If you listen carefully, the bit in the beginning where the kids are being woken up in the sweatshop sounds like it was spoken in Malay. I've seen some of these places and they're closer than we think.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that 1.2 million children are trafficked every year. These children are moved from one place to another, often into another country, in order to be exploited. In East Asia, most of this trafficking results in children being sexually exploited in brothels and bars. In India, trafficked children often end up in the slavery of bonded labour, trying to pay off relatives’ debts through years of work.
While some children are abducted by traffickers, many more are sent away by their families. The poverty they live in forces them to make choices which put their children at risk – it is hard to refuse the offer of money when you are struggling to feed your family, especially when you are told that your child will be looked after and well-paid for their work.
Today is the launch of The Micah Mandate, a news portal initiated by five Malaysians. To visit the site, click on the logo above or go to www.themicahmandate.org.
The Micah Mandate is the "result of the concerns and aspirations of a group of Christians who are praying that all Malaysians in general and Christian Malaysians in particular will be more constructively engaged in matters of social conscience, public service and nation building rather than to only remain in comfortable armchairs criticising other people and institutions". Their own description reads :
Christian Political Parties/Politicians .. Do We Need Them?
This report came from Indonesia but I believe that if we reframe and contextualise some of the concerns, it would be equally valid here :
Christian Political Parties Questioned
April 4, 2008, UCANews.com
JAKARTA (UCAN) -- Church leaders have questioned the need for Christian political parties to exist because such parties have not fought effectively for the values of the Kingdom of God.
Father Benny Susetyo, executive secretary of the Indonesian bishops' Interreligious Affairs Commission, recently expressed this concern when he declared that many Christian politicians "do not orient their political activities toward the values of the Kingdom of God but their own interests." (emphasis mine)
He made this remark during a seminar on "The Role of Christians in Politics," held March 17-18 to discuss the 2009 general election.
I have read Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution and have made some references to it in my earlier blog entries before. I must admit that I did have some level of enthusiastic naivete then but there were always some nagging questions. Andrew Perriman seems to have helped me find words for those questions in his posting at Open Source Theology :
.. this desire to revert to the pattern of Jesus-discipleship arises essentially as a reaction against the excesses, hypocrisy, idolatry or ineffectiveness of the modern .. church ..
.. are we bound to take the sort of social and economic radicalism that Claiborne advocates as normative for the emerging church? Or should we regard it as component - as a badly needed, if overstated and idiosyncratic, prophetic voice? ..
He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.
"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
This piece by Tricia Yeoh was originally published by Revolution of Hope Malaysia (RoH Malaysia) as part of a series of papers that will be written seeking to provide a fuller assessment of where the RoH Malaysia team thinks Malaysia is now in her journey towards a mature society. Complementing this assessment will be their theological, pastoral, and spiritual responses towards these observed Malaysian realities. These papers will eventually be compiled and published as a book by RoH Malaysia
Commentary on the 12th General Elections Tricia Yeoh, April 2008
Tricia is currently the Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, at which she engages in national socio-economic issues through research, analysis and fostering policy dialogue. This covers a wide range of issues, dealing for example, with inter-faith dialogue and economic policies. Her work involves interacting closely with the country's socio-political environment. She hopes to work constructively toward a matured and united Malaysia, and envisions faith and vocation as one, as we seek common goals and platforms in the long-term nation-building process. She blogs on www.egalitaria.wordpress.com.
My friend, Nik Nazmi, who is also currently the State Assemblyman for Seri Setia and Political Secretary to the Menteri Besar of Selangor, is appealing for volunteers to help in a community tuition project that he started earlier in Desa Mentari, Petaling Jaya. This is a working class neighbourhood with a lot of hard core poor. Education might be one of the few attainable goals to help the people break free from the vicious cycle of poverty.
Currently there are 30 children between the ages of 10 - 12 (Year 4 - Year 6) who are beneficiaries of the project with emphasis being given on tuition in English, Mathematics and the Sciences. Long term plans include the expansion of the project to the Seri Setia low-cost flats area. Throughout the elections campaign period, a lot of other areas like Taman Glenmarie in Shah Alam have also been identified as potential areas where similiar projects can be set up and run by different groups.
Volunteer tutors for the Desa Mentari project are only required to commit to a maximum of three hours per weekend - three hours that can mean all the difference in the lives of many. Donors, are of course welcomed as well.
Further details are available from Nazmi's blog or you can contact him direct via e-mail (available at his blog).
Ada kerelaan
yang tak terbanding oleh manusia
untuk meninggalkan segalanya, segala-galanya
melangkah turun dari takhta kemuliaan
ke tempat terendah, serendah-rendahnya
tanpa desah, tanpa keluh
I've spent my whole adult life fighting for a cause, giving up such "creature comforts" like a college education, a "proper career", et al. Now that we've almost achieved it, I find myself suddenly at an impasse, somewhere along the lines of needing to re-boot my life all over again. Of course, it isn't that easy to re-boot and start afresh when you actually have a family with you now and mortgages to pay.
Anyway, Lent is coming to a close and the new spring is coming. Seeing that it took the execution of the Lord as a common criminal to begin the process towards the Resurrection, I am hopeful even as I acknowledge my own brooding sense of uncertainty and fear of the unknown.
My congregation is keeping the sanctuary doors open every night from 8.00 pm - 10.00 pm from Holy Wednesday (ie. today) until Good Friday with exhibits of the Stations of the Cross culminating with a Tenebrae service on Good Friday before we celebrate the Resurrection on Easter. You're all welcomed to participate.
Perhaps its a good time to stop and re-centre before taking the next step in my journey.
A Malaysian now residing in the UK sent this to some of us KeADILan folks as an encouragement and I thought it was worth sharing :
Father give us, at this pivotal moment in Malaysia's history, a government we need not a government we deserve. We see indecision and paralysis, wickedness and injustice, corruption and venality, fear and oppression.
But you oh God are God of justice and righteousness. Deliver us oh Lord from wicked men and the insidious politics which has governed us for nearly 50 years.
Let not bigotry and extremism prevail but let the hopes of hearts everywhere beseech God for Malaysia at this critical crosssroad.
You allowed for Malaysians from Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous East Malaysians and others, disparate and different in our ethnic and religious identities, to come together as Malaysians.
Grant us God that we will have both the courage and imagination to show the world that men of very different colour, culture and creed can live and work together in peace, respect and mutual happiness towards a kinder, gentler, more just and compelling country - Amen
Reinhold Neibuhr who wrote the prayer
'God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change and courage to change the things we can and wisdom to distinguish one from another'
also wrote at another point:
'Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible. Men's inclination for injustice makes democracy necessary'
Let Justice roll on like a river and righteousness like a never failing stream (Amos 5:24).
Martin Luther King from the jails of Birmingham Alabama wrote:
'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!'
I am no admirer of Richard Nixon though I think of him as a man of exceptional intellect and international acumen but in severe deficit of integrity who played on the politics of fear and fear mongering instead of faith and hope. But Nixon said something poignant at his first inaugural address and I paraphrase slightly:
'As we wait for the dawn to break, let us gather the light and not curse the remaining darkness'.
Let us wait upon the Hope of our hearts in Christ and forgive the hurts of history. God's redemptive grace is at work.
Amen and Amen! At certain times when one feels like shouting out loud, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani", the Lord surprises us with simple messages from the most unexpected sources that reminds us that He's still in charge. Maranatha!
He has shown all you people what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
TUHAN telah memberitahu kita apa yang baik. Perkara yang dituntut oleh TUHAN daripada kita adalah supaya kita berlaku adil, selalu mengamalkan kasih, dan dengan rendah hati hidup bersatu dengan Allah kita.
மனுஷனே, நன்மை இன்னதென்று அவர் உனக்கு அறிவித்திருக்கிறார்; நியாயஞ்செய்து, இரக்கத்தைச் சிநேகித்து, உன் தேவனுக்கு முன்பாக மனத்தாழ்மையாய் நடப்பதை அல்லாமல் வேறே என்னத்தைக் கர்த்தர் உன்னிடத்தில் கேட்கிறார்.
- Micah / Mikah / 弥迦书 / மீகா 6:8
.. which brings me to an opinion piece that my friend, Josh, wrote for Malaysiakini :
Have Christians learned the costly lesson?
Josh Hong | Feb 22, 08 1:33pm
The Christian Federation of Malaysia has just issued a General Elections Message. Unlike the shorter version entitled Vote Wisely, this document is meant to highlight the fact that Christians need to be discerning and to cast their vote responsibly for the candidates who share the concerns of the churches. In the cover letter attached with the message was a call to "join our hearts and pray for a peaceful and transparent election. At the end, may good political leaders be elected who will uphold the Federal Constitution and the rights of all citizens contained therein".
The full text of the General Elections Message is as follows :
World Council of Churches Responds To Major Electoral Issues
The World Council of Churches, an umbrella body that promotes unity and dialogue among the various Christian traditions in the world, recently had a meeting of their central commitee in Geneva. Among some of the statements issued was this one which I found to be timely (kairotic?) for the Malaysian Christian community (HT: Sivin).
Noting the numerous significant elections that have occurred recently or will be occurring this year, the statement emphasises that "attention should be paid to pre- and post-electoral mechanisms" so that "an election truly reflects the will of the people". Churches are called on "to be actively involved, where appropriate, in civil political engagement and education" and to do their part "to ensure fair, just and participatory democratic elections".
The full statement (with some personal notes and asides) is reproduced below :
A little bird informed me of an incident that happened in a particular church in Subang Jaya over the weekend. In response to the CFM's "Vote Wisely" campaign, a church elder apparently used the pulpit to remind the congregation that "the government has been good to us".
Hmm .. shouldn't this be considered undue influence? I know for a fact that even some anti-establishment leaning pastors would not abuse their pulpit for endorsing any political groups or movement. They might endorse certain Scriptural principles like peace, justice, mercy, et al, but they leave the processing of that and the conclusion to the individual conscience of their congregation.
This is the second set of readings, prayers, and actions prepared for meditations in the season of Lent by Bread for the World, a Christian NGO that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying national decision makers. They publish this as a table tent (like those promotional cards on restaurant tables) which can be downloaded for free from their website.
Second Week In Lent (February 17 - 23) Jesus Is Visited By Nicodemus
I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where
will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made
heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121:1-2, NRSV)
[Jesus said,] "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
(John 3:17, NRSV)
Vote Wisely Campaign From the Christian Federation of Malaysia
With the date of the General Elections finally announced (see Malaysiakini for more news), the various political parties are mobilising their campaign machinery to convince voters that they ought to be given the mandate to administer the nation on our behalf for the next five years. The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM); an umbrella body encompassing the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Churches of Malaysia and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship; has launched a non partisan campaign to increase the awareness of Malaysian Christians on their obligation to vote and the implications of their voting.
To pray for an election campaign that is clean, fair and that does not heighten ethnic and religious tensions.
To encourage all eligible Christian voters to exercise their right to vote.
To disseminate widely the Vote Wisely leaflet to all church members, and to have it reproduced in Sunday Bulletins and Church Newsletters.
This is the first set of readings, prayers, and actions prepared for meditations in the season of Lent by Bread for the World, a Christian NGO that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying national decision makers. They publish this as a table tent (like those promotional cards on restaurant tables) which can be downloaded for free from their website.
First Week In Lent (February 10 - 16) Jesus Sends The Devil Away
Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD
(Psalm 32:10b, NRSV)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
(Matthew 4:1-2, NRSV)
There's been a lot of negative publicity on "illegal demonstrations" and public dissent lately with the Deputy Prime Minister audaciously suggesting (threatening?) that the same violence that took the life of former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benasir Bhutto, would occur here if people were allowed to express their dissent. He, of course, conveniently labelled such folks as fanatics.
I guess manufacturing the conditions for inter-ethnic and inter-religious tensions ala the current controversy with the usage of the National Language in non-Muslim publications or alluding to the kurang ajar ethnic minority that dared make public their dissatisfaction doesn't count as extremism and fanaticism to the man.
I even overheard a dumb line on TV a few nights ago from the TV series, Gerak Khas, that had a police officer (who incidentally is from the same ethnic minority that I implied above) complaining to another about how those "idiots and troublemakers" insisted on demonstrating illegally and caused traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur. He received the condescending Mahathiresque reply about how people tidak tahu bersyukur.
Supporting Those Who Are Persecuted For Righteousness' Sake
In the letter of Shimon "Keipha" Ben-Yonah (aka Simon Peter), as the overseer-bishop of the church in Rome, written to the churches in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) who were suffering persecution, he said, among other things ..
".. But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened."
The term that is translated as "what is right" in the version quoted comes from the Greek word "δικαιοσύνη" (dikaiosunē). It is variably translated in other English language versions as "righteousness" or "justice" and interestingly in Spanish and French language translations as "justicia" and "justice" respectively which perhaps might be more faithful to the original meaning of the Greek.
These words of encouragement could easily have been written for the Hindraf 5 who are currently incarcerated under the draconian Internal Security Act.
.. amongst the many reasons, both abstract or otherwise, here's another reason why ..
After reading entries like this that pontificates along the themes of ..
Fikirlah wahai bangsaku. Jangan kerana menurut nafsu, disogok untuk mendapatkan kuasa kita luper bahawa kita adalah dari rumpun yang sama.
and listening to the various speech excerpts from the UMNO General Assembly that berated pengkhianat bangsa and penjual maruah Melayu .. and then contrasting with stuff like the above video .. it really makes one wonder ..
Siapa sebenarnya yang khianat?
Kalau bangsa serumpun sanggup mengaibkan yang papa kedana diantara mereka, bicara tentang agenda Melayu cuma omong-omong kosong sahaja.
When I read the Malaysiakini news story about Bernard Dompok's claim that no one had been arrested under the Internal Security Act in the administration of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, I was reminded again of Operasi Lalang. There are a few events in one's life that can sometimes determine the direction in which one takes.
Operasi Lalang was one of mine. I was 13 at that time and woke up to go to school only to be told to take the day off. The morning's paper came with portrait photographs of quite a few people on the front page. These people were apparently arrested under a law known as the Internal Security Act. Being young and naive then, I assumed these were probably guilty of some crime. It did seem strange though that some known names like Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, and people who we were told actually did good things like social workers were part of those arrested.
Friends in Conversation will be hosting a new round of conversation after a hiatus of quite a few months. This Saturday (October 27, 2007), we'll have the Rev. Dr Hermen Shastri, General Secretary of both the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) and the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) and Bro. Goh Keat Peng, Executive Secretary of the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) engaged in a conversation on politics and the Kingdom of God.
I understand there are legitimate concerns as to whether or not the Church ought to be involved in politics. Concerns range from how engagement in politics might distract the Church from fulfilling her main task of proclaiming the Gospel to how it might create a dangerous precedent in a time when so many are trying so hard to separate religion from the state.
You'd probably heard about the judge-fixing scandal implicating senior lawyer, V.K. Lingam who was allegedly caught on video in which a phone conversation was taking place where certain arrangements were being discussed to ensure the appointment of one of the parties in the conversation to the highest position in the judiciary. Okay, maybe you just know there's a video but am not very sure what the fuss is all about.
The cartoonist Zunar captured the gist of what the scandal means in a simple cartoon published in Malaysiakini :
We are probably familiar with the phrase "bearing the cross". While affirming the validity of the common interpretations of that passage, I thought this was a good reminder of another typology of the cross that we have to bear :
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Rob Bell suggests that in the Hebrew, no word for "spiritual" exists, at least not in the traditional sense of understanding spirituality as being dualistically distinct from the secular. There's also been suggestions that Jesus never used the phrase "spiritual life". The reason that has been proposed is that for Jesus and his tradition, there is no distinction between the sacred and the secular; perhaps along the lines that all of life IS spiritual.
With that thought in mind, here's my collection of arbitrary links : :
Bradford church blockades Total garage over Burma crisis
- 29 September 2007
A progressive church in Bradford is calling on all churches to advocate a boycott on Total garages during the present crisis in Burma - because the company is seen as an important prop to the murderous regime there.
Members of JustChurch, a Bradford city centre 'fresh expression' of church within the Anglican tradition, blockaded a Total Garage in the city centre and urged drivers to go elsewhere.
The Makkal Osai - Jesus Icon Incident: Some Further Thoughts
Lift The Suspension Of Makkal Osai Immediately!
Do Not Use My Faith As An Excuse For Oppression!
Interestingly, a similiar controversy that almost parallels Makkal Osai's portrayal of the cigarette and bear can holding Sacred Heart of Jesus icon incident occured in Australia just last week. Two entries for the 56th Blake Prize for Religious Art raised a bit of a furore down under.
One of the entries was of an entry by artist, Luke Sullivan, which was a statue of the Virgin Mary with the head of the figurine wrapped in a burqa titled "The Fourth Secret of Fatima" (see picture on the right). The other was a work by Priscilla Bracks entitled "Bearded Orientals: Making the Empire Cross" which featured a holographic portrait with a picture of Osama bin Laden and Jesus Christ on flip sides that seem to morph into each other (see picture below).
The loudest howls of outrage and protest naturally came from politicians, including Australian Prime Minister, John Howard. He was reported to have described these works as being "gratuitously offensive to the religious beliefs of many Australians".
What interested me more was the response from the Christian community. I think our own ecclesiastics may have quite a bit to learn from this.
Another timely reminder was received in my e-mail today, especially after the wonderful conversation I had last night with the wonderful folks last night of a spiritual formation group hosted by Bangsar Lutheran Church. The message can be summed up as follows :
'The Apostles (church leaders) didn’t have time to do everything, but focused on prayer and teaching. The aim is not to turn all church leaders into social workers. We’re not replacing theology with sociology – although both are helpful. But, in teaching the whole word of God, the Jerusalem church promoted and supported holistic mission, meeting both spiritual and physical needs. This became a normal and integral part of local church life. The resulting mission had dramatic results - spreading God’s word, increasing the number of disciples and obedient church leaders.'
Our nation's Golden Jubilee marks the official launching of an initiative to bring together Christian thinkers to construct contextual theologies for the Malaysian context.
I have been informed that this ecumenical initiative has received expressed support from various leaders in the Christian community of the region, including the Rev. Dr. Hwa Yung (Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia); the Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Tan, SJ (Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Melaka-Johor), and the Rev. Dr. Simon Chan (Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology at the Trinity Theological College in Singapore).
Among the first document published is their manifesto; which I reproduce here:
Tricia is currently the Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, at which she engages in national socio-economic issues through research, analysis and fostering policy dialogue. This covers a wide range of issues, dealing for example, with inter-faith dialogue and economic policies. Her work involves interacting closely with the country's socio-political environment. She hopes to work constructively toward a matured and united Malaysia, and envisions faith and vocation as one, as we seek common goals and platforms in the long-term nation-building process. She blogs on 
This is the second set of readings, prayers, and actions prepared for meditations in the season of Lent by 
This is the first set of readings, prayers, and actions prepared for meditations in the season of Lent by 
When I read the 
One of the entries was of an entry by artist, Luke Sullivan, which was a statue of the Virgin Mary with the head of the figurine wrapped in a 
The loudest howls of outrage and protest naturally came from politicians, including Australian Prime Minister, John Howard. He was reported to have described these works as being "gratuitously offensive to the religious beliefs of many Australians". 
Our nation's Golden Jubilee marks the official launching of an initiative to bring together Christian thinkers to construct contextual theologies for the Malaysian context.