itu akhbar-akhbar Melayu hanya menonjolkan masalah-masalah pembaikan ekonomi dan pelajaran orang Melayu, yang kemudian meningkat kepada masalah kedaulatan negara dan pendaulatan bahasa Melayu. Hingga sekarang, pada awal abad kedua puluh satu, masyarakat Islam masih gagal menggariskan dengan jelas falsafah ekonomi-politik Islam untuk menggantikan sistem neoliberal yang sedang runtuh.

Peranan dan tanggungjawab suratkhabar bukan semata-mata melaporkan berita dengan tepat, tetapi lebih penting membuat analisis berita yang kritikal. Lebih penting daripada itu ialah menyalurkan idea-idea baru yang bernas untuk membangunkan masyarakat. Ini bermakna wartawan kita mestilah tekun membaca dan menyiasat di sebalik timbunan berita yang datang ke meja mereka tiap-tiap hari. Ketiga-tiga peranan ini – melapor, menganalisis berita dan menyalorkan idea -- tidak boleh dilaksanakan kecuali wujud media yang melihat tanggungjawabnya kepada masyarakat dan bangsa melampaui kepentingan kewangan jangka pendek. Kerajaan juga perlu sedar bahawa undang-undang dan peraturan-peraturan yang menyongkong media sehingga mereka gagal memainkan peranan mereka sebagai penyalur idea-idea baru yang kritikal dan bernas, lambat-laun akan merugikan mereka juga, kerana masalah-masalah tidak boleh diselesaikan dan mereka akan digantikan. Lihatlah bagaimana masalah-masalah rasuah, penyalah-gunaan kuasa dan kekolotan dan kebekuan fikiran umat Islam tidak dapat dipecahkan dalam masyarakat kita.

Itulah sebabnya Tuhan memerintahkan supaya sekumpulan umat Islam yang sanggup menyeru kepada kebaikan dan melarang kejahatan senantiasa wujud. Dengan demikian, barulah masyarakat boleh mengatasi apa juga masalah yang mereka hadapi dan akan berkembang dan maju.

Abad kedua puluh boleh kita katakan sebagai abad yang meruntuhkan segala kejahatan yang wujud. Sistem kolonial lama runtuh, digantikan dengan sistem negara- bangsa yang merdeka, walaupun sistem ini kemudian bertukar menjadi sistem neo-kolonial. Sistem komunis juga runtuh, kerana gagal menyelesaikan kontradiksi antara hak kolektif (yang diperjuangkan oleh kaum komunis) dengan hak individu yang sah. Sistem liberal juga sedang runtuh kerana kegagalannnya menyelesaikan hak orang ramai yang dihakiskan oleh kebebasan individu (yang diperjuangkannya). Selain daripada itu, abad ini juga menyaksikan kegagalan dan keruntuhan sistem teokrasi, iaitu pemerintahan berdasarkan kediktatoran suatu kumpulan agama yang mendakwa bercakap atas nama Tuhan.

Jadi abad kedua puluh menyaksikan empat sistem yang besar yang menyeleweng dari jalan yang lurus runtuh. Oleh kerana itu, dunia di akhir abad kedua-puluh juga sedang mecari suatu peganan hidup yang lebih baik. Mereka telah meletakkan agenda “Sebuah Dunia Baru Yang Adil” di atas meja perundingan – bukan semata-mata sebuah dunia baru, tetapi sebuah dunia baru yang adil.

Apakah iktibar yang boleh kita pelajari dari keruntuhan-keruntuhan ini? Iktibar yang pertama ialah semua sistem yang zalim, yang menyeleweng dari jalan yang lurus , lambat-laun akan musnah. Kedua, untuk mengelak keruntuhan yang pasti berlaku, sesuatu masyarakat mesti selalu berada pada jalan yang lurus. Ketiga, untuk memastikan masyarakat itu senantiasa berada di jalan yang lurus, mesti ada sekumpulan dalam masyarakat itu yang menyeru kepada kebaikan dan melarang kejahatan. Frasa ini harus ditafsirkan dari segi falsafah, yakni dari segi maknanya yang luas dan sepadu, bukan dari pengertian harfiah yang sempit.

Kita perlu menyedarkan diri kita tentang harga yang mahal yang telah kita bayar untuk sistem kolonial, untuk sistem kapitalis, untuk sistem komunis dan untuk sistem teokrasi – semua sistem yang menyeleweng dari keadilan dan dari jalan yang lurus: dalam bentuk peperangan kolonial, pembunuhan beramai-ramai kerana konflik agama dan kaum , kebuluran, kemiskinan, wabak-wabak penyakit dan kemunduran, termasuk yang dilakukan oleh pemerintahan-pemerintahan yang zalim, yang disebabkan oleh riba, seperti amalan Tabung Kewangan Antarabangsa dan Bank Dunia, rasuah dan penyalah-gunaan kuasa dan sebagainya. Harganya terlalu tinggi. Oleh sebab itu, agama Islam menggalakkan kita berjuang dan berkorban di jalan Allah, yakni jalan kebaikan, kebenaran dan keadilan, kerana perjuangan dan pengorbanan ini akan mengelak kita dari terjerumus ke dalam kejahatan-kejahatan yang akan mengakibatkan keruntuhan besar yang telah saya sebutkan di atas.

Ambil contoh perancangan strategik negara kita, Wawasan 2020. Ini nyata suatu perancangan besar yang baik, tetapi adakah rakyat kita diajak berbincang tentang rancangan besar ini? Tahukah kita dengan jelas takrif negara maju? Antara lain, rancangan itu menghendaki kita menjadi sebuah negara yang bersatu-padu, yang demokratik, yang sistem ekonominya adil dan saksama, yang pemikiran rakyatnya rasional dan saintifik, yang moral dan spiritual bangsanya tinggi. Ini semua tentunya matlamat-matlamat yang sangat tinggi dan mulia, tetapi bolehkah kita capai di bawah dogma sistem liberal “pasaran bebas” yang kita anuti sekarang? Baru-baru ini dilaporkan 18,000 atau 80,000 graduan menganggur: jika 18,000 orang graduan yang mendapat pelajaran tertinggi dalam negara menganggur, bagaimana dengan bukan graduan?

Bagaimana dengan sistem pendidikan kita? Adakah ia melatih rakyat kita untuk berfikir secara rasional dan saitifik, di samping melahirkan individu yang berguna? Adakah kita berpuas hati dengan sistem pendidikan agama kita yang lebih banyak mengatakan “Jangan buat” daripada “Buat”, yang mengutamakan bentuk daripada isi dan yang mencampur-adukkan tahyul dengan ajaran yang benar? Bagaimana dengan sistem pengangkutan awam kita? Kereta persendirian begitu banyak di mana-mana sehingga di bandar-bandar dan kadang-kadang di taman-taman perumahan, tidak ada tempat yang lapang kecuali ada kereta diletak di sana! Bagaimana dengan moral bangsa kita dengan kejadian jenayah yang kian meningkat? Banyak soalan yang memerlukan jawapan dan penyelesaian.

Ambil contoh rasuah politik dalam parti politik utama dalam sistem politik kita. Rasuah politik bermakna kepentingan peribadi yang tidak sah menjadi matlamat seorang ahli politik, sedangkan ahli-ahli politik itu diamanahkan untuk memperjuangkan kepentingan dan cita-cita bangsa. Jika mereka terlibat dalam rasuah politik, bolehkah mereka melaksanakan amanah bangsa? Soalan besar yang memerlukan jawapan dan penyelesaian.

Pada hari ini dua isu besar antarabangsa ialah keruntuhan sistem liberal Inggeris-Amerika, yang dilambangkan oleh kejatuhan matawang dolar A.S., dan perang-perang pencerobohan yang hendak dilancarkan oleh kaum oligarki Inggeris-Amerika. Perang pencerobohan terhadap Afghanistan dan Iraq – yang mereka sifatkan sebagai perang terhadap keganasan yang berkepanjangan – mestilah dilihat dalam perancangan strategik kaum oligarki dunia untuk mempertahankan sistem bobrok mereka yang sedang runtuh dan dalam kerangka hasutan ahli ideologi Samuel Huntington “Pertembungan Tamadun”. Setelah Afghanistan dan Iraq, mereka akan meceroboh di Iran pula, dan kemudian di mana lagi? Gila kuasa yang tiada had! Hal-hal ini patut dilapor dan didedahkan dalam media kita supaya rakyat kita boleh berwaspada terhadap rancangan jahat mereka.

Perkara-perkara besar seperti ini patut menjadi perbincangan dalam forum-forum seperti perhimpunan-perhimunan agung parti-parti politik yang besar, dalam Parlimen, dalam seminar-seminar akademik dan juga dalam suratkhabar-suratkhabar dan majalah-majalah kita. Parti yang memerintah, kerajaan dan masyarakat umumnya hendaklah menggalak dan membantu pertumbuhan fikiran yang rasional dan kreatif dalam masyarakat kita supaya bangsa kita boleh maju.

Saya perlu meminta maaf kerana dalam masa yang singkat yang diberi kepada saya untuk menyediakan ucapan ini, saya tidak sempat membuat penyelidakan tentang suratkhabar-suratkhabar bukan-Melayu. Oleh kerana Malaysia masyarakat majmuk, tidak syak lagi mereka juga telah memainkan peranan mereka dan memberi sumbangan mereka terhadap pembinaan sebuah negara-bangsa Malaysia baru yang merdeka.

Kemerdekaan ini sangat penting, kerana hanya dengan kemerdekaan kita boleh menentukan nasib kita sendiri. Kita tidak mahu campur tangan kolonialisme dan imperislisme dalam apa bentuk sekali pun dalam negara kita sekarang.

Peranan Internet

Sebelum saya mengakhiri ucapan ini, saya ingin menyebut suatu unsur baru dalam komunikasi kita, iaitu Internet. Oleh kerana Internet tidak boleh dikawal oleh kerajaan mana pun, maka ia suatu kaedah komunikasi yang benar-benar bebas. Ia membolehkan kita menyatakan fikiran kita dengan bebas. Ini bermakna kebenaran tidak dapat dihalang lagi oleh pihak-pihak yang berkepentingan dari sampai kepada rakyat. Walaupun sekarang hanya sekumpulan kecil saja daripada rakyat yang boleh bermanfaat dari Internet, pada masa akan datang keadaan ini akan berubah. Lebih ramai rakyat boleh memasuki Internet. Namun demikian, dalam keadaan terbatas sekarang pun, kebenaran itu boleh disibarkan kepada rakyat melalui cetakan dan salinan bahan-bahan itu.

Kita tahu juga Internet dipenuhi dengan banyak maklumat dan bahan yang tidak berguna, malah berbahaya. Tetapi Tuhan mengajar kita bahawa kebenaran itu kebal. Ia boleh menghapuskan kepalsuan yang disibar oleh kaum oligarki dan agen-agen mereka dan menyedarkan rakyat kepada hal yang sebenar. Kesedaran rakyat yang telah celek akan mengubah dunia dan akan mewujudkan sebuah dunia baru yang adil.

Jadi sebagai kesimpulan, walaupun saya bimbang tentang masa depan bangsa kita, kerana masalah-masalah yang telah saya sebutkan di atas, saya juga merasa optimis, kerana hal-hal yang positif yang wujud sekarang untuk kita memperjuangakan sebuah dunia baru yang adil. Saya sebut ini semua dalam konteks peranan dan tanggungjawab suratkabar sebagai salah satu guru yang mengajar masyarakat kita. Saya beri tajuk “Katakanlah Yang Benar!” kepada ucapan ini, kerana, seperti kata Nabi Allah Isa, “Kebenaran akan membebaskan kamu.” Ia akan membebaskan kita dari khurafat, dari kepalsuan, dari kejahatan dan dari penyelewengan. Saya harap dan saya percaya ahli-ahli akademik dan cerdik pandai yang hadir dalam seminar ini dan akan mengambil bahagian yang aktif akan memberi perhatian berat kepada aspek ini dalam industri suratkhabar kita. Mudah-mudahan dengan demikian, kita boleh memecahkan lingkaran jahat yang menjerut kehidupan mental kita serta mengeluarkan masyarakat kita dari penjara yang kita buat sendiri dan mewujudkan sebuah negara Malaysia yang lebih baik untuk anak-cucu kita.

19 Ogos, 2005.
80, Jalan Gajah, Tg. Bunga,

11200 Pulau Pinang.

TEL. 04-2645072

T/B 012-4291152

The Sun Weekend Interview with Kassim Ahmad

The Sun WEEKEND EDITION :: Conversations
August 19, 2005

Modern Day Hang Jebat
Zainon Ahmad

KASSIM AHMAD is considered by many as Malaysia's foremost intellectual and thinker. He first challenged the traditional interpretation of Hang Tuah as the ultimate hero by elevating the anti-hero, Hang Jebat, as the true hero. He next challenged the infallibility of the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. He was detained under the ISA for nearly five years for daring to openly express his political views. But he refuses to be cowed, and now 71, he continues to speak his mind about corruption, abuse of power and the need for the government to be more transparent and to involve the rakyat whenever making major decisions. He continues to speak against the ulama for perpetuating an Islam which cripples Muslims' ability to think rationally. He is not optimistic about Vision 2020 if more people are not involved in its review and implementation. In fact he told ZAINON AHMAD he is rather apprehensive about the immediate future of the country.

theSun: For a long time your were chairman of PSRM and then you resigned and joined Umno. And then you gave up active politics. Why?



Kassim: My leaving PSRM had two reasons. Firstly, after the Sino-Soviet schism in the sixties, seventies and eighties, I realised that socialism was becoming more and more untenable internationally and within the country it was not acceptable to the Malays. I wanted to transform it to accommodate nationalism and Islam and wanted to bring it closer to Umno under the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. This was not acceptable to the majority of the leaders at that time. This was the second reason.
Although I joined Umno in 1986, after some years, I gave up active politics because at that time I saw that "money politics" was already firmly established in the party. I would add that had I been younger, say 50, I would have fought to transform Umno. But, as I was past 60 at that time, I thought I had better use my remaining years for my writing.

the Sun: You are still writing. Which do you find more satisfying - involvement in writing or involvement in politics?



Kassim: I would say both, as both have the same aim for me - the attainment of the good society. But I would also add that in writing, I have more freedom. This is to me more satisfying and more fruitful.

the Sun: Values have changed since the days you first joined PSRM. Many would say that you have not been very successful in life. Nothing much for you to show for all your involvement in writing and politics. No flashy cars and no huge bungalows. Your comment on this.

Kassim: It would depend on what you want from life. In the sense that I do not have the financial and social status of what our society today calls a successful man, I am a failure. In the first place I did not set out to achieve those things. In politics, I wanted the power to change society for the better. That I have failed, but I do not think that our society is better today, in spite of the apparent political stability and the economic and material growth of the last 30 years. On the other hand, I do enjoy a certain recognition among the people for what I have written about and what I stand for. This is very gratifying, even inspiring.

the Sun: You changed the protagonist of that famous epic Hikayat Hang Tuah from Hang Tuah the hero to Hang Jebat the rebel. Do you sometimes feel that you are also some sort of a Hang Jebat?

Kassim: I am a rebel and a revolutionary in spirit. Hang Jebat and I have many things in common.

the Sun: Are you the first one to come up with Jebat as the protagonist instead of Hang Tuah.

Kassim: May be not. There were some such views circulating at that time. And these views circulated in some circles following the screening of the movie Hang Tuah which saw the legendary actor P. Ramlee playing the title role. Then came another movie Jebat Derhaka. This time Jebat was clearly the hero of the story. The role of the rebellious warrior was played by another great actor, Nordin Ahmad. During this period, a number of writers came out to question whether it was Hang Tuah or Hang Jebat who was ultimately the hero of the epic. So I would not dare to claim that I was the first to come up with the idea. But I want to tell you something about this.

When I was in Malay school, there was a teacher who liked to tell us stories from the old Malay literature. One day he brought to me the Hikayat Hang Tuah - in three volumes and in Jawi. This was the first time I read the story. I think it was the Shellabear edition. I was especially taken up by the characters of the four friends who grew up together and became warriors of Malacca. But I was especially interested in the characters of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat - their bravery, their skills as fighters and their sense of adventure. The tale inspired me. So much so that when I had to write my thesis in university, I chose to dwell on the Hikayat Hang Tuah. But the central idea of what I wrote had already been formed when I first read the Hikayat.

There were several things about Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat that drew me to them. First of all they were very close friends like they were close friends with the other two. They did everything together and they went to seek knowledge together. For some time, they studied together in the sanctuary of mountain caves in Malacca and Java under the guidance of several gurus known for their spiritual knowledge and skills in martial art. They came back to serve as warriors of the Malacca empire. One day, Hang Tuah was accused of having an affair with one of the Sultan's concubines and condemned to death without so much as an inquiry into what happened. Hang Jebat, the loyal friend that he was, refused to believe that the upright foremost warrior of the land was guilty of such a charge. When the Sultan gave him Hang Tuah's position, he accepted. But he was already planning to avenge his friend's death ordered by the Sultan on trumped up charges. And then he rebelled. He forced the Sultan and his family out of the palace and took it over. He made the Sultan's concubine his. The warriors, including Javanese courtiers who had schemed to get Hang Tuah to fall out of the Sultan's favour, sent to capture and dislodge him, were killed or chased away by him. All that he did was his way of avenging the unjust execution of his friend. More than that it was his way of rebelling against the system which required absolute and blind loyalty to the ruler. And then Hang Tuah came back. Instead of putting him to death, the bendahara had hidden him away in some remote part of the empire until the Sultan's anger had subsided somewhat. And now Hang Tuah, ever the loyal subject of the ruler and servant of the system was ordered to kill Hang Jebat. They fought and after fatally stabbing his friend, Hang Tuah walked away from the scene. Hang Jebat also staggered out of the palace and went amok killing several hundred people who had gathered around the palace.

Hang Jebat had rebelled against an unjust system. He blamed the people for allowing the system to prevail over them. And that's why he killed them. To him, people must be responsible. They must speak up against injustices. They must protest by words or deeds. It is their responsibility.

the Sun: Back to Hang Jebat. He went against the system that maintained the social order at that time. Like the people he killed, he was himself part of the system. So is it justified for him to kill these people because he was as much to be blamed for allowing the system to continue?

Kassim: Of course, you cannott defend his killing of innocent people. But you have to take that incident holistically. These people were also members of the society in which the incident took place. Of course the Sultan and his ministers were involved in the system. But as members of a society, the people too were also involved - indirectly involved. As Muslims, their duty was to promote what was good and to discourage evil or injustices. But they did nothing. This is our functions as citizens of this land. We must speak out against what is unjust and unfair.

Take the case of the United States. It is supposed to be a world power. It has a strong military. It has all kinds of missiles. It has financial power and political power. But you see what is happening to the US today; it has a debt of more than US$3 trillion. No way they can settle that. But because the rest of the world do nothing to challenge the US domination, they continue to lord it over the world - especially Third World countries and countries in the Middle East. At least in those days there were the USSR and China. But now Russia and China more or less pander to the will of the US. All now bow down to the US. As a result, the US gets away with all kinds of things and do what they like in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is free to threaten countries like Syria and Iran and others who refuse to acknowledge that US is boss. It ignores the UN with impunity. Why? Because we have failed in our responsibility. Collectively, we have failed to rein in a fellow country and have allowed it to become the bully that it is now.

the Sun: So what you are saying is that in any system - domestic or international - there is a need for a Hang Jebat?Absolutely.

Kassim: There must always be Hang Jebats - people who can think independently and who are willing to act to overcome the iniquities in the system. These are things like abuse of power, corruption, inefficiency and overspending. These things are in our country too. But not enough people are speaking up. That's why we are doomed. I am rather apprehensive of the immediate future.

the Sun: So are you a Hang Jebat?

Kassim: You see, what is society? A Greek philosopher says that the only constant is change. And you have to keep up with the changes. Some of these changes you help to make. You have to engineer the changes and cope with them. Take Vision 2020 for instance. We are half way through already. You know that in order to be a developed country by then we have to have 7% economic growth every year. Now we are around 5%. The forecast for next year is not so good. So how can we be a developed nation economically by 2020? OK, that's first.

Secondly, can Malaysia be a developed nation socially and morally by then? Everyday we read about crime - various types of crime. So people should review this long-term plan. The Umno general assembly should do it. Maybe, (we can) have an EGM for the purpose.

the Sun: But the AGM is just over.

Kassim: I know, but they did not talk about this. Instead they talked about the New Economic Policy. That is the past. More than 30 years had been expended on it. You know, in a generational perspective, if you cannot achieve the objectives of a plan or scheme within a generation, there is something wrong with its implementation. To have it again means you may just repeat all the wrong steps.

the Sun: So what you are saying is that the revival of the NEP or the implementation of its revival under the New National Agenda is unnecessary. Because there is no guarantee that in 15 years the bumiputras will own 30% of the national economic cake. Is that it?

Kassim: Yes. Before you embark on a new stage, you must examine the past - whether or not you have actually put your best efforts to achieve the previous objectives. Everyone knows of the political corruption in Umno. Everybody knows of abuses of power in government and the country's administration. Why don't Umno discuss this rationally and try to remedy these problems quickly. Otherwise, why talk about a new initiative when it is going to face the same problems - corruption and abuses of power?

So what is to be done now? The next general assembly is a year away. By that time the new initiative may have already started.Our people, our media, those who write for the media in whatever form must call on the government to have a mid-term review of the long-term objectives like Vision 2020. There must be several seminars nationwide to have a look at the strategies to achieve the objectives. We don't want another long-term plan to continue it after 2020 because the objectives have not been achieved.

In fact in a recent seminar on media organised by Utusan Melayu at Universiti Sains Malaysia, one participant rebuked the media for failing to bring to light the problems faced by the country in implementing Vision 2020. But the media are not doing this. This speaks poorly of our editors. They play safe so that they can continue with the perks and the comfort provided by their positions. So they do not tell the truth. It is like the story of the Titanic - they believed that nothing could happen to the ship, that it was a ship that water will not come through. The makers and the owners said that it was unsinkable. The captain believed it and everyone else believed it too. How arrogant! So we must not be like the people on the Titanic.

The government should be brave enough to tell Malaysians to provide feedback on the implementation of the plan thus far. It must say "tell us the truth, please". And it must be far-sighted and magnanimous enough to accept the views and criticisms of the rakyat voiced through the various organisations and seminars.

the Sun: This idea of developed status, how do you define it? Malaysia is trying to achieve this status in 2020. Selangor is going to declare that it is already a developed state. What do you think of the official definition?

Kassim: Yes, I raised this very question in my paper at the Utusan Melayu-USM seminar. I asked whether Malaysia is going to be developed in the way the US and Britain are developed. I said I do not think many people would like that. I know I would not like that.

The US, for instance, has the highest rate of crime in the world. Is that maju? And it goes and invade other countries just because it has the power to do so - completely ignoring the voices of the UN and the other countries. Is that maju? Civilised?

Maju means well-off in all aspects - economically, politically, materially, morally, spiritually. People are intellectually advanced. We have to discuss this. Together we must come up with a proper definition and objectives, and then work towards them together.

the Sun: Are you suggesting that this definition of maju and the objectives were not exhaustively discussed before Vision 2020 was launched?

Kassim: It was launched by former PM Tun Mahathir Mohamad.With due respect to Mahathir - I like him and agree with many of the things that he did and said - but when he first unveiled this project Vision 2020, a major national plan, he presented it to a group of business people. This was in 1991. He should have presented it to Parliament or even to the Umno general assembly first. This is a major political programme which should involve everyone - everyone's input. For it to be really successful, it must involve everyone's effort.

the Sun: You mean we should have all been consulted?

Kassim: Absolutely. But no. Why? Because this country is still feudal. We have feudal leaders who prefer to talk down to the rakyat. Top down. Everything is done through rulings from the top. It should be both ways - top down and down up, or down up and top down. Consultative. In the case of Vision 2020, there was no consultation at all. I think for all major programmes, the people must be consulted. Thus today - after 15 years - we are still not quite sure what we mean by maju or what the government means by maju.

the Sun: But don't you think we are already there economically and materially? Maybe not morally. But how do you define maju morally?

Kassim: Even economically and materially, there are many aspects which are not very satisfactory. Just look at the public transport system. Is it satisfactory? Our roads are congested. Our roads in the housing estates are also congested. Penang is worst because it is a small island. How are you going to resolve this? Everyone knows that with proper public transport, families will not rush to buy cars. With fewer cars, the roads will not be so congested.
Education is another example we have to look at. As it is, our education system is in a mess.

the Sun: Why do say that it is in a mess?

Kassim: You do not have to go far. Just look at the unemployment among graduates for instance. About 80,000. Even if it were just 18,000 [as one minister had suggested], it is still a huge figure. It should not happen. How can you have graduates not employed? It does not make sense. Because graduates are supposed to be the cream of the nation. There must be plenty of places that need their knowledge, skills or ability. So for these graduates not to be employed, there must be something seriously wrong. Something wrong with them or the institutions that produce them. Something wrong with the curriculum at these institutions. Something wrong with the policies that decided the contents of curriculum. Maybe even something wrong with education from the primary to the secondary schools before these graduates even entered the universities or colleges.

Nobody seemed to be concerned. Just like nobody seemed to be concerned about all manner of Islamisation that is going on in the schools and elsewhere.

the Sun: But the trend towards Islamisation is the result of what was going on outside the country. It entered the country as part of the Islamic revival movement. Do you think we should have better control of what is happening here?

Kassim: To me, this latest trend in Islam does not make sense. Islam is not in the tudung or the scarf or hijab or even in the skull cap. Islam is in the mind and the heart. Do you understand what Islam means? Do you understand what tauhid means? And their implications? Is not telling the truth one aspect of tauhid? How many people in Malaysia are telling the truth? How many people in Malaysia are just in their actions? If we are not truthful and if we are unjust, then we are far away from practising Islam no matter how completely women wrap themselves up in order not be ogled at by men or how big the turbans the men wear. As has been said often, it is the form that matters.

the Sun: So in your view, it is the form that is stressed most in the religious education of our children. The real substance of Islam - telling the truth and being just - is not stressed at all.

Kassim: Yes. Everything is form. Reciting the prayers before lessons and after lessons in the classroom are just forms. They are mindless recitations. Much of what is being taught is not true Islam. True Islam, if taught properly, would develop Muslims to be wholesome, kind and well-mannered people committed to truth, fairplay and justice. Do you have many of such Muslims around in this country? Not many religious teachers speak about the purpose of prayer as being to develop a Muslim to be a good person. That is the main purpose. Of course, it is submission to God, and in submitting to Him you follow all that He wants you to do and to refrain from doing those things He doesn't want you to do. But is this emphasized in school? And in all this, and above all else, is honesty emphasized. A person must be able to honestly say that he submits to his God.

the Sun: Talking about honesty, do you think all of us can honestly say that we accept this concept of Malaysia as a multi-racial nation and are doing everything we can to make this country a truly multiracial one?

Kassim: I do believe that our multi-racial people can live in peace and harmony, but our peaceful and harmonious condition is more apparent than real. I wish it were real. To achieve that reality, there must be more economic and social justice and government and its institutions must be run on the basis of consultation with the people so as to ensure their maximum support and so as to ensure they are free from corruption and abuse of power. All levels of people must be consulted, all races and groups must be consulted.

As I said earlier, there must be as wide a consultation as possible whenever the country is embarking on some major effort or decision. You have to do that because you want people - all people - to support you. You can be sure that your policy will be truly successful if everyone supports you. You don't want some people successful if everyone supports you. You don't want some people to say "ah, that will benefit only the Malays, why should I support it". You must explain the policy to as wide an audience as possible and try to convince them that what is about to be done is the right thing. There must be discussion. And, of course, this will take time. But in the end, it is the only effective way of doing things because it is accepted by most Malaysians. So that is very important.

Second, of course, our economy. Our economists, people in Bank Negara and most national experts are of the view that all is well with our economy. Without going into detail, after 48 years of Merdeka, we still see in our newspapers reports and pictures of people living in run-down and dilapidated houses, old people without support, families in abject poverty. How can this be? And we say our economy is fine. How can this be if these situations still exist. What are the welfare departments doing? What are the branches of the various parties doing? What are Umno branches doing? What are the imams of the mosques doing? What is the zakat section of the religious departments doing?

That these things are still there shows all these organisations are not doing their work. Even if our economy is truly sound, if these organisations are not doing their work, it will give an impression that our economy is not truly sound. We can only say that our economy is truly sound when there is no unemployment. We have been talking mostly about unemployment among graduates but what about unemployment at all levels? If people are not employed, they will resort to other means to survive.

This will cause the crime rate to shoot up. It is a challenge to their morality. How to live morally if you have no jobs.

the Sun: Is the Malaysia of today what you would have liked to see when you first entered politics? Is it a nation yet?

Kassim: Not at all. I want a Malaysia united and free, and free from poverty and free from corruption and injustices. That is not utopian. I believe it can be achieved, given the right politico-economic doctrines.

the Sun: You wrote the book Hadith: A Re-Evaluation and caused a national uproar. One by one, the various states in Malaysia banned the book. How did you take the decision?

Kassim: I did not expect such an uproar, but I took it philosophically. I see it as a sure sign that today's Muslims are almost beyond redemption. In the last few years, it is the Americans who are coming (in the most civilised way) to teach the Muslims how to live in a more civilised way. Did anybody expect that to happen?

the Sun: Had this book been written today, do you think it would have received the same fate, considering that Islam Hadhari is being promoted now?

Kassim: Islam Hadhari is a political strategy - just as progressive Islam is among Muslim progressives - to surmount the difficulties posed by Islam under the control of the ulama class. It will not work. My book would have been banned just the same. It would be worse, because then Tun Dr Mahathir was at least intellectually on my side. The present prime minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is much more accommodating to the ulama class. I am fearful of the immediate future of our country.

the Sun: Now these two things that you have done - promoting the idea that there should be more Hang Jebats in society and your call that the reports on the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad should be re-evaluated - have sort of defined you. Basically what you are saying is that you must speak up against corruption, abuse of power and unjust practices and that Muslims must take another look at the existing collection of reports of the words and deeds of the Prophet. Am I correct?

Kassim: I am sad that people associate me with being anti-hadith. That is not the reaction I expected when I wrote the book. That is not the reason for writing the book. I am not anti-hadith, just as I am not anti-Greek philosophy or Chinese philosophy or modern Western philosophy, for that matter. You see the title of the book is A Re-Evaluation. Every Muslim knows that the hadith or reports were collected by people like Muslim, Buhkari and the others 250 years or more after Prophet Muhammad's death. You see hadith means report. So when you talk of hadith you are talking about the reports on the words and doings of the Prophet Muhammad. But most people forgot about the report part of it. They think hadith means words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. That itself is a major error already. A report and what actually happened are two different things.

You see all these reports were collected between 250 and 300 years after the death of the Prophet. Some of these reports were written down informally by companions of the Prophet while he was still alive for their own reference. Some were verbal ones passed down by word of mouth by these companions to their children and their descendants.

But when one of the Imams, Shafie, came out with a fatwa that the traditions must be accepted as part of the sources of jurisprudence for the guidance of the Muslims, the decision was made to collect them. Hundreds of thousands of reports or hadith were discovered. Some were authentic and many were evidently not.

So collectors like Muslim, Bukhari, Tarmizi and others had to sift through them and verify them and then included in their collections. Only those they confirmed were authentic.Yes. Bukhari, for instance, collected about 600,000 reports or hadith. He only accepted 6,000 of them as authentic - about 1 percent of the total number that he managed to collect. He rejected 99 percent. So you can say that he is among the first to evaluate and re-evaluate the collection of hadith. So you can actually say that he is the first anti-hadith scholar. And there were the other collectors. Those considered authentic form part of our sources of law and how we are to do things.

the Sun: And the reason for writing that book on Hadith: A Re-Evaluation is to call for another re-evaluation of those hadith that are now our sources. Is it because you feel that re-evaluation is necessary after more than a thousand years?

Kassim: Yes. Even our laws are reviewed from time to time. Our constitution is all the time under review. The reports or hadith are not sacrosanct. They are not the words of God. Only the Quran is the word of God. It is universal. In the case of the Quran, the actual text cannot be reviewed but their translation or interpretation can and should be revised. This is because knowledge is not static. It is always developing. The Quran speaks about the splitting of the atom when for a long time the atom was accepted as the smallest part of any substance.

the Sun: So what you are saying is that after so many years there need to be a re-evaluation or revision of our traditional sources and also the tafsir, exegesis and interpretations of the Quran.

Kassim: Many of them were written more than a thousand years ago and we need to revise them in the light of changes happening in the world. You should not fear doing this because the Quran, being the word of God, is not in contradiction with the truth - universal truth, the scientific truth. If you find contradictions, then your understanding of the Quran is at fault. It is also said that if you find contradictions between the two unviersal books, then your understanding of them is at fault. The two universal books are the Quran and the unwritten Book of Nature. Both being the work of God, they cannot contradict each other.

the Sun: So were you surprised that there was opposition to your call for a re-evaluation of not only the hadith but also the various interpretations and tafsir of the Quran?

Kasiim: No. It was only to be expected. I would be surprised if there was no opposition. Pleasantly, maybe, as there is then hope for us all if there was no opposition. And this is not just here but elsewhere too. So it is sad for the Muslim ummah.

Look at the ummah everywhere. The conditions of the Muslims everywhere cannot be worse. In fact, the Muslims do not matter anymore. They do not impact anything anymore. They do not decide anymore. The Americans make decisions about the Muslims without even considering their views and their feelings. You can see this happening in the Middle East, for instance in Afghanistan and in Iraq. The reasons this is happening is that Muslims are weak. They are weak because they think according to interpretations made a thousand years ago. They were the guiding lights then. But when the world moved on, they stayed where they were. Their thinking remained where it was. So that is the Muslim's fault.

the Sun: But some people are saying, how can we reject the hadith? If we reject the hadith, we cannot worship God the way we do now. Because how we worship God is contained only in the hadith.

Kassim: I too thought like that once. But you will be surprised that some details of how we worship God are in the Quran, like how to clean ourselves. Other than that, like how many bows and prostrations are not specified. But then these were already customary ways of performing prayer even before Prophet Muhammad's time. Prophet Isa did similar bowing and prostrating. In fact, Prophet Muhammad was praying that way already even before he was called to the prophethood. He was, in fact, one of the many hanif - the descendents of those practicing the religion of Prophet Abraham. So the manner and ways of praying were one of the many hanif - the descendants of those practising the religion of Prophet Abraham. So the manner and way of worshipping and praying, and even fasting, were already established during the time of Prophet Abraham. All the prophets, ending with Muhammad, performed their prayers the way Abraham did. And today's Muslims perform their prayers the same way. Except that many Muslims today observe more the form of prayer but not the spirit. Thus, it can be said the Muslims have lost the true prayer.

the Sun: So do you think there is a possibility your book will no longer be banned one of these days?

Kassim: Maybe 10 or 20 years down the road it will be accepted as Muslims become freer from the control of their ulama. Already, in many parts of the Muslim world, a few scholars are calling for the review and re-evaluation. Presently, the majority of the Muslims still are under the control of the ulama. It is like an institution of priesthood now. As everyone knows, there is no priesthood or clergy in Islam. So how can this be? Anyway, let me tell you one anecdote regarding my book. It had even been translated into English and was published in Tucson in the US. I went to Europe last year to visit my daughter and later also to London where I have friends in some universities. So I ordered five of the books from Tucson. I was surprised when our customs refused to allow the books in.

the Sun: What do you think about Umno's promotion of Malaysia as "Negara Islam"?

Kassim: This is another political strategy, to beat PAS's growing influence among the Malays at that time. True Islamic teachings can be the basis of a new political-economic doctrine that the present bankrupt neo-liberal world needs. Our thinkers should think along the line.

the Sun: There was a proposal earlier this year for the setting up of an interfaith commission but it was shot down mostly because of objections from the Muslims. Do you think it should have been allowed?

Kassim: It was not shot down by the Muslims. Some Muslim organisations like Sisters-in-Islam and Forum Iqra', my organisation, were on the organising committee. It was opposed by those Muslims under the dictatorship of the ulama class. My view is that it should have been allowed. Islam Hadhari, with its progressive principles, should have allowed it. It would have been a good platform for inter-faith discussion, debate and cooperation. That is a good forum where you can discuss many things, many problems between the practitioners of the various faith.

the Sun: Generally are you saying that our ulama are stumbling block to change and progress?

Kassim: Yes, they are. Now who are they? An alim is an expert - an expert in anything. So an engineer is an alim. Plural for alim is ulama. So a group of engineers can be referred to as ulama. A group of doctors are ulama.

But what has happened is that in our country those teaching religion, religious officials, mosque officials, those who read the prayers or doa at functions are referred to as ulama. They have hijacked the term for themselves. These are people whose source of knowledge are books written a thousand of years ago. And they are the ones guiding us now.

Fri, 19 Aug 2005

Kassim Ahmad and Hang Jebat
Nurture Our Hang Jebats -Readers’ Responses

Dear Dr. Bakri Musa, Assalamu alaikum
It is a pity that most thinking Malaysian Muslims who write, reside abroad! I enjoy reading your essays. I see that you are using the Internet to spread your word.
When I read your Hang Jebat piece, it looked like a necrology and I became anxious lest Pak Kassim had passed away. Only when I read the last paragraph, in which you state that Kassim is still writing, was I relieved! It took some time for me to gather enough courage to phone him. I would rather visit him in Penang, but I am unable to leave Klang Valley for the time being. Over the phone, his daughter Soraya assured me that he is still kicking, although not quite in shape.
You do not give your year of birth, but I gather that you may be a product of the Co-prosperity Sphere and the Second World War and that you eventually chose to settle down in the Love/Hate country of USA.
It was only in 1994 that I came in contact with Pak Kassim. That was when he founded the Jemaah al-Quran Malaysia, which the authorities denied registration as a society. That was also the year when Othman Ali published his Bacaan (Readings), which the Muslim Mafia succeeded in banning. Some years later, Pak Kassim managed to register his Forum Iqra’ as a company. I like Pak Kassim very much, because he talks clearly and articulates well, contrary to most other Malays. His logic is something like this: A stone cannot fly; Granny cannot fly; ergo Granny is a stone!
His main point is for Muslims to go back to the Quran or Balik ke pangkal jalan (Return to the sourcce). I have always opposed to the latter. How can you go back to a place where you have never been? To the former I say, fine, but in practice, it means that you go back to some interpretations that may not be correct. I ended up provoking him: There is no need to go back instead we should go ahead towards Allah! That by definition is not scientific, as science is based on the non-existence of God.
Nonetheless, we got on very well. It is a pity that we both are close to leave this world for the hereafter.
Let us hope that Pak Kassim will continue to write.
Wassalam,
Noh
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Dear Bakri:

Are those who are already successful sincere enough to mentor, nurture and empower the emerging talent? We need an institution for the gifted, talented and exceptional students, a braintrust comprising of experts, researchers, scientists, engineers and surgeons (?) from all over the world. They need not necessarily have to relocate to Malaysia. Those who want to live in sunny California may continue to do so, but they can still serve Malaysia. We must create our own high quality diaspora that can propel and sustain us.
Warm regards,
Rizal Ishak
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Dr. Bakri Musa,

Your article must have stirred the hornet's nest! Bees and wasps are likely to be buzzing and stinging those who support one or the other. Your reasoning means that those who idolize Hang Tuah may have to reverse gear and turn to Hang Jebat as the real hero.
Those who curry favor to the powers-that-be and those who wield power will win goodies in the short-term, while those who dare raise their voices in the name of justice and fairplay may be consigned to the dungeons. History shows that truth will always prevail in the end. It requires sustained power to endure the jeers and boos of the present generation of sycophants, just as the gladiators who were thrown to the lions had to fend for themselves, while the kings, queens and nobles of yore treated the spectacle as sports for their entertainment. Samson had to suffer humiliations after being betrayed by Delilah. Truth will always prevail!
In this regard, we must take off our hats to the present Prime Minister for revealing the names of the Approve Permit holders. If there is nothing to hide, then reveal the list completely. There should not be any fear if the revelation causes some to blush.
Best regards,
S. H. Huang
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Dear Bakri:
Thank you very much for your update on Kassim Ahmad. I am a fan of his writings and have menggeledah (prowled) many bookshops to find his books but there are none available. Thanks for his blog address. I will now get a chance to read his writings once again. Has he any publications in English?
It is vey true that Malay intellectuals do not get the acknowledgement and rewards due to them.

Hj.Mohamed Iqbal
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Rizal Ishak writes:
One cannot help but to adore Noam Chomsky. The New Straits Times and the other local papers should summarise his writings for their readers. Tis would be a great way to educate the average reader about world affairs. He gives incisive, insightful and compelling arguments. No doubt Kassim Ahmad is isolated while Chomsky actually gets grants from the US government including the Departmetn of Defence ce. The US is far more mature at handling such dissent, and this is good.
We just have to stomach this crude and primitive knee jerk behaviour every so often as illustrated by the recent Approved Permit scandal. Will the average Negri boy get a piece of this? Does it help being the “son of the soil?”
Warm regards,
Rizal Ishak
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From Malaysia-Today.net
Jacque A. H. writes:
l have not heard about Kassim Ahmad but l have of the 1960’s “Pop Yeh Yeh” singer Kassim Selamat. Was it not him who sang that song “La Obe” and “Ngalompak,” and “A Go Go?” My brothers and sisters would go banana when they heard these songs.
I will read with interest about Kassim Ahmad. I also think that Hang Jebat should be the hero, not Hang Tuah. So in that respect, both Kassim and I have something in common.

Gerakilat writes:
For those who do not know who Kassim Ahmad is, here are some details:
He was a former lecturer in Malay Studies at the University of Malaya, Chairman of Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia, and also a one-time ISA detainee at Kamunting (together with Abdullah Ahmad (Dollah Kok Lans)Syed Husin and others) in the late 70s. Kassim contested several times under PSRM ticket in the general elections but lost to UMNO candidates. He came very close to defeating UMNO’s Shamsuri in Balik Pulau in 1978 (?) general election.
Kassim a hardcore socialist, once wrote a controversial book on the Hadith. He joined UMNO in the 1980s after Mahathir became Prime Minister. The reason he gave was that despite being a socialist, he admired Mahathir’s the “Bersih, Cekap, Amanah” (Clean, Efficient and Trustworthy) commitment. Kassim however was not fully accepted in UMNO because of his socialist leanings. He has kept a low profile since then.

Baju writes:
Kassim Ahmad is not the intellect this author makes him to be. In fact Kassim’s grasp of hadith as espoused in his book “Hadis: Satu Penilian Semula” is minimal, rustic and rudimentary. (Oh yes, I have read it in Malay before it was supposed to have been banned! Was it actually banned? I wonder!
His arguments are not original. They were the views of the orientalists. Since most Malays are not well read, he thought that by bringing forth those arguments they may confound the readers. The issues he raised have all been addressed by other Muslim writers in the past. I am surpised that M Bakri Musa is so taken with Kassim’s arguments on the hadith. This shows how shallow Bakris’ understanding of the subject.
This is not the place to go throught what Kassim wrote. I have previously argued publicly (during a wedding reception) with Kassim. He was not even able to answer my questions! Kassim is an ex-communist (socialist, what is the difference?) and I wonder if he had ever discarded this.
It is suprising that Kassim Ahmad actually believe in the existence of Tuah and Jebat (I believe that Hikayat Hang Tuah is nothing more than dongeneg kisah kisah lama [old fiction]).
I have also read Bakri’s book, The Malay Dilemma Revisited. I find it very interesting except where he writes about Islam. This is where I believe the author “Tersungkur Di Pintu Syurga” (stuck at Heaven’s Gate). In his book, Bakri speaks well of Kassim Ahmad, Sisters in Islam. Bakri aslo commented that most ulama currently lack modern knowledge and thus should not be taken seriously. This is also the typical view of Marina Mahathir and her cohorts’ arguments.
If only these people were to learn Arabic( it takes full 1-2 years to get to know it ) and start reading the books of Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn Qayyim , Ibn Kathir, Al Quthubi, Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani, Sheih Albani, Sheikn Ibn Uthaimin etc….would they realize that there is such a vast knowledge there untapped and these people would have then be completely refreshed with the pristine knowledge of Islam.
Alas these would rather take knowledge from people who are hostile to Islam. The scholars I have mentioned above are so good in their wrting that one would have easily answered any major controversies raised by these orientalist by reading their books. By the way, many of their books are yet to betranslated in English although the Indonesians have started to translate many of Ibn Qayiim’s books in Indonesia.
Kassim Ahmad may be a Malay dongeng lama (old fiction) specialist but he certainly is no intellect when it comes to islam and his writing of it is not worth the “daki” (dirst) that is stuck in between the toes of the those writers that I have mentioned above.
Kassim should have just remained a “panglipulara kontemporar” (contemporary storyteller) by indulging in Hang Tuah, Jebat, Puteri Gunug Ledang etc. rather than wasting other people’s time to analyse of his worthless writing about Islam which certainly is dangkal (mischievious)and bucolic.
Bakri should have been more careful in his assessing of people such as Kassim Ahmad.
-------------------
Jacque A.H. said:

Honestly, not many people know anything about Kassim Ahmad. As l said, personally l have never heard of him.
It is quite interesting to find out about his thinking but it does not mean that we all have to follow his ideology. We have to follow the norm.
Communism and socialism (correct me if l am wrong; there is a difference between the two – Communism is a hardcore socialism). Many people say the Labour Party (in UK and elsewhere ) is a right wing socialist party and most Brits now support it. It fights for social justice and equality. Communism in some part of the world would not even allow freedom of religion. One example is in Azerbadjan. Many citizens there who were once Muslims now have no faith. They may have Muslim names but they are not practicing Islam at all. How sad!
Communism is more of a control freak if you know what l mean.
As for Islam, there is only one Islam, the one taught by our Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. We are his followers and we should follow his teachings together with the Al-Quran, hadeeths and sunnah.
In the Holly Book Al Quran, Allah states, “This day l have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Al-Maa’idah : versus 5:3)
-------
Peter said:
Bakri Musa:
Thanks for introducing the work of Kassim Ahmad to us. I did not know him then but I know him now.
Baju writes:
Great to know that we have someone like you who have a complete opposite point of view, someone who disagrees with Kassim. I respect your constructive writing, as a rebuttal Bakri’s endorsement of Kassim. There is one thing about your writing that shows your shallowness when you said that there is no difference between socialism and communism. To explain to you here will take too long, instead I will demonstarte to you the difference, then the rest you can read up yourself since you are quite a reader.
Many people think that Ernesto Che Guevara was a Communist. The truth is, he was never a communist,instead he was always a socialist.
To Bakri, can you please tell us how do we get hold on Kassim's Perwatakan Hikayat Hang Tuah on the internet? Or where we can buy one? I would like to read it.
Even when I was kid watching P Ramlee potraying Hang Tuah and all the sejarah books I read, I always thought that Jebat was a hero, not Tuah. I did not know why I thought then that Jebat was a hero, but now I know and will know better maybe after I read Kassim’s Pewatakan.
And Baju, Hikayat Tuah and Jebat were not DONGENG. These people existed in the past. Itwas dongeng because people made it to be.

Geekpuk2 said:
Even as a primary school kid I realized that Hang Tuah is a douchebag and a simpleton. Jebat is my hero. He gets to kick the Sultan’s arse off his own palace and fuck around with the Sultan’s numerous gundiks.
His actions sure had the Malay world upside down. This from a time when Sultans were considered keramat or had daulat powers or white-blooded because they are so pure.
Hidup Jebat!!

Dissent said:
To nurture the Hang Jebat types is real easy Mr. Musa Al Bakri, we need
the “Bill of Rights” ala United States. The question is how to get it.
Lee Kuan Yew, Dr. Mahathir and other Asian leaders opposed. To them, it is community first. Does community oppose the right to speak freely, freedom of speech, and due process? Is ISA is a proper tool? How about an independant judiciary?
These rights are citizens rights. Freedom to speech, thinking and expression is like breathing fresh air, a neccessity. It is to protect citizens from the government. Being a dissenter does not mean that a person is a traitor or bad person rather as someone offering an alternative view.
By having those rights we will create rennaissance. Dissent is an important part of being a man.
One of these days before I die, I wish to see Malaysia Bastille Day. Get rid of these self serving bigshot bastards (too many of them) in the government. Hang em High. Some justify their snobbish and ridiculous statements in the name of protecting and promoting the Malay agenda. I feel like they are joining the devil when they are in a position of power which they use to make money.
Helping people is the last thingon their agenda. Rule number 1: Give people crumbs, not piece of meat. Else they gonna demand more. If they need more, join the aristocracy class, meaning BN or the royals.

SEPARUH JALAN MENUJU WAWASAN 2020
(Kertas Kerja Seminar Media & Wawasan 2020
pada 1 & 2 Ogos, 2005)

Oleh: Kassim Ahmad

Seperti yang diketahui, perancangan jangka panjang untuk membangunkan Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara yang maju dari semua segi, material, moral dan spiritual, dicetuskan oleh bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad dalam ucapannya kepada Majlis Perdagangan Malaysia di Kuala Lumpur pada 28 Februari, 1991. Kertas yang bersejarah itu bertajuk “Malaysia – Melangkah Ke Hadapan” Inilah kali yang pertama seorang pemimpin negara kita memasukkan idea perancangan jangka panjang ke dalam agenda negara, walaupun sebelumnya kita sudah mempunyai perancangan tiap lima tahun dalam siri rancangan-rancangan Malaysia dari yang pertama pada 1965-1970 hingga sekarang memasuki Rancangan Malaysia Ke-9.

Tidak syak lagi, sebagai makhluk yang berakal, kita harus mempunyai impian untuk membangunkan negara dan masyarakat kita menjadi sebuah negara dan masyarakat yang baik, baik dalam ertikata ia aman, selamat, maju, makmur dan bahagia. Namun demikian, kita mempunyai masalah dengan istilah “negara maju” – apakah maknanya yang sebenar dan negara manakah yang boleh kita istilahkan sebagai maju?

Umumnya, Tun Dr. Mahathir mensasarkan negara-negara industri yang kaya, Amerika Syarikat, Britain, Perancis, Jerman, Itali dan Jepun sebagai negara-negara maju, dengan Keluaran Dalam Negeri Kasar (KDNK), pendapatan purata dan taraf hidup rakyat yang tinggi dengan sistem-sistem pendidikan, kesihatan, pengankutannya dan jalanrayanya yang baik. Tetapi kita tahu di semua negara ini pengangguran wujud dan golongan miskin juga wujud dengan sebilangan rakyat tidak mempunyai rumah untuk kediaman mereka. Kadar jenayah juga tinggi, seperti di Amerika Syarikat. Walaupun negara-negara ini mencatatkan pendapatan purata yang tertinggi dan tingkat kemajuan sains dan teknologi yang juga tertinggi, bolehkah kita istilahkan mereka sebagai negara maju, yang boleh menjadi contoh kepada kita?

Wajar sekali matlamat yang kita tujukan ialah kemajuan dari semua segi, bukan dari segi ekonomi atau material saja, tetapi juga dari segi-segi moral dan spiritual. Apakah yang kita maksudkan dengan kemajuan dari segi moral dan spiritual? Jawapan yang ringkas dalam bahasa Quran ialah kita menjadi manusia yang sanggup memperjuangkan kebaikan dan melarang kejahatan[1] dan bahawa kita menjadi manusia yang sanggup memaafkan kesalahan dan kesilapan dan memikirkan tentang bagaimana hendak mencari kebaikan.[2] Dari segi ini, walaupun kita tidak berhasrat untuk memberi angka yang banyak (kerana angka boleh dipilih-pilih dan mengelirukan), nyatalah masyarakat kita telah merosot. Kejadian jenayah telah meningkat dan keselamatan dan ketenteraman telah mengurang.

Ini satu masalah besar. Mengapakah kemajuan dari segi ekonomi dan material tidak seimbang dengan kemajuan dari segi moral dan spiritual? Keadaan ini bukan saja terdapat di negara kita, tetapi terdapat di seluruh dunia. Kita mesti mencari jawapan kepada masalah ini dan semak semula sistem kehidupan kita sekarang.

Untuk menjawab soalan ini, kita kena siasat wujud berapa sistem hidup dalam dunia dan sistem manakah yang harus kita pilih. Quran memberitahu kita bahawa dalam kehidupan manusia dalam semua zaman wujud sistem “jalan yang lurus” dan sistem-sistem yang menyeleweng.[3] Umpamnya, pada zaman silam, Firaun atau Raja Mesir yang memerintah dalam zaman Nabi Musa, Ramses II, ialah seorang pemerintah yang sangat zalim. Ia menindas rakyatnya dan melakukan kezaliman terhadap mereka. Nabi Musa dan pengikut-pengikutnya bangun untuk menentang raja yang zalim ini. Akhirnya, raja ini tenggelam dalam Laut Merah. Dalam zaman Nabi Muhammad di Semenanjung Arab, suatu kumpulan oligarki (kaum Kuraisy) memerintah suku-suku Arab dengan zalim juga dan Nabi Muhammad dan pengikut-pengikutnya bangun untuk melawan sistem oligarki Arab ini hingga mereka menang dan mewujudkan sebuah pemerintahan yang adil di bawah pimpinan Nabi Muhammad. Demikianlah dalam dunia lama, dua kumpulan, kaum oligarki bertarung dengan kaum humanis atau republikan (untuk menggunakan istilah politik-falsafah moden) untuk menguasai dan membangunkan masyarakat.

Zaman moden, iaitu zaman sains dan teknologi menentukan kehidupan manusia, sebenarnya bermula dengan kebangkitan Nabi Muhammad dan gerakan agama-politik-falsafahnya.[4] Tetapi oleh kerana gerakan kebangkitan Arab ini tidak boleh bertahan lama, kerana penyelewengannya dari “jalan yang lurus”, maka ia diganti oleh Europah dalam abad ke-16. Sejak itu, dunia dikuasai oleh tamadun Eropah, dan zaman moden dikira dari tarikh kebangkitan Eropah.

Sepertimana dalam semua tamadun, tamadun Eropah mengandungi dua kecenderungan atau potensi: kecenderungan kepada sistem oligarki (feudal-kolonial-kapitalis) dan kecenderungan kepada sistem humanis-republikan. Kecenderungan pertama telah membawa Eropah sebagai kaum penjajah yang menjajah seluruh dunia, dan kecenderungan kedua telah membawa budaya humanis-republikan ke seluruh dunia. Penulis Melayu yang terkenal dalam abad ke-19, Abdullah Munsyi, yang kerapkali dianggap pro-penjajah oleh sesetengah masyarakat kita, hendaklah dilihat sebagai hasil budaya humanis-republikan Eropah ini dengan fikirannya yang anti-feudal dan anti fahaman agama jumud.[5]

Malaya dan kemudian Malaysia merdeka lahir dari sistem liberal atau neo-liberal Inggeris dan sistem feudal kesultananan Melayu. Sistem liberal ini berasal dari falsafah ekonomi-politik Syarikat Inggeris Timur India (British East India Company) dan Syarikat Belanda Timur India (Dutch East India Company). Falsafah inilah yang melahirkan sistem ekonomi kapitalis dan sistem penjajahan Eropah di Asia dan Afrika. Falsafah ini membuat anggapan bahawa, berdasarkan sifat tamak seorang individu, ia akan berusaha untuk kepentingan dirinya dan, dengan itu, melalui mekanisma persaingan, akan mencipta kebaikan untuk umum. Inilah teori dan falsafah liberal yang, sejak Keynes, dengan menambah konsep kebajikan, bertukar menjadi neo-liberal. Dalam persaingan dan pertembungannya dengan sistem komunisme-Marxis, sistem neo-liberal ini telah menang dengan kejatuhan Kesatuan Rusia Soviet pada 1989-90. Francis Fukuyama telah merayakan kejatuhan ini dengan bukunya yang bertajuk The End of History and The Last Man (1992).
Sistem ini juga sarat dengan kontardiksi dalamannya yang tidak terungkai – kontradiksi antara kepentingan individu dengan kepentingan kolektif. Segelintir golongan yang terlalu kaya di Amerika Syarikat, Eropah dan Jepun wujud di samping jutaan manusia yang miskin dan kebulur di Afrika dan di poket-poket di Asia. Pengangguran bahkan wujud di negara-negara kaya A.S., Eropah dan Jepun. Sistem ini juga, seperti sistem komunis dulu, akan hancur kerana kontradiksi dalaman ini. Tanda-tandanya, kebangkarutan Orange County, keruntuhan LTCM (Long Term Credit Management), dan kejatuhan syarikat-syarikat gergasi Enron dan General Motors, telah pun kita lihat, menunjukkan bahwa yang kita hadapi bukan putaran kembang-kuncup yang lalu-lalu, tetapi keruntuhan sistem itu seluruhnya.

Malaysia sebagian dari sistem neo-liberal ini dan kita terima dan bersetuju dengan falsafah ekonomi neo-liberal. Falsafah ini tidak bertujuan untuk membangunkan manusia sebagai khalifah yang bersifat moral atau spiritual. Sebaliknya, ia memupuk haiwan yang rakus yang mahu membolot kuasa dan kekayaan untuk diri dan kumpulannya – pendek kata, kaum oligarki.

Lima atau enam dekad dulu, Malaysia sebagian dari Asia yang bergelora dengan semangat nasionalisme anti-kolonial. Seluruh rakyat Asia bangun untuk menuntut kemerdekaan dari kuasa-kuasa penjajah Eropah: Inggeris, Belanda dan Perancis. Tenaga-tenaga nasionalis anti-kolonial Asia ini terbahagi kepada banyak jalur, dari kiri ke kanan. Ada jalur komunis, ada jalur sosialis, ada jalur agama dan ada jalur liberal. Dalam keadaan-keadaan tertentu, mereka bersatu, seperti di Vietnam. Dalam keadaan-keadaan tertentu, mereka berpecah, seperti di Malaysia. Kejatuhan sistem komunis di Rusia, Eropah Timur dan di China menyebabkan sistem kapitalis-liberal menguasai ekonomi dunia dari Barat ke Timur dari dekad 90-an hingga sekarang. Pada waktu inilah Perdana Menteri Dr. Mahathir melancarkan gerakan Wawasan 2020 bagi Malaysia. Penekanan Dr. Mahathir tentang ekonomi, terasing dari kerangka sebuah falsafah ekonomi-politik yang sepadu, menyebabkan beliau mengabaikan faktor falsafah sebagai faktor penentu untuk membangunkan individu khalifah ini.

Kita tidak melupakan kemajuan yang telah dicapai oleh Malaysia di bawah pimpinan pragmatik Dr. Mahathir: menyatu-padukan rakyat berbilang bangsa dan agama, meningkatkan taraf hidup dan menurunkan kadar kemiskinan[6], meningkatkan ekonomi Malaysia menjadi sebuah ekonomi perindustrian; memasukkan teknologi-teknologi baru dan tinggi ke dalam ekonomi Malaysia; mencapai pertumbuhan ekonomi yang baik; mengawal inflasi; mengatasi dengan cepat krisis ekonomi tahun 1997-98; mengadakan prasarana pendidikan nasional, kesihatan awam dan jalanraya yang baik; dan mewujudkan suatu kumpulan pengusaha dan peniaga Melayu yang lebih besar. Ini semua boleh dikira sebagai pencapaian-pencapaian yang baik. Tidak banyak negara membangun yang bernasib baik seperti Malaysia.

Namun demikian, matlamat-matlamat kita untuk mencapai pembahagian pendapatan yang lebih adil dan mewujudkan sebuah masyarakat yang adil dan penyayang dengan nilai-nilai moral dan rohaniah yang tinggi masih jauh. Kemiskinan masih wujud. Rasuah makin menjadi-jadi. Kejadian ketagihan dadah di kalangan remaja teruk. Kejadian jenayah tidak mengurang, malah mungkin bertambah. Mengapakah wujud jurang antara kemajuan ekonomi dengan kemajuan dalam bidang-bidang moral dan spiritual?

Sebenarnya, kita mengamalkan sistem dualis dalam kehidupan kita: dari segi keduniaan kita dikandung falsafah neo-liberalisme; dari segi akhirat, kita mengamalkan fahaman Islam yang jumud dan beku. Oleh sebab itu wujud ketegangan antara golongan agama dengan golongan sekular. Apa yang sepatutnya berlaku ialah kesepaduan antara kedua-dua kehidupan ini supaya kehidupan kita menjadi satu kesepaduan yang harmonis.

Nyatalah bahawa fahaman yang menolak kehidupan dunia itu salah, kerana tanpa dunia, tidak akan ada akhirat. Dunia itu jembatan kepada akhirat. Sebelum kita boleh berbuat baik, yakni mengamalkan kehidupan bermoral, kita mesti hidup dalam dunia material tempat kita dilahirkan dulu, dan sebelum kita boleh hidup dalam alam spiritual dengan jiwa yang bersih, kita mesti melampaui dan menguasai jiwa yang “kotor” yang kita bawa dari dunia material yang awal. Ini bermakna kita sebenarnya hidup dalam dunia yang tunggal, tetapi dunia yang tunggal itu mempunyai jamak peringkat.

Inilah masalah kita. Dunia material kita ialah neo-liberalisme atau sistem kapitalis; dunia akhirat kita ialah Islam jumud atau Islam tradisional. Kita mesti cari dunia yang sah bagi kita, manusia rasional yang diciptakan Tuhan sebagai khalifah di dunia. Dunia yang sah ini, dalam istilah Quran, ialah “jalan yang lurus”. Apakah jalan yang lurus di antara jalan-jalan yang menyeleweng? Jawab Quran lagi, “bukan Timur, bukan Barat”[7] – cahaya Tuhan, dengan kata-kata lain, kebenaran. Inilah jalan yang harus kita cari dan ikut untuk menyudahkan perjalanan kita ke “negara maju”, yang lebih suka saya panggil “negara yang aman, selamat, adil, makmur dan bahagia”.

Orang skeptik, agnostik dan sinis akan mengatakan ini sebuah dunia utopia, sebuah impian yang tidak mungkin dicapai di dunia ini; ia hanya boleh dicapai di akhirat. Soalannya bukankah ini propaganda kaum oligarki untuk menghalalkan sistem penindasan mereka terhadap lapan puluh peratus rakyat biasa yang mereka tindas dan jadikan hamba? Apakah makna hidup jika kita tidak boleh berlaku adil terhadap satu sama lain, atau dengan perkataan lain, terhadap diri kita sendiri?[8]

Sudah tentu kita boleh mewujudkan sebuah dunia yang adil. Tidak ada sebab mengapa manusia tidak boleh mencapai matlamat dan impian lama ini. Malah pada masa-masa lampau, banyak masyarakat telah mencapai matlamat ini, seperti dalam zaman Nabi Muhammad dalam masyarakat Arab abad ketujuh. Dengan tahap kecapaian sains dan teknologi sekarang, menurut seorang ahli ekonomi A.S.,[9] kita boleh menampung kehidupan 25 bilion jiwa, sedangkan dunia sekarang hanya ada 6 bilion penduduk. Soalnya bukan sumber kehidupan yang terbatas, seperti yang didakwa oleh ahli-ahli ekonomi liberal, tetapi penggunaan sains dan teknologi untuk membaiki taraf hidup semua manusia, dan pembahagian sumber secara saksama dan adil. Yang perlu ialah kesedaran rakyat akan hak mereka untuk hidup sebagai makhluk yang mulia [10] dan khalifah di bumi ini.[11]

Yang menghalang kita mencapai matlamat ini ialah kaum oligarki. Siapakah kaum oligarki? Pada akhirnya mereka ini kita juga, seperti dalam kisah dua beradik anak Adam, Habil dan Qabil. Yang seorang membunuh yang lain, saudaranya sendiri, kerana hendakkan kuasa, pengaruh dan kemuliaan bagi dirinya saja.[12] Apakah ini sifat manusia semula jadi – “tamak” dan “jahat”? Inilah yang didakwa oleh ahli-ahli teori kaum oligarki. Adam Smith menunjuk kepada “tangan yang tersembunyi” (the invisible hand). Kita tidak mempunyai alasan untuk mengatakan wujud sesuatu yang boleh kita namakan human nature atau fitrah manusia. Apa yang boleh kita buktikan ialah wujud dua kecenderungan dalam diri manusia: kecenderungan ke arah kebaikan dan kecenderungan ke arah kejahatan. Manusia bebas untuk memilih perbuatan atau nasibnya. Oleh sebab itu dia digelar khalifah. Dia raja. Yang akan menetukan pilihannya ialah akalnya dan jiwanya. Apabila jiwanya meningkat dari tahap kebinatangan ke tahap moral dan spiritual yang lebih tinggi, dia akan memilih yang baik dan lebih baik. Apabila jiwanya kekal pada tahap primitif kebinantangannya, dia akan memilih perbuatan yang selaras dengan jiwa primitif kebinatangan itu. Demikianlah Habil memilih untuk membunuh adik kandungnya Qabil kerana jiwa primitifnya mahukan demikian, tetapi dia tidak ditakdirkan membuah pilihan itu. Dia boleh memilih untuk bertindak adil kepada adiknya.

Makhluk haiwan tidak memiliki sifat kreatif ini. Hanya manusia memilikinya, kerana dia memiliki kuasa kreatif yang diberikan Tuhan kepadanya untuk menciptakan nasibnya sendiri.[13] Oleh sebab itu, dikatakan manusia hanya mendapat apa yang dia usahakan.[14] Jika dia mengusahakan kebaikan, dia akan mendapat kebaikan itu. Sebaliknya, jika dia mengusahakan kejahatan, dia akan mendapat kejahatan itu.

Pemimpin-pemimpin kita kerap bercakap tentang perubahan minda masyarakat kita. Kita telah melancarkan “revolusi-revolusi mental”, penerapan nilai-nilai Islam atau nilai-nilai murni dan cogankata perkhidmatan awam “cekap, bersih, amanah”. Sekarang kita mahukan rakyat kita mendukung “Islam Hadhari”. Semua usaha ini bertujuan untuk mengubah minda masyarakat kita dari pasif, lemah dan beku supaya menjadi aktif, dinamik dan progresif. Tetapi apa yang kita boleh lihat ialah bahawa minda masyarakat kita telah berubah dalam masa tiga atau empat dekad yang lalu. Generasi dulu, walupun lahir dan besar dalam zaman kolonial, mempunyai etika kerja yang lebih baik, mempunyai semangat perjuangan kebangsaan yang lebih tinggi, dan tindak-tanduk mereka lebih terikat kepada pegangan moral yang lebih tinggi. Hal ini nampak aneh, tetapi sebenarnya tidak. Generasi dulu, khasnya golongan elit, tidak diserapkan secara langsung, dengan falsafah neo-liberalisme; mereka berpegang kepada fahaman lama feudal dan Islam tradisional. Sejak merdeka, khasnya sejak Dasar Ekonomi Baru, nilai-nilai ekonomi liberal “pasaran bebas” diterapkan sepenunhya. Manusia Malaysia, khasnya kaum elit, menjadi rakus dan berlum-lumba untuk “naik ke atas”. Nilai-nilai “ekonomi” dan “kewangan” diutamakan dan nilai-nilai kemanusiaan (minat terhadap falsafah, sastera dan seni) diabaikan.

Hal ini membuktikan perubahan minda telah berlaku, tetapi bukan perubahan kepada yang lebih baik, seperti yang kita mahu, kerana kita mengamalkan falsafah ekonomi-politik neo-liberal yang bercanggah dengan humanisme Islam.

Peranan media membanyangkan perubahan ini. Media perdana menyibar dan mempropagandakan ideologi kaum elit kepada masyarakat. Media tidak bebas dari ideologi pemilik media itu dan elit politik dan ekonomi yang menentukan dasar Kerajaan. Jika kita secara serius hendak mencapai matlamat wawasan 20020 – menjadi negara maju dari semua segi --, masyarakat kita mesti melahirkan sekumpulan pemimpin dan cerdik pandai yang memperjuangkan perubahan minda masyarakat dari ekonomi-politik neo-liberalisme dan faham keagamaan tradisional kepada fahaman humanis-republikan yang meletakkan manusia di pusat perjuangan kita, manusia sebagai khalifah di muka bumi, yang layak diletakkan pada taraf yang mulia dan tinggi, bukan di tahap haiwan, seperti yang berlaku di bawah sistem oligarki dunia sekarang, dengan Malaysia menjadi sebagian daripada sistem itu.

Tidak syak lagi sistem itu sedang runtuh dengan cepat. Lihat krisis-krisis yang sedang berlaku: penentangan kepada sistem ini secara militer di Iraq, Afghnistan, Palestin, Ireland dan lain-lain, penentangan politik di seluruh dunia, termasuk di A.S. dan di Britain sendiri. Lihat kebuluruan yang meluas di Afrika dan kemiskinan yang teruk di Afrika dan di Asia, dan penganguran di semua negara, termasuk di A.S. dan negara-negara Eropah dan di Jepun. Pengganti kepada sistem ini juga sedang diketengahkan oleh ahli ekonomi dan pemimpin politik Lyndon H. LaRouche dan kumpulannya di A.S., apa yang dipanggil “Sistem ekonomi-politik Amerika” – persis “sistem pertengahan”, bukan kapitalis dan bukan komunis. Inilah sistem yang sedang kita cari dan yang boleh membangunkan kembali dunia bobrok kita menjadi sebuah dunia, yang bukan saja aman dan selamat, tetapi juga adil, makmur dan bahagia dalam Abad Kedua Puluh Satu.

Inilah pembetulan atau pengubah-suaian yang harus kita lakukan pada pertengahan jalan menuju Wawasan 2020, sebuah negara dan mesyarakat yang maju dari semua segi, yang aman, selamat, adil, makmur dan bahagia.


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[1] “Kamu suatu umat yang terbaik yang telah dibangkitkan di kalangan manusia: kamu memerintahkan kebaikan dan melarang kejahatan, dan kamu beriman kepada Tuhan.” (Quran, 3:110)
[2] “Lawanlah kejahatan mereka dengan kebaikan.” (Quran, 23:96) “Walaupun balasan terhadap kejahatan ialah balasan yang setimpal, barangsiapa yan memaafkan dan berbuat baik diberi ganjaran oleh Tuhan.” (Quran, 42: 40)
[3] “Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus – jalan mereka yang Engkau restui, bukan mereka yang dimurkai dan bukan mereka yang menyeleweng.” (Quran, 1: 6-7)
[4] Dalam bukunya, Reconstruction of Religious Thought, ahli falsafah Pakistan, Muhammad Iqbal, berkata, “… Nabi Islam nampaknya berdiri di antara dunia purba dan moden. Dari segi sumber wahyunya, dia milik dunia purba; dari segi semangat wahyunya, dia milik dunia moden. Pada diri beliau, kehidupan menemui sumber-sumber pengetahuan lain yang sesuai bagi arahnya yang baru. Kelahiran Islam … ialah kelahiran akal induksi. Di dalam Islam, kenabian mencapai kesempurnaannya dengan menemui keperluan untuk pemansukhannya.” (Hal. 126)
[5] Lihat Kassim Ahmad, “Intelektualisme dan Pemikiran Islam di Malaysia” dalam Ahmad Adam, Kassim Ahmad & Rustam A. Sani, Intelektualisme Melayu: Satu Polemik, Kertas Kadangkala, Bil. 5, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 1989; hal. 51-54.
[6] Kadar kemiskinan pada tahun 1999 ialah 8.1% atau 409,300 isirumah, dibandingkan dengan 19.3% pada 1987 dan 49.3 % pada 1970.
[7] Dalam Surah Al-Noor, ayat 35, Tuhan diumpamakan sebagai cahaya di langit dan di bumi, yang datang dari sebuah lampu yang minyaknya terbit dari sebatang pokok yang bukan dari timur atau barat. Bermakna ilmu Tuhan bersifat universal, bukan sectarian.
[8] “Yang Lain” itu sebenarnya kita juga, kerana manusia dijadikan dari satu nafs atau diri. Lihat Quran, 4:1.
[9] Lyndon H. LaRouche (lahir 1922 di Rochester, New Hamshire, U.S.A.), seorang ahli falsafah dan aktivis politik yang terkenal di A. S., tetapi yang selama ini ditekan dan dipinggirkan oleh kaum oligarki A.S.-Inggeris. Beliau menubuhkan sebuah kumpulan politik-falsafah dan aktif dalam politik A.S. selama 30 tahun lebih dan menerbitkan majalah politik mingguan Executive Intelligence Review, majalah budaya suku-tahunan, Fidelio, dan majalah sains suku-tahunan 21st Century Science and Technology. Beliau mempelopori apa yang dipanggil “Sistem Ekonomi-politik Amerika” yang dibezakan dari sistem-sistem liberal dan komunis. Pengaruh beliau di A.S. dan di seluruh dunia makin meningkat sejak kebelakangan ini, kerana analisis beliau tentang ekonomi A.S. dan ekonomi dunia dan program-progrem yang beliau kemukakan untuk A.S. dan dunia keluar dari kemelut yang besar ini menarik minat dan perhatian banyak pihak.
[10] “Telah Kami muliakan anak-anak Adam dan mewujudkan bagi mereka kenderaan-kenderaan di daratan dan di lautan. Kami mewujudkan bagi mereka makanan-makanan yang baik dan Kami lebihkan mereka melebihi kebanyakan makhluk Kami.” (Quran, 17:70)
[11] Lihat Quran, 2: 30-34.
[12] Lihat Quran, 5: 27-32.
[13] “Apabila Aku telah sempurnakan dia serta menghembus ke dalamya secebis dari ruh-Ku, hendaklah kamu semua jatuh sujud kepadanya.” (Quran, 15:29). Dalam ayat ini, Tuhan memerintahkan para malaikat sujud kepada manusia, kerana ruh kreatif yang dikurniakan oleh Tuhan kepada manusia.
[14] “Baginya keuntungan dari apa yang dia usahakan, dan baginya kerugian dari apa yang dia usahakan.” (Quran, 2: 286)