Of "Muted Malaysia" : Why wait for Syawal...now cannot...ah?

Nothing feels better than "the green green grass of home". Almost a week away, touching down in KLIA is just pure heavenly...but as they say it..."all good things don't last forever".

Clicking through the keyboards, one email should brings concern to Muslims in Malaysia. A letter purportedly from JAKIM indicated that they have withdrawn their recognition on the "halal" certificate issued by Uruguan Islamic Centre where McD's beef is imported.

Someone out there should come out clean - is McD burgers halal or not? This is not the time to pass the buck. If it is true that JAKIM inmdeed issued the letter in April 2010, what are the steps taken by McD to resolve the issue? Simply "Biz as usual" is not the right approach!

Do McD replace the supplier? Is the beef now meet with JAKIM's halal hub's standards?

JAKIM, on its part, should announce this in media. If not all, most of us has at one time or another consume McD's products - so should Muslims stop patroning McD because they do not serve "halal" food?

Where is Utusan Malaysia? If the paper can print reports on Penang's so called controversial khutbah (sermons) then why is the paper plays mousy when it comes to McD? Or are the McDs' rats too big for Utusan?

I guess McD will not be in my list until this "halal" issue is openly resolved...

That's one - and you know that they say you are what you eat. Thus, please understand why this issue should take centre place in media, especially those media who targets Malaysian Muslims.

Now, what's this about "1 muted Malaysia"? In short, it is said that :-

1. Scarcely a dozen activist expressed their "displeasure" through a little civil disoberdience protesting against what is claimed as the government's iron-fisted control over the media;
2. One of the organiser claimed that they had good response in facebook;
3. One commentator talked about impact and not the turnout will be the measuring gauge of their success;
4. Commentator Yobama believed that the low turnout is due to Muslims fasting and he/she strongly believed that it will have a better turnout if it is held after Puasa month;

It seems that whatever the response the organiser has is registered in facebook. Now, if these "facebook"s are brave enough to register their support, why do they remain "faceless" in public? Are these supporters only good in virtual world? Don't dare to be "hand-on" in reality?

Next, why shift the reason to fasting month? Heck! there is nothing stopping anyone from being "civilly disoberdient" during fasting months. So, pleaaase stop pushing the blame to fasting month!!

There's more to write and arguments ready but...this is ramadhan, a time to learn self-control...let's stop at that, first.

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...