Makna Kematian Gaddafi oleh Zin Mahmud (UM)

BAGI mereka yang mengikuti laporan langsung oleh Al-Jazeera dan BBC mengenai kematian Muammar Gaddafi Selasa lalu, tentu dapat mendengar bunyi latar paparan dari Tripoli itu.

Ini kerana laungan yang terdengar itu adalah takbir hari raya berulang- ulang berkumandang menggunakan pembesar suara ketika anak-anak muda Libya bersorak kegembiraan apabila mendapat tahu Gaddafi telah mati.

Bagi orang Malaysia laungan takbir hari raya pada waktu ini adalah suatu yang pelik.

Dalam laporan langsung di BBC, pemberitanya ialah seorang bukan Islam dan apabila ditanya oleh pembaca berita dari London, apakah laungan yang didengar dari masjid itu, dia menjawab, tidak tahu tetapi menurutnya laungan itu berulang-ulang berkumandang sejak diumumkan kematian Gaddafi.

Di Al-Jazeera pula pemberitanya mengatakan bahawa laungan takbir itu adalah sebagai tanda kegembiraan rakyat Libya atas kematian Gaddafi.

Sememangnya dalam sejarah Islam, takbir yang dilaungkan semasa hari raya itu berupa zikir memuji kebesaran Ilahi ekoran kemenangan tentera Islam dalam Perang Badar melawan Musyrikin. Dalam laungan itu dinyatakan kejayaan orang Islam mengalahkan orang kafir.

Adalah jelas rakyat Libya amat marah pada Gaddafi.

Amarah mereka ini menjadi tanda tanya bagi umat Islam di luar Libya. Ini kerana semasa hidupnya, Gaddafi dipandang tinggi oleh umat Islam.

Bermula dengan rampasan kuasa ke atas Raja Idris pada tahun 1969, Gaddafi muncul sebagai seorang pemimpin Islam yang berjuang membela hak kebangsaan Arab, iaitu termasuk Palestin, kepentingan rakyat, sebab itulah gagasan Buku Hijaunya menampilkan kaedah kesaksamaan pengagihan harta negara dan tidak kurang penting ialah usaha pembebasan rakyat terjajah di seluruh dunia, dari Ireland Utara di barat hinggalah rakyat Moro di timur.

Orang Islam Malaysia sendiri menghormatinya. Berapa ramai anak-anak Melayu yang bernama Gaddafi kerana bapa masing-masing mengkaguminya.

Penulis ingat pada tahun 1972, apabila sebagai kanak-kanak, kawan-kawan sekolah agama bersorak apabila dari radio dilaporkan bahawa Gaddafi menghantar tentera ke Mesir untuk menyertai Perang Ramadan yang menyaksikan pertama kali tentera Israel terpaksa berundur dari SInai.

Ketika Yasser Arafat dan Pertubuhan Pembebasan Palestin (PLO) diusir dari Beirut atas tekanan Barat, maka ke Libyalah tempat mereka mencari perlindungan. Tripoli menggantikan Beirut sebagai pangkalan PLO.

Maka sepanjang pemerintahannya, kehadiran Libya di Malaysia dirasakan. Kerajaan Gaddafi menubuhkan Pusat Kebudayaan Arab Libya di Kuala Lumpur yang peranannya setanding dengan agensi-agensi penerangan kuasa besar lainnya seperti Lincoln Cultural Center (Amerika Syarikat) , British Council, Goethe Institut (Jerman) dan Alliance Francaise (Perancis).

Libya menjadi wakil negara dunia ketiga yang bersuara mencabar pihak Barat. Gaddafi membantu Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (Perkim) untuk memiliki bangunannya sendiri serta meningkatkan usaha minoriti Islam di Asia Pasifik. Sokongannya kepada Pertubuhan Pembebasan Kebangsaan Moro (MNLF) adalah jelas.

Sebelum kemunculan Iran sebagai pusat politik yang menjadi perhatian umat Islam, Libya di bawah Gaddafi yang merintis persidangan-persidangan antarabangsa untuk pertubuhan-pertubuhan Islam di seluruh dunia.

Akhir

Namun dari tahun ke tahun hingga di akhir pemerintahannya, terdengarlah betapa kuasa yang dimilikinya bertukar kepada bentuk kuku besi. Layanannya kepada pihak penentang dilaporkan kejam. Turut menjadi mangsanya ialah dari kalangan aktivis Islam.

Tetapi apa yang hendak dihairankan tentang perkara ini di dunia Arab. Mesir, Syria, Sudan, Yaman, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria dan negara-negara Arab lain juga melayan pembangkang mereka secara keras dan kejam.

Tidak ada satupun negara Arab yang mengamalkan sistem demokrasi berparlimen dengan mengadakan pilihan raya umum seperti mana amalan piawai dunia.

Hanya pada tahun ini apabila berlaku kebangkitan rakyat dunia Arab, bermula dari Tunisia, bersambung ke Mesir dan melarat ke Libya, maka kekejaman Gaddafi semakin kuat dilaporkan.

Tidak seperti Hosni Mubarak di Mesir, Gaddafi enggan berundur sebaliknya menjerumuskan negaranya ke dalam perang saudara.

Maka dalam tempoh beberapa bulan dilaporkan pembunuhan dahsyat dilakukan oleh pihak penyokong Gaddafi.

Ternyata seperti di negara-negara Arab yang lain, sebahagian besar rakyat Libya membenci Gaddafi.

Hakikat bahawa kuasa-kuasa Barat telah memasuki Libya dan membantu penentang-penentang Gaddafi secara aktif adalah suatu yang tidak menghairankan.

Dari dulu, Gaddafi merupakan musuh Barat dan apabila rakyatnya sendiri bangkit, tentulah AS dan Eropah dengan senang hati campur tangan. Libya amat strategik dengan kekayaan minyaknya yang tidak dapat ditolak oleh negara-negara Barat.

Melalui sistem demokrasi, bukan saja mereka dapat menunjukkan pembelaan kepada rakyat Libya tetapi pada waktu yang sama, Barat mengharapkan penguasaan ekonomi dan sumber negara itu.

Bendera merah, hitam dan hijau yang dikibarkan oleh para penentang Gaddafi, dan kini menguasai Libya adalah panji-panji lama ketika negara itu di bawah pemerintahan Raja Idris. Pada masa itu Libya dikuasai oleh Barat.

Adakah dengan berakhirnya Gaddafi ini, Libya kembali dikuasai Barat? Adakah demokrasi mesti membawa kepada keadaan begitu?

Kalau begitu, sudah tentu ia merupakan suatu yang malang bagi rakyat Libya. Demokrasi diharapkan menjadi sistem yang dapat memberikan kebebasan dan kehidupan bermutu serta bermaruah kepada rakyat.

Tetapi jika demokrasi menjadi sistem yang boleh dimanipulasi oleh Washington dan Tel Aviv, maka ia adalah malang bagi rakyat Libya, dan dunia Arab umumnya.

Sekali lalu, nasib Gaddafi adalah seperti Saddam yang juga dibenci oleh rakyatnya.

Tetapi sekurang-kurangnya terdapat dua perbezaan iaitu pertama, saddam tidak dibunuh oleh tentera AS, tetapi ditangkap dan kemudian dibicarakan.

Sementara Gaddafi yang merayu supaya nyaeanya diselamatkan telah dibunuh oleh pihak penentangnya, yang terdiri daripada rakyat Arab Libya juga.

Kedua, kejatuhan Saddam adalah ekoran daripada penaklukan tentera Barat ke atas Iraq. Tetapi di Libya, ia dilakukan oleh rakyatnya sendiri, Namun, senjata dan bantuan lain disalurkan oleh pihak barat.

Ternyata perbezaannya kecil saja.

Dunia terutama orang Islam mengharapkan supaya Libya dan Iraq memandang ke depan dan tinggalkan dendam masa lalu. Tumpuan wajar kepada membangunkan negara untuk kesenangan hidup rakyat.

Malangnya keadaan itu masih sukar di Iraq. Di Libya pula, bimbang keamanan tidak dapat diwujudkan kerana pembunuhan Gaddafi merupakan permulaan yang tidak baik bagi kerajaan baru Libya.

Sekurang-kurangnya ketika Afghanistan tumbang, Mujahidin tidak membunuh presiden komunis terakhir Babrak Karmal. Dia dipenjarakan.

Keadaan Afghanistan menjadi buruk apabila Taliban mengalahkan Mujahidin dan terus menggantung Babrak Karmal tanpa proses perbicaraan. Akhirnya negara itu sehingga ke hari ini tidak berjaya mengecapi perdamaian. Perang Saudara dengan penglibatan kuasa luar terus-meneruskan menyebabkan rakyat mereka menderita berpanjangan.

Pembunuhan Gaddafi tentu menimbulkan rasa ngeri di kalangan negara-negara Arab lain yang berhadapan dengan kebangkitan rakyatnya khususnya Yaman dan Syria.

Kuasa sememangnya indah, tetapi apabila ia melangkaui tempoh yang sewajarnya, pemilik kuasa pula akan menjadi mangsa.

Siapa menabur angin, mereka akan menuai badai.

Lebih-lebih lagi pada negara yang telah tertumpah darah rakyatnya. Itulah seperti yang berlaku di Libya. Apabila rakyat Libya terkorban kerana Gaddafi, maka lebih keras balasan yang akan diterimanya.

Keadaan ini telah pun berlaku di Syria. Presiden Bashar Al-Assad akan mengalami keadaan yang sama dengan Gaddafi jika dia tidak menangani perubahan politik dengan mengutamakan kepentingan rakyat.

Begitu juga dengan Presiden Yaman, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Kedua-dua negara ini adalah strategik bagi AS. Syria kerana ia berdepan dengan Israel. Sementara Yaman dilihat sebagai pangkalan Al-Qaeda.

Dunia Arab menanti perubahan

Seminar #3

Seminar #3, maksudnya dah masuk class ke-3 untuk semester satu, aku kat UiTM Shah Alam. Wah, sedar tak sedar aku dah nak masuk mid sem dah, dan masa akan terus berlalu dengan cepat sampai aku mungkin akan terlepas nanti, kalau aku tak betol-betol catch up.

Sebelom sampai skul semalam, dah kuar notice bebudak bagitau ada 2 test. Marketing ngan e-Commerce. pastu, aku cuak giler sebab tak banyak yang masuk dalam otak buat masa sekarang ni. So, semalam, masuk je class, memang rasa cuak lah. At the end, Marketing takder test pun. adeh... salah info daaaa....

Cuma e-Commerce je ada test. Tu pun, aku nasib baik ada buat tutorial dalam kelas maya, kalau tak, memang tak dapat jawab ler... walau dah jawab dalam class maya, aku masih gak lupa point aku. adehh.... lagi.

Sesi petang, kelas info technology... dan last sekali, of course class feberet aku... presentation skill. So far dalam 4 kelas aku tu, hanya kelas presentation tu je lecturer memang kenal sangat ngan aku. ape tak nyer, aku je lebih... hahahhahaa (poyos nak glamer). Actually aku memang nak score A+++ dalam subject ni, sebab bagi aku, mana subject yang boleh score, better aku focus dan buat betol-betol. Bukan bermakna yang tak boleh score aku abaikan, tapi nak kena carik taktik cemana nak full swing... itu yang penting. Taktik dan strategi nak lulus dengan cemerlang.

Porter’s Five Forces: Tipping the Balance of Power in Any Business Situation

No matter which industry your business is in, you can assess the forces that influence your business, including its strengths and weaknesses, using this set of five Market Forces, in order to leapfrog over your competition by better understanding the industry you and your rivals operate in.

Created by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter to analyze the attractiveness and likelihood of profitability of an industry, Porter’s Five Forces are a simple but powerful tool for understanding where power lies in any business situation. Using this tool, you can gain insight into the competitive strength of your current position as well as one you’re considering moving into.

In this way, you can take fair advantage of situations of strength, improve weaknesses, and avoid missteps.

While these Five Forces are typically used to determine whether new products, services or businesses may be profitable, you can use them to analyze any “balance of power” scenario, including key strategies in your marketing plan.

How to Use Porter’s Five Forces

The Five Forces that determine the balance of power in any business situation are:

1. Supplier Power. How easy is it for suppliers to drive prices up? The answer depends upon the number of suppliers of each key element, how unique their product or service is, their ability to control you, the cost of switching from one to another, and so on. The fewer your choices, and the more you need their help, the more powerful your suppliers are.
2. Buyer Power. How easily can your buyers drive prices down? As in Supplier Power, the answer depends upon the number of buyers, how important each buyer is to your business, what it costs them to switch from your products or services to a competitor’s, etc. If you only have a few buyers, they can exercise a lot of control over you.
3. Competitive Rivalry. The key here is how many competitors you have and what their capabilities are. If you have a lot of competitors that offer equally attractive products and services, then you’ve probably got very little power. If suppliers or buyers don’t like the deal they get from you, they’ll go to someone else. If no one else can do what you do, however, you may have a lot of strength.
4. Threat of Substitution. Can your customers find another way to do what you do? Can they hire people to do what your product does? Can they hire developers to re-create your software? If it’s easy and viable for them to substitute something or someone for your product or service, your power is weakened.
5. Threat of New Entry. How easy is it for new players to enter your market? If it doesn’t cost much money or time for someone else to start a business and compete with you (low barriers to entry), if you can’t gain or haven’t gained advantages via expansion such as lower-priced supplies (economies of scale), or if your key technologies aren’t well-protected or can’t be, then new competitors can quickly enter the market and destabilize your position. On the other hand, with strong barriers to entry that you can defend, then you can keep your position of strength and use it to your advantage.

 

To use Porter’s Five Forces to assess the balance of power in your business situation, start by examining each of these forces individually.

Think about the factors that are relevant for your market or situation, and then check them against those in each Force.

Download a copy of this diagram and mark your key factors for each Force. To characterize the size and scale of each Force, use a plus sign for any force that’s moderately in your favor, two pluses for any that’s strongly in your favor, and a single or double-minus sign for any force moderately or strongly against you respectively.

Next, brainstorm opportunities. Where can you further leverage a Force strongly in your favor, bolster one that’s a moderate advantage, or shore up weaknesses? Does one area require a rethink in order to change the balance of power?

At first blush, it may not be readily apparent where branding or marketing strategy’s role is in this tool, but if you consider “quality differences” in Competitive Rivalry, you’ll realize that this is where brand has the most impact. “Quality differences” is a catchall area that can also encompass other value-adds such as brand affinity, “stickiness” and customer service, all of which have a huge impact on “customer loyalty,” also in this category.

Consider the Coke vs. Pepsi rivalry and the point becomes clear. Two simple products—I always like to refer to them as “brown, bubbly, sweetened water” to illustrate their simplicity—that have waged brand wafare to the tune of billions of dollars. The Coca Cola logo is one of the most recognized logos in the world. (Not bad for a can of bubbly brown water.) That alone shows how important perceived quality differences are. They can make or break a brand.

Source: http://karen-goldfarb.com/marketing-strategy/porters-forces-aka-forces-tip-balance-power-business-situation

Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

Steven Paul Jobs, 56, died Wednesday at his home with his family. The co-founder and, until last August, CEO of Apple Inc was the most celebrated person in technology and business on the planet. No one will take issue with the official Apple statement that “The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”

It had taken a while for the world to realize what an amazing treasure Steve Jobs was. But Jobs knew it all along. That was part of what was so unusual about him. From at least the time he was a teenager, Jobs had a freakish chutzpah. At age 13, he called up the head of HP and cajoled him into giving Jobs free computer chips. It was part of a lifelong pattern of setting and fulfilling astronomical standards.
 

Throughout his career, he was fearless in his demands. He kicked aside the hoops that everyone else had to negotiate and straightforwardly and brazenly pursued what he wanted. When he got what he wanted — something that occurred with astonishing frequency — he accepted it as his birthright.

If Jobs were not so talented, if he were not so visionary, if he were not so canny in determining where others had failed in producing great products and what was necessary to succeed, his pushiness and imperiousness would have made him a figure of mockery.

But Steve Jobs was that talented, visionary and determined. He combined an innate understanding of technology with an almost supernatural sense of what customers would respond to. His conviction that design should be central to his products not only produced successes in the marketplace but elevated design in general, not just in consumer electronics but everything that aspires to the high end.

As a child of the sixties who was nurtured in Silicon Valley, his career merged the two strains in a way that reimagined business itself. And he did it as if he didn’t give a damn who he pissed off. He could bully underlings and corporate giants with the same contempt. But when he chose to charm, he was almost irresistible. His friend, Heidi Roizen, once gave advice to a fellow Apple employee that the only way to avoid falling prey to the dual attacks of venom and charm at all hours was not to answer the phone. That didn’t work, the employee said, because Jobs lived only a few blocks away. Jobs would bang on the door and not go away.

For most of his 56 years, Steve Jobs banged on doors, but for the past dozen or so very few were closed to him. He was the most adored and admired business executive on the planet, maybe in history. Presidents and rock stars came to see him. His fans waited up all night to gain entry into his famous “Stevenote” speeches at Macworld, almost levitating with anticipation of what Jobs might say. Even his peccadilloes and dark side became heralded.

His accomplishments were unmatched. People who can claim credit for game-changing products — iconic inventions that become embedded in the culture and answers to Jeopardy questions decades later — are few and far between. But Jobs has had not one, not two, but six of these breakthroughs, any one of which would have made for a magnificent career. In order: the Apple II, the Macintosh, the movie studio Pixar, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. (This doesn’t even include the consistent, brilliant improvements to the Macintosh operating system, or the Apple retail store juggernaut.) Had he lived a natural lifespan, there would have almost certainly been more.

Source: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/10/jobs/