Big Blunder by Syed Hamid

Well, I must say with great relief that the gazette on the Internal Security (Prohibition on use of specific words on Document and Publication) Order 2009 has been revoked, effective today.

The Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar admitted that there were mistakes made in the drafting of the Feb 16 gazette which stated that Christian publications could use the word “Allah” provided the words “For Christians” were clearly printed on the front cover.

Ok, Syed Hamid admitted that it was a mistake. However, it is still mind boggling how such a mistake could happen? It is a shame. A big blunder on the part of the Home Ministry in particular and the government in general. I wonder if Syed Hamid Albar will be reprimanded by his boss? Hmmm...even his boss made blunder...flip flopping.

Take a look at the exact wording of the Feb 16th gazette here:

Prohibition on use of specific words on document and publication 2. (1) The printing, publication, sale, issue, circulation and possession of any document and publication relating to Christianity containing the words “Allah”, “Kaabah”, “Baitullah” and “Solat” are prohibited unless on the front cover of the document and publication are written with the words “for christianity”.

(2) The words “for christianity ” referred to in subparagraph (1) shall be written clearly in font type Arial of size 16 in bold.

1. Well, looking at the exact wording of the gazette made me really wonder whether Syed Hamid read carefully the gazette before signing it or he just blindly signed it?

2. While Syed Hamid admitted his blunder, I wonder what was the purpose of having such a gazette at the first place?

3. If there were mistakes in the drafting of the gazette, what is the correct version?

To Syed Hamid, whatever excuse you may want to offer to the people, the damage has been done. The mistake is not in the drafting, but in having the stupid idea to issue the gazette at the first place.

In my previous posting, the title was "First Ban, Then Uplift with Condition, Next What? The answer to the question is Next Ban Again...

First Ban, Then Uplift with Condition, Next is What???

First, the Home Ministry banned The Herald from using the word “Allah” in their Malay publication.

Next, The Herald brought the issue to Court and was granted to leave to apply for Judicial Review.

Then, The Herald filed application for a judicial review against the decision by the Home Ministry to ban the use of the word “Allah” in their Malay publication.

The Decision on the judicial review heard by before High Court Judge, Justice Lau Bee Lan will be delivered on 5/5/2009 .

In the meantime, The Herald ignored the ban from the Home Ministry and continued to use the word “Allah” in their Malay publication pending the disposal of the judicial review.

In response to the above, the Home Ministry issued a stern warning.

The Home Ministry ban The Herald from publishing its Malay publication pending the disposal of the judicial review.

Then, there were a lot of discussion on the issue from various parties. Mine is here and here.

Suddenly it was reported that through the newly gazetted Internal Security Act, The Herald was allowed to use the word “Allah” in their Malay Publication with strict condition to have “For Christians Only” printed on the publication. Sad to say that the gazette was signed by none others than the Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, the person who used to talk very firmly against the use of the word “Allah” in The Herald Malay publication. This was confirmed by the Home Ministry’s Qur’an Publication Control and Text Division Secretary, Che Din Yusoh.

Then the government was urged to remove the condition.

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I thought the Home Ministry through its Minister Syed Hamid Albar was very firm in their decision to ban the use of the word “Allah” in The Herald Malay publication.

I thought the Home Ministry through its Minister Syed Hamid Albar’s firm stance in the issue will last long, if not perpetual.

I thought the Government would wait for the Court to decide on the outcome of the judicial review.

I WAS WRONG.

I thought for once, I could trust this Syed Hamid Albar.

I WAS WRONG.

I wonder why did the Home Ministry suddenly granted permission for The Herald to use the word “Allah” in its Malay publication. With or without condition, that doesn’t matter.

I wonder if the Home Ministry and especially its Minister Syed Hamid Albar knows the phrase – the more you give the more they ask.

During a training that I attended on Effective Collective Bargaining (it is a negotiation process between employer and the employees union for the purpose to conclude the Collective Agreement), the trainer told the participants to be extra careful in granting the Union what the Union asks for. He told us to know the trick. So during a mock collective bargaining, I was the lead negotiator for the company. One of the items requested by the Union rep was car loan. This car loan has not been in the previous Collective Agreement. So, my team and I had a discussion and finally we agreed to grant them the car loan but we make it almost impossible for them to apply for the car loan. We offered them very low margin and very short repayment term. The reason for doing that was because we wanted to get the buy in for other items. Yes we managed to get their buy in. we were happy and thought that we were smart. After we finished our mock collective bargaining, the trainer told my team that granting the car loan is a big mistake and may cause the company to close business in the future. We asked him, why? He said since the Collective Bargaining is done every three years, granting the Union the car loan (though impossible to get) was just a starting point. In the next round of Collective Bargaining, the union will be asking for an increase in the margin and the repayment period. If the employer refuse, the union can make life difficult for the employer. So, may be the union may not be able to take car loan for the first few years, but once they get what they want, it is the company that is going to suffer. So, he said, when you give the union the car loan, you have just opened the flood gate.

So, does the case here. When Syed Hamid signed the gazette (in allowing The Herald to use the word “Allah”) he has just opened the flood gate and he doesn’t have to wait long, as the next day, many quarters have called for the removal of such condition.

Brainless you, Syed Hamid Albar!!!